Chapter XIV: A Dangerous Enterprise

"Pass the word for Mr. Richardson, please. He's wanted in the captain's cabin immediately."

The order, conveyed by means of a marine, was called in stentorian tones down the companion ladder leading to the narrow quarters in which Tyler had breakfasted, and brought him to his feet with a flush upon his cheeks.

"A wigging! He's going to catch it nicely!" sang out one of his new messmates, giving vent to a bantering laugh. "The skipper wants to know what he means to do with his fleet, and whether he has made arrangements to victual his Dyaks. Stand aside there, you fellows, and permit the admiral to pass! This way, sir, and if you're wanting a mate of sorts, why, look about you, for here are the men!"

The young fellow who had shouted the words indulged in a comical grimace, and placing his hand to his heart bowed in mock deference to the lad who, up to a few hours before, had, indeed, been as good as an admiral, for he had had command of quite a number of vessels, while the fate of many individuals had been in his hands. However, Tyler was not the one to take offence, particularly when his comrades had greeted him in such a manner, and with a laugh, and a sudden dash at the banterer which sent the latter sprawling on one side, he gained the companion and commenced to mount to the deck above.

"Right!" he called back with a merry laugh, "you shall all come with me, and as for the victualling, you shall have the management of that, for you have shown that you possess a hearty appetite, which will keep the food question before you. But sorry I can't wait, you fellows. I'll send for my first mate when I want him!"

A roar of good-natured laughter followed him up the ladder, and he emerged upon the deck with smiling features, well pleased with the manner in which he was treated by those with whom he had to live. Then, straightening his dress, he went aft to the cabin in which Captain Keppel had his quarters, and was announced by the marine who stood on guard outside the door.

"Mr. Tyler Richardson," said the latter, throwing open the door. "Shall he enter, sir?"

"Show him in, please," was the answer, "and send to Lieutenant Horton with my compliments and with the request that he will kindly attend here."

Next moment Tyler found himself in the presence of his commanding officer, before whom he stood cap in hand.

"Come and sit here," said Captain Keppel, taking him by the shoulder, "and make yourself comfortable, for I am going to have a discussion in which you will have to take a part. You must know that Mr. Brooke has at length managed to arouse the interest of the Government, who have for very many years been indifferent to the trade which might result to England by suppressing bloodshed in these parts, and in consequence the _Dido_ has been sent here to help him, and with the main object of putting an end to these acts of piracy which are so frequent, and which invariably end in cruel murders and in slavery. That is the way. Sit down in that chair, and try to remember every point in your journey down the river Sarebus, for the information which you can give us will be of the utmost value. But tell me, have you seen the little captive since you brought her to Sarawak?"

"She was taken ashore at once, sir," responded Tyler, his interest in the child being at once aroused. "You see, while on the schooner I had so many things to arrange and to look to that I never had an opportunity of speaking to the captives, or of asking them how it was that they had fallen into the hands of the Dutchman."

"Then I can tell you all about them," said the captain. "The child is the daughter of a naval officer stationed with the China fleet, and at present doing duty at Hong-Kong. She was on her way home to England for the purpose of education, and was despatched by a schooner which would take her to Singapore, where she would tranship to a mail boat bound for home waters. The tale of her capture is nothing out of the ordinary, and it suffices to say that this scoundrel of a Dutchman, of whom I hope to hear more, came upon the vessel and took her without difficulty, for she was manned by Chinese for the most part. They were killed at once, while the nurse and the child were kept, probably with the idea that money might be obtained for them. It was a gallant deed, Mr. Richardson, and reflects the greatest credit upon you, for it would have been far easier and far less dangerous for you to have gone off with the prahus and your followers, leaving the two to their fate.

"But there, I see that you do not like to hear much about that part of the matter; though before dropping the subject I consider that it is only right for me to acquaint you with the fact that I have given a full description of the rescue in despatches which I wrote after your arrival here, and also that I have sent a letter to the officer whose child you rescued.

"And now let us turn to these pirates, for I hear Mr. Horton's step outside."

