Our final port of call before going home was Japan, and that, even by the standard of our experiences, was to he a very strange episode indeed. You see it all started with frogs. . . . . . . .

" Eikky Oko on the port bow. " said Mr Thornby. We all looked at the green smudge coming out of the mist on the horizon. Captain Brooks turned the boat and headed for Eikky Oko.

" I think we're expected. " said Mr Pepperday.

Two boats were speeding out from the island and heading straight for us. As they got closer we could see that they were coast guard frigates.

" Boy they're travelling. " said Mr Thornby. A large how wave threw up the sea to each side of the frigates as they surged towards us.

" I hope they stop in time. " said Captain Brooks.

Suddenly they were with us, engines stopped and silent, one each side bobbing up and down on the calm sea.

" Stop your engines. " shouted the one on the left. A launch was lowered and a boat full of little men in uniforms came across to us.

" Who are you in charge. " said the one who had a pink badge on his hat.

" I suppose I am. " said "Mr Pepperday.

The man gave a little bow, then handed Mr Pepperday a green form.

" Ah. . . . " said Mr Pepperday. " Hurnmmmmrn arrr. . . "

" What does it say. " I said.

" I don't know. " said Mr Pepperday. " It's in Japanese. "

" We look your animals. " said the little man.

" Sort of quarantine. " said Mr Pepperday.

" No animals land. " said the man.

" O nothing's leaving the ship. " said Mr Pepperday.

" Good we inspect now, have list of animals. " the little man held out his hand.

" I'll go and get it. " said Mr Pepperday and disappeared, he returned a few minutes later with the lists.

The little man copied everything down onto his pink forms.

" We look now. " he said and the group of men behind him scattered in all directions. The little men counted everything and looked in everywhere. They counted the crew twice. Ever thing seemed all right and there were smiles and bows from everyone.

They were all gathered on deck ready to go and the man with the pink badge on his hat, finished filling in a blue form. He handed it to Mr Pepperday and bowed, then started to go down the ladder to his launch, when one of his party said

" Yi ho yhati po tern tti i. "

" Mo to hi. " said the man with the pink badge.

" Ye chi sen so smoko ye ch chi. " said the other man.

The man with the pink badge came hack.

" Ye choo she. " he shouted and all the men scattered again.

He stood looking at us.

" I do get landed with um. " he said. " Min Chow's got lost. "

A few minutes went by and the men came back with Min Chow. Min Chow stood in front of the man with the rink badge.

" Yen coo men yi yekie yno ni. " said Min Chow looking very sad.

" Uo uxn ri cho chun chun. " said the man with the pink badge crossly.

The man with the pink badge started to go down the ladder again to his launch.

" You chum ke em ni sem no. " said Min Chow softly.

" Sem no. " said the man with the pink badge looking startled, by now only his face could be seen over the side rail of the boat. He climbed back up and onto the deck again and the whole party went off below decks with Min Chow.

" We'd better fallow. " said Mr Pepperday and so we all trouped along after Min Chow.

It was pretty crowded in the forward hold by the time we all got down there Mr Pepperday, me and Joe pushed our way to where the man with the pink badge was in deep discussion with Min Chow. They were looking at one of the marine tanks.

Frogs. " said the men with the pink badge. Joe looked hard at the tank.

" Frogs. " said Joe.

The man looked at his pink forms.

" It say eighteen frog. " he said. Joe looked at him.

" Yes. " said Joe.

" Twenty two frog. " said the man and started to count them. " Lin chow shenn flong meyong

Mr Pepperday looked at Min Chow.

" Frogs will be frogs. " said Mr Pepperday.

" Too many frog. " said the man with the pink badge having finished his counting of the frog. . . . . So what. " said Mr Pepperday.

" I think we're-about to hit bureaucracy head on. " said Joe.

" Frog not allowed on shore. " said the man with the pink badge. " You no land. " he snatched the blue form from Mr Pepperday.

" Hay just a minute, what do you mean. " said Mr Pepperday.

The man with the rink badge was hurrying off up to the deck followed by all his men. We chased after him.

" Look here, what you on about. " shouted Mr Pepperday.

