Blue Jackets Part 54

These words roused me, and I turned to Barkins, who was lying back with his eyes nearly closed and looking ghastly, while Smith sat staring straight before him, with his hands grasping the seat on either side, in a stiff, awkward position.

"Here, Smithy," I said, "quick, Tanner has fainted;" but he took no notice, and I whispered to him angrily--

"Get up. It's all over now. Come and help me. Don't let these horrible people see Tanner like this."

He turned to me then, and let his eyes fall on our messmate.

"Can you get me a drink of water, Ching?" he murmured.

"Yes, d'leckly; wait lit' bit. Po' Mr Barki' Tanner leg velly bad, makee sick. You' alm velly bad still?"

"Very bad; it throbs," murmured Smith.

"Ah, yes! Wait lit' bit and no clowd. Ching take you have cup flesh tea, and quite well d'leckly. You not likee execution?"

I shook my head.

"Velly good job cut allee head off. No go killee killee, burn s.h.i.+p no more."

"We're not used to seeing such things," I said weakly, as I supported Barkins to keep him from slipping to the ground.

"You no go see execution when Queen Victolia cut off bad men's head?"

I shook my head.

"Ah, I see," said Ching. "Me tink you have velly gleat tleat. But I see, not used to see. Velly blave boy, not mind littlee bit next time."

"What's the matter? Don't, doctor. It's getting well now."

It was Barkins who spoke, and his hands went suddenly to his injured leg, and held it, as he bent over towards it and rocked himself to and fro.

"Throbs and burns," he said, drawing in his breath as if in pain. "I-- I--"

He looked round wildly.

"I remember now," he said faintly. "Don't laugh at me, you chaps. I turned sick as a dog as soon as that butchering was over. I never felt like this over the fighting. I say, Gnat, did I faint right away?"

"Yes, dead!" I said; "I was nearly as bad."

"Enough to make you. But oh, my leg, how it does sting! I say, isn't it queer that it should come on now? Did the fainting do it?"

"I dunno," said Smith hastily, "but my arm aches horribly. I say, do let's get away from here, or I shall be obliged to look over yonder again."

"Yes, I'm all right again now," said Barkins quietly. "Let's get away.

I say, lads, it's of no use to be humbugs; we did all feel precious bad, eh?"

We looked at each other dolefully.

"Yes, let's get away," I said. "I thought we were coming out for a jolly day."

Barkins shuddered and now stood up.

"Yes," he said; "I hope the skipper liked it. Can you see him now?"

"Skipper? Cap'n?" said Ching, whose ears were always sharp enough to catch our words. "Gone along, Mr Leardon. Make gland plocession all away back to palace. You go sail, soon catch more pilate."

"I hope, if we do," said Smith, "that we shall not bring back any prisoners."

The enclosure was thinning fast now, as we walked toward the gateway by which we had entered, where a strong body of soldiers had been on guard over the barricades, in case of an attempt being made by the pirates'

friends to rescue them, and we saw plainly enough that had we wanted there would have been no getting away.

"You likee go in and see plison?" said Ching insinuatingly. "Plenty bad men lock up safe."

"No, thank you," I said eagerly. "Let's get out of this, and go and have some tea."

"Yes, plenty tea. Ching show way."

The Chinese soldiers stared at us haughtily as we walked by, and I drew myself up, hoping that no one there had witnessed our weakness, for if they had I knew that they could not feel much respect for the blue-jackets who hunted down the scoundrels that infested their seas.

Both Barkins and Smith must have felt something after the fas.h.i.+on that I did, for they too drew themselves up, returned the haughty stares, and Barkins stopped short to look one truculent savage fellow over from head to foot, especially gazing at his weapons, and then, turning coolly to me, he said, with a nod in the man's direction--

"Tidy sort of stuff to make soldiers off, Gnat, but too heavy."

The man's eyes flashed and his hand stole toward his sword hilt.

"'Tention!" roared Barkins with a fierce stamp, and though the order was new to the guard, he took it to be a military command and stepped back to remain stiff and motionless.

"Ha! that's better," cried Barkins, and he nodded and then pa.s.sed on with us after Ching, whose eyes bespoke the agony of terror he felt.

"Come long quickee," he whispered excitedly. "Very big blave that fellow. Killee--fightee man. You no 'flaid of him?"

"Afraid? No," said Barkins shortly. "There, let's have this tea."

Ching glanced round once, and we were about to imitate his example, but he said excitedly--

"No, no, don't lookee. Big blave talkee talkee soldier, and tink Inglis offlicer 'flaid. Walkee past."

He led us as quickly as he could get us to go towards the tea-house he sought, and I must own that I was only too anxious about the Chinese guards to help feeling in a good deal of perturbation lest they should feel that they had been insulted, and follow us so as to take revenge.

Hence I was glad enough to get within the tea-house's hospitable walls, and sat there quite content to go on sipping the fragrant infusion for long enough.

I suppose we were there quite an hour and a half drinking tea, until we were satisfied, and then pa.s.sing a look round to draw attention to our interpreter, who sat back with his eyes half closed, sipping away cupful after cupful, till Smith whispered to me that he thought he had kept correct account.

"How many do you think Ching has had?" he whispered.

"Don't know; nearly a dozen?"

"Fifty-three, or thereabouts," whispered Smith.

But I did not believe him, and I do not think he believed himself.