"Seems rum of a big ugly fellow like me talking about his mother, sir;
but, Lor' bless you! all us chaps has got a bit of a soft spot somewhere
insides us for our old woman, even them as never talks about it; and do
you know, sir, that night just when I felt worst as I rolled about in my
hammock, and was going to get out and find the bucket of water for a
drink, I got thinking about my old mother, and how she used to come and
tuck me up in bed of a night, and kiss me and say, Gawd bless me, and
then of how she used to talk to me and tell me always to do what was
right, and, no matter what happened, I should feel at rest. And then I
got thinking as I must have done very wrong in killing that Chinee, to
feel as bad as I did. And I got arguing it over first one way and then
the other for a minute or two, and the next thing I remember is it being
tumble-up time, and till you spoke to me about it just now, I've never
hardly thought about it since. It was doing my duty, sir, of course;
now, warn't it?"
"Of course, Morris," I said importantly; and the man nodded, looked
satisfied, and then glanced to right and left again before unbuttoning
his jacket and cautiously pulling out an old-fashioned gold watch.
"Why, hallo, Morris!" I cried.
"Hush, sir; keep it quiet. Mr Reardon give it to me the day afore
yesterday, and said I wasn't to talk about it, for it was just between
ourselves."
"It's a fine old watch," I said, feeling glad that the man we lads
looked upon as such a stem tyrant could show so warm and generous a side
to his nature.
"Said, sir, he gave it to me for attending so well to dishipline, as he
called it, for he said if I had not attended well to my drill, there
would have been no first lieutenant to give me a watch out of gratitude
for saving his life."
"You must take care of that, Morris," I said.
"Yes, sir," he said dolefully. "That's the worst of it. Gold watch is
an orkard thing for a marine, but I mean to try."
"And be very careful to wind it up regularly every night."
He looked at me with his face all wrinkled up.
"Would you, sir--would you wind it up?"
"Why, of course; what's a watch for?"
"Well, that depends, sir. It's all right for a gentleman, but don't
seem no good to me. We allus knows how many bells it is, and the
sergeants takes good care that we're in time for everything. It's
rather in my way, too. Look here, sir; s'pose you took care of it for
me to the end of the voyage?"
"Oh no, Morris. You'll soon get used to having a watch," I said. "Take
care of it yourself."
He shook his head.
"I don't know as I can, sir," he said. "If it had been a silliver one,
I shouldn't so much have minded. I was thinking of sewing it up in the
padding of my jacket."
"No, no; keep it in your pocket and never part with it," I said. "It's
a watch to be proud of, for it was earned in a noble way."
"Thankye, sir," he cried, as I stood wondering at my own words; "that's
done me good;" and he buttoned his jacket up with an intense look of
satisfaction.
"I'm beginning to think the doctor was right, Gnat," said Barkins one
morning.
"What about?" I said.
"My wound; I don't think the knife was poisoned."
"Why, of course it wasn't; you fancied it all."
"Well, I couldn't help that, could I? You wait till you get your wound,
and then see how you'll begin to fancy all sorts of things. I say,
though, Smithy's getting right pretty quick. The doctor's pitched him
over. I should have sent him back to his duty before, if I'd been old
Physic. He was all right yesterday."
"How do you know?"
"Because he was so nasty tempered. Nothing was good enough for him."
"Oh, come, I like that," cried Smith, who overheard him. "Why, I was as
patient as could be; I appeal to the Poet. Did I ever go fussing about
telling people I was wounded by a poisoned knife?"
"No," I said; "you were both magnificent specimens of brave young
midshipmen, and behaved splendidly."
"Oh, did we?" cried Barkins. "Look here, Blacksmith, we'll remember
this, and as soon as we're strong enough we'll punch his head."
"Agreed. He's been growing as cocky as a bantam since we've been ill.
We must take him down."
"Why, what for?" I cried.
"Making game of your betters. Sarce, as Tom Jecks calls it."
We had something else to think of three days later, and in the
excitement both my messmates forgot their wounds, save when some quick
movement gave them a reminder that even the healing of a clean cut in
healthy flesh takes time.
For we overhauled a suspicious-looking, fast-sailing junk, which paid no
heed to our signals, but was brought to after a long chase, and every
man on board was chuckling and thinking about prize-money.
But when she was boarded, with Ching duly established as interpreter,
and all notion of returning to the "fancee shop" put aside for the
present, the junk turned out to be a peaceful trader trying to make her
escape from the pursuit of pirates, as we were considered to be.
Ching soon learned the cause of the captain's alarm. The day before he
had come upon a junk similar to his own, with the crew lying murdered on
board, and, judging from appearances, the wretches who had plundered her
could not have gone long.
Mr Brooke was the officer in charge of the boat, and he told Ching to
ask the master of the junk whether he had seen any signs of the pirates.
