re! Ching!"

"Yes; help! Velly cold," came up in a piteous wail.

"Hold hard there!" shouted Mr Brooke. "Port boat back here under the
counter."

The falls were unhooked, and the boat drawn back by the coxswain till
she passed round close to the rudder.

"Any one there?" cried Mr Brooke.

"Ay, ay, sir!" and a cheer broke out from the men hurrying aft.

"Help! help!" came in a sharp wail. "No cut tow-chang! No cut
tow-chang!"

"Nobody's going to cut it, my lad. All right, we've got you," came up
from close under the stern windows, where even if it had been light we
could not have seen.

"Found him?" cried the captain, who now came up.

"Ay, ay, sir! Will you lower us down a lantern, sir? He's tied up
somehow to the chain and a ring-bolt. We can't quite lee."

The next minute, as I stood there longing to lower myself down into the
boat, a lantern was swung over to them; while the men came swarming up
the hatchway, for the news had soon spread, and they came running as far
aft as they dared.

"Now then, steady," came from beneath us. "Let go; we've got you, I
say."

"No cuttee tow-chang! No cuttee tow-chang!"

"Then he must have caught at the rudder-chains as he was swept along the
side," said the captain. "Why didn't the fellow hail us, instead of
letting the boats go on such a fool's errand?"

"Too much scared, sir," replied Mr Reardon. "Below there! Got him in
the boat?"

"Got him, sir, and we can't get him," said one of the men. "He's all
twissen up round the chain in a knot somehow."

"What?"

"He's tied hisself up somehow."

"Well, then, cut him loose, man," cried Mr Reardon.

"No cuttee tow-chang! No cuttee tow-chang!" cried Ching in a piteous
wail.

"Not cut his toe?" said the captain in a tone full of disgust. "What
does he mean? He can't have tied his foot to the chain."

"Hold still, will yer!" growled a deep voice; "I'm only untwisten on it.
Nobody wants to cut yer pigtail."

"Oh, no cuttee tow-chang!" wailed Ching piteously.

"Tow-chang?" said the captain.

"Yes, sir; his tail," I said.

"Oh, I see! They're very proud of the length."

"Well, I'm blessed if ever I see such a snarl," cried the man below.
"That's it. There you are. Here, cut this hankychy thing."

"Got him now?"

"Ay, ay, sir! all right," came from the boat; and at this the men burst
out cheering again like mad, while the boat was drawn along the side
with difficulty till the falls were