Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England
A Chinese Command, A Story of Adventure in Eastern Seas, by HarryCollingwood.
________________________________________________________________________We have two confessions to make before we tell you about the story. Thefirst is to say that there are two missing pages from the copy of thebook we used, 223 and 224, the last two pages of chapter 14, rather anexciting moment in the story. We shall try to get photocopies of thesepages, but it will take time.
The second one will make you laugh: The Chinese Admiral Wong-Li, whoplays a big part in the book, was always being read by the audiobookprogram as "wong fifty one". No doubt you can see why. So I changedhis name, with apologies, to Wong-lih, thus restoring the correctpronunciation, and not making a huge difference to the story.
Frobisher is a cashiered Royal Navy ex-officer. He is approached torun some arms to the rebels in Korea, and thus make his fortune. Thisfails, and the arms get into the hands of the legitimate government.After some vicissitudes he finds himself in China, and talking to theabove admiral, who offers him the command of a battleship, with theprospect of taking part in a war against Japan. He does this but loseshis ship in a storm towards the end of the book. Meanwhile he hasfound the lost millions hidden away by Genghiz Khan many centuriesbeforehand. He has no hesitation in purloining these, and eventuallyon getting back to England, buying his way back into grace by presentingthe nation with a number of brand-new battleships, for which bit ofsleaze he is given a baronetcy, and restored to the Navy List.
It makes a good audiobook. NH.
________________________________________________________________________A CHINESE COMMAND, A STORY OF ADVENTURE IN EASTERN SEAS, BY HARRYCOLLINGWOOD.
CHAPTER ONE.
THE OUTCAST.
A furious gust of wind tore down the chimney, blowing the smoke out intothe small but cosily-furnished sitting-room of the little cottage atKingston-on-Thames, and sending a shower of sparks hissing andspluttering on to the hearth-rug, where they were promptly trodden outby a tall, fair-haired young giant, who lazily removed his feet from achair on which they reposed, for the purpose.
This operation concluded, he replaced his feet on the chair withdeliberation, re-arranged a cushion behind his head, leaned backluxuriously, and started hunting in his pocket for matches wherewith tolight his pipe, which had gone out.
"Beastly night for a dog to be out, much more a human being," hesoliloquised. "Poor old Murray's sure to be drenched when he gets back,as well as frozen to the bone. Let's see--is everything ready for him?Yes, there are his slippers warming before the fire--hope none of thosesparks burnt a hole in 'em--likewise dry coat, shirt, and trousers; thatought to do him all right. I hope to goodness the poor old chap's gotsome encouragement to-day, if nothing else, for he's fearfully down onhis luck, and no mistake. And, between me and those fire-irons there,I'm getting almost afraid to let him out of my sight, for fear he'll goand do something foolish--though, to be sure, he's hardly that kind offellow, when one comes to think of it. However, he should be in verysoon now, and then I, shall learn the news."
Having delivered himself of this monologue, Dick Penryn lit his pipe,took up the book he had been reading, and was soon deep in the pages ofTheophile Gautier's _Voyage en l'Orient_.
Dick Penryn and Murray Frobisher, the friend to whom he had beenalluding, were chums of many years' standing. They had been born withina few months of one another--Frobisher being slightly the elder--in thesame Devon village; had attended the same school in Plymouth--MannameadHouse, to be exact; had gone to the same college together, and hadpassed into the British Navy within a year of one another--Frobisherbeing again first in the race.
Then, for some years, fortune smiled upon both. Each won goldenopinions from his superiors; and by the time that the lads weretwenty-three years of age they had attained the rank of lieutenant, andshowed signs of rising rapidly in the service.
Everything was going splendidly, and both Dick and Murray were enjoyingtemporary rank as commanders of torpedo-boats during the wintermanoeuvres of 1891-92, when suddenly, without any warning, Fate turnedher face away from one of the chums and plunged him from the pinnacle oflight-hearted happiness to the depths of misery and despair.
One evening, while a portion of the defending fleet was lying inPortland Roads waiting to be joined by the other division, news wasbrought in by one of the scouting destroyers that the attacking fleethad been seen at the entrance to the Channel, steering a course whichundoubtedly had Portland as its objective. If that naval base was to be"saved", it was urgently necessary to send eastward in haste toPortsmouth, to bring up the other half of the defending squadron;otherwise the attackers would have things all their own way, and thesouth-west coast of England would lie at the mercy of the "enemy."
