She could never do more than oven knots, she had a very dirty bottom, the met very bad weather, her crew became disaffected and scurvy made its appearance, ana generally it seems to have been a most undesirable sort of trip for those who made it. Add to these troubles the knowledge which was theirs that on arrival in China waters there was a danger of their doing captured by warcraft of the Southern faction, and it will be realized that neither the lot nor the feelings of those on board the Braga were of too pleasant a nature, 'The master of the Braga, after Passing Singapore, decided to make 'Tsingtao his next' stop if possible, though with the certain fmowledge that Southern gunboats ould be on the look-out for him he had to take a somewhat circuitous course. Again the ship encountered bad weather and eventually had to seck refuge at a Japanese naval station the Loochoos. He was very short of coal, but there was none to be particular point would not be part of the story. There would be an account of a meeting of the Kuomintang branch at Manila, and the calling of the Enigma into consultation as to the best and surest means of obtaining the Braga and her cargo for the Nationalists, Then there would be an account of the alternatives which were discussed. The Enigma, having been on board the Braga and made himself fairly well acquainted with her construction and internal arrangements, suggested that he himself? should travel on her as a passenger (he had already arranged provision~ ally for a passage to Tsingtao at a cost of £20) and destroy the ship by fire, which he asserted he could start in a small store-root aft which was filled with paint,- tins of kerosene and other combustibles, That was vetoed as being unwise, in that while it would probably prevent Chang Tso-lin getting the would also prevent the ts, s0 other ways and means were devised. There were two other alternatives. One was to bribe the captain and get him to take the ship to a prearranged point at the southernmost end of Formosa, where some southern gun-doats would be in wait; the other was to substitute four members of the crew by four others who would be fully armed and who, claimed the Exigma, could and would easily seize the vessel, as there avas only one berton on board from whom any resistance might be expected, and in the event of resistance on his part he could be dealt with quite easily.
Enter the Lady x The attempt to bribe the captain Tot as successful as anticipated, 80 recourse was had to the alter: native, the substituting of four members of the crew and at the same time delaying' the vessels sailing. The steps that were taken showed that the Enigma, besides having energy and initiative, bad ao a knowledge of human nature Here was a ship fifty-six days from Suet, with disaffection rife among the crew, who had seen practically none but themselves daring that time. He made a pact with two gentlemen of Manila, who in turn Secured the services of one lady at least whose personal charm was, and probably is, far in excess of ther moral virtue; and this Indy with of her Kind encountered little resistance to. their blandishments from some members of the crew of the Braga, who went ashore in The story of the Braga if written, would not necessarily go into details at this juncture, though it would probably record the fact that after one day or so there was some trouble between the Enigma on the tone side and the two Gentlemen of Manila and the Number One Lady on the other, owing to a little misunderstanding about funds.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.