He came hurrying aft, nearly tumbling once; while, left to his own power alone, the coxswain redoubled his efforts to keep down the water, and the tin baler went _scoop scroop, scoop scroop_, and _splash splash_, as he sent the water flying. But the dark, angry expression of Mr Brooke's countenance repelled the Chinaman, and he stopped short and looked from one to the other in a pleading, deprecating way, ending by saying piteously-- "You no wantee Ching?" Mr Brooke shook his head, and our interpreter went back over the thwarts, reseated himself, and began to bale again, with his head bent down very low. "Give way, my lads," said Mr Brooke, bearing hard on the tiller, and the boat began to bear round as he steered for the landing-place a quarter of a mile away. I looked up at him inquiringly, and he nodded at me. "We can't help it, Herrick," he said; "if we stop afloat with the boat in this condition we shall have a serious accident. But we shall lose the junks." "Oh!" I ejaculated, "and after all this trouble. We had been so successful too. Couldn't we repair the boat?" "If we could run into a good boat-builder's we might patch it up, but we can do nothing here." "Couldn't Ching show us a place?" "I can't ask the scoundrel." I winced, for I could not feel that Ching had deceived us, and for a few moments I was silent. Then a thought struck me. "May I ask him, sir?" Mr Brooke was silent for a while, but he spoke at last. "I hate risking his help again, but I am ready to do anything to try and carry out my instructions. We ought to patrol the river here to wait for the junks coming down, and then follow them, even if it is right down to sea. Well, yes; ask him it he can take us to a boat-builder's, where we can get some tarpaulin or lead nailed on." I wasted no time. "Ching!" I cried; and he looked up sadly, but his face brightened directly as he read mine. "You wantee Ching?" "Yes; where is there a boat-builder's where they will mend the boat directly?" "No," he said; "takee velly long time. Boat-builder same slow fellow. No piecee work along. Take boatee out water, mend him to-mollow, next week." "Then what are we to do?" I cried. "We want to watch the junks." "Why no takee other fellow big boatee? Plenty big boatee evelywhere. Get in big sampan junk, pilate man no sabby jolly sailor boy come along. Think other piecee fellow go catch fish." "Here, Mr Brooke," I cried excitedly; "Ching says we had better take one of these boats lying moored out here, and the pirates won't think of it being us. Isn't it capital?" Mr Brooke gazed sharply at us both for a few moments, and then directed the boat's head as if going up the river again. "Where is there a suitable boat?" he said hoarsely, and speaking evidently under great excitement, as he saw a means of saving the chance after all.