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"Gleat big-button mandalin say he velly much 'blige captain big fine ship, and he allee light, no hurtee 'tall by killee badee bad men." "Bah!" ejaculated the captain, turning angrily away; and I saw Mr Reardon's face grow fixed, as if carved in wood, in his efforts to keep from smiling.
"Never mind," said Barkins; "we want to see them, and the temples and mandarins' houses." "Pliest shut up temple. Want muchee money. Mandalin call soldier man muchee, put all in plison. No good." "They'd better," cried Smith; "why, the captain would blow all the place down with his big guns." "No blow Ching fancee shop down. Englis' spoken. Good fliend." "Look here, Ching.
"Here, who are you calling little officer, Pigtail?" cried Smith indignantly. "Mean young offlicer," cried Ching hastily. "Say, Why you men cut chop young offlicer head off? Mandalin say, Velly solly. He find out who blave was who chop young offlicer head, and give him lichi." "You mean toco?" said Barkins. "No; lichi." "What's lichi?" I said.
"We don't want to take you on board without any head." "But they daren't hurt us," cried Smith bumptiously. "We're Englishmen, and our gunboat is in the river. I'm not afraid. Why, there'd be a war if one of these men interfered with us. Our people would land and burn up the place." "No," said Ching quietly. "Send letter to mandalin. Why you men cut off little offlicer head?"
"Why not make lit' fire and bu'n junk, killee allee same?" "He has me there, Herrick," said Mr Brooke. "Takee plisoner to mandalin. Mandalin man put on heavy chain, kick flow in boat, put in plison, no give to eat, and then choppee off allee head. Makee hurt gleat deal mo'. Velly solly for plisoner. Bette' make big fi' and bu'n allee now." Mr Brooke smiled and looked at me, and I laughed.
I asked; and the interpreter smiled, and wrinkled up his eyes till he resembled a piece of old china on a chimney-piece. "Ching say velly lit' bit; only shake his new coat till common man see it silk. He feel velly much flighten all a same, as if big-button mandalin get in him boat." "And what shall we have to pay him?" "P'laps nothing 'tall." "Oh, nonsense!" I said.
"His most noble excellency the big-buttoned mandalin has come on board the gleat fine ship with his genelals, and blavest of the blave, to fetch the most wicked and double-bad plisoners whom the gleat sea captain of the foleign devils " "Eh! what?" said Captain Thwaites. "Did he say that?" "Yes. Come fetch allee bad bad plisoners velly much all together."
There was a low hissing noise all about us, and threatening looks, while a fierce man in embroidered silk said something in his own tongue to Ching, who answered humbly, and then tamed to us and whispered "Small-button mandalin say make big-button peacock-feather mandalin velly angly. You no sit still. Sh! sh!" "We must sit it out, boys," I said, with a shudder; "but we need not look."
"No, not this time, Ching," cried Barkins, as we all laughed. "No go allee way London? Ching wantee go London, see Queen Victolia and Plince o' Wales." "Some other time, Ching," I said. "But I say, how about the fancy shop?" "Allee light. Ching go back." "And how are you after our fight to-day?" "Velly angly. Allee muchee quite 'shame of mandalin men. Big lascal, evely one."
"Come 'long," whispered Ching hurriedly; and he caught our comrade by the arm, forcing him onward as the guards scowled at us fiercely. "Here, what are you up to?" cried Smith, resenting the interference. "Take velly much care of Englis' offlicers. Big mandalin live there. Men sword velly sharp cut off head." "Bosh!" said Smith shortly; "they'd better." "Oh no, they hadn't," cried Barkins.
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