"Two boats have gone to the right; two to the left.--More firing from
the junks.--Boats separating more.--Two going round behind.--Both out of
sight."
By this time, in addition to the sharp reports of the small guns on
board the junks, the sharper crackle of matchlocks and muskets had
begun; but so far I had not seen a puff of smoke from our boats.
"Are our men firing?"
"No, sir; the two boats I can see are pulling straight now for the
junks.--Now the water splashes all about them."
"Yes? Hit?"
"Don't think so, sir.--Now.--Ah!"
"What--what is it, boy?"
"Can't see anything, sir; they've rowed right into the smoke."
My hands which held the telescope were quite wet now with the excitement
of the scene I had tried to describe to my superior officer, and I
thrust the glass under my left arm, and rubbed them quickly on my
handkerchief, as I gazed at the distant smoke, and listened to the
crackle of musketry alone, for the guns had now ceased from fire.
This I felt must be on account of the boats coming to closer quarters,
and then to the men boarding. But I could see nothing but the smoke,
and I raised the glass to my eye again.
Still nothing but smoke. I fancied, though, that the firing was
different--quicker and sharper--as if our men must have begun too.
"Well, Mr Herrick?" now came from below. "Surely you can see how the
fight is going on?"
"No, sir, nothing but smoke,--Yes," I cried excitedly, "it's lifting
now, and floating away to the left. I can see close up to the junks.
Yes; now the decks. Our right boat is empty, and there is a great fight
going on upon the junk."
"And the other?"
"There are two boats close up, and our men are firing. There is black
smoke coming out of one boat. Now the men are climbing up, and--now,
the smoke is too thick there."
"Go on, boy; go on," shouted the first lieutenant, stamping about, while
the captain stood perfectly still, gazing at the rising smoke, from the
bridge.
"They seem to be fighting very hard, sir," I said, trembling now like a
leaf. "I can see quite a crowd, and that some of the people are in
white."
"But who is getting the best of it?"
"I can't see, sir," I said sadly.
"Then for goodness' sake come down, and let some one else come up,"
roared Mr Reardon.
"Yes, sir."
"No, no; stay where you are, boy. But use your glass--use your glass."
I tried my best, but I could only make out a blurred mass of men on
board both junks. They seemed to be swaying to and fro, and the smoke,
instead of passing off, once more grew thicker, and in place of being
white and steamy, it now looked to be of a dirty inky black, completely
enveloping the vessels and our boats.
This I reported.
"They surely cannot have set them on fire?" said Mr Reardon.
"I can't see any flames, sir."
Silence again; and we found that the firing had ceased, all but a sharp
crack from time to time, sounds evidently made by rifles. But there was
nothing more to see, and, in spite of the angry appeals of the
lieutenant, I could report no more than that the black smoke was growing
thicker, and hanging down over the water, hiding everything, to the
bushes and trees upon the bank.
And now, as I gave one glance down, I saw that the captain was walking
to and fro upon the bridge, evidently in a great state of excitement,
for there was not a sound now; the firing had quite ceased; the black
cloud seemed to have swallowed up our four boats and men; and a chilly
feeling of despair began to attack me, as I wondered whether it was
possible that our poor fellows had been beaten, and the boats burned by
the stink-pots the pirates had thrown in.
The thought was almost too horrible to bear, and I stared hard through
the glass again, trying to make out the junks beyond the smoke, and
whether it was really our boats which where burning, and raising the
black cloud which hid all view.
"I can see a boat now, sir," I cried excitedly, as one of them seemed to
glide out of the end of the cloud; but my heart sank as I made the
announcement, for I saw only that which confirmed my fears.
"Well, go on, lad," cried Mr Reardon, stamping with impatience, "what
are they doing in her?"
"She's empty, sir, and floating away, with a cloud of black smoke rising
from her."
"Ah!" he exclaimed, with quite a savage snarl, and I saw the captain
stop short and raise his glass again, though I knew that from where he
stood he could see nothing.
"We're beaten," I said to myself. "Oh, our poor lads--our poor lads!"
A mist rose before my eyes, and I nearly dropped the glass, but I passed
my hand across my face and looked again, sweeping the telescope from the
left side, where the boat was gliding up-stream smoking more than ever,
to the right and the shore.
"Hooray!" I yelled.
