The Flying Boat: A Story of Adventure and Misadventure Read online

  CHAPTER II

  ERRINGTON MAKES A FRIEND

  Pierce Errington, known at school as Pidge, was the son of a Shanghaimerchant who at one time had been reputed to be the wealthiest Europeanin China. But Mr. Errington was his own worst enemy. Generous andimpulsive, he lacked balance; and though he had a positive genius forbusiness, at times his business faculties seemed to desert him, and heshowed a rashness and audacity in speculative ventures that amazed hisfriends. While his wife lived, this trait was not allowed toover-assert itself, but after her death he became more and morereckless, and ultimately lost almost all his fortune in one black year.When he died suddenly of heart failure, it was found that he had leftjust enough to complete his only son's education, and to provide the boywith a trifle of pocket-money when he went out into the world.

  Pierce was twelve years old, and at a preparatory school in England, atthe time of his father's death. He was committed to the guardianship ofa distant relative, a merchant in the City, who fulfilled his trust withscrupulous honour, but with no excess of kindness. Pierce became verysick of hearing from his guardian, at least once a term and more oftenduring the holidays, that he had no prospects, and must look to himselffor his future. "I'm a self-made man," the merchant would say proudly;and Pierce, when he was a public school-boy and began to have ideas ofhis own, would think: "A precious bad job you made of it."

  Mr. Errington's oldest friend was a fellow merchant in Shanghai. JohnBurroughs was a plodder. He might never be so rich as Errington, butcertainly he would never be so poor. He had often tried to check hisfriend's wildest speculations, and then Errington would laugh, and thankhim, and say that it was no good. The two men were about the same age,and their sons were born within a few months of each other. When thetime came for them to go to England for education, the boys were sent tothe same preparatory school, and entered at the same public school.They had been companions since babyhood, and the friendship between thefathers seemed to be only intensified in the sons. They were thegreatest chums, and being equally good at sports and their books, theyhad kept pace with each other through the schools, and reached the sixthand the dignity of prefect at Cheltonia together. Each was now in hiseighteenth year, and neither had been back to China since they left it,eight years before.

  During those eight years, Errington had received very regular lettersfrom a correspondent who signed himself Ting Chuh. At first theseletters bored him; as he grew older they amused him; and latterly theyhad given rise to a certain perplexed curiosity. Why did Ting Chuh takeso great an interest in him? Why was he continually poking his funnyold proverbs at him? "An ox with a ring in his nose--so is the steadyman." "Remember never to feel after a pin on the bottom of the ocean.""It is folly to covet another man's horse and to lose your own ox."Sentences like these occurred in all Mr. Ting's letters--all warning himagainst attempting impossibilities, or leaving the substance for theshadow, or letting his impulses run away with him. Of course Erringtonknew that Mr. Ting had occupied a special position in his father'shousehold, and he remembered vaguely that he had been quite fond ofTingy in his early years; but he was at a loss to understand why theChinaman appeared to have constituted himself his moral guardian--why hesent for copies of all his school reports, and wrote him suchexceedingly dull comments on them. "But he's a good sort," he would sayto himself, and forget the homily and Mr. Ting until the next letterarrived.

  Ting Chuh had made money while Mr. Errington lost it, through sheernative shrewdness and industry. The relations between master and manwere very close and confidential. On Mr. Errington's death, Mr. Tingset up for himself in business, and acquired wealth with wonderfulrapidity; everybody trading on the China coast knew him and trusted him,except some few "mean whites" who were incapable of any decent feelingtowards a Chinaman. He had now taken advantage of a business visit toLondon to call upon the boy in whose welfare he was more deeplyinterested than the boy himself knew. The time was approaching whenErrington must leave school, and Mr. Ting had certain private reasonsfor wishing to judge by personal observation what manner of man haddeveloped from the little boy of ten whom he had last seen on the deckof a home-going liner.