The destroyer _Spitfire_, which had just brought the news, wouldnaturally have been selected to carry the message under ordinarycircumstances--one of the rules of the game being that the telegraphmight not be used by either side; but unfortunately, while still aconsiderable distance from Portland, she had commenced to run short ofcoal, being obliged to steam at half-speed for a number of hours, andfinally arrived in the harbour on the sweepings of her bunkers. Hencethere was greater need for haste than ever; and, as it would have takenlonger to re-bunker the _Spitfire_ than for T.B. 42, Murray's ship, toraise steam, the young commander was sent for in hot haste by hisadmiral, hurriedly given his instructions, and told to raise steam andmake for Portsmouth with the news in "something less than a pig'swhisper."
Delighted at receiving this important commission, Murray Frobisher hadhurried back to his little ship, helped the astonished stokers with hisown hands to raise steam, and at midnight on a dark, blustering night,with half a gale blowing from the south-east, the sea running steeply,and a heavy driving rain lashing right in their faces, he and his littlecrew cleared from Portland Roads, dashed across Weymouth Bay at areckless speed--considering the height of the sea--and doubled SaintAlban's Head.
Murray found that the storm in the bay was a mere trifle compared withthat which he was now facing; so, for safety's sake, and to avoid beingblown ashore, he was compelled to stand off the coast a good dealfarther than he had originally intended. He knew that he was in aposition of some danger, and, besides being himself additionally on thealert, he posted an extra look-out, with orders to keep his eyes wideopen for the first signs of light or loom of moving ship upon thatblack, rushing waste of water.
T.B. 42 was behaving splendidly, and Murray was just congratulatinghimself that, in spite of the violence of the wind, his little craft wasfighting her way to her destination at a good honest twelve knots anhour, when, with a shriek like that of a thousand warlocks, the wind andsleet whirled down in a burst of vicious fury that struck the boat likea solid wall, rendering it a matter of physical impossibility for anyhuman being to face it until after its first violence was exhausted.
It was during those few fateful moments that the catastrophe occurred.As the gust veered away astern, and the breathless, half-frozen seamenon deck were again able to direct their eyes ahead, there came a wildcry from the look-out forward of: "Port your helm, sir; port your helm!"followed, before Murray could spring to the assistance of thequartermaster at the wheel, by a splintering crash, the rending sound ofsteel rasping through steel. Then the little craft heeled over tostarboard, until Murray felt himself sliding bodily down the steeplyinclined deck towards the sea; while above, right over his head, as itseemed, he could dimly perceive the outline of a great, towering metalstem that still surged and sawed onward and
over Number 42, relentlessas fate itself.
A second later, and the catastrophe was complete. The colliding steamerlifted with the 'scend of the waves and crashed down yet again upon thehapless torpedo-boat, and young Frobisher found himself in the ragingsea, clinging instinctively to something--he knew not what--that hadcome away in his hands as he flung them out wildly to prevent himselffrom sliding off the deck. As his head appeared above the brine afterthe plunge, he heard certain dreadful cries which he never forgot aslong as he lived. They were the death shrieks of his unhappy crew,imprisoned below among the bursting steam-pipes and boilers, the cascadeof white-hot coals from the furnaces, and the crumpling wreckage ofmachinery and torn plates; and he knew that his trim little ship and hisgallant comrades were gone from him for ever.
As it happened, those on the look-out on board the liner, with the stormbehind them and their eyes consequently clear, had seen the boat at theinstant when the collision had become inevitable; and the captain hadpromptly rung his engines astern, brought his ship to a standstill, andlowered his boats in an endeavour to rescue the survivors. But the onlyperson rescued was the unfortunate Murray himself, and even he washauled on board more dead than alive, grieving that it had not been hislot to share the fate of his crew.
Upon his recovery he was called upon to face a court martial for theloss of his ship; and--strange were the ways of the Judge-Advocate--wasdismissed that Service which, confronted by a less-harsh officer, hemight have remained to honour. And since that miserable moment theunhappy man had been living upon his slender savings, endeavouringmeanwhile to obtain employment of any sort that would keep the wolf fromthe door.
