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"Let 'em," said Barkins, as the party settled themselves. "Now then, we're all here. All in to begin. We ought to have a programme. Here, Ching, what's the first thing they do?" "Ching no quite sure; p'laps lichi." "Lichi?" I said. "You don't know? You see velly gland velly ploper for bad, bad man."
"Of course we have watchful eyes in our boat, but I don't see anything yet worth watching." "He means that very likely there are friends of the pirates in one of these boats, and that we had better begin shooting, so as to take off attention from our real purpose." "Yes, allee same; p'laps pilate fliend in lit' boat go and tell Queen Victolia foleign devil sailor boy come catchee."
"Ching not velly sure, p'laps; only see one man look over side thlee times."
It was all clear enough: the great junk which had so deceived Mr Brooke and Ching had been cast ashore and shattered, these men having escaped and been exploring the island, or perhaps they were only coming down now from the spot where they had taken refuge after being cast ashore. "Why, Ching," I whispered, "perhaps there are more of them about!" "P'laps," he replied.
All of a sudden I heard a noise, heard someone fall, looked round and beheld T'ong, perspiration pouring down his back and front. "Oh, master, this b'long velly much bobbery. I makee velly frightened. I think p'laps master wantchee makee run away." And then, after a time: "You no wantchee catch 'chow'?" "Chow?" No, I could easily have gone without food for that night.
"Waitee minute; p'laps pilate come back; no have bliskit." He dropped down upon his knees, and began tearing away the sand from behind the stone, after which he dragged the case into the hole, and tossed the sand over it at a tremendous rate, ending by completely covering it and looking up at me with a smile of satisfaction. "Now for water," I said eagerly.
He held himself quiet until control came back and then stood up. "I thought she was dead, Li Ho," he said. In the half light the inscrutable face changed ever so little. "Li Ho no let," said the Chinaman simply. "You better now, p'laps?" he went on. "We go catch honor-able Boss before missy wake." Spence nodded. He felt extraordinarily tired.
"Yes," said Ching very quietly; "p'laps plenty mud up there. Go see." "And while we are up a side branch of the river, they may come down the main stream and escape." Ching shook his head. "Fliend say pilate junk hide up liver in cleek." "Yes, but " "Wait lit' bit," said Ching, with a cunning look. "Go up lit' way, shoot birds, and no lit' boat come after, no pilate fliend.
A light was flashed swiftly into my eyes, and desultory remarks which suddenly escaped me were rudely interrupted by shrill screams. My boy was singing. "Master," he cried, pulling hard-heartedly at my left big toe to wake me, "come on, come on; you wantchee makee get up. Have got two o'clock. Get up; p'laps me no wakee you, no makee sleep no b'long ploper.
I asked; and the interpreter smiled, and wrinkled up his eyes till he resembled a piece of old china on a chimney-piece. "Ching say velly lit' bit; only shake his new coat till common man see it silk. He feel velly much flighten all a same, as if big-button mandalin get in him boat." "And what shall we have to pay him?" "P'laps nothing 'tall." "Oh, nonsense!" I said.
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