Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-11-26
HANDLE
WITH
CARE

by Charles Webster Kimball
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. Coz

(Copyrlght, by Shortstory Pub Col
Just before the breaking out of the
war between China and Japan in 1894.
Richard Brock had been commissioned
as ensign in the United States navy.
and was looking forward to placid
cruise on one of the ships of the North
Atlantic squadron. But like most
youngsters who have just dotted a
middy's uniform and blossomed out
into a real officer, Dick Breck was at
heart athirst for the glory of actual
warfare, and hearing that commissions
in the Chinese navy were TO be had for
the asking by graduates of Annapolis,
he determined to secure leave OF alb
sence and try for one. Through fam
lily influence in the department, he
obtained siX-months' leave, with the
assurance of an extension for three
months. With this arranged, he en-
gagged a berth in sleeper of the Over
land Mail, crossed to San Francisco.
and within week was on the Pacific,
bound for Shanghai From that port
a coastwise steamer took him. by way
of Chez Foo, to Port Arthur. This
was before that stronghold had fallen
into the hands of the Japanese, and
there he found Admiral Charles, an
Englishman and former sublieutenant
in the British navy, at the head of
Chinese naval affairs. Brock soon
came to an understanding with the
admiral, and left the office carrying in
lie aicci N.
DARN in the Chinese navy, an office
corresponding to that of captain in
the United States service.
Next day Breck waited upon the ad-
miral and received his sailing orders.
He found that he was to go to Wah
Foo, a trip of 500 miles. take COM
mand of a torpedo boat that had just
been completed at the native ship
yard there, and bring the boat around
to Port Arthur.
YOU'RE just the man | want for
that" the admiral said We've had
three torpedo boats built at Wah Foo,
and each one has been lost on the way
here-through the cursed ignorance OF
those Chinese officers or engineers.
The coast is safe enough for white
man with sense-it's only those junk
sailors who would get into trouble"
That afternoon Capt. Breck left for
Wah Foo on the government railway.
accompanied by George Barstow, for
merly an oiler on an English tramp
who was to act as the torpedo boats
engineer. For three days they toiled
along the line in stuffy cars drawn by
a broken-down French locomotive, the
vile fumes of the opium smoked by
their fellow passengers, who chartered
of the foreign devils" and made faces
at them behind their backs, together
with the dreariness of the landscape,
making them heartily sick of the jour
ney before they had gone 100 miles.
Late at night they reached their
destination, squat, poverty-stricken
little Chinese village near the coast.
At the mud hut called a railway sta
ton they found two coolies waiting
with a sedan chair. A wheelbarrow
coolie took their luggage and they
were carried through the dirty streets
to the yamen of the viceroy, who was
in charge of the dockyard where the
boat they were to command had been
| built. They were shown to a room,
| tea and cigarettes were brought and
their beds were pointed out, but they
saw nothing of their host
In the morning, however, a servant
announced that 1t was the pleasure of
| the viceroy to meet them at breakfast.
and the meal proved better than the
general appearance Of the yamen had
led them TO hope, while his excellency
they found to be a middle-aged China
man of very pleasant appearance,
| speaking good English. After break.
fast, all went down TO the shipyard to
take look at the boat. The yard
was surrounded by high wall whose
locked and barred gate was opened to
them by huge north country coolie
with a bunch of keys at his girdle.
AS Brock and his companion stepped
upon the torpedo boat, which was
moored to a wharf near the boat shop,
they noticed that their arrival had
apparently been awaited, as there was
fire under the boilers, smoke poured
from the tunnels and everything on
deck was dashed snug, ready for sea
Barstow, eager to enter upon his new
dominion, dove below into the engine
room, while Brock and the Chinese
mandarin inspected the other parts OF
the craft. She was very trim little
boat, built after Herreshoff model
and provided with triple-expansion en-
gines of American make. Her arma
ment consisted of two one-pounder
rapid-fire guns, one mounted atop the
tiny wheel turret forward end the
other abaft the tunnels, together with
stationary torpedo tube built into
the forward end of the boat. The
deck was covered with canvas. which
| together with the whole boat, hac
been given a couple OF coats of olive
colored paint She had accommoda
tons forward for five men and hei
cabin was elegantly fitted mp for two
officers. Altogether she looked {
craft that any man would be proud tC
command. and Breck was instantly
capuvated with IT, AS he and the