"You wantee Ching?"

"Yes; where is there a boat-builder's where they will mend the boat directly?"

"No," he said; "takee velly long time. Boat-builder same slow fellow. No piecee work along. Take boatee out water, mend him to-mollow, next week."

"Then what are we to do?" I cried. "We want to watch the junks."

"Why no takee other fellow big boatee? Plenty big boatee evelywhere. Get in big sampan junk, pilate man no sabby jolly sailor boy come along. Think other piecee fellow go catch fish."

"Here, Mr Brooke," I cried excitedly; "Ching says we had better take one of these boats lying moored out here, and the pirates won't think of it being us. Isn't it capital?"

Mr Brooke gazed sharply at us both for a few moments, and then directed the boat's head as if going up the river again.

"Where is there a suitable boat?" he said hoarsely, and speaking evidently under great excitement, as he saw a means of saving the chance after all.

"Velly nice big boat over 'long there," said Ching, pointing to a native craft about double the size of our cutter, lying moored about a hundred yards from the shore, and evidently without any one in her.

"Yes, that will do," cried Mr Brooke. "Anything fits a man who has no clothes. Pull, my lads—give way!"

The men dragged at the oars, and I saw that since Ching had left off baling the water was gaining fast, and that if more power was not put on it would not be long before the boat was waterlogged or sunk.

In a minute we were alongside the boat, one of a superior class, possibly belonging to some man of consequence, and Mr Brooke had run the cutter along her on the side farthest from the shore, so that our proceedings were not noticed, as we made fast.

"Now then, tumble in, my lads," he cried; "take the oars and everything movable. Throw them in, our game and all. Here, Herrick, take both guns."

Everything was transferred in a very short time; and this done, Mr Brooke stepped aboard the little junk-like craft, gave his orders, and a line was attached to a grating, the other end to one of the ring-bolts. Then the craft's anchor-line was unfastened, and our painter hitched on to it instead. Next the grating was tossed overboard, with plenty of line to float it as a buoy and show where the boat had sunk, as it was pretty certain to do before long; and we, in our tiny junk, began to glide away with the tide, furnished with a serviceable boat, boasting of sails, even if they were not of a kind our men were accustomed to manage.

"Why, it is grand, Herrick!" cried Mr Brooke excitedly. "We shall get them after all."

"And all Ching's doing, sir," I said quietly.

"Ah, yes, perhaps; he is repentant now he has been found out. But we shall see—"

"That he is quite innocent, sir," I said.

"I hope so, my lad. Now, let's make sail, and beat about here, to and fro. We must keep a good watch for our two friends, and if they come down we can follow till we see the Teaser in the offing. We may, I say, capture them yet."

A sail was hoisted, and in a few minutes we found that the craft went along easily and well, answering to her helm admirably. Her high bulwarks gave plenty of shelter, and would, I saw, well conceal our men, so that we had only to put Ching prominently in sight to pass unnoticed, or as a Chinese fishing or pleasure boat.

Just then I turned and found him close behind me, rubbing his hands.

"You ask Mr Blooke he likee Ching sit where pilate see him 'gain?" he said.

"I am sure he would," I replied.

He looked sad again directly, and just touched the sleeve of my Norfolk jacket with the long nail of his forefinger.

"Ching velly solly," he said.

"What about?"

"Mr Blooke think Ching fliends with pilates. Velly shocking; Ching hate pilates dleadfully; hollid men."

"Yes, I am sure you do," I said.

The Celestial's face lit up again directly, and he rubbed his hands.

"Ching velly—"

"Yes?" I said, for Mr Brooke called to me from the little cabin contrived for shelter in the after part of the vessel.

"Look here," he said, as I joined him, "we can keep below here, and command the river too, without being seen. Why, Herrick, my lad, this is capital; they will never suspect this Chinese boat to be manned by a crew of Her Majesty's Jacks."

"Then everything has turned out for the best," I cried eagerly.

"Humph! that remains to be proved, my lad. We've got to return and face Mr Reardon and the captain, and the first question asked of an officer who has been entrusted with one of Her Majesty's boats, and who returns without it, is—What have you done with the boat or ship? We—yes, you are in the mess, sir—have to go back and say that we have lost it."

"Why, the captain owned to Pat that a thing couldn't be lost when you knew where it was."

"I don't understand you, my lad," said Mr Brooke.

"Don't you remember about the captain's tea-kettle, sir, that Pat dropped overboard? It was not lost, because Pat knew where it was—at the bottom of the sea."

"Oh yes, I remember; but I'm afraid Captain Thwaites will not take that excuse."

"Why, she has gone down already, sir," I said, as I looked over the side for the boat we had left.

"Yes; but I can see the grating floating. The coxswain took his jacket out of the hole."

He pointed to the stout piece of woodwork which we had turned into a buoy, but I could not make it out, and I thought it did not much matter, for something else had begun to trouble me a great deal just then, and I waited very anxiously for my officer to make some proposal.

But it did not come at once, for Mr Brooke was planning about the watch setting, so as to guard against the junks coming down the river and passing us on their way out to sea.

But at last all was to his satisfaction, one man keeping a look-out up the river for the descending junks, the other downward to the mouth for the return of the Teaser, whose coming was longed for most intensely.

Then, with just a scrap of sail raised, the rest acting as a screen dividing the boat, we tacked about the river, keeping as near as was convenient to the spot where the Teaser had anchored, and at last Mr Brooke said to me, just in the grey of the evening—

"I'm afraid the lads must be getting hungry."

"I know one who is, sir," I said, laughing.

He smiled.

"Well, I have been too busy and anxious to think about eating and drinking," he said; "but I suppose I am very hungry too. Here, my lad, pass that basket along, and serve out the provisions."

"You likee Ching serve out plovisions?"

Mr Brooke frowned, and the Chinaman shrank away. I noticed too that when the food was served round, the men took each a good lump of salt pork and a couple of biscuits, Ching contented himself with one biscuit, which he took right forward, and there sat, munching slowly, till it was dark and the shore was lit up with thousands of lanterns swinging in shop, house, and on the river boats moored close along by the shore.

"Bad for us," said Mr Brooke, as we sat together astern steering, and keeping a sharp look ahead for the expected enemy.

"Why?" I asked.

"Getting so dark, my lad. We shall be having the junks pass us."

"Oh no, sir. Ching is keen-sighted, and all the men are looking out very eagerly."

"Ah, well, I hope they will not slip by. They must not, Herrick. There is one advantage in this darkness, though: they will not find us out."

The darkness favouring the movement, and so as to save time, ready for any sudden emergency, he ordered the men to buckle on their cutlass-belts and pouches, while the rifles were hid handy.

"In case we want to board, Herrick."

"Then you mean to board if there is a chance?" I said.

"I mean to stop one of those junks from putting to sea, if I can," he replied quietly. "The Teaser having left us, alters our position completely. She has gone off on a false scent, I'm afraid, and we must not lose the substance while they are hunting the shadow."

Very little more was said, and as I sat in the darkness I had plenty to think about and picture out, as in imagination I saw our queer-looking boat hooked on to the side of a great high-pooped junk, and Mr Brooke leading the men up the side to the attack upon the fierce desperadoes who would be several times our number.

"I don't know what we should do," I remember thinking to myself, "if these people hadn't a wholesome fear of our lads."

Then I watched the shore, with its lights looking soft and mellow against the black velvety darkness. Now and then the booming of gongs floated off to us, and the squeaking of a curious kind of pipe; while from the boats close in shore the twangling, twingling sound of the native guitars was very plain—from one in particular, where there was evidently some kind of entertainment, it being lit up with a number of lanterns of grotesque shapes. In addition to the noise—I can't call it music—of the stringed instruments, there came floating to us quite a chorus of singing. Well, I suppose it was meant for singing; but our lads evidently differed, for I heard one man say in a gruff whisper—

"See that there boat, messmate?"

"Ay," said another. "I hear it and see it too."

"Know what's going on?"

"Yes; it's a floating poulterer's shop."

"A what?"

"A floating poulterer's shop. Can't you hear 'em killing the cats?"

This interested me, and I listened intently.

"Killing the cats?" said another.

"Ay, poor beggars. Lor' a mussy! our cats at home don't know what horrible things is done in foreign lands. They're killing cats for market to-morrer, for roast and biled."

"Get out, and don't make higgerant observations, messmate. It's a funeral, and that's the way these here heathens show how sorry they are."

"Silence there, my lads," said the lieutenant. "Keep a sharp look-out."

"Ay, ay, sir."

Just at that moment, as the lit-up boat glided along about a couple of hundred yards from us, where we sailed gently up-stream, there was a faint rustling forward, and Tom Jecks' gruff voice whispered—

"What is it, messmate?"

"Ching see big junk."

There was a dead silence, and we all strained our eyes to gaze up-stream.

"Can't see nought, messmate," was whispered.

"Yes; big junk come along."

Plash! and a creaking, rattling sound came forth out of the darkness.

"It is a big junk," said Mr Brooke, with his lips to my ear; "and she has anchored."

Then from some distance up the river we saw a very dim lantern sway here and there, some hoarse commands were given, followed by the creaking and groaning of a bamboo yard being lowered, and then all was perfectly still.

What strange work it seemed to be out there in the darkness of that foreign river, surrounded by curious sights and sounds, and not knowing but what the next minute we might be engaged in deadly strife with a gang of desperadoes who were perfectly indifferent to human life, and who, could they get the better of us, would feel delight in slaughtering one and all. It was impossible to help feeling a peculiar creepy sensation, and a cold shiver ran through one from time to time.

So painful was this silence, that I felt glad when we had sailed up abreast of the great vessel which had dropped anchor in mid-stream, for the inaction was terrible.

We sailed right by, went up some little distance, turned and came back on the other side, so near this time that we could dimly make out the heavy masts, the huge, clumsy poop and awkward bows of the vessel lying head to stream.

