"But what I do say about their eatin' and cookin' is this, and I stands
by what I says, it's beastly, that's what it is--it's beastly!"
"Ay, ay," was chorussed, "so it is;" and then there was silence, while
we all sat uneasily in the broiling sun.
"Wish I was a gal," growled one of the men at last.
"Ain't good-looking enough, matey," said Jecks. "Why?"
"'Cause then I s'ould have a sunshade to put up."
"Ay, 'tis warm--brylin', as you may say. Any on you know whether the
Chinese is cannibals? You know, sir?"
"I have heard that they cook very strange things now and then," I said,
laughing.
"Then they is," said Jecks; "and that being so, they'll have a fine
chance to-day. Hadn't you better send word to some on 'em to lay the
cloth, sir?"
"What for?"
"'Cause I'm nearly done, sir; and Billy Wakes looks quite. Billy ought
to eat nice and joocy, messmates."
"And old Tom Jecks tough as leather," cried Wakes.
"That's so, matey," growled Jecks, who began to pass his tongue over his
lips, and to make a smacking sound with his mouth.
"My hye, matey, you do seem hungry," said one of the others. "Look out,
Billy, or he won't leave John Chinaman a taste."
"Get out!" growled Jecks; "that don't mean hungry, messmate--that means
dry. Beg pardon, sir, we won't none on us try to slope off; but a good
drink o' suthin', if it was on'y water, would be a blessin' in disguise
just now."
"Yes, Jecks, I'm thirsty too," I said.
"Then why not let us pull ashore, sir, and get a drink at one o' them
Chinee imitation grog-shops yonder?"
"Because it would be a breach of discipline, my man," I said, trying to
speak very sternly. "I should look nice if the captain came back and
found me with the boat and no men."
"Hark at that now!" cried Jecks. "Just as if we'd be the chaps to get a
good-natured kind young orficer into a scrape. Look here, sir, put
Billy Wakes ashore to go and fetch some drink. My hye, what we would
give for half-a-gallon o' real good cool solid old English beer."
"Ha!" came in a deep sigh, and I could not help feeling that a glass
just then would be very nice.
"Will you give the order, sir?" said Jecks insinuatingly. "Billy Wakes
is a werry trustworthy sort of chap."
"Yes," I said; "but he'd forget to come back, and then I should have to
send you to find him, and then the others to find you. I know. There,
you can light your pipes if you like."
"And werry thankful for small mussies," said the old sailor, taking out
his pipe. "You won't want no matches, lads. Fill up and hold the bowls
in the sun."
They lit up, and began smoking, while I watched the long narrow street
down which the captain and his escort must come.
"Think we shall have to land the prisoners, sir?" said Jecks, after a
smoky silence.
"I suppose so," I replied. "I expect that is what the captain has gone
ashore about."
"Don't seem much good, that, sir. We takes 'em, and they'll let 'em go,
to start a fresh lot o' plundering junks."
"Thundering junks, matey?" said Billy Wakes.
"I said plundering, Billy, and meant it. Your eddication ain't what it
oughter be."
"No, Jecks," I said; "if the pirates are given up, they'll be executed
for certain."
"Who says so, sir?"
"First lieutenant," I said.
"Well, he ought to know, sir. Been on the Chinee station afore. P'raps
it's best, but I don't want 'em to be hung."
"Don't hang 'em here, Tommy," growled one of the two silent men.
"What do they do, then, old know-all?"
"Chops their heads off, I've heerd."
"Oh, well, I don't want 'em to have their heads chopped off. How should
we like it if we was took prisoners?"
"Oh, but we arn't Chinees," growled Billy Wakes.
"Nor arn't likely to be, mate; but we've got heads all the same. I know
how I should like to be executed if it was to-day."
The others looked up, and I could not help turning my head at the
strangely-expressed desire.
"I'll tell yer," said Jecks, looking hard at me. "I should like it to
be same as they did that young chap as we reads of in history. They
drowned him in a big tub o' wine."
"Grog would do for me," said Billy Wakes.
"Or beer," cried the others.
"Ask the captain to let you have some tea," I cried, "Quick, haul up the
grapnel! Here they come!"
Pipes were knocked out on the instant, the grapnel hauled up, and oars
seized; but, in spite of urging on the men, I saw to my vexation that
the captain had reached the landing-place first, and I kept him waiting
nearly five minutes in the broiling sun.
He did not say anything, only glared at me as he stepped in, followed by
his escort. The oars were dropped, and, as we began to row back to the
_Teaser_, I saw that his face was scarlet with the heat, and he looked
in a regular temper.
"I shall catch it," I thought to myself; but the very next moment my
attention was taken to the shore, where a yell of derision arose from
the crowd gathered to see the officers embark.
"Brutes!" muttered the captain; and then he sprang up in a rage, for a
shower of stones came pattering into the boat, and splashing up the
water all round.
He was so enraged by the insult, that he ordered the marines to load,
and a volley of twelve rifles was fired over the people's heads.
The result was that they all ran helter-skelter, tumbling over each
other, and by the time they returned and began throwing again we were
out of their reach, but they kept on hurling stones and refuse all the
same, and shouting "Foreign devils!" in their own tongue.