urney was resumed, but
before the travellers had covered two miles, while the mist was still
hanging over the river, Ping Wang noticed a boat rapidly overtaking
them. It was a long, narrow craft, paddled by eight men. Another man
knelt in the bows, and two more stood up in the stern. The latter were
armed with old-fashioned rifles.

'Pirates!' the boat-owner shouted in terror when he had glanced at the
pursuers, and instantly there was a panic among his men. One of them
dived into the river and swam towards the bank; but the other three,
who could not swim, ceased rowing, and hid themselves among the cargo.

[Illustration: "Fred took aim and fired."]

'Make the cowards row,' Ping Wang commanded the boat-owner, but without
any result, for the man was himself terror-stricken.

'Hasn't the wretched man got any weapons aboard?' Charlie said aloud.

Ping Wang translated Charlie's question, and the boat-owner answered
promptly, 'Your miserable slave has one gun, which does not belong to
him. He is taking it to a mandarin. Your wretched servant does not know
where it was bought.'

'Never mind about that,' Ping Wang declared, guessing at once that the
fellow had a rifle which had been stolen from some European. 'Bring it
here at once.'

The boat-owner produced quickly a long bundle of cloth, and from the
middle of it pulled out a rifle.

'A Lee-Metford,' Fred exclaimed, as he snatched the rifle out of the
man's hand. 'Where is the ammunition?'

'Here it is,' Ping Wang said, as he burst open a box and displayed
several packets of cartridges.

'That is splendid,' Fred declared, as he opened a packet. Like many
London medical students, he had become a Volunteer, and was, moreover, a
good shot. Having placed the open packet of cartridges beside him, he
took up the rifle, and, after loading it, raised it to his shoulder, but
did not yet fire. 'I won't shoot,' he said, 'until I am sure they mean
to attack us.'

He had not long to wait before receiving proof of the pirates'
intention. The boat was approaching fast, and when it was about a
hundred yards from them, the pirates fired. Their rifles made a
tremendous noise, and the travellers' boat was hit about an inch above
water.

'That is enough,' Fred declared, and, placing his left foot on a seat
and resting his left elbow on his knee, he took aim and fired.

'Good shot, Fred!' Charlie cried, as one of the pirates who had fired on
them fell forward, wounded, among hi