The threatening of a storm had passed away, and the sun rose upon us,
showing distant mountains of a delicious blue, and the river winding
inland broader than at its mouth, and, as far as could be seen, free of
additional entrances through which an enemy could escape to sea.
Steam was got up, the _Teaser's_ head swung round, and, after the lead
had shown great depth and a muddy bottom, we began to glide steadily up
with the tide.
Our progress was very slow, for, as you will easily understand, and must
have noted scores of times in connection with some wreck, a ship is of
immense weight, and, even if moving ever so slowly, touching a rock at
the bottom means a tremendous grinding crash, and either the vessel
fixed, perhaps without the possibility of removal, or a hole made which
will soon cause it to sink. Navigation, then, is beset with dangers for
a captain. If he is in well-known waters, matters are simple enough;
every rock will be marked upon his chart, every mile near shore will
have been sounded, and he will know to a foot or two how much water is
beneath his keel. But as soon as he ventures up some strange creek or
river, paradoxically speaking, "he is at sea." In other words, he would
be journeying haphazard, if the greatest precautions were not taken.
These precautions were soon taken, a couple of boats being sent on ahead
with a man in each taking soundings, while we had this advantage--we
were journeying with a rising tide, and the river naturally grew deeper
and deeper.
But we encountered no difficulty; we steamed on just fast enough to give
the vessel steerage way, while the boats went on, the leads were heaved,
and the result was always the same; plenty of water, and so soft and
muddy a bottom, that even if we had gone aground, all that would have
happened would have been a little delay while we waited for the tide to
lift us off.
The course of the river was so winding that we could not see far ahead.
Hence it was that a careful look-out was kept as we rounded each bend,
expecting at every turn to see a kind of port to which the piratical
junks resorted, and with a village, if not a town, upon the shore. But
we went on and on without success, the river, if anything, growing
wider, till all at once, as we were slowly gliding round a bend, leaving
a thick track of black smoke in the misty morning air, one of the men in
the top hailed the deck.
"Sail ho, sir!"
"Where away?"
"Dead astarn, sir!"
"What?"
"Dead astarn, sir!"
Two of the men near me burst into a laugh, which they tried to hide as
the first lieutenant looked sharply round. But there, sure enough, were
the tops of the junk's masts dead astern, for the course of the river
proved to be just there almost exactly like that piece of twisted flat
wire which ladies fasten on the backs of their dresses, and call an eye;
the great stream forming first a small circle, and then going right away
to form the large loop of the eye, while the junks were lying at the far
side of the loop, so that to reach them where they lay, right across an
open plain about two miles in width, we had to sail for some distance
right away, apparently leaving them right behind.
A little use of the telescope soon showed that we were going quite
right, though, and we went steadily on with the boats ahead sounding,
and the men waiting to be called to quarters.
"I don't believe it's going to be a fight, Gnat!" cried Smith.
"Why not?"
"Can't smell anything like prize-money in it. They're only a couple of
big trading junks."
"Then why did they run away from us as they did?"
"Same reason as the one did last time. Thought we meant mischief. How
stupid it is taking all this trouble to crawl up a muddy river."
"What's he talking about?" said Barkins, stepping over to our side for a
moment before every one would have to be in his place, and unable to
stir.
"Says they're trading junks."
"Then it's all up. He knows. Either his wound or the doctoring has
made him go better. He's awfully sharp now. I'll go and tell the
skipper to turn back."
"That's right; chaff away," cried Smith. "Look at the place we're in!
There isn't a sign of a town. What would bring pirates up here?"
"Pirates don't want towns, do they, stupid?" cried Barkins; "they want a
place to lay up their ships in, and here it is. I'll bet anything those
are pirates, but we shan't catch 'em."
"Why?" I asked. "Think they'll go up higher where we can't follow?"
"Could follow 'em in the boats, couldn't we, clever? Hi! look! they're
on the move! They're pirates, and are going up higher because they see
us. But we shan't catch 'em. If they are getting the worst of it,
they'll run themselves aground, and get ashore to make a dash for it."
Barkins was right; they were on the move, as we could distinctly see
now, and my messmate said again--
"Yes, it's all over; they'll follow this river right away to the other
side, and come out in the Black Sea, or somewhere else. We draw too
much water to follow them farther."
But we did follow them a great deal farther, and found that on the
whole, in spite of our careful progress, we gained upon the junks,
getting so near them once from their position across a bend of the river
that a discussion took place as to whether it would not be advisable to
open fire at long range.
