ALOK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10662, 24 May 1895, Page 3

ALOK.

{Australasian Pastoralists’ Review.)

"A decent Cfainkio never yet lived!”

Wo were talking Chow and Cbow-Jap war in the smoke-room of tho s.e. Mararoa, and it was thus the chief conversationalist summed up the discussion. “No,” he reiterated, with placid dogmatism, “ there never was a decent Chinaman.” , , , " And that’s all you happen to know about it, sir 1” . , , , - It was the burly, sunburnt, red-hesded man in the starboard corner seat who spoke. Hitherto ho had said nothing. "Can you,” replied the first speaker, "from personal knowledge give oven a solitary instance of a Chinaman who was, or is, from a white mail’s point of view, a decent fellow ?” .“ My word!” replied the rod man. Tho chief conversationalist arose and, with a touching solemnity, pressed the button of the electric ball. " Gentlemen, he said, "let ua drink before this story begins.” . „ , . , " Now, if you please, sir,” he observed when the waiter had duly set them up. # * # * *

Some years ago I landed in Hong Kong X had been knocking about the China coast then for four years—with a second mate’s discharge, a master’s certificate and £2OO odd in my pocket. I was tired, and calculated to lay by and have a good time. I fell in with a couple of chums—Stimaon, a young American chief mate who had had a difference with a Shellback at which there had been some mutual shooting, and Parker, a cherubic Bostonian, travelling to improve his ingenious mind. Together, we painted Hong Kpng a satisfactory vermilion. One night we happened to take an eight-oared " pull-a-wsy ! ' boat and were rowed into the harbour in search of devilment that might arrive. $ # * . * *

Finding nothing interesting among the shipping, we cruised around the lorchas and other small crafts, some of which were owned by Europeans and Americans. Suddenly, from one of the seaward lorOhas, wo heard moans. We hooked on, shinned up without invitation, and proceeded to investigate. Triced to the main boom was a small, pale Chinaman with bare legs. His hands were lashed behind him, his pigtail was fastened so taut to his wrists that his head was dragged back as far as his neck would stretch; the hoisting line _ was passed round the lashings on his wrists, and his toes were two or three inches from the deck. Naturally most of his blood was pumped into his legs, quite purple and ready to burst* Two whito beachcombers, half corned, enjoyed the spectacle. One held a split bamboo, and with it lashed the poor wretch’s naked calves, bringing blood in big black gouts. 1 don’t know how you feel, gentlemen, but I could never bear to see torture. Straight out killing, if you like—thats clean and business-like. .... , I remarked to the fellow with the bamboo—" Drop it, quick!” He looked up, saw me, end roared—- " What the something are ye doing on my ship ?” Then ha came over to me, flourishing the bamboo. I don’t remember just where I hit him, but he sat down suddenly and violently on his head on an iron ringbolt. His mate snatched a crowbar and aimed for my skull just as. Stimaon’s lengthy leg uncoiled, and Stimson’s massive foot caught him under the chin. He also sat down with celerity and impetuosity. Then a half-bred Portugee, with a rat-trap at fullcock for mouth, jumped from forrudef the mainmast and prodded at Stimson with a knife, only to find Parker’s pistol three inches down hia yellow throat. I cut the Chinaman down. He promptly fainted. As we didn’t know what crowd we had got among, we passed the Chow into onr boat and were pulled ashore. There I had the wounded man carried to our hotel, and roused out a doctor. # * # * * "Mi allee litee now. What name you ? ” I told him, and asked, “What name you P ” "Alok.”

" What for that fellow flog you ? ” _ “ He too muchee no good. Mi his boy fo’ twelve moon—makee washee, cookee, evylything I do. He no payee mi. Mi ask he fo’ money, he too muchee flog mi, go lab.” Then be examined his legs contemplatively. The swelling bad considerably subsided. " I velly much chin chin you; you too muchee good. Alok no floget you.” We offered the poor little chap a few dollars, but he said, "Mi no wantchee; mi catchee plenty money bimeby.” And this was the first and last occasion I over knew a Chinaman to jib at lucre. Ho picked himself up with a grin, half pain, half pleasure, shook both hia own hands by way of salutation, and sloped into the darkness of the night. * * * * * About a month later, nothing better offering, I shipped second mate aboard the armed merchant brig Petrel, Captain Hire. Hire was an ex-lieutenant, E.N., who had learnt to fight ship, clean brasswork, swear, drink two bottles of brandy a day, and nothing else. Tho brig was just out from England, and Hire was touchingly green regarding China. He was bound to Shanghai in ballast, hoping to get a charter there to convoy salt junks against pirates. He had shipped a Malay crow, Manila quarter-master, Goa steward, Chinese carpenter, cook and sweepers. The mate was a good old Channel hobbler, and wore white shirt sleeves, heavy flushing pants, sea-boots and cross-jack eyes in all climates. Hire and he knew rather less about Asiatic sailormen than I about cuneiform—and the3 r wouldn’t loam. s # # & # As wo. were getting.tinder- weigh who should step aboard but Alok. I had never seen him since the nigbtl-cut him dowii.

