"What go turnee back? Pilate fliend both come in cleek after, to see what Queen Victolia jolly sailor boy go to do."

"Are you sure?" said Mr Brooke excitedly.

"Yes, sir, I see the top of one of their sails," said Tom Jecks.

"Then, by George, we are in the right track," cried Mr Brooke, and, as my heart began to beat rapidly, "Give way, my lads," he cried, "give way."

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO.

A STARTLING.

"What are we going to do?" I said, with my heart beating fast.

"Afraid?" said Mr Brooke in a whisper.

"I don't know, sir--a little," I replied.

"We're not going to fight, Herrick. I shall go on and find the junks so as to know them again--take their portraits in our minds--and then go back for help. They can't escape out of the river, and once we know them, our boats can soon follow and bring them to book."

The men pulled as if their hearts were in their work, and upon rounding a bend, there, about a quarter of a mile away, lay two large vessels, moored close up to the trees.

"We'll keep up the idea that we are shooting," said Mr Brooke. "No, there is no need now. We have kept it up long enough. We must reconnoitre and go back. They will think still that we are a shooting-party, and not know that we are making for them."

"Of course not," I said thoughtfully. "How could they know we had heard?"

We rowed steadily on for a minute or two, and then Ching said quietly--

"One boat--two boat come behind."

We glanced back, and there, sure enough, were the sailing craft, which had been hanging about in front and aft, coming steadily along in our wake. A moment or two later Ching spoke again--

"Look over boat side, see jolly sailor boy."

"Never mind those boats," said Mr Brooke impatiently.

"Steady, my lads, hold hard now; that's right," he continued, as the oars were held, and checked the boat's progress. "Now, Mr Herrick, take a good look at them. Do you think we should know them again if you saw them coming down the river?"

"Yes, sir," I said; "the stern of this one and bows of the other would be unmistakable. I don't think I could make a blunder."

"No; almost impossible; pull starboard, back water, port side. Now, we'll just turn and row gently back. I don't see any men on board."

"All lie down flat," said Ching sharply. "Plenty men aboard."

"Ah, well, it does not matter. I'm not going to run risks by attacking the savages. Lift your gun and look about, Herrick. Let them keep in the same mind."

I stood up in the boat at this, and noted how rapidly the tide was running up as Mr Brooke gave the word to pull again.

The movement of the boat brought me in full view of the two sampans which had followed us, each with a man and boy aboard; and now, as I looked, I was surprised to see a yellow head raised and begin watching us. Then another; and Ching said quickly--"Lot men in both boats."

I don't know how they had stowed themselves, but now, to our intense astonishment, head after head appeared, till Mr Brooke exclaimed--

"Why, the boats are packed full of men."

"Yes, and the junks too," I whispered hastily; for their decks, which a few moments before had appeared to be bare, were now crowded.

"Trapped, Herrick!" said Mr Brooke through his set teeth. "Is this a trick on the part of Mr Ching?"

The men were looking hard at us, and they did not have long to wait.

"Arms ready, my lads?"

"Ay, ay, sir."

"That's right. Now then, lay your backs to it, and row with all your might."

"Ay, ay, sir."

"What are you going to do?" I said huskily.

"Run for it. The junks can't follow against this tide. We must row out into the river. Keep your fire till I give orders. They may not try to stop us. If they do, I shall try and ram one. We have four barrels for the other, without troubling the men."

"You don't think it's a false alarm?"

"No," he said sternly; "the falsity lies somewhere else."

"He means Ching," I said, but there was no time for much thought, not even to see a great deal. The men grasped the situation as soon as the boat's head was straight, and Mr Brooke took the tiller in his left hand, his gun in his right, and c.o.c.ked it, while I followed suit.

Then I felt disposed to laugh as Ching made a dive down, and began to crawl under the thwarts among the men's legs, but the laugh changed to a serious grin as Mr Brooke steered to pa.s.s between the two boats, when the course of one was changed so as to throw her right athwart our way, and quite a dozen men rose up in each, armed with clumsy swords, yelling at us, and dancing about as they gesticulated and seemed to be trying to frighten us back.

"Very well, if you will have it," said Mr Brooke between his teeth.

"Be ready, my lads. Cutla.s.ses, if they try to board."

A sound like the exhaustion of a heavy breath escaped from the men, and Mr Brooke roared at them to pull, while I sat with my finger on the first trigger and the gun lowered a little, gazing wildly at the savage crew before us.

Those moments were like long minutes, but I could make out that, instead of frightening us, the men in the boat which crossed us were now frightened themselves, and they made an effort to give us room.

But there were too many of them--they got in each other's way. Then there was a wild shriek, a crash, and the head of our fast cutter crashed into them, driving their bows round, partly forcing them under water, and the flimsily-built boat began rapidly to fill.

The second party held a little aloof, too much startled by the boldness of our manoeuvre to attempt to help their companions, so that we had only the first boat to tackle, as such of the men as could trampled over one another in their struggle to get on board us.

But the moment the crash had come our lads sprang up with a cheer, and, forgetting their proper weapons, let go at the enemy with their oars, using them as spears and two-handed swords, and with such effect that in less than a minute the wretches were driven back or beaten into the water, to swim to and cling to their half-sunken boat, whose light bamboos refused to go right down.

"Now pull--down with you--pull!" roared Mr Brooke, and, thanks to Mr Reardon's grand "dishipline," every man dropped into his place, and the boat, which had come to a standstill, now began to move forward, while the tide carried the enemy towards their junks, from whence came now as savage a yelling as that from the boats.

"Without firing a shot," cried Mr Brooke exultantly. "Pull, boys.

Now, a cheer! they can't follow us against this tide."