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Show Ii The Sn-of-Fury-B(rj)f-aTurt1e's-Egg ; :j ff'M I! I JLJLX , "The honorable gcml Jr odlL I It ' ' In tho treaty ports of China there Is a I 1 song which Is sung by certain follows of tho baser sort, and runs thus: 1 "Tho English are at Vcl-hal-wcl. The Germans nro nt Chao-Clinu. 1 ! :s'ow. will the Germans stay, stay And what will tho Kngllsh do, do? I The rnison d'otcrc of tho song Is that I . tonic years ago a couple of German cruis- I 1 ors and a despatch boat or two wcro loaf ing In a casual sort pf way about . tho I f Yellow sea, in the neighborhood of Chao- NowlChao-Chuu Is about n l"""1'' miles from Wel-hal-wcl. which In i a Brlt- lull naval station, with all that that Im-I Im-I piles-. Tho British. It may bo said, are supposed In tho cast to represent the 1 , meek, as typified in the Fourth Beatitude, i wnicn says. "Blessed arc tho meek, foi , thev shall possess the earth." These 1 , , meek Britishers have made a poln for 1 1 manv years of extending their possessions L In tho east at the rato of a thousand ' square miles of territory a week. Ihcj count that day lost whon they don I nd-' nd-' l vance tho Union Jack at least a hundred sciuaro miles somewhere on ibis pln iet; Their methods are simple. There Is a , disturbance somewhere; tho British Iami. claim ten square miles of terr tory ; as indemnity in-demnity and security and ten fuaro miles more as neutral territory, and there , they stick like sticking plaster. r ic Gci- . mans, however, aro finding out things all , ' ' lhSK0,d5. "wffilee rnaan cruisers landed a force, demanded several Impos-. Impos-. slble things, and these not being forth- ' coming In a lightning flash tho Teutons took possession of ten square miles, ! claimed ten square miles more as neutral neu-tral terrltary. and a German naval base , was established in about, throe shakes of 1 i a sheep's tall, and there they aro lo this . 1 day. in spite of tho disgust of the Brll-. Brll-. ' i JSTho monumental cheek of the Germans In doing this was under discussion ono n"glu on L-Hlrondolle. the little French t gunboat commanded by Tourneau. the young lieutenant who had aspirations to Wmo the son-in-law of Vlec-Adm Iral 1 Harbord, the British naval commander in those regions. Three young mmand-I mmand-I 1 crs at around the table In the little I cramped cabin of L'Hlrondelle. Ono was Aylwin. the American lieutenant, who 1 hid a despatch boat, and tho second guest was tho Honorable Reginald Frederick l Geoffcry Hyde. R. N1 S0JFan tie 31. M. S. torpedo boat Number Tv.o. Ho ' t. - iMMft nink-o.heekod boy. and hla I vessel was not much bigger than himself. him-self. Hyde had everything against him in the eyes of the vico-admlral fortune, rank and violin playing.. Ho had. how- ever, two transcendent tncrlts. He thought all fiiluro wars would bp decided bv tSrpcdoes. and he was the best illlo shot in tho China seo. Icc-Admlral Hnrbord Hnr-bord loved sport as only arf Englishman ; can" and could easily hit a barn door at Youngstenf,' llko oldsters, when they sit around tho cabin table and smoke artor dinner, take their grievances to walk, and call attention to the defects of then , commanding officers. -The Germans caught us napping. there can be no doubt of that, said 1 Hyde, disgustedly, knocking tho ashes off his cigar. "The admiralty was to blame In the first place, and everybody else In "Wci-hnl-wel In the second place. If wo " had old Harbord there at the time he would havo sot up a thundering bis row ' two hours in advance of tho Germans, and sent them all back, polite and dls-, dls-, ' satisfied to their ships. It's the prln- olplc of the British navy never to let anv row be settled "by anybody except Itself If it can help it. and It's worked beautifully In the cast." I View cf Tonrncau. ? "And it's the policy of the French 1 navy." said Tourneau. sipping his Chat eau Yquem daintily, "to tako caro of tho u Catholic missionaries or all nations cvery- where. You sec. the Catholic mission aries ore everywhere, and they do not . run away: they 'stick' as you say, stick like the devil, and that gives us a chance to stick like the devil too. Whenever the natives get troublesome