Posted by AlOmega on July 29, 2004 at 19:47:51:
I remember Cap’n Tatum telling us that when he was in the War Between the States that there were lots of people originally from other countries that fought for both sides. Oh, I knew there were German, Irish, French, and even some Blacks who had been in one army or the other. What I’d not known until he told us was that Chinese fought on both sides as well. As he telled it, there were even men from India there too - which I thought was peculiar cause that meant that Indians were fighting and they weren’t those that generally warred out west.
According to Paladin, there was what he called an Underworld in the Chinese quarter of San Francisco. It never was an “integral part” (whatever that meant) of the Barbary Coast but remained separate even though they probably had a lot in common. Most of the white officials and politicians protected these sleazy Chinese of Chinatown just as they protected the saloons and prostitutes of the Coast with their sheltering influence. For that, they got a percentage of the take - bankers of crime perhaps(?) Most everyone knew this. There was something called a “Six Companies’ Memorial” to President Grant not more than a month ago that recognized many of these white men who, while enriching themselves, occupied very high positions in city government. I suppose this is normal in cities. Maybe that’s how governments get paid. It’s not that I don’t know some politicians aint square with those they’re suppose to govern. But we knows when we elects someone, that they’s our politician bought and paid for. Cities are different in that city politicians are bought and paid for by those that are thieves and murderers. Aint right.
But then we got to where we was going following the Chinese, Hey Boy. The street was crowded but quiet. The only loud voice I heard was that of a Chinaman selling soup and making himself known to his customers. We were on Jackson Street where a Chinese Theater was open for business. Can’t say I understand the Chinese in that theater but that wasn’t what we come to see. Paladin pushed aside a guy that was dressed like a girl. Later I found out most actors in Chinese plays were men and some dressed like women to take female parts. Anyway, we were what would be called a back stage area where all the actors were as well as lotsa other Chinese. We came to a wall which Hey Boy pushed and it opened into a small room. He then moved a chair and some sorta mechanism made some of the floor slide back revealing a staircase.
We descended and traveled about thirty yards, took a left down a much longer passage which had branches to the left and right. At the fourth branching passage to the right, we turned and immediately encountered another staircase which we ascended.
No longer were we in a Chinese theater but some nasty, sweet-smelly thing from Hell. It had to be from there cause men were smoking something in long pipes and didn‘t care whether we were there or not. We opened another door and stepped out into an alley. The alley was closed in from both sides. Problem was, we weren’t alone. Two very large Chinese with hatchets were standing there. I went to draw my pistol but Paladin placed his hand on mine. He talked with Hey Boy who talked with the Chinese. Then they led us into a room where a Chinese girl was waiting. Her name as I found out was Hey Girl. That wasn’t her name probably since I aint gonna pronouncecate their names. It aint that I didn’t want to do it but I wasn’t there to larn no Chinese was all.
Anyway, it was Hey Girl that explained that another Chinese girl was in the next room. It was this girl that had to return to China for some obscure reason. I think it had to do with some sorta wedding between her and some Chinese prince or something. But then, like I said before, I don’t know no Chinese words and only got that from Hey Boy’s explanation.
Then I got the real news. I was suppose to travel with Hey Girl, the unknown girl and the two big Chinese men for a time. I was there only to act as the go-between from Hey Girl to the whites aboard the ship. Only Hey Girl seemed to understand English but it came out funny sounding. Still since I could understand and speak several Injun languages as well as Spanish, they figured I’d be able to understand Hey Girl. There was more though which I found out later.
A few moments later we got introduced to the Chinese girl that had to get back to China. I aint sure what her real name was but it sorta sounded like July or Jewel Li or something like that. I asked if it were alright if I called her Juli and was told it was ‘acceptable’. I woulda called the two hatchet men, Hat and Check but they weren’t twins and sorta looked at me as if they had other uses for there hatchets than fer chopping wood with - that and they looked on my revolver with revulsion. These two guys and the two women and myself weren’t the only ones that would be traveling together. There were two more Chinese women who were to take care of Juli. I called em Joy and Jade which was the closest I could come to what their names were. The two brothers - which was what the hatchet men were - were called Chow Li and Chow Chang. That was when I found out that last names in Chinese came before their first names.
