CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
SUDDEN AND BAD NEWS INDUCES SUDDEN AND GOOD ACTION.
About this time there hung a dark cloud over the pagoda in Hong-Kong.Even the bright eyes of Molly Machowl could not pierce through thiscloud. Rooney himself had lost much of his hopeful disposition. As forEdgar Berrington, Joe Baldwin, and David Maxwell, they were silentlydepressed, for adversity had crushed them very severely of late.
Immediately after their losses, as already detailed or referred to,stormy weather had for several weeks prevented them from resumingoperations at the wreck, and when at last they succeeded in reaching theold locality, they found themselves so closely watched by shore boatsthat the impossibility of their being able to keep anything they shouldbring up became obvious. They were forced, therefore, to give up theidea of making further attempts.
"It's too bad," growled Maxwell one morning at breakfast, "that all ourtrouble and expense should end in nothin'--or next to nothin'."
"Come, Maxwell," said Edgar, "don't say `nothing.' It is true we lostour first great find that luckless night when we left it with Wilson,but our second haul is safe, and though it amounts only to eightthousand pounds sterling, that after all is not to be sneezed at by menin our circumstances."
"Make not haste to be rich," muttered Joe Baldwin in an undertone.
"_Did_ we make haste to be rich?" asked Edgar, smiling. "It seems to methat we set about it in a cool, quiet, business-like way."
"Humph, that's true, but we got uncommon keen over it--somethin' likewhat gamblers do."
"Our over-keenness," returned Edgar, "was not right, perhaps, but ourcourse of action was quite legitimate--for it is a good turn done notonly to ourselves but to the world when we save property; and the salvorof property--who necessarily risks so much--is surely worthy of a goodreward in kind."
"Troth, an' that's true," said Rooney, with a wry grin, "I had quitemade up me mind to a carridge and four with Molly astore sittin' insilks an' satins inside."
"Molly would much rather sit in cotton," said the lady referred to, asshe presided at the breakfast-table; "have another cup, Rooney, an'don't be talking nonsense."
"But it does seem hard," continued Maxwell in his growling voice, "afterall our trouble in thin venture, to be obliged to take to divin' at mereharbour-works in Eastern waters, just to keep body and soul together."
"Never mind, boy," exclaimed Rooney with a successful effort atheartiness, "it won't last long--it's only till we get a suitable chanceof a ship to take us an' our small fortins back to ould Ireland--orEngland, if ye prefer it--though it's my own opinion that England isonly an Irish colony. Never say die. Sure we've seen a dale of life,too, in them parts. Come, I'll give ye a sintiment, an' we'll drink itin tay--"
Before the hopeful Irishman could give the sentiment, he was interruptedby the sudden opening of the door and the abrupt entrance of a Chinaman,who looked at the breakfast party with keen interest and some anxiety.
"If it's your grandmother you're lookin' for," said Rooney, "she don'tlive here, young man."
Paying no attention to this pleasantry, the Chinaman closed the doorwith an air of mystery, and, going up to Edgar, looked him inquiringlyin the face, as he said interrogatively:--
"I's pleeceman. You's Eggirbringting?"
"Not a bad attempt," exclaimed Edgar, with a laugh. "I suppose _that_is my name translated into Chinese."
"Took me muchee--long--time for learn him from young missee," said theChinaman with a hurt look.
At the mention of a young lady Edgar's amused look changed into one ofanxiety, for he had, through an English acquaintance in the port, becomeaware not only of Mr Hazlit's failure, but of his sudden departure forEngland with his daughter and Miss Pritty, and a vague suspicion of badnews flashed upon him.
"You bring a message, I see?" he said, rising and speaking hurriedly."Let me hear it. Quick."
Thus invoked, the Chinaman spoke so quickly and in such a miraculousjumble of bad English, that Edgar could not comprehend him at all;--onlyone thing he felt quite sure of, namely, that his anxiety was wellfound.
"Ho! Chok-foo!" he shouted.
The domestic entered, and to him the Chinaman delivered his message,which was to the following effect:--
He was a native policeman who had been captured on the coast when indischarge of his duties. Many others had been taken by the same piratesat different times, and among them an English gentleman named Hazlit,with his daughter and a lady friend. These latter had been spared,probably with a view to ransom, at the time the crew of their vessel wasmassacred, and were at that moment in one of the strongholds belongingto the pirates, up one of the intricate rivers on the coast of Borneo.He, the policeman, having resolved to make his escape, and being, invirtue of his wise, wily, and constabular nature, well able to do so,had mentioned the circumstance to the young lady, and, under promise ofa handsome reward, had agreed to travel and voyage, night and day, byboat or vessel, as fortune should favour him, in order to conveyimmediate intelligence of these facts to a youth named "Eggirbringting,"whom the young lady described as being very tall and stout, andextremely handsome.
