About this time there hung a dark cloud over the pagoda1 in Hong-Kong. Even the bright eyes of Molly Machowl could not pierce through this cloud. Rooney himself had lost much of his hopeful disposition2. As for Edgar Berrington, Joe Baldwin, and David Maxwell, they were silently depressed3, for adversity had crushed them very severely4 of late.
Immediately after their losses, as already detailed6 or referred to, stormy weather had for several weeks prevented them from resuming operations at the wreck7, and when at last they succeeded in reaching the old locality, they found themselves so closely watched by shore boats that the impossibility of their being able to keep anything they should bring up became obvious. They were forced, therefore, to give up the idea of making further attempts.
“It’s too bad,” growled8 Maxwell one morning at breakfast, “that all our trouble and expense should end in nothin’—or next to nothin’.”
“Come, Maxwell,” said Edgar, “don’t say ‘nothing.’ It is true we lost our first great find that luckless night when we left it with Wilson, but our second haul is safe, and though it amounts only to eight thousand pounds sterling9, that after all is not to be sneezed at by men in our circumstances.”
“Make not haste to be rich,” muttered Joe Baldwin in an undertone.
“Did we make haste to be rich?” asked Edgar, smiling. “It seems to me that we set about it in a cool, quiet, business-like way.”
“Humph, that’s true, but we got uncommon10 keen over it—somethin’ like what gamblers do.”
“Our over-keenness,” returned Edgar, “was not right, perhaps, but our course of action was quite legitimate—for it is a good turn done not only to ourselves but to the world when we save property; and the salvor of property—who necessarily risks so much—is surely worthy11 of a good reward in kind.”
“Troth, an’ that’s true,” said Rooney, with a wry12 grin, “I had quite made up me mind to a carridge and four with Molly astore sittin’ in silks an’ satins inside.”
“Molly would much rather sit in cotton,” said the lady referred to, as she presided at the breakfast-table; “have another cup, Rooney, an’ don’t be talking nonsense.”
“But it does seem hard,” continued Maxwell in his growling13 voice, “after all our trouble in thin venture, to be obliged to take to divin’ at mere14 harbour-works in Eastern waters, just to keep body and soul together.”
“Never mind, boy,” exclaimed Rooney with a successful effort at heartiness15, “it won’t last long—it’s only till we get a suitable chance of a ship to take us an’ our small fortins back to ould Ireland—or England, if ye prefer it—though it’s my own opinion that England is only an Irish colony. Never say die. Sure we’ve seen a dale of life, too, in them parts. Come, I’ll give ye a sintiment, an’ we’ll drink it in tay—”
Before the hopeful Irishman could give the sentiment, he was interrupted by the sudden opening of the door and the abrupt16 entrance of a Chinaman, who looked at the breakfast party with keen interest and some anxiety.
“If it’s your grandmother you’re lookin’ for,” said Rooney, “she don’t live here, young man.”
Paying no attention to this pleasantry, the Chinaman closed the door with an air of mystery, and, going up to Edgar, looked him inquiringly in the face, as he said interrogatively:—
“I’s pleeceman. You’s Eggirbringting?”
“Not a bad attempt,” exclaimed Edgar, with a laugh. “I suppose that is my name translated into Chinese.”
“Took me muchee—long—time for learn him from young missee,” said the Chinaman with a hurt look.
At the mention of a young lady Edgar’s amused look changed into one of anxiety, for he had, through an English acquaintance in the port, become aware not only of Mr Hazlit’s failure, but of his sudden departure for England with his daughter and Miss Pritty, and a vague suspicion of bad news flashed upon him.
“You bring a message, I see?” he said, rising and speaking hurriedly. “Let me hear it. Quick.”
Thus invoked17, the Chinaman spoke18 so quickly and in such a miraculous19 jumble20 of bad English, that Edgar could not comprehend him at all;—only one thing he felt quite sure of, namely, that his anxiety was well found.
“Ho! Chok-foo!” he shouted.
The domestic entered, and to him the Chinaman delivered his message, which was to the following effect:—
He was a native policeman who had been captured on the coast when in discharge of his duties. Many others had been taken by the same pirates at different times, and among them an English gentleman named Hazlit, with his daughter and a lady friend. These latter had been spared, probably with a view to ransom21, at the time the crew of their vessel22 was massacred, and were at that moment in one of the strongholds belonging to the pirates, up one of the intricate rivers on the coast of Borneo. He, the policeman, having resolved to make his escape, and being, in virtue23 of his wise, wily, and constabular nature, well able to do so, had mentioned the circumstance to the young lady, and, under promise of a handsome reward, had agreed to travel and voyage, night and day, by boat or vessel, as fortune should favour him, in order to convey immediate5 intelligence of these facts to a youth named “Eggirbringting,” whom the young lady described as being very tall and stout24, and extremely handsome.
