The Chinese pirates were so busily employed in the agreeable occupation
of plundering the American brig, that they did not observe the two
midshipmen leaping in among them. Jack and Alick had on, it must be
remembered, turbans and Chinese jackets and trousers like the rest, so
in the confusion they easily passed unnoticed.
"I really think that we might drive the scoundrels out of the brig and
retake her," observed Jack as he sprang on.
"No, no, sare, one ting at a time, if oo please," answered Jos the
Malay, who heard his remark.
Jos was right, as Jack afterwards confessed, for though they might have
swept off the heads of a good many pirates engaged in collecting booty,
the rest would soon have come to their senses and cut off theirs.
Again the female cry was heard. Jack and Murray sprang into the main
cabin. It was full of Chinese rifling the lockers and searching in
bed-places or wherever anything could be stowed away. No females were
there, but there was a hatchway and a ladder leading to the deck below.
The cries proceeded from thence, so they jumped down, leaving Jos and
Hoddidoddi, who had joined them, to guard the entrance. There, in dim
uncertain light, they distinguished two ladies, apparently one old and
stout, the other young, struggling in the hands of half a dozen or more
pirates, who were endeavouring to draw the rings from their fingers, and
their earrings from their ears. One lady was somewhat stout and oldish,
the other was young and slight, and Jack thought very pretty. Whether
ugly or pretty would not have mattered just then. She and the old lady
were in distress, and that was enough to make the midshipmen eager to
fight for them, whoever they were. They were very much terrified, but
not so much so as to prevent them from endeavouring to repel the
indignities offered them.
Not a moment was to be lost. There was no room to use their swords
without running a great risk of wounding the ladies, so Jack knocked one
fellow down with his fist, and another with the butt end of his pistol.
Murray did the same. They then both planted such thorough honest
English blows under the ribs of the other two miscreants, that they sent
them reeling backwards among the casks and packages which filled the
after-hold, and there they lay sprawling, unable to get up again.
"It won't do to stop here, Alick," cried Jack. "Haul along the old
lady, I'll carry the young one; and we'll stow them away in our berth
till we see what's best to be done. Come along, miss. Beg pardon--
hadn't time to ask your leave; it's all right, though." Jack said this
after he had lifted the young lady in his arms, and was carrying her up
the ladder. As he remarked, there was no time for ceremony. Everything
depended on the rapidity with which they could accomplish their
enterprise.
"Thank you, thank you, sir; I trust you," said the young lady in a
foreign accent.
Murray, who always admired Jack's plans when anything dashing was to be
done, followed as fast as he could, helping the old lady along. He
would have had great difficulty in making progress, had not Jos the
Malay comprehended what was required. So he seized her under one arm,
while Alick lifted her under the other, and thus, without molestation,
they followed Jack on board the junk.
Jack rushed into their cabin, and placed his fair burden on a chair,
when Alick and Jos bundled the old lady in after her, with a very scant
ceremony; indeed there was no time for any; and then they closed the
door and walked a little way off, and tried to look as unconcerned as if
they had done nothing to merit the anger of the pirates.
"I begged the young lady not to be alarmed, and entreated her to try and
keep the old one quiet, promising to defend them with our lives,"
observed Jack.
"Of course we will do so, and Jos will stick by us, won't you, Jos?"
said Murray.
"Yes, sare," answered the Malay; "but if Chinese come aboard, dey cut
all our throats. Stay do--Jos know what he do."
There was a peculiar, fierce, vindictive look on the countenance of the
Malay as he spoke, which boded mischief. Without uttering another word
he sprang on board the brig, and disappeared among the crowd who were
hurrying to and fro below, removing the cargo.
Just then Murray pointed out to Jack the brave captain and mate of the
brig sitting on deck, lashed with their hands behind them to the
mainmast.
"When those wretches have glutted themselves with booty, they will
indulge their evil tempers by tormenting those poor fellows. Could we
not manage to release them while no one is watching us, and let them
hide themselves on board their junk? We may, perhaps, by and by be able
to form some plan to escape together."
"With all my heart," answered Jack. "No time like the present. Here
goes."
