“She was making in the direction of Bias Bay. That was to throw our people off the scent. The pirates of Bias Bay will get blamed for this. Probably a couple of destroyers will be sent to inquire into the matter. Meanwhile the gang goes unsuspected.”
“But will they ask for our ransom to be sent there?”
“No fear; they’ll conduct negotiations through an agent who, perhaps, lives in Canton or Amoy. Hello!”
A Chinaman cast adrift their wrist lashings and handed each of them a wooden bowl containing a greasy substance looking like porridge.
The doctor sniffed at it.
“Rice and fish,” he declared. “Might be worse: rotten eggs and seaweed for example.”
“Dashed if I can eat the stuff,” exclaimed the midshipman.
“You’d better,” advised his companion. “We may have to eat worse stuff than that before we’re set free.”
“Set free?” echoed Raxworthy. “I’m not going to wait for that, if I can possibly help it. I’m going to make a dash for it at the first chance that offers.”
The doctor smiled.