At the Fall of Port Arthur; Or, A Young American in the Japanese Navy
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CHAPTER I
LARRY AND HIS FRIENDS
"Unless I miss my guess, Luke, we are going to have a storm."
"Jest what I was thinking, Larry. And when it comes I allow as how itwill be putty heavy," replied Luke Striker, casting an eye to thewestward, where a small dark cloud was beginning to show above thehorizon.
"Well, we can't expect fine weather all the time," went on LarryRussell, inspecting the cloud with equal interest. "We want some windanyway," he added. "We are not making this return trip to Nagasakinearly as fast as we made the trip to Manila."
Luke Striker, a bronzed and weather-beaten Yankee sailor, rubbed hischin reflectively. "I was jest thinking o' the day I spied the old_Columbia_ in Manila harbor," he said, meditatively. "Tell ye, Larry,the sight 'most struck me dumb. 'The _Columbia_,' sez I to myself. An'then I thought I must be a-dreamin'. I wanted to find this ship ag'in inthe worst way."
"The ship certainly seems like a home to me, Luke--and I reckon shealways will seem that way. I've traveled a good many miles in her, sinceI first struck her at Honolulu in the Hawaiian Islands," responded LarryRussell.
"Yes--both of us have. But we never took no trip like thisafore--carryin' a cargo for the Japanese Government, with thatgovernment at war with Russia." Luke Striker lowered his voice. "What'sthe outlook? Does the old man reckon to fall in with a Russian warshipafore we can reach Nagasaki?"
"Hush, Luke; you mustn't mention our cargo," came from Larry Russell,hastily.
"I ain't mentionin' it to anybody but you."
"Captain Ponsberry is in hopes that we shall not meet any Russianwarships."
"But what if we do?"
"Then we shall have to show our heels as best we can."
"A sailing vessel can't show much o' a pair o' heels to a man-o'-war."
"That is true."
"I suppose, if the _Columbia_ was overhauled by a Russian warship,they'd consider us a prize of war; wouldn't they?" continued the oldYankee sailor.
"They would, unless Captain Ponsberry could get out of it in some way."
"How do you think he might get out of it?"
"Well, you must remember that our cargo doesn't belong to the JapaneseGovernment yet. We are carrying it from Manila to Nagasaki for theRichmond Importing Company. The Russians would have to prove their caseagainst us before they could claim the schooner as a legitimate prize ofwar."
"I see. Well, I reckon as how them Russians would do 'most anything tosquare accounts with the Japs. So far, accordin' to my notions, theyhave been losin' ground right along in this war."
"Yes, and they'll lose more before the Japs are through with 'em, Luke.But that storm is coming up fast," went on Larry Russell, with anotherexamination of the black cloud. "I'll have to tell the captain. If wedon't shorten sail it may do us some damage."
With the last-mentioned remark Larry Russell walked aft, toward thecompanionway of the _Columbia_, a staunch three-masted schooner thathailed from Gloucester. He was second mate of the craft and as such itwas now his duty to inform Captain Nat Ponsberry that a storm wasapproaching.
To those of my young friends who have read "Under Dewey at Manila" andother volumes of the "Old Glory Series" Larry Russell needs nointroduction. He was one of three brothers, who, left in the charge of amiserly step-uncle, had thought it best to go away from home and seekfortune in various parts of the globe. Larry had drifted to SanFrancisco and then to Honolulu, where he had fallen in with Captain NatPonsberry and the _Columbia_, as already mentioned. He, with his sailorfriend, Luke Striker, had been cast away, and while adrift on thePacific had been picked up by the Asiatic Squadron under Commodore(afterward Admiral) Dewey, to serve with honor during the memorablebattle of Manila Bay.
Since those days a great many things had occurred to the Russell boys.Ben, the oldest of the three, had served as a young volunteer in Cubaduring the advance on Santiago, and as an officer with the army in thePhilippines, and Walter, the third brother, had served in the navy inCuban waters and elsewhere. In the meantime the miserly step-uncle hadreformed, and now thought "his three boys," as he called them, "the bestyoung fellers in all America, barrin' none!"
Larry Russell was a natural sailor, and when his term in the navy cameto an end he could not bear to think of giving up the sea. He heard thathis old ship was bound for a trip to Japan and other ports, and at oncecommunicated with Captain Ponsberry, with the result that he becamesecond mate of the schooner, the first mate being, as of old, TomGrandon, a personal friend of Captain Ponsberry.
