Stan Lynn Part 29

He got no farther, for his words were drowned by a loud cheer given heartily by the little band of European employees; while the strong gang of st.u.r.dy coolies and native workpeople, taking it for granted that they ought to follow their white fellow-workers' example, cheered l.u.s.tily as well.

"Do I understand you to mean that you will stop with us and fight it out?" said Blunt.

"Yes."

"Don't be deceived. Do you understand the danger?"

"I think I do."

"You don't, my lad, and I will not keep it back from you. Fight with Europeans, and if you are beaten you are taken prisoners; fight with the lower order Chinese, and you will have a set-to with some of the most savagely unmerciful people on the face of the earth. You had better think again. It may mean lying wounded and seeing the flames creeping towards you while you can't raise hand or foot to get away."

"Don't talk like that, Mr Blunt, please," cried the lad, "or you'll make me a greater coward than I feel I am."

"I want you to know what you may expect to meet," said the manager coldly.

"But I don't want to know. I know more now than I can bear."

"Then you will go?"

"Yes, if you do," cried Stan eagerly.

"I'm going to stay and do my best to save the place and goods I have in my charge, Mr Lynn," said the manager sternly.

"And I'm going to help you, then," said Stan quietly.

"Do you mean it, in spite of all I have said?" cried Blunt.

"Yes."

Stan's hand was seized in such a grip that he flinched and the blood flushed into his cheeks.

"Thank you, my lad," cried the manager hoa.r.s.ely.

"I can't say thank you," said Stan, whose face was twitching from the pain he felt. "I say, don't shake hands again like that."

"Hurt?"

"Horribly."

"I beg your pardon, then. But look here: 'pon my word, Mr Lynn, I don't understand you a bit. For the last ten minutes I've been thinking that you were a downright coward."

"That's quite right," said Stan quietly; "I am. My hands are all of a tremble."

"Well, then, all I can say is that you're the most curious coward I ever saw."

"That's because you are right in what you said, Mr Blunt. You don't understand me a bit."

"Ah, well! perhaps I shall by-and-by," said the manager.

Wing had disappeared during the above little verbal pa.s.sage, but just then he reappeared, in time to be of use.

"You, Wing, come here," cried the manager. "I shall want you directly.--Now, gentlemen," he continued, turning to the European employees, "you have been here long enough to know what a fight with a party of Chinese pirates means--hard blows and no quarter. Now's your time: any of you who feel that you have not stomach for such an encounter will only be in our way here. There's a boat ready to take you down-stream. Step out, all who want to go."

Quite half the men took a step or two forward, but the others stood fast.

Then after a whisper and several uneasy glances back at their companions, one of the forward party acted as spokesman.

"You see, Mr Blunt, sir," he said, "we don't feel that we should be at home fighting. We are clerks and writers, warehous.e.m.e.n. We all think--"

"No, we don't," growled one of the men who had stood fast.

"But you all agreed just now that it would be better to chance it and go."

"Yes, a bit back," said another of the men; "but six of us here, after seeing you step out, feel as if it would be un-English to sneak off and leave Mr Blunt and the young partner in the lurch. You fellows look as if you are ashamed of yourselves."

"That's about what I am," said one of the party with the spokesman.

"I'm going to stop."

As he said these words he stepped back into the rear rank.

"Same here," said another; and he too dropped back.

"Oh, I say," said another; "it's shabby to leave us here like this."

"Shabby? It's dirty," cried the spokesman. "I wouldn't have said what I did for all of you if I'd known. Hang me if I'm going almost alone!"

"Nor I--nor I," cried two others.

"In for a penny, in for a pound," cried another man. "I'm not going in the boat."

Stan forgot his own nervousness, and burst out laughing, at which the whole party of Europeans broke out into a cheer.

"Thank ye, my lads," said the manager in his grimmest way. "I did feel a bit puzzled.--Now then, Wing, tell the coolies and the rest that we're in for a big fight. They'll understand you better than they will me.

Tell them that every one who doesn't mean to stand by us can go off in the boat with you. Be fair with them, and tell them that there'll be a lot of bad fighting."

Wing nodded, and made a most animated speech to his yellow-looking, sun-tanned audience, who received it with a series of grunts.

"What do they say, my man?"

"Say wantee big fight. Shalpen knives and cuttee lot heads off."

"You didn't make them understand how dreadful it is going to be."

"Yes; said velly dleadful--pilate kill plenty men."

"Tell them again."

Wing spoke to the little crowd, and as he finished the coolies set up a tremendous shout.