Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Blue Fox Hotel

Cork was originally called Coffs, a name derived from a marshy area known in Gaeltic as Cork.What started out as a modest deserted village has since become a town and is now the capital of Munster, Ireland's third largest city. Cork is a city of some influence, perhaps preponderantly of its coastal influence, for it is Queenstown-Old Coffs-lower Lee.There are slipways, shops, factories.A supply port and a berth port can receive various ships, but mainly receive sailing ships that have been diverted due to insufficient water depth in the Lee River. If Pattenson and the students receiving travel grants arrive in Cork late, they will not have time to visit Cork Harbour, this beautiful island connected by two bridges on both sides of the River Lee, or visit the colorful islands of the nearby islands. Walking in the garden, there is no time to look at the supporting buildings of the garden.The total population of the city is no less than 890,000, Cork is 790,000, and Queenstown is 100,000.

But as long as it was a tour and the few hours spent were pleasant, the three didn't care much.On the evening of June 29th, they sat around a table in a dimly lit restaurant on the top of the Blue Fox Hotel, chatting listlessly and in low voices, and there were always a few tall wine glasses that were filled and drained in front of them.Just one look at their ferocious faces and uneasy expressions, and a discerning person can immediately recognize that this guy is not a good guy, and he is probably a villain who is being chased by the police.Because, for those who come in, they have to look at them with suspicion and distrust. It can be seen that this Blue Fox Hotel is a place where filth is hidden and frequented by villains!

In fact, in this seaside residential area, there are many hotels of various types, and the three guys who are looking for a place to live have a lot of choices. If Cork is a city with an elegant environment, then Queenstown is different, because it is one of the largest ports in Ireland, not only full of traffic, but also very lively.There are 4,500 ships entering and leaving each year, handling 1.2 million tons of cargo. It is not difficult for people to imagine how many floating people enter Queenstown every day.Therefore, these numerous hotels have emerged at the historic moment, and the people who gather among them are regular customers, who have the lowest requirements on the environment, sanitation and conditions of the hotel.Foreign seafarers can always come into contact with natives in hotels.However, some fights and fights inevitably occurred during the contact process, which required the intervention of the police.

That day, if the police had entered the low-slung dining room of the Blue Fox Hotel, they would have caught the rascals.They had escaped from Queenstown prison and had been searched for hours. This is how it happened. Eight days earlier, a British naval vessel had brought the British three-masted HMS Helifa and its crew to Queenstown.The boat was recently pursued and intercepted in the Pacific Ocean.For half a year, the ship has been intercepting passing ships in the western waters between Salomon, the New Hebrides and the New Britain. The victims are mainly British nationals. A series of sea raids.

After the judiciary tried their crimes with solid evidence and witnesses, what awaited them was a punitive sentence.For the prime suspect, the captain and bosun of the Helifa may be sentenced to death and hanged. There were ten members of the gang, all of whom were captured on board.The remaining seven accomplices fled in a small boat to a small island where the police could not easily catch them and hid.However, the lead criminal fell into the hands of the police as soon as they arrived in Queenstown.They are being held at the Naval Prison in Queenstown pending trial. The audacity of the captain, Harry Markle, and his accomplice, Boatswain John Carpenter, is beyond imagination.The day before they took refuge in one of the pier's notorious Blue Fox Hotel, they escaped from prison by surprise.After they escaped, the police immediately launched a manhunt.Before the gang of criminals had time to leave Cork or Queenstown, manhunts had been launched in different residential areas of the two cities.

In order to prevent criminals from escaping, many police officers stood by the coast for several miles around Cockle Bay.The search operation began simultaneously at various hotels in the waterfront area. Those places are the real hiding places where criminals often evade capture.As long as the criminals are willing to pay, any hotel owner will accept their evasion request, never asking what they do or where they come from. Also, it should be noted that the seafarers on board the Helifa came from different docks in England and Scotland.None of them had ever lived in Ireland.Nobody in Cork or Queenstown knew them.This makes it unlikely that the operation to arrest them will go smoothly.Despite this, the police still have physical information on each of them, and they feel extremely threatened.Of course, they had no intention of risking a prolonged stay in the city.They were ready to flee at the first opportunity, whether to the country or to the sea.

However, under favorable conditions, this opportunity may arise.It can be seen from the three of them talking around the table that they occupy the darkest corner of the Blue Fox Hotel, so that they can talk without being heard by good people. Harry Markle is the real leader of the gang. When he was the pilot of the Helifa ship, he once commanded a pirate ship to rob a company in the Pacific Ocean for a Liverpool company. Harry Markle is now forty-five years old, of medium build, strong and strong, with a eagle nose and eyes, and a cruel heart.Although he was a sailor, but because he was more knowledgeable than his companions, he became the captain of the merchant fleet step by step.He is proficient in his own business. If he hadn't been greedy for money and wanted to be called the boss and pushed him to the road of crime, he could have done a decent job.He often had good opportunities, and he was good at covering up his defects with the roughness of a seaman, but he did not arouse any suspicion among the owners of the fleets he led.

