friends.

'God bless you, old fellow!' Charlie said; 'and don't forget to look us
up when you return to England.'

The procession of palanquins passed out through the streets and along
the road to Su-ching. The bearers were hard-working fellows, and
shuffled along, half-running and half-walking, at a pace which made the
distance from Kwang-ngan appear very short to the travellers. On
entering Su-ching, Ping Wang directed the bearers to carry them to the
mission, but, on arriving there, a Japanese officer told them that
Barton and his friends had started for Tien-tsin the afternoon before.

After remaining at Kwang-ngan for about an hour Ping Wang hired fresh
palanquins, and they resumed their journey. It was a very uneventful
one, for the Boxers had been cleared out of that part of the country;
the only exciting moment being when some Russian or Japanese sentry
barred their progress. The arrival of an interpreter on the scene always
resulted in the travellers being allowed to continue their journey.

On arriving at the river, they soon found a boatman to take them down to
Tien-tsin, and thence they went straight to Hong-kong, where they
remained four days as the guest of their former host. In Hong-kong they
procured new clothes, and when they went aboard the homeward-bound
steamer they felt, for the first time for many weeks, that they need not
be ashamed of their appearance.

Fine weather and very agreeable fellow-passengers made the voyage to
England an enjoyable one, but, nevertheless, the Pages and Ping Wang
were delighted when, at last, the ship reached London. Mr. Page was
waiting for his sons on the landing-stage, and was so pleased at seeing
them back safe and sound that he almost forgot at first to ask them
about their adventures. He was, naturally, delighted with their news.

As soon as possible the jewels were valued by a London diamond merchant,
who looked at them very carefully, and, after some thought, offered a
price which startled the Pages and Ping Wang. They gladly accepted the
offer, and returned home in high spirits to Lincoln, where they enjoyed
themselves thoroughly, in spite of being called upon several times a day
to relate to various friends their adventures among the Boxers. After a
week's holiday Fred went back to London to continue his medical studies,
and Mr. Page then began to think what to do with Charlie.

'I have had enough trawling to last me for a life-time,' Charlie
declared: