He gave the order to one of the crew, who went into the deck-house and presently came out with five discouraged-looking Chinese ship’s officers. There was nothing to be made out of this lot; they simply stood in a row and glowered at us without answering. Whenever I put a question to them they glanced at the captain, then turned their bovine gaze upon me, but never once did one of them open his mouth.
“Now, captain,” said I, “I propose that we herd this whole mob, officers and men, into the forecastle. The windlass, anchor-tackle, and all that will impede them, if they endeavour to take concerted action. You stand here on the clear deck with your two revolvers and keep an eye on them. The captain and officers will probably imagine you understand Chinese, too, so they will give no orders. Then I shall penetrate into the deck-house, for I am convinced that we have not yet come upon the responsible man. I don’t believe this fellow is the captain at all.”
To all this my comrade agreed, although he still demurred at my entering the deck-house. I ordered the men forward and then lined the alleged captain and his officers along the rail near them, and, while my captain stood by with a revolver in each hand, I, similarly equipped, went down three steps into the low cabin. It was a dangerous move if there had been anyone of courage within, for there were no windows, and what little light penetrated the place came in through the open door, and that was now largely shut out by the bulk of my body. Knowing that I was rather conspicuously silhouetted against the outside glare and formed an easy mark for either pistol or knife, I stepped down as quickly as possible and then stood aside. I thought at first the place was empty, but as my eyes became accustomed to the gloom I saw that a bench ran around three walls and in the further corner was a huddled figure which I knew.
“Ah, Excellency Hun Woe!” I cried, covering him with the revolver, “it is to you then we were to have been indebted for our death.”
The wretch flung himself on his face at my feet, moaning for mercy. A Corean never has the nonchalance of a Chinaman when danger confronts him.
“Get up from the floor and sit down where you were,” I said; “I want to have some conversation with you.” Then I went to the door again and cried to the captain:
“It’s all right. There is no one here but the Prime Minister of Corea, and I think I begin to see daylight so far as this so-called accident is concerned. I want to have a few minutes’ talk with him, so, unless you hear a pistol-shot, everything is going well.”
“Good enough,” cried the genial captain, “you play a lone hand for all it’s worth, and I’ll hold up these hoodlums while you pow-wow.”
“Now, Hun Woe,” I cried, turning to him, “what is the meaning of this dastardly trick?”