Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-11

him to summon a council and say what was
on his mind Hardy says yes, he would,
as they wanted It. So about four, council
Hardy stands up, the lads sprawling all
about on benches, on the floor. looking at
him. Hardy has In his hand one of the
three Bibles from the Iphigenia third chest
Well, everybody waits, wondering now
what Is coming. Hardy begins TO talk and
keeps on talking for half an hour. All
about himself first-hts family, where he
was born, everything: then about his
coming to China to seek Powerful,
and his capture by the Chinese at
Picking. Suddenly off he tears his shirt
and shows wounds and scars all over body;
and he points to the gray patches in his
head Chinese torture, he says; some of
the men wiped their eyes so knowingly he
spoke. Sometimes when his face is ami
mated l declare he looks like lad Of
nineteen, and II Is hard not to love this
man somehow. Then he went on to speak
Of the Japs and their treachery TO the Brit
ish ships; then he said that all the white
men in China had been massacred by the
Chinese; and last of all, out he came with
the announcement that the Chinese and
Japanese combined are about to attack Eu-
rope. Every one held his breath at this
ana we were all pretty excited by now.
We'll, what are we to say Of such a
race, men?' says Hardy. Do you not
agree with me that the earth would be
well rid of such a people%' "Yes!" we cry,
yes! yesl' We all shout out. LAS for me-
he says, II, here and now, before you all,
and before Almighty God. devote my entire
life henceforth to their destruction; and
invite you all 70 take that oath with me-"
And SO saying, he lifts the Book, and
kisses It. The men leapt round him at
once. One cries out: You are the John
Hardy Of the Shoreham battle, aren't your
Hardy says Yes" Then Brassey roars
out: will you be our LEADER" and every
man-jack Of US cheers this to the echo;
and then Hardy hands Book to each OF us
and as We kiss It. each of us grips his
hur1 In, 4pfy aT -ba ~
And as the last Of US grips his hand Chat
was Paddy Burke) Hardy, turning away
from us, goes leaning out of the window,
and Brassey says tear was rolling down
his cheek which he wanted to hide. I sup
pose there never was such scene in the
world; it was Just as If We were all mes
meriZed by him, some of US wanting to
cry, and as moved by his influence as
the rest. The lads are swearing to follow
Hardy through thick and thin.
Expedition last night did nothing, and
discovered little. There were merely some
piles OF stone and two carts but without
mules. In one of the carts a hardIbacked
land-turtle, which the lads brought back,
But their climb up that steep hill as good
as useless, From their report 1t is prob
able that the regular Chinese force IN the
neighborhood is being increased. Happily,
perhaps, for us, this Is thiniy populated
part OF the country Something will have
to be done for food, and that soon. It re-
mains to be seen what sort of stuff this
We got on pretty fairly before he came
Heat fearful today, but rain now pouring
in torrents outside.
18th June.-At midday mess Hardy says
to lads; Don't scatter, men. wish to
after meal, council Hardy at head Of
table I on right. Brassey on left Tom
Brown, Davis and Joyce sitting near, Says
Hardy: You have been good enough" he
says, ito choose me for your leader.
hope to prove myself worthy of your favor.
but for the present 1 prefer TO consult with
you, rather than to give you orders Here
and Engiishmen--148 of US. l believe we
might be able TO do something more for
our country and ourselves than killing q
few Cinnamon now and then. The thing
Is to know what we want TO do, and to set
about II In the right wayi and. as rule,
the right way IS sure to be the simplest
way" Hear, hear" says Brassey, who
is regular champion of Hardy's, and ev-
well, then" says Hardy, but no man
can work without tools, and every work
man SHOULD stick to his own tool, the car
penter to his ehisel, and the blacksmith to
his Bledge. We, men, are sailors; and the
tool Of D sailor is ship What We have
got to do. then. is 10 set Ship"
This went straight to the lads-hs spoke
SO swestly and simply to the understanding
Of everybody. We cheered, every man,
though not q soul could guess where this
ship was TO come from, or what we were
to do with II Wnen we got 1t, But the
mere fact Of his saying Ii made the thing
seem possible.
"A ship, then" goes on Hardy any
sort OF ship. so long as we've got our. tool
to work with. And you mustn't think that
am child enough to propose to you
anything that is impossible for you
to do. have studied you carefully since
have been among you, and I lsnow what
each of you can do. and what the whole
OF you together can do. and what you can
mt 40 Az mr. shf Ing hax ara txis rS
you In plenty, only waiting for you to go
and take one
Everybody looked at him IN surprise at
this.
"ships. STRIP says Brassey. Where
ab6utsT'
hAIl round the Chinese coasts" says
Hardy, IT told you, didn't I, that the
Chinese have seized and uassacred IN a
body all the Europeans they could find In
Ciane. Well, at the time OF ths massacre
there we're, OF course mAfohant shipH OF