te of some rough weather, had never been obliged to leave
the deck, and had proved to be so valuable an acquisition, that he was
informed that he would have a certain rate of pay as interpreter while
he stayed on board; and as soon as he was made aware of this, he
strutted up to me and told me the news.

"Captain makee interpleter and have lot dollar. Muchee better keepee
fancee shop."

This was after, at my suggestion to Mr Reardon, he had been sent out in
one of the boats to board a big junk, and from that time it became a
matter of course that when a boat was piped away, Ching's pigtail was
seen flying out nearly horizontally in his eagerness to be first in the
stern-sheets.

But it was always the same. The boat came back with Ching looking
disappointed, and his yellow forehead ploughed with parallel lines.

"Ching know," he said to me one evening mysteriously.

"Know what?" I said.

"Plenty pilate boat hide away in island. No come while big ship
_Teasler_ here."

"Oh, wait a bit," I said; "we shall catch them yet."

"No, catchee," he said despondently. "Pilate velly cunning. See Queen
Victolia ship say big gun go bang. 'Top away."

"But where do you think they hide?"

"Evelywhere," he said. "Plentee liver, plenty cleek, plenty hide away."

"Then we shall never catch them?" I said.

"Ching wantee catchee, wantee plenty money; but pilate won't come.
Pilate 'flaid."

"And I suppose, as soon as we go away, they'll come out and attack the
first merchantman that comes along the coast."

"Yes," said Ching coolly; "cut allee boy float, settee fire junk, burnee
ship."

"Then what's to be done?" I said. "It's very disappointing."

"Ching go back fancee shop; no catchee pilate, no plize-money."

"Oh, but we shall drop upon them some day."

"No dlop upon pilate. Ching not captain. Ching catchee."

"How?" I said.

"Take big ship back to liver. Put big gun, put jolly sailor 'board two
big junk, and go sail 'bout. Pilate come thinkee catchee plenty silk,
plenty tea. Come aboard junk. Jolly sailor chop head off, and no more
pilate."

"That sounds well, Ching," I said; "but I don't think we could do that."

"No catchee pilate?" he said. "Ching velly tire. No good, velly
hungry; wantee go back fancee shop."

I thought a good deal about what the Chinaman had said, for it was
weary, dispiriting work this overhauling every vessel we saw that seemed
likely to be our enemy. It was dangero