CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.
"QUITE SAFE TILL DAWN."
"It seems rather absurd for us to settle down to talk about making whatpeople call infernal machines, Stan," said Uncle Jeff, and he pointedthrough the open window of the office to the scene being enacted on thewharf, with a lovely background of river, cultivated ground covered withcorn, rice, and fruit-trees, and beyond these hill and mountain of everyshade of delicious blue. "Why, everything looks as peaceful as can be.Look at those trading-craft with the stores they are bringing in, andthe village boats piled up with fruit, vegetables, and grain. Hullo!What's that next one?"
"Oh, that's the one that brings milk and eggs, poultry and little pigs,"said Stan, smiling. "We call it the _Dairy_."
"I really cannot realise the horrors you talked about, Stan, and in themidst of such a beautiful scene of peace and content I can't talk abouttorpedoes. Here, I want some of those bright golden bananas from thatboat."
Stan's forehead puckered up again, and he did not even glance at theboat with golden bananas, oranges, and scarlet tomatoes.
"But you wouldn't say it was absurd to talk about umbrellas because we'dhad three or four lovely days, uncle. Storms are sure to come."
"Snubbed!" exclaimed Uncle Jeff.
"Uncle!"
"Well, I am, Stan--regularly snubbed; and I deserve it, boy. Never mindyour umbrella simile; let's have a better one. Suppose we say it'sfoolish to build a house on the slope of a volcano because the mountainhas been quiet for a few years. That's better. Yes, it would befoolish to settle down in the belief of there being peace when that ladyof the doves doesn't seem to be indigenous to Chinese soil. We'll seeabout the torpedoes at once, Stan; but let us moderate our transports,and begin with a couple. They'll be easier to manage, and we might findthat we could improve upon them."
"Yes, that is most likely, uncle," said Stan. "Let it be two, then."
"Take a sheet of paper, and we'll make out a list of the things we wantsent out."
"Yes, uncle," said the lad eagerly; and he took a big sheet of ruledfoolscap, dipped a pen, and sat ready to take down his uncle's words.
But none came, for Uncle Jeff was filling a pipe now and lookingthoughtfully before him in silence.
"It seems to me," he said at last, "that--Hullo, Blunt! We're jottingdown some notions for our torpedoes."
"You haven't any ready, I suppose?"
"Ready?" said Uncle Jeff, staring. "Of course not."
"Then they'll be of no use to us this time."
"Is anything the matter, Mr Blunt?" said Stan, whose late experienceshad made him ready to take alarm.
"Yes, Lynn; a tea-grower from up-country has come down to warn me thatsome junks have been prepared, filled with men, and are coming down theriver again."
"A false alarm, perhaps."
"No; I have too much faith in my informant, one of those with whom Ihave done most business since I have been here. He tells me that he hada hint that the pirates were on the way again so as to have revenge fortheir late defeat, and he came across country to warn me."
"Then we can't be ready for them this time, Stan," said Uncle Jeff."Never mind; put your paper away, and we'll prepare for our visitors.We'll take it out again and finish it when they have gone."
The evil news was unexpected; there had been no warning giving time forpreparation, and upon further inquiry it proved that the enemy were notcoming slowly down the river, plundering villages on their way, but weremaking straight for the _hong_, bent upon revenge.
Every one there felt this, and knowing full well the mercilessness ofthe foe, all set to work in desperate earnest. There was no time forbuilding up the outwork of chests and bales, but Stan declared that tobe of no consequence, for all it did on the last occasion was to delaythe enemy for a while, and when they did make a rush it did more harmthan good, as it provided shelter for the attacking party, close up tothe warehouse, from which they could assail in security, as well assupplying a platform from which to hurl the stink-pots.
"But it must have been a splendid place from which to fire," said UncleJeff.
"Yes, uncle; but it was horrible when the assault came, and I was indoubt as to whether we could all get in and close up the two doors."
"Oh yes, let it go," said Blunt glumly. "I hated the place. Didn't Iget shot down there? Don't speak up for it, Mr Lynn. We can barricadeall the lower windows and the doors, and be all shut in here safelybefore the enemy can land, while all our fighting can be done from thefirst floor, quite out of reach of their spears."
"I give up," said Uncle Jeff; and he worked hard with the rest insecuring all the lower windows, and holding planks for the Chinesecarpenters to screw up, before wedging up the windows with a lining oftea-chests.
The doors were blocked up as on the previous occasion; water-casks weregot on to the upper floor, as well as placed in the lower, and an amplesupply of the fire-quenching element brimmed them, as well as everybucket that could be obtained.
There was plenty of time for this, the labour that would have beenbestowed upon the outwork being utilised here in strengthening the keep,as Uncle Jeff called it, and making it as secure as it was possible tobe.
There was a curious look in Blunt's eyes as he opened thecartridge-boxes and placed a couple of them on tables and chests in thelower floor, as far apart as he could to be handy.
"I haven't forgotten my dreamy fancy about the stink-pots rolling downthe stairs, Lynn," he said. "If one should come and by any strangeaccident fire one box, I'm not going to have that set off the rest."
"But suppose a burning pot did happen to fall into an open chest ofcartridges," said Stan, "what would happen?"
"I never had the ill-fortune to be by when such an event occurred," saidBlunt rather sarcastically, "but you may depend upon it somethingwould."
"Well, I know that," cried Stan; "but what? Cartridges wouldn't go offlike so much loose powder."
"Of course not."
"What I want to know is, would they go off one at a time?"
"There's only one way of knowing for certain, Lynn: stand by and watch."
"But the cartridges couldn't do much mischief unless one stood oppositeto the bullet-ends."