He turned to greet the chief officer of the _Dido_, and having motioned him to a chair, placed himself at the end of the dining-table which occupied a central position in the cabin.

"Oblige me by drawing closer," he said, "and cast your eyes over these rough charts. They are some which I have prepared with the help of natives who have ascended the Sarebus, and may or may not be correct. And now, Mr. Richardson, kindly tell me which are the towns on the river, adding any points which may be of importance."

Thus bidden, Tyler scanned the charts which his commander put before him, and having asked for a pen and ink, and for a piece of blank paper, began at once to sketch the true course of the river, as observed by himself when escaping from Paddi.

"Rembas is the first of the strongholds, and is said to be the most powerful," he remarked. "But we had the good fortune to pass the pirates of that name, they mistaking us for friends. Pakoo comes next, and then Paddi, where this Dutchman has his residence. The river there divides into two, and Paddi is placed on the tongue of land between the two tributaries."

"And what about the bore?" demanded Captain Keppel eagerly. "I am told that these pirates seem not to fear attack, and, indeed, scarcely make any preparations for defence, except such as is necessary to keep native tribes out, for they imagine that this bore protects them. It is caused by the tide running into a wide mouth, and then suddenly finding only a narrow course. The mass of water is still forced on, and, unable to spread to either side, it rises till it forms quite a wall, and advances up the river in that manner."

"With the result that it swamps any but boats of fairly large size," added the lieutenant. "At least, that is the account which the rajah gave me, and he heard the tale from natives who had ascended the river."

"It may be so," Tyler answered, "but we did not meet with this bore on our way down to the sea. Should there be such a thing, and I can well imagine it, considering the straight course of the river and the manner in which it suddenly narrows, it would not be very difficult to avoid being swamped, for the bore will come with the tide, and at that time any boats which might be conveying an expedition could be rowed into a bay or creek, many of which exist all along the banks."

"And in there they could lie in safety!" exclaimed the commander of the _Dido_, looking swiftly at his first officer. "It is a good suggestion, Mr. Richardson, and I now perceive how it is that you managed to bring the tribe of Dyaks through. Depend upon it, the man--or lad for the matter of that, for you are scarcely more--who is gifted with common sense, and with sufficient steadiness to use it, finds his resources many, and a way out of difficulties which would be unsurmountable to others less inclined to think. Then you would lie up in one of these creeks if you were in command of the expedition?"

"Yes, sir," replied Tyler with a flush. "I should row up for a quarter of a mile, and then, if it were possible, I should disembark and haul each boat into the jungle. Then there would be no danger of being swamped, and once the bore had passed the expedition could push on again."

"And probably take the enemy by surprise, for the latter would hardly expect them, and would, in fact, believe that all had been drowned by the bore. Yes, the plan will prove a good one, I am sure. And now to discuss the other part, and to obtain a full description of the river from you."

For more than an hour did the three pore over the charts, and discuss the measures to be taken for the suppression of the pirates. Then Tyler was addressed once more by his commander.

"And now I have a request to make," said the latter gravely, turning to him slowly and scanning his features closely, as though he would read his character by that means. "You have had more fortune than falls to the lot of the vast majority of young fellows, for you have passed through part of a country which is considered impossible for Englishmen, a part where the Dutch have never dared to go. Moreover, you have met these pirates face to face, and you have beaten them soundly; not in actual hand-to-hand combat, you understand me, but in wits, in sharpness and decision. Thanks to you and the information which you have given so clearly, we are in a better position now to attack these pests than ever before. But we are ignorant of the special precautions which they will take; for, rest assured, they will hear of this intended expedition, for their friends and sympathizers are everywhere, and Sarawak is not without spies who carry tales to the enemy. That being the case, they will make strenuous efforts to resist us, for they have existed for a century and more and no one has ever been successful in repressing them. For that reason they will fight the harder to beat us back, and as a careful leader, who desires to lose as few men as possible, I wish for fuller information if it can be obtained. You have once before been in disguise. Will you don the same dress again, and go to the Sarebus river in advance of our party, with the object of spying upon the pirates, and of furnishing us with a warning as to their intended movement?"

