CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.
A STARTLING.
"What are we going to do?" I said, with my heart beating fast.
"Afraid?" said Mr Brooke in a whisper.
"I don't know, sir--a little," I replied.
"We're not going to fight, Herrick. I shall go on and find the junks soas to know them again--take their portraits in our minds--and then goback for help. They can't escape out of the river, and once we knowthem, our boats can soon follow and bring them to book."
The men pulled as if their hearts were in their work, and upon roundinga bend, there, about a quarter of a mile away, lay two large vessels,moored close up to the trees.
"We'll keep up the idea that we are shooting," said Mr Brooke. "No,there is no need now. We have kept it up long enough. We mustreconnoitre and go back. They will think still that we are ashooting-party, and not know that we are making for them."
"Of course not," I said thoughtfully. "How could they know we hadheard?"
We rowed steadily on for a minute or two, and then Ching said quietly--
"One boat--two boat come behind."
We glanced back, and there, sure enough, were the sailing craft, whichhad been hanging about in front and aft, coming steadily along in ourwake. A moment or two later Ching spoke again--
"Look over boat side, see jolly sailor boy."
"Never mind those boats," said Mr Brooke impatiently.
"Steady, my lads, hold hard now; that's right," he continued, as theoars were held, and checked the boat's progress. "Now, Mr Herrick,take a good look at them. Do you think we should know them again if yousaw them coming down the river?"
"Yes, sir," I said; "the stern of this one and bows of the other wouldbe unmistakable. I don't think I could make a blunder."
"No; almost impossible; pull starboard, back water, port side. Now,we'll just turn and row gently back. I don't see any men on board."
"All lie down flat," said Ching sharply. "Plenty men aboard."
"Ah, well, it does not matter. I'm not going to run risks by attackingthe savages. Lift your gun and look about, Herrick. Let them keep inthe same mind."
I stood up in the boat at this, and noted how rapidly the tide wasrunning up as Mr Brooke gave the word to pull again.
The movement of the boat brought me in full view of the two sampanswhich had followed us, each with a man and boy aboard; and now, as Ilooked, I was surprised to see a yellow head raised and begin watchingus. Then another; and Ching said quickly--"Lot men in both boats."
I don't know how they had stowed themselves, but now, to our intenseastonishment, head after head appeared, till Mr Brooke exclaimed--
"Why, the boats are packed full of men."
"Yes, and the junks too," I whispered hastily; for their decks, which afew moments before had appeared to be bare, were now crowded.
"Trapped, Herrick!" said Mr Brooke through his set teeth. "Is this atrick on the part of Mr Ching?"
The men were looking hard at us, and they did not have long to wait.
"Arms ready, my lads?"
"Ay, ay, sir."
"That's right. Now then, lay your backs to it, and row with all yourmight."
"Ay, ay, sir."
"What are you going to do?" I said huskily.
"Run for it. The junks can't follow against this tide. We must row outinto the river. Keep your fire till I give orders. They may not try tostop us. If they do, I shall try and ram one. We have four barrels forthe other, without troubling the men."
"You don't think it's a false alarm?"
"No," he said sternly; "the falsity lies somewhere else."
"He means Ching," I said, but there was no time for much thought, noteven to see a great deal. The men grasped the situation as soon as theboat's head was straight, and Mr Brooke took the tiller in his lefthand, his gun in his right, and cocked it, while I followed suit.
Then I felt disposed to laugh as Ching made a dive down, and began tocrawl under the thwarts among the men's legs, but the laugh changed to aserious grin as Mr Brooke steered to pass between the two boats, whenthe course of one was changed so as to throw her right athwart our way,and quite a dozen men rose up in each, armed with clumsy swords, yellingat us, and dancing about as they gesticulated and seemed to be trying tofrighten us back.
"Very well, if you will have it," said Mr Brooke between his teeth."Be ready, my lads. Cutlasses, if they try to board."
A sound like the exhaustion of a heavy breath escaped from the men, andMr Brooke roared at them to pull, while I sat with my finger on thefirst trigger and the gun lowered a little, gazing wildly at the savagecrew before us.
Those moments were like long minutes, but I could make out that, insteadof frightening us, the men in the boat which crossed us were nowfrightened themselves, and they made an effort to give us room.
But there were too many of them--they got in each other's way. Thenthere was a wild shriek, a crash, and the head of our fast cuttercrashed into them, driving their bows round, partly forcing them underwater, and the flimsily-built boat began rapidly to fill.
The second party held a little aloof, too much startled by the boldnessof our manoeuvre to attempt to help their companions, so that we hadonly the first boat to tackle, as such of the men as could trampled overone another in their struggle to get on board us.
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 inless than a minute the wretches were driven back or beaten into thewater, to swim to and cling to their half-sunken boat, whose lightbamboos refused to go right down.
