The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-19

bank Of the river, half mile below the
granary ON the left bank.
The air was deadly hot and white
heat-haze lay over the low-lying coun
try, where the rye and millet wert
ripening fast. Upon all the land lay
that dreadful shadow of over-popula
ton. The mud huts were crammed with
women and children and it seemed as
If every stalk of grain had o watchful
laborer attending it. Alongshore were
moored RATS and boats for those mul
titudes who could not find a foothold
on the land
On the sharp point running out into
the river, four miles from the open
| ing. and suddenly narrowing it To q
hundred yards, was the alleged granary
built of mud and logs on piles driven
into the soft mud of the river bank.
| Number One steamed fast across the
open lake. the people on the banks
scarcely taking time from their labors
to glance at the slate colored phantom
vessel flying. past, Those grubbing mil
lions of Chinese were accustomed TO
the sight of foreign devils on fierce
ships, with wonderful apparatus for
killing men, steaming about the Chi
nese waters. In every case it was
the Chinaman who paid the price
Some of them realized that they could
Idle but once, and liked meanwhile to
rob and incidentally murder. When
these touched hair of the head of a
European it cost n dozen Chinese lives
but that mattcred little TO anybody.
| Number One slowed down close TO
the granary and was instantly sur
rounded by Chinese boats with vege.
these commodities were bought reck-
lesslv. by the foreign devils, but on this
occasion, although trade was keen, the
chatferlng was prolonged. II took q
leather-lunged interpreter half an hour
to sell pair of ducks, the marriage
portion of his daughter, and everything
was correspondingly and unaccountably
discussed by the purchasers in Number
| One.
Meanwhile Balestier, on the bridge,
was finding out things One thing his
sharp eyes noticed filed him with
unholy JOY. This was a chain stretched
across from Granary Point to a group
of stout piles on the opposite bank.
Tho chain was under water and was
not Ill designed TO catch a small vessel
below the water line. Balestier shrewd.
ly 'surmisod that the chain might be
worked in such way as to let the
bow of the vessel pass over 1T and
then foul the fanges of the screw,
which would be very unhealthy for tho
screw. This chain was simple but
effective engine of deviltry.
Having spent two hours in investiga.
tion. Number One turned her nose to-
ward the lookout tower. The heavens
burned like molten brass upon the
steaming earth and blazing river 1t
was as hot as the stoke hole Of Hades.
The usual effect of such heat was de-
pressing, but Balestier. on the bridge,
where the heat scorched his feet
through his thick shoes and made dark
streaks, across his nose and cheeks, was
haDpy beyond words. II would go hard
with him If any gunboat should clear
out the nest Of pirates which he felt
sure existed at Granary Point.
The Great Conspiracy.
When Number One was close beside
the lookout tower the launch was
lowered with Balcster and Hyde.
Everywhere human beings swarmed,
except at the tower. There a solitary
Chinese was on guard. lie talked
volubly TO Balesticr, who did not nm
derstand q single word, and did not
need to. He made his wish, how
ever, easily understood by the Chinese,
which was 10 see the inside of the
tower a heavy iron studded door,
fastened with "A great paddock, led TO
steep staircase, ascending fifty feet
from the ground. There were two
landings IN the staircase, and before
each was a padlocked door.
Balestler was so charmed with what
be saw and the part the tower would
play in the conspiracy hatched the day
before on board Number Ono that ne
recklessly bestowed all the money in
his pockets on the Chinese ianitor and
made him and all his family rich for
life.
Then Balestier returned to Number
One and steamed back down the river
in the brilliant, sweltering, blazing, tor.
rid noon, When he reached the an.
| chorage not single vessel except his
own had returned, but launch from
the American gunboat Aletta was crawl.
| ing lazily up the river. In her was
| Aylwin, the lieutenant who had been
in temporary command of the gunboat
| fer few weeks the November before
! In response TO Balestier Is hail AylwiD
came aboard Number One
Ever since Mary Harbord, the Brit
ish admiral S daughter, had smiled up
on Alywin he had developed a fond af
lection for the British navy, the Union
Jack and everything English, and his
| Anglomania was the subject Of pointed
sarcasms In the whole International
naval force then lettering about the
Eiang river.
Balestier, in common with everybody
else in the ships. knew this weakness
of Aylwin IS. and the thought brought
with II ShocK OF deIlgnt. ANlWln was
the very man for the nefarious pur,
poses of Balestier and his fellow con
spirator, Hyde,
Balestier remembered that Stubbs. the
Aletta s chief quartermaster, under
stood the Chinese language perfectly
and was about tho only man, except
the Chinese, who did, as far as Bal
estier knew, The scheme rapidly ma
tured in Balcsticr s mind, and when he
and Aylwin were shut up in the steam
ing little cabin the plan was uDfolded
in tones so low that not even the listen
ing japanese stewards could make il
out,
"It's a pretty tough proposition,
said Aylwin, after the scheme was
broachcd. smuggling the chief quar-
tcrmaster aboard Number One. but
Stubbs can do most things he tries tC
do. There will be no trouble about hi!
getting thrty.six hours leave. I'll
mention the matter to him.
"Do. for God IS sake, " earnestly
whispered BaIesticr.
"But suppose Admiral Harbord finds
out / we had a hand in 9'i asked Ayl