we send i somebody to look after tho dear mls- slonarlcs, and so the natives are re-4 re-4 minded that there Is such a thing as a French navy." . i "We Americans haven t any specific , plan of butting In." said Aylwin. "but i -we manage one way or another to get in i the game." , 4 1 "It's a great game, this cast, said t Tourneau thoughtfully, "this awakening V . after 2000 years of slumber. It Is no longer fashionable in China to bind the X ladles' feet. It Is no longer fashionable t to kill foreigners. When it Is done It Is i the act of the people not in the Chinese 'smart set,' as you say, and as for the Empress of China, not the moat ardent J suffragette, my dear Hyde, could ask for more than she has. When the mandarins enter her presence, they knock .their heads nine times on tho ground." At '' ( this Hyde hummed dolefully, L "The. British are at Wel-hal-wcl, Tho Germans at Chao-Chau, Now, will the Germans stay, stay? ,,' And what, will the English do. do?" I Tnen the talk turned upon a proposed A expedition the next day and Tourneau ( was to be left out of It. i' "You see," said Hyde. "Admiral Uar- j bord hates mc like the devil, hut knows I I can handle a rifle As good luck woul have it, a water buffalo has gone crazy bout en miles up the river, and is " ting lip Chlnoso like grains of rice. "ow, the. Gorman officers have organized organ-ized a hunt for that water buffalo and they claim Mint It Is the neutn I zoi e which he s devastating. Wo claim .it is our duty to kill that water buffalo, and tho whole thing has rcKolved itself Into a grave International question which has reached an acute stage, ho. as It s well to do things modestly. I am to n-vllc n-vllc tho admiral to go on a shoot ng nnrtv up tho river, after the water b trial tr-ial o. and just to keep It front ooklng too British I am taking -Aylwin along. He can shooL" . "1 was born In - the stale of Ken: tuckv." briefly responded Aylwin. "Ibis allusion was not In tho least, understood bv either Hyde or Tourneau. But A1-wln A1-wln often said 6trange things, like all Americans. , . . T feel confoundedly sorry for you. 010 man." Hyde kept on. turning to Tourneau. Tour-neau. Kvprvhody know all about that enterprising young officer and Clarice Harbord. "II seems ns If 1 were playing play-ing a dirty game on you In asking Aylwin Ayl-win and leaving you out. but tho launch won't hold another man besides tho engineer, en-gineer, and Denson. tho mnster at arms, two sailors, Aylwin. myself and Admiral Harbord. whom I count as two men he Is so big and makes such a noise. "Do not distress yourself, my dear Hvdc," replied Tourneau with a grin. and striking his short black beard, 1 go down to' Wcl-hal-wol tomorrow nl sunrise. There I shall find Miss Clarice Harbord visiting the family of an officer at Wel-hal-wcl and 1 shall have thrco days' leave." Thon Tourneau began an adaptation of his own. "The admiral Is at Chao-Chau, His daughter is at Wel-hal-wel.. Now what will tho admiral do, do? For Tourneau means to stay, stay." Aylwin listened to these caitiff verses with disgust. ' "Well." ho said presently, with grim philosophy, "something may be gained by being with the admiral. He can get used to seeing me. That's a great deal." 3Iyde smiled Indulgently upon Aylwin and Tourneau. "Ton follows aro In a tight box. I'll aav, however, that tho betting In tho !3c"et Is about two to one on your getting those charming young ladles. Admiral Harbord hasn't given his consent yet, 1 believe?" Alywln and Tourneau wagged their heads dolefully. like two dissenting man-I man-I dsirlns. "But he has not withheld it," said Tourneau Water Buffalo. "Wo are simply waiting for him to come off the perch." added Aylwin. "Miss Harbord means to stand by mc. I don't know whether Miss Clarice means to desert Tourneau or hot." For answer Tourneau leaned- back In his chair, smiled and sang softly: "The admiral Is at Chao-Chau, His daughter is at Wel-hol-wel. Now what will the admiral do. do? For Tourneau mcons to stay, stay." Then the talk fell upon water buffaloes In general those patient beasts with great, branching horns plodding through the overflowed paddyfields, with a Chinaman China-man wading through the water after