in
some of the young heir's suits, they sat down to what Jack afterwards
described as a Lord Mayor's banquet; and, later on, in the drawing-room,
Lady Ravensmere herself, with tears in her eyes, thanked them warmly for
saving her son, and told them they should never forget what they had
done.

The Earl himself drove the lads to the station next morning, so they did
not miss the Christmas dinner with their friends, after all.

AFLOAT ON THE DOGGER BANK.

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

(_Continued from page 367._)

CHAPTER XX.

In the room in which the fugitives now found themselves, there were
several garments hanging.

'Let us change our clothes,' Charlie whispered; 'it will be a splendid
disguise.'

Ping Wang's face beamed. He pulled off his coat and trousers and donned
in their place a dirty jacket and a pair of ragged knickerbockers. Then,
taking off his 'beehive,' he wound round his head the yellow scarf of
the Boxers.

Charlie and Fred hastened to follow his example. Ping Wang tied their
Boxer cloths around their heads, and then looked at them with interest.

'Splendid,' he declared, 'and now we must be off in case any of the
people return. They have gone,' he added, after listening for a few
minutes.

He opened the door. A passer-by spoke to him, and he answered
cheerfully, making some remark which caused the man to laugh heartily as
he continued his journey.

'Come on,' Ping Wang whispered, when the man had passed out of sight,
and stepped into the street, followed by Charlie and Fred.

No one penetrated their disguise as they hurried along the streets. One
man informed Ping Wang that the three foreigners had been killed. They
had taken refuge in a house and the mob had thereupon set light to it.
He pointed to the distant flames. Ping Wang was sorry for the men who
had been mistaken for them, if they were really in the burnt house, but
could not help feeling relieved at the thought that now the mob had
wreaked its vengeance it would probably disperse for the night.

'When we turn the next corner we shall be facing the gates,' Ping Wang
said after a short walk; and Charlie and Fred heard the news with
thankfulness. They were as determined as ever to recover their friend's
wealth before quitting China, but they realised that it would be folly
to make another attempt to do so while the Boxers were stirring up the
people. Their idea was to return to Hongkong and remain