"Nothing to speak of, sir," said Errington cheerfully. "They were having a little firing practice, and we got in the way."
"But surely you vill make complaint!" said the German, his face falling.
"Oh, not at all," replied Errington airily. "We're used to that kind of thing. It would get 'em into trouble. They're not a bad lot. I believe this man was one"--with a jerk of the thumb towards Chung Pi--"a jolly sort of chap, you know."
The officer glanced from one to another of the flying boat's crew; Burroughs with inscrutable face, Errington with an easy smile, the fat Chinaman stolid, the two servants unmistakably grinning. He was puzzled, suspicious; was the Englishman fencing with him? Did he dare to play with a German?
"Vell, gentlemen," said the officer, now thoroughly irate, "you vill accompany me to Sui-Fu. I shall report zat my gunboat interrupt to protect you from ze rebels. You will do me ze honour to step up board."
"It's really very kind of you," said Errington, with a charming smile, "but we're in a hurry, thank you, and will go down under our own power!"
He cast off, the vessel came into the current, and politely doffing their hats the Englishmen waved a smiling farewell.
"We're well out of that," said Burroughs.
"Yes," said Errington, "it would hardly do for our little affair to be made the pretext for a German landing in force and all the rest of it. It's the very thing they've been looking for. But I say, would you mind taking off that moustache?"
CHAPTER XXII