As the last act, Sampson relaxed his watch over his excellency. Signs were made to the governor’s chair bearers to take their lord back to the yamen. Nor did the departure of the governor take any time at all.
“Well done, Darrin! Fine, Dalzell!” boomed the hearty voice of Lieutenant-Commander Tuthill as the two young officers stepped on the deck of the gunboat. “Every man under your command has behaved like an American!”
Then, as his eye roved to Pembroke, standing under marine guard, he asked:
“How came Mr. Pembroke to be in trouble?”
“Attempted treachery,” Darrin responded. “I caught him trying to open the yamen gate to the Chinese rebels.”
Tuthill’s brow darkened.
“Pembroke, I did not think that of you, sir. You have a heavy burden of guilt! You will be taken down to the brig and locked up until I can decide what is to be done in your case, sir.”
After Pembroke had been marched below, to go behind bars, the commander of the gunboat continued, in a low tone to Darrin:
“I am afraid not much of anything can be done with him. He is a British subject, I suppose, and guilty of an offense committed on Chinese soil. The most that I can do will be to keep him locked up until to-morrow, and then turn him loose. Perhaps the Chinese will take care of him. The ladies are waiting in the wardroom to thank Dalzell and yourself. You had both better go inside.”
“I’d rather face the Chinese again,” laughed Dan, “than have to stand and be thanked by a lot of women.”