fish when it glow
light."

"Yes."

"And pilate say be off, or he come in boat and cuttee off my head."

Mr Brooke hesitated for a few moments, and then reached up, took the
tiller, and we lay-to again for quite an hour.

"Only make them suspicious if we are seen following, Herrick. Let them
get well away; I daresay we can pick them up again at daybreak."

But all the same he manipulated the boat so as not to be too far away,
and arranged matters so well that when at last the dawn began to show in
the east, there lay the two junks about six miles away, and nothing but
the heavy sails visible from where we stood.

We all had an anxious look round for the _Teaser_, but there were no
tell-tale wreaths of smoke showing that our vessel was on her way back,
and there seemed to be nothing for us to do but slowly follow on along
shore, at such a distance from the junks as would not draw attention to
the fact of their being followed, till we could catch sight of our own
ship and warn our people of the vessels; or, failing that, lie in on the
way to warn the junk which Ching believed would sail from the river
before long.

Mr Brooke reckoned upon our being provisioned for two days, and as soon
as it was light he divided the little crew into two watches, one of
which, self included, was ordered to lie down at once and have a long
sleep.

I did not want to lie down then, for the drowsy sensations had all
passed away; but of course I obeyed, and, to my surprise, I seemed to
find that after closing my eyes for two minutes it was evening; and,
upon looking round, there lay the land upon our right, while the two
junks were about five miles away, and the boat turned from them.

"Have you given up the chase, Mr Brooke?" I said.

"Yes, for the present; look yonder."

He pointed towards the north-west, and there, some three miles distant,
and sailing towards us, was another junk coming down with the wind.

"Another pirate?" I cried.

"No, my lad; evidently the junk of which Ching told us."

"And you are going to warn her of the danger, sir?"

"Exactly; we can't attack, so we must scheme another way of saving the
sheep from the wolves."

As we sailed on we could see that the fresh junk was a fine-looking
vessel, apparently heavily laden; and, after partaking of my share of
the provisions, which Ching eagerly brought for me out of the little
cabin, I sat watching her coming along, with the ruddy orange rays of
the sett