how he had come to attempt his
friend's rescue; and, in a few words, this is how it came about.

Drake had returned in the _Quernmore_ from England with his cargo, which
he duly delivered. Then, as China was purchasing steamers for use as
transports, and he was offered about twice his ship's actual value, he
sold her, and so found himself at a loose end, without employment. He
regarded this as a favourable opportunity to commence enquiries
respecting Frobisher, whom he believed to be still a prisoner in Korea;
and, happening to encounter Wong-lih--who had by that time returned from
his visit to southern China--he heard the whole of Frobisher's history,
from the moment when the admiral found and rescued him at Asan, to that
of his expedition up the river after the pirates. He was also informed
that the expedition had failed, and that his friend was either dead or a
prisoner. Wong-lih, said Drake, was greatly cut up at losing so
promising an officer, a man, too, of whom he had made a friend; but he
could not be induced to send a rescue party. He was altogether too
busily occupied with matters of moment to his country, and war was so
imminent, that, as a matter of fact, the admiral found himself
absolutely unable to spare a ship or a crew for such a purpose. Drake
therefore determined to ascertain for himself if Frobisher were still
alive, and, if so, to attempt his rescue. And as he happened to be a
good Chinese linguist, and possessed in a high degree the art of
disguising himself, the attempt proved, as has been seen, completely
successful.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was exactly two months after Frobisher's escape from the pirates'
fortress when two very weary, very ragged Englishmen arrived in
Tien-tsin; and so bronzed and disreputable did they appear that they
could obtain accommodation nowhere until they had proved, by the
exhibition of some of their gold, that they were not up-country robbers,
but solvent citizens, of merely a temporarily unattractive exterior.

This condition was soon altered, with the assistance of a few baths, a
shave, and new drill suits; and, having made their toilets, Frobisher
proposed starting immediately to report himself to Wong-lih, or whatever
admiral happened to be on the spot at the moment. Drake insisted on
accompanying him; and accordingly the two men sauntered off toward the
Navy Buildings, where they were told that Admi