ach what looked like a small black rope
from its shoulders and throw it to the girl. There was another little
giggle. The faces of the men below paled in terror. Then Polly,--for it
was she,--hanging to the long pigtail of Wan Lee, was drawn with fits
of laughter back in safety to the slide. Their childish treble of
appreciation was answered by a ringing cheer from below.

"Darned ef I ever want to cut off a Chinaman's pigtail again, boys,"
said one of the tunnel-men as he went back to dinner.

Meantime the children had reached the goal and stood before the opening
of one of the tunnels. Then these four heroes who had looked with
cheerful levity on the deadly peril of their descent became suddenly
frightened at the mysterious darkness of the cavern and turned pale at
its threshold.

"Mebbee a wicked Joss backside holee, he catchee Pilats," said Wan Lee
gravely.

Hickory began to whimper, Patsey drew back, Polly alone stood her
ground, albeit with a trembling lip.

"Let's say our prayers and frighten it away," she said stoutly.

"No! no!" said Wan Lee, with a sudden alarm. "No frighten Spillits! You
waitee! Chinee boy he talkee Spillit not to frighten you."*

* The Chinese pray devoutly to the Evil Spirits NOT to
injure them.

Tucking his hands under his blue blouse, Wan Lee suddenly produced from
some mysterious recess of his clothing a quantity of red paper slips
which he scattered at the entrance of the cavern. Then drawing from the
same inexhaustible receptacle certain squibs or fireworks, he let them
off and threw them into the opening. There they went off with a slight
fizz and splutter, a momentary glittering of small points in the
darkness, and a strong smell of gunpowder. Polly gazed at the spectacle
with undisguised awe and fascination. Hickory and Patsey breathed hard
with satisfaction: it was beyond their wildest dreams of mystery and
romance. Even Wan Lee appeared transfigured into a superior being by the
potency of his own spells. But an unaccountable disturbance of some
kind in the dim interior of the tunnel quickly drew the blood from
their blanched cheeks again. It was a sound like coughing, followed by
something like an oath.

"He's made the Evil Spirit orful sick," said Hickory in a loud whisper.

A slight laugh, that to the children seemed demoniacal, followed.

"See!" said Wan Lee. "Evil Spillet he likee Chinee; try talkee him."

The Pirates looked at Wan Lee, not without a ce