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Plenty plize-money now." "Didn't have nought to do with it," growled Tom Jecks. "Then who did, sir?" "Dunno, sir; some o' the boys. I was caulking till they wakened me wi' laughing." "But you saw it done?" "No, sir; it was all done aforehand. They'd turned his tail into a bull-roarer, and if you was to swing it round now like a windmill, it would make no end of a row." "Silence, sir," I cried.
"Takee all along big empty boat; cally tea, silk, lice, plize-money?" "Better see first," said the captain; "there may not be anything worth carriage. Go with them," he said to Ching. "They may want an interpleter." "Yes, Ching interpleter. Talk velly nice Inglis."
"You had better come on in the other boat, and take charge of the interpreter. Look sharp." I did look sharp, and a few minutes later I was sitting in the stern-sheets, being rowed ashore. "Plenty loom in littlee liver," said Ching, pointing to the creek. "Pilate take allee plize-money in sampan up littlee liver."
"And I suppose, as soon as we go away, they'll come out and attack the first merchantman that comes along the coast." "Yes," said Ching coolly; "cut allee boy float, settee fire junk, burnee ship." "Then what's to be done?" I said. "It's very disappointing." "Ching go back fancee shop; no catchee pilate, no plize-money." "Oh, but we shall drop upon them some day." "No dlop upon pilate.
Plenty plize-money; plenty tea, lice, silk; plenty evelyting. Come and see." The Teaser was moored, and a couple of boats manned with well-armed crews, Ching looking on the while and cunningly shaking his head. "No wantee big piecee sword gun. Pilate all lun away and hide." "Never mind," said Mr Reardon, who was going in command of the expedition; "we may find somebody there disposed to fight."
"You likee Ching show?" "Yes, of course. Prize-money, and you'd share." "Ching likee plize-money. You bling ship along, and Ching show." Ching's announcement cleared up what had been somewhat of a mystery.
We remained upon the coast for another six months, and then: were ordered home, to the great delight of everybody but Ching, who parted from us all very sadly. "You think Mr Leardon like to take Ching see Queen Victolia?" he said to me one day in confidence. "I'm afraid not," I replied seriously. "Ching velly solly," he said. "Plenty lich man now! plenty plize-money!
"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." "Then you don't think they are down here?"
If we tried to get by them they might take the ground with all that load, and be stuck." "And it would be a pity to have to leave that load, sir," I said. "Velly best load allee best silk!" cried Ching excitedly, "Good, velly good plize-money!" There was a roar of laughter at this, and Mr Reardon cried "Silence!" Then, sharply, "Fire, my lads, if you see any one following." "Ay, ay, sir."
"Yes, sir," I cried; and we went on again for another hundred yards, when all at once I caught sight of an opening where I could land, and pointed it out to Mr Grey. "Yes," said Ching, "allee light. That place where pilate land allee plize-money."
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