"I shouldn't like to try, my lad. It seems to me that, according to howthe cartridges are packed, one would have to undergo the fusillade ofwhat would seem like so many tiny guns, each loaded with a conicalbullet; and I think we shall spare no pains to keep fire away."
"How are you getting on here?" said Uncle Jeff, coming up, wiping hiswet brow.
"Oh, pretty well, sir," replied Blunt. "I have been arranging the othercases ready for supplying the men's bandoliers when empty, and yournephew and I have been discussing what would be the consequences if afire-pot came down into an open case."
"Never mind discussions now," said Uncle Jeff. "I want to know ifthere's anything more that I can do to strengthen the upper works."
"I'll come round with you now," said Blunt.
"Come along, then.--Come too, Stan, my lad.--But let us have a word withthe lookout man."
They passed out through the nearest doorway to hail the watch, whichonce more proved to be Wing, who this time was keenly on the alert, andready to announce that the enemy were not yet in sight.
"What a change!" said Uncle Jeff as he paused upon the wharf to lookround. The scene was the same as he had gazed upon when seated at thetable with Stan making plans; but the river was deserted, every boatbeing hurried away in panic as soon as the coming danger was known.
The little party turned in again, noting that the planks and chests forscrewing up and barricading the door through which they passed wereready for use as soon as the necessity came. The other door had alreadybeen closed up, after the last window.
A visit then to the upper floor showed everything in readiness forreceiving the attack, and nothing was left but to wait; while, the lastshades of evening showing no sign of the approaching enemy, it wasconcluded that no at
tack need be expected till morning.
"They are bound to be some hours coming down after being sighted," saidBlunt.
"Of course, with the river winding as it does; but we'll be ready allthe same. I say, though, Blunt, is there any possibility of an attackbeing made from the shore?"
"I don't think so," was the reply; "but we'll be prepared all the same,every one sleeping with his arms by his side. But it would mean atremendous march along dikes and through swampy paddy-fields. No, I donot think it is likely. The enemy are boatmen, and do not care totramp."
"Then you can feel safe for some hours," said Uncle Jeff.
"Yes, quite safe till dawn."
"Then I vote for every one getting as good a sleep as possible beforethen, so that we may be in good fighting trim by the morning."
"Sleep, uncle!" cried Stan. "Who could possibly sleep at a time likethis?"
"I could, and will if I have the chance. I want steady hands for aimingto-morrow."
"You had better sleep, sir," said Blunt. "Lynn here and I will dividethe watch between us."
"No," said Uncle Jeff; "I don't mean to be left out in the cold. Ishall divide the watch, taking one-third. You're weak, Blunt, so youand Stan go and lie down. In three hours I'll wake Stan, and he shallhave his three hours' watch and then come and rouse you. Then you oughtto be fresher and stronger. There! no arguing; I'm going to be masterover this. You send all the fellows off but two to keep watch with me,and do so at once."
Uncle Jeff's tones endorsed his words, being masterful in the extreme.Very shortly after the great building was silent as could be, and theonly sounds that broke the night were the cries of distant wild birds,the splashings of feeding fish, and the steady tramp of the chiefwatcher. His big burly figure loomed up as he walked to and fro alongthe paved wharf, his two companions preferring to pass their timewhispering together, straining their eyes for any dark, shadowy vesselthat might come stealing down the river, the subject of their discussionbeing the desperate fight through which they had gone so short a timebefore, while they wondered what would have happened by that time thenext night.
The three hours passed away, and to the minute Uncle Jeff sent hiscompanions to rouse Stan and the two men who were to take their places.
Three more hours passed, and in turn Stan sent one man to rouse up thetwo next sentries and went himself to awaken Blunt.
"Yes, Lynn; all right. Hah! I've had such a sleep. What of thenight?"
"All calm and still. It's getting misty now, though, and a bit chilly."
"That means a greatcoat for this poor weak invalid. There! turn in andhave another sleep till breakfast-time."
Stan did not stop to enter into any discussion, but the moment he hadseen the manager take his place with his followers he threw himself uponthe rough couch so lately vacated, and dropped asleep at once.
The next minute he was awake again, or so it seemed to him, to findBlunt's hand upon his arm.
"Up with you," he said, "and help to rouse the rest. Every man is to goto his station without a sound."
"Are the enemy upon us, then?"
"No," said Blunt shortly. "You said it was misty, and that has gone on,till the river is covered by a white fog so dense that it looks as ifyou could cut it. You can see nothing half-a-dozen yards away, and Iwas wondering whether it would disperse when the sun rose, when Wingcame close up behind me. `See, misteh?' he whispered, and he pointeddown the river into the thick white fog. `No,' I said. `What is it?'He pointed again down-stream, and at that moment the mist, which floatedlike smoke on the surface of the water, lifted a little. Lynn, I feltstunned, for there were six junks in sight."
"So close?" whispered Stan.
"Yes; and the next minute the mist shut in again and they were gone assilently as they had come."
"But they had seen the _hong_?"
"No, I think not, or they would have set to and used their sweeps. Wemust wait now till they begin to come back, unless we are so lucky thatthey run aground on the other side. Quick! I'm going back to thewharf."
Stan made no reply, but hurried to where Uncle Jeff was sleepingsoundly. He sprang up at a touch.
"Come?" he said sharply.
"Yes. I'm going to rouse up the others. Blunt wants you on the wharf."
So well had the plans been made that in an incredibly short space oftime the whole of the defenders had gathered in silence, to find thatthe place was completely shut in by the thick white mist, neitherwarehouse nor river being visible, even those who were two yards distantbeing quite invisible to their friends.