ch we had turned into a
buoy, but I could not make it out, and I thought it did not much matter,
for something else had begun to trouble me a great deal just then, and I
waited very anxiously for my officer to make some proposal.

But it did not come at once, for Mr Brooke was planning about the watch
setting, so as to guard against the junks coming down the river and
passing us on their way out to sea.

But at last all was to his satisfaction, one man keeping a look-out up
the river for the descending junks, the other downward to the mouth for
the return of the _Teaser_, whose coming was longed for most intensely.

Then, with just a scrap of sail raised, the rest acting as a screen
dividing the boat, we tacked about the river, keeping as near as was
convenient to the spot where the _Teaser_ had anchored, and at last Mr
Brooke said to me, just in the grey of the evening--

"I'm afraid the lads must be getting hungry."

"I know one who is, sir," I said, laughing.

He smiled.

"Well, I have been too busy and anxious to think about eating and
drinking," he said; "but I suppose I am very hungry too. Here, my lad,
pass that basket along, and serve out the provisions."

"You likee Ching serve out plovisions?"

Mr Brooke frowned, and the Chinaman shrank away. I noticed too that
when the food was served round, the men took each a good lump of salt
pork and a couple of biscuits, Ching contented himself with one biscuit,
which he took right forward, and there sat, munching slowly, till it was
dark and the shore was lit up with thousands of lanterns swinging in
shop, house, and on the river boats moored close along by the shore.

"Bad for us," said Mr Brooke, as we sat together astern steering, and
keeping a sharp look ahead for the expected enemy.

"Why?" I asked.

"Getting so dark, my lad. We shall be having the junks pass us."

"Oh no, sir. Ching is keen-sighted, and all the men are looking out
very eagerly."

"Ah, well, I hope they will not slip by. They must not, Herrick. There
is one advantage in this darkness, though: they will not find us out."

The darkness favouring the movement, and so as to save time, ready for
any sudden emergency, he ordered the men to buckle on their
cutlass-belts and pouches, while the rifles were hid handy.

"In case we want to board, Herrick."

"Then you mean to board if there is a chance?" I said.

"I mean to stop one of those junks from putting to sea, if I can," he