"Don't quite see how," objected Fielding.
"The ship's not moving through the water. We can lower a bucket from one of the ports in the captain's cabin. I don't think it will attract attention."
"Much more good this," interrupted General Oki, who had overheard the conversation. "Let man down by rope; pick up ice, and put in sack. Sack full above top in no time."
"A man would stand a good chance of being frozen to death in five minutes," objected the sub. "Besides, it would mean a bullet through his head if the pirates discovered what he was up to."
"Me speak to Mr. Hokosuka," said the general; and turning to his compatriot he explained the state of affairs.
"Hokosuka he go to-night," announced Oki. "Heap plenty of fresh water tomorrow."
The rest of the day passed without interruption. The fog showed no signs of lifting, while at intervals came the thunderous crashes as the icebergs in the vicinity of the cruiser toppled over or split asunder. As Cardyke had said, there was plenty of fresh water in a solid form close at hand. Some of the fragments of ice were so large that the noise they made as they scraped the ship's sides could be distinctly heard.
Shortly after dark, for the sun did not set till half-past ten, Hokosuka was ready for his enterprise. The Jap had stripped off his clothing and had smeared himself from head to foot with a mixture of mineral oil and animal fat. This done, he reclothed himself in some old yet thick garments, so that he would be better able to withstand the numbing effects of the water. Three large canvas sacks were prepared ready to be lowered out of the port to the water's edge. These Hokosuka proposed to fill with lumps of ice before he was hauled back to his comrades.
Noiselessly the deadlight covering the port was unscrewed; Hokosuka fastened a rope round his waist, and was preparing to clamber through the port when he was struck in the face by a man's toes that mysteriously appeared from without. Before he could recover from his astonishment the owner of the toes slid feet foremost through the port, and to the surprise of all who recognised him, the wily Mukyima gravely saluted his compatriots and the two Englishmen.
The man had contrived to understand the position of affairs, and, taking advantage of his marvellous agility, dropped over the side, and crawling aft by means of the torpedo-net shelves, gained the open port. Luckily for him it was open, for all the other ports and scuttles were secured by deadlights. But what surprised Fielding and Cardyke more than the feat the Jap had successfully performed was the matter-of-fact way in which the Japanese took the reunion. Hokosuka was astonished—not at seeing his friend once more, but by the sudden blow in the face. Beyond that there were no visible expressions of welcome or delight upon the visages of the unfathomable Asiatics.