Stan Lynn: A Boy's Adventures in China

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

  "WHY, HE'S ASLEEP!"

  "The enemy do not come, Lynn," said Blunt a short time later, when theyhad both filled their bandoliers and pistol-pouches.

  "And a good thing too, for we're hardly ready yet."

  "What! with our defences? Well, let's take a good look round and seewhat more there is to be done."

  It was getting late in the afternoon, and the westering sun was pouringdown its rays with a violence peculiar to a Chinese summer, though thewinters are so intensely cold that the people go about with clothespiled upon clothes, so that a wealthy man often resembles an animatedfeather-bed, and in fact has his garments so quilted with feathers anddown that if picked to pieces, though he might not furnish enough for abed, he could respectably fill a bolster and pair of pillows. There wasvery little breeze, and Blunt and his companion were longing for thatwhich would come in the evening.

  "Only there'll be a great drawback to it," said Stan--"the darkness willcome too."

  "Yes, the darkness will come too," said Blunt thoughtfully, for his eyeswere wandering over the tea-chest defence-wall inside which they werewalking; "but," he added in words which proved that his thoughts werenot upon the darkness, "I don't like that ending off. It's weak."

  "What! where it turns round the end of the warehouse?" replied Stan."Yes; the enemy might make for that corner and come round."

  "And attack us in the flank, as soldiers would say," exclaimed Blunt."It won't do.--Here, three or four of you, get some more tea-chests outand build this end up higher. There ought to be quite a dwarf towerhere."

  "No more chests, sir," said the clerk addressed. "We've used them allas far as they'd go."

  "Then use bales. Call up a dozen coolies, and build up a rounded corneras quickly as you can."

  "Yes, sir," was the eager response, and the man addressed trotted off,followed by his comrades.

  "Odd that we shouldn't have noticed that before. The corner at theother end is strong, and I meant in my hurried mental plans for this tobe like it. Stopped, of course, by the material running out. Our weakspot, Lynn; and they say a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.Our chain of defences--eh?"

  "I hope we shall not find any more weak points," replied Stan.

  "Then we had better not look round any farther, my lad, for in thishasty knocking up of our defences we shall find plenty."

  "Let's know the worst," said the lad warmly. "Yes; we'll have no falserconfidence," replied Blunt; and they continued their inspection of theground-floor with its two doors and the ample material ready forbarricading them if the defenders were driven in. Then they ascended tothe first floor, after standing aside for a few minutes to allow thebearers of the bales to pass along with their loads ready for making thelittle extemporised bastion at the end.

  But they found no weak places upstairs. Every window had its protectingbreastwork where a man could use his rifle in comparative safety andwell cover the spots likely to be attacked.

  "Capital," said Blunt; "far better than I expected. If the enemy docome, all I can say is that they will be mad to attack us, for they mustleave scores of their party shot down before they could carry our outerwall. Now then, we'll go down and see how the corner is getting on;then hail Wing, and if he has nothing to report, we'll call the mentogether for a good hearty meal, and over it I'll tell off the differentstations they are to occupy."

  "What are you going to do about giving orders when the firing begins?"said Stan. "There'll be the noise of the guns and shouting."

  "This," said Blunt, taking a large silver whistle from his pocket. "Ishall explain that when this whistle is blown all are to run towards theplace from which the sound comes, so as to command plenty of strength inhardly-pressed places. Two shrill whistles mean, make for the upperwindows."

  "Retreat?"

  "Yes."

  "And what about barricading the two doors?"

  "I shall station the two carpenters and four men at those doors, readyto close them up when necessary. Tut, tut, tut!"

  "What's the matter?" said Stan, startled by his companion'sejaculations.

  "In the hurry and excitement I haven't found time to say a few words tothe Chinamen about fighting for us. Never mind; I'll have a few wordswith them over the supper, dinner, or whatever it is."

  They passed down and went outside on to the wharf, where, beforeinspecting the addition to their defences, they both looked up, andBlunt hailed Wing, who was still seated astride the gable, shading hiseyes from the ardent sun and slowly sweeping the horizon.

  "Well, Wing," cried Blunt; "see anything of the enemy?"

  "No. Not come yet. Velly long time."

  "And a good job, too," said Blunt to his companion, who, after anothergood look at the patient figure in the blue frock, crouching all of aheap and looking like a very amateurish beginner astride of a hugerazor-backed horse, said:

  "Don't let us forget to send the poor fellow up some tea and bread-cake.He must be half-famished."

  "So must everybody be," said Blunt. "I know I am. Here, how are yougetting on, my lads?" he continued, turning to the working party.

  "I think we've got on as far as we can, sir," replied the clerk. "I washoping that you'd come soon and tell us what more to do. We've packedin nearly fifty bales, as you see."

  Blunt inspected the work in silence, with its double wall loopholed, andwith extra shelters for the men who would be firing therefrom, andfinally stood thinking.

  "Well," he said to the men who were watching him anxiously, "I cansuggest nothing more. You have done your work admirably. So now knockoff and come into the big store-room for refreshments."

  The men cheered and followed into the great place, which, minus itspiles of tea-chests carried out to build the wall, looked vast; but thetrestle and boards spread ready, and pretty well covered with asubstantial tea by Blunt's Chinese servants, made the place look welcomein the extreme; and upon the men being bidden to fall to, Europeans andAsiatics set to work eagerly, talking, laughing, eating, and drinking,and more resembling a strange picnic party than a number of menexpecting to be engaged at any hour in a desperate fight for their livesagainst a savage foe.

