ognise her
as the smart vessel that had started from the neighbourhood of the
burned ship so short a time before.

But even then Mr Reardon did not seem to be satisfied, for he set the
men to work hauling water casks from the hold, and make a pile of them
amidships. Lastly, a couple of the boats were turned bottom upward on
improvised chocks placed over the deck-house and galley.

I have not mentioned the guns, though. These were completely hidden,
the lesser pieces being drawn back, and spare sails thrown over the two
big guns forward.

"There," said Mr Reardon quietly to me; "what do you say to that, Mr
Herrick? Think this will deceive them?"

"There's one more thing I should do, sir," I said, as I looked aloft.

"One more? Nonsense; there is nothing more to be done."

"Yes, sir," I said, smiling; "I'd have some shirts and trousers hung up
in the rigging to dry, just as if the men had been having a wash."

"To be sure," he cried. "What else?"

"It wouldn't be bad if we could catch a few big fish, and let them be
hanging over the stern rail as if to keep them fresh."

"I'll set Mr Barkins and Mr Smith to try and catch some," he said
eagerly. "The idea's splendid, my lad; and if it turns out to be
successful, I'll--there, I don't know what I won't do for you."

Soon after, I had the pleasure of seeing a lot of the men's garments
hung on a couple of lines in the rigging, and Barkins and Smith hard at
work fishing, in which they were so wonderfully successful that I longed
to go and join them; but I was too busy over my task of disguising the
twenty sailors, and consequently my two messmates had all the sport to
themselves, dragging in, every few minutes, an abundance of good-sized
fishes, which were at last strung upon a piece of stout line and hung
over the stern rail.

That night the crew were all in an intense state of excitement, and
roars of laughter saluted my party of sham Chinamen, some of whom were
paraded in the newly-made frocks, two being in the full dress of
whitened head and pigtail, and looked so exactly like the real thing at
a short distance that no doubt was felt as to the success of this part
of the proceedings.

Officers and men had been a little puzzled at first, but in a very short
time they were all talking about the cleverness of the "captain's
dodge," as they called it; and the low spirits of the morning gave place
to eager talk about the adventures which all felt sure must co