“Drugged!” decided Raxworthy.
“And the rest of the officers are in the same boat, sir!” declared the chief petty officer.
“How about the ratings; are any of them affected?” asked the midshipman.
“They’ve their own cooks—not a galley run by a crowd of Chinks, sir,” rejoined the C.P.O. darkly.
“So that’s what you think? Good; pass the word for Ming and Ti-so.”
Quickly the captain’s steward appeared with his characteristic bland expression.
Ti-so was nowhere to be found. It was afterwards discovered that the look-out had seen a sampan pass just before midnight. They had also heard a splash, but paid no particular attention to it, thinking that it was caused by a fish.
“Where’s Ti-so, Ming?” demanded Raxworthy.
“Honourable sir, I know not,” replied the head messman. “P’laps he in his bunk.”
“He ain’t,” declared the chief petty officer.