Then we were by her, and as soon as we were some little distance below Mr Brooke spoke—

"Well, my lads, what do you say: is she one of the junks?"

"No pilate junk," said Ching decisively, and I saw Mr Brooke make an angry gesture—quite a start.

"What do you say, my lads?"

"Well, sir, we all seem to think as the Chinee does—as it arn't one of them."

"Why?"

"Looks biggerer and clumsier, and deeper in the water."

"Yes; tlade boat from Hopoa," said Ching softly, as if speaking to himself.

"I'm not satisfied," said Mr Brooke. "Go forward, Mr Herrick; your eyes are sharp. We'll sail round her again. All of you have a good look at her rigging."

"Ay, ay, sir," whispered the men; and I crept forward among them to where Ching had stationed himself, and once more we began gliding up before the wind, which was sufficiently brisk to enable us to easily master the swift tide.

As I leaned over the side, Ching heaved a deep sigh.

"What's the matter?" I whispered.

"Ching so velly mislable," he whispered back. "Mr Blooke think him velly bad man. Think Ching want to give evelybody to pilate man. Ching velly velly solly."

"Hist! look out!"

I suppose our whispering had been heard, for just as we were being steered pretty close to the anchored junk, a deep rough voice hailed us something after this fashion, which is as near as I can get to the original—

"Ho hang wong hork ang ang ha?"

"Ning toe ing nipy wong ony ing!" cried Ching.

"Oh ony ha, how how che oh gu," came from the junk again, and then we were right on ahead.

"Well," whispered Mr Brooke, "what does he say? Is it one of the pirate vessels?"

"No pilate. Big boat come down hong, sir. Capin fellow want to know if we pilate come chop off head, and say he velly glad we all good man."

"Are you quite sure?" said Mr Brooke.

I heard Ching give a little laugh.

"If pilate," he said, "all be full bad men. Lightee lantern; thlow stink-pot; make noise."

"Yes," said Mr Brooke; "this cannot be one of them. Here, hail the man again, and ask him where he is going."

"How pang pong won toe me?" cried Ching, and for answer there came two or three grunts.

"Yes; what does he say?"

"Say he go have big long sleep, 'cause he velly tired."

Mr Brooke said no more, but ran the boat down the river some little distance and then began to tack up again, running across from side to side, so as to make sure that the junks did not slip by us in the darkness. But hour after hour glided on, and the lights ashore and on the boats gradually died out, till, with the exception of a few lanterns on vessels at anchor, river and shore were all alike one great expanse of darkness, while we had to go as slowly as possible, literally creeping along, to avoid running into craft moored in the stream.

And all this time perfect silence had to be kept, and but for the intense desire to give good account of the junks, the men would soon have been fast asleep.

"Do you think they will come down and try to put to sea, Ching?" I said at last, very wearily.

"Yes, allee 'flaid Queen Victolia's jolly sailor boy come steam up liver and send boat up cleek, fight and burn junks. Come down velly quick."

"Doesn't seem like it," I said, beginning at last to feel so drowsy I could not keep my eyes open.

"So velly dark, can't see."

"Why, you don't think they will get by us in the darkness?" I said, waking up now with a start at his words, and the bad news they conveyed.

"Ching can't tell. So velly dark, plenty junk go by; nobody see if velly quiet. Ching hope not get away. Wantee Mr Brooke catchee both junk, and no think Ching like pilate man."

"Here, I must go and have a talk to Mr Brooke," I said; and I crept back to where he sat steering and sweeping the darkness he could not penetrate on either side.

"Well, Herrick," he said eagerly. "News?"

"Yes, sir; bad news. Ching is afraid that the junks have crept by us in the night."

"I have been afraid so for some time, my lad, for the tide must have brought them down long enough ago."

He relapsed into silence for a few minutes, and then said quietly—

"You can all take a sleep, my lads; Mr Herrick and I will keep watch."

"Thankye, sir, thankye," came in a low murmur, and I went forward to keep a look-out there; but not a man lay down, they all crouched together, chewing their tobacco, waiting; while Ching knelt by the bows, his elbows on the gunwale, his chin resting upon his hands, apparently gazing up the river, but so still that I felt he must be asleep, and at last startled him by asking the question whether he was.

"No; too much head busy go sleep. Want findee allee pilate, show Mr Blooke no like pilate. Velly 'flaid all gone."

How the rest of that night went by, I can hardly tell. We seemed to be for hours and hours without end tacking to and fro, now going up the river two or three miles, then dropping down with the tide, and always zig-zagging so as to cover as much ground as possible. The night lengthened as if it would never end; but, like all tedious times of the kind, it dragged its weary course by, till, to my utter astonishment, when it did come, a faint light dawned away over the sea beyond the mouth of the river, just when we were about a mile below the city.

That pale light gradually broadened, and shed its ghastly chilly beams over the sea, making all look unreal and depressing, and showed the faces of our crew, sitting crouched in the bottom of the boat, silent but quite wide-awake.

Then all started as if suddenly electrified, for Ching uttered a low cry, and stood up, pointing right away east.

"What is it?" I said.

"Two pilate junk."

We all saw them at the same time, and with a miserable feeling of despondency, for there was no hiding the fact. The river was wide, and while we were close under one bank they had glided silently down under the other, and were far beyond our reach.



CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

THE UNTRUSTWORTHY AGENT.

"Eaten, Herrick," said Mr Brooke in a low voice.

"Not yet, sir," I said.

I don't know how it was that I said those words. They came to my lips and I uttered them, making Mr Brooke turn round upon me sharply, in the grey light of dawn.

"What do you mean by that, boy?" he said.

"Mean? I don't—I—that is,"—I stammered; "I wouldn't give up yet, sir."

"What would you do? wait for them to come back?" he said bitterly.

"No," I cried, gaining courage; "go after them, sir."

"And attack and take them with this boat, Herrick?" he said, smiling at me rather contemptuously.

"Of course we couldn't do that, sir," I said, "but we might follow and keep them in sight. We should know where they went."

"Yes," he said, after a moment's thought; "but we may be away for days, and we must have provisions. What is to be done?"

"You likee me buy blead and fish, and plenty good to eat?" said Ching in rather a shrinking way.

"Yes," said Mr Brooke, turning upon the Celestial sharply. "Where shall we land you?"

"There," said Ching, pointing to the shore about a mile up from where we lay.

"But it's going back, and we shall lose sight of the junks, Ching," I said.

"Plenty blead there. Ching know the way."

"But one moment, Mr Brooke," I said; "are we sure that those are the right junks?"

"I feel sure," he said. "What do you say, my lads?"

"Ay, ay, sir, them's right," chorussed the men.

"Yes, Ching velly sure those pilate junk."

"I know one on 'em, sir," said Jecks, "by her great yard. I never see a junk with such a big un afore. Talk about the cut of a jib—I says, look at the cut of her mainsail."

"Well, we must have food and water, if we are going out of the mouth of the river," said Mr Brooke, and he turned the boat's head shoreward.

"No makee haste," said Ching deprecatingly. "Too soon, evelybody fas' asleep."

Mr Brooke gave an impatient stamp on the frail bamboo half-deck, but said no more for a few moments.

"We must wait if we are too soon, for it would be madness to go without food and water."

He was silent for a time, during which the men watched the distant junks, and as they stood out more and more boldly in the morning light, we compared notes, and made comments upon them, all growing more and more satisfied that these were the two of which we were in search.

"Yes, they must be," said Mr Brooke at last, after listening for some time to the men's conversation. "The very fact of their sailing in company is suggestive. Seems odd, though, doesn't it, Herrick?" he half whispered.

"What? their getting by us, sir, in the dark?"

"No; I mean, after making up my mind that this fellow Ching was a traitor, and that I would have no more to do with him, to find myself forced at every turn to rest upon him for help. Lesson for you, lad."

"In what way, sir?"

"Not to have too much faith in yourself. I am beginning to hope that I have been deceived about him, but we shall soon have proof."

"I feel sure you are misjudging him, sir," I said eagerly.

"Yes, with a boy's readiness to trust."

"But I feel sure he is honest, sir."

"Well, we shall soon see."

I looked at him for an explanation, and he smiled.

"I am going to give him some money, and send him ashore to buy provisions. If he is dishonest he will not come back."

"But he will come back," I said confidently.

"We shall see, my lad," he replied; and once more he was silent, after handing the tiller to me, and looking back longingly at the two junks, which were apparently making no way, for the wind was blowing dead now into the mouth of the river.

Early as it was, there were people stirring as we approached the landing-place Ching had pointed out, and he nodded with satisfaction.

"Allee light," he said, smiling. "Get plenty blead, meat. You fillee big tub with water;" and he pointed to a large rough vessel, and another which was a great earthenware jar.

"But where are we to get the water?" I said.

"Out o' liver. Plenty water in liver."

"We can't drink that peasoup," I said, as I looked over the side in disgust at the yellow solution of mud.

"Velly good water. Allee salt gone now. Plenty clear by and by."

"We must make the best of it, Herrick," said my companion; and then turning to Ching, he said rather sternly—

"Here are eight dollars: buy as much bread and cooked meat as you can, and get back as quickly as possible, when we set you ashore."

Ching nodded and smiled.

"Be velly quick," he said; "and you take boat lit' way out, and stop till come back."

"Of course; trust us for that, my man."

Ten minutes later we ran alongside some rough bamboo piles, to which about half-a-dozen Chinamen hurried, to stand staring at us. But Ching paid no attention to them. He only made a leap from the boat when we were a couple of yards from the platform, landed safely but with tail flying, and his blue cotton garment inflating balloon-like with the wind. Then he walked away among the houses, and one of our men pushed the boat off again, evidently to the intense wonder of the people, who stared hard to see a British sailor managing a native vessel; while two others, in a costume perfectly new to them, sat looking on.

Then our men were packed out of sight, some in the little cabin, others hidden at the bottom of the boat, beneath a matting-sail.

