Meanwhile the firing of light guns — six-pounders, I should say — continued every two or three minutes, but the noise was nothing to what I had heard on other occasions of practice-firing and the like, and I began to feel that the sight was not worth the inconvenience it caused me. I therefore returned to the saloon, where the captain asked me and the mate to join him in a whiskey and soda he was having.
" Let's drink to the war just begun," quoth the captain in his most ironical tone, and, laughing at the skipper's sally, we all clinked glasses and drank to " the war just begun."
" Well, they're in desperate earnest to-night, anyhow," remarked the mate in a serious voice as he turned to go. " You must have noticed that these first three explosions were submarine. Didn't you remark how the boat trembled? Quite a different thing, a submarine explosion, to an explosion that takes place above water."
4< Yes," said the skipper, "they were submarine explosions right enough, those first three. Should say that one of their mines exploded."
The excitement of the Chinese crew caused us great amusement, and when the skipper discovered that one of them had lighted the compass and engineroom telegraphs — which are, of course, only lighted when a vessel is going to sea — and had taken up his position at the wheel as if we were going off immediately, he and the ship's officers laughed loudly.
I also laughed myself when the joke was explained to me, and on going forward and seeing the lamp that showed the compass throwing its pale light on the frightened face of the Chinaman who had perpetrated
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the joke, I laughed again. I also felt quite pleased with myself for knowing so much more than this ignorant Celestial, and tried hard to persuade our two Russian guards that war had been declared. But, although also somewhat excited, they were too cunning for me.
" No, it's only practice," they said gruffly.
At twelve o'clock the firing slackened, and I came to the conclusion that I had had enough amusement for one night. I told the captain so as I gaily bade him good-night, adding that, although I had not been able to do anything in Chefoo, I was getting value for my money now. Just as I was falling asleep, I heard the firing recommence, and I noticed that somewhat heavier guns were now being fired. I also heard the whizz of shells, but even that failed to make me get up again, and I slept the sleep of the just until about 5.30 next morning, when the mate roused me to say that a Russian officer had come aboard and wanted to say something, but could not manage to make himself understood, as he only spoke Russian, a language with which the mate was not acquainted.
Without stopping to take breath, our chief officer went on to tell me that two big battle-ships had taken up their position right opposite the entrance to the harbour.
" A most extraordinary thing! " he added. " They must really have got a scare last night after all. The firing ceased, by the way, at about three this morning. These two battle-ships I speak of came abreast of the entrance at one o'clock. At about half-past one a number of young naval officers came aboard of us, evidently very flurried about something, and one of them tried to talk to me in French, but as he always relapsed in his excitement into his mother tongue, I could not make head or tail of what he said. Why didn't I wake you up then? Oh! Well, you see I didn't want to disturb you at such an hour. It can't be a very important matter, anyhow. Some d d red tape or other. Usual thing with the Russians. No, I couldn't for the life of me make out what that fellow wanted. He got so muddled that he simply danced round the deck in pure madness, and finally went away, leaving behind him a fine rope with which he had made his boat fast to our gangway."
All this time I was trying to find the matches in order to strike a light, but before I had found them the Russian officer came to the open door, and as he took off his cap I saw by the reflection from the searchlights that his temples were glistening with great beads of perspiration.
He was polite, but seemed very excited. I asked him if he could speak German, and he answered in that language that he could, and then went on to speak to me in Russian. His words were:
" His Excellency the Viceroy has issued a decree ordering that no commercial ships leave or enter the harbour of Port Arthur."
In other words, the Columbia was not to attempt to enter the inner harbour or to go away to Chefoo.