But no gun spoke, and we kept on slowly, carried by the tide, and with
the screw revolving just sufficiently for steering purposes, till once
more the course of the river grew pretty straight, and the junks were in
full view, our glasses showing the men toiling away at the long sweeps,
and that the decks were crowded.
This last was intensely satisfactory, for it swept away the last doubts
as to the character of the vessels. Up to this point it was possible
that they might have been trading junks whose skippers had taken alarm,
but no mercantile junks would have carried such crews as we could see,
with their bald heads shining in the sun.
Just about that time Smith and I passed Tom Jecks, who gave me a
peculiar look.
"What is it?" I said, stopping to speak.
"Can't you put in a word to the skipper, sir, and get him to stir up the
engyneers?"
"What for, Tom?"
"To go faster, sir. It's horrid, this here. Why, I could go and ketch
'em in the dinghy."
"Do you want the _Teaser_ stuck in the mud?" I said.
"No, sir, o' course not; but I say, sir, do you think it's all right?"
"What do you mean, Jecks?"
"This here river, sir. I ayve read in a book about Chinee Tartars and
magicians and conjurors. There was that chap in `Aladdin' as left the
boy shut up down below. He were a Chinee, wasn't he?"
"I think so, Tom; but what have the _Arabian Nights_ got to do with our
hunting these pirates?"
"Well, that's what I want to know, sir. If there was magic in them days
in China, mayn't there be some left now?"
"No, Tom," I said. "We've got more magic on board the _Teaser_ in the
shape of steam, than there is of the old kind in all China."
"Well, sir, you've had more schooling than ever I've had, but if it
ain't a bit magicky about them boats, I should like to know what it is."
"What's he talking about?" said Smith. "What do you mean?"
"They're will-o'-the-wispy sort o' boats, sir," replied Jecks. "Don't
you see how they keep dodging on us? Just now they was in easy shot,
now they're two mile away. What does that mean?"
"Physical conformation of the road," said Smith importantly.
"Oh, is it, sir?" said Jecks, scratching his head, with a dry smile on
his face. "Well, I shouldn't have thought as physic had anything to do
with that, but I daresay you're right, sir. Wish we could give them
junks physic."
"I don't believe we shall get near enough to give them a dose," said
Smith discontentedly. "If I were the skipper, I'd--"
Smith did not say what he would, for just then there was a shout from
the boat, the man with the lead giving such shallow soundings that we
heard the gongs sound in the engine-room, and the clank of the machinery
as it was stopped and reversed.
Then orders were given for soundings to be taken right across the river,
but the result was always the same; the stream had suddenly shallowed,
and it was at first supposed to be a bar; but sounding higher up proved
that the shoal water was continuous, and though the lighter-draft junks
had gone on, they had now come to a standstill, which suggested that
they too had been stopped.
"Told you so," grumbled Barkins, joining us. "All this trouble for
nothing. Why didn't the skipper open fire and blow 'em out of the water
when he had a chance?"
"Go and ask him, Mr Barkins," said Mr Brooke, who overheard his
remark. "And if I were you, I'd ask him at the same time why it is
amateurs can always manage better than the leader."
Mr Brooke nodded, and I saw that he looked very serious as he walked
aft, and a minute later I knew why.
"Bah!" growled Smith, as soon as he was out of hearing. "Shouldn't have
listened."
"No," said Barkins. "It isn't quite manly to play the spy. Talk about
snubbing, why is it officers should think it so precious fine to be
always dropping on to their juniors? Now, then, look out! there's
orders coming. The old _Teaser's_ going to waggle her tail between her
legs, and we're going back again. More waste of Her Majesty's coals."
"If we don't lie-to till the tide turns," I said. "Oh, I say, you two
look sharp and get quite well again; I didn't know that having wounds
would make fellows so sour."
"Who's sour. Here, let's get aft; quick, or we shall be out of the
fun."
For the whistles were going, and the men springing to the boats, three
of which were manned, and the one lying alongside being filled with a
strong, well-armed crew.
We all three did press forward, in the full hope of being sent as well,
and made ourselves so prominent that I saw Mr Reardon frown. But no
orders came; and at last, in a great state of excitement, Barkins seized
the opportunity to speak.
"May I go in the longboat, sir?"
"You--lame still from your wound, sir? Absurd! No, nor you neither,
Mr Smith."
He caught my eye just then, but turned away, and I could not help
feeling disappointed, though I knew well enough that the risk would have
been great.