"Now pull--down with you--pull!" roared Mr Brooke, and, thanks to MrReardon's grand "dishipline," every man dropped into his place, and theboat, which had come to a standstill, now began to move forward, whilethe tide carried the enemy towards their junks, from whence came now assavage a yelling as that from the boats.
"Without firing a shot," cried Mr Brooke exultantly. "Pull, boys.Now, a cheer! they can't follow us against this tide."
The men sent up a triumphant shout, and, as we swept round the nextbend, we lost sight of the junks, and directly after of the two boats,the last I saw of them being that the crew of the second were draggingtheir companions of the first out of the water, and loading their owndown to the gunwale edge.
"Now," cried Mr Brooke, "who's hurt?"
There was no answer for a moment or two. Then one of the men said, witha grin--
"I arn't drownded, sir; but I shall ketch cold if something arn't done--my feet's wet."
"Yes, so velly wet," cried a plaintive voice, and Ching struggled upfrom the bottom of the boat, and stood up, showing his blue cottongarments to be drenched with water.
"What, have we sprung a leak?" cried Mr Brooke.
"Yes, sir," said Tom Jecks, "she's got a hole in her skin here forrard;but if I might be so bold, sir, if you was to send Mr Ching to lean upagin it, we shouldn't hurt much."
"Pull--pull steady," cried Mr Brooke. "Here, take the tiller, MrHerrick."
He laid his gun behind us and handed me the rudder, before going rightforward to the coxswain, while I sat envying the men their coolness asthey sat pulling away nonchalantly enough, though the water was risingfast and nearly covered their bare feet and ankles, while it sooninvaded the grating upon which my own boot-covered feet were placed.
"Much injured, sir?" I shouted; and Mr Brooke gave me back poorMercutio's answer to his friend, in _Romeo and Juliet_--
"'Tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door: but 'tisenough; 'twill serve."
"Here, my lads, one of you; I must have a frock."
"Right, sir, mine'll do," said the coxswain, unfastening and dragginghis white duck garment over his head.
This was soaked and wrung out to make it softer, and then thrust intothe hole in our bows.
"There, you must sit forward here, and
plant both feet against it, mylad," said Mr Brooke.
"Ay, ay, sir. Men never knows what he may come to. Fancy my tootsbeing used to caulk a leak!"
He, laughing, sat down on the forward thwart, and pressed his feetagainst the jacket.
"Now then, a man to bale," cried Mr Brooke, and the coxswain fished thetin baler out of the locker forward. "No; pass it here," continued ourleader. "Pull away, my lads, and Mr Herrick and I will take it inturns to bale. We must get out of this narrow creek as soon as we can."
"Me balee water out," squeaked Ching, who looked very wet and miserable.
"No, thank you," said Mr Brooke coldly.
"Beg pardon, sir; I've got nothin' to do but sit here like a himage,"said the coxswain; "I can reach down and bale."
"Without shifting your feet?"
"Yes, sir; look here."
The man took the baler, and began to send the water, which still came inbut slowly, over the side; while, after satisfying myself that we shouldnot be obliged to run our boat ashore and tramp back to the city, I kepton directing anxious glances backward to see if we were pursued.
"We shan't sink, Herrick," said Mr Brooke, returning to my side; while,after glancing at my very serious, and at the young lieutenant's sterncountenance, Ching crept forward under the oars to where the coxswainwas baling, and, getting a second tin from the locker, he seatedhimself, tucked his loose things out of the way, and began meekly totoss out the water as fast as he could scoop it up.
"That fellow's a traitor," said Mr Brooke to me in a low voice, after aglance back by Ching.
"Oh no, I hope not, sir," I said.
"I wish I could hope so too, my lad. There's a deal of cunning in hisplans, and he tried hard to make it seem that he was all the timeworking upon our side; but I feel as if he has led us into a trap, andwe were very nearly coming to our end in it without a man left to tellthe tale."
"But why, sir? What object could he have?"
"Plunder, for one thing; our boat, and weapons such as they cannot get.Yes, I believe that he is in league with those pirates."
"Oh, I can't think it, Mr Brooke," I cried. "He has served us sowell."
"Yes, to gain his own ends."
"But surely he wouldn't do such a base thing for the sake of getting apaltry share in these rifles and cutlasses?"
"He would have the satisfaction of seeing us massacred."
"But what satisfaction could that be, sir?" I cried. "We have alwaysbeen his friends."
"The Chinese hate the outer barbarians and foreign devils, as they callus, my lad. They are obliged to tolerate our presence, but the commonpeople, as you know well, would feel an intense pleasure in murderingevery European they came across."
"All the same, sir," I said, "I don't believe poor old Ching would doanything that was against us."
"Well, we shall see. But what an escape, my lad! What a trap we werein!"
"And how capital to get out of it without having a man hurt."
"It's splendid, my lad. The captain will be delighted at that, andforgive me about the boat."
"But we had to run away, sir," I said.
