Stan Lynn Part 54

To Stan's surprise, the patient had no sooner closed his eyes than he seemed to be asleep; and it was late morning, just as Stan's long letter was finished, and Wing, who declared himself well enough, came in to announce that he had picked up a boat from among those which had come stealing back, when Blunt opened his eyes again.

Busy days followed, with confidence returning as no further news was heard of the pirates, while the way in which the people of the nearest villages came back to their homes and work in the fields seemed to act as an endors.e.m.e.nt of the idea that the terrible raid was over, and the likelihood of there being another attack seemed to be past.

The men worked hard; the traces of the fiery trial disappeared from the great storehouse, save that the charring and the pitch-stains refused to be sc.r.a.ped out; barricades disappeared, and part.i.tions and stacks of chests and bales rose again in their old places; the carpenters cut out damaged wood, and with the exception of new-looking patches the place a.s.sumed its former aspect, while the business in the office and counting-house went on again as if the whole ugly blood-shedding had been only a feverish dream.

Wing had not yet returned, but one afternoon Stan was busy in the office talking to Blunt about a boatload of tea which had come down from the interior--for the manager had progressed so rapidly that he was well on the high-road to complete recovery. Naturally he was a good deal pulled down, hollow of cheek and sunken of eye, and compelled to a.s.sist his steps by means of a stout bamboo cane, while the arm nearest to the injury was supported by a silken scarf used as a sling. But he was bright and cheerful, and busy in the office some hours every day, working, as he called it, vicariously, Stan being his deputy, who superintended a great deal of the correspondence that went on.

"No news yet of Wing," he was saying. "Seems a very long time, Lynn."

"Oh no; it's a long way, and there might be some delay over getting the supplies you want."

"S'pose so," said Blunt abruptly. "Good job our piratical friends don't know of it or they'd come down at once. Hullo! What's that?"

Lawrence rose and went to the window to see what was the meaning of a loud gabble of voices coming from the wharf.

"It's a boat coming in," he said.

"Oh, Wing at last!" said Blunt. "Well, I'm very glad. A good supply of ammunition is just the tonic that will pull me round."

"It may be, sir, but I hardly think so," replied Lawrence. "It's the _Chee-ho_ come back."

"With that miserable sneak Mao. Cowardly hound to slip off as he did.

Here, I'll have a talk with him when he comes ash.o.r.e. No more boatloads for him, he'll find.--What say, Lynn? I'm weak yet--not get in a pa.s.sion?"

"It wouldn't be wise," whispered Stan.

"Well, perhaps not; but the thought of that fat, smooth, comfortable-looking poodle coming in here smiling and rubbing his hands puts me in a perspiration."

"Perhaps he'll be ashamed to show himself."

"What!" cried Blunt. "Mao ashamed? You don't know him. You see if he doesn't come cringing in, just as if nothing had happened, to ask if there is a load ready for him to take down to the port.--What do you say, Lawrence?"

"The same as you do, sir."

Half-an-hour later the matter discussed was put to the proof, for there was the soft, shuffling sound of a Chinaman's boots in the pa.s.sage, and the _tindal_ of the boat in which Stan had arrived with Wing gave a gentle tap, pushed the door, and entered, smiling profusely and bowing to Blunt and Stan, before taking up his post half-way to the desks, hat in hand, waiting to be addressed.

Blunt heard him, but paid no heed for a minute or so; then looking up sternly, he saluted the man with a deep-toned--

"Well, sir, what do you want?"

"Come see when load leady fo' _Chee-ho_ boat."

"How dare you come and ask after deserting us as you did? Why, we might have been all ma.s.sacred, you cowardly scoundrel, for all you'd have done to save us. What have you got to say for yourself?"

"Me t'ink _Chee-ho_ b'long me. If stop, pilate man flow 'tink-pot. Set fi' and cuttee Mao float," said the man deprecatingly.

"And so you set sail and got out of the way?"

"Yes. Velly fast. _Chee-ho_ nicee big boat b'long me. Takee ca'e.

Hold plenty tea-box, plenty silk. Bluntee want--"

"Look here, you scoundrel," cried the manager angrily; "I am Mr Blunt, your employer, and if you call me Bluntee again I'll throw this ruler at you."

As he spoke the manager caught his big ruler from the desk and made so fierce an "offer" with it that the Chinese boat-captain dropped upon his knees and bowed his head almost to the floor. "Get up!" shouted the manager. "No flow t'ick stick?" whined the man. "I will if you don't get up this moment. Stand up like a man."

"Oh deah!" said the s.h.i.+vering Chinaman, getting up slowly and painfully, and displaying a couple of great tears running down his fat cheeks.

"Misteh Blunt wantee Mao stop havee float cut?"

"No, but to stay and help us, sir. How did you know but what we might want to escape in your boat down to Nang Ti?"

"Mao quite suah not do so. Know Misteh Blunt big man. Velly angly.

Can'tee flighten um and makee lun away. Mao know he stop fightee."

"And so you sailed away and left us in the lurch."

"Yes. Pilate man velly dleadful. Killee evelybody and cut Mao head off. Cut all men and flow um ove'boa'd."

"And so you ran away--eh?"

"Yes. Velly much aflaid. Mao tly save boatee fo' Misteh Blunt. Boat b'long Mao."

"Ah, well! you saved it."

"Yes. Tookee long way. Sail up cleek. Hide till Mao quitee suah pilate junk allee gone 'way. Then come again. You got plenty bale plenty tea-box fo' Mao take down livah--eh?"

"Be off!" said Blunt shortly. "I'll think about it."

"Yes, Misteh Blunt t'ink gleat deal. See Mao 'blige lun away.

_Chee-ho_ boat b'long Mao. No do let pilate buln, sink. B'long Mao-- b'long Misteh Blunt--b'long evelybody."

"Be off!" shouted Blunt; and the man went away, nodding and smiling, to join his crew upon the wharf.

"Shall you employ him any more?" said Stan as the door closed and the captain's blue frock was seen to balloon out in the pleasant breeze as he marched complacently along the river-front.

"Oh yes," replied Blunt. "He's a very honest fellow, and can't help being a thorough coward. Suppose I dismiss him, I shall have to engage another, who would possibly turn out dishonest and a greater humbug than this one."

"But he seems to be utterly without courage."

"Pooh! We all are at first. I was horribly frightened when we were attacked."

"It didn't seem like it," said Stan, smiling.

"Oh no, of course not. I wasn't going to let any one see what a stew I was in. That's the result of education and one's love of keeping up appearances. You owned to being frightened too--at first."

"I was," said Stan frankly. "Enough to make one."

"Of course it was. But, you see, we're Britons, and when a job of this sort comes to a head, why, we say, 'Well, it's no use to make any bones about it; the thing has to be done;' and we do it as well as we can.

And, as you see, the job was done."