d to the revolutionary
leaders."

"That's fine!" Jack said. "We may have the luck to see a full-fledged
revolution doing business."

"You are quite likely to."

This from the prisoner, now standing with the others at the back of the
room.

"You arranged for this demonstration in case you should be taken?" asked
Ned.

The prisoner snarled out some ugly reply.

"You planned this?" demanded Ned, resolved to know the truth.

"Yes," almost shouted the other, "and you will soon discover that it is
something more than a demonstration."

The interpreter drew Jimmie aside and whispered in his ear. Then the
boy turned to Ned.

"This boy says he saw a signal given from a window as soon as this bunch
was taken," he said. "Then crowds began forming. Say, but we'd better
be gettin' out!"

"Save yourselves the exertion," the prisoner said. "They will find you,
wherever you go!"

"Possibly," Ned said.

Then he walked to the window and again looked out on the mob. The
street was packed. Faces showing rage and desperate bravery were
uplifted. Fists were shaken at the window where he stood. In a moment
a stone came hurtling against the wall of the house.

Here and there, on the outskirts of the crowd, policemen in the funny
uniforms the police of Peking wear, were seen trying vainly to force
their way to the door of the hotel. The main entrance seemed to be
guarded, for the mob did not succeed in forcing its way in.

Presently, however, Ned saw long ladders being carried forward on the
shoulders of the rioters. Then they were dropped against the wall and
men with bloody faces--bloody from the acts of their own fellows--fought
to be first to climb.

"In three minutes," the prisoner said, "you will be torn limb from limb
if I am not released."

"Your friends certainly do insist on something of the kind," Ned
replied.

"Remove these irons and place me before the window," commanded the
other. "That will quiet them."

"And make terms with a pack of rioters?" smiled Ned.

"You can save your life, and the lives of your friends, in no other
way," insisted the other.

Ned went to the window again, although bricks and stones were flying
quite freely. The ladders swarmed with excited men, but no one seemed
able to gain entrance at the windows which were attacked.

Instead, a ladder now and then went toppling backward, carrying dozens
of rioters to death or injury. When the ladders began falling the mob
mov