n liner.

It was just two months after leaving London when, late one afternoon,
Drake pointed ahead, to the north, indicating what at first sight
appeared to be a belt of cloud right down upon the horizon.

"Ah!" remarked Frobisher, following the direction of the skipper's
outstretched finger; "we are nearly at our destination. That's Quelpart
Island, I take it. We ought to anchor off Fusan, then, about this time
to-morrow, eh, skipper?"

Drake turned and regarded his officer solemnly. Then he slowly lowered
his right eyelid.

"We shall pass Fusan about that time, Mr Frobisher," he said; "but we
do not stop there. Fusan is our port, according to the ship's papers, I
happen to remember; but our actual destination is a small harbour about
two hundred miles north of that. We should never be able to get our
cargo unloaded at Fusan, much less into the rebels' hands. Sam-riek is
our goal--quite a small unimportant place, right on the coast. There's
good, sheltered anchorage there; and, if we have the luck we deserve, we
shall be able to unload the stuff without fear of interruption."

"Ah!" remarked Frobisher, and relapsed into deep thought.

On the evening of the second day following, the _Quernmore_ was close in
under the land; and, just as the sun was setting behind the Korean
hills, the anchor plashed down from the bows, and the voyage was at an
end. The _Quernmore_ had reached her destination, done her part; and
now it was for Murray Frobisher to carry out the other half of Drake's
contract, and place the cargo in the hands of the rebels, at a spot a
week's journey or more up-country. Would he, or would he not, be able
to do this; and, more important still, from his own personal point of
view, would he be able to get back to the ship with a whole skin? Time
alone would show.

CHAPTER THREE.

UP-COUNTRY.

No sooner had the anchor splashed into the water than Captain Drake gave
the order for the ship's lanterns to be lighted, and some of them slung
in the rigging, while others were to be placed at intervals along the
bulwarks. Blocks and tackles were then made fast to the end of the fore
and main booms, the booms were triced up at an angle to serve as
derricks, and the hatch-covers were stripped off.

It was to be a case of all hands working all night to get the cargo
ashore; for now that the ship had arrived in Korean waters--and
consequently in the zone of danger--Drake was all eagerness to get