The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1904-01-30

no objection, but pushed through the
crowd, and, when they would have
stopped Wilson, said something to them
which had a quoting effect. Wilson
soon got the money and when he re-
turned with the cash found the taotai
smiling agreeably to Oswald and my
self and heaping upon us all the flow
cry eulogiufns of Chinese speech.
eve were totally deceived by the
peaceable appearance of the taotai and
the natives, and when we put the
money into the fat, greasy hand of the
former we imagined that the trouble
was all over
Anxious to get away, Wilson gave
orders to the lowdah to cast off the
grapnels; but, although he understood
perfectly this movement, the taotai did
not seem to think of retiring Clutch
ing the money. he turned to speak to
US in a friendly manner. BY his clever
maneuvering he had just succeeded in
getting us TO turn our backs to the
shore, when l happened to glance at
the crowd and Immediately surmised
their intention. They hoped to swarm
on board and overpower us while the
taotai diverted our attention by anna
BILE remarks.
Wilson, too, caught the movement
and shouted to the lowdah to cast off
at once. The taotai was standing quite
near the edge of the boat, and Oswald,
who thought that it was about time to
do something to relieve the tension,
promptly lifted that worthy up in his
arms without further ado, and a mo-
ment later a very surprised and very
indignant old Chinaman was hauled
ANONYMOUSLY from the muddy waters
of the Yangtse by his companions
just as the last grapnel was hauled in
and the gangplank abandoned to the
feet of the surprised natives who were
already on its shore end.
"As the taotai went overheard he
clutched wildly at the air and let go
the money he held in his fat fist. Next
moment the sampan had drawn clear
away from the bank.
Well, we're well out of that scrape.'
said Wilson, laughing at the absurd
Inquire which the fat man presented.
and I'm glad he lost his money, for
you can make sure that he would have
kept it. for himself and that the chap
you wounded would see little of it,
The crowd was running along the
bank and screaming words which
meant; TO the bridget To the bridge!
Catch the foreign devils under the
bridger
"'What good will the bridge do
themY asked Oswald
4 suppose that they mean to throw
stones down on us as we run under
replied Wilson.
They knew that the sampan must
run under the low bridge to get into
the main stream of the Yangtse. and |
hey reckoned that by keeping us
crowded to one side of the stream the
mast of our boat would be too high for
passage under the single arch of the
while if we unshipped the
mast, as we had done as precaution-
Try measure while going up stream, we
'hould be totally at the mercy of the
7olley of stones they held ready to
aunch at us Immediately we came
within range. Even if there should be
Dom for us to pass under with the
mast and sail in position they calcu.
ated doubtless that it would be so high
lp that they could clutch it, swarm
Iown the rigging and kill the foreign
evils' even though at some cost to
themselves. On the other hand if the
mast should pass the lowdah would
teer wildly and might run the boat
shore on the rocky shoals below the
ridge.
AS we came on the bowling mob
Dove screamed with joy and pointed
Sultantly- to the rocky shoal beyond.