Not that it makes much difference now to me, for I do not think I can stand many more days of it." "I am afraid I am tougher than you, Percy, and shall take longer to kill, so I hope with all my heart that I may be right, and that they may be going to give us up to the authorities." The next evening they stopped at a large place, and were subjected to the usual persecution; this, however, was now less prolonged than during the early days of their captivity, for they had now no longer strength or spirits to resent their treatment, and as no fun was to be obtained from passive victims, even the village boys soon ceased to find any amusement in tormenting them.
When most of their visitors had left them, an elderly Chinaman approached the side of the cage.

He spoke to their guard and looked at them attentively for some minutes, then he said in pigeon English, "You officer men ?" "Yes!" Jack exclaimed, starting at the sound of the English words, the first they had heard spoken since their captivity.

"Yes, we are officers of the Perseus." "Me speeke English velly well," the Chinaman said; "me pilot man many years on Canton River.

How you get here ?" "We were attacking some piratical junks, and landed to destroy the village where the people were firing on us.

We entered a place full of pirates, and were knocked down and taken prisoners and carried away up the country; that is six weeks ago, and you see what we are now." "Pirate men velly bad," the Chinaman said; "plunder many junk on river and kill crew.