JACK HARKAWA
SERIES END RAYS



UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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1817
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SCIENTIA
ARTES
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JACK
HARKAWAY
AND THE RED DRAGON
By
BRACEBRIDGE HEMYNG
Author of the “ Jack Harkaway" Stories
NEW YORK
THE FEDERAL BOOK COMPANY
PUBLISHERS


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Spec, chil
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WAGOSLING
7-23-2005
JACK HARKAWAY

AND THE RED DRAGON.
CHAPTER I.
MOLE BAGS A BURGLAR.
Isaac Mole, the venerable English tutor, had suffered
many a rebuff from fate's hand during his long serv-
ice with Jack Harkaway, but he was still the same
cheerful member of society.
He had lost one of his legs years ago, and, more re-
cently, he had had to part with the other.
But, without complaint, he stumped his way on his
pair of timber toes through his tea plantation in China.
The loss of his only remaining leg did not affect his
spirits much
The only visible effect it had upon him was to cause
him to grow spiteful at times.
And then he would vow vengeance upon a certain
Bigamini.
"I'm not a vicious man," he would often say, "but
that wretch has condemned me to such a life of torment
with my stilts, that if I wait till I'm a hundred, I'll have
my vengeance upon him."
And when he had made this remark in the presence


6
Mole Bags a Burglar.
of his two detective friends Nabley and Daniel Pike,
they would endeavor to put him off his favorite topic
by assuring him that Bigamini was dead.
"I am sure that last shot did for him," said Pike,
"positive. The others carried him away in order that
nothing might be discovered to compromise them."
“How compromise them?" Mr. Mole would ask.
"By letting their names be known."
This puzzled Mr. Mole until it was explained.
The two detectives, true to their instincts, had fer-
reted out a number of particulars concerning this same
Bigamini and his exploits.
Not only was that ruffian the spy of pirates, but he
was also connected with a villainous gang of thieves,
who carried on their exploits, in an underhand way,
with a secret organization that completely puzzled the
native authorities.
They had their agents and spies everywhere, and in-
deed it was very soon evident that they must have
them upon Mr. Mole's plantation.
The continual robberies which occurred soon con-
vinced the detectives of this.
Nabley communicated his suspicions to Isaac Mole,
and the latter was on the watch night and day from
that moment.
By degrees, however, he got the better of this nerv-
ous feeling, and Mrs. Mole began to get a fair night's
rest.
One night, however, just three weeks after the re-
turn of the Harkaway party to the plantation, Isaac
Mole started up in the middle of the night, and snatch-
ing up his revolver, hobbled off on his rounds.


Mole Bags a Burglar.
7
His wife vainly endeavored to dissuade him.
Now Mr. Mole would fain have aroused his friends
generally, but the fact was that he had cried "wolf" so
often, that they would not pay any heed to him now.
Chloe tried to coax him into going back to bed again,
but tried in vain.
Down he hobbled into the grounds, nothing on but
his dressing gown.
Now he had not proceeded far when he saw in the
dim night light a figure crouching by the back door of
his house.
"Hello!" thought Mole, "I've got him, have I ?"
What could he be doing in this position ?
“Evidently trying the locks,” thought Mole.
So he had a capital notion.
"I'll just go back quietly,” he said to himself, “and
wait till John Chinaman opens the door and then meet
him face to face inside with my little six-shooter-
glorious lark!”
So full of glee was he at the notion that he could
scarce refrain from chuckling aloud.
Back he crept around the house and into the room
and straight up to the door, upon the outside of which
the midnight burglar was operating.
Now what was his surprise when he got there to
find that the thief had drilled a hole on each side of the
door large enough to get his hands through?
And there were his two hands groping about for the
fastenings.
Mr. Mole was seized with a brilliant idea.
So grand that he could scarce carry it into execution
for laughing


8
Mole Bags a Burglar.
He looked about him for a rope, and having secured
a good stout one he hastily made a running noose at
each end of it.
This done, he slowly approached the two hands, held
the pair of nooses over them, and then, with a sudden
jerk, tightened them.
“Bagged !” he cried; "bagged, by the everlasting
jingo!"
He dragged at the poor wretch's wrists with no
gentle hand, and a groan of anguish came through the
door.
"Now," said Mole, “I must administer toko."
Round the house he trotted, and reaching the exterior,
found his prisoner writhing ineffectually to release him-
self from these novel stocks.
“I've been waiting for you a long while, my friend,”
said Mole; "and now, as I'm a sinner, I'll enjoy myself
on your carcass.”
He looked for a stick.
But there was nothing to hand.
Mole was up in arms, and he was not likely to be
balked of his revenge.
A happy thought.
He had two wooden legs; one would suffice for his
present enjoyment.
So he hurriedly unscrewed it and prepared for the
fray.
"This is most enjoyable,” he said to himself.
So he turned up his sleeves.
Then he poised his wooden leg gracefully in his hand.
"One, two, three, and that's toko!"


Mole Bags a Burglar.
9
Down it came a terrific bang on the poor wretch's
back. The thief gave a yell.
"That's only to open the ball, my friend," said Mole,
cheerfully; "we shall enjoy ourselves more, presently."
Crack !
“Chin-chin," said Mole, pleasantly, "how does that
style suit you?”
Bang! Bang!
It was something to hear him yell.
Mole had never heard any music that pleased him
half so much.
“Now, my dear friend,” said Mr. Mole, pausing for
a moment to take breath; "we have had the plain,
straightforward hitting. I'm going in for a few fancy
touches.”
Saying which, he prodded his prisoner desperately in
the ribs.
At each poke the thief gave an “Ugh!” that re-
minded Mole of the navvies at home, knocking in the
paving stones in the London roads.
He writhed, and yelled, and shrieked.
And the more he cried, the niore Mr. Mole laughed.
"Dear, dear,” he cried, "what an evening I'm having,
to be sure; and all to myself.”
Whiz! Crack!
He played a little wildly now, and landed an awful
blow on his prisoner's head.
"Dear, dear, that won't do,” he said. "I shall knock
him out of time and spoil it before I've had half my
penn'orth out of him."
Crack!
“Mercy!"
s


10
Mole Bags a Burglar.
"Hello!" said Mole, starting, or rather hopping back
in surprise, "English!"
Just then he heard the voices of Jack Harkaway, his
friend Dick Harvey, and others calling him.
“Mr. Mole, Mr. Mole!”
"All right,” shouted Mole, “here I am."
"Where?"
"Round here."
But finding that they did not arrive very quickly, he
hopped after them.
"Why, what in the name of all that's wonderful is
the meaning of this ?” said Jefferson, the big Ken-
tuckian, who had attached himself to Jack's party.
"I've bagged a burglar," returned Mole.
"You have had the nightmare."
“Not I," answered Mole, with a chuckle. “I thought
I should surprise you; come with me.”
He took Harvey by the arm for support.
Now just as they turned the corner, they perceived
a number of dark forms stealing away across the planta-
tion, and all that remained in evidence of Mr. Mole's
prisoner, was the ends of the rope.
"Well," ejaculated Mr. Mole, "he has got away. But
he had such a dose of my wooden leg that I don't think
he could go far."
"Your leg?"
“Where is it?”
“Don't you see? He had made those holes to reach
the iron bars on the inside, and there I caught him and
held him too, and then I came round to give him a
token of my gratitude, and having no stick handy, I un-
screwed one of my legs, and I enjoyed myself; in fact,


Mole Takes the Pledge.
Il
if I hadn't left to show you the way, I should probably
be still at work on him.”
They laughed at this.
“They have carried him off."
"Of course; I knew he couldn't walk; I spoilt him
for that. But what startled me was that he called for
mercy in English.”
"English ?”
"Yes."
"I shouldn't be surprised to find it Bigamini again."
"Well, I lost a leg when last I tackled the scoundrel
Bigamini, and now I've lost one again.”
And although they scoured the country round not a
trace could they find of the thieves or of their booty-
Mr. Mole's wooden leg !
CHAPTER II.
MOLE
TAKES
THE PLEDGE.
Isaac Mole soon had another leg made for him, and
he stumped through his tea plantation, gloating over his
late attack on the midnight burglar.
The weather was lovely.
The tea shrubs were rapidly approaching a state of
perfection.
The worthy proprietor was, consequently, in a most
glowing frame of mind. His pipe was in his mouth
and his rum flask in his pocket.


14
Mole Takes the Pledge.
But this friendly caution from himself was of little
avail.
He staggered more than ever.
It was pretty evident the excellent man was getting
what is commonly called very tight.
Not that he seemed to have the smallest suspicion
of any such thing.
“Not so young as I used to be.
"Can't imagine—hic—what can have taken such-
hic—singular effect upon me," he murmured.
He gave a lurch as he spoke, but recovered himself.
Only dropping his pipe, which shivered into atoms.
"I think I'll have—hic-snooze in the pavil -_-"
He attempted to take a step forward, but the at-
tempt was perfectly futile.
He reeled, hiccoughed, and finally he and his rum
bottle descended into one of the soft tea beds.
Having reached this stage, he became quite maudlin.
"I say, old Mole,” he said, “I am afraid, old fellow,
that you are getting tight."
Then he shouted :
"For he's a jolly good feller-hic!
And so say all-hic-us!”
Having accomplished this in a very disconnected
and broken manner, he immediately fell asleep.
He had not slept long when, as chance would have
it, young Jack Harkaway came up to the spot.
The pupil contemplated his venerable instructor, and
at once comprehended the state of affairs.
"Tight again," he remarked, briefly, as he shrugged
his shoulders.


Mole Takes the Pledge.
15
And then at once applied himself to the attempt to
bring his erring master to his senses.
The means he used were all excellent in their way.
He pinched his nose till it was ruddier than the
cherry.
He tickled his nostrils with a peculiar species of
Chinese bramble supposed to be wonderfully efficacious
in producing an irritating sensation.
He pulled his hair vigorously.
This not proving successful, he administered a few
gentle kicks in the ribs.
After which he grasped his venerable tutor's wooden
legs, and worked them energetically, as he would have
done pump handles.
But neither pinching, tickling, pulling, nor pumping
produced any effect whatever.
The great Isaac would not be aroused.
Finding it, therefore, a hopeless case, he hurried off
to his father.
"Oh, dad !" he exclaimed, as he rushed into the room;
“such a lark.”
"What lark?" inquired his parent.
"Here's old Mole lying drunk and incapable in his
tea plantation."
"Do you call that a lark, sir?" asked his father, try-
ing to look serious, but feeling at the same time rather
inclined to smile.
“Well, perhaps not," admitted our hero.
"I should rather call it very disgraceful on Mr.
Mole's part," continued Mr. Harkaway.
"So it is, certainly,” admitted young Jack; "that's


16
Mole Takes the Pledge.
what I meant, and I thought we might have a lark with
him, to teach him a lesson in future."
“No, no, my boy,” said his father ; "it's not good to
make the great vice of drunkenness a theme for larks.”
"Well, but what's to be done with him, dad?” asked
Jack; “I've tried to wake him up, but I can't.”
"The best thing you can do is to go and fetch his
wife.”
Away ran Jack.
In an incredibly short space of time Chloe, Mr.
Mole's colored wife, might have been seen hurrying
eagerly to the spot, her dark eyes flashing with indig-
nation.
In her hand she held one of China's choicest, and in
the present case most useful, productions—a bamboo
cane.
"Me teach him somethink," she exclaimed, angrily;
“me let him know it not right to drink till him knock
off him legs.”
In a very short time she reached the spot where the
unconscious Mole still slumbered profoundly, instinc-
tively grasping his rum flask even in sleep.
"Oh, you bad man! you bad, wicked map !" she ex-
claimed at length, "dis de way you keep your word wid
me, is it?"
No answer was returned.
“Didn't you promise me you not get drunk nebber
no more, eh, sar? What you got to say for your-
self, eh?"
The inebriate husband in reply uttered a snore that
sounded like the passage of air through a choked gas-
pipe.


Mole Takes the
17
Pledge.
"Don't make dat drefful noise, but answer me what
I ask you, sar!” exclaimed the indignant Chloe, angrily,
as she flourished the bamboo over her spouse.
The latter gave her no response, save that he made
another "drefful noise" with his nasal apparatus.
This brought the anger of his better half to a climax.
And grasping the cane with determination, she
brought it down upon her husband's body with the ut-
most intensity.
Whack, whack, whack! swish, swish, swish! it went
on his ribs and in the adjoining localities, but the vo-
tary of the rum flask still slumbered and snored on.
"What am I to do wid him?" soliloquized his de-
spairing wife. “He no mind my words; he no mind
my cane; he no mind nothink. What must I do?"
“I know what,” exclaimed a voice near at hand.
Looking up, she saw a party approaching.
This party consisted of young Jack, Mr. Harkaway,
and Dick Harvey.
"If I were you, Mrs. Mole,” said Harkaway, “I
should get your husband home to bed as quickly as
possible.”
"Home to bed !" echoed Mrs. Mole, excitedly; "how
me get him dere, when he can't walk on him wooden
legs?”
“It is awkward, certainly,” Harkaway said.
“I know what we must do, dad,” remarked young
Jack, suddenly.
“What?" asked his father.
"We must water him," returned our hero, in a very
decided tone.


18
Mole Takes the Pledge.
"Water him, Massa Jack?" echoed Mrs. Mole.
"What you water him wid?"
“With a—with a garden engine,” continued the
youthful counselor; "capital thing to bring people to
their senses when they've had too much to drink.”
“Am it, though?”
"Oh, yes; the water penetrates the pores of the skin,
mixes with the spirit and destroys its power, and the
drinker comes to his senses."
“Oh, do try de water, Massa Jack, please.”
Our hero wanted no persuasion.
He was quite ready to perform the diluting process.
Accordingly he hurried away to where a garden
engine stood that was used in watering the tea shrubs.
With this useful and effective instrument he played
upon the body of his unconscious tutor until every
thread of his garments was thoroughly drenched.
Mole turned on his side and mumbled out:
“A little more rum, please.”
Still he did not revive.
Under these circumstances no other alternative re-
mained but to carry him home.
A kind of stretcher, formed of bamboo canes, was
hastily put together, and on this the victim of intem-
perance was lifted and carried to his apartments.
It was not till breakfast time the next morning that
Mr. Isaac Mole hobbled somewhat sheepishly into the
breakfast room.
The party were all assembled there.
Mrs. Mole presided at the breakfast table.
John Harkaway looked at his quondam tutor as he
entered with becoming sternness.


Mole Takes the Pledge.
19
Dick Harvey also threw a reproachful expression
into his features.
Young Jack, not to be behindhand, knitted his brows
and evinced as much quiet disgust as possible.
Chloe looked at her spouse with a kind of subdued
ferocity that seemed to imply what she would have
done if she could.
Mr. Isaac Mole had a sort of inward conviction that
something was wrong.
He had, moreover, distressing sensations of nausea,
and a splitting headache.
He approached the table and sank into a chair.
"Good-morning, my friends!” he murmured, as he
passed his hands over his throbbing forehead.
"Good-morning, sir," returned Harkaway, senior,
freezingly.
“Good-morning, sir," echoed the rest.
Then followed a dead silence, during which the vic-
tim of the rum flask looked wistfully at the teapot.
"I-a-think, my love," he said, at length, to his
spouse, humbly, “I'll take a cup of tea, if you please.
I don't feel very well this morning; it must be the
weather."
Mrs. Mole looked anything but pleased, but she
poured him out a cup of tea.
"Ah!" he sighed, after taking a prolonged sip,
"delicious beverage, tea! So invigorating, so refresh-
ing."
“I should think you must find its invigorating prop-
erties particularly serviceable this morning, Mr. Mole,"
remarked John Harkaway, senior, sarcastically to him
across the table.


20
Mole Takes the Pledge.
"Well, ye-es, my dear John; perhaps I do,” admitted
the tutor; "my head is very heavy this morning.”
“No wonder, either, after your proceedings of yes-
terday.”
"My proceedings of yesterday !" echoed Isaac, obliv-
iously. “Let me see; what did I do yesterday?”
“What did you do?” answered Harkaway. “Why,
you drank yourself into a state of intoxication, and
were found in a most disgraceful condition in your
own plantation."
Mr. Mole turned up his eyes either with real or
affected horror.
"My dear John, you don't mean to say this?” he
exclaimed, faintly. "You really don't mean to assert
that I was-a-found in-a-a state of-a-
The worthy man's voice died away and became in-
audible.
“It's a melancholy fact,” accredited Dick Harvey,
with a solemn shake of his head.
“That it is,” joined in young Jack, shrugging his
shoulders in harmony with the rest ; "I fired away at
you with the garden engine for ever so long, and it
didn't take any other effect on you than to make you
call for more rum.”
“You wicked, good-for-nothing, disobedient man!"
joined in Chloe, “what tink become ob you-eh?”
Mr. Mole did not seem to have any very distinct
ideas on the subject.
In fact his perceptive powers just then appeared to
be in a fog.
He murmured something not very comprehensive,
and passed his cup for more tea.


Mole Takes the Pledge.
21
He could see from the manner of his friends that he
had committed himself seriously in their estimation,
and he felt very uncomfortable in consequence.
Harkaway spoke again.
“I think, Mr. Mole, at your time of life, it is your
bounden duty to be more guarded in the quantities you
drink."
“You are quite right, my dear John ; quite right,”
admitted the guilty one; “my conduct is unpardonable,
but I'll alter it; I will, indeed. The fact is, I suppose
I'm not so strong as I was, and the spirit takes more
effect upon me on that account.”
"You ought nebber touch spirits no more!" ex-
claimed Mrs. Mole to her husband, indignantly; "dey
be no good to you."
"I think the same," joined in Harkaway, "and if you
would be advised by me, you would become a total
abstainer from this moment."
Mr. Mole became suddenly contemplative.
He seemed to be forming some grand resolution.
At length, his mind being fixed, he rose to his feet,
or rather to his timber, and exclaimed, oratorically:
“Yes; I've decided! Isaac Mole, thou hast
triumphed over thy natural weakness; henceforth
farewell to alcohol and welcome the pump!"
"Bravo! bravo !" murmured his listeners. Chloe
seemed highly gratified.
"You nebber drink no more rum, Isaac?” she said
to him appealingly, as she grasped him by the hand.
"Never, my beloved; never! never! never!" returned
the virtuously repentant husband, fervently. "From


Mole Breaks His Pledge.
23
However, he was well attended by the old American
doctor, who promised that he should soon be well.
The worthy tutor adhered to his teetotal resolution
with heroic firmness.
Occupied with his tea plantation, he seemed to have
forgotten that such a thing as old Jamaica existed.
But this was not to last.
Isaac had been so long accustomed to his drops of
rum that he began to feel the want of his usual stimu-
lant.
He became rather low-spirited over his abstinence.
His limbs grew shaky.
As for his wooden legs, he couldn't manage them at
all.
"This won't do," he said to himself one day as he
sat alone. “I'm getting quite nervous and dyspeptic."
He got up, and having nothing else to fly to, he took
a pull at a teapot which he always kept ready at hand.
"Very nice and refreshing, I dare say, for some peo-
ple,” he remarked with a vehement shudder; "but I
really don't think Pekoe suits my constitution. I feel as.
wishy-washy as a water-butt, and as shaky as an old
woman.
"It's very awkward, too," he continued; "I've taken
the pledge. Signed and sealed in the presence of wit-
nesses a vow of abstinence from all ardent spirits. Oh,
dear! dear! it's very awkward, I must break my vow!
No! rather will I die a martyr to pump water and tea
leaves."
With a sigh of resignation the virtuous Isaac re-
seated himself, and filling his pipe, tried to banish his
inward sensations by the soothing influence of tobacco.


24
Mole Breaks His Pledge.
Just at that moment a packet of letters arrived from
England.
Among them a newspaper for Mr. Mole.
The desponding tutor received it with avidity, and
eagerly tore it open.
He had not read far, when suddenly he uttered a
vehement exclamation and stopped.
One announcement had caught his eye, and quite
riveted his attention.
This was:
“Robur, spirit of tea.”
The orbs of the worthy tutor dilated at this announce-
ment.
And beginning to peruse the advertisement, he read:
" 'Robur is a pure spirit free from essential oil.'
“That would do me exactly, I think,” he muttered,
hopefully, and then went on:
“ 'Robur, though not intoxicating, possesses great
stimulating powers.'
“That's the very thing."
In his excitement he started up, and seized his hat.
“I shan't be breaking my vow, either,” he solilo-
quized. “I pledged myself to stick to tea, and robor is
tea—the pure spirit of tea. What better cordial could I
take?"
Away went Mr. Mole straight to one of his quays.
There he found an English vessel, and to his great
joy, a quantity of robur among her cargo.
The delighted Isaac purchased a large quantity.
Having seen it safely deposited, he, as the evening
drew on, made preparations for a little quiet festivity
all to himself.


Mole Breaks His Pledge.
25
The scene of this harmless conviviality was to be a
pavilion which Mr. Mole had built in his grounds, as a
kind of private study.
Here then he conveyed a sufficient quantity of the
spirit of tea, with hot water and sugar, pipes and
tobacco, and having locked himself in proposed to en-
joy himself.
Having uncorked a bottle, he mixed himself a glass
of the spirit.
“I'll drink my own health,” he said with a com-
placent smile, as he raised the glass to his lips, and took
a good swig.
“It's queer stuff to taste!” he murmured, making a
wry face, "decidedly queer. It's very warming to the
stomach, though."
And he began to persuade himself that robur was a
very excellent beverage.
Anyhow, it warmed him, and its stimulating qualities
began to tell upon him agreeably.
“I'm beginning to feel quite myself again,” he said
to himself, "quite; another glass or two, and Mole will
be himself again."
Leaving the worthy to concoct his other glass, let us
now adjourn to the outside of the pavilion, to a spot
where young Jack Harkaway was quietly taking stock
of the unconscious Mole.
Our hero had observed that his tutor on that partic-
ular evening had made several mysterious journeys to
and fro from his house to the pavilion.
These facts were quite sufficient to arouse Master
Jack's suspicions.


26
Mole Breaks His Pledge.
"Something's up, I know," he said to himself; "the
question is--what?"
This he was not very long arriving at.
Under the influence of several glasses of the stimu-
lant, Mr. Mole began to talk to himself in a glowing
and fervid strain.
Then growing more convivial, he became also poet-
ical, and sang extempore:
"Delectable robur! Spirit of tea!
Oh, what a boon to weak mortals like me;
I thought not long since with me 'twas all over,
But I'm quite put to rights by this exquisite robur!
Beautiful robur! exquisite robur!
I'm quite put to rights by this exquisite robur."
Young Jack, never having heard of this delicious
compound, was rather puzzled to know what its virtues
consisted of.
But presently, when he observed his venerable tutor
start up and plunge headlong into stumping the "sail-
ors' hornpipe,” whistling his own music, he began to
suspect the truth.
"I see what it is,” he said to himself; "it's some
Chinese spirit he's got hold of, and as he's pledged him-
self not to drink rum, I suppose he's doing his best to
get tight on this—what does he call it?-robur; yes,
that's it."
Mr. Mole, having finished his hornpipe, sat down
again and applied himself once more to his libations.
So diligently did he fill and refill, that in less than an
hour he had reached the desired point.
He was once more completely intoxicated.


Mole Breaks His Pledge.
27
"Who cares for hic-anybody?” he hiccoughed. "I
don't; I don't care for Mrs. Mole, not I-hic! Bother
Mrs. Mole! who's she, I should like-know? Ugly
black-hic-woolly-haired female! I'll go to bed; no
one can disturb me there."
As he spoke, he staggered to a couch, which he had
fitted in the pavilion, and fell asleep, singing in a very
maudlin tone:
"Beau'ful robur! beau'ful robur !
Quite-hic-put-rights-beau-ful robur."
Jack's determination was quickly formed.
“I'll cure you of this, Mr. Mole, if I can,” he said
to himself.
He at once went in search of Sunday and Mondays
the two worthy blacks, who were always ready for fun.
He was not long in finding them.
"Come along with me," he said ; "I'm going to play
old Mole a trick, and I want you to help me.
“Golly, Massa Jack, we help you,” they exclaimed,
eagerly; "what can we do?"
“Go first and get two sheets and two white nightcaps
and some chalk, and meet me at the pavilion. I'll ex-
plain what you're to do then.”
Away went the niggers to collect these necessaries,
chuckling over the prospect of the forthcoming lark.
In the meantime, young Jack made a collection of
such articles as he required for the carrying out of his
project.
In a short time they met outside the pavilion.
Here our hero distinctly explained to his sable com-
panions what he wished them to do.


28
Mole Breaks His Pledge.
The shades of evening had fallen.
A cool, gentle breeze, laden with fragrance, swept
over the garden.
Not very far from the pavilion there was a large
tank.
This tank supplied the water necessary for irrigating
the tea shrubs, and was quite full.
A rather broad plank was placed, by Jack's direction,
with one end resting on the ground and the other over-
hanging the edge of the tank, so that anyone walking
up this plank, it would, when they reached the ex-
tremity, tilt over, and precipitate them into the water
beneath.
"Golly! what dat for?” asked the darkies, with
natural curiosity.
“That's the cold water bath into which Mr. Isaac
Mole will be lured by the specters of his deceased
wives,” replied young Jack, grinning.
Our hero then led the way to the pavilion.
"Now then, my boys,” he said to his companions,
"dress yourselves up in your sheets and nightcaps,
chalk your faces, and make yourselves as ghastly as
you possibly can."
“Cert'nly, Massa Jack. We make ourselves drefful
frights in 'bout two minutes," they replied.
While Sunday and Monday were bringing themselves
up to a proper state of ghastliness, our hero very
quietly opened the window and clambered into the
pavilion.
All within was perfectly dark.
Feeling his way to the table, Jack at length came
upon the lamp.


Mole Breaks His Pledge.
29
This he kindled, but kept it turned low lest he should
awaken the sleeper.
There lay Mr. Mole on his back, with his wooden
legs sticking up in the air like a pair of signposts.
Having completed this brief examination, our hero
proceeded to business.
First he grasped the nearest wooden leg, and pulled
it from the perpendicular to a horizontal position.
He then, with a small center bit, bored a large hole
in the end of the wooden member till it was quite hol-
low.
This he filled tightly with gunpowder.
He then tied a squib close upon it.
These arrangements being completed, he opened the
door and admitted Sunday and Monday, who looked
hideously ghostly in their white sheets.
“What we do now?" they asked.
"Wait a moment, and I'll show you," answered their
youthful director,
As he spoke, he emptied some yellowish powder in a
long line on the floor, and then a similar stream of
powder of a darkish green.
Into each of these he placed a piece of match.
“That's for the 'ghost effects,' ” said our hero, with
a smile.
The last operation our hero performed was to smear
a quantity of phosphorus over the prominent parts of
the darkies' features.
Then lowering the lamp, till the interior of the pavil-
ion was in profound obscurity, he placed Sunday and
Monday at the foot of the couch behind the curtains,
and told them to wait there till he gave the signal.