For more than a minute did Captain Keppel keep his eyes fixed upon our hero, searching closely as if to see whether he would flinch at such a request, or show by a twitch of the lips, a wavering eye, or in some other manner, that the task was likely to be too much, and would make too great a call upon his fortitude.

"Mind," he went on, seeing that Tyler returned his searching gaze unflinchingly and without so much as a tremor, "I make a definite request, a suggestion that you should undertake this matter, for I am well aware that you are the most fitted for it. But I realize the great danger to be incurred, particularly when I bear in mind the fact that you have a personal enemy in this rascally Dutchman, who has sworn to obtain your head; and for that reason, and because a task of this description is essentially one for a volunteer, I make no order. I do not, on the strength of my being the commander of this vessel, while you are a subordinate, tell you that you are to go. Come, think the matter over. Go to your quarters and discuss it if you wish, returning here in a couple of hours, when you will have had time to make up your mind. And recollect this, that should you refuse to undertake the task I shall not think the worse of you, for the adventure will be full of danger and difficulty, and will take you right amongst the pirates and amongst enemies from whom you were most fortunate to escape."

Once more did the captain of the _Dido_ lean back in his chair while he gazed at our hero. But, had he expected to find any hesitation on the latter's part to accept the post assigned to him, he was destined to be mistaken, for not once had Tyler shown the slightest trace of fear.

"I would have answered at once," he said, suddenly breaking the silence which he had maintained up to this, "but I have been busily thinking whether I could possibly do as you say, whether the disguise of a native of these parts would be sufficient, seeing that I am wholly ignorant of the language. But what I have done once I can attempt again, and I thank you, sir, for giving me the opportunity. I do not require to think it over, as my mind is already made up. I will do my best to obtain the fullest information, and bring you warning of the movements of the pirates. When can I set out?"

"As soon as you are ready, my lad; and let me say that I admire you for giving a decision so readily. There are few who would undertake the matter, and, as I have said, not many who could make the attempt with as much hope of success as yourself. You will, of course, want a companion, for you do not speak the Dyak language, and might get into difficulties. Make your own selection and your own plans without reference to me, for you have shown such sense up to this that I can trust you to choose well. When you are quite prepared for the journey, come to me, and I will give you any further instructions which I may happen to have."

"And perhaps it would be as well, considering the fact that Sarawak has many spies, to beg Mr. Richardson to keep silence on the matter," broke in Lieutenant Horton. "After all, a discussion amongst the other officers might find its way elsewhere, and spoil our young friend's chances of success."

"And perhaps endanger his life," said Captain Keppel eagerly. "Quite right, Mr. Horton! and I thank you for the advice. Very well, my lad, return as soon as you are ready, and tell me then how you mean to tackle this matter. Remember that I leave it all to you, including the means by which you are to reach the Sarebus."

With a bow and a hearty shake of the hand, which was repeated by the first officer, Tyler was dismissed, and at once walked forward into the bows of the _Dido_, well knowing that he would have no opportunity for thinking if he rejoined his comrades below. Behind him he left the two officers, still conversing eagerly, and wondering how this quiet young fellow, who had joined the ship in such strange fashion and after the most extraordinary adventures, would elect to carry out the matter which had been entrusted to him.

"He is decidedly older than his age," remarked the lieutenant, "and I will wager that he carries the task through brilliantly. He has his head screwed on, and has a fine spirit. We shall see him charging at the head of our men before these pirates are done with, and I prophesy quick promotion for him. But I will leave you now, sir, if you no longer require me, for I may be able to help our young friend in this matter."

