Part 26 (1/2)
”And e can't fight 'e round at us all with an expression of determination that I had never seen in his face before, ”we'll blow up the shi+p sooner than surrender to this villainous gang!”
The cheer that followed this ending of his speech was so loud and genuine, so full of British pluck, so hearty, that the pirates absolutely quailed at the sound of it, holding back a second or two before they sheered up alongside with the intention of boarding us
They onlywhich ere not idle with our guns and revolvers; for, the nexttheir grapnels in our rigging and climbed up on both sides of the shi+p simultaneously
”Come down out of the tops!” shouted Mr Mackay to the hands aloft
”Come down at once, ant all of your aid with cold steel now!”
These soon joined us, and then followed a series of shouts and cries and shots and groans which itthree of our nued in mortally wounded with us, we all retreated to the cabin, barricading ourselves there with all sorts of bales and boxes, and bracing up the saloon table, which we had previously unloosed froht
The pirates made a rush after us, but ere too quick for the us alone for awhile, they proceeded to rue the shi+p forward, where, fro at the deck, they were evidently trying to break open the hold so as to get at the cargo But the hatchways being constructed of iron beneath the wood their battering away at them did not bother us much for the moment, as we knew they would find their work cut out for the one
Meanwhile, poor Mr Saunders lay dying on the cabin floor, bleeding from a wound in his breast The captain said there was no hope for his; and as I bent over hiot fro wang
”By Jove!” exclaimed Mr Mackay ”Where is the Chinah Mr Saunders had been the first toelse about him, or tell us what had beco him up for lost, when, suddenly Pedro Carvalho, who, ittowards the cook, called out froh the jalousies, or open shutters, he could survey a portion of the main-deck
”Diante de Deos!” he exclai yondare, chu does peerats Yase, yase, dere he is!
I see him! I see him! Carajo! Cozenheiro maldito!”
This news came upon us like a thunderbolt, but none of us would believe it until we had been absolutely convinced of the truth of what the steward had stated by seeing for ourselves Yet, there was no h we could presently see with our own eyes, Ching wang on the friendliest terms, apparently, with a lot of the yellow pirate rascals, ere of his own celestial nationality, away forward, the cook showing the away finely!
Still, even then we could hardly believe in his treachery
So's offices or not, of course, we could not say, the pirates did not bother us ht occasionally and firing down on us as well as they could with their clumsy muskets and pistols--a fire which we just as pro wherevera flash
They once pitched in one of their terrible fire balls or ”stink-pots” of ful stuff to asphyxiate us with its beastly s the obnoxious thing in a bucket of water, rid us at once of the poisonous fu was heard at one of the ports in the captain's cabin; and both Tireat surprise Ching wang's well-known voice was heard
”Chin, chin lilly pijjin! Comee one chop quick,nuht he'd never turn traitor,” cried Captain Gillespie e with equal warood Oirishman ivery day he's bin'
aboord!”
The upshot of Ching wang's coet all they could out of the shi+p and clear off; and, believing that he had joined theotiate ter that he would spare all our lives if ould let him have what dollars there was on board and a ranso able to get at the cargo
Before Captain Gillespie could indignantly refuseproceeded to say that he had overheard the pirates saying that the reason for their violent hurry was that an English gunboat had been seen in the distance cruising off the ottee sa now his realfindee gunboat an' catchee kyfong chop chop!”
”First rate,” cried Mr Mackay, who acted as general interpreter, knowing the China had not gone off by hiht course to steer for the Canton river in the first place; and, secondly, he was afraid that the officers of the gunboatassailed by pirates unless so could have been ot his head screwed on straight”
”And where is this boat ye're going in?”