George Manville Fenn

“ All at once, when a strange, drowsy feeling was creeping over me, I was startled back into wakefulness by Mr Brooke, who said in an angry whisper—
“Who’s that?”
I knew why he spoke, for, though half-asleep the moment before, I was conscious of a low, guttural snore.
“Can’t see, sir,” came from one of the men. “Think it’s Mr Ching.”
“No; Ching never makee nose talk when he s’eep,” said the Chinaman, and as he spoke the sound rose once more.
“Here, hi, messmate, rouse up!” said the man who had before spoken.
“Eh? tumble-up? our watch?” growled Tom Jecks. ”

“ I whispered.
“With the butt-end of a rifle, sir; and then we had to wrench his teeth open with bayonets.”
I looked round from face to face, all ghastly from their wounds, to see in every one a fierce pair of eyes glaring at me with undying hatred, and I was wondering how it was that people could think of the Chinese as being a calm, bland, good-humoured Eastern race, when Mr Reardon said to me—
“Nearly ready, Herrick? The sight of these men completely takes away all compunction as to the way we treat them.”
“Yes, sir; and it makes one feel glad that they are not armed.” ”

“ Distance lends enchantment to the view of a Chinese city undoubtedly, and before long we were quite satiated with the narrow limits of our close-in view, as well as with the near presence of the crowd of rough-looking fellows who hung about and stared, as I thought, rather contemptuously at the junior officer in Her Majesty’s service, who was feeling the thwarts of the boat and the hilt of his dirk most uncomfortably hot. ”

“ Shot after shot had been fired most ineffectively, and I heard expostulations and angry words used to the captains of the guns; while at every ineffective shell that burst far away a derisive yell rose from the crowded junk—the shouts increasing each time.
“Another broadside, Reardon,” cried the captain; “and then we must run in as far as we dare. Pick out half-a-dozen of the best men with the rifle to place on the bows to pick off the steersman.”
“Ay, ay, sir,” cried Mr Reardon; then directly, “All gone in the boats, sir.” ”

“ Mr Brooke gazed sharply at us both for a few moments, and then directed the boat’s head as if going up the river again.
“Where is there a suitable boat?” he said hoarsely, and speaking evidently under great excitement, as he saw a means of saving the chance after all.
“Velly nice big boat over ’long there,” said Ching, pointing to a native craft about double the size of our cutter, lying moored about a hundred yards from the shore, and evidently without any one in her.
“Yes, that will do,” cried Mr Brooke. “Anything fits a man who has no clothes. Pull, my lads—give way!” ”

“ I replied. “Now another is out of sight.”
“Then, as soon as they are all invisible, you can come down,” cried Mr Reardon.
“Yes, sir; all out of sight now.”
“Then come down.”
“Thankye for nothing,” I muttered; and then aloud, “Yes, sir;” and I closed my glass, and wiped my wet forehead, feeling stiff and sore, as if I had been exerting myself with all my might.
“I suppose I’m very stupid,” I said to myself, as I began to descend slowly, “but I did try my best. What a height it seems up here! If a fellow slipped and fell, he would never have another hour up at the mast-head.” ”

“ I was sitting panting with the heat, resting my head against the rock, listening to the breathing of Tom Jecks, and wondering why it was that something hot and black and intangible should be always coming down and pressing on my brain, when I started into wakefulness, or rather out of my stupor, for Ching touched me, and I found that he had crept past Tom Jecks to where I had made my seat, and had his lips close to my ear. ”

“ The captain gave a dry cough, and I turned round sharply, expecting to hear some angry exclamation.
“No,” cried Mr Reardon, “he is not clinging to the life-buoy. I wouldn’t for anything that it should have happened. Poor fellow! Poor fellow!”
“Ay, poor fellow!” muttered Captain Thwaites. “Any use to lower another boat, Reardon?”
“No, sir, no,” cried the lieutenant, “or I would have had one down. Ahoy there!” he roared. “Light another blue!” ”

“ But the moment the crash had come our lads sprang up with a cheer, and, forgetting their proper weapons, let go at the enemy with their oars, using them as spears and two-handed swords, and with such effect that in less than a minute the wretches were driven back or beaten into the water, to swim to and cling to their half-sunken boat, whose light bamboos refused to go right down. ”

“ We all crouched down; Ching sat up, holding the tiller, and the light ahead gleamed out brightly, showing the sails and hulls of the two great junks only fifty yards away, and each towing a big heavy boat. There were the black silhouettes, too, of figures leaning over the stern, and a voice hailed us in Chinese, uttering hoarse, strange sounds, to which Ching replied in his high squeak. ”

