I hurriedly seated myself by him in the darkness, and waited while our leader now turned to the last man to receive his orders.
“You, Ching,” he said, “will go right forward to keep a good look-out, ready to give a whispered warning of our approach to the junks. Do you know what a whispered warning means?”
“Yes; Ching say see junk so lit’ voice you can’t hear him.”
The men tittered.
“Silence! Yes, you understand. Now go, and be careful. But mind this, if our boat is seen and the pirates hail, you answer them in their own tongue; do you understand?”
“Yes; ’peakee Chinee all along.”
“That will do.”
Ching crept forward, and we were gliding along over the dark sea before a gentle breeze, which, however, hardly rippled the water.
“Keep a bright look-out for the Teaser, Jecks. We may see her lights.”
“Ay, ay, sir.”