A hoarse shout of triumph announced that the other launch had sighted us. They came on cock-a-hoop, gaining fast and firing as they came. Philipson now opened our throttle bit by bit, and we drew away, heading south-east. In five minutes our speed was at full again, in fifteen the sounds of pursuit were dying in the distance, until we could hear them no longer. My companion now took a sharp turn, doubling back north-east for a minute or two, then shut off our engine altogether; and there we lay, rising and falling gently on the dark swell of the outer sea. 'You know where we are, Mirlees?' said Philipson suddenly. 'I should say off the south point of the old Quarantine Island,' I replied. 'Exactly. And where do you suppose the other boat is?' 'God knows. But what are we hanging about here for?' 'In order to give our pursuers a good lead on their totally false scent. As soon as they are well past we will get along. What were they to suppose when I allowed them to view us making for the south end of the island? Obviously that we intended to go down coast--Ningpo, I fancy, is the port that will occur to them, as there is no likelihood of weather. They will pursue for some way on the chance of our petrol giving out. Then, when they find they do not pick up the sound of us again, they will assume we are clear away south. They will return at once to headquarters and warn Ningpo by telegraph--they have agents there, never fear. Meanwhile, it behoves us to select some other destination.' 'Where d'you propose?' 'What do you say to Nanking?' 'That must be a day's run, even at the best pace we can screw out of her.' 'Why not? We have the fuel, and you may depend I have not been so careless as to come away without food. Also, the farther afield we go, the less likely are we to be available for the inevitable inquiry into that awkward affair of to-night. Nanking appeals to me as the ideal place for our purpose. It is a huge straggling city with miles of country within its walls. It offers every facility for a sudden departure by rail or water, should we have warning of pursuit. The police will hardly look for us there, since the only people in a position to give information regarding our movements will be of opinion--for the time at least--that we are down coast. You, should you find that the shooting affray has blown over, may return to Shanghai by train at any time you like. I would advise you not to be in a hurry, though. I am afraid, Mirlees, that by your magnanimous rescue of me to-night you have made yourself obnoxious to some of the most dangerous people in Asia. Were you to return to Shanghai now, I frankly could not promise you a peaceful life--or for that matter life at all.' It wasn't a particularly comforting argument, but it struck me as being sound. 'Nanking be it then,' I said. 'We'll see to the future later.' 'And a wise decision, in my view,' said Philipson cheerfully, opening the throttle and turning the boat's head north.