"Rather strange running away to charge that boat as we did! But don'tyou take it into your head, my lad, that it is cowardly to retreat atthe proper time. It is madness to go throwing away the lives of yourmen when you can do no good by fighting. It might sound very grand andheroic for us to have fought both those boats, and then tried to capturethe junks; but we must have been cut to pieces in the attempt, and whatthen--"
"We should have been able to say that we did not turn tail upon ourenemies."
"No, we should not, my boy, because there would not have been a soulleft to tell the story. There, my lad, don't indulge in romance. He isthe best commander who gains victories at the smallest cost of blood tohis country.--Ha, at last! how much longer the creek seems coming backthan it did going up."
"Running against the tide, too," I cried; and the next minute we glidedout into the big stream, crossed the river, and settled down to a quiet,steady row on the far side, where the eddy enabled us to make a veryfine rate of speed.
But our rate did not satisfy Mr Brooke, who kept on looking at hiswatch as the time went on, and we found that the swift tide had carriedus much farther than we thought for.
"We shall never get back at this rate," said Mr Brooke, "and it can'tbe very long before the tide turns, and then those scoundrels will comesailing down, perhaps pass us before we can get to the _Teaser_."
"Hardly," I ventured to observe.
"Well, no; you are right," he said. "I am too impatient. We have agood start, and must get to the gunboat long before they can."
Meanwhile Tom Jecks sat fast, pressing his feet against the jacketplaced over the hole, and kept baling, while Ching took his time fromhim, and used his baler with enough skill to help get rid of a greatdeal of water, so that the boat was freed to an extent which set asideall danger of our sinking; but with all their efforts they never gotbeyond a certain point, for the water oozed in pretty constantly throughand round the extempore plug.
At last, faint with heat and nearly exhausted, we came in sight of thefirst straggling houses, then they grew more close together, and fieldsand gardens gave place to the closely-packed habitations. For we hadreached the town, though even then we had quite a long row before wecould reach the _Teaser_.
The final stretch came at last--just about a quarter of a mile totraverse, and then we should be alongside.
"Thank goodness!" said Mr Brooke, drawing a deep breath; "I don't knowwhen I have felt so anxious. Now, my lads, only another five minutes--along pull and a strong pull, and all together."
The men cheered and pulled, sending the boat merrily along now, for thetide was close upon its highest point, and for some little time it grewmore and more sluggish before the coxswain cried out--
"She's swung round, sir; tide's with us."
"Ha!" ejaculated Mr Brooke. "Then we shall get to the _Teaser_ intime. They couldn't start from the creek with those light junks tillnow."
"How much farther is it, sir?" I said, as he stood up and shaded hiseyes with his hand.
"It can't be many hundred yards," he replied. "It must be just beyondthat head where the boats lie so thick. Yes, off that temple there upon the hill."
The men gave a cheer, and the boat sped on fast now, feeling the pushgiven by the falling tide, and the short distance that lay between us;and the spot where we had lain at anchor so many days was soontraversed--the latter part in perfect silence, with Mr Brooke standingin the stern-sheets gazing straight ahead, and turning his eyes fromside to side of the busy water thoroughfare.
"She has shifted her moorings," he said at last.
"Has she, sir?" I replied, as I recalled how the furnace fires weregoing and the _Teaser_ was getting up steam when we started.
"Yes; how tiresome!" he muttered. "Just, too, when we want tocommunicate at once."
"But you can see her, sir?"
"No, my lad, no," he cried. "How can I see her if she is not here?"
"But I thought you said she had shifted her moorings, sir?"
"Yes, and gone down the river somewhere. Hang it all, she can't havesailed without us."
"They wouldn't do that, sir," I cried, feeling quite startled at theidea of the ship leaving us with our small boat in the midst ofstrangers. "Why, she must have had news of some other junks, sir, andgone in pursuit, or is it a mistake? We can't have come far enough.No; this is the spot."
The men were looking at me inquiringly, just as men accustomed to be ledlean on their superiors for orders, even if one of those superiors be amere boy, while I, acting in precisely the same spirit, looked up to MrBrooke, and listened excitedly for what he would say next.
It seemed to be a long time before he spoke, and then it was between histeeth and with angry vehemence, as he dropped down into his seat.
"After all this hard struggle to get back with our news," he muttered,i
n so low a tone that I only heard his words, while the men sat withtheir oars balanced gazing forward to see if they could make out the_Teaser's_ funnel and tall spars. "They ought not to have stirred; it'splaying at dog and the shadow. Here have we brought the substance, andthey are snapping at the reflection."
"Mr Brooke!" I said in a whisper.
"All right, my boy; don't be down-hearted. It's the fortune of sealife. Here we are, tired, hungry, and hot, with a badly leaking boat,and a far from friendly place to land in and get her repaired."
"But they can't have gone far," I said.
"I don't know, my lad. Had some news of pirates, perhaps. All I knownow is that they've left us in the lurch."