For what seemed a long space he did not even answer this; merely smoked and stared. She had never, sensitively keen as were her perceptions, felt so curious a hostility in Connor. She had hitherto supposed that she understood him, short as had been their actual acquaintance---her narrative of a past with him in America, as related to Jim, was false--but the man before her now, sitting all but motionless on the railing, smoking with an odd rapid intensity, holding that cold eye on her, was wholly alien. Finally he replied: “It's afternoon.” “No!” She sat up. “Have we been going right along?” “Right along.” She stood erect; covered a yawn; then with her thin hands smoothed down the wrinkled blue skirt about her hips. “I look like the devil,” she remarked. The thin hands went to her hair. “You haven't noticed any sort of a mirror in the cabin, have you, Tex?” He did not reply. Faintly through the still air came a faint sound--a boom--boom-bom. “What's that?” she asked sharply. “Fighting around Hankow.” “We're not way up there?” She stepped to the side and looked out ahead. “There's a city!” “Tom says it's Huang Chau.” “Hello! We're there!” He inclined his head. “What are you going to do?” “Tie up here.” She heard now other and more confused sounds. The junk was slowing down; working in toward the yellow shallows. “Now listen!” said he. She glanced at him, then away, apparently considering the quiet landscape; alien he was indeed, and hostile, his manner that of an inarticulate man struggling with a set speech.... “Listen! You're smart enough. But I want you to understand I don't trust you.'' “Don't you, Tex?” “When I go ashore, you're to stay here--right here on this deck--where you are now.” “What's the big idea, Tex?” “There'll be men to see that you do stay here. I want you to get this straight.” “Of course,” said she musingly, “you won't be able to rob me outright. You'll have to give me enough of a share to keep me quiet afterward.” He said nothing. “But what's to prevent the crew from getting away with the junk. I'm not very keen about being carried off that way.” “You needn't worry. I'm taking the master along with me.” He stood then; looked meaningly at her; then went forward. She noted that his two hip pockets bulged. Slowly the long narrow craft was worked in toward the land. Trackers sculled ashore in sampans and made the great hawsers fast to stakes. Then the crew, with a deal of shouting and many casual blows, were assembled in the long well forward of the mast, where they huddled abjectly. Keeping around the steersman's house, Dixie contrived to take in much of the scene. There was quarreling among the soldiers. Tom Sung towered over them, shouting rough orders. The two men that were told off (she judged to guard her and the junk) appeared to be objecting to their part in the affair. Obviously there would be small loot here.