"What!" yelled Smith. "Do you mean to say that Brooke and this--this-- thing are going off wasting Her Majesty's time shooting?"

"Yes; I saw Brooke, and he said it was so."

"Then I shall resign. Hang me if I'll stop in a service where such beastly favouritism is shown. Profession for gentlemen's sons, is it?

I call it a mockery!"

"Oh, don't be so snaggy, Smithums," I said banteringly; "wait till his poor old wing's all right again, and he shall go a shooting too."

That was too much. He made a rush at me, but Barkins flung an arm round his waist, and as they struggled together I dodged to the other side of the table and escaped from the cabin, but popped my head in again.

"Don't hit him, Tanner," I cried; "he ain't got no friends. Good-bye, old chap, I wish you were coming too."

Our eyes met, and I suppose my tone and the look I gave him seemed sincere, for, as he held Smith, his arms tightly round him from behind, and his chin resting upon our messmate's shoulder, he gave me a friendly nod.

"All right, old chap," he said; "I hope you'll enjoy yourself."

"And I hope the John Teapots 'll get hold of you, you miserable little cad!" cried Smith. "I shan't be there to help you this time."

I burst out laughing and ran on deck, to find the men mustered ready, and Mr Brooke standing there in sun helmet and gaiters, looking as unlike a naval officer as he could be.

"Oh, there you are, Herrick," he said, giving me a look over. "Yes, that will do."

"But the men," I whispered. "Oughtn't they to be armed?"

"All right, my lad; plenty of tackle in the boat under the thwarts."

"But my gun--I mean Mr Reardon's?"

"In the stern-sheets, with plenty of cartridges. Where's Ching?"

"I don't--down below, I suppose."

"Fetch him up; we're off at once."

There was no need, for the interpreter appeared smiling and happy, looking as if he had not pa.s.sed through such a terrible ordeal a short time before.

The captain and Mr Reardon came up then.

"Ready, Mr Brooke?"

"Yes, sir."

"Order the crew into the boat, Mr Reardon."

As the men sprang in, the captain came close to us.

"You'll keep up the appearance of a sporting expedition, Mr Brooke," he said in a low voice. "I expect you'll find the junks in the river off some village. The rest I must leave to you."

"Take them, sir, if I feel pretty certain?"

Captain Thwaites knit his brows, and stood as if thinking for a few moments.

"No," he said at last; "but that I leave all to your discretion. Don't risk your men, if they are strong. I'm afraid some of these mandarins are mixed up with the piratical expeditions, and share in the plunder, and I am certain that every movement we make is watched. There, off with you; don't let Mr Herrick get hurt. I trust you to do your best."

We sprang into the boat, which was lowered down; the falls were unhooked; and as Tom Jecks, who was c.o.xswain, gave us a shove off, the tide, which was running up, bore us right aft; then the oars dropped with a splash, the rudder lines were seized, and away we went up-stream on as glorious a day as ever made a dirty Chinese city look lovely.

I looked back, and there were Barkins and Smith leaning over the side watching us, but I hardly noticed them, for something else caught my eye.

"Why, they're getting up steam, Mr Brooke!" I said.

"Yes, my lad, they're getting up steam, and I hope your information may mean some good active service for us. Here, Ching," he whispered, "you have not told the men anything about our business?"

Ching shut his eyes and shook his head solemnly.

"Velly muchee keepee mouf shut," he said, with the addition now of a few nods of the head. "n.o.body but Ching an' officer know."

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

GETTING WARM.

The men were in high glee, and, had they not been checked, would have sent the boat spinning up the river, in their delight to escape from the monotony of harbour-life, and the natural love there is in Englishmen for a bit of sport.

"Steady, my lads," said Mr Brooke quietly. "Just give her headway, and back water the moment I speak."

I did not hear what one of the men whispered to his messmate, but I saw his face as he leaned forward, and it certainly suggested to me that he said--

"They mean some of the tame ducks to make sure."

"No, we do not, my man," said Mr Brooke, and I stared at him in astonishment, that he should have taken the same idea as I had.

The man coloured through his tan, and Mr Brooke; said in a low voice to me--

"Our work's cut out, Herrick; how are we to pick out the right two junks from all this crowd?"

"I don't know, sir," I said. "But I don't fancy they would be down here where other people might talk about them. I should think they would be up the river."

"Well, we must find them, my lad, so use our brains as much as you can, and if you see a junk with a very evil-looking lot aboard, just give me a hint as we pa.s.s."

"I'll ask Ching what he thinks, sir."

Mr Brooke nodded, and I turned to the interpreter, who was squatting in the bottom of the boat right aft, his eyes half shut, and apparently taking no heed of anything.

"How are we to know which are the junks we want, Ching?" I said.

"Oh, velly soon find," he said. "Ching look along. Not these. Pilate boat big and tall. Empty. No got big calgo aboard. Stand high up now.

Velly full and low down when full of plize-money."