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The blood rushed to the middy's face as he replied boldly, "You have been correctly informed at least, in regard to those officers who are true gentlemen." "Why, then, do you hesitate?" retorted the Moor. "Do Englishmen blush and stammer when they tell the truth? Tell me the truth now. Do you know where the English girl hides?"
Part of this went as prize money. My share of it the DOUCEUR for a middy's participation in the crime was exactly 100L. To return to Amoy. When off the mouth of the Canton river we had taken on board an interpreter named Thom. What our instructions were I know not; I can only tell what happened. Our entry into Amoy harbour caused an immediate commotion on land.
Then for some minutes nothing was said, the only sound heard being the middy's hoarse breathing as he laboured hard to recover his regular inspirations. At last he spoke in an unpleasantly harsh, ill-humoured way. "Well, aren't you going to have another try? It's lovely. Only wants plenty of perseverance." "Not I," replied Aleck. "You don't seem to have got on so very well."
Don't you know the dreadful things we read in the papers?" Mrs. Bogardus said no more. It was Middy's supper-time. But later she questioned Katy particularly concerning this old man who was spoken of quite as if his appearance were taken for granted in the heart of the farm.
"Pull it out," said Tom Long, eagerly; and Bob drew it, to show a dull ragged-looking two-edged blade, and of a wavy form. It was about fifteen inches long, and beginning about three inches wide, rapidly narrowed down to less than one inch, and finished in a sharp point. "It's a miserable-looking little tool," said Bob. "Good as a middy's dirk," said Tom Long, laughing.
So powerful was the influence of the young middy's clear voice and prompt action, that the men with one accord shoved the lifeboat into the sea; succeeded in keeping her stern to the waves until they were beyond the roughest of the breakers; and then, laying to their oars manfully, pulled away for the scene of the wreck.
So indeed it was, for the chaplain had sworn like a boatswain; but as Jack and Mesty had turned all his curses into blessings, the poor man gave himself absolution, and shaking hands with Jack, hoped he would come down into the gun-room and take a glass of grog; nor did he forget Mesty, who received a good allowance at the gun-room door, to which Jack gladly consented, as the rum in the middy's berth had all been exhausted after the rainy morning; but Jack was interrupted in his third glass, by somebody telling him the captain wanted to speak with Mr Hawkins and with him.
Mark opened his eyes after a long, refreshing sleep, for Bob Howlett had contrived to keep the cabin comparatively cool; and as soon as the lads' eyes met, the sick middy's thoughts went back to the last conversation they had held. "Bob," he whispered. That young gentleman held up his hand. "Only a word or two and I'll be quiet." "Yes, you'd better.
The contest was short and furious. Any doubts in the middy's mind as to the existence of fish in the river were gone, for he had hooked a monster. Now it was rushing up towards the surface, now diving down so deeply that the top of Bob's bamboo dipped in the water, and then it was sailing up and down stream, anywhere in fact, but never giving the excited lad a chance of seeing what it was like.
Tears were coursing each other rapidly down Hester's cheeks while he was speaking; yet they were not tears of unmingled grief. "Oh, Mr Foster!" she said, seizing the middy's hand, and kissing it, "how shall I ever thank you?" Before she could add another word, an unlucky touch of Foster's heel laid the easel, with an amazing clatter, flat on the marble floor!
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