vy and clumsy, and the sun's going to
be a scorcher."

"I'll carry it, Tanner," I said.

"You shall, my boy," he cried, as he closed it up, and rapidly slipped
the strap off his shoulder again. "Catch hold. Mind, if you lose it, I
value it at a hundred pounds."

"Say five while you're about it, Tanner," cried Smith. "Why, it isn't
worth twopence--I mean I wouldn't give you a dollar for it. But I say,
my lads, look here, what are we going to do first?" continued Smith, who
was in a high state of excitement, though I was as bad. "Start off at
once for a walk through the city?"

"Shouldn't we be mobbed?" I said, as I slung the heavy glass over my
shoulder.

"They'd better mob us!" cried Smith. "If they give me any of their
nonsense, I'll take tails instead of scalps. My! what fools they do
look, with their thick-soled shoes, long blue gowns, and shaven heads!"

"That fellow in the boat is grinning at us, and thinks we look fools, I
said."

"Let him!" said Barkins. "We know better."

"But what are we going to do?" I said. "I hate being in a crowd."

"Oh, they won't crowd us," said Barkins contemptuously. "Here, hi! you
sir; mind where you're going. There, I thought you'd do it!"

This was to a young Chinaman, in a boat something like a Venetian
gondola, which he was propelling by one oar as he stood up in the bows
watching us, and was rowing one moment, the next performing a somersault
in the air before plunging into the water between the port oars of our
boat with a tremendous splash.

I did not say anything, thinking that it was a case of running up
against a man, and then crying, "Where are you shoving to?" but leaned
over the side, and caught at the first thing I saw, which happened to be
the long black plaited pigtail, and, hauling upon it, the yellow,
frightened face appeared, two wet hands clutched my arm, and, amidst a
tremendous outburst of shouting in a highly-pitched tone, boats crowded
round us, and the man was restored to his sampan, which was very little
damaged by the blow inflicted by our stem.

"Give way, my lads," cried Barkins, and we rowed on towards the
landing-place, followed by a furious yelling; men shaking their fists,
and making signs suggestive of how they would like to serve us if they
had us there.

"I'm sorry you knocked him over," I said.

"Who knocked him over, stupid?" cried Barkins. "Why, he ran right
across our bows. Oh, never mind him! I daresay he wanted