ater that a betting-man was in
partnership with him.

Charlie, being satisfied that the skipper intended to make an attempt to
swindle his father, was anxious to get back to Lincoln as speedily as
possible to make known what he had discovered. He had forgotten to ask
the bow-legged cook how long the _Sparrow-hawk_ would remain at sea, and
could, therefore, form no idea of when he would get home.

(_Continued on page 218._)

[Illustration: "The skipper cruelly kicked the Chinaman."]

[Illustration: "'Can he do this?' Charlie asked."]

AFLOAT ON THE DOGGER BANK.

A Story of Adventure on the North Sea and in China.

(_Continued from page 215._)

While Charlie was regretting his ignorance of trawlers' movements, Ping
Wang appeared at the galley-door.

'Well,' Charlie said, 'has the skipper said anything more to you?'

'No,' Ping Wang answered, smilingly; 'I believe you have frightened him.
But he will pay you out somehow or other.'

'I hope, for his own sake, that he won't attempt to, for I hate the
little fellow already, and if he interferes with me unnecessarily I will
give him a sound thrashing.'

'He is very strong,' Ping Wang remarked, warningly.

'Can he do this?' Charlie asked, catching hold of a bucket full of water
and holding it easily at arm's-length straight from the shoulder.

Ping Wang made no reply but gazed at Charlie in astonishment. Charlie
was slightly built, and Ping Wang had no idea that he was so strong. But
he had gone in for a course of physical development exercises before
coming to Grimsby, and was in fine condition.

'If the skipper thinks, as I did, that you are not very strong,' he said
at last, 'he will be very surprised.'

'Well,' Charlie said, rather pleased at the astonishment he had caused,
'let us forget him for a time. When do we return to Grimsby?'

'In three or four days.'

'So soon? I thought we were out for three weeks, at the least. I had an
idea that steam trawlers always remained out for three weeks.'

'Boats belonging to the fleets do. A steam carrier collects the boxes of
fish from them every morning, and carries them off to London. But single
boaters have to take in their own fish to Grimsby, and therefore they
have to run in every few days, or else the fish wouldn't be fresh.'

'Then I shan't have to endure the skipper for as long as I expected.'

'You'll have to endure him for seven or eight weeks, I'm afraid. When we
run in just to land fish w