At this time Walter Russell had gone into business, and was doingremarkably well. But Ben was doing nothing, and Larry persuaded hisoldest brother to come aboard the ship at Manila, for the trip toNagasaki and Port Arthur. This was just at the outbreak of the warbetween Russia and Japan, but the brothers at that time knew nothingabout the tremendous conflict so close at hand.
The _Columbia_ was carrying a cargo for the Richmond Importing Company,represented in Japan and China by Gilbert Pennington, who had servedwith Ben Russell in our army in Cuba and the Philippines. From ManilaGilbert had gone to China, to fight the Boxers, as already described in"On to Pekin," the first volume of this "Soldiers of Fortune Series."With the end of the Boxer conflict, Lieutenant Pennington, as he hadthen become, turned from war to business, and soon made a number ofbusiness transactions which were highly gratifying to the company thathe represented.
When the _Columbia_ arrived at Nagasaki, Captain Ponsberry learned thatthe war had begun and that to get to Port Arthur--a Russian strongholdin Manchuria--was out of the question. While he was awaiting ordersGilbert Pennington appeared on the scene. Gilbert had had greatdifficulties in getting away from Port Arthur, having been suspected bythe Russian officials of being a spy. He wished to know at once if theship's cargo was safe.
"As safe as when we left home," had been Captain Ponsberry's reply.
"Good!" answered the young agent, and then he wished to know if anythinghad been done about selling the goods. Captain Ponsberry replied that hehad been ordered to do nothing until he received word from Gilbert. Thissuited the young representative; and the upshot of the matter was thatthe cargo, instead of going to a Russian port, was sold to the JapaneseGovernment at a price considerably above the ordinary market value.
Gilbert Pennington was enthusiastic about joining the Japanese army fora campaign in Manchuria and he imparted a large share of this enthusiasmto Ben Russell. As a result both enlisted and became captains in aspecial command, under a Major Okopa, who could speak very good English.The part of the army to which they were assigned landed at Chinampo, inKorea, and in the second volume of this series, called "Under theMikado's Flag," I related the particulars of the crossing of the YaluRiver and of the many skirmishes and battles leading up to the terrificten-days' contest before Liao Yang. During these fights Ben and Gilbertdid their full duty as officers, and when the Russians retreated to theNorth both were well content to take a much-needed rest. But additionalstruggles were still in store for them, as will be learned in the pageswhich follow.
At first Larry Russell had been inclined to follow his brother and hisfriend Gilbert into the Japanese army. But Captain Ponsberry did notwish to lose his services as a second mate, and when it was decided thatthe _Columbia_ should make a quick run to Manila and back, for anothercargo for the Japanese Government, he made up his mind to stick to theship.
The run to Manila from Nagasaki was made without special incident, and,once at the main seaport of the Philippines, Captain Ponsberry lost notime in getting on board the cargo the Richmond Importing Company hadready for him. The cargo was a valuable one and it was calculated thatif rightly sold it would yield the company a profit of five or sixthousand dollars.
"You have got to take care and not run into any Russian warship," saidthe agent of the company at Manila. "If you do you may have a whole lotof trouble in explaining matters to the Russian commander'ssatisfaction. I see by the reports that the Russians have already heldup several Englis
h and South American ships."
"I shall keep a sharp lookout for 'em," was Captain Ponsberry's reply.
"And another thing, Captain," went on the agent, in a lower tone; "youwant to watch your crew."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't like the looks of two or three of them. For all you know theymay be more than willing to expose you--if you fall in with theRussians. Can you trust your first and second mates?"
"I can! They are as honest as myself."
"Then caution them to keep an eye on the hands. One of those fellowslooks like a Russian to me--the chap with the heavy black beard."
"You mean Semmel. He says he is a Pole and that he hates the Russians."
"Humph! Well, I saw him talking to a lot of Russians night before last.And when they passed a Jap the whole crowd jeered at the little brownman."
"Semmel, too?"
"Yes."
"Then I shall watch him," answered Captain Ponsberry, decidedly.
"Do, but don't let him know it. Some of these foreign sailors are uglywhen they find out they are being suspected."
"Trust me to manage him," returned the commander of the _Columbia_; andthere the talk on the subject came to an end.