l still.

"Good; very prompt, my lads. Mr Herrick, come and take the tiller, and
be ready to obey the slightest whispered command."

I hurriedly seated myself by him in the darkness, and waited while our
leader now turned to the last man to receive his orders.

"You, Ching," he said, "will go right forward to keep a good look-out,
ready to give a whispered warning of our approach to the junks. Do you
know what a whispered warning means?"

"Yes; Ching say see junk so lit' voice you can't hear him."

The men tittered.

"Silence! Yes, you understand. Now go, and be careful. But mind this,
if our boat is seen and the pirates hail, you answer them in their own
tongue; do you understand?"

"Yes; 'peakee Chinee all along."

"That will do."

Ching crept forward, and we were gliding along over the dark sea before
a gentle breeze, which, however, hardly rippled the water.

"Keep a bright look-out for the _Teaser_, Jecks. We may see her
lights."

"Ay, ay, sir."

Then on and on in a silence so deep that the gentle rattle and splash of
the sea against our bows sounded singularly loud, and I almost felt
drowsy at last, but started back into wakefulness on Mr Brooke touching
my arm and whispering--

"I reckon that we shall be very near them in another ten minutes. I
want to sail round at a little distance."

I nodded, but doubted whether he could see me in the intense darkness,
for there was not a star to be seen, the sky being covered with low down
black clouds, which seemed to be hanging only a short distance above the
sea. Right away behind us was a faint glow telling of the whereabouts
of the Chinese city, but seaward there was no sign of the _Teaser's_ or
any other lights, for it was like sailing away into a dense black wall,
and I began to look forward more and more anxiously as I thought of the
possibility of our running with a crash right on to the anchored junks.

But I was under orders, and waited for my instructions, keeping the
light craft as straight on her course as I could contrive, and grasping
the tiller with all my strength.

All at once there was a faint rustling, and suddenly I felt Ching's soft
hand touch my knee, and I could just make out his big round face.

"Listen," he said.

Mr Brooke's hand was laid on mine, and the tiller pressed sidewise
slowly and gently, so that the boat glided round head to wind, and we
lay motionless, listening to the dull creak and regular beat of oars a