"Landing party present, sir," I reported, calling them to attention.
"Umph!" he said, speaking in his gruffest tones. "You went in last night, most of you, and blew a hole as big as a house in that tramp. You know why you did that, and got wet skins doing it—to stop ’em taking away the little lass, now I’ve cornered ’em. To-night the Commander is going to take you in to blow up that gun which had the confounded cheek to fire on the _Vigilant_ the other day, and killed two men aboard the _Goldfinch_ this forenoon.
"Umph!" he growled. "Last time the Royal Marine detachment went ashore there was a good deal of leave breakin’. I hope you’ll all come back this time." (The men guffawed and chuckled.)
"Captain Marshall," he roared, and pointed to one of the front-rank men, "have that man’s hair cut before he leaves the ship. He’s a disgrace to the detachment;" and he went round and inspected them all.
"Well! Umph! Good luck to you!" and he looked them up and down again, growled, and went below, the marines all grinning with amusement.
"What a grand chap the old man is!" Marshall said. "No wonder the men would do anything for him. Hasn’t he a grand ’few words’?"
The rain had ceased, and the night showed signs of being clear though cold, and the breeze was not strong enough to make boat work difficult.
I tried to make Ford and Rawlings turn in directly after dinner, but they—like the two young fools they were—were much too excited to do any such thing. I turned in myself, but that drawing which Hoffman had made seemed to haunt me. Directly I turned my light out and shut my eyes, I saw it, and even now, when I am much worried, it comes before me as clearly as it did that night.
I couldn’t sleep a blessed wink, and at one o’clock my servant called me, bringing some cocoa and biscuits.
I had no appetite for anything, and it was so cold that I shivered as I dressed.
Left Behind—"You’ll Do—Some Day"—"Dicky"—Preparation to Land—"Good Luck, Men!"—In the Boats—Scrambling Ashore—Rushing the Battery—Setting Fire to the Huts—A Hot Corner
I have so very much to tell you, that I hardly know where to start; but I think that I had better begin where we met the old _Vigilant_ steaming away from Tinghai. It was simply grand to take Mr. Travers back to her, and to go alongside her in the dark with everybody looking over the side and cheering. There was a very nasty sea running, and they were a long time getting the wounded across; but no one was hurt, and it was splendid to know that Dicky would now be a jolly lot more comfortable than he could be in the _Ringdove_.