" You no land. " said the man with the rink badge. " You sail away, good bye. " He started down the ladder to his launch.

" Why. " said Mr Pepperday.

The man with the rink badge stood half way down the ladder.

" Too many frog. " he said. " If you not know how many frog you have, you not know if any escape, get ashore, spread foggy illness to all frogs. " he looked at us for a moment then said " Good bye. " he then jumped down into his launch. His little group followed.

" What do we do now. " said Captain Brooks as we watched the launch head back toward the frigate.

" I don't know. " said Mr Pepperday.

" Couldn't we sneak in somewhere else. " said Sandy.

" We wouldn't get far without a blue form. " said the Captain.

" Dam . . " said Mr Pepperday. We all looked at him in amazement, Mr Pepperday wasn't one usually given to such strong language.

It appeared that Mr Pepperday had been offered two Tanci bears. These look like small Pandas and are very rare. If Mr Pepperday could get them it would be exceptionally good for the zoo, as a lot of People would come to see them. It would also be one up on the other zoos.

Mr Pepperday knew that if he didn't pick up the bears in the next few weeks someone else would buy them.

The frigates escorted the Beagle Pup out into international waters and told us to go away.

We were sailing into the sunset to give the expedition that happy ever after ending, when Captain Brooks came down to my cabin.

" Pisssssssst. . . . . " he went at the door and moved his head sideways indicating that I should follow him. I followed him down the passage to Mr Pepperdays cabin. Without knocking he went in.

Mr Pepperday was writing at the small table, he looked us as we entered. " What do you two want. " he said.

Captain Brooks indicated to me to shut the door.

" Look. " said the Captain in a whisper. " May he, just may be, I could get these bears for you. "

Mr Pepperday looked at him, then looked at me, I shrugged.

" Whet do you mean. " said Mr Pepperday.

" Well let's say there's this guy with a boat who owes me a favour. " said the Captain.

" You mean go in illegally. " said Mr Pepperday.

" Look. " said the Captain straightening up. " If it's against your principles let's say no more about it. " the Certain turned to the door to leave.

" Just a minute. " said Mr Pepperday. " Lets not bring principles into this. If it hadn't been for the frogs we'd be in harbour now. "

" Just so. " said the Captain.

" After all. " said Mr Pepperday. " I've got all the papers and documents for getting the beers out. "

" It's just a matter of sneaking in, buying the bears and sneaking out again. " said the Captain.

" Hmmmminmmmrnmmmm. . . . " said Mr Pepperday. " I think I'll have to sleep on it. I'll tell you definitely in the morning. "

Needless to say I didn't sleep much that night.

In the morning we were drifting in a calm sea, standing off on the port side was a very dirty Chinese junk.

Mr Pepperday came on deck, I looked at him.

" Don't look at me. " he said and wandered off. The subject was tactfully avoided at breakfast.

We were all avoiding each other on deck and I was wondering if Mr Pepperday was going to go through with it when Captain Brooks threw a rope over the side to the junk.

" If you get caught. " said Mr Pepperday to me and Joe. " Plead insanity you'll undoubtedly get away with it. "

The indignation at not having volunteered for this mission was tempered a little bit by the fact that we were the only two who could go and the thought of some adventure wasn't to be sniffed at. Even Joe didn't protest too much as we dropped down into the bottom of the junk.

The junk pushed away and set sail, quickly the Beagle Pup was left to disappear into the morning mist.

There were about thirty people on the junk in two big families. The chief man was Lu Chung, he was the one running this operation. " You will have to change into something more suitable. " said Lu Chung handing us some old clothes. We put them on and did they smell of fish.

I looked at Joe and Joe looked at me, we couldn't help laughing we were such a sight. With shoes and hats we looked a right pair of scruffy fisherman.

We were going to land at a small fishing village called ' So '. But when we got near Lu Chung didn't sail into the harbour, he put too just off the headland between the mainland and a huge rock jutting up out of the sea. One of the small boys on the boat climbed onto the large rock and stood on the top.

" What have we come here for. " I said.

" We're waiting for the right time to go in. " said Lu Chung. " Don't you have a watch. " I said.

" We are waiting for the patrol boat. " said Lu Chung. " Why. " I said.