30
Mole Breaks His Pledge.
He then crouched down himself out of sight, armed
with his matches and every thing necessary, and waited.
After a time, Mr. Mole's timepiece struck eleven.
The effects of the robur were beginning to wear off.
Isaac Mole began to grow restless.
He left off snoring and took to grunting and groan-
ing
“Water-water !” he gasped.
Young Jack crept quietly to a sideboard, and possess-
ing himself of the water jug, crept back, and gave
his tutor a good drenching.
Mr. Mole almost shrieked at the cold water ap-
plication.
"Who is it? What is it?" he called out; "is anybody
ill?"
Awfully deep groans answered him.
“Good gracious! what's the matter?-where am I?"
he faltered, as he pulled himself up to a sitting posture
and looked out into the darkness.
Profound silence reigned around.
"Anybody there?” Mr. Mole asked, tremulously.
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" answered an awfully deep voice.
"Oh! Oh! Oh!" echoed another voice of equal pro-
fundity.
The tutor began to feel his hair bristle slightly, as he
cried :
“Oh! oh! oh!”
"Isaac Mole!- Isaac Mole!" continued the first voice.
"Isaac Mole !—Isaac Mole!” repeated the second.
"Who are you? What do you what? Isaac Mole's
gone out," faintly gurgled the preceptor.
"We am de sperrits ob you unhappy wives.”


Mole Breaks His Pledge.
31
"I've got no wife but one,” cried the alarmed Mole;
"I'll take my oath I haven't.”
"Don't tell none ob you wicked lies, you base de-
ceiver !" replied Sunday and Monday, imitating the
feminine tone as closely as possible; "you know you
got two oder wives.”
"Where--where are they now?" groaned Mole, nery-
ously.
"Here we am," exclaimed two deeply solemn voices
from the foot of the couch.
Isaac Mole heard the voices, and looked towards the
spot whence they proceeded.
Gradually, as he looked, two white figures glided
from behind the drapery and stood before the scared
Isaac.
Their faces were of a ghastly gray hue, and their
features shone with a blazing phosphoric light.
The jaws of the venerable Isaac began to chatter.
It must be his deceased wives come to pay him a
visit.
“What do you want, my dear loves ?” he asked, in
trembling accents, every particular hair in his head
standing bolt upright with horror.
"We here to warn you, Isaac Mole,” replied the dear
loves, in awfully hollow tones.
"Warn me of what?” Isaac inquired, his teeth rat-
tling together like a pair of castanets.
"Of your approaching doom."
“My approaching doom?" echoed Mole, in a tone
of horrible incredulity.
"We tell you your doom fixed,” replied Monday;
"you come to jine us in de world ob sperrits."


32
Mole Breaks His Pledge.
99
"But, my dear loves, I don't wish to join you in the
land of spirits.”
At that moment the ghostly figures seemed as though
they would have clutched poor Mole.
“Get out!” roared the bewildered Mole; “I'm not go
ing with you. I'm in robust health, and intend to live
fifty years longer. Go away, I command you, and don't
annoy me any longer."
The specters laughed mockingly.
“Ha! ha! ha! your hours are numbered, Isaac Mole;
you have not twelve hours to live.”
At this terrible announcement Mole sat upright on
the couch.
"You pair of ugly frights, I don't believe you,” he
roared. “Why shouldn't I live ?—what's the matter
with me? I'm still young."
"You've destroyed your constitution wid rum !” an-
swered the specters. “You go off all ob a sudden wid
spontaneous combustion. You go pop, and your ugly
head go off.”
"It shan't, I tell you," roared Mole, who was in a
cold sweat with terror. “I've turned teetotaler. There
isn't a drop of spirit in me."
“Ho! ho! ho!" laughed the specters in a hollow, iron-
ical tone; "you all spirit; see!”
As they spoke, one of the specters glided to the foot
of the couch and placed its ghastly finger on the tutor's
wooden leg
A slight fizz was heard.
And a bright shower of sparks poured out from the
end of the wooden member.
Isaac Mole fell back aghast on the couch.


Mole Breaks His Pledge.
33
“Mercy on me!” he shrieked, loudly; "murder ! fire!
Mur-ur-ur-der."
Then followed a tremendous bang.
The interior of the pavilion was lighted up with a
bright, ghastly blue glare.
The tutor could see that his wooden leg was com-
pletely shattered.
“Oh, my poor leg. I'm a dead man,” he groaned.
“Isaac Mole, Isaac Mole, follow us,” cried the
specters.
"I–I can't,” he returned; “my leg's shivered into
atoms. I can't walk without my leg.”
“Then hop !" shouted the remorseless ghosts.
A bright, green light now illumined the interior with
ghastly distinctness.
“Are you coming ?” demanded the specters, imper-
atively. "If you don't, we shall”
They made a step forward, but Isaac Mole, in an
agony of terror, sprang from the couch.
"I'll try," he exclaimed. “Which way am I to go?”
"Follow me,” cried Monday, still imitating his late
wife's voice, as he stalked away.
The hapless Mole caught up a broom that was near
him, and placing the brush part under his arm for a
crutch, hopped after the supposed spirit as well as he
could, puffing and grunting in much perturbation of
mind.
Monday, in his ghostly garb, led the way into the
garden towards the tank.
The preceptor followed.
Hop, hop, hop, hop.
Up the plank Monday glided.


34
Mole Breaks His Pledge.
"I can't go up there,” gasped Mr. Mole.
"You must. We, the departed spirits of your loving
wives, command you. Come on.”
The distracted Mole paused for a mor ent.
One of the specters had sprung niinbly across the
tank, and now beckoned him from the other side.
“Come on," he cried.
Young Jack, who had crept closely behind his tutor,
now affixed a couple of squibs to his collar, and ignited
them.
“Follow me," commanded the spirit.
At this moment, whiz went both the squibs.
With a yell of terror, Isaac Mole, with his broom and
wooden leg, hopped up the plank.
Just as he reached the end, both the fireworks ex-
ploded with a loud bang.
Up went the plank, and headfirst into the tank
plunged Mole, with a shriek and a splash, where he lay
floundering and imbibing the liquid element, fully con-
vinced his last hour was come.
"Hello! hello! What's the matter here?". cried
young Jack, in a tone of surprise, as though he had
just reached the spot.
"Who is it?” he asked, as he looked over the edge of
the tank.
“Oh, my dear Jack, it's me. Save me, dear boy; I'm
drowning,” gasped the victim.
"What, Mr. Mole!” ejaculated our hero. “So it is, I
declare. Here, Sunday—Monday, come and help my
worthy tutor.”
Sunday and Monday, who had in the meantime re-,
moved their ghostly garments, and wiped the chalk


An Invitation to Dinner.
35
from their faces, came running up, and speedily ex-
tricated Mr. Mole from his unpleasant predicament.
"Oh, dear Mr. Mole, how dis happen to you, sar?”
said Monday.
But Mr. Mole made no reply.
Then, after drying the worthy gentleman, they put
him to bed.
He awoke next day, rather scared with the terrors of
the preceding night, and declared he would never sleep
in the haunted room again. But the lesson did him
some good, inasmuch as he never from that moment
tasted another drop of the delectable robur, the spirit of
tea.
CHAPTER IV.
AN INVITATION TO DINNER.
"Hi, Sunday! Monday!"
"What you want, Massa Jack?"
"I've just got a splendid idea."
“Hab you, though? Keep it, den, Massa Jack, you
may want it some day.”
“Yes, but this is first rate, and will do for Mole."
“What is it?"
The eyes of the niggers glistened at the prospect.
"Am it as big a lark as de ghosts ob Massa Mole's
wives, Massa Jack?” they asked.
"Quite as big,” returned our hero, with a grin. “I
don't know whether it isn't bigger, if anything, only it's
of a different kind.”


36
An Invitation to Dinner.
"Tell us what it is, please," entreated the darkies,
eagerly.
"Well, this is it. You remember some time ago Mr.
Mole painting both your faces on one side ?"
“Golly, yes; um remember dat, puffecly,” responded
the niggers, with a somewhat rueful grin; "um nebber
forget it, um got de glue in um wool now; it nebber
cum got out of dis child's hair.”
"Well, then, Mr. Mole painted and put glue on your
hair for his amusement."
“S'pose him did.”
“And now I want you to paint yourselves for your
own.”
At this proposition Sunday scratched his woolly
head, and looked inquiringly at his comrade.
Monday also looked in a similar manner at him, and
performed a similar operation.
"Excuse me, Massa Jack," said the former; "dis
child don't exactly see de 'musement ob painting him
face."
“No more do I, neider,” joined in Monday; "it took
all de skin off him countin' house de last time um
washed it off.”
Young Jack laughed.
"You wouldn't have to use oil color this time," he
said ; "it would come off easily enough."
"Well, but what de good ob it?" asked the darkies.
"As I told you, to play Mr. Mole a trick.”
"What trick?"
“I want you to paint your faces, and put on the
dresses of two of the native Chinese."
“Iss, Massa Jack.”


An Invitation to Dinner.
37
"Then you'll come and present yourselves at the gate
of Mr. Mole's domicile, and desire to see him."
"Iss; and what den?”
“You know what a conceited old fellow my tutor is.”
“Dat berry true, Massa Jack; him don't t’ink small
beer ob himself."
"Well, you'll give yourselves out to be two people
of consequence—two mandarins."
“Ah, yes; two mannikins.”
"No, no; mandarins."
"Beg him pardon, mandarins; and what we do den?"
“You'll make out that the fame of Mr. Isaac Mole
has reached you, and that you have come to feast your
eyes upon that wonderful individual."
"Yes, yes! we understand dat."
"Well, then, you know you can invite him to dinner.”
"Where we get de dinner, Massa Jack?" inquired the
niggers in one breath.
“There'll be none, of course. Don't you see? You'll
ask Mr. Mole to visit you at an imaginary place, to
feast upon a phantom dinner.”
"Ha! ha! golly, dat good !” grinned the darkies;
"Massa Mole come, find no house, no grub, no rum,
no nothink.”
"Exactly."
“But he not take us for Chinese," remarked Monday,
doubtfully.
"I shall disguise you," returned Jack.
“What we do for pigtails !" inquired Sunday.
"I'll manage all that,” said our hero.
“But, Massa Jack,” exclaimed Sunday, all of a sud-
den looking very blank, "dere one drefful licker."


38
An Invitation to Dinner.
“What's that?"
"Why, we not able to speak a word Chinese."
“Never mind, use any crack-jaw words you think of
just to start with. He'll never know the difference, and
then he'll be very glad to find that you speak English.”
"All right, Massa Jack," exclaimed Monday and
Sunday.
It took all the rest of the day to get the native cos-
tumes and sundry necessary properties from Chang's
stores.
Our hero having arranged these preliminary matters,
he gave his sable pupils a good drilling.
Sunday and Monday proved apt scholars, and before
they retired for the night, young Jack had taught them
to perform their kotow* in a most perfect and natural
manner.
*
*
The worthy Isaac was shaving himself the next
morning when his hopeful pupil entered the room in a
well-assumed state of excitement.
“Oh, I'm so glad you're up," said the latter, eagerly,
"for two Chinese gentlemen are awaiting to see you."
"Two Chinese gentlemen !" echoed Mr. Mole, open-
ing his eyes widely.
"Yes, and they seem to me to be of high rank."
“High rank !” almost gasped Mr. Mole, becoming at
once nervously excited.
"Yes, and I fancy it's something particular, they
*A Chinese mode of salutation, in which the visitor pros-
trates himself, and touches the ground with his forehead nine
times.


An Invitation to Dinner.
39
seemed so anxious to see you. I wouldn't disappoint
them, sir.
You'd better get dressed as quickly as
possible."
"Yes, yes; I will," said Mr. Mole.
And then in his agitation he plunged into a series of
the wildest extravagances.
He put on his trousers the wrong way, and tried to
button his waistcoat up his back.
He combed his hair with the brush.
He brushed his hair with the comb.
His wooden legs also gave him a great deal of trou-
ble, refusing obstinately to allow themselves to be
screwed into their sockets.
At length, however, with Jack's assistance, his toilet
was finished.
On entering, he perceived two splendid-looking
Chinese.
Their complexions were of a hue something between
yellow ocher and coffee grits.
They had closely-shaven heads, and magnificent pig-
tails.
Not the least suspicion of any trick crossed Mole's
imagination. He bowed his head and placed his hands
to his forehead in token of respect.
The strangers returned his salutation, and Monday
exclaimed, in very queer Chinese:
“Hoon, tsing, tsing! (Are you well? Hail! hail!)”
"Delighted to see you, gentlemen," answered Mr.
Mole. "Pray, may I request to know to what I am in-
debted for the honor of this visit?"
"We hear much talkee of you, Misser Mole,” replied
Sunday, condescendingly.


40
An Invitation to Dinner.
“Yes,” joined in Monday, “dey say you very learned
man--you got great lot of knowledge in your head."
The erudite Isaac, feeling intensely flattered, rose and
bowed, till he almost dipped his nose in his teacup.
“I trust, gentlemen,” he replied, “I may say, with-
out boasting, I do know a thing or two."
“A thing or two?" joined in young Jack. “He
knows everything there is to be known, gentlemen, and
lots more besides.”
"Yah! yah!” exclaimed the Chinese. "He looks so,
and dat is what bring me and by broder here."
"Oh, you are brothers, then !" said Mr. Mole.
“Yah !" replied Sunday. “My name is Chow-chow.”
“And mine, Chum-chum," joined in Monday.
"Very pretty names, too,” remarked our hero to him-
self, with a quiet grin, "especially Chum-chum."
"Can I be of any service to you, gentlemen, in a
scientific capacity ?" inquired Mole.
"No, no, tankee, Misser Mole," replied Chow-chow;
"my broder and myself not talkee much Inglese.”
“Nor can I pretend to talkee much Chinese,” re-
turned Mr. Mole, imitating their broken English out of
compliment.
A few more puffs of their pipes, and then the tutor
said:
"I presume, gentlemen, you had some motive in
favoring me with this visit?”
“Oh, yah! yah !" returned the gentlemen; "we came
here to invite you to dinner with us."
"To dinner!" echoed Mr. Mole, his countenance
glowing with gratified surprise.


An Invitation to Dinner.
41
“Yes, Misser Mole; if you will favor us with the
illumination of your presence.”
The gratified Mole made instantly a willing offer
of himself.
"You will come, then?" they said.
“Undoubtedly,” exclaimed Isaac, glowingly.
"So will I, if you ask me,” joined in young Jack.
“Ah, yes; so you shall,” said the good-natured Chi-
nese. “S'pose you Misser Mole's son, eh?”
“Oh, no," Jack replied; "I'm not a Mole, I'm a
Harkaway.”
"Oh, indeed; Hark'way."
"Of course you've heard of the Harkaways in the
history of England, haven't you?"
"You mean Jack Harkaway, eh?”
"That's the ticket," returned our hero, briskly;
"there's dad and me, old Jack and young Jack, two
especial representatives of the boys of England.”
Messieurs Chow-chow and Chum-chum laughed
heartily at our hero's free-and-easy manner, and in-
sisted on his making one of the party.
"Mind, you be sure come to dinner, Misser Young
Jack, boy of England, wid Misser Mole," they said.
“Make yourselves perfectly easy, gentlemen," Jack
replied; “I'll be there."
“But where are we to come to?" asked Isaac Mole,
"and at what hour?"
Chow-chow drew from his vest a crimson envelope
about a foot long, and presented it with much form
to Mole.
"You'll find directions as to time and place inclosed,"
he said.


42
An Invitation to Dinner.
No sooner were they gone than Mr. Mole, on the tip-
toe of curiosity, tore open the crimson envelope.
Its contents, which were fortunately written in Eng-
lish, were as follows:
"Chow-chow and his brother, Chum-chum, to the
Great Mole.
“Expected twenty-fifth day, six o'clock, at the
Abode of Joy, in the Garden of Sweet Perfumes. Drink
wine-drink tea-rum, if liked--smoke tobacco-eat
everything nice. Chow-CHOW-CHUM-CHUM.
"(With compliments.)”
Added in pencil :
“Misser Young Jack Harkaway
much."
expected very
Mole carefully perused this document.
“You see, my dear boy," he remarked, grandly, to
Jack; "great men cannot be concealed.”
Jack read the note through.
“No more can great boys; in fact, it seems to me the
boys have the best of it, for I read here, Mr. Mole is
only 'expected,' while ‘Misser Young Jack Harkaway
is expected very much."


CHAPTER V.
AN EXTRAORDINARY MISTAKE.
"It is very evident," remarked Mr. Mole, "that these
gentlemen are persons of distinction. I suppose they
are attached to the court of his Celestial majesty ?"
“They belong to the privy council,” Jack informed
him.
“Do they, though ?”
“Yes," continued young Harkaway, "each one sits at
the head of a board, and his word is law."
"Indeed," said Mole, with surprise.
“What a highly connected set of people we've got
among us all of a sudden."
“Rather,” said young Jack.
"What costume ought I to wear at this dinner
party?" returned Mr. Mole.
Young Jack shut one eye, and appeared for a few
moments to be buried in profound thought.
At length he said:
"Full military costume."
"Full military costume! Why so?” asked Mole.
"Because, you see, I have nothing whatever in the
shape of military attire."
"Oh, that needn't stand in the way," said his pupil;
“I think I can get you anything you require in the way
of regimentals."
"But why should I wear regimentals?” asked the
tutor. "I do not belong to the army."


An Extraordinary Mistake.
45
All being ready, the tutor, accompanied by his pupil,
left the house.
At the gate, to his great astonishment, he found in
attendance the entire body of Chinese laborers.
Of these, some carried flags, some colored lanterns.
While by way of music, our hero had thoughtfully
provided a gong, a bell, a drum and a pair of cymbals.
Isaac Mole was electrified.
"This is extraordinary !” he ejaculated; "and you
arranged all this, did you ?"
"I did," replied young Jack, modestly; "but it was
quite necessary.”
“I believe you're right, my boy; quite right.”
“Suppose we start, then?” suggested Jack to Mr.
Mole.
“I'm quite ready,” said Mole.
On each side of Mole, as a guard of honor, walked
Sunday and Monday, who had resumed their proper
appearance, and now accompanied the cortège.
In front waved the flags.
Behind dangled the lanterns.
“Now, then," shouted young Jack, "play up, mu-
sicians, and forward to the ‘Abode of Joy, in the Gar-
den of Sweet Perfumes.'
The gong sounded, the bell rang, the cymbals clashed,
the retainers shouted, and away went the procession.
Through the town and round the outskirts, collecting
crowds of gazers as they passed along.
But, alas! without arriving at their place of des-
tination.
No one seemed to know anything of the locality of
the blissful spot.


46
An Extraordinary Mistake.
In the meantime, the hours flew by.
Mr. Mole had got awfully hungry.
“There must be some mistake,” suggested Mr. Mole.
“Are you sure you have the right address ?” he asked,
of his pupil.
"Positive," answered the latter.
“Dessay we find it by and by, Massa Mole, if you
hab patience," suggested Monday.
"But I'm starving," growled Mole.
Young Jack called out to the men with the lanterns:
“Light up, you buffers !''
It was now getting dusk, and in a few seconds the
light of a score of colored lanterns illuminated the road.
“It looks imposing, doesn't it?" exclaimed Jack.
And then he shouted:
"Forward !"
Again they moved on, when suddenly there was a.
great commotion.
“What's the matter ?" inquired Mr. Mole.
"I think we've got to the Garden of Sweet Perfumes
at last," returned our hero.
“I'm inclined to think so myself," said the tutor;
"and there's a lovely smell of cooking."
"Well, wedder it de 'Bode ob Joy or not, I t'ink it a
good plan to stop here," Sunday suggested; "p'raps git
some dinner here."
A crowd of domestics appeared, and a Chinese
gentleman, richly dressed, and as round as a tub, came
hurrying through the throng.
“Ah, my dear major-general, you come at last ?” he
exclaimed, eagerly.


48
An Extraordinary Mistake.
The tea being finished, dinner began in earnest.
The young Chinese gentlemen seated near Mole and
Jack became more and more friendly and convivial.
They pointed out to them several choice dishes of
exquisite flavor.
“You must taste little of this," they said, helping
their companions to some fresh luxuries.
"Upon my honor, I can't stand any more," pro-
tested Jack, with a shudder; "I've had about three
times as much as I ought.”
"So have I,” admitted Mr. Mole, pressing his hand
upon his stomach. "I am sorry to be disobliging, but
really I feel, if I were to eat another mouthful, I should
burst."
“Oh, no, no !” laughed the Chinese gentlemen, "no
burst with dis meat. It too tender."
“Pray what do you call this?" inquired Mr. Mole,
with some curiosity.
“Dis? Puppy dog," returned the gentleman, smack-
ing his lips enthusiastically.
“Puppy dog !" gasped the tutor, clapping both hands
over his mouth and shuddering violently.
"Yes, indeed; it great luxury."
"And what's that?" asked Jack, pointing to a dish
from which he had been eating.
"Dat is little pussy cat, what you call-kitten."
Jack's stomach heaved convulsively at this statement.
"I say, old son," he murmured, “I'll take a little
brandy, neat, if you please."
The cordial was poured out, and Mr. Mole joined his
pupil in a "nip,” after which they felt better.
“You eat extraordinary things in China,” remarked


An Extraordinary Mistake.
49
our hero; "we don't care about puppy dogs or pussy
cats either in civilized countries like America and
England."
“Oh, dey great favorite here, so also are de little
rats and mouses.”
“Rats and mouses !” echoed the preceptor and his
pupil simultaneously; "you don't mean to say you eat
anything so horrible?"
"Oh, yes; certainly,” replied their friends with much
admiration; "you eat dem just now and say dey
beautiful.”
The eyes of Mr. Mole and young Jack Harkaway
turned up in their heads, and they fell back helplessly
in their seats.
“More brandy! quick !” gasped the former.
"Ditto! ditto!" echoed Jack.
Again the stimulant was administered, when suddenly
the Tartar came out with a tremendous :
"Ho!"
This was immediately followed by a loud yell as a
couple of well-kneaded bread bullets, propelled by Sun-
day and Monday, took effect on his right eye and his
nose.
The missiles stung him awfully, and with a tre-
mendous oath in the Tartar language-he sprang to
his feet.
"What dat you do—you Inglese-eh?" he demanded,
looking fiercely at Jack.
"Are you addressing yourself to me?" inquired
young Jack, coolly, as he quietly untwisted the wire
from the cork of the champagne bottle which he held
between his knees.


An Extraordinary Mistake.
51
he was quickly picked up and carried from the apart-
ment.
Peace being restored, the worthy Mole began to get
exceedingly jolly.
"You're-glor'us people !-hic-very glor'us !” he
exclaimed. “China's great nation !-hic—very great!
“I respect you all!” he continued, “the puppy dogs
and pussy cats excepted-not forgetting the rats and
mouses—which, as a subject of Great Britain, I de-
cidedly object to. Nevertheless, you're a great nation,
and I respect you; I respect you all! I respect his
Celestial majesty, the emperor-good luck to him, and
may he never want a teapot.
“Three cheers for the emperor!
"Hip-hip-hip-hurrah!"
The worthy Mole, having drunk a bumper of cham-
pagne in honor of his Celestial majesty, found himself
becoming more and more disposed to conviviality, and
volunteered to sing a song.
"With your permission, I will sing a few lines com-
posed on the spot, expressly in honor of this memorable
occasion."
A murmur of applause ran through the festive
throng.
And Isaac Mole, clearing his throat, commenced:
"If you happy wish to be,
Go to China !
If you'd taste a cup of tea,
Go to China !
If a dinner you would eat,
I can promise you a treat,
If you go to China !


52
An Extraordinary Mistake.
Puppy dogs, and kittens, too,
Rats and mice and sav'ry stew,
Every day in China !
Jolly dogs are Chinamen,
No other nation feeds like them
Who live in China !
They beat all other countries hollow,
For strength of head and length of swallow-
Go to China !
Then hurrah for China !
Three cheers for China !
If you want to get fat,
Hurry over to China.
Chorus-If you want to get fat,
Hurry over to China !”
This vocal effusion was received with deafening
applause.
Pipes, tea and liqueurs were again handed round.
Isaac Mole was in the seventh heaven of ecstasy.
“This is—hic—jolly, very jol-ly, my dear boy,” he
said, to his pupil.
"Couldn't be jollier, I think."
"There's only one thing surprises me."
“What's that?"
“That we haven't seen anything of the two gentle-
men who invited us."
"It is rather strange, certainly."
At this moment the host drew near.
"I hope your excellency enjoy yourself," he said.
“Never better, my dear boy,” returned the preceptor,
familiarly; "but I miss two very particular members
of your family."
The host looked at him in surprise.
"What two you miss ?"


An Extraordinary Mistake.
53
“Chow-chow and Chum-chum."
The eyebrows of his entertainer went up with a jerk.
“I know nothing of Chow-chow and Chum-chum.”
“Oh, gammon!” returned Mr. Mole, poking him
sharply in the ribs; "that tale won't do. You're Chow-
chow's uncle, you know you are.”
"I?" ejaculated the master of the house.
“Yes, of course,” insisted Mr. Mole; "you belong
to the Hung-poo.”
"What you mean?"
“I mean what I say."
“You're quite wrong."
"Of course he is,” joined in Jack; "the idea of taking
you
for Chow-chow's uncle, when anyone can see
you're Chum-chum's grandfather.”
“I tell you,” almost shrieked the host, “I know
neither Chow-chow nor Chum-chum."
“Then who the deuce are you?”
"I am Commissioner Wang-ki.”
“Oh,” stammered Mole, “Commissioner Wang-ki,
are you?"
The worthy Mole, who found considerable difficulty
in keeping his perpendicular, was just about to depart,
when suddenly a dispatch arrived from the emperor.
Commissioner Wang-ki came hurrying to him.
"His Celestial majesty has heard that your excellency.
is here," he said, "and desires your immediate presence
at his palace.”
"Bother his Celestial majesty," growled Mole; "I'm
tired to death; I can't go to-night."
Commissioner Wang-ki looked aghast at this daring
objection, then said:


54
The Little Mistake is Discovered.
"You must go."
Once more the gong sounded.
Mr. Mole was, however, unconscious of anything;
he had fallen fast asleep.
Young Jack, at first awake, gradually yielded to the
motion of the palanquin, and in a very short time he
was also wrapped in the arms of Morpheus.
Master and pupil slumbered together.
CHAPTER VI.
THE LITTLE MISTAKE IS DISCOVERED.
The repose of the sleepers was at length disturbed.
“Hoh!”
The occupants of the palanquin roused themselves,
and looked out.
Close alongside was the formidable Tartar, stroking
his mustache, and looking as black as a thundercloud.
“Dear me! is that you ?” exclaimed Mr. Mole, con-
fusedly.
“Yah! it is me. Hoh, hoh, yes.'
"Ah! I remember you now," said the tutor.
“I remember you, too,” returned the fierce individual,
with a diabolical grin; “you poke me with your leg in
my stomach-hoh! hoh! yes."
“And you did not seem to like it, but what do you
want now, Mr. Hoh-hoh ?”
“I want nothing, you boy,” replied the Tartar, frown-


The Little Mistake is Discovered.
55
ing darkly. “I am here to conduct you to his Celestial
majesty, the emperor."
This recalled the faculties of the somewhat bewil-
dered Isaac.
"Oh, ah, true!” he murmured; "I was summoned
by the emperor, so I was. Have we arrived at the
palace ?"
"Yah! this is the palace. Hoh, hoh, yes."
"Stop that ho-hoing, then, and show us the way in,"
said young Jack.
“I shall announce you two Inglese first,” said the
Tartar official, with a scowl. “This way.”
At the entrance of the palace stood several of the
imperial bodyguard.
“Now, then," said the Tartar, abruptly, “how am I
to announce you?”
"Tell his imperial effulgence that Mr. I-
"You're forgetting you're a major-general,” said
Jack.
"Dear me! so I am," murmured Mr. Mole; "and I've
forgotten my name.
"Was it Doormat?" suggested our hero.
"I-I think not."
“Doorscraper? Maj.-Gen. Doorscraper sounds well."
“No, I don't think it was that."
"Doorknocker, then ?”
"No."
"I've got it," exclaimed Jack; "it was Brass-
knocker.”
"So it was,” cried Mr. Mole.
At this juncture the voice of the Tartar again be-
came audible.


