e claws some years ago. At last, with
a mighty pull from the sturdy mules, they got up the bank, and the other
cart was not long in following.

Two hours more and they were at Yung Ching. As they entered the town
Hung Li came and pulled down the curtain, but not before Nelly had
peeped round the opening and noticed that the roads were not black, like
those of Peking, but proper dust colour. Everything had a brownish look,
she thought, and it certainly was not a large city such as Peking.

'Here we are at last,' said An Ching, and the carts turned under an arch
and Hung Li knocked at a large door, which was opened by a middle-aged
woman, who was the only servant of the Ku family, Nelly learnt
afterwards. This woman stared very hard upon seeing the children, but Ku
Nai-nai told her in a low voice not to ask any questions while the
carter was there, and said she would tell her all about them when he was
gone, which she did, promising a portion (very small) of the reward they
were to get for the children when they were taken home.

The compound seemed clean and well kept, and Nelly thought that the Kus
ought to be far too respectable and well-off people to steal children
for money. 'But they are only heathen,' she said to herself.

Nelly and Little Yi were given a small room adjoining Ku Nai-nai's in
the centre or chief building of the compound. An Ching and her husband
had their quarters at the right, across the court. The children were
sorry that they were no longer to be with An Ching, but, as she said, it
was only at nights that they need be separated.

Nelly was the only European in Yung Ching among thousands of Chinese.
She never thought of that. Had she done so she must have felt glad that
she was shut up in a compound, away from curious eyes and fingers.

CHAPTER V

THE SEARCH

Chu Ma was the first to miss Nelly in the Legation. She rushed about as
fast as her little feet would allow, calling, 'Ni-li! Ni-li! Ni-li!
Ku-niang!' (Ku-niang means 'Miss' or 'girl'). She overturned Arthur
Macdonald's top in her flurry, just when he had lashed it up into a
beautiful spin. Arthur was cross about the top, but he could not help
laughing to see solid Chu Ma in such a fuss. 'She is hopping about like
a hen on a rail,' he thought. 'What is the matter?' he asked.

'I can't find Nelly anywhere,' replied Chu Ma. 'Do you know where she
is?'

'I don't know,' said Arthur, 'but I should think that she is playing
some