While the commander of the _Dido_ remains in his cabin or on the poop of his vessel, restlessly trudging backwards and forwards, with his thoughts for ever bent upon the coming expedition and upon the precautions necessary to be taken, let us once more seek for Tyler in the secluded spot away in the bows of the ship, where he had hidden himself, well knowing that only there would he obtain that peace and uninterrupted quietness which would permit him to give his full attention to the journey which was before him. Seating himself upon the sprit, where it came in through the rail, he bent his head on his hand for the space of a few moments, while he rubbed his eyes as though the action would enable him to see clearly into the future. Then he turned his gaze in the direction of Sarawak, and let his eyes pass from hut to hut, from the so-called palace of Rajah Brooke, the great Englishman who had devoted himself to the cause of the Dyaks and of all people inhabiting that portion of Borneo, to the quaint and straggling street which cut through the main part of the town. Then, dreamily, and as if his thoughts were too much occupied to take in all the details, he allowed his view to cross a strip of jungle and fall upon a neat and orderly settlement beyond. Houses built of bamboo, and displaying many a flaring signboard in front, were clustered together in an orderly manner, while many a thin wisp of smoke curled into the air. And about the houses, engaged in the yards which most seemed to have attached to them, were numbers of figures, working for their living, at peace with all the world, and settled in this town of Sarawak as if they had been there for years.

"Busy fellows," thought Tyler, suddenly attracted by the scene, and indulging in a closer look. "The Chinaman is a wonderful worker, and a very contented man. And I suppose that Li Sung is over there, having found his wife and child."

He ceased speaking, and looked again with increased attention. Then he rose to his feet, and, leaning on the rail, stared at the collection of huts.

"He is a shrewd fellow," he murmured, as though some thought had suddenly come to him. "All Chinamen are clever and cunning; and Li is thoroughly trustworthy. I will go across to him and chat the matter over."

Conscious that the expedition before him was one which demanded no little thought, and that to attempt to carry it out hastily, and with little preparation, could only lead to misfortune, Tyler had determined to take every precaution, and make every necessary enquiry before setting out.

"Then whom else could I go to who is better able to give advice?" he said to himself. "Li is a faithful fellow, and I believe is attached to me. He has suffered at the hands of these pirates, and he will be glad to see them exterminated. If I go to him he will be able to give me a hint as to a disguise, and I can rely upon him to keep a silent tongue in his head. I'll go across at once."

To act upon this decision was the work of a few moments only, for about the _Dido_, keeping, however, at a respectful distance, a number of native craft always hovered during the day. To hail a sampan, therefore, was an easy matter, and very soon Tyler was being ferried to the shore.

"I quite forgot to ask permission to go!" he exclaimed, suddenly recollecting that he was no longer his own master, and that he was subject to the discipline of the ship. "However, I dare say that they will accept my excuses, particularly when they hear for what reason I have gone. Ah! here we are, and a short walk will take me to the Chinese town."

Leaping upon the little landing-stage which had been erected, he tossed a coin to the oarsman, for the paymaster of the _Dido_ had advanced him a couple of months' pay. Then he strode off towards the houses which he had seen from the ship, and was very soon in the street which divided the dwellings.

"Where is Li Sung?" he demanded of the first man he met.

"Li Sung? Ah, him comee here wid de Dyaks and de whitee man!" said the Chinee, using the curious pigeon-English which is common to men of the race who attempt our language. "Yes, you findee him dere;" and he pointed to one of the neat houses. "Li him velly sad."

"Sad! For what reason?" thought Tyler. Then, thanking the man, he strode to the door of the house and knocked, entering as a voice bade him do so.

"What is the matter?" he demanded, suddenly catching sight of a figure huddled in a corner. "Is that you, Li Sung?"

At the sound of his voice the Chinaman sprang to his feet with a cry of delight, exposing, however, a face which was woebegone to the last degree. Then he darted forward and clasped Tyler by the hand.

"Li am velly sad man," he said. "He comee through so much, and he lookee to de time when he comee home and meet him wife and child. But dey not here, massa. Dey tink poor Li dead, he stay away so long, and dey sail back to Singapore. Li all alonee!"

"Then you will be able to listen to me, and it will do you good not to think of your trouble," said Tyler, taking him kindly by the arm. "You can help me if you will."

