many of your English idioms sack or something was thrown "A few days afterwards I had other matters in my mind. Farther up the line, towards Harbin, there was trouble. Quite a big force of these wandering bandits had attacked a station and killed some of our men. I was ordered, by telegram, to send the whole of my company, in command of my subaltern, as a reinforcement. I kept back only two, who were sick, and in an hour's time a train had taken away the remainder. So I was left alone at the station, except the two engineers, and they were drinking. I thought I would go and play a game of cards without money with my friend the missionary. Also I knew it would please Nora Linthorpe to see me. Splendid! 'It was dusk when I set out. I had not very far to go -only along two streets,-but I carried my sword and my revolver, as was my custom. Ah, but they were of leetle use in the face of what happened. Again I had not learned very much about the Chinese and their habits, for suddenly I was taken by a great surprise. An arm was thrown around my neck from behind, and I received a kick in the smallness of my back that threw me to the ground. Before I could recover myself I was helpless. My hands were bound tightly behind my back, and a over my head. And all the time I did not hear a sound, although I felt there was quite a leetle crowd of men around me. Then I was made to walk forward. They held me up by the arms and pushed me along. Once I cried out very loud beneath the sack, but I felt a sharp point at once against my breast, and a voice said in pigeon English "Suppose makee bobbery, then killee chop-chop.' "I had no wish to be killed chop-chop at all, so I went quietly. But I tell you, I was not feeling at all happy. We walked for some distance, and then I felt I was entering within doors. Presently the sack was removed from my head, and when I had blinked a leetle in the light of a lamp, I was astonished to find that I was in the same room where Li Ting-Fang had received me a week or two before; and somehow I felt less happy still. Standing around me were half a dozen villainous-looking men. One of them, who had a bandage round his head, I recognised as a fellow I had wounded with my sword when I had made the rescue of Nora Linthorpe. And he scowled at me with a very nasty grin. They had, of course, taken away my revolver and sword. "I was beginning to see that my serjeant had been right after all, when Li Ting-Fang himself entered the room. He stood for a few moments just inside the door with a leetle smile on his face, bowed to me, and said, very politely, in his smooth silky voice you spoke the other day,' he "Once again, Captain Koravitch, I welcome you to my insignificant dwelling.' "But I was in no mood for civilisation a son is of more politeness, and I saidimportance than in the barbarous Western nations. We are taught that it is not only a son's duty to revere and assist his father while the latter is living upon the earth, but also to revere and preserve his "What is the meaning of this? Why have I been brought here like this?' "Again he smiled-a very nasty smile-and replied in his excellent English "Your curiosity shall be ancestral shrine when he has speedily satisfied.' "Then he made a sign to the others, and said a few words in Chinese. Immediately they forced me down into a low chair, and tied me to it with cords. Then they left the room. What is it that you call it when one is in a great difficulty-yes? So! A tight fix! Splendid ! As Li Ting-Fang seated himself, still smiling at me, I felt I was in a very tight fix. And I was right. "I have much to say to you, Captain Koravitch,' he began, and I have no hesitation in saying it because I know that you will never have the chance of repeating it. I will be quite candid with you, and speak in the plain language of your damnable civilisation.' departed. With us a man can die happy in the knowledge that he leaves a son who will still continue to fulfil his filial duties. But when I depart from this earth I shall leave no son behind me!' "There was just the touch of sadness in his eyes that made me exclaim, 'I am sorry.' "You say that you are sorry? Listen. It is owing to your own damnable nation that I have no son. He was slain by General Gribsky at the massacre near Blagovestchenak. He was not a soldier, Captain Karovitch-and he looked at me with the disdain that was in his voice, for the educated Chinese despise those of the military caste,' he was a peaceable citizen. Only by the decree of heaven did he chance to be in the locality. But they killed him.' He certainly did not put me at my ease. But I shut my mouth very firm, and looked him straight in the face. He should not see how I was feeling. "Like your father, of whom ment was due.' "You must remember,' I said, 'that the Chinese themselves had opened fire upon Blagovestchenak. A punish "But not to my son. I have told you he was not a soldier. I have now no one who will worship at my ancestral tablet, and those of my ancestors. The only consolation left to me is revenge. And for that I have waited patiently.' "Li Ting-Fang,' I replied in as steady a voice as I could master, 'I cannot see that your revenge concerns me. I was not at Blagovestchenak. I did not kill your son.' "He bowed to me, and went on "I will explain. As I said before, you will never repeat what I tell you. I swore revenge upon your nation. It is I, by means of my money and my influence, who have organised many of the attacks upon your outposts. I have already taken many lives in return. But