"If pilate," he said, "all be full bad men. Lightee lantern; thlow
stink-pot; make noise."
"Yes," said Mr Brooke; "this cannot be one of them. Here, hail the man
again, and ask him where he is going."
"How pang pong won toe me?" cried Ching, and for answer there came two
or three grunts.
"Yes; what does he say?"
"Say he go have big long sleep, 'cause he velly tired."
Mr Brooke said no more, but ran the boat down the river some little
distance and then began to tack up again, running across from side to
side, so as to make sure that the junks did not slip by us in the
darkness. But hour after hour glided on, and the lights ashore and on
the boats gradually died out, till, with the exception of a few lanterns
on vessels at anchor, river and shore were all alike one great expanse
of darkness, while we had to go as slowly as possible, literally
creeping along, to avoid running into craft moored in the stream.
And all this time perfect silence had to be kept, and but for the
intense desire to give good account of the junks, the men would soon
have been fast asleep.
"Do you think they will come down and try to put to sea, Ching?" I said
at last, very wearily.
"Yes, allee 'flaid Queen Victolia's jolly sailor boy come steam up liver
and send boat up cleek, fight and burn junks. Come down velly quick."
"Doesn't seem like it," I said, beginning at last to feel so drowsy I
could not keep my eyes open.
"So velly dark, can't see."
"Why, you don't think they will get by us in the darkness?" I said,
waking up now with a start at his words, and the bad news they conveyed.
"Ching can't tell. So velly dark, plenty junk go by; nobody see if
velly quiet. Ching hope not get away. Wantee Mr Brooke catchee both
junk, and no think Ching like pilate man."
"Here, I must go and have a talk to Mr Brooke," I said; and I crept
back to where he sat steering and sweeping the darkness he could not
penetrate on either side.
"Well, Herrick," he said eagerly. "News?"
"Yes, sir; bad news. Ching is afraid that the junks have crept by us in
the night."
"I have been afraid so for some time, my lad, for the tide must have
brought them down long enough ago."