Part 79 (2/2)

'We shall have to swim nearly two miles.'

'Oh, no; nothing like that distance,' Ping w.a.n.g declared, and pointed to a smack on the starboard side which Charlie had not noticed.

'It's a mission s.h.i.+p,' Ping w.a.n.g explained, 'and she will lay to until daybreak. By the time that we have hauled and shot we shall be abreast of her, and won't have more than half a mile to swim. The skipper is fast asleep, and, as the mate is not going to disturb him, we shall have a quiet haul.'

A few minutes later, Charlie and Ping w.a.n.g were tugging at the cold, dripping net, delighted at the thought that it was the last time they would have to perform such work.

'It's a splendid haul,' the bo's'un called out to the mate, as the net of fish was swung over the pound.

As he spoke, the fish fell with a splash in the pound, and, the catch being extra large, many of the bigger fish jumped out of the enclosure and wriggled and slid about the deck. Charlie and another man picked them up and tossed them back into the pound.

As soon as the net had been let right out again, Charlie walked aft and found that Ping w.a.n.g was already there. The other men had gone for'ard to clean and pack the fish.

'Are you ready?' Charlie asked.

'Quite,' Ping w.a.n.g answered, and at once they began to undress.

'I shall not take off my under-clothes,' Charlie said, 'in case the water is very cold.'

'Nor will I,' Ping w.a.n.g said.

In a few moments both were ready.

'Chinee!' the mate shouted from the bridge. 'Chinee!' the men in the fish-pound repeated.

'They have missed us,' Charlie said. 'I'm off.' He climbed on the starboard gunwale, balanced himself for a moment and then dived into the sea. Ping w.a.n.g was after him in an instant.

Charlie saw the sailing-boat and made towards it.

'Let us keep close together,' he said to Ping w.a.n.g, 'in case anything should happen to either of us.'

Ping w.a.n.g did not wish to waste his breath in talking, but showed that he agreed with Charlie's suggestion by drawing closer to him. For a time--they did not know for how long--they swam silently onwards, but there was a big ocean swell, and often the s.h.i.+p for which they were bound was completely hidden from their sight for some minutes. When they did catch sight of her, they found that they were not making rapid progress. They were still a long way from the s.h.i.+p, and when they had been swimming for a good time, Ping w.a.n.g's courage began to fail him.

'I shall never reach her,' he declared, 'I'm getting tired. It is all up with me.'

'Nonsense, man,' Charlie answered, swimming a little closer to him.

'Have a rest; float.'

Ping w.a.n.g acted on Charlie's advice.

'She was much farther from the _Sparrow-hawk_ than we thought,' Ping w.a.n.g declared, when he had rested for a few moments.

'You're right,' Charlie answered; 'but we shall reach her in ten minutes at the latest.'

Ping w.a.n.g, encouraged by what Charlie had said, turned over and resumed swimming.

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