Stan Lynn: A Boy's Adventures in China by George Manville Fenn
CHAPTER NINETEEN.
"BIG JUNK BOAT."
Poor Wing lay for about a couple of hours, during which everythingpossible was done, and then he began to recover rapidly, when, aftersuperintending, the manager insisted upon the poor fellow doing nothingbut try and sleep.
"Wing wantee tell Misteh Blunt evelyting," he said, with a piteous look.
"Not now," said Blunt sharply. "Get well first."
"Allee velly dleadful," said the poor fellow feebly.
"Yes, I know; but I'm not going to blame you, my man. You did yourbest. Get strong again, and tell me all about the troubles then."
Wing gave him a horrified look, glanced at Stan and then back at Blunt,his countenance looking drawn and his complexion more sallow than ever,while his lips moved as if he was speaking, but no sound came.
"Well, why don't you rest?" cried Blunt. "What's the matter with you?Been so much frightened?"
Wing nodded sharply, and gave Stan a look full of horror and despair.
"Why, what's the matter with the fellow? Not been wounded, have you?"
Wing shook his head.
"Why don't you speak?" cried Blunt, so roughly that the man held out hishands in a gesture evidently intended to mean deprecation. It was as ifhe meant to say, "Don't be angry with me; it is not my fault."
"Well, I see you're upset, my man," cried the manager, softening hismanner. "Perhaps you had better ease your mind. Speak out. Now then,what's the matter? Have you lost the money I gave you?"
"No, no, no," cried Wing, shaking his head violently. "Velly solly--velly solly," he murmured.
"Very sorry for what?" cried Blunt, catching the man's arm and lookingat him sternly.
Wing, who seemed weak in the extreme, shivered as he shrank from themanager's eyes, and turned appealingly to Stan as if begging him tointercede.
"The poor fellow doesn't seem to know what he is saying," said Stanquietly, "and he's frightened of you."
"Humph!" replied Blunt. "I thought I spoke gently enough to him.--Here,Wing, don't look at me in that scared way. I told you that I was notgoing to blame you. Speak out. What is it? You have something else tosay?"
The man nodded.
"Bad news?"
Wing nodded again sharply.
"Out with it, then, and let's know the worst."
The trembling Chinaman hesitated for a few moments more, and thenpressed up towards his chief and whispered something quickly in his ear.
"What!" roared the manager, catching him fiercely by the shoulders andmaking the poor fellow utter a piteous wail as he turned to Stan as iffor help.
"Wing can't help," he cried. "Wing no want tell baddee news."
"Then you've brought bad news?" said Stan excitedly.
"Velly bad news. Wing can't help. T'ink bes' come tell Misteh youngLynn dead and allee bad news."
"Yes, yes," said Stan impatiently.--"The poor fellow's half-frightenedout of his wits, Mr Blunt. You're too harsh with him now he's in sucha weak state.--Look here, Wing; it's all right. You see matters are notso bad. I'm not hurt, and Mr Blunt does not blame you."
"But Wing can't help," pleaded the poor fellow. He waved his hands andlooked round at the clerks and warehousemen, who were drawing upwondering why their chief had seized the returned agent so fiercely;while some of his fellow-countrymen also began to draw near, the sightof "the Boss," as they called him, apparently about to punish one ofthem being irresistible, and whispers ran round in two languages,Anglo-Saxon and the base alloy known as "Pidgin," inquiring what Winghad done.
There was silence now for quite half-a-minute, during which time thepressure of the manager's hands, or that of poor Wing's feelings, hadthe effect of squeezing out a few tears, which swelled and swelled tillthey were big enough to roll over the man's eyelashes and find their wayinto a couple of curved creases which made his mouth look as if it hadbeen placed between parentheses.
Down these gullies in the Chinaman's skin the tears ran till theydripped from his chin, and possibly it was the sight of them thatbrought Blunt out of his stern fit of thinking, for he suddenly loosedhis hold and dropped his hands to his sides, saying hoarsely:
"Now then, say that out aloud for every one to hear."
"Wing speakee quitee loud?" said the Chinaman, rolling his head slowlylike a ball in its socket, as if he were trying to find out where anydamage had been done to the mechanism.
"Yes; let's have it. Look sharp."
Evidently satisfied that none of his vertebra were damaged, a look ofsatisfaction smoothed the wrinkles in Wing's face, which became roundagain, and in place of the painful parenthetic curves, pleasantlymirthful lines began to appear; his eyes became two diagonal slits withsomething twinkling between the edges, and he reached up both hands totake hold of his ribbon-tied pigtail, which he gave a whisk to right andleft before he let it fall down between his shoulders.