  Errington's uneasy forebodings as to the result of the Chinaman'sappearance at the tea-table were agreeably dispelled. Mr. Ting was thehero of the hour. He talked fluently, with an occasional quaintness ofexpression that lent a charm to his conversation; and when it came outcasually that his business in England had involved several interviewswith the Foreign Secretary, he went up as high in the estimation of theprefects as his athletic feat had carried him with the younger boys.Moreover, at his departure he showed himself very generous anddiscriminating in the way of tips, and he was voted a jolly good sort bythe school. He was particularly cordial in his good-bye to TedBurroughs.

  "I hope to see you again befo'e long," he said, "and I thank you for yo'kindness."

  The summer ran its course. Just before the holidays Errington andBurroughs each received a letter from China that filled them at oncewith regret and with excitement. Mr. Burroughs wrote that Ted was toreturn to Shanghai and take his place in the business. Errington'sletter was from Mr. Ting.

  MY DEAR LAD,

  You have now completed your book learning, and it is time to fill yourown kettle with rice, as we say. With approval of your guardian, I haveobtained for you a post in the great company of Ehrlich Soehne, who havemanifold activities, and lots of branches in all parts of China. Withthem you will gain valuable experience of intrinsic excellence. Youwill not be blind fowl picking after worms. Your friend Mole is to cometo China next month; I vote you come with him, for pleasant companyshortens the longest road. You will have liberal allowance for outfit,for as your proverb says, do not spoil ship for ha'porth of tar. UntilI see you, then, I write myself your true friend,

  TING CHUH.

  No boy likes to leave school, but the regrets of the two friends weretempered by their anticipation of novel scenes and fresh experiences.They were delighted at the prospect of going out together, and foundthemselves looking forward eagerly to the end of the term. One day anadvertisement of the North German Lloyd caught Errington's eye.

  "I say, Moley, I vote we go out on a German ship," he said to Burroughs."It will be a jolly sight more interesting than a British ship, and weshall get a good deal of sport in studying the funny foreigner."

  Burroughs agreed, and in due time they booked their passage on the_Prinz Eitel Friedrich_. It did not occur to them that the "funnyforeigner" might also find some interest in studying them; but aftercertain exciting experiences which befell them during the next twoyears, they remarked on the strange consequences that came of a singleadvertisement in the _Times_.

  They joined the vessel at Plymouth, and would perhaps have attracted noattention among their fellow-passengers but for a somewhat unusualobject among their belongings. Burroughs, unlike Errington, had alwaysenjoyed plenty of pocket-money, and being fond of boating, he had boughtfirst a skiff for use on the river during holidays and then a smallmotor launch. Just before leaving school he had happened to see ahydroplane in the Solent, and it occurred to him that he and Errington,when they got to China, would find such a vessel useful, or at leastexciting, on the Yang-tse-kiang. Accordingly he exchanged his launch fora small speedy hydroplane of the best type: and the novel vessel arouseda certain curiosity in some of the passengers as they saw it loweredinto the hold.

  For a day or two after quitting port they kept pretty much tothemselves, exchanging notes about their fellow-passengers, and findingsome amusement in watching their deportment in the dining-saloon. Oneman in particular engaged their attention. He was a German of floridaspect, with hair cut short and standing up brush-like, and a thickbrown moustache which he evidently took some pains in training a laKaiser. This was not so uncommon as to mark him out for special notice;but the boys observed, after a few days, that this man, thoughpossessing the most engaging ma
nners, seemed to be somewhat shunned bythe rest of the German passengers. They did not actually cut him, butthey appeared to hold themselves aloof. He belonged to none of the setsinto which passengers on a long voyage invariably split up; he was neverinvited to join their card-parties. The vague impression formed by theboys was that the Germans felt a sort of distrust for their compatriot.The only man on board who appeared to admit him to terms of intimacy wasa German major-general who was proceeding to Kiau-chou, the Germansettlement. These two were often to be seen of an evening under theawning on the foredeck, remote from the other passengers, conversing inlow tones, though with no appearance of secrecy.

  One evening, after dinner, the boys were leaning over the rail, idlywatching the incandescent play upon the surface of the sea, when theGerman sauntered past them, turned, and made a pleasant remark about thecharming weather. He spoke English very well, with scarcely anything toreveal his nationality except the customary difficulty with the _th_.There was something attractive about the man, and Errington, seeing thathe seemed disposed to continue the conversation, offered him acigarette, and invited him to place a deck-chair beside those which theboys had opened for themselves.

