“One of the pirate’s hens, perhaps, Herrick,” said Mr Brooke, smiling.
“Well, Ching, had we better go on?”
“Yes, go ’long,” said the Chinaman rather huskily. “Velly good place.”
We rowed on for another three or four hundred yards, the branch winding a great deal, so that we seemed to be in a succession of lakes, while the trees on either side completely shut us in.
“Stream runs very fast,” I said.
“Yes, velly fast,” said Ching.
“There, I think we had better turn back now,” said Mr Brooke, but Ching smiled in a curious way.
“What go turnee back? Pilate fliend both come in cleek after, to see what Queen Victolia jolly sailor boy go to do.”
“Are you sure?” said Mr Brooke excitedly.
“Yes, sir, I see the top of one of their sails,” said Tom Jecks.