row escape
from him, my dear boy."

"I saw him at the Custom-house last night, when I was reporting what I
had seen."

"Where--in the office?"

"Yes."

"Who would have thought it! We knew that the Chinese gang were working
into the hands of one of our men, but we never thought it could be into
his. There it is, a man's sin will always find him out in the end!
What's the matter?"

"I--I feel kind of sick like. I guess I'm sort of a coward, but the
thought of him lying there dead that way! I suppose a man like you gets
used to it, but I--it makes me--"

"You needn't be ashamed to own to a feeling of humanity, my boy; no good
man ever gets _used_ to death or crime, though good men sometimes have
to see a deal of both."

"Here is the place; but--oh!--"

"Yes, Tee Ling has wisely departed, I see. I expected as much, for Tee
Ling is very sagacious. It's just as well we didn't bother about the
ship's surgeon. Besides, he is too good a Chinaman to take our medicine,
much less the dose of medicine the United States has ready for him. He's
wanted in 'Frisco, you know."

"Well, I'm mighty glad he's alive, all the same," Tom remarked, in a
tone of great relief. "I was dreadfully afraid he was dead, and I--I
never killed anybody!"

"We will be sure to catch him during the day, nevertheless, for he can't
get off the island, unless he disguises himself as a brown bear, and
I'll tell the boys to shoot all the brown bears."

Tom laughed at this mild drollery, and they returned to the shore
without seeing any trace of the Chinaman.

A lieutenant was standing on the deck of the smuggler's sloop. "There's
ten thousand dollars' worth of gum opium aboard of her, Captain."

"Yes, and very likely double that amount more hidden some place in the
island. Tom, what do you set your fortune at?"

"I guess about a hundred dollars would be more than I would ever know
what to do with."

"What extravagant ideas you have! I think we will be able to suit you,
though. Something like a hundred times over at the very least."

"Why, how do you mean?"

"Mean? Simply that this is to a great extent your 'find.' We heard your
gun, and our suspicions were aroused at once. If it hadn't been for your
nerve in the first place they would have got away. Are you willing to be
fired at twice for nothing?"

One of the _Madrona_'s men came up before the boy could answer, if,
indeed, he had any answer to make, and whispered a few words to the
Capt