"Misteh Blunt wantee Wing tell evelybody whole tluth?"
"Yes; and be sharp about it," was the angry reply.
"Misteh Blunt no knockee Wing head on tea-box, makee sore?"
"No, I shall not touch you again, however bad the news is," said themanager gravely.
"Misteh Blunt plomise like gentleman no killee poo' Chinaman?"
"No, I tell you! Now then, out with it! But mind this: if what you sayis not true, sir, you may make tracks out of this place, and never showyour face here again."
"Yes," said Wing calmly enough. "Make tlack an' lun away velly fass."
"For look here, sir; if you create a bad scare to frighten every onehere you deserve to be hung."
"Flighten me too. Flighten velly much. But Misteh Blunt no hang poo'Chinaman?"
"As sure as I'm here, I will, sir--by your pigtail--"
Wing's hand went up to the black appendage, and he took hold and gave ita gentle pull as he glanced at Stan, to say softly:
"Make poo' Chinaman cly. Oh deah! oh deah! Misteh Blunt hang Wing upso?"
"Yes, to the crane, and give you a few dips in the river to wash thelies out of you."
"Wing no got tell lie. Allee velly tlue. Gleat tlouble come. Soljeegleat many up livah-side; pilate man gleat many up livah. Big junk.Allee buln missionaly house, killee foleign devil, killee evelybody.Buln village, pull up tea-bush, stealee tea-box, buln go-down. Gleatmany fightee; cuttee float, dlown. Oh, velly, velly dleadful up livah!Wing lun away, come tell Misteh Blunt, evelybody. Come down livah vellysoon."
"Nice bit of news this, Mr Lynn," said Blunt, turning his frowning faceto Stan, who noted that there was a fierce, lowering glow in thehalf-shut eyes.
"Yes," replied the lad; "but perhaps very much exaggerated.--Here, Wing,is all this quite true?"
"Oh, allee quitee tlue. Wing nevah tellee big thumpy. Too much 'flaidMisteh Blunt find out. Knock down."
"One reason for telling the truth," said Blunt bitterly. "But that isquite true; I should if I found him out."
"Plenty man lun away up to mountain; soljee, pilate come lob house, bulnevelyting up. Shoot bang. Wing, only lun away like evelybody."
"I'm afraid it's all true," said Blunt sombrely.
"Eh? No!" cried Wing excitedly. "Blunt tell big lie now; not 'flaid abit. Makee Chinee pilate muchee flighten. Makee lun away."
"Perhaps," said the manager grimly. "But how far away are these people,Wing?"
"Come velly soon. Big junk sail down livah. Wing see um."
"Well, you all hear?" said the manager sternly. "No; you are not allhere. Call every one. I want everybody to hear how we stand.--You,Wing, if you're well enough, get all the Chinamen together."
Wing went off to the far end of the warehouse and wharf, one of theclerks to the offices, and in a few minutes every man, European andAsiatic, was present, and heard of the threatened attack; after whichthe manager looked in Stan's direction and said sharply:
"There! you have all heard how we stand, and there are two courses open.One is to crowd on board the river-boat a
"No gettee big junk boat," cried Wing excitedly. "Capen velly mucheeflight. Pull up anky. Lun away. Misteh Blunt lookee."
The manager glanced sharply at the window, and, true enough, there wasthe junk with all sail set, gliding down the river, and now a quarter ofa mile away.
"Hah!" ejaculated the manager, giving one foot an angry stamp. "Thatsettles one plan. No; we could collect some small boats if we had time.But the other course is to barricade the place, leaving loopholes, andfight to the last. We might beat them off. Now, I am manager here, andresponsible for everything, but I feel that I have no right to call uponany man to risk his life against these murderous wretches. But I shouldlike to hear Mr Lynn's opinion.--This place is the property of youruncle and father, sir, and if we give it up without striking a blow, byto-morrow morning the valuable store of tea and silk, with the building,will be only a heap of ashes. What is your opinion about the matter,Mr Lynn?"
"It seems very horrible," said Stan, with something like a shudder.
"Very, sir," replied Blunt rather sarcastically.
"If we escape in boats we shall save all our lives."
"Perhaps," said Blunt bitterly. "Likely enough, though, we shall bepursued by half-a-dozen junks or so, and shot down or sunk before wecould reach the banks; while if we took refuge ashore--"
"Pilate lun afteh evelybody, choppee head off."
