The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-12
Cruise of l'HirOndelle

~ must obey the call Of duty, said Tourneau
shall be nnpae to ne at s oc bon nd
time shall be on my way down the river. But this
Day week the chip will return Adieu, adicu, my
.a The FORTRESS who seemed to divine the state OF
between him and the Indignant Mother serapRne 'D"
river Tourneaus orders were TO look in all the
smaller rivers and creeks 50 as to show that there
1t was exciting work, and the aspect of things was
e soaa that to s
to himself mn at 3 the way in Which he had out
kwang L'lirondelle twenty miles down the river
ing ing coal more literally than the French maritime
fields on either hand the heavy RATS coming down
the rveT Tonrncau % WSo Was on p the e Pa'saV aw some
things that made his heart beat little quicker fol
the women IN the whitewashed convent, At three
places on the river banks he bands of men
margning toward toward the town and at one place, little
European residents, fire was raging and the soft
n bomsos mr or9TGht with it the smoke from the burn
b speed %oi S c2 na but G to & give &
yitals warmed by the white heat in her engine room
the @ss her pace while , the engineers stripped
chief % engineer, watching the steam valve, shouted
AS the little vessel neared the town. lying low
upon It's banks, the signs of disturbances grew
at that hour of the day wont to be populous
Along the river front moored strange native
peaceful. There was no dock, and L Hirondee, witt
smoke pouring from her tunnels pulled up short in
lnldchannel, quarter of mile from shore
Before her throbbing engines had paused a moment
the the launch was in the water and Tourneau Civ
ing ms last Instructions The men were at quarters
the magazine was open and ammunition was being
a the guGoa Gt o% aa fa
soonS When ne you see me land said Toprneap to his
not return to the launch in forty,dve minutes oper
@ hre upon the town at once with both the main and
tions for my release. If you see boat approaching
with white flag sink ito
A great crowd of menacing and chatterng natives
were pouring from the squaid quarters of the town
to the water, side and watching the little launch
the landing place. They knew we'll enough the mean
ing of the little vessels open ports, the cleared decks
buge.. The afternoon was balmy. and the sun still
glowed rose red, although it was nearly O'Clock.
The Threat.
On the edge of the squaid town the convent lay
cool and clean with the tender green Of the apricot
trees peeping the white walls while the tall and
aceke branches Of the weeping willows shone against
the blue sky.
The people watching Tourneau's IS launch saw in ii
only seven men-the coxswain, four sailors and Chou
bry, the little midshpman, and Tourneau,. the heu
As the bottom of the launch grazed tho mud
Choubry spraug ashore, followed by Tourneau The
crowd of angry natives closed silently about them, lis
tcning to Tourneau's orders to the coxswan.
Wait for in the stream. - he said, showing his
watch ''tortyhve minutes precisely If by that time
l do appear, return to the gunboat, taking the
north side of the river 10 be out OF range OF the
guns guns which WI" then 0esn the 00mo"'d"en' OF 'ne
Tourneau spoke in French, but among the listen.
ing Chinese one understood his words and con-
veyed their meaning, in loud, chattering voices, 10
the others. And ali could interpret his resoute eye
There is something in courage which is at once
a defiance and protection The threaten ing crowd
fell back as Tourneau and little Choubry took their
way through the narrow and devious streets toward
the Taitao's house Each carried IN hs right hand
a cooked revolver, which was a mute but eloquent
persuader
who attempted to block the way Turning to little
Choubry, Tourneau sad
''Stand back to back, my friend as we did before
when came out of this house, and the butt of
youngstcr had, like Tourneau, bright and indom-
table eye, and turning his back upon his commander
Chinaman, boder than the rest. threw himself deb-
orately in Touneau's path. Without a word the
down on the Chinaman S temple The man staggered
back and then collapsed in heap the ground and
threatening, and Turneap, looking his shoulder
and laughing, said to little Chogbry:
''DO not initiate me, my friend; your is not
YET strong enough. Give them bullet and aim well,
if their attentions become too pressing
The mob, chattering and gesticuIating, did not
make any further attempt to bar Tourneag and
the closed door of the Tatao s room were armed
guards. Tourucau, without word, raised his foot
and kicked the frail door down The crash resounded
through the rickety building. Within. at his table
of office, stood All Fong. a sckly palor oversprcad
his yellow face as the crash OF the falling door brought
chief quartcrmaster of the Aletta had told him, ad-
dressed All Fong in English, meanwhile gently pre-
sentng the cooked revolver about foot from All
Fong's
81 believe said Tourncau, sweetly, ''that this is
not tho second, but the third time ! have had the
pleasure of meeting you. The first time was in the
cabin of the American gunboat Alletta. some months
ago when order made out for hanging You as
pirate. Now / have reason to know that Howchin
kwang is not safe place for Europeans, and de-
sire You to produce every European and American in
the place on the water side within thirty minutes
from this time. / left orders upon my ship that If
! did not return within forty.fve minutes the town
to be bombarded and destroyed and also that no
negotiations should be entered into for release
that of my junior officer and that any boat bearing
n white flag should be sunk Fifteen minutes of that
time have already elapsed, and you will find it neces