In the Yellow Sea

NG KONG-RU

my head and legs became more easy, and obedient to my will. "When we r

lied doubtfully;

rther, I don't keep any idlers on board. If ye go with me ye must look lively.

y eyes were wrong,

, and, please Goodness, bring ye home. If not, ye must telegraph home from Gib, an

ink me a fool?" I

hasis of the native Irishman; "but m

her undecided nevertheless. "But what wil

vive. I know something about ye from the boy forward. N

stened quietly, nodding at

I'll be the making of ye, and yer mot

n advantage for my parents, but I sai

fe and sound, and will bring ye back. I'll clothe and feed ye and teach ye something, and m

id briefly, ri

lesson first. When ye speak to

blushing furiously as I

ng. Now, what can ye do? Can ye

I can reef a fore and aft s

it, and Mr. Rose, the mate, will set yer lessons. By the time we reach the China Sea

I answered

have to mind me! But I understand ye are a gentleman; so'm I, a

nearly said so, but the looks of th

rk. My steward will berth ye and feed ye. Ye needn't go amongst the crew, m

m very grateful to you

n. Ye'll do, when ye get the starch out of yer collar. We don't

replied, feelin

il ye become a mate. In my country they'd say if ye wasn't the mate ye'd be the boy

Far East, instead of being trained on the Britannia and serving in a man-of-war. Many a night I lay half-crying in my bunk, thinking of the change in my prospects, but the days pa

ashore," he said. "Cut ye

much "change" ou

aloft when I had become accustomed to the vessel. We didn't sail much, but at times we hoisted a topsail, jib, and spencer (or mainsail) when the wind was on the quarter, a

, and the battles, the prizes, Nelson, and other heroes. Gibraltar, Naples, Malta, the canal, where we saw mirages in the sand, Suez, the Red Sea, Colombo, and away to Hong Kong, whence we p

ame, as the captain had declared, a mate under him, and though acting, I could

mind had been always associated with a song which we used to sing in the bedroom at my first school about a "gay cavalier" who, having been disappointed by the lady he loved, declar

a, with the numerous vessels sailing and at anchor, the men-of-war with flags and pennants of all nations, the sampans, the junks, the hundreds of strange rigs and faces (and languages as of Babel

t by those behind; so that one almost expects, when one returns after an absence, to find a row missing, and the larger houses lower down on t

ill be balanced by him at the end of the pole and sustained by a weight at the other, in the weighing-machine method. These fellows trot up the hills with the burden which sways upon the pole, and though you may wonder why the man does not walk quietly, you will soon discover

rse-bearer can string hundreds of them over his shoulder like a bandolier of cartridges. The cash is usually slipped upon a cord, knotted in the centre, and the money passed on over both ends. When a hundred cash has been strung on each end a knot i

sh" was in use about 221 B.C.; the circular, with square cut,

out twopence farthing. Provided with cash, and even sometimes with a purse-bearer, one can "shop" in China if y

*

nd come with me. I want to make a few purchases and to d

ye, contains a nice library, when a gentleman accosted the captain. The stranger looked like a Jap

hat in salute. It was not the salute of an inferior

ed the captain, r

tes conversation?" asked the youn

for some minutes. Meantime I strolled back and forwards watching the mixed assortment of people, of whom there are specimens from India and Arabia and other lands in abundance-negr

d their chat, the skipper

m mistaken we are in for a fine deal. Mind now, keep your mo

ked, as we returne

now, as a gentleman. What d'

"Where? In Europe do

; in Chin

he fact of impending war in China had not

ng to fight

e. But ye saw

fellow I th

ul of cash. English cash-pounds-not this miserable, crawling, centipede kind of stuff w

so, si

ompany's customers, for whom I had advices. Now, mind ye, this Jap has shown a hand-only a finger, I may say, bu

hn Chinaman and the Jap have th

a. I know the seas about here, and they both know I know them. So my friend has 'offere

nese man

Mandarin Johnny to hear his business, and

l that benef

transports, and makes a contract with the Fêng Shui. See?

er fancied myself in it. We landed, chartered two "rickshas," or jinrickshas, a Japanese importation, and were trotted out to the bamboo-shaded house, a

ot a very bad day either, and yet in our cool white suits, and under wide umbrellas, the heat was quite sufficient that afternoo

aman in appearance, he had risen above his people in many ways. We entered the house, which was almost destitute of all the attributes of British houses, no curtains, nor carpets, nor rugs, nor anything

ell-known fashion-a loose robe, with trousers, long sleeves to his garment, stuff shoes, and of course a fan. His k

asked in what he had deserved the tremendous honour which

eceived, and suggested that the "Number One man" knew something o

fter some other remarks had passed. The Chinaman dispensed with any

ference, "she will suit for a tran

the fan waved, but no irrita

ent purchased the 'ins

clined the offer. I

or three months, if we wish to

I nearly smiled. I did not know the value of steam transports fitted for service; it m

drunk then, not before. We bowed ourselves out, and

first officer,

iences, and mentioned the conc

es. They are both trying to get ahead of the other, and I understand that Corea has a finger in the pie

but he's

ye mean?" exclaimed

at his sleepy face under that 'bowler' hat-a disguise! He isn't a Jap; and he want

d the captain. "But why do ye think the

on the sly, I hear. They are up to something; and it's all round queer, because they

token. There's war in it, and the Company's agent knows it. I'll fix it, and we may have

ineer," and he came to confer

p the mystery of the Japs and Coreans, I took a sampan, and wen