Most of Carpenter’s officers were Europeans—­Englishmen or Americans—­and one or two of them who spoke Chinese, attempted to enter into conversation with the thirty braves, and endeavour to learn the object of the steamer’s mission.  Their inquiries were met either with a mocking jest or downright insult, and presently the mandarin, who hitherto had preserved a smiling and affable demeanour as he sat on the quarter-deck, turned to the captain with a sullen and ferocious aspect, and bade him remind his officers that they had no business to question the servants of the “high and excellent Viceroy.”

But though neither Carpenter nor any of his officers could learn aught about this sudden mission, one of their servants, a Chinese who was deeply attached to his master, whispered tremblingly to him that the mandarin and the thirty braves were in quest of one of the Viceroy’s most hated enemies—­a noted leader of the Taepings who had escaped the bloodied hands of Li Hung Chang, and whose retreat had been betrayed to the cruel, merciless Li the previous day.

Once clear of the land, the mandarin, with a polite smile and many compliments to Carpenter on the skilful and expeditious manner in which he had navigated the steamer down the river, requested him to proceed to a certain point on the western side of the island of Formosa.

“When you are within twenty miles of the land, captain,” he said suavely, “you will make the steamer stop, and my men and I will leave you in the boat.  You must await our return, which may be on the following day, or the day after, or perhaps longer still.  But whether I am absent one, or two, or six days, you must keep your ship in the position I indicate as nearly as possible.  You must avoid observation from the shore, you must be watchful, diligent, and patient, and, when you see my boat returning, you must make your engines work quickly, and come towards us with all speed.  High commendation and a great reward from the serene nobleness of our great Viceroy—­who has already condescended to notice your honourable ability and great integrity in your profession—­awaits you.”  Then with another smile and bow he went to his cabin.

As soon as the steamer reached the place indicated by the mandarin the engines were stopped.  The boat, which was towing astern, was hauled alongside, and the thirty truculent “braves,” with a Chinese pilot and the ever-smiling mandarin, got into her and pushed off for the shore.  That they were all picked men, who could handle an oar as well as a rifle, was very evident from the manner in which they sent the big boat along towards the blue outline of the distant shore.

* * * * *

For two days Carpenter and his officers waited and watched, the steamer lying and rolling about upon a long swell, and under a hot and brazen sun.  Then, about seven o’clock in the morning, as the sea haze lifted, a look-out on the foreyard hailed the deck and said the boat was in sight.  The steamer’s head was at once put towards her under a full head of steam, and in another hour the mandarin and his braves were alongside.