"I hope so," I said; but asked myself the next moment whether I really did hope so. "Velly bad fightee, bad pilates come, and captain killee whole lot. Allee velly bad man, killee evelybody." "Do you think they will come out of hiding?" "Ching don'tee know. Ching thinkee muchee so. Now go sleepee. Velly much tire." He curled himself up, drawing his tail round out of the way, and seemed to go off directly; while I rejoined the officer of the watch, who happened to be Mr Brooke, and we walked right forward to the bows, and saw that the men were keeping a bright look-out. "Well, Herrick," he said, "got your dirk sharp?" "No," I said. "Don't laugh at me, please, Mr Brooke." "Oh no, I will not laugh at you, my lad," he said; "but as it is quite likely that we may have a bit of a scrimmage to-morrow, if the scoundrels are lured out of their holes, and grow desperate on finding that they have made a mistake, you had better keep out of the way." "But--" "Oh yes, I know what you are going to say; but you are very young yet, and what chance would you have against a great strong savage Chinaman-- for there are plenty of powerful fellows among these scoundrels. You must wait a bit before you take to fighting." I felt uncomfortable. He seemed to be looking down upon me so, in spite of my being an officer; but I could not boast of my strength, and remained silent for a time. "Do you think they are likely to get on board, sir?" "Oh no," he said. "We shall not give them a chance. Once the captain is sure that they are the pirates, if we are lucky enough to lure them well out from the shore, the men will be ordered up to the guns, and we shall give them a few broadsides, and sink them." "It sounds horrid, sir," I said. "Then they'll never have a chance to fight us?" "Not if we can help it, my lad. But, as you say, it does sound horrid, and rather cowardly; but what would you do with a poisonous snake? You would not give it a chance to strike at you first, if you met it and had a loaded gun in your hands?" "Of course not, sir," I said quickly. "Well, these wretches are as dangerous as venomous serpents, and, after what you saw on board that barque, you do not think we need be squeamish about ridding the earth of such monsters?" "No, sir, not a bit," I said quickly. "Neither do I, Herrick. I should like to aim the gun that sends a shot through them between wind and water." "Light on the port bow!" announced the look-out forward; and, upon using his night-glass, Mr Brooke made out the vessel, which showed the light to be a large junk, with her enormous matting-sails spread, and gliding along faster than we were, and in the same direction. As we watched the light, it gradually grew fainter, and finally disappeared, while all through our watch the screw kept on its slow motion, just sending the gunboat onward.