Plainfield High School - Hermiad Yearbook (Central Village, CT)

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6 THE HERMIAD the men, my suspicions were confirmed. I immediately surmised that the news of a chest of money had reached Tysa's ears. I knew also that it would only prove disastrous should we attempt to stop the men from coming aboard our ship. A chest full of money? I asked, very puzzled indeed. Yes, replied Dad. f'It contained money, counterfeit money. Counterfeit money? I asked. Where in the world did you get the money, Dad? Let me explain, Bob, replied Dad. The chest of counterfeit money belonged to a dear friend of mine back home. He asked me to deliver it to a cer- tain Chinaman who would be on hand to meet me when our ship reached China. I agreed to do so. He explained to me how the Chinese use the counterfeit money instead of real money to burn when a person dies. This money is supposed to keep the dead person well provided after death. I understand, Dad, I replied. My, but I'd hate to see Tysa Wong when she opens the chest and finds out that the money is only counterfeit. Quite right, Bob. That's why I wanted to get as far away from her ship as possible. You bet! I asserted with a grin. DOUBLE BACK FLIP O'MALLEY fHenry Morlock, 19351 NE day I went swimming down at Lake Adatash accompanied by my brother and his wife. They had never seen me swim before and were anxious to see if I was as good as I had been telling them. I demonstrated my ability by swimming 100 yards to the raft, using the Australian crawl. They soon joined me on the raft and asked me to dive for them. Now I was never very good at diving, but I was determined to make an impression on them one way or another. So I climbed up on the highest diving board which was fifty feet from the water. Looking down at my brother I shouted: Hey, Jack, what do you want me to do, a double back flip or a triple front Hip? Glancing up he replied: Let's see you do the double back flip. I turned around on the board and stretched my arms out trying to get into the right position. After springing the board for about five minutes, I looked down and to my surprise saw that the raft was covered with people who were stretching their necks to observe carefully the professional dive that I was about to make. Again I shouted to my brother: Hey, Jack, it's a little too windy for a double back flip: how will a jackknife dive be? I did not hear him answer, but a man with a loud voice shouted: Hurry up and do something. Our necks are getting stiff !

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V THE HERMIAD 5 at the situation, I'm sure he did not show it. His countenance remained per- fectly calm and undisturbed. The men who had come aboard our ship were typically Chinese in appear- ance. They were very fierce-looking-that is, fierce enough to make me, a lad of fifteen years, feel rather uncomfortable. More menacing-looking, however were the guns which they pointed at us warningly. Hands up, youse, grufiiy commanded one of the Chinamen whom the others called Tashi. In almost perfect unison we all raised our arms. My heart was fairly racing within me. What would they do next? The leader, Tashi, with an ugly scowl on his face, sauntered up to Dad and, pointing his gun at him, demanded roughly, Show me de chesteeff Chest? repeated Dad. I don't know what you mean. You know velly vell what I mean, replied Tashi, getting angrier and angrier. Show me chestee or we shootee. Men, looke alle oola shipee good. All right, I'll tell you, asserted Dad. You'll find it in my cabin. Velly veil, responded Tashi, now pleased. You two go gettee. The restee stayee and watchee des men. I was by now even more puzzled. What chest did Tashi want? I repeat- edly asked myself 3 but no answer came. In a very short time the Chinamen reappeared with the mysterious chest. It was merely an ordinary wooden chest with a big, powerful-looking lock on the front of it. Never before had I laid eyes upon it. The chest was lowered into the rowboat, the men themselves got in and rowed with great force and speed across the waters to their large vessel. I was aroused from my wild thoughts by a loud command from Dad. Back to your posts, men. We must be on our way immediately. Each did as he had been hidden and soon we were swiftly gliding farther and farther away from the Chinese vessel. I watched it with interest as it sailed on and on until I could see it no longer, for night had by this time silently crept over the waters. I was aroused from my deep thoughts by a voice just behind me. Your dad wants to see you in his cabin, Bob. Okay, Sam, I saId and went to Dad's cabin immediately. Well, Son, I suppose you'd like a few explanations, wouldn't you? he questioned as I seated myself in a large comfortable chair just in front of his desk. You bet I would, I responded eagerly. Well, it's a rather long story, but I'll try to make it short. The boat which attacked us today belongs to Tysa Wong, the wealthiest woman in China. It was she whom you and I saw giving commands to her men. Tysa and her crew of men are very bold, daring seamen and in her luxurious vessel they roam the China Sea attacking, looting, and often burning other vessels. You see, I know about Tysa and her pirates, but never had I encountered them on my voyages. However, when you told me about the ship you'd seen I became suspicious. On seeing it myself, and also seeing one woman among

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THE Hmamgilfn fi I started springing the board again, but unfortunately lost my balance and fell pff. I started tumbling most ungracefully through the air with my feet arid arms outstretched like a frog. Finally I landed in a sitting position splashing water all over the spectators. Hitting the water at such a terrific rate of gpeed knocked every breath of air out of me. I was rescued by a life guard and, amid the boisterous laughing of the crowdg-Qwas carried ashore rubbing a badly bruised spot. PERCIVAL PlFFLEBERRY'S DIARY fAlfred Wilcox, Maxwell Wibberley, Esko Helander, 19355 CAN recall the incident as clearly as if it had happened yesterday, although many years have passed since then. I will try to narrate the story of the finding of the diary just as it happened. We were all sitting quietly in our playroom and were suddenly disturbed by a hoarse cry. We ran to our father to see what we had done wrong. Go up and clear out the attic before I give you a taste of the business end of a razor strap, you've been stalling long enough, he shouted. Up we ran to meditate as to what should be done about it. We very easily decided to clear out the attic, well knowing what the consequences would be. After shuffling and grunting for an hour we came to a corner that had been untouched for half a century by the looks of it. We had it all cleared out when I happened to look at the wall. We began to examine the funny markings that we saw there. Here is what they looked like: 4F -m RFK. At first we couldn't make anything out of it, but I hit upon the bright idea that they were directions for finding a treasure. We followed the wall for four feet and then turned right for two feet. There we were disappointed in finding a small box of broken marbles and a very old coat. However, we searched the pockets of the coat and found nothing but a piece of dirty crumpled paper. We gave exclamations of delight as we read the directions on how to find the treasure. My brother told me that he had heard of there being pirates around here about a hundred years ago. We sneaked out of the house without telling father and, loaded down with picks and shovels, we set out. The directions were very simple for a genuine pirate to give. We dug at the place designated and to our delight found a rusty box about a foot square. Hastily opening the box, we were a bit disappointed in the contents, to say the least. There were in the box two old coins, a box of rusty fish hooks, a brass doorknob, a few nuts and bolts, a rusty old toy pistol, and, last but not least, an old note book written in the form of a diary. We sat down and read it. This is the way it went. My diery. sattidy may 7 ft.