"Velly plime lot of plize-money," Ching said to me every time we met; and he toiled away with the rest, his face shining, and while our men grew red he grew more and more yellow. But, in spite of the tremendously hard work of carrying down those loads, the men took it all as a party of pleasure; and when, later on in the day, after boatload after boatload had gone down the creek for hours, I had to go up to Mr Reardon with a message from Mr Brooke, I was astonished to see how the contents of the stores had disappeared. It was getting close upon sundown when the last load was packed into the longboat. Silk bale, tea-chest, rice-bag, crate, and box, with an enormous amount of indescribable loot, including all kinds of weapons, had been taken aboard; and the men who had come up for fresh burdens began cheering like mad as they found the task was done. "That will do, my lads; steady--steady!" cried Mr Reardon. "Fall in." _Bang_! It was not a loud report, only that of the rifle fired by the sentry on the ridge; and immediately the men stood to their arms, and were ready for what promised to be an interruption. "See the sentry, Mr Herrick?" cried the lieutenant. "Yes, sir," I said; "he's running in fast." The next minute the man came up, breathless. "Strong body of John Chinamans, sir, coming across from over yonder." "Time we were off, then," said Mr Reardon; and, giving the word, we started away at the "double" from before the empty stores and huts, toward the creek. Our run through the wood, though, was soon brought to a walk, for we overtook the last laden men, and had to accommodate our pace to theirs. But they hurried on pretty quickly, reached the boat just as another empty one returned; the loading was finished, and as soon as the boat was ready, an addition was made to her freight in the shape of a dozen Jacks and marines, and she pushed off just as a loud yelling was heard from the direction of the empty stores. "They'll be down on us directly," muttered Mr Reardon; and we all crowded into the empty boat and pushed off after the loaded one, but had not descended the creek far before we were stopped by the loaded boat, and had to arrange our pace by hers. "Now for a slow crawl," I thought, "and they'll be after us directly." A loud bang behind us told that I was right, and the handful of rough slugs in the heavy matchlock flew spattering amongst the leaves overhead, cutting off twigs which fell into the boat. "Lie down all who can," cried the lieutenant; and we waited for the next shot, which, to be rather Irish, was half-a-dozen in a scattered volley. But though the twigs and leaves came showering down, no one was hit; and the coxswain steadily poled us along as fast as the progress of the other boat would allow. I saw that Mr Reardon was on the _qui vive_ to order a return of the fire; but so far we could not see from whence it came, and it seemed as if nothing could be done but keep steadily on with our retreat.