They could not close them, for the fittings were now below the water, but little Ogston made one of the Chinese stokers show him more or less where the opening and closing gear was, and what did he do but strip off his things and dive under the water, which had now risen almost as high as the cylinders, and was finding its way into the other compartments of the ship, fore and aft.
The engine-room was quite dark, Tommy told me, and there was fifteen feet of water swishing about among the machinery as she lurched from side to side, and all the grease and filth from the bilges was floating about in it.
Just fancy having the pluck to dive into that in the dark, knowing that it was only a question of a few minutes before the ship would sink!
Of course it was useless, and Ogston was jolly well exhausted after he had made three attempts. They had to carry him on deck and do the artificial respiration dodge before he came round.
He then wanted the diving apparatus sent across from the Laird, and he would have gone down again in the diver's dress had not they all been recalled to the Laird. That was when she heard the pirate cruiser's heavy guns, guessed we'd run up against something big, and was coming along after us.
"So you see," Tommy finished up dolefully, "they had to leave the steamer, which was chock-full of stores, ammunition, and the Hai Yen's small guns, and now everything has gone to the bottom. But wasn't it jolly plucky of Ogston? They're awfully proud of him down in the gun-room, and are going to give him a mess dinner to-night and a sing-song afterwards. Don't you wish we could go?"
"Rather!" I said; but it turned out that there was something to do that night much more exciting than a sing-song.
CHAPTER XIV
Night Operations
Cooky has a Grumble—A Pirate Junk—"Hup, Hoff, and Hout of it"—Creeping Inshore—Four Pirate Torpedo-boats—A Dangerous Job—A Cunning Trap—The Fourth Torpedo-boat