The Pirate Story Megapack. R.M. Ballantyne

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СКАЧАТЬ then he said in pigeon English, “You officer men?”

      “Yes!” Jack exclaimed, starting at the sound of the English words, the first they had heard spoken since their captivity. “Yes, we are officers of the Perseus.”

      “Me speeke English velly well,” the Chinaman said; “me pilot-man many years on Canton river. How you get here?”

      “We were attacking some piratical junks, and landed to destroy the village where the people were firing on us. We entered a place full ofpirates, and were knocked down and taken prisoners, and carried away up the country; that is six weeks ago, and you see what we are now.”

      “Pirate men velly bad,” the Chinaman said; “plunder many junk on river and kill crew. Me muchee hate them.”

      “Can you do anything for us?” Jack asked. “You will be well rewarded if you could manage to get us free.”

      The man shook his head.

      “Me no see what can do, me stranger here; come to stay with wifey; people no do what me ask them. English ships attack Canton, much fight and take town, people all hate English. Bad country dis. People in one village fight against another. Velly bad men here.”

      “How far is Canton away?” Jack asked. “Could you not send down to tell the English we are here?”

      “Fourteen days’ journey off,” the man said; “no see how can do anything.”

      “Well,” Jack said, “when you get back again to Canton let our people know what has been the end of us; we shall not last much longer.”

      “All light,” the man said, “will see what me can do. Muchee think tonight!” And after saying a few words to the guards, who had been regarding this conversation with an air of surprise, the Chinaman retired.

      The guards had for some time abandoned the precaution of sitting up at night by the cage, convinced that their captives had no longer strength to attempt to break through its fastenings or to drag themselves many yards away if they could do so. They therefore left it standing in the open, and, wrapping themselves in their thickly-wadded coats, for the nights were cold, lay down by the side of the cage.

      The coolness of the nights had, indeed, assisted to keep the two prisoners alive. During the day the sun was excessively hot, and the crowd of visitors round the cage impeded the circulation of the air and added to their sufferings. It was true that the cold at night frequently prevented them from sleeping, but it acted as a tonic and braced them up.

      “What did he mean about the villages attacking each other?” Percy asked.

      “I have heard,” Jack replied, “that in some parts of China things are very much the same as they used to be in the highlands of Scotland. There is no law or order. The different villages are like clans, and wage war on each other. Sometimes the Government sends a number of troops, who put the thing down for a time, chop off a good many heads, and then march away, and the whole work begins again as soon as their backs are turned.”

      That night the uneasy slumber of the lads was disturbed by a sudden firing; shouts and yells were heard, and the firing redoubled.

      “The village is attacked,” Jack said. “I noticed that, like some other places we have come into lately, there is a strong earthen wall round it, with gates. Well, there is one comfort—it does not make much difference to us which side wins.”

      The guards at the first alarm leapt to their feet, caught up their matchlocks, and ran to aid in the defence of the wall. Two minutes later a man ran up to the cage.

      “All lightee,” he said; “just what me hopee.”

      With his knife he cut the tough withes that held the bamboos in their places, and pulled out three of the bars.

      “Come along,” he said; “no time to lose.”

      Jack scrambled out, but in trying to stand upright gave a sharp exclamation of pain. Percy crawled out more slowly; he tried to stand up, but could not. The Chinaman caught him up and threw him on his shoulder.

      “Come along quickee,” he said to Jack; “if takee village, kill evely one.” He set off at a run. Jack followed as fast as he could, groaning at every step from the pain the movement caused to his bruised body.

      They went to the side of the village opposite to that at which the attack was going on. They met no one on the way, the inhabitants having all rushed to the other side to repel the attack. They stopped at a small gate in the wall, the Chinaman drew back the bolts and opened it, and they passed out into the country. For an hour they kept on. By the end of that time Jack could scarcely drag his limbs along. The Chinaman halted at length in a clump of trees surrounded by a thick undergrowth.

      “Allee safee here,” he said, “no searchee so far; here food;” and he produced from a wallet a cold chicken and some boiled rice, and unslung from his shoulder a gourd filled with cold tea.

      “Me go back now, see what happen. To-mollow nightee come again—bringee more food.” And without another word went off at a rapid pace.

      Jack moistened his lips with the tea, and then turned to his companion. Percy had not spoken a word since he had been released from the cage, and had been insensible during the greater part of his journey. Jack poured some cold tea between his lips.

      “Cheer up, Percy, old boy, we are free now, and with luck and that good fellow’s help we will work our way down to Canton yet.”

      “I shall never get down there; you may,” Percy said feebly.

      “Oh, nonsense, you will pick up strength like a steam-engine now. Here, let me prop you against this tree. That’s better. Now drink a drop of this tea; it’s like nectar after that filthy water we have been drinking. Now you will feel better. Now you must try and eat a little of this chicken and rice. Oh, nonsense, you have got to do it. I am not going to let you give way when our trouble is just over. Think of your people at home, Percy, and make an effort, for their sakes. Good heavens! now I think of it, it must be Christmas morning. We were caught on the 2nd and we have been just twenty-two days on show. I am sure that it must be past twelve o’clock, and it is Christmas-day. It is a good omen, Percy. This food isn’t like roast beef and plum-pudding, but it’s not to be despised, I can tell you. Come, fire away, that’s a good fellow.”

      Percy made an effort and ate a few mouthfuls of rice and chicken, then he took another draught of tea, and lay down, and was almost immediately asleep.

      Jack ate his food slowly and contentedly till he finished half the supply, then he, too, lay down, and, after a short but hearty thanksgiving for his escape from a slow and lingering death, he, too, fell off to sleep. The sun was rising when he woke, being aroused by a slight movement on the part of Percy; he opened his eyes and sat up.

      “Well, Percy, how do you feel this morning?” he asked cheerily.

      “I feel too weak to move,” Percy replied languidly.

      “Oh, you will be all right when you have sat up and eaten breakfast,” Jack said. “Here you are; here is a wing for you, and this rice is as white as snow, and the tea is first rate. I thought last night after I lay down that I heard a murmur of water, so after we have had breakfast I will look about and see if I can find it. We should feel like new men after a wash. You look awful, and I am sure I am just СКАЧАТЬ