LITERATURE. ALOK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5271, 30 May 1895, Page 1

LITERATURE. ALOK.

{Auetrdlatian Pastoraliais' -Review,)

"A decent Chinkie never yet lived!!" i We were talking Chow and Chow-Jap War in the smoke-room of the 8.8. Mararoa, and it was thus the Belf-eleoted chief conversationalist summed up the discussion. "No," he reiterated, with placid dogmatism, " there never waß a decent Chinaman." "And that's all jou happan to know about it, air !" It waa the burly, sunburnt:, red-headed man in the starboard corner seat who spoke. Hitherto he had said nothing. "Can you," replied the first speaker, "from personal knowledge give even a solitary instance of a Chinaman who was, or is, from a white man's point of view, a decent fellow ?"■ "My word !". replied the red man. : -The. chief .conversationalist aroße and, with a touching solemnity, pressed the button of the electric bell. ''Gentlemen," . h,e said, "let t»a drink before this etory VWeine." . ''.Now, if you please,, sir," he observed when the waiter had duly set them up. • . # . # ,-..# . . * ' # . Some years ago I landed in Hong Kong —I had bean knocking about the China coast; then for four years— with a second mate's discharge, a master's certificate and JB2OO odd in my pocket. I was tired, and calculated to lay by and have a good time. I fell in with a couple, of ohnma— Stimßon, a young American chief mate who had had a difference with a Shellbaok at which there had been some mutual shooting, and Parker, a cherubic Bostonian, travelling to improve his ingenious mind. Together, we painted Hong Kong a satisfactory vermilion. One night we happened to tale an eight-oared " pull-»-way" 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 aa£ other small crafts, some of whioh were owned by Europeans and Americans. Suddenly, from one of the seaward lorchas, we 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 wa3 fastened so taut to his wrista that his head was dragged back a 9 far ao his neck would stretcb; the hoisting line was passed round che lashings on hiß 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 white beachcombers; Jlalf corned, enjoyed the spectacle. One held a split bambqo, and with it lashed the pdor^wretch's naked calves, bringing blood mbig black j^utsV.- • ■•?':'* •'■•.. . ■;•' . :?, j <Jon't know how you feelj gentlemen, but I could never bear to see torture. Straight out killing, if you like— that's clean and business-like. I remarked to the fellow with the bamboo-—" Drop it, quick!" He looked up, saw me, and roared — " What the something are ye doing on my ship P" Then he came over to me, flourishing the bamboo. I.don't remember just where I hi- him, but he sat down suddenly and violently oa his bead on an iron ringbolt. His mate snatched a crowbar and aimed for my skull juat as Stimßon'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 f allcock for mouth, jumped from forrad of the mainmast and prodded at Stimson with a knife, only to find Parker's piatol three inches down his yellow throat. ' I cut the Chinaman down. He promptly fainted. Aa we didn't know what crowd we had got among, we pasfced the Chow into our boat and were pulled aBho»-e. There I had the wounded man carried to our hotel, and roused out a dootor. . #*' * # # "Mi allee litee now. What name you P " X told him, and asked, "What name you?" "Alok." " What for that fellow flog you ? " " "He too mucheo no .good. Mi bis 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 I lah." Then he examined his legs contemplatively. The swelling bad considerably subsided. " I velly much chin chin you; you too mucheegood. Alok no floget you." We offered the poor little chap a-few] dollars; but he said, "Mi no wan tehee; mi catohee plenty money bimeby." And this was the first and last occasion I ever j knew a Chinaman to jib at lucre. He picked himself up with a grin, half pain, half pleasure, nhook both his 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 Bhip, clean brasßwork, swear, drink two bottles of brandy a day, and nothing else. The brig was jnßt out from Englaqd, 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 crew, Manila, quarter-master, G>a steward, Chinese carpenter, cook and sweepers. The mate was a good old Channel hobblar, and wore white shir in sleeves, heavy flushing pants, sea-boots and cross jack eyes in all climates. Hire and be knew rather leas about Asiatic sailormen than I about cuneiform-— and they wouldn't learn. # # * * # As we were getting under weigh who should step aboard but Alok. I bad nover seen him since the night I cut him down, i He wanted me to take him as my servant— and a clean, smart, handsome boy he looked, though a 'trifle small and delicate. I thought it wouldn't be any harm to have one person I could depend upon on that, trip, and engaged him. He had his traps in the aampan alongside. # # * * * It waa a queer voyage that — like a bad dream. Poor Hire was thg mo9t cantan- J karoos and the meanest; skipper 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 thegrim old serang, the tindala and the men ; drunk, be himself would rope's-end the latter. And that's what you should never do to a Malay. If y rt « want to hurc him much, shoot him, and Bhoot him quick and dead; if you merely desire he should be rather hurt, call the aerang. It is hia business. As it was, rank mutiny simmered from day to dark. There was uttor absoncßof discipline. Thence came the ensuing trouble. What I should have done in that floating hell without Alok— what with a touch of fever, the c*bin cagmagr, the captain's cußsednees, and the dissatisfied erew — saints above know. But Alok tended mv as a wife an uninsured husband. He foraged for and brought-, me decent tuckor, and, by keeping touen with the crew, aided me to stave off open mutiny. * # # # * Well, gentlemen, we thrashed up those

beastly China seas till we were abreast Ohuean— about a day's sail, with luck, to Shanghai. That evening, in the second dogwatch, the wind. being from the eastward, 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 Bhe sank or sheered off. Consequently, I had the covers taken off the starboard guna, and I then reported to the captain. But Hire, brandy brave, and with swelled head, jeered me, •' Those old rattletraps, pirates P " he said, "why you're soared, 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 me — " That twopiece junk, he no good. Mi aabee he, lalone— pilate. Bimebyhe come down; we catchee plen tee stinkpot." '.