What bothered me was they didn’t actually ask if they could come with me. We had to do a deal. They offered to pay my passage to Australia and five thousand besides any other costs though what those ‘other costs’ might be I had no idea. I was to find that out later. There had to be more going on than I was told but I wasn’t gonna ask right now.
Anyway those two Chinese men - which were about six feet but very strong looking, strapped on a couple of swords which I thought might be Chinese. That alerted me to the fact that, although we were only gonna be going to the hotel, we might encounter resistance. As we stepped out of the building onto (according to Paladin) Dupont Street, very little was going on. While we gathered everyone together, Paladin told me that Jackson Street, Sacramento Street, Dupont Street, and the streets and alleys which lie between, are the Chinese quarters of San Francisco. Here they lived; here was their multitude of shops where they made cigars, worked at sewing machines, and even cooked and washed clothes. There was a Chinese cobbler cobbling a shoe and a boy waiting at his side to put it on when it was done. Nearby were several eating-houses where smoked ducks, pigs' heads, livers and gizzards of fowls, whole chickens cooked in oil, sodden pork, and sausages were sold. We came out right next to a Chinese church, or temple, which had queer images of wood and tinsel, before which some sorta sweet smelling wood was burning. There were also a buncha poorly-dressed thieves at the far end of the street. I suppose what surprised me mostly here was the absence of Chinese women. I suppose no decent man would bring his wife and children here to live. But then the women coulda been confined to the kitchen, I suppose.
We hadn’t moved more than twenty feet when the street people all changed - well some of em anyways. Those thieves weren’t thieves really and some of those shopkeepers dropped what they was doin’ and came outta the shadows to confront us. I quickly readied myself for a fight and noticed Paladin had done the same. Li and Change bared their weapons at the same time. Juli, Joy, and Jade put their backs together I suppose so as to protect themselves from anyone coming at em. Then those thieves started twirling some swords of their own and the shoemaker threw something that embedded itself in a post. Quickly glancing at the object I saw it were some sorta star-like piece of metal. Then everything started happening.
Ya know, in the heat of battle some things happen fast while some happen slow. I fired a couple of shots at the thieves and missed. Again that comes with heart beating fast and such. While most times I keeps a cool head, this wasn’t one of em cause I was facing Chinese without a gun. That shoulda cautioned me but it didn’t. My third shot though broke one of them thieves head open like it were a cantaloupe. I musta been still shooting too fast cause I was aiming for the chest. Chest is easier to hit than a head shot. Those two Chinese started facing off against the others with their own swords twirling. One thief got a hand tossed into what was called a “wok” which was cooking some meat in it. I don’t know what the meat were but I weren’t gonna eat THAT no how.
The shoemaker tossed another one of them star things and struck Li on the elbow. That’s when I saw he had something under his clothes cause the star sorta stuck and then fell to the ground. That kid who had been waiting for his shoes tried to put a knife in Jade but she spun around and somehow the kid went flying over her shoulder. Paladin shot twice bringing down a thief who now sported a smashed kneecap. I shot another in the throat but that meant I was running outta ammo fast. More shooting spent what we had and it was then that Paladin holstered his Colt and pulled a derringer out from under his gun belt. At the time I wished I’da thoughta that as well - or prepared like I woulda against Commanch. The reason - like most Rangers did - was that I’da had twin holsters with two Colts and two more in my belt. Lucky I did have a Bowie knife. That cause when I weren’t looking that shoemaker came at me with a long pole with a knife on the end. I stepped aside and slashed his chest with my knife and since that’s pretty big, it sorta kilt him dead. Luckily this gave me a bit of time to reload. And that was why overall, I was thinking that we might make it out alive - that was, until about twenty or more Chinese joined in the battle.
