Under tops'ls and tents Author:Cyrus Townsend Brady Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III The Story of a Hero A Soldier of Fortune Indeed.—The Honor of a Sailor.— Captain McGiffin and the Battle-ship Chen Yuen at the Battle of the Yalu... more ».—An Historic Letter to His Mother.— "A Broken and a Contrite Heart"—Left Angled Triangles. —A Fighter Rather than a Scholar.—"Man the Boards."— Bound to be Seen.—Even a Theological School I THE cadet at the Academy during my time there who rose to the greatest prominence subsequently was Philo Norton McGiffin, of Pennsylvania, one of the finest fellows that ever drew a sword; full of fun, kindly of heart, high of soul, gallant of spirit. When he was graduated from the Academy, he resigned from the service and entered the Chinese Navy, where he soon rose to high rank, and rendered efficient service in the Chinese school for naval officers. He was a striking modern example of the ancient and honorable guild of soldiers of fortune. When he was a lad he gained distinction, during the terrible Pittsburg railroad riots, by his courage in running an engine under circumstances of great personal danger. At the Academy he saved the life of some children from a burning building out in the town. While in the service of the Chinese there occurred a little war with France. The one solitaryChinese success of that war was the capture of a French gun-boat by a Chinese junk, the crew of which was commanded by McGifnn. At the famous battle of the Yalu, between the Chinese and the Japanese, McGifnn commanded the Chen Yuen, one of the two battle-ships which successfully withstood, and finally drove off, the whole Japanese fleet. He had resigned his position some time before the war broke out, and was on his way home, but his honor would not permit him to desert in time of war the poor people whose bread he had eaten in time of peace...« less