and again
fell back into her own ripples, that, widening from her sides, broke
crisply on the sand at Wilbur's feet.

Then the commotion ceased abruptly. The bay was quiet again. An hour
passed, then two. The moon began to set. Moran and Wilbur, wearied of
watching, had turned in again, when they were startled to wakefulness by
the creak of oarlocks and the sound of a boat grounding in the sand.

The coolies--the deserters from the "Bertha Millner"--were there.
Charlie came forward.

"Ge' lup! Ge' lup!" he said. "Junk all smash! Kai-gingh come ashore. I
tink him want catch um schooner."

IX, THE CAPTURE OF HOANG

"What smashed the junk? What wrecked her?" demanded Moran.

The deserting Chinamen huddled around Charlie, drawing close, as if
finding comfort in the feel of each other's elbows.

"No can tell," answered Charlie. "Him shake, then lif' up all the same
as we. Bime-by too much lif' up; him smash all to--Four-piecee Chinamen
dlown."

"Drown! Did any of them drown?" exclaimed Moran.

"Four-piecee dlown," reiterated Charlie calmly. "One, thlee, five, nine,
come asho'. Him other no come."

"Where are the ones that came ashore?" asked Wilbur.

Charlie waved a hand back into the night. "Him make um camp topside ole
house."

"That old whaling-camp," prompted Moran. Then to Wilbur: "You
remember--about a hundred yards north the creek?"

Wilbur, Moran and Charlie had drawn off a little from the "Bertha
Millner's" crew. The latter squatted in a line along the shore--silent,
reserved, looking vaguely seaward through the night. Moran spoke again,
her scowl thickening:

"What makes you think the beach-combers want our schooner?"

"Him catch um schooner sure! Him want um boat to go home. No can get."

"Let's put off to-night--right away," said Wilbur.

"Low tide," answered Moran; "and besides--Charlie, did you see them
close? Were you near them?"

"No go muchee close."

"Did they have something with them, reeved up in a hammock--something
that smelled sweet?"

"Like a joss-stick, for instance?"

"No savvy; no can tell. Him try catch um schooner sure. Him velly bad
China boy. See Yup China boy, velly bad. I b'long Sam Yup. Savvy?'!

"Ah! the Tongs?"

"Yas. I Sam Yup. Him," and he pointed to the "Bertha's" crew, "Sam Yup.
All we Sam Yup; nisi him," and he waved a hand toward the beach-combers'
camp; "him See Yup. Savvy?"

"It's a Tong row," said Wilbur. "They're blood enemies, the See Yups