reached over and ripped out the junk's chunky mast and towering
sail.

This was met by a curdling yell of rage. A big Chinaman,
remarkably evil-looking, with his head swathed in a yellow silk
handkerchief and face badly pock-marked, planted a pike-pole on the
Reindeer's bow and began to shove the entangled boats apart.
Pausing long enough to let go the jib halyards, and just as the
Reindeer cleared and began to drift astern, I leaped aboard the
junk with a line and made fast. He of the yellow handkerchief and
pock-marked face came toward me threateningly, but I put my hand
into my hip pocket, and he hesitated. I was unarmed, but the
Chinese have learned to be fastidiously careful of American hip
pockets, and it was upon this that I depended to keep him and his
savage crew at a distance.

I ordered him to drop the anchor at the junk's bow, to which he
replied, "No sabbe." The crew responded in like fashion, and
though I made my meaning plain by signs, they refused to
understand. Realizing the inexpediency of discussing the matter, I
went forward myself, overran the line, and let the anchor go.

"Now get aboard, four of you," I said in a loud voice, indicating
with my fingers that four of them were to go with me and the fifth
was to remain by the junk. The Yellow Handkerchief hesitated; but
I repeated the order fiercely (much more fiercely than I felt), at
the same time sending my hand to my hip. Again the Yellow
Handkerchief was overawed, and with surly looks he led three of his
men aboard the Reindeer. I cast off at once, and, leaving the jib
down, steered a course for George's junk. Here it was easier, for