"Ah, I see," said Ching. "Me tink you have velly gleat tleat. But I
see, not used to see. Velly blave boy, not mind littlee bit next time."
"What's the matter? Don't, doctor. It's getting well now."
It was Barkins who spoke, and his hands went suddenly to his injured
leg, and held it, as he bent over towards it and rocked himself to and
fro.
"Throbs and burns," he said, drawing in his breath as if in pain. "I--
I--"
He looked round wildly.
"I remember now," he said faintly. "Don't laugh at me, you chaps. I
turned sick as a dog as soon as that butchering was over. I never felt
like this over the fighting. I say, Gnat, did I faint right away?"
"Yes, dead!" I said; "I was nearly as bad."
"Enough to make you. But oh, my leg, how it does sting! I say, isn't
it queer that it should come on now? Did the fainting do it?"
"I dunno," said Smith hastily, "but my arm aches horribly. I say, do
let's get away from here, or I shall be obliged to look over yonder
again."
"Yes, I'm all right again now," said Barkins quietly. "Let's get away.
I say, lads, it's of no use to be humbugs; we did all feel precious bad,
eh?"
We looked at each other dolefully.
"Yes, let's get away," I said. "I thought we were coming out for a
jolly day."
Barkins shuddered and now stood up.
"Yes," he said; "I hope the skipper liked it. Can you see him now?"
"Skipper? Cap'n?" said Ching, whose ears were always sharp enough to
catch our words. "Gone along, Mr Leardon. Make gland plocession all
away back to palace. You go sail, soon catch more pilate."
"I hope, if we do," said Smith, "that we shall not bring back any
prisoners."
The enclosure was thinning fast now, as we walked toward the gateway by
which we had entered, where a strong body of soldiers had been on guard
over the barricades, in case of an attempt being made by the pirates'
friends to rescue them, and we saw plainly enough that had we wanted
there would have been no getting away.
"You likee go in and see plison?" said Ching insinuatingly. "Plenty bad
men lock up safe."
"No, thank you," I said eagerly. "Let's get out of this, and go and
have some tea."
"Yes, plenty tea. Ching show way."
The Chinese soldiers stared at us haughtily as we walked by, and I drew
myself up, hoping that no one there had witnessed our weakness, for if
they had I knew that they could not feel much respect for the
blue-jackets who hunted down the scoundrels that infested their seas.
Both Barkins and Smith must have felt something after the fashion that I
did, for they too drew themselves up, returned the haughty stares, and
Barkins stopped short to look one truculent savage fellow over from head
to foot, especially gazing at his weapons, and then, turning coolly to
me, he said, with a nod in the man's direction--
"Tidy sort of stuff to make soldiers off, Gnat, but too heavy."
The man's eyes flashed and his hand stole toward his sword hilt.
"'Tention!" roared Barkins with a fierce stamp, and though the order was
new to the guard, he took it to be a military command and stepped back
to remain stiff and motionless.
"Ha! that's better," cried Barkins, and he nodded and then passed on
with us after Ching, whose eyes bespoke the agony of terror he felt.
"Come long quickee," he whispered excitedly. "Very big blave that
fellow. Killee--fightee man. You no 'flaid of him?"
"Afraid? No," said Barkins shortly. "There, let's have this tea."
Ching glanced round once, and we were about to imitate his example, but
he said excitedly--
"No, no, don't lookee. Big blave talkee talkee soldier, and tink Inglis
offlicer 'flaid. Walkee past."
He led us as quickly as he could get us to go towards the tea-house he
sought, and I must own that I was only too anxious about the Chinese
guards to help feeling in a good deal of perturbation lest they should
feel that they had been insulted, and follow us so as to take revenge.
Hence I was glad enough to get within the tea-house's hospitable walls,
and sat there quite content to go on sipping the fragrant infusion for
long enough.
I suppose we were there quite an hour and a half drinking tea, until we
were satisfied, and then passing a look round to draw attention to our
interpreter, who sat back with his eyes half closed, sipping away cupful
after cupful, till Smith whispered to me that he thought he had kept
correct account.
"How many do you think Ching has had?" he whispered.
"Don't know; nearly a dozen?"
"Fifty-three, or thereabouts," whispered Smith.
But I did not believe him, and I do not think he believed himself.
"Now, you likee go 'long see somethin' else?" said Ching, when he had
really drunk tea enough.
"Yes," said Barkins, "I feel ready. What do you say to going to see the
_Teaser_, lads?" he continued.
"I'm willing," said Smith. "I want to lie down."
"You ready, Gnat?"
"Oh yes," I replied. "I don't feel as if I could enjoy anything
to-day."
"Right, then. No, Ching; back on board ship."
"You go velly soon? Now?"
"Yes, directly."
Ching smiled--he had a habit of smiling at everything nearly, and we
paid our reckoning and followed him down to the landing-place, to arrive
there just in time to see the barge with the captain and his escort
gliding rapidly away toward the ship.
"Too soon findee boat," said Ching. "Tellee man come when sun go out of
sight."
"Yes, and that means two hours good," said Barkins. "Look here, Ching,
hire a boat cheap. Get a fellow with a sailing-boat, if you can."
"Yes," said the Chinaman, nodding his head in a satisfied way, "Good
boat--velly nice boat--boat with velly big sail fly over water, eh?"
"Yes, that's it," said Barkins. "And look sharp, for there are a lot of
low blackguardly-looking fellows coming up, and we don't want another
row."
Barkins was quite right, for, as in our own seaports, there were plenty
of roughs about, and whether in blue frocks and pith boots or British
rags, the loafer is much the same. Ching saw at a glance that the
sooner we were off the better, and hurried us a little way along the
wharf till he saw a boat that seemed suitable.
"You all get in velly quick," he said.
"But we must make a bargain with the man."
"Plesently," he replied, as we hurried in, and he ordered the man in
charge to put off.
The man began to protest volubly, but Ching rose up, and with a fierce
look rustled his new coat and sat down again, with the result that the
man loosened the rope which held his boat to the side, and the swift
tide began to bear us away directly, the man hoisting up a small
matting-sail and then meekly thrusting an oar over, with which to steer.
"Why, what did you say to him, Ching?" I asked; and the interpreter
smiled, and wrinkled up his eyes till he resembled a piece of old china
on a chimney-piece.
"Ching say velly lit' bit; only shake his new coat till common man see
it silk. He feel velly much flighten all a same, as if big-button
mandalin get in him boat."
"And what shall we have to pay him?"
"P'laps nothing 'tall."
"Oh, nonsense!" I said. "We must pay him the proper fare."
"Velly well, pay him ploper money."
I anticipated trouble, but when we got to the side and a dollar was
handed to the man, his heavy round face lit up with pleasure, and he
said something aloud.
"What does he say, Ching?" I asked.
"Say velly glad, and didn't tink he get anything 'tall."
We made the best of our way below, fully expecting that, if the captain
and Mr Reardon saw us, they would take us to task for being at the
execution, and ask; us how we dared to follow them there. But, as luck
had it, they had been too much occupied by the horrible affair in
progress, and our presence had escaped them. But it was a long while
before I could get the scene out of my head or think of our trip ashore
that day as anything but a horrible mistake.