The aeroplane droned on, then, after a few minutes, faded away. Reiger flashed on the searchlight again, let the beam cut the darkness and then turned it off. The other light kept on flickering. It was drawing nearer and nearer.
Miller handed Fenner a torch. “Go forward,” he said; “we’re nearly there.”
Fenner took the torch and climbed out of the cockpit. He felt the boat roll as Miller cut speed.
Reiger, who was standing well forward, shouted, “Kill it,” and with a flurry the engines stopped. Reiger came over to Fenner, walking carefully as the boat rolled and heaved. “Get your rod out,” he snapped, “and watch these guys.” He was holding the sub-machine-gun. “I’ll pass them to you. Make sure they ain’t got guns, then pass them to Miller.’
They both stared into the inky blackness. Reiger flashed on a small torch suddenly. He had heard the creak of oarlocks.
A small rowboat came bobbing towards them. Fenner could see four men huddled in it and two men at the oars, then Reiger put his lamp out.
“Keep your ears back for that aeroplane,” Reiger muttered to Fenner.. Then, as the rowboat bumped gently alongside, he put his lamp on again.
A thin scraggy Chinaman came aboard. “I got four here,” he said to Reiger. “I’ll bring the others in four lots.”
“What about the special?”
“Sure, sure, I’ll bring the special last.”