And now, as we glided along full sail before a pleasant breeze, with the topgallant sails ruddy in the evening light, there seemed at last some prospect of real business, for it had leaked out that unless Captain Thwaites' information was very delusive, the Chinamen had quite a rendezvous on one of the most out-of-the-way islands off Formosa, from whence they issued, looking like ordinary trading-boats, and that it was due to this nest alone that so much mischief had been done. A good meal down below, without dog or rat, as Barkins put it, had, in addition to a comfortable wash and change, made us forget a good deal of our weariness; and, as we were still off duty, we three loitered about the deck, picking up all the information we could regarding the way in which the news had been brought, in exchange for accounts of our own adventures, to insure credence in which Barkins carried about the nearly-divided telescope which had stood us in such good stead. It was rapidly growing dark, when, close under the bulwarks, and in very near neighbourhood to one of our big bow guns, we came upon what looked in the gloom like a heap of clothes. "What's that?" I said. "Chine-he, sir," said one of the sailors. "We give him a good tuck-out below, and he come up then for a snooze. Hi, John! The gents want to speak to you." There was a quick movement, and a partly bald head appeared from beneath two loose sleeves, which had been folded over it like the wings of a flying fox, and Ching's familiar squeaky voice said-- "You wantee me. Go shore?" "No, no; not to-night," cried Smith. "We shall set you ashore when we come back." "You go velly far--allee way Gleat Blitain?" "No, not this time, Ching," cried Barkins, as we all laughed. "No go allee way London? Ching wantee go London, see Queen Victolia and Plince o' Wales." "Some other time, Ching," I said. "But I say, how about the fancy shop?" "Allee light. Ching go back." "And how are you after our fight to-day?" "Velly angly. Allee muchee quite 'shame of mandalin men. Big lascal, evely one." "So they are," said Barkins. "But I say, Ching, are you a good sailor?" The Chinaman shook his head. "Ching velly good man, keep fancee shop. Ching not sailor." "He means, can you go to sea without being sick?" I said, laughing. He gave us a comical look. "Don'tee know. Velly nicee now. Big offlicer say jolly sailor take gleat care Ching, and give hammock go to sleep. You got banjo, music-- git-tar?" "One of the chaps has got one," said Smith. "Why?" "You fetchee for Ching. I play, sing--`ti-ope-I-ow' for captain and jolly sailor. Makee Ching velly happy, and no makee sea-sick like coolie in big boat."