his plans at all. Why could not these
eccentric westerners be consistent? he wondered. The Englishman kept
second watch yesterday, and Ling had fully expected that he would do the
same again; while now--

"Me lathel watch filst, mastel," he pleaded; "me no sleepy. You sleep
now, mastel; me look out."

"Look here, my man," exclaimed Frobisher, wrathfully, "who's master
here, you or I? Just understand this, as it will save trouble in the
future. When I tell you to do a thing, just remember that you've got to
do it, and do it at once. Now, get away to wherever you're going to lie
down, and I'll call you when it's time for you to go on duty. No, not
another word; off you go, without any more palaver."

For a moment it seemed as though Ling intended to disobey. Then the
Englishman's great stature and commanding presence had their effect, and
he slunk off and lay down under one of the wagons, but not to sleep. He
simply lay there leaning on his elbow, regarding Frobisher with a
malignant expression. About a couple of hours later, after darkness had
fallen upon the camp for some considerable time, and the rest of the men
were asleep, he began to listen for something; and Frobisher would have
been intensely interested could he but have glanced into Ling's mind and
read what was working there.

About ten o'clock Frobisher began to feel so drowsy, that although he
had made the rounds only half an hour previously he determined to repeat
them, in order to avoid falling asleep at his post; so, taking up the
lantern and cautiously feeling his way, to avoid stepping on the
slumbering forms of any of the men, he began again to make the circuit
of the camp.

Ling had been in his place, apparently sound asleep, when Frobisher had
passed half an hour previously, but when the young man now directed the
light of his lantern under Ling's cart he saw that the fellow was no
longer there; and a hurried survey of the camp soon convinced him that
the Korean was nowhere within the circle of the carts. He must
therefore be outside, Frobisher argued; and, if outside, where, and what
doing?

There could be but one answer to that question, so, without a moment's
hesitation, Frobisher set to work to arouse the slumbering Koreans,
afterwards herding them in front of him until he had them all collected
together in a little knot in the centre of the camp.

He next endeavoured, in "pidgin" English, to make them comprehend the
situation