Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-11-26

TO be robbed OF bone. 1t was only
for a moment Then the viceroy re-
membered himself, forced a smile, and
said with an apologize air:
Pardon me, gentlemen, for refusing
you, but am having secret tests made
i'm the shops that strange eyes may
not observe, even though they belong
TO two such honorable officers of the
empeSr. You see, | make ammuni-
tion and my workmen are compound
ing a smokeless powder that will bring
me fortune and make the name OF the
empire as famous throughout the world
as IL is already for the invention OF
black powder You will realize how
such secret must be guarded, but
taken there are men posted at every
loophole, with orders TO shoot down
any one who enters the yard without
a guide-so that | cannot even vouch
for the safety of any one who leaves
the ship"
After this pointed speech the CONVEX
sation tagged and in a few moments
the viceroy bade the officers goodbye,
saying in leaving:
You will have no occasion for go
ing ashore. | wish you a pleasant
voyage"
AS he was turning the corner of the
nearest building. thought occurred
TO Breck-the boat had no name paint
ed in the usual place, nor did it APP
pear on any of her various articles
of gear.
"One moment, your excellency." he
shouted What is the name of our
vessel?"
Wing Chuen," replied the viceroy,
smilingly, as he disappeared.
Il thought the old chap was going
to jump on you when you asked to go
through the shops" said Barstow, when
the Chinese mandarin had gone. Il
don't half believe his yarn about
smokeless powder 'Twouldn't sur
prise me If he was running a counter
feiting establishment in there-he's so
touchy about 1t. | don't see what else
these retorts and that mill could be
for"
Barstow pointed to row of ovens
and sort of pug mill. similar to those
used in crushing ore for smelter. and
alongside the ovens stood row of
wheelbarrows, smeared with white
clay
Wed best not trifle with the Chi
namen," said Brock rejecting. BE
hind these guns we are safe, but if we
had any trouble with a viceroy no
Chinese court-martial would ever justi-
fy us for defending ourselves, and
we'd have TO quit the country. I'll re-
port his highness TO the admiral, and if
there's anything to be done, he can
do it,
In the wheel house Brock found
charts of the coast, evidently copied
by a Chinese artist from those of the
British admiralty. On one of them he
soon located Wah Foo, and found that
it lay about six miles from the mouth
of a river. He spent some time in
plotting out a course to Port Arthur,
and when. about four o'clock, Barstow
announced somewhat impatiently that
everything had long been ready for a
start, he ordered the five coolies to
cast off The tide was ON the ebb,
and as the boat swung away from the
wharf toward the center of the river,
he gave the signal for starting the en-
gines. She answered her helm beau
tifully, and the engines, at half speed,
sent her through the water at an easy
gait of ten miles an hour. The shores
widened as they glided down towards
the rivers mouth, and shortly the toss
ing white caps showed the oper. sea-
AS Brock looked about to get his bear
ings, he thought he made out the
smoke of vessel outside the bar, and
pair of binoculars proved that he
was right A small gunboat, flying
Japanese colors, was steaming across
outside, evidently on patrol.
At this unexpected development
for Brock had not known that the
blockade had been extended as far as
Wah Foo-he thought best to confer
with Barstow, and ringing for quarter
speed ran in under the weather shore
and ordered the anchor to be let GO
What do you think of that?" he
said to the engineer, whom the rattle
OF the cable in the hawse-hole had
brought on deck. Had we better at
tempt to run the blockade now, OIL
wait for darkness"
Wait, by all means. Besides, I've
got a hot bearing that couple oil
hours rest will cure
With a skirmish in prospect should
they be discovered in the darkness
Breck set the coolies at work to get
things in readiness for action, and
\ they soon had half-dozen boxes oi
/ the one-pounder shells on deck i'm 9
convenient but sheltered place. Will
I the thoroughness OF his American
| training Beck tested the caliber Of
enc of his shells. II fitted perfectly
the bore OF the gun. ssd he was about
! to replace il in it's box, when Il
! slipped and fell to the deck Aftei
the involuntary jump natural undei
such circumstances. he stopped anC
carefully picked up the supposed mis-
sile. and was barely able TO repress
second start of surprise and horror a