At the moment when this story opens, Murray Frobisher was down to hislast few sovereigns, and had therefore been unfeignedly glad to acceptthe invitation of kind-hearted Dick Penryn, his former comrade-in-arms,to share the cottage at Kingston where, having no ties of any kind, thatyoung gentleman was staying during his spell of shore leave. And it wasMurray whom Penryn was momentarily expecting on this stormy, cold, anddismal evening in March, 1893, just a year after the catastrophe in theChannel which had ruined his career in the British Navy, and all butbroken his heart.
Dick Penryn had scarcely finished another page of his very fascinatingbook when he heard the front door of the cottage open. A furious gustof wind tore through the little house for a moment, causing even theoccupant of the easy chair to shiver in sympathy with his friend; andthen the door was shut with a slam, and he heard Murray Frobisher'swell-known footsteps ascending the stairs. But there was not the formerlight-hearted spring in them. Murray was coming upstairs slowly andheavily, like a man carrying a ponderous burden, and Dick heaved a sharpsigh as he murmured to himself, "No luck again to-day, evidently; else_we_ should have had Murray coming up here full steam ahead. Poor oldboy! I wonder what on earth will happen to him if he doesn't get aberth soon? A man can't go on like this for ever without losing heart;and there are already signs that the boy is beginning to lose hope. Iwish to Heaven there was something I could do for him; but unfortunatelyI have not a particle of influence; I am absolutely powerless."
At this moment the door of the little room opened, and Murray stoodframed in the opening, looking at his friend with an expression in whichweariness, disappointment, and a certain suggestion of relief werecuriously blended. If Dick Penryn was what some people were in thehabit of calling a giant, then Murray Frobisher could only be consideredgigantic. Standing fully six feet four inches in his boots, broad inproportion, weighing fully sixteen stone, with dark, olive complexionbronzed almost to the shade of an Arab's by exposure to the weather, andwith clean-shaven cheeks and lips, and close-cropped, wavy black hair,the man was a truly magnificent specimen of humanity, compelling theattention of all with whom he came in contact.
"So you're back at last, Murray," shouted Penryn, leaping out of hischair, and speaking more cheerfully than he felt that the occasionwarranted. "Come inside, man; come inside! Don't stand there in thedoorway letting in all the draught; goodness knows it's cold enoughwithout that!" And as Murray closed the door behind him, and slowlypulled forward a chair to the fire, he proceeded: "And what's the newsto-day, old man? Any luck of any sort; or has it been the usual styleof things--offer your services and have them declined with, or without,thanks?"
"Well," answered Murray in his deep bass tones, stretching out hishalf-frozen hands to the blaze, "I hardly know what to think aboutto-day. It certainly has been a little different from the usual run ofthings, but not very much. During the whole of the morning, and for thebetter part of the afternoon, luck was dead against me, as usual. Then,about four o'clock, there came just one little ray of light to brightenthe darkness."
"Capital!" broke in Dick, cheerfully. "Every little helps, you know.Straws show which way the wind blows, and all the rest of it. Tell usabout this ray of light of yours."
"Well," answered Frobisher, with a wry smile, "I don't know that it wasvery much of a ray, after all; but I'll tell you what happened. I hadbeen running up and down office stairs from before nine o'clock untilabout three in the afternoon, without result, and I became heartily sickof it; and just by way of a change, I made up my mind to take a run downto the docks and see whether there was anything doing there.
"I got down at about three-thirty, and, feeling pretty hungry--for I hadhad nothing to eat since breakfast--I went into a small place withinhail of the dock gates, and asked for some bread and cheese and beer.The landlady, a kindly old soul, seeing, I suppose, that I looked cold,and as though I could do with a rest, showed me into a little sanctumlabelled _Captains' Room_, where, I was glad to see, there blazed a finebig fire, before which stood two or three very cosy-looking arm-chairs.
