CHAPTER SEVEN.
"YOU'LL SOON LEARN YOUR LESSON."
It seemed to be directly after he had lain down that the thumping at thewooden partition-wall came again, and Stan leapt out of bed to hurry tohis bath.
Then came a friendly meeting and breakfast, with quite a procession ofboats, _nagas_ and _sampans_, with an occasional junk, going up and downthe river heavily laden with produce, or returning to the plantationsbordering the river-bight.
Breakfast ended, Blunt proposed another walk through the warehouses tobegin marking off the stock that was to form part of the return cargo inthe loading up of the vessel by which Stan had come.
"I want you to get to be at home with all these things," said themanager quietly, "so that I can leave you in charge while I run up theriver now and then on such a journey as I have sent Wing upon this time.By the way, I wonder whether he'll be back to-day?"
Stan shook his head.
"What makes you think not?"
"I did not mean that," said Stan quickly. "I was thinking that it willbe some time before I am fit to trust with such an important charge asyou say."
"Oh, I don't know, Mr Modesty. It all depends upon whether you take aninterest in the work," replied Blunt. "There! come along; you'll soonlearn your lesson, I dare say."
"I shall try hard," said Stan gravely. "Everything here is sointeresting!"
"Glad you find it so, youngster. For my part, it took a precious lot ofresolution to make me stick to the work as I have done. My word! it hasbeen dull and lonely sometimes. It has quite spoiled my temper. Imight tell you that I was a nice, pleasant, mild-speaking young fellowlike you when I was your age, but you wouldn't believe it," said themanager, with a laugh.
"No, I don't think I should," said Stan as they crossed an openenclosure and entered the warehouse, where the men were busy arrangingthe packages brought up the river by the _tindal's_ boat.
The manager began giving his orders for a fresh arrangement of certainof the packages, while Stan stood looking on, an opening just in frontgiving him a good view of all that was being done.
That day went like magic, and the following one too; everything was sofresh and animated, so full of interest; while when Blunt was notfalling foul of some of the men, or, as one of his principaloverlookers--a bluff, straightforward, manly fellow, who informed thenew-comer that his name was Lawrence and his duties that of aJack-of-all-trades--expressed it to Stan, in a state of eruption, thelad found him most agreeable, and always willing to explain anything.
Stan thanked Blunt in the evening for the trouble he was taking to makehim fully acquainted with the routine of the business.
"Humph!" he grunted, with a curiously grim smile; "that's just like me.I always was an idiot."
Stan stared.
"I don't understand you," he said.
"I thought I talked plainly enough," was the reply. "I say that's justlike me, to be such an idiot as to tell you everything."
"Why?" said Stan quietly.
"Because I'm showing you all about the management of the men that it hastaken me much study and patience to acquire."
"I'm sure it must have," said Stan eagerly.
"Well, then, am I not a donkey to teach you till you know as much as Ido?"
"Certainly not," said Stan warmly.
"Then I think I am, my fine fellow; but we will not quarrel about it."
"No; for one can't," said Stan, laughing, "and I shall not."
"Nor I, my lad, but I shall think a great deal; but it's weak all thesame. As soon as I have made you fit to manage here, I shall be packedoff and you'll be pitchforked into my post."
"I don't think it is likely that my father would put an inexperiencedboy to perform the duties of one like you," said Stan quietly; "and I'msure neither father nor uncle would behave unfairly to any one."
"Good boy!" said the manager sharply, and with one of his half-mockingsmiles. "Always stick up for your own people. But, to be fair, I thinkjust the same as yourself. They wouldn't, and I know them better thanyou do. But to change the conversation. Look here; as soon as old Wingcomes back, I'm going to send him right up the country among our tradingpeople upon another expedition. You have to learn, and I've beenthinking that you may as well begin to pick up business and theknowledge of the people at once. What do you say to going up the riverlands and gardens along with him?"
"I should like it," said Stan. "But I'm afraid that I should be no useto him. What should I have to do?"
"Nothing," said the manager, laughing. "Only keep your eyes open. Youcould do that?"
"Oh yes, I could do that," replied Stan.
"Wing would do the judging of the crops. One does not want to buy teablindfold."
"I thought you bought it by tasting."
"Yes; but we look at it first. That's settled, then. I tell you whatyou shall do: sail up the river to the extreme of your journey, and comeback overland so as to visit some of the plantations right away from thestream."
"And stop at hotels of a night?"
"Certainly. Capital plan," said the manager dryly, "if you can findthem."
"I meant inns, of course," said Stan, flushing.
"And I shouldn't advise that. They would not be comfortable. No, no,"added the manager, with a laugh; "you made a mistake, and I began tobanter. You will find some of our customers hospitable enough. It isonly the ignorant common people who are objectionable."
"And the pirates," cried Stan, smiling.
"Oh yes, they're bad enough," said Blunt. "The difficulty is to tellwhich are pirates and which are not. You see, there are so manyunemployed or discharged soldiers about. They get no pay, they've nofighting to do, and they must live, so a great number of them becomeregular banditti, ready to rob and murder."
"This seems a pleasant country," said Stan.
"Very, if you don't know your way about. But you are not nervous, areyou?"
"What! about going up the country? Not at all."
