the moment to listen to my words,
expecting every moment as he was that some one would make a snatch at
his tail, to obviate which accident he was now holding the canister
tightly beneath his arm, and looking wildly round for a way to escape.

"Hadn't we better have it took off, sir?" said Tom Jecks, and there was
a roar of laughter. "Let's ketch him and take him to the doctor."

"No, no!" cried Ching, dodging round me again, for Tom Jecks, to the
delight of the others, made a snatch at him.

"You'll be a deal more comfortable, messmate--you know you will. Here,
let's have it?"

Tom Jecks made another snatch at him, but Ching avoided it, and to save
him from further annoyance I too made a snatch.

Poor fellow, interpreter though he was, he misinterpreted my intentions.
He tore away from my grasp and made a rush forward, but several men
were coming in that direction, and he dashed back to find himself faced
by Tom Jecks again. In his desperation he charged right at the sailor,
lowering his head as he did so, and striking him with so much force that
Tom Jecks went down sprawling, and Ching leaped over him.

There was no way open to him for escape, as it seemed, and he made a
rush for the side, leaped up, was on the bulwarks in an instant, and
made a snatch at the foremast shrouds as if to climb up into the
rigging, when either his foot slipped or his long loose cotton jacket
caught in something, I don't know how it was, but one moment I saw him
staggering, the next there was the terrible cry of "Man overboard"
raised as I rushed toward the side, heard the splash, and got upon the
bulwark in time to see the agitated water.

That was all.

It was rapidly getting dark, the tide was running swiftly seaward, and
even if the Chinaman could swim it seemed very doubtful whether he could
maintain himself long, hampered as he was by his loose clinging clothes.

But at the raising of the cry, "Man overboard," there is not much time
lost on board a man-of-war. A crew leaped into the boat; the falls were
seized; and in a minute the keel touched the water, and I found myself,
as I stood on the bulwark holding on by a rope, called upon to direct
those who had gone.

"Which way, sir? See him?"

I could only answer no, and then reply to Mr Reardon, who came up
panting.

"Who is it?" he cried. "Mr Herrick?"

"No, sir, I'm here," I shouted. "It's the interpreter."

"And what business had he up on the hammock-rail?" r