him. The water buffalo is a remarkably remark-ably pat Ion t beast, but like ail other patient creatures when he gels mad he is mad nil through. The ono up the river, which had become be-come a burning international Issue, had not only got mad but had gone mad. Tho Chinese are very superstitious about animals ani-mals that go mad. as Ilydo explained. "The Chinese have been boating tomtoms tom-toms all over the place and burning paper pa-per prayers and letting off firecrackers with a view of soothing the buffalo, but, as you may Imagine. It hasn't worked. The buffalo Is not soothed." "But he will be tomorrow." replied Aylwin rising, as a boy appeared at tno cabin door and announced that a boat had come from tho torpedo boat for her commander. Tourneau bade his friends a cheerful good by. "Everyone to his taste," he 3aid, "you and Hydo like chasing wild buffaloes through tho paddy fields. I prefer tho society of my adored one at f o clock In the afternoon In a drawing room nt Woi-hal-Wel. Good luck to you, poor unfortunates that you arc." Tho next morning dnwnod fair and bright as If tho British were not at Wci-hal-Wel and the Gonnnns were not nt Chao-Chau. Out. beyond the mouth of tho bay lay the Mclampus, a light crusor flying tho broad pennant of an admiral, and toward her steamed the torpedo boat Number Two cutting the blue water sharply and passing the French gunboat, with Tourneau on tho brldgi-. He waved his cap at Number Two and Hyde and Aylwin waved theirs back at him. As the torpedo boat camo handily alongside the Molampus, Admiral Harbord Har-bord put off In the cruiser's launch nnd boarded Numbor Two. With him was. as Hyde had sagld, Benson, the master-at-arms, a crack shot: two sailors and the engineer of tho launch, which was towed behind I lie torpedo boat. The admiral greeted Aylwin coldly, but knowing his prowess with the rifle and also that tho Germans were after the wild buffalo, was glad to have him along. Avlwln. llko tho admiral, was in a seedy undress uniform and Hydo was arrayed likewise. Benson had charge of the gun cases. Conversation was slightly awkward awk-ward on the part of tho two young officers of-ficers with the admiral and referred solely sole-ly to the wild buffalo. Tho natives had named him Wang-patan, the Sun of Fun', born of a turtle's ogg nnd devoid of the eight virtues. Aylwin, who had some rudimentary knowledge of Chinese, laboriously explained to tho admiral that to call any creature tho son of a turtle s egg was to say ho had no ancestors and was without virtues To this tho admiral ad-miral responded that ho thought the weather would change within twenty-four hours. Avlwln undaunted, continued, that a Chinaman wishing to offer the last' insult to an enemy would draw a turtle on the enemy's back gate which was not only to Insult him. but the whole street. Tho admiral replied that he once knew a great many of those silly things himself, but had found It useful to forgot for-got thorn. Aylwin subsided and Benson and the two snllovs and the engineer, who had hoard all nbou: Aylwlns do-sIu'iih do-sIu'iih on the admiral's daughter, grinned Biyly behind the backs of their betters. Just outside .tho alleged neutral zone of Chao-Chau bay a little river rum: up Into the back country. Now It seemed from tho spring overflow a groat Inland lake. Everywhere were human beings tolling, for nowhere In China enn ono oh-cupc oh-cupc the sight of men toiling for a pitiful wage. But great 'overflows make rich paddyfields and chtfio flee, so that the gaunt bodies and thin legs of the yellow men and women wHI not lo more, uuunt and thin. This gave tho toilers the heart to sing at. their worn nnd to pneourage the water buffaloes with splendid promises prom-ises of hay and fo lder. The party from Number Two were here transferred to the launch. Tho natives scarcelv notlqcd the puffi:ic launen more than did tho water buff-ilo-'. Nor did thov stop ono moment when they saw two beautiful white launches flying ll5 German Ger-man colors jiml full of nattily df.Hsud German officers followed by the British launch. The rig of the German officers was a source of grim amusement to Admiral Harbord and even mado Benson smile faintly, and a master at