There was a consultation in the cabin that evening, as we lay there
about four miles from the stranded barque. It had fallen calm, and, as
there was no urgency, the captain preferred to spare the coals, and we
waited for a breeze.
I heard afterwards from Mr Brooke all that took place during the
discussion, during which the captain heard the principal officers'
opinions, and then decided what he would do.
There had been doubts before as to whether we were on the right track
for the pirates, who might be carrying on their murderous business
elsewhere, but the day's discovery had cleared away the last doubt; it
was plain that the information which had sent us up in the neighbourhood
of Amoy was perfectly correct, that the wretches were there, and that
our presence had kept them quiet till now.
The great difficulty, it was decided, lay in the manner of dealing with
people who without doubt had plenty of spies out in native craft, who
were passed unnoticed by us, and thus every movement was carefully
conveyed to the enemy. As, then, the appearance of the gunboat was
sufficient to keep them in hiding, and also as the moment we were out of
sight the pirates issued from their lair, only two ways of dealing with
the fiends remained to us, and these means, after due consultation, were
to be adopted--one or both.
Then it had been arranged that the next morning at daybreak a couple of
boats were to be despatched to the Scotch barque, for a more thorough
investigation as to whether, in Mr Brooke's rather hurried visit, he
had passed over any cargo worthy of salvage, and to collect material for
a full report for the authorities and the owners.
This had just been decided upon, when there was a shout from one of the
look-out men. It was quite unnecessary, for nearly every one on deck
saw the cause of the cry.
We three companions had been watching the wreck with its spiral of
smoke, which in the calm air rose up like the trunk of a tall tree, and
then all at once spread out nearly flat to right and left, giving it
quite the appearance of a gigantic cedar. Then, as one of the witnesses
of the horrors on board, I had had to repeat my story again; and, while
matters were being discussed below, we in a low tone had our debate on
the question, and saw too how the men gathered in knots, and talked in
whispers and watched the barque. And to us all one thing was evident,
that could our lads only get a chance at the pigtailed, ruffianly scum
of the east coast, it would go pretty hard with them.
"I'll bet many of 'em wouldn't go pirating again in a hurry," Barkins
said; and we agreed.
Then we fell to wondering how many poor creatures had been murdered by
them in their bloodthirsty career, and why it was that there should be
such indifference to death, and so horrible a love of cruelty and
torture, in the Chinese character. All at once came the shout, and we
were gazing at the cause.
For a bright, clear burst of flame suddenly rose from the direction of
the ship--not an explosion, but a fierce blaze--and it was evident that
the parts around the little fire had grown more and more heated and dry,
and that the smouldering had gone on till some part of the cargo
beneath, of an inflammable nature, had caught at last, and was burning
furiously.
We expected that orders would be given for boats to be lowered, but we
had drifted in the current so far away that there was a risky row
amongst shoals, so no orders were given, the men gathering on deck to
watch the light glow which lit up the cloud of smoke hovering overhead.
We three watched it in silence for some time, with the other officers
near, and at last Smith said--
"I don't think I'm a cruel sort of fellow, but I feel as if I should
like to kill some one now."
He did not say a Chinese pirate, but he meant it; and I must confess to
feeling something of the kind, for I thought how satisfactory it would
be to aim one of our big guns at a pirate junk taken in some cruel act,
and to send a shot between wind and water that would sink her and rid
the seas of some of the fiends.
I quite started the next moment, for Barkins said, in a low, thoughtful
voice--
"How do you feel about it, Gnat? Shouldn't you like to kill some of
'em?"
The question was so direct, and appealed to my feelings so strongly,
that for some moments I was silent.
"Not he," said Smith; "old Gnat wouldn't stick a pin in a cockroach."
"Of course I wouldn't," I said stoutly, "but I'd crush it under my foot
if I found one in the cabin."
"One for you, Blacksmith," said Barkins. "Look here, Gnat, you would
like to kill some of the piratical beggars, wouldn't you?"