Part 4 (2/2)
VOLUME ONE, CHAPTER SIX
”ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL”
Tostory short, I may state briefly that in the second part of the action--the second act of a tragedy, it was for the Malays--both the bluejackets and the ot off scot-free, not another casualty happening to swell the death-roll, or a fresh wound of any consequence being received by any of those engaged The surprise to the pirates on finding they had ”caught a Tartar,” instead of assailing a defenceless merchant vessel, as they had expected, was so coy, they were ”taken all aback”
Not expecting any opposition to speak of, and confident that the shi+p they were attacking carried no guns--for how could even theand peeping, that the _Hankow Lin_ had a set of Arsheads?--the pirates were stupefied by the first broadside they received; and, after that, their resistance aes killed their chief, when, of course, they had no one to lead theies on the pinch
The schooner, it was found, was none other than the _Diavolo_, a pirate craft coade, who had already earned for himself a somewhat questionable reputation in Eastern seas; and how Captain Morton got wind of the intentions of the Malay crew tohis shi+p for destruction e tea-traders having land, after shi+pping Malay crews on board, the English admiral on the station had conferred with the Chinese authorities, and from them learned that the _Diavolo_ was suspected, and that a spy had discovered that an atte at the ti shi+ps, shi+pped some Malay hands, in consequence of the loss of the e out
Accordingly, precautions were taken to counteract the conspiracy of the Malay crew and capture the pirate by putting on board arms and munition--of which they supposed the shi+p to have none--and concealing in the saloon a force of blue-jackets to colish part of the crew should the contemplated mutiny break out--the result of which precautions proved, as we have seen, to be eminently successful
While the calm lasted, the bodies of the dead pirates were hove overboard, and the three bluejackets and Phillips who had lost their life in the first struggle with the Malays committed carefully to the deep with every sole up again, as it did by sundoas headed towards Singapore in accordance with Lieutenant Meredith's wish, although it was sorely against Captain Morton's will to bear off froht in front of hi a point or two off the lee bea by his compliance with the lieutenant's wish The _Hankow Lin_ when she arrived at Singapore was allotted a half share of the value of the pirate schooner and all she contained; and that craft being pretty nearly crammed full of plunder, which she had accumulated from the different shi+ps that had been captured and scuttled by her in her nefarious career, the sum thus awarded to Captain Morton was more than sufficient to coh the _Hankow Lin's_ detention at the Dutch port, besides swelling the handsoed in the affair
This was not all, either
At Singapore, Captain Morton was able to obtain what he could not have very well voyaged hoate the shi+p in place of the treacherous scoundrels who had engaged with hih the captain had ample satisfaction for all this ere he left the place, for, as Bill the boatswain said inthe fact afterwards, he ”saw every ain”
After bidding adieu to their late active comrades the blue-jackets, all ith the old vessel, froapore to the Straits of Sunda, across the Indian Ocean, and round the Cape of Good Hope Not an untoward event happened on the way home, not a mishap occurred, and, as sobll said when he stepped ashore in the East India Dock, ”All's well dat ends well” And so ended The Voyage of the ”Hankow Lin”
VOLUME TWO, CHAPTER ONE
AT ZANZIBAR
”Have I ever been to Madagascar?” he repeated, with a look of aood-natured, ruddy-broeather- beaten face ”Is that what you wanted to know, eh?”
”Yes,” I replied, ”that is, if you've no objection to answerto keep dark of o ahead”
”Well, sir,” he began, drawing a deep breath as if he only just took in the i over in his s, ”I should rather just think I had been to Madagascar, and there's precious little chance too ofit, either, in a hurry Ah! if you'd once been wrecked on sich a queer, outlandish, wild, desolate sort o' shore as that there, arterwards havin' to swiet to land, and that under a fierce burning sun the while; besides, when got ashore at last, being forced to trareen les of thorny bushes that tore your flesh to pieces before ever you could ha'
coet your wants attended--you, that isa morsel of food or a drop of pure water to drink all the hy, sir, I fancy as how you'd re day; and, would recollect all about it in the flash of a ain the same as you have done just now!”
The speaker was a fine, robust-looking seae also, for there was a slight suspicion of grey in the crisp brown beard that covered the lower part of his countenance, while several prominent wrinkles were apparent about the corners of his , blue eyes
He was dressed respectably in a sober suit of soh material that fitted easily to his well-proportioned limbs, and, from his civilian costume and nautical look--for he had a sort of briny flavour about him, so to speak--I took him for a petty officer of the Royal Navy who had retired froth of service afloat having entitled hinitate_ of a pension ashore for the reht--an impression subsequently in part confirot into conversation one bright su on Ports a white-hulled Indian troopshi+p steaypt on board I hadon the plucky behaviour displayed at Ta the high-handed proceedings of the French adlish flag with i in co while the representative of the Union Jack had only one solitary vessel to oppose to that force
”Aye, I know the East African station well,” continued ot my pension three years before my twenty years' term of service was up in consequence”
”Indeed!” said I, to lead hi before lers knoell how to do, so that I hten him into silence by any undue display of anxiety on my part