'Well, not exactly,' Charlie answered, 'but I have discovered that Skipper Drummond is an old rascal, and that he believes he will have no difficulty in swindling you.'
'He is not the first person who has thought that and has lived to find that he has made a mistake. However, you can tell me all about it after dinner. You had better run upstairs and change your clothes.'
After dinner, Charlie related all that had happened to him, from the time he met the bow-legged cook until he came back to Grimsby.
'I suspected that you would have a rough time,' Mr. Page said, when Charlie had finished his story, 'but I never thought that you would meet with so many unpleasant adventures. However, as you have discovered that Skipper Drummond is a dishonourable man, I am not sorry that you went to sea. I don't suppose you will be in a hurry to go again.'
'I want to go very soon,' Charlie replied. 'I want to go to China with Ping Wang.'
'To settle there?'
'Oh, no; simply to recover Ping Wang's family riches.'
Mr. Page and Fred, not knowing whether Charlie was serious or not, made no remark.
'I'm quite sane,' Charlie declared, seeing that they were surprised; 'Ping Wang will tell you about it.'
Ping Wang, thus called upon, repeated the story of his father's death and the seizure of all his property by Chin Choo.