"Most probably," said the manager, smiling.--"Now, Mr Lynn, you hearthe state of affairs."
"Yes," said Stan, speaking with a slight quiver in his voice; "but Idon't like to give my opinion. There was, as you know, an attack madeupon our place, and my father and uncle fought hard to save it, evenwhen the enemy set it on fire. They held out--"
"They? Didn't you help them, sir?"
"Yes, a little," replied Stan; "and the enemy were kept off till helpcame from the city. If we defend this place for a time, is it likelythat help will come?"
"Not a bit," said the manager. "There is no help to be got here forabove a week."
"But I don't think my father and uncle would wish these people here torun such a fearful risk as to fight for the place against terribleodds."
"Sooner lose about ten thousand pounds' worth of tea, dyewoods, and silkthat I have been hard at work collecting with the help of Mr Winghere?"
"Yes," said the Chinaman, nodding his head like an image. "Velly muchmoney. Velly dleadful let pilate man come and buln. Aha, ha, ha!Ayah, ayah, ayah!"
Stan stared. It seemed as if the poor fellow had suddenly gone mad; forafter uttering a series of piercing yells, evidently intended for awar-whoop, he clapped his hands together as hard as he could, and thenmade a run at a big, half-nude coolie, whom he caught by the waist,twining his arms round him, and, to the astonishment of all present,lifted him from the floor and tried to throw him.
But Wing had reckoned without his host. He was a plump, soft man,unaccustomed to hard work, while the adversary he sought to overthrowwas tough-muscled and hard, besides proving to be an adept at wrestling.Instead of falling, he came cleverly down upon his feet, attacked inturn, and before any one had time to interfere in poor Wing's favour,there was defeat, the latter being hurled staggering backward; whilewith a yell the man who had freed himself made a dash, vaulted throughthe window, ran across the wharf, jumped down into a boat, cut the ropewhich held it swinging in the river, and thrust it forth into thestream, where he seized a long oar and began to paddle the boat along.
As Wing recovered himself he shouted to the coolies to follow, and madefor the door.
"No; stop!" said the manager sternly. "The fellow would have got toolong a start before we could get a boat off. Let him go. Why, it'sthat new man I took on a few days ago."
"Yes," said Wing, shaking his fists in the air. "Baddee man, got bluemalk on aim. Come spy, see how muchee tea, silk in go-down. Lun awaynow tell pilate. Misteh Blunt no askee Wing whetheh new man good man.Wing su'e spy pilate come to see."
"Yes; I made a mistake there," said Blunt bitterly; and as Stan watchedthe escaped man and saw him lay down his oar and hoist a matting sail,which filled at once and sent the boat gliding away up-stream, hesuddenly became aware of the fact that Blunt had disappeared.
But the next minute he was back with a rifle in his hand, busilythrusting in a cartridge.
"Are you going to shoot him?" said Stan huskily as he saw the managerdrop on one knee, lay the rifle-barrel across the window-sill, and takeaim.
"If I can," said the manager gruffly. "Why not?"
"It seems so cold-blooded: an unarmed man."
"It may mean our lives or his, sir."
"Yes, but--"
"Very well," said the manager roughly; "but we needn't argue the point.Look there at the man's artfulness. Or rather, don't look, for youcan't. I shouldn't hit him if I tried. It takes a good shot to hit sosmall a mark as a hand in a fast-sailing boat--eh?"
"Yes," said Stan, with a feeling of relief, for he felt a horror ofseeing the poor wretch flying for his life shot down.
"An Englishman wouldn't have thought of that," continued Blunt as herose from his knee and let the butt of his rifle rest upon the floor,while all watched the cunning of the escaped spy, who was now lying downin the boat, holding the sheet of the sail with his left hand, and thesteering-oar with his right, nothing of him being visible but thefingers which grasped the oar.
"Now then," said Blunt sternly, "we have settled nothing. What is it tobe, Mr Lynn? You are the governor's son: is it to be run for our liveslike cowards and, if we escape, face the principals with the best talewe can tell, or fight?"
"If we defend the place and are not able to beat them off, I supposethey will burn the _hong_ and us in it?"
"Most likely," said Blunt savagely; "but some of them will not live tosee the flames rising. I'm afraid you don't want to fight, Mr Lynn."
"I don't," said Stan frankly. "The idea of shedding a fellow-creature'sblood is horrible."
