head, jerked it tight, and then he and Foucault hove on the fall of the rope.  The unfortunate Chinaman was dragged from the ladder, and, as he swung clear, the two rascals let go the rope, allowing him to drop through the hatches into the lower hold.  Then they belayed the rope, and went down below.  Parratt had already lighted a slush-lamp, by the glimmer of which they could see the mandarin swinging to and fro like a pendulum within a few feet of the ballast, and still quivering and twitching in his death-throes.  They were now joined by Wo-li, who had watched the proceedings from the quay, and the four villains proceeded, without loss of time, to rifle the body as it hung.  To their surprise and disgust, they found nothing of value excepting an ebony pendant set with a single large pearl; but Wo-li, though evidently disappointed at the nature of the booty, assured his comrades that this alone was well worth the hazard, pointing out the great size and exceptional beauty of the pearl.  As to this, the seamen know nothing about pearls, but the thing was done, and had to be made the best of; so they made the rope fast to the lower deck-beams, cut off the remainder and unrove it from the block, and went back to their ship.

“It was twenty-four hours before the ship-keeper was sufficiently sober to break out of the berth in which he had been locked, by which time the barque was well out to sea; and it was another three days before the body of the mandarin was found.  An active search was then made for the murderers, but as they were strangers to the ship-keeper, no clues to their whereabouts could be discovered.

“Meanwhile, the four murderers were a good deal exercised as to the disposal of the booty.  Since it could not be divided, it was evident that it must be entrusted to the keeping of one of them.  The choice in the first place fell upon Wo-li, in whose chest the pendant was deposited as soon as the party came on board, it being arranged that the Chinaman should produce the jewel for inspection by his confederates whenever called upon.

“For six weeks nothing out of the common occurred; but then a very singular event befell.  The four conspirators were sitting outside the galley one evening, when suddenly the cook uttered a cry of amazement and horror.  The other three turned to see what it was that had so disturbed their comrade, and then they, too, were struck dumb with consternation; for, standing at the door of the companion-hatch—­the barque was a flush-decked vessel—­was the mandarin whom they had left for dead.  He stood quietly regarding them for fully a minute, while they stared at him transfixed with terror.  Then he beckoned to them, and went below.

“So petrified were they with astonishment and mortal fear that they remained for a long time motionless and dumb.  At last they plucked up courage, and began to make furtive inquiries among the crew; but no one—­not even the steward—­knew anything of any passengers, or, indeed, of any Chinaman, on board the ship, excepting Wo-li.