Year: 1875

side from the large tanka boats along


side that had received their freight a


the barracoons.


Some Of the Cinnamon were sulley
and defiant. glariDg about them witt


mingled rage and despair; others weT'
subdued, as if realizing the degraded
state into which they had fallen. They
were being actually torn from their be-
loved land. beguiled and deceived ty
promises made ashore Some were
under the influence Of opium, and dis.
appeared below in half idiotic state,
but some Of the dirty, tattered throng
were fully alive to the fate before them,
ana testified their anger by shouts and
groans as they were driven down the
main hatch by the butts Of the sailors
musxets


The last coolie passed over the gang
way, and soon after the sonorous voices
of the seamen rang out over the blue
waters as they manned the windlass,
and proceeded to get under way The
breeze was fair. and whistled merrily
through the taut cordage of the "Tran-
Sit" The snowy canvas filed, SWELL
ing out before the freshening gale. and,
shooting ahead, the gallant ship gather
ed headway. and was soon standing out
of the roadstead under every inch Of
canvas that would draw.


Two days out from port. the steward.
who had contracted the fever while at
Macao, died, leaving no alternative to
Captain Sylvester but to choose an
other, and from the ranks of the coolies.
He could not well select one from the
crew, there was none too many on deck,
and the duties were far from light, so
a Chinaman, Assam BY name, was duly
installed in the cabin.


His dark eyes glittered with some
strong inward emotion as he stood
humbly, ever cringingly before the cap
tain listening to his directions but he
made no other demonstration the cap
tain took no notice of it. and be was
suffered to depart without further delay.
Slowed away in the run Of the ship
abaft the cabin, was some twenty thou
sand dollars, portion Of the ships
earnings, safely packed in kegs. The
fact had been carefully concealed by
the officers from the crew, and as for
the coolies it would have been adding
Goals to the fire had they but an ink
ling Of the dangerous secret.


In the meanwhile the ship was flying
through the China Sea at rapid rate.
The coolies, though somewhat turbu-
lent, kept their passions within the
bounds, and the armed sailors having
but little to claim their attention below
grew gradually careless and Indifferent
to their duties.


On the morning Of the third day
Captain Sylvester crawled into the run
of the vessel, leaving the door open be-
hind him, his object being to look after
the safe stowage Of the specie With
out moments warning he came upon
the Chinese steward, who was too in
tent upon what he had before him to
notice the approach of his master.


The Chinaman by some means had
managed to break open keg contain
ing the precious metal, and the glitter
ing contents lay exposed to the spark
ling. avaricious gaze of the willy native.


For a moment Sylvester was so taken
by surprise. SO overcome by nameless
terror as to be incapable Of motion, and
huge drops Of perspiration rolled down
his pallid face.


Recovering himself he roared out in
a voice Of thunder: "You internal
sccundrel. what are you doing here ?"
And scrambling forward the irate cap
tain attempted to grapple with bis dan
gerous foe. But the steward, quick as
fash Of lightning. evaded the cap
tain's blow, dealt him one as he glided
by, and while Sylvester was founder.
ing amid boxes and barrels, bewildered
and half stunned, the Chinese steward
sprang through the low door, darted
out Of the cabin and disappeared on
deck.


No one took particular notice of the
fellows movements as he sauntered
carelessly along, pausing for q moment
by the iron cage which covered the
main hatch The ladder was crowded
with coolies, and to them he addressed
few rapid. gutteral sentences. at the
same time applying key to the door
which he had purloined from the cap
tain's stateroom Glancing quickly aft.
he withdrew to one side, and the next
instant prolonged and terrible cry
burst from the coolies, followed by a
tremendous rush up the ladders.


With one bound the treacherous ma
tive sprang upon the nearest sentinel,
and before the sailor, completely taken
by surprise, c,uld recover. his nusket
had been snatched from his hand, and
a blow from the same stretched the poor
fellow lifcless on the deck


Like the rushing Of some mountain