"That's right. Make your preparations, then, just as slight as you can,and it will make a pleasant trip, in which you will have a good view ofa beautiful land, and learn a good deal about the people."
The next morning, to Stan's surprise, he found that a fresh boat wasmoored to the wharf--one that resembled a miniature junk--a boat mannedby three or four men, and just large enough to display a good cabin aft,with windows and sleeping accommodation, while the crew had an enclosureforward to themselves.
"The boss's boat," said the chief warehouseman, Lawrence, as he saw thelad examining the outside. "Nice, comfortable boat for up-river work.Mr Blunt goes up in her sometimes to visit the plantations. Our manWing came back in her during the night."
"Oh, has he come back?" cried Stan eagerly.
The words had hardly passed his lips before the pleasant, smiling faceof Wing appeared, as he slid back a window and came out of the cabin,looking particularly neat and clean in his blue frock and whitetrousers, and ready to salute his young master most deferentially.
"Morning, Mr Lynn," came the next minute in the manager's harsh voice."So you're beforehand with me. Have you arranged with Wing?"
"No; of course not," was the reply. "I have not said a word."
"That's right.--Here, Wing!"
The Chinaman stepped on to the wharf, and a short conversation ensued,during which Stan stepped forward with Lawrence, who chatted with himabout the boat and its capabilities.
"Very little room," he said; "but there are arrangements for cooking,and any one could spend a month in her up the river very comfortably."
"Wing," shouted the manager, "we've done our business, so we may as wellchat over the arrangements for your start."
"Yes. When will it be?" asked Stan.
"The sooner the better. Wing here is always ready. I should suggest anearly dinner, and then making a start so as to get as high up the riveras you can before night."
Wing smiled assent, and then played the part of captain
by leading theway on board and doing the honours of the boat.
After this there was a little discussion about stores, which theChinaman was ordered to obtain, and in half-an-hour Stan found himselfwithin measurable distance of making a start. That afternoon there wasa hearty send-off, and Stan was waving his cap in answer to the cheersof the party gathered upon the wharf, while the light boat glided alongin obedience to the action of its tall, narrow matting sail, the bigbuilding rapidly beginning to look dwarfed; while as soon as the Chineseboatmen had got their sails to draw well they squatted down in theforepart of the boat, one keeping a lookout, and their chief, aft behindthe cabin, holding the long steering-oar.
Stan had the main deck (if a portion of the boat in front of the cabindoor that had no deck could be so called) all to himself, for Wing wasinside, evidently intent upon making his arrangements for his youngchief perfect before it was time for the evening meal.
The space was very small, but there was plenty to be seen, and amovement or two on the part of one of the boatmen squatting forward withan earthen pot between his knees taught the lad that he was looking downat the kitchen, and also that the earthen pot was the range--the man,who was arranging some scraps of charcoal in a little basket, beingevidently the cook--while soon after the men were doing feats withchopsticks in getting rice into their mouths.
Stan had had some experience of Wing's catering while on the up-riverjourney coming from the port, and had seen the man play what seemed tobe conjuring tricks with a melon-shaped piece of chinaware which wasplaited all over with bamboo basket-work.
This came out of its basket jacket, and disgorged cups, saucers, and asugar-basin, before turning into a teapot; and a glance at anothersquarish box with rounded angles was very suggestive of its being fittedup for dinner use, as was afterwards proved.
All in good time, as they glided onward to the glowing west, Stan saw asif in rapid succession, so great was the novelty, his own tea madeready, the men forward seated round a steaming heap of rice, his ownsupper prepared, and then the night coming on as they made for a woodedpart of the bank, off which the sails were lowered and the boat moored;and soon after all was painfully still, only the faint gurgling of thewater breaking the silence as it rippled beneath the bows. Then, almostbefore the lad could realise his position, all was dark beneath theglistening stars, and he felt ready to ask himself whether it was truethat he, who used to watch the stars out of the dormitory windows of hisschool in far-away England, could be now in such a helpless position,right away there on the swift waters of one of the great rivers of themighty Chinese Empire.
"It doesn't seem real," he said. "I could almost fancy that it was alla dream."
He felt the same soon after, when, for want of something to relieve themonotony of his position, he went into the cabin and lay down on thestuffed bamboo shelf which formed his bed.
"Suppose one of the great dragon-eyed junks coming down the river shouldrun us down," he thought, after lying awake for some time.
And then he began to think of the consequences, and whether he couldmanage to reach the surface and strike out for the shore.
Next he began to think of his father and Uncle Jeff; then of themanager, who did not seem such a bad fellow after all; then of himselfand his lonely position; and then of Wing, who gave him a broad hintthat he was sharing his cabin. Lastly, the lad began to think ofnothing at all, not even the huge forces of the mighty river, for alistener would have come to the conclusion that he was trying to mockthe remarks made by Wing.
Then it seemed to the lad that it was only a few minutes since he laydown in the darkness.
But it could not have been, for all at once something in a greatreed-bed cried "Quack, quack!"
And Stan knew that it was once more morning, with the sun shiningbrightly, and the boat gliding swiftly up the stream; the men beingclever enough in their management, in spite of their stupid looks, andsteering close inshore where the current was slack.
Stan Lynn: A Boy's Adventures in China Page 7