to guard them. The rest spread themselves over the premises, break Ing open locks and rummaging chests. When they had collected "all the clothing" and other valuables they could find, they ordered their captives into the living room. Since no ash had been found, "they would carry all four them off for ransom. "But frst." said the leader with 9 Tough, "Jet us sit down and eat the meal that Lau Tau has so kindly prepared for us."
They pulled up stools and were soon busily engaging pledging one another in the warm yellow wine and devouring the poisoned food. The Tangs looked at one another but said nothing. It began to spptar as. if they might clasp the Board of the Dragon after alli Between them we, could sce the lighthouse of Gutalamt ashing in the distance. We had tifin during the @ay under weigh and whilst cating we all heard a. strange noise which continued for hours. B. thought was like the tide on a pebbly beach. T'thought it warlike the humming of innumerable "bees, the skipper Thought it was like: the "noise. of breakers; anyhow, he said it got on hig nerves and he went on" deck where he could not hear it, The noise went on, as T have said, for hours, but, we found it impossible to determine what caused it." Passing. Between the Sentinel Rocks there was an enormous race of tide from Hangchow Bay, the waters brown, and muddy, seething and boiling, It was by this time late and we had only the light of the moon and the scene was eerie in the extreme. Had the. wind failed, with the motor out of commission, this wild Udo would Of to the Mountains The meal finished, the four prisoners were pushed out into the yard at pistol point and burdened with the bundles of Joot that the robbers had collected, Surrounded by their captors who had resumed their bamboo hats and buttoned their gowns again, they were then marched off Uirough the evening mist towards the distant mountains.
They had barely reached the foot hills, "when the frst _man slumped down in agony crying out that his vitals were on. fire. Before his comrades could help him, they were taken with the same pains and in ten minutes it was all over—the whole eight were stretched out on the rocky hillside dead.
The Tangs had withdrawn a tittle when the first: man fell, When all was still they, "approached "Take away their weapons,"
Lau Teu and each Tang armed him-Sel€ with a couple of Mauser pistols. They then searched the bodies of the dead robbers and collected $800 in specle—the result, ne doubt, of earler ey dragged the corpses into the undergrowth and covered. them over with the blankets. They then set out for the Magistrate's Yamen. The matter must be reported without delay.
'Ah hour later, un armed escort with the magistrate "himself charge accompanied them' to the scene and the bodies of the dead bandits were dragged out and inspected by lantern light.
"There is a reward of $5,000 for this one," was the official pronouncement, "and we pay $100 apiece, cash, for captured Mauser pistols."
Five thousand, eight hundred dol. ars. "Not to mention the $000 of which they had already possessed themselves, but which they did not Jdeem it necessary to discuss. with Marrlage Money Also They were saved. All dobie could be discharged. There was cash 10 commence the new year with There big fat juicy chunk of it. we had to be on the look out for two rocks awash and so we wore all' neering into the night. We fighted them and giving them a wide berth we came to the extreme and of Raflles, where we anchored. well.
at Chesney Anchorage: The sea was quiet with scarcely a ripple which was a great change from the heavy swell we encountered at all the other Islands. jo" 'Making Breakfast Pancakes 'This morning (Friday) the skipper had us awake at 30 and the anchor was lifted and we sailed off. T was Taxy and did not. got up, so missed 'a wonderful sight about 630,, the moon going down like x red' ball whilst the sua was coming up. To wipe out the memory of my siekne the frst day out, I not only got breakfast under weigh but, made pancakes as well. We are doing Fecord time having passed Gutzlaff Rock with its lighthouse, and the Tungsha and Kultoan Lightships in Usree hours.
Later. Alas for our record the wind has died away and we are was even money to arrange a sult able marriage for Tahsiao Yer, the Jeldest son. This Heavenly Doctrine Deity they had accepted on the word of the priest was indeed the God their fathers had worshipped. They had appealed to Him for help and they had not appealed in" vain. Despairing of ald from above, they had nerved themselves to accept the Sword of Death, it is true; but, at the very moment of disaster, the Celestial Dragon had swooped down to their rescue.
though they were," they, dared nol Descended from " Son of leaven presume. to offer their divine benefactor recompense, but at least they might reward Hig servant, For his table should be all the fruits of the orth in thee season, with a chicken for the pot on Sundays and is. Not a pig should be slaughtered henceforward on the Tang estate but hig Reverence should enjoy @ good becalmed, the tide having turned and going out at the rate of Ignots. "The skipper has dropped an-char, 1 pin, and we are going below {for a sleep. We had hoped to reach Grass Island in time for tiffin, but, here we are becalmed in. this Althy muddy water, Grass Island long, low, and flat on the starboard side, but a long distance off, and the long fat Pootung Peninsula afar off on the port side, What a contrast to the tents. Pocky islands in the Emerald Seal The body of a man, face down in the water Thusvied "pas, ong of the many' tragedies of the 'Yengize. As write one of the peculiar tide rips isin motion. It has enormous force and' we have passed through many of them during our trip.
Grass Island Anchora, Yesterday (Priday) we Jay some Aistance off the Falrway from 2 uM 830 pin. Passing the evening in the eckhouse playing" dummy" bridge. At 8.30 we lifted: anchor and made our way towards Grass Island where anchored some distance off shore. This is the calmest anchorage we have had since we left and we can not feel a movement. About 5 am.
skipper got up (0 find everything shrouded in fog and a large, ghostly Junk passing just too close, 900 am—the morning is nothing. short of heavenly warm and glorious in the sun, not a sound of any kind 40 break the stillness. The sun has dispetied the fog "leaving only a mystic haze, through which the funks. salls "set, are lazily sailing "Painted ships on a. painted ace We had hoped to go on shore for a walk but, the heavy "dew and the marshy Tand of the Island decided us to have aglazy morning and later fo on to Woosung where we can go ashore and enjoy a siroll.. To toll the, truth our hearts are aching for he' seenes we have Toft and. dhe brown mud and flat Jands repel us, Like Summer Scotland Morning As 1 sit writing in the deckhouse, the warm sun and the stillness are 0 like a summer morning at home Ju Scotland that I'am watted back scenes of my childhood and 1 live again those wondrous days when life trid all lis marvels layin front, At 1130 "we set out on the Fast lap of our voyage and sailed with the tide fo Woorung, at the mouth of the Whangpoo, We anchored near the great seagoing Junks with their mighty sails. "The sky became aver-cast, a black wind sprang up and 1, who this morning found a thin blouse too hot, war glad to don a thick sweater and a heavy coat, "We went on shore by the quarantine station and had a long Walle, and are now asking ourselves it this fort ight amidst the sunny isles and emerald seas has not just been an enchanting dream, as in this bleak wind, with rain inthe offing, seems 50 far away and unreal." We sleep fu board to-night and go up" by motor car to-morrow and dream of no, this wonderful cruise will" be= come one of the most fascinating /memories of our 3ife time,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.