登陆注册
37956100000032

第32章 VI(3)

"It was when the weather quieted down that the situation became confoundedly delicate. It wasn't made any better by us having been lately transferred to the Siamese flag; though the skipper can't see that it makes any difference -- 'as long as we are on board' -he says. There are feelings that this man simply hasn't got -- and there's an end of it. You might just as well try to make a bedpost understand. But apart from this it is an infernally lonely state for a ship to be going about the China seas with no proper consuls, not even a gunboat of her own anywhere, nor a body to go to in case of some trouble.

"My notion was to keep these Johnnies under hatches for another fifteen hours or so; as we weren't much farther than that from Fu-chau. We would find there, most likely, some sort of a man-of-war, and once under her guns we were safe enough; for surely any skipper of a man-of-war -- English, French or Dutch -would see white men through as far as row on board goes. We could get rid of them and their money afterwards by delivering them to their Mandarin or Taotai, or whatever they call these chaps in goggles you see being carried about in sedan-chairs through their stinking streets.

"The old man wouldn't see it somehow. He wanted to keep the matter quiet. He got that notion into his head, and a steam windlass couldn't drag it out of him. He wanted as little fuss made as possible, for the sake of the ship's name and for the sake of the owners -- 'for the sake of all concerned,' says he, looking at me very hard.

It made me angry hot. Of course you couldn't keep a thing like that quiet; but the chests had been secured in the usual manner and were safe enough for any earthly gale, while this had been an altogether fiendish business I couldn't give you even an idea of.

"Meantime, I could hardly keep on my feet. None of us had a spell of any sort for nearly thirty hours, and there the old man sat rubbing his chin, rubbing the top of his head, and so bothered he didn't even think of pulling his long boots off.

"'I hope, sir,' says I, 'you won't be letting them out on deck before we make ready for them in some shape or other.' Not, mind you, that I felt very sanguine about controlling these beggars if they meant to take charge. A trouble with a cargo of Chinamen is no child's play. I was dam' tired, too. 'I wish,' said I, 'you would let us throw the whole lot of these dollars down to them and leave them to fight it out amongst themselves, while we get a rest.'

"'Now you talk wild, Jukes,' says he, looking up in his slow way that makes you ache all over, somehow. 'We must plan out something that would be fair to all parties.'

"I had no end of work on hand, as you may imagine, so I set the hands going, and then I thought I would turn in a bit. I hadn't been asleep in my bunk ten minutes when in rushes the steward and begins to pull at my leg.

"'For God's sake, Mr. Jukes, come out! Come on deck quick, sir.

Oh, do come out!'

"The fellow scared all the sense out of me. I didn't know what had happened: another hurricane -- or what. Could hear no wind.

"'The Captain's letting them out. Oh, he is letting them out!

Jump on deck, sir, and save us. The chief engineer has just run below for his revolver.'

"That's what I understood the fool to say. However, Father Rout swears he went in there only to get a clean pocket-handkerchief.

Anyhow, I made one jump into my trousers and flew on deck aft.

There was certainly a good deal of noise going on forward of the bridge. Four of the hands with the boss'n were at work abaft. I passed up to them some of the rifles all the ships on the China coast carry in the cabin, and led them on the bridge. On the way I ran against Old Sol, looking startled and sucking at an unlighted cigar.

"'Come along,' I shouted to him.

"We charged, the seven of us, up to the chart-room. All was over.

There stood the old man with his sea-boots still drawn up to the hips and in shirt-sleeves -got warm thinking it out, I suppose.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 天生富贵命

    天生富贵命

    【甜婚+极致宠+爽炸天】亲姐把她当移动血库和心脏培养器皿,污蔑她是私生女,夺她未婚夫,最后让她暴尸荒野,惨遭分尸。兰婳睁眼,摆脱命运不公。却偶遇他,转身成了渣男的小婶。虐白莲渣男,做医科圣手,为老公保驾护航。他面冷心热霸道护妻,她以心待他,为他生二胎。“快出来,疼……唔唔唔!”她不要生了!俊美尊贵的男人死死捂着她的嘴,惊出一身冷汗,“宝贝,别说那个字!儿子,快点出来!”巫女兰婳一脸无辜,会诅咒是她的错嘛?
  • 中华传统美德百字经·诲:诲人不倦

    中华传统美德百字经·诲:诲人不倦

    青少年是国家的希望,是民族不断发展和延续的根本,因此,青少年德育教育就显得更加重要。为了增强和提升国民素质,尤其是青少年的道德素质,编者特意精心编写了本套丛书《阅读文库》。这本《诲(诲人不倦)》(作者于永玉、秦向东)是其中一册。《诲(诲人不倦)》收录了《坚持徒步的枫山先生》、《晏殊的两封家书》、《蔡元培诲人不倦育人才》等故事。
  • 神迹石

    神迹石

    野心、战争、冒险、成长、历史的谜团、神魔的阴谋……随着异界的来客掀起涟漪,汇聚成巨浪。
  • 最后一句我爱你

    最后一句我爱你

    一个是天资聪明的姐姐,一个是质朴善良的妹妹,姐姐拥有完美的一切,而妹妹只能是她身边的附属品,欲望让姐姐迷失自我走上不可回头的路,善良的妹妹能用什么来唤醒沉迷的姐姐?友情?爱情?
  • 灭魔之影

    灭魔之影

    养了七年的黑猫突然开口说话,还声称梁影只要修炼至四阶她便可以解锁人形状态。于是,抱着对法王的向往,揣着对魔法的大敬畏之心,梁影告别了平静的生活,走上了一条不归之路。然而...他却发现自己变强的速度比别人快了那么亿点点。怎么办?好像要变成无敌文了...不行!智斗才是王道!不过仔细想想...当一当莽夫也是不错的。
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • 巧克力味奶油糖

    巧克力味奶油糖

    劲爆!晋阳中学高一21班来了个转校生。晋阳中学众人:“切——这有啥稀奇的”劲爆!晋阳中学高一期中测试年级第一不是余墨。晋阳中学众人:“卧槽——不是余墨?!快快快让我们看看是哪位大佬把余墨挤下去了(?????)”劲爆!晋阳中学高一期中测试年级第一是21班的转校生。晋阳中学众人:“(?`?Д??)!!what?!你莫不是在逗我们玩。”劲爆!晋阳中学学生会会长余墨恋爱了对方居然是21班的转校生。晋阳中学众人:“……”当场暴毙。——————————————只想好好学习不想打架的小白兔转学生vs啥事都管一脸冷漠只想考第一的学生会会长。一个超甜高中的故事。
  • 总统先生的秘书

    总统先生的秘书

    一个女孩叫蓝心淼在18岁那一年父亲因赌博不想连累蓝心淼和她母亲离她们而去,母亲也被一场突如期来的车祸而离世,她便被小姨收养了。可她正因如此努力学习进了A国的外交部,最后居然被刚上任的年仅24岁的总统选为贴身秘书翻译员,后来居然成为了总统夫人......
  • 三姊妹成长记

    三姊妹成长记

    本故事讲述几个年轻美貌的小姑娘如何在自己的职场生活中闯出一片天地,以及面对所爱之人的背叛又是如何处理?初夏,沫夏,言夏,她们安家三姊妹的成长故事……
  • 妖娆弃妃

    妖娆弃妃

    意外穿越,她被迫嫁给战神王爷,结果却只是他用来解毒的一味药物,将寒毒渡给她一身,便将她弃如敝履。纵然如此还是有人见不得她活着,陷害离开,她痛失骨肉,从此与他再无瓜葛,本以为此生无爱,谁知命运多桀,她注定逃不了那份情!