[Ill.u.s.tration: "'Good evening, skipper!'"]

AFLOAT ON THE DOGGER BANK.

A Story of Adventure on the North Sea and in China.

(_Continued from page 269._)

CHAPTER X.

The result of Mr. Page's generosity was that when Fred and Charlie went to a tailor's, Ping w.a.n.g ordered a Chinese costume. A week later it was sent home, and when Ping w.a.n.g put it on, and permitted his pigtail to hang down, he looked quite a different man. That day the family were sitting talking over the coming voyage when a maid came in.

'A man wants to see you, sir,' she said to Mr. Page. 'He says his name is Skipper Drummond.'

'What a lark!' Charlie exclaimed to Ping w.a.n.g. 'Shall we carry him down the garden, and pitch him in the duck-pond?'

'Show Skipper Drummond in,' Mr. Page said to the maid, and as she departed he continued, 'Now, you boys and Ping w.a.n.g, go into the conservatory, and wait there until I call you.'

Fred, Charlie, and Ping w.a.n.g stepped into the conservatory, and seated themselves on a rustic bench, so that they could hear what the skipper said without being seen by him.

'Skipper Drummond, sir,' the maid said, as she reopened the door.

The bullying little skipper had evidently made a strong effort to look respectable. He was attired in a shiny black frock-coat, and had it not been for his brightly-coloured tie, one would have imagined that he was going to a funeral. In one hand he held a tall hat; in the other he carried two stiff-looking black gloves.

'Good evening, sir,' he said, as he stepped gingerly across the room, showing as much respect for the carpet as if it was newly-sown gra.s.s.

'Take a seat,' Mr. Page said, and he did so.

'I've come about the _Sparrow-hawk_, sir,' he said, endeavouring to appear more comfortable than he felt.

'Yes.'

'We've had a grand time, sir. Every voyage the _Sparrow-hawk_ makes she improves. There is not a trawler in the North Sea catches more fish than the _Sparrow-hawk_. She's a beauty, sir; and every one in Grimsby and Hull knows it. Two of the big fleet-owners want to buy her.'

'I suppose that they did not offer so much for her as you are asking from me?'

'They offered more, sir.'

'Then why did you not accept one of the offers?'

'Because it wouldn't have been acting square with you, sir. I am a straightforward man, I am; and having offered the _Sparrow-hawk_ to you at a certain price, I bide by my word.'

'That is very good of you--very good, indeed. It is not often that I meet with such an honourable business man.'

Skipper Drummond sighed deeply, as if he was sincerely sorry for the fact that there were some men who were very dishonourable.

'My idea was,' Mr. Page said, after a few moments' silence, 'to purchase the _Sparrow-hawk_ for my son, and start him in business as a steam-trawler owner. Perhaps it would be well if I introduced you to him at once.'

'I shall be proud to make the young gentleman's acquaintance. I am not a man to boast, sir; but if any one can produce a man that knows more about North Sea fishing than I do, I'm a Dutchman.'

'Charlie!' Mr. Page called out loudly, and in walked from the conservatory Charlie, Ping w.a.n.g, and Fred.

'Good evening, skipper!' Charlie exclaimed, cheerfully.

'Good evening, skipper!' Ping w.a.n.g added, equally cheerfully.

Skipper Drummond dropped his hat and gloves, and almost started out of his chair. Evidently he had never expected to see either Charlie or Ping w.a.n.g again.

'Have you brought us the clothes which we left on the _Sparrow-hawk_?'

Charlie inquired.

'And the pay which you owe me?' Ping w.a.n.g added.

'I thought that you were both drowned,' the skipper gasped.

'And no doubt you are almost sorry that we were not,' Charlie remarked.

'However, we have told my father what a wretched old tub the _Sparrow-hawk_ is. We have told him that she is rotten; that her boilers are worn out; that her gear is not up-to-date; that she has the smallest catches of any Grimsby trawler. We have told him also that you have been keeping down expenses by half-starving your men, and that you are the vilest little bully that ever held a captain's certificate.'

'And they also told me,' Mr. Page joined in, 'that you confessed to one of your men that you were about to sell the _Sparrow-hawk_ for half as much again as she was worth. Let me a.s.sure you that you will do nothing of the kind. I would not give half the sum which you ask for her. From the first I suspected that you were a swindler, and it was to obtain proof of it that my son shipped with you as a cook. Have you anything that you wish to say in your defence, or will you go at once?'

Skipper Drummond picked up his hat and gloves, and without uttering a word walked out of the room. He was white with rage, but he dared not express his anger in words such as he would have used on the _Sparrow-hawk_, for Charlie accompanied him to the hall door, and stood in the porch watching him until he had pa.s.sed into the main road.

'We have seen the last of him, I think,' said Charlie, when the captain was out of sight; 'and I hope that I never meet another man like him.'

On the following evening the Pages had a much more welcome visitor in Lieutenant Williams, who availed himself of Charlie's earnest invitation to come and see him and Ping w.a.n.g before they started for China. In private life he was just as cheery, amusing, and good-tempered as on board ship. He told many interesting stories of his work in coper-catching and arrests for illegal fishing. He quite envied Fred, Charlie, and Ping w.a.n.g their trip to China.

'Perhaps you will be sent to South Africa,' Charlie remarked. 'That would be much better than going with us.'

'Certainly it would,' Williams declared. 'Active service is the best thing that a man in the navy can desire, but I am afraid that there is no chance of my getting to South Africa. At any rate, I shall go on hoping for foreign service of some sort.'

'If he has an opportunity,' Fred declared, after Lieutenant Williams had departed, 'he will make the most of it, I am sure. He is just the kind of man to do something big, and then laugh and pretend that it was a very easy thing to do. I wish that he was coming with us. However, it's no good wishing. I'm going to have a good long sleep for my last night in the old home. Good night, all.'

Charlie and Ping w.a.n.g followed Fred's example and went to bed as quickly as possible. They awoke early, and later in the day reached Liverpool and went aboard the _Twilight_, which was to be their home for five or six weeks.

The _Twilight_ was a cargo boat which had accommodation for twenty saloon pa.s.sengers, but she rarely carried that number, as, her speed being but ten knots an hour, most people proceeding to China travelled by a faster and, consequently, more expensive steamer.

Soon after she had left Liverpool, Fred, Charlie, and Ping w.a.n.g began to wonder where the other pa.s.sengers were.

'They can't possibly be sea-sick already,' Charlie declared, and then seeing the chief steward he inquired how many pa.s.sengers they had aboard.

'Only you three gentlemen,' the steward answered.

Fred and Charlie looked at each other in amazement. They had fully expected that there would be all sorts of amus.e.m.e.nts to break the monotony of their long voyage, and their disappointment was great.

However, when they found that in consequence of their being the only pa.s.sengers each might have a cabin to himself, their discontent quickly pa.s.sed away. And when they got well out to sea they had plenty of amus.e.m.e.nts, for the captain had the shuffle-board, deck quoits, and other games brought out, and with the second officer and chief engineer played the pa.s.sengers.