Then from outta the darkness and from way atop of that church place or whatever, a guy dressed in yellow dropped down. I weren’t sure which way he was gonna go so I leveled my pistol at him. Juli grabbed at my wrist though and for a second I thought she was gonna break it cause she did something to my wrist that really hurt bad. Looking back at her, I decided she must know what’s what so I shot my third shot at a Chinese guy with a long sword who was gonna kill me if I didn’t. That was when the bald guy in yellow started doing some funny moves and started laying them Chinese guys down like they was so much wood fer the woodpile. I couldn’t believe it when he took on another guy throwing them star things and they missed. Then when the guy brought a sword out, he sidestepped him, broke the sword somehow, and knocked the guy out.
From outta nowhere a couple of arrows hissed toward Juli but again the bald Chinese did something that I never saw before. It seemed as if he knocked one arrow aside and caught the other and threw it down. He even caught a hatchet which got thrown. About that time more of them yellow-robed bald Chinese guys came outta their heather church and the place erupted in flailing arms and legs and soon the place was calm again.
He then bowed to us and then to Juli and then said that he’d been watching for us just in case something like this was gonna happen. His name as it turned out was that same Kwai Chang Caine that I’d heard about from when I was traveling west on the train. And it was then that I found out he was some sorta Priest of his heathen religion. At the time though I didn’t care if he worshiped some heathen god or not. I was glad that he and them other Priests was on our side in this.
Sometimes things happen that ya don’t expect. I woulda liked to have had this Caine guy coming with us cause maybe I coulda learned some of his fighting stuff that he did. That was when I found out he was part white and that he was the first even part white guy to have learned what he’d learned. He did accompany us back to the hotel though which was how I found out something about him. For the most part he was very quiet though which was me more or less since ya don’t get to talk much on the trail. He did say he’d go with us when we was gonna go aboard the steamer, Macgregor which we did the next day.
It was the next day that I decided to take a stroll on my own. Evidentially, the Chinese we’d encountered the night before didn’t think I was worth killing so they didn’t show. But I knew they was still waiting to kill Juli for some reason. But it was another reason to get that derringer that I though would be best.
Anyways it was when I was almost back to the hotel when I met a feller called Charles Boles. I suppose he weren’t much. He looked to be a man well into his fifties what with his gray hair and mustache.. Only about five foot eight inches, he did stand ramrod straight and was one of them fancy dressers. He had some of those sparkling rocks called ‘diamonds‘ and carried a short cane. I kinda figured he was some old grandpa out for a morning stroll like me. We had breakfast together and were about finished when Paladin came down. And he was real educated I figured cause he’s sometimes spout some of that poetry he knewd. Anyway Paladin seemed to know the old gentleman well enough and was a bit surprised to see him there.
I found out later that he was a bit more than that. I suppose it was his enjoyment of fine hotels, eating places, and dude-dandy clothes that caused him to do what he did. I didn’t know the guy was famous - or maybe infamous. Paladin mighta known and I sorta figured he did when I thought on it later. He was a stage robber in Northern California with the odd name of Black Bart.
Oh well, I suppose surprises happen to everyone.
As to the rest of the day, we spent that getting ready to ship out on the Macgregor. Nothing happened which I was grateful for. However, I figured I’d better be prepared so I managed to keep all my guns ready-loaded in my cabin - a cabin which was First Class as it turned out. And that was the last I ever heard from Paladin or that Chinaman called Caine.
Then there’s the stink. Aint no critter smells that bad except a skunk maybe. Or maybe not. I found out later that some devil critter can smell so bad that your nose is whacked out for maybe an hour. But that’s another tale from another island and a later time. Just wants ya to know that when you thinks something smells bad, there’s always some critter (mostly people) that smells worse.
