CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
IN THE CREEK.
Ching's announcement cleared up what had been somewhat of a mystery. Ithad appeared strange to everybody that the junks had been up this riverapparently for no purpose, and more strange that they should have beenlight, and not laden with the plunder of the vessels they had taken.And now, as without any need for taking soundings the _Teaser_ slowlysteamed back, Ching pointed out a kind of landing-place in a littlecreek hidden amongst dense growth, so that it had been passed unnoticedon our way up.
The country here on both sides of the river was wild, and no trace of adwelling could be seen; but about half a mile from the shore there was alow ridge, round one end of which the creek wound, and toward this ridgeChing pointed, screwing his eyes up into narrow slits, and wrinkling uphis face in all directions.
"Velly bad man live along-along there. Plenty plize-money; plenty tea,lice, silk; plenty evelyting. Come and see."
The _Teaser_ was moored, and a couple of boats manned with well-armedcrews, Ching looking on the while and cunningly shaking his head.
"No wantee big piecee sword gun. Pilate all lun away and hide."
"Never mind," said Mr Reardon, who was going in command of theexpedition; "we may find somebody there disposed to fight."
"Takee all along big empty boat; cally tea, silk, lice, plize-money?"
"Better see first," said the captain; "there may not be anything worthcarriage. Go with them," he said to Ching. "They may want aninterpleter."
"Yes, Ching interpleter. Talk velly nice Inglis."
"You can come if you like in my boat, Mr Herrick," said the lieutenant;and I jumped at the opportunity, but before I reached the side I turned,and saw Barkins and Smith looking gloomily on.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" said Mr Reardon.
"Beg pardon, sir," I said; "I was only thinking that Mr Barkins and MrSmith would be very glad to go ashore."
"Of course they would, but I suppose you don't want to give up yourplace to them?"
"No, sir," I said; "but I will."
"Oh, very well. Here, Mr Barkins, Mr Smith; do you feel well enoughto go in my boat?"
"Yes, sir," they cried together eagerly.
"Jump in, then."
"Thank you, sir," cried Smith, and he mounted into the first boat; butBarkins hesitated a moment.
"Thank you, old chap," he whispered, "but I don't like to go."
"Off with you," I said, and I hurried him forward. "Shall I give you aleg up?" I added, for he limped a good deal still.
"No, no; I don't want to let them see I'm lame. But I say, Gnat, yougo."
"Be off," I whispered. "Quick!" and I helped him in.
"Here, Ching, you had better go in the second boat," said Mr Reardonsharply; and, as the Chinaman rolled out of the first boat, blinking andsmiling, orders were given to lower away, and the first boat kissed thewater.
I was looking down at my two messmates, feeling a little disappointed,but glad that they had a chance at last, when Mr Reardon looked up.
"Here, Mr Herrick," he cried. "You had better come on in the otherboat, and take charge of the interpreter. Look sharp."
I did look sharp, and a few minutes later I was sitting in thestern-sheets, being rowed ashore.
"Plenty loom in littlee liver," said Ching, pointing to the creek."Pilate take allee plize-money in sampan up littlee liver."
"Ching thinks the boats could go up the creek, sir, and that the piratesgo that way."
"Try, then; go first, Mr Grey," cried the first lieutenant; and,ordering his boat's crew to lie on their oars, he waited till we hadpassed, and then followed.
"Ching going showee way," whispered the Chinaman to me.
"But how do you know there is a place up there?" I said. "Have youever been?"
Ching shook his head till his black tail quivered, and closed his eyesin a tight smile.
"Ching interpleter," he said, with a cunning look. "Ching knowevelyting 'bout Chinaman. Talkee Chinee--talkee Inglis--velly nicee."
"But talking English velly nicee doesn't make you understand about thepirates."
"Yes; know velly much allee 'bout pilate," he said. "Velly bad men--velly stupid, allee same. Pilate get big junk, swordee, gun, plentypowder; go killee evelybody, and hide tea, silk, lice up liver. Onepilate--twenty pilate--allee do same. Hide up liver."
"Perhaps he's right," said Mr Grey, who sat back with the tiller in hishand, listening. "They do imitate one another. What one gang does,another does. They're stupid enough to have no fresh plans of theirown."
By this time we were in the creek, which was just wide enough for themen to dip their oars from time to time, and the tide being stillrunning up we glided along between the muddy banks and under theoverhanging trees, which were thick enough to shade as from the hot sun.
The ride was very interesting, and made me long to get ashore and watchthe birds and butterflies, and collect the novel kinds of flowersblooming here and there in the more open parts, the lilies close in tothe side being beautiful.
But we had sterner business on hand, besides having the first lieutenantin the following boat, so I contented myself with looking straight aheadas far as I could for the maze-like wanderings of the creek, and I wasjust thinking how easily we could run into an ambuscade, and be shot atfrom the dense shrubby growth on the bank, when Mr Reardon called to usfrom his boat.
"Let your marines be ready, Mr Grey," he said, "in case of a trap. Ifthe enemy shows and attacks, on shore at once and charge them. Don'twait to give more than one volley."
"Ay, ay, sir," said the boatswain; and the marines seized their pieces,and I looked forward more sharply than ever.
But Ching shook his head.
"No pilate," he whispered to me. "Allee too velly much flighten, andlun away from foleign devil sailor and maline."
"But they might have come down to their place here," I said.
Ching smiled contemptuously.
"Pilate velly blave man, fight gleat deal when allee one side, and knowsailor can't fightee. When plenty sailor can fightee, pilate lun awayvelly fast, and no come back."
"Can you understand him, Mr Grey?" I said.
