AN IMAGINARY SHIPWRECK. 15

“T should think there might be danger of the natives
taking a hand in the matter,” Ben suggested.

«Well, I allow there is; but that’s nothin’ to us. We
want to get a chance to ship on some homeward bound
craft, an’ the Progressive Age can lay there at anchor
till the barnacles come aboard, for all I care. You see it
was our business to get out of the scrape.”

«« Are there provisions enough to last the child and the
steward till they can send for assistance ?”

“T allow they can’t starve to death for a while yet;
but she wasn’t overly provisioned when we left Sandy
Hook, an’ they won’t get any too fat.”

“Do you suppose the steward will have sense enough
to send word to Hong Kong?”

“Not a bit of it. He’s as ‘fraid of a Chinaman as
ever St. Patrick was of a snake, an’ I allow he’ll keep
his black head under cover while she lays off Nampang.
Now you’ve got the whole thing, an’ I’m countin’ on
you to help me slip away before the captain can send
word to the consul.”

“T’ll keep my part of the trade, and will see to it that
you get off, but the rest of your precious crowd will have
to suffer for what they have done.”

«That’s all right; I ain’t sayin’ a word agin it, lad;
they deserve the whole cake. I was kinder drawed into
the thing, you see, an’ shouldn’t be blamed like the
rest.”

“How large is the brig ?”’

«Three hundred an’ sixty tons; square-rigged.”’