CRUISING AFTER PIRATES. 301 



the crew ascertained that a couple of days before a 

 fleet of pirates had been in the bay. This was bad 

 luck, but there was nothing for it except the chance of 

 finding them about Nowchow, an island just to the 

 north of Hainan. Thither therefore we went, but the 

 birds had flown from here also, probably for the southern 

 parts of Hainan. It was rather more than provoking, 

 considering that ten to one these were some of the very 

 fellows who had attacked the clipper ship. However, 

 better luck next time, I thought, as I turned the gun- 

 boat's head towards Hong-Kong. Our coal was getting 

 very short, and we had only enough, and barely that, to 

 take us back. We anchored for a couple of days en route, 

 at a favourite snug bay, and landing early the following 

 morning with my gun and setter, I soon picked up 

 some snipe, a few teal, and several quail. In crossing 

 a soft muddy patch in the marsh I came upon the 

 print of a tiger's track, perfectly fresh. Probably the 

 beast, after hunting about the skirts of the villages in 

 the valley, had crossed the swamp on his way to the 

 mountains. The four toes measured exactly seven inches 

 across. Partridges, as the day advanced, began to 

 utter their curious wild note, as they answered one 

 another from almost every hillock along the lower 

 ranges. Turning homewards, I soon added a brace or 



