Magnus raised an eyebrow.
“Were they paid by cheque, sir, through a bank?”
“No. They demanded ‘good, American dollars’, I quote. Three thousand apiece, in advance. As much again on delivery of the goods – in Amoy, incidentally. Very convenient place, run-down and lacking eyes to see what is going on. American dollars are not so very easy to lay hands on in Singapore and their paymaster will have had to change gold for them, or marks or francs or even roubles, perhaps. It may be possible to chase those transactions down.”
“Let us hope he did not exchange pounds for them, sir. That would truly be embarrassing.”
“But not impossible, Lord Magnus – we never know what the people in London may be doing!”
“Surely not, sir, joking apart!”
“No. Anything is possible to those people, Lord Magnus. They might wish to influence the new Prime Minister in favour of France, or possibly towards the Kaiser. In that case, the destruction of a ship full of innocents will be nothing to them, and the embarrassment of England in China will be dismissed as the merest trivium, a minor tribulation, soon to be forgotten. They believe that the ends justify the means and will commit every crime in pursuit of what they see as ‘the greater good’. They have no concept of honour and regard decency as the whining of weaklings. These patriots – for such they know themselves to be – are among England’s greatest enemies, Lord Magnus. I must advise you to avoid them like the plague they are.”
Magnus nodded thoughtfully, wondering just how the London people had caused such offence to Captain Hawkins. He was very much against them, presumably for what he saw as the best of good reasons – and that normally meant that they had overreached him in some way.
“What have you made of Reilly and Norris, sir?”
“Vicious little men, Lord Magnus. I had thought perhaps to use them against their former masters, but they could never be trusted out of sight. I shall stand them up in court to testify against the masters and crews of the sailing vessels and the survivors of the steamer, and then I shall see them sent to Brisbane. I cabled their names there, and there are warrants waiting, naming them for capital charges – the murder of kanakas while blackbirding along the coast of the Solomons and the New Guinea Islands. The cables I have sent have been replied to instantly with the request that they be placed in the hands of the Queenslanders. I have promised them pardon for the crimes they have committed that relate to the charges being heard in the courts in Hong Kong; I shall keep my word, and send them off, first stop Brisbane and not knowing that they are to face trial for their other crimes.”
Magnus felt this to be somewhat ruthless.
“There were passengers aboard Bombay Emerald, Lord Magnus, who included women and children.”
“Let the bastards die, Captain Hawkins. Had I known that, they would not have survived to reach you.”
“Quite.”
The Quartermaster in charge of the powder hulk was disinclined to meet Magnus’ requisition, queried how he could have expended so many rounds.
“Training and practice with new guns is all very well, sir, but this is far more than a year’s allowance.”
“Bustard was in action against a steamer, three lorchas and a barquentine, caught red-handed with the proceeds of piracy. The steamer was armed and fired upon us and had to be sunk.”
“Yes, sir. I shall require a copy of the report of the action, for my records, sir, to justify the issue. Can’t just hand over four point seven rounds, and small-arms as well, in any quantity demanded by a ship’s captain, sir. As for Nordenfelt rounds, sir – not so many of them in use these days, sir, so we have only a few on the shelves and must keep them against need.”
“But I need them – we used more than one half of our available rounds.”
“Then you have more than a quarter left, sir. If I give them to you, sir, then other captains will be wanting them. Much better to keep them in the arsenal here, sir, so that they can be issued if ever a real need arises. If you meet up with pirates, sir, use the Maxim guns instead. We have three-o-three ammunition in plenty, sir.”
“We have point five Maxims.”
“Oh dear, that’s unfortunate, we are very short on rounds for them. Better you should use the Nordenfelts, sir.”
“But you won’t issue rounds for the Nordenfelts!”
“Yes we will, sir, as soon as they are necessary.”
Magnus left the Quartermaster, defeated. He took his launch to the Admiral’s Steps, located Captain Haddisham and poured out his woes.
“Normal story, Lord Magnus. I shall accompany you to negotiate with the gentleman, sir. In fact, I need to speak to him. We are to make a gift of a pair of military Maxims to your Ping Wu. We can put them aboard Bustard, with fifty thousand rounds of three-o-three apiece. If your Chinkie pal needs more, then he can buy the buggers!”
Magnus smiled his thanks – he would find himself very much in Ping Wu’s graces, he suspected, for making such a gift. He wondered what little token of respect might come the other way.
Bustard sailed, magazines bulging, Captain Haddisham having been very persuasive. The Maxims sat in the waist, wrapped in canvas, their ammunition boxes next to them. She entered Hanshan to an immediate welcome, tying up to a berth without even being required to announce her presence by anchoring in the roads. Mr Ping stood on the quayside, bowing deeply as Magnus called ‘finished with engines’. Magnus wondered if there was a telegraph wire from Hong Kong to Hanshan – it might explain a number of anomalies.
