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For it was not, as Smith said, as if we were always in some port where we could study the manners and customs of the Chinese, but for ever knocking about wild-goose chasing and never getting a goose. "Plenty on board," cried Barkins. "I say, Gnat, isn't he a humbug? Ha, ha! Study the manners and customs!
"Do you mean it, sir?" "Of course." Barkins gave him a grateful look, and Mr Reardon shook hands, nodded, and left us to ourselves for a moment, then the doctor thrust in his head again. "Here, lads," he said, "Smith's all right, I've made a capital job of his arm. Your turn next, Herrick. Good-bye." This time we were left alone.
Soon after, I had the pleasure of seeing a lot of the men's garments hung on a couple of lines in the rigging, and Barkins and Smith hard at work fishing, in which they were so wonderfully successful that I longed to go and join them; but I was too busy over my task of disguising the twenty sailors, and consequently my two messmates had all the sport to themselves, dragging in, every few minutes, an abundance of good-sized fishes, which were at last strung upon a piece of stout line and hung over the stern rail.
"Ah, I see," said Ching. "Me tink you have velly gleat tleat. But I see, not used to see. Velly blave boy, not mind littlee bit next time." "What's the matter? Don't, doctor. It's getting well now." It was Barkins who spoke, and his hands went suddenly to his injured leg, and held it, as he bent over towards it and rocked himself to and fro.
Ha, yes," he continued, as he applied the cool, soft sponge to the bleeding wound, "avoided all the vessels nicely." "Gnat, old chap," whispered Barkins, as I half supported him, "pinch me, there's a good fellow." "What for?" I whispered back. "Feel sicky and queer. Don't let me faint before him." "Here, hallo! Barkins, don't turn like a great girl over a scratch lower his head down, boy.
Barkins and I picked up each something to throw at the round, smooth, smiling face thrust in at the door, which was held close to the neck, so that we saw a head and nothing more. "No flow thing at Ching," the Chinaman said softly. "Offlicer don't flow thing. Ching come in?" "Yes," said Barkins, "come in. What is it?"
You have heard what I had to say, and I hope you will profit by it." I burst out into a roar of laughter, for Barkins' assumption of dignity was comic. "What do you mean by that, sir?" he cried in an offended tone. "Second-hand captain's rowing!" I cried. "Why, I heard him say those very words to you." "Hi! stop!" cried Smith, as Barkins turned red with annoyance. "Where are you going, sir?"
"Why, they've been telling him about me," I thought as I went aft. "No; they wouldn't be such sneaks." But all doubt was at an end directly, for they came down to meet me, and Smith cried "Mr Reardon wants to speak to you directly, Herrick;" while, as I looked up and caught Barkins' eye, he coloured a little, and hurriedly avoided my gaze. "Thank you, tale-bearer," I said to Smith.
These young gentlemen, upon my reproving them for idling, have hatched up a cock-and-bull story at least Mr Barkins has." "I beg pardon, sir; it was not a not a not a " "Cock-and-bull story, Mr Herrick," said the captain, smiling at my confusion, for I had rushed into the gap. "Then pray what was it?"
"I say," I cried, as we rowed by an enormous junk, with high poop and stern painted with scarlet and gold dragons, whose eyes served for hawseholes; "think she's a pirate?" "No," said Barkins, giving a look up at the clumsy rig, with the huge matting-sails; "it's a tea-boat."
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