The Flying Boat

d a visit from Mr. Ting. The merchant, though he had refused Errington's request for help, had not done so out of hard-heartedness or stinginess, but from a w

knowledge of the desperate expedients to which harassed young fellows sometimes resorted, made him decide to r

ngton's circumstances; for as yet he had not heard of the split between the two friends. But Burroughs chanced to be absen

aid; "sorry I wasn't in the ot

ow some days ago. You are do

ese disturbances up the rive

his school name, you see--will know that eve

Ting's observant eyes detected an

hat is a pity, when you are such good flends. It is a pity, too, that

me," said Burroughs, looki

sent you a l

ding hastily: "but I wro

f no tlouble he is in

t seemed hardly fair to Errington to discuss his personal matters merely on hearsay. Mr. Ting, of course, was his friend; all the more reason, th

have a good leason for asking: we are both his flends. Tlouble ne

evident sincerity, "Pidge and I have had a row. A ridiculou

not understand: i

ith a smile. "A silly thing to do, bec

re: if it is not checked, it

oken since. He said he wouldn't have an

y? You sent it

f course I never really doubted him; only after you've had a ro

ding tongue endures: the stubborn teeth pelish. Now you have ha

aid Burroug

men who have led him away, and turn him flom gambling. I asked him

to go very carefully to work. But there's a hope in what has happened lately. He can't really bear

How wa

of what had happened since. Mr. Ting listened

e had been sailing down in his junk, and called at a riverside village to take on some goods. Having stowed his cargo, and wishing that the junk should reach Sui-Fu before night, for fear of th

night. Much to his alarm, when only three or four miles above the port, he discovered that a boat was dogging him. He did not know whether the crew were p

r: the pursuers were also making for the bank. He was quaking in his shoes; but the boat, instea

ral voices. Steering again into the bank, he looked down the river, upon which a crescent moon was throwing a pale light. And then he saw the boat re-appear, towing what looked like a

iver, recognized it at once as that belonging to Reinhardt. But it was not alone. It had in tow the smaller craft which had been drawn out from the bank. This smaller vessel

face had gone pale, and there was a twitching of his nostrils; but his tone of voice was perha

inhardt wanted to pick

ng, reflectively. "What you

understood that. He's thick with Reinhardt, who probably told him of the trick, and le

may. Say nothing to Leinhadt about the matter un

an hour he was ready to accompany the merchant to his launch. They had crossed the gang-way, and were waiting for

utes?" said Burroughs. "She may h

ing on his spectacles. "Lot of pa

ing Fu very early in the morning--there was a considerable crowd of men, women and children. Every inch of standing room appeared to be occupied. And as the launch drew nearer, it was plain

" said Burroughs, his eyes na

r. Ting: "vel

his eyes against the sunlight, remained on the boat, se

respective languages, it was impossible to make out what any of them said. As soon as they had landed, however, Burroughs, who

China, the insurgents had made great headway. They had captured Cheng Tu, and an attempt to retake the place had been defeated, with considerable loss to the so-called regular troops. The success of the rebels had brought, as is always the case, large accessions to th

be the treatment of the missionary prisoners, the lives of any white men captured by the insurgents must always be in jeopardy. Even where their leaders desire

g up, pulled on their clothes hurriedly, seized their arms, and sallied out to see what was afoot. They found the city already in the hands of the insurgents. Making a wide circuit by night, an immense force had crept upon the place from the landward side, and at the same time a large fleet of ve

that they were prisoners. To their great surprise, in a few hours they were all released, told to collect their belongings, and conveyed to the steamer which had just brought t

e kept his eyes on the gangway, hoping to see Errington step off. He recognized

rrington?" he

s, I don't know. I never th

asked Burroughs, stepping towards the gang

We are all here; but such a crowd of us that we were

come to think of it, I

ment, in their preoccupation with themselves and their families, they hardly knew who had been among the

to Mr. Ting anxiously. "He's such a hot-headed c

oubled than Burroughs h

he escaped in a sampan, and will co

not in any of them, nor did his boy appear. Mr. Ting's journey up-stream was necessarily abandoned. With the rebels in possession