ustration: "Some Yamen runners rushed out and seized them."]

AFLOAT ON THE DOGGER BANK.

A Story of Adventure on the North Sea and in China.

(_Continued from page 311._)

As soon as the travellers had landed, they set out on the road to
Kwang-ngan, eating the second duck as they went. They understood
perfectly that they were about to begin the most dangerous part of their
journey.

'Don't appear surprised at anything you see or hear,' was Ping Wang's
sensible advice, 'and remember that an exclamation from either of you
would probably lead to its being discovered that you are not Chinamen.'

Charlie and Fred promised not to forget what he had said.

When they had trudged about three-quarters of a mile they joined the
main road to the village for which they were bound, and from now onwards
at every few yards they met a Chinaman.

The Pages thoroughly enjoyed the novel scene. Chinamen of almost all
stations of life seemed to be using that road. One moment they would see
a pompous-looking man riding on a sturdy, shaggy pony; the next, a dandy
being carried in a palanquin. Coolies with a long pole across one
shoulder, and a basket or bundle hanging from each end, hurried past
them at a shuffling kind of run. Heavier loads were carried on poles,
which rested on the shoulders of two coolies. Occasionally some
pedestrian would make a friendly remark to the three travellers, and
when that happened Ping Wang replied in the most genial manner.

When they had been on the tramp for about an hour and a half, Ping Wang
looked round, and seeing that no Chinamen were near, said, as he pointed
to a square-looking object in the distance, 'That is Su-ching, our first
halting-place.'

After this the three friends were compelled to remain silent, so
constantly were they meeting people, and the nearer they drew to the
town the more numerous did the people become. The town was enclosed by a
brick wall, and from a distance looked able to withstand the attack of
any enemy; but a closer inspection showed that the defences were
practically worthless, and that the town could be quickly destroyed by
modern guns. In some places the walls had crumbled away. Some of the
guns were so old and rusty that to have fired them would have done more
harm to the gunners than to the enemy. But most of the guns were
dummies--wooden things, mounted to give a formidable look to the place.

'Will there be any difficulty about getting into the to