Stan Lynn Part 35

"Did that hurt much?"

"Oh, velly, velly much!" said Wing, with the tears trickling down his plump face.

"Yes, you are a good deal shaken, Wing, my man, but you are not broken in half."

"Misteh Blunt suah?"

"Yes, quite," replied Blunt. "You have had a wonderful escape from being killed. You are hurt, of course, but I believe that if you were helped you could stand right up."

"Wing velly much 'flaid."

"I suppose so, but you are going to try."

"Must?"

"Yes, you must.--Now, Lynn, take one side; I'll take the other.--Come, Wing; just for a minute. Up with you like a man."

Wing gave each a piteous look, but said nothing, as he was again raised into a sitting position, and then allowed his arms to be drawn over his helpers' shoulders as they bent down over him and rose together, brought him up standing, and held him there.

"Now then, you can feel that you are not broken to bits, Wing?" said Blunt.

"Yes; but hult velly bad."

"Of course it hurt, Wing; but you'll soon get better."

"Get betteh? No go die and be bulied?"

"You'll not die and be buried this time.--Do you see what saved him, Lynn?"

"Yes--of course. I see now. He must have come down upon those piled-up silk-bales."

"To be sure; and they are so yielding and springy that they threw him off again so that he fell on to the stones inside."

"Yes," said Wing piteously; "tumblee all togetheh. Come b.u.mp, b.u.mp on silk-bales. Flow um off again on to stones and bang back dleadful bad."

"Yes; a very narrow escape for you," said Blunt firmly.--"Bring a board here, some of you."

Two of the coolies hurried off, to return in the fast-increasing gloom with a broad plank, which was set down and Wing then lifted carefully upon it, bearing the moving very well, and only uttering a groan or two.

"Now carry him into the office.--We'll make that the hospital, Lynn."

"'Top littlee! 'Top littlee!" cried Wing.

"What's the matter?" said Blunt sharply, speaking as if he felt that he had spent enough time on his patient.

"Wing wantee say much 'blige, t'ank you. Um feel deal betteh now."

"That's right," said Blunt.

"Wing velly much 'flaid when he fall. Much mo' 'flaid when come down b.u.mp, bang on stones. Misteh Blunt, young Lynn, makee feel velly happy.

Not bloke all bits. Going to live long time."

"That's right," said Blunt brusquely. "But look here; all your trouble came from your going to sleep when you were on sentry."

"Yes," said Wing dolefully. "Velly muchee solly. Sun hot--velly hungly--velly dly mouth. Can't help go 'sleep. Misteh velly angly poo'

Chinaman?"

"Not very, Wing, for you have been severely punished."

"Wing nevah do so no mo'e."

"That's right," said Blunt, who hurried away as soon as he had seen the injured man lying comfortably; and Stan was about to follow, but Wing caught his sleeve and signed to him to bend down.

"Young Lynn know who shot Wing?" he whispered.

"Yes," said the lad frankly.

"Young Lynn tell Wing."

"Yes, some day," replied the lad, who felt the blood flush to his face, but it was now so dark in the office with the blocked-up windows and the coming night that the questioner could not see.

"Young Lynn tell Wing some day. Wing betteh now. Thought bloken allee piecee. Not bloken allee piecee. Don't ca'e mandalin b.u.t.ton now."

"That's right," said Stan. "Look, they're bringing you some bread and tea. Think you can eat and drink?"

"Velly much indeed," said the Chinaman.

"Begin at once, then," said Stan. "Here, I must go."

He hurried after Blunt, and as he went to where the latter was standing sweeping the dimly seen surroundings with his gla.s.s, it suddenly occurred to him that after firing the shot to startle Wing he had not replaced the empty cartridge.

He opened the breech, and at the sound of its being closed upon the cartridge Blunt turned upon him suddenly.

"Hullo, young fellow!" he cried. "Going to fire again to startle me?"

"No," replied Stan. "I was thinking that I might have to shoot again, and it would not do to find that my rifle was not loaded."

"No," said Blunt thoughtfully. "I'm sorry, though, that I gave you that order. For a time I was quite under the impression that you had aimed at and hit the poor fellow. But he'll soon be right again."

"I hope so," said Stan. "Can you see anything with the gla.s.s?"

"Just the dim country, that's all. There! we'll set our sentries and let all who can be spared lie down for a rest till we change guard, for we must be military now. I shall take the first part of the night for visiting the posts every hour; you will have to take the second half.

Mind, you will have to visit each sentinel and see that he is awake and watchful. You understand?"

"Quite," was the reply, given in a firm voice, though the lad could not help shrinking a little from the great responsibility about to be placed upon his shoulders.

"Come along, then."