"Den I listen, for Li am de servant. De massa am always kind to de Chinee boy. He no kickee and hitee him, and him bringee Li through wid de Dyaks. What does de massa say?"

"That you can do something for me. Come, let us sit down and talk."

Taking their seats beside one another, Tyler began to tell Li Sung of the task before him; then for an hour or more the two chatted in low whispers, the Chinaman asking many a question, and lapsing into silence, often for the space of a minute, as he considered the matter.

"De plan do velly well," he said at length, with smiling features, which were a contrast indeed to the air of sorrow which he had worn when first his white master had accosted him. "De way to Paddi am open, and de Chinamen go dere velly easy. De massa am wise, for he tink of dis, and he say to Li: 'You comee wid me, and later on you havee money to go to Singapore.' Dat allee dat Li want, and him not afraid of de Dutchman."

"I should think not!" exclaimed Tyler, delighted at the thought that he had obtained a companion who would be so useful to him. "As you say, the plan seems a good one, and I do not see why we should not be successful. All depends on the disguise, and upon whom we meet in the river. But we have been talking for long. Let us set about the preparations without further delay."

Some two hours later, when the sun was overhead, and a hot haze hung over the water, a sampan was seen to be rowing from the creek upon the banks of which the Chinese town was situated, and was observed to direct its course towards the _Dido_. At first the marine who was doing sentry-go at the summit of the gangway paused listlessly in his weary tramp, glad of anything, however small, which would break the monotony of his hours of duty, and favoured the craft with a half-pitying gaze. Then he stifled a yawn, remarked upon the heat and discomfort of such latitudes when compared to Old England, and would have pursued his beat had not a second movement on the part of the sampan attracted his attention.

"Well, that does for me!" he exclaimed, bringing his musket from the shoulder to the deck with a clash which startled the mid-day silence. "Making this way against orders! All these here blacks, and the China boys too, know well that the rule is that they are not to come alongside unless a chief or big gun o' some sort is along with 'em. And here's a sampan, with a couple of cheeky chaps aboard, making direct for us! Who knows? they might have a keg of powder aboard. Hi, you two monkeys! Clear right off, or I'll--!"

He brought the butt of his musket to his shoulder and made pretence to aim. Then, as the Chinaman who occupied a seat in front of the one who was plying the oars rose to his feet and faced about, the sentry came to the rail, and leaned over it to inspect the craft and its contents more closely.

"It ain't no use yer kow-towing," he called out, seeing that the individual who had just risen to his feet was bowing to him. "I tell yer that it ain't allowed, so clear off, and quick about it too."

Whether the Chinaman understood what was said it would be difficult to state, but it would appear as though he did, for he at once thrust his hand into the interior of his capacious coat and produced a document, which he held above his head.

"For de chief!" he called out. "Dis am a letter, and de man here and me comee to speak to de captain about de pirates."

"Oh, yer've got a letter, 'ave yer? Well, sit tight there till I've called the sergeant," shouted the sentry. "Hi, sergeant, there's two China boys wanting to come aboard!"

A few minutes' parley sufficed to obtain the necessary permission, and then the two Chinamen having been searched to make sure that they carried no arms and had no murderous intentions, they were allowed to mount the gangway and step upon the deck.

"This way," said the sergeant, "and jest stop that 'ere kow-towing. I ain't the captain."

Apparently it annoyed him to see the Chinamen bobbing there in that senseless way, for he turned from them with a scowl and led the way to the poop, where Captain Keppel was standing.

"Two men to see yer, sir," he said, shouldering his musket in salute. "Two Chinamen, what says they've a letter for yer. Shall they come up, sir?"

"A letter! Two Chinamen! Perhaps they have some information about the pirates!" exclaimed the commander with a start. "Send them up, sergeant."

A minute later the two strangers were before him, to find that his chief officer had joined him, while both were staring at these intruders, no doubt wondering what information they had to bring.

"Well, what is it?" demanded the commander. "You have a letter, and as far as I have been led to understand, you have some information to give me. Now, get along with the business, and do stop that kow-towing."