  "I zink I may almost call myself an old friend," said the German. "Am Imistaken, or are you ze son of ze late Mr. Herbert Errington, ofShanghai?"

  "Yes; did you know him?" asked Errington.

  "He was a great friend of mine: you are very much like him. His death"(he pronounced the word "dess") "was a blow to me. And you, Mr.Burroughs--I hope I may call myself a friend also, if your fazer is Mr.John Burroughs of ze same town."

  "Yes," said the Mole simply.

  "I am charmed to meet you," said the German cordially. "Your fazer'sfirm is concurrent wiz mine. You have been long absent, at school, nodoubt; and you, Mr. Errington, will not remember me; ze years wipe outearly impressions; but when you were a child I saw you often when Ivisited my old friend, your fazer. My name is Conrad Reinhardt."

  "I don't recall it," said Errington, "but then I was only a kid when Ileft Shanghai. We've been at school, as you guessed, Mr. Reinhardt, andwe're going back now to start work."

  "Ah yes, ze days of school must end. Zey are good days, especially zesport. You will find good golf in Shanghai. No doubt you go to joinMr. Burroughs?"

  "The Mole does--Ted, you know: we called him the Mole at school becausehe's Burroughs; but I'm going to a German firm: of course you knowthem--Ehrlich Soehne."

  Burroughs was a trifle annoyed that his companion was so communicative:but "It's just like Pidge," he said to himself.

  "Indeed!" said the German, in response to Errington's last remark. "Zatis my own firm. I am delighted zat I shall have you for a colleague.It is a good firm: naturally I say so; but every one says ze same. Youwill have opportunities zat few ozer firms can offer. Zere are greatprospects."

  He proceeded to dilate upon the vast business conducted by his firm;their transactions in silk and cotton and grass-cloth fibre; theirdifficulties with the Customs and with river pirates, and so on,incidentally giving many descriptions of the ways of Chinamen, which theboys listened to with interest.

  "You know Mr. Ting, of course?" said Errington presently.

  "Ting Chuh? oh yes, of course," replied the German; and Burroughs,closely observant, noticed a scarcely perceptible constraint in hismanner. "An excellent man of business; a little difficult, perhaps. Iremember, he was your fazer's comprador, Mr. Errington. You have nozinknow to do wiz him?"

  "Not officially, if that's what you mean: but he's kept up acorrespondence with me, and it was he that got me this crib with yourfirm."

  "Indeed! Zen zat is a great compliment to ze firm, and, if I may sayso, also to you. Ting is a good man of business, highly respected. Toplace you wiz us shows zat he has a great opinion of us, and also ofyou. Zis information interests me extremely."

  From this time forth Mr. Reinhardt was often in the boys' company. Hewas always very pleasant, and they wondered more and more why themajority of the passengers avoided him. But when he began to teachErrington some card games of which he had never before heard, Burroughsfelt uneasy. On the first occasion, when he was asked to join them, hedeclined, and they did not ask him again. Knowing how easily Erringtonwas led, and remembering indications of his having inherited hisfather's propensity for speculation, he ventured one night to enter amild protest.

  "I say, Pidge," he said, "I don't think I'd play cards much withReinhardt if I were you."

  "Why on earth not? Sixpence is our highest stake: are you afraid of myruining myself?"

  "Of course not, but--well, Reinhardt isn't liked on board; there may besomething shady about him."

  "Come, that's dashed unfair. You know nothing against the man. Forgoodness' sake, don't get starchy and puritanical."

  The natural boy's horror of seeming preachy or priggish kept Burroughsfrom saying more; but his manner towards the German grew chilly, and hecould not help noticing that Errington was somewhat nettled at hisfriendly warning. One day, for his own satisfaction, he put a questionbluntly to the captain, with whom he was on good terms.

  "Do you know anything against Herr Reinhardt?" he asked.

  The Captain fingered his beard before he replied.

  "No," he said slowly, "I _know_ nothing. But don't let your friendbecome too thick with him."

  Burroughs went away less satisfied than before, and watched the growingintimacy with more and more uneasiness.