"There's very little more to tell you, sir," I said; "but there are two
very large junks assuming to be merchantmen. They are anchored close by
here somewhere."
"You don't know which two?"
"No, sir; but we shall know them by their sailing at once, and I should
say by boats coming off to them with extra men directly after."
"Yes, that's good, Herrick--very good. But you have no other
information about them?"
"Only, sir, that they are just off on a cruise, and if we could catch
them--"
"We will catch them, my lad. But is that all?"
"Yes, sir, that's all; I thought it rather big news."
"So it is, Herrick--very big news. Just what we wanted. It's time we
made another capture. And to Ching has a friend on shore who sent this
information?"
"Yes, sir."
"Not a trap, is it--to get us away?"
"Oh no, sir; Ching is as honest as the day."
"Humph, yes," said Mr Reardon, with his fingers to his lips. "I think
he is, for he seems to have taken to us and to be working hard in our
service. But he may have been deceived. He is cunning enough; but so
are his countrymen, and they would glory in tricking the man who has
taken up with the English. I don't know what to say to it, Herrick."
"But suppose we see two big junks setting sail, watch them with a boat,
sir, and find that they take others on board, there could be no mistake
then."
"Oh yes, there could, my boy. We might follow these junks, seize them,
and spend a long time in their capture and bringing back into port.
Then we should apply to the authorities, and find that we had got into
sad trouble, for we had seized two vessels which the occupants could
prove were intended for peaceable pursuits. We could not contradict
them possibly, and all the time the scoundrels we wanted to take had
sailed off upon a piratical expedition, consequent upon our absence.
Now, sir, what do you say to that?"