that is not enough. I swore that I would, in exchange for my son's life, be satisfied with nothing less than the life of a Russian of high standing, who was the only son of his father. And when you told me unconsciously that you fulfilled the condition, you uttered your own doom.' 66 There was silence for a full minute. I would not speak. But my heart sank within me. My friends, I was very much afraid. "Then he walked towards me very slowly, and spat in my face. My God! if my hands had but been free! "He struck a gong, and three men came in. They released me from the chair, while Li Ting-Fang said, 'You will have plenty of time to-night to meditate upon what awaits you to-morrow.' Then they took me out of the room, with my hands still bound behind me, and led me along a passage and down some steps. It was just as we turned to go down these steps that I caught a glimpse of Chang-Yung coming along the passage. But he appeared to take no notice of what was going on. At the bottom of the steps was a door, through which they thrust me into a small dark room. Then I heard the door shut and the key turned in the lock. I was alone. "I tell you, my friends, I "He spoke again, this cold have been in many dangers, smiling Chinaman. but I never felt so much afraid as then. I knew that no one would ever suspect this grave Chinese Mandarin, and I could not think of any chance of a "'Your men are all absent. There is no one but my servants who knows you are here, and they will not speak. To rescue. When the darkness became a leetle familiar I could see a small slit of light about a foot high and a few inches wide. This was the only window. It was fairly high up in the wall, but by standing up on my toetips I could just see through. There was no glass, and the cool night air was blowing in. There was a moon, and I could just see that the window looked out into a courtyard, on the other side of which was a high wall that surrounded Li TingFang's premises. the aperture, which fell with a heavy thud on the floor. "I sat down on the earth floor. The first thing I tried to do was to loosen the cords round my wrists, for I felt, if it was possible, it would be better to die struggling with my captors. Just a leetle did I loosen them, but I could not undo the knots or slip my hands free-only I had a trifle more movement in them. "Immediately I sat down and groped behind me with my bound hands. And I felt several things tied together with a string, and a ray of hope came into my heart. One of the things was a small open knife. In one minute I had managed with it to cut the cord around one wrist. My hands were free. Thenoh, my friends, you can imagine my joy when I felt all that was there a revolver, several tools, a small electric-torch, and what appeared to be paper. Very carefully I turned on the torch, first taking off my tunic and stuffing it into the leetle window so that no light should show outside. The paper was an envelope. I tore it open, and found inside this message in English "If you are able to do so quietly, try to pick the lock of the door. There are no bolts-only the lock. If not, at exactly 7 o'clock in the morning, you must take your chance and blow open the lock with your pistol. In either case, leave your room exactly at 7. Go straight along the corridor. Shoot any one who hinders you, and make your way to the main entrance. I am trying to do all I can to help, but there are difficulties. If I fail, you must do your best to escape.-F. L.' "My first thought was, 'Why does he not telegraph for soldiers?' Ah, I did not know then that Li Ting-Fang had seen that the wires were cut on either side of the station far along the line. Linthorpe had already discovered this. "I looked at my watch. It was just after four. I had three hours. Immediately I made examination of the door -and then I rejoiced. The supporting beam at the side was of thick hard wood, into which the bolt of the great rough Chinese lock apparently shot. And one of my tools was a good sharp chisel. Ah, it took me long to cut away that wood, but at last I did so, and it was as I had hoped. The bolt became visible, and I found I could open the door inwards. It would not be necessary to blow open the lock. Then I waited. "A leetle before seven I prepared myself. My revolver was loaded in six chambers, and there were a dozen extra cartridges. I determined, if the worst came, to save one of them for myself. Exactly at the hour I opened the door. I had the revolver in my right hand, and the chisel in my left. It was quite quiet outside, but when I reached the top of the steps and turned into the corridor I nearly ran into a man-a sentry-who stood with his back to me. I paused a moment - then changed the chisel into my right hand, crept forward, and aimed at his neck. He fell all in a heap. Splendid ! "Then I went on very softly. The door of the room into which I had been taken the previous evening stood open, and I had to pass it. I tripped slightly on a rug, and held my breath. Then a voice came from the room "Is that you, Koravitch ! Come in!' "I started with astonishment. I entered the room. And I will tell you what I saw. "Standing in the middle of the room was Linthorpe. And he did not look at all like a missionary. He was dressed in Chinese costume-very fine! And he held in his hand a revolver, which was pointed straight at the head of Li Ting-Fang, who sat in a chair with his fat hands above his head and his yellow face gone white. And Linthorpe, without looking away from the Mandarin, gave a little laugh, and said |