The Little Mistake is Discovered.
57
The drapery was drawn aside, revealing an open
door, through which a soft, clear, mellow light was
visible.
The Tartar guide entered, and exclaimed in sonorous
accents :
“Maj.-Gen. Grasshopper, and his private secretary,
Mr. Jack Barkaway, junior."
Mr. Mole, making a strong effort to steady him-
self, stumped forward in as dignified a manner as pos-
sible, with his cocked hat under his arm, and his sword
clanking at his side, followed by our hero.
His majesty was very short and very corpulent, and
bore a striking resemblance to one of those china
images frequently seen in the windows of the curiosity
shops, nodding their heads to the customers.
Young Jack at once prostrated himself.
"Down with you," he whispered, to his tutor.
The anxious Isaac contrived somehow to get onto one
knee, when he commenced bumping his head on the
floor in a most energetic and loyal manner.
It is probable he would have gone on at this exercise
all night if young Jack had not checked him.
"Drop it ! that'll do," he said to him, in an undertone,
"or you'll be knocking a hole in the floor."
His majesty waved his hand as a token that they
should rise.
Our hero was on his legs in an instant.
"Whatever shall I do?" groaned the hapless Mole,
the drops of perspiration trickling down his nose.
"Help me up.”
Jack grasped his hand, and gave him a vigorous
hoist.


58
The Little Mistake is Discovered.
A sharp snap was heard.
“Good Heaven !" exclaimed Mr. Mole.
“What's the matter now?” inquired Jack.
“My leg, my leg !"
“Well, what of it?”
“It's snapped in half.”
“Never mind, try and stand up ! lean on me."
Mr. Mole having been hauled up to a perpendicular
position, contrived to balance himself on his right leg,
making use of his private secretary's shoulder to sup-
port him on the left.
His imperial majesty then spoke:
“I am glad to see you, Gen.—a—Starch-
His majesty paused, having forgotten the name.
“Collar, your serene magnificence," answered the
Tartar, "hoh, yes."
“Gen. Starchcollar," repeated the emperor.
"Most gorgeous brother of the sun and moon,” cried
Mole, “I feel myself dazzled at the honor of being per-
mitted to approach your magnificent presence.”
The emperor glanced towards our hero.
"Who is that?” he inquired.
“That is my private secretary, your effulgence," re-
plied the tutor, "Mr. Jack Harkaway, junior."
"Your royal highness has probably heard of me," said
our hero, with much animation.
The emperor shook his head.
"No? That's strange," Jack continued. "I assure
your majesty, my adventures round the world are caus-
ing a wonderful sensation everywhere."
"Hoh! hoh !” burst out the Tartar.
“Who said 'Hoh! hoh?'” inquired the potentate.


The Little Mistake is Discovered.
63
of the Chinese guard pounced upon the helpless Isaac,
hoisted him up very unceremoniously and hurried him
out.
“Save the pieces,” he murmured, as he looked anx-
iously after the fragments of his wooden leg as he was
borne away
"'I will,” cried our hero, as he picked up the broken
stump.
“Now, then, you boy Inglese,” exclaimed three of the
soldiers; "you come wid us."
"Not if I know it," cried Jack, as he dashed in among
them with his tutor's wooden leg.
In less time than it takes to write it, the imperial
bodyguard were ignominiously scattered.
The
way
of
escape was open.
Out Jack rushed, brandishing his missile trium-
phantly.
In the corridor he encountered the formidable Tartar.
"Stop, you boy,” he shouted.
“I shan't, ugly mug,” bawled our hero, defiantly, as
he pressed forward.
But the Mongolian drew his sword, and opposed his
progress.
“You would escape," he cried, as he made a terrific
slash with his weapon; "hoh! hoh! yes. Me not forget
the stiff leg in the stomach and de cork in my throat."
Jack nimbly eluded his blow, and crying out:
"Well, for a change, old fellow, take Mole's leg on
your cranium."
And the Tartar received a hard whack from Mole's
stump.
"Hoh!” he gurgled, and down he fell like a log.


64
The Little Mistake is Discovered.
Jack hurried on towards the entrance, where he saw
soldiers waiting to intercept him.
He retraced his steps, and entering an apartment,
found a window open.
Out of this he dropped into the garden.
No sooner had his feet touched the ground, than he
was seized by two soldiers.
In vain he struggled, the odds were too great.
"Let me go, you coffee-colored rascals," he cried,
passionately.
“No, no; we lock you up, you Inglese tief boy, and
kill you to-morrow.”
They commenced hurrying him along, when suddenly
the sound of two well-known voices greeted his ears.
"Dere him are, dere, Massa Jack."
Looking up, to his great joy he beheld the burly
forms of Sunday and Monday.
The faithful fellows, fearing some disaster, had lin-
gered in the garden, and now came up just at the right
moment.
It took just four blows from their brawny fists to send
the imperial guard flying, and in less than two minutes
our hero, with Sunday and Monday, were scudding
along the road towards Mr. Mole's plantation.
*
The next morning the hapless Isaac Mole was
brought up before Commissioner Wang-ki, to be tried
for his imposture of the previous day.
The trial was very brief, and the sentence that the
tutor should stand in the pillory for six hours.


A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
65
After which he was to receive fifty strokes of the
bastinado.
The unfortunate Mole had endured one hour's pur-
gatory with his head stuck in the distressing instrument
of torture, and was looking forward in dire'anticipation
to the other infliction, when, to his unspeakable joy,
he beheld approaching, his pupil, accompanied by Mr.
Harkaway, senior, Dick Harvey and the red-headed
Maj.-Gen. Brassknocker.
Fortunately, the general was known to Harkaway,
and on matters being explained, and a slight tip of
three hundred dollars being handed over to the Com-
missioner Wang-ki, that incorruptible functionary con-
sented to set his prisoner at liberty.
So ended this adventure, but so greatly did it im-
press Mr. Mole, that he never again sang a song in
praise of China, and always shuddered when he spoke
of a Chinese dinner party.
CHAPTER VII.
A MYSTERIOUS OCCURRENCE DELAYS.
Certain suspicions entertained by Mr. Mole and
Detective Pike respecting Bigamini were perfectly
correct.
He was in league with Chinese pirates.
His relations with the captain and owner of the
pirate craft Flowery Land, from which young Jack had
escaped, were especially intimate.


66
A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
Bigamini pretended to be a ship broker, and had an
office in Hongkong.
But he did not live there.
Oh, no! His domicile was a few miles out of the
Chinese treaty port.
Biga-Eng-Ming-Ming, as he was called in Hong-
kong, but Bigamini, as he really was, had two partners
in his business.
One was a rascally, lying, boastful Englishman, who
had been in more prisons than one.
His name was Dick Blowhard.
The other was a Dutchman, called Hans Schneider.
He had come from Holland to Sumatra, and, being
kicked out of the Straits Settlements, had gone on to
China.
Birds of a feather generally flock together.
Bigamini had been picked up by a ship, after being
thrown over the vessel's side, in the Mediterranean Sea.
It was greater luck than he was entitled to.
The ship was going to China.
He served as a deck hand, and worked his passage
out.
In Hongkong he met with Dick Blowhard and Hans
Schneider.
They entered into business together as receivers of
the goods stolen by the junk pirates.
It was their business to pay a certain sum down, and
to make as big a market as they could of the articles
brought them.
The nefarious trade paid them very well.
Blowhard and Schneider lived over the office where
they pretended to trade as ship brokers in Hongkong.


A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
67
But, as we have said, Bigamini had a separate
residence.
He was a rascal, a sneak and a villain of the worst
type.
At the same time he had a certain amount of clever-
ness about him.
Or shall we call it low cunning?
Since he had been in China, he had made money, in
conjunction with his two partners.
The pirates with whom they were in connection, were
glad enough to dispose of their plunder, when they
came into port, for what they could get for it.
It had to be sold at a sacrifice.
Bigamini, Schneider and Blowhard did a capital
business.
Ever since he left Naples--we may say, long before
--Bigamini had cherished a bitter hatred for Jack
Harkaway.
Not only for him.
His enmity extended to young Jack and the family
at large, as well as to their friends.
He had often met Hunston, Jack's deadliest enemy,
and the pirate captain.
They had entertained him right royally.
By their instructions he had worked hard to bring
Harkaway and his friends into their toils.
For Mr. Mole he entertained the greatest contempt
and hatred.
He knew that he had money, and wanted to get it.
Mr. Mole knew little of the people outside of his tea
plantation.


68
A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
As they were not the same race as himself, he rarely
came in contact with his neighbors.
If he or the rest of the party wanted any society they
went to the city.
But, strange to say, no less a distance than five miles
from Mr. Mole's house, lived Bigamini, or Biga-Eng-
Ming-Ming.
He had utilized his dishonest gains to buy a tea
garden, situated near a small lake.
The sheet of water was included in the purchase.
So was the house of the former proprietor.
The Chinese are very fond of building their houses
on piles driven into the bed of a lake, or living in boat-
houses moored on a river.
This particular house that Bigamini bought with the
tea garden and lake was erected with considerable skill,
a quarter of a mile from the shore of the lake.
It was a pretty-looking and commodious wooden-
chiefly bamboo-structure.
The flooring was raised some height above the water
level.
Of course it could only be reached by a boat.
This was kept close to the house, attached by a rope.
When Bigamini left the city, which was distant from
the lake about six miles, he hired a man to drive him.
Having deposited him at the side of the lake, oppo-
site the house, he drove away.
The next day, if instructed to do so, he would call for
him, and take him to Hongkong.
Sometimes Bigamini would stay in his lake house for
two or three days at a time.


A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
71
Though an old man, Hi Li made a very good watch-
man, and gave Hysa no chance to get away.
If she could have fled, she would have done so.
Having explained Bigamini's position and mode of
life, we will introduce our readers to his office in Hong-
kong
It consisted of two rooms on the ground floor of a
house in River Street.
He kept no clerk, as he kept no books, and either
he or one of his partners, Schneider or Blowhard, were
always sure to be in.
Besides, a clerk might have learned secrets, and be-
trayed them.
It was easy also to receive and warehouse the stolen
goods they received in a cellar they had below their of-
fices, where they remained until they were sold at a
profit.
The three partners were together one afternoon, when
the weather was very warm.
The Dutchman, Schneider, had just come in from a
journey.
Some wine, brandy and iced water flanked a couple
of boxes of cigars.
This fraudulent gang of so-called ship brokers liked
to live well.
"Now, Hans," exclaimed Bigamini, impatiently, as he
drained his glass, "your news?"
"Vel, I goming to it,” replied Schneider. “Gif a
man's time to draw his breath, after he shall trink his
goot liquor."
"Have you news from the Flowery Land?” asked
Blowhard, the third partner.


A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
73
"Anything else?"
"In the elegant phraseology of the educated Yankees,
you bet. You know, perhaps, that the Harkaway party
are all at the plantation?"
“Yes," replied Schneider and Blowhard together.
"Well, I mean to steal one of the party, which, I
have not made up my mind yet.”
"What on earth for ?"
"To hold him for ransom. Make money while you
can, is my motto."
"I'm solid on that, too,” remarked Blowhard.
"Your head was sehr level," observed the Dutchman.
"Harkaway and his friend, Harvey, can afford to
pay,” continued Bigamini. “I shall take my prisoner to
my lake house, and there keep him while negotiations
are going on for his or her ransom.”
"You say 'her.”
"It may be one of the females. Harvey has a little
girl called Emily. She's a nice little thing, and a kind
of sweetheart of young Jack's.”
"Ah, ver' goot !” said Hans, gruffly. “They would
pay as moch for her as for a grown-up person."
"She'd be easy to carry and easy to mind," put in
old Dick Blowhard.
"Just my idea, though I had not quite made up my
mind about it."
"I would, then. You can't better that spec.”
“Very well, the little girl, Emily, it shall be, and I'll
have a thousand pounds for her redemption. That will
be over three hundred apiece, boys. Are you on?"
"I was in it from the word 'go!' " cried Schneider.
"Yah, we will wake up old Mole.”


74
A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
“I'm with you,” said Blowhard. “The Harkaways
are a hard lot to deal with, aren't they? I have heard
of them, but never come in contact with any of the
party.”
"Oh! they're tough; but I've seen them cornered,"
answered Bigamini.
“They have baffled our friends, the pirates. That
is a feather in their cap, as the saying is.'
“Never mind. We will baffle them, and double-
discount them. I will strike, and they will not know
where the blow comes from," said Bigamini, with a
vicious gleam in his eyes.
He was terribly wicked.
In fact, there was no crime in the decalogue that
this diminutive viper would hesitate to commit.
“How are you going to get the ransom money?" in-
quired Blowhard.
“When the kidnaping is done, and I've got old Mole's
secret hoard, and given him a knock on the head for
what the timber-toed old pig gave me, I'll consider
that.”
"You must write a letter, stating that the child will
be given up if the sum of money required is put in a
certain place at such and such a time,” continued
Blowhard.
“That will do," answered Bigamini, smiling. "I can
count on you two to-morrow night?”
"Without fail," said Blowhard.
“I was your
nost obedient servant,” remarked
Schneider. “Where there was money to make, I was
always on. Mein Gott! I t'ink I never able to get
enough of the ooftish-nein."


A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
75
He shook his head gravely, rattled some coins in
his pocket, as if he liked the sound of them, took a
drink, filled his large pipe, and began to smoke placidly.
"That being arranged,” exclaimed Bigamini, “I shall
walk home to my country house, and if my wife hasn't
got my dinner ready when I arrive, I pity her.”
He grated his teeth savagely together.
His small eyes emitted a spiteful glare.
"Well," said Dick Blowhard, "there is no more busi-
ness to be done to-day, so I shall go to my diggings.”
“I shtop here and shmoke mein pipe and have a trink
or two, den I shuts up the shop and closes the show,”
remarked Hans.
They shook hands, and the three precious villains
parted.
The road to Lake Lonely being a good one, it did not
take our old acquaintance, Bigamini, more than an hour
and a half to walk to his house.
As we have said, there was only the little village of
bamboo huts, in which his people lived, within measura-
ble distance of the lake and the plantation.
Bigamini was doing very well from a pecuniary point
of view, yet he was not happy or contented.
It is a question whether anything would have made a
man with his temperament so.
He had no character, and loved things evil rather
than things good.
Arriving at the edge of the lake opposite his house,
which looked very picturesque, standing on piles driven
into the water, he took a silver whistle from his pocket.
This he blew shrilly.
His man, Hi Li, was on the lookout for him.


76
A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
Instantly a boat put off from the house, and the
Chinaman pulled for the shore.
"Is there any news?” asked Bigamini, as the boat
ran alongside the landing place.
"Lo Mung camee, and is waiting for you," replied
Hi Li.
"In that case, he has got something to communicate.”
Bigamini stepped into the boat.
Hi Li turned the bows round, and struck out for the
house, which he was not long in reaching.
Lo Mung was a middle-aged Chinaman, in the pay
of Bigamini.
But he was also a servant in Mr. Mole's house, help-
ing in the cooking and in various other ways.
Mole and his wife had every confidence in him.
Nevertheless, he was nothing else than a base, un-
grateful spy, who betrayed the secrets of his master's
house.
Through the cook, Lo Mung, Bigamini knew all that
was going on at the professor's dwelling.
Arriving at the house, Bigamini got up the ladder
which led to the balcony.
Hi Li moored the boat to a pile, and followed.
Seated on a bamboo chair in the balcony was an
obese, bloated-looking Chinaman.
This was Lo Mung.
"Ha! muchee good-day," he exclaimed. "Vellee vell?
Me allee samee. How you doee? Fine day? Sunshine
makee feel thirst. Drinkee, drinkee."
He took up a cup of tea, which had been provided
for him by Hysa.


A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
77
She was in the kitchen, preparing her husband's din-
ner, which was nearly ready.
“What have you come to tell me?” inquired Bigamini.
“Mole, Harkaway, all go awayee in three days," was
the answer of Lo Mung.
"Going away!" echoed Bigamini, in genuine surprise.
"Yes, Biga-Eng-Ming-Ming. They go because they
think they get money in Europe.”
"Is that all you have heard."
"They bringee home from sea a Greek sailor man-
Spirillo callee."
"Well?"
"He tellee them comee to this country. On an island,
greatee treasure. Make all richee for lifers."
"That is the queerest start I ever heard of.”
"They buyee a shipper for themselves. In three days
they be off," added Lo Mung.
"Not if I know it they won't," said Bigamini, with a
knowing grin.
“Very strong, clever man Harkaway."
"I put a stop to their little game."
"How you be a stopper ?” asked Lo Mung, raising
his soft, almond-shaped eyes.
“You will find out in time. Here are five English
pounds for you.”
He counted out the money.
Lo Mung snatched it up with eagerness.
"Serve me faithfully, as you have hitherto done,"
continued Bigamini, "and I will double it in a day or
two.”
"I always be your good servanter; be slavee for you.”
"Betray me, play me false, give Harkaway and his


78 A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
party any idea of where I live, or what I am going
to do, and you shall have your flesh sliced off your
bones with razors."
"I would bitee out my tonguer firstee.”
“You know I have influence with the commissioner
of the district."
“I am a knowee of that, Biga-Eng-Ming-Ming.”
"Very well, be careful.”
“What you wantee me to be a doer of?” inquired
Lo Mung.
“To-morrow night, when all have gone to bed in
Mole's house, leave the back door open."
"It shall be done, most honorable excellency.”
"Where does Mole keep his money ?” continued Biga-
mini.
“In an old wooden chest, in the back room, on the
ground floor, which is on a level with the earthee,"
replied Lo Mung.
“Can you get the key ?"
"He keepee that himselfers; always tie round his
neckee with a stringer."
“Doesn't he generally go to bed more or less drunk ?”
"Sometimes sleep on the floorer, on a mattee."
“Persuade him to drink to-morrow night. Put this
in his grog; it will make him sleep."
He handed him a small phial, which contained a
white fluid.
"Yes, most honorable,” said Lo Mung.
"Get the key, and await my coming at the back
door."
"Ha! you stealee monee. Good ! 'That better than
takee wooden leg. Me be an understander. Go now,


A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
81
Bigamini walked up to her.
Raising his fist, he struck her a cowardly blow.
She fell to the floor, stunned.
Taking no notice of her he placed the dinner, with
his own hands, on the table, produced a bottle of wine
from a cupboard, opened it, drank and began to eat as
if nothing had happened.
When he had gratified his appetite-he was a large,
quick, gluttonous eater-he finished the bottle of wine.
Lighting some opium in a pipe, he threw himself on
a pile of cushions in a corner.
He was soon in the land of dreams.
All this time his unfortunate wife had remained un-
sconscious.
She now came to her senses, and, with a deep sigh,
rose to her feet, then moved across to an open window,
where she şat looking out moodily at the lake.
“Ah!” she muttered, “I cannot endure this life for-
ever. The end must come soon. I will ruin that man
yes, if I fall myself, I will drag him to the ground.”
When it was dark, Hysa, her eyes red with weeping,
retired to rest.
Bigamini remained on the cushions all night, under
the influence of opium.
The next day the abject wretch awoke from his
debauch, weak and trembling, all his nerves being
shaken by the vile, soul-deadening drug.
He had recourse to strong tea and the brandy bottle
as a means of steadying himself.
That day he remained at home.
In the evening he was visited by his two partners,
as had been agreed upon.


A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
83
Schneider and Blowhard placed themselves against
the wall so as to conceal themselves.
With a crafty tread, Bigamini approached the back
door.
It was open.
"Are you there?" asked Bigamini, under his breath.
“Yes, excellency," replied Lo Mung. "I have been
awaiting your coming for some timee."
“Is all quiet?”
“Everything. Mandarin Mole is asleep in the parlor,
fullee of whisky."
“Are you sure he is tipsy ?”
"Him sleepee like a toppee.”
"Good. Where is the key of the chest in which the
old man keeps his treasure?"
“Here, O sun and moon of my
existence.”
Saying this, Lo Mung handed him a key.
"Do I not serve you well, hope of my life?" he added.
“Yes; I will advance you. Before long you shall
have land, and be your own master.”
"Follow me, high and mighty. I showee you the
chest.”
Lo Mung led the way to a room in which a Chinese
lantern was burning dimly.
In one corner was a large wooden chest, secured by
a patent lock, which had been made in Europe.
There was enough light in the room into which he
was introduced for the robber's purpose.
Mole was lying on his back, snoring heavily; a bottle
was by his side, and there was also an empty glass.
“Me givee him the powder," said Lo Mung.
“He won't move till morning," replied Bigamini.


84
A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
"I've a good mind to take away the old rooster's wooden
legs, but it would occupy too much time. Where is the
key?"
“Me gottee it. Here it am.”
"Hand it over."
The Chinaman gave Bigamini the key of the chest.
In less than a minute it was opened, and two large
bags of gold extracted.
Carrying them to the back door, Bigamini coughed.
"Where are you, Dutchy ?” he said.
“Here," replied Schneider.
He presented him with the gold, which the Dutch-
man, according to previous agreement, was to take to
the lake house.
Returning to the room, Bigamini relocked the chest
and put the string which held the key round Mole's
neck again.
The professor did not stir.
He was perfectly unconscious of all his surround-
ings.
"Now for the child," said Bigamini, in a hoarse
whisper.
"This way, most magnificent,” replied Lo Mung.
He conducted him to the apartment in which little
Emily was sleeping.
She looked the picture of innocence, as the Chinaman
held a lantern over her head.
Bigamini took the chloroformed handkerchief from
his pocket, and held it to her face.
She moved uneasily, but uttered no cry.
In two minutes she was completely under the in-
fluence of the soporific drug.


A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
85
Bigamini could hear his heart beat.
It was an anxious time for the cowardly scoundrel.
But fortune favored his disgraceful schemes, his star
was in the ascendant.
Without interruption he wrapped the child in a sheet
and carried her to Blowhard, who immediately made
off.
Bigamini spoke a few words to Lo Mung, who re-
tired into the house, and bolted the door as if nothing
had happened.
As the chief concocter of this mischief was about to
follow his companions, he met with a great surprise.
Something sprang on to his back, and two sinewy,
bony arms were twined round his neck.
What was it?
He put up his hand to ascertain.
It came in contact with the furry skin of some animal.
In a moment he recollected Lo Mung's warning.
It must be young Jack Harkaway's monkey, which
bad been prowling about outside the house.
Nero's instincts told him there was something wrong.
He felt that he had come across an unauthorized per-
son in the garden.
Perhaps he remembered and knew him again.
If he did not, Bigamini recollected the ape perfectly,
well, and shuddered at coming in contact with him.
The attack had taken him by surprise.
In vain he endeavored to throw off the clinging em-
brace of the savage and powerful little beast.
Nero's grip became intensified.
He was slowly but surely throttling the hateful spy
and kidnaper, all the while he kept on chattering in


86
A Mysterious Occurrence Delays.
his ear, as if he was telling him, in monkey language,
how glad he was to have got him in his power.
The veins on the wretched man's forehead became
swollen like cords.
His eyes began to start from their sockets.
Great beads of perspiration dropped from his face,
and blood trickled slowly from his nose.
He gasped for breath, for he was choking.
Lo Mung had retired within the house and knew
nothing of what was going on.
It was useless to look for assistance from him.
To call out would have been to betray himself to
Harkaway and his friends.
He felt for his knife, but he had dropped it.
His pistol was available, but he was afraid to use
it, as a report would give the alarm.
Besides this, the bullet would probably go through
the monkey's body and into his own.
Suddenly he noticed that he was standing close to a
large palm tree.
Making a final effort, he staggered towards it.
With all his strength he backed on to the trunk, and
got the monkey jammed against it.
The shock caused the brute to relax his hold.
Another jam made his ribs crack, and, with a shrill
cry, Nero fell to the ground.
Bigamini was able to breathe again.
Looking up, he saw a light moving in one of the
rooms.
It vanished, and was then to be seen in another.
Some member of the household had been aroused,
and was awakening the others.


On the Warpath.
87
“Time to be off,” muttered Bigamini.
A cock began to crow.
It was heralding the dawn, which ushers in the day
very early in those latitudes.
Giving the monkey a parting kick, in token of de-
rision, the spy disappeared among the tall and graceful
trees with which Mr. Mole's house was surrounded.
CHAPTER VIII.
MONDAY GOES ON THE WARPATH WITH YOUNG JACK.
When Nero was jammed between the trunk of the
tree and Bigamini's back, he uttered a peculiar cry, as
we have said.
This was heard by young Jack Harkaway.
All the evening he had been strangely restless, and
when he went to bed he was unable to sleep.
His mind reverted back to his timely escape from the
clutches of Hunston and the pirates.
Though he was safe with his parents once more, he
doubted the present and feared the future.
At any moment he knew that he might expect a blow
in the dark, either from Hunston or one of his emis-
saries.
When he, through his open window, heard the
monkey's cry, he sprang out of bed. It did not take
him long to light a lamp and get his clothes on.
He was well aware that Nero would not cry out like
that for nothing.