" You'll see. " said Lu Chung.

Well I can take a hint and went off to see what Joe was doing. Joe had found where there was some food being cooked. Me and Joe were given some rice and fish and surprisingly it tasted extremely nice. We had been waiting behind the big rock for about an hour when there was a shout from the little boy on top, the lad came scrambling back into the boat. Lu Chung set sail and pulled away into open water. As we gathered speed I realised that we were heading out to sea. Lu Chung kept the big rock between us and the patrol boat untill when it finally saw us it would have looked as if we were coming out from the bay of So.

The patrol boat turned in a long circle and headed toward us. Me and Joe looked at each other as the patrol boat came closer, what was Lu Chung playing at. Suddenly hi Chung swung the boat around and headed into So.

The patrol boat turned in a large circle again and headed out to sea.

" They think we 're smuggling things out. " said In Chung. " They're probably very pleased at chasing us back. "

" Why not sail straight in. " I said.

" They would notice a new boat. " said Lu Chung. " But now there is confusion about whether we were there to start with or not. "

" Boy this is going to he easy. " said Joe. " As long as we remember where we went, when we were there, but somewhere else. . . . " Joe looked up into the sky.

I looked down into the water. I was going to wish I hadn't seen that shark.

We followed Lu Chung to the back of a small fish shop where a lorry was waiting. It only just qualified for the title lorry, It must have been made from the remnants of many other, long dead, vehicles. Not many lorries have a grand farther clock where the passenger seat should have been.

Lu Chung said something to the driver and then told us to get in the back. Covering the back was a very pretty awning with nice little flowers painted all over it. I pulled up the cover and climbed in. When the three of us were in and sitting on the straw , the engine shuddered and started. This disturbed the lorries other residents, two pigs, who had been sleeping under the strew at the top end.

We travelled along a very bumpy road, up and down one mountain, then up and down another and through a river, which personally thought would have been too deep to be driven through.

In fact it was and we had to get out and push.

" I hope we don't come back this way. " said Joe waist deep in water. "

Why. " I said.

" Well it's bad enough pushing this thing with two pigs on board. " said Joe. " Let alone two Pigs, two bears and a parrot. "

" Parrot. " I said.

" You never know. " said Joe. " You never know. "

We dried our plugs out and carried on. Amid a clump of overhanging trees was the village of Ping-a-ling or Ting-a-bing or something like that. We stopped in the middle of a little square. Lu Chung helped the driver take out the grand farther clock and move it into one of the little houses. Our disguises a Chinese fishermen didn't seem so good out here so we stuck very close to the lorry, we both felt coy and very self conscious. Lu Chung came out of the house and said that we were going to have dinner with the family who owned the clock.

Joe and me marched in with his shoes on and everyone was so polite that no one mentioned it. It was only when the youngest, who obviously hadn't been drilled in the ever so polite bit yet, said.

" Yeki yekio rney she shee. " and pointed to Joes feet. We suddenly realised and raced back to the entrance to dump them.

The dinner was very nice, it consisted of rice, chicken and little green and red things in a sauce, which I decided it was best not to ask about. We left the village with a lot of bowing and I was given a parcel by the lady of the house.

We bumped along unmade roads through a barren landscape, it had all been green and lush untill now, now it was just miles of black volcanic ash.

I don't know if it was the dust, the chicken, the rice or the green and red things that didn't like being bumped along dirt tracks, but one of them didn't. I was violently sick out the back of the lorry.

We came to a river called Chi and we stopped to have a drink and wash some of the dust, would you believe, off the pigs.

" How much further. " I asked Lu Chung.

" Not long. " he said.

" I'm getting hungry. " I said having brought up all my dinner.

" We have food, rest, only over the next hill. " said Lu Chung and he pointed. . . I looked.

" Over that. . . . . . . " I said

" O my god. " said Joe. " We'll never make it. "

Lu Gluing was pointing to a small mountain, small did I say, it not only reached the sky it went beyond it.

" You two idiot. " said Lu Chung. " We not go over it we go round it. " We went round it.

