Off to Sea: The Adventures of Jovial Jack Junker on his Road to Fame
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surrounding Canton. We had gone up a creek which ran near thebase of a high hill, on the top of which was a fort. A party of marinesand blue jackets had marched round by land, to attack it, and as weapproached, we saw them charge up the hill. Mr. Hanson, the mate, whocommanded the boat, was very eager to join in the fray. We had a strongcurrent against us. However, by dint of hard pulling, we managed atlength to get up near the base of the hill. The Chinese at the top hadmade a gallant defence, and many of our people had already been killedor wounded, or knocked up by the heat. Among others, struggling up theside of the hill, I saw a marine, whom I knew by his red coat; his swordwas in his mouth, and with hands and feet he was endeavouring to climbup the steep side of the hill. I guessed by his figure that he must bemy friend Sergeant Turbot. I could almost fancy that I heard himpuffing and groaning, as every now and then he looked up, and shouted tohis men to lend him a hand. They, however, had dashed on, to get at theenemy; in fact, it seemed a wonder that he should have escaped hithertowith his life from the showers of shot which came sweeping down thehill-side. Just then, we saw, coming round the base of the hill, astrong body of Tartar troops, evidently intending to take our men in therear.
"Now is the time, my lads!" shouted Mr. Hanson, starting up.
It must be understood that we had been completely concealed from theenemy. With loud shouts and cries we all dashed forward together toattack the head of the enemy's column. They, expecting that we weremerely a leading body of blue jackets, turned tail, and retreated, witha greater rapidity than they had advanced, we keeping up a hot fire intheir rear. I could not bear the thoughts of leaving my old friend inhis present predicament, and, therefore, without stopping to ask leave,I scampered off to his assistance, forgetting all about the shower ofbullets through which I had to pass. Happily, not one hit me, and I wassoon by the sergeant's side.
"Why, Jack, you seem to me like an angel from heaven!" he exclaimed, ashe saw me. "Put your shoulder under me and help me up. Up I must go,but it was cruel to send me to storm such a hill. It is not fit workfor a man of my figure; but, up! up!"
The sergeant had chosen a short cut, though a very steep one. By myaid, shoving astern, we had already made some progress, when part of theboat's crew arrived, led on by Dicky Plumb.
"Oh, Mr. Plumb, do get your men to lend me a hand and haul me up thisplace. We should be in the fort as soon as the rest, if we could butget up to the top of the cliff."
I was not sorry, I confess, to have some assistance. By the aid of themen the sergeant at last reached a level spot at the summit of the hill.
"Now, my lads," he shouted, taking his sword from his mouth, "we'll beat them!"
The Chinese, believing that no one could get up that way, had neglectedits defences. Led on, therefore, by the gallant sergeant, we alltogether made a dash into the fort. The enemy, taken on the flank,began to give way, and the main body of marines and bluejackets, makinga renewed effort in front, dashed in over all obstacles, cutting downthe defenders, who stood bravely at their guns till the last.
"Jack, Jack," said the sergeant, when the fort was in our possession, "Iowe you much. You saved my life, I believe, but you did more than that,you saved my honour."
Before the day was over, not only Canton, but all the surrounding fortswere in possession of the British. As Sergeant Turbot could descend thehill more easily than he could get up it, I wished him good-bye, andreturned with my young officer to the boat. Poor Mr. Hanson hadreceived a wound in the leg, which had, I found, prevented him joiningin the attack.
CHAPTER SEVEN.
OUR CRUISE IN THE JUNK.
Just as we got out of the creek we caught sight of a large junk stealinground a point at no great distance from us. Although Mr. Hanson and oneof the men were wounded, he instantly ordered us to give chase, and awaywe pulled after the junk, which as we rounded the point we saw wasmaking for one of the innumerable canals which intersect the country inall directions. If she once got into it she might escape us. The mentherefore bent to their oars with a right good will, apparently just asfresh, as when they left the schooner in the morning. As we approachedthe junk, the Chinese began firing at us with their gingals and swivels,and for a couple of minutes or more we were exposed to a pretty heavyshower of bullets. I got the rim of my hat taken off.
"No odds," I cried out; "it's better than the tip of my nose."
