“Aren't you drinking with me?” he asked.
“I never take anything.”
“You're a funny girl. How'd you come to have this?”
“It was given to me. You'd better slip along. I can't ask you to stay.”
“But when am I going to see you, for a good visit?”
“Oh, there'll be chances enough. Here we are.”
“That's so. Looks as if we'd stay here a while, too. There's a battle on, you know, up at Wu Chang and Hankow. Big row. We get all the news from Kato. He's that Japanese that father has with him. The revolutionists have captured Wu Chang, and are getting ready to cross over. The imperial army's being rushed down to defend Hankow. Regular doings. Shells were falling in the foreign concessions this morning. Kato's got all the news there is. It's a question whether we'll go on at all. You see the Manchus own this boat, and the republicans would certainly get after us. There are enough foreign warships up there to protect us, of course.... How about another drink?”
“Better not. Your father will notice it.”
“He won't know where I got it.” Rocky chuckled. He felt himself an adventurous and quite manly old devil—here in the mysterious girl's cabin, watching her as she smoothed and tied her flowing hair, and sipping the potent liquor from Japan. “It's funny nothing seems to surprise you. Did you know they were fighting up there?”
“No.”