"No, Herrick, I'll keep it for the present. I want to get all I can out of the boat, and keep up as much sail as possible without capsizing. It's wonderful what these clumsy things can do." "Yes, sir, we're going pretty fast, but I'm afraid the one behind goes faster." "She does, my lad, for her crew know exactly how to manage. I don't want any more fighting if I can help it, but if they do overtake us I think we can soon send them back again. Men seem much hurt? Do they complain?" he whispered. "Only about bruises, sir. They seem to treat it as so much fun. I say, how that boat does sail!" "Yes, and we can do no more here but keep steadily on. Yes, we can. Take a pull at that sheet, my lads, and flatten out the sail a bit." "Ay, ay, sir;" and the sail was hauled a foot higher, and the sheet tightened, with the effect that we raced along with the water parting like a broad arrow before our prow, so that we seemed to be sailing along in quite a trough, and at times I wondered that we were not swamped. But it was very exciting, and, like the others, I forgot all about a few contusions in the intense interest of the chase. I went forward again to where Tom Jecks sat on the port gunwale, which was formed of one bamboo carefully lashed on with strips of the same material, and as there was nothing else to do, I shaded my eyes from the nearly level rays of sunlight, and had a good look at the distant junks. "Yes, sir, that's them, sure enough," said the coxswain. "Wish we was twice as many, and had a good-sized gun in the bows." "Why, it would kick the boat all to pieces, or sink her," I said. "Oh, that wouldn't matter, sir." "But it's some one else's boat that we've borrowed," I said, with a laugh. "Ay, so it is; I forgot, sir. But we ain't got a gun, and I'm afraid we can't take them two junks alone." "So am I, Tom Jecks," I said; "but we can follow them." "Arter we've had another naval engagement, sir. I say, look astern; I do like the impidence of these here savages, chasing on us like this, and they're gaining on us fast." "No; only just holding their own." "Gaining, sir." "No." "Yes, sir." I took a long look back at the boat, and counted the black caps and flattened limpet-shaped straw hats of the blue-jacketed men on board. "Seven of 'em," I said half aloud. "Eight, sir; I counted 'em twice. One on 'em is a-lying down now, but he was a-setting up a little while ago. Afraid we shall open fire, I expect." "And that's what we shall have to do," I said. "A rifle bullet or two sent over their heads would make them give up." "But they arn't pirates, sir, and you mustn't fire at 'em. Look at that now." The pursuing boat was about two hundred yards behind us, and one of the Chinamen now stood up in the bows, holding on by a stay, waving his straw hat and gesticulating furiously. "All right, Mr Shing po Num, or whatever your name is," said the coxswain in a low voice, "can't stop this time, we're in a hurry."