They lit up, and began smoking, while I watched the long narrow street down which the captain and his escort must come. "Think we shall have to land the prisoners, sir?" said Jecks, after a smoky silence. "I suppose so," I replied. "I expect that is what the captain has gone ashore about." "Don't seem much good, that, sir. We takes 'em, and they'll let 'em go, to start a fresh lot o' plundering junks." "Thundering junks, matey?" said Billy Wakes. "I said plundering, Billy, and meant it. Your eddication ain't what it oughter be." "No, Jecks," I said; "if the pirates are given up, they'll be executed for certain." "Who says so, sir?" "First lieutenant," I said. "Well, he ought to know, sir. Been on the Chinee station afore. P'raps it's best, but I don't want 'em to be hung." "Don't hang 'em here, Tommy," growled one of the two silent men. "What do they do, then, old know-all?" "Chops their heads off, I've heerd." "Oh, well, I don't want 'em to have their heads chopped off. How should we like it if we was took prisoners?" "Oh, but we arn't Chinees," growled Billy Wakes. "Nor arn't likely to be, mate; but we've got heads all the same. I know how I should like to be executed if it was to-day." The others looked up, and I could not help turning my head at the strangely-expressed desire. "I'll tell yer," said Jecks, looking hard at me. "I should like it to be same as they did that young chap as we reads of in history. They drowned him in a big tub o' wine." "Grog would do for me," said Billy Wakes. "Or beer," cried the others. "Ask the captain to let you have some tea," I cried, "Quick, haul up the grapnel! Here they come!" Pipes were knocked out on the instant, the grapnel hauled up, and oars seized; but, in spite of urging on the men, I saw to my vexation that the captain had reached the landing-place first, and I kept him waiting nearly five minutes in the broiling sun. He did not say anything, only glared at me as he stepped in, followed by his escort. The oars were dropped, and, as we began to row back to the _Teaser_, I saw that his face was scarlet with the heat, and he looked in a regular temper. "I shall catch it," I thought to myself; but the very next moment my attention was taken to the shore, where a yell of derision arose from the crowd gathered to see the officers embark. "Brutes!" muttered the captain; and then he sprang up in a rage, for a shower of stones came pattering into the boat, and splashing up the water all round. He was so enraged by the insult, that he ordered the marines to load, and a volley of twelve rifles was fired over the people's heads. The result was that they all ran helter-skelter, tumbling over each other, and by the time they returned and began throwing again we were out of their reach, but they kept on hurling stones and refuse all the same, and shouting "Foreign devils!" in their own tongue. CHAPTER SIXTEEN. AN INTERVIEW.