"Yes, of course," said Blunt, with something like a sneer. "You oughtto jump into one of the boats yonder and run down-stream as hard as youcan to fetch help if the warehouse is to be saved."
Yes, that would be grand. I could have a boat?
"Oh yes, you can have a boat."
"Wing get boat, Wing hoise sail, stee' boat beautifully."
"I could bring back a lot of armed men to your assistance," said Staneagerly.
"To be sure," said Blunt coolly. "Only you'll have to be pretty sharpabout it."
He turned his back upon the lad and took a step towards the excitedgroup of men, who were talking hurriedly in whispers.
"Now, my lads," he said, "we can't give up this place to a mob ofsavages without making a bold defence for the sake of our employers.Some of you will, I hope, stick to me, but others will like to get outof the scrimmage. So those of you who have no stomach for a fight hadbetter join Mr Lynn here, who is going off to Hai-Hai to fetch help."
"No, I am not," said Stan quietly.
"What! Why, you said you were."
"I said I should like to," said Stan, "but I said so without thinking ofthe distance. I see now that it would be impossible to get help intime."
"Quite, sir," said the manager, staring at the lad. "Well, at allevents you are going off in the boat with Wing."
"Indeed I am not," said Stan, speaking slowly and thoughtfully. "Itseems to me that we must make as brave a defence as we can. We may beable to beat off the enemy."
"Then you mean to stay?" cried the manager, his eyes lighting up.
"Of course."
"And fight?"
"As well as I can," said Stan rather sadly; "but I don't think Ishall--"
He got no farther, for his words were drowned by a loud cheer givenheartily by the little band of European employees; while the strong gangof sturdy coolies and native workpeople, taking it for granted that theyought to follow their white fello
"Do I understand you to mean that you will stop with us and fight itout?" said Blunt.
"Yes."
"Don't be deceived. Do you understand the danger?"
"I think I do."
"You don't, my lad, and I will not keep it back from you. Fight withEuropeans, and if you are beaten you are taken prisoners; fight with thelower order Chinese, and you will have a set-to with some of the mostsavagely unmerciful people on the face of the earth. You had betterthink again. It may mean lying wounded and seeing the flames creepingtowards you while you can't raise hand or foot to get away."
"Don't talk like that, Mr Blunt, please," cried the lad, "or you'llmake me a greater coward than I feel I am."
"I want you to know what you may expect to meet," said the managercoldly.
"But I don't want to know. I know more now than I can bear."
"Then you will go?"
"Yes, if you do," cried Stan eagerly.
"I'm going to stay and do my best to save the place and goods I have inmy charge, Mr Lynn," said the manager sternly.
"And I'm going to help you, then," said Stan quietly.
"Do you mean it, in spite of all I have said?" cried Blunt.
"Yes."
Stan's hand was seized in such a grip that he flinched and the bloodflushed into his cheeks.
"Thank you, my lad," cried the manager hoarsely.
"I can't say thank you," said Stan, whose face was twitching from thepain he felt. "I say, don't shake hands again like that."
"Hurt?"
"Horribly."
"I beg your pardon, then. But look here: 'pon my word, Mr Lynn, Idon't understand you a bit. For the last ten minutes I've been thinkingthat you were a downright coward."
"That's quite right," said Stan quietly; "I am. My hands are all of atremble."
"Well, then, all I can say is that you're the most curious coward I eversaw."
"That's because you are right in what you said, Mr Blunt. You don'tunderstand me a bit."
"Ah, well! perhaps I shall by-and-by," said the manager.
Wing had disappeared during the above little verbal passage, but justthen he reappeared, in time to be of use.
"You, Wing, come here," cried the manager. "I shall want youdirectly.--Now, gentlemen," he continued, turning to the Europeanemployees, "you have been here long enough to know what a fight with aparty of Chinese pirates means--hard blows and no quarter. Now's yourtime: any of you who feel that you have not stomach for such anencounter will only be in our way here. There's a boat ready to takeyou down-stream. Step out, all who want to go."
Quite half the men took a step or two forward, but the others stoodfast.
Then after a whisper and several uneasy glances back at theircompanions, one of the forward party acted as spokesman.
"You see, Mr Blunt, sir," he said, "we don't feel that we should be athome fighting. We are clerks and writers, warehousemen. We allthink--"
"No, we don't," growled one of the men who had stood fast.
"But you all agreed just now that it would be better to chance it andgo."
"Yes, a bit back," said another of the men; "but six of us here, afterseeing you step out, feel as if it would be un-English to sneak off andleave Mr Blunt and the young partner in the lurch. You fellows look asif you are ashamed of yourselves."