88
On the Warpath.
There was something wrong.
Of that young Jack was sure.
His father slept in an adjoining room, to which he
quickly made his way.
In moments of danger, Jack always sought his father
in preference to anyone else.
He could rely equally upon his judgment and valor.
Without waking his mother, he touched his father on
the shoulder, and rousing him, made a sign.
Harkaway construed this correctly.
His son wanted to communicate something to him
privately.
As rapidly as possible he siipped on his clothes, and
followed Jack down the stairs.
“What is it?" he asked.
"I don't know, but there is something up, father.
That's why I called you," answered Jack.
“Let me hear all about it."
“All I can tell you is that I heard Nero give a
strange cry, which monkeys only utter when hurt."
"Inside or out?"
"It seemed to come from the garden. Shall we go
and see? I have a pistol.”
“All right-forge ahead,” said Harkaway.
Young Jack unbolted the back door, and they both
passed out.
The sun was rising with unspeakable beauty, streak-
ing the heavens with a roseate hue.
A perfume of many flowers assailed the nostrils, and
the eye was gladdened by green leaves and verdure of
various kinds.


On the Warpath.
89
The beauties of nature had no charm, however, for
young Jack on this particular occasion.
He had made a pet of Nero, and was greatly attached
to him.
The monkey had rendered him good service in times
gone by.
Some boys make pets of birds, some of dogs and
ponies, but Jack's only favorite among the dumb crea-
tion was Nero.
He would sooner have been knocked about himself
than that his monkey should suffer.
Looking around he speedily espied him.
As he lay under the palm tree, he looked exactly as
if he were dead.
“Look, father!" cried Jack. “They have killed the
poor brute.”
"Who do you mean?" asked Harkaway.
“How can I tell? Some enemies, I suppose. We
have enough of them, and to spare."
"I hope he is not dead. It appears to me he
breathes."
“Will you look at him, dad? I'm not much of a
doctor. By Jove! I knew he would not cry out for
nothing. It's lucky I heard him, got up, and roused
you.'
“Yes. If he is injured, he might have died without
help.”
Saying this Harkaway advanced to the prostrate
monkey
He felt his bones all over his body.
Harkaway was surgeon enough to be able to tell that
none were fractured.


90
On the Warpath.
Then he examined the head, and found that Nero
was bleeding from two wounds—one above the mouth,
the other under one of his ears.
“He's all right, as far as his bones and body are
concerned,” he said; "but he got a couple of what
the Westerners call 'sockdollagers' on the head.”
"Is it serious ?" inquired Jack.
"No; he's been floored and stunned. A drop of
brandy will suit his complaint as well as anything."
"Shall I get some?"
“Yes. I'll stand by.”
Young Jack went into the house, got some brandy in
a wineglass, and handed it to his father.
The latter gently administered the spirit, as a nurse or
a doctor would medicine.
In a few minutes a decided improvement was notice-
able.
Nero opened his eyes, and seeing his young master
by his side, rose up, and began to chatter vehemently.
He pointed as sensibly as possible to the hurts on his
face.
Then he capered among the trees, as if to indicate that
his foe had gone that way.
"All right, old boy," exclaimed young Jack. "I un-
derstand what you want to tell us. Some one has been
here. You drove him-or them-off.”
"It's a pity the beggars can't talk,” remarked Harka-
way. “They are very human.”
"So they are. I've seen lots of monkey-faced people.
Perhaps they are some relation."
"He's got something more to tell us."
"How? what?" asked Jack.


On the Warpath.
91
“Don't you see he is at the back door? He wants
to show us something, if he can't talk," replied Harka-
way.
“By Jingo! that must be it. I never saw such a
monkey."
"Nor anyone else. He's a living curiosity. Recol-
lect what he did at the hotel in New York when it was
on fire.”
"Yes, and more recently, how he played at being a
soldier and fired a blank cartridge at Mole. Ha! ha!
that was a good joke.”
Talking in this way they entered the house, preceded
by Nero.
The monkey appeared especially anxious for them to
follow him.
There could be no doubt from what ensued that Nero
had witnessed all the villainy of Bigamini.
Nor, as will be seen, was he ignorant of the treachery
of Lo Mung.
First, he took Jack and his father into the parlor
where Mr. Mole had fallen asleep on the floor.
It was always too much exertion, now he had lost his
legs, to go upstairs if he had had a drop too much.
Poor professor! He was not growing younger, and
he had been in the wars.
Nero jumped on the money chest and touched the
lock with his paw.
Then he looked up intelligently at his master.
“Father,” said young Jack, “there's been a robbery
here, or I'm mistaken."
"What makes you think so?" asked Harkaway.
“This is the chest Mole keeps his money in. You


92
On the Warpath.
know he has a prejudice against banking it. Nero has
some meaning in his head, or he would not sit there."
“Where is the key?”
"He carries it on a bit of string tied round his neck.”
“Go and see if he has it there.”
Young Jack examined the tutor, who was blissfully
unconscious of all around him.
He reclined on his back, and snored as if it were for
a wager.
"Here's the key, father!” cried Jack.
“Mole's indulging in one of his ‘usuals.' He thought
we had all gone to bed and should not miss him. He's
as drunk as a lord, but here's the key of the chest, so
Nero is wrong for once."
“That proves nothing," Harkaway replied.
"Why not?"
“Bring me the key. Let us examine the chest.”
“Oh! I see what you mean.”
"If you don't, you are a baby. When were you
born-yesterday, or the day before ?"
Young Jack took the liberty of removing Mr. Mole's
key and opened the chest.
Harkaway leaned over his shoulder while he did so.
The lid was thrown up.
There was no money there.
“As I suspected,” observed Harkaway, “the thief,
whoever he is, has taken advantage of Mole's inebriety.
He replaced the key after emptying the chest of its
contents.”
“That is plain enough," answered young Jack. “I
did not tumble at first. I do now."


On the Warpath.
93
“But the door was locked. How did he get in? You
undid the bolt. I saw you.”
Young Jack looked at the window.
That was shut.
Only the ventilators admitted air.
He ran to every room on the ground floor.
It was the same in each one.
The front door was also securely fastened.
It did not seem as if there was a traitor in the house.
The thief must have come from outside, or how did
the monkey get his injuries?
It was a mystery.
"Some one must have let the robber in, and then
let him out," remarked Harkaway.
“We have Chinese servants, father," replied young
Jack.
“Lo Mung, one man, two women," said Harkaway.
"All the others who work for us live outside-come
in the morning and go at night. · Their cottages are
half a mile off. Lo Mung was highly recommended,
good character, and all that sort of thing."
"The Chinese are not trustworthy.”
“That is true; false characters are easily obtained.”
“I must confess that I am fairly puzzled," said young
Jack.
Nero came up to him as he spoke, put his paw on
his hand, and with a significant look walked towards
the door.
"He is at it again. There is some idea in that noddle
of his,' exclaimed Harkaway.
"It's a case of following the leader."
"Certainly. The sagacious animal wants to show us


94
On the Warpath.
something more. Heaven grant it may be nothing very
serious."
“How can it be?”.
"I don't know. My heart misgives me.
Nervous and anxious, they went after the monkey.
The latter directed his steps to the room in which little
Emily had been sleeping.
He proceeded on all fours to the bed.
Snatching at the clothes, he showed them that it was
empty.
Their consternation was extreme.
"The girl's gone!" cried Harkaway.
“Don't say that,” exclaimed young Jack, turning hot
and then cold.
Emily was his sweetheart, and the daughter of his
father's oldest friend, Dick Harvey.
He loved her as tenderly and fondly as she loved
him.
These two seemed to be made to grow up affec-
tionately together, and marry in due course.
If marriages are made in heaven, this was to be one
of them.
"Search the house," continued Harkaway. "Don't
wake anyone up yet, if you can help it. She may be
with Harvey and Hilda."
Away went young Jack, his heart beating wildly.
He carefully examined every room in the house.
No trace of the missing girl was to be discovered.
Crestfallen and dejected, he came back and told his
father so.
“This is a great blow to all of us,” said Harkaway.
"Especially will it be felt by Harvey and his wife.”


On the Warpath.
95
“Who can have done such a dastardly thing as to
steal an inoffensive child who has never done anyone
any harm?"
“I am at a loss to imagine. It puzzles me. Hunston
cannot be in Hongkong. We shall have to find out."
“What would people steal Emily for?”
"Money, I expect-a ransom, as it is called. It is a
terrible mystery, and a great perplexity.”
"We shall not be able to sail for the Island of Mystery
now," continued young Jack.
"It is not likely until we have recovered Emily. No
-our stay here is prolonged indefinitely."
“When will our troubles be over?”
“Never, I am afraid; but we must face them bravely
like men," replied Harkaway.
"That's right, father; nothing will daunt me.
"You're a chip of the old block, Jack."
“Thank you, father. I feel complimented.”
The monkey a third time came to young Jack.
He put his paw on his hand, looking in his face as
before.
“Hello?" said Harkaway, "more revelations. The
simian creature must be obeyed.”
Young Jack patted Nero on the head, and again fol-
lowed him, his father also accompanying.
This time the monkey led them to a small anteroom
on the same floor.
In this apartment Lo Mung slept on a pile of mat-
ting.
He pretended to be asleep.
But the artful Mongolian was far from being in the
land of dreams.


96
On the Warpath.
He had heard people moving about the house, and
had not closed his eyes.
When the monkey entered the anteroom with Harka-
way and young Jack, he simulated slumber.
Nero walked to the bed, touched Lo Mung on the
arm, and regarded his master steadfastly.
“What does that mean?” asked Harkaway.
"Simply that this Chinese Johnny is in it,” replied
Jack.
“A spy! a traitor !"
"Exactly."
"In league with the robber and kidnaper!" con-
tinued Harkaway.
“What do you think? I'd stake my life on the
acumen of Nero. He knows how many beans make
five.”
"I will tackle him in the morning," said Harkaway,
"though I do not think we shall get much out of him.”
"Wake him up now, and ask him questions,” ex-
claimed young Jack. “Sleeping here, as he does, close
to the passage, he ought to know a lot.”
“Let him be.”
"What are you going to do, father ?”
"Wake Harvey and tell him of his loss. He must
communicate the sad news to Hilda. They will feel as
bad as your mother and I did when you were in the
power of Hunston on board the pirate junk," answered
Harkaway.
They walked away to the door.
Nero did not appear to like this, for he began to
chatter noisily.


On the Warpath.
97
I am
As they paid no attention to him, he stood on his hind
legs and bent over Lo Mung.
With a sudden outburst of temper, he fell upon the
Chinaman and bit his ear.
Lo Mung sprang up with an awful howl.
It was audible over the whole house.
"Takee the monkee! He killee me!” he yelled. "Oh!
ah! oh!"
Young Jack seized Nero by the neck, and pulled him
off.
"My caree badlee chewee!
a sufferer of
painee !" continued Lo Mung.
In a few minutes everyone was aroused.
Mr. Jefferson, the big Kentuckian, his friend Magog
Brand, and Pike, the detective, had gone on a three
days' fishing excursion, and had taken Sunday with
them.
But Harvey, Monday, Dr. Stanley and Jack's boy
friend, rushed downstairs.
They eagerly inquired what was the matter.
In a few words Harkaway told them of what had
happened.
Harvey's grief was excessive.
After a brief conversation, it was determined to ex-
amine Lo Mung.
Nothing less than a cannon shot or an earthquake
could have roused Mr. Mole until his usual time.
Lo Mung was made to stand up before Harkaway
and Harvey.
Behind them stood young Jack and Monday.
"Now, Mr. John Chinaman," exclaimed Harkaway,
"we want you to answer a few questions."


98
On the Warpath.
me
The man rubbed his eyes and yawned several times.
"Me vellee sleepee,” he muttered. "Never
sleepee so soundee. Heapee big sleepee this nightee.”
"Who was it you let into the house?” demanded
Harkaway. “Speak out, you old humbug, or I'll
leather you with a bamboo till you do."
"Never was a mover. Shuttee eye all timee."
“We know better.
The money is gone from the
chest, and the little girl has been stolen.”
"That bad news. Wicked man comee from citee."
“You let them in.”
"No, no—that is a mistake," replied Lo Mung, shak-
ing his head emphatically.
Harkaway had hastily seized a bamboo cane used as
a walking stick.
Telling Harvey and Monday to hold him, he lashed
the fellow's back as hard as he could.
The Chinese from their youth are used to be being
beaten.
Perhaps it has not so much effect on them as it other-
wise would have, for this reason.
Lo Mung squirmed, twisted, groaned and yelled.
But he did not betray his employer, Bigamini.
Fully a hundred blows did Harkaway bestow upon
him before he desisted.
He was compelled to do so from sheer exhaustion.
"Won't you confess?" cried Harkaway.
"Me nothing to tellee. Sleepee all the time," re-
plied Lo Mung.
"I'll give you fifty taels if you will let me hear the
truth.”


On the Warpath.
99
“You payee me for beatee, or me go to commissioner
judge and he finee you."
Harkaway bit his lip. He saw that the rascal was a
match for him.
Though Lo Mung was his servant, he had no right to
beat him.
By committing an assault he had exceeded his privi-
lege, and rendered himself amenable to a fine.·
To avoid this he had to bargain with him, and make
him a present of a certain sum of money.
“Good,” said the Chinaman, with a bland, childlike
smile, forgetting his pain by counting his gain. “Now
payee for monkee, ear chewee."
"What do you mean, you insolent scoundrel ?" Jack
demanded.
"That China law-payee for monkee."
"Do you think I'm made of money, and you have
found a little gold mine in me?"
"If not knuckle downee, allee samee as before, me
go to judge, and he givee you toko for yam.”
“You are making a market of me, and I suppose it's
no use for me to kick."
“Pay him and sack him," suggested young Jack.
Harkaway had to make another bargain, and part
with more money.
It was necessary to gratify the rapacity of Lo Mung,
or be would have set the ponderous machine of the law
in motion.
“Now you can hook it as soon as you like,” continued
young Jack. "Make yourself scarce."
Lo Mung did not offer to move.


On the Warpath.
101
when she came down and the sad news was com-
municated to her.
In vain Emily endeavored to comfort her.
She was like Rachel crying for her children, and re-
fusing to listen to the voice of consolation.
The tables were changed now.
A short while ago it was Emily who was mourning
the absence of her son.
Now, it was Hilda lamenting the loss of her
daughter.
Mr. Mole was, it must be said to his credit, much
more shocked at the disappearance of Emily than of
his money
He had more hidden away in another place, if he
wanted it at any time.
The morning passed in anxious conversation as to
what was to be done.
Pike was dispatched to the police office in Hong-
kong, to give notice of the robbery and kidnaping.
At exactly twelve o'clock Harkaway, Harvey and
Mole sat down to lunch.
Emily and Hilda could not eat anything, they were
so upset, while young Jack and Monday were in the
grounds with the doctor.
To his great surprise, as he took his seat, Harkaway
saw a letter on his plate.
It was directed, in an ordinary commercial hand, to
"Mr. Harkaway, leader of the party staying at Mole's
plantation.”
“Hello!” he cried, "a letter for me. How did it
come here?”
That was a mystery.
à


102
On the Warpath.
Lo Mung was called.
Mole had not given him notice to leave, and he re-
mained at his post.
He denied any knowledge of the letter, and declared
that he had seen no one enter the house.
The other servants, on being interrogated, made
replies to the same effect.
This caused the mystery to deepen.
Nothing remained to be done but to open the letter.
Harkaway was a little nervous.
Knowing what his enemies were capable of, he was
half afraid there might be some explosive inside.
But he was soon reassured on that point.
The letter contained a single sheet of paper, on which
was written :.
"NOTICE: If the sum of one thousand pounds in
English gold, is forthcoming within three days, the girl
will be brought back in the night.
“No watch must be kept. This will mean death!
“If any attempt to arrest, shoot, or otherwise injure
the one who brings her, she will be killed by a con-
federate in the rear.
“The money must be put in a canvas bag and placed
at the edge of the well in the front garden attached to
Mr. Mole's house.
“By order of
“The SYNDICATE.
“P. S.-If the money is not deposited as aforesaid,
the girl will be poisoned.”
Jack elevated his eyebrows and looked up.
“This is what I call a nice, pleasant letter,” he ex-
claimed.
"What is it?" asked Harvey, breathlessly.


On the Warpath.
103
He fancied that it related to his daughter.
“The plot thickens. Shall I read it aloud ?" replied
Harkaway.
“Do so, please.”
In a clear voice Jack read the document.
“Thank Heaven, she lives. My little girl is in the
land of the living !" cried Harvey.
“Who is at the bottom of this villainy?" ejaculated
Mole. “It can't be Hunston.”
"No," answered Jack. "He is at sea with the pirates,
but he has friends with whom he communicates on
shore. He may have instigated the outrage.”
"I have not the money,” remarked Harvey. “It is
such a large sum, or I would pay, as demanded, and
get her back.”
“We can raise the cash at the bank within the given
time," replied Harkaway, "but a question arises.”
"I know what you are going to say. Is it advisable?
May we not be tricked ?”
"Precisely. How can we trust to the good faith and
honor of these thieves ?"
"Emily is so dear to her mother that she will sell
her jewels—do anything, in fact, to recover her
darling."
“Tell her we are going to pay, but, in reality, we
will play the rascals a trick,” said Harkaway.
"What is your suggestion ?"
"Allow a day to pass to make the fellows who form
this horrid syndicate believe we have been to the bank
to get the coin.”
“Yes. What next?” queried Harvey, eagerly.


104
On the Warpath.
“Fill a bag with small stones, put it where he men-
tions, and lie in wait for him.”
Harvey shook his head.
"That won't do, dear boy," he exclaimed. "We
may capture or kill him, but it will seal the fate of
little Emily."
"Perhaps you are right."
“I know I am. The letter contains a threat to that
effect.”
“We must raise the money somehow, and as soon as
possible,” cried Harkaway. "I will help you to the best
of my ability."
“And I, also, in spite of my recent loss,” said Mole.
“How can I thank you ?" exclaimed Harvey.. "It is
more than I have any right to expect."
"Not at all. You should command my last shilling
if you wanted it,” replied Harkaway.
“And I would actually pawn my wooden legs for
you,” said Mole, smiling.
Harvey was much affected at these proofs of their
friendship.
Jack got up and shook him cordially by the hand.
"We'd do anything for you, old chum,” he ex-
claimed. "Friendship with us is not a name; it's a
solid fact."
"I'll go and tell Hilda. It will relieve her mind," said
Harvey.
"Do so. Mole and I will drive into Hongkong this
afternoon and get the money."
"Again and again I thank you."
"In a few days, when we have recovered little Emily,


On the Warpath.
105
we shall be on board our ship on our way to the magic
island.”
"That is so.”
"Hurrah for Greece, the treasure, and our new friend
Spirillo.”
"So say all of us,” cried Mole.
Harvey went out of the room.
He was in such a hurry to see his wife and tell her
of the good news, that he did not see a form in the
passage.
It was Lo Mung.
He had been listening, and had heard everything
that had been said in the luncheon room.
Consequently he was well aware that Harkaway and
Mole were going to Hongkong to raise a thousand
pounds.
They would bring it home with them in the car-
riage.
This might be important news for his employer, Big-
amini.
The spy determined to discharge himself, and go to
the lake house.
He had been threatened with instant dismissal, and
might get it at any moment.
Why not be first in the field ?
As Harvey left the room he stepped in.
"We do not want anything," said Mole, when he saw
him.
"Me wantee,” was the reply.
"You can go. Don't interrupt me when I am talking
to a gentleman."
“Me been beatee.”


106
On the Warpath.
"You were paid for it,” Harkaway exclaimed.
“Havee my earee chewee by monkee.”
“More money!”
“Boy kickee. No payee for that."
“Look here! I've had enough of this system of ex-
torting money. Get out!
“If Mister Molee tellee me, allee rightee,” said Lo
Mung, with a cunning look.
"By all means. I don't need you," answered the pro-
fessor, “there is something fishy about this business.”
“Me not go fishee.”
“I believe you are in it. Go! Cut! Clear out!"
"Givee wagee."
"You Johnnies are all on the make,” cried Mole. “I
never saw such a lot. What do you do with your
money?"
"Smokee opium and gamble. Eatee bird-nest soup."
“Yes, and puppy dogs and rats. I know you. Be
off. You can call for your wages in a week. I've got
no money.
“Wantee now.”
"I've been robbed. If you don't go, I'll kick you
out!”
"Cantee vellee well. Gottee wooden leggee.”
"You impudent scoundrel! If I could get at you,
I'd—I'd pulverize you-reduce you to dust-squash
you, as I would a mulberry, with my foot !"
“Payee up."
"Not I. Get it as you can."
“I'm a wonderer that you are not an ashamer. You
bullee poor Chinaman.”


108
On the Warpath.
Swore
This was a term of reproach.
It meant "foreign devil."
“D'ye hear him?” shouted Mole.
"Hark at the hard words he's giving me. He's call-
ing me a foreign devil!"
Unable to restrain himself, he threw a tumbler at
him. It was full of claret.
Striking Lo Mung on the side of the face, it caused
him to beat a precipitate retreat.
His movements were expedited considerably.
As he wiped the blood from a gash in his face, he
a bitter oath in Chinese.
“Me be a revenger,” he muttered. “Chinaman good
man allee samee. Englishman foreign devil!"
Scarcely had he disappeared when young Jack and
Monday walked into the room.
“Got any grub to spare, governor ?" asked young
Jack.
"Heaps. Duck, fowl, and”
“Don't!" interrupted young Jack. “I'm as hungry
as a hunter; in fact, I could eat a horse and chase the
rider."
"Where have you been ?" inquired Harkaway.
“Out prospecting. Monday and I have found tracks;
haven't we, old ivory?”
“Yes, sar; um right enough,” replied Monday.
“What do you mean by that?”
“We are going on the warpath, sare, to find little
Emily," said Monday.
"It's true, dad,” remarked young Jack. “We mean
biz, and good biz, too."
"Really?”


On the Warpath.
109
“If you don't see us for forty-eight hours, don't flus-
ter about us. We shall be all right.”
“But
“Let me sit down and fill up the corners. You can
talk, dear old guv, while we are eating.”
“Go ahead.”
"I intend to. See me wire in. It's no use going on
the warpath with an empty stomach. Is it, Monday ?"
"Dat are so, sare," replied the Prince of Limbi. "The
greatest foe in all creation am de full belly. What you
say, Mast' Jack?"
“No breakfast, no man; no dinner, no man,” replied
Harkaway.
"That's me. Yah, yah!" laughed Monday.
He and young Jack sat down to the table and helped
themselves abundantly.
The way they ate was a caution to vegetarians.
Nothing seemed to come amiss, and they drank a
bottle of claret between them.
"I'm going to fill a knapsack with food, and a keg
with water," said young Jack. "That will do for us."
"Hold on! Where are you going?” inquired Hark-
away.
"We don't know yet; but we've found tracks.”
“I don't understand you.”
“Monday has an eye like a hawk. There was a
heavy dew last night, and we have discovered foot-
steps. That's tracks, isn't it?”
"Where do they lead to ?”
“We are going to find out, if we can. Our purpose
is to get back my sweetheart, little Emily."
"All right, my boy. I honor you for the noble sen-
-


I10
On the Warpath.
timent; but we shall get her without your interven-
tion.”
"Have
you had any news?”
"Read that precious epistle.'
Young Jack took the letter which his father had
found on his plate.
He read it carefully.
“Dad,” he said, with a knowing look, “in my opin-
ion, this is all kid. There is too much of the young
goat about it."
"How so?"
"The syndicate, as they call themselves, will take
your money, but they won't give us back little Emily."
"Why not?”
“They will keep on holding her to ransom, or send
her to sea in the pirate junk."
“With Hunston ?"
“His agent, Bigamini, is doing this, don't you fret..
No fear about that, I'm sure.”
Harkaway looked at Harvey and Mole.
“There is some sense in what he says,” he remarked.
“I'm only a young one, but my head's level, dad..
Let Monday and me go on the warpath.”
"As you like; but I shall go to Hongkong pres-
ently and get the money.”
"Do as you like, father; I want to go after Emily.
You won't get her your way.”
“I mean to try, anyhow.”
“We will both try-I in my way, you in yours; and
perhaps between us we shall pull it off," replied young
Jack.


On the Warpath.
III
"Keep out of danger. You do not know how many
foes you have to fight against,” observed his father.
"We will be as prudent and careful as we can."
“Keep um eyes open,” said Monday.
When lunch was finished, Harkaway and Harvey
went to the city to get the money demanded in the
mysterious letter.
This was written in a disguised hand by Bigamini
himself.
Young Jack and Monday looked to their knives and
pistols, and then made a start.
They had noticed footsteps in a certain part of the
tea garden, where, at that time, no one was employed.
Outside the garden was a track of sandy soil, on
which grew some stunted trees.
Here they lost sight of the tracks.
But they saw something which arrested their at-
tention.
Two Chinamen were sitting under one of these trees,
engaged in conversation.
Occasionally they drank something out of a black
bottle.
It looked suspiciously like European wine.
In fact, a closer inspection showed a label on which
was written "Sherry."
Monday was the first to discover these Mongolians.
“Look,” he whispered, “two Johnnies. We listen,
sare, and hear what um say."
“This is a good idea,” replied young Jack.
“See um fat one? That look to me like Lo Mung,
who I think very bad man."
92


On the Warpath.
113
“No. Master at home. He watch Missy Hysa and
little girl, too. Me restee. Finish bottle.”
"Not much left, but me got another in my pocketer.”
"Ha! you clever fellow," cried Hi Li. "Me likee
you vellee much for friendlers."
“We always were good friendlers,” replied Lo Mung.
“How your Missy Hysa go on now ?”
“She cry all day, master beat her so. She try gettee
away, and swear for revenge. Either she killee master,
or he drownee her in the water."
They paused to empty the first bottle and begin on
the second.
The effect of the wine upon them was to make them
sleepy.
Lo Mung began to sing a verse of a Chinese song in
a low and not unmusical voice.
For a brief space Hi Li accompanied him.
The effort, however, proved too much for them, and
finishing the sherry, they vowed eternal friendship.
Then they leaned back against the trunk of the tree
and went to sleep.
Monday and young Jack retreated to a short dis-
tance.
They wanted to talk together and discuss what they
had heard.
All the time, however, they kept their gaze fixed
upon the two unconscious Chinamen.
"What do you think of that?" asked Jack.
“Lo Mung what I call him big rascal thief,” re-
plied Monday, in an angry tone.
“The other is a friend of his, and the servant of the
man who has stolen Emily.”


