CHAPTER SEVEN.
BEING PRIMED.
There was a consultation in the cabin that evening, as we lay thereabout four miles from the stranded barque. It had fallen calm, and, asthere was no urgency, the captain preferred to spare the coals, and wewaited for a breeze.
I heard afterwards from Mr Brooke all that took place during thediscussion, during which the captain heard the principal officers'opinions, and then decided what he would do.
There had been doubts before as to whether we were on the right trackfor the pirates, who might be carrying on their murderous businesselsewhere, but the day's discovery had cleared away the last doubt; itwas plain that the information which had sent us up in the neighbourhoodof Amoy was perfectly correct, that the wretches were there, and thatour presence had kept them quiet till now.
The great difficulty, it was decided, lay in the manner of dealing withpeople who without doubt had plenty of spies out in native craft, whowere passed unnoticed by us, and thus every movement was carefullyconveyed to the enemy. As, then, the appearance of the gunboat wassufficient to keep them in hiding, and also as the moment we were out ofsight the pirates issued from their lair, only two ways of dealing withthe fiends remained to us, and these means, after due consultation, wereto be adopted--one or both.
Then it had been arranged that the next morning at daybreak a couple ofboats were to be despatched to the Scotch barque, for a more thoroughinvestigation as to whether, in Mr Brooke's rather hurried visit, hehad passed over any cargo worthy of salvage, and to collect material fora full report for the authorities and the owners.
This had just been decided upon, when there was a shout from one of thelook-out men. It was quite unnecessary, for nearly every one on decksaw the cause of the cry.
We three companions had been watching the wreck with its spiral ofsmoke, which in the calm air rose up like the trunk of a tall tree, andthen all at once spread out nearly flat to right and left, giving itquite the appearance of a gigantic cedar. Then, as one of the witnessesof the horrors on board, I had had to repeat my story again; and, whilematters were being discussed below, we in a low tone had our debate onthe question, and saw too how the men gathered in knots, and talked inwhispers and watched the barque. And to us all one thing was evident,that could our lads only get a chance at the pigtailed, ruffianly scumof the east coast, it would go pretty hard with them.
"I'll bet many of 'em wouldn't go pirating again in a hurry," Barkinssaid; and we agreed.
Then we fell to wondering how many poor creatures had been murdered bythem in their bloodthirsty career, and why it was that there should besuch indifference to death, and so horrible a love of cruelty andtorture, in the Chinese character. All at once came the shout, and wewere gazing at the cause.
For a bright, clear burst of flame suddenly rose from the direction ofthe ship--not an explosion, but a fierce blaze--and it was evident thatthe parts around the little fire had grown more and more heated and dry,and that the smouldering had gone on till some part of the cargobeneath, of an inflammable nature, had caught at last, and was burningfuriously.
We expected that orders would be given for boats to be lowered, but wehad drifted in the current so far away that there was a risky rowamongst shoals, so no orders were given, the men gathering on deck towatch the light glow which lit up the cloud of smoke hovering overhead.
We three watched it in silence for some time, with the other officersnear, and at last Smith said--
"I don't think I'm a cruel sort of fellow, but I feel as if I shouldlike to kill some one now."
He did not say a Chinese pirate, but he meant it; and I must confess tofeeling something of the kind, for I thought how satisfactory it wouldbe to aim one of our big guns at a pirate junk taken in some cruel act,and to send a shot between wind and water that would sink her and ridthe seas of some of the fiends.
I quite started the next moment, for Barkins said, in a low, thoughtfulvoice--
"How do you feel about it, Gnat? Shouldn't you like to kill some of'em?"
The question was so direct, and appealed to my feelings so strongly,that for some moments I was silent.
"Not he," said Smith; "old Gnat wouldn't stick a pin in a cockroach."
"Of course I wouldn't," I said stoutly, "but I'd crush it under my footif I found one in the cabin."
"One for you, Blacksmith," said Barkins. "Look here, Gnat, you wouldlike to kill some of the piratical beggars, wouldn't you?"
I remained silent again.
"There," said Smith, "I told you so. If we caught a lot, Gnat wouldgive them a lecture, and tell them they had been very naughty, and thatthey mustn't do so any more or he would be very angry with them indeed."
"Punch his head, Gnat."
I made no reply to their flippant remarks, for just then I felt verysolemn and thoughtful. I hope I was not priggish. No, I am sure I wasnot; every word I uttered was too sincere, though they chaffed meafterwards, and I have thought since that they felt more seriously thanthey spoke.
"You chaps didn't go on board that barque," I said quietly; "I did."
"Yes; old Dishy's making a regular favourite of you, Gnat," saidBarkins.
But I went on without heeding, my eyes fixed on the burning vessel whoseflames shone brightly in the clear air.
"And when I saw the splintered wood and chopped doorway, and the smearsand marks of blood, it all seemed to come to me just as it must havebeen when the poor fellows shut themselves up in the cabin."
"Did they?" said Smith eagerly.
"Yes, that was plain enough," I said; "and they must have fought it outthere till the pirates got the upper hand."
"I bet tuppence the beggars pitched stinkpots down through the cabinskylight, and half-smothered them," said Barkins excitedly.
"I daresay they did," I replied thoughtfully, "for I did see one of thelockers all scorched and burned just by the deck. Yes, it all seemed tocome to me, and I felt as if I could see all the fighting, with theChinamen hacking and chopping at them with their long swords, the sameas those brutes did at us; and all those poor fellows, who were quietlygoing about their business, homeward bound with their cargo, must havehad friends, wives or mothers or children; and it gets horrible when youthink of how they must have been in despair, knowing that those wretcheswould have no mercy on them."