When we were about a hundred yards from the shore, a clumsy wooden grapnel, to which a heavy stone was bound with a twisted rope of bamboo, was dropped overboard, and then we lay in the swift tide, with the boat tugging at the line as if eager to be off on the chase the stern necessity concerning food kept us from carrying on at once.

"How these people do seem to detest us, Herrick!" said Mr Brooke, after we had been waiting patiently for about a quarter of an hour, impatiently another, but not quite in idleness, for, after tasting the river water to find that it was very slightly brackish now, the tub and the jar were both filled and left to settle.

"Yes, they're not very fond of us," I replied, as I noted how the numbers were increasing, and that now there was a good deal of talking going on, and this was accompanied by gesticulations, we evidently being the objects of their interest. "They can't have much to do."

Mr Brooke made no reply, but moment by moment he grew more uneasy, as he alternately scanned the people ashore and the junks in the offing.

"Oh," I said at last, "if we could only see the Teaser coming up the river!"

"I'd be content, Herrick," said Mr Brooke bitterly, "if we could only see the messenger coming back with our stores."

"Yes," I said uneasily, for I had been fidgeting a good deal; "he is a long time."

"Yes," said Mr Brooke, looking at me very fixedly, till I avoided his gaze, for I knew he was thinking of my defence of Ching.

"Perhaps the bakers' shops are not open," I said at last.

"Perhaps this is not London, my lad. It's of no use for you to defend him; I begin to feel sure that he has left us in the lurch."

"Oh, wait a little longer, please, Mr Brooke," I cried; and I vainly scanned the increasing crowd upon the platform and shore, and could see, instead of Ching, that the people were growing more and more excited, as they talked together and kept pointing at us.

"I shall not wait much longer," said Mr Brooke at last. "He has had plenty of time. Look here, my lads, we have plenty of water, and the business is urgent. You'll have to be content with a drink and a pull at your waistbelts."

"All right, sir," said the coxswain; "what's good enough for the orficers is good enough for us. We won't grumble, eh, mates?"

There was a low growl here, but not of discontent.

"Then in another five minutes, if our Celestial friend does not come back, we shall start. I'll give him that time."

"Beg pardon, sir; they're a siggling of us."

"Signalling! who are?"

"The Chinees, sir."

"Yes, look," I said; for, after a good deal of talking and shouting, one man was standing close at the edge of the landing-place, and beckoning to us to come closer in.

"Likely," I heard one of our men whisper. "Ducks."

"Eh?" said another.

"Dill, dill, dill; will yer come and be killed?"

"What do they want, Herrick? To inveigle us ashore?"

"I know, sir for the reason of their excitement now came to me like a flash, and I wondered that I had not thought of it before."

"Well, then. Speak out if you do know, my lad."

"That's it, sir. We've got a boat they know, and they think we're stealing it."

"Tut, tut, tut. Of course. That explains it. Very sorry, my friends, but we cannot spare it yet. You shall have her back and be paid for the use of it, when we've done with her."

The shouts, gesticulations, and general excitement increased, two men now beckoning imperiously, and it was evident that they were ordering us to come to the landing-place at once.

"No, my friends," said Mr Brooke, "we are not coming ashore. We know your gentle nature too well. But Ching is not coming, Herrick, so we'll heave up the grapnel and be off."

The crowd was now dense, and the excitement still increasing, but the moment they saw our coxswain, in obedience to an order given by Mr Brooke—in spite of an appealing look, and a request for another ten minutes—begin to haul up the rough grapnel, the noise ashore was hushed, and the gesticulations ceased.

"Five minutes more, Mr Brooke," I whispered; "I feel sure that Ching will come."

"Silence, sir," he said coldly. "It is only what I expected. The man knows he is found out."

By this time the boat was hauled up over the grapnel, and I shrank away in despair, feeling bitterly disappointed at Ching's non-appearance, but full of confidence in him—faith the stronger for an intense desire to make up to the man for misjudging him before.

Then the grapnel was out of the mud, and hauled over the side; the boat began to yield to the tide; and Mr Brooke stepped to the mast himself, being unwilling to call the men in the cabin into the people's sight.

"Come and take a hand at the rope here, coxswain," said Mr Brooke. "Mr Herrick, take the tiller."

But at the first grasp of our intention, as they saw the preparation for hoisting the sail, there was a fierce yell from the shore, and the people scattered to right and left.

"What does that mean?" I said to myself. But the next instant I knew, for they were making for different boats, into which they jumped, and rapidly began to unmoor.

"Humph! time we were off," said Mr Brooke. "Hoist away, man, I cannot do it alone."

"I am a-hysting, sir, but the tackle's got foul somehow. It's this here rough rope. The yard won't move."

"Tut tut—try, man, try."

"All right, sir, I'll swarm up the the mast, and set it free."

"But there is no time, my man. Haul—haul."

The man did haul, but it was like pulling at a fixed rope, and the sail obstinately refused to move, while to my horror there were no less than six boats pushing off, and I foresaw capture, a Chinese prison, and severe punishment—if we could not get help—for stealing a boat.

"All hands on deck," cried Mr Brooke, making use of the familiar aboard-ship order, and just as the first two boats were coming rapidly on, and were within a dozen yards, our Jacks sprang up armed and ready.

The effect was magical. Evidently taken by surprise, the Chinamen stopped short, and the boats all went on drifting slowly down the stream. But at the end of a minute, as we made no attack, but all stood awaiting orders, they recovered their confidence, uttered a shout to encourage one another, and came on.

"I don't want to injure them," Mr Brooke muttered, but he was forced to act. "Give them the butts of your pieces, my lads, if they try to lay hold of the boat. Mind, they must be kept off."

He had no time to say more, but seized the fowling-piece as the first boat was rowed alongside, and amidst a fierce burst of objurgations, in a tongue we could not understand, a couple of men seized the gunwale of the boat, while two more jumped aboard.

The men who caught hold let go again directly, for the butts of the men's rifles and the gunwale were both hard for fingers, and the Chinese yelled, and the two who leaped aboard shrieked as they were seized and shot out of the boat again.

But by this time another craft of about our own size had come alongside, and was hanging on to us, while four more were trying to get in, and others were pushing off from the shore.

We were being surrounded; and, enraged by our resistance, while gaining courage from their numbers and from the fact that we made no use of cutlass or rifle, they now made desperate efforts to get aboard.

Our men were getting desperate too, and in another minute there must have been deplorable bloodshed, the more to be regretted as it would have been between our sailors and a friendly power, when Jecks, after knocking a Chinaman back into his own boat with his fist, stooped and picked up the boat-hook we had brought on board from our now sunken cutter. With this he did wonders, using it like a cue, Barkins afterwards said, when I described the struggle, and playing billiards with Chinese heads. But, be that as it may, he drove back at least a dozen men, and then attacked one of the boats, driving the pole right through the thin planking and sending the water rushing in.

But we were still in imminent danger of being taken prisoners, and, as he afterwards told me, Mr Brooke was thinking seriously of sending a charge of small-shot scattering amongst the crowd, when two of our lads seized the sheet and began to try and hoist the matting-sail, and to my intense delight I saw it begin to go up as easily as could be.

I flew to the tiller, but found a big Chinaman before me, and in an instant he had me by the collar and was tugging me over the side. But I clung to it, felt a jerk as there was a loud rap, and, thanks to Tom Jecks, the man rolled over into the water, and began to swim.

"Now for it, my lads," shouted Mr Brooke. "All together; over with them!"

The men cheered and struck down with the butts of their rifles, the boat-hook was wielded fiercely, and half-a-dozen of our assailants were driven out of the boat, but not into the others, for they fell with splash after splash into the river. For our vessel careened over as the sail caught the full pressure of the wind, and then made quite a bound from the little craft by which she was surrounded.

Then a cheer arose, for we knew we could laugh at our enemies, who were being rapidly left behind; and, while some dragged their swimming companions into their boats, the others set up a savage yelling; gesticulating, and no doubt telling us how, if they caught us, they would tear us into little bits.

"Well done, my lads," cried Mr Brooke. "Splendid, splendid. Couldn't have been better. Excellent, Mr Herrick; ease her a little, ease her. We must have a reef in that sail. All left behind, then; no pursuit?" and he looked astern as our boat rushed through the water, and then he frowned, for one of the men said—

"Yes, sir; here's one on 'em from the shore coming arter us full sail, and she's going as fast as we."

And once more, as I looked behind me, holding on the while by the tiller, I seemed to see the inside of a Chinese prison after we had been pretty well stoned to death; for it was a good-sized boat that was gliding after us at a rapid rate, and threatening to overtake us before long.



CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

MR. BROOKE'S ERROR.

"I did not see either of those craft with sails," I said to Tom Jecks, as we stood watching the following boat, which was evidently making every possible effort to come up with us.

"No, sir, 'twarn't neither o' them. I see 'em put off from a bit higher up," said Jecks. "My hye! they are in a hurry, sir. You'd better tell Mr Brooke he must shake out a reef instead o' taking one up."

"No; leave it to him, he doesn't like interference."

"No, sir, orficers don't, and it is their natur' to. But I say, sir, what a—murder!—what a wrench I give my shoulder."

"How?"

"Hitting one o' them pudding-headed Teapots, sir. Didn't hurt my knuckles, because his head was soft. Just like punching a bladder o' lard, but the weight on him wrenched the jynte."

"Wait till we get on board," I said, "and Mr Price will soon put you right."

"Bah! not him, sir," said the man scornfully. "I shouldn't think o' going to a doctor for nothing less than losing my head. It'll soon get right. Exercise is the thing, sir, for a hurt o' that sort. You and Mr Brooke give us a good job at them pirates out yonder, and I shall forget all about my shoulder."

"We'll try," I said laughingly. "But what were you going to say just now?"

"I, sir? nothin', sir."

"Oh yes; when you broke off."

