A swim in the dark through waters where sharks abound, and in chase of
an enemy who may very likely be armed with a sharp creese, is far from
an agreeable amusement.
Away swam the pirate, and after him swam Jack. "If he has a knife, it
won't be pleasant," he said to himself. "However, I must be cautious as
I get up to him. Ah! there he is. Now, old fellow, what have you got
to say for yourself?"
Jack was within about a couple of yards of the Chinese. The man turned
his head to look over his shoulder. Jack darted on. At that moment
Jack saw an object in the pirate's hand, gleaming from the bright light
of a star hitherto obscured. It was a creese. The man turned round to
meet him and plunge it into his body; but at the moment he did so Jack
dived down, and coming up on the other side of him, caught him by the
legs with one hand, while with the other he grasped the arm which held
the weapon. His great difficulty was to prevent the pirate from
changing the creese from his right-hand to his left. While thus
desperately struggling, Jack observed two dark heads close to him, with
the most fierce and malignant countenances. The men were probably armed
with creeses. Jack expected every moment to feel the sharp blades
running into him, when the shouts of his friends alarmed his foes, and
they darted away in the hopes of securing their own safety.
Terence and Alick, meantime, naturally felt very anxious for Jack's
safety. They shouted loudly his name.
"All right," he sang out; "I have got a fellow, but he is as slippery as
an eel, and very hard to hold. Lend a hand here, do."
The tone of his voice showed that he was struggling hard with his
prisoner. His friends dashed after him with their boats, but his own
boat, of which Needham was coxswain, had already got up to him, and were
hauling him and the Chinese on board.
"Look after the other two fellows. They are away there," he shouted,
never for a moment losing his presence of mind.
Alick's boat darted after one, Terence's after the other. It was not
likely that the men could have got very far; but a black head at
midnight on the world of waters is not very discernible. Murray, as his
boat pulled on, kept his eyes about him on either side. He caught sight
of a head. "There he is," he cried, leaning forward and making a clutch
at the pirate. A creese flashed up as he did so, and he got a cut in
his arm which was intended for a more vital part. The next instant the
man had disappeared; but as his object was to escape, and not to get
drowned, he had to come up again to breathe. As he did so, he got his
creese ready to give another plunge with it; but the seamen were not
quite so green as he supposed, and this time they were ready with the
boat's stretchers, and, as he lifted up his arm, he got a blow which
sent his formidable weapon to the bottom, and wellnigh broke his arm.
This prevented him from diving, and the next instant he was, in spite of
his struggles, hauled into the boat, and he found himself lashed with
his hands behind him to the after-thwart. There was another prisoner to
be accounted for. Terence told his crew not to make a noise as they
went in chase. The man was the strongest of the three prisoners. He
had taken a circuit, hoping thus to escape unobserved to the shore. It
occurred to Terence that this was what very likely one of them would do,
and thus before long he caught sight of the man's head, as he swam
rapidly through the water. "The fellow swims beautifully," thought
Terence, "I'll let him enjoy himself a little longer." The noise made
on board the other boats deceived the Chinaman. He fancied that he was
not pursued. "We must catch him now," thought Terence, after an
interval, and he made a sign to his men to give way, when a loud shriek
was heard, the pirate's arms were seen to rise up above his head, and
then down he went, like a shot, beneath the waves. Terence shuddered.
"Jack shark has caught him," observed one of the crew, and as they
pulled over the spot they could see the water still bubbling and
agitated, as if some violent struggle was going on beneath its surface.
Then all was quiet. The monster had dragged off his prey to be devoured
at his leisure.
"I'm heartily glad it was not Jack Rogers," said Terence, as on pulling
back he recounted what had occurred.
"Thank you," answered Jack. "It was certainly a terrific risk I ran;
but as the fellow had escaped through my negligence, I was determined to
catch him at all costs."
How the pirates had managed to conceal their creeses was a wonder which
no one could solve, though the seamen declared that they believed they
had kept them hid away inside their throats, for they could not have had
them anywhere else. After all the noise that had been made there was
little hope of concealment, so Mr Cherry ordered the squadron of boats
to pull out of the bay and to proceed farther along the shore to the
eastward.
Scarcely had they got round the rocky point which had concealed them
than they saw right before them a dozen or more dark objects, which,
after watching for some time, they made out to be as many large
row-boats. They hoped that they were not perceived; so Mr Cherry
ordered them to pull back under the shadow of the cliff. On came the
boats. It was pretty certain that they were pirates, and that by some
means having discovered they were there, their purpose was to surprise
them. The guns in the bows of the boats were loaded, as were the
muskets which each man had by his side, and the oars were kept out, so
that at a moment's notice they might give way after the enemy. As Paddy
remarked, "They looked like four huge centipedes ready to dart out on
their prey."