Saying this, he and Murray seized their swords, which they had stuck
into the bulwarks, and a few springs brought them up to where the
captain and mate were sitting. In an instant the knives were at work,
and the ropes were cut.
"Leap on board the junk, my men, we'll cover your retreat."
The captain and mate did as they were directed, and had just reached the
junk when several of the pirates saw what had happened and sprang after
them.
Had not the midshipmen undertaken to defend them, their heads would have
been off that moment. Jack and Alick had fortunately gained the side of
the vessel, and there stood at bay. They had cut down three of their
assailants, but others were coming on, when the Malay rushed past them,
crying out, "Leap, leap on board; cast off, or we shall all blow up." A
back-handed blow which he gave with his short sword cut down the nearest
of their assailants, and enabled them to accomplish his advice. He and
they, without questions asked, instantly cast off the grapnels, and
shoved the junk away from the brig before the Chinese saw what they were
about.
Scarcely were they free, when a rush of flame burst out of the hold of
the merchantman, and up went her decks with a terrific explosion,
carrying masts, and spars, and sails, and cargo, and the many hundred
human beings, who, like ants in a granary, were swarming in every
direction, rifling her of the treasures she contained. The numerous
junks surrounding her did not escape; some were blown up, others had
their sides blown in, and several caught fire or were more or less
injured. For a moment there was perfect silence; every one stood
aghast, and then down came clattering on their heads, limbs, and trunks,
and heads of human beings, and fragments of spars, and burning bales,
and canvas, and packages burst open like shells, scattering their
contents on every side. Next arose shrieks, and groans, and shouts, a
hubbub most terrific, the cries of the wounded, and the imprecations of
those who had escaped and been baulked of their prey.
"Dat is just what I tort it would be," said Jos, quite coolly, watching
the effects of the catastrophe, as he assisted to shove the junk out
from among the crowd of burning vessels. The pirate captain and crew,
most of whom had got on board, thought that they were very much indebted
to him and the white men for having been the means of saving their
vessel. As they also had been the most busily at work, and had
collected a good deal of booty, they did not at all take to heart the
accident which had happened to their pirate companions. They shrugged
their shoulders, and blinked their little pig-eyes, and seemed to think
that it was just as well as it was, seeing that they themselves had come
off better than anybody else. A few more junks having blown up, and
others burnt to the water's edge or sunk, those that had escaped sent
their boats, not so much for the chance of saving any fellow-creatures
who might be struggling for existence, as to pick up any articles of
value which might be still floating. The fleet then made sail away from
the spot, lest the explosion might be the means of bringing down an
enemy upon them to interfere with their proceedings.
The midshipmen were now placed in a somewhat difficult position with
regard to the ladies in their cabin. How to account for their being
there was one puzzle, and how to save them from annoyance or insult was
another. The pirates seemed inclined to treat the American captain and
mate as well as they had done the midshipmen. They had seen them very
active in saving the junk, but it was probably not gratitude so much as
the hope of obtaining a ransom which made them civil. Jos having
intimated that they were hungry, in a short time a mess of food was
brought for the whole party to the upper raised deck in the afterpart of
the vessel. While discussing this meal, they also discussed the means
likely to be most serviceable to the ladies. The American captain told
them that his brig was the _Wide Awake_, that his name was William
Willock, that of his mate, Joe Hudson; that they were bound to Sydney in
Australia, where the two ladies, who were French, and mother and
daughter, were proceeding.
"I know what!" cried Jack, as if a bright thought had struck him. "The
pirates seem to treat men civilly enough; could we not manage to rig up
the ladies in men's clothes? There is a chest of Chinamen's coats and
trousers in our cabin, and the old lady would make a very tolerable
mandarin."
"I should think it would very speedily be discovered what they are,"
answered Murray. "It will be better if we get Jos to talk over the old
pirate skipper, and having excited his cupidity in suggesting a good
ransom, produce our captives, and charge him to treat them well. What
do you say. Captain Willock?"
