n he walked away among the houses, and one of our men pushed
the boat off again, evidently to the intense wonder of the people, who
stared hard to see a British sailor managing a native vessel; while two
others, in a costume perfectly new to them, sat looking on.

Then our men were packed out of sight, some in the little cabin, others
hidden at the bottom of the boat, beneath a matting-sail.

When we were about a hundred yards from the shore, a clumsy wooden
grapnel, to which a heavy stone was bound with a twisted rope of bamboo,
was dropped overboard, and then we lay in the swift tide, with the boat
tugging at the line as if eager to be off on the chase the stern
necessity concerning food kept us from carrying on at once.

"How these people do seem to detest us, Herrick!" said Mr Brooke, after
we had been waiting patiently for about a quarter of an hour,
impatiently another, but not quite in idleness, for, after tasting the
river water to find that it was very slightly brackish now, the tub and
the jar were both filled and left to settle.

"Yes, they're not very fond of us," I replied, as I noted how the
numbers were increasing, and that now there was a good deal of talking
going on, and this was accompanied by gesticulations, we evidently being
the objects of their interest. "They can't have much to do."

Mr Brooke made no reply, but moment by moment he grew more uneasy, as
he alternately scanned the people ashore and the junks in the offing.

"Oh," I said at last, "if we could only see the _Teaser_ coming up the
river!"

"I'd be content, Herrick," said Mr Brooke bitterly, "if we could only
see the messenger coming back with our stores."

"Yes," I said uneasily, for I had been fidgeting a good deal; "he is a
long time."

"Yes," said Mr Brooke, looking at me very fixedly, till I avoided his
gaze, for I knew he was thinking of my defence of Ching.

"Perhaps the bakers' shops are not open," I said at last.

"Perhaps this is not London, my lad. It's of no use for you to defend
him; I begin to feel sure that he has left us in the lurch."

"Oh, wait a little longer, please, Mr Brooke," I cried; and I vainly
scanned the increasing crowd upon the platform and shore, and could see,
instead of Ching, that the people were growing more and more excited, as
they talked together and kept pointing at us.

"I shall not wait much longer," said Mr Brooke at last. "He has had
plenty of time. Look here, my lads, we have