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Soldiers of Fortune Series
AT THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR
Or
A Young American in the Japanese Navy
by
EDWARD STRATEMEYER
Author of "Under the Mikado's Flag," "On to Pekin," "Two Young
Lumbermen," "Old Glory Series," "Colonial Series,"
"Pan-American Series," etc.
Illustrated by A. B. Shute
[Illustration: "It is coming this way!" yelled Larry.----_Page 84._]
[Illustration: Printer's logo]
Boston:
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co.
1930
Copyright, 1905, by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Company
All rights reserved
AT THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR
Printed in U.S.A.
PREFACE
"AT THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR" is a complete tale in itself, but forms the
third volume in a line issued under the general title of "Soldiers of
Fortune Series."
The story relates primarily the adventures of Larry Russell and his
old-time sea chum, Luke Striker, already well known to the readers of my
"Old Glory Series." Larry and Luke are aboard of their old ship, the
_Columbia_, bound from Manila to Nagasaki, with a cargo designed for the
Japanese Government. This is during the war between Russia and Japan,
and when close to the Japanese coast the schooner is sighted by a
Russian warship and made a prize of war.
As prisoners both Larry and Luke see something of life in the Russian
navy. When close to Vladivostok, the Russian warship falls in with
several ships of the Japanese fleet, and after a thrilling sea-fight
surrenders with her prize. This brings Larry and Luke before Admiral
Togo, and as Larry's brother Ben, with their mutual friend, Gilbert
Pennington, is already in the Japanese army, Larry enters the Japanese
navy and Luke follows suit. The siege and bombardment of Port Arthur are
at their height; and the particulars are given of many battles both on
the sea and on land, leading up to the ultimate surrender of that brave
Russian commander, General Stoessel, and the fall of the city. By this
surrender the Japanese obtained many thousands of prisoners of war,
hundreds of cannon, with large quantities of ammunition, and several
scores of vessels, useful for either fighting purposes or as transports.
Moreover, this victory placed the entire southern portion of Manchuria
under Japanese control, giving the army untrammeled use of the railroad
running from Port Arthur to Liao-Yang, a city on the road to Mukden,
captured some time before, as already related in another volume of this
series, entitled "Under the Mikado's Flag."
As I have mentioned in a previous work, it is as yet impossible to state
what the outcome of this terrific conflict will be. So far victory has
perched largely upon the standard of Japan. The Russian navy has been
practically shattered and its army fought to a standstill. The cost of
the war has been tremendous to both countries. Countless thousands of
lives have already been sacrificed. Would that peace were soon at hand!
Again I thank my young friends for their appreciation of my former
stories. May the present tale fulfill every reasonable expectation.
EDWARD STRATEMEYER.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. LARRY AND HIS FRIENDS 1
II. A STORM ON THE PACIFIC 10
III. LARRY LEARNS SOMETHING 20
IV. THE RUSSIAN SAILOR'S PLOT 29
V. SIGNS OF A MUTINY 38
VI. THE FIGHT FOR THE SHIP 47
VII. THE MUTINEERS IN POSSESSION 56
VIII. TURNING THE TABLES 66
IX. CLOSE TO A WATERSPOUT 76
X. SOMETHING ABOUT WAR AND FIGHTING SHIPS 86
XI. AN ORDER TO LAY-TO 95
XII. TAKEN AS A PRIZE OF WAR 103
XIII. PRISONERS ON THE _Pocastra_ 113
XIV. PROGRESS OF THE WAR 122
XV. A SHARP NAVAL BATTLE 132
XVI. ABOARD A JAPANESE WARSHIP 140
XVII. THE RETAKING OF THE _Columbia_ 148
XVIII. A CLEVER RUSE 156
XIX. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE ENEMY 164
XX. LARRY BEFORE ADMIRAL TOGO 171
XXI. LETTERS OF INTEREST 180
XXII. A MEETING AND A PLOT 189
XXIII. THE ATTACK IN THE DARK 198
XXIV. THE DEFENSE OF THE POWDER TRAIN 206
XXV. BOMBARDING A PORT ARTHUR FORT 215
XXVI. BEN MEETS CAPTAIN BARUSKY 223
XXVII. A FIERCE BATTLE AT SEA 232
XXVIII. THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR 240
XXIX. FROM ONE DIFFICULTY TO ANOTHER 248
XXX. A SURPRISE FOR LARRY 258
XXXI. A CALL TO REPEL BOARDERS 266
XXXII. FALL OF PORT ARTHUR--CONCLUSION 274
AT THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR
AT THE FALL OF PORT
ARTHUR
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 it
will be putty heavy," replied Luke Striker, casting an eye to the
westward, where a small dark cloud was beginning to show above the
horizon.
"Well, we can't expect fine weather all the time," went on Larry
Russell, inspecting the cloud with equal interest. "We want some wind
anyway," he added. "We are not making this return trip to Nagasaki
nearly as fast as we made the trip to Manila."
Luke Striker, a bronzed and weather-beaten Yankee sailor, rubbed his
chin 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 in
the worst way."
"The ship certainly seems like a home to me, Luke--and I reckon she
always will seem that way. I've traveled a good many miles in her, since
I first struck her at Honolulu in the Hawaiian Islands," responded Larry
Russell.
