Henry C. Rowland

“ At the worst it seemed to me that we only stood to lose a little grub money, for I had no intention of buying Alvarez' tub or anything like that—we would simply insure him against its loss. I hadn't thought to ask Boles if he or any of the rest could navigate, but I took it for granted that he had considered all that. And I was satisfied that five men like ourselves, with all the modern conveniences for murdering, could stand off slathers of junks. ”

“ Usually, just as the road got the most congested, there would be a hubbub and turmoil, the "hhui! hhui!" of panting 'rickshaw men, and presently a gilded, emblazoned 'rickshaw that seemed to grow around a big, fat, placid mandarin would be squeezed out of the mess and sling down the road. One of these tally-hos came slap-bang into my one-horse shay and scared my coolie until I thought that he was going to run away. ”

“ The city of Victoria is built at the foot of the slope of a high mountainous ridge that ends on the eastern side of Hong-Kong in a great high peak. I've forgotten the name, but everyone just calls it the Peak. On a fine day, which doesn't often happen, the view of the city and the straits and Kowloon beyond, is grand. Of course, it can't begin to compare with some of the views at home, but for that part of the world it is hard to beat. ”

“ I was afraid at first that I was to capitalise the scheme.
"No," said Boles, "the old rooster won't listen to the proposition unless we can all go shares. Afraid of being victimised. Now, that's out of the question for the Australian. The politician and I have both got enough for ourselves, but not enough to stake our convict friend, whom I consider invaluable. I believe he's the only downright honest one in the outfit." ”

“ These Britishers have no more sense of humour than a woodchuck.
"By the way," said I; "have we got any sailormen in the outfit besides yourself?"
"They're all sailormen more or less, except the politician. He's volunteered to cook. Seemed quite keen about it. Know anything about a boat yourself?"
"I'm better at figures," said I, "but I was hatched on the beach at New London and was always 'long-shore as a kid. Guess I can take my trick."
The next morning Boles took me over to Macao to see the schooner and meet the other two members of the syndicate. ”

“ I suppose we really should have killed them all; but, as Boles said, "If you were to kill a Chinaman just because he was a thief and a scoundrel, you might as well exterminate the whole race and be done with it. The good Lord probably intended them for some hidden purpose of his own—only it's mighty well hidden."
When the boat was well gone, we ran cautiously alongside the brig, and made fast to her. Then we drove the three coolies down into our forecastle, and fastened the hatch. The injured ones we fixed up as well as we could for the time being, and hauled out of the way. ”

“ I tried not to show my surprise, but I'm afraid it stuck out a little, as Barton got rather red. I knew, without looking at Boles, that there was a sarcastic grin tucked away somewhere around the corner of his mouth.
"Come up to my room, gentlemen," said I, "and we'll talk this thing over."
We went up, and when we were settled Boles got up and opened the door which I had closed. The room was at the end of the corridor, and when the door was open we could see all the way down. I like those little details; they show that a man has a careful mind. ”

“ At this Boles pretended to be very much excited and alarmed.
"Vamos! vamos! vamos!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, jumping up and down on the deck and flourishing both hands over his head. Then suddenly he dove into the companionway and hauled out a rifle, which he aimed at the boat.
"Stand by now, you chaps," he said. "If they persist in coming after this they're our meat. Look at that junk, will you—she's scuppers under."
Grogan was swearing away to himself and muttering nervously, "Ah-h, the dir-rty blaygards, th' theevin' divils." ”

“ A lying greaser and a drunken Irishman is a bad combination for a man with troubles of his own."
"You don't seem to have a very gilt-edged opinion of your confrères?" said he.
"No more have you," I answered, "only you don't show it. It's just the difference in our breed."
He didn't contradict this, but hauled up the boat and motioned me to get in the stern. He cast off and picked up the oars, and in a minute had laid us alongside the schooner. On the way out we passed a sampan headed for the beach, but neither of us thought anything of it. Boles made fast the painter, and we went below. ”

“ Whipping out my knife I picked up a splinter of wood and started to whittle it, which is a trick I have when I'm put out.
Boles didn't say anything, but began to study the straits again through his glass. I could see that he was sort of irritated at the way I'd spoken my mind, and that made me more peevish than ever.
"Look here," I said, turning to him suddenly, "what have you got up your sleeve, anyway? It sounds too darn foolish to talk of going out and hanging around with a chip on your shoulder waiting for some junk to come up and knock it off. ”

“ While we were having our coffee and cognac, and discussing things in general, I remarked, to no one in particular:
"Suppose we bang around for a while with our broken wing, and no one appears to take any interest in us,—then unless we find your brig I suppose the whole game's off."
Grogan and Alvarez, who I noticed had been very thick right along, exchanged a cute sort of look which I happened to catch.
"Yes," said Boles, "then the joke's on us."
"Not on yer life," said Grogan; "sure we can take an inthrest in thim." He laughed in a significant sort of a way. ”

