Part 91 (1/2)

”Much?” I said.

”Yes, plentee plentee. Time to go now. Pilate all come along this way.”

He pa.s.sed his hand involuntarily straight round his neck edgewise, as if thinking about how a knife or sword would soon be applied.

”You saw them?” I cried.

”Yes,” he said sadly. ”Allee come along. You lun away now with Ching?”

”I can't leave Tom Jecks,” I said. ”Off with you, and try and save yourself. Never mind us.”

Ching looked at the injured sailor.

”You no get up, lun?” he said.

”Can't do it, mate,” groaned the poor fellow. ”I want Mr Herrick to make a dash for his life.”

”Yes, velly good. You makee dashee you life, Mr h.e.l.lick.”

”No, I stay here. Run for it, Ching; and if you escape and see the captain or Mr Reardon again, tell him we all did our duty, and how Mr Brooke was drowned.”

”Yes, Ching tellee Mr Leardon evelyting.”

”Then lose no time; go.”

”No; Ching velly tire, velly hot; wantee bleakfast, flesh tea, nicee new blead. Too hot to lun.”

”But I want you to save yourself,” I said excitedly.

”Yes; allee save evelybody, alleegether. Ching won't go leave Mr h.e.l.lick.”

”Ching!” I cried.

”Hus.h.!.+ No makee low. Lie down likee lit' pigee in sand. Pilate come along.”

His ears were sharper than mine; for, as I dropped down at full length in the sand upon my chest, I saw him drag a good-sized stone in front of his face to screen it, while I, in imitation, rapidly scooped up some of the sand and spread it before me, so as to make a little mound of a few inches high, just as a couple of the junk's crew came into sight about a hundred and fifty yards on our left, and as close down to the sea as the billows would allow. Then a few more appeared; and at last the whole party, walking almost in single file, and looking sharply from left to right as they came.

There was a s.p.a.ce of about sixty yards from the face of the cliff to the edge of the water, and the sh.o.r.e, after about twenty yards of perfect hard level, rapidly rose, the interval being a rugged wilderness of rock half buried in the driven sand.

It was up nearly at the highest part of this chaos of rocks, where we had been seeking along the cliff face for a cavern, that we three lay, many feet above the level strip by the sea; and there were plenty of rocks protruding from the sand big enough to hide us; but it could only be from a few of the men at a time. To the others I felt that we must be so exposed that some one or other must of necessity see us if he looked our way.

There was no need to whisper, ”Be silent,” for we lay there perfectly motionless, hardly daring to breathe, but forced, fascinated, as it were, into watching the long procession of our enemies, walking along, chattering loudly, and every now and then stooping to pick up something which had been driven up by the sea.

At times I saw them gazing right in our direction, and then up, over us, at the cliff with its patches of grey-green vegetation; but fully half of them pa.s.sed by without making a sign of being aware of our presence, and hope began to spring up of the possibility of their all going by without noticing us.

The next moment it seemed impossible, and my heart sank as one active fellow stepped toward us, apparently coming straight to where we lay, and appearing to be watching me all the time.

And now more strongly than ever came the feeling that I must leap up and run for my life, though I knew that if I did the mob of Chinamen would give chase, like the pack of savage hounds that they were, and never give up till they had run me down; and then--

I felt sick with the heat of the sun, and the horror of my position.