arms, vulbanj cnlled "Jimmy Iigs." In never supposed to smile at anything. , Numbor Two's boat went dashing up the river, but soon had to "Inchon Us naco. Tho stream grow so tortuous that. T became dlfflrultNo lodgo tho natl v craft coming down. A fin o coul d e heard across tho overflowed fields c "oiir of Chinese sailors towing from the 1 Hhoro their long Junks, with tho Chinese HE GALLED TO THE PILOT, HOLDING UP A SI captain enthroned upon the poop and the Chinese pilot at tho stern. They alone never leave tho junk. Hydo's engineer a Scotchman, of course had managed to avoid half a dozon of smaller junks crawling patiently patient-ly seaward But this was a huge junk, wldor than usual, and just whon It would meet the launch tho river .suddenly narrowed nar-rowed and turned. From her port side was tho great low ropo. to which was harnessed. In Indian file on the shore, forlv Chinese coolies. Barefooted and barc-lcggcd, they trudged along In the mud, their heuds down and a big "chanty man" leading them and singing a cheerful song, which consisted of a recitative nnd the responses from the mon. In tho clear, bright .Tunc morning the loud, hoarso voices of the coolies, veiled by tho distance, sounded sweet. And this was the song they sang. The chanty, man bawled out, "What will you do when you get to Tlon-Tsln?" to which the coolies sang out In chorus as they trotted along, grinning, their shoulders shoul-ders humped up as they tugged at the rope: ' "When he get to Tlen-Tsln we shall bo happy; Wo shall sec our wives and our children chil-dren And the beantlftjl girls with little feet; We shall beat tho foreign devils and drink their rum; Wo shall sit upon the graves of our ancestor;." an-cestor;." Thon the' chanty man would ask melodiously: me-lodiously: "Whnt will you tako to Ticn-Tsln?" Then the refrain echoed back from the shore: "We will take seaweed from the rich rice fields; Wo will take seaweed and yet more seaweed sea-weed , Wc will tako bricks to build palaces for the mandarins; Wo will tako ducks to be given as marriage mar-riage portions for our daughters: Wa will take the little lambs that bleat and aro to bo served up at the tables of tho mandarins." The chanty man had just Inquired what they meant to bring back from Tlen-Tsln Tlen-Tsln when the Junk came abreast of the launch, The big Chinese captain, with fangs for tcoth. waa standing on the poop, bellowing and gesticulating, and it looked as ir whal Stubbs called, a collusion col-lusion was Inevitable. Aylwin stood up In the launch In full viow of the big Chinaman nnd rashly shouted: "Hollo! Ah Fong: Lost your Job as taito?" Ah Fong grinned and shook his head. None of the foreign devils would over got a word of English out of Ah Fong. As the launch scraped past tho Junk Aylwin told the admiral that Captnin Ah Fong was tho gontlemnn who had got possession of the admiral's uniform nnd had also been promsled destruction by Tourneau If ho did not give up tho' Christians In his town, and among thoso Christians was tho admiral's daughter and the French lieutenant's sister. I "lie ought to havo boon hanged," was ) tho admiral's response, In " l0'VLl,? riullo nudlblr to Ah" Fong.J'No doubt he has gone hack to pirating. . . The German launches now had time to catch up and woro so c one behind that a general inlxnp camo to pass In tho narrow bend of tho river. The engineer, who wan also acting as pilot, managed o keep cloar of both th Chinese and German craft, and thoso flitting behind him saw with unholy Joy one of the Gorman Gor-man boats deliberately stick her noso In tho mud. while the other scraped most of tho paint off her sides against tho junk. The Chinese coolies swarmed around screaming and chattering, tho Germans sworo and only the people In Number Two's launch remained cool and unembarrassed. unem-barrassed. Ah Fong Jumped down from the poop nnd waded In and out. giving orders, whilo the Chinese pilot was heard to swear In English. An Inspiration camo to Aylwin. He called to tho .pilot, holding up a silver piece: - "Have you seen up the river the mad water buffalo that is driving away tho laborers and frightening the women and children?" Tho pilot turned to Ah Fong. who was stooping