ghtened to a lurid
glare as the wind fanned the flames. Unable to batter down the stout
gate as quickly as they desired, their pursuers had evidently collected
a quantity of combustibles, and had started to burn it down; and a few
minutes later their yells of triumph, floating down the wind, indicated
that they had succeeded in the attempt, and that they had entered the
town. It would therefore be now only a matter of minutes before they
discovered that their prey had escaped them by the skin of his teeth;
and unless the rebels were content to leave matters at this juncture,
they would soon secure possession of the remaining boats and start down
the river in pursuit.

The officer in command of the Government troops was evidently fully
alive to the danger of the situation, for he continually shouted orders
and exhortations for speed to the various boats comprising the little
squadron. And presently Frobisher observed that, finding their progress
unsatisfactory, the crews had got out the long oars customarily used for
forcing the craft upstream against the current, and were employing them
as sweeps. With this additional power the boats began to slide through
the water more rapidly, and Frobisher began to fear that, unless the
pursuers were very quick indeed, they would fail to overtake them, even
now.

By this time, however, he could plainly perceive the flicker of torches
moving about the wharves and piers of Chhung-ju, and presently a few of
those same lights appeared on the bosom of the river. The rebels had
evidently rowed out in small boats, and were towing the barges left
anchored in mid-stream to the shore. A moment before a sharp bend in
the river shut off his view of the town, the Englishman saw, to his
great satisfaction, the dark loom of matting sails, as the pursuing
force drew away from the banks.

It was now a race of Korean against Korean; and it remained to see which
party would win it. The troops, with their prisoner and the captured
arms and ammunition, had managed to secure nearly an hour's start, and
what with wind, current, and sweeps, were making downstream toward the
main channel of the river at a speed of about four knots an hour; and of
course, as soon as the main stream of the Han was entered, the current
would become stronger and would sweep them along still more rapidly.
Also, the fleet arriving first in the river would obtain the advantage
of the increased rapidity, and might very ea