"Throwing myself into one, I began to discuss my frugal luncheon withconsiderable appetite, and had nearly finished when the door opened, andin came the most curious-looking little man I have ever set eyes on.That he was a seaman was perfectly apparent to the meanest intelligence,and I at once set him down as the first officer--as they call themselvesnowadays--or perhaps even the skipper, of a tramp steamer. He wascertainly not more than five feet in height, but his breadth of shoulderand depth of chest were so enormous as to amount, literally, to adeformity; and I should judge that his strength must be herculean, asthe novelists say. He was bronzed to the colour of deep mahogany, andhad a heavy black moustache and a beard which grew right up to hiseyes--deep-set, black, and as brilliant as diamonds. Added to this hewore gold ear-rings, and, altogether, was as like my conception of oneof the pirates of old, about whom we used to read in our young days, asany man possibly could be.
"From the moment the man entered the room I began to feel deeplyinterested in him, and could scarcely refrain from staring at himopenly. `Here,' I said to myself, `is a personality; a man who hasknocked about the world during most of his life; a man who has seenthings and done things, some of which, probably, would not bear tooclose scrutiny.' For he gave me the impression of being a person whowould make a good, stanch friend, but who would prove to be a thoroughlybad and dangerous enemy.
"Apparently he was a bit surprised to find anybody else in the captains'sanctum at that time of day; and, after the first hasty glance, itseemed as though he, too, was taking more than usual interest in yourhumble servant; for every time I raised my eyes to take a quiet look athim, I found his black, glittering orbs fixed on me, with that curious,unblinking stare that you may have noticed among certain species ofbirds. Seriously, Dick, I can tell you that he kept this staringbusiness up so long that I was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable,and had made up my mind to finish my meal as soon as possible andcontinue my journey down to the docks, when I heard him give vent to akind of grunt, which might have expressed satisfaction, dissatisfaction,disgust, or any other feeling for aught I could judge.
"Then, taking his eyes off me, this curious customer tugged the bell andordered the servant to bring him a glass of `rum hot', and a bit of coldmeat and bread; from which, w
hen it arrived, he began to make a meal,eating as though it were the first time he had touched food for severaldays. Indeed, he ate so fast and so wolfishly, that by the time I hadfinished my own meal, and had rung the bell for the bill, my piraticalfriend was also pushing away his plate with a sigh of satisfaction, andasking for his bill. Both reckonings having been paid, I was on thepoint of leaving the room when the stranger, whose name I afterwardslearned was Drake--a quite appropriate name, I thought, for such afreebooter-looking character--put out a great, hairy paw as though toprevent me, and remarked, in a deep, rumbling voice:--
"`One moment, young gentleman. Unless you are in a great hurry I'd liketo have a word or two with you.'
"Naturally, Dick, I was a little astonished," proceeded Murray, "but Imust confess that I had become vastly interested in the little man, and,as offers of employment sometimes come from the most unlikely sources,like a drowning man clutching at a straw I determined to hear what hehad to say. Possibly it might lead to something; and in any case I feltthat I should do no harm by listening to him.
"`I think I can spare you a few minutes,' I remarked. `What is it youwish to see me about?'
"`You're a seaman, aren't you?' he said, answering my question withanother.
"`Yes,' I replied, `I am.'
"`Navy man, too, unless I'm much mistaken,' was his next remark.
"`Well,' I said, rather hesitatingly, `I was a Navy man--a lieutenant--not so very long ago, but I had the misfortune to lose my ship undercircumstances for which, I must say, in justice to myself, I think I washardly to blame. However, the members of the court martial took adifferent view of the case, and I was, to put it bluntly, dismissed theService. Since then I have been looking out for other employment--something in my own line, if possible; but if not, then anything that Ican lay my hands on. But so far, I am sorry to say, I have met withnothing but rebuffs. Nobody on the face of this earth appears to need aman with my qualifications just now.'
"`Ha, ha!' chuckled the little man, rubbing his hands gleefully. `Justas I thought when I first set eyes on you. Here, says I to myself, is aseaman, sure enough--I could tell that at the first glance--a Navy man,too, by the way he carries himself, and no longer in the Service by thegeneral--er--um--not on active duty at the moment, I mean to say,' heended, rather lamely, with an apologetic cough.