"That's about what I am," said one of the party with the spokesman."I'm going to stop."
As he said these words he stepped back into the rear rank.
"Same here," said another; and he too dropped back.
"Oh, I say," said another; "it's shabby to leave us here like this."
"Shabby? It's dirty," cried the spokesman. "I wouldn't have said whatI did for all of you if I'd known. Hang me if I'm going almost alone!"
"Nor I--nor I," cried two others.
"In for a penny, in for a pound," cried another man. "I'm not going inthe boat."
Stan forgot his own nervousness, and burst out laughing, at which thewhole party of Europeans broke out into a cheer.
"Thank ye, my lads," said the manager in his grimmest way. "I did feela bit puzzled.--Now then, Wing, tell the coolies and the rest that we'rein for a big fight. They'll understand you better than they will me.Tell them that every one who doesn't mean to stand by us can go off inthe boat with you. Be fair with them, and tell them that there'll be alot of bad fighting."
Wing nodded, and made a most animated speech to his yellow-looking,sun-tanned audience, who received it with a series of grunts.
"What do they say, my man?"
"Say wantee big fight. Shalpen knives and cuttee lot heads off."
"You didn't make them understand how dreadful it is going to be."
"Yes; said velly dleadful--pilate kill plenty men."
"Tell them again."
Wing spoke to the little crowd, and as he finished the coolies set up atremendous shout.
"What do they say now?" cried Blunt.
"Say don'tee ca'e half mandalin button fo' all pilate on livah."
"Well done!" cried the manager. "What else?"
"Allee wantee fight velly bad. Knife all cuttee cuttee like lazo'.Wantee shave bad man head off."
"Then they mean to stop and back me up?"
"Yes. Say kill plenty mo'e pilate. No habbee big fightee long timeago, and say Wing go in boatee all alonee and get out way."
"Off with you then, my man," cried Blunt; "they're quite right. You'llbe in the way.--Well, do you hear?"
Wing nodded.
"Not go 'long till Misteh young Lynn quite leady."
"But don't you understand? Mr Lynn is going to stop and fight."
"Yes. Wing stop take ca'e of um."
"What!" cried Stan, laughing.
"Yes. Wing tellee old Lynn and Uncle Jeffley takee gleat ca'e youngLynn. How takee gleat ca'e if Wing lun away in boat? Wing go 'topalong takee ca'e young Lynn."
"No, no, Wing. You had better go and get out of danger," said Stanwarmly.
"Young Lynn talkee talkee big piecee nonsense stuff. Wing go back inboat Hai-Hai; Uncle Jeff say, `Hullo, you! What double dickens you doalong young Lynn?' What Wing say? `'Top topside house fighteefightee.' Misteh Olivee say, `Why Wing not 'top topside house fighttoo, kill pilate, bling young Lynn quite safe?' Misteh Olivee old Lynnquite light. Wing no go lun away in boat. Young Lynn come, Wing go.Young Lynn no go, Wing 'top along takee ca'e young Lynn."
"Stop, then," cried the manager abruptly, "and let's see whether you canfight."
"Yes," said the Chinaman coolly enough. "'Top 'long young Lynn. Fightmuchee. Kill plenty pilate."
"There! we've all talked enough," cried the manager, turning up hissleeves. "Now then for work.--You, Wing, go right up to the top of thebig warehouse and watch the river. As soon as you see the tip of ajunk-sail you'll give us warning."
"Misteh Blunt lendee Wing two-eye pull-out glass?"
"My double telescope? Yes, take it; and mind you let us know in time.--Now, Stan Lynn, we've got some man's work to do. You can't afford to bea boy any longer. This way.--Now, my lads, follow on. If thebloodthirsty wretches will only give us plenty of time they shall havesuch a reception as will open their diagonal slits of eyes."
Five minutes later Wing was perched at the very top of the greatwarehouse, with his eyes glued to Blunt's lorgnette, and his blue cottonfrock filling out in the breeze and shrinking again in the mostgrotesque fashion. One minute the Chinaman was blown out like a man inthe transition state of turning into a balloon. The next minute he wasconvex one side, concave the other, while directly after he seemed tohave been furnished with an enormously huge bun upon his shoulders. Buthe noticed neither wind nor sunshine; his eyes were strained up the mainreach of the river, and the glass was sweeping bend after bend in searchof the coming danger in the shape of the top of some tall mattingjunk-sail seen across the country where the great river pursued itsserpentine course.