I14
On the Warpath.
“Certain sure ob that, sare.”
"Well, all we have to do is to follow the villains,
and we shall find out where my little sweetheart is,
and who has got her.”
“That de ticket for soup, boss !” cried Monday.
“How fortunate we followed the tracks and came
upon these tippling Chinamen.”
“I knew we should make a discovery. You and I
de boys to do it, Mast' Jack.”
"Yes,” said our young hero. “I think we are about
as clever as most people."
"What we do now?” asked Monday. "Got to wait
till Johnnies wake up.”
"That's a nuisance. I hate inaction; but it won't
do to scare them. They must have no idea of our
presence. Confound it! Perhaps it will be hours be-
fore they sleep off the effects of that sherry.”
“Never mind. I got lily drop of brandy in a flask.
You have water."
“And I've a bundle of cigarettes," put in Jack.
"That fine. We enjoy ourselves."
They did so, and, after smoking for a time, Monday,
who was a man of resources, found a pack of cards
in his pocket.
A game of euchre for a small stake helped to pass
the time away.
The sun was declining in the west.
But the two Chinamen still slept.


CHAPTER IX.
LITTLE EMILY'S CAPTIVITY.
It was several hours after the arrival of little Emily
at the lake house before she recovered from the ef-
fects of the soporific drug which had been administerd
to her.
She was placed in bed with Hysa.
Bigamini admonished his wife to take care of her.
He and his partners in crime, Schneider and Blow-
hard, retired to an inner room, where they gambled
with cards, and drank brandy until long after day-
break.
When they were tired out they threw themselves on
some mats, and snatched a few hours' feverish sleep.
About eight o'clock in the morning they woke up,
partook of a light breakfast, and separated.
The Dutchman and the Englishman were rowed to
the landing stage by Hi Li.
They had to return to Hongkong to attend to some
business.
The money they had robbed Mr. Mole of had been
equally divided between them.
But they did not take away so much as they had
expected.
They had been playing for high stakes at the game
of poker.
Bigamini was an expert at this, and he also knew


116
Little Emily's Captivity.
how to cheat. He had risen from the table a heavy
winner.
It was generally the case when they gambled to-
gether.
His partners had their suspicious, but his sleight
of hand was so clever that they could not find him out.
If they had done so, blood would have most as-
suredly been shed.
These wretches would have drawn their pistols upon
him, and he, of course, would have defended himself.
There was always a chance some day of this kind of
thing occurring
It very often happens that thieves fall out and kill
one another.
When Schneider and Blowhard had departed, Biga-
mini went into one of the verandas of his strangely
built house.
Here was a chair, a fishing rod, tackle and an
earthenware jar filled with bait.
Angling was his favorite pastime, and the lake was
full of various kinds of fine fish, weighing from an
ounce to five and six pounds.
He liked to eat these lake fish, fresh out of the water,
at any time of the day.
Many hours did he pass at his country house in
angling for the finny prey.
He was particularly lucky this morning, for the
fish bit freely, and he caught some fine specimens.
"Ha! ha!” he laughed. "I am doing well in this
country, and have made a nice little pile of money;
but I shall not stay here. This is not a country for a
white man to live in. I want just enough money to


Little Emily's Captivity..
117
support me comfortably, and I will seek a fresh land.
I am tired of Hysa, and will marry again.”
The rascal was a most determined bigamist, and did
not seem to care how many women he betrayed.
He had had a good many wives already.
In fact, he was a sort of modern Bluebeard.
"If I get that money for the girl's ransom,” he
added, talking to himself, "it will stock me up. Why
should Schneider and Blowhard have any of it? They
might be killed easily.”
His mind now turned upon murdering his confed-
erates.
There was no crime too bad for him to commit.
He was roused from his evil meditations by the
sound of little Emily's voice.
She had woke up, and was frightened at finding her-
self in a strange place with a Chinawoman she did
not know.
"Where am I?” she demanded. “This is not my
house."
“You are with friends who will not harm you,"
replied Hysa, kindly.
The latter felt sorry for the child.
She did not care to aid and abet her husband in his
criminal practices.
"I want my mamma and papa. Let me go,” con-
tinued Emily, “you have no right to keep me here.”
"Soon you shall go homee, but not now. Waitee
bitee.”
Emily got up from the bed-she had not been un-
dressed and began to cry bitterly.


Little Emily's Captivity.
119
The child was standing before him with a teacup in
her hand.
Hysa was behind her, with her face rigid.
It seemed as if she had made up her mind to protect
little Emily to the extent of her power.
"Now, I want to talk seriously to you," exclaimed
Bigamini.
He had a small bamboo cane in his hand.
This he swished through the air threateningly.
The girl winced, as if she were afraid he was going
to beat her.
Instinctively she retreated a few paces towards Hysa.
Looking up in her face for protection she took her
hand.
There was a dangerous flash in Hysa's eyes.
"You shall not strike her !" said Hysa.
"Hold your tongue! Who's speaking to you!” cried
Bigamini, angrily.
His small, fishy eyes turned green.
“I say you shall not !” was the firm reply.
"You can't stop me! Perhaps you will get a thrash-
ing you won't like. It would not be the first time, you
know. Be silent! I'm talking to the girl, not you.'
Hysa made no answer; but she kept her gaze fixed
on him.
“Do you know the meaning and virtue of an oath?"
asked Bigamini, addressing the child.
"Of course I do," replied Emily, who was astonish-
ingly clever and vivacious for her age.
"That is gratifying."
“You do not suppose for a moment that I have been
brought up like a savage ?"


I 20
Little Emily's Captivity.
"If you take an oath and break it, what then?”
“I shall have committed a very great sin, and acted
very dishonorably. If I swear not to do a thing, I
must keep my word, come what may, or I am dis-
graced in the sight of Heaven and man.”
Bigamini smiled.
"That is it, exactly. I see you are no fool!" he
exclaimed. “You are a credit to your bringing up.”
“I ought to be, considering that my parents have
taken great pains with me," said Emily, proudly.
“Should I take you back to Mr. Mole's to-morrow,
or the next day, or the day after that,” continued Biga-
mini, “you must swear to me, in the sight of Heaven,
that you will not tell anyone where you have been or
whom you have seen.”
Emily looked at him with wide-open eyes and ele-
vated eyebrows.
"Why," she rejoined, "that will be the very first
thing I shall be asked by everybody. They will want
to catch and punish you."
“For that precise reason you must swear not to tell.”
“Oh! I can't do that. It is absurd to ask me."
"I shall whip you until you do."
"What! whip me? You dare not do it! My father
and Jack Harkaway would kill you if they knew it,"
said little Emily.
She spoke boldly, fearlessly, even defiantly.
Young as she was, she had seen strange sights, and
been through many perils.
"If you are obstinate," Bigamini replied, "you will
never see your friends again.”
“What will you do?”


Little Emily's Captivity.
I21
"Cut your throat, tie a stone round your neck, and
throw you into the lake, as I would a dead dog."
Emily looked at him with ineffable scorn.
"Do you call yourself a man?" she asked.
"Most decidedly I do," said the wretch.
“I call you a detestable brute! You are worse than
a Tartar, and not worthy the name of man.”
"Will you swear ?"
"No!"
Bigamini sprang to his feet, and Emily clung closer
to Hysa.
The woman bent down and whispered in her ear.
“You had best do as he tell you,” she murmured.
"He will half kill you else; I know his temper.”
“It is not right that I should do so," replied Emily.
"Save yourself.”
Bigamini caught her by the arm, and wrenched her
away from her protectress.
The cane was raised in the air.
In another moment it would have fallen upon her
shoulders.
Hysa caught it in her hand.
“You shall not harm the child !" she cried.
With a curse, her husband gave her a blow on the
side of the head.
Uttering a piercing shriek she sank on her knees,
with bowed head, reeling from side to side.
Emily was terribly alarmed.
She had seen fighting between men, but she had
never before beheld a man strike a woman.
To her young, delicate and sensitive mind it was
inconceivably dreadful.


Little Emily's Captivity.
123
“Oh! my head,” gasped Hysa. “Givee water !”
Little Emily poured some from a pitcher into a cup,
which Hysa drank eagerly.
She rose and staggered to a chair with the child's
help.
"Your husband is a brute to you," remarked Emily.
“Why do you not leave him?”
"He watchee too muchee. Allee samee as sleepee
with one eye open.
Hi Li watchee, too,” answered
Hysa.
"Who is he?"
“The servant-man who waitee on us and takee care
of the boatee. He gone out now. We got two boatee;
he havee one other at the steppees below.”
"If your husband sleeps now, we might get away,”
suggested Emily, in whose breast a new hope dawned.
“Bigamini artful, we see presently. No huree. He
killee if catchee."
“Is that his name?" asked Emily, in deep surprise.
This was indeed a revelation to her.
She knew that her father and Harkaway thought
Bigamini, after Hunston, the most despicable scoundrel
in the world.
Lately she had heard a good deal about him.
"He born in Europe," said Hysa. “Long wayee off;
across the big sea. English call himself, likee you,
missee.”
“He is an awful villain !" cried Emily. "However
could you have married him?"
"Me not knowee; tellee he lovee. Woman's heart
tender, foolish."
"He does not display any love or affection towards


I 24
Little Emily's Captivity.
you. Do you mean that you are not aware that he is a
murderer and a thief?”
“Livee here alone; no friends. Not see what he do.”
"Oh! do try to get away and take me with you.”
“Me tryee soon."
Hysa went on tiptoe to the door of the next room
and looked at her husband.
He appeared to be sleeping placidly on the mats.
But she understood perfectly well that there was
no dependence to be placed upon him.
While pretending to be asleep, he might be wide
awake, listening to all that was being said.
Emily, childlike, thought it would be very easy to
get away, and was eager to make the attempt.
She had every confidence in the long-suffering Hysa,
who, she saw, was not a partner in her miserable hus-
band's crime.
Like many poor women who are wedded to bad men,
she was a victim.
It did not occur to Emily that she might be miles
away from Mr. Mole's plantation.
All she wanted was to get on the land again.
By persevering inquiry, she felt sure that she would
be directed to her home.
Hysa could help her, and in the Chinawoman she
placed her trust.
After waiting ten minutes, Hysa returned to Emily.
She put her finger to her lips to enjoin caution.
“Hush !" she whispered; "he is a sleeper. We tryee
to run awayee.”
"Have you anything to fight with, if he wakes up?"
asked Emily.


Little Emily's Captivity.
125
2)
“Nothing but knifee. He gottee pistolee."
“Oh, my dear friend, I hope sincerely I am not ex-
posing you to any danger?”
“No matter. If I die I be at peace. No happee
here,” sighed the poor woman.
“I hope it will be all right,” continued Emily.
"Come. We tryee quick. Hi Li might be back.”
Taking Emily's hand, Hysa led her to the veranda
facing the shore.
Here a flight of steps descended to the water level.
A boat was moored to one of the rungs of the
wooden ladder.
It was a terribly anxious moment.
Little Emily feit her heart beat wildly, and she
paused, pale as a lily.
They went down the steps, Hysa leading the way,
Emily following close behind.
The sun
was now high in the heavens; a gentle
breeze was blowing, in which the palms on shore
waved gracefully.
Emily thought how much, under different circum-
stances, she would .enjoy a row with young Jack on
this beautiful lake, and how nice it would be to fish
in it.
Hysa got into the boat, which was but a frail little
cockleshell, capable of holding three persons.
A breath of wind would almost capsize it, and a
strong gust would swamp it effectually.
Emily was about to imitate her new friend's example
when they were both startled by a gruff voice above
them.
“Stop!”


Little Emily's Captivity.
127
“Mercy!" he repeated. “You might as well expect
sparks from a snowball !”
Hysa sank on her knees.
She feared that he would strike her as usual, and she
had not recovered from the last blow he gave her.
“My resources are unlimited !” exclaimed Bigamini.
"I neglect no precaution."
"If we had got out of range of your pistol, and you
had no boat to pursue us in, what would you have
done?” asked Emily.
“You would have perished in my deathtrap.”
"What do you mean by that?"
“I will explain to both of you,” answered Bigamini,
with one of his grim, ogre-like smiles.
The words sent a thrill of horror through the frames
of his listeners.
Was he a dynamite fiend?
There was some hidden meaning in the sepulchral
phrase.
Leaning over the veranda he took up a hook w
was secured to a post; attached to this was a cord,
which dropped down into the lake.
He held this tightly in his hand.
“Look,” he continued, “at the landing stage. It is
built of wood. When you reach it, you go up six
steps, and—and walk over it, between two sets of
rails for a dozen yards when you get on to the earth.
you
follow me?”
“Yes,” replied Emily.
Hysa listened and looked, but she did not speak.
"Pay attention," he went on. “Underneath the stage
is a large, square pit, dug in the earth, ten feet deep,
Do


I 28
Little Emily's Captivity.
The stage is composed of two sets of boards, so con-
structed as to meet in the middle and be held up by
a bolt of iron.”
"What good is that?"
"Mark me well. Watch! I pull this cord which is
attached to the iron bolt. As I do so, it draws it back;
the boards, which are on hinges, fall on each side, re-
vealing a chasm. Then anyone standing on them
would be precipitated into the pit.”
"How horrible!"
He proceeded, without paying any attention to her
interruption :
“By a peculiar piece of mechanism of my own in-
vention, the two boards rise up again, meet together,
join, and the bolt shoots back, holding them up as
before."
“Anyone standing upon them would fall and be im-
prisoned in the pit?” said Emily.
“Precisely—that is my meaning," answered Biga-
mini. “I fix the hook here again to the post, and it is
ready for another occasion.”
“What becomes of the people who stand on that
landing platform, and have incurred yo'ır displeasure?”
"They die.”
“Then that is your deathtrap?”
"Exactly. I will give you an example. See, a man-
darin duck has come off the lake; he is standing on
the landing stage. Observe him?"
Emily did so, as well as Hysa.
All eyes were riveted on the beautiful, gaudy-plum-
aged bird.


130
Little Emily's Captivity.
“Have you
house upon the lake, they never go back to tell the
tale.”
ever thrown anyone down?” asked
Emily.
"There are a few moldering skeletons at the bottom,
I believe,” rejoined Bigamini, with a hollow laugh.
“If we had got as far as that, would you have pulled
the cord ?” asked Emily, with childish curiosity.
“Of course I should. You don't suppose for a mo-
ment I should have allowed you to escape ?"
“What a bad man you must be.”
"You're a saucy little miss, but I don't like you any
the worse for it. Go inside. You, too, Hysa. Quick!
Move yourself, or I'll know the reason why!"
Hysa got up, shivering.
“Let your poor wife alone,” said Emily. “You're
a man, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
“What's that?”
"Why, you know, to feel a sense of degradation."
"Can't understand that. I'm master, and I mean to
be. "A woman lorded over me once, and I resolved no
other should do it. Go in, Hysa. You will find some
fish I caught. Cook them in oil, and look sharp, or I
pity you.”
Hysa obeyed him, only too glad to get away.
She was afraid to utter a word.
The wretch had conquered her, and she did not dare
to call her soul her own.
Emily went after her kind protectress, who was so
willing, but unable to save her.
The attempt at escape had been a complete failure.


Little Emily's Captivity.
131
When Bigamini was alone, he sat down in a bam-
boo chair and lighted a cigar.
“Hi Li is a long time," he muttered. “Perhaps he
is being dodged by Harkaway, or some of his party.
I must keep a sharp lookout."
A dark frown crossed his face.
If Harkaway found out where he was his life would
not be worth five minutes' purchase.
In half an hour's time Emily made her appearance
on the veranda.
“Mr. Bigamini,” she said, “your lunch is ready. The
fish look very nice, and your dear wife has taken great
pains with them, which, I must confess, is more than
you deserve.”
"You are considered rather cheeky, aren't you?” he
replied.
"Oh, dear no! Everyone regards me as a model of
propriety.”
"You're a nice little thing, anyhow, and I shouldn't
like to hurt you. I hope your friends will pay up.”
“They will be sure to raise the money between them,"
said Emily; “and when you get it, you ought to turn
honest and treat your wife better."
“I'm tired of her.”
"Why? She's very amiable."
"She's a worm!” said Bigamini, contemptuously.
"Worms will turn, you know," Emily exclaimed.
“That's a proverb. Take care she doesn't.”
“If she had your pluck I should like her better.”
"Treat her kindly, and if ever you fall into my
father's hands, or Jack Harkaway's, I will ask them to
let you off easily.”


Little Emily's Captivity.
133
They had tea, and Emily sang some old English
songs that her mother had taught her.
As the sun was declining, Bigamini sent them both
indoors, and sat in his chair on the veranda facing the
landing stage.
Emily had pleased and amused him, but she had not
tamed him, or removed his vicious instincts.
"No sleep for me," he exclaimed; "there is some-
thing wrong. Hi Li would never be so long if some-
thing was not up. I will watch if I sit up all night.
Yes, I must keep a lonely vigil, for Hi Li is a faithful
servant, and would not deceive me.”
He lighted a cigar and looked over the surface of
the lake.
It was smooth as glass.
Not a breath of air stirred the circumambient at-
mosphere.
A star appeared in the sky.
It was followed by others at intervals.
Night had fallen, but Hi Li did not make his ap-
pearance.
Bigamini began to be sorely troubled in his mind.
He kept his eyes fixed on the landing stage, and
every now and then touched the hook which held the
cord attached to the bolt that controlled what he called
his deathtrap.


CHAPTER X.
THE DEATH TRAP.
Night had fallen before Hi Li and his friend, Lo
Mung, arose from their sleep.
Young Jack and Monday were becoming impatient.
It looked as if the heathen Chinese were going to
sleep all night.
Had they done so, however, they would have
watched and waited.
The information they had already gained from the
two yellow-skinned, almond-eyed barbarians was too
important for them to give up the chase.
Jack felt sure that he was on the track of his little
sweetheart, to rescue whom he would have laid down
his life.
Monday was the first to perceive the Chinamen
moving.
“See, Mast' Jack,” he whispered, “the beggars are
on the move."
"So they are—at last, thank goodness. I was get-
ting jolly tired of this," replied Jack, in a low tone.
"Now the fun begins. We track um for sure."
“Don't attempt to injure them, unless they attack
us," said Jack, warningly.
“No,” answered Monday. “Find out lilly girl first;
kill thief after ; that um dodge."
"Exactly. We must consider ourselves spies---cau-
tious, crafty, cunning spies.”


The Deathtrap.
135
"That um so. Hush! they're getting up."
Jack and Monday became silent.
First, Lo Mung rose. He was followed by Hi Li.
Both yawned and stretched themselves.
"Sleepee long, sleepee late," observed Lo Mung.
"Bad job. Me gettee stick," Hi Li remarked with
a mournful look.
"What for stick hittee you?"
"My boss get in rage at me not being at the house.
He have to watchee the girl and the wife, too."
"It was the foreign devil's wine makee sleepee. Not
like tea," said Lo Mung.
“Too heavee for eyelidders. Makee head an acher,"
replied Hi Li, pressing his brow.
"You givee letter to me allee rightee," continued Lo
Mung. "Sayee we walkee miles, because some one
was a follower.”
"Vellee good. Me do that, and Biga-Eng-Ming-
Ming say nothing.”
The idea suggested by his companion seemed to
cheer Hi Li considerably.
He had been beaten on several occasions by his vio-
lent-tempered master, and did not want a repetition
of the process.
Bigamini knew the anatomy of a human being, and
was able to pick out the soft places in a man's body,
as well as any cowhiding slave-driver, when larruping
a nigger, as it was termed in the Southern States.
They walked on in blissful ignorance that they were
being tracked.
Had they been aware that Monday and young Jack


136
The Deathtrap.
were at their heels that starry night, they would not
have been so much at their ease.
They chatted pleasantly about the good time they
were going to have together in Hongkong.
The nice toothsome dishes that they would eat, such
as rat and dog, prepared à la Chinoise, made their
mouths water.
And the opium they would smoke, and the whiskee,
brandee, gin, of the foreign devils, as they called it,
caused them to think of Paradise.
Their pursuers lagged behind, but kept them well in
view.
All their anxiety was to find out their lair.
There was little doubt in Jack's mind that Bigamini
was the abductor of Emily.
The Celestials, when talking, had alluded to him by
name.
If he could discover the hiding place of the loath-
some wretch who had caused them so much trouble,
all would be well.
A rescue would be speedily effected, and the bold
abductor properly punished.
After walking a few miles the two Chinamen came
to the margin of the lake.
They found the boat where Hi Li had left it in the
morning, when he had started for Mole's plantation
with Bigamini's letter about the girl's ransom.
There was no moon, but the twinkling stars were
reflected in the bosom of the lake.
It was easy for anyone in the house to see anybody
on the landing stage, or near the edge of the sheet of
water.


The Deathtrap.
137
If it were unusually dark, the inventive genius of
Bigamini had provided a safeguard.
He had a large lamp, with a powerful reflector,
which threw a glare on the shore to whatever part
it was directed.
This he called his patent double-action searchlight.
He kept a cap over the disk of the lamp when he did
not want to use it.
This could be taken off instantly, and the light ap-
plied in case of an alarm.
In addition to this he had his rifle gallery, in which
six loaded rifles always rested on supports, and faced
the land.
To storm Bigamini's castle was not such an easy
thing as it looked.
Being built out on the lake was a great point in its
favor.
During the evening he had been sitting in the
veranda, watching the shore, as he smoked cigars and
drank claret.
He was puzzled at his servant Hi Li's prolonged ab-
sence.
There was a chance of his being captured and taken
before a native judge, who had power to put him to
the torture.
Under pressure of pain he would probably confess
all.
If that happened, it would not be long before a raid
was made upon Bigamini's dwelling.
Ill at ease, he kept his restless eyes fixed upon the
shore.


138
The Deathtrap.
He had the searchlight by his side, but there was no
occasion to use it that night.
Objects were perfectly visible on land.
He saw Hi Li and Lo Mung when they reached the
platform.
The latter sought the rope by which the boat was
moored, and began to untie it.
All Chinamen are very much alike, with their loose
dress and their inevitable pigtails.
Bigamini thought it was his man Hi Li, but who
had he with him?
It did not occur to him that Lo Mung had accom-
panied him from Mr. Mole's, because he did not know
that he had left that gentleman's service.
Though he could see the forms of the two men, he
was unable to discern their faces.
The starlight was not strong enough to enable him
to do this.
An uneasy feeling stole over his mind.
He was determined to satisfy himself as to the iden-
tity of these nocturnal visitors.
If they were foes, his place was in the rifle gallery,
where he could kill them and sink them before they
had gone many yards in a boat.
Removing the
сар,
he turned the double-action
searchlight full upon them.
A brief examination showed him who the strangers
were.
The light was shut off quickly; the Chinese got into
the boat and rowed to the house.
Hysa had gone to sleep, with Emily by her side.


The Deathtrap.
139
The boat ran alongside the piles on which the house
was built, and Bigamini was about to question the
Chinamen as they came up the steps, when his quick
eye detected the presence of some other people on the
shore.
They were young Jack and Monday, who had
watched the boat depart, and walked onto the plat-
form to get a better look of the house.
“Spied upon and tracked,” he muttered. “They are
followed, and the empty-headed fools did not know it."
For a moment he turned the searchlight on again.
Then all was darkness.
"By Heaven !” he cried, "it is young Harkaway and
that cursed black, Monday. A lucky discovery.
With a nervous eagerness he pulled the cord.
The deathtrap opened suddenly.
Taken unawares, young Jack and the faithful Mon-
day were precipitated into the chasm.
They uttered wild cries of alarm and despair.
The next moment the hidden mechanism caused the
boards to resume their former position.
Young Jack and his companion were caught in the
deathtrap, and buried alive.
Their fate was as certain as it was secret.
Even Lo Mung and Hi Li were ignorant of what had
happened.
Bigamini did not think it advisable or necessary to
enlighten them.
They came in, made their explanations and excuses,
and there was an end of the matter.
Giving the Chinamen some supper, Bigamini told


142
Poison in the Glass.
"So it is. The boards gave way, down we went;
boards went up, as if by magic again, and here we are."
“That is the situation,” said Monday. “Cuss it!
What we do?”
Young Jack made no answer.
Silence reigned in the damp, pestilential vault.
Rising, Bigamini continued his journey, perfectly
satisfied that his enemies were effectually trapped.
"What price young Harkaway now?” he said to
himself.
"He was always too cock-a-hoop! He's got his comb
Serve him right. Hunston will be glad to hear
of this, and ought to pay me well.”
Chuckling at his success, he pursued his walk, highly
delighted
It was his intention to visit Mr. Mole's plantation at
this early hour, to see if the money had been deposited
in the place indicated in his letter.
If he got the cash demanded, he intended to return
Emily to her friends, according to promise.
She could possibly be of no use to him in any way,
and, strange to say, the rascal had taken a liking to her.
It was rarely that he loved anyone, or anything, ex-
cept his own base, selfish body.
But little Emily, by her looks, her manner, her bold-
ness, had conquered Bigamini.
Ruthless as he was, he felt that it would go against
the grain with him to kill her.
It is said that the greatest villains are not all bad-
they have a soft spot in their hearts somewhere.
The night was cool, and Bigamini walked quickly..


Poison in the Glass.
143
In a short time he came to Mr. Mole's tea garden,
and advanced with caution to the old well.
His right hand held a pistol.
If anyone confronted him he intended to shoot.
But there was no sign of a person of any kind, Eng-
lish or Chinese, being about.
The tea shrubs were so small that they afforded no
shelter, and trees were conspicuous by their absence.
When he reached the well, he was delightd to see a
large canvas bag on the wall. Eagerly he clutched it.
It was very heavy.
“Gold! gold!” he muttered. “All for me, or I'll
know the reason why. Gold—beautiful gold !”
He retreated, going backwards, with his face to the
wall, until he had got to a safe distance.
Then he hastened homeward.
Arriving at the lake he whistled.
Hi Li was waiting for his master, and at once put off
in the boat.
In a few minutes he touched the landing stage, Biga-
mini got into the small craft, and was conveyed to the
lake house.
He went into his private room and put the bag on
a table.
It did not take him long to untie the string and turn
out the contents.
The gold, for such it was, consisted entirely of sov-
ereigns minted in London for the Bank of England.
He counted them into little piles of twenty-five each.
His eyes feasted on them until he positively gloated
over the spoil.