"I broke off, sir?"

"Yes."

"To be sure. Yes, sir, I was going to say what a lesson it is for you, sir, as a young orficer, not to go pickling and stealing other folkses' boats. This here all comes o' taking boats as don't belong to you."

"Better than sitting in another till she sinks, Tom Jecks."

"Not so honest, sir."

"Rubbish! We haven't stolen the boat; only borrowed it."

"Ah, that's what them heathens don't understand, sir; and I don't know as I blames 'em, for it is rather hard for 'em to take hold on. S'pose, sir, as you was in London town, and a chap was to take your dymon' ring—"

"Haven't got one, Tom Jecks."

"Well, s'pose you had one, and he took it and sailed away as hard as he could go, sir. It wouldn't be very easy for you to tell whether he'd stole it or borrowed it, eh, sir?"

"Oh, bother I don't ask riddles now, we're so busy. Here: over we go."

"Lie to the windward, all of you," shouted Mr Brooke, who was now at the tiller. "More aft there; that's better."

For the boat had careened over to so great an extent that she had taken in a little water, and I felt that we were about to be capsized.

But she rose again and skimmed along rapidly for the mouth of the river, and I crept close to my officer again.

"Shall I take the tiller, sir?" I said.

"No, Herrick, I'll keep it for the present. I want to get all I can out of the boat, and keep up as much sail as possible without capsizing. It's wonderful what these clumsy things can do."

"Yes, sir, we're going pretty fast, but I'm afraid the one behind goes faster."

"She does, my lad, for her crew know exactly how to manage. I don't want any more fighting if I can help it, but if they do overtake us I think we can soon send them back again. Men seem much hurt? Do they complain?" he whispered.

"Only about bruises, sir. They seem to treat it as so much fun. I say, how that boat does sail!"

"Yes, and we can do no more here but keep steadily on. Yes, we can. Take a pull at that sheet, my lads, and flatten out the sail a bit."

"Ay, ay, sir;" and the sail was hauled a foot higher, and the sheet tightened, with the effect that we raced along with the water parting like a broad arrow before our prow, so that we seemed to be sailing along in quite a trough, and at times I wondered that we were not swamped.

But it was very exciting, and, like the others, I forgot all about a few contusions in the intense interest of the chase.

I went forward again to where Tom Jecks sat on the port gunwale, which was formed of one bamboo carefully lashed on with strips of the same material, and as there was nothing else to do, I shaded my eyes from the nearly level rays of sunlight, and had a good look at the distant junks.

"Yes, sir, that's them, sure enough," said the coxswain. "Wish we was twice as many, and had a good-sized gun in the bows."

"Why, it would kick the boat all to pieces, or sink her," I said.

"Oh, that wouldn't matter, sir."

"But it's some one else's boat that we've borrowed," I said, with a laugh.

"Ay, so it is; I forgot, sir. But we ain't got a gun, and I'm afraid we can't take them two junks alone."

"So am I, Tom Jecks," I said; "but we can follow them."

"Arter we've had another naval engagement, sir. I say, look astern; I do like the impidence of these here savages, chasing on us like this, and they're gaining on us fast."

"No; only just holding their own."

"Gaining, sir."

"No."

"Yes, sir."

I took a long look back at the boat, and counted the black caps and flattened limpet-shaped straw hats of the blue-jacketed men on board.

"Seven of 'em," I said half aloud.

"Eight, sir; I counted 'em twice. One on 'em is a-lying down now, but he was a-setting up a little while ago. Afraid we shall open fire, I expect."

"And that's what we shall have to do," I said. "A rifle bullet or two sent over their heads would make them give up."

"But they arn't pirates, sir, and you mustn't fire at 'em. Look at that now."

The pursuing boat was about two hundred yards behind us, and one of the Chinamen now stood up in the bows, holding on by a stay, waving his straw hat and gesticulating furiously.

"All right, Mr Shing po Num, or whatever your name is," said the coxswain in a low voice, "can't stop this time, we're in a hurry."

The man kept on gesticulating.

"Can't you hear what I say?" continued Jecks in a whisper. "We're in a hurry. Say, sir, that's the chap as belongs to our boat—I mean his boat, and he's getting wilder and wilder now to see us carry it off. Say, sir, arn't it a bit—what you may call it—to take it away?"

"A bit what?"

"Well, sir, what do you grand folks call it when some one does what we're a-doing on?"

"Unkind."

"No, sir; it arn't an un-anything."

"Cruel?"

"No, sir. Cause you see a boat arn't a beast."

"Oh, I don't know what you mean," I said impatiently.

"Yes, it is an un-something; I forgot, sir. I meant undignified—that's the word."

"He shall have his boat when we've done with it, and be paid for it too," I said. "English officers don't do undignified things."

"But it strikes me, sir, as there won't be no boat to pay for when the pirates have done with us. If we go alongside, do you know what they'll do?"

"Shoot."

"No, sir; pitch ballast into us, and sink us, as sure as we're here."

"Don't talk so much," I said impatiently. "Why, they've got another sail up, and are coming on faster."

"Yes, sir, that's right; and they'll be alongside on us in another ten minutes. Shall I pass the word along to the lads to spit in their fists?"

"What?"

"I mean, sir, I s'pose it won't be cutlasses but fisties, sir, eh?"

"Mr Herrick, you had better come and take the tiller," said Mr Brooke just then. "Don't attend to anything else. Your duty is to keep the boat running; we'll do what fighting there is."

"Very well, sir," I said, and I felt disappointed as I took the tiller, but felt better a minute later as I felt how I could sway the racing boat by a touch.

"Now, my lads, cutlasses and rifles under the thwarts. You take the oars to these men. Don't attack them, they are ignorant of our power. Only keep them off with a few blows."

The men eagerly responded to the words of command, and stood and sat about in the boat, each man armed with a stout, strong ashen blade, a blow from which would have sent any one overboard at once.

The chase, with our boat playing the part of hare, was exciting enough before, but it grew far more so now, for the men in the other boat were evidently determined, and two of them stood up with clumsy-looking hooks, and another with a coil of rope ready to lasso us, as it seemed to me. And as I sat there I felt how awkward it would be if the man threw a loop over my head or chest, and dragged me out of the boat.

Naturally enough, the thought of this alone was enough to produce in me an intense desire to stand up, instead of crouching down there holding the tiller, and forced into a state of inaction, wherein I was forbidden to move or raise a hand in my defence.

"I hope they'll give a thought to me," I said to myself, as I felt that in a very few minutes they would be alongside trying to leap on board, and from my position I knew that I must be in the thick of the fight, perhaps trampled upon, and pretty sure to receive some of the blows which came flying about.

I gazed firmly forward, knowing how much depended upon my keeping the boat's head straight, and determined, as I set my teeth, to do my duty as well as possible, but I could not help turning my head from time to time to look back at the pursuers, who began shouting to us, and jabbering in their own tongue, as they were evidently now at the highest pitch of excitement.

Not many yards behind now, and gradually lessening the distance. All was ready on board, and I saw Mr Brooke looking stern, and the men as they grasped their oars grinning at one another, and then looking aft at the enemy.

And as we raced, the water foaming behind, the bamboo mast creaking and bending, the mat-sail cracking and making curious noises as the wind hissed through the thick stuff, the trough we ploughed through the water seemed deeper, and my temples throbbed and my heart beat, while from time to time the water lipped over the bows, but not enough to warrant any change of course. And nearer and nearer the enemy came, their boat literally skimming over the water, six feet to our five, and I felt that the time had arrived.

One more quick glance over my shoulder at the eager faces of the Chinamen as they uttered a loud shout, another at the men ready for action; another over my left shoulder to see that the enemy was close upon us, and then I uttered a strange cry, and, bearing hard upon the tiller, threw the boat right up into the wind, the sail easing as we formed a curve in the water, our speed checked, and then we lay nose to wind, with the boat seeming to quiver and pant after her heavy run.

"Are you mad?" roared Mr Brooke, rushing at me, thrusting me aside so that I went down upon my back, and he was about to seize the tiller, when I shouted out, half-choking with laughter, panting too with triumphant delight—

"Don't, don't, don't! Can't you see—it is Ching!"



CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

REST AND REFRESHMENT.

Ching it was, and the men sent up a cheer as out pursuers grappled the side of our boat, held on, and our messenger came on board smiling.

"Velly muchee big job you catchee," he said. "Why, what fo' you lun along so fast?"

"Why, Ching," cried Mr Brooke, "what does this mean?"

"No get away. Muchee velly bad man. No get to boat. Allee fightee. Get 'nother boat, and come along."

"You couldn't get on board us again?"

"No; too many velly bad men. Plenty blead; plenty fish; plenty meat. Velly nice. All in boat. Velly long time catchee."

Our men laid down the oars with a great deal of care and precision, as if it was important that they should not be a quarter of an inch wrong, and our coxswain doubled himself up to indulge in a good long comfortable chuckle, while I could not help whispering to the young lieutenant—

"I say, Mr Brooke, I wasn't very far wrong?"

"No, my lad," he said, with a smile; "I give in. I was all prejudice against the poor fellow, but I was justified in a great deal that I said. Appearances were dead against him. There, I was too hasty."

Meanwhile the stores Ching had bought had been transferred to our boat, and he had told us a little about his adventures—how, when he had made his purchases, he had returned to the landing-place and found the crowd gathering, and heard the men declaiming against the foreign devils who had stolen the boat they were using. The people were growing so much excited that he soon found it would be impossible for him to go off with his load to join us, and as soon as he heard the most prominent of the men shouting to us to come ashore, he felt that his first duty was to warn us not to.

"Catchee allee. Takee off to plison. In plison velly hard get out again," he said, and then went on to tell us how he felt it would be best to hire a boat to come off to us from higher up the river, but in spite of all his efforts he could not get one and his stores on board till he saw the other boats push off to the attack; and then, when his men willingly tried to overtake us, urged on by promises of good pay, they had been mistaken by us for enemies.

