All was quiet on the junks, not a man being visible as we sailed out of the river and along the south shore of the estuary; and now, after a long examination, Mr Brooke declared that there couldn't be a doubt as to their being the ones we had seen up the branch river when we were in the trap. "The rig is too heavy for ordinary traders, Herrick," he said; and he pointed out several peculiarities which I should not have noticed. Ching had been watching us attentively, and Mr Brooke, who evidently wanted to make up now for his harsh treatment of the interpreter, turned to him quietly-- "Well, what do you say about it, Ching?" The interpreter smiled. "Ching quite su'e," he replied. "Seen velly many pilate come into liver by fancee shop. Ching know d'leckly. Velly big mast, velly big sail, go so velly fast catchee allee ship. You go waitee all dalk, burn all up." "What! set fire to them?" "Yes; velly easy. All asleep, no keepee watch like Queen ship. No light. Cleep velly close up top side, big wind blow; make lit' fire both junk and come away. Allee 'light velly soon, and make big burn." "What! and roast the wretches on board to death?" "Some," said Ching, with a pleasant smile. "Makee squeak, and cly `Oh! oh!' and burn all 'way like fi'wo'k. Look velly nice when it dalk." "How horrid!" I cried. "Not all bu'n up," said Ching; "lot jump ove'board and be dlown." "Ching, you're a cruel wretch," I cried, as Mr Brooke looked at the man in utter disgust. "No; Ching velly glad see pilate bu'n up and dlown. Dleadful bad man, bu'n ship junk, chop off head. Kill hundleds poo' good nicee people. Pilate velly hollid man. Don't want pilate at all." "No, we don't want them at all," said Mr Brooke, who seemed to be studying the Chinaman's utter indifference to the destruction of human life; "there's no room for them in the world, but that's not our way of doing business. Do you understand what I mean?" "Yes, Ching understand, know. Ching can't talk velly quick Inglis, but hear evelyting." "That's right. Well, my good fellow, that wouldn't be English. We kill men in fair fight, or take them prisoners. We couldn't go and burn the wretches up like that." Ching shook his head. "All velly funnee," he said. "Shoot big gun and make big hole in junk; knockee all man into bit; makee big junk sink and allee men dlown." "Yes," said Mr Brooke, wrinkling up his forehead. "Why not make lit' fire and bu'n junk, killee allee same?" "He has me there, Herrick," said Mr Brooke. "Takee plisoner to mandalin. Mandalin man put on heavy chain, kick flow in boat, put in plison, no give to eat, and then choppee off allee head. Makee hurt gleat deal mo'. Velly solly for plisoner. Bette' make big fi' and bu'n allee now." Mr Brooke smiled and looked at me, and I laughed. "We'd better change the subject, Herrick," he said. "I'm afraid there is not much difference in the cruelty of the act."