"Oh yes, I understand him, and I daresay he's right, but there's no harmin being on the look-out;" and, to show his intention of following outhis words, the boatswain took his revolver from its case, and laid itready upon his knees.
"How much farther is this village, or whatever it is?" said Mr Reardonfrom behind.
"Do you hear, Ching?" I said.
"Ching hear; Ching don'tee know; not velly far," was the unsatisfactoryreply.
"I'm afraid we've come on a cock-and-bull hunt," said the boatswain,looking to right and left as he stood up in the boat, for the creek nowgrew so narrow that the men had to lay in their oars, and the coxswainalso stood up and drew the boat onward by hooking the overhangingboughs.
"Do you think they do come up here, Ching?" I said.
He nodded, and looked sharply about him.
"There can be no big traffic up here, Mr Grey," said the lieutenant."What does the interpreter say?"
"Do you hear, Ching?" I whispered; "what do you say?"
"Allee light," he replied. "Pilate come along in littlee sampan; callysilk, tea, lice."
"Oh, bother!" I said. Then aloud to Mr Reardon, whose boat was halfhidden by the growth overhead, "He seems quite sure they do come uphere, sir."
"Well, then, go a little farther, but I feel far from sure. Push rightin at the next place where there's room for the boat, and climb up thebank."
"Yes, sir," I cried; and we went on again for another hundred yards,when all at once I caught sight of an opening where I could land, andpointed it out to Mr Grey.
"Yes," said Ching, "allee light. That place where pilate land alleeplize-money."
I laughed, and Mr Grey told the coxswain to draw the boat close to thebank, when, to my intense surprise, I found there was a broadly-trampledp
ath, beaten into soft steps, and I turned in my glee and shouted--
"Here's the place, sir."
The boat glided rustling in; two men sprang out, and then we followed.The second boat came alongside, and five minutes later our sturdy littleforce was tramping along through a dense patch of wood by a well-beatenpath, and in about ten minutes more were out at the foot of a low ridgewhich hid the river from our sight, and in face of a couple of dozen orso low bamboo huts, two of which were of pretty good size.
"Steady! halt! form up!" cried the lieutenant, and skirmishers were sentforward to feel our way, for no one was visible; but open doors andwindows, suggested the possibility of danger in ambush.
A few minutes settled all doubts on that score, and the word to advancewas given. We went up to the front of the huts at the double, andexamination proved that the places must have been occupied within a fewhours, for the fire in one hut was still smouldering; but the people hadfled, and we were in possession of the tiny village so cunningly hiddenfrom the river.
Our men were pretty quick, but Ching surpassed them.
"Look at him running!" cried Barkins, as, with his tail flying, Chingran from hut to hut, and finally stopped before the two more pretentiousplaces, which were closely shut.
"Hong--warehouse," he cried to me, and an attempt was made to enter, butthe doors of both were quite fast.
"Steady!" said Mr Reardon; "there may be some of the enemy inside;" andour men were so placed that when the door was burst in, any fire whichwe drew would prove harmless.
One of the sailors came forward then with a heavy flat stone, whichlooked as if it had been used to crush some kind of grain upon it, and,receiving a nod from the lieutenant, he raised it above his head, dashedit against the fastening, and the door flew open with a crash, while thesailor darted aside.
But no shot issued from within, and Mr Reardon stepped forward, lookedin, and uttered an ejaculation.
"Look here, Grey," he cried; and the boatswain stepped to his side.Then my turn came, and there was no doubt about Ching's idea beingcorrect, for the place was literally packed with stores. Chests, bales,boxes, and packages of all kinds were piled-up on one side; bags,evidently of rice, on the other; while at the end were articles of allkinds, and crates which seemed to be full of china.
"Sentry here," said the lieutenant sternly; and, leaving a marine onguard, he led the way to the other store, whose door was burst in, andupon our entering, without hesitation now, this place proved to bechoked with the cargo of different junks which the pirates had rifled,for everything of value had been packed in tightly, and the pirates'treasure-houses were no doubt waiting for some favourable opportunityfor disposing of the loot.
"Sentry here," cried Mr Reardon again; and the man having been planted,we stood together in one of the huts, while the lieutenant made hisplans.
"You wantee big empty boat?" said Ching suddenly.
"Yes, my man, and I wish we had brought one." Then, after a fewminutes' consideration, Mr Reardon decided what to do.
"Now, Mr Herrick," he said, "take a marine and one man with the signalflags, and go up to the ridge yonder. Place your marine where he cancommand the plain, and he will fire if he sees the enemy approaching.The man is to signal for two more boats."
I started for the ridge after getting my two men, which was about twohundred yards away, the ground rising in a slope; and, as we went off atthe double, I heard orders being given, while, by the time we were up onthe top, I looked back to see our men going in a regular stream down tothe boats, laden with bales of silk, the white frocks of the Jacksshowing through the thick growth from time to time.
My sentry was soon posted in a position where he could command the plainfor miles, and the Jack hard at work waving flags till his signal wasanswered from the ship, which seemed from where we stood to be lyingclose at hand.
Then we two returned, to find that one boat was already packed as fullas it would hold; and Barkins and Mr Grey went off with it back to theriver, while the second was rapidly laden, and in half an hour followedthe first. Then Smith and I followed the lieutenant into the store,with its low reed-thatched roof, and gazed about wonderingly at therichness of the loot upon which we had come.
"I say, Gnat, we shan't go home without prize-money this voyage,"whispered Smith; and then, nothing more being possible, the sentries--four, posted at different distances--were visited, and we all sat downin the shade to rest, and partake of the refreshments in the men'shaversacks.