"But velly good boat, sail velly fast. You tink it Ching coming?"

"No, of course not," I said.

"No, not tink it Ching. Send boat 'way now? Ching go?"

"No, no," said Mr Brooke eagerly. "You will stop with us."

"You no velly closs with Ching now?"

"Cross? No; very grateful."

"You no tink Ching like velly bad man pilate?"

"I think you a very good, faithful fellow," said Mr Brooke, and the Chinaman's face lit up.

"Send boat 'way now?"

"Stop; I must pay the men."

Ching shook his head.

"No, Ching pay. Velly clebby pay money. Two dollar pay men."

He went back into the other boat, and, producing some money from up his sleeve, he settled with the men, who nodded, smiled, and, as soon as Ching had returned on board, were about to push off, when Mr Brooke stopped them.

"Tell them we shall return the boat as soon as we have done with it."

"Yes; no go steal boat. Plenty boat in steamy-ship. Tell them capen give dollar, eh?"

"Yes, tell them that."

"You likee other boat and men?"

"Well, I don't know," said Mr Brooke, hesitating, as if he thought some use might be made of such a fast-sailing craft.

"Ching askee."

He entered into a short conversation with the boatmen, who smiled at first, then scowled, stamped, and gesticulated.

Ching nodded and turned to us.

"Say, go to big steamy-ship and Queen Victolia jolly sailor, but no to see pilate. 'Flaid cut off head."

"Then they must go; send them off."

The men laughed, nodded at us in the most friendly manner, then hoisted their sail and went back up the river. Then, provisions being served out, our lads sat eating and chatting, while our boat sped seaward towards where the two junks lay windbound not many miles away, or else waiting for some reason, one which Mr Brooke decided at last to be for reinforcements.

"Yes," he said, as I sat munching away at some pleasantly sweet-tasted bread which Ching had brought on board, "depend upon it, we shall see boats or a small junk go out and join them by and by."

It is curious how old tunes bring up old scenes. Most people say the same, but at the risk of being considered one who thinks too much of eating, I am going to say that nothing brings up old scenes to my memory more than particular kinds of food.

For instance, there is a flat, square kind of gingerbread which we boys used to know as "parliament." I cannot ever see that without thinking of going to school on sunny mornings, and stopping by one particular ditch to bang the wasps with my school-bag, swung round by its string. It was only the seniors who sported a strap for their books; and in those days my legs, from the bottom of my drawers to the top of my white socks, were bare, and my unprotected knees in a state of chip, scale, and scar, from many tumbles on the gravelly path.

Then, again, pancakes will bring up going round the stables and cowhouse in search of stray new-laid white eggs, which I bore off, greatly to the disgust of the great black cock, with the yellow saddle-hackles and the tall red serrated comb.

Fish naturally bring up the carp in the muddy pond which we used to catch, and gloat over their golden glories; or the brazen small-scaled tench, with all the surroundings at Norwood, where the builder has run riot, and terraces and semi-detached villas—I hope well drained—cover the pool whence we used to drag forth miniature alligators with a worm.

I could go on for pages about those recollections, but one more will suffice:—Sweet cakey bread always brings up Mother Crissell, who must have made a nice little independence by selling us boys that sweet cake dotted with currants, some of which were swollen out to an enormous size, and lay in little pits on the top. These currants we used to dig out as bonnes bouches from the dark soft brown, but only to find them transformed into little bubbles of cindery lava, which crunched between the teeth.

And so it was that, as I sat sailing along at the mouth of that swift, yellow, muddy Chinese river, munching the sweet cakey bread Ching had brought on board, and gazing from time to time at the geese we had shot and had no means of cooking, memory carried me back to Mother Crissell's shop, and that rather bun-faced old lady, who always wore a blue cotton gown covered with blue spots and of no particular shape, for the amiable old woman never seemed to have any waist. There was the inside of her place, and the old teapot on the chimney-piece, in which she deposited her money and whence she drew forth change.

And then, in a moment, I seemed to be back in the great playground; then away on to the common, where we hunted for lizards amongst the furze, and got more pricks than reptiles. I saw, too, the big old horse-chestnuts round by the great square pond where you could never catch any fish, but always tried for them on account of the character it had of holding monsters, especially eels as big and round as your arm. I never knew any one catch a fish in that pond, but we did a deal of anticipation there, and watched the dragon-flies flit to and fro, and heard the rustle of they transparent wings. Splendid ones they were. First of all, there came early in the summer the thin-bodied ones, some of a steely-blue, some dark with clear wings, and with them those with the wings clouded with dark patches. Then came the large, short, flat-bodied, pointed-tailed fellows, some blue, some olive-green. Late in the season, affecting the damp spots of the common among the furze bushes more than the pond, came the largest long-bodied flies, which hawked to and fro over the same ground, and played havoc among their prey.

You could hear the school-bell from there—the big one in the turret on the top of the great square brick mansion; and in imagination I saw that pond, and the dragon-flies, lizards, and furze, the shady finger-leaved chestnuts, and even heard that bell, while the sweet cakey bread lasted; and then I was back in the Chinese boat on the Chinese river, for Ching leaned over me with something in rice-paper.

"You likee bit piecee flesh meat?"

"What is it?" I said, looking hard at the rather tempting brown meat with its white fat.

"Velly nice," he said. "Got pep' salt. Velly good."

"Yes," I said; "but is it good? I mean something I should like to eat?"

"Yes; loast lit' piggee; velly nice."

He was quite right—it was; and after I had finished I went forward to see if I could get something to drink. Jecks was inspecting the big earthen vessel with a tin baler, and I appealed to him.

"How is the water?" I said.

"Well, sir, yer can't say quite well thankye, 'cause it arn't right colour yet, and it's got a sort o' fishing-boat flavour in it, as puts yer in mind o' Yarmouth market at herring time, but it ain't so pea-soupy as it were, and it might be worse. Try a tot, sir?"

"Yes," I said; "I'm so thirsty, I must have a drop."

He dipped the baler in carefully, and brought it out dripping.

"Has anybody else drunk any?" I said.

"Oh yes, sir, all on us; and I says to you as I says to them, you shut your eyes, sir, and think you've been eating bloaters, or codfish, or fried sole. Then tip it down quick, and you'll says it's lovely."

"Ugh!" I ejaculated, as I looked down into the baler, "why, it looks like a dose of rhubarb."

"Well, it do, sir, a little; but you're a spyling of it a deal by looking at it first. You shut your eyes, sir, as I said; me and my mates thought as it's good strong water with a deal o' what some people calls nootriment in it."

"None for me, thank you," I said, handing back the tin.

"Bring me some water, Mr Herrick, when you've done," said Mr Brooke from where he sat holding the tiller.

"Yes, sir," I said; and, holding the baler to my lips, I took a hearty, hasty draught, for it was cool and refreshing to my dry mouth and throat, and, that done, I refilled the baler and took it aft.

"Humph! rather muddy, Herrick," said Mr Brooke, smiling; "but one can't carry a filter about at a time like this."

He tossed off the water without hesitation, gave one of the men the tin to take back, and then altered the course of the boat a little, so as to hug the shore.

"We must not let the pirates suspect that we are following," he said.

"What are we going to do, Mr Brooke?" I said.

"You should never question your commanding-officer about his strategy," he replied, with a smile; and I was about to apologise, but he went on, "There's only one thing to do, my lad, keep them in sight, and I hope that at any time the Teaser may appear. When she does, she will in all probability run by those junks without suspecting their nature, then we come in and let them know the truth."

"But suppose the Teaser does not come into sight?"

"Then our task is clear enough. We must hang on to the track of the junks till we see where they go. Depend upon it, they have two or three rendezvous."

"Think they have telescopes on board?" I said.

"It is extremely doubtful; and if we keep Ching always well in sight, I don't suppose they will notice us. They will take us for a fishing-boat, that's all."

By this time the sun was pouring down his beams with scorching violence, and we were glad to give up the tiller to one of the men, and get into the shelter of the cabin, just beyond which we found that Ching was busy at work plucking one of the geese.

"Why are you doing that?" I asked.

"Velly good to loast."

"But we've got no fire."

"Go 'shore, make fi', loast all, and come back on board."

"Yes, it will be a good addition to our stock of provisions, Herrick," said Mr Brooke, smiling. "Your friend Ching is going to turn out a benefactor after all."



CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.

JACK ASHORE.

All was quiet on the junks, not a man being visible as we sailed out of the river and along the south shore of the estuary; and now, after a long examination, Mr Brooke declared that there couldn't be a doubt as to their being the ones we had seen up the branch river when we were in the trap.

"The rig is too heavy for ordinary traders, Herrick," he said; and he pointed out several peculiarities which I should not have noticed.

Ching had been watching us attentively, and Mr Brooke, who evidently wanted to make up now for his harsh treatment of the interpreter, turned to him quietly—

"Well, what do you say about it, Ching?"

The interpreter smiled.

"Ching quite su'e," he replied. "Seen velly many pilate come into liver by fancee shop. Ching know d'leckly. Velly big mast, velly big sail, go so velly fast catchee allee ship. You go waitee all dalk, burn all up."

"What! set fire to them?"

"Yes; velly easy. All asleep, no keepee watch like Queen ship. No light. Cleep velly close up top side, big wind blow; make lit' fire both junk and come away. Allee 'light velly soon, and make big burn."

"What! and roast the wretches on board to death?"

"Some," said Ching, with a pleasant smile. "Makee squeak, and cly 'Oh! oh!' and burn all 'way like fi'wo'k. Look velly nice when it dalk."

"How horrid!" I cried.

"Not all bu'n up," said Ching; "lot jump ove'board and be dlown."

"Ching, you're a cruel wretch," I cried, as Mr Brooke looked at the man in utter disgust.

