ell, I am rather inclined to be sorry for the people who come under
the scope of his Naval jurisdiction," returned Frobisher. "I should
hate to serve in any ship of which he was captain. Of course I don't
know the fellow from Adam, but there is something about him that aroused
in me a very strong sense of repulsion; he looked to me like an
arch-criminal. By the way, did the man tell you what his name was? I
feel sure I've seen him somewhere before; I remember that repellent,
snaky look in his eyes, which gives one the shivers up and down one's
spine."

"Oh ay," replied the skipper; "I'd forgotten that. He did mention his
tally, as a matter of fact. Let's see--um--what was it again? Ah, I
remember. He called him Prince See--at least, that's what it sounded
like."

"By Jove! then I remember when I met him last, Drake," exclaimed
Frobisher. "It was when I went with my friend the admiral to the
Council meeting at the Navy Building, when I received my commission in
the Chinese Navy. Wong-lih mentioned then, that his name was Prince
Hsi; and I recollect how very unpleasantly he impressed me then. It
appears also that he is a bit of a scoundrel; for in Wong-lih's absence
in Korea the fellow had the audacity to send the _Chih' Yuen_, the ship
I was to be appointed to, to Wei-hai-wei to have her 9.4's replaced by
12-inch guns, intending to sell the smaller weapons, substitute old,
out-of-date twelves, and pocket the difference. But, luckily, Wong-lih
met her on the way there, screwed the information out of her captain,
and stopped Hsi's little game. He hates Wong-lih, therefore; and, as I
am a friend of the admiral's, he has honoured me also with a share of
his dislike."

"The low-down, ruffianly swab!" Drake burst out. "But there! that's
just the sort of beast he looks. Well, Mr Frobisher, if, as you say,
he dislikes you--and from the way he looked at you I should say that
`hate' was the more correct word--I would advise you to keep your
weather eye lifting. That sort of man hesitates at very little, and he
seems to have the power, as well as the will, to do you a bad turn; so
watch out!"

"I will, Drake," replied Frobisher; "you can rely on that. But here we
are at last, I think; this is the place where the sentry said we should
find Wong-lih, isn't it?"

"Ordnance Wharf, third shed along, first door on the far side of the
sheer-legs before you come to the fifty-ton crane, he said," replied
Drake; "so