The row-boats must have been too far off at the time of the chase of the
three prisoners to have heard the shouting, so they probably hoped to
catch the British asleep. Mr Cherry was in doubt whether he should
attack them unless they were aggressors. They might, after all, be only
harmless traders. They glided on pretty rapidly. Soon they had rounded
the point, and were making for the spot where the boats had been, when
those on board them discovered the Englishmen. They stopped, and then
came dashing on towards the point.
"They are enemies," cried Mr Cherry; "give it to them, my lads." A
sharp fire of grape, accompanied by musketry from the four boats, right
into the bows of the junks, had the effect of arresting their progress.
They could not tell how many more boats there might be behind those they
saw.
"Reload your pieces, my lads, as fast as you can--quick!" shouted Mr
Cherry. It was done before the pirates had recovered from their
confusion, and when they once more advanced, a second dose was ready for
them. This was given with such good effect that they pulled round to
escape. The commanding officer, observing this, ordered his boats to
advance. On they dashed, the men loading and firing as they could, till
they reached the junks. Then, each boat selecting an antagonist, the
seamen leaped on board, and with their cutlasses very soon drove the
crew overboard. None of the pirates would yield, and not a prisoner was
taken. As some time was expended in this engagement, the remainder of
the junks escaped. Where they had gone it was difficult to say in the
darkness; but Jack Rogers told Mr Cherry that he thought he had seen
them steering for the bay.
Into the bay, therefore, the boats proceeded, and pulled round and round
it. In vain they searched, however, and at last Mr Cherry ordered them
to bring up and wait till daylight. As soon as it was dawn it was "Up
anchor and out oars," and away they pulled again. They had not gone far
before they discovered the boats run up on the beach deserted by the
crews. Paddy Adair and Jack were for dashing in at once; but the more
prudent lieutenant called them back. He first ordered that all the guns
should be loaded and pointed towards some suspicious-looking bushes on a
height above the beach, and then directed Terence to pull rapidly in
towards the boats, and to set them on fire. The other boats advanced
more slowly, two at a short distance to the right and two to the left of
him.
Paddy was very much inclined to think all this precaution superfluous.
"What's the use of it, when we have only a set of ignorant niggers to
deal with?" he observed to Jack, as he pulled on. "Give way, lads." He
reached the beach--a light was struck. There was an abundance of dry
driftwood thrown up by gales on the shore. Some of it was speedily
collected, and they had succeeded in setting one boat in a blaze when,
from the suspicious bushes, there came a rattling shower of bullets, and
directly afterwards some fifty savages, with creeses in their hands,
dashed out towards them.
Two of the Englishmen had fallen, and Terence and the rest rushed to
their arms to defend themselves as best they could, though they could
not help looking round to see if the other boats were coming to their
assistance, when from either side so hot a fire was opened, with grape
and bullets, on the pirates, that before they reached the boats they
wished to defend, numbers were tumbled over, and the rest turned and
fled back into the cover. Before he could allow the boats to advance,
Mr Cherry had all the firearms again loaded. Meantime Terence
continued to set the boats on fire, and performed the work without
molestation.
The lieutenant then led the flotilla to a spot where there were no trees
or rocks to shelter an enemy, and leaving three men in each boat, he
landed with the rest and advanced to the top of a neighbouring hill.
There were no habitations in sight, and as it was agreed that it would
be worse than useless to follow the pirates, the party again embarked.
The wounds of the poor fellows who had been hit were bound up, and all
possible attention was paid to them. Notwithstanding this, soon after
the boats again shoved off, one of them died. It was impossible to keep
the body on board, and as landing was dangerous, a shot was fastened to
the feet, and with scant ceremony it was launched into the sea.
"Has Bill gone?" asked the other wounded man, with a faint voice, "I
wish as how he'd waited a bit before he slipped his cable, so that we
could have borne each other company; maybe, if I clap on more canvas, I
shall get up with him. Howsomdever, I shan't be long after him, and
that's a comfort."
For several hours the boats proceeded on, looking into every bay and
creek for signs of inhabitants, from whom they might obtain information.
