"Hamilton is his name. I knew him well several years ago, before he disappeared, and he was always up to some devilment or other. If he could not manage to work for his living, he could certainly live by his wits. "He gave me a very interesting account of his whole scheme. He, Hopkins, and the German, Schmidt—the ’Mysterious Three’ of Tientsin—had put in fifty thousand dollars apiece, and many wealthy Chinese had subscribed very large sums in what he called ’our venture’. ’We’ve done pretty well. We have quite a respectable little fleet, and have captured thirty million dollars’ worth of ships and cargoes, to say nothing of the ransoms some of our prisoners have paid for their freedom. We have friends throughout the country, and our prisoners know that if they talk too much when they get back, they will get their throats cut one fine night. We have had to do it to several already—just as a warning.’ "I asked him if he did not fear capture. "’Capture!’ he laughed, highly amused. ’You will never see any of us again, unless you happen to come as paying guests. Hopkins made a fool of himself, but he won’t be caught napping again, and ten times your little fleet could not get into our island.’ "I asked him what became of all the crews of the many ships he had captured. Had he hanged them? "’Hang them? Rather not!’ he told me. ’One or two of the first few, perhaps, but ever since, directly they see what a fine life we are having there, they volunteer to join us, and make splendid recruits.’" "Did you discover how he was going to get back to his precious island?" asked Helston. "No, I did not. I asked him several times, and kept my eyes and ears open, but not a thing could I discover. He had nothing there except the junk, as far as I could see, and they gave me complete liberty to go about the island as much as I liked." "How did you spend your time?" asked Dr. Fox. "Playing cards with him, like a fool," said Ping Sang, wreathed in smiles; "and I lost nearly ten thousand dollars, and have promised to send them ashore directly we reach his island. He is going to send a junk for them as soon as we get there, and he had the cheek, too, to ask me to bring up all the things he had left behind him in the Victoria Hotel. "Oh yes, I promised," laughed Ping Sang; "he amused me so, I couldn’t help promising him." Dinner being over, Hunter and the Captain of the _Sylvia_, Commander Bannerman, came across in their galleys, and they and Cummins of the _Laird_ joined a council of war, to determine the future plan of operations.