"I felt myself going red round the ears, Dick, and might have beeninclined to be angry had anyone else spoken thus. But there wassomething about my little pirate that assured me he did not in the leastintend to be offensive, so I only laughed, rather ruefully. If my`out-of-work' condition was so apparent as to be noted by even a commonseaman, it was no wonder, I told myself, that I so often came out ofprivate offices with the words, `Nothing to suit you, I'm afraid, MrFrobisher', ringing in my ears.
"`Well,' I said, `granted that I am an ex-naval officer looking for ajob, what bearing has that upon your business with me? For I supposeyou must have some idea that you and I can do business together, sinceyou started the conversation.'
"`What bearing?' he repeated. `Well, I'll just tell you. As ithappens, I'm looking at this moment for exactly such a man as you appearto be. My name's Drake--Captain John Drake, of the tramp steamer_Quernmore_, two thousand five hundred and sixty tons register, to beexact--and, from what you've just said, I think I could make a prettygood shot at your tally. Should I be very far wrong if I said that youwere ex-lieutenant Murray Frobisher?'
"`On the contrary,' I answered, `you would have hit the bull's-eye deadin the centre.'
"`I was certain of it,' he smiled; `and again I say, more emphaticallythan ever, that you're the very man I'm looking for. If you'll takethat chair and pull up to the fire, I'll take the other and we'll have abit of a palaver.'
"Having seated ourselves comfortably, Drake at once proceeded:--
"`I may tell you, Mr Frobisher, that for the past twenty years I havebeen captain of this same steamer, trading between eastern ports all thewhile; and as this is the first time I have been back to old Englandduring the whole of that period, I don't think I'm very far wrong insaying that I know as much about the East as any man living--perhaps agood deal more. And there's not very much going on out there that Idon't know about. Sometimes, even, I get to know about things beforethey begin to happen, and am able to make my plans and put a littlemoney in my pocket thereby.
"`This is one of the occasions upon which I have managed to get wind ofsomething in advance, and in this case also I can see my way to makingquite a nice little pile of money. First of all, however, I must askyou to pledge your word that, if after I have told you my plans youdon't feel inclined to come in with me, you'll do nothing to upset thoseplans in any way whatever.'
"I gave him the required promise, perhaps just a little too readily, andDrake resumed his story.
"`It so happens that my last port of call was--well--a small seaport inKorea; and, while there, I heard some news that made me sit up and takenotice, as the Yankees say. It seems that, for some time past, theGovernment of Korea has been playing some very hanky-panky games: taxingthe people until the burden has become unbearable; punishing thesmallest offences with death by torture; confiscating the goods andmoney of every man who dared to allow himself a few more luxuries thanhis neighbours; and, in short, playing the very mischief all round.Naturally, even the mildest-mannered worm will turn under too much ofthat kind of thing, and the average Korean is anything butmild-mannered; so that, a little while ago, a party of officials decidedthat they had had quite enough of it, and proceeded quietly andmethodically to foment a rebellion against the Government.
"`When I left Korea, things were very nearly ripe for the outbreak; butit would have been suicidal folly for the rebels to have attemptedanything of the kind without proper arms to back it up, for the Koreansoldiery are naturally on the side from which they draw their pay--thatis to say, the side of the Government--and they also happen to beparticularly well armed just now. It was therefore necessary for thewould-be rebels to procure weapons before any successful revolt could beundertaken, and one day I was interviewed by one of the officials on thesubject of supplying the rebel army with modern rifles.
"`To make a rather long story short, the upshot of the interview wasthat I was commissioned to supply the rebels with one hundred thousandrifles, with the necessary ammunition, at a price which, if the ventureis successful, will make it possible for me to give up the seaaltogether and live ashore at my ease.'
"`Yes, yes,' I interrupted, rather impatiently; `this is interestingenough in its way, Captain, but I fail to see where it concerns me.'
"`I was just coming to that,' returned Drake, `when you interrupted me.I was unfortunate enough to lose my chief officer overboard in ahurricane in the Indian Ocean on the way home--a circumstance whichupset me and my plans very considerably, for he was a fine seaman, hadbeen with me many years, and knew all my little ways. In order to bringoff this venture successfully, I must replace him, for there will bedifficult and dangerous work ahead; and I need a man as much like my oldchief as possible, a man who is willing to go anywhere and do anything;a man who has the brains to organise, and the muscle and courage to keephis own end up in a fight.
