CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
A WILD-BEASTS' CAGE.
All doubts as to our next destination were set at rest the next morning,for it was generally known that we were making for Tsin-Tsin, at themouth of the Great Fo river, where the prisoners were to be deliveredover to the Chinese authorities.
I had been pretty busy all the morning with Barkins and Smith, goingfrom one to the other, to sit with them and give them what news I could,both looking rather glum when I went away, for they were feverish andfretful from their wounds. But I promised to return soon with news ofthe men, who were all together in a cool, well-ventilated part of the'tween-decks, seeming restful and patient, the doctor having been round,and, in his short, decisive way, given them a few words ofencouragement.
I saw their faces light up as I went down between the two rows in whichthey were laid, and stopped for a chat with those I knew best, about theway in which they had received their wounds, the coxswain of our boatbeing the most talkative.
"They all got it 'bout the same way, sir," he said. "It all comes oftrying to do the beggars a good turn. Who'd ever have thought it, eh,sir? Trying to save a fellow from drownding, and knives yer!"
They were all very eager to know what was to become of the prisoners,and upon my telling the poor fellows what I knew, I heard them givingtheir opinions to one another in a lying-down debate.
"Seems a pity," said one of the men. "Takes all that there trouble, wedoes; captivates 'em; and then, 'stead o' having the right to hang 'emall decently at the yard-arm, we has to give 'em up to the teapots."
"How are you going to hang 'em decently?" said another voice.
"Reg'lar way, o' course, matey."
"Yah, who's going to do it? British sailors don't want turning intoJack Ketches."
"'Course not," said a third. "Shooting or cutting a fellow down in fairfight's one thing; taking prisoners and hanging on 'em arterwards, quiteanother pair o' shoes. I says as the skipper's right."
"Hear, hear!" rose in chorus, and it seemed to be pretty generallyagreed that we should be very glad to get rid of the savage brutes.
I was on my way back to where Smith lay, when I encountered the doctor,who gave me a friendly nod.
"At your service, Mr Herrick," he said, "when you want me; and, by theway, my lad, your messmate Barkins has got that idea in his head still,about the poisoned blade. Try and laugh him out of it. Thoughts likethat hinder progress, and it is all nonsense. His is a good, clean,healthy wound."
He passed on, looking very business-like, and his dresser followed,while I went on to see Smith.
"Good, clean, healthy wound!" I said to myself; "I believe he takesdelight in such things."
I turned back to look after him, but he was gone.
"Why, he has been to attend to the prisoners," I thought, and this setme thinking about them. To think about them was to begin wishing tohave a look at them, and to begin wishing was with me to walk forward towhere they were confined, with a couple of marines on duty with loadedrifles and fixed bayonets.
The men challenged as I marched up.
"It's all right," I said. "I only want to have a look at them."
"Can't pass, sir, without orders," said the man.
"But I'm an officer," I said testily. "I'm not going to help themescape."
The marine grinned.
"No, sir, 'tain't likely; but we has strict orders. You ask my mate,sir."
"Yes, sir; that's it, sir," said the other respectfully.
"What a bother!" I cried impatiently. "I only wanted to see how theylooked."
"'Tain't my fault, sir; strict orders. And they ain't very pretty tolook at, sir, and it'd be 'most as safe to go in and see a box o'wild-beasts. Doctor's been in this last hour doin' on 'em up, withdepitty, and two on us inside at the `present' all the time. They'dthink nothing o' flying at him, and all the time he was taking as muchpains with them as if they were some of our chaps. They have give it toone another awful."
"Well, I am sorry," I said. "I should have liked to see them."
"So'm I sorry, sir; I'd have let you in a minute, but you don't want toget me in a row, sir."
"Oh no, of course not," I said.
"My mate here says, sir--"
"Get out! Hold your row," growled the other, protesting.
"Yes, what does he say?" I cried eagerly.
"That if we was to shut 'em up close in the dark and not go anigh, sir,till to-morrow morning, there wouldn't be nothing left but one o' theirtails."
"Like the Kilkenny cats, eh?" I said, laughing; and I went back on deckwith the desire to see the prisoners stronger than ever.
Captain Thwaites was on the quarter-deck, marching up and down, and themen were hard at work cleaning up, squaring the yards, and repainting.The spars were up in their places again, and the _Teaser_ was rapidlyresuming her old aspect, when I saw Mr Reardon go up to the captain.
"I'll ask leave," I said. "He has been pretty civil;" and I made up mymind to wait till the lieutenant came away.
"No, I won't," I said. "I'll go and ask the captain when he has gone."
The next moment I felt that this would not do, for Mr Reardon would besure to know, and feel vexed because I had not asked him.
"I'll go and ask leave while they are both together," I said to myself."That's the way."
But I knew it wasn't, and took a turn up and down till I saw Mr Reardonsalute and come away, looking very intent and busy.
I waited till he was pretty close, and then started to intercept him.
His keen eye was on me in an instant.