Of course I meant to teep awake. Equally of course I fell sound asleep 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 sailorman's instinct our mainyard wai 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 hatohes, and swiftly noted that the deck seemed all ablaze and alive with dancing 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 waa ronnd my neck, a hand on my moutb, and Alok's voice whispered in my ear :

"Mi——! Younotalkee! Come along mi-,quick!" He half led, half pushed main the dark, forrud, past the fora 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, allee Malay jump downside water, madee dlowned. Captain, he dead, mi think;"

"Well, what'a to be done now, Alok? We'll soon be dead, too, it seems."

"Mi go topside, look— see," he said. " Lalone no aabee mi; he think mi allee same lalone."

The plucky little beggar crawled aft, and presently I could hear him going up the main hatch, shouting like one possessed.

He waa long gone, my. wound pained me, and the rats and cockroaches, scenting blood, came and crawled about me. Then the heat became almost suffocating. Soon j however, the shouting and tramping, above ceased j 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 laat, a whisper ! " Sahib, sahib ! How ia it with you 7" It waa the eerang, " Pretty bad/ I said. " How many live/ serang P" " Sahib "—he spoke in Hindustani, not Malay—*" here be ten of ua 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 an order?" " "Presently," I said. "Did you Bee Alok?" " Sahib, we hid in the lazaretto — twelve of us, others there are somewhere. The boy Alok came to us. Baying the rahib 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 hold, sahib ! I have my ifcris, thirsty for the blood of those dogs." "And— Alok P"

"Alok is a proper man, Tuan; be and another come quickly with fire bamboos."

Then Alok himself from the darkneßa, "Mi catchee 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 "greek fire " is as rosewater* You light the. far end, the stoppering smoulders a minute, then the flames leap but as water at a high pressure -from a hose. Nothing living may stand before that unholy douche. The men mastered round me at foot of fore-peak, whence came faint light. Fifteen we were, and no time to talk. Seven to carry fire bamboos, six to cover them with riflee, the two quartermasters to cut the lashings of the junk, to windward— the other junk cruised to leaward. The bamboos were lit, and smouldered. We crawled on deok.

Grouped in shadow before the foremast we looked astern. The pirate*, 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 our backe. The bamboos spouted fire, the rifles rained ballets, the Malays yelled like loet souls in a storm. Before the Chinese had time to think we were on them, and they, screeching — most oE them horribly burnt—leaped madly over the stern into the e?h. Man while the sea-connies had cut the junks adrift. Amidßhipa we had a thirty-six pounder, on a pivot, loaded. We whipped her round and fired afc the junk below her water-line. Again and again, and she settled fast qb the round shot opened gates in her lower sides. The o' her] auk, which had at first luffed up, sheered off at Bound of our big gun. Several more Malays, hearing the victorious shouts of their countrymen, came sliding down backstays from the tops. I fitted on the mainyard, and when way was on her, flattened in the head sheets, up helm and chased the second jnnk. We overhauled, went rigtittluough, and fairly romped over her. The sharks, already busy, did the rest. Then we took stock. Twenty-six survived out of a ship's company of seventy. The poor old mate* badly scorched by stinkpots, had been carved with blunt knives;* Hire had been shot dead at the cabin table. Most of the missing Malays had gone overboard to escape stink- potting. We washed the charred and bloody decks, trimmed sail, and Btood on for Shanghai*

Our arrival created excitement. The Europeans were good enough to fancy me a hero. I told them, as I do you, that Alok was the hero of that show. The consul told me to retain command till tbe agents of the brig were heard from, and I, my wound troubling very rnucb, was glad to get on board, away from all the fuss 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* Ba careful."

Alob repeated the caution. I took possession of Hire's deck cabin, after being bandaged by a doctor, who ordered me to torn in for a week at least. The cabin was lighted by a large Bide window, to

which was a Bliding wooden shutter. This, at night, Alok insisted on fastening. He said some of the pirates' friends might come by night, and if door or window were open shoot me. However, several nights passed without incident. One evening Alok asked to go ashore "to look see." He loaded a rifle with slugs, arranged it to rake the window, co that I could fire with my uninjured hand. I drawled out when he was gone, hailed the anchor watch, told them to keep a good look-out, bolted my door, turned in and fall asleep. • # # * #

I woke with the conviction that a sampan had bumped gently alongside. Soon I heard the patter of bare feet outside my window. There was whispering, and the window waa softly tried, Then, still softly, an attempt to force it. Presently, the shutter shot back, and a knife appeared lashed to a bamboo. Move, for the moment I couldn't. The gleam of the knife fascinated me. Then, just as I heard a olattWngatkd trampling ontßide. I fired the rifle. Two or three groans, and— silence, swiftly broken by cries of Malays coming aft. - I: managed to rise, unbolt the door, and crawl out. The Malaya brought a lantern. Here lay a dead Chinaman riddled by sluga; there another Chinaman, Mb skull ghastly clove by a tomahawk. Further, Alok, breathing, a knife atioking into his right side, two great slug wounds, from which gushed blood, in his breast.

He smiled. "Allee litee! You velly good. Mi too muohee fooloo. Mi no think Chinaman he come Bhip to-night. But one xnanasho', he tell me Chinamen have gone Bhip to killee you. Mi catches sampan, come to you chop chop. Mi little too late. Mi killee one man, one man knife me, you Bhootee mi a little. Velly good ! Mi no mind. Mi, allee same I— lovee you— klisa mi— chin— chin ! "

Then, gently said the man who had provoked the story, "You have proved, sir, that one deoent Chinaman lived."

" I don't know, after all," said the red man, even more quietly, "for Alok was a— Chinawoman.