Part 21 (1/2)

”Couldn't we leave that alone, and trust to our speed on the water?”

Errington suggested.

”Rather risky. Unless the blackguards have got sick of waiting all night and sheered off, they'll spot us as soon as we take the river, and another shot might do for us altogether. No; we must mend the stay somehow, and then fly inland until we're out of harm's way--until the petrol gives out.”

”But the stay must be welded; and we can't do that without hammering.

If the gunboat's crew are anywhere about they are sure to hear the row, and find us out in no time.”

”We'll have to chance that,” said Burroughs. ”A worse thing is the want of proper tools. There's a hammer in the locker, but we haven't got a forge. We can make a fire in that old stove there; but we've no bellows, and we can never get heat enough without.”

”Never say die. Where there's a stove there ought to be bellows. I'm going to look round. But work before breakfast, and no supper the night before, doesn't make you feel amiable, does it?”

”While you are looking for the bellows I'll stroll along the sh.o.r.e and find out what sort of a place we're on. It's just as well to know something about our whereabouts.”

Burroughs walked past the sampan where Chung Pi had pa.s.sed the night. A thick white mist lay over the swamp, through which nothing was visible beyond two or three yards. Chung Pi was sitting in the sampan with his arms tightly folded. He seemed to have shrunk; Lo San and Chin Tai also were blue with hunger and cold. Burroughs felt sorry for them all.

”I regret having been compelled to inflict these inconveniences on you, n.o.ble captain,” he said; ”it is a pity our charms have not availed.”

”Ah! If you had not gone back for the second talisman we should have been safe,” said Chung Pi mournfully.

Burroughs had heard nothing about the second talisman, but he did not ask for an explanation, merely promising that Chung Pi should enjoy a substantial feast as soon as they reached Sui-Fu.

Proceeding along the sh.o.r.e, picking his way carefully because of the mist, he had walked for about a quarter of a mile when he came suddenly upon a sampan, and halted, fearing that it might belong to the enemy.

But as he stood there surrounded by the clinging fog, he heard Errington's voice apparently only a few yards away. The explanation flashed upon him at once. They were on a small island, encompa.s.sed by a continuous screen of reeds. This was in a measure rea.s.suring, for it diminished the risk of being discovered.

He moved forward. Errington saw a figure looming through the mist, and instantly challenged.

”It's all right, Pidge. I've made a tour of the place; it's an island.

Any luck?”

”Yes, I've found a cranky pair of bellows, very Chinese, in one of the huts. We can start our forge at once.... Hullo!”

The exclamation was provoked by the sound of a shot in the distance.

”What's that mean, I wonder?” said Burroughs.

”Don't know. Shooting a duck for breakfast, perhaps. It's pretty clear that the beggars haven't given us up. When we start hammering they'll hear us and are sure to find us out.”

”Better carry the stove into one of the huts and shut yourself up there.

The sound will be deadened then. I wish now I'd brought my engineer; he'd have made a better job of it than you and Lo San; I can't help, I'm sorry to say; my wretched arm is as stiff as a poker.”

”I've taken off the broken stay; half-an-hour's work ought to finish the job as soon as we get the fire going. This mist is a G.o.dsend; they can't see our smoke.”

”Well, you take the two boys to lend a hand in the hut, while I keep an eye on Chung Pi and listen for the enemy.”

The servants carried the stove and the broken stay into the largest of the huts. One of the others furnished plenty of wood for the fire, and in a few minutes they had a good blaze, and began the work of welding the stay. Burroughs was disconcerted to find that although the hut was shut up as closely as the ramshackle timbers allowed, the sound of hammering was distinctly audible outside. He sat on the sampan beside the dejected figure of Chung Pi, peering through the mist, and listening intently.

By and by he fancied he heard voices from the direction of the channel, and a few minutes afterwards the m.u.f.fled splash of paddles struck his ear. He waited until he was no longer in doubt that the sounds were approaching; then, taking Chung Pi by the sleeve, he hurried him up to the hut where the work was going on.