290 CRUISING AFTER PIRATES. 



but you won't, I know, ask me anything I do not volun- 

 tarily tell you about these things. Poor people, they 

 have hard times of it." 



" Why do you call them poor ?" I asked. 



" Because those who do not live by piracy are 

 squeezed by those who do, and squeezed into the bargain 

 by the Mandarins." 



" No wonder they don't become rich," I said ; " but 

 I must tell you about a neighbour of yours, who now 

 is rather a friend of mine, although he is an arrant 

 rogue, and the head of a pirate gang. I find him, how- 

 ever, very useful sometimes ; but I will tell you how I 

 made his acquaintance. A fishing vessel belonging to 

 Hong-Kong was attacked by a couple of pirate craft, 

 and of course taken. I suppose they thought no ransom 

 would be forthcoming for such poor people." 



"Yes, I fear that is the way they work their mis- 

 chief," answered my companion. 



"The pirates quietly sailed away with his junk 

 and all his property, having first landed the owner and 

 his family. The fisherman reached Hong-Kong, gave 

 information, and I, as usual, was sent out to recover, if 

 possible, the junk, etc. Step by step I traced . the 

 pirates until I ran them to earth at Kato ; here a good 

 deal of the stolen property was found stowed away in 

 the house belonging to the headman of the village, and it 



