el was out of the mud, and hauled over the side; the boat
began to yield to the tide; and Mr Brooke stepped to the mast himself,
being unwilling to call the men in the cabin into the people's sight.

"Come and take a hand at the rope here, coxswain," said Mr Brooke.
"Mr Herrick, take the tiller."

But at the first grasp of our intention, as they saw the preparation for
hoisting the sail, there was a fierce yell from the shore, and the
people scattered to right and left.

"What does that mean?" I said to myself. But the next instant I knew,
for they were making for different boats, into which they jumped, and
rapidly began to unmoor.

"Humph! time we were off," said Mr Brooke. "Hoist away, man, I cannot
do it alone."

"I am a-hysting, sir, but the tackle's got foul somehow. It's this here
rough rope. The yard won't move."

"Tut tut--try, man, try."

"All right, sir, I'll swarm up the the mast, and set it free."

"But there is no time, my man. Haul--haul."

The man did haul, but it was like pulling at a fixed rope, and the sail
obstinately refused to move, while to my horror there were no less than
six boats pushing off, and I foresaw capture, a Chinese prison, and
severe punishment--if we could not get help--for stealing a boat.

"All hands on deck," cried Mr Brooke, making use of the familiar
aboard-ship order, and just as the first two boats were coming rapidly
on, and were within a dozen yards, our Jacks sprang up armed and ready.

The effect was magical. Evidently taken by surprise, the Chinamen
stopped short, and the boats all went on drifting slowly down the
stream. But at the end of a minute, as we made no attack, but all stood
awaiting orders, they recovered their confidence, uttered a shout to
encourage one another, and came on.

"I don't want to injure them," Mr Brooke muttered, but he was forced to
act. "Give them the butts of your pieces, my lads, if they try to lay
hold of the boat. Mind, they must be kept off."

He had no time to say more, but seized the fowling-piece as the first
boat was rowed alongside, and amidst a fierce burst of objurgations, in
a tongue we could not understand, a couple of men seized the gunwale of
the boat, while two more jumped aboard.

The men who caught hold let go again directly, for the butts of the
men's rifles and the gunwale were both hard for fingers, and the Chinese
yelled, and the two who leaped aboard shrieked as they were seized and
shot out o