The only good thing was that now the clock was gone and the pigs clean we could all sit up front with the driver. I don't know what I had imagined was around the other side of the mountain, in fact by that time I didn't care what was round the other side, but I must say it was a bit of a surprise. We came out through a small bamboo forest and suddenly spread out before us was a modern concrete city. Roads blocks of flats, cars, smoke, factories the lot, it was like jumping three centuries in one step.

As we drove through the smart suburbs my disguise as a peasant fisherman seemed so good I felt like shouting out in Japanese.

We stopped outside a shop and the driver went in, he came out again with some food on paper trays, it was fish and chips.

We found a little hotel that was grubby enough to take grubby fishermen and booked in for the night. I was a very traditional type of place and all the other people staying there were Japanese. Every one was sitting on the floor around a low table ready for the evening meal. There was allot of talking, me and Joe felt like square pegs. After the meal there was some singing and dancing by four young girls in kimonos.

With the meal inside us and the rice wine we had with it and some more rice wine after, everyone was happy, even me and Joe were enjoying it now although we didn't understand a word any one was saving. When the dancing was finished I decided to open the parcel given to me by the women at the village.

I put the parcel on the low table and unwrapped the paper to revel a box with writing on the lid. A ripple of amusement went round the table as everyone watched me open it. Inside there was some cloth, I lifted it out. It was a kimono. Lu Chung explained in Japanese to the others where it had come from. Everyone burst out in laughter, the men rolled about helpless, the girls giggles and blushed.

" What's up. " I said to Lu Chung.

" The lady. " said Lu Chung between fits of laughing. " Has chosen you. . . he. . he. . to be. . . ho. . . ho. . . her Samurai. . "

" That's not funny. " I said a bit hurt. " That's an honour. "

" O it is. " said Lu Chung rolling about.

" Then what's so funny. " I shouted over the laughter. Even Joe was laughing and he didn't know what he was laughing about.

When a lady chooses her Samurai. " said Lu Chung. " She gives the kimono. " Lu Chung pointed to the kimono I was holding. " And she gives herself. "

" What. . . . " I said, to an even louder burst of laughter and more giggles from the girls. I looked at Lu Chung and turned some what red around the collar.

" In every way. " said Lu Chung rolling his head.

" I can't do that. " I said almost in panic.

" I wish she'd given it to me. " said Joe.

" We must give it back. " I said.

" No. . . " said Lu Chung. " Great insult. "

" But I don't want this woman. " I said.

Lu Chung smiled, he had calmed down a bit now. " Don't worry. " said Lu Chung. " The gift is symbolic, but village people hold great store by tradition. It will be a great honour to there house to have a great explorer like yourself being their Samurai. "

" Great explorer. " said Joe.

" You've been around the world. " said Lu Chung.

" I suppose we have. . , almost. " said Joe thinking about it.

I tried on the kimono, it was a little bit small but not too bad a fit. One of the girls helped tie the sash hit around the middle. I than had a mock fight with some of the men who showed me some of the movements of Judo using arms and legs, which they said was an old way of Samurai fighting. It was rigged so I could win, being the Samurai. The evening ended with me banging my leg on the table and sending Saki spilling over every where.

It wasn't all that comfortable sleeping on the floor but after such a day as we had just had I would have slept even if the house had fallen down.

" Ooooooooooo my heed. " said Joe.

We were sitting in the front of the lorry ready to go next morning.

" Don't bang about. " said Joe. " I'm fragile. "

" You'll never learn. " I said.

" Well it was a good party. " said Joe.

" Shall we go. " said Lu Chung to the driver.

Just as the driver bent down to start the engine, the four girls from the hotel ran out waving at us.

" Hello what's this. " said Lu Chung.

The four girls were in their very best kimonos and looked very pretty. They stood in a row beside the lorry.

" Ch semi Si so mea semurai. " said one of the girls.

" It's for you. " said Ln Chung opening the door, I got down from the cab of the lorry and stood in front of the girls. The girl in the middle held out a bent bamboo rod on the palms of both her hands, then gave a deep bow.

" Take it. " said Lu Chung from the lorry. I took it and gave a deep bow. The girls smiled at me and giggled to each other as they went back into the hotel. I stood there a few minutes on the road looking very puzzled and holding the bamboo rod.

