tolen the boat; only borrowed it."

"Ah, that's what them heathens don't understand, sir; and I don't know
as I blames 'em, for it is rather hard for 'em to take hold on. S'pose,
sir, as you was in London town, and a chap was to take your dymon'
ring--"

"Haven't got one, Tom Jecks."

"Well, s'pose you had one, and he took it and sailed away as hard as he
could go, sir. It wouldn't be very easy for you to tell whether he'd
stole it or borrowed it, eh, sir?"

"Oh, bother I don't ask riddles now, we're so busy. Here: over we go."

"Lie to the windward, all of you," shouted Mr Brooke, who was now at
the tiller. "More aft there; that's better."

For the boat had careened over to so great an extent that she had taken
in a little water, and I felt that we were about to be capsized.

But she rose again and skimmed along rapidly for the mouth of the river,
and I crept close to my officer again.

"Shall I take the tiller, sir?" I said.

"No, Herrick, I'll keep it for the present. I want to get all I can out
of the boat, and keep up as much sail as possible without capsizing.
It's wonderful what these clumsy things can do."

"Yes, sir, we're going pretty fast, but I'm afraid the one behind goes
faster."

"She does, my lad, for her crew know exactly how to manage. I don't
want any more fighting if I can help it, but if they do overtake us I
think we can soon send them back again. Men seem much hurt? Do they
complain?" he whispered.

"Only about bruises, sir. They seem to treat it as so much fun. I say,
how that boat does sail!"

"Yes, and we can do no more here but keep steadily on. Yes, we can.
Take a pull at that sheet, my lads, and flatten out the sail a bit."

"Ay, ay, sir;" and the sail was hauled a foot higher, and the sheet
tightened, with the effect that we raced along with the water parting
like a broad arrow before our prow, so that we seemed to be sailing
along in quite a trough, and at times I wondered that we were not
swamped.

But it was very exciting, and, like the others, I forgot all about a few
contusions in the intense interest of the chase.

I went forward again to where Tom Jecks sat on the port gunwale, which
was formed of one bamboo carefully lashed on with strips of the same
material, and as there was nothing else to do, I shaded my eyes from the
nearly level rays of sunlight, and had a good look at the distant junks.

"Yes, sir, that's them, sure enough," said the coxswain.