"Both junks fast aground, sir. Chinese crews running backwards and
forwards, trying to work them off, sir."
An eager conversation ensued between Mr Reardon and the captain, during
which I carefully scanned the two Chinese vessels, and could see the men
swarming here and there, as if in an intense state of agitation, but
they soon ceased trying to rock the junks, and, as I judged, they were
waiting for the tide to rise higher and float them off.
There was nothing between to hinder my having a thoroughly good view of
where they lay, just round a slight bend, but I felt certain that they
could not see our boats, and I had proof that this was the case, on
noticing that a group of men had landed, and were running towards a
clump of tall trees, where they disappeared amongst the growth.
"Cowards!" I said to myself, for I felt that they were deserters, and,
after watching for their reappearance, I was about to turn the glass
upon the junks again, when I noticed a peculiar agitation of the
branches of one tree, which stood up far above the others.
"Well, Mr Herrick, I am waiting for your reports," cried the first
lieutenant.
"Yes, sir," I shouted. "Half-a-dozen men landed from one of the junks,
and ran across to a patch of wood."
"Deserters? Any more leaving the ship?"
"No, sir."
"Ah, they saw the boats coming, I suppose?"
"No, sir, but they soon will. One of them is climbing a big tree, much
higher than the junk's masts."
"For a look-out, eh?"
"Yes, sir, I think so," I shouted; and then to myself, "Oh, bother!
It's hard work talking from up here. There he is, sir, right up at the
top. You could see him from the deck."
"No, I can see nothing from here. Well, what is he doing?"
"Making signals with his hands, sir, and now he's coming down again."
"Then you think he has seen the boats?"
"No, sir; they are following one another close in under the bank."
"Then they can't see them," cried Mr Reardon, "and Mr Brooke will take
them by surprise."
He did not shout this, but said it to the captain. Still the words rose
to where I sat watching, till the Chinamen ran out from among the bushes
at the foot of the trees, and I saw them making for the junks again.
I could not see them climb on board, but I felt that they must have
jumped into a boat and rowed off to their friends, and, fixing my glass
upon the deck of first one and then the other, I began to make out more
and more clearly the actions of the crews, and, judging from the
glittering, I saw some kind of arms were being distributed.
I announced this at first as a supposition, telling Mr Reardon what I
thought it was.
"Yes, very likely," he replied; and a few minutes after I saw something
else, and hailed.
"Yes," he said, "what now?" and I saw that, though he did not speak, the
captain was listening attentively.
"They're burning something, sir."
"Confound them! Not setting fire to the junks?"
"I don't know, sir; I think so," I replied, still watching intently;
and, as I gazed through my glass, I saw black smoke rising in little
coils from both junks, at first very thick and spreading, then growing
smaller.
"I think, sir, they've set fire to the junks in several places," I said.
He asked me why, and I told him.
"Watch attentively for a few minutes."
I did so, and felt puzzled, for it seemed so strange that the fire
should grow smaller.
"Well," he said, "are the junks burning?"
"The little curls of smoke are rising still, sir."
"Have the men left the decks?"
"Oh no, sir! They're running here and there, and seem very busy still."
"Then they have not set fire to the vessels," he cried decisively.
"Pirates, without a doubt. Those are stink-pots that they have been
getting ready. Go on watching, and report anything else."
A noise below, familiar enough, with its rattle and splash, told me that
an anchor had been dropped from the bows; and as the _Teaser_ slowly
swung round from the force of the tide, I also had to turn, so as to
keep the telescope fixed upon the enemy, who were as busy as ever,
though what they were doing I could not make out. The flashes of light
came more frequently, though, as the sun played upon their weapons; and
now I had something else to report--that they had both assumed a
different position, being lifted by the tide and floated upon an even
keel.
My first idea was, that now they would sail on beyond our reach; in
fact, one moved a good deal, but the other stopped in its place, so that
at last they were so close together that they seemed to touch.
"Make out the boats?" came from the deck.
"No, sir; they're close under the bank." Yes, I caught a glimpse of the
marines' bayonets just then.
"How far are they away from the junks, do you think?"
"I can't tell, sir; about a quarter of a mile, I think."
Mr Reardon was silent while I gazed intently at a patch of open water
just beyond a curve of the bank, hoping to see the boats there, though I
felt that as soon as they reached that spot, if the enemy had not seen
them before, they would be certain to then, for beyond that the junks
lay clearly to be seen from where I sat.
"Well? See the boats?" came from the deck.
"No, sir, not yet."
I glanced down to answer, and could see that every one who possessed a
glass was gazing anxiously aft, the only face directed up to me being
the first lieutenant's. Then my eye was at the glass again.
"More smoke from the junks, sir," I cried; but there was no sign of
fire, and I felt that Mr Reardon must be right, for if they had set a
light to the inflammable wood of the vessels, they would have blazed up
directly.
"Can't you see the boats yet?" cried the first lieutenant impatiently,
and his voice sounded as if he were blaming me.
"No, sir, but the junks are more out in the middle of the stream. I can
see them quite clearly now, away from the trees. They are crowded with
men, and--"
"The boats--the boats?"
"No, sir;--yes, hurrah! There they go, sir, all abreast, straight for
the junks."
"Ha!" came in one long heavy breath from below, as if all left on board
had suddenly given vent to their pent-up feelings.
"How far are they away from the junks?" cried Mr Reardon.
"About two hundred yards, sir; you'll see them directly."
"Yes, I see them now, sir," cried Barkins, who was a little way up the
mizzen-shrouds, where I had not seen him before.
"Silence!" cried the captain sternly. "Go on, Mr Herrick; report."
"Smoke from the junks, sir--white," I cried, and the words were hardly
out of my mouth when there came the report of guns--first one and then
another; then two together; and I fancied that I could see the water
splashing up round about the boats, but I could not be sure.
"Boats separating," I shouted.
"Go on."
"Pulling hard for the junks."
"Yes, go on; report everything."