The man eagerly replied that he had seen three fast boats entering the
Ayshong river, some thirty miles north of where we then were, and as
soon as he found that we really were the boat's crew of a ship working
for the protection of the shipping trade, his joy and excitement were
without bounds, and showed itself in presents,--a chest of tea for the
crew, and pieces of silk for Mr Brooke and myself; parting with us
afterwards in the most friendly way, and, as Ching afterwards told me,
saying that we were the nicest foreign devils he ever met.
Our news when we went on board made the captain change our course. We
were bound for a river a hundred miles lower down, but it was deemed
advisable to go back and proceed as far up the Ayshong, as a fresh nest
of the desperadoes might be discovered there.
By night we were off the muddy stream, one which appeared to be of no
great width, but a vast body of water rushed out from between the rocky
gates, and from the desolate, uninhabited look of the shores it seemed
probable that we might find those we sought up there.
It was too near night to do much, so the captain contented himself with
getting close in after the boat sent to take soundings, and at dark we
were anchored right in the mouth, with the watch doubled and a boat out
as well to patrol the river from side to side, to make sure that the
enemy, if within, did not pass us in the darkness.
All lights were out and perfect silence was maintained, while, excited
by the prospect of another encounter, not a man displayed the slightest
disposition to go to his hammock.
It was one of those soft, warm, moist nights suggestive of a coming
storm, the possibility of which was soon shown by the faint quivering of
the lightning in the distance.
"Storm before morning," whispered Barkins.
"Yes," said Smith; "storm of the wrong sort. I want to hear our guns
going, not thunder."
From time to time the boat which was on the patrol duty came alongside
to report itself, but there was no news; in fact, none was expected, for
such a dark night was not one that would be chosen by vessels wishing to
put to sea.
I had been disposed to ask for permission to go in the boat, but Mr
Reardon's countenance looked rather stormy, so I had given up the idea,
and contented myself with stopping on board with my two messmates, to
watch the dark mouth of the river.
It soon grew very monotonous, having nothing to see but the shapes of
the distant clouds, which stood out now and then like dimly-seen
mountains high up above the land. But by degrees the distant flickering
of the lightning grew nearer, and went on slowly growing brighter, till
from time to time, as we leaned over the bulwarks, listening to the
faint rushing sound of the river, sweeping past the chain cable, and
dividing again upon our sharp bows, we obtained a glimpse of the shore
on either side. Then it glimmered on the black, dirty-looking stream,
and left us in greater darkness than ever.
Once we made out our boat quite plainly, and at last there came so vivid
a flash that we saw the river upward for quite a mile, and I made out
the low shores, but could see no sign of house or vessel moored anywhere
near where we lay.
Another hour must have passed, during which we made out that the country
on either side was flat and marshy, but we could see no sign of human
habitation. As far as could be made out, the river was about three
hundred yards broad, and about this time we became aware that it must be
very nearly low tide, for the stream which passed us was growing more
and more sluggish, till at last it ceased ebbing, and the _Teaser_ began
to swing slowly round, a sufficient indication that the tide had turned.
We had swung to our anchor till we were right across the stream, when
from higher up a shot was fired, and, as if caused by the report, a
dazzling flash cut right across the heavens, lighting up the river with
its muddy sides, and there, not five hundred yards away, we made out two
large junks that had come down with the tide, which had now failed them,
just as they were close to the mouth.
All had been perfectly silent so far, but as the intense darkness
succeeded the brilliant flash, there was a loud gabbling and shouting
from the direction of the junks, then came the splashing of great oars,
followed by their regular beating, and, as we swung further round with
the men hurrying to their quarters, the boat came alongside, and was
hoisted.
"Well, Mr Brooke?"
"Two large junks, sir; come down with the tide; they've put about, sir,
and are going back."
"Sure?"
"Yes, sir, certain. Hark!"
The hissing sound of the tide had recommenced, and above it we could
hear the splash, splash of great sweeps, sounding hurried and irregular,
as if the men at them were making all the haste they could. Every now
and then, too, came a curious creaking sound, as wood was strained
against wood.
"Tide's setting in very hard, sir," said Mr Brooke.
"Yes," said the captain. "Come on board; ha!"
There was another vivid flash, and we distinctly saw the great
matting-sails of two junks for a moment, and again all was black.
"Come on board, Mr Brooke; they could not sweep those great craft out
against such a tide as this, and there is no wind to help them even if
they wished."
Then the falls were hooked on, after the coxswain had with some
difficulty drawn the cutter up to where the light of a lantern was
thrown down for his guidance, the men stamped along the deck, and the
cutter rose to the davits for the men to spring on board.
Daylight found us lying head to sea, with the tide rushing up, a
beautifully verdant country spreading out on either side, but no
habitation in sight, and our men in great glee, for it was pretty
evident that unless the junks should prove to be merchantmen, we had
come upon a little-known river, up which we had trapped the pirates, who
had been to land plunder at their nest, and were about to make their way
again to sea.