"Yes! what?" roared the captain and Mr Reardon together.
"Chinese running in a regular stream away from the shore; making for the
woods. One down--another down."
At the same moment almost came a couple of volleys, then several men
went down, and the crackle of firing commenced again.
"Go on, Herrick!" cried Mr Reardon.
"Our fellows ashore, and running Jacks and jollies together, sir.
Stopping to fire. Running again."
"And the enemy?"
"Running like deer, sir. More of them down. Making for the wood."
"One man stopped, sir, and returning."
"Yes, yes, that's good. What now?"
"Boat out from the smoke, rowing after the other one, sir. They've got
it. Yes, I can see. They're throwing something out that smokes--now
something more."
"Bah! stink-pots!" roared Mr Reardon. "Now then, quick!--quick!
Don't, go to sleep, sir. What next?"
"I'll shy the spyglass at you directly," I muttered; and then aloud,
"Fire, sir; both junks blazing."
"Hurrah!" came from the deck as the rest of the crew set up a tremendous
cheer, for the smoke had suddenly grown less dense; and the junks
gradually grew visible as it floated away; while even in the bright
sunlight the flames were visible, and I could now make out that they
were two floating furnaces with the great tongues of fire licking the
broad matting-sails: and, best news of all, there, quite plainly, were
our four boats, with the men just visible above their sides.
I reported this, and cheer after cheer rose again. After which there
was dead silence once more, so that my reports could be heard.
"Now, Mr Herrick, what now?" cried Mr Reardon.
"Two boats lying in mid-stream, sir; the others are rowing to the side."
"To pick up the men who were sent ashore, I suppose. Good."
"Junks burning very fast, sir; and they're floating across to the other
side. The wind's taking them straight, for the smoke floats that way."
"Very likely," said Mr Reardon; and there was a long pause.
"One junk has taken the ground, sir," I said, "and--"
"Yes, well, what?"
"Her masts and sails have fallen over the side."
"And our boats?"
"Lying-to, sir, doing nothing."
But that was as far as I could see, for they were doing a good deal, as
we afterwards heard.
"Other junk has floated over, sir, nearly to the same place."
"Good; burning still?"
"Oh yes, sir--very fast."
He need not have asked; for, as Barkins told me afterwards, they could
see the flames from the deck, though our boats were invisible.
"Well, what now?" cried Mr Reardon, as I saw the captain quietly pacing
to and fro on the bridge.
"Other two boats pushed off from the shore, sir."
"Ha! that's right. See anything of the Chinamen?"
"No, sir; the forest goes right away for miles. There isn't one to be
seen."
"And the boats?"
"All rowing back, sir, close under the left bank."
"Can you see them?"
"Only three of them, sir," I replied. "Now another is out of sight."
"Then, as soon as they are all invisible, you can come down," cried Mr
Reardon.
"Yes, sir; all out of sight now."
"Then come down."
"Thankye for nothing," I muttered; and then aloud, "Yes, sir;" and I
closed my glass, and wiped my wet forehead, feeling stiff and sore, as
if I had been exerting myself with all my might.
"I suppose I'm very stupid," I said to myself, as I began to descend
slowly, "but I did try my best. What a height it seems up here! If a
fellow slipped and fell, he would never have another hour up at the
mast-head."
I went on downward, with my legs feeling more and more stiff, and a
sense of heavy weariness growing upon me. My head ached too, and I felt
a pain at the back of my neck, while mentally I was as miserable and
dissatisfied as ever I remember being in my life.
"I hope he'll send old Barkins up next time," I thought. "He wouldn't
feel so precious jealous then. Nice job, squinting through that glass
till one's almost blind, and nothing but bullying for the result."
It seemed to be a very long way down to the deck, but I reached the
remaining few rattlins at last, and I was nearly down to the bulwarks,
meaning to go below and bathe my head, if I could leave the deck, when I
was stopped short, just in my most gloomy and despondent moments, by the
captain's voice, his words sounding so strange that I could hardly
believe my ears.
For, as I held on to the shrouds, and looked sharply aft at the mention
of my name, he said--
"Thank you, Mr Herrick; very good indeed;" while, as I reached the
deck, Mr Reardon came up--
"Yes, capital, Mr Herrick. A very arduous task, and you have done it
well."