rned in that of the great Chinese port we
had so lately left.

CHAPTER FORTY.

ANOTHER ENEMY.

For as I looked towards the horizon away to the east, a curious lurid
glow spread upward half-way to the zenith, and for the moment I thought
that in a short time we should see the full-moon come slowly up out of
the sea. But a few moments' reflection told me that we were long past
the full-moon time, and that it would be the last quarter late on in the
night. The sea, too, began to wear a singular aspect, and great frothy
clouds were gathering rapidly in the south. And even as I looked there
was a peculiar moaning sigh, as if a great wind were passing over us at
a great height, though the sea was only just pleasantly rippled, and a
gentle breeze was sweeping us rapidly along and away from the great
junk, which now seemed hazy and distant, while those we had watched so
long were quite out of sight.

"Feel cold?" said Mr Brooke quietly. "I ought to have told you to take
off and wring out your clothes."

"Cold, sir!" I said wonderingly. "I hadn't thought about it; I was so
excited."

"Yes; we had a narrow escape, my lad. It is a lesson in being careful
with these cunning, treacherous wretches. You made sure it was a
trader, Ching?"

"Ching neve' quite su'e--only think so," was the reply, accompanied by a
peculiar questioning look, and followed by a glance over his right
shoulder at the sky.

"No, I suppose not. I ought to have been more careful. They threw
something down at the boat as soon as we had mounted: did they not,
Jecks?"

"Yes, sir; I see it coming. Great pieces of ballast iron, as it took
two on 'em to heave up over the bulwarks. I just had time to give the
boat a shove with the hitcher when down it come. Gone through the
bottom like paper, if I hadn't. But beg pardon, sir, arn't we going to
have a storm?"

"Yes," said Mr Brooke quietly; "I am running for the river, if I can
make it. If not, for that creek we were in last night. Take the
tiller, Mr Herrick," he said, and he went forward.

"Going blow wind velly high. Gleat wave and knock houses down," said
Ching uneasily.

"Yes, my lad; we're going to have what the Jay-pans calls a tycoon."

"No, no, Tom Jecks," I said, smiling.

"You may laugh, sir, but that's so. I've sailed in these here waters
afore and been in one. Had to race afore it with bare poles and holding
on to the belaying-pins. Tycoons they call 'em, don't the