"Your captain is aft," he said. "Perhaps you would like to see him."
"Is he a prisoner?" I asked, as I gazed at a Chinese gunboat close by, which had been captured when conveying despatches. "What's that vessel?"
"She's a Chinese boat, Tsaokiang," replied my friend Tomi. "We have caught her, and shall send her captain and crew with your officers in the transport. You can visit your captain if you wish."
This was my desire, and accordingly I proceeded astern, under escort and by permission, to the cabin in which Captain Goldheugh was interned. He welcomed me gladly from his cot.
"Ah! my son, so ye've got free of the Japs, have ye? Sure I'm still in limbo, though I must say the fellows are civil enough. We're steaming to the rendezvous, I'm told."
"Yes, sir. I came to ask your permission to stay on board here."
I rushed at my fence, you see, and yet in trepidation when I realised the obstacles.
"What!" exclaimed the captain. "Remain on board the Jap's cruiser with the fellows who smashed us into smithereens, and made a 'holy show' of the Fêng Shui? Bedad, a March hare isn't in the same run with ye. He's mad this time, anyway," concluded the captain. "Stark and staring! Are those straws in your hair?"
"No," I replied, smiling, yet nervously. "The fact is the captain of this ship has offered me a berth, and"—
"By the powers o' Moll Kelly this beats the world!" cried the captain, relapsing into native idiom. "The Jap captain offers ye a berth. Ah, go out o' that! He wants ye to take the cruiser into action, so he does! That's what he means. Well, well," he sighed resignedly, "look at that!"