The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 27, 1904, Page 8

THE SAN T was after the Spanish fleet had a American fire. It was surrendered. Six 4 off Cawite, led by the ships Within the cir- me merchant sailing alian ocoal into ntside the circle were foreign warships—Ger- Japaness snd English ——— £ this plain is stmply o situation omt there transport Zsa- quartermaster, saward edge of in oon- brought on by no n. The sergeant’s was n back and he breathed beav Y e not used to the tropk I e replied. “I'm a sall- been six years in I was paid off in Phil- hs ago from a lime- nd ning over the ships and foreign fes of tropical seas of fortune, I thought ompanion’s well knit ed. by the gangway h decent seemed in- American uniform e uniform for a halt I soon learned he growled. “Here y and the rest pping. Hear those T mass of jungle, just above the city, was occasionally lit up by a flesh of fire, followed by a low “br-r- r-o We hed the firing for some ne in silence, but the cannon- ad: too distant to disturb the almost perfect stillness that hung over the glassy water; it seemed Itke being some gigantic airship, with the horescent flash of fish the lights les underneath. The ships seemed to hover in the air with y leet of phantom air craft sergeant grasped my came from for'd n we saw an object in oaching in a phosphor- I h gangwa made out & ng on, but apparently himself out. Each of nd, and a second ng sank up » knees and aking sputtering, ting into the scuppers. sake, hide me!” he i a second fit of vomiting ir later Jackson rejoined T asked he answered, “but pretty " He can talk now, < rmen; we can s no need o that Nova a big square ing in 1g riggin n. asty job—the w ke. It's the Silver ' hot box. Skipper r he trip out. Six poor in irons down the forepeak, 0 mates and the bos'n are g cargo for Uncle Sam with of coolies. Here's this chap nts to lodge a com- British Consul inside € Where? Uncle am'’s officers are figuring too hard to in th too, to bother their heads six poor British lubbers who the sense to keep off a Blue And the skipper's got & pull with the admiral. Hard lines, Jack, but I guess you'll have to face tift mu- sic o re day, shortly before I went on -4h watch again, the English sergeant came for me. “Come on down the forecastle,” he said, and disappeared. A few minutes later I followed. men had. kiiccked off, but . not eaten or washed. Tho deserter on a chest at the for'd end of the forecastle, ready to dron down the open scuttle into the for:peak should a strange stap come down the com- pamionwey. The men, showing ths traces of sup- pressed excitement, sat a2bout on their chests. Besides Jackson four men of fhe ocommissary guard were present, o corporal and three privates, who had seen the deserter when we hauled him up the gangway. The soldiers concealed their emotions less effec- tively than the sallors. The deserter had been talking, I gueswed. Jackson stood in the middle of ths forecastis. His bare, halry chest was heaving, his bromwed young face finshed red about the cheekbones. His paign hat was flung far back, ex- g his thick brown hair above the ehead, whils beads of tropical sweat stood owt over his fape and The yet sat chest and} srms, bared to the elbows Boys,” he was saying, in a sup- sed voice—a vehement whisper— we can’t stand for this. I know the -~ 1 sailed with him six years ago. This chap’'s telling no les. 1 say, boys, we can’t stand for thia™ Jackson paused. He had the men under his touch. Saflor and soldier as he was, he brought the two el of his audience together and made them one. They already looked on him =5 a leader. He pavsed 25 1 came down. Then hs swung around to the deserter in ths k corner. n,” he sald. “Give's the rest™ “As I was say} began the sailor, dently continulng a story such as I d many of belore, “Tim Long, to the mate 2n’ sex: ou give me a square fight, an’ it’s ments ““All right’ sez the mate, and they seres offt Tim lands the mate a ¥ one on the jaw, but Just then the the eye, an’ yve see, the mate had uckle dusters. An’ thet was alls a square fight . that was the layout the Test of the triy They wouldn't give us no show. shot one chap through the arm, cep'n split another chap's head, y triced me up into the main chains and fed me a pint of tar., The day we got in here aR hands was sent down the lazarette to