The foremost sampan was within a few yards of the little craft in which Lo San, quite unhurt, lay cowering in the bottom, when Errington at last considered it safe to open his throttle. The hydroplane shot forward at a pace that seemed to snatch the following sampan out of the very hands of the pursuers. From this time the chase was hopeless. The pirates paddled on a short distance further, then stopped, yelling with rage, and firing after their quarry with blind fury. Not a shot took effect. The hydroplane was soon out of sight, if not out of range. Errington looked behind. Lo San was not to be seen. With a qualm lest the boy had been hurt, Errington slowed down, stopped, and waited anxiously until the sampan came up by its own momentum. "Are you hurt?" he cried, seeing the boy inert. "No, sah: velly muchee funk," replied Lo San, without offering to rise. "Then get up, you owl, and come aboard," said Errington. "Lug the sampan up after you. First chop numpa one fightee man _you_ are." "My no likee fightee pidgin," mumbled the boy, as he clambered up. "You belongey chow-chow pidgin,"[#] said Errington. "Sit down." [#] You’re better at eating. And starting the engine again he ran into the open river, and rushed up-stream against a strong current at the rate of twenty-five knots. On arriving below the town, he steered the vessel into a narrow unfrequented creek, lowered the sampan, and finished the journey as he had begun it. "Don’t say a word about this, or I’ll sack you," he said to Lo San. He walked up the town, to the office of the local agent of Mr. Burroughs. "Mr. Ted has lost his flying boat, I hear," he said unconcernedly. "Yes," replied the agent. "It was stolen yesterday." "Well, the thieves apparently didn’t know what to do with it. You’ll find it in the creek just below Mr. Stevens’ wharf." "You don’t say so, Mr. Errington! That’s extraordinary. I’ll wire to Sui-Fu at once." "You had better say that you’ll send it down in tow of the first steamer. That’ll be safe enough, I think." "I’ll do that; but maybe Mr. Ted will come up and fetch it himself. I’m glad it’s so soon found, any way." "Yes. And oh!--I say, you needn’t mention me," said Errington as he walked out of the office. The agent telegraphed the bare news of the recovery of the vessel, and asked for instructions. But thinking over the matter, he felt a little puzzled at Errington’s manner, and made a shrewd guess that he had somehow gained possession of the stolen vessel. He wrote next day to Burroughs, mentioning his suspicion.