Boatswain John Carpenter was forty years old, very short in stature and extraordinarily energetic. In stark contrast to Harry Markle, he was superficially kind, hypocritical, eloquent, flattering, cunning and treacherous, and his ability to conceal made him It's more dangerous to be human.All in all, he is not as greedy as his boss, and not as cruel as his boss. Although he has a very bad influence on his boss, his boss is willing to accept it. The third person at the same table was the Helifa's cook, Ranya Coker, an Indo-Saxon native, devoted to the captain and his fellow shipmates.In the past three years, he and them have done a lot of evil in the Pacific Ocean, and he deserves to die.

The three of them were drinking and talking in low voices.John Carpenter says: "We can't stay here!...Must leave the hotel and the city tonight...The police are after us...If exposed, we will be brought back for trial!" Harry Markle said nothing.But it was his opinion that he and his accomplices must flee Queenstown before sunrise. "It's good that Will Coty is late!..." Ranya Kirk reminded. "Hey! Give him time to come! . . . " said the bosun. "He knows we are waiting for him at the Blue Fox Hotel, and he will find us..." "If only we'd stayed here," retorted the cook, glancing uneasily towards the dining-room door, "if only the police hadn't come and chased us away! . . . "

"That's ok," Harry Markle said, "just stay here on the sidelines!  … If the police came to search the Blue Fox Hotel like they searched other hotels in the area, we would neither find them nor catch them... ...There is an exit in the back, if there is a situation, we will run away!" In a few minutes the captain and his two companions were going to finish their respective full glasses of whiskey mixed with hot sugar water.The place where they stayed was only lit by three gas lamps, and they were almost invisible to outsiders.There was a din of human voices everywhere, and the sound of stools being moved was sometimes drowned out by a rough voice calling out to the shopkeeper and his men.The boss guy heard the shout and hurried over to serve the rude customers.And here and there there was a lot of loud noise and fighting.This is what Harry Markle fears the most, because such a noise will attract the patrol police from the residential area.The rascals are likely to be recognized.

