At the Fall of Port Arthur: or, A Young American in the Japanese Navy

"Yes, to a fellow as gets used to the sea the land seems a strange place."

From the Japanese on the warship who could speak English our friends learned much concerning the war. They were told that Admiral Togo's fleet was keeping a strict guard over the harbor approach to Port Arthur, and that a portion of the Japanese army was hemming in the city on the land side and had lately captured several hills of importance.

From Captain Tonkaka the Americans obtained permission to station themselves in one of the fighting tops, and here they spent hour after hour, on the lookout for the Columbia. Captain Ponsberry was particularly anxious to find his vessel, and kept scanning the Japan Sea through a fine spyglass the Japanese captain loaned him.

"If I can gain possession of that ship, I am going to fix Semmel and Peterson," said the master of the Columbia.

"Both of them declared that they took possession of the ship for the sake of the Russian Government," said Larry. "That being the case, they should be treated as prisoners of war."

"Exactly my idea, Larry."

"Semmel is a thoroughly bad egg," came from Tom Grandon. "He will lie out of his troubles if he can possibly do so."

"It will be a shame if we don't find the Columbia again," went on Larry. "Think of those rascals taking her to Vladivostok and getting their share of the prize money! It makes me sick!"

"Captain Tonkaka tells me that other Japanese warships are in this vicinity," said Captain Ponsberry. "They may fall in with the schooner even if we don't. But what they will do with her, in that case, there is no telling. They might claim her as a prize also, and if they did, I'd have some trouble in getting my property back."

What the Japanese captain had said was true. In order to counteract the doings of the Russian squadron which was raiding the northern and eastern coasts of Japan, the Mikado had sent out a flying squadron of six or seven vessels, all of which, though not large, had good sailing powers.

Owing to the heavy mists, the flying squadron became separated, and two of the vessels fell in with the Pocastra, as already described. Of the other ships some proceeded up the coast to Korea and caught two Russian colliers loaded with coal and another ship carrying steel rails for the Manchuria railroad. The remainder of the squadron put further to sea, and on the fourth day out caught sight of two Russian steamers loaded with munitions of war. A chase ensued, lasting three days, and several shots were exchanged at long range. But a mist, coming up one night, put an end to the chase, and chagrined to think that the enemy had given them the slip after all, the Japanese turned back once more, to look for the other vessels of the flying squadron.

CHAPTER XVII

THE RETAKING OF THE "COLUMBIA"

"We are in for another storm!"

It was Larry who made the remark. He was in one of the tops with Luke, gazing anxiously to the westward, where the black clouds were beginning to pile up.

"Right you are, lad – and it's going to be a heavy one, unless I miss my guess."

The storm broke half an hour later, and the wind and rain were so furious that our friends were glad to leave the top and go below. But some of the Japanese sailors did not appear to mind the lashing of the elements and remained on deck as if nothing out of the ordinary was occurring.

"These chaps beat me!" said Larry. "They are certainly as tough as pine knots. I never saw their equal."

"I'm beginning to think that the Japanese are a wonderful nation," put in Tom Grandon, seriously. "I used to look at them as something like the Chinese. But there is a wide difference between them and the Chinks."

"A Chinaman isn't in it alongside of a Japanese," came from Captain Ponsberry. "The Japanese are up-to-date and very progressive; the Chinese are about a hundred years behind the times."

The storm continued for the best part of half a day. There was but little thunder and lightning, but the wind blew a perfect gale. Yet even the Pocastra did not seem to mind the wind, and all three of the warships proceeded on their way at only a slightly reduced rate of speed.

"Such a gale as this will play havoc with the sailing vessels," said Larry. "I wonder how the old Columbia is making out?"

"I was thinking that same," rejoined Captain Ponsberry. "To tell the truth, I'd rather have her go to the bottom than see her taken to a Russian port as a prize."

When the storm cleared away, Larry was one of the first to go on deck, to get a whiff of "washed air," as he called it. The others followed.

"I see a sail!" cried the youth, a moment later, and at that instant came a cry from the lookout. Far to the eastward was a sailing vessel flying a signal of distress.

"She looks familiar to me!" ejaculated Captain Ponsberry, and ran to get Captain Tonkaka's glass. One glance through the instrument was enough.

"The Columbia!"

"Are you sure?" cried Larry.

"She certainly is the Columbia," said Tom Grandon, after a look through the glass. "She has lost her fore topmast and part of her bowsprit."

"And a part of the stern rail is gone," added Larry, after he too had used the glass. "Let us tell Captain Tonkaka," he added, starting to go below.

The news that the Columbia was in sight was soon circulated throughout the ship, and Captain Tonkaka at once signaled to the other warships that he was going to her assistance. Then the Mimora Juri steamed away on her new course.

As they drew closer to the schooner they could see that the storm had treated the gallant old ship roughly enough. Many of the sails were in ribbons, and not only the fore topmast but also half a dozen of the spars were gone. One end of the forecastle was stove in, and a part of the stern was a wreck.

"This is the worst yet!" cried Larry. "They must have caught more of the gale than we did."

"They didn't know how to handle her, that's the reason of it," came from Captain Ponsberry. "We have taken her through a worse blow than that; eh, Tom?"

"I think so," answered the second mate.

As soon as the Japanese warship was close enough a boat was lowered and an officer went aboard of the schooner, followed by several of his crew and Captain Ponsberry, Grandon, and Larry.

The Russians having the schooner in charge were meek enough. As a matter of fact the gale had terrorized them, and all had imagined they were surely going to the bottom of the sea. They did not like it to find themselves in the hands of the enemy and were astonished when they learned that the Pocastra had been captured.

"It was a fearful storm," said the Russian officer who was in charge. "Several times I fancied the masts would all go by the board. I shall never want another such experience. One man was washed overboard and several were badly hurt by the wrecking of the forecastle."

"Were any of my former men injured?" asked Captain Ponsberry.

"It was my fellow countryman, Ostag Semmel, who was swept overboard and drowned," answered the Russian officer.

"Semmel!" ejaculated Larry. He drew a long breath and his hatred of the man died all in an instant. "Poor chap! That was rough on him!"

"It certainly was rough," answered Captain Ponsberry. "And what of the others?"

"Both Peterson and Shamhaven were hurt, but not seriously. They are below resting," was the answer.

It was found that some of the seams of the schooner had opened but that no alarming quantity of water was running into the well. The Russians were asked to surrender as prisoners of war and this they did willingly, and were transferred to the Japanese warship. Then Captain Ponsberry was asked if he wished to take charge of the Columbia again.

"Will a duck swim!" he cried. "Of course I want to take charge. Hasn't she always been my ship? And my crew will want to go with me, I know."

"But the wreckage – " began Captain Tonkaka.

"I'll attend to that, sir, – don't you worry. Only give me back my ship, that's all I ask."

"It shall be as you say, Captain Ponsberry. But when you get to Nagasaki you will have to settle matters with the Japanese Government. It is, all told, a rather peculiar case. In one way, she is now a Japanese prize of war, and in another way she is not."

"I understand, and the courts will have to settle the tangle, sir. I'll do what is fair, and I know the Richmond Importing Company will do the same."

"Then you can go aboard of the ship as soon as you please."