At last some huts were seen, and the expedition pulled on for the
shore. Mr Cherry and about five-and-twenty men landed, and, the ground
being open, marched up towards the huts, carrying the two prisoners with
them. One of them was then made to understand that he must go and make
inquiries as to whether they knew what had become of the two ladies and
the other people the pirates had carried off. The man nodded his head
and showed that he fully comprehended what he was to do. While they
were speaking, some thirty or forty natives appeared at a short distance
off. "Understand," added the interpreter, "you may go as far as that
tree, so that you may talk to those people, but if you go a foot
farther, you will be shot. Remember that we are not joking." The
pirate went on, first very slowly, then rather quicker, then faster and
faster. The natives shouted, and he cried out something in return. He
evidently had friends among them. He reached the tree, he stopped a
moment, then he looked back; the marines, looking very grim with their
muskets presented, stood ready to fire. He talked on, then he looked
again; the desire to escape overcame all his fears. He sprang forward,
but, as he did so, half a dozen bullets were lodged in his body. No
sooner did he fall, than numbers of natives rushed out from all
directions, and began to fire on the English. Giving the marines time
to reload, Mr Cherry called his men to charge, and dashing forward with
bayonets and cutlasses, they speedily put the enemy to flight. A
considerable quantity of European goods of various descriptions was
found in the houses; as this proved without doubt that the inhabitants
were either pirates or in league with them, the habitations, and such
goods as could not be carried off, were committed to the flames. The
fields, gardens, and plantations of every description were likewise
ruthlessly destroyed.
"It is a cruel necessity," observed Mr Cherry to his subordinates, "but
it must be done. The only way that I can see of putting a stop to
piracy is to teach the pirates that their trade will not longer answer."
Murray was the only one of the party who was not entirely of the
lieutenant's opinion. That evening, when they had returned to the
boats, he addressed Jack Rogers. "I wonder now, whether it might not
answer to catch some of these wild fellows, to show them the beauties
and advantages of Christianity and civilisation, and then send them back
among their countrymen as a sort of missionaries. Offer to trade with
them, and prove to them that honest commerce will be more profitable to
them than dishonest piracy. I think this plan would answer our purpose
better than burning down their houses and cornfields." Jack was not
quite certain which plan he thought the best.
"Ours is the shortest and most simple, at all events," he observed.
"I think not, because our present work can never end," answered Alick.
"As soon as we disappear, piracy will again appear; whereas if we teach
the people the advantages of commerce, they will not only no longer rob
themselves, but it will be their interest to aid in putting down piracy
everywhere else."
"Well, Alick, I do believe you are right, as you always are," said Jack.
"But, I say, I hope we shall find poor Madame Dubois and Mademoiselle
Cecile before long. What a state of fright the poor old lady will be in
all this time!" While they were talking, their boats being close
alongside each other, Terence was attending to the wounded man in his
boat. The poor man grew weaker and weaker.
"I shall not see another sunrise," he remarked. "Bill won't have a
day's start of me; so, maybe, after all, he and I will steer the same
course alongside each other." He continued talking in the same style to
the last, showing clearly that he had his senses perfectly, but that he
was painfully ignorant of the truths of religion. Adair thought that he
ought to set him right, but did not know how to begin, and, if he had
begun, he felt that he should not know how to go on. The seaman's voice
grew fainter and fainter, the pale light of of dawn began to appear.
Suddenly he lifted himself up, exclaiming with a strong voice, "Yes,
Bill, all right; I'm casting off the turns. Good-bye, shipmates. I'm
after you, Bill." Then he fell back, and was dead. Scarcely was the
body cold before it, too, was lowered into the water, and as the sun
rose Mr Cherry gave the order to weigh and continue the voyage. A
pleasant breeze sprang up off the land, which carried them along at a
good speed. At noon they turned to dine, still continuing under weigh.
A lofty headland was before them. No sooner did they round it, than a
deep and beautiful bay opened on them, with rocks and high but not
precipitous banks. In the very head of it there appeared a large junk
anchored close in with the shore.
"That's her!" exclaimed Jack, and Alick, and Captain Willock in the same
voice. "It's the very junk which carried off the ladies."
"If it's not her, it's as like as one pea is to another," observed the
American skipper. She appeared to be full of men, and numbers came
scrambling up from below. It was evident that the boats were unexpected
visitors. A few shots were fired at the boats. On this Mr Cherry
ordered the sails to be lowered, and the oars being got out, away they
dashed towards the junk, getting ready to fire as they approached.
Scarcely had one discharge been given, than the pirates were seen to be
making their escape from the junk. Some were lowering themselves into
the boats which hung alongside, and others were leaping into the water
to swim on shore. The nearer the British drew, the more violent were
the attempts the pirates made to escape. By the time the boats had got
within fifty yards or so of the junk, the greater number had made their
escape, and most of them were seen climbing up the hill, or hiding
themselves among the rocks. At that moment half a dozen people were
seen on the deck, and it appeared to Mr Cherry that they were about to
discharge some of their guns before they made their escape. He was just
giving the order to fire, when Jack shouted out, "Stop in, stop! They
are not pirates. They are Madame Dubois and Miss Cecile, though they
are dressed up like Chinamen; and Hudson and Hoddidoddi, and the rest."