“ But at the raising of the cry, “Man overboard,” there is not much time lost on board a man-of-war. A crew leaped into the boat; the falls were seized; and in a minute the keel touched the water, and I found myself, as I stood on the bulwark holding on by a rope, called upon to direct those who had gone.
“Which way, sir? See him?”
I could only answer no, and then reply to Mr Reardon, who came up panting.
“Who is it?” he cried. “Mr Herrick?”
“No, sir, I’m here,” I shouted. “It’s the interpreter.”
“And what business had he up on the hammock-rail?” ”

“ I turned faint, but I recovered my senses as I saw Ching spring up, rush at a man on the sand, snatch up his sword and run to me.
“Quick!” he cried; “jump up; fight!”
Almost mechanically I obeyed him, and snatched a knife from the hands of one of the fallen men to defend my life, just as a second volley rolled forth from the cliff, directed at the pirates as they ran toward the ridge. ”

“ The buzz of conversation among the men, who clustered on deck, in the shrouds and tops, grew fainter, and I was thinking whether I was very much to blame, and if I could in any way have saved the poor fellow. Then I began thinking of the men in the forecastle, and their punishment for being the cause, in their boyish way of playing tricks, of the poor Chinaman’s death. ”

“ I’m afraid some of these mandarins are mixed up with the piratical expeditions, and share in the plunder, and I am certain that every movement we make is watched. There, off with you; don’t let Mr Herrick get hurt. I trust you to do your best.”
We sprang into the boat, which was lowered down; the falls were unhooked; and as Tom Jecks, who was coxswain, gave us a shove off, the tide, which was running up, bore us right aft; then the oars dropped with a splash, the rudder lines were seized, and away we went up-stream on as glorious a day as ever made a dirty Chinese city look lovely. ”

“ The effect was very curious: behind us the dull coppery glow becoming fainter minute by minute, as the darkness increased the blackness before us; and one’s instinct seemed to warn one to turn from the black darkness to sail away towards the light. Tom Jecks took the same idea, and said, in an irritable whisper, exactly what I thought—
“Seems rum, sir, don’t it, sir?—makes believe as that’s the best way, when all the time the wussest looking is the safest.”
Just then, after a glance round, Mr Brooke uttered another warning to the men to be ready, and settled himself down to the tiller. ”

“ Then, amid the strange confusion produced by the roar of the wind and thunder of the waves whose spray hissed over our heads, I lay wondering what had become of Mr Brooke and the others—whether they had reached the land, and were screened behind the rocks as we were; then about the Teaser—whether she had been able to make the shelter of the river before the typhoon came down upon them in all its fury.
I seemed to see the men at their quarters, with the spars lowered upon deck, the boats doubly secured, and everything loose made fast. ”

“ Then—crash! the shell sent shrieking amongst them exploded, and all was still but the steady beating of our oars.
“Are you much hurt, sir?” I said to Mr Reardon; but Ching took the inquiry to himself.
“Velly stiff; velly hungly,” he said.
“I wasn’t speaking to you,” I cried angrily; for my temper seemed to have suddenly grown painfully acid, and a titter rose from among the men.
“No, Mr Herrick, scarcely at all. The bullet struck my cap-band, just above my temple, and glanced off. I can think more clearly now. How many men are hurt in this boat?” ”

“ Don’t try to peep into mandarins’ gateways, Blacksmith,” continued Barkins.
“Bosh! it’s all gammon. I should like to see one of them try to cut my head off.”
“I shouldn’t,” I cried, laughing; “and he wouldn’t.”
“No,” said Ching perfectly seriously. “Velly bad have head chop off. Head velly useful.”
“Very,” said Barkins mockingly. “Well done, Chinese Wisdom. I say, Herrick, why is a mandarin like the Grand Panjandrum?”
“Because he plays at the game of catch, catch, can and can’t catch the man who cuts off the English fellow’s head,” said Smith.
“Wrong!” cried Barkins. “Now you, Poet.” ”

“ I saw, too, my twenty pigtailed men come sliding down the ropes from above, and snatch up the cutlasses and rifles laid ready beneath a tarpaulin; but all the time I was seeing, in obedience to orders, two parties of the crew going forward at the double, and I knew that the captain was communicating with the two men at the wheel.
Quick as lightning there was another order as we began to leave the three low vessels behind, and I involuntarily grasped the rail before me as all the men on board lay down—crews of the guns, marines, and those who had doubled forward under the command of Mr Brooke. ”

“ Steam was got up, the Teaser’s head swung round, and, after the lead had shown great depth and a muddy bottom, we began to glide steadily up with the tide.
Our progress was very slow, for, as you will easily understand, and must have noted scores of times in connection with some wreck, a ship is of immense weight, and, even if moving ever so slowly, touching a rock at the bottom means a tremendous grinding crash, and either the vessel fixed, perhaps without the possibility of removal, or a hole made which will soon cause it to sink. Navigation, then, is beset with dangers for a captain. ”

