r. She fought like the devil. Then you bust in with your
belayin'-pin.

"After they 'ad choked you, an' after Carew 'ad got to 'is feet and
pulled the lass away from 'uggin' and kissin' you, Carew and Ichi began
to confab. It was English, and I 'eard a bit. Ichi went to the Old
Man, 'oo was breathin' heavy, and examined 'im like 'e was a sure
enough sawbones. 'E says the Old Man is just knocked out, and no
fracture. 'E takes the Old Man's keys. Then Carew 'as a couple o'
'ands hoist the Old Man into 'is bunk, and 'e says to the lass as 'ow
she can 'tend to the skipper. Ruth bounces into the room and slams an'
locks the door. Carew laughs and turns to business.

"An' what do ye think 'is first order was? To 'ave the cook aft. In a
jiffy, they 'ad Charley Bo Yip afore 'im. 'E ordered grub--slathers o'
grub, immediate, for fifteen. Yip took the order without turnin' a
'air--trust a Chink for that. Then they give us attention, an' they
lift the trap an' dump us down 'ere. They leave you where you fell,
but they boosted me along to this 'ere stanchion and, while Carew
tickled my shoulder-blades with a knife, Ichi, using the skipper's key,
trussed me up around the post. Then they went aloft again, slippin'
the cuffs on you as they passed, I think, for they didn't do it in the
cabin.

"Well, in fifteen minutes they were back--'alf dozen o' them, with Yip,
and plenty o' lanterns. Breaking out stores for Yip. Yip never looks
at me till he's ready to go aloft again. Then, making sure I can see
'is mug, 'e tips me a big wink. That means something, Martin. They're
deep uns them Chinks.

"That's all. I sat there, cuffed up proper, for hours, cussing, and
thinking, and calling to you. Hours! Swiggle me stiff, 'twas a bloody
lifetime, it seemed like. About five or six hours though, I
think--must be about seven or eight o'clock now.

"That's all that 'appened. But I'll tell you what I learned from
Carew's and Ichi's talk, and from lookin' at them. They've been cast
away, lad! That's why we didn't sight the schooner when we looked for
'er. The _Dawn_ was wrecked, some time ago. Carew ordered food for
fifteen--the _Dawn_ was fitted for seal 'unting, and carried a crew o'
nigh thirty. That shows only 'alf were saved--a bad wreck.

"They ordered grub first thing--shows they didn't save stores, and 'ave
been starvin' ashore. Must 'ave saved a boat though, or they couldn't
'ave boarded us. Must 'ave se