Three or four men, dark-featured fellows, Chinese apparently, came abaft, and a European mate came up from the cabin somewhere.
I saw a light flashing from a boat which quickly came alongside the schooner. I walked to the counter and watched it. The occupants were two short men in the stern, two natives in the bow, and two sailors rowing.
The lanterns gleamed as the men stepped on deck from the stern-sheets of the boat. They were wrapped up, but I knew one of them. He was the quasi-Japanese officer whom my captain had spoken with. These men were escaping perhaps—whither? What plans had they been maturing—what plots had they been framing in British territory?
The foremost arrival did not notice me, the second did,—he I did not know at all,—but neither made any remark to me. The officer, as I may term him, turned to Eagan, and said in English, clearly—
"Stand out at once, please. Make for Shanghai direct."
Eagan nodded merely, and said, "All right, boss." Then he gave a few orders which the mate repeated, and in five minutes the schooner was passing out by the north channel.
"Eagan," I said, "where are you taking me? I must join my ship."
He shook his head, and went to the wheel himself, leaving me raging. I followed him.
"Do you hear?" I cried. "This is piracy. I'll give the alarm if you do not put me ashore. Hail a boat!"
"Just lie low, Jule. Wait till we reach Shanghai, you'll find the steamer there, I expect, and if not you can wire; so be easy, boy."