He wanted me to take him as my servant—and a clean, smart, handsome boy h looked, though a trifle small and delicate , I.thought it wouldn’t ba any harm to have one person I could depend upon on that trip, and engaged him. Ho had his traps in the sampan alongside. *****

It was a queer voyage that—like a bad dream. Poor Hire was the most cantankerous and the meanest that ever trod deck. Nothing pleased him. _ A sly drinker, always full of black bile, he ejected venom on officers and crew —the former for choice- He starved the cabin, which was bad; he starved the crew, which was worse. When he was merely mellow he would skylark with the grim old scrang, the tindala and the men ; drank, he himself would rope’s-end the latter. And that’s what you should never do to a Malay. If you want to hurt him mnch, shoot him, and shoot him quick and dead; if you merely desire he should be rather hurt, call the sorang. It is his business. As it was, rank mutiny simmered from day to dark. There was utter absence of discipline. Thence came the ensuing trouble. What I should have done in that floating hell without Alok—what with a touch of fever, the cabin cagmag, the captain’s cussedness, and the dissatisfied . crew—saints above know. But Alok tended mo as a wife an uninsured husband. He foraged for and brought mo decent tucker, and, by keeping touch with the crew, aided me to stave off open mutiny. •if?

Well, gentlemen, wo thrashed up those beastly China seas till we were abreast Chusan—about a day’s sail, with luck, to Shanghai. That evening, in the second dogwatch, the wind- being from tba east’ard, I sighted, just before the dark, two thundering big junks on our weather beam a mile or more away, and edging down towards us. Now, in those days the rule of the road among China coasters was—“first fire, then inquire.” If a native craft came within range you blazed away until she sank or sheered off. Consequently, I had the covers taken off the starboard guns, and I then reported to the captain. But Hire, brandy brave, and with swelled head, jeered me, “Those old rattletraps, pirates ? ” he said, “ why you’re scared, sir. They’re peaceful traders. It’s an insult to suppose they would attack my brig. What the dickens d’ye mean,” he screamed, " by touching the guns without my orders? Cover the guns, there! ” Alok sidled up to ms —" That twopiece junk, he no good. Mi sabee he, lalone—pilate Bimeby he come down; we catchee plenfcee stinkpot.” # * * # *

OS course I meant to keep awake. Equally of course I fell sound aaloep_ in five minutes. When I woke it was with the noise of all Hades loose in my ears, a filthy smell of burning in my nostrils, and a choking in my throat '; ; something bumped alongside, and I felt by Bailorman's instinct our ’ mainyard was laid aback. I grabbed my revolver, and rushed for the main hatch, just abaft of which was my cabin. 'I had just poked my head above ’hatches, and swiftly noted that the deck seemed all ablaze and alive with dancipg devils stoking, when I was stabbed by one of them underneath my left shoulder blade, and tumbled to the deck below. The next moment an arm was round my neck, a hand on my mouth, and Alok’s voice whispered in my ear ; «Mi ! You no taikea! Come along mi—quick!” He half led, half pushed me in the dark, forrud, past the fore hatch, right into the eyes of her, where the water casks were stowed and the hawsers coiled above them. Tearing up his jumper, he bound my back up—l was bleeding like a stuck pig. “Thatfoolo mate, he makee fall asleep; allee men asleep; lalone come down, thlow stinkpot, alleo Malay jump downside water, madee dlowned. Captain, he dead, mi think.” ■ ■ , ' “ Well, what’s to -be done bow, Alok? We’ll soon be dead, too, it Beams.” “Mi go topside, look—see,” he said. “ Lalone no eabee mi; he think mi allee sama lalone” The plucky little beggar crawled aft, and presently I could hear him going up the main hatch, shouting like one possessed. He was long gone, my wound pained me, aud the rats and cockroaches, scenting blood, came and crawled about me. Then the best became almost suffocating. Soon, however, the shouting and tramping above ceased; the pirates had possession, and were inspecting their prize. Ere long they would search and find me. Well, I could save one chamber of my revolver for my own dismissal! #■ * * * *

All at once I became aware that I was not alone. I peered into the dark, wondering what would come thereout. At last, a whisper ! , " Sahib, sahib! How is it with you ? ■lt was the sorang, "Pretty bad,” I said. " How many live, sersng ?” “ Sahib he spoke in Hindustani, not Malay—" here be ten o£ tie and two Manila sea-connie, not afraid to die. Those swine of Chinese took us, we sleeping. But now, sahib, if you say fight, we fight. Is it au order ?” "Presently,” I said. “Did you see Alok ?” " Sahib, wa hid in the lazaretto—twelve of us, others there are somewhere. The boy Alok came to us, saying the sahib lived. We took a plank from the bulkhead, first forcing the magazine, and came forward to yon.” " Have you arms?” “Touch, sahib!” He thrust the butt of a six-chamber revolver rifle into my hand. "Twelve of these, with sufficient cartridge, we found in the magazine. Take bold, sahib! I have my h-is, thirsty for the blood of those doge.” "And—Alok?”