stow sail, and they clapped down the hatch. Then, as we were made to come up, one at a time, we each got a welt over the head an put in irons, down the forepeak, an’ we've been there ever since. So, ye see, that's how we can't lodge no com- plaint. I managed to crawl through a hawse-pipe—ye see, I am pretty thin.” There was a moment’s silence. Jack- son broke it. “Boys,” +he sai stand for this He paused a moment, around to me. “Quartermaster,” he said, “you're the one man we need. You've got the night gangway, and you can make it all right with vour mate You can forget to have the yawl hoisted. Unless you say so, those six foor suckers will have to stay there. Are you with us?” He held out his hand and I couid d again, “should we then swung not help the thrill of admiration that me at 1it came over strong face, siasm, and the the fine, young, up with fierce enthu- manly voice, protest- ing against a form of ticularly detestable sailor. “I am with you,” I said shortly, and we grasped hands. Then one by one the four citizen coldiers came up and we did the same. One of them was a justice of the peace in far away sylvania. s St e Ry B We two quartermasters of the night watch stood lounging by the gangway. It was near midnight. Every light aboard was extinguished—orders from the “admiral, for there were still two Spanish torpedo-boats unharmed up he Pasig. It was another beautiful ght, lighted anly by the stars and an onal flash of the searchlights on warship. The chief officer had made nis last round of inspection an hour before, and was now turned in. Only we two of the crew were on deck—our report. had been/“All's well, injustice par- to the heart of a So it was, in our opinion. Dark fig- ures passed us on deck, going aft, but we did not challenge. From under the stern rame a faint splashing and rattle of oars, but we did not chal- lenge. Slowly a boat was being haul- ed along the side to the gangway .lad- der, making no noise save a faint splash against its bow, but still we did not challenge. I removed my uniform coat and slipped softly down the lad- der. A hand grasped mine and then we shoved off. A moment later I heard our bell strike and my watch mate’s voice rolled/ out: “All's well,” We pulled quietly away from the steamer’s side until she appeared a mere vague shadow. Our oarlocks, muffled by wads of engine-room waste, seemed only to breathe. There were eight of us in the yawl, Jackson and I in the bow, two privates and three sailors, the latter pulling and the de- serter steering. He was the first to speak in a loud whisper. “I'm headin’ for the fore chains. We can jump there and be on deck before the bos'n sees us.” We glided slowly over the ‘almost invisible water, until presently the big N shadow of the sailing ship loomed above us, bow on. “In oars,” whispered Jackson, and we glided in under the bark’s bows. A moment later I hooked the fore rig- ging with the boathook, and we were fast. “Boat ahoy!” shouted a voice from on deck. Jacksen and I leaped up the chain plates, into the shrouds and sprang down on deck. The rest swarmed up after us. “Who's there?” yelled a voloe In front of us. “Friends,” sald Jackson, but the man we had between us must have thought otherwise, with two revolvers thrust under his nose. “Now you shut up,” warned Jackson, “or wg'll blow your top off!” We led our prisoner amidships, and went quietly enough. Now give us the key to the fo'- "le,” commanded Jackson. “It's aft in my bunk,” replied the man, sullenly. “Come along and get you company.” All of us moved aft. The cabin com- panionway scuttle opened and a man appeared. “What's wrong, voice. There was a flash and a report of a revolver, and 3 man beside me dropped. A second later” the figure in_the com- panionway stretched its length before us on deck, unarmed. We quickly crowded down into the cabin. We had just time to turn on a dark lantern, when the door to a stateroom leading off from the cabin opened, and a big, burly man, partly undressed, leaped- out among us. He, too, dropped on deck, senseless from the blow of a revolver butt. Next, headed by the deserter, we quickly made prisoners of the second mate, cook and steward in their respective rooms, locking their doors and threat- ening to shoot at the least outery. Then, the skylight being covered by a tarpaulin on the outside, we