“I shall not wait much longer,” said Mr Brooke at last. “He has had plenty of time. Look here, my lads, we have plenty of water, and the business is urgent. You’ll have to be content with a drink and a pull at your waistbelts.”
“All right, sir,” said the coxswain; “what’s good enough for the orficers is good enough for us. We won’t grumble, eh, mates?”
There was a low growl here, but not of discontent.
“Then in another five minutes, if our Celestial friend does not come back, we shall start. I’ll give him that time.”
“Beg pardon, sir; they’re a siggling of us.”
“Signalling! who are?”
“The Chinees, sir.”
“Yes, look,” I said; for, after a good deal of talking and shouting, one man was standing close at the edge of the landing-place, and beckoning to us to come closer in.
“Likely,” I heard one of our men whisper. “Ducks.”
“Eh?” said another.