144
Poison in the Glass.
"No time to be lost. The girl shall go home at once,
as the ransom is paid,” he said.
Proceeding to Hysa's room he awoke her.
"Whatee wantee? No hurtee!” she cried.
Often had the brute struck her in her sleep.
She was always afraid of him, day and night, when
in his drunken moods.
"Wake the child! Dress her quick! She is to go
with me,” he said.
"You meanee no harmee?"
"Fool! The money has been paid.”
He returned to his room, ate some biscuits made of
rice and drank some wine.
In a short time Hysa led Emily forward.
"She is readee,” exclaimed Hysa. “Good-by.”
Emily held up her face for a kiss.
This she received, with every demonstration of af-
fection, from the kind-hearted Chinawoman.
"You have been very good to me. I like you,” said
Emily.
“And I? What do you think of me?" inquired Biga-
nini.
"Don't ask," replied Emily, candidly.
“I am going to take you back to your friends. They
have paid for you."
"How much?”
"That is none of your business, miss, but I do not
mind telling you. The sum is a thousand pounds."
“What a lot of money !" laughed Emily. “I did not
think I was worth it."
"Your father evidently thinks so.”
“Yes, and dear, good old Jack Harkaway, too, and


Poison in the Glass.
145
Mr. Mole, and young Jack, and all the rest of the
party."
"You have a capital opinion of yourself.”
"And of them, too, Heaven bless them! Come along,
Mr. Biga-Eng-Ming-Ming, as you call yourself.”.
“It seems you are in a hurry.”
"Certainly I am, to get away from this place. Treat
your wife better, or you will never prosper."
Bigamini bit his lip.
"Remember your oath!” he exclaimed.
“I am not likely to forget it,” Emily answered.
Putting his whistle to his lips, he blew it.
In a moment Hi Li was by his side.
"What is it, master ?” he asked.
"You know where you took the letter to-day,” con-
tinued Bigamini.
"To Mr. Mole's plantation.”
"Conduct this young lady safely to within a short
distance of it. Let her see the house, and then run all
the way back here."
“Me be a runner.”
Mind you are not followed. Be
speedy, and I will reward you well."
“Yes, excellency. It shall be donee according to
your wishes," answered Hi Li.
He bowed ceremoniously.
"Farewell, little one,” added Bigamini. “Will you
not shake hands with me before you go?”
Emily shook her head.
"I fear there is blood upon your hand,” she said.
Bigamini started.
"What makes you think so ?” he asked.
"Off you go.


146
Poison in the Glass.
“I dreamed that you were killing somebody.”
"It is foolish fancy."
“Good-by!”
She gave her hand willingly to Hi Li, and tripped
away with him, her face wreathed with smiles.
She was going home to those who loved her.
But she would not touch Bigamini.
He returned angrily to his room to gloat over his
gold.
"Even the children shrink from me," he murmured.
"Why?"
He might have spared himself the trouble of asking
the question.
It was instinct.
The good and pure avoid the bad and wicked.
It was with the utmost anxiety that Bigamini
watched the departure, and awaited the return, of Hi
Li.
Two hours elapsed.
He sat brooding over some brandy and water, smok-
ing for two hours.
Then he heard the sound of oars in the water, and
knew that his servant had come back.
"Well,” he ejaculated, as Hi Li, after mooring the
boat, ascended the steps leading to the veranda.
"It is all wellee,” replied Hi Li. “Little missee see
housee and door open, she runnee in.”
"Did anyone observe you?"
“No, most honorable.”
“That will do. Get into your straw and sleep. I
shall sit up, for I expect my friends from the city
early."


Poison in the Glass.
147
Hi Li retired, with his accustomed low obeisance,
to the room in which he slept.
His bed consisted simply of a quantity of rice straw,
and he had shared the shakedown with Lo Mung.
Bigamini was anticipating a visit from Blowhard
and Schneider.
They would be anxious to know if he had got the
money, and want their share.
A division of the spoils would take place.
He was tired of his partners, and a murderous idea
had come into his brain.
Going to a cupboard he took out of it a bottle labeled
“Laudanum."
There was a flagon of wine on the table, from which
he had been drinking.
It was about two-thirds full.
Into this he poured enough of the deadly, poisonous
"laudanum to kill half a dozen men.
A glass of that poisoned wine would send anyone
who drank it into a sleep from which he would never
awaken.
He would soon visit the night's Plutonian shore,
where lost departed spirits await their doom.
It was about seven o'clock in the morning, when
Bigamini was roused by the sound of a whistle.
Looking across the lake he saw Schneider and Blow-
hard approaching the landing stage.
Instantly getting into the boat, he rowed to the shore,
greeted them warmly, his face wreathed with Judas-
like smiles, and conveyed them to the house.
Hysa was ready with tea and rice cakes, of which
they partook.


148
Poison in the Glass.
They were then conducted to their host's private
room, where the gold received from Harkaway and
Harvey for the restoration of little Emily was piled on
the table.
“There you are, gentlemen,” exclaimed Bigamini.
"My plan has worked well, and succeeded admirably."
"How did you get the money?" asked Blowhard.
"I wrote for it, and it was deposited in a certain
place.”
“And the girl"
"Has been sent back. I had no further use for her.”
“It does my eyes goot,” said the Dutchman, "to see
so much golt."
“Let's divvy up!" cried Blowhard, “and have a rest
and a smoke. We were up early, and have walked all
the way from the city.”
“With all my heart,” Bigamini replied.
The gold was divided into three portions.
That is to say, each one received three hundred and
thirty-three pounds, there being one odd sovereign left
over, which Bigamini appropriated.
Schneider and Blowhard then disposed themselves
on mats, and began to smoke.
This soon inclined them to drink.
They asked for wine.
Bigamini at once went to the cupboard, took from
it the poisoned bottle and placed it before them with
some large glasses.
“Help yourselves," he said, and went on smoking.
They did so.


CHAPTER XII.
A THOUGHT-READER.
When Harkaway and Harvey had raised the money
in Hongkong for the ransom of little Emily, they
placed it on the edge of the old well and returned to
the house.
After dinner the time hung heavily on their hands,
and the evening passed slowly, as no one was much in
the mood for talking.
Harvey and Hilda were alarmed and nervous on
account of their daughter, while Harkaway and Emily
began to grow anxious, because young Jack and Mon-
day had not come back.
At length they went to bed.
Harvey could not sleep.
When he had tossed about restlessly until day dawn
he got up and went downstairs.
To his great delight, he had scarcely opened the
back door before he saw his child running towards
him.
She had just been left by the Chinaman to whom
Bigamini had intrusted her.
"Here she is! Emily's come back!" he shouted, loud
enough to rouse everyone in the house.
He caught her in his arms and kissed her tenderly.
In less than a minute Hilda had descended, and, tak-
ing her from him, embraced her lovingly.


150
A Thought-Reader.
They went into the drawing room, followed by
Harkaway and Prof. Mole.
“So far, so good !” exclaimed Mole; "the girl's come
back, but where is the boy ?”
“That is the question that perplexes me," replied
Harkaway.
"What did he say when he departed with that sable
specimen of humanity, Monday?"
"Simply that they had discovered tracks and were
going to follow them up, with a view to recovering
Emily. I tried to dissaude them, but they would have
their own way.”
“Obstinate as mules. I know them.”
“We must put them on one side for a time,” con-
tinued Harkaway, “and hear what Emily has to tell
us."
“Yes,” answered Harvey, “I am extremely anxious
to know who carried her off.”
"Exactly. The Hongkong police will have some-
thing to say in that matter."
“Yes; and we may, perhaps, get our money back,"
said Harvey.
He took Emily up and put her on his knee.
She looked up laughingly into his face, seeming de-
lighted to be at home once more.
So, in truth, she was.
During the whole time she had been with Bigamini
and Hysa she was in dread.
"Who took you away and where have you been?"
asked Harvey.
Little Emily shook her head.


A Thought-Reader.
151
· Full well she recollected the solemn oath that the
crafty Bigamini had made her swear.
“I am very sorry,” she replied, “but I cannot tell
you anything."
They all regarded her with astonishment.
Had she taken leave of her senses ?
“What do you mean?" demanded Harvey.
"Just what I say, papa, dear. My lips are sealed. I
am pledged to secrecy.”
"By whom?"
"I must not tell," she persisted.
"Was it-" began Hilda.
"No! no! That won't do, mamma. You may fish
but you won't catch anything. I have taken an awfully
solemn and binding oath not to reveal name or place.
Surely you would not wish me to be so wicked as to
break it."
“You were forced to take it, I suppose ?” asked
Harvey.
“I was to be beaten if I did not; one stroke on the
shoulders with a bamboo I did get. It was enough for
me," replied Emily, with a shudder.
"Poor child! This treatment amounts to coercion.
What do you think, Jack?" asked Harvey.
"Decidedly," answered Harkaway.
"Then the oath is not binding on her, because she
did not swear willingly.”
"That is my opinion."
"And mine also," put in Mole. "As a man of let-
ters, my voice should have some weight."
"You hear, Emily," exclaimed Harvey. "We all
agree that you may conscientiously break your oath.”


A Thought-Reader.
153
“I am
"I saw nothing of either of them."
“Do you think they have been made prisoners?" in-
quired Harkaway.
“Not by the people I was with, or I should have
heard and seen something of them,” Emily rejoined.
Although Emily knew of the deathtrap, which Biga-
mini had described to her when, with Hysa, she had at-
tempted to escape in the canoe, she was ignorant of its
having been used lately.
“Come! come !" cried Harvey, impatiently; "who are
these people you have been with? Where do they live?
How are we to get at them ?”
“'I cannot tell you. For my soul's sake, I dare not.”
“That is fanatical nonsense. I am very much an-
noyed. Take the child away,” Harvey added.
"Do not be cross with me,” pleaded Emily.
not to blame, father."
“You are defiant. I feel sure that young Jack and
Monday have fallen into the hands of the people who
have detained you, and you will not guide us to the
scoundrel's haunt."
“My oath prevents me.”
Emily spoke decidedly.
She had been well brought up if not strictly, and
was of a pious disposition.
Seeing that her religion would not allow her to make
any revelation respecting her captor, Hilda led her from
the room.
Emily accompanied mother and child upstairs, but
though they plied her with questions, they could extract
nothing from her.
The three men were left together.


A Thought-Reader.
155
“I honor and respect her for her truthfulness.”
“If she would reveal what she knows, we could bag
our enemy and recover our money.”
"Nothing will induce her to open her lips.
“Well, all I can say is that it is a mistaken idea.
An oath forced from anyone is not binding."
"She is too young to understand legal quibbles,"
remarked Hilda. "All she depends on is her con-
science. She has sworn to keep a promise."
“Say no more about it,” replied Harvey.
"That man, Lo Mung, has discharged himself,” said
Emily. “At least, the other servants say he is nowhere
to be found.”
“The Chinese are very independent,” answered
Harkaway. "You must not speak to them."
At this moment a female servant entered the room
and gave a card to Mr. Mole. He read it attentively.
It was written in English, and in a tolerable round
hand.
“Curious !” exclaimed Mole. “The famous thought-
reader of Pekin, now in Hongkong, named Tien Sin,
has favored me with a visit."
"Has thought-reading penetrated into this benighted
country?" asked Harkaway.
“My dear boy, they always were ahead of us in all
the sciences! They invented the art of printing, they
discovered the way to make gunpowder long before
Roger Bacon did ; in short, they were up to concert-
pitch, and had a searchlight thousands of years before
we did.”
"Are you going to have your thoughts read, sir?"


156
A Thought-Reader.
"I think I will. I'll try the fellow.”
"Perhaps he is an impostor, and you will pay your
money for nothing."
“I'll chance that. Read his card, and tell me what
your opinion of it is," replied Mole.
Harkaway took the card, the contents of which ran
as follows:
"Tien Sin, the great Thought-Reader Extraordinary
of Pekin, now residing for a brief space in the Treaty
Port of Hongkong, sends his greeting to the distin-
guished and most honorable English mandarin, Mole.
“Tien Sin is thought-reader by appointment to the
Emperor of China, King of the Sun, Moon and Stars,
Master of the White Elephant, and Ornament of the
Universe.
“Also to all the high mandarins, merchants and the
public generally.
“Thoughts of persons read, minds laid bare, and
secrets found out.
"Hidden things discovered by the heaven-born gift
of the well-known and fully appreciated Tien Sin.
"Tien Sin, Searcher of Hearts, Reader of Thoughts.
"Fee, a hundred taels."
“There may be something in it,” observed Harvey.
"Let him have a go at you, sir."
"He shall," answered Mole.
“It can't hurt you. If the man, Tien Sin, tells the
truth about you, we will put him in contact with my
little Emily."
“What for?"
“To find out where she has been. If he can read
thoughts, it will not be a difficult or impossible task.”


158
A Thought-Reader.
"No, silk; very large business. Ten years ago I
began to read thoughts. Go to Pekin, make high big
namee. What you want to know.”
"Tell me where I put my cigar case last night, for
I'm blowed if I can remember," replied Mole.
“You sittee in this room?"
"Yes; it was here that I was sitting.”
“Givee your hand-so,” said Tien Sin.
He took the professor by the hand and began to
lead him round the room.
At length he stopped near an easy bamboo chair.
“There,” he exclaimed, pointing underneath it.
Mr. Mole stooped down, looked and saw his miss-
ing cigar case.
He must have dropped it here in the evening when
he was smoking, before going to bed.
“Wonderful!” he exclaimed. "This is really ex-
traordinary."
"Oh! that is nothing," replied Tien Sin.
“Now, inform, if you can, what I am thinking
about?” said the professor.
"You thinkee of drinkee,” was the calm answer.
Everybody in the room burst out laughing at this.
"What kind of drink?" continued Mole.
"Rummee and water; vellee little water.”
"Marvelous," said Mole. "That was one thing I had
in my mind. Since I was in the United States, I like
a rum cocktail after breakfast.”
"How was he to know that, sir?" asked Harvey.
"No, no. I don't say he did. Now, Mr. Tien Sin,
what else am I thinking of?”
The thought-reader tapped his forehead.


A Thought-Reader.
159
He still retained his hold of the professor's hand.
It appeared to be necessary to keep the touch with
the person he was en rapport with.
Unless he did so he could not read his thoughts.
"Your mind is set on going a voyage," said Tien
Sin, after a lengthened pause.
“By Heaven! you are right!” cried Mole.
"You seekee a big treasure.”
“Yes, yes.”
“It is hidden on an island.”
“If you can tell that, you can divine anything."
“Me knowee all. Me readee.”
Harvey came forward.
"That is quite enough for me," he exclaimed. “Tien
Sin is evidently a remarkable person."
"A man in a hundred thousand-in a million,” said
Harkaway.
"Let us take him upstairs to little Emily," continued
Harvey. “We can possibly extract her secrets from
her.”
"Come," said Harkaway. "Lose no time. While
she sleeps will be a good opportunity.”
“You wantee more?" asked Tien Sin.
"Yes. You shall be paid for your services,” replied
Harvey.
They all accompanied him to the bedroom where
Emily was lying asleep.
Her fair hair was hanging over the pillow, and one
hand was stretched on the quilt.
She looked the picture of innocence in sweet repose.
“What shall I ask the child ?" Tien Sin inquired.


160
A Thought-Reader.
“Where she has been lately. Whom she has seen
within the last forty-eight hours," replied Harvey.
"The mind is dead in sleepee."
"Must I wake her up?"
“Me no read thoughts unless people are wide
awakee. No think in sleepee. Only dreamee."
Harvey touched Emily on the arm.
She awoke with a start.
"Father!" she ejaculated.
"Yes, my love, it is I," replied Harvey.
“Do you want to speak to me? Oh, I am so tired!"
"We thought you were not well, so we have brought
the doctor.”
“Let me go to sleep,” said Emily, drowsily.
“Give me your hand. Feelee pulsee," exclaimed
Tien Sin.
She stretched out her hand drowsily.
For fully five minutes Tien Sin held it and looked
her steadily in the face.
He was reading her thoughts.
"You have been on the water, my child,” he said.
“How do you know that?" asked Emily.
“There was a house built on piles in a lake. It
comes back to you. I feel you shiver.
The memory
makes you afraid."
“What are you talking about?”
“Come! What is the man's name—the man with
whom you were? Speak!"
Tien Sin waved his hands over her face.
She appeared to fall into a mesmeric trance.
In modern phrase she was hypnotized.
Her face became contracted, and she was evidently


164
A Thought-Reader.
His visit had been of great value to Harkaway and
Harvey.
They talked the matter over, and decided to arm
themselves and go at once to the lake.
It was their intention to capture Bigamini, and, tak-
ing back the thousand pounds they had paid for Emily's
return, convey the rascal to Hongkong, and hand him
over to the police.
They were in great doubt as to the fate of young
Jack and Monday.
It was possible that they were captured.
Equally possible was it that they had been killed.
Harkaway was ill at ease when he thought of his son
and his faithful friend Monday.
He resolved to proceed with the utmost caution,
It was a case in which it behoved him to look well
before he leaped.
They took their pistols as well as rifles, and were
about to start, when Mole returned from the window,
where he had been standing, and looked angrily at them.
He had been, like Achilles, sulking in his tent, at
what the thought-reader, Tien Sin, had said.
Also was he annoyed because Harkaway and Harvey
had not consulted him as to their plan of action.


CHAPTER XIII.
MOLE'S VALOR, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.
"I don't take it very kindly of you two young men,"
he exclaimed, "to arrange to go after Bigamini, and not
invite me to accompany you."
"Is your life insured ?" asked Jack.
“Why do you inquire ?”
"You might lose it, if you are too venturesome.”
“Nonsense! If you want to know, I can inform you
that I am insured in two offices, each for two thousand
five hundred. I can tell you more than that, Harkaway
and Harvey."
“Go ahead, sir, while you are in a communicative
mood.”
"I have left both of you something—how much shall
remain a secret."
"That is extremely kind of you."
“Beware!” cried Mole. “If you do not treat me with
more consideration, I shall add a codicil and cut you
off.”
"Don't be vexed," said Harkaway.
“How can I help it, when my courage is called into
question ?"
“We did not ask you to come, because Tien Sin'
"Enough of him! The fellow is a mountebank, noth-
ing more. I call him an automatic chatterer.”
"He revealed some strange things."
"Bah! Put a few taels in the slot, and he will jaw


166 Mole's Valor, and What Came of It.
for an hour. When I was a tutor at Oxford, and was
paid for lecturing, I could keep on talking for an hour.”
“You can come if you like,” replied Harkaway. “We
do not want to prevent you.
“Do all the fighting and we will look on," said
Harvey.
"Yes," answered Mole, helping himself to a nip of
rum, “that would just suit you to the ground, down to
the very pavement. You want me to lead the van, as
usual.”
"No, we do not."
“Tush! it was always thus. Haven't I lost two legs?
Don't I go about with wooden ones, having simply the
aid of a crutch?
"That is true enough."
“In whose service did I lose my limbs ? Answer me
that."
"Is it a conundrum, sir?” asked Harkaway, winking
at Harvey.
"No, it is not. I would be ashamed to joke about
such a subject. For the loss of one leg I have to thank
this scoundrel Bigamini, and I want revenge.”
“You shall have it."
"Is it not my right? I have been maimed through
serving and accompanying you in your adventures.”
“Make haste and equip yourself,” said Jack.
The conversation was growing irksome.
Mr. Mole was inclined to find fault, lament, nag, and
quarrel generally.
“Hadn't you better take your monkey?” asked the
professor, sneeringly. “I am sure he would be of more
use than I should.”


168
Mole's Valor, and What Came of It.
“Look at the intelligent animal,” exclaimed Hark-
away. "He knows as much as you, sir.”
“Please don't place a simian-a half-breed gorilla, a
member of the ape tribe, on a level with me,” replied
the professor.
“You shall march together.”
"No! I'm hanged if we do! I go first. I am the
leader of this exploration party, but the ape can take a
back seat.”
“As you like. Harvey and I will follow. Proceed.”
"You said you knew this lake, Dick,” continued
Mole.
“Very well. I have walked as far several times.”
"Which way shall I go?"
“Straight ahead as the bird flies, and you can't
miss it."
“I'm off, like an arrow from a bow.”
Saying this, Mr. Mole made a start.
To his great annoyance, Nero walked up to him and
took the position of rear-rank man.
Hearing something behind him, Mole turned his
head.
He shook his fist savagely at the monkey.
“Go back !” he cried ; “or I shall hit you."
Nero bared his gums and chattered, but he did not
move.
"Confound the beast !" muttered Mole. "I don't
want to be mocked by an ape.”
There was no help for it, however. Nero would
not move away, and Mole had to go on, followed by his
comical-looking attendant.


Mole's Valor, and What Came of It. 169
Owing to his wooden legs, the professor did not
make quick progress.
It was hard work to get over the sand, even with the
aid of a crutch.
Harkaway and Harvey lounged along, smoking and
chatting, about two hundred yards behind.
"I reckon we shall have Bigamini this time,” said
Harkaway, “and he shall pay the penalty of his many
crimes.”
“What will be done to him, if we catch him and hand
him over to the police?" queried Harvey.
“We can prove that he is the agent and associate of
pirates. They will execute him, I should think.”
"He has as many lives as a cat."
"It is my opinion that he has come to his last chance."
“So I hope. The dastardly spy was always a thorn
in our sides.”
"You are right. He has given us a lot of trouble,”
replied Jack; "and so he is now.”
"No doubt the fellow is in league with a gang. They
receive the stolen goods from the pirates, when the
ships are plundered and burned, and they are feather-
ing their nests,” suggested Harvey.
“Of course. Hunston has put him into that.”
“They have always been bad, those two-no re-
demption for them. They don't try to go straight.”
“If they did try, they couldn't.”
“What is your opinion about young Jack and Mon-
day?" asked Harvey.
“I feel very anxious about them."
"So do I. They must have fallen into Bigamini's
hands."


Mole's Valor, and What Came of It. 171
"True. The spirit of evil is incarnate within him."
In a short time they came in sight of the lake.
The house was distinctly visible in the glorious
sunlight.
No one was to be seen at the windows, or in the
verandas.
There was a clump of trees, a quarter of a mile from
the lake.
It afforded a cool and safe shelter.
"Let us wait here and see what old Mole will do,"
exclaimed Harvey.
"Perhaps he will come to grief without us," replied
Harkaway.
“I don't see how he can.”
"It would be a pity anything happened to the old
buffer."
"So it would. I should be the last to wish it,” Har-
vey answered.
They both liked the professor too well to wish him
any harm.
He had become almost like a father to them.
From their boyhood up to now they had been asso-
ciated with one another.
“Mole's more than half tight,” continued Harkaway.
"I hope he won't make an ass of himself."
"How can he?" queried Harvey.
"He generally contrives to do so."
"Wait and see. We can come to his rescue in a few
minutes, by running over the flat to the lake.”
"I can't see anyone about."
"Nor I."


Mole's Valor, and What Came of It.
173
He stooped down to listen.
It struck him that the tones were familiar, but the
voice was so hoarse and weak that he could not be
sure.
The professor was about to speak, when there was
the explosion of a gun, and a bullet whizzed past his
ear.
He stood upright, and, looking at the lake house,
saw Bigamini.
The latter had noticed Mole, and recognized him at
once.
Going into his rifle gallery, he discharged a gun at
him.
Mole returned the shot.
Bigamini was artful enough to sink on his knees, and
escaped unhurt.
The next minute he pulled the cord of the death
trap.
In a second the boards collapsed.
Mr. Mole and the monkey went down into the hole,
the boards resumed their former position, and Bigamini
clapped his hands, as if to applaud himself.
Harkaway and Harvey had witnessed this strange
scene from their place of concealment,
So rapidly had everything occurred, that they could
not understand it.
Mole and Nero had certainly disappeared.
Where had they gone to?
That was the perplexing question that utterly be-
wildered their senses.
"What has become of Mole and the monkey?” asked
Harkaway, in amazement,


Mole's Valor, and What Came of It.
175
Perhaps there were several in ambush under the
trees.
He had a powerful fieldglass, which he put to his
eyes.
There could be no doubt that the redoubtable Hark-
away had found him out, and tracked him to his lair.
If there was one man in the world he was more
afraid of than another, it was Jack Harkaway. The
latter had a very heavy score to settle with him.
What mercy could he expect, if captured?
His position was, at that moment, a desperate one.
Bigamini retreated to his rifle gallery, and fired two
shots at long range.
They did no harm whatever.
Being in the house and under shelter, nothing could
be seen of him.
“Halt!” said Jack. “The fellow is firing under
cover. We shall be potted like shrimps, if we don't
look out.”
“What is to be done?" asked Harvey.
"I am at a loss to find out."
"He has the advantage all round," said Harvey. "If
I could see him, I should not care."
"There are holes in the wall he fires through."
“Then we are baffled.”
"It looks like it. Hang the luck!"
“But he is discovered and cornered. If we cannot
get at him, he can't get away.”
"Why can't he? I can see boats moored under the
house. We are on this side of the lake. All he has to
do, if he wants to bolt, is to get into a boat and scull to
the other side."
99


176 Mole's Valor, and What Came of It.
"And get clear off, eh?"
"Exactly. We can't stop him," replied Harkaway,
in a tone of deep vexation.
All at once they heard the sound of cart wheels.
A Chinaman was to be seen driving a horse that
drew a wagon full of rice straw.
It was a large vehicle, and contained a considerable
quantity of straw, amounting to over two tons in
weight.
“I have an idea,” continued Jack. “We will buy
that straw.”
“What use will that be?” asked Harvey.
“My dear Dick, don't you see that it will make a
wall impervious to bullets ?”
"Well?"
“If Bigamini fires at all, we shall be safe behind it.
Let us buy it, and make a rampart or a bulwark of it
on the landing stage. Then I can examine the boards,
see where Mole has vanished to, and deal with the spy
afterwards."
"Excellent ! Nothing could be better,” replied
Harvey.
Harkaway walked up to the Chinaman, who halted
his horse as he saw him coming.
“Wantee me?" asked the man.
"Where are you going with that load of straw?" said
Jack.
"To the Mandarin Mole. Litter for horsee."
“I will buy it from you. How much? You can get
some more for Mr. Mole."
"I'm gottee plenty. What you givee?"


Mole's Valor, and What Came of It.
177
They bargained for a brief space, and at last agreed
upon a price.
Jack immediately put his hand in his pocket and pro-
duced the money.
“Where I takee it?” asked the driver, who was a
small farmer living in the neighborhood.
"You see that wooden landing stage at the lake
shore?”
"Yes. That belongee to Biga-Eng-Ming-Ming."
“I am a friend of his. He wants some straw. In
fact, he told me to get him some. Put it down on the
boards in a kind of thick wall, six feet high, close to
the water.",
"Vellee goodee," replied the farmer.
He at once turned his horse's head and took the
wagon to the place indicated, where he deposited the
straw as directed.
Bigamini did not appear to comprehend the meaning
of the maneuver.
He might have shot the man or the horse, but he
did not attempt to do so.
In a quarter of an hour the straw was piled up as
Jack had ordered it to be.
The driver, with a customary Chinese bow and smile,
whipped off his horse, and went back home.
He was only too glad to be rid of his load so
quickly.
Bigamini began to fire again, but the bullets lodged
harmlessly in the thick wall of straw.
He was furious with rage at the clever trick that
had been played upon him.


