"He's fat enough." Then he began shouting orders to the men to row to and fro; and my heart sank as I vainly searched the lit-up water, for there was no sign of the unfortunate Chinaman.
"What a horrible ending to a practical joke!" I thought, and a bitter feeling of disappointment assailed me, as I asked myself why I had not gone in the second boat to help save the poor fellow.
Perhaps it was vanity, but in those exciting moments I felt that if I had been there I might have seen him, for it never occurred to me that I had a far better chance of seeing him from my post of vantage high up on that quarter-deck rail.
"See him yet ?" "No, sir!"-- "No, sir!" The first hail loudly from close by, the other from far away where the blue-lights shone.
"Bless my soul!" cried Mr Reardon, with an angry stamp.

"I can't understand it.

He must have come up again." "Unless his pockets were heavily laden," said the captain, going to where Mr Reardon stood.

"These men carry a great deal about them under their long loose clothes.

Some heavy copper money, perhaps.