The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-21

sue and threw off his clothes for a
path. | was watching him casually,
ior ms quick. 1.-THE motions always
nad a fascination for me, and | no.
uced around his neck a sort of rosary,
| winch, When l observed more closely,
| seemed to be a diminutiEe imitation
OF tnoSe peculiar ancient roSarieS that
nave frequently been found in use in
| emma Tibet. North America and
| old Mexico. [ believe they have also
| oeen dug up with the relics unearthed
from the ancient tumuli of the mound
| builders.
Why do you wear that thing, Me-
| hlm?. l asked. He flushed. and then
| looked rather Vexed
| 1t belonged to my grandmother"
| ne answered shortly. ut is an anu
| let. Here. boy, throw that water over
me, he added. turning to one of the
| sailors.
saw that he was touchy about the
| thing, so l made no further comment,
| but went below
| The little bay where we dropped
| anchor was a fine harbOr. landlOcked
on all sides by high. bold. rounded
| hills, naked of vegetation and studded
| with great black granite boulders;
| wild, desolate place and uninhabited
| except for a few fishermen's huts on
| the shore. We got a hold Of a couple
| of coolies who came out in a sailing
| sampan, and after much haranging,
| for their dialect was different from
any that / had encountered in my
| missionary work. made them under
| stand what we wanted. and that there
| would be twice the amount OF money
paid them when they returned. Our
patrons agent was to send us back
scrap of paper bearing n character of
| which we held the duplicate to indi-
| cate that our message had been re-
ceived.
The following day the messengers
returned, so l got everything in readi-
| ness to receive our cargo. The silk
| was to go down in the fore peak UNI
der some extra sails and the opium
under a false flooring beneath our
| cabin. l had seen enough of Chinese
! character not to trust it too far. so |
got out my Colts revolver and care
fully oiled and loaded it. getting Nc
| Kim to do the same. Then l armed
| the sailors with heavy knives that l
had secured before leaving Manila,
and cautioned them against turning
their backs on the crew of the dhOW.
The night came down dark and
murky, and blotted out the shore line
except where here and there the
shoulder of some great oVerhanging
hill doomed blackly against the SOM
bre sky The water was dead and,
dismal. Not a ripple nor q flicker Of
phosphorescence came from the sea,
though now and then ] felt the puff
of a. chilly land breeze, smelling Of
moist earth and rotting seaweed.
was leaning on the rail trying TO
cheer myself with a reflective pipe,
for nv spirits were very low, ana
thinking of the altered conditions be
tween my first and second trlps 10
China-tDe first as missionary. the
second SIS a smuggler
SuddShly l caught the rant
a. Oh, - Hn a
sculling oar of a freight sampan
makes upon its thole pin. called
Mckim, who came up through the
companionWay buckling on his gun.
ave listened together and presently
heard the soft pat, pat OF naked
feet as the coolies who were sculllhg
1.-The craft threw the weight first on
one foot and then on the other. our
crew were gathered together forward
in a little black huddled knot. ana
presently one of them crawled Stealth
ly aft.
What is ?" l asked in a whisper.
The man pointed his skinny arm
into the darkness. Following the a.
rection there suddenly resolved Itself
from the gloom a great square opa-
city that stood out against the denser
darkness behind. 1t puzzled me at
drst, and then / made it out to be the
big black sail OF the dhow, which
had been nOlSleO 10 CdlCH lllc mum
puffs of the night breeze.
Our anchor light was burning a
dead yellow. l went below. and,
lighting n powerful lantern we had
got for the purpose. hoisted II on
ballard that l had reeved through
little block dashed to the spring stay
the day before. The light flared sud-
denly on the big sail of the dhoW
| that was now close aboard. A patter
of muffled orders in a cultural voice
game from her decks:
- Hello" said !. STAND by for a
line"
"S-ee-vah-aa-'' came a voice in
answer
sent a heaving line uncoiling
snakily through the darkness. 1t fell
athwart her decks and in moment
we had her moored bow and stern.
McKim dropped our sea ladder ana
Immediately the crew of the dhoW
came sVarming up. | couidn see any
use for more than the captain SO
showed the rest of the mob back and
hauled up the ladder. A light whip
had been rugged from the main top
sail-yard arm, and l ordered our crew
TO man il, and In moment the bales
and boxes came swinging over the
side. No attempt was made TO eX-
anime them, as we were SIMPLY To
receive what was sent and receipt Tor
the total number OF pieces.
The Chinaman who had come
aboard carried piece of paper in his
hand which he signified that he want
ed signed. Mckim carried it below.
The Chinaman stood beside the hatch
waiting for him to come UP. l was
busy tallying in the bales. the last of
which was just coming aboard. but
something. | don't know what i'm
PEELED me to watch that Chinaman
out Of the tail of my eye. And as |
watched the bales with one eye and
the man with the other l saw his
hand suddenly slide down to his belt
and caught the flash of the cargo
light on naked steel.
Look out. McKim!" I shouted
A wild, erie scream came in an
swer and a wave Of dark. agile fig
ures came pouring suddenly over the
bow and stern. My gun was out in
a flash, and cut down on the man at
the head of the cOmpanionWay who,
with another scream even wilder than
the first, lurched headlong into the
scuppers. The next moment McKim
was on deck. and together we leaped
onto the deck house.
Tn forward our sailors were fight
ing for their lives. and for moment
they stayed the rush from that direc-