I suppose the ship sorta smelled bad too. Maybe it had to do with that coal stuff they burnt. I was curious on how that ship moved with no wind so asked the captain - well not sure if he was the Captain actually cause he called himself a Master and went by the name of Sydney H. Grainger which was itself funny cause we were gonna get to a place called Sydney in Australia. Anyway, he didn’t care but called an engineering feller who showed me what was what. I expected to see some black fellers working on them engines since they was called “the black gang.” However, they was mostly white. Figured it had something to do with getting coal-dirtied-up. The Engineer, a Mr. Harold Watt, said they used those sails when they had problems with the engines when I asked. Mostly though, they had four engines going so could still steam, albeit at a slower speed, if one of them engines threw a shoe. He showed me that they had to put oil on some parts sometimes cause of something called “friction”. If they didn’t, everything would stop. When they put oil on the shafts though, there was lotsa smoke that poured forth a stink that was worse than a camel. Maybe it’s a peculiarity that machines smell bad. That was when I got to thinking that sometime maybe someone might make a machine to replace the horse. Still have to feed it something though and it’d probably smell worse than a horse. Don’t know if you’d have to clean out a machine’s stable though. I asked the engineer about that and he says something about coal residue or whatever which is ash that’s like whatcha get when you burns wood except that coal’s some sorta rock. It was things like that what got me to thinking that engineers had to have a buncha education like doctors done had. And that got me to thinking if a machine could be made to replace people. Then I had to laugh at myself for being so stupid. And that’s what I got from visiting that engineering feller and his black gang.
Most of the passengers were in a place called “Steerage”. We were in cabins mostly although I had to share mine with a guy from somewhere in Kansas who was called Matthew Quigley. He was a sharpshooter. I suppose lotsa people claim to be sharpshooters but he did have an excellent long range rifle and claimed he could shoot the eye out of a crow at six hundred yards. Anyway, we compared our weapons and found out we had more in common than most. Anyway he was heading to Australia in answer to an advertisement of someone called Elliott Marston who was a wealthy rancher in need of a sharpshooter to rid his property of some Australian dogs they called dingoes. These dingoes were killing his cattle or maybe that was sheep. I never got that right at that time. I asked him which it was since I didn’t cotton to be in a place with lotsa sheep. He said they was cattle and that was it. Sometimes though, what you expect aint what ya gets. Regardless we got along pretty well.
Li and Chang stayed in the cabin next to the two shared by Joy and Jade. Juli had her own I suppose for reasons that seemed logical. Anyway, the rest of the passengers - except for Mathew - sorta stayed away from us when we ate and strolled on deck. Possibly that was because Li and Chan wore those big swords. Master and crew didn’t mind I suppose since they’d paid for their passage in gold. Anyway I found they would leave for another ship when we got to New Guinea which was our last stop before heading for Sydney. I had to admit then that I didn’t know much about the places in the world which made Juli laugh for some reason - something I thought strange since she weren’t suppose to know much English.
Besides us, there were two Reverend Fathers on board - Nevill and Maher and another religious Father that was their senior I suppose cause he was called the Bishop of Sandhurst. Most of the other passengers in first class were married although there were a mother and daughter named Cambell. None of them though would give me the time of day. But that never bothered me before. You keep to yourself when you’re alone on the Texas prairie.
There there was one day I was walking along a passageway and met a young lady who’s name was Heborah Butler. She was a likeable person so I asked if she might like dining with me and Matt. That was when I found out she was a stewardess. I never thought a woman would be employed by no ship people. However that was often the case I was told.
Nothing much happened until we were two days out and that was when we found em - two young stowaways. That when I found out that finding stowaways was fairly common on transoceanic voyages. The two boys were given work, including scrubbing the deck, to work for their passage. Other than that, not much happened until we got to Hawaii. Oh there were some activities and things that we did but mostly ship life is boring - much like herding cattle. Ya does what you has to and endured the rest. Like when we first started out, most of the passengers weren’t accustomed to the rocking ship and got sick with what sailors called “seasickness”. Most of em came down with it including Li and Chang. The ladies did much better for some reason or other.
