Dave Darrin on the Asiatic Station Part 25

Pembroke's confession, which Dave and the witnesses had promptly reported to the Lieutenant-Commander the night before, was the talk of the officers this morning.

The wounded man was said to be in somewhat better condition. All of the wounded sailors, marines and civilians were reported as being in no danger of dying from the injuries received in the spirited fighting of the day before.

Dave's eyes caught sight of Belle the instant she stepped on deck. He hurried to her, looking her over closely to see how she had stood the excitement and terrors of the day before.

"Do you think I shall ever be able to qualify as a naval man's wife?"

Belle asked, laughing.

"You won't have to qualify," Dave a.s.sured her. "You've already pa.s.sed all the necessary tests."

"There were times yesterday when I was dreadfully afraid," shuddered Belle.

"Then you have mastered the necessary secret of how to conceal your fears," Darrin a.s.sured her. "There was many a time yesterday when I, too, was badly scared."

"You?" cried Belle, gazing at her husband, in astonishment.

"Yes," smiled Dave. "Did I betray myself?"

"You are jesting," Belle declared. "I saw you often, in the worst of the fighting and your courage and endurance were magnificent. Not once did you show any sign of faltering."

"None the less, I had my moments of scare," Darrin a.s.sured her.

"You surely _are_ jesting," a.s.serted Belle.

"Not a bit of it, my dear. Every man who has to fight and who is honest about it will admit that he is often badly scared."

"Am I interrupting a private conversation, Mr. Darrin?" asked the executive officer.

"Not in the least, sir," replied the young ensign, raising his cap.

"Then what I have to tell you is that our wireless picked up the admiral's flagship a little while ago, and we have reported what took place here yesterday. We are under orders to sail as promptly as possible, and the flagship will meet us at the mouth of the river. The flagship will also try to pick up some coasting steamer, which will carry the missionary party and others down the coast to Shanghai, which is considered a safer place at present for Americans."

"Did the Admiral approve of what was done here yesterday, sir?"

"He expressed neither approval nor criticism, but will take our detailed report when we join. The ladies will be summoned to breakfast soon, Mr. Darrin. Most of the officers will breakfast at second table to-day, but on account of Mrs. Darrin's presence on board you will go to first table with her. You will take my place at the head of the table."

"And, of course, as soon as the civilians are transferred to that coasting steamer I shall have to go with them," pouted Belle. "It may be months before I shall see you again. I had hoped to be with you at least a few weeks in Manila. Instead, I had to come here. I have had a day with you-and what a day!"

"It's hard, dear," sighed Dave, "but such is a naval officer's life.

However, our turn will come. One of these days I shall be ordered to sh.o.r.e duty for a while, and then we shall be together, month after month. We shall even be able to have a little home of our own. It may be, dear, that my sh.o.r.e duty will be at Washington."

"Yes," groaned Mrs. Darrin. "And if you send for me to come and join you in Washington, by the time I arrive there I shall find out that you have just been sent away on a three-year rescue cruise to find some lost explorer at the South Pole! That is the Navy!"

When the breakfast call came Dave led his wife into the wardroom, conducting her to her seat at table and seating himself beside her.

Before the meal was ten minutes under way the deck watch began to make active preparations for the start down the river. As the anchor was being hoisted a large boat put out from the sh.o.r.e flying the governor's banner.

As it came alongside a great bale was hoisted on board, addressed, simply, "To the American Ladies."

An envelope bearing a similar address was brought aboard by an officer from the governor's yamen, as well as a second envelope addressed to Lieutenant-Commander Tuthill.

The second letter was delivered at once. It contained an expression of the governor's "profound regret" over the occurrences of the day before, and stated that, the governor's troops having fortunately returned, his excellency was now able to guarantee the safety of all Americans who might condescend to honor the city by their presence ash.o.r.e.

The governor's letter ended with the statement that he had endeavored to express his apologies to the American ladies in a more tangible if very humble and poor form.

The American commander immediately dictated a letter thanking his excellency for his letter and a.s.surances, but adding that, under orders, the American party was being taken to the mouth of the Nung-kiang River.

"Get this letter over the side and signal the engine-room for half-speed ahead," Lieutenant-Commander Tuthill brusquely directed.

So, before breakfast was ended, the "Castoga" was steaming down the muddy river.

Not until the officers and male guests had been served at second table was any mention of the bale made by the busy executive officer. Then the ladies were once more summoned to the wardroom, while two sailors undid the package that had come from the governor.

The contents would have made a gift fit, indeed, for a royal family.

There were more than enough handsome furs to go all around. There were silks, such as are never seen in America. Gold hair ornaments and rare jade jewelry were there in abundance, and many other articles dear to the feminine heart.

"If this is a true expression of the governor's regret, then I wonder that he could ever have permitted the rioting to start," said one of the women.

"But, under the circ.u.mstances, have we any right to accept such valuable gifts?" asked Belle Darrin.

"Shall I have them thrown overboard, then?" queried Mr. Warden, smilingly.

"No; of course not," replied another woman, "but I feel that these magnificent gifts should be returned."

"How?" asked the executive officer. "This gunboat may never enter the Nung-kiang River again."

"It begins to look," laughed Dave, "as though the necessities of the case compel the acceptance of these visible expressions of the governor's invisible regrets. There is no way to send the stuff back."

It took an hour's discussion to convince the women that they must perforce accept. That point settled, they proceeded to divide the gifts by lot.

"Where am I going to put all this plunder?" Belle asked her husband as she gathered up her own considerable share of the "expressions of regret." "I haven't a single piece of baggage."

"I fear I shall have to place them in my chest, and turn them over to you when we next meet," Dave suggested.

"And I may very likely be an old woman by that time," sighed Belle.

At noon Dave took the bridge until four o'clock. It was just before his watch was finished that the mouth of the river was made. Two miles off sh.o.r.e the flagship could be seen, steaming back and forth. A quarter of a mile away a small ocean-going steamer followed a similar course.

"And I won't have a chance to cry on my husband's shoulder for a few moments," Belle complained, tragically, to another woman. "He's stuck away up forward on the bridge."

"Your husband will be off duty in ten minutes," Lieutenant Warden a.s.sured her. "He will have command of the launch that transfers the party to the coasting vessel."

"In the Navy the smallest favors look like great ones," Belle observed to herself.

Watch changed just before the gunboat ran up behind the stern of the flagship.

Relieved of his duty on the bridge, Dave received his further orders and immediately called the launch crew to quarters.