"No; Ching velly glad see pilate bu'n up and dlown. Dleadful bad man, bu'n ship junk, chop off head. Kill hundleds poo' good nicee people. Pilate velly hollid man. Don't want pilate at all."

"No, we don't want them at all," said Mr Brooke, who seemed to be studying the Chinaman's utter indifference to the destruction of human life; "there's no room for them in the world, but that's not our way of doing business. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yes, Ching understand, know. Ching can't talk velly quick Inglis, but hear evelyting."

"That's right. Well, my good fellow, that wouldn't be English. We kill men in fair fight, or take them prisoners. We couldn't go and burn the wretches up like that."

Ching shook his head.

"All velly funnee," he said. "Shoot big gun and make big hole in junk; knockee all man into bit; makee big junk sink and allee men dlown."

"Yes," said Mr Brooke, wrinkling up his forehead.

"Why not make lit' fire and bu'n junk, killee allee same?"

"He has me there, Herrick," said Mr Brooke.

"Takee plisoner to mandalin. Mandalin man put on heavy chain, kick flow in boat, put in plison, no give to eat, and then choppee off allee head. Makee hurt gleat deal mo'. Velly solly for plisoner. Bette' make big fi' and bu'n allee now."

Mr Brooke smiled and looked at me, and I laughed.

"We'd better change the subject, Herrick," he said. "I'm afraid there is not much difference in the cruelty of the act."

"No, sir," I said, giving one of my ears a rub. "But it is puzzling."

"Yes, my lad; and I suppose we should have no hesitation in shelling and burning a pirates' nest."

"But we couldn't steal up and set fire to their junks in the dark, sir?"

"No, my lad, that wouldn't be ordinary warfare. Well, we had better run into one of these little creeks, and land," he continued, as he turned to inspect the low, swampy shore. "Plenty of hiding-places there, where we can lie and watch the junks, and wait for the Teaser to show."

"Velly good place," said Ching, pointing to where there was a patch of low, scrubby woodland, on either side of which stretched out what seemed to be rice fields, extending to the hills which backed the plain. "Plenty wood makee fire—loast goose."

I saw a knowing look run round from man to man.

"But the pirates would see our fire," I said.

"Yes, see fi'; tink allee fish man catch cookee fish."

"Yes, you're right, Ching. It will help to disarm any doubts. They will never think the Teaser's men are ashore lighting a fire;" and, altering our course a little, he ran the boat in shore and up a creek, where we landed, made fast the boat under some low scrubby trees, and in a very short time after a couple of men were placed where they could watch the junks and give notice of any movement. The others quickly collected a quantity of drift-wood, and made a good fire, Ching tucking up his sleeves and superintending, while Mr Brooke and I went out on the other side of the little wood, and satisfied ourselves that there was no sign of human habitation on this side of the river, the city lying far away on the other.

When we came back, Ching was up to the elbows in shore mud, and we found by him a couple of our geese and a couple of ducks turned into dirt-puddings. In other words, he had cut off their heads, necks, and feet, and then cased them thickly with the soft, unctuous clay from the foot of the bank; and directly we came he raked away some of the burning embers, placed the clay lumps on the earth, and raked back all the glowing ashes before piling more wood over the hissing masses.

"Velly soon cook nicee," he said, smiling; and then he went to the waterside to get rid of the clay with which he was besmirched.

Mr Brooke walked to the sentinels, and for want of something else to do I stood pitching pieces of drift-wood on to the fire, for the most part shattered fragments of bamboo, many of extraordinary thickness, and all of which blazed readily and sent out a great heat.

"Makes a bit of a change, Mr Herrick, sir," said Jecks, as the men off duty lay about smoking their pipes, and watching the fire with eyes full of expectation.

"Yes; rather different to being on shipboard, Jecks," I said.

"Ay, 'tis, sir. More room to stretch your legs, and no fear o' hitting your head agin a beam or your elber agin a bulkhead. Puts me in mind o' going a-gipsying a long time ago."

"'In the days when we went gipsying, a long time ago,'" chorussed the others musically.

"Steady there," I said. "Silence."

"Beg pardon, sir," said one of the men; and Tom Jecks chuckled. "But it do, sir," he said. "I once had a night on one o' the Suffolk heaths with the gipsies; I was a boy then, and we had hare for supper—two hares, and they was cooked just like that, made into clay balls without skinning on 'em first."

"But I thought they always skinned hares," I said, "because the fur was useful."

"So it is, sir; but there was gamekeepers in that neighbourhood, and if they'd found the gipsies with those skins, they'd have asked 'em where the hares come from, and that might have been unpleasant."

"Poached, eh?"

"I didn't ask no questions, sir. And when the hares was done, they rolled the red-hot clay out, gave it a tap, and it cracked from end to end, an' come off like a shell with the skin on it, and leaving the hares all smoking hot. I never ate anything so good before in my life."

"Yah! These here geese 'll be a sight better, Tommy," said one of the men. "I want to see 'em done."

"And all I'm skeart about," said another, "is that the Teaser 'll come back 'fore we've picked the bones."

I walked slowly away to join Mr Brooke, for the men's words set me thinking about the gunboat, and the way in which she had sailed and left us among these people. But I felt that there must have been good cause for it, or Captain Thwaites would never have gone off so suddenly.

"Gone in chase of some of the scoundrels," I thought; and then I began to think about Mr Reardon and Barkins and Smith. "Poor old Tanner," I said to myself, "he wouldn't have been so disagreeable if it had not been for old Smith. Tanner felt ashamed of it all the time. But what a game for them to be plotting to get me into difficulties, and then find that I was picked out for this expedition! I wish they were both here."

For I felt no animosity about Smith, and as for Tanner I should have felt delighted to have him there to join our picnic dinner.

I suppose I had a bad temper, but it never lasted long, and after a quarrel at school it was all over in five minutes, and almost forgotten.

I was so deep in thought that I came suddenly upon Mr Brooke, seated near where the men were keeping their look-out. He was carefully scanning the horizon, but looked up at me as I stopped short after nearly kicking against him.

"Any sign of the Teaser sir?" I said.

"No, Herrick. I've been trying very hard to make her out, but there is no smoke anywhere."

"Oh, she'll come, sir, if we wait. What about the junks?"

"I haven't seen a man stirring oh board either of them, and they are so quiet that I can't quite make them out."

"Couldn't we steal off after dark, sir, and board one of them? If we took them quite by surprise we might do it."

"I am going to try, Herrick," he said quietly, "some time after dark. But that only means taking one, the other would escape in the alarm."

"Or attack us, sir."

"Very possibly; but we should have to chance that." He did not say any more, but sat there scanning the far-spreading sea, dotted with the sails of fishing-boats and small junks. But he had given me plenty to think about, for I was growing learned now in the risks of the warfare we were carrying on, and I could not help wondering what effect it would have upon the men's appetites if they were told of the perilous enterprise in which they would probably be called upon to engage that night.

My musings were interrupted by a rustling sound behind me, and, turning sharply, it was to encounter the smooth, smiling countenance of Ching, who came up looking from one to the other as if asking permission to join us.

"Well," said Mr Brooke quietly, "is dinner ready?"

Ching shook his head, and then said sharply—

"Been thinking 'bout junks, they stop there long time."

"Yes; what for? Are they waiting for men?"

"P'laps; but Ching think they know 'bout other big junk. Some fliends tell them in the big city. Say to them, big junk load with silk, tea, dollar. Go sail soon. You go wait for junk till she come out. Then you go 'longside, killee evelybody, and take silk, tea, dollar; give me lit' big bit for tellee."

"Yes, that's very likely to be the reason they are waiting."

"Soon know; see big junk come down liver, and pilates go after long way, then go killee evelybody. Muchee better go set fire both junk to-night."

"We shall see," said Mr Brooke quietly.

He rose and walked down to the two sentinels.

"Keep a sharp look-out, my lads, for any junks which come down the river, as well as for any movements on board those two at anchor. I shall send and relieve you when two men have had their dinner."

"Thankye, sir," was the reply; and we walked back, followed by Ching.

"That last seems a very likely plan, Herrick," said Mr Brooke. "The scoundrels play into each other's hands; and I daresay, if the truth was known, some of these merchants sell cargoes to traders, and then give notice to the pirates, who plunder the vessels and then sell the stuff again to the merchants at a cheap rate. But there, we must eat, my lad, and our breakfast was very late and very light. We will make a good meal, and then see what the darkness brings forth."

We found the men carefully attending to the fire, which was now one bright glow of embers; and very soon Ching announced that dinner was cooked, proceeding directly after to hook out the hard masses of clay, which he rolled over to get rid of the powdery ash, and, after letting them cool a little, he duly cracked them, and a gush of deliciously-scented steam saluted our nostrils.

But I have so much to tell that I will not dwell upon our banquet. Let it suffice that I say every one was more than satisfied; and when the meal was over, Ching set to work again coating the rest of our game with clay, and placed them in the embers to cook.

"Velly good, velly nicee to-day," he said; "but sun velly hot, night velly hot, big fly come to-mollow, goose not loast, begin to 'mell velly nasty."

As darkness fell, the fire was smothered out with sand, there being plenty of heat to finish the cookery; and then, just when I least expected it, Mr Brooke gave the order for the men to go to the boat.

He counter-ordered the men directly, and turned to me.

"These are pretty contemptible things to worry about, Herrick," he said, "but unless we are well provisioned the men cannot fight. We must wait and take that food with us."

Ching was communicated with, and declared the birds done. This announcement was followed by rolling them out, and, after they had cooled a bit, goose and duck were borne down to the boat in their clay shells, and stowed aft, ready for use when wanted.

Ten minutes later we were gliding once more through the darkness outward in the direction of the two junks, while my heart beat high in anticipation of my having to play a part in a very rash and dangerous proceeding—at least it seemed to be so to me.



CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

INFORMATION.

It was too dark to make out the junks, but their direction had been well marked, and Mr Brooke took his measures very carefully.

