--the stains of blood,
the chipped beams, the bullets sticking in the bulkheads?"

Captain Jull, as he announced himself, looked very much astonished.
"You have observed, sir, what I failed to discover," he answered, "and I
simply cannot account for the marks. If any violence occurred, it must
have taken place before I went on board the junk. The crew appeared
perfectly orderly, and only after the vessel had been dismasted, and
they found her drifting away from the shore, did they take to their
boats. For some reason, for which I cannot account, they refused to
allow my wife and me to accompany them."

"Very well, Mr Jull; but can you account for the junk sinking so soon
after you left her, and for the explosion?"

"She was leaking very much indeed, and probably a butt suddenly gave
way," answered Captain Jull. "In regard to the explosion, my wife had
lit a fire in a stove aft, and I suppose a cask of gunpowder must
inadvertently have been left in the neighbourhood. But this is merely
conjecture. She herself will tell you that she lit the fire."

It was very clear that the naval officers would not get any information
from Captain Jull which he was unwilling to give them. Although there
were several suspicious circumstances against him, Captain Murray did
not feel justified in making him a prisoner, and he therefore allowed
him to remain with his wife.

Tom and Gerald made themselves happy on board with their new shipmates,
and Billy was always liked wherever he went, never being out of humour
and having not the slightest objection to be laughed at, besides which
he had a store of amusing anecdotes, and was able to spin a good yarn,
and sing a merry song.

Tom had plenty to talk about to his brother Jack, who in course of time
gave him all the news from home. Captain Rogers had been very unwilling
to leave his wife, but the command of a ship having been offered him, he
felt himself bound not to refuse. It had cost Murray also not a little
to leave _Stella_.

"We shall have his magnificent little boy come to sea before long," said
Jack. "How old it makes one! It seems to me only yesterday since I was
a midshipman like you, Tom, and I can scarcely fancy myself even now a
post-captain."

"I hope I shall not be a midshipman long," said Tom, "and that Desmond
and Gordon will get promoted."

"There's little doubt about that," said Jack, "if there is anything to
do in China, and I fully expect there will b