ould. And, oh,
Johnny!" she gripped his arm, "the last three days I've been so
frightened! Every time I ventured out, day or night, I have seen little
yellow men dogging my footsteps; not Japanese military police, but just
little yellow men."

"Hm," grunted Johnny, "I fancy Doc and I met one of them just now. He
seemed to know us, too. Here's his dagger."

"Broken?" exclaimed Mazie. "How?"

Johnny stepped to the door of the small parlor and closed it.

"Gold," he whispered, "an armor of gold."

From beneath his coat he drew a sack of gold.

"Yes, Mazie, we've got the gold--plenty of it. Again I ask you, 'Wot's de
lay?'"

Mazie clasped her hands in glad surprise. For fully three minutes she
acted the part of a happy child dancing around a Christmas tree, with
Johnny doing the part of Christmas tree and delighted parent all in one.

At last, she came down to earth.

"What we need is food and shelter for the poor little wretches. Oh,
Johnny, I can't tell you--"

"Don't need to," interrupted Johnny, "I soldiered in this God-forgotten
hole for nine months. Tell me what we can do first and fastest."

"Well, there's a great empty hotel down in the street St. Jacobs. It has a
wonderful dining-room, big enough for a thousand women and children. We
can rent it for gold."

"For gold," said Johnny, setting a sack of gold on the table.

"Then we can get rice and sweet potatoes from China by ship, for gold."

"For gold," again echoed Johnny, banging three heavy sacks on the table.

"Oh, aren't you the Midas!" exclaimed Mazie, clapping her hands.

"But, Johnny," she said presently, "there's one more thing. It's hard, and
I'm afraid a bit dangerous. Rice and sweet potatoes are not enough for
starving people."

"I'll say not."

"They need soup. Many would die without it. Soup means meat. We must have
it. The nearest cattle are a hundred miles away. The Mongols have them.
They are the border traders between China and Russia, you know. They have
cattle--hundreds of them. They can be bought for gold."

"For gold," smiled Johnny, patting his chest which still bulged
suspiciously. "I'll be off for the cattle in the morning. I'll leave Doc
here to do what he can, and to look after you."

"Good!" exclaimed Mazie, clapping her hands again. "The Red Cross will
supply you a band of trustworthy Russians to help drive the cattle here.
The Mongols won't dare bring them."

"All right," said Johnny. "And now, what about the s