“Thanks, a nod is as good as a wink,” rejoined Maynebrace. “A most useful tip of yours, Captain. We’re going to look for her at once.”
VI
The whaler returned to the destroyer and was hoisted in. Raxworthy made his report and handed over the two men he had saved. They were taken below to the wardroom, given a glass of sherry apiece, and then returned to their ship.
A quarter of an hour later, sufficient steam having again been raised to get the engines going, the Supreme stood off on a nor’-nor’-easterly course and Buster nosed off in the opposite direction to see if her luck was again in.
“I shouldn’t be surprised if that junk is the one that sunk the one that captured the Ah-Foo, sir,” observed Raxworthy.
“You don’t know; you told me you never had a glimpse of her,” rejoined Maynebrace. “All the same, I hope you’re right.”
They cruised inshore, but just outside territorial waters for the rest of the day and through the ensuing night. When the brief tropic dawn broke, a sail was sighted away to the east’ard—or rather the three mat square sails of a large junk.
Buster closed to within a mile. She was certainly a yellow-hulled craft, but without the broad green stripe. Sure enough, however, the “eyes”, without which no Chinese junk would venture out to sea, were surrounded by vermilion rings.
“I’ve been out Chinaside for two commissions and have never before seen a red-eyed junk,” commented Maynebrace. “She may have painted out the green band. Eighty cut-throats and machine-guns aboard. Regular floating hornets’ nest!”
The junk sailed serenely on. A few men were on deck, and they appeared to evince no interest in the inquisitive destroyer.