for the sole purpose of taking their country, and
that, therefore, it was necessary to kill them all at once. If any were
permitted to escape, they would return to their own land, and come back
with many more. Then he declared that the Boxers would avenge all the
cruelties which he said had been enacted by the foreigners, and finished
up with the statement that the Boxers could not be wounded. Bullets
would glide off their skin without making a scar, and swords, spears,
and knives would make no impression.

Chin Choo saw that the people had doubts about the truth of his last
assertion, and beckoned two of his officers to approach him. He talked
with them for a few moments, and then declared, in a loud voice. 'Now
you shall see that nothing can harm the men who wear yellow
head-cloths.'

As he spoke six Boxers advanced, and stood with their backs to the town
gates. Then twelve of the soldiers marched forward with their rifles at
the trail, and halted about twenty yards in front of them. At the word
of command they loaded their rifles and raised them to their shoulders.
An instant later they fired a volley at the six Boxers, but, to the
astonishment of the onlookers, not one of the men was injured.

'They used blank cartridges,' Fred declared.

'It was smart of Chin Choo,' Charlie declared, and Fred and Ping Wang
agreed with him, for not one Chinaman in a thousand knows that there are
such things as blank cartridges.

The crowd was delighted with this miracle, and the Boxers themselves
became wild with joy. They waved their weapons about, and shouted to be
led against the enemy at once. Their desire was granted, the gates were
thrown open, and the Boxers marched out of the town.

'Come on,' Ping Wang said, when the Boxers began to move forward. 'We
will march out with them.'

They slipped into the road, and joined the tail of the Boxers boldly,
brandishing the knives that they had with them in imitation of the
Chinamen's actions. Ping Wang shouted as loudly as any man, and shook
his fist fiercely at an imaginary enemy.

'Keep your eye on me,' he whispered to Charlie when they had marched
about a mile. 'We will bolt soon.'

Charlie saw that it would not be a difficult thing to escape from the
rabble army, for men straggled away right and left, just as they felt
inclined. The officers walked in front, and beyond looking round
occasionally to see that the mob was following, kept no further watch on
them.

Before