down In tho water close to tho stern of Number Two's launch,! apparently apparent-ly measuring the depth of wator with a stick. Somo whlsporod words were cx-ehnngod. cx-ehnngod. and then tho pilot snld: "The honorable gentlomon who seek the wild hi Valo that frlghiens the miserable laborers and their worthless families can find him up the. river where it divides to two legs like a man 's legs. Thero we have lust seen the beast. Wnng-pa-an. standing quietly In the mud. But he s possessed of eight dovlte. and the worthless peoplo will bo glad when hp Is sent to rejoin his ancestors, of which ho has none. He stands In the left fork of the river." continued the pilot, catching catch-ing the silver piece which Aylwin throw "Whack her up!" cried Hyde to the engineer en-gineer ns the Utile engine began once maroto snort. Then lie added tp the admiral: ad-miral: "We ought to do for the bruto be-fore be-fore the Germans arrive." "Yes," said Aylwin, "provided that Chinese scoundrel was telling the truth. About tlio Sixth Shot. Ah Fong's pilot, however, appeared to bp telling tho 'truth, for when the launch shot up tho river and reached the place where It forked, tliorc In the left fork of tho stream, stood knee deep In the water n hug buffalo. Tho paddyfields about Heomed descried. aUjo"Sh there were mnny houses on the whore- N umber um-ber Two's people did not -know that tho feast of lanterns was preparing. . The buffalo took no heed of the launch as it drew near. The admiral, kneeling down with his rifle resting on tho gunwale, gun-wale, fired the first shot. It was a long shot hut a good one. and struck the buf- dived under wator. and It took seeral moro to finish him up. Benson s fingers Itched ns he fingered his rifle nnd so did thoso of Avlwln and Hyde, but shooting parties made up or Junior officers and an admiral, aro not arranged on democratic principles. , Tho sixth shot was enough for the buffalo. He stacgered to tho shore and fell to rise no more. The shots had brought out all tho people from the ,.niriihnriiHr houses, who swnrmed around the dond buffalo. Shrieks and-cries resounded re-sounded and women and children throw themselves woeplng on the groat carcass. Then tho people In the boat knew that they had killed, not the Son-of-Fury-Wlthout-the-Elght-Vlrlues. but the sole fortune of a large family. The launch was run ashore, and Aylwin and Hyde, jumping out. emptied their pockets on the ground. The result was monny onough to buy two water bur-fnloes bur-fnloes nnd the weeping and the walling censed. Behind them, though, they saw the two German launches going rapidly up tho other fork of the river. A light clnwned unon Aylwin. "That scoundrel Ah Fong gave us false Information." ho cried. "The mad buffalo buf-falo is on tho other fork of the river. As thov tumbled Into the launch Benson Ben-son leaned over nnd pointed to the stern. There, rudely scrawled In charcoal, was tho picture of a turtle. "That story will be told all over Tientsin Tien-tsin that it Chinaman drew a turtle on tho stern of a British launch." said Benson, Ben-son, who knew something of most things. Including Chinamen. "It will go down In Ah Fong's. family as an honor, and may make him a plrato admiral." The two sailors wero already scouring tho turtlo's portrait off tho boat's stern, but thcro was no scouring off the fact that the British lnunch, In the sight of tho Germans from Chao-Chau. had made a blunder of gigantic proportions. Admiral Ad-miral Hnrbord's red face grew redder, and a sulphurous silence prevailed in tho hmnch as she ran across the open water v -. , . LA'v V - - . ... LVER PIECE. and took her way up the right fork of the river. The launch was gaining on the Germans Ger-mans every minute, and afar off. above the churning of the engine In tho water, could be heard a strange sound of roaring roar-ing and bellowing. Then the narrow river suddenly widened Into another great temporary lake made by tho 'over flow and thoy saw unmistakably the Son-of-a-Turtle's-Egg and Dovold-of-thc-lilght-Vlrtues. Thcro was no doubt as to tho wickedness and fury of the Son-of-a-Turlle's-Egg. He was a huge beast with enormous branching horns, and plunged about the lake, keeping up a