The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-28
al =:==::==:= :: ::::=::: R|E||
II BACK TRACKS
~ ny G. IA
% Mcclure Phillips %
{ ==============:================ka
PART IL.
by HENRY c.
ROWLAND.


hawseg coming in, Vehement orders
were frenziedly chartered III a nefce
and constant flow of monosyllaples'
and from what / was able 10 under
stand l gathered that part OF TN.
gang were To take the brig immediate
Is To sea.
In the general confusion l appear
ed to have been overlooked, ana lay
bound and helpless where | had beef
dropped. Suddenly shout came
forward the crank or the haWsei
ceased, and the fofetopsail began to
Nap iaziiy, A louder order was
shouted from the poop, and the crowo
about the deck broke up. hair OF them
hurrying to the side. Three mer
who were at the main halliards be
layed them where they We're, ana slip
ping To where | lay grabbed me
roughly Nnd started TO drag me to the
side 1 supposed, of course, chat J
was going overheard, and had in fact
become quite reeonciled To the idea
aud was trying To get cold eonsola-
ton from the sight OF the PROSTATE
bodies that lay about the deckhouseI
but as | saw how many they We're J
began to fear that possibly there
might be some thing warmer in store
for me than the black waters Of the
bay.
/ was hauled over the gunwale and
dropped heavily into the bottom o.
and dhow, and a few seconds later
Mckim was laid alongside of me. lit
was unconscious and breathing sterr
torously and l got my shoulder un,
der his head and hauled loose piece
of mating up over him with my teeth
for the night was cold and his shirt
had been torn to pieces
\ few final orders We're shouted
from the deck of the brig, which
was already under way, and we cast
off and headed up the river l was
beginning to feel dizzy and light
headed, for although l did not notice
il at the time 1 had lost good dea1
OF blood from a long shallow slash
where some beggar had wiped knife
across the front of my chest; perhaps
| simply slept, but at any rate | have
no recollection of the first part OF
the trip. When l finally awoke, oil
came 10 myself, the dawn had broken
and | saw by the gray, early light
that We We're working up winding
stream which flowed suggishly be-
tween irregular mountains of no great
height which l judged to be the Yong
mans-foothiils of the Bohea Range
that runs northeasterly from the
north Of Kwang Tung, We had pro-
badly been sculiing by relays all
night but toward sunrise the breeze
blew in from the sea, so the big square
sailing time.
The behavior of our eaptors when
they saw that | was awake and i'm
clined 10 take an interest in things,
rather surprised me, At first l was
SO stiff and sore that I could hardly
move; my shoulders felt as ii they
were being raeked. but my arms and
hands We're entirely devoid of all SEN
sation. By squirming around a bit /
managed to get iii sitting position.
There was Chinaman OH either side
of me, one smoking, and the other
busy with wooden bowl of rice and
chopped green's Although 1 knocked
against them in my effort 10 rise they
did not pay me the slightest attention,
but a man who seemed TO be a per-
son OF authority caught sight of me a
few moments later and said some
thing To one of the men beside me.
who drew his knife and cut the LASH
ing around my wrists, l could. no
doubt have made myself understood
and was rather tempted to ask some
questions. but decided to conceal
what knowledge 1 had of their Ian
suaee in the hope of learning some
thing of what was To happen, A lit
Tie later, however bowl of rice was
handed me,
Mekim was still unconscious but
his pulse was fairly good and his
breathing quiet and even, 1 did not
feel much concern about him, as / /
had sort of notion that he might |
he In better state than 1 was, |
Nevertheless | tore piece of my |
shirt and, dipping 1t over the side, |
washed the blood away from his
wounds and bound them up. No one !
seemed to take the slightest interest |
IN the proceeding and IL even seemed |
10 me that such chances as We're
thrown e1Sn1tlN
strangely free from malice. Indeed
l knew enough OF Chinese character
to appreciate that in their utter sell
tshness such as had survived the fight
Of the night before We're possibly gra-
titled on the whole that We had
iessened the number amohg whom the
profits of the expedition We're to be
divided.
AS we worked up the river it kept
growing narrower and narrower, anc
sometimes it would loop so that i,
was necessary to clew up the sail and
seull for while in the direction
whence We had come, We passed TIVE
towns both of which were laid out OF
the same plan and deserted. They
We're upon the sides of hills that faee6
the river. and around each there ran
a triangular wall with he base alons
the shore and the apex near tbs
summit There seemed to be a sor'
of citadel surrounded by another
wall built inside, These defenses,
supposed, We're built for resistance
against the. Tartar pirates that use5
te swoop down along the coast anC
rayage the seaboard cities, The hills
on both side of the river were grow
ing higher and wilder as we proceed,
ed though some of the valleys seem
eel 10 be somewhat cultivated
About shutdown we sighted a vii
lage ahead, at the base of big dome,
shaped mountain. and, as we drew
near, l saw that we We're to stoI
there, l was glad of it, for the sus
pense and pain of my wound was be
ginning to be unbearable Mckin
was regaining consciousness, but
seemed To be getting feverish, and oe
casionally muttered ineoherently, A
We drew up TO a bamboo jetty tina
was built out into the stream, | notice
very old man who was in the litti
crowd that had come down TO NEE
Us. tie was apparently of a Yer,
great age. although strong and active
and in spite of his round stoopin,
shoulders, and the deep wrinkles thai
scanned his face there was sometime
about him that again suggested tina
bizarre resemblance TO Mekim.