"Bravo, Gnat! Well done, little 'un!" whispered Barkins the next
minute, as I walked aft, feeling quite confused, while my headache and
sensation of misery passed off as if by magic. "Blacksmith would have
done it better, of course; wouldn't you, Smithy?"
"Done it as well as you would," said my messmate sulkily; and there was
a heavy frown on his brow; but, as he met my eyes, it cleared off, and
he smiled frankly. "I say: Well done our side!" he whispered. "What
would they do without midshipmen!"
"I say, though," said Barkins, "we've given John Pirate another
dressing-down; but what about the plunder?"
"Ah, of course," said Smith. "Junks both burned, and no swag. What
about our prize-money? Eh, Gnat?"
"I wasn't thinking about that, but about our poor lads. They must have
had a sharp fight. I hope no one is hurt."
My companion were silent for a moment or two. Then Barkins said
quietly--
"I thought it would be only the teapots that were broken. Think our
chaps were hurt? You couldn't see?"
"I could see that there was a big fight going on; and look here!"
I nodded in the direction of one of the companion-ways, from which the
doctor suddenly appeared with his glasses on, and an eager, expectant
look in his eyes as he bustled up to us.
"I'm all ready," he said. "Boats in sight yet?" I shuddered, and I
noticed that Smith looked white. "Well, why don't you answer? What's
the matter, my lads? Oh, I see." He laughed.
"Horrible sort of person the doctor, eh? But you didn't look like that
when I tackled your wounds the other day. But if you people will fight,
the surgeon must be ready. Oh, let's see: you were up at the
cross-trees, Mr Herrick, with your glass, and saw all. Will there be
much work for me to do?"
"I don't know, sir," I said, trying hard to speak quietly. "I couldn't
see much for the smoke. I hope not."
"So do I, boy, heartily. I don't mind the wounds so long as they're not
too bad. It's painful to have fine strong lads like ours slip through
one's fingers. But we must do our best. Any Chinese prisoners? Sure
to be, I suppose."
"I should think so, sir."
"And wounded. Well, if there are, you three lads ought to come and be
my body-guard with your dirks. Like to see the operations, I daresay?"
"Ugh!" I said, with a shudder.
"Bah! Don't act like a great girl, Herrick," said the doctor
scornfully. "You would never have done for a doctor, sir. I never
shudder at the worst cases."
"But then you are hardened, sir," said Barkins.
"Hardened be hanged, sir!" cried the doctor indignantly. "A clever
surgeon gets more and more softened every time he operates, more
delicate in his touches, more exact in his efforts to save a limb, or
arrange an injury so that it will heal quickly. Hardened, indeed! Why,
to judge from your faces, any one would think surgery was horrible,
instead of one of the greatest pleasures in life."
"What, cutting and bandaging wounds, and fishing for bullets?" blurted
out Smith; "why, sir, I think it's hideous."
"And I think you are an impertinent young coxcomb, sir," cried the
doctor indignantly. "Hideous, indeed! Why it's grand."
He looked round at us as if seeking for confirmation of his words, but
neither spoke.
"Hideous? horrible?" he said, taking off his glasses and thrusting his
hand into his pocket for his handkerchief to wipe them, but bringing out
something soft and white, which proved to be a piece of lint. "Oh, I do
call it cool. If there's anything hideous it's your acts, sir; having
those thundering guns fired, to send huge shells shivering and
shattering human beings to pieces for the doctor to try and mend; your
horrible chops given with cutlasses and the gilt-handled swords you are
all so proud of wearing--insolent, bragging, showy tools that are not to
be compared with my neat set of amputating knives in their mahogany
case. These are to do good, while yours are to do evil. Then, too,
your nasty, insidious, cruel bayonets, which make a worse wound than a
bullet. Oh, it's too fine to call my work horrible, when I try to put
straight all your mischief."
"Here they are," cried Barkins excitedly, as a hail came from the top.
We ran aft to see the first boat come steadily along close in shore,
which was being hugged so as to avoid the full rush of the tide.
Directly after the others came in sight, and glasses were all in use
from the bridge and quarter-deck.
I adjusted mine directly, and saw at the first glance that there was
plenty of work for Dr Price, for men were lying in the stern-sheets
with rough bandages on limbs and heads, while several of those who were
rowing had handkerchiefs tied round their foreheads, and others had
horrible marks upon their white duck-frocks, which told tales of injury
to them as well as to their enemies.
The third boat was given up to men lying down or sitting up together,
leaving only just room for the rowers, while the fourth and largest boat
was being towed; the thwarts, that in an ordinary way would have been
occupied by rowers, now holding the marines, who sat with their rifles
ready, and fixed bayonets, while the stern-sheets were filled
with Chinamen, seated in three groups, and all in the most
uncomfortable-looking way. I could see that their hands were tied
behind their backs, and it was horribly plain that several of them were
wounded; but why they should have formed these three groups, and sat
there with their heads laid close together, was what puzzled me.
A loud cheer rose from our deck as the boats came near; and this was
taken up directly by the returning party, the men rowing harder as they
shouted, and the little triumphant procession reached the side.
The first hail came from the captain.
"Mr Brooke--where's Mr Brooke?"
"Here, sir," cried that officer, standing up with a stained handkerchief
about his head, and his uniform all black and scorched.
"Any fatalities?"
"No, sir; not one."
I saw the captain's lips move, but no one heard him speak. I guessed,
though, what he said, and I felt it.
Then as quickly as possible the boats were run up to the davits, and the
uninjured men leaped on deck. Next the wounded, such as could stir,
descended from the boats, one poor fellow staggering and nearly falling
as soon as he reached the deck. After which the badly wounded were
carefully lifted out and carried below, to be laid in a row to wait the
doctor and his assistant make their first rapid examination, to apply
tourniquets and bandaged pads to the most serious injuries.
"Good heavens, Mr Brooke, what a condition you are in! The doctor must
take you first."
"Oh no, sir," said the young lieutenant quietly. "I'm not very bad; a
cut from a heavy sword through my cap. It has stopped bleeding. My
hands are a little bruised."
"But how was this?"
"As we advanced to board, they threw quite a volley of stink-pots
fizzing away into us. I burned myself a little with them."
"Chucking 'em overboard, sir," cried the boatswain. "Splendid it was."
"Nonsense!" cried Mr Brooke. "You threw ever so many. But it was hot
work, sir."
"Hot! it is horrible. How many prisoners have you there?"
"Eighteen, sir; the survivors escaped."
"But you shouldn't have fired the junks, man," said the captain testily.
"There may have been wounded on board."
"Yes, sir," said Mr Brooke, with his brow puckering; "wounded and dead
there were, I daresay, thirty; but the enemy set fire to their vessels
themselves before they leaped overboard, and it was impossible to save
them: they burned like resin. We saved all we could."
"I beg your pardon; I might have known," cried the captain warmly.
"Come to my cabin. Mr Reardon, be careful with those prisoners; they
are savage brutes."
"Enough to make 'em, Gnat. Look! What a shame!"