But the end of the tale is not yet. Smoking opium is not what one would call a serious offence and because of his rank, our hero was well treated in prison. When the day for his trial came, two guards conducted him through the street toward the court. His way lay past the home of a distant relative of his, a military official of high rank, at whose door stood his wife and concubine. As he approached, his wife cried out "You mustn't <0 to court looking like a coolie. Come in, have a bath and change your clothes." After a little persuasion, the guards good-naturedly consented. But no sooner had he gone in, than the door was violently slammed in the face of the following guards. The wife was left standing outside, angrily demanding why these two men were trying to get into the house and denying absolutely that their prisoner had escaped within. In vain the guards stormed~and swore. A nice street row resulted and there was nothing for them to do but to report the escape of their prisoner.
The commotion grew apace. The provincial judge demanded that the head of the military put the responsibility on his officer from whose house the escape had been made. This man was away from home and denied all knowledge of the affair. But the civil held the military responsible and there was much recrimination and angry words. The city gates were shut and search parties of soldiers and police sent out.
To return to our official, who at once escaped from the house by a back door. Instead of getting out into the country at once, where disappearing was easy, he foolishly hid in another house' until night fall, when he tried: to let himself down over the wall by a rope. But unfortunately the rope was slim and he was heavy, and he fell with a crash, breaking his knee-cap. His groans were quickly heard by the soldiers patrolling the wall, who bore him back to prison and a heavy sentence in triumph. The further joy of his quondam friends, the gentry, can Be left to our imagination New lighting apparatus is to be installed at Dodd Island, in the Amoy districts. The present light is to be discontinued on or about June 16, and the work of installing the new apparatus will be at once commenced. A provisional light will be exhibited from the gallery of the lighthouse while the alterations are in progress.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.