Blue Jackets Part 79

"No."

"Yes, sir."

I took a long look back at the boat, and counted the black caps and flattened limpet-shaped straw hats of the blue-jacketed men on board.

"Seven of 'em," I said half aloud.

"Eight, sir; I counted 'em twice. One on 'em is a-lying down now, but he was a-setting up a little while ago. Afraid we shall open fire, I expect."

"And that's what we shall have to do," I said. "A rifle bullet or two sent over their heads would make them give up."

"But they arn't pirates, sir, and you mustn't fire at 'em. Look at that now."

The pursuing boat was about two hundred yards behind us, and one of the Chinamen now stood up in the bows, holding on by a stay, waving his straw hat and gesticulating furiously.

"All right, Mr Shing po Num, or whatever your name is," said the c.o.xswain in a low voice, "can't stop this time, we're in a hurry."

The man kept on gesticulating.

"Can't you hear what I say?" continued Jecks in a whisper. "We're in a hurry. Say, sir, that's the chap as belongs to our boat--I mean his boat, and he's getting wilder and wilder now to see us carry it off.

Say, sir, arn't it a bit--what you may call it--to take it away?"

"A bit what?"

"Well, sir, what do you grand folks call it when some one does what we're a-doing on?"

"Unkind."

"No, sir; it arn't an un-anything."

"Cruel?"

"No, sir. Cause you see a boat arn't a beast."

"Oh, I don't know what you mean," I said impatiently.

"Yes, it is an un-something; I forgot, sir. I meant undignified--that's the word."

"He shall have his boat when we've done with it, and be paid for it too," I said. "English officers don't do undignified things."

"But it strikes me, sir, as there won't be no boat to pay for when the pirates have done with us. If we go alongside, do you know what they'll do?"

"Shoot."

"No, sir; pitch ballast into us, and sink us, as sure as we're here."

"Don't talk so much," I said impatiently. "Why, they've got another sail up, and are coming on faster."

"Yes, sir, that's right; and they'll be alongside on us in another ten minutes. Shall I pa.s.s the word along to the lads to spit in their fists?"

"What?"

"I mean, sir, I s'pose it won't be cutla.s.ses but fisties, sir, eh?"

"Mr Herrick, you had better come and take the tiller," said Mr Brooke just then. "Don't attend to anything else. Your duty is to keep the boat running; we'll do what fighting there is."

"Very well, sir," I said, and I felt disappointed as I took the tiller, but felt better a minute later as I felt how I could sway the racing boat by a touch.

"Now, my lads, cutla.s.ses and rifles under the thwarts. You take the oars to these men. Don't attack them, they are ignorant of our power.

Only keep them off with a few blows."

The men eagerly responded to the words of command, and stood and sat about in the boat, each man armed with a stout, strong ashen blade, a blow from which would have sent any one overboard at once.

The chase, with our boat playing the part of hare, was exciting enough before, but it grew far more so now, for the men in the other boat were evidently determined, and two of them stood up with clumsy-looking hooks, and another with a coil of rope ready to la.s.so us, as it seemed to me. And as I sat there I felt how awkward it would be if the man threw a loop over my head or chest, and dragged me out of the boat.

Naturally enough, the thought of this alone was enough to produce in me an intense desire to stand up, instead of crouching down there holding the tiller, and forced into a state of inaction, wherein I was forbidden to move or raise a hand in my defence.

"I hope they'll give a thought to me," I said to myself, as I felt that in a very few minutes they would be alongside trying to leap on board, and from my position I knew that I must be in the thick of the fight, perhaps trampled upon, and pretty sure to receive some of the blows which came flying about.

I gazed firmly forward, knowing how much depended upon my keeping the boat's head straight, and determined, as I set my teeth, to do my duty as well as possible, but I could not help turning my head from time to time to look back at the pursuers, who began shouting to us, and jabbering in their own tongue, as they were evidently now at the highest pitch of excitement.

Not many yards behind now, and gradually lessening the distance. All was ready on board, and I saw Mr Brooke looking stern, and the men as they grasped their oars grinning at one another, and then looking aft at the enemy.

And as we raced, the water foaming behind, the bamboo mast creaking and bending, the mat-sail cracking and making curious noises as the wind hissed through the thick stuff, the trough we ploughed through the water seemed deeper, and my temples throbbed and my heart beat, while from time to time the water lipped over the bows, but not enough to warrant any change of course. And nearer and nearer the enemy came, their boat literally skimming over the water, six feet to our five, and I felt that the time had arrived.

One more quick glance over my shoulder at the eager faces of the Chinamen as they uttered a loud shout, another at the men ready for action; another over my left shoulder to see that the enemy was close upon us, and then I uttered a strange cry, and, bearing hard upon the tiller, threw the boat right up into the wind, the sail easing as we formed a curve in the water, our speed checked, and then we lay nose to wind, with the boat seeming to quiver and pant after her heavy run.

"Are you mad?" roared Mr Brooke, rushing at me, thrusting me aside so that I went down upon my back, and he was about to seize the tiller, when I shouted out, half-choking with laughter, panting too with triumphant delight--

"Don't, don't, don't! Can't you see--it is Ching!"

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

REST AND REFRESHMENT.

Ching it was, and the men sent up a cheer as out pursuers grappled the side of our boat, held on, and our messenger came on board smiling.

"Velly muchee big job you catchee," he said. "Why, what fo' you lun along so fast?"

"Why, Ching," cried Mr Brooke, "what does this mean?"

"No get away. Muchee velly bad man. No get to boat. Allee fightee.

Get 'nother boat, and come along."

"You couldn't get on board us again?"