and was told that, as far as they
knew, it would begin in about three weeks' time. Then I heard a man
address you, and therefore declared at once that you could not speak,
and after that I made a speech pretending to be very hostile to
foreigners.'

'Don't you think,' said Charlie, 'that we ought to hurry back to warn
Barton and his friends of the threatened rising?'

'We can warn them without going back to them. I will send word to my
cousin. Since he has become a Christian, all the members of his family,
excepting his youngest brother, have refused to speak to him. His
youngest brother, who is in Kwang-ngan, is very fond of him, and when I
tell him of his brother's danger, he will, I am certain, hurry off to
warn him--and, of course, my cousin will tell Barton.'

[Illustration: "They butted each other gently."]

Then they began to discuss once more the object of their visit to
China--the recovery of the idol.

'I'm very anxious to get that treasure,' Charlie declared, 'but I feel
just now as if I would willingly sell my share of it for a good meal.
I'm both hungry and cold.'

'Then let us walk about,' Ping Wang suggested. 'It will keep us warm.
Our hunger we shall have to put up with for several hours, I'm afraid.'

As they tried to get warm, Ping Wang told them of many curious customs
of his countrymen, to make the time pass. But in spite of his stories
they became very tired and hungry, and were exceedingly thankful when,
at last, daylight appeared.

(_Continued on page 354._)

[Illustration: "He hit out with all his force."]

THE EAGLE'S NEST.

Frank Ardlamont and his younger brother Dick had a liking for every kind
of country sport, and were always ready for any adventure which required
skill and daring. When, therefore, they were spending a holiday in the
Highlands of Scotland, and learned that there was an eagle's nest built
upon an almost inaccessible ledge on the steep side of Ben Galt,
scarcely three miles away from the house where they were staying, they
thought it would be a fine thing to try and capture one of the young.
The lads had recently seen an eagle in one of the cages of a travelling
menagerie, and they thought that if they could capture a young one, they
might perhaps be able to rear it. They talked the matter over, arranged
their plans, and finally proceeded to carry them out.

The nest was a little below the edge of a steep cliff, and there was a
rugged, winding path, lea