Chapter I: Preface

"AT THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR" is a complete tale in itself, but forms the third volume in a line issued under the general title of "Soldiers of Fortune Series."

The story relates primarily the adventures of Larry Russell and his old-time sea chum, Luke Striker, already well known to the readers of my "Old Glory Series." Larry and Luke are aboard of their old ship, the _Columbia_, bound from Manila to Nagasaki, with a cargo designed for the Japanese Government. This is during the war between Russia and Japan, and when close to the Japanese coast the schooner is sighted by a Russian warship and made a prize of war.

As prisoners both Larry and Luke see something of life in the Russian navy. When close to Vladivostok, the Russian warship falls in with several ships of the Japanese fleet, and after a thrilling sea-fight surrenders with her prize. This brings Larry and Luke before Admiral Togo, and as Larry's brother Ben, with their mutual friend, Gilbert Pennington, is already in the Japanese army, Larry enters the Japanese navy and Luke follows suit. The siege and bombardment of Port Arthur are at their height; and the particulars are given of many battles both on the sea and on land, leading up to the ultimate surrender of that brave Russian commander, General Stoessel, and the fall of the city. By this surrender the Japanese obtained many thousands of prisoners of war, hundreds of cannon, with large quantities of ammunition, and several scores of vessels, useful for either fighting purposes or as transports. Moreover, this victory placed the entire southern portion of Manchuria under Japanese control, giving the army untrammeled use of the railroad running from Port Arthur to Liao-Yang, a city on the road to Mukden, captured some time before, as already related in another volume of this series, entitled "Under the Mikado's Flag."

As I have mentioned in a previous work, it is as yet impossible to state what the outcome of this terrific conflict will be. So far victory has perched largely upon the standard of Japan. The Russian navy has been practically shattered and its army fought to a standstill. The cost of the war has been tremendous to both countries. Countless thousands of lives have already been sacrificed. Would that peace were soon at hand!

Again I thank my young friends for their appreciation of my former stories. May the present tale fulfill every reasonable expectation.

EDWARD STRATEMEYER.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. LARRY AND HIS FRIENDS 1

II. A STORM ON THE PACIFIC 10

III. LARRY LEARNS SOMETHING 20

IV. THE RUSSIAN SAILOR'S PLOT 29

V. SIGNS OF A MUTINY 38

VI. THE FIGHT FOR THE SHIP 47

VII. THE MUTINEERS IN POSSESSION 56

VIII. TURNING THE TABLES 66

IX. CLOSE TO A WATERSPOUT 76

X. SOMETHING ABOUT WAR AND FIGHTING SHIPS 86

XI. AN ORDER TO LAY-TO 95

XII. TAKEN AS A PRIZE OF WAR 103

XIII. PRISONERS ON THE _Pocastra_ 113

XIV. PROGRESS OF THE WAR 122

XV. A SHARP NAVAL BATTLE 132

XVI. ABOARD A JAPANESE WARSHIP 140

XVII. THE RETAKING OF THE _Columbia_ 148

XVIII. A CLEVER RUSE 156

XIX. THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE ENEMY 164

XX. LARRY BEFORE ADMIRAL TOGO 171

XXI. LETTERS OF INTEREST 180

XXII. A MEETING AND A PLOT 189

XXIII. THE ATTACK IN THE DARK 198

XXIV. THE DEFENSE OF THE POWDER TRAIN 206

XXV. BOMBARDING A PORT ARTHUR FORT 215

XXVI. BEN MEETS CAPTAIN BARUSKY 223

XXVII. A FIERCE BATTLE AT SEA 232

XXVIII. THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR 240

XXIX. FROM ONE DIFFICULTY TO ANOTHER 248

XXX. A SURPRISE FOR LARRY 258

XXXI. A CALL TO REPEL BOARDERS 266

XXXII. FALL OF PORT ARTHUR--CONCLUSION 274

AT THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR

AT THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR