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The whole shore and back land thereabout was deserted; the edge of the city was four miles distant. Hoang returned to the forecastle-hatch and went below, groping under his bunk in his ditty-box. "Well, what is it?" exclaimed Moran a moment later, as the beach-comber entered the cabin, and shut the door behind him. Hoang did not answer; but she did not need to repeat the question.
As a whole the plateau may be classed among the infertile regions of the earth. On account of its great elevation, Tibet is often called the roof of the world. Starting from its borders several large rivers break through its rocky ramparts, among them the Indus, Brahmaputra, Irawadi, and Hoang. Some of the plains of the great plateau range from fifteen to eighteen thousand feet above sea level.
"Now we have a talk savvy?" Wilbur told him as he loosed the ropes about his wrists and ankles. "We got our loot back from you, old man, and we got one of your men into the bargain. You woke up the wrong crowd, Hoang, when you went up against this outfit. You're in a bad way, my friend.
The schooner listed slowly to starboard and settled by the head. "All clear!" cried Wilbur. "There's something wrong!" exclaimed Moran; "she's settling for'ard." Hoang hailed the schooner a second time. "We're still settling," called Wilbur from the bows, "what's the matter?" "Matter that she's taking water," answered Moran wrathfully.
Now bring forward the one whom hitherto you have wisely called Hoang." In secret during the past years Ten-teh had prepared for such an emergency a yellow silk robe bearing embroidered on it the Imperial Dragon with Five Claws. He had also provided suitable ornaments, fur coverings for the hands and face, and a sword and shield.
To put it briefly, the only parts of the world that count much for human habitation are the mud deposits of the great rivers, and notably of the Nile, the Euphrates, the Ganges, the Indus, the Irrawaddy, the Hoang Ho, the Yang-tse-Kiang; of the Po, the Rhone, the Danube, the Rhine, the Volga, the Dnieper; of the St. Lawrence, the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Orinoco, the Amazons, the La Plata.
As he looked at the two, Wilbur asked himself where else but in California could such abrupt contrasts occur. "All light," announced Hoang; "catchum all oil, catchum all bone, catchum all same plenty many. You help catchum, now you catchum pay. Sabe?" The three principals came to a settlement with unprecedented directness.
In the meanwhile Hoang grew from infancy into childhood, taking part with Ten-teh in all his pursuits, yet even in the most menial occupation never wholly shaking off the air of command and nobility of bearing which lay upon him.
Hoang and seven of the coolies swarmed aboard. "What now?" shouted Moran, coming forward to meet them, her scowl knotting her flashing eyes together. "Is this ship yours or mine? We've done your dirty work for you. I want you clear of my deck." Wilbur stood at her side, uncertain what to do, but ready for anything she should attempt.
"Now you're going to talk," she cried to Hoang, as the bound Chinaman sat upon the beach, leaning his back against the great skull. "Charlie, ask him if they saved the ambergris when the junk went down if they've got it now?" Charlie put the question in Chinese, but the beach-comber only twinkled his vicious eyes upon them and held his peace.
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