  There were only two of those present who looked moody and were silent.These were Blunt and Stan, the former washing down his food withdraughts of tea as with frowning brow he cogitated over his plans; thelatter, now that the excitement of preparation was over, feeling astrange sense of sinking which the bread and tea did not remove. Hewanted to preserve his firmness and show Blunt that he was no coward,but there was what seemed to be a dark mental cloud ahead, and in spiteof every attempt to pierce it, there it hung ominously like a portent ofwhat was to come, and as if fate was kindly hiding from him the horrorsin store.

  Stan set his teeth hard and made a tremendous effort at last.

  "I must eat," he said to himself, "or I shall be as weak as a child, andI must drink to quench this horrible feeling of delirious thirst. Oh, Iwish I wasn't such a weak coward! I'm sure no other fellows of my agecan be like me."

  Forcing himself then, he began to eat and drink hurriedly, all the whilerecalling old school fights into which he had entered with fear andtrembling, but without recalling how he had come out.

  Then all that he had read of Chinese horrors, and the indifference ofthese people to life, came floating before his eyes--anecdotes that hehad read of their atrocities and savage treatment of their enemies--there they all were, till, instead of seeing any longer that black,cloud-like curtain, the lad now seemed to be seeing red, and he startedviolently when his companion brought him to himself by suddenly risingand blowing his silver whistle. Then in the silence that immediatelyensued Blunt explained his plans to his listeners, and had his wordswell interpreted to such of the Chinese workers as were not perfect intheir knowledge of English.

  Blunt spoke briefly, but every word of his instructions was to thepoint, and the listeners rose from their rough benches at last welldri
lled in their duties as to the places they were to occupy, theEuropeans finding a leader to reply and declare how to a man they wouldfight to the death; while, when the manager had done, the head of theChinamen rose and declared that his comrades thoroughly hated allpirates and murderers, and that to a man they too would fight for thegood, just master who always behaved to his men as if he were theirfather.

  Blunt smiled and nodded, and then said a few words to the leader abouthis comrades having rifles. But these were declined, the Chinamandeclaring that he and his fellows could do more good with their longknives and hatchets when the enemy came to close quarters; and this hesaid, as Stan noticed, with a fierce glow in his eyes which proclaimedthat, in spite of the speaker being as a rule a mild-spoken, peacefulcarpenter, there was Chinese Asiatic savage instinct beneath the skin--showing, too, that he and his fellows were going to prove themselvesdangerous foes to the bloodthirsty enemy when they approached.

  "Then now we all understand each other," said Blunt sternly. "I haveonly this more to say--that as soon as it is dark three parts of youwill lie down to sleep. I shall place sentries to give the alarm if theenemy come on in the night. Then every man will run to his post, andHeaven help us all to do our best!"

  A tremendous cheer greeted the close of Blunt's speech, and after givingall present a sharp gratified look, with a nod of the head, Blunt turnedto his young companion.

  "Come along," he said. "You and I will go and order poor Wing down, andkeep a lookout from the little bastion while he comes and has his tea."

  "Yes, quick!" said Stan; "my conscience has been smiting me all the timeyou were talking, but of course I could say nothing then."

  "Of course not I had quite forgotten him. I had so much else to thinkabout. Now then, take your rifle. Here's mine. We must make these ourcompanions now."

  Stan obeyed the order he had received, following his companion's exampleas Blunt took his rifle from the corner where he had placed it; andtogether they stepped out into the shelter behind the wall, then climbedover on to the wharf, looked at the broad, clear river, bright in theevening glow, but with nothing visible to mar its peaceful beauty, andthen as they reached the end of the wall--

  "We shall have no enemy to-night," said Blunt.

  "Why do you say that?"

  "Because we can see for miles, and there is not a sign of danger. Theywill not surprise us; they want daylight for their attack.--Ahoy, there!Wing! See anything?"

  There was no reply.

  "Look at that," said Blunt, smiling. "Nice sort of a sentry that!"

  "Why, he's asleep!" whispered Stan.

  Asleep the poor fellow was, and no wonder. Duty to his employers had astrong hold, but nature and exhaustion, after hours of baking andfasting upon the roof with straining eyes, were stronger; and but a veryshort time before the appearance of his European masters, Wing's head,in spite of a desperate struggle to keep it firm, had begun to nod, thento make long, slow, graceful bows at the western sky, till at last, asif the strain upon his eyes in watching had affected the poor fellow'sbrain with an uncontrollable drowsiness, his head went right down, torest between his knees. There he crouched as if in a saddle; and thenhe was motionless, and looking wonderfully like a beautifully carvedfinial placed by a cunning builder as an ornament to the greatgable-end.

  "Poor beggar! It was too bad to leave him so long," said Blunt. "Isuppose I mustn't bully him. But suppose the enemy had been coming downthe river and had surprised us."

  "We should have been to blame for not having more sentries on thelookout."

  "Right, my young Solon," said Blunt; "but it would have been a startlerfor him, and a lesson too, if he had been woke up by a shot."

  "Yes, that's right," said Stan, smiling at a thought which flashedacross his brain.

  "What are you laughing at?" said Blunt sharply. "I was thinking how itwould make him jump if I fired a shot now."

  "Ah, to be sure! Slip a cartridge into your rifle and fire in the air."

  "I am loaded," said Stan, who began to repent of his words.

  "Of course. Fire away."

  "No, no; it would be too bad."

  "Fire--away!" said Blunt in a stern, angry tone; and feeling at once theimpulse to obey, the lad held his rifle up pistol-wise at arm's-length,drew the trigger, and then, as the report rang out, winced at the kickthe piece gave, and as the smoke rose, stared in horror at the result ofhis shot.

  Stan Lynn--by George Manville Fenn