"Perfect silence, my lads," he said. "Perhaps the lives of all here depend upon it. Now, the sail half up; Jecks, hold the sheet; the others sit in the bottom of the boat. Every man to have his arms ready for instant use."

There was a quick movement, a faint rattle, and then all still.

"Good; very prompt, my lads. Mr Herrick, come and take the tiller, and be ready to obey the slightest whispered command."

I hurriedly seated myself by him in the darkness, and waited while our leader now turned to the last man to receive his orders.

"You, Ching," he said, "will go right forward to keep a good look-out, ready to give a whispered warning of our approach to the junks. Do you know what a whispered warning means?"

"Yes; Ching say see junk so lit' voice you can't hear him."

The men tittered.

"Silence! Yes, you understand. Now go, and be careful. But mind this, if our boat is seen and the pirates hail, you answer them in their own tongue; do you understand?"

"Yes; 'peakee Chinee all along."

"That will do."

Ching crept forward, and we were gliding along over the dark sea before a gentle breeze, which, however, hardly rippled the water.

"Keep a bright look-out for the Teaser, Jecks. We may see her lights."

"Ay, ay, sir."

Then on and on in a silence so deep that the gentle rattle and splash of the sea against our bows sounded singularly loud, and I almost felt drowsy at last, but started back into wakefulness on Mr Brooke touching my arm and whispering—

"I reckon that we shall be very near them in another ten minutes. I want to sail round at a little distance."

I nodded, but doubted whether he could see me in the intense darkness, for there was not a star to be seen, the sky being covered with low down black clouds, which seemed to be hanging only a short distance above the sea. Right away behind us was a faint glow telling of the whereabouts of the Chinese city, but seaward there was no sign of the Teaser's or any other lights, for it was like sailing away into a dense black wall, and I began to look forward more and more anxiously as I thought of the possibility of our running with a crash right on to the anchored junks.

But I was under orders, and waited for my instructions, keeping the light craft as straight on her course as I could contrive, and grasping the tiller with all my strength.

All at once there was a faint rustling, and suddenly I felt Ching's soft hand touch my knee, and I could just make out his big round face.

"Listen," he said.

Mr Brooke's hand was laid on mine, and the tiller pressed sidewise slowly and gently, so that the boat glided round head to wind, and we lay motionless, listening to the dull creak and regular beat of oars a short distance to the north. Then came a faint groan or two of the oars in their locks, but that was all. We could see nothing, hear no other sound, but all the same we could tell that a large boat of some kind was being pulled in the same direction as that which we had taken.

"Men going out to the junks," I said to myself, and my heart beat heavily, so that I could feel it go throb throb against my ribs. I knew that was what must be the case, and that the men would be savage, reckless desperadoes, who would have tried to run us down if they had known of our being there.

But they were as much in the dark as we, and I could hear them pass on, and I knew that we must have been going in the right direction for the junk. Then I had clear proof, for all at once there was a low, wailing, querulous cry, which sent a chill through me, it sounded so wild and strange.

"Only a sea-bird—some kind of gull," I said to myself; and then I knew that it was a hail, for a short way to the southwards a little dull star of light suddenly shone out behind us, for the boat had of course been turned.

There was the answer to the signal, and there of course lay the junk, which in another five minutes we should have reached.

Mr Brooke pressed my arm, and we all sat listening to the beating of the oars, slow and regular as if the rowers had been a crew of our well-trained Jacks. Then the beat ceased, there was a faint rattling noise, which I know must have been caused by a rope, then a dull grinding sound as of a boat rubbing against the side of a vessel, and lastly a few indescribable sounds which might have been caused by men climbing up into the junk, but of that I could not be sure.

Once more silence, and I wondered what next.

Mr Brooke's hand upon mine answered my wonderings. He pressed it and the tiller together, the boat's sail filled gently once more, and we resumed our course, but the direction of the boat was changed more to the north-eastward. We were easing off to port so as to get well to the left of the junks, and for some distance we ran like this; then the hand touched mine again, and the rudder was pressed till we were gliding southward again, but we had not gone far when Ching uttered a low warning, and I just had time to shift the helm and send the boat gliding round astern of a large junk, which loomed up above us like ebony, as we were going dead for it, and if we had struck, our fragile bamboo boat would have gone to pieces like so much touchwood, leaving us struggling in the water.

"I don't see what good this reconnoitring is doing," I said to myself, as I sat there in the darkness wondering what was to happen next; but sailors on duty are only parts of a machine, and I waited like the rest to be touched or spoken to, and then acted as I was instructed. For from time to time Mr Brooke's hand rested upon mine, and its touch, with its pressure or draw, told me at once the direction in which he wished me to steer; and so it was that, in that intense darkness, we sailed silently round those junks, going nearer and nearer till I knew exactly how they lay and how close together. But all the while I was in a violent perspiration, expecting moment by moment to hear a challenge, or to see the flash of a match, the blaze up of one of the stink-pots the junks would be sure to have on their decks, and then watch it form a curve of hissing light as it was thrown into our boat.

But not a sound came from the junks we so closely approached, and at last, with a sensation of intense relief, I felt Mr Brooke's hand rest on mine for some time, keeping the rudder in position for running some distance away with the wind, before the boat was thrown up again full in its eye, and we came to a stand, with the mat-sail swinging idly from side to side.

Hardly had we taken this position, when once more from the direction of the river came the low beat of oars. As we listened, they came on and on, passed us, and the sounds ceased as before just where the junks were lying.

This time there was no signal and no answering light, the occupants of the boat finding their way almost by instinct, but there was a hail from the junk to our left, and we could distinguish the murmuring of voices for a time, and the creaking of the boat against the side as the fresh comers climbed on board.

"Ah, good information, Mr Herrick!" whispered Mr Brooke. "We have seen nothing, but we know that they have received reinforcements, and now in a very short time we shall know whether they are going to sail or wait till morning."

"How?" I said.

He laughed gently.

"Easily enough. They will not sail without getting up their anchors, and we must hear the noise they make."

"But I don't quite see what good we are doing," I whispered.

"Not see? Suppose we had stopped ashore, we should not have known of these men coming to strengthen the crews, and we should not have known till daylight whether they had sailed or were still at anchor. This last we shall know very soon, and can follow them slowly. Why, if we had waited till morning and found them gone, which way should we have sailed?"

"I'm very dense and stupid, sir," I said. "I had not thought of that."

"Allee go to s'eep," whispered Ching; "no go 'way to-night."

"What's that mean?" said Mr Brooke in a low voice; and I felt his arm across my chest as he pointed away to the left.

I looked in that direction, and saw a bright gleam of light from the shore.

"Our fire blazing up, sir," said Tom Jecks softly.

"Yes, I suppose so," said Mr Brooke thoughtfully; and as we watched the bright light disappeared, but only to appear again, and this was repeated three times.

"That can't be our fire," said Mr Brooke.

"Fliends on shore tellee pilate what to do," said Ching, with his face close to us.

"What do you mean?" said Mr Brooke.

"Ching know. Show big lamp. Mean big junk going sail mollow morning, and pilate go long way wait for them."

"Why? Couldn't they stay here and wait?"

"No; silk-tea-ship see pilate junk waiting for them, and come out lit' way and go back again. 'Flaid to sail away."

"Yes, that sounds reasonable," said Mr Brooke thoughtfully.

Then all at once there came over the black water a peculiar squeaking, grinding sound, followed by a similar noise of a different pitch.

"Pilate not going to s'eep; allee look out for light and go sail away d'leckly."

"Yes, we have not wasted our time, Herrick," whispered Mr Brooke. "They're getting up their anchors."

"And are we going to follow them, sir?" I said softly.

"Yes, my lad; our work has only just begun."



CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

TRICKED.

They were singularly quiet, these people on board the junks, I suppose from old experience teaching them that noise made might mean at one time discovery and death, at another the alarming of some valuable intended prize.

This quietness was remarkable, for as we listened there was the creaking and straining of the rough capstan used, but no shouted orders, no singing in chorus by the men tugging at the bars; all was grim silence and darkness, while we lay-to there, waiting and listening to the various faint sounds, till we heard the rattling of the reed-sails as they were hauled up. Then we knew that the junks were off, for there came to us that peculiar flapping, rattling sound made by the waves against a vessel's planks, and this was particularly loud in the case of a roughly-built Chinese junk.

"Are you going to follow them at once?" I said in a whisper.

"Yes, till within an hour of daylight," was the reply. "Now, be silent."

I knew why Mr Brooke required all his attention to be directed to the task he had on hand—very little reflection was necessary. For it was a difficult task in that black darkness to follow the course of those two junks by sound, and keep doggedly at their heels, so as to make sure they did not escape. And then once more the slow, careful steering was kept up, Mr Brooke's hand guiding mine from time to time, while now for the most part we steered to follow the distant whishing sound made by the wind in the junk's great matting-sails.

All at once, when a strange, drowsy feeling was creeping over me, I was startled back into wakefulness by Mr Brooke, who said in an angry whisper—

"Who's that?"

I knew why he spoke, for, though half-asleep the moment before, I was conscious of a low, guttural snore.

"Can't see, sir," came from one of the men. "Think it's Mr Ching."

"No; Ching never makee nose talk when he s'eep," said the Chinaman, and as he spoke the sound rose once more.

"Here, hi, messmate, rouse up!" said the man who had before spoken.

"Eh? tumble-up? our watch?" growled Tom Jecks. "How many bells is—"

"Sit up, Jecks," whispered Mr Brooke angrily. "Next man take the sheet."

There was the rustling sound of men changing their places, and I heard the coxswain whispering to the others forward.

"No talking," said Mr Brooke; and we glided on again in silence, but not many yards before a light gleamed out in front.

"Quick, down at the bottom, all of you! Ching, take the tiller!"

