and in the town. Listen, there are the Japs!"

From outside came the regular beat of the drums. Bum--bum--bum, bum, bum
they went, and then the shrill squeaking of the fifes could also be
heard.

"Yes, there they are, the deuce take 'em," said Engelmann. The sound of
the drums became more and more distinct and presently the sound of
troops marching in step could be clearly distinguished. Then the steps
became firmer, and the window-panes began to rattle as the leader of the
battalion appeared on horseback in the middle of the street, followed by
the fife and drum corps, and with the little white poodle barking at his
heels. It was a Japanese battalion of reserves marching in the direction
of the new waterworks outside the town.

"Courage, mother!" comforted the old man. "If they only stay at the
waterworks all may yet be well."

"Wouldn't it be possible to warn Arthur?" began the mother again.

"Warn him?" said Engelmann, shrugging his shoulders, "all you have to do
is to go to the telegraph office and hand in a telegram to the Japanese
official, telling them to remain where they are."

"But couldn't we make it a go after all?" asked the youngest son
thoughtfully. "The boxes are all ready, and can be packed in half an
hour. We have three hundred men and thirty wagons. The latter were to be
loaded at eleven o'clock to-night. And then at them with our revolvers!
There aren't more than twenty men at the station," he went on with
sparkling eyes. "At eleven o'clock sharp the telegraph-wire to the
waterworks will be cut, also the wires to all the stations; then let
them telegraph all they like. The minute the train arrives, the engine
will be switched to another track and then backed in front of the train.
Meanwhile the boxes will be packed in the cars and then we'll be off
with the throttle wide open. At each station a car will be dropped, and
wagons will be waiting to receive their loads and get away as fast as
the horses can pull them. Safe hiding-places have been found for all the
boxes, and whatever hasn't been captured by to-morrow morning will
certainly never fall into the enemy's hands."

"Where is the telegraph-wire to the waterworks?" asked the father.

"That's my job, to cut the wire just before the arrival of the train,"
said his son proudly.

"Richard," cried the mother in a horrified voice, "are you in it, too?"

"Yes, mother, you didn't suppose I'd stand and look on while Arthur was
risking his life,