The conversation of the three of them started again.John Carpenter says: "If only Coty could find a boat and take it!" "That should be done now," said the captain, "there's always a boat hitched in the harbor...it's not hard to jump in... Coty should get the boat to safety..." "Where are the other seven?..." Ranya Coker asked. "They can connect with him again!" "Certainly," said Harry Markle, "because it's been agreed that they'll stay and watch the boat until we get on board..." "What worries me," said the cook, "is that we've been here an hour and Coty hasn't come! . . . Has he been caught? . . . " "And what worries me more," said John Carpenter, "is to find out if the boat is still at anchor..." "It's possible the boat is still at anchor," Harry Markle said, "but ready to weigh anchor!" Needless to say, the plan of the captain and his companions was to leave England, or even Europe, where the risks would be too great, and they wanted to seek refuge across the ocean.But under what conditions did they hope to implement this plan, and how would they slip aboard a ship about to set sail? ... There is a great difficulty here.It is okay to hide one or two people, but not ten people.Even if they sneak into the cargo hold.Well hidden, but not for long, if they were found on board their presence would be reported to Queenstown Police immediately. Therefore, Harry Markle may be considering another, more practical and reliable approach.What kind of approach? ... Can he guarantee that some of the sailors on this ship will be willing to join him before setting sail? . . . Was he and his accomplices sure that refuge would be found there? Nevertheless, in the course of the conversation of the three of them, not a word was said to make it clear what they planned to do.They don't speak as soon as a customer at the Blue Fox Hotel approaches their table.They didn't want anyone caught in the act. However, after thus answering the bosun's words, Harry Markle fell silent again.He was thinking of their present very dangerous situation.The end of this situation is drawing near, for better or for worse.As he was sure of the information he had received, he added: "No... that ship can't possibly sail... only tomorrow... and here's the proof..." Harry Markle took out a small piece of newspaper from his pocket, found the shipping news column, and read this paragraph: "The Spirit has been moored in Falmar Cove in Cork Harbour, ready to sail at any time. Captain Paxton is waiting for the arrival of passengers to the Antilles. The ship will not set sail until the 30th of this month, but tourism is not allowed. Any delays. As soon as the winners of the Antilles Secondary School exams embark on June 30, weather permitting, the Spirit will set sail immediately." The newspapers were talking about the boat that Mrs. Karen Seymour cared for and paid for chartering!Harry Markle and his gang are determined to escape on the Spirit!They plan to take the Spirit to go out to sea tonight, to avoid being chased by the police! ...but are the odds in their favor for carrying out their plans? ... Those accomplices, they can't be counted as Captain Paxton's men! …they tried to seize the ship by surprise and then hoed the crew by force? ... It must have been expected that the gang of desperadoes would break the boat, because it was a matter of their lives.There were ten of them, and certainly not many sailors aboard the Spirit.In this way, the advantage will probably be theirs. Harry Markle finished reading the torn pages of the newspaper that fell into his hands when he was squatting in Queenstown's class, put it in his pocket again, and continued: "Today is the twenty-ninth... The Spirit will only set sail tomorrow, and tonight, it is still moored in Falmar Cove, even if the passengers have arrived... This is unlikely, and we will only deal with the crew personnel." It should be noted that even with the boarders of Antilles Middle School already on board, the bandits probably would not give up their criminal plan to seize the boat.More people may bleed to death, that's the result.Thinking that they were about to rob at sea, they didn't care how much blood was shed and how many people died. Time passed by every minute and every second, and Coty had long been impatient with waiting, but he didn't show it.Those three scoundrels stared in vain at the guests who opened the door and entered the Blue Fox Hotel. "As long as he doesn't fall into the hands of the police! . . . " said Ranya Coker. "If he's caught, we'll soon be..." John Carpenter said. "Maybe," said Harry Markle, "but that doesn't mean Coty sold us out...with a liveknot in his head, he won't betray us..." "That's not what I mean," argued John Carpenter, "but it's possible that he'd be spotted by the police on his way to the hotel. . . There are guards, and I’m afraid it’s impossible to escape!” Harry Markle said nothing and remained silent for several minutes. "We have to find him personally?..." the chef began. "If everyone agrees, I'll take the risk," suggested the bosun. "Okay," Harry Markle said, "you don't go too far... Coty could be here any minute... If you spot the police in time, come back right away, and we'll sneak him in the back before they're in the lobby Walk……" "But," Ranya Cotter objected, "Coty can't find us here..." "There is no other way out," said the captain. The situation is dire.In conclusion, the key is not to get caught.In the event of failure to seize the Spirit, if Harry Markle, John Carpenter, and Lanya Kirk were not able to join their accomplices at night, they would have to think about it.Maybe there will be a new turn? ...Talk a thousand, say ten thousand, they decided that they would be safe only after leaving Queenstown. The bosun drank his drink for the last time, glanced the hall, blended in with the crowd, slipped to the door, opened it and went out.The door closed again. It's half past eight and it's not dark yet.The summer solstice is fast approaching, the period when the days are the longest of the year. However, the sky was particularly gloomy, with large dark clouds piling up in the sky, barely moving.Under the influence of high temperature, these clouds can bring violent wind and rain.The night will be dark, although the crescent moon has emerged in the western sky. Five minutes after John Carpenter left, the door of the Blue Fox Hotel opened again.He appeared again at the door of the shop. Someone followed him.The man was the one they were waiting for, a sailor, not tall, short and stout, with a beret worn so low that it nearly covered his eyes.He was walking towards the hotel, about fifty paces from the hotel door, when the bosun went up to meet him.The pair then came over to meet Harry Markle. Coty seemed to have strode a long way, with beads of sweat streaming down his face.Was he being tracked by the police, or did he manage to shake them off? John Carpenter gestured to the corner where Harry Markle and Ranya Coker were.He immediately went over and sat down at the table and drank a glass of whiskey in one gulp. Obviously, Coty had some difficulty answering the captain's question, so he should be relieved.Besides, he seemed to be frightened, and kept his eyes on the street gate, as if anticipating the appearance of a police team. When he caught his breath, Harry Markle finally whispered to him: "Are you being followed?..." "I don't believe it," he replied. "Are there any policemen on the street? . . . " "There are... a dozen of them!... They are searching the small inn, and they will come to search for the blue fox soon..." "Let's go," said the cook. Harry Markle pulls him to sit down again, then asks Coty: "Is everything ready?" "Everything is ready." "Has that boat been moored at the pier?..." "Always, Harry. I heard as I passed the docks that the passengers on the Spirit had arrived in Queenstown..." "Okay," said Harry Markle, "we have to get them on board first..." "What?..." Ranya Coker asked. "Me and the rest," Coty argued, "we've managed to get a boat..." "Where's the boat?..." Harry Markle asked. "Five hundred steps away from the hotel, Shun Wharf stops under the approach bridge." "What about our partner?..." "They're waiting for us...don't waste time." "Let's go," said Harry Markle. The bill has been settled, there is no need to call the hotel owner over.The four villains left the lobby at the height of the hotel's noise, unnoticed at all. At this time, there was a loud noise outside the door, which turned out to be the sound made by several people shouting and pushing. The innkeeper, being a cautious man, not wanting to disturb his customers by this unpleasant surprise, opened the door ajar and said: "Be careful...there are police!" Undoubtedly, many of the regulars at the Blue Fox Hotel do not want to deal with the police because of the friction that can ensue.Three or four people were walking towards the back exit. Moments later, a dozen police officers entered the hotel and closed the door behind them. Harry Markle and his three accomplices left the hotel lobby before they were spotted.