At the words a half-hidden smile wreathed the features of the man who had stood up in the craft, and who had had possession of the letter. But in a moment it was suppressed, and, at once ceasing the bows with which he had favoured the white man, he drew the document out of an inner pocket and handed it to the captain.

"Dat am de plan of de river Sarebus," he said. "Fo Sing knowee de water velly well, and Li Sung been dere many a time. De news in de town am dat de Englishmen am to go to de river to fight de pirate, and Fo Sing and Li Sung comee here to say dat dey willee go dere too, and take de news to de pirates. If we not go, den de news reach dem all de same. But s'posing we am dere, den we makee friends, we laugh and we eat wid de pirate, and one velly fine day we come away again, and tell de Englishmen allee dat we see."

"Why, the man is proposing exactly what we had arranged!" gasped Captain Keppel. "But I must keep that to myself. What do you think of this offer, Horton? It seems uncanny that these fellows should have come at such a time. One really begins to think that they have guessed our plans."

"They can hardly have done that, sir," was the answer. "But would not a second party be advisable? Then if one failed--you understand?"

"Quite so, exactly, though I trust that there will be no mishap. But this fellow says that he has been to the Sarebus before. Probably one of the pirates, if one could only get at the truth."

"Yes, that may be the case," replied the chief officer, with elevated eyebrows, "but a Chinaman will do anything for gold. Here, what are you asking for this work?"

He turned to the spokesman of the two who had come aboard, and demanded his price, while he stared closely at him, watching him narrowly.

"For me, nothing, sir. I shall do my utmost for the navy. For Li Sung, the Chinaman who accompanied me through a part of Borneo, and then down the Sarebus, he asks merely that a passage shall be paid for him so that he may sail for Singapore, there to rejoin his wife and family."

In a moment the tones of the Chinaman's voice had changed, and the captain of the _Dido_ and his chief officer found themselves listening to the young fellow who had so recently joined them. In utter amazement they stared at him, only to find that he returned their glances gravely, and with never a smile, for Tyler was in desperate earnest, and had come aboard in this manner, not to make fun of those who were his superiors, but to test the effectiveness of his disguise. Seeing that matters had gone far enough already, and that, in spite of the brilliant light, and of the fact that Captain Keppel and Mr. Horton were so close to him, they had failed to recognize him, he at once spoke in his natural tones, so that it might become clear who he was.

"What! Impossible!" exclaimed the commander, stepping forward swiftly and thrusting his face close to Tyler's. "Mr. Richardson in disguise! It cannot be; for this is a real Chinaman if ever I saw one. What do you say, Horton?"

"It is wonderful. The lad would pass inspection anywhere, and has completely taken us in. I have no fears for him, for, dressed as he is, even the Dutchman will fail to recognize him. But what are we to do? It will never do to declare who is here, for the tale would fly round the deck, and our men would have it before half an hour had passed."

"And the safety of the expedition and of these two might be jeopardized," cried the commander. "Come down to the cabin, Mr. Richardson, and leave your companion here with instructions to say nothing and to keep his tongue between his teeth."

As if too dazed to say more, Captain Keppel turned about and led the way to his cabin, the chief officer following closely upon his heels, and Tyler bringing up the rear, kow-towing with the gravest of faces and the most servile of manners as they passed him. Once the door had closed upon them, however, the officers burst into hearty roars of laughter, and for some little time could do nothing more than stare at our hero and walk round and round him, closely scrutinizing his apparel. And well they might, too, for the special duty which was about to take Tyler to the Sarebus was one fraught with the gravest danger, and he was well aware that discovery would mean death. For that reason Li Sung had taken the utmost pains to transform him, and, thanks to the fact that on this occasion he was at home, and surrounded with all that was necessary for the purpose, he had contrived to provide a disguise which could not have been improved upon. Indeed, as he stood there in the cabin, Tyler was a Chinaman from his bald pate, with its dangling pigtail, to his thick-soled shoes. Nothing had been passed over, and so clever and painstaking had been Li Sung that the eyes seemed to be precisely the same as those possessed by the normal Chinaman. In short, as the interview upon the poop had proved, no one could recognize in the taller of the two Chinaman the young officer who had but just come to the ship; while even the leader of the pirates at Paddi would have passed him by without a suspicion that this humble individual, who seemed to find it necessary to kow-tow to every person of note or of the smallest consequence, was the Englishman for whom he sought, and whom he had last encountered in the guise of a Dyak chief.

