er!' he shouted, in Chinese. 'We want to speak to you.'

'I say,' Charlie exclaimed, 'it's Barton, the old "International!"'

'So it is,' Fred said, delightedly, feeling certain that a resourceful
football-player, such as Barton had proved himself to be times
innumerable, would devise some means for freeing them.

'Well,' said Barton, smiling, 'you're collared.' And Charlie and Fred
laughed. 'How did you get in this fix?' Barton continued, seriously; and
Ping Wang related in a few words how they had been arrested. 'This is
very unfortunate,' Barton declared. 'Early this morning one of our
converts saw three men make off with my colleague's horse. I reported
the theft to the Chinese officials, and urged that steps should be taken
to detect the thieves. I suppose that to save the trouble of making
inquiries they arrested you. I received information about an hour ago
that the thieves had been caught, and I came out to see if I knew the
men. Now I must hurry away, and see if I can get you set at liberty. It
will be difficult, I fear; but you may rely on my doing my best.'

[Illustration: "The men unlocked the collars."]

Barton hurried away, leaving the prisoners in much better spirits.
Nearly two hours passed before he returned, and they had begun to fear
that his efforts on their behalf had not been successful.

'Barton's smiling,' Charlie whispered, as the missionary drew near. 'We
are going to be released. I should like to give old Barton a cheer. It
wouldn't be the first I have given him by many a score.'

'Don't talk,' Ping Wang said; and in a few minutes the men who had
arrested them had unlocked the collars, and set them free.

'Come with me,' Barton said, as they rose from their cramped position on
the ground.

'Can you speak Chinese?' he asked the Pages, when they had walked a few
yards; and, on their replying that they only knew a few words, added,
'Then we will speak English. You need not fear that it will arouse
suspicion, for several of our native Christians have learnt English.
By-the-bye, I am sorry to have kept you waiting; the officials knew very
well that they had arrested the wrong men; but when I told them that
such was the case, they flatly contradicted me. However, after we had a
long conversation, they told me that they would set you free, but would
not arrest anybody else. I agreed to that at once, and they seemed quite
as pleased as I was at the result of my interview.'

'We are very grat