"Bless my soul, Mr Herrick!" he cried, "what are you doing? Surelyyour duty does not bring you here?"
"No, sir," I said, saluting. "I beg your pardon, sir; I've been goingbackward and forward to Mr Barkins and Mr Smith."
"Ho! Pair of young noodles; what did they want in the boats? Gettinghurt like that. Well?"
"Beg pardon, sir; would you mind giving me permission to see theprisoners?"
"What! why?"
"I wanted to see them, sir, and go back and tell my messmates about howthey looked."
"Humbug!" he cried. "Look here, sir, do you think I have nothing elseto do but act as a wild-beast showman, to gratify your impertinentcuriosity? Let the miserable wretches be."
"Yes, sir."
"And be off to your cabin and study your navigation, sir. Yourignorance of the simplest matters is fearful. At your age you ought tobe as well able to use a sextant as I am."
"Beg pardon, sir, I am trying."
"Then be off and try more, and let me see some results."
I touched my cap, drew back, and the lieutenant marched on.
"Jolly old bear!" I muttered, looking exceedingly crestfallen.
"Herrick!" came sharply, and I ran up, for he was walking on, and I hadto keep up with him.
"Yes, sir."
"You behaved very well yesterday. I'm horribly busy. Here, this way."
"Thank you, sir," I said, wondering what he was going to set me to do,and thinking that he might have given me the permission I asked.
"Now then, quick," he said; and, to my surprise, he led the way to thehatchway, went down, and then forward to where the two marines were onduty, ready to present arms to the officer who always seemed of far moreimportance in the ship than the captain.
"Let Mr Herrick pass in, marines," he said. "Keep a sharp eye on yourprisoners."
I gave him a look of thanks, and then felt disappointed again.
"Stop," he said; "fetch up two more men and a lantern, Herrick."
I gladly obeyed; and then the door was opened. After a look in throughthe grating, and followed closely by three of the marines with theirrifles ready, we walked in to where the prisoners were squatted upontheir heels all round close up against the bulkheads, bandaged terriblyabout the faces and necks, and with their fierce eyes glowering at us.
I had expected to find them lying about like wounded men, but,
bad asseveral were, they all occupied this sitting position, and glared at usin a way that told us very plainly how unsafe it would be to trust ourlives in their keeping even for a minute.
"Beg pardon, sir," whispered the corporal of marines, who was carrying alantern; "better be on the look-out."
"Oh yes," said Mr Reardon. "We shall not stay. I only wanted a lookround. Look sharp, Mr Herrick, and see what you want of them."
"Doctor was dressing that farthest chap's head, sir," whispered thecorporal to me; "and as soon as he was about done, the fellow watchedhis chance and fixed his teeth in the dresser's arm, and wouldn't let gotill--"
"Well? Till what?" said Mr Reardon, gazing fixedly at the brutalcountenance of one of the men right before us.
"We had to persuade him to let go."
"Humph!" ejaculated the lieutenant. "Wild-beast."
"How did you persuade him?" I whispered.
"With the butt-end of a rifle, sir; and then we had to wrench his teethopen with bayonets."
I looked round from face to face, all ghastly from their wounds, to seein 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 asbeing a calm, bland, good-humoured Eastern race, when Mr Reardon saidto me--
"Nearly ready, Herrick? The sight of these men completely takes awayall compunction as to the way we treat them."
"Yes, sir; and it makes one feel glad that they are not armed."
"Ready to come away?"
"Yes, sir," I said; "quite."
"Come along, then."
He took a step towards the door, when the corporal said, "Beg pardon,sir; better back out."
"Eh? oh, nonsense!" said the lieutenant, without changing his position,while I, though I began to feel impressed with the glaring eyes, and tofeel that the sooner we were out of the place the pleasanter it wouldbe, thought that it would be rather undignified on the part of officersto show the wretches that we were afraid of them.
Just then Mr Reardon glanced sidewise to where one of the men on ourleft crouched near the door, and said quickly--
"The surgeon saw all these men this morning?"
"Yes, sir," said the corporal, "not half an hour ago."
"He must be fetched to that man. The poor wretch is ready to faint."
"Yes, sir; he shall be fetched."
Mr Reardon bent down to look at the prisoner more closely.
"Hold the lantern nearer," he said.
The corporal lowered the light, which shone on the pirate's glassy eyes,and there was a fixed look in his savage features which was veryhorrible.
"Get some water for him," said Mr Reardon.
But hardly had the words left his lips when I was conscious of a rushingsound behind me. I was dashed sidewise, and one of the prisoners, whohad made a tremendous spring, alighted on the lieutenant's back, drivinghim forward as I heard the sound of a blow; the corporal was drivensidewise too, and the lantern fell from his hand. Then came a terribleshriek, and a scuffling, struggling sound, a part of which I helped tomake, for I had been driven against one of the prisoners, who seized me,and as I wrestled with him I felt his hot breath upon my face, and hishands scuffling about to get a tight grip of my throat.