Since most of the passengers weren’t use to the rocking ship, many of em came on deck while others lay in their beds afraid they would die - or perhaps afraid they wouldn’t die. Mostly the passengers spewed out everything they had eaten and were so miserable that they refused any kinda food. Gotta remember though that this was on calm days. We had one storm that really made the passengers sick. About four days out, there came a terrible storm that tore everything down that could be broken. It were so bad that almost everyone stayed in their beds. In our cabins it wasn’t so bad but steerage got about a foot of water in there which didn’t help the situation. I could almost here the water washing from one of the ship to the other and side to side as the ship tossed and rolled. You couldn’t stay on the outside decks cause the winds were so strong that the sailors had tied ropes about the ship to hold themselves on.
The few times I went outta my cabin, I woulda sworn the waves were as high as the Rockies. As one end of the ship went down, you couldn’t see over the top of the waves. Then the next minute the other would be down. It was the grandest sight I’d ever saw, beautiful but awful at the same time. I went down into the steerage part of the ship and saw there was lotsa problems there so I tried helping out by capturing all sorts of stuff from posts and buckets and all kinds of cooking stuff and trunks and other stuff and tied em onto posts. Most of the women and children were frightened nearly to death. From what I heard I thought they might be worried about being shipwrecked. No one thought of cooking during the storm. Stranger too none of em - including the children - thought of eating. But a few tried to eat and ended up throwing up all they’d ate.
The cook actually tried cooking as best he could since he was use to such things as storms I suppose. He called it a “Sea Pie”. He fixed potatoes and meat, put em into a boiler within several layers of dough between and seasoned it up all find and placed it on the big cooking fire. He had to fasten the boiler on the range so that the rolling and pitching of the ship couldn’t throw it off. At dinnertime, he came in with the food and we got our plates - those of us that weren’t sick - and expected a nice stew or as he called it a pie. But it weren’t cooked well enough. It came out with potatoes and meat all mixed in with half cooked stringy dough. That was the only time my stomach turned on me so instead of eating a meal, I got sick.
On the brighter side, we sometimes saw the most beautiful sunsets and even some wildlife such as porpoises playing around the ship. Sometimes we saw a few whales and occasionally we saw sharks. I was so new at this though that I had to ask the sailors. Not a bad thing but different for me who knew almost all the animals of the western States and territories.
There is one thing more I must relate. An incident occurred which to this day puzzles me. A strange sail was spotted on the horizon. This turned out to be the remains of another ship with its only survivor, Professor Crawley Crab, aboard. He was some sorta scientist saying he was the “Secretary to the Society for Exploration of the Unknown Parts of the World.” He demanded food and fresh clothing which got given him even though his manner was that of a rich man around poor ones. Juli took one look at him and left as if he were some grub struggling on a hook.
Anyways the ship he’s been on was the General Johnstone and from what he said it had been destroyed by some sorta sea monster. Naturally, he got heard by most of the crew so I had to ask what they thought. A couple thought he mighta met something called a giant squid which was like a octopus but had ten legs rather than eight. Since I knew nothing about either, they had to tell me more about em. I was wondering how such monsters could get so bit before someone noticed em. They laughed and said that if a ship got eaten by such a monster, it would be on the ocean surface cause it woulda gone to the bottom and they said that the bottom of the ocean was deeper than any lake I’d ever heared of.
Anyway it musta gotten the attention of some of them - especially one sailor who was named Ned Land and was a harpoonist - a man that throws a big spear into whales to kill em for whale oil. That was when the Master of the ship said he’d report the incident to the authorities in Hawaii before going on. Mr. Land though was so impressed that he decided to leave the ship in Hawaii and return to America to sign on with a ship that would be looking for the monster. He was entrusted with carrying the message by the Shipmaster.
AlOmega