st and finest Japanese torpedo-boat destroyers lying off
the beach, and with her an old tramp steamer laden with stores. It was
then that Frobisher and Drake decided to attempt putting into execution
the scheme matured by them months previously, and which had been
simmering in their brains ever since the departure of the gunboat and
transports.

This scheme was nothing less than the capture of the war-vessel which
would certainly accompany the storeship; but the question now was, How
was the scheme to be carried out with so small a number of men?
Twenty-five to a hundred and ten--which would be about the complement
carried by the destroyer--was very long odds; but Frobisher and Drake
between them evolved a plan that they thought might meet with success.

They had observed--at the time when the Japanese were first landing
their stores, after the troops had been disembarked--that the crews of
transports and war-ship had been allowed to come ashore in detachments
to stretch their legs after the voyage, being permitted also to go into
the woods at the back of the cliffs with rifles, after tigers and other
game, provided always that they went in large parties, so as to avoid
any danger of being cut off by the cannibals. They had also made a note
of the fact that, when the gunboat's crew had taken their turn at shore
leave, fully three-quarters of the men had arranged to do so at the same
time, so that a _battue_ on a large scale might take place, leaving only
a few men behind to look after the ship. This _battue_ had proved such
a tremendous success that the crews of the two transports had followed
the example of their Service comrades, and had likewise had excellent
sport.

The reports of these successes, Frobisher felt sure, would be
communicated to the crews of the ships which were to bring the next
consignment of stores; and it was upon the possibility of the major
portion of the destroyer's men coming ashore together, leaving the ship
very indifferently manned, that the Englishmen had built their plan. If
the Japanese did not follow their predecessors' example, then another
plan would have to be thought out after the ship's arrival, when it
could be seen what arrangements were actually in force.

But, fortunately for the success of Frobisher's scheme, everything had
fallen out as he had hoped. The storeship's crew came on shore first,
and met with splendid success; and, as the destroyer and her consort
were mak