frenzied bellowing. So far from avoiding tho launches, he came plunging toward them. The two German launches had the first volley at him. but the rosult seemed not to Incommode Incom-mode tho Son-of-n-Turtlc's-Egg In the least. He suddenly dived just as the rifles of the British launch cracked out. and the next minute rose directly under them. The launch tipped over, throwing every man Into tho water except Benson and Admiral Harbord. and Incidentally the box containing all the rltlo cartridges. The beast's great horns locked somewhere some-where with tho machinery, nnd the engine en-gine suddenly slopped pulsating. As Iho launch righted Itself Benson jielzed a coii of ropo nnd, making a lnsso of It, threw 'It cleverly o-cr tho buffalo's horns nnd the noose knotted. That seemed to be Just what tho Son-of-a-Turtlc's-Egg wanted. He. turned and dashed across the wide .water, towing the launch after him. with Benson vainly tugging nt tho rope. Thcro were no rllle cartridges, but tho admiral laid his hand promptly on some shot cartridges and In his Borserker madness began to bhue away with bird shot at the water buft'olo. Aylwin and Hyde, the engineer and the two sallorH burst Into a roar of laughter, which was likely to cost thorn dearly. But having laughed once thoy concluded they might as well do It again as the Son-of-:t-Tnrtle's-Egg towed the launch straight toward the German launches. From them came the hoarso guffaws of tho Teutons. Not for rm.S Benaon cease his despeiwM the ropo or tho admftarMfii bird shot. As they nenniflH& launches the admiral, as mHpST' falo. bawled to Uenm: HHF those damned GcrniaiiR rfT4 nt the burfalo, and veW both." ' JBfJ. HIb Bitterest MoSSS? This speech, which wnn aMWa ble to the Germans, caiiMS and bellowing, came withinW,!. of Uicni. a German raUar B board with a revnlvo,. i."r;T dashed through tho VWr avoided the butfalo'a horns B1' fe bullets Into the buffalo flfc! blank range. Half A dozeaWi the launch, not ashoro, whiiXr havo done., but alongsldo Bh launches, 'fhe English UK with water nnd AdmlratM?i to utcp aboard the GtmWri keen from, going down ueK11 Tho buffaio had towed boat across the wide wat3m man launch had to tow It wHut Chau. On the other GenSWu the great carcass of oftTflBP tle's-Egg and Devold.ff.tiBk The sun shone brightly B fair day was dark to iLMK BetiBon. Nor was It altoc.tfiH chuck ed Inwardly. A sehiB himself wan cermlnnTi Tii'BLf Tho bitterest monvmt tok was when they reached ChflS and all the ships h, the HaW melancholy plight of tbeBiM her company. Tho aerM straight for the Melamnui ferrcd tho admiral and hue Aylwin was taken to lfis nJK That evening Aylwin hantSr an engagement to dine on tH As ho came over the sldB'jMr bord was standing tlkin'4l fleer of the deck. AyIwln?Ki iy and greeted him. ThirlB norlng th events of tho mdHI "Most embarrassing accIwHE said the admiral. clcarlnK'V "What accident, may VBj ""The the accident, th'iH tunalo accident, 1 should m2Mi' gard to the wild buftalojiHl "I think," responded AHv "wc had a most sncctMHf We went, up the river, bqH ing the wild hufTalo. whqB unfortunately killed one;,H support of a family of,ijK sons. . liH Admiral Harbord. wftlKnB grin upon his couutenanLTB lastly at Aylwin. "Of course. admiral,",;'H win obsc(tuIously. "vq diMH kill the buffalo which walj and you. merely pepporedH shot, knowing him to be n'mM turc: but In spite of our his life, which is worth. a-H owners, the Germans slaugH a. most ruthless manner. tH for him. you will recall" Admiral Harhord's rudMB expanded Into a large, sun that went half around hlsjP "Such Is the account given to soveral officers anB ally believed among the flhlB tlnued Aylwin. "As for Vm the launch, I have rcportcft very trilling and was InctfriB forts to avoid Killing tnef mesllc animal which the TjM and wo paid for." :H This caused the admiral toW by the hand in full view oVjm the deck of tho MolampusJH fleers had overheard whatM saying and a thrill of ndnM around for his able and IntiS "Wc go to Ticn-Tsln nexifl Admiral Harbord. "My MB be there and will visit meij Shall bo glad to have you difl Tho admiral turned and v'im all the able and Intrepid Hnfl crowded around Aylwin anfl him their king. 'M |