"`I have often heard of you, Mr Frobisher, as being just that kind ofman; and I followed the whole account of your misfortune and theproceedings of the court martial in the newspapers. When I learned thatthey had dismissed you from the Service, I considered it a most shockingerror of judgment, and told myself that, had you been in my employ, youwould not have been so harshly treated. I would have liked at the timeto make a try to secure your services, but I had my own chief officerwith me then, and consequently had nothing to offer you. But now thingsare different. You need employment; I need your services, and amprepared to pay you well for them and give you a share of the profits.One of the conditions attaching to my contract is that I deliver therifles and ammunition into the hands of the rebel officers at--at asmall town a considerable distance inland
from the coast; and as Icannot leave my ship, the duty of conveying the cargo inland woulddevolve upon you. This is where the dangerous part of the businesscomes in, and I shall make allowance therefore in the rate of pay Ipropose to offer you.
"`If you will join me--to get down to hard facts--I will give you fortypounds a month, from the day you sign on with me until you leave theship on her return to England, or until you leave her out in the East,if you care to do that. There are plenty of chances for such a man asyourself out there. And, in addition, I agree to give you a share ofone-twentieth of my profits, which I estimate should amount to abouttwenty thousand pounds sterling. Therefore, one thousand pounds, overand above your pay, will be your share of the enterprise. Now, I'vesaid all I have to say; I've put the proposition before you; I've toldyou that it's likely to be both profitable and dangerous: what do yousay to joining me as my chief officer?'
"I tell you, Dick, I was too amazed to reply for a few moments, and mybrain was in such a whirl that all I could presently say was that Iwould think the thing over, and meet him again at the same placeto-morrow to give him a reply. The money part of the business naturallyappeals very strongly to one, but the amount seems almost too good to betrue. There would be at least six months' pay at forty pounds a month,and a thousand on top of that, if the expedition should provesuccessful; so that, all being well, I should have a little capital inmy hands to work with at the end of that time, and might be able so toinvest it as to make myself independent, for the remainder of my life,of anything like the experiences of this past year.
"On the other hand, I am inclined to look a little doubtfully upon thisgun-running, or smuggling, business. It is all utterly at variance withNavy traditions; and I would rather starve than set my hand to anythingthat has even the appearance of being in the least degree dishonest.Still, I am bound to say that, from all I can learn, it looks as thoughthe Korean rebels have a genuine grievance, and that the country mightbe all the better for a drastic change of government; so that I amreally very undecided what to do, Dick. One thing is certain--I mustget employment of some kind; and if you are seriously of opinion that Ican accept Drake's offer without soiling my hands I shall most certainlydo so. I have considered the matter pretty thoroughly myself on the wayhome, and, to tell the truth, I have almost persuaded myself that I mayaccept."
Dick Penryn, who during this narrative had been leaning back in hischair smoking, and listening attentively, took his pipe from his mouth,tapped the ashes out slowly and thoughtfully against the bars of thegrate, and sat up straight. Then, after a lengthy pause, he deliveredjudgment.
"Well, Murray," he said, "I've listened most attentively to your yarn,and I've been trying to look at the matter from an unprejudiced andindependent standpoint. Of course, as you very truthfully say, anythingin the nature of gun-running or smuggling is totally opposed to all ourNavy traditions. At the same time, you are, unfortunately, no longer inthe Navy; to all intents and purposes you are now a private individual,at liberty to take up any calling, profession, trade, or whatever youcare to term it, that offers you a chance to make a living. Employmentof some sort you certainly must have; and so long as that employment ishonest--I might almost say in your particular case, so long as it is not_dis_honest--I think you will be wise to take the first thing thatoffers.
"You have been out of harness for over a year now, and your ready cashmust be running pretty low, I should think; besides, this is the firstoffer that has come your way since you left the Navy, and if you do notaccept it while you have the opportunity, it may perhaps be another yearor more before you are given another chance. Personally, I do not seeanything wrong with Drake's proposal. It is a purely businessenterprise. Certain folk require certain goods, and Drake contracts tosupply them. In order to carry out his agreement he needs your help,and is willing to pay very handsomely for it; so my advice to you, myson, is that you take what is offered, and be thankful. Of course Ineed not say that if the arms had been intended for any country at war,or likely at any time to be at war, with England, such a thing would beabsolutely impossible for you to contemplate for a moment; but as thingsare--well, I have no hesitation in saying that under similarcircumstances my conscience would not worry me very much."
