"Same old thing. The rebels have licked the Government troops, and are marching on Cheng Tu. The same performance will be gone through, I suppose: riot and burning, a bit of a massacre, a scare among the Europeans; then the Viceroy will take it in hand; he’ll pay for the capture of Su Fing; his head will fly, and then we’ll have peace for a year or two. All comes of education, Stevens; you don’t agree with me, I know; but if they weren’t so desperately fond of examinations and remained in their primal ignorance, I believe there’d be no rebellions. Su Fing has passed more examinations than any other man in the province." "Well, let’s be thankful they’re so far away. They won’t trouble us." "I’m not so sure. You know young Burroughs of Sui-Fu? You know him, of course, Errington?" "Yes." Errington had never spoken of Burroughs or his intimacy with him: the subject was too sore. "Well, that flying boat of his of which we’ve heard accounts has disappeared. I don’t know the particulars, but we got a wire an hour ago asking us to keep a look-out." "A trick of the river pirates, I suppose," said Mr. Stevens: "nothing to do with the rebellion." "Perhaps not; but Su Fing owes Burroughs a grudge for his interference in that affair with Ting Chuh. By the way, weren’t you in that too, Errington?" "I lent a hand." "If Su Fing isn’t in it himself, you may be sure some of his people are, and it looks as if we shall have trouble all up the Min." "You’re not going, Errington?" said Mr. Stevens, as his guest rose. "If you don’t mind. I’ve a bit of a headache, and mean to turn in early." "Sorry. Well, come up to-morrow, and we’ll have a rubber. Good-night." The headache was not feigned, but Errington’s principal reason for leaving early was that he wished to think over the news he had just heard. The flying boat had been stolen, then! He could hardly explain to himself why he had said nothing of his discovery; unconsciously, no doubt, he felt that to speak would have opened up the matter of his lost friendship with Burroughs--a matter which he could not have discussed. "What a fool I was not to bring it away!" he thought. "Yet why should I bother myself? The Mole’s no pal of mine now. Let him look after his own property." But this attitude did not last. The roots of the old comradeship remained, though the leaves had withered. In the night recollections of former days crowded upon his mind, and his thoughts of the Mole became more kindly. "Hanged if I don’t fetch it, and send it back to him," he said to himself. He got up about four o’clock in the morning, called Lo San, and told him to put some chapatties and soda water into the sampan. "We’re going to fetch Mr. Burroughs’ flying boat," he said. "No this time, sah," said the servant, anxiously. "No belongey leason.[#] Plenty bad fellas longside ribber." [#] It’s unreasonable.