"Why, I saw one of the brutes cut you down with his big sword," cried Smith.

"Yes," I said, "I felt it, but, but--yes, of course: it hit me here."

"Oh, murder!" cried Smith. "Look here, Tanner. Your gla.s.s has got it and no mistake."

It had "got it" and no mistake, for the blow from the keen sword had struck it at a sharp angle, and cut three parts of the way through the thick metal tube, which had been driven with tremendous force against my ribs.

"Oh, Gnat!" cried Barkins, as he saw the mischief, "it's quite spoilt.

What a jolly shame!"

"But it saved his life," said Smith, giving him a meaning nod. "I wouldn't have given much for his chance, if he hadn't had that telescope under his arm. I say, Mr Brown, why was the gun fired?"

"To bring you all on board. Captain's got some information. Look, we've weighed anchor, and we're off directly--somewhere."

"But what about Ching?" I said to Barkins.

"Ching! Well, he'll be safe on board and unsafe ash.o.r.e. I don't suppose we shall be away above a day. I say, Ching, you'll have to stop."

"Me don't mind. Velly hungly once more. Wantee pipe and go sleepee.

Velly tire. Too much fightee."

We glided alongside of the gunboat the next minute, where Mr Reardon was waiting for us impatiently.

"Come, young gentlemen," he cried, "you've kept us waiting two hours.

Up with you. Good gracious, what a state you're in! Nice addition to a well-dishiplined ship! and--here, what's the meaning of this?" he cried, as the boat rose to the davits. "Who is this Chinese boy?"

"Velly glad get 'board," said the man, smiling at the important officer.

"All along big fight. Me Ching."

CHAPTER FOUR.

DOUBLE ALLOWANCE.

No time was lost in getting out of the mouth of the river, and as soon as the bustle and excitement of the start was over, we three were sent for to the cabin to relate our adventures to the captain, the first lieutenant being present to put in a word now and then.

"The brutes!" the captain kept on muttering from time to time, and Mr Reardon nodded and tightened his lips.

"Well, young gentlemen," he said, when Barkins, who as eldest had been spokesman, finished his recital, "I can do nothing. If you had all three been brutally murdered, of course the Government could have made representations to the authorities, and your families would have secured compensation."

We glanced at one another.

"But as, unfortunately--I mean fortunately--you have neither of you got a scratch, I can do nothing."

"But they were so awfully savage with us, sir," said Smith.

"Yes, Mr Smith, so I suppose. It is their nature; but we cannot punish an unknown mob. We must try and administer the castigation vicariously."

"Please, sir, I don't understand you," said Smith. "Do you mean--"

"Set a vicar to talk to them, Mr Smith? No, I do not. I mean, as we have very good information about three or four piratical junks being in the straits between here and Amoy, we must come down heavily upon them, and administer the punishment there."

Mr Reardon nodded, and rubbed his hands.

"This sc.r.a.pe of yours, though, will be a most severe lesson to me,"

continued the captain. "It was very weak and easy of me to give you all leave for a run ash.o.r.e. I ought to have referred you to Mr Reardon.

But you may take it for granted that I shall not err again in this way.

You can return on deck."

"Oh, what a jolly shame!" grumbled Barkins. "And there was old Reardon chuckling over it, and looking as pleased as Punch. Who'd be a middy?

It's like being in a floating prison."

But it was a very pleasant floating prison all the same, I could not help thinking, as we gradually got farther out from the land, over which the sun was sinking fast, and lighting up the mountain-tops with gold, while the valleys rapidly grew dark. Every one on the clean white deck was full of eager excitement, and the look-out most thoroughly on the _qui vive_. For the news that we were going up northward in search of some piratical junks sent a thrill through every breast. It meant work, the showing that we were doing some good on the China station, and possibly prize-money, perhaps promotion for some on board, though of course not for us.

We had been upon the station several months, but it had not been our good fortune to capture any of the piratical scoundrels about whose doings the merchants--Chinese as well as European--were loud in complaint. And with justice, for several cruel ma.s.sacres of crews had taken place before the ships had been scuttled and burned; besides, quite a dozen had sailed from port never to be heard of more; while the only consolation Captain Thwaites had for his trips here and there, and pursuit of enemies who disappeared like Flying Dutchmen, was that the presence of our gunboat upon the coast no doubt acted as a preventative, for we were told that there used to be three times as many acts of piracy before we came.

And now, as we glided along full sail before a pleasant breeze, with the topgallant sails ruddy in the evening light, there seemed at last some prospect of real business, for it had leaked out that unless Captain Thwaites' information was very delusive, the Chinamen had quite a rendezvous on one of the most out-of-the-way islands off Formosa, from whence they issued, looking like ordinary trading-boats, and that it was due to this nest alone that so much mischief had been done.

A good meal down below, without dog or rat, as Barkins put it, had, in addition to a comfortable wash and change, made us forget a good deal of our weariness; and, as we were still off duty, we three loitered about the deck, picking up all the information we could regarding the way in which the news had been brought, in exchange for accounts of our own adventures, to insure credence in which Barkins carried about the nearly-divided telescope which had stood us in such good stead.

It was rapidly growing dark, when, close under the bulwarks, and in very near neighbourhood to one of our big bow guns, we came upon what looked in the gloom like a heap of clothes.

"What's that?" I said.

"Chine-he, sir," said one of the sailors. "We give him a good tuck-out below, and he come up then for a snooze. Hi, John! The gents want to speak to you."

There was a quick movement, and a partly bald head appeared from beneath two loose sleeves, which had been folded over it like the wings of a flying fox, and Ching's familiar squeaky voice said--

"You wantee me. Go sh.o.r.e?"

"No, no; not to-night," cried Smith. "We shall set you ash.o.r.e when we come back."

"You go velly far--allee way Gleat Blitain?"

"No, not this time, Ching," cried Barkins, as we all laughed.

"No go allee way London? Ching wantee go London, see Queen Victolia and Plince o' Wales."

"Some other time, Ching," I said. "But I say, how about the fancy shop?"

"Allee light. Ching go back."

"And how are you after our fight to-day?"

"Velly angly. Allee muchee quite 'shame of mandalin men. Big lascal, evely one."

"So they are," said Barkins. "But I say, Ching, are you a good sailor?"