" Come on. " shouted Lu Chung as the driver started the engine, I climbed back into the cab of the lorry and we pulled off on our journey down even more unmarked, unmade roads.

" What is it. " I said examining the object given to me by the young girls.

" It's a samurai sword. " said In Chung. I pulled the top of the stick and it slid open, the morning sunlight flashed off the blade almost blinding me.

" Boy that looks a bit sharp. " I said closing it quickly.

" At least there's one thing. " said Joe.

" What. " I said.

" When I can't find my razor to shave with in the morning. " said Joe. " I'll know where come, I'll borrow that. "

The bears were the property of a man called Cho No Kai, who runs a factory making boxes for machine tools. The factory looked pretty unimpressive as we approached as all we could see was a huge wall oc timber posts covered with corrugated iron sheets badly needing a coat of paint. We arrived at a pair of big wooden gates, Lu Chung got down from the lorry and knocked at the gate. A small door at one side opened and a man came out. Lu Clung spent a few minutes talking to him and then the big gates were opened. We were in for yet another surprise.

Entering through the gates from the industrial area we had just driven through was like jumping back again into old Japan. Beyond the gates was a large traditional Japanese garden, the factory was merely the back extension of a large Japanese house. Cho No Kai greeted us and took us into his house.

" Coo. . " said Joe looking around. " Have you ever felt like a tatty Japanese peasant. "

" Right now. " I said looking at the magnificent surroundings. " Welcome to my humble home. " said Cho No Kai.

" We're honoured. " I said bowing, we all then sat down to have tea. " You have appropriate paper. " said Cho No Kai. I handed him all the government forms, import, export, transport, health etc.

" O and a letter from our chief. " I said.

" Ar my good friend Mr Pepperday. " said Cho No Kai.

" You know Mr Pepperday. " I said with surprise.

" We went to university together. " said Cho No Kai.

" He never told us that. " I said.

" I never thought he had any formal education. " said Joe.

" He is a modest man. " said Cho No Kai.

" He's kept that quiet as well. " said Joe.

" I wouldn't let the animals go to anyone you see. " said Cho No Kai.

" So why you see I must check the papers. " Cho No Kai read Mr Pepperdays letter as we sat drinking tea.

" Mr Pepperday tell you he great hero in war. " said Cho No Kai.

" He won it single handed. " said Joe.

" He goes on a bit sometimes. " I said. " Especially when he hears Viera Lynn. "

" Ah Viera Lynn. " said Cho No Kai.

" Surely. " said Joe. " Err weren't you err I mean err O never mind. "

" You mean wasn't I on the other side. " said Cho No Kai. " No I fight nasty Mr Hitler with you. Mr Pepperday save my life. "

" He's never told us about that. " I said.

" He hides behind his modesty. " said Oho No Kai. " And perhaps the fact that we were absent without leave at the time. "

" I must ask him about that. " I said.

" The animals are the least I can do for Mr Pepperday, it is a shame that he could not come himself. " said Cho No Kai.

When we had finished tea we went to see the bears which were in a large cage in the garden beside the house.

On seeing them I could understand why Mr Pepperday wanted them so much for the zoo.

The bears were to travel separately and crates that had been prepared for transport. When the boxes were on the lorry you couldn't tell what was inside them, apart from the air holes and grunting. The crates were further disguised by having labels plastered all over them saying machine tools, this way up, no taxo.

As we were loaded up I turned to Cho No Kai. " About payment. " I said. " No. " said Cho No Kai. " As I say, it is the least I do for Mr Pepperday. " He gave a deep bow and we left through the big gates into that other world. I turned to Lu Chung as we bumped along the road.

" I hope we're not going back the way we came. " I said. " The bears don't want to be in those boxes too long. "

" No. " said Lu Chung. " We have a boat in the harbour waiting. "

" We'll need help lifting these crates. " said Joe.

" Get plenty help. " said Lu Chung.

We drove through the town and down into the dock area. There weren't many Junks here, mostly big cargo ships and tankers. As we slowly drove past the ships on the quay side Lu Chung said we were to look out for a ship called the Mia Princess.

