Year: 1873

/
captain of the Sampan, running to-
ward me at pace that promised to
overhaul me.


Fear lent me wings, but my speed
was not equal to theirs, and as they
gained rapidly, | quickly planned
in my mind the most feasible meth
cd of foiling their nefarious scheme,
which l instinctly guessed was rob-
berry if nothing worse. After
crossing the paddy field l gained
the high road, upon which | was
able to accelerate my pace; but un-
luckily, in my ignorance of the
route / ought to take, l turned off
to the eastward instead of proceed
ing in an exactly opposite direction.
My pursuers were about twenty
yards astern of me, when the road
took setni-circular sweep round a
huge boulder, and as / darted past
the pondrous mas of granite saw
to my right grove of stunted
trees, the dense underground and
foliage of which l felt could hide
me. left the road and entering
the grove, selecting the tallest of
the trees and prepared to ascend
but l found it would be impossible
for me to carry up the dispatch box
es; SO, exerting my utmost strength,
uplifted fragment of rock that
lay in a grassy hollow, placed my
treasure beneath it, and then climb
ed the tree with sailor-like agility. |


had hardly stretched myself out
fiat upon one of the outer branches,
before my pursuers tracked me to
the foot of the tree and began chat
tering like monkeys evidently Won
dering whittier / had disappeared +;
but dry offshoot from the branch
on which was snapped with a
sharp report, revealing my where
abouts, and an exultant chorus of
laughter broke from the Chinese as
they espied me, for they evidently
thought they had me fairly shared.


BY the direction Of the old skip
per, smart, athletic young fellow
began to ascend the tree, / drew my
clasp-khife, and, grasping a limb,
stood ready to repel my assailant if
he had the temerity to come near
me. The scoundral saw / was in
earnest, and he descended, amid
the ieers of his fellows-none of
whom, however, were willing to
supply his place.


Then they gathered heap of
large stones and commenced to pelt
me with them. This method of at
tack / was unprepared for, and
felt that l should have to succomb
to the pressure of circumstances.
Just as | was about to surrender,
however, caught in my hand
sharp, jagged piece of granite that
had been thrown at ME, and imme-
diately conceived a plan for turning
it into a weapon of defence.


Drawing large silk handkerchief
from my pocket, l tied the stone
securely in one corner, fashioning
an impromptu slung shot; then l
jumped directly upon the shoulders
of the grinning skipper, the con-
cussion telling him to the ground.
In another instant / was on my feet |
welding my formidable weapon
with terrible effect. / sent one fell
low to grass on his temple but his
brethren, keeping their distance,
maintained such an incessant volley
of stones that, cut and bleeding, /
was forced to take refuge in fight.


AS l staggered into the high road,
l fell nearly directly under the
hoofs of a magnificent black horse,

bestridden by European.


The gentleman rained in his fiery
steed when he saw me. "What on
earth is the matter!' he cried in
astonishment.


Then, as my three pursuers
bounded out of the thicket after
me, he apprehended the state of af-
fairs at once, and without pausing
to ask questions, stretched two of
them senseless with the heavy butt
of his riding-whip. Dismounting,
he drew his steed's bride over
projecting branch and came toward
me.


"My poor boy, you seem badly
hurt. How do you come to be
here 7" he said in kindly voice, as
he assisted me to rise.


My pluck gave way with the {
knowledge of safety. / burst into
l. 4