"Oh, I do call it a shame," grumbled Barkins, as the order was given,
the men cheered, and, under the command of Mr Brooke, the four boats
pushed off, the oars dropped, the oily water splashed in the bright
sunshine, and each boat with its colours trailing astern glided rapidly
up-stream.
"Yes, it's too bad," grumbled Smith in turn, who unconsciously began
nursing his arm as if it pained him.
"Why, it's worse for me," I cried. "I'm quite strong and well. I ought
to have gone."
Barkins exploded with silent laughter, laid his hand on Smith's
shoulder, and said huskily, as if he were choking with mirth--
"I say, hark at him! What for? There'll be plenty of mosquitoes up
there to sting the poor fellows; they don't want a gnat to tickle them
and make them fight."
"No," said Smith. "Never mind, little boy, be good, and we'll take you
on an expedition some day."
"All right," I replied; "I don't mind your chaff, only you needn't be so
nasty because you are disappointed."
"Mr Herrick! Where's Mr Herrick?" cried the first lieutenant.
"Here, sir," I shouted; and I could not help giving my companions a look
full of triumph as I dashed aft.
"Oh, there you are, sir. Now look here, I'm going to mast-head you.
Got your glass?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then up with you, right to the main-topgallant cross-trees. Notice
everything you can."
My heart began to beat before I reached the main shrouds, and it beat
more heavily as I toiled up the rattlins, reached the top, and then went
on again, too much excited to think of there being any danger of
falling, my mind being partly occupied with thoughts of what Barkins and
Smith were saying about my being favoured in this way.
"Just as if they could have come up," I said half-laughing; "one with a
game leg, the other with a game arm."
My thoughts ran, too, as much upon what I was about to see, so that
beyond taking a tight hold, and keeping my spyglass buttoned up in my
jacket, I paid little heed to the height I was getting, I reached the
head of the topmast, and then began to mount the rattlins of the
main-topgallant mast, whose cross-trees seemed to be a tremendous height
above my head.
But I was soon there, and settled myself as comfortably as I could,
sitting with an arm well round a stay, and one leg twisted in another
for safety; but the wood did not feel at all soft, and there was a
peculiar rap, rap, rap against the tapering spar which ran up above my
head to the round big wooden bun on the top of all, which we knew as the
truck.
For a moment or two I couldn't make out what the sound was. Then I saw
it was caused by the halyards, the thin line which ran up through the
truck and down again to the deck, for hoisting our colours. This
doubled line, swayed by the breeze, was beating against the tall pole,
but I checked the noise by putting my arm round it and holding the thin
halyard tight.
I looked down for a moment or two at the deck which lay beneath, giving
me a bird's-eye view through the rigging of the white decks dotted with
officers and men, and the guns glistening in the sunshine. There were
several faces staring up at me, and I made out Barkins and Smith, and
waved my hand. But these were only momentary glances; I had too much to
see of far more importance. For there, spread out round me, was a grand
view of the low, flat, marshy country, through which the river wound
like a silver snake. Far away in the distance I could see villages, and
what seemed to be a tower of some size. Beyond it, cultivated land and
patches of forest; behind me, and to right and left, the shimmering sea,
and straight in front the two junks; while almost at my feet, in spite
of their hard rowing, there were our four boats, with the oars dipping
with glorious regularity, and making the water flash and glitter, but
not so brightly as did the bayonets of the few marines in each, as they
sat in the stern-sheets with their rifles upright between their legs,
and the keen triangular blades at the tops of the barrels twinkling at
every movement of the boats.
It was a sight to make any one's heart throb, and in spite of my
splendid position for seeing everything I could not help wishing I was
there to help make a part of the picture I saw, with the men in their
white ducks and straw hats, the marines glowing like so many patches of
poppies, and the officers with their dark blue coats faintly showing a
lace or two of gold.
How I longed to be with them bound upon such an exciting trip, and all
the time how glad I was to be up there in so commanding a position, as,
after watching the progress of the boats for a few moments, I opened and
focussed my glass, rested it against a rope, and fixed it upon the
junks.
The first thing I noticed was that one of them lay a little over to
port, as if from being too heavily laden on one side; while, as I gazed,
the other was evidently settling in the other direction.
I wondered what they were doing to them, and whether it meant changing
heavy guns over to one side, when I grasped the fact,--they had gone as
high up-stream as they could, and then run aground, and were fixed in
the sticky mud of which the bottom of the river was composed.
"Ahoy! there aloft," shouted Mr Reardon. "What do you make out?"