ventured to light the lamp hung from the cen- ter of the cabin. The bos'n, captain and mate we speedily bound to a bench, The mate was bleeding profusely. As he came to he struggled flercely with the knot- ted cords, but an effective tap from a revolver butt taught him discretion. The captain took things more calmly and made no resistance, ¥ “Now, the key,” said Jackson. § The bos'n was loosened enough so that he could go into his room and procure it. I took it from him. Jack- son nodded that he and the soldiers would stand guard. Accompanied by the deserter and two sailors'I went for'd to the fore- castle door, from which we speedily removed the padlock. Inside 2ll was I - it. We'll keep bos'n?” called a FRANCISCO SUNDAY darks but I turned on the bullseve. The scuttle to the forepeak was in the middle of the floor. It, too, was padlocked. One of the men found a fire ax, and with a few heavy cuts removed the lock. We »nulled it off and, with the lantern open, I descend- ed, followed by the threé sailors. 1 found myself in a crowd of gap- ing, blinking men, all manacled at the wrists, some lving down, some stand- ing, 1 staring in stupid astonish- ment.. “What's up, sir?” asked one at last. Then they recognized their escapell shipmate. He explained the situation in a few sentences. Such a starved looking lot of men I had.never seen; all were thin, dirty and haggard. But there was no time to losé: I climbed the ladder again, every man following. We passed quickly through the fore- castle, out on deck ,and aft to the eabin. I think I shall never forget the flendish look that came over the skip- per’s pale face as those six manacled men crowded into the cabin. He had what might be termed a handsome face, refined, white, delicate, but for all that not pleasant to look upon. His mouth twitched nervously. I had seen just such a mouth before on a notorious gambler and desperado in the West on trial for his life. “Now,” said Jackson to the mate, “where’s the key to those handcuffs? Remember, these are war times, and Wwe came here to kill. -I'd-a blamed sight rather kill you than some poor innocent Spaniard.” The mate hesitated a second, then growled: “In my room—top of the wash- basin.” The key was found and the men relieved of the irons. They had chafed raw bruises about their wrists. 'Mean- while, the man whom the captain had shot was carried down from deck; he ‘was one of our sailors. The bullet had gone through his ear, grazing his skull, Although he bled profusely, he show- ed signs of returning consciousness. From the captain’s cabin we procured some whisky and the wounded man ‘was soon on his feet. “Now, captain,” said Jackson, “we’re all goin’ to drink to your elernal dam- nation, and you've got to drink, too. If you don’t we'll send you there at once,” CALL “Make ’im drink some tabasco sauce, same's he made me do,” sug- gested. one of the crew. “So he shall!” cried Jackson, the flash of his s heightened by a swig from the whisky bottle, “an’ you're the man to feed it to him!” A bottle of sauce was brought from the pantry, and grasping it firmly the sallor applied the neck to the skipper's mouth. He struggled fiercely, but to no avail. A good dose went down, al- though mgst was spilled over his face and night shirt. “How d've like it?” asked the sailor, maliciously, “Don’t taste good, do it? I didn't like it, neither.” We were about to favor the mate in a similar manner when one of the sol- diers whom we had left to watch on deck came tumbling down the compan- fonway. “Fellers,” comin’!" It took Jackson to grasp the situation instantly. “Off with the lazarette scuttle!” he cried. In a moment we had uncovered the hatch in the cabin floor. We quickly gagged the three prisoners with hand- kerchiefs and unceremoniously hurled them -down, replacing the hatch. All except Jackson and I crowded into the three’ empty staterooms, shutting the doors. Jackson and.I held a hurried consultation. Then I went on deck and he remained in the companionway. I was just in time. “Silver Star, ahoy!” came the hail. Hello!” I shouted. “Is all well aboard?" “All's well.” The patrol launch came alongside and a man leaped aboard. He was a naval officer, I could see, by his light duck uniform. “Who are you?”’ he asked. “Bos’'n and night watchman,” I re- sponded. “What was, that shot, for a while 7" he