"Yes, sir; here's one on 'em from the sh.o.r.e coming arter us full sail, and she's going as fast as we."

And once more, as I looked behind me, holding on the while by the tiller, I seemed to see the inside of a Chinese prison after we had been pretty well stoned to death; for it was a good-sized boat that was gliding after us at a rapid rate, and threatening to overtake us before long.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

MR. BROOKE'S ERROR.

"I did not see either of those craft with sails," I said to Tom Jecks, as we stood watching the following boat, which was evidently making every possible effort to come up with us.

"No, sir, 'twarn't neither o' them. I see 'em put off from a bit higher up," said Jecks. "My hye! they are in a hurry, sir. You'd better tell Mr Brooke he must shake out a reef instead o' taking one up."

"No; leave it to him, he doesn't like interference."

"No, sir, orficers don't, and it is their natur' to. But I say, sir, what a--_murder_!--what a wrench I give my shoulder."

"How?"

"Hitting one o' them pudding-headed Teapots, sir. Didn't hurt my knuckles, because his head was soft. Just like punching a bladder o'

lard, but the weight on him wrenched the jynte."

"Wait till we get on board," I said, "and Mr Price will soon put you right."

"Bah! not him, sir," said the man scornfully. "I shouldn't think o'

going to a doctor for nothing less than losing my head. It'll soon get right. Exercise is the thing, sir, for a hurt o' that sort. You and Mr Brooke give us a good job at them pirates out yonder, and I shall forget all about my shoulder."

"We'll try," I said laughingly. "But what were you going to say just now?"

"I, sir? nothin', sir."

"Oh yes; when you broke off."

"I broke off, sir?"

"Yes."

"To be sure. Yes, sir, I was going to say what a lesson it is for you, sir, as a young orficer, not to go pickling and stealing other folkses'

boats. This here all comes o' taking boats as don't belong to you."

"Better than sitting in another till she sinks, Tom Jecks."

"Not so honest, sir."

"Rubbish! We haven't stolen the boat; only borrowed it."

"Ah, that's what them heathens don't understand, sir; and I don't know as I blames 'em, for it is rather hard for 'em to take hold on. S'pose, sir, as you was in London town, and a chap was to take your dymon'

ring--"

"Haven't got one, Tom Jecks."

"Well, s'pose you had one, and he took it and sailed away as hard as he could go, sir. It wouldn't be very easy for you to tell whether he'd stole it or borrowed it, eh, sir?"

"Oh, bother I don't ask riddles now, we're so busy. Here: over we go."

"Lie to the windward, all of you," shouted Mr Brooke, who was now at the tiller. "More aft there; that's better."

For the boat had careened over to so great an extent that she had taken in a little water, and I felt that we were about to be capsized.

But she rose again and skimmed along rapidly for the mouth of the river, and I crept close to my officer again.

"Shall I take the tiller, sir?" I said.

"No, Herrick, I'll keep it for the present. I want to get all I can out of the boat, and keep up as much sail as possible without capsizing.

It's wonderful what these clumsy things can do."

"Yes, sir, we're going pretty fast, but I'm afraid the one behind goes faster."

"She does, my lad, for her crew know exactly how to manage. I don't want any more fighting if I can help it, but if they do overtake us I think we can soon send them back again. Men seem much hurt? Do they complain?" he whispered.

"Only about bruises, sir. They seem to treat it as so much fun. I say, how that boat does sail!"

"Yes, and we can do no more here but keep steadily on. Yes, we can.

Take a pull at that sheet, my lads, and flatten out the sail a bit."

"Ay, ay, sir;" and the sail was hauled a foot higher, and the sheet tightened, with the effect that we raced along with the water parting like a broad arrow before our prow, so that we seemed to be sailing along in quite a trough, and at times I wondered that we were not swamped.

But it was very exciting, and, like the others, I forgot all about a few contusions in the intense interest of the chase.

I went forward again to where Tom Jecks sat on the port gunwale, which was formed of one bamboo carefully lashed on with strips of the same material, and as there was nothing else to do, I shaded my eyes from the nearly level rays of sunlight, and had a good look at the distant junks.

"Yes, sir, that's them, sure enough," said the c.o.xswain. "Wish we was twice as many, and had a good-sized gun in the bows."

"Why, it would kick the boat all to pieces, or sink her," I said.

"Oh, that wouldn't matter, sir."

"But it's some one else's boat that we've borrowed," I said, with a laugh.

"Ay, so it is; I forgot, sir. But we ain't got a gun, and I'm afraid we can't take them two junks alone."

"So am I, Tom Jecks," I said; "but we can follow them."

"Arter we've had another naval engagement, sir. I say, look astern; I do like the impidence of these here savages, chasing on us like this, and they're gaining on us fast."

"No; only just holding their own."

"Gaining, sir."