"Yes, but how it must have made 'em fight," cried Smith. "I think Icould have done something at a time like that."
"Yes, it would make any fellow fight; even you, Gnat."
"I suppose so," I said, "for it made me feel as if there wasn't any roomin the world for such people."
"There ain't," said Barkins. "Oh, if our chaps could only get a good goat 'em!"
"And then I felt," I went on, "as if it couldn't all be real, and thatit was impossible that there could be such wretches on the face of theearth, ready to kill people for the sake of a bit of plunder."
"But it's just precious possible enough," said Smith slowly. "Why, outhere in China they do anything."
"Right," said Barkins; "and I hope the skipper will pay them in theirown coin. My! how she burns."
"Yes," assented Smith, as the barque, after smouldering so long, nowblazed, as if eager to clear away all traces of the horrible tragedy.
"You'll recollect all about that cabin, Gnat, if we do get at thebeggars--won't you?"
"Recollect?" I said, with a shiver; "I shall never be able to forgetit."
Then we relapsed into silence, and stood resting our arms over thebulwarks, gazing at the distant fire, in which I could picture plainlyall the horrors and suggestions of the wrecked cabin. I even seemed tosee the yellow-faced wretches, all smeared with blood, dragging theirvictims to the stern windows. And my imagination then ran riot for atime, as I fancied I saw them seizing men not half-dead, but making afeeble struggle for their lives, and begging in agonising tones formercy, but only to be struck again, and pitched out into the sea.
I fancy that I must have been growing ha
lf hysterical as the scene grewand grew before me, till I had pictured one poor wretch clinging in hisdespair to the edge of the stern window, and shrieking for help. Therewas a curious sensation as if a ball was rising in my throat to chokeme, and I was forgetting where I stood, when I was brought back tomyself by the voice of my messmate Smith, who said in a husky whisper--
"Think we shall come across any of the poor fellows floating about?"
"Not likely," replied Barkins. "Too many sharks in these seas."
My throat felt dry at this horrible suggestion, but I knew how true itwas. And then once more there was silence, and, like the rest--officersand men--we stood there watching the burning wreck hour after hour, nota soul on board feeling the slightest disposition to go below.
It must have been quite a couple of hours later, when I started in thedarkness, for something touched my arm, and, looking sharply to myright, I could just make out the figure of Ching close to me, while onlooking in the other direction I found that I was alone, for Barkins andSmith had gone forward to a group close to the bows.
"You, Ching?" I said, "looking at the mischief your friends have done?"
"Fliends burnee ship? No fliends. Velly bad men. Ching feel alleeshame. Velly bad men evelywhere. Killee, get dollar. No velly badmen, London?"
"I'm afraid there are," I said sadly.
"Yes; velly bad men, London. Killee get dollar. You choppee off badmen head?"
"No," I said; "but they kill them if they commit murder."
"Commit murder? You mean killee get dollar?"
"Yes."
"Allee light. Plenty bad men evelywhere. Captain going kill pilate?"
"If we can catch them," I said.
"Yes, velly hard catchee catchee. Captain never catchee in ship.Pilate allee lun away. 'Flaid of big gun. Get two big junk, put plentysailor boy where pilate can't see. Then pilate come along kill andburnee. Junk steal all along. Jolly sailor jump up and cut alleepilate head off."
"Send that boy forward!" cried a stern voice, which made me jump again."Who's that?"
"Herrick, sir," I said, touching my cap, for the captain came forwardout of the darkness.
"Then you ought to know better, sir. The scoundrel has no business inthis part of the ship. What does he want?"
"I beg pardon, sir; he came up to propose a way of trapping thepirates."
"Eh, what?" said the captain eagerly. "Bah! absurd. Send him below; Ihate to see the very face of a Chinaman. No; stop! He ought to knowsomething of their tricks. What does he say?"
I told him, and he stood there as if thinking.
"Well, I don't know, Mr Herrick. We might perhaps lure them out oftheir hiding-places in that way, with a couple of Chinese crews to workthe junks. But no; the wretches would be equally strong, and wouldfight like rats. Too many of my poor lads would be cut down. Theywould have us at a terrible disadvantage. We must keep to the ship. Ican only fight these wretches with guns."
He was turning away, when a thought struck me, and, forgetting my awe ofthe captain, and the fact that a proposal from a midshipman to such amagnate might be resented as an unheard-of piece of impertinence, Iexclaimed excitedly--
"I beg pardon, sir."
"Yes?"
"I think I know how it could be done."
"Eh? You, Mr Herrick! Pooh! Stop," he said sharply, as, feelingcompletely abashed, I was shrinking away, when he laid his hand kindlyon my shoulder. "Let's hear what you mean, my boy. The mouse did helpthe lion in the fable, didn't he?"
"Yes, sir."
"Not that I consider myself a lion, Mr Herrick," he saidgood-humouredly, "and I will not insult you by calling you a mouse; butthese Chinese fiends are too much for me, and I really am caught in thenet. Here, send that man forward, and come into my cabin."
"Ching, go right up to the forecastle," I said.
"No wantee go s'eep," he said angrily. "Makee Ching bad see shipburned."
"Never mind now; go and wait," I whispered; and he nodded and went off,while I walked hurriedly back to the captain, who led the way to hiscabin.
Before I had gone many steps I had to pass Smith, who came quickly up tome.
"Hallo! old chap," he whispered, "what have you been up to now? Wiggingfrom the skipper? I'll go and tell the Tanner, and we'll get cleanhandkerchiefs for a good cry."
Blue Jackets: The Log of the Teaser Page 7