the
back of his racked brain: to meet and some day put down the beast in
Len Yang.

A bright, waving hand distracted his attention from the sea. The maid
from Macassar was endeavoring to attract him. He looked down with a
pale, haggard smile.

"You have not forgotten--Kowloon, _busar satu_?" said her tinkling
little voice.

"Not I, small one!" Peter called back in accents that entirely lacked
their accustomed gaiety.

CHAPTER X

During the remainder of the voyage Romola Borria did not once, so far
as Peter was aware, leave her stateroom. Her meals were sent there,
and there she remained, sending out word in response to his inquiries
that she was ill, could see no one--not that Peter, after that latest
astounding interview, cared particularly to renew the friendship. He
was simply thoughtful.

Yet he felt a little angry at his demonstration of frank selfishness,
and not a little uneasy at the uncanny precision of her recital of his
recent history, an uneasiness which grew, until he found himself
waiting with growing concern for the rock-bound shore-line of Hong Kong
to thrust its black-and-green shoulders above the horizon.

The _Persian Gulf_ anchored outside at night, and in the morning
steamed slowly in amidst the maze of masts, of sampans and junks, which
latter lay with their sterns pointing grotesquely upward, resembling
nothing so closely as great brown hawks which had flown down from a
Brobdingnagian heaven, to select with greater convenience and
fastidiousness what prey might fall within reach of their talons.

Peter was aware that many of these junks were pirate ships, audacious
enough to pole into Victoria Harbor under the very guns of the forts,
under the noses of battleships of every nation.

When the launch from quarantine swung alongside, Peter went below and
changed from the uniform to a light, fresh suit of Shantung silk, a
soft collar, a soft Bangkok hat, and comfortable, low walking shoes,
not neglecting to knot about his waist the blue sarong.

The steerage passengers were lined up when he came above a little
later, sticking out their tongues for the eagle-eyed doctors, and
giggling at a proceeding serious enough, had they known it, to send
every mother's son and daughter of them back to the land whence they
came, if they displayed so much as a slight blemish, for Hong Kong was
then in the throes of her latest cholera scare.

Satisfied at length that the eyes and tongues of th