“ Several of them came running up into the bows with rifles in their hands and long knives thrust through their belts.
"Now, Knapp," sung out Boles, "let 'em have it!"
There came a roar from the six-pounder, and a great splinter from the foot of the brig's foremast flew high in the air. At the same moment I opened up with my Maxim and played a deadly stream up and down her decks. There came another roar, and the waist of the brig seemed a mass of flying splinters. We found afterwards that the shell had torn up the deck-planking from rail to rail. ”

“ The next morning I got talking to a Yankee tourist that I met in the hotel, and he advised me to go over to old Kowloon, as it was a fair specimen of a Chinese town. Chinese towns don't interest me much, but I had to kill time some way, so I got on the little-boy's-size ferry boat, crossed the straits, and got a 'rickshaw man, who must have been mighty hard up, to lug me the three miles and back for about thirty cents of our money. ”

“ When he got through I asked him some questions.
"Do you mean to say, Boles, that any of these trading junks would turn pirate if they thought there was anything in it?"
"I honestly believe they would, if they were confident that it was a sure thing and worth while. Most of them carry guns, ostensibly for defence from one another, but you can't make me believe that any of the scoundrels wouldn't take a chance if they got what seemed to be a sure thing." ”

“ The other flew high.
"Wait till I give the word, Knapp!" said Boles joyously. "They'll put their helm up in a minute and run down. Then we'll let 'em have it. I can pick the sticks out of her with this trick, and you can clean down her decks as if you had a hose!" ”

“ Once in a while a long, raw-boned Yankee officer-man in dirty khakees would come lounging along and pass a dapper swell of Her Majesty's Royal Welsh Fusileers, and the two would remind me of a standard Vermont road horse, just in from a forty-mile hike through the mud, beside a park hackney passing the bandstand. Then the girls! Rangey, thorough-bred Americans,—tourists, and army women, I reckon,—that made the blowsy, high-haired English girls, with their red cheeks and big teeth, look like healthy servants ”

“ Boles wouldn't let me talk any more that night, but insisted that I should turn in, as I was pretty well used up and a little sick at my stomach. The following morning I felt a good deal better, but my arm was awful sore. I went on deck and found Boles nodding over the wheel. We fixed up some breakfast, and while we were eating it and discussing what it was best to do next, I spotted a sail on the horizon.
"If they come down on us now, we'll have a sure-enough fight," said I. There was a little five-knot breeze, and when I looked up again I saw that the vessel was nearer. ”

“ Crowds of people never interested me much, except where their business was concerned, but I must say that the outfit I struck going to those miserable pony races was enough to take a man's mind off his troubles. ”

“ Besides, it would be a good thing to teach those miserable pirates a lesson. The idea of such things existing in these days!
About ten o'clock the following morning, while I was sitting in the office of the hotel trying to find the reading matter between the advertisements of one of the local papers, I heard a familiar voice at my elbow, and looking up saw Boles and another man. The stranger was a fine-looking chap, very well dressed, and with an air of breeding about him.
"Good-morning, Mr. Knapp," said Boles. "Mr. Knapp, let me introduce Mr. Barton." ”

“ Well, the result was that, having a little money of my own to invest, and hearing great tales about the business opportunities in Manila, I thought it might be worth while to run down to Hong-Kong and take the trip across, just to size up the proposition. ”

“ Before he got through talking I had made up my mind that the greaser was the better man of the two.
II That night we fixed up the business part of the scheme, not without some wrangling, but with no bad feeling. The next day Boles got to work on the schooner. Of course we had to evade Uncle Sam's filibustering scouts, so Boles very ingeniously built a false bulkhead just abaft the forecastle, between which and the real one we hid the guns and ammunition. He rigged another one aft for the small arms. ”

“ None of the crew of that vessel gets back. With the guns we've got it's too easy. Then we'll have a coolie or two to help us get our mast up, and then, if you like, we'll do it again. I'm satisfied that some of these beggars would manage to cough up some jewels if you handle them right. Now what do you say,—the crime is all on my head,—do you want to be free men or have this blooming Boles cuffing you about like a stray cur?"
I heard Grogan's heavy breathing, then old Alvarez spoke up:
"The plan ees a good one—but reesky——"
"Risky nothing," said Barton. ”

“ There's a valuable cargo in that tub, and the chances are that they have added to it. I was going to report the matter to the authorities here, when this plan struck me as better."
"Now you're talking sense!" says I, getting interested again, "but how about that five hundred dollars to fit out the expedition?"
"That's where you're a little too quick on the trigger, my friend. Before you begin to call a man an ass you ought to hear him through. ”

“ Neither one of us used much liquor, but Boles brought out a box of Manilas, and we both lit up.
When our flues were drawing well, I put both elbows on the table and leaned towards the man on the other side.
"Look here. Dr. Boles, I'm going to ask you a straight question, and I want a straight answer. Are we going to attempt to capture any harmless trader that doesn't attack us first? ”

“ They're lucky to get off at that, and they'll know it, but we can't afford to have them spinning yarns until we dispose of our cargo."
"And where will that be?" I asked.
"In Amoy—as per papers. We'll just say that we got run into, and chased by pirates, and are sick of the business. Then we'll sell out cheap, and no questions asked. That part's easy enough." ”