e hands of the Korean regular troops,
and brought here a prisoner. The situation in which you found me was
the result of his Excellency's desire to obtain further information
respecting the rebels and their arrangements. Of such information, I
may tell you, sir, I possess very little, and under any circumstances I
should not have felt myself at liberty to divulge even that little. I
should like to add that I by no means range myself on the side of the
rebels, for, as a matter of fact, I know too little of the circumstances
of the case to judge between them and the Government, although, from
what I have already seen, my sympathies, such as they are, are on the
side of the insurgents. I am in no way connected with the insurgent
forces; and when captured I was merely acting the part of agent of
another private individual in convoying that caravan across country.
But of course, when an attempt was made to take that property out of my
hands, I had no option but to try to defend it. That, sir, is the full
truth of the matter; and I desire to place myself under your protection
as an officer of the Chinese Navy, that I may not again be subjected to
the kind of treatment which I have suffered since my arrival here."

"I thank you," returned the officer, "for your voluntary explanation
with regard to your connection with the rebel forces; which explanation,
I may mention, differs very considerably from the statement made to me
by his Excellency here. At the time that that statement was made it
struck me as being somewhat faulty, and therefore I determined to
investigate matters for myself--a course which I am now very glad I
adopted. I was informed by his Excellency, when I enquired whether any
prisoners were confined here, that there was but one, yourself; and that
you were merely undergoing temporary imprisonment as a result of your
being captured in arms, so to speak, against the Korean Government; and
it was not until I entered this chamber and saw--what I saw--that I
dreamed of the occurrence of any such atrocity as has been practised on
you. Again I offer you my most heartfelt apologies."

"Which I most cordially accept, in the spirit in which they are
offered," said Frobisher, extending his hand, which Wong-lih grasped and
pressed in a friendly fashion.

Then, turning to the Governor, the admiral icily remarked, still in
English:

"I will detain you no longer, your Excellency. I desire to have a
little private