We all crouched down; Ching sat up, holding the tiller, and the light ahead gleamed out brightly, showing the sails and hulls of the two great junks only fifty yards away, and each towing a big heavy boat. There were the black silhouettes, too, of figures leaning over the stern, and a voice hailed us in Chinese, uttering hoarse, strange sounds, to which Ching replied in his high squeak.

Then the man gave some gruff order, and Ching replied again. The light died out, and there was silence once more.

"What did he say?" whispered Mr Brooke.

"Say what fo' sail about all in dark?"

"Yes, and you?"

"Tell him hollid big gleat lie! Say, go catchee fish when it glow light."

"Yes."

"And pilate say be off, or he come in boat and cuttee off my head."

Mr Brooke hesitated for a few moments, and then reached up, took the tiller, and we lay-to again for quite an hour.

"Only make them suspicious if we are seen following, Herrick. Let them get well away; I daresay we can pick them up again at daybreak."

But all the same he manipulated the boat so as not to be too far away, and arranged matters so well that when at last the dawn began to show in the east, there lay the two junks about six miles away, and nothing but the heavy sails visible from where we stood.

We all had an anxious look round for the Teaser, but there were no tell-tale wreaths of smoke showing that our vessel was on her way back, and there seemed to be nothing for us to do but slowly follow on along shore, at such a distance from the junks as would not draw attention to the fact of their being followed, till we could catch sight of our own ship and warn our people of the vessels; or, failing that, lie in on the way to warn the junk which Ching believed would sail from the river before long.

Mr Brooke reckoned upon our being provisioned for two days, and as soon as it was light he divided the little crew into two watches, one of which, self included, was ordered to lie down at once and have a long sleep.

I did not want to lie down then, for the drowsy sensations had all passed away; but of course I obeyed, and, to my surprise, I seemed to find that after closing my eyes for two minutes it was evening; and, upon looking round, there lay the land upon our right, while the two junks were about five miles away, and the boat turned from them.

"Have you given up the chase, Mr Brooke?" I said.

"Yes, for the present; look yonder."

He pointed towards the north-west, and there, some three miles distant, and sailing towards us, was another junk coming down with the wind.

"Another pirate?" I cried.

"No, my lad; evidently the junk of which Ching told us."

"And you are going to warn her of the danger, sir?"

"Exactly; we can't attack, so we must scheme another way of saving the sheep from the wolves."

As we sailed on we could see that the fresh junk was a fine-looking vessel, apparently heavily laden; and, after partaking of my share of the provisions, which Ching eagerly brought for me out of the little cabin, I sat watching her coming along, with the ruddy orange rays of the setting sun lighting up her sides and rigging, and brightening the showy paint and gilding with which she was decorated, so that they had quite a metallic sheen.

"Take a look back now," said Mr Brooke. "What do you make of the pirate junks?"

"They seem to be lying-to, sir," I said.

"Then they have seen their plunder, and the sooner we give warning the better. She must turn and run back at once, or they will be after and capture her before she can reach port again."

Just then I saw him stand up and give a sharp look round, his face wearing rather an anxious expression.

"You can't see the Teaser, sir?" I said.

"No, my lad; I was looking at the weather. I fear it is going to blow a hurricane. The sky looks rather wild."

I had been thinking that it looked very beautiful, but I did not say so. Certainly, though, the wind had risen a little, and I noticed that Tom Jecks kept on glowering about him in a very keen way.

Just then Mr Brooke shook out the little Union Jack which we had brought from our sinking boat, and held it ready to signal the coming junk, which was now only about a mile away, and came swiftly along, till our leader stood right forward, holding on by a stay, and waved the little flag.

"Three cheers for the red, white, and blue!" muttered Tom Jecks. "Look at that now. We in this here little cock-boat just shows our colours, and that theer great bamboo mountain of a thing goes down on her marrow-bones to us, metty-phizickly. See that, Mr Herrick, sir?"

"Yes, Tom," I said excitedly; "and it's something to be proud of too."

For, in obedience to our signals, I saw one of the many Chinamen on board wave his hands as he seemed to be shouting, and the great vessel slowly and cumbrously rounded to, so that in a few minutes we were able to run close alongside.

"Tell them to heave us a rope, Ching," said Mr Brooke, and the interpreter shouted through his hands, with the result that a heavy coil came crashing down, and was caught by Tom Jecks, who was nearly knocked overboard.

"We said a rope, not a hawser," growled the man, hauling in the rope. "Better shy a few anchors down too, you bladder-headed lubbers!"

"Now, say I want to speak to the captain," said Mr Brooke.

A showily-dressed Chinaman leaned over the side of the huge tower of a poop, and smiled down on us.

"Are you the captain?" cried Mr Brooke, and Ching interpreted.

"Say he the captain," said Ching; "and you please walkee up top sidee big junk."

"Yes, it will be better," cried Mr Brooke. "Come with me, Herrick. You too, Ching, of course. There, keep her off a bit, Jecks, or you'll have the boat swamped."

He seized the right moment, and began to climb up the junk's side. I followed, and Ching was close at my heels, the clumsy vessel giving plenty of foothold; and we soon stood upon the deck, where some dozen or so Chinese sailors pointed aft to where the captain stood, bowing and smiling.

We had a rough set of bamboo steps to mount to the clumsy poop-deck, and there found the captain and half-a-dozen more of his men waiting.

"Now, Ching, forward," I said. But he hung back and looked strange.

"Don't be so jolly modest," I whispered; "we can't get on without you to interpret."

At that moment there came a loud hail from our boat, invisible to us from where we stood, and there was a tremendous splash.

"What's the matter?" cried Mr Brooke, making for the side; but in an instant the attitude of the Chinaman changed. One moment the captain was smiling at us smoothly; the next there was an ugly, look in his eyes, as he shouted something to his men, and, thrusting one hand into his long blue coat, he made a quick movement to stop Mr Brooke from going to the side.

The various incidents took place so quickly that they almost seemed to be simultaneous. One moment all was peace; the next it was all war, and the warnings I heard came together.

"Pilate! pilate!" shouted Ching.

"Look out for yourself, my lad! Over with you!" roared Mr Brooke, as I saw him dash at the Chinese captain, and, with his left fist extended, leap at the scoundrel, sending him rolling over on the deck.

"Now!" cried Mr Brooke again, "jump!"

"Jlump! jlump!" yelled Ching; and with a bound I was on the great carven gangway, just avoiding three men who made a rush for me, and the next moment I had leaped right away from the tower-like stern of the huge junk, and appeared to be going down and down for long enough through the glowing air before striking the water with a heavy splash, and continuing my descent right into the darkness, from which it seemed to me that I should never be able to rise again.

At last my head popped out of the dark thundering water, and, blinking my eyes as I struck out, I was saluted with a savage yelling; the water splashed about me, and I heard shots; but for a few moments, as I looked excitedly round, I did not realise that I was being pelted with pieces of chain, and fired at as a mark for bullets.

But in those brief moments I saw what I wanted: Mr Brook and Ching safe and swimming towards me, and the boat not many yards behind them, with two of our men at the oars, and the others opening fire upon the people who crowded the side of the junk, and yelled at us and uttered the most savage throats.

"This way, Herrick, my lad," panted Mr Brooke, as he reached me. "Ah! did that hit you?"

"No, sir, only splashed up the water; I'm all right!" I cried; "the bullet didn't touch."

"Swim boat! swim boat!" cried Ching excitedly.

But our danger was not from the water but the sharp fire which the Chinese kept up now, fortunately without killing any of us. Then the boat glided between us and the junk, ready hands were outstretched from the side, and I was hauled in by Tom Jecks, who then reached over and grasped Ching by the pigtail.

"No, no touchee tow-chang!" roared the poor fellow.

"All right; then both hands and in with you."

"Lay hold of the sheet, Jecks!" cried Mr Brooke, who sprang over the thwart to the tiller, rammed it down, and the sail began to fill, but only slowly, for the towering junk acted as a lee, and all the time the men yelled, pelted, and fired at us.

"Look out, my lads; give it to them now. Make fast the sheet, Jecks, and get your rifle. Ten pounds to the man who brings down the captain!" roared Mr Brooke. "Here, Herrick, my gun!" he cried; and, handing it to him, I seized mine, thrust in two wet cartridges with my wet fingers, and, doubting whether they would go off, I took aim at a man on the poop, who was holding a pot to which another was applying a light.

The next minute the pot was in a blaze, and the man raised it above his head to hurl it right upon us, but it dropped straight down into the sea close to the junk, and the man staggered away with his hands to his face, into which he must have received a good deal of the charge of duck-shot with which my piece was charged.

Excited by my success, I fired the second barrel at a man who was leaning over the bulwarks, taking aim at us with his great clumsy matchlock, and his shot did not hit any one, for the man dropped his piece overboard and shrank away.

As I charged again, I could hear and see that our lads were firing away as rapidly as they could up at the crowded bulwarks, while Tom Jecks was making his piece bear upon the deck of the high poop whenever he could get a shot at the captain; and now, too, Mr Brooke was firing off his small-shot cartridges as rapidly as possible, the salt water not having penetrated the well-wadded powder enclosed in the brass cases.

By this time we were fifty yards away from the junk, and gliding more rapidly through the water, which was splashed up about us and the boat hit again and again with a sharp rap by the slugs from the Chinamen's matchlocks.

The men were returning the fire with good effect as we more than once saw, and twice over one of the wretches who sought to hurl a blazing pot of fire was brought down.

"They can't hurt us now," I thought, as I ceased firing, knowing that my small-shot would be useless at the distance we now were, when I saw a spark of light moving on the poop, and then sat paralysed by horror as I grasped what was going to take place. It was only a moment or two before there was a great flash and a roar, with a puff of sunset-reddened smoke, hiding the poop of the junk; for they had depressed a big swivel gun to make it bear upon us, and then fired, sending quite a storm of shot, stones, and broken pieces of iron crashing through the roof of our little cabin, and tearing a great hole in our sail.