It may easily be imagined with what mingled feelings of anxiety andimpatience the "tall, stout, and extremely handsome young man" listenedto this narrative as it was volubly delivered by the "pleeceman" andslowly translated by Chok-foo.
When at last he was fairly in possession of all that the messenger hadto relate, Edgar paced up and down the room for a few seconds with rapidstrides.
"We must go into action at once, sir," suggested Joe Baldwin.
"Of course, of course, but _how_? That's the point," exclaimed Edgar,with a look of impatient vexation. "Borneo is a long way off. Thereare no steamers running regularly to it that I know of. However, it'sof no use talking; let's go at once and make inquiry. I'll go see ourconsul--perhaps--"
"P'lhaps," interrupted the messenger, "p'lhaps the pleeceman cantalkee."
"If he can, let him speak," cried Edgar, with impatience.
"Pleece he nevir too muchee quick," returned the man, coolly. "We knowswhat we's can do. Hai, yach!"
Edgar sat down with a sharp sigh of discontent, and waited for more.
"Well?"
"Well," repeated the policeman, "there be steam-boat here now--go forBorneo quick."
"At once!" cried Edgar, starting up and seizing his hat, "why did younot--"
"Sh! Keepee cool, you no 'casion makes so fashion," interrupted thepoliceman, who thereupon went on to explain that on his arrival inHong-Kong he had gone at once to head-quarters, before delivering hismessage to Edgar, in order to make himself master of all the news abouttown that was worth knowing, or likely in any way to advance theinterest of those whom he sought to serve. Among other things he hadlearned the important fact that, two days before his arrival, a smallgun-boat, belonging to a certain Rajah of Borneo, and commanded by acertain Scotchman, and employed for the express purpose of hunting upand rooting out the pirates of the China seas, had put in to the portfor repairs. He had hurried down to the gun-boat in time to prevent herdeparture, had told his story, and had just come from her to say thather captain would like much to see Mr Berrington.
On hearing this, Edgar again started up and eagerly ordered the nativepoliceman to guide him to the gun-boat in question without anothermoment's delay. He was followed, of course, by his male companions, whowere nearly as much interested in the matter as himself. They were soonon the deck of the gun-boat.
It was a neat trim screw-steamer of small size, 180 tons burthen, andmanned by about sixty Malays and a few Englishmen. Everything on boardwas as bright and orderly as if it had been a British man-of-war. Hercommander received the visitors on the quarter-deck. He looked like onewho was eminently well qualified to hunt up, run down, cut out, or inany other mode make away with pirates. There was much of thebull-terrier in him--solid, broad, short, large-chested--no doubt alsolarge-hearted--active, in the prime of life, with short bl
ack curlyhair, a short black beard and moustache, a square chin, a pleasantsmile, a prominent nose, and an eagle eye. Indeed he might himself havemade a splendid chief of the very race against which he waged "war tothe knife."
"Glad to make your acquaintance, Mr Berrington," said the captain,holding out his hand. "The native policeman has told me all about yourfriends--I understand them to be such?"
"Yes--intimate friends."
"Well, this business is quite in my way. I shall be glad to take youwith me. But who are these?" he added, looking at Edgar's companions.
"They are comrades, and might do good service if you will allow them tovolunteer."
"My crew is complete," said the captain, doubtfully, "except, indeed,that my chief engineer is just dead, but none of your men look as ifthey could fill his shoes."
"That is true, but I can fill them myself," said Edgar, eagerly.
"Indeed!"
"Yes, I am an engineer by profession; my comrades are professionaldivers. We have been engaged on a wreck here for some time past."
"Good," said the captain; "are your dresses and apparatus at hand?"
"Some of them are."
"Then bring them aboard at once. I leave in an hour. Just bring whatyou have handy. Lose no time. I will take your men also. They may beof use."
Within an hour after the foregoing conversation Molly Machowl was leftdisconsolate in the pagoda under the care of Chok-foo, while the Rajah'sgun-boat was steaming out to sea with Edgar, Baldwin, Rooney, Maxwell,and Ram-stam added to her warlike crew.