"Your acting is superb," Captain Keppel was at length able to blurt out, "and I must really congratulate you, Mr. Richardson, upon the excellence of your appearance. But tell me how you propose to proceed? Surely, if you go up the river as you are, they will think that you are a man of some wealth and will pounce upon you, for your clothes are better than those worn, as a rule, by the Chinamen here."

"They are put on simply for the purpose of coming here, sir," replied Tyler earnestly. "If one of the country which I am supposed to represent had occasion to come to you, he would certainly don his best clothing for the purpose. But I shall take others with me, and once up the river I have but to strip off these outer garments and I become in a moment a coolie, one of the men who is to be come across in every part, at work upon the forest-trees, preparing a clearing in which to cultivate rice. The pirates do not molest them as a rule, though the Chinaman's fear of the former makes him keep at a distance from them generally. As to the river, sir, I shall act as circumstances demand, but my idea is to row boldly up to Rembas or to Pakoo and make friends with the pirates, with the idea of escaping later on."

"It sounds terribly risky, my lad," exclaimed Captain Keppel, as though a feeling of remorse had suddenly come to him for having selected this young officer for such a task. "Do you think that it will be necessary to actually throw in your lot with these men?"

"But, no--I will not interfere in any manner," he cried, after a moment's thought, interrupting Tyler before he could give an answer to the question. "I will leave the carrying out of the duty entirely to you, well knowing that you will not be impetuous, and that you have had an experience already which will be invaluable. You shall leave this ship when our chat is ended, and shall make your way to the Sarebus when and how you like. On your return to the _Dido_ I shall have something to say, and let me remind you now that we have appointed the island at the mouth of the river as a rendezvous, and that we shall sail there shortly after you have left us. Till we meet--the very best of fortune, my dear lad! As to getting there, I may say that the men who are looking after the prahus which you brought from the Sarebus will at once hand any of the vessels over when you show them this order."

Stepping to a bureau, which was fastened to one wall of the cabin, the commander of the _Dido_ scrawled a few hurried lines, and then handed the note to Tyler. A second later the latter was kow-towing himself from the presence of the two officers, his fingers aching with the hearty shake and grip which each had given him.

"A remarkably fine young fellow, and with wits!" exclaimed the captain. "He is an acquisition, Horton, and is as smart an officer as I ever came across."

"And he is not spoilt by success, as so many would be, sir," burst in the lieutenant "He is always in earnest, it seems to me, unless skylarking with lads of his own age, and he is clever. Look at the way he acted. Why, even a moment ago he did not allow himself to forget his rôle, and I'll be bound that the marine on sentry-go outside has not the faintest idea who it was he passed on to the deck."

That this was the case was abundantly evident, and had the door only remained open, those within the cabin would have quickly learnt the fact; for no sooner had the door closed than the sentry, an ill-conditioned fellow with a particular dislike to foreigners, grasped the Chinaman by the shoulders and hustled him on to the deck without ceremony. Then with a scowl and a "Git on with yer!" he went back to his beat, little thinking that his act was one likely to entail serious consequences later on.

But Tyler did not allow his temper to be ruffled, and, hastening along the deck, soon joined Li Sung. A moment or two later they were passing down the gangway, and very soon the two officers, watching from the gun-port in the cabin right aft, saw a tiny sampan swing out into the stream and pull for the prahus which lay moored some little distance away. A strong pull and it disappeared from sight, leaving the watchers to wonder when they would see Tyler Richardson again, and what would be his tale when he rejoined them.