"Help!" shouted the boy. "Help! Help!"
There was a chance that his voice might carry to the distant tug.
"Ah! That velly bad to make noise, honorable sir," came Saki's soft voice, and into the struggling lad's mouth was thrust a not over-clean rag.
Effectually silenced now, Ned lay there with blazing eyes. He was beaten, as he realized with a bitter feeling at his heart. Saki and Kenworth were in league, as he had half guessed before.
Kenworth's harsh laugh made him turn his eyes in that worthy's direction.
"Well, how do you like it, eh?" he chuckled. "And you thought you could overreach me and give me orders, did you? Just take that!"
The young ruffian swung a fist crashingly into his helpless victim's face. Again and again he struck, while Saki stood by, grinning. But suddenly the Jap interfered.
"That plenty for now. We finish our work. Then maybe soon we go way lilly while. Come back night time. Takee honorable capitan nice hotel."
The yellow man broke into a laugh as he spoke, and Kenworth, flushed and vicious from his display of vindictive fury, ceased belaboring Ned. He turned again to his sketch book and spy glasses. Saki took the opportunity to retrieve the pistol, which he handed back to Kenworth.
"Maybe good thing you not better shot," he chuckled, with sinister meaning.