It may easily be imagined with what mingled25 feelings of anxiety and impatience26 the “tall, stout, and extremely handsome young man” listened to this narrative27 as it was volubly delivered by the “pleeceman” and slowly translated by Chok-foo.
When at last he was fairly in possession of all that the messenger had to relate, Edgar paced up and down the room for a few seconds with rapid strides.
“We must go into action at once, sir,” suggested Joe Baldwin.
“Of course, of course, but how? That’s the point,” exclaimed Edgar, with a look of impatient vexation. “Borneo is a long way off. There are no steamers running regularly to it that I know of. However, it’s of no use talking; let’s go at once and make inquiry28. I’ll go see our consul—perhaps—”
“P’lhaps,” interrupted the messenger, “p’lhaps the pleeceman can talkee.”
“If he can, let him speak,” cried Edgar, with impatience.
“Pleece he nevir too muchee quick,” returned the man, coolly. “We knows what we’s can do. Hai, yach!”
Edgar sat down with a sharp sigh of discontent, and waited for more.
“Well?”
“Well,” repeated the policeman, “there be steam-boat here now—go for Borneo quick.”
“At once!” cried Edgar, starting up and seizing his hat, “why did you not—”
“Sh! Keepee cool, you no ’casion makes so fashion,” interrupted the policeman, who thereupon went on to explain that on his arrival in Hong-Kong he had gone at once to head-quarters, before delivering his message to Edgar, in order to make himself master of all the news about town that was worth knowing, or likely in any way to advance the interest of those whom he sought to serve. Among other things he had learned the important fact that, two days before his arrival, a small gun-boat, belonging to a certain Rajah of Borneo, and commanded by a certain Scotchman, and employed for the express purpose of hunting up and rooting out the pirates of the China seas, had put in to the port for repairs. He had hurried down to the gun-boat in time to prevent her departure, had told his story, and had just come from her to say that her captain would like much to see Mr Berrington.
On hearing this, Edgar again started up and eagerly ordered the native policeman to guide him to the gun-boat in question without another moment’s delay. He was followed, of course, by his male companions, who were nearly as much interested in the matter as himself. They were soon on the deck of the gun-boat.
It was a neat trim screw-steamer of small size, 180 tons burthen, and manned by about sixty Malays and a few Englishmen. Everything on board was as bright and orderly as if it had been a British man-of-war. Her commander received the visitors on the quarter-deck. He looked like one who was eminently29 well qualified30 to hunt up, run down, cut out, or in any other mode make away with pirates. There was much of the bull-terrier in him—solid, broad, short, large-chested—no doubt also large-hearted—active, in the prime of life, with short black curly hair, a short black beard and moustache, a square chin, a pleasant smile, a prominent nose, and an eagle eye. Indeed he might himself have made a splendid chief of the very race against which he waged “war to the knife.”
“Glad to make your acquaintance, Mr Berrington,” said the captain, holding out his hand. “The native policeman has told me all about your friends—I understand them to be such?”
“Yes—intimate friends.”
“Well, this business is quite in my way. I shall be glad to take you with me. But who are these?” he added, looking at Edgar’s companions.
“They are comrades, and might do good service if you will allow them to volunteer.”
“My crew is complete,” said the captain, doubtfully, “except, indeed, that my chief engineer is just dead, but none of your men look as if they could fill his shoes.”
“That is true, but I can fill them myself,” said Edgar, eagerly.
“Indeed!”
“Yes, I am an engineer by profession; my comrades are professional divers31. We have been engaged on a wreck here for some time past.”
“Good,” said the captain; “are your dresses and apparatus32 at hand?”
“Some of them are.”
“Then bring them aboard at once. I leave in an hour. Just bring what you have handy. Lose no time. I will take your men also. They may be of use.”
Within an hour after the foregoing conversation Molly Machowl was left disconsolate33 in the pagoda under the care of Chok-foo, while the Rajah’s gun-boat was steaming out to sea with Edgar, Baldwin, Rooney, Maxwell, and Ram-stam added to her warlike crew.
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1
pagoda
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| n.宝塔（尤指印度和远东的多层宝塔），（印度教或佛教的）塔式庙宇 | |
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2
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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3
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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4
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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6
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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7
wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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8
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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9
sterling
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| adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑) | |
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10
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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12
wry
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| adj.讽刺的；扭曲的 | |
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13
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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14
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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15
heartiness
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| 诚实，热心 | |
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16
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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17
invoked
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| v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求 | |
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18
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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19
miraculous
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| adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的 | |
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jumble
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| vt.使混乱，混杂；n.混乱；杂乱的一堆 | |
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21
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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22
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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25
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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26
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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27
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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28
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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29
eminently
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| adv.突出地；显著地；不寻常地 | |
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30
qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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31
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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32
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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33
disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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