A man near me had a shot through the fleshy part of his shoulder, and adozen bullets or more stuck in the sides of our boat. On we dashed,however, right under the oars of the Chinaman.
"Come on, my lads?" shouted Dicky Plumb, whose blood was up to boilingpitch; and catching hold of a pike which was thrust at him, he hauledhimself up on to the junk's deck, four of our men climbing up at thesame moment. Fortunately for Master Dicky, Ned Rawlings was by hisside, and saved his head from a blow aimed at him by a Chinaman. Mr.Hanson, in spite of his wound, got the men to haul him up. I followedclose behind Mr. Plumb, and in a few seconds we were all upon the deckof the Chinaman, slashing and cutting away. So frightened had theChinese become at our proceedings in the morning, that very few stoppedto oppose us, and scarcely had we gained the deck, than the crew beganto jump overboard on the opposite side. In another minute not aChinaman was left alive on the upper deck.
"Now, lads, let us look after them below!" shouted Mr. Plumb, leadingthe way to the main deck. A considerable number of the crew hadremained there, intent upon mischief. As they saw us, however, theymade a bolt right forward and leaped through a large port, striking outfor the shore, which was not more than thirty yards off.
"They have been after something or other," cried Mr. Plumb.
As he spoke, I sprang down to the deck below, and there I saw whatlooked like a thin snake of fire crawling along the deck. I rushed atit, and found the end of a slow match which had not long been lighted.To snatch it up and throw it overboard was the work of a moment. I wasonly just in time, however, and did not feel very comfortable even then,for it was leading down, through an opening in the deck, to what I hadlittle doubt was the magazine. Ned Rawlings, who had followed me,sprang to where several buckets were hung up, and seizing one of them towhich a rope was attached, in a moment he had it full of water, which hedashed down the opening into the magazine. Mr. Hanson now ordered thecable of the junk to be cut, and sent the boat ahead to tow her out ofthe creek. There was no time to be lost, for a number of Chinese werecollecting on the shore, some of them already beginning to take longshots at us. Four hands jumped into the boat with Mr. Plumb, while twoothers, with Ned Rawlings and I, remained to assist Mr. Hanson. Asthere were a number of small boats along the shore, the Chinese mighteasily have come back again; but they expected to see us blown up intothe air, and the fear of the consequence kept them at a distance, andproved our safety.
At length, just as it was growing dusk, we got clear out into theharbour, when the wind proving fair, we hoisted the junk's sails, andstood away towards where we expected to find the schooner. Severaltimes we were chased by English boats, and were twice fired at by someof our friends, who supposed that our junk was still in the hands of theChinese, who were endeavouring to escape. Our prize was indeed acurious craft; a capital place for playing hide-and-seek in--full of allsorts of odd little cabins and cupboards and recesses in which peoplecould stow themselves away. Having found several lanterns, we lightedthem, and Mr. Dicky and I hunted throughout the vessel, in case anyChinese were still on board, who might steal out and perhaps after allblow up the vessel. We thought that we had looked into all the cabinsand cupboards, and nooks and corners, and came and reported the same toMr. Hanson.
"Go and look again, Dicky," he answered. "Take Rawlings with you, andlet him run the point of his cutlass gently through all the crevices."
Off we started again, Rawlings carrying a huge paper lantern, coveredwith dragons and other monsters, and having his cutlass ready to stickinto any crevice we might discover. We began forward, examining allsorts of curiou
s places, but no one was to be found there. At length wegot aft, where we thought we had searched thoroughly, and came to alittle cupboard in one of the quarters, into which Ned gently insertedthe point of his weapon. A shrill cry, which made us start, was theresult, and putting in his hand he hauled out a young Chinese boy, whohad managed to coil himself away in a very small space. He seemed byhis gestures to be entreating us not to kill him, and then gave us tounderstand that he was anxious to be our friend, and to serve us. Ofcourse, not a word he said could we understand.
"Are there any more of you stowed away?" asked Ned; but if we did notunderstand the Chinese boy, neither did he understand us, and no answercould be got to this question.
Having looked about in the neighbourhood of the spot where we found theboy, we carried him on deck to Mr. Hanson. He there went through thegestures he