"Wha' fo'?" he demanded indignantly. "I t'ink-um talkee talkee
heap good."

"Talkee talkee," I answered bitterly, for I knew now that he had
understood all that passed between George and me. "What for talkee
talkee? You no sabbe talkee talkee."

He grinned in a sickly fashion. "Yep, I sabbe velly much. I
honest Chinaman."

"All right," I answered. "You sabbe talkee talkee, then you bail
water plenty plenty. After that we talkee talkee."

He shook his head, at the same time pointing over his shoulder to
his comrades. "No can do. Velly bad Chinamen, heap velly bad. I
t'ink-um--"

"Stand back!" I shouted, for I had noticed his hand disappear
beneath his blouse and his body prepare for a spring.

Disconcerted, he went back into the cabin, to hold a council,
apparently, from the way the jabbering broke forth. The Reindeer
was very deep in the water, and her movements had grown quite
loggy. In a rough sea she would have inevitably swamped; but the
wind, when it did blow, was off the land, and scarcely a ripple
disturbed the surface of the bay.

"I think you'd better head for the beach," George said abruptly, in
a manner that told me his fear had forced him to make up his mind