The Chinaman shook his head.

"Ching velly good man, keep fancee shop. Ching not sailor."

"He means, can you go to sea without being sick?" I said, laughing.

He gave us a comical look.

"Don'tee know. Velly nicee now. Big offlicer say jolly sailor take gleat care Ching, and give hammock go to sleep. You got banjo, music-- git-tar?"

"One of the chaps has got one," said Smith. "Why?"

"You fetchee for Ching. I play, sing--'ti-ope-I-ow' for captain and jolly sailor. Makee Ching velly happy, and no makee sea-sick like coolie in big boat."

"Not to-night, Ching," said Barkins decisively. "Come along, lads. I'm afraid," he continued, as we strolled right forward, "that some of us would soon be pretty sick of it if he did begin that precious howling.

But I say, we ought to look after him well, poor old chap; it's precious rough on him to be taken out to sea like this."

"Yes," I said; "and he behaved like a trump to us to-day."

"That he did," a.s.sented Smith, as all three rested our arms on the rail, and looked at the twinkling distant lights of the sh.o.r.e.

"You give Ching flee dollar," said a voice close behind us, and we started round, to find that the object of our conversation had come up silently in his thick, softly-soled boots, in which his tight black trouser bottoms were tucked.

"Three dollars!" cried Smith; "what for?"

"Say all give Ching dollar show way."

"So we did," cried Barkins. "I'd forgotten all about it."

"So had I."

"But you got us nearly killed," protested Smith.

"That was all in the bargain," cried Barkins. "Well, I say he came out well, and I shall give him two dollars, though I am getting precious short."

"Flee dollar," said Ching firmly. Then, shaking his head, he counted upon his fingers, "One, two, flee."

"It's all right, Ching," I said. "Two dollars apiece. Come on, Blacksmith." I took out my two dollars. "Come, Tanner."

"No, no," cried Ching; "tanner tickpence; two dollar tickpence won't do.

Flee dollar."

"It's all right," I said, and I held out my hand for my messmates'

contributions, afterward placing the six dollars in the Chinaman's hand.

His long-nailed fingers closed over the double amount, and he looked from one to the other as if he did not comprehend. Then he unwillingly divided the sum.

"No light," he said. "Flee dollar."

"The other for the fight," I said, feeling pleased to have met a Chinaman who was not dishonest and grasping.

"You wantee 'nother fight morrow?" he said, looking at me sharply.

"Don't know. Not aflaid."

"No, no; you don't understand," I cried, laughing. "We give you six dollars instead of three."

Ching nodded, and the silver money disappeared up his sleeve. Then his body writhed a little, and the arm and hand appeared again in the loose sleeve.

"Sailor boy 'teal Ching dollar?"

"Oh no," I said confidently.

"No pullee tail?"

"Ah, that I can't answer for," I said. "Twist it up tightly."

"To be sure," said Barkins. "It don't do to put temptation in the poor fellows' way. I'm afraid," he continued, "that if I saw that hanging out of a hammock I should be obliged to have a tug."

Ching nodded, and stole away again into the darkness, for night had fallen now, and we were beginning to feel the waves dancing under us.

An hour later I was in my cot fast asleep, and dreaming of fierce-looking Chinamen in showy-patterned coats making cuts at me with big swords, which were too blunt to cut, but which gave me plenty of pain, and this continued more or less all night. In the morning I knew the reason why, my left side was severely bruised, and for the next few days I could not move about without a reminder of the terrible cut the mandarin's retainer had made at me with his sword.

CHAPTER FIVE.

CHING HAS IDEAS.

Week had pa.s.sed, during which we had cruised here and there, in the hope of falling in with the pirates. Once in the right waters, it did not much signify which course we took, for we were as likely to come across them sailing north as south. So our coal was saved, and we kept steadily along under canvas.

But fortune seemed to be still against us, and though we boarded junk after junk, there was not one of which the slightest suspicion could be entertained; and their masters, as soon as they realised what our mission was, were only too eager to afford us every information they could.

Unfortunately, they could give us none of any value. They could only tell us about divers acts of horrible cruelty committed here and there within the past few months, but could not point out where the pirates were likely to be found.

Ching, in spite 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."