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"Parrington, are you coming? I ordered my boat for ten o'clock," said Harryman. "As early as this, Harryman?" remonstrated Webster. "You'll be on board your boat quite soon enough, or do you want to keep a night watch also on your Japanese of the What sort of a Maru was it?" he broke off, because Colonel McCabe pointed angrily at the approaching boy. "Oh, nonsense!" growled Webster ill-humoredly.
"What's the good of bringing it down," cried Parrington, who had thrown back to the wilds in his excitement. "Let him hang it out of the window above your own, and let me climb down and do the rest! I'll undertake to have one or other of these doors open in two twos!" The fastened doors were at right angles on the landing which we filled between us.
Lieutenant Parrington, officer in command of the little gunboat Mindoro, which had been captured from the Spaniards some years ago and since the departure of the cruiser squadron for Mindanao been put in commission as substitute guardship in the harbor of Manila, entered the room and dropped into a chair near Harryman; whereupon the Chinese boy, almost inaudible in his broad felt shoes, suddenly appeared beside him and set down the bottle with the pain expeller of the tropics before him.
You must take some quinine." With these words Parrington climbed into his gig, the sailors gave way with the oars, and the boat rushed through the water and disappeared into the darkness, where the bow oarsman was silhouetted against the pale yellow light of the boat's lantern like a strange phantom.
The other two gunboats continued on their course, the quickly descending darkness making them a more difficult target for the enemy. Suddenly a lantern signal informed the commander of the Mindoro that the third ship had become disabled through some damage to the engines. Parrington at once ordered the gunboat to be run ashore on the island of Mindoro and blown up during the night.
At this moment loud voices were heard from the after-deck of the Mindoro, the crew of which were swearing with great gusto. Parrington hurried to the railing and looked over angrily. A hot dispute was going on between the crew of the German cutter and the American sailors, but only the oft-repeated words "damned Japs" could be distinguished.
"I am here to inform you," answered the German sharply and decisively, "that the steamer Danzig ran the blockade last night, and that its captain politely requests you to give him a pilot through the mines, in order that we may reach the harbor of Manila." "You have run the blockade?" shouted Parrington, in a state of the greatest excitement. "You have run the blockade, man?
The distance between the two ships slowly diminished. "Yes, it is the Japanese steamer," said Parrington to himself. "And now to avenge Harryman! There'll be no sentimentality; we'll shoot them down like pirates! No signal, no warning nothing, nothing!" he murmured.
From the open skylight of the engine room sounded the sharp beat of the engine, and the smell of hot oil spread over the deck, making the burning heat even more unbearable. Parrington stood on the bridge and through his glass examined the steep cliffs at the entrance to the bay, and the bizarre forms of the little volcanic islands.
"It is not our custom to blockade our harbors with mines except in time of war." "In time of war?" said the German, who did not appear to comprehend Parrington's answer. "But you are at war." "We, at war?" returned Parrington, utterly disconcerted. "And with whom, if I may be allowed to ask?" "It seems to me that the matter is too serious to be a subject for jesting," answered the German sharply.
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