The crews of Adair's and Murray's boats were, however, in so great a
hurry that they fired before Mr Cherry could countermand his order, and
then on they dashed. Jack was dreadfully afraid that the ladies might
be hurt, and this made him also eager to get alongside to ascertain.
This anxiety was, however, speedily relieved, by the appearance of Miss
Cecile on the upper deck of the junk, waving a petticoat, which she had
made do duty as a flag of truce. The whole party were soon alongside.
Jack was the first on deck. He very nearly burst out laughing when he
caught sight of poor Madame Dubois rigged out in a Chinaman's costume,
with her hair twisted into a pigtail, and a little round Chinese hat on
her head. Miss Cecile had on the same sort of dress, which Jack did not
think particularly became her; indeed, she appeared to him to be very
different to what she had before seemed when she was instructing him in
French. All this time the pirates were scrambling away up the rocks as
fast as they could go. So great had been the panic that they had not
even taken their arms with them, so that they could not interfere with
the proceedings of the conquerors. Mr Cherry did not think it worth
while to follow them; indeed, as they appeared to have treated the
prisoners well he did not think that he should do right to inflict on
them any further punishment than the loss of their vessel and booty.
The junk's huge wooden anchor was therefore hove up to her bows, and the
boats, taking her in tow, carried her off in triumph out of the bay.
Before leaving, however, Mr Cherry told the interpreter to impress on
the minds of the two pirate prisoners that, if they returned to their
old habits, they would be caught, and if caught they would be hung, but
that if they took to any honest calling they would be protected and
favoured by the British.
"Go and tell your countrymen this, and don't forget it yourselves,"
added the interpreter. The men were then landed, and off they scampered
to join their friends; but whether or not they benefited by the advice
given them, it is impossible to say. Jack, with Mr Cherry and a few of
the men, went on board the junk, when Jack inquired of Miss Cecile how
it was she and her mamma had come to assume the attire in which he found
them clothed.
"Oh, it was all Mr Hudson," answered the young lady. "He say we must,
to run away. But poor mamma, she does look very funny, ha! ha! ha!"
"Your respectable relation has certainly a very curious appearance,"
answered Jack, not particularly well pleased with Miss Cecile's tone.
"It strikes me indeed, young lady, that the sooner she changes her
dress, the less ridiculous she will appear."
Miss Cecile, however, did not seem to care much about this point, and
continued laughing as heartily as before. Hudson afterwards explained
that, having found a chest of Chinese clothes in the cabin in which they
were shut up, they had dressed themselves in them, in the hopes that
thus disguised they should be the better able to make their escape.
Before night the _Blenny_ hove in sight, and taking the boats on board
and the junk in tow, the expedition returned to Hong Kong, where they
found the frigate at anchor. Jack and Alick here bade the companions of
their late adventure good-bye. Jack was a little sentimental when
parting with Miss Cecile, but he very speedily recovered his usual state
of feeling when he heard that she was about to be married to Mr Joe
Hudson, the mate of the American brig.
While the _Dugong_ and _Blenny_ lay at Hong Kong, Captain Hemming was
asked to take a poor young gentleman on board, who had suffered from the
climate, and was very ill. A trip to sea might give him some chance of
recovery. Hemming, in the kindness of his heart, at once consented,
without asking who he was, and promised him a berth in his cabin.
Scarcely had the stranger been lifted up on deck, than Jack recognised
in his features, though pale and sunken, those of his old schoolfellow,
Bully Pigeon. He was placed in the shade under an awning on deck. He
had not been there long before he sent a boy to call Jack.
"Ah! Rogers," he said, in a faint voice, "I dare say you scarcely like
to speak to me; but I am not as bad as I was. I have been thinking a
good deal lately, and a friend has talked to me and read to me, and I
have seen my folly. I believe in the religion I once laughed at, and I
see that, had I before believed in it, I should have been a thousandfold
more happy than I was. I have thrown life away, for I shall soon die;
but I am not miserable as I was lately, for I know that I shall be
forgiven."
The next day the frigate and brig sailed for the north. They had
cruised for about a fortnight, when a steamer overtook them, and gave
them notice that war had broken out once more between England and China,
and that there would be plenty of work cut out for them before long.