I looked up at the huge walls of steel. The Axrtka Coo. . . . The Triffid. . . . the Astor Marcoss. . . the Ammagon. . . The Mister Baxley. . . . . . the Asto Golightly. . .

" There she is. " said Joe pointing. " The Mia Princess. "

I couldn't help wondering who Mr Baxley was and why he should have a boat named after him.

We stopped at the side of the Mia Princess, she was almost ready to leave.

Lu Chung said something to a man standing at the bottom of the gangway, nods and bows were exchanged and the man signalled to someone on the bridge. A few moments later a platform and net were lowered by a crane from the boat. We had just finished putting the crate onto the platform when there was a loud whistle. A voice shouted and a car came shooting out from behind a warehouse, it squeeled to a halt beside us and four men jumped out. One of the men jumped onto the back of the lorry.

" Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek. . . . . . . ' came a cry. He had jumped onto one of the pigs.

" What have you got there. " said one of the biggest men to me.

I was surprised at him using English, it just showed how good our disguise was.

" A bear. " I said feebly.

" Rubbish. " he said and nodded to one of the men with a crowbar.

" No don't. " I shouted but it was too late, he had prised off a plank from the top of the create in the lorry. He had just put his hand over the top edge of the crate ready to pull himself up to look inside, when a paw with four big claws came down on top of it.

" Arrrrrrr . . . . " shouted the man, I've never seen anyone move so quickly in my whole life.

" Bears. " said the big man.

I handed him my export forms and he read them slowly, then looked at me and Joe very slowly, he gave me my forms back.

" Why you sneak in like this at last moment. " he said. " Dressed as fisherman. "

I was just about to think up some elaborate story about making the bears feel at home, which I don't think he would have believed, when Joe saved the day.

" Our van crashed in the river. " said Joe.

" Ah. " said the man, he slowly walked off and got back into his car, he was quickly followed by his assistants.

Me and Joe put the board back on the crate and finished fixing both the crates onto the platform ready to be lifted onto the boat.

" Where's Lu Chung. " I said.

" I don't know. " said Joe. " He's disappeared. " We looked round.

" So's the driver. " I said.

" He wont be far. " said Joe.

" Why. " I said.

" His pigs are still here. " said Joe.

Suddenly the net under the platform started to move, the crane was starting to lift the crates. I looked around then up at the boat, there was no one about.

" What do we do now. " I said, Joe looked at me then at the empty dockside.

" Stay with the bears. " said Joe. " Hang on. " Joe jumped onto the platform just as the net closed about the crates and the platform started to move. Joe hung onto the outside of the net, I followed Joes lead and hung onto the opposite side of the platform. Slowly the crane lifted us all up.

You may remember when we were in South America how I said I didn't like heights and didn't feel too good while going up that mountain. Well mountains don't swing from side to side or go round and round. . . .

" Joe. . . " I shouted as we went up and up.

" Close your eyes and hang on. " said Joe.

There was a thump and we had stopped swinging.

" You can open your eyes now. " said Joe. I opened my eyes, we were on the deck of the ship. No sooner had we stepped down from the platform when the ship gave a lurch as a tug pulled us away from the quay.

We looked over the side rail of the boat as the harbour and Japan grew smaller and further into the distance.

" We were a bit lucky there. " I said.

" Why do you say that. " said Joe.

" Well those blokes must have been police or something. " I said.

" I suppose so. " said Joe.

" Well they busily checked our papers for the bears. " I said.

" They thought we were smuggling. " said Joe.

" It's a good job too, they were so intent with the boxes that they didn't ask us for our papers or passports. " I said.

" Of course we haven't got any. " said Joe.

" Exactly. " I said.

" Good job we didn't think of that then. " said Joe.

Just then Lu Chung appeared from one of the side cabins.

" Where have you been. " I said. " We've been having fun, I thought you had abandoned us. "

" No. " said Lu Chung. " Police know me too good, arrest you for sure if you found with me. "

"But just disappearing. " said Joe.

" Well all o.k. now. " said Lu Chung. " You here they there. "

" What now. " I said to Li Chung.

" We meet up with your boat. " he said.

As the land slipped slowly over the horizon the sea started to get a bit rough.

" A storms blowing up. " said Lu Chung.

