"The English say they love the sea," observed the Jap. "Britannia, she rule waves with eel-spear. That what you say. Me think ninety-nine of all one hundred Englishmen know how to love the sea by come to sit on seaside and throw stones in water. That English holiday; but put ninety-nine Englishmen in boat they no know how to sail."
"That's quite true," thought Cardyke; "but what on earth has that to do with the question how Hokosuka got hold of that revolver? They are trying to bamboozle me for some reason. I'll mention the matter to Fielding when he wakes up. In the meantime I'll keep a watch on Mr. Hokosuka."
Accordingly the mid. turned on his bunk, and was soon to all appearances sound asleep, but out of the corners of his almost closed eyelids he followed the movements of the mysterious Japanese.
Hokosuka had removed the cartridges from the weapon, and was carefully examining its mechanism. Placing the corner of his coat under the hammer in order to deaden the sound, he tried the trigger in a most methodical fashion, so as to get the correct "pull." Then, replacing the cartridges, he handed the weapon over to his compatriot.
Oki took the revolver in his hand, and to all appearances it vanished. Cardyke could swear that from the time the general's fingers closed over the butt his arm never moved, but where could a bulky object like that go to?
Neither of the Japs seemed to treat the occurrence otherwise than as an ordinary transaction; one might have been handing the other a cigarette-case. The mid.'s curiosity was increasing rapidly.
Having rid himself of the weapon, Hokosuka rose from the floor, crossed the cabin, and took his stand just below the scuttle. There he waited as motionless as a statue.
Presently the light that poured through the opening became obscured. The man detailed to attend to the iron bar was being lowered to make his hourly examination. As far as Cardyke could see the pirate was seated in a bos'un's chair, which was let down till the man's shoulders were level with the scuttle. Steadying himself with his left hand, the seaman tried the bar with his right; then, satisfied that it had not been tampered with, he called to his comrades to haul up.
Instantly, with a rapid, gliding, noiseless motion, Hokosuka's left hand shot through the aperture. When his arm was withdrawn the Jap had another revolver in his grasp. He had dexterously removed the weapon from the seaman's holster, as he had done to the man who had previously been doing the duty.
Just then Fielding awoke. Oki pointed to the revolver that his compatriot held.