"Alokis a proper man, Tmn; he and another come quickly with fire bamboos.” Then Alok himself from the darkness, “Mi catches nine bamboo. Allee lalone stay aft; We go quick topside, light bamboo, make lalone jump downside water.” The rifles were good; the fire bamboos were better. Imagine a huge bamboo rocket, eight feet long, stuffed with composition to which “ gteek firo ” is as rosewater.' You light the far end, the stoppering smoulders a minute, then the flames leap out as water at a high pressure from

i hose. Nothing living may stand before. 1 hat unholy douche. ] The men mustered round me at foot of f era-peak, whence came faint light. Fifteen, we were, and no, time to talk. . Seven to’ carry fire bamboos, six to cover them with, rifles, the two quartermasters to cut the i lashings of tba junk to windward—-the other junk cruised to leawsfd. The bamboos were lit, and smouldered. We crawled on deck. »

Grouped in shadow before tfyh foremast we looked astern. The pirates, fifty or more, were bunched aft,, .looting. We waited till the bamboos ' shot preliminary sparks, then fired into the thick of the foe and charged aft, the wind at one backs. The bamboos spouted fire, the rifles rained bullets, the Malays yelled like lost souls in a storm. •- Before the Chinese . had time to think wo were on them, and they, screeching—most o! them horribly burnt—leaped madly over the stern into the sea. Manwhile the sea-connies had ent the junks adrift. Amidships we had & thirty-six pounder, on a pivot, loaded. We whipped her round and fired at the junk j. below her water-line. Again and again, $ and she settled fast as the, round- shot opened gates in her lower sides. * The other junk, which had at first luffed up, sheeted off at sound of onr big gun. Several more Malays, hearing the victorious shouts of their countrymen, came slicing down backstays from the tops. I fitted on the mainyatd, and when way was on her, flattened in the head sheats, _un helm and chased the second jnnki,< ;We overhauled, went right through, ahd faitly romped over, her. The sharks, -already busy, did the rest. Then we tookltqbk.' Twenty-six survived out of a ship’s ; company of seventy. The poor old mate, badly' scorched by stinkpots, had been curved with blunt knives* Hire had been'shot dead aff the cabin table.. Most of the missing Malays had gone overboard to esoape stink-potting. We washed the chawed* and bloody decks, trimmed sail, and (stood on for Shanghai* . ‘, # St » # , » Our arrival created excitement. : The Europeans were good enough to.fancy me a hero. I told them, as T do, fun, that Alok was the hero of that' show. . The consul told 1 me to retain command till the 'agents of the brig were heard from,.ipdl, my wound troubling very mucb| waq glad to get on board, away from all the sum fluster.

“I would caution you,” said the consul, “that those pirate junks were owned in Shanghai. The relatives of some of the dead brutes may attempt your life., Be careful.” ’ . ’

Alok repeated the caution. I took possession of Hire’s deck cabin, after being bandaged by a doctor, who ordered me to turn in for a week at least, The.calun was, lighted by E nlarge.side wmdpi?, v to which was a eliding wooden shutter.; at night, Alok insisted on fastening^;’He said some of the pirates’ friends might come, by night, and "if door* or window wore open shoot me.’ However, several nights passed without incident.' Om Waking Alok’ asked to go.ashora, “toiloqk sea.” He loaded' a rifle with slugs, arranged it to rake the window, sp'.wißt I could fire with my uninjured’ hftniji.' $ crawled out when he was goue. hailed tha anchor watch, told them to koepa goodi look-out, bolted my door, tunsed iitt and ' fall asleep. . . ‘ ■ « * # ,# • # ' I woke with the. conviction that, a sampan had bumped gently alongside. Soon X heard the patter of bare feet , outside my window. There was whispering, and thewindow was softly tried. Then, still softly, an attempt to force it. Pre-' sently, the ehutter shot back, and aAnife appeared lashed to a bamboo. Move,'for the moment I couldn’t. The , gleam of , the knife fascinated me. Then,, iust,aa I heard 1 a clashing and trampling outside. I firedl the rifle. Two or three groans, attdysilence, swiftly broken’ by cries of. Malays coming aft. I managed to vise,' unbolt the door, and crawl out. The , Malaya brought a lantern. . Here lay ti. dead Chinaman riddled by slugs; thereanother Chinaman, his skull ghastly clove by a tomahawk. Further, Alok, breathing,, a knife sticking into his; right side, two great slug wounds, from which, gushed blood, in his breast. He smiled. “Alice Utee! You visUy'' good. Mi too muchea fooloo. ’ Mi Ob thinly .■ Chinaman he come ship' to-night, _ Bufcoa*, manssho’, he tell mo Chinamen have gone ship to killea you. Mi catches sampan, coma to you ,chop chop. Mi little too late.’ Mi killea one man, one man knife mo, youS ohootee mi a'little. Veil; good! Mi T no mind. Mi, allee same I—-loveeyou—kliss mi—ohin —ohin!” # * * * wy'.. Then, gently said tbs man who had provoked the story, “You have proved, sir, that one decent Chinaman lived,” “I don’t know, after all,” said the rsd man. even more quietly, “for Alok'w«S *»— Chinawoman. , ;