“Yes,” said Blunt; “and I don’t like suspecting them, for a better set of fellows never lived.”
“There couldn’t be,” said Stan. “They almost worship Mr Blunt, uncle.”
“Hah!” said the latter. “It’s a puzzle, then, and I can’t help thinking that the best way will be to drop the matter and be watchful. If we begin investigating we may not find out the guilty, but we’re bound to upset the innocent by our suspicions. I say, Blunt, I wouldn’t wake up sleeping Chinese again with the rifle.”
“You may depend upon it I shall not, sir,” said Blunt frankly. “And now, if I may change the subject, I want to be put out of my misery.”
“With a rifle, Blunt?” said Uncle Jeff dryly.
“No, no; not in that way, though I do want it done with cartridges. I shall be in misery till we get those ashore and in the magazine.”
“Quite right; we’ll have them seen to at once. We must be ready if the enemy do come.”
“I say, uncle,” cried Stan merrily, “how you keep on weing! Any one would think you meant to stop.”
“I do mean to stop, my boy,” said Uncle Jeff sharply.—“No, no, no, no, Blunt; don’t take it like that,” he continued as he saw the change in the manager’s countenance. “I have not come to supersede you, only as a humble recruit, ready if wanted, which I fervently hope I shall not be. I should have brought half-a-dozen good fighting-men with me, only there are none in stock at Hai-Hai. It is getting to be every man for himself, too, and we shall be very unsettled until our Government makes a move and puts a few men-of-war on the station for the protection of the mercantile folk. My brother and several more are bestirring themselves, however, and I hope something will be done before long.”
“But you will take the lead, sir, while you stay, of course,” said Blunt rather coldly. “As you see, I am weak.”