"A very good plan, I guess," was the answer; "there is nothing like
making it the interest of a man to do what you want him. Just let the
ladies show themselves. I suppose Chinamen have hearts like other
people, and will have some compassion on them, when they see their
distress."
"But how are we to account for their being on board, and in our cabin?"
asked Jack.
"Let your Malay friend, then, settle that; he'll know what will be most
likely to go down with the Chinamen," answered Captain Willock.
"I think, rather, that we should boldly say that we brought them, and
claim them as our share of the loot as the Indians call it--the booty,"
said Murray. "Now all the miserable wretches from whom we rescued them
have, in all probability, been destroyed, there will be no one, unless
any of our own crew saw our proceedings, to witness against us. When
the pirates find that they are to get a ransom for the ladies, they will
be very much obliged to us for having saved them, and, depend on it,
will treat them properly."
Murray's plan, which was certainly the wisest, as it was the most
straightforward, was agreed to. They, however, said nothing till late
in the evening, when the fleet of junks dropped their ponderous wooden
anchors close to the shore in a beautiful little bay, surrounded by
green hills covered to the water's edge with trees.
"The pirates are fellows of some taste to choose this beautiful spot for
their harbour," observed Jack, looking round.
"Not they," answered Captain Willock with a laugh. "I guess now they
choose it because it hides them pretty securely, and they can sweep out
and pounce down on any unfortunate craft which they may catch unprepared
for them in the neighbourhood. But here's our skipper; Fi Tan you call
him, don't you? Well, he's a mild, decent, quiet old gentleman; don't
look as if his trade was cutting throats. You'd better tell him about
the ladies, or he will be finding it out himself."
Jack and Alick agreed to this, and calling Jos, begged him to open the
subject to the pirate captain, which he did with no little
circumlocution; and very considerable departure from the real facts of
the case, notwithstanding Jack's charge to him to adhere to them. The
Malay had two reasons for this. In the first place, he had got so
completely into the way of telling falsehoods, that he could scarcely
speak the truth had he tried; and in the second place, he knew that,
speak the truth or not, he should not be believed. Old Fi Tan having
heard Jos to an end, and watched the dumb-show of the midshipmen and
Americans, desired to have the cabin-door opened. The old lady, who had
thrown herself into a bed, started up, and was going to shriek out, when
Captain Willock's voice reassured her. Her daughter, who had been
watching while she slept, stood trembling by her side, but tried to look
as composed as she could. Captain Willock and the midshipmen soon made
them understand what had occurred, and begging them to be no longer
alarmed, promised that they would do their best, either to effect their
escape, or to obtain their ransom.
"Oh! but our friends are all in Australia; we have no one at Canton to
care for us," cried the young lady, wringing her hands.
"Never fear, miss," said Jack. "I beg your pardon, but I don't know
your name; but I don't doubt the merchants there will come down with all
that is required; and if not, the midshipmen on the station would be
delighted to pay your ransom, and take it out of the pirates afterwards,
when we catch them."
The young lady, who did not exactly understand who midshipmen were, or
what taking it out of the pirates meant, nevertheless thought Jack a
very polite young gentleman, and thanking him warmly, told him that her
name was Cecile Dubois, and that her mother was Madame Dubois, but that
she only spoke French, and as she was now too old to learn English, she
hoped he would learn French to talk to her. Jack, with a flourish of
his turban, which head-covering he and Murray wore instead of their
caps, which they had lost, assured her that he should have unbounded
pleasure in so doing, if she would undertake to teach him. "But, Miss
Cecile," added Jack, "now I know your name, it is pleasant to call you
by it; before we begin, wouldn't you like a little food? You and your
mamma must be peckish, I suspect, and she doesn't look as if she was
accustomed to starve." This want being made known to Jos, he in a short
time procured an inexplicable sort of mess not altogether unattractive,
to which, at all events, the old lady seemed perfectly ready to do
justice, though the younger one, with a taste which Jack admired, only
ate some of the rice, and the less oleaginous morsels.
