The San Francisco call., 1910-01-30
After

ide Water, Towing the Launch After Him
like the devil, but knows can handle rife. AS
good luck would have it, water buffalo has gone
crazy about miles up the river and is eating up
Chinese like grains of rice. Now the German officers
have organized a hunt for that water buffalo, and
they claim that is the neutral which he de-
vastating We claim it is our duty TO kill that water
buffalo, and the whole thing has resolved itself into
a grave international question which has reached
acute stage. So, it is we'll to do things modesty,
to invite the Admiral to go a shooting party up
the river after the buffalo, and just keep il
from looking too British l am taking Aylwin along.
He can shoot"
81 born in the state of Kentucky" briefly
sponded Aylwin. This allusion was not in the least
understood by either Hyde or Tourneau But Aylwin
often said strange things, like all Americans
Il feel confoundedly sorry for you, old man"
Hyde kept on turning Tourneau Everybody
knew all about that enterprisng young officer and
Clarice Harbord. "It if l playing
dirty game you in asking Aylwin and eavingsyou
out but the launch won't hold another man besides
the engineer, and benson, the at arms, two
sailors, Aylwin myself and Admiral Harbord, whom
l count as two men-he is so big and makes such
noise"
do not distress yourself, my dear Hyde" replied
Torneau with a grin, and striking his short black
beard, Il go down to We-hai-wei tomorrow
rise. There shall find Miss Clarce Harbord visit
ing the family of an officer at Wei-ha-wei and shall
have three days leave"
Then Tourneau begun an adaptation of his own:
THE Admiral is at ChaoCh
His dauqlltcr :, Wei-hai-we
Now WAT will the Admiral do do?
For Tourneau to stay, stay"
Aylwin listened to these catf verses with disgust.
''Wel' he said presently, with grim philosophy,
something may be gained by being With the Ad-
miral He can get used to seeing That's great
deal"
Hyde smiled ndulgently upon Aylwin and Tour
neau
'You fellows are in tight box. I'll say, however,
that the betting in the feet is about to one on
your getting those charming young ladies. Admiral
Harbord hasn't given his consent yet believer"
Aylwin and Tourneau wagged their heads dole
fully, like two dissenting mandarins.
"But he has not withheld it," said Tourneau.
The Water Buffalo
"We simply waiting for him come off the
perch" added Aylwn. Miss Harbord means to
stand byD me. l don't know whether Miss Clarce
means to desert Tourneau or not"
For answer Tourneau leaned back in his chair,
smiled and sang softly:
"The Admiral is at Chao-Chau,
His daughter is at Wei-hai-wei.
Now what will the Admiral do, do?
For Tourneau means to stay stay"
Then the talk fell upon water buffaoes in general
those patient beasts with great branching horns plod
ding through the overhowed paddy fields, with
Chnaman wading through the water after him. The
water buffalo is remarkably patient beast, but like
all other patient creatures when he gets mad he is
mad all through
The up the river, which had become burning
international issue, had not only got mad but had
gone mad The Chinese are very superstitous about
animals that go mad, as Hyde explained.
The Chinese have been beating tomtoms all over
the place and burning paper prayers and letting off
hrecrackers with view of soothing the buffalo, but
you may imagine, it hasn't worked. The buffalo
is soothed."
"But he will be tomorrow" replied Aylwin rising
as a boy appeared at the cabin door and announced
that boat had come from the torpedo boat for her
commander.
Tourneau bade his friends cheerful goodby.
Every one to his taste" he said, you and Hyde
like chasing wild buffaloes through the paddy fields
I prefer the society of my adored at o'clock
in the afternoon in drawing at Wei-hai-wei
Good luck to you, poor unforunates that you are
The next morning dawned fair and bright as if the
British not at Wehai-wei and the Germans
were not at Chao-Chau Out beyond the mouth of
the bay lay the Melampus, a light cruiser flying the
broad pennant Of Admiral, and toward her
steamed the torpedo boat Number Two cutting the
blue water sharply and passing the French gunboat,
with Tourneau the bridge He waved his cap at
Number Two and Hyde and Aylwin waved theirs
back at him.
AS the torpedo boat came handily alonside the
Melampus, Admiral Harbord put off in the cruisers
launch and boarded Number Two With him was,
Hyde had said, Benson, the master at arms, crack
shot, two sailors and the engineer of the launch,
which towed behind the torpedo boat
The Admiral greeted Aylwin coldly, but knowing
his prowess with the rifle and also that the Germans
after the wild buffalo, glad to have him
along. Aylwin, like the Admiral, in scedy
dress uniform and Hyde was arrayed likewise. Ben