178
Mole's Valor, and What Came of It.
Between the sharp cracks of his rifle his frantic
shouts could be heard.
Harkaway sank on his knees on the platform.
Muffled cries came from below.
"Help! help!" was cried loudly.
“That's Jack's voice, I'll swear!” he muttered.
"That's Mole's--that's Monday's. They are all in
some accursed pit.”
"How does it open ?" Harvey asked.
"I am trying to find out."
He had a strong hunting knife in his pocket.
With this he began to prize up the boards where
they joined in the middle.
It was hard work.
The perspiration rolled down his face in streams.
At last, by almost superhuman exertion and putting
forth all his great strength, he succeeded.
The bolt gave way.
"Back!" shouted Harvey, as the boards moved.
They both gave a spring, and luckily managed to get
on the edge of the pit.
When the boards fell down, the sun shone upon
the
imprisoned victims below.
Nero made good use of his claws.
He contrived to climb up the sides, and dripping with
the water in which he had been swimming, was the
first to reach dry land.
His delight at his escape knew no bounds.
He capered about and chattered incessantly.
Young Jack and Monday presented a pitiable spec-
tacle, as they were chilled to the bone and nearly ex-
hausted.


Mole's Valor, and What Came of It.
179
"Courage,” exclaimed Harkaway.
"All right, father,” replied young Jack; "we are not
dead yet."
“There am
um kick in the old horse yet," said
Monday.
“Who have we got to thank for it?" asked Jack.
“Bigamini," replied Harkaway.
“The wretch! I half suspected it."
Mr. Mole was up to his neck in the water.
He had broken his two wooden legs in falling down.
Harkaway looked around for some means of getting
them out.
There was no ladder to be got.
Fortunately his eye fell upon a stout rope, which
the farmer had lost out of his cart.
It was lying on the ground, within a few yards of
him.
“Hurrah! the very thing," he said.
“Capital! We can haul them up one by one,” replied
Harvey.
Harkaway made some knots in the rope and lowered
it into the pit.
"Catch hold of that," he cried.
“Mole first,” answered Jack. "He says he has
broken his wooden pins."
"Fasten the rope under his arms.
This was done, and the professor, more dead than
alive, was drawn up, and laid in the sun to recover.
It was comparatively easy to hoist up Jack and
Monday.
Their legs were so enfeebled by standing in the


180 Mole's Valor, and What Came of It.
water for so many hours, that they were obliged to sit
down.
In a few words, Harkaway informed them of all that
had happened since they started on their memorable
scout.
“Thank Heaven, Emily is safe,” said Jack. “You
are always up to date, father."
"If I wasn't, I don't know what would become of
you.
"What a devilish contrivance this pit is !"
“Worthy of the evil mind that designed it,” replied
Harkaway.
The question now was how to get at and capture
Bigamini.
From his behavior they had a right to treat him as
a wild beast or a brigand.
They fully intended to do so.
In a short time young Jack and Monday recovered
the use of their limbs.
But they were not in a fit state for fighting.
They wanted food and rest immediately.
Harkaway pulled out some of the boards which were
hanging over the pitfall, and, with the aid of the rope,
constructed a rude litter.
On this he placed Mole, who was very faint, and told
his son and Monday to carry him back to the house.
This they did willingly, for they saw they would
be of no use at the lakeside.
When they were gone Harkaway and Harvey held a
consultation.


CHAPTER XIV.
BIGA MINI IS ATTACKED.
“The dastardly little wretch knows that he is master
of the situation,” exclaimed Harkaway, "and defies us."
“Why should he be master?” asked Harvey.
“Because we cannot get at him. If he had built his
house on land, it would be a different thing. There is
water between us.”
“Let us go to Hongkong and get the police. They
will discover some means of dealing with him.”
"No, no!" cried Harkaway; "he is discovered and
will take to flight. He has' boats. What is to prevent
him from scuttling to the other side of the lake at any
moment, and getting clear off?"
“If we had a boat-
"He would shoot us, before we could get near his
dwelling," Harkaway interrupted.
"Then we can do nothing."
"I am afraid not."
"Had we not better go home, then? Emily is recov-
ered-young Jack, Monday and Mole are all right.
We can start at once for Greece and the treasure
island.”
“There is nothing to prevent us, but I should like to
get the thousand pounds back that Bigamini has ex-
torted from us.”
"Perhaps it will be as well to leave it alone."


182
Bigamini is Attacked.
"Bigamini has fairly cornered us. I hate to be
done," said Harkaway.
He bit his lip with vexation.
At this moment Nero came up to them.
The monkey had not gone back to the plantation
with his young master.
He had been looking at the house on the lake, and
was chattering, as if he wanted to talk.
"That creature has got some idea in his head, only
he cannot make us understand what it is,” remarked
Harvey.
“He is a most intelligent animal,” replied Jack.
"Almost human."
“I believe he would go and fight Bigamini, if he
could swim, only that is not one of his accomplish-
ments.”
Suddenly a large Newfoundland dog named Cæsar,
belonging to Harkaway, ran up to his master.
Cæsar had been made a present to Jack by the con-
sul in Hongkong, who had a breed of these famous
dogs.
He was about two years old, and a fine specimen.
Missing his master, he had tracked him to the lake.
It happened that Nero and Cæsar were great friends,
the dog permitting the monkey to take any liberty he
liked with him.
Nero was accustomed to ride on Cæsar's back.
When he saw him he chattered to him, and raised
his paw in the direction of the lake.
The next moment he sprang on his back, and the dog
ran towards the water and plunged into it


Bigamini is Attacked.
183
Nero kept his seat, holding on to one of the New-
foundland's ears.
The latter swam straight to the lake house.
Owing to the pile of rice straw which protected them
from rifle bullets and observation, Harkaway and his
old friend were unable to watch the animals' proceed-
ings.
They were very anxious to do so, however.
"There is something up with those two,” observed
Harvey.
"Shall we crawl round the corner and look ?" asked
Harkaway.
“By all means. I believe Nero is going to attack
the king in his castle."
"It would not surprise me, but I should not like the
poor thing come to any grief."
"Nor I. Young Jack is so much attached to him."
They went down on their hands and knees, and got
into a position where, without being clearly distinguish-
able themselves, they could see the house.
Bigamini, rifle in hand, was seated on the veranda,
smoking a cigar and scanning the shore.
There was a look of placid contentment on his face,
as if he feared nobody.
In the water was Cæsar, with Nero seated on his
back, making his way slowly but surely towards the
house.
The sun was high in the heavens, and a dull haze
hung over the surface of the lake.
Bigamini did not see the dog and his companion, the
monkey.
He was looking out for human beings, not animals.


Bigamini is Attacked.
185
“Lo Mung! Hi Li! Help!
Help! Come to me!" he
yelled.
The monkey retreated when he began to shout, de-
scended the steps, sprang lightly on Cæsar's back, and
was conveyed to the shore.
He waved his tail triumphantly in the air.
It was clear that he thought he had done a very
brave and grand action.
The whole thing had been visible to Harkaway and
Harvey.
They had enjoyed it immensely.
“By Jove !” said Jack, "he has polished off old Biga-
mini.”
"I never saw such a thing in my life," replied
Harvey.
"He can't see, or he'd shoot."
“His men are going to do so, though. Two Chinese
have come up with rifles.”
"Retreat at the double."
“No fear."
They crawled back again to their shelter, just in time
to escape a couple of bullets. These were fired by Lo
Mung and Hi Li.
A third shot followed.
There was heard a wild howl.
Cæsar had just reached the bank. Nero had jumped
off his back, but the dog was shot dead.
The faithful beast sank to rise no more.
Nero took one glance at him, which seemed to be full
of sorrow, and went behind the straw.
He crouched down at Harkaway's feet, and deposited
a handful of hair.


186
Bigamini is Attacked.
It was a portion of that which he had despoiled Biga-
mini of.
"Where's the dog?" asked Jack.
Harvey looked round the corner.
"Dead as a doornail," he replied,
“Poor beast! Keep your eye on the house, Dick. I
don't want you to expose yourself, but I want to know
what is going on."
"I'll be on the job. The two Chinamen are taking
Bigamini indoors."
"He's badly hurt, I expect. Good old Nero! I'll
give you a big bunch of bananas when we get home."
"Do you mean to stay here long?" asked Harvey.
“I'll stay an hour or two. Keep your eyes open, and
when you are tired of watching I'll relieve you."
“Right! It's as well to see what the beggar's next
move is.”
"I think he'll bolt," said Harkaway.
"If he does do a bunk, we can nip round the lake and
follow.”
“We will, too."
"Agreed !" replied Harvey, who, concealing himself
as well as he could, bestowed his attention upon the
house.


CHAPTER XV.
THE FATE OF HYSA.
When the monkey left Bigamini alone he was in a
miserable condition.
His ears, nose and forehead were mangled, his cheeks
bitten and scratched-he was covered with blood, and
had to lament a serious loss of hair, which, not being
of the type of Absalom, he could ill spare.
Lo Mung and Hi Li were summoned to his aid by
his cries.
They led him, blinded with blood, into the house,
seating him in his private room.
Hysa came to him with a basin of water and a fine
linen rag, with which she washed his wounds.
Schneider and Blowhard, his partners, were lying on
the sweet-scented matting which covered the floor.
Their faces wore a peaceful expression, as if they
were enjoying the sort of sleep which waits upon easy
consciences.
A pillow had been placed under their heads, as if to
make them comfortable.
But they would not want anything more in this world.
Theirs was the eternal sleep of death, from which
there is no awakening here.
The poison Bigamini had given them as we de-
scribed previously-had done its fell work.
All was over with the fraudulent ship brokers, who,


188
The Fate of Hysa.
under the guise of business men, were nothing else than
the skillful agents of daring pirates.
They were dead, and Bigamini had taken from their
pockets all the money they possessed.
Hysa fancied the two men slumbered, as did Lo
Mung and Hi Li.
After bathing his face, Hysa applied some healing
ointment to the hurts her brutal husband had sustained.
This checked the severe pain he had been suffering,
but it did not improve his temper, which was savage in
the extreme.
"Go and catch that infernal monkey!” he exclaimed,
addressing the Chinamen.
"No catchee. Too later," said Lo Mung.
"How is that?"
"He ridee on swimming dog's back. On land now."
“Where is he?"
"Hidee behind the straw with Harkaway and Har-
vey,” said Lo Mung.
"Are they watching the house now?"
“Me thinkee watchee. Not able see much. They
not go home. Mole mandarin, Monday nigger, young
Jack, all go. They get out of hole in ground.”
"Then I am besieged !” cried Bigamini. “They do
not mean to let me alone. Mole and the others have
gone for reinforcements, no doubt."
"Hangee all if get taken, because stealee girl and
shootee," remarked Lo Mung.
Bigamini fixed his hard, steely eye upon the Mon.
golian.
"Are you afraid of being hanged?” he asked.
"Not vellee nicee way to die," Lo Mung answered.


The Fate of Hysa.
191
Seizing it with both hands, he hurled it at the little
skiff in which the woman now sat.
She had the sculls in her hand, and was about to pull
to the adjacent shore.
His treatment of Lo Mung and Hi Li had stricken
her with terror.
It was clear that he had been rendered desperate
since his enemies had discovered his abode.
The stove missed her, but fell into the boat, in which
it smashed a large hole.
Going through the bottom, it sank into the lake.
The boat instantly filled with water.
Hysa could not swim a single stroke.
In a few seconds the skiff heeled over, and she was
precipitated into the water.
She sank like a stone, and did not appear again.
Such was the fate of the unhappy Hysa.
Bigamini smiled grimly.
"Now I am free," he muttered. “I have got rid of
all those who surrounded me and were a drag. I will
start again somewhere else. A new life shall be mine.”
The house and the land attached to the lakeside was
not his own property.
He had bought it at first, but after he improved it a
little he sold it to advantage, contenting himself with
renting it.
The last half year's rent he had not paid.
He took a match from his pocket.
"I'll burn the house," he continued ; "that will destroy
all traces of my victims. I can say it was an accident,
my wife perished in the flames; that will do for me, if I


192
The Escape and the Pursuit.
am asked questions; or, if the body turns up, I will de-
clare that she jumped into the water and was drowned.”
He went to the kitchen, threw a can of oil on the
floor, and deliberately set fire to it.
Immediately a huge flash of flame arose.
The wood caught fire and the frail place was fully
alight in a very short time.
Bigamini had his money secured about his person in
two stout canvas bags.
He made his way to the veranda, got into the one
remaining boat, and sculled towards the opposite shore.
It was his purpose to studiously avoid any contact
with Harkaway and Harvey.
But his departure was seen.
His
escape
had been noticed.
Harvey's sharp eyes saw the villain as he left the
house on the lake.
He got up, and ran behind the wall of straw, to com-
municate the news to his friend.
Oppressed with the heat, Harkaway had fallen asleep.
"Wake up, Jack !" cried Harvey.
Harkaway was on his feet in a moment.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE ESCAPE AND THE PURSUIT.
"What's up?" asked Harkaway.
“Bigamini has left the house in a boat," replied
Harvey.
“Come on.
We will follow him."


The Escape and the Pursuit.
193
"I'm ready. Start!"
Shoulder to shoulder they began to run round the
lake to intercept Bigamini at the other side.
It was child's play to them.
They were used to hare-and-hounds in their boyish
days, and always, by their active lives, kept themselves
in training
"I've a lot to tell you," continued Harvey.
"What has the fiend been doing?” inquired Jack.
“He drowned a woman just now.”
"Killing women, or running away with them, seems
a favorite amusement of his." ;
"Healthy recreation he would call it."
"He's set the house on fire if I may judge by the
smoke and flames issuing from it.”
“What a demon he is.”
"Worse than Hunston."
"No," replied Harkaway, "you cannot find anyone as
bad as Hunston, if you search the whole world
through.”
“They are well matched.”
The circuit they had to make was a large one.
It seemed odds of a thousand to one that Bigamini
would out-distance them easily.
But an unforeseen accident happened to him before
he had got far from the house. They kept the boat
well in view.
A few yards from the house Bigamini stopped scull-
ing to view the burning of his residence.
It was like a lot of tinder, or matchwood.
The whole building was in flames in an almost in-
credibly short period.


194
The Escape and the Pursuit.
Dense volumes of smoke rose on the summer air.
Forked tongues of fire shot up, as if they wanted to
lick the sky.
Satisfied that the destruction of the premises would
be as complete as he could desire, Bigamini broke into
a laugh, and unfortunately dropped one of his sculls in
the water.
A gentle breeze fanned the bosom of the lake, and
drifted it away.
Despite all his efforts, he was unable to recover it.
It was hard work after this to paddle the skiff with
one scull to the opposite shore.
Harkaway and Harvey had a great advantage over
him.
It was of no use to try to return to the house, for
that was nearly reduced to ashes by this time.
He did not notice his pursuers, who were running
round the lake.
With great difficulty, he managed to slowly get the
boat to the shore.
It was fringed with a thick hedge of bamboos.
Running the boat in, he jumped on land.
Harkaway and Harvey had arrived there before him.
They were crouching on the ground.
No sooner had he stepped foot on the earth than they
sprang up.
Each had a revolver in his hand, leveled at him.
Bigamini trembled in every limb.
This was a reception that he had not calculated upon.
He was armed with a knife and a pistol, but he had
no opportunity of using them.
"Hands up!" cried Jack, "or you are a dead man."


The Escape and the Pursuit,
195
Bigamini threw up his hands.
He saw it was useless to resist.
"Search him, Dick,” continued Harkaway.
Harvey lost no time in taking from the wretch his
knife, pistol and the two bags of coin.
"We've got our money back," Harvey remarked.
"And we have captured the hateful spy, the villain,
the scoundrel, who has cropped up again to be a thorn
in our sides," replied Jack.
Bigamini sank to the ground, looking the picture of
misery.
“I give in, Mr. Harkaway, sir,” he whined.
“Because you can't help yourself,” was Jack's an-
swer.
"Don't pile it on and hit a man when he is down."
"You deserve no mercy.”
“Let me go, sir.”
"You will be given into the custody of the Hongkong
police. That is your fate.”
“I haven't done anything."
"Did you not try to rob Mr. Mole? Haven't you ab-
ducted little Emily? Didn't you put my son and Mon-
day into your pitfall, liar and thief?” Jack cried.
"I am very sorry, sir," sniveled the vagabond.
“Get
up. I hate to see one man groveling before an-
other."
“You mustn't kill me. The law of the land-
“Bah!” interrupted Jack. “You never respected one
law in the decalogue! Don't talk to me of law !"
"Is my life safe?”
"Yes. We do not intend to harm you. The police
shall deal with you.”


196
The Escape and the Pursuit.
Bigamini rose to his feet.
His face assumed an insolent air at once.
So long as he knew he was safe, he did not care one
snap of the fingers.
"Where are you going to take me?" he inquired.
"To Hongkong,” replied Jack.
“What are you about to charge me with ?”
"Stealing my friend Harvey's child, and trying to
kill my son and others in a trap."
“Can you prove it?”
“I don't think there will be any difficulty about that.”
“Well, I shall accuse you of highway robbery. I no
sooner get on shore out of my boat than you spring
from the bamboos and take my money away.”
Jack burst out laughing.
"You always were an impudent rascal,” he said. "I
had a good knowledge of you in Naples. It was a pity
you were not drowned, but I suppose you were born to
be hanged."
“A man may as well die 'one way as another.”
"March. We've got you, and we'll keep you."
Bigamini stepped out. Harkaway pointed a pistol at
his head.
Harvey took him by the arm, so that he could not
make any attempt to escape.
They proceeded round the lake to Mr. Mole's plan-
tation.
When they had gone halfway they came to the main
road leading from the country to Hongkong
Accidentally they met Fan Chi, whom they knew well
as one of the head commissioners of police,


The Escape and the Pursuit.
197
He was on horseback, and accompanied by two or-
dinary policemen on foot.
Some robberies had recently been committed in the
neighborhood, and he had been to make personal in-
vestigations.
When encountered, he was on his way back to the
city.
"Good-day!" exclaimed the commissioner, in very
excellent English. “I trust you and your party eat
well."
By this speech he meant to inquire if they were in
good health.
"Thank you, we do. And you?” replied Harkaway.
“I am in the enjoyment of an excellent appetite.
Who have you with you?”
"A prisoner. It is fortunate that we have met with
you, as we can now give him into your custody.”
"What has he done?” inquired Fan Chi.
Jack narrated his misdeeds, and said something about
his former history.
“Ha! Child-stealing-extorting money-in league
with pirates. He is a great criminal,” cried the com-
missioner.
"If you will conduct him to prison, we will appear
against him to-morrow."
“By all means. It shall be done. Ho! there, seize
him."
The two policemen promptly took Bigamini into cus-
tody.
His misfortunes were complete now, but the rascal
did not appear to be cast down.


The Escape and the Pursuit.
199
"That is a fitting punishment for my misdeeds.”
There was a slight pause.
Then the commissioner of police again spoke.
“I have known some rogues make money,” he said.
"Are you one of that description ?
“Yes. I can put my hand on some cash,” Bigamini
answered.
"How much?”
"It would give me the greatest pleasure to make your
respectable higbness a present; but it is for you to state
what sum is befitting your dignity and worth.”
"I cannot accept a trifle; it would lower my pride.
Yet, if you offered me two hundred and fifty pounds I
would take it.”
“In that case, would you allow me to visit some rela-
tives ?”
"For how long?" asked Fan Chi.
"Say forty-eight hours,” rejoined Bigamini.
“I have no objection to that. The request is very
reasonable. When a man is sure to be hanged, he nat-
urally wants to put his affairs in order and take leave
of his friends."
“That is my feeling, most upright and just.”
“You must undertake to give yourself up at my po-
lice court at the expiration of the time."
“Certainly, protector of the peace, terror of evil-
doers, and exterminator of criminals.”
"When can you make me this present?” continued
Fan Chi.
“At
once,
if
you will come to my bank with me. I
will draw a check in your favor for the amount.”
"It is well. I perceive that you are a business man."


200
The Escape and the Pursuit.
The bargain had been struck.
Chinese officials are very corrupt, and from the first
Bigamini was well aware that his liberation was only a
question of money.
He had got off cheaper than he had expected.
The sum was a trifling one to him.
They continued their way in silence to the city, and
proceeded at once to the bank.
There Bigamini obtained the cash in gold, and
handed it to the venal commissioner.
It was a scandalous abuse of justice, but such things
are constantly occurring in China.
The commissioner shook him cordially by the hand.
"May your chopsticks never be idle," he said,
“It is my heartfelt wish that you may always eat your
rice with relish,” replied Bigamini.
"I shall rely upon seeing you at my office when forty-
eight hours have expired."
“Most certainly. I shall not fail to be there."
Fan Chi walked away with his officers.
He knew very well that he would never see his late
prisoner again; but what did it matter to him?
Though he was a police commissioner, he was so cor-
rupt that he did not care a straw whether justice was
done or not.
All he wanted to do was to make money.
Those who could pay got off scot-free; those who
could not had to suffer.
Bigamini was no sooner alone than he drew another
check, and took all his money out of the bank.
It amounted to a very reputable sum, being sufficient
to support him for a long time in affluence.


Mole and the Red Dragon.
201
He was aware that he could not stay in Hongkong
for any lengthened period.
Bending his steps towards a restaurant where he in-
tended to dine, he grated his teeth together.
"You have foiled me this time, Jack Harkaway," he
muttered; "but you have not seen the last of me. I
live! I breathe! Beware!"
With these menacing words he disappeared within
the walls of the restaurant.
He had escaped from the toils.
Harkaway thought his enemy was caged and doomed
to death, but he was mistaken.
The spy and ally of Hunston was free to do more
mischief.
But what his future movements were to be, Bigamini
had yet to decide.
CHAPTER XVII.
MR.
MOLE AND THE RED DRAGON.
As Harkaway and Harvey returned to Mr. Mole's
house, they were in high spirits.
All their troubles were over. Little Emily and
young Jack were safe at home, and they were at liberty
to depart for the treasure island when they liked.
They determined not to linger in the Flowery Land.
A little experience of China goes a long way, and
although it is a country to make money in that is, at


202
Mole and the Red Dragon.
the treaty ports—white men are generally glad to get
out of it.
They had been looking after a ship which they in-
tended to charter.
Hunston was still at large, but they hoped to give
him the slip
It would be strange if he found out that they had
gone to the Mediterranean Sea.
How was he to gain the intelligence ?
Reaching the house, they stopped in the front garden
to gather some roses for their wives.
There was an extensive lawn, studded with beautiful
standard roses.
In the center stood a block of wood, which had been
carved into the semblance of a dragon.
It was painted a bright vermilion color.
Everybody alluded to it as the Red Dragon.
It was about five feet in height.
The former proprietor of the house considered it a
great ornament.
All the Chinese delight in hideous designs-mon-
strosities—the grotesque in art.
The uglier a thing is, the more they like and ad-
mire it.
All at once Jack heard Mr. Mole's voice.
“This way, Monday,” he cried.
"On the lawn, sare?" asked 'Monday.
“Yes. I have got my weapon, and I mean to have a
fight with that Red Dragon."
"Him am a dead un, sir."
Mr. Mole looked angrily at Monday.


Mole and the Red Dragon.
203
“Don't tell me such a lie as that,” he said. “You
know the dragon is as much alive as I am.”
“Think um so,
if
you
like.”
“If I don't kill the loathsome beast he will attack us
in the night. Wheel me up."
Harkaway pulled Harvey behind a tree, which was
a large magnolia.
Here they could see what was going on without
themselves being perceived.
"Here's a lark,” said Jack. "We shall have some
fun."
“Mole's been lapping,” Harvey replied. "He is as
full as a goat.”
The professor, being bereft of his legs, had got into
a bath-chair, which he had bought during his illness.
Monday had procured him a bottle of rum, part of
which he drank.
It soon got into his head.
Young Jack was relating his adventures to Emily
and Hilda and his sweetheart.
No one took any notice of Mole and Monday.
The professor had been looking out of the window.
He caught sight of the old wooden Red Dragon, and
imagined, in a quixotic manner, that it was a live one.
It did not occur to him that dragons were fabulous
monsters.
Snatching up an old ship's cutlass, he told Monday
to wheel him into the garden.
This the black was doing when Harkaway and Har-
vey appeared upon the scene.
The bath-chair was propelled by Monday to within
a foot or two of the Red Dragon.


Mole and the Red Dragon.
205
“Yes. The knights of old did not kill hydras in
somnolent condition."
"Stir um up with um long pole?"
“Give him a kick, but mind he does not bite you.”
"All right. Look out!"
Monday went behind the Red Dragon.
As he moved, the professor raised his sword.
It was a formidable-looking weapon, and, though old,
very sharp.
Monday shook the wooden thing.
It oscillated slightly.
Mole gave it a slashing blow, and cut the head clean
off.
It rolled to the ground, disclosing a large hole, in
which something shone like gold.
“Victor!" shouted Mole. “I have killed the pestilen-
tial dragon. All honor to me!”
Harkaway and Harvey stepped forward.
“Bravo!” said Jack.
"Hurrah!” cried Harvey.
"Was it not splenuidly done?" asked Mole, who be-
lieved in the reality of the whole thing.
“I never saw anything like it in my life,” replied
Jack.
"Am I not a hero, Harkaway?"
"Indeed you are.”
“Worth the Victoria Cross."
"Half a dozen of 'em-putty medals included.”
"I can do it.”
"You can. Henceforth you shall be known as the
dragon slayer."
"Was he not a formidable beast?"


208
Mole Gets His New Legs.
two hundred inhabitants, exclusive of the priests of the
temple, who were no less than thirty in number.
Religious people came from all parts to visit the
Temple of Kiang.
It was considered a particularly sacred one.
Gifts of money and food were made to the priests,
who were a flourishing and prosperous community.
Young Jack had never been over a Chinese temple,
or joss-house, as the natives call their church.
He had a strong desire to do so.
To drive over to Kiang would kill the time of one
day, at all events.
Besides, it would be something to say in future
years that he had been over the joss-house.
He got his mother to pack him up a lunch hamper,
in which all kinds of good things were stored.
Then he told Monday that he wanted him to accom-
pany him to Kiang, and proceeded to Mr. Mole's pri-
vate room to ask for the loan of his horse and carriage.
The door of the room was open, and young Jack took
the liberty of entering without knocking.
He saw the professor standing before a table, on
which was a looking-glass,
The learned gentleman was surveying himself.
On his wrinkled but erudite face there was a look
of placid satisfaction. Like the young man of old,
named Narcissus, who beheld his countenance in a
sheet of water and fell in love with it, he seemed to be
proud of himsif.
"What's the old fool up to?" said Jack to himself.
“I shall do; yes,” remarked Mole. “I look and feel
uncommonly fit. Never was I in better form."