" I hope we find the Beagle Pup before it does. " I said.

We watched the horizon for our boat. Two smudges in the distance began to take shape, one was the Beagle Pun, the other was Lu Chungs Junk. The sea was getting quite rough now. On the big freighter we couldn't feel the sea much, but we could see that the Beagle Pup and the Junk were being tossed about quite a bit.

The freighter turned sideways into the wind giving a bit of calm water on the leeward side, it stopped engines. The Junk sailed up close and boxes began to be lowered down to it. As we watched from the deck of the freighter I decided not to ask what was in the boxes. These were obviously paying for our little expedition.

By the time the Junk was loaded the sea, even in the shelter of the freighter, was getting very rough. Captain Brooks had quite a job getting alongside. The bears were lowered one at a time, the men having to release the ropes just at the right moment when the Beagle Pup was at the crest of a wave. It was becoming a bad storm now.

" We'll have to go across by breaches boy. " said Lu Chung. There was a shout from the bridge, we looked up, there in the distance were two boats travelling fast.

" We've seen them boats before. " said Joe.

" Patrol boats. " I said.

" Quick. " shouted Lu Chung signalling to Captain Brooks and to his own boat.

The Beagle Pup swung out and around the freighter at full speed. Captain Brooks could by keeping the freighter between him and the patrol boats could get away without being seen.

" We mustn't be caught on the freighter. t' said Lu Chung. " Or it will be arrested. "

By this time the Junk had come alongside, or as near alongside it could get in the weather.

" Are we going by breaches boy. " I said.

" We go quick way. " said Lu Chung. " Jump. " he climbed over the ships rail and jumped.

" Hell. . . . . " I said. " We can't do that. "

" Why not. " said Joe.

" Because it's a bloody long way down there that's why. " I said.

" Come on. " said Joe. " We've done everything else. " Joe jumped.

" O well. . . " I said and climbed over the rail.

I'm sure the distance from the rail of the freighter down to the sea was not all that great, the time it took for me to drop that distance must have only been a few seconds. It wouldn't have seemed very long I'm certain, . . . . except. . . . , half way down. . . . . . . .

I remembered that shark.

We sat huddled by the stove in the bottom of the Junk trying to dry out. We sat with hats pulled over our faces drinking hot fish soup.

I thought we would be making a dash for it but we didn't. The freighter moved off leaving us to face the patrol boats.

" We couldn't out run them. " explained In Chung.

" They'll be on us then. " I said.

" It's a stand off. " said In Chung. " You'll see. "

The men on deck had been letting miles of fishing net out into the sea. All around us were the cork floats and flags showing where the nets were. The patrol boats raced passed us and after the freighter. I stood with Di Chung watching the action. The big ship had now achieved full speed and it was obvious that, although they were faster, the patrol boats were going to have a long chase before catching it. They turned around and headed for us. Much to my surprise they stood a long way off and began to circle.

" They not want to come close to nets. " said Di Chung. " Nets would get round propeller. That would be fatal in these seas. "

The patrol boats kept circling us.

The seas became very rough, the patrol boats couldn't send a launch in such rought sea and the wind was too bad for anything to he shouted across.

" How much longer will they stay. " I said.

" Not long in this weather. " said Di Chung. " With nets out we can ride the storm. "

" I hope so. " said Joe. " I don't fancy another swim.

" Surely they can ride it out as well. " I said.

" They not paid that much. " said In Chung.

Lu Chung was right, as the storm blew up stronger the patrol boats headed back towards the land accepting that they had lost this one. Me and Joe went back into the bottom of the Junk to sit out the storm.

All I can say, is that, any one thinking of sitting out a storm in the bottom of a Chinese Junk should think twice before having the fish soup. . . .

The storm was a bad one and Joe banged his head, I sprained my shoulder then cut my leg and burnt my arm. When we eventually met up with the Beagle Pup we were like a couple of wounded soldiers returning from a war.

Mr Pepperdays concern was however was for the bears, when the weather was calm enough we opened the crates holding the bears. Both the bears were in better shape than any of us lot, on seeing the light they both gave a big yawn and stretched. I'm convinced they had slept through the whole thing.