“ But all the time a couple of marines stood, one on either side, ready to hold the prisoners down, for each seemed to look upon the dressing of his wounds as a form of torture which he was bound to resist with all his might.
“Nice boys, Mr Herrick,” said the boatswain drily. “Do you know why we are taking all this pains?”
“To save their lives and give them up to the authorities at Tsin-Tsin, I suppose.”
“Yes, sir.”
“For them to be put on their trial for piracy on the high seas.”
“Yes, sir, that’s it; but it would be a greater kindness to let the wretches die out of their misery.” ”

“ Hardly was the evolution performed, when there, right before us, were the lowering mat-sails of the great junk, and then, crash! there was a wild despairing yell, and we were into her amidships, the ponderous gunboat literally cutting her down and going right over her; while at a second command every man sprang up again, and for the next minute or two bayonet and cutlass were flashing in the evening sunlight as the wretches who climbed on board were driven back. ”

“ My musings were interrupted by a rustling sound behind me, and, turning sharply, it was to encounter the smooth, smiling countenance of Ching, who came up looking from one to the other as if asking permission to join us.
“Well,” said Mr Brooke quietly, “is dinner ready?”
Ching shook his head, and then said sharply—
“Been thinking ’bout junks, they stop there long time.”
“Yes; what for? Are they waiting for men?”
“P’laps; but Ching think they know ’bout other big junk. Some fliends tell them in the big city. Say to them, big junk load with silk, tea, dollar. ”

“ It was too near night to do much, so the captain contented himself with getting close in after the boat sent to take soundings, and at dark we were anchored right in the mouth, with the watch doubled and a boat out as well to patrol the river from side to side, to make sure that the enemy, if within, did not pass us in the darkness.
All lights were out and perfect silence was maintained, while, excited by the prospect of another encounter, not a man displayed the slightest disposition to go to his hammock. ”

“ There was another vivid flash, and we distinctly saw the great matting-sails of two junks for a moment, and again all was black.
“Come on board, Mr Brooke; they could not sweep those great craft out against such a tide as this, and there is no wind to help them even if they wished.”
Then the falls were hooked on, after the coxswain had with some difficulty drawn the cutter up to where the light of a lantern was thrown down for his guidance, the men stamped along the deck, and the cutter rose to the davits for the men to spring on board. ”

“ I wouldn’t be Tom Jecks for all the world, I muttered, and then I turned cold and shuddered, as the hope, faint though it was, of Ching being picked up went out like one of the lights that now disappeared; for Captain Thwaites said sadly—
“I’m afraid we must recall the boats, Mr Reardon.”
“Yes, sir,” said the lieutenant in a husky voice. “I don’t think any one is to blame about the attempt to save the poor fellow, sir. The life-buoy was let go, and the boat lowered promptly; the dishipline of the men was good.” ”

“ I saw that Mr Reardon was on the qui vive to order a return of the fire; but so far we could not see from whence it came, and it seemed as if nothing could be done but keep steadily on with our retreat.
“They might have given us another half-hour, Herrick,” he said. “I should like to get the boys on board unhurt.”
“Think they can get on ahead, sir?” I whispered.
“I hope not. The forest on each side is so dense that I don’t fancy they can get along any faster than we do. Make haste, my lads, make haste,” he said, almost in a whisper; “we shall have it dark here under these trees before long.” ”

“ He says we ought to arm a couple of junks, and wait for the pirates to come out and attack us.”
“Ching’s Christian name ought to be Solomon,” said Smith.
“Thanky wisdom teeth,” said Barkins sarcastically. “I say, Gnat, he’s quite right. They’d be fools if they did come out to be sunk. I daresay they’re watching us all the time somewhere or other from one of the little fishing-boats we see put out.”
“Well, young gentlemen,” said a sharp voice behind us; “this is contrary to dishipline. You can find something better to do than gossiping.”
“Beg pardon, sir, we are not gossiping,” said Barkins. ”

“ But I say, my lads, look here, what are we going to do first?” continued Smith, who was in a high state of excitement, though I was as bad. “Start off at once for a walk through the city?”
“Shouldn’t we be mobbed?” I said, as I slung the heavy glass over my shoulder.
“They’d better mob us!” cried Smith. “If they give me any of their nonsense, I’ll take tails instead of scalps. My! what fools they do look, with their thick-soled shoes, long blue gowns, and shaven heads!”
“That fellow in the boat is grinning at us, and thinks we look fools, I said.”
“Let him!” said Barkins. “We know better.” ”