Mole Gets His New Legs.
209
Jack, coughed.
In a moment Mr. Mole turned round.
“Oh! is it you, my young and intelligent friend.
Come in !" exclaimed Mole.
"'I am sorry to intrude upon your privacy, sir,” re-
plied Jack.
"Don't mention it. You are always welcome, because
you are the son of
your
father."
“Then you don't altogether care for me for myself?”
"You are slightly inclined to be mischievous. There
is a little of the crisp in your composition. However,
I will forget that, as I am in a remarkably good
temper.”
"What is that owing to, sir? Have you had a con-
signment of the finest old Jamaica ?”
"Rude remarks I object to."
“I apologize, sir. It shall not happen again,” said
Jack, with mock contrition.
“Take care that it does not. My high spirits arise
from the fact that I have recovered my understand-
ing.”
“Your what, sir?"
"I speak figuratively. Some people have eyes, but
they see not. Am I not erect? See! I can agitate the
light fantastic, artificial toe."
As he spoke, Mole lifted up one leg and then the
other.
With the aid of his stick (a trusty bamboo), he
walked round the room-a little stiffly, perhaps, but
with perfect ease.
He had received from the artificial limb-maker in


210
Mole Gets His New Legs.
Hongkong a pair of the very latest improved, flexible,
patent cork legs.
Putting them on, he found that they answered his
purpose, and gave him
every satisfaction.
With his stick to balance himself, he could walk
very well indeed.
It was a triumph of modern science and handicraft.
"My legs, Jack, my legs," continued the professor;
"my new corybantic. I feel like a nymph of the ballet.
I could dance a pas seul or a can-can. Merrily could I
tread the measure of the mazy waltz.”
"I most heartily congratulate you, sir.”
“Ah, it's a great thing to have your legs. What is a
man without them?”
“Only half a man, I should think.”
“Right. Still, it is better than being like Charles
the First, without your head.”
“I have come to ask a favor, sir.”
"Bless me! you generally take French leave when
you want anything. How is it you condescend to come
and ask the old man ?”
“Respect for old age, sir. I want you to lend me
your horse and trap.”
“Can't have it. I'm going to use it myself,” snapped
Mole. “Why should I put myself out of the way for
a snip of a boy who can't write a set of Latin verses
without making a false quantity in every third line?”
"If you don't lend it me, I shall take it. I thought
I would ask your royal highness and high mightiness,
as a matter of courtesy."
"What! steal my trap?"
"Borrow it."
ور


Mole Gets His New Legs.
213
had a pleasing way of standing still in the middle of the
road.
This attitude it would preserve for ten minutes, as if
it were waiting to have its photograph taken.
"I think, sir," remarked Jack, "that you ought to
enter this steed of yours for the Derby.”
"Oh! He's a very fine animal, if you only know how
to manage him," replied Mole.
“Go on! I never saw such a fright in my life!"
"Um only walk about to save um funeral expenses,"
observed Monday.
“What do you know of the points of a horse, my
sable friend?" asked Mr. Mole.
"This camel been in the funeral line, I should think,
for certain.”
The horse started again, and the journey was per-
formed in due course.
A tea house at the entrance to the village of Kiang
invited their attention.
They stopped, secured the horse under some trees,
had a cup of tea, and went off to view the temple.
This edifice was built on rising ground, which made
it seem better than it really was.
It was approached on all sides by flights of stone
steps, but there was only one entrance for priests and
public.
A walk up the street, which was lined with houses
standing in large gardens, brought them to the temple.
It being midday, there was nobody in the place of
worship, prayers being, as a rule, offered by the Celes-
tials morning and evening.
No visitors had as yet arrived from Hongkong,


216
Mole Gets His New Legs.
ity, whichever you like to call it, laid down by their
great philosopher and writer, named Confucius."
"Suppose John Chinaman think a lot of um joss
idol,” Monday observed.
"Of course, he does; and if Mole goes handling or
cribbing one of them, there will be no end of a row,"
replied Jack.
“They kill him, perhaps.”
"I shouldn't wonder if they did, in the event of his
being caught. He'd have had a better chance of bag-
ging a joss without Loo Chow, who, I'll swear, would
be the first to give him away."
"That um sure thing," Monday said.
Mr. Mole and the guide had, by this time, entered
the ancient Temple of Kiang.
Jack and Monday quickly followed them.
A dim, religious light prevailed.
Several huge and hideous idols were to be seen in
various parts of the large building.
On tables over which lighted lamps were suspended
were smaller ones.
Spectral-looking forms might be seen gliding about.
These were priests connected with the administration
of the temple.
Here and there a worshiper or a penitent was pros-
trated before one of the larger idols.
One curious thing was noticeable.
At the foot of all the idols were deposited plates con-
taining rice, ready cooked for eating, roast chickens,
meat and little piles of money.
All these were offerings to the wooden gods, and,


The Torture of the Iron Boots.
217
of course, were, at the expiration of each day, appro-
priated by the priests.
On the second story, and on the third of the pagoda,
was a smaller edition of what was to be seen below.
All the stories above this were the priests' private
apartments, into which the public were not allowed to
enter.
Such was the great Temple of Kiang.
Jack looked in all directions for Mr. Mole and the
guide.
They were nowhere to be seen.
There was nothing in losing sight of one another,
however, as they were sure to meet again..
They would come together inside or outside before.
long.
Talking in a low voice, as became the character of
the place, to Monday, he walked about, examining
everything carefully.
If there was nothing to impress the mind of a West-
ern man, there was much to interest and amuse.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE TORTURE OF
THE IRON BOOTS.
Mr. Mole was conducted—there is really nothing
like being personally conducted when you are in a
strange country and out of your orbit, as it were
by Loo Chow, all round the ground floor of the temple.


The Torture of the Iron Boots.
221
He saw that he had been found out.
His theft had been discovered by the priests.
It was an extremely serious affair.
No doubt the rascally guide had betrayed him, al-
though he had taken his money.
At all events, he was fairly in the toils.
There was no escape now, unless he came to terms
with the priests of the temple.
His experience of China and the Chinese had told
him that much could be done with money.
He hoped to be able to buy himself off.
In this expectation, however, he was doomed to be
disappointed.
"It is not a question of payment," replied the old
priest. "I have been in your country, and I know that
you are rich, and that you think your money will allow
you to commit offenses with impunity.”
"You have got your joss back," said Mole. “I am a
collector of curiosities."
"It wasn't yours to take.”
“Sell me one."
"We do not make a market of our gods," answered
the priest. “They are too precious."
"I'm not particular about a few pounds."
"You have desecrated the shrine; you have insulted
the Temple of Kiang and its priests, therefore you must
suffer.”
"Eh-what?" Mole ejaculated.
"You will have to pay the penalty of your audacity
and rashness; in short, we shall put you to the torture."
Mr. Mole's countenance fell.


222
The Torture of the Iron Boots.
"How dare you talk to me like that!” he demanded,
in a faltering voice.
“We are the masters here. You stole our joss.”
“But, my dear sir, allow me to respectfully inform
you that the wooden monstrosity-
"Silence !" interrupted the priest.
“Beg pardon! I meant to say-curiosity.”
“No more words."
"I will speak! It is my right. The thing is once
more in your possession."
“No thanks to you.”
"I demand to be led before a magistrate."
“We are above the law, and administer justice in
our own way. Come with us.”
“I am a British subject. If you interfere with me,
you will regret it, for I have rich and influential
friends. Two of them are in your temple at the pres-
ent moment. They know that I am here. Beware! I
am Mr. Mole, professor of Oxford University, Eng-
land, and proprietor of a tea garden in China !”
“We care not who you are !"
"Reflect! Pause !"
"You have committed sacrilege! What would you
say if I came to one of your churches in your country
and basely stole a piece of the communion plate, or the
cross from the altar?”
"It is altogether different."
“Not at all, Our religion is as sacred to us as
yours to you. Come !"
Mr. Mole made no further resistance.
He saw that it was useless to argue the point with
the priest.
---


224
The Torture of the Iron Boots.
It would not do to let them know that he was half
made of cork.
If they did find that out they most likely would
practice on him in some more vulnerable portion of his
anatomy.
It was necessary for him to act a part.
With this end in view, as soon as the attendant struck
the wedges with the hammer, he uttered a most un-
earthly yell.
The next blow was followed by a wild Arab howl,
worthy of a dying Haden-down of the Soudan.
He writhed, he twisted, he contorted his features.
When the wedge had gone down into the boot the
attendant did the same thing with the other foot.
Mole continued to shout, scream, squirm and utter
bad language.
At last he let his head fall back, shut his eyes, and
drew his breath gently.
"He has fainted under the severity of the punish-
ment," said the head priest. "It is enough.”
"What shall we do with him, master ?" asked the
attendant.
“Put him in a basket and convey him under the
palm trees that grow on the left side of the temple;
there leave him. If his friends find him, well and good.
If not, the charitable may take him to the Hongkong
Infirmary, for he will not walk again for months. I
care not. The priests of the temple are above the law.
No one dare interfere with us doing our duty. Shall
our josses be stolen with impunity by foreign devils ?
No. All China would support us. We have taught the
wretched Fanqui a lesson."


The Torture of the Iron Boots.
225
The attendant and a priest procured a large wicker-
work basket, into which they put Mr. Mole, after re-
moving the wedges and the iron boots.
He pretended to be perfectly helpless and insensible
to everything that was going on around him.
The two men took up the basket and carried it down
the stairs, through the ground floor of the temple, and
so on into the open space around, in a portion of which
the palm trees grew.
Here they deposited the burden they had been carry-
ing, and hastened back to the sacred pagoda.
As they went along the attendant said:
"How the foreign devil did swear and howl."
"It was music to my ears," replied the priest.
“For a long time he will not get over it.”.
"If he had died it would have served him right.'
"Ah! We of the temple know how to protect our
josses."
Mole congratulated himself heartily on his escape,
but he did not deem it prudent to move at present.
If he did, and the priests from the windows of the
temple saw him walk away unhurt, they might seize
him again and inflict real injuries upon him.
For once in his life he blessed himself for having
artificial legs.
If his legs had been real, the iron boot and wedges
would have injured him terribly.
The feet are full of little bones, the toes are tender,
and the ankle is easily hurt by a knock.
It was a cruel mode of torture.
The professor resolved never to enter a joss house
again, as he had a wholesome dread of the priests.


228
The Man in the Basket.
"My friend."
“Me not knowee. He payee me, I go_leavee him.”
"It's an infernal lie to say you don't know,” ex-
claimed Jack. “Come on to the bottom of the steps.
Let me get you under the trees and I'll knock some
“knowee' into you, you highly interesting specimen of a
Celestial living in a flowery land.”
“Lettee me go,” said Loo Chow.
“Not much. Help him along behind, Monday,
please.'
Monday raised his foot.
The result was that the guide went down three steps
at once, and would have dragged Jack with him had
not the latter let go his hold.
Loo Chow raised himself.
In a moment Monday was in attendance upon him.
Another vigorous kick administered to the guide
while in a stooping position sent him flying.
It was a sight to see Loo Chow rolling, hopping,
jumping, bumping down the steps of the pagoda.
Sometimes he would be on his feet, at others on his
head, and then he would be doing the trapeze business
on nothing
He had to negotiate sixty steps before he reached the
bottom. When he did so his body gave one bound
upwards, and then he fell down as flat as a brick.
Monday put his hands to his side, opened his ca-
pacious mouth and laughed loudly.
“Yum! yum !” he cried. “That um bully kick, Mast
Jack. I sent him kiting. It was a hyster, as we used to
say in New York."


The Man in the Basket.
229
"I hope he is not killed," replied Jack; "because I
want to get some information out of him."
“These Chinamen pretty tough, sare.”
“Let us go down and see if we can revive him. It is
ten to one he knows what has become of Mole, or he
would not have tried to bolt."
“That um moral certainty."
They descended the steps, and drew the body of Loo
Chow under a tree.
He was breathing heavily, was quite senseless, and
blood was issuing from his mouth and nose.
The peculiar way in which he had gone downstairs
had not agreed with him.
It was clear that he was not heaven-made acrobat,
born for the profession.
“He looks bad,” remarked Jack. “I fancy the poor
beggar's going to kick out. It's a pity you rammed him
so hard with
your
boot."
“I'd got to do it, Mast' Jack. Could not resist it, if I
was never to eat pie again's long I live," said Monday,
with a grin.
"I am sorry. If he could speak we might get some-
thing out of him about Mole."
“How we going to find the gentleman ?”
"That's a puzzler. Let us leave Mr. Loo Chow where
he is for a bit, and get farther into the shade. He
may come to soon,” exclaimed Jack.
"Don't you think it time for to eat um grub, Mast'
Jack?” inquired Monday.
“By Jove! Yes. I'd forgotten all about it in the ex-
citement of the moment, but while we are uncertain as to


232
The Man in the Basket.
"You, sir-in a basket!” cried Jack. "What does
this mean?”
"Oh golly!" exclaimed Monday, "it am the old
man.”
"Thank Heaven !" replied Mole. "Help me out. This
is better luck than I expected.”
"How did you get into the basket ?"
"Thereby hangs a tale. I will unfold it."
Young Jack and Monday assisted him out of the
basket, and when he was on his pins he related his ad-
ventures.
They could not help laughing heartily.
It was the most comical adventure he had met with
for a long time, although Mole was always doing some-
thing funny.
The guide had not recovered consciousness.
No one was sorry for him, because they all felt sure
that he had betrayed Mole to the priests.
“Come on, boys !” said Mole; "we will go to lunch.
I'm not hurt.”
"Wooden legs are a great institution, sir," replied
Jack.
“You bet! I have found them so."
"Do you want any more wooden gods?"
“I have done with josses. Let us be moving. These
priests might get hold of me again, and then"
He broke off abruptly.
A slight shudder ran through him.
The three lost no time in walking back to the tea
house.
Fortunately their lunch hamper had not been touched,
and they enjoyed themselves immensely,


234
The Witness of Guilt.
"Why doesn't the American doctor come?” said the
mate, impatiently.
The sailor who had been sent in search of the doctor
came back looking considerably upset.
“The doctor!" exclaimed the mate, impatiently.
“Where is he?”
“Gone !"
“Go and look after him," said the mate.
“I have looked after him everywhere, but he is not
to be found.”
“Bah!" ejaculated the mate, hastily, “bring him
here at once-do you hear?”
"I think he must have left the ship—the two boys
are gone, too.”
The mate looked up.
It caught his attention now, for the matter began
to look serious.
"The boys, too?"
“Yes.”
"That's strange."
Von Koppenhaagen groaned.
Then he opened his eyes.
"Der tuyvel!” he said. “Spirillo. Such a smacks to
my eye, yer tuyvel!"
"Spirillo !" said the mate, eagerly; "but how did you
get hurt like this?"
"Der toctor," answered the Dutchman. “Dat tam
tuyvel, der Yankee doctor."
“What! the old American?" said the mate.
"Yah. I stop him as he was getting down into the
boat, and he gave me der tam smack in der eye, and
down I drops."


The Witness of Guilt.
235
An exclamation burst from the mate.
"He's escaped, then! Confound him!”
“Zo zay I!" said Von Koppenhaagen, "and der boys
also; confounts der boys !”
"Stop! stop !" cried the mate ; "surely the boys—
“Have escape, too—yah wohl, that is zo.”
They looked through their glasses in every direction.
And looked in vain.
- The little boat was long since out of sight.
“Devil take them !" cried the mate. “I'd sooner have
knocked them on the head myself than have had them
get off in this way."
"That's just what I proposed," said a voice at his
elbow, "only you all opposed it then; now it is too late,
and their escape puts us in great danger."
The mate turned round and found the speaker was
Hunston.
The man with the iron arm.
“I would have knocked them on the head,” con-
tinued Hunston, viciously. "But, like a pack of ob-
stinate fools, you opposed me.'
“It was no fault of mine," said the mate.
"You're among the rest.”
"It is false."
"I
say
it is true.”
One of the crew came running up with a scared look
and crying out:
"Emmerson is dead! Emmerson is murdered!"
"Emmerson !” exclaimed the pirate mate.
"Yes, Robert Emmerson. He lies dead, murdered,
in his cabin below."
Hunston might have been observed to change color


236
The Witness of Guilt.
just then had they not been far too much engaged to
notice it.
“Who can have done this dreadful deed?" said the
mate. “Is there treason among us?"
The very mention of the word seemed to inspire
alarm in the bystanders.
The pirates looked from one to the other, and began
to murmur ominously.
“Of all our new hands," said the mate, “this was
the best and the bravest."
"You're not very polite," said Toro, advancing his
huge body into the crowd gathered about Von Koppen-
haagen, who, by the way, appeared still to be in a state
of semi-insensibility.
"It is the truth," returned the mate; "and that's
more in my way than politeness."
A fierce oath burst from the hot-blooded Italian, and
he laid his hand on his knife.
Now Hunston by this time had somewhat recovered
his presence of mind.
He gave Toro a warning sign, and then he said, as
though a sudden thought had occurred to him:
“The American doctor is gone—the two boys are
gone-why, of course, it is clear enough who has done
it.”
“Who?"
“Who but the doctor !"
"Not the toctor," exclaimed Von Koppenhaagen, sud-
denly gaining strength, "not the doctor!"
“Who knows that?" said Hunston.
"You!" returned the Dutchman, with strange ve-
hemence, "you do—no one better."


238
The Witness of Guilt.
“Lend me a hand, Toro!” he cried, “to keep these
devils off.”
Toro fell to it with a will, and hurling his huge
carcass among them, bore down two or three of the
pirates by sheer weight.
But this was only a short-lived triumph.
One of the men who was down seized the Italian
giant by the legs, and so hampered his movements that
in a moment they had him toppled over and pinned to
the deck.
Hunston was likewise soon secured, and his sleeve
dragged up, revealing the mechanical arm, the ingeni-
ous workmanship of the murdered Robert Emmerson.
And then they saw the legend upon the steel arm
was smeared with blood, whose freshness was beyond
all question.
“See! see!" cried Von Koppenhaagen; “that is Em-
merson's blood there now !"
Thus brought home to him, Hunston stammered,
and faltered out some meaningless words.
But this was only confirmatory of his guilt.
"Tie him up !" said the mate.
This was done.
Hand and foot he was bound, and in such a way
that he was powerless.
Toro fought desperately--but all in vain.
He was tied up likewise by the pirates.
“And now," said the mate, “bring them below before
the captain, and he shall fix their punishment for acting
without orders.”


CHAPTER XXII.
THE STEEL ARM
TELLS ITS TALE.
With no gentle hands the pair of ruffians were
brought up before their fellow-scoundrel and leader,
the Chinese captain.
The latter was a big, burly fellow, and for a Chinese,
really a very superior man.
One fit to command.
His superiority to his fellows was shown by the way
in which he kept his men in a perfect state of discipline.
The whole crew looked up to him, and to them his
lightest word was law.
He was a man who had traveled about
good deal,
and spoke several languages, our own among the num-
ber, with considerable fluency.
"What have they done?" asked the Chinese captain.
"Nothing," said Hunston, “only made ourselves
hated by the crew for seeking your interest and theirs
as well as our own."
The captain turned to their accusers.
"Speak,” he said. “What have you to charge them
with?”
"Murder.”
"It is false !” began the furious Italian.
But they soon stopped Toro's mouth.
“Who have they murdered ?" demanded the captain,
"Our comrade, Robert Emmerson.”


242
The Sentence of Hunston and Toro.
And as he spoke he raised the mechanical arm.
"What other proof have you of their guilt?”
"You vant more proof?”
“Yes."
"Den," said the Dutchman, quite as unmoved as ever,
"if you vant der broof, just look at his zteel arm !”
“Hah!”
Hunston could not keep back an exclamation of
alarm.
In an instant he was seized by a dozen eager hands,
and the mechanical arm was laid bare. They all strode
forward to catch a glimpse of it.
Then a murmur of horror ran through the throng.
The legend on the steel arm was smeared with blood.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE SENTENCE OF HUNSTON
AND TORO.
“What do you say, men ?"
It was the pirate captain who spoke.
The evidence was overwhelming.
The two ruffians were dumfounded, and their own
confusion at this critical moment confessed their guilt.
"Guilty!"
They would have protested, but the captain would
not hear them.
"Silence!” he said, in solemn and impressive tones.
“That condemns you! The steel arm avenges its in-
ventor. The legend on it dooms you to death !"


244
The Sentence of Hunston and Toro.
_"
more right to dispose of our lives than we have to
dispose of yours. When we joined you, it was to bring
you certain information which was to be useful to you,
and the profit to accrue from it was to be divided
equally between us. And now that you have all we can
bring, it is an easy way of getting out of your part of
the bargain to assassinate us under a pretext."
The Chinese captain appeared to be in some measure
struck by this bold address,
"You have some right to speak thus, Toro," he said,
"but-
“Right!” echoed the Italian, bitterly, following up
with eagerness the faintest advantage; "who would ven-
ture to deny the right?”
"You have heard your sentence,” said the captain.
“Yes."
"And you?” he added, turning to Hunston.
“I have.”
"Then what have you to urge in mitigation of your
doom?”
"This," retorted Hunston, with a brief flash of bold-
ness; "you have no right to take our lives. We came
here-trusted ourselves in perfect good faith in your
hands, and had you not wanted our services or our
information, you should have told us so, or let us know
that you wanted to part company with us.”
“Supposing we spared your lives, what would you
propose?"
“We have no suggestion to make," replied Toro,
obstinately. “We are innocent of all crime, and can
have nothing to say."
"Then I will speak for you," said the captain.
27


The Sentence of Hunston and Toro. 245
Then turning to the crew he went on to say:
“These two men have merited death at our hands.
I object to these strong measures among ourselves, and
propose that we should set them adrift in a boat, and let
them shift for themselves. What do you say? ?”
But few dissentient voices were heard, when the cap-
tain spoke.
"Your will is law, captain,” said the men.
"Lower the boat,” called the captain; "and let us
have done with this job at once."
The command was speedily obeyed, and into the boat
were pitched a few days' rough rations-chiefly biscuit
and water.
“Now begone!” said the captain, pointing to the
boat.
The prisoners sullenly shook themselves together, and
made a few steps forward.
Then Hunston paused.
His first sensation, on hearing his punishment miti-
gated thus, had been one of unfeigned relief.
Now he began to feel uneasy.
An inward warning was at work, telling him that
he was being conducted to a living death.
Death by slow torture.
Death in its most horrible form of all.
Starvation.
"I refuse to go," he said.
“Then you have but a few moments to live," re-
turned the captain.
Then turning to the men he made them a sign to pro-
ceed with the rope.
"What do you say?" said the captain to Toro; “do


248
Magic Island and Fairy Creek.
pirate, with regard to the treasure island of the Greek
Archipelago, and he showed them to their entire satis-
faction that young Jack's confidence in him had been
entirely warranted.
He had not only charts and plans of the treasure
island, but he had also a written description of the
place, giving the most elaborate details.
So Harkaway and his friends quickly made arrange-
ments to start in search of the pirate's treasure on the
Greek island.
Jack and his party had their adventures, but as they
did not materially affect the progress of this veritable
narrative, we propose simply gliding over the water
to the archipelago itself, changing the scene as rapidly
as though our pen were a harlequin's wand.
And when they first sighted land, after a weary waste
of water had been passed, Isaac Mole, who had been
limp and despondent through seasickness, suddenly
stumped along the deck, and regained his wonted joy-
ous demeanor.
"So this is Greece?" he exclaimed to his pupil, who
stood beside him.
“Yes, sir," said young Jack.
“Classic Greece. “Those Isles of Greece,' as the poet
has sung.”
“Ile and grease is much of a muchness, sir, I
thought," said young Jack.
"My dear boy," replied the tutor, "don't give your
mind to vulgar joking; punning is the lowest kind of
wit.”
Spirillo here came up with Dick Harvey and Mr.
Jefferson.


Magic Island and Fairy Creek.
253
touched as readily as if it had been a screen of feathers,
and closing in upon her, completely screened her from
the view of any passing vessel on the ocean highway.
And as soon as they passed by the first dense screen
of foliage, the creek widened, making a very respect-
able harbor.
“I propose that we cast anchor here, Spirillo," said
Harkaway.
"Good!"
Young Jack and his companion, Harry Girdwood,
stood among the crowd on deck, eagerly watching the
progress of the vessel.
"I'll bet I'm the first to land.”
“I'll have you, Jack,” retorted Harry.
And then they both made a rush and a scramble,
when a pretty, musical voice, close by, told them that
they had both lost.
"Somebody is there before you," said little Emily,
with a merry laugh; “look up there.”
They obeyed, and there they saw Nero, perched on
the topmost branch of a lofty tree.
"You vagabond !" shouted young Jack, shaking his
fist at the agile monkey, "you have stolen a march on
us.'
Nero grinned his reply.
Moreover, he retorted by an undignified gesture, that
his young master had taught him with infinite pains---
that defiant sign that is accomplished by placing the
thumb to the nose and stretching out the fingers.
"I'm next, at any rate,” cried young Jack.
And before Harry Girdwood could guess what he


254
Magic Island and Fairy Creek.
was after, he had scrambled up, and stood bowing
to the company generally that was assembled on the
deck of the Sea Mew.
"Brave hearts! Welcome to Magic Island !" cried
young Jack. "Hurrah! hurrah !"
THE END.


BOYS' OWN LIBRARY-Continued.
Bound in Cloth. Price, 75 Cents Each, Postpaid.
Edward S. Ellis.
Lieut. Frederick Garri-
son, U. S. A.
Arthur Helmuth.
Check Number 2134.
From Tent to White House.
Golden Rock.
Land of Mystery.
On the Trail of Geronimo,
Perils of the Jungle.
White Mustang.
Cadet's Honor, A.
Off for West Point.
On Guard.
West Point Treasure, A.
West Point Rivals, Tho.
George Manville Fenn, Headon Hill.
Commodore Junk.
Spectre Gold.
Dingo Boys.
Golden Magnet.
Grand Chaco.
Henry Harrison Lewis.
Weathercock.
Centerboard Jim.
Ensign Merrill.
Ensign Clarke Fitch,
King of the Island,
U. S. N.
Midshipman Merrill.
Bound for Annapolis.
Sword and Pen.
Cliff, the Naval Cadet.
Valley of Mystery, The.
Cruise of the Training Ship.
Yankee Boys in Japan.
From Port to Port.
Strange Cruise, A.
Lieut. Lionel Louns-
William Murray Gray-
berry.
don.
Cadet Kit Carey.
Butcher of Cawnpore, The.
Camp in the Snow, The.
Capt. Carey.
Campaigning with Braddock, Kit Carey's Protege.
Cryptogram, The.
Lieut. Carey's Luck,
From Lake to Wilderness,
Out with Commodore Decatur,
In Barracks and Wigwam.
Randy, the Pilot.
In Fort and Prison.
Tom Truxton's Ocean Trip.
Jungles and Traitors.
Rajah's Fortress, The.
Tom Truxton's School Days.
White King of Africa, The.
Treasure of the Golden Crater.
With Boer and Britisher.
Won at West Point.
(CONTINUED.)