Blue Jackets Part 24

"I said when the first gun was fired you could fetch my cap and sword, Mr Herrick," he said quietly, and I ran down just as the second big gun bellowed, but I did not see with what result. I heard the sharp, short order, though, and another gun roared, and another, and another, as the junks came well into sight; for each gun I heard the crash of the sh.e.l.l hitting too, and the fierce yells of the men, as I dashed into the cabin, seized cap and sword, and then ran back to the bridge, eager to see the fight, and in my excitement forgetting to feel afraid.

But a heavy smoke was gathering over us and the junks,--two were indistinct, though they were close aboard of us. Then, as the _Teaser_ glided astern, I saw that the third was smoking, while crash, crash, the others struck our sides, and their crews grappled, hurled their stinkpots on board, and began to swarm over the bulwarks.

But the guns were being steadily served with terrible effect; the few poor wretches who reached the deck were bayoneted, and in how long or how short a time I cannot tell, for everything seemed to be swept away in the excitement; we steamed away out of the smoke into the ruddy sunset, and there I saw in one place a ma.s.s of tangled bamboo and matting, with men cl.u.s.tering upon it, and crowding one over the other like bees in a swarm. There was another ma.s.s about a quarter of a mile away, and I looked in vain for the third junk; but a number of her crew clinging to bamboos, sweeps, spars, and what looked to be wicker crates, showed where she had been. The last of the four, with her great matting-sails hauled up to the fullest extent, was sailing away toward the nearest island, and on either side they had sweeps over with two or three men to each, tugging away with all their might to help their vessel along.

"The brutes!" I thought to myself, as I watched the glint of the ruddy sun upon their shiny heads and faces, with their pig tails swinging behind, as they hung back straining at the great oars. For their sole idea seemed to be escape, and not the slightest effort was made to pick up any of their comrades struggling in the water.

It was wonderful how quickly they went, and I began to think that the junk would escape. Three miles would be enough to place her all amongst the reefs and shoals, where the gunboat dare not follow; and I was thinking, as we glided rapidly in her wake, that the _Teaser_ would chase her swiftly for about half the distance, and then lower the boats to continue the pursuit, but I was wrong; I saw that the captain gave Mr Reardon some order, then the gong rang in the engine-room, the way of the _Teaser_ was checked, a turn of the wheel made her describe a curve, and she slowly came to a standstill broadside on to the flying junk.

The next minute the crews were piped away to the boats with their complement of marines to each; and as they were lowered down a steady fire was maintained with sh.e.l.l upon the junk.

I stood watching the shots, and saw the first of the broadside from one heavy and three smaller guns strike the water close to the junk's hull, fly up, dip again, and then burst over the cliffs.

The second went wide to the left, while the third also missed; and I saw the captain stamp impatiently as the fourth went right over her.

"She'll get away," I thought; and it seemed a pity for this junk to escape and form a nucleus for another strong pirate gang.

The firing continued, another broadside being directed at the flying pirates, who seemed to be certain now of escape, for the junk was end-on to us, and moving rapidly, forming a very difficult object for our marksmen; the gunboat, of course, rising and falling all the time upon the heaving sea.

In the intervals between the shots I had caught a glimpse of Barkins and Smith climbing into two of the boats, but it was only a glimpse; and then I was watching the effects of the fire again, as the boats pushed off to go to the help of the floating men.

Shot after shot had been fired most ineffectively, and I heard expostulations and angry words used to the captains of the guns; while at every ineffective sh.e.l.l that burst far away a derisive yell rose from the crowded junk--the shouts increasing each time.

"Another broadside, Reardon," cried the captain; "and then we must run in as far as we dare. Pick out half-a-dozen of the best men with the rifle to place on the bows to pick off the steersman."

"Ay, ay, sir," cried Mr Reardon; then directly, "All gone in the boats, sir."

Just then, as I was thinking that the junk must escape, one of our big guns was fired with a crash which made the deck vibrate. There was a tremendous puff of smoke, which was drawn toward us so that I could not see the effect, but the sh.e.l.l seemed to burst almost directly with a peculiar dull crash, and another yell arose from the distant vessel.

Only it was not a derisive cry like the last, but a faint startling chorus of long-continued shrieks, despairing and wild.

"That's got her, sir," cried Mr Reardon; and we waited impatiently for the smoke to float by. But it still shut out the junk from where we stood, while it pa.s.sed away from the men forward at the gun, and they gave us the first endors.e.m.e.nt of Mr Reardon's words by bursting out into a hearty cheer, which was taken up by the crews of the other guns.