"Yes--both of us have. But we never took no trip like this
afore--carryin' a cargo for the Japanese Government, with that
government at war with Russia." Luke Striker lowered his voice. "What's
the outlook? Does the old man reckon to fall in with a Russian warship
afore 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 Russian
warships."
"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 old
Yankee 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 Japanese
Government yet. We are carrying it from Manila to Nagasaki for the
Richmond Importing Company. The Russians would have to prove their case
against us before they could claim the schooner as a legitimate prize of
war."
"I see. Well, I reckon as how them Russians would do 'most anything to
square accounts with the Japs. So far, accordin' to my notions, they
have 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 another
examination of the black cloud. "I'll have to tell the captain. If we
don't shorten sail it may do us some damage."
With the last-mentioned remark Larry Russell walked aft, toward the
companionway of the _Columbia_, a staunch three-masted schooner that
hailed from Gloucester. He was second mate of the craft and as such it
was now his duty to inform Captain Nat Ponsberry that a storm was
approaching.
To those of my young friends who have read "Under Dewey at Manila" and
other volumes of the "Old Glory Series" Larry Russell needs no
introduction. He was one of three brothers, who, left in the charge of a
miserly step-uncle, had thought it best to go away from home and seek
fortune in various parts of the globe. Larry had drifted to San
Francisco and then to Honolulu, where he had fallen in with Captain Nat
Ponsberry and the _Columbia_, as already mentioned. He, with his sailor
friend, Luke Striker, had been cast away, and while adrift on the
Pacific had been picked up by the Asiatic Squadron under Commodore
(afterward Admiral) Dewey, to serve with honor during the memorable
battle 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 Cuba
during the advance on Santiago, and as an officer with the army in the
Philippines, and Walter, the third brother, had served in the navy in
Cuban waters and elsewhere. In the meantime the miserly step-uncle had
reformed, and now thought "his three boys," as he called them, "the best
young fellers in all America, barrin' none!"
Larry Russell was a natural sailor, and when his term in the navy came
to an end he could not bear to think of giving up the sea. He heard that
his old ship was bound for a trip to Japan and other ports, and at once
communicated with Captain Ponsberry, with the result that he became
second mate of the schooner, the first mate being, as of old, Tom
Grandon, a personal friend of Captain Ponsberry.
At this time Walter Russell had gone into business, and was doing
remarkably well. But Ben was doing nothing, and Larry persuaded his
oldest brother to come aboard the ship at Manila, for the trip to
Nagasaki and Port Arthur. This was just at the outbreak of the war
between Russia and Japan, but the brothers at that time knew nothing
about 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 served
with Ben Russell in our army in Cuba and the Philippines. From Manila
Gilbert 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 had
then become, turned from war to business, and soon made a number of
business transactions which were highly gratifying to the company that
he represented.
When the _Columbia_ arrived at Nagasaki, Captain Ponsberry learned that
the war had begun and that to get to Port Arthur--a Russian stronghold
in Manchuria--was out of the question. While he was awaiting orders
Gilbert Pennington appeared on the scene. Gilbert had had great
difficulties in getting away from Port Arthur, having been suspected by
the Russian officials of being a spy. He wished to know at once if the
ship'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 anything
had been done about selling the goods. Captain Ponsberry replied that he
had been ordered to do nothing until he received word from Gilbert. This
suited the young representative; and the upshot of the matter was that
the cargo, instead of going to a Russian port, was sold to the Japanese
Government at a price considerably above the ordinary market value.
Gilbert Pennington was enthusiastic about joining the Japanese army for
a campaign in Manchuria and he imparted a large share of this enthusiasm
to Ben Russell. As a result both enlisted and became captains in a
special command, under a Major Okopa, who could speak very good English.
The part of the army to which they were assigned landed at Chinampo, in
Korea, and in the second volume of this series, called "Under the
Mikado's Flag," I related the particulars of the crossing of the Yalu
River and of the many skirmishes and battles leading up to the terrific
ten-days' contest before Liao Yang. During these fights Ben and Gilbert
did their full duty as officers, and when the Russians retreated to the
North both were well content to take a much-needed rest. But additional
struggles were still in store for them, as will be learned in the pages
which follow.
At first Larry Russell had been inclined to follow his brother and his
friend Gilbert into the Japanese army. But Captain Ponsberry did not
wish to lose his services as a second mate, and when it was decided that
the _Columbia_ should make a quick run to Manila and back, for another
cargo for the Japanese Government, he made up his mind to stick to the
ship.
The run to Manila from Nagasaki was made without special incident, and,
once at the main seaport of the Philippines, Captain Ponsberry lost no
time in getting on board the cargo the Richmond Importing Company had
ready for him. The cargo was a valuable one and it was calculated that
if rightly sold it would yield the company a profit of five or six
thousand dollars.
"You have got to take care and not run into any Russian warship," said
the agent of the company at Manila. "If you do you may have a whole lot
of trouble in explaining matters to the Russian commander's
satisfaction. I see by the reports that the Russians have already held
up several English 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; "you
want to watch your crew."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't like the looks of two or three of them. For all you know they
may be more than willing to expose you--if you fall in with the
Russians. 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 fellows
looks 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 brown
man."
"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 ugly
when they find out they are being suspected."
"Trust me to manage him," returned the commander of the _Columbia_; and
there the talk on the subject came to an end.