demanded, rather testily. “Why, I.saw a big shark alongside and took a pop at him.” The officer looked about him rather suspiciously, I thought, but asked no more questions. Finally he volun- teered: “You forgot to hoist your boat.” I acknowledged the oversight. He stayed about ten minutes, even entered into a brief conversation about he cried, “there's a boat’ things in general, and told me that the Spaniards were soon expected to make another sortie. I feigned great inter- est. ‘“Well, good night, bos’'n,” he sald at last. “Don’t be popping off your gun at night unless it's necessary. He dropped into his launch, and with a few coughs it shot off toward the flagship. . Jackson had heard all “Bully, old boy,” he cried, grasping “Now, let's sneak as soon's Leaving our prisoners to be released by the stevedores in the morning, we all crowded into the boat and silently pulled for the beach below Cavite. In half‘an hour our keel scraped pebbles. The seven men, the crew of the Nova Scotiamen, waded ashore, Jackson and 1 with them. “Now, fellers,” -said -Jafkson, as we reached land, “you hit the road for Camp Dewey. Seatter among the out- fits and the boys’ll treat you well. I'm coming ashore in a few days, and T'll see you then.” And they left us. ‘We pulled cautiously back to the Zealandia, reaching her an hour before dawn. My watchmate met us at the gangway and helped make the boat fast astern. The men retired at once, while. I took up my post at the gang- way: An hour later the chief officer appeared. “Well, how have things gone during the night?” he asked. “Good,” I replied; and meant what I said. It became known next day through- out the fleet that the Nova Scotiaman had been boarded by “pirates” during the night, as the captain put it, and that his crew had decamped, . but no discoveries were ever made. The naval officers had something more serious to consider than capturing runaway sail- oys, so the incident soon dropped out of otice. Jackson went ashore to join his regi- ment some days later. Some of the de- serters afterward joined his command and several were killed in action. Later, during the campaigning, I met some of them. Jackson afterward ‘went to South Africa, where he fought against his ‘own countrymen in the Boer ranks. That was the last I heard of him. (Copyright, 1903, by Albert Sonnichsen.) SONNICIESEN JWhy They’re Poor Thelr ideas are largey than thels purses. They think the world owes them a living. They do not keep account of thely expenditures. They are easy dupes of schemers and promoters. They reverse the maxim—"Duty be- fore pleasure.” They have tpo many and teo expen~ sive amusements. They do not think it worth while te save nickels and dimes. They have risked a competsnce in trying to get rich quickly. The parents are economical, but the cEildren have extravagant ideas. They do not do to-day what they can possibly put off until tormorrow. They do not think it worth while te put contracts or agreements in writ- ing. They prefer to incur debt rather than to do work which they consider be- neath them. They do not dream that little mort- gages on their homes can ever turn them out of doors. They have indorsed thelr notes or guaranteed payment accommodation. They risk all their eggs In one bas- ket, when they are not in a position to watch or control it. They think it will be time enough to begin to save for a rainy day when the rainy day comes. The head of the house is a good man but he has not learned to do business in a businesslike way. The only thing the daughters accom- plish is to develop fondness for smart clothes and expensive jewelry. They do not realize that one expen- sive habit may introduce them to a whole family of extravagant habits. They do not know that giving a full power-of-attorney to an agent or law- yer puts their property at his mercy. On a six-hundred-dollar income, they try to compete in appearance with a two-thousand-dollar-a-year neighbor. They subscribe for everything that comes along—organs, lightning rods, subscription books, pictures, bric-a- brac—anything they can pay for on the iustallment plan. They have not been able to make much in the business they understand best, but have thought that they couid make a fortune by investing In some- thing they know nothing about. friends’ Just for —Orison Swett Marden, in Succesa, v