he said, "I talked of one fable, let me say a word
about another. I hope this is not going to be a case of the mountain in
labour, and out crept a mouse."

This put me quite out of heart, my hands grew damp, and I felt a
tickling sensation of dew forming upon my temples and at the sides of my
nose. My throat felt dry, and my lips parted, but no words came.

"There, there," he said kindly, "don't be afraid. Speak out."

"Yes, sir," I said hastily. "It was only this. I think I read
somewhere once, in a paper, about a Malay prahu being taken by the
captain of a ship pretending to be helpless, and this made the prahu,
which could sail twice as fast as his ship, come close up to attack
him."

"Yes; and what then?"

"The captain sunk the prahu, sir."

"Humph!" said Captain Thwaites, frowning and leaning back in his chair.
"That's what I should like to do to the piratical junks, Mr Herrick.
But--"

He stopped, and I saw that he was watching me keenly. But he had not
ordered me out of the cabin, nor called me an impertinent puppy, so I
felt better. The plunge had been made, and I waited not quite so
nervously for his next words.

"Yes--what I should like to do, Mr Herrick; but I am dealing with
cunning Chinese, and not with bold Malays."

"No, sir," I said; "but could not we--you--I mean we--I mean--" I
stammered.

"Come, come, Mr Herrick, there is no need for all this tremor. Sit
down, my lad."

"Thank you, sir; I would rather stand, please. I think I could talk
better."

"Very well, then," he said, smiling; "stand. You have some notion in
your head, then?"

"Yes, sir," I said eagerly, for the nervousness all passed away in the
excitement I felt. "I thought that if I could do as I liked, I'd take
the _Teaser_ up some creek where she couldn't be watched, and then I'd
close all the ports, send the men over the side to paint out the streak,
and I'd paint the funnel another colour, and get yards all anyhow, and
hide all the guns. I'd make her look like one of the tea-screws, and
get a lot of Chinamen on board for sailors."

I saw that he kept on bowing his head, and I was so excited that I went
on.

"No, I know. If you tried to get some Chinese sailors on board, it
would be talked about, and perhaps the pirates would get to know, for
they must have friends in some of the ports."

"Then down go some of your baits, my lad."

"No, sir. I know. You could make Ching--"

"That Chinese interprete