Held by Chinese Brigands

se are a singular race. One of the first things that strikes a visitor to that remarkable country is the fact that the inhabitants never appear to go to bed. No people i

t his patron had no pigtail. He was vastly curious with regard to the matter, asking several questions as he sharpened his big Chinese razor--which was something after the shape and

xclusively by honest men who worked in the tea-gardens. But what most surprised him, and at the same time afforded him th

ntury, who grew their hair long and plaited it in the well-known manner. The Manchus were horsemen of whom it might be said that they almost worshipped their horses, and the queue was originally grown in imitation of a horse's tail. For the s

t that all Chinese should adopt the pigtail as a symbol of their submission to the dominant people. In the course of a few centuries what was originally a token of def

ch it to his head in such a manner as would make it appear to be natural. All this, however, took time, and it was past one o'clock in the morning when Frank Armitage lef

Chin family; and a third will be equally certain that it is called One-Tree Village. And when you get there, you will find it is called Bad-Weather Village, or the Village of Starving Dogs. Knowing this, Frank did not bother himself about the name of the

and night for several days. With the exception of the almost regal banquet he had enjoyed at the house of the tea-grower, he had had insufficie

sum of money to take Frank down-stream to a certain large town to which he himself was going. Frank got into the boat, and lying down beneath the matted awning that sheltered the stern part from the fierce rays of the sun, he was

ness was spreading rapidly, and a thick white mist clung to the river-valley. The atmosphere, how

re they were, and the man rep

Chin," said he. "That i

Kwang-Chin?"

on. "Plenty cooked-dog shops. Little Kwang-Chin dogs

man. He therefore lay back in a comfortable attitude, and gave himself up to th

t the same time, though he did not know where the town of Kwang-Chin was, he believed that he himself could not be far from the great capital o

d not persuade the fisherman to take him any farther. He was therefore oblig

ntinual internecine wars. Frank, who did not feel capable of travelling farther that night, decided to wait till morning, when he might be able to find another fisherman who would consent to take him down-stream, probably as far as the mai

very much dirtier, and--with the exception of Cheong-Chau's brigands--Frank had never seen a more villainous collection of men than the habitués of the place, who were sprawled in all manner of attitudes upon the various couches. And then he was astounded, and at the same time considerably alarmed, to observe that several o

idiomatic Cantonese, "a couch upon which to sleep. I am a poor

m?" asked the host, open

the habit,

on the very tip of his nose and regarded

an, however, can please himself. You may cer

be an exorbitant charge for a night's lodging. But Frank Armitage knew the Chinese character.

you thirty ca

he. "The hangings are of silk, and I guarantee that the mattress

id Frank. "Remember, I requi

the landlord, "we w

ve you thi

We will call it thirty-five a

er had given him and which he carried upon a string slung around his neck like a neck

ffin oil, opium smoke and Chinese garlic He arranged the pillow, then stretched himself at full length upon the couch. A group of three or four me

ween slumber and consciousness, when he was startled by a remark th

heong-Chau has retur

er was a

it that there are fine fish in his net. Do you know tha

d where was

id no

ing is no more than the coolie of Cheong-Chau.

ice of a third man join

ammedan Mosque. He did not leave this place till nearly ten o'clock to-night, after having smoked several pipes of opium. He is a great smoker, Men-C

d spoken first

coat, I think it well to give Cheong-Chau as wide a berth as possible. He will have his head cut off some day. That is beyond all do

in which to prepare themselves for slumber. Then he got up fro

t a few hours in front of him. He intended, if possible, to overtake the man and possess himself of the letters. He might be able to do this by stealth if he could not succeed by force. He cou