Then we were clear of the smoke, looking landward to see a crowd of men struggling in the water, swimming about to reach planks and pieces of the junk, which had been blown almost to pieces by our great sh.e.l.l, and had sunk at once, while yet quite a mile from the nearest rocks.

"Ha!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the captain, "a good evening's work! Now, Reardon, down with the other two boats, and save every poor wretch you can."

"Only one left, sir," cried Mr Reardon; and in a few minutes, fully manned, she was about to be lowered down, when I looked quickly at the captain, and he read my meaning.

"Want to go?" he said, and then nodded sharply.

I dashed down, climbed upon the bulwark, seized the falls just as they were about to be cast off, and slid down into the stern to take my place. Then the oars fell with a splash, and away we went over the ruddy sea to try and save all we could of the wretches upon whom so terrible a retribution had come.

One of the warrant officers was in command; he gave me a grim nod.

"Want to see the fun?" he said.

"I want to see the men saved," I replied; "I don't know where the fun comes in."

"You soon will," he said. "Look out for yourself, my lad; and don't be too eager to help them."

"Why?"

"You'll soon see," he said gruffly. Then turning to the four marines in the stern-sheets--"fix bayonets, and keep a sharp look-out."

I looked at him wonderingly, for fixed bayonets did not seem very suitable things for saving drowning men. But I said nothing, only sheltered my eyes from the level rays of the sun as we rowed swiftly on, and gazed across the water at the despairing wretches fighting for their lives upon the blood-red surface of the water.

It was very horrible after a time, for, as I looked with my heart feeling contracted, I saw a man, who had been swimming hard, suddenly throw up his hands and sink.

It was too much for me.

"Row, my lads, row," I cried; "we may catch him as he comes up."

"No," said the warrant officer grimly, "we shall never see him again."

"But try, try!" I cried.

"Yes, we'll try our best," said the officer sternly; "but it's their turn now. Many a poor wretch have they seen drown, I know, and laughed at when he cried for help."

I knew it was true; but all the same there was only one thought besides in my breast, and that was to save all the poor wretches who were clinging to the pieces of wreck.

As we drew nearer, we came upon the first of quite thirty, clinging to a sweep which was under his left arm; while, to my horror, I had seen three more swimming without support go down without a cry, and not one rise again.

"Easy there," said the officer; "ready there, c.o.xswain; can you reach him with the hook?"

The man who was standing in the bows reached out to hook the pirate, but just then the end of the floating sweep touched our boat, and turned right off, so that the c.o.xswain missed his stroke, and the result was that the pirate glided aft.

The officer by my side leaned over, reached out, and, to my intense satisfaction, caught the Chinaman by his left sleeve to draw him to the boat; but in an instant the wretch threw his right arm out of the water, and I saw the flash of a long knife in his fingers, as, with his teeth grinning, he struck at my companion with all his might.

I was so taken by surprise that I sat as if paralysed; but I was conscious of a quick movement from behind, something red pa.s.sed over me, and, all instantaneously, there was the flash of another blade, a horrible thud--the pirate was driven under water; and I wrenched, as it were, my eyes round from him to look up over my shoulder at the marine, who with a dexterous twist of his rifle withdrew his bayonet from the savage's chest.

"Hurt, sir?" he said.

"No thankye, marine. Very quick and well done of you. There, Mr Herrick; now you see why I told you to look out."

"The brutes!" I cried excitedly; "they're not worth trying to save."

"No," he said; "but we must do it. I suppose they don't believe much in the mercy they'll get from us; so there's no wonder. Look at that!"

I turned my head in the direction in which he pointed, and saw what he meant. Five men were clinging to a piece of floating wreck about fifty yards away, and three more left the plank to which they had been clinging as we approached, and swam to join them.

I looked at the first group, fully expecting to see them hold out their hands to help their comrades; but in place thereof, I saw one wretch, who occupied the best position on the floating ma.s.s of wreck, raise a heavy piece of bamboo with both hands, and bring it down with a crash upon the head of the first man who swam up.

"Yah, you cowardly beggar!" roared one of the boat's crew. "I've marked you."

"Nice wild-beasts to save, Mr Herrick," said the warrant officer. "I feel as if I should like to open fire on them with my revolver."

"It's too horrible," I panted. "Look, look, Mr Grey!"

"I'm looking, my lad," said my companion. "Give way, my boys; let's stop it somehow."