At this very clear and definite expression of opinion, Frobisher'sanxious expression vanished. He had evidently been a little afraid thathis friend might not look altogether favourably on the scheme; and hewas not so deeply in love with it himself that he would have feltinclined to follow it up had Dick voted against it or pronounced it oftoo "shady" a character for a gentleman to meddle with. But sinceDick's views coincided so completely with his own, he felt that therecould be no longer any room for hesitation.
"I'm glad indeed to hear you say that, Dick," he exclaimed, jumping up."It decides me absolutely. Tomorrow I'll run down to the docks, seeDrake on board the _Quernmore_ instead of waiting to meet him at thehotel as I had arranged, and tell him I have decided to accept hisoffer. I would go down to-night if it were not so late; for now thatI've made up my mind I should feel pretty bad if meanwhile he happenedto meet someone else who had not so many scruples as myself, and whoneeded a job badly enough to accept the opening on the spot, withouttaking time to think it over.
"However, I don't think Drake will interview anybody else until he hashad my answer, for he certainly seemed anxious enough to secure myparticular services; so I'll hope for the best and leave things in thehands of fate. And now, Dick," he went on, passing his hand across hisforehead, "I've had a long tiring day, and have a rather bad headacheinto the bargain; so, if you don't mind, I think I'll toddle up to bedand get to sleep; for I want to be up early in the morning. Good night,old man!"
"Good night, Murray, my hearty!" replied his friend. "I hope you'llsleep well, and have pleasant dreams. You ought to, after this piece ofgood luck. By the way, when does Drake want you to go aboard?"
"Oh, to be sure; I quite forgot to mention that. He told me that if Idecided to join him he would require me to be on board as soon as Ipossibly could. Indeed, he hinted that if I could make it convenient toturn up tomorrow evening and sleep aboard the ship, he would be morethan pleased. You see, he has his cargo pretty nearly loaded, and hopesto be able to get away at midday the day after to-morrow; so the soonerI am on board the sooner I shall be able to take some of the worry andtrouble and work off his shoulders."
"Great Scot!" exclaimed Dick, jumping up, "he wants you to join as soonas that! Why, I fully expected that you wouldn't be leaving under aweek at the least. So to-night will be your last sleep in the old bed,for some months to come, at any rate--for I want you to make this placeyour home again as soon as ever you return. Make the most of it,therefore. You don't know where you may have to lie, in what queerplaces you may have to sleep, before you get back. Well, I suppose I'llsee you in the morning at breakfast; and at any rate you'll be back hereafter you've interviewed Drake, in order to pack your traps, saygood-bye, and so on?"
"Yes, you'll see me at breakfast, Dick; and I shall be back as soon aspossible after I have seen the skipper, to pack and to say good-bye. Bygad, Dick!" he went on, with a little burst of emotion, "but I'm morethan sorry to have to leave you. You've been a mighty good chum to me,and as long as I live I'll never forget your kindness. I wish togoodness you were coming along too."
"So do I, old chap," answered Penryn, gripping his friend's hand; "butas to `goodness' and `kindness' to you, and all the rest of it--why,that's all rot, you know. Any man would do the same for his pal."
"Not every man, Dick," returned Murray, soberly. "If you only knew it,there are not a great many of your sort knocking about nowadays. Goodnight, again, old chap."
Frobisher slept well, and was not visited by any dreams, sweet orotherwise. We are sometimes told that dreams are sent to us aswarnings, as forerunners of events that are to happen to us in thefuture; but if this is really true it seems strange that Murray's sleepshould have been so deep and dreamless. Fo
r had that young man beenable to foresee but one half of the strange and terrible adventures thatwere in store for him, it is scarcely to be doubted that he would, inspite of his long period of unemployment, have gladly allowed CaptainDrake to take somebody else in his place, notwithstanding the offer ofthe forty pounds a month salary, and the thousand-pound bonus at thesuccessful termination of the venture.
A Chinese Command: A Story of Adventure in Eastern Seas Page 1