In the latter part of the afternoon they sighted a big Chinese junk, close inshore against the islands. A light breeze had begun to ruffle the water. On the impulse of the moment, Captain Sheldon decided to board the junk and have himself carried to Hong Kong under sail. The idea caught him and suited his fancy; he couldn’t bear to think of arriving in port in open boats. Instructions were shouted to the mate’s boat, the head of the longboat was again swung around, and a course was laid to intercept the brown-sailed native craft under the lee of the land. All this passed unnoticed by the silent figure in the bow, wandering blindly through a grim vale of endeavour. As time went on, however, Wang seemed to realize that a change had taken place in the plan of their progress. The sun no longer shone full in his face. He glanced up dully, caught a vague sight of the junk, now close aboard and standing, to his veiled eyes, like a dark blot on the clear rim of the horizon; then pulled himself hastily together and made a low inquiry of the man at the bow oar. The answer seemed to galvanize his tortured body into action. He began to scramble aft under the moving oars. "Here, what’s the trouble forward?" Captain Sheldon tried to make out the cause of the commotion. "Wang wants to come aft, sir" "What for? Shove him into the bottom of the boat" "He says he must see you, sir" "Oh, the devil ... Well, let him come. He needn’t hold up the boat for that" Many hands helped the old Chinaman aft. Muttering rapidly to himself, he sank into a place beside the captain. "What’s that you say?" demanded Captain Sheldon "What are you trying to hatch up now?" Wang made a vague beckoning gesture in the captain’s face. Behind all that floated wildly through his mind, stood the fixed thought that he must not shame "Young Cappen" by openly imparting information. "Are you sick or crazy?" demanded Captain Sheldon again, bending above the maundering old man. "Cappen, junk he no good!" whispered Wang feverishly "No can do, Cappen! Must go ’way, chop-chop. Night come soon. Maybe no see" Captain Sheldon gave a loud laugh. He spoke for all to hear. "What damned nonsense have you got into your head now?" "No, sir, Cappen. Look-see!" Wang grasped the other’s arm with frantic strength, pulling him down "You no savvy him, Cappen. Killee quick, no good! You no wanchee him. Go Hong Kong side, chop-chop. Night come, maybe can do. Cappen, I savvy plenty what for!" "Oh, shut up, you raving old idiot!" cried Captain Sheldon, roughly. At this inopportune moment the mate, ranging alongside in his boat, offered a suggestion. They were closing in with the junk now; a row of yellow faces peered over the side toward them, watching with narrow bright eyes every movement of the approaching boats. "Captain Sheldon, I don’t like the looks of that crowd" said the mate nervously "Hadn’t we better sheer off, sir?"