halt! form up!" cried the lieutenant, and skirmishers were sent
forward to feel our way, for no one was visible; but open doors and
windows, suggested the possibility of danger in ambush.

A few minutes settled all doubts on that score, and the word to advance
was given. We went up to the front of the huts at the double, and
examination proved that the places must have been occupied within a few
hours, for the fire in one hut was still smouldering; but the people had
fled, and we were in possession of the tiny village so cunningly hidden
from the river.

Our men were pretty quick, but Ching surpassed them.

"Look at him running!" cried Barkins, as, with his tail flying, Ching
ran from hut to hut, and finally stopped before the two more pretentious
places, which were closely shut.

"Hong--warehouse," he cried to me, and an attempt was made to enter, but
the doors of both were quite fast.

"Steady!" said Mr Reardon; "there may be some of the enemy inside;" and
our men were so placed that when the door was burst in, any fire which
we drew would prove harmless.

One of the sailors came forward then with a heavy flat stone, which
looked as if it had been used to crush some kind of grain upon it, and,
receiving a nod from the lieutenant, he raised it above his head, dashed
it against the fastening, and the door flew open with a crash, while the
sailor darted aside.

But no shot issued from within, and Mr Reardon stepped forward, looked
in, and uttered an ejaculation.

"Look here, Grey," he cried; and the boatswain stepped to his side.
Then my turn came, and there was no doubt about Ching's idea being
correct, for the place was literally packed with stores. Chests, bales,
boxes, and packages of all kinds were piled-up on one side; bags,
evidently of rice, on the other; while at the end were articles of all
kinds, and crates which seemed to be full of china.

"Sentry here," said the lieutenant sternly; and, leaving a marine on
guard, he led the way to the other store, whose door was burst in, and
upon our entering, without hesitation now, this place proved to be
choked with the cargo of different junks which the pirates had rifled,
for everything of value had been packed in tightly, and the pirates'
treasure-houses were no doubt waiting for some favourable opportunity
for disposing of the loot.

"Sentry here," cried Mr Reardon again; and the man having been planted,
we stood together in one of the huts, while the