aimed, excitedly; and Charlie and
Fred saw a brass image standing in the corner of a room which opened
from the verandah.

Ping Wang went down on his knees, and grasping the right forearm of the
image, tugged at it. To the amazement of Charlie and Fred, he pulled the
idol's arm forward from its body until it was in an almost horizontal
position. Then, placing his fingers on the spot where the idol's hand
had lain, he pushed to the right its crossed legs, and showed to Charlie
and Fred that the brass pedestal on which the figure sat was practically
a jewel-box.

'Marvellous!' Charlie muttered; but his and Fred's delight was greater
still when Ping Wang took out of it a little piece of cloth, and,
unrolling it, exhibited an immense ruby.

'There are at least thirty as good as this one,' Ping Wang declared,
joyfully; but, as he spoke, a noise was heard in Chin Choo's enclosure.

'Shut it up quickly,' Charlie said; and just as Ping Wang had done so a
middy rushed into the room, accompanied by four sailors.

'Hallo!' he exclaimed, on recognising them as friends of Williams. 'What
are you doing here?'

'Oh, we captured the place some ten minutes ago,' Charlie declared,
cheerfully.

'Then why don't you guard what you have captured?' the youngster asked,
sharply. 'There is no one posted at the gate, and the place could have
been recaptured easily.'

Having said this the lad departed with his men in search of some more
exciting experience.

'He was quite right,' Fred declared. 'The Boxers might have come upon us
suddenly, as he did. I will go to the gate; you two stay here and guard
the image.'

Fred's period of sentry-go was a short one, for he had not been at the
gate more than ten minutes when he saw Williams advancing, with a
portion of his force, towards him.

'Well, have you found it?' Williams asked, after he had acknowledged
Fred's salute.

'Yes,' replied Fred.

'That's very good news. I was half afraid that you had come out here on
a wild-goose chase.'

Williams said nothing more on that subject just then, for he had much
more important business needing his attention.

Such Boxers as had not been put out of action, and had been unable to
seek safety in flight, had cast away their yellow badges, and passed
themselves off as peaceful citizens. Williams knew very well that the
people were not so well disposed towards the Anglo-Japanese force as
they pretended, and ordered a sharp look-out to be kept. I