Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-20
DAILY SHORT STORY
AN OILY Gilman AN.

SltCng down 10 ENJOY MS pipe Willie
the steamer was rolling off twelve
knots an hour, Bret Harte bit 'em OF
just as they are in bis All Sin
They've got more smooth cunning
about 'em than a detective. I'll not
soon forget how one of 'em tried TO
do us in the China sea away back be
fore Uncle Sam thought of owning the
Philippines. I was running the engine
of chunky little boat used for towing
called the Polly, and we were making
for Canton. Our stoker got sick. and
we left him at POntianak, BorneO, and
took in his place Cheng Fen, the most
whipped cur appearing Celestial l ever
saw. He looked as if he wouldn't dare
take drink of water without asking
permission.
'Pontianak, you know. is dead on the
equator, and the southern end of the
China sea Is as measly a region for
weather as you want to strike. The
night we left port the sky looked so
queer that we were kept Oh the watch
for big blow. The clouds were jag
ged, and the full moon rose red as an
open furnace door. Going on deck for
a breath Of fresh ART wasn't fresh
anywhere, but was better up there
than In the engine room-I watched the
wriggling serpents the moon threw on
the oily water. and as soon as /
thought could stand more of il below
went down just in time to catch Cheng
Fen mOnkeying with the machinery. /
yelled at him to stop. and he turned his
heather face. full of injured innocence,
and said in his pigeon English that Il
screw on the connecting rod seemed to
be loose, and he was trying to fix il.
called the captain 70 the head of the
companionway and told him the story,
adding that something was wrong with
the stoker and we'd better look out.
There's a junk been following in
our wake" he said, lever since we left
Pontianak. l wonder ii there's plan
among the copper colored devils to do
us some damage?
when / went below again the stoker
was looking dreamily at the steam
gauge, and the machinery was all agog.
picked up i monkey wrench and hurl-
ed it at him, but he lodged, and | knew
Id better leave him to u more conVen-
lent time and attend to the engine.
He had loOsened so many screws and
the whole machinery was so timber /
had to stop her while l screwed up,
and stop her again and again as l
found more damage. The captain came
down, and when he saw what was the
trouble told me to go ahead screwing
up while he threw the StOker over
board. He got a nasty wound from a
knife, but succeeded in dumping the
Chinaman.
The captain was as nervy man
as ever lived. When he got on deck he
sang out to me to come up as soon as
| got the engine together. did so, and
there, about 600 yards behind US, was
a sight to make my blood run cold. 1t
was a junk loaded with a chattering-
bowling lot of Cinnamon. pointing
dead for us. OF course she was u
pirate and was bent on taking our
craft, and that meant murder for us.
They had shipped one Of their dirty lot,
Cheng Fen. on us to loosen our engine
so that they could overhaul us.
"'Got the engine all rightr asked
the captain.
Yes / answered.
care we gaining on emp
Il kept my eve on 'em for a time.
and told him that Ii was an even thing
between us, but l thought they were
gaining on us slowly.
Very WE'LL he said in the same
cool tone, go below and be prepared
for quick work. Our only chance Is
to ram her. and when l call You come
up prepared TO fight Some of 'em may
jump aboard
Il confess / needed all the nerve l
owned, for the prospect was bad.
hadn't got below before / felt the cap
tain turning her in a semicircle, and
pretty soon he gave me a signal to
open up for all she was worth: then
called for me to come up.
The sight saw / shall never forget.
The captain had got position between
the pirate and the moon, and the light
showed the ugly villains almost as
plain as day. Right out on the junk's
bow stood Cheng Fen, who had. of
course, been picked up, with the wick
eldest look on his face l ever saw. The
pirates hadn't got on to our intention,
but they did in about five seconds later,
and their jubilant bowls suddenly
ceased. We were making all the head
way we were capable of, and as we
were a solid little craft the prospect
for the pirates wasn't pleasant. They
had their starboard bow toward us,
and instead of taking the blow bow on
their helmsman sheered of to port, Ell
aiding US TO hit her amidships.
81 could see Cheng Fen, who seemed
to be one of their principal men. run
ming toward the probable striking
point, and he got there just in time.
We cut the junk in two like piece of
cheese and rode over her keel. Cheng
Fen was the only one of 'em that got
aboard of us. The captain cut him
down with n cutlass, splitting his skull
In the middle. In another minute the