spreading with incredible swiftness. The decks were beginning to
swarm with half-awakened and half-naked Chinese. Cries and yells
of warning and anger were flying over the quiet water, and
somewhere a conch shell was being blown with great success. To the
right of us I saw the captain of a junk chop away his mooring line
with an axe and spring to help his crew at the hoisting of the
huge, outlandish lug-sail. But to the left the first heads were
popping up from below on another junk, and I rounded up the
Reindeer alongside long enough for George to spring aboard.

The whole fleet was now under way. In addition to the sails they
had gotten out long sweeps, and the bay was being ploughed in every
direction by the fleeing junks. I was now alone in the Reindeer,
seeking feverishly to capture a third prize. The first junk I took
after was a clean miss, for it trimmed its sheets and shot away
surprisingly into the wind. By fully half a point it outpointed
the Reindeer, and I began to feel respect for the clumsy craft.
Realizing the hopelessness of the pursuit, I filled away, threw out
the main-sheet, and drove down before the wind upon the junks to
leeward, where I had them at a disadvantage.

The one I had selected wavered indecisively before me, and, as I
swung wide to make the boarding gentle, filled suddenly and darted
away, the smart Mongols shouting a wild rhythm as they bent to the
sweeps. But I had been ready for this. I luffed suddenly.
Putting the tiller hard down, and holding it down with my body, I
brought the main-sheet in, hand over hand, on the run, so as to
retain all possible striking force. The two starboard sweeps of
the junk were crumpled up, and then the two boats came together
with a crash. The Reindeer's bowsprit, like a monstrous hand,