“Mr Ping, I must apologise for the delay in returning to Hanshan. There was a problem in Amoy which necessitated a return to Hong Kong with a missionary lady, and then we were sent to chase down some most vicious pirates. I am glad, however, to have managed to persuade the Admiral to release a little present to your much esteemed father. I must first introduce my new officers. Mr Whyte and Mr Roberts have both been promoted, to my great pleasure, having served very well in our recent actions. Mr Prosser has been sent to a larger ship, for the experience, having served only in small vessels. My premier is Mr Forbes; Mr Caton is second, and Sub-lieutenant Hawkes, who you will remember, has risen to Third. Midshipman Ayres has joined us, and has already seen action against the pirates.”
The named officers exchanged bows with Mr Ping. Magnus had spent a few minutes explaining that Mr Ping had been five years in England.
“Most Chinks can’t tell one English face from another, of course, gentlemen, but Mr Ping can – he will remember you. Fortunately, Mr Caton’s beard will be of great assistance in distinguishing you.”
Mr Caton wore a full set, jet black and curly; he was only young but had confided to Magnus that his own father, similarly embellished, had turned iron-grey at forty – most distinguished. Mr Forbes was a little older, perhaps a year or two more than Magnus, and was tall, well over six feet, and massive on the shoulders.
“Boxed a little, sir, when I was in the Mediterranean Fleet. Took the heavyweight medal, year before last.”
That explained why he had been promoted young – sporting prowess was a golden route to rank.
“Treat Ping Wu’s son like one of us. He almost is."
Mr Ping smiled and made courteous greetings before turning back to Magnus.
“My father would be most obliged if you would visit him during working hours, Lord Magnus. No doubt arrangements will be made for your people.”
“Of course, Mr Ping. Ten minutes to change my dress, sir, and I am at your convenience. Before that, however, one small matter that should be dealt with. Mr Orford!”
The boatswain brought his working party to the canvas wrapped deck cargo, drew the covers away.
“With the compliments of Admiral Seymour, Mr Ping.”
“Oh my jolly word, Lord Magnus! I did not think it possible! I was aware that you were to beg the Admiral’s favour, but thought it too much to hope. Two of carriage-mounted Maxims, rifle-calibre – the model of 1895, I believe. General Li will be d
elighted, sir, and my father so much so!”
“Admiral Seymour is aware of your friendship for Britain, sir. Your father showed great courtesy by sending you to London to study. It is possible that your respect for Britain will be further recognised over the years, as goes without saying, sir. If you would just excuse me for a few minutes, sir, I must make myself presentable.”
Carter had his best working uniform laid out, had him changed within two minutes; Mr Forbes was waiting for him in his working cabin as he emerged.
“Good. I hoped you would be here, Mr Forbes. Three watch in this harbour, shore leave for one watch at a time. Assume four hours of liberty for each. Mr McGurk will man some of the guns – he will tell you what our normal practice is here. Did you note Ping’s reaction to the Maxims, Mr Forbes?”
“’Rifle-calibre, model of ‘95’, sir? That young man knows more than one might expect of a Chinaman on the coast, sir.”
“He is a younger son, not the heir, though I am told that unlike Home, the eldest son does not automatically inherit. A good friend, for the while. He will sell us to Germany without hesitation, but is unlikely to favour France or Russia, for not being impressed by their power. While we are of use, he will be friendly to us, but he is loyal to his father and the needs of his own province first. Watch him, but in the kindliest fashion.”
Ping Wu was glad as ever to greet Magnus, more so when informed by his son who was acting as translator, of the gift aboard Bustard.
“We are now honoured by the presence of the missionaries from Berlin, Lord Magnus. They are busily building a pair of houses, a church and a hospital, they inform me. They have neither Mandarin nor Cantonese and are therefore forced to address me in English – to their annoyance. They seem to believe that I should learn German, for their convenience.”
Magnus shook his head.
“I have neither of your languages myself, sir, and as such am in no position to comment.” He waited for Mr Ping’s translation. “I have been very pleased that you possess so fluent a translator as Mr Ping, as it would take me many years to gain a knowledge of both Cantonese and Mandarin. I do not doubt, sir, that before I had learned the least I would need, I would be posted to another part of the world. I am not a missionary, expecting to take up residence for many years, possibly a lifetime.”
He thought that was a sufficiently blunt reminder that the missionaries were not passing visitors.
Ping Wu evidently took his point, suppressing a smile at his lack of subtlety.
“We have other visitors, along our coast, Lord Magnus. A shipload of them who have settled without ceremony, one might say, into a fishing village and who seem to be in the process of rounding up local people to go to service in the French lands to the south. They have taken over an old fort and have put riflemen onto its walls. The field guns you gifted us are too small to besiege the fort, though they have enabled General Li to bottle up the wicked men. Is it at all possible, Lord Magnus, that you could again come to our assistance?”
“Many things are possible, sir. It occurs to me that if these evil men are taking slaves from your people, then the poor men will be imprisoned inside the fort and would be at risk of death when we bombard.”
That seemed entirely obvious to Ping Wu, and utterly irrelevant; the fate of one or even two hundreds of coolies was a matter of no concern to him, and should be even less to a gwailo who was not in the most distant way related to them.