Altogether the midshipmen were pretty well satisfied with the turn
affairs had taken; but poor Captain Willock had to mourn over the loss
of his ship and cargo, as also, probably, most of his crew. Some he had
seen taken prisoners, and dragged off on board the junks. Whether their
throats had been cut, or whether they were to be found among the pirate
fleet, he could not tell; others he had too great reason to fear had
been blown up. "They were cowards some of them to be sure, or they
would have stuck by us, and we should have beaten off the pirates; but
still I cannot bear to think of them all being cruelly murdered,"
observed the captain to his mate.
"I guess you're not far wrong, captain," answered Joe Hudson. "If it
hadn't been for these British officers, we should have been where they
are, pleasant or unpleasant."
"We only did for you what I am sure you would have done for us,"
answered Murray. "We liked to see the brave way you met the pirates,
and we are very glad to have assisted any Americans, whom we look upon
as cousins, the next thing to our own countrymen."
"Thank you, sir, thank you," said Captain Willock warmly, taking Alick's
hand. "If the Britishers and Yankees were always together, we might
flog all the world, I guess, who might try to oppose us." Thus harmony
prevailed among the captives.
For the next two days the fleet lay at anchor, those junks which had
suffered by the explosion of the brig being engaged in repairing
damages.
Jack got on very rapidly with his French, for, having nothing else to
do, he studied very hard, and Mademoiselle Cecile happened to have a
copy of _Paul and Virginia_ in her pocket when the vessel was attacked.
It served as a capital lesson-book.
As Murray already knew French, he did not require Miss Cecile's lessons,
and so he was able to look philosophically on, and, like a wise monitor,
he told Jack to take care what he was about, neither to take possession
of the young lady's heart nor to lose his own. Whether he would have
taken this advice, which was sage and sound, it is impossible to say;
but other stirring events happened which put a stop to the French
lessons.
One evening the midshipmen observed the pirates in a great state of
commotion. Those who were on shore came off and armed themselves after
their fashion, by sticking pistols and daggers in their belts, and
hanging swords over their necks, and then all hands set busily to work
to get their ships into fighting order. Jos, who had been on shore,
came off among the others, and informed them that another pirate fleet
had hove in sight, and that it was expected that it would come into the
bay to attack them for the sake of making them disgorge the booty they
had collected.
"Pretty scoundrels," said Jack; "there is not even honour among these
thieves themselves."
"No, sare," answered Jos quietly. "Big man in dis country always cut
little man's throat, if little man got any ting worth having."
"Pleasant," remarked Jack; "I would rather be an English ploughman than
a Chinese mandarin."
While the midshipmen were talking to Jos, Captain Fi Tan came up, and
intimated to the latter that he should expect his prisoners to take an
active part in the battle, and to assist in defending the junk.
"A cool request," remarked Jack; "however, as fight we must probably to
defend our own lives and those of the two ladies, we may as well make a
virtue of necessity. You agree with me, Murray, and so do you. Captain
and Mr Hudson? Well, then, Jos, tell Captain Fi Tan that we will fight
for him, but that he must give us any recompense we may demand."
Jos spoke to the pirate captain, and immediately said that he would
agree to their terms.
"That's to say, he'll take the fighting out of us first, and then, if he
finds it convenient, change his mind," remarked Captain Willock. "I
know the way of the Chinese. You cannot trust them."
"Perhaps when we have taught them to trust us they may learn to be
trustworthy themselves," observed Murray; "besides, these fellows are
professed pirates. What can you expect of them?"
"They are all alike, all alike; all rogues and vagabonds together,"
answered the skipper.
After this somewhat sweeping condemnation of a whole people, their
conversation was interrupted by the pirates bringing them a heap of
pistols, daggers, knives, and swords, with which to cover their persons
in Chinese fashion to be ready for battle. Darkness now came on, and in
a short time lights were seen in a pretty dense line, reaching across
the entrance of the harbour. The dark outlines of a fleet of junks soon
after this appeared through the gloom, and forthwith gongs and cymbals
began to clash, and shrieks and shouts ascended, and guns, and jingalls,
and pistols went off, while fire-balls, and rockets, and stink-pots, and
other Chinese devices for warfare, filled the air, and truly made "night
hideous."