“I am sure they will sacrifice themselves willingly to the needs of their master, Lord Magnus. You must not concern yourself about them.”
Magnus was not convinced, but the fate of a few Chinese must not be placed before the advantage to be gained to England.
“The howitzer will no doubt be sufficient for our purposes, sir. Is your fort stone-built, or more of an earthen nature?”
“It is ancient, Lord Magnus, and constructed of large stone blocks, the walls very wide, I am told, with redoubts and gun positions where ancient cannon were once mounted.”
“Very good, sir. The force of the explosions will be contained by the walls, and will enable the rapid destruction of the force inside. We are looking at shells of a little greater than one hundred and twenty pounds, sir, which should deal with the fort quite quickly. Are there guns on the walls, do you know?”
“General Li has experienced fire from very small cannon pointing inland, Lord Magnus. There were no coastal guns, prior to the strangers taking possession, that is. We do not know with any certainty if they may have emplaced any new guns.”
Magnus heard what he wanted – they knew of no defences.
“How far up the coast is this fort, sir?”
Mr Ping produced an elaborately decorated map, rather than a coastal chart, and admitted that it was a little hazy when it came to matter of precise distance, but that it suggested a matter of no more than forty miles, the fort being towards the boundary of Ping Wu’s province.
Magnus did not think to enquire on which side of the boundary it might lie.
“Four hours sailing, but along a coast that is in many places rocky and strewn with shallows, I believe, sir. We could sail before dawn and arrive in good light for the final inshore passage. With your agreement, we should do that. Will Mr Ping be able to join us?”
He was informed that Mr Ping was available and would be quite delighted again to have the opportunity to go to war with Lord Magnus.
Magnus returned to Bustard to set all in hand, then it was back to dinner and another evening of jollity, as Mr Ping carefully expressed the event. He returned out of breath and with another little box to tuck into the safe.
Carter was waiting to change him into ordinary working rig.
“Cor, sir, good run ashore, sir. They wouldn’t let us pay for anything, sir, said we were to have anything – and anybody – we wanted, all buckshee, sir. Half the lads’ knees are still wobbling, sir!”
“As long as they can see straight on the guns in the morning, Carter – no other problems.”
“They’ll shoot straight, sir – if that’s what they get before they do the job, sir, they’ll want to know what the reward will be like after!”
Bustard sailed at the earliest opportunity, with Magnus choosing a course some ten miles offshore, well clear of the patches of shallows along the coast. She closed the location of the fortress soon after first light.
“Leadsman reports a steady three fathoms, sir.”
A little less than six feet under her keel – all very well, unless there was an isolated rock, a pinnacle, unnoticed between casts of the lead.
“Reduce to revolutions for six knots.”
The engine room acknowledged on the new telegraphs, much quicker than using boys to run below with the message.
Six knots was still about two hundred yards a minute, a substantial distance between casts of the lead. They were two miles offshore, within range of the howitzer but in a substantial swell, sufficient to interfere with aiming. It would be better to close further inshore, risking the shallows.
“All guns ready, Mr McGurk.”
Magnus put his binoculars on the fortress, picking out walls perhaps twenty feet high, sloping, very solid seeming. There was no watergate that he could see, but a creek led inland past the north wall, probably to a protected quay.
“Masthead! Can you see any anchored vessels, or anything tied up?”
“Junks and sampans, sir. No European vessels. Guns on the walls, sir, facing to sea. Four of them, sir. Big, sir. Breechloading. Coastal guns, sir. Emplaced, sir.”
Four clouds of smoke reinforced the lookout’s words.
Four heavy shells exploded, the nearest perhaps fifty yards off the bows, the other three distant and on either beam.
“Bad practice, sir. They fired together, the layers will not be able to spot their own fall of shot.”
“Possibly, Mr McGurk. They seem rather large?”
“Eight-inch, sir, possibly more or slightly less. French or German twenty-centimetre
guns, I would imagine. A few years old and not quick firing.”
“Open fire, Mr McGurk. Discourage them. Use the howitzer, but I shall not come to anchor.”
A howitzer was best fired from a steady, unmoving platform.
“Mr Sheldrick will do his best, sir.”
The short-barrelled, big bore gun angled high out over the port beam and fired.
A gunner was stationed at the mainmasthead, the highest, telescope in hand, shouted the fall of shot.
“On line, over one hundred.”
The second shot was right by fifty yards, correct for distance. The third plummeted inside the fortress, was the signal for rapid fire.
“Very smart, sir. More than can be said for the enemy, sir.”
The nearest shell so far had exploded twenty yards off the bows. The quick-firers had made repeated hits on the fortress walls but were doing very little in the way of damage, the stonework far too thick and solid for such small shells.
“Half a mile, Mr McGurk. Rake the ramparts with the machine guns, do you think?”
“No great gain as yet, sir. Five cables is a little far. Better perhaps at two cables.”
There was a massive explosion on the bows. The whole ship shuddered and men began to scream.
“Shell burst, sir. Ready use rounds blown as well, sir.”
The China Station (The Earl’s Other Son Series, Book 1) Page 22
