gth Gordon persuaded his captors to allow him to send a
messenger to summon his own bodyguard, and also an order to some of his
other soldiers to seize Li Hung Chang, and not to let him go until the
Wangs had safely returned to their own homes.

On the way the messenger met some of Ching's soldiers, who wounded him
and tore up Gordon's message. The rebels then allowed Gordon to be his
own messenger; but on the way he met more of Ching's men, who seized
him, because, they said, he was in company with rebels, and kept him
prisoner for several hours.

When at last he got away and reached his own men, he sent a body of
them to protect the house of Nar Wang's uncle. General Ching arrived
just then. Gordon, furious with him for the looting and bad behaviour
of his men, fell on him in a perfect storm of rage, and Ching hurried
off to the city.

He sent an English officer to explain to Gordon what had happened, but
this officer said he did not know whether the Wangs were alive or dead.
He said, however, that Nar Wang's son was in his boat, and that he
would be able to tell him.

"My father has been killed," said the boy. "He lies dead on the other
side of the creek."

Gordon crossed the creek in a boat, and on the banks lay the dead
bodies of the Wangs, headless, and frightfully gashed. Li Hung Chang
and General Ching had broken their promise, and Gordon's. The guests
of the banquet of Li Hung Chang had been cruelly murdered.

Many were the excuses that the Chinese Governor had to offer; many were
the reasons that he gave for breaking faith so shamefully.

But to none of his excuses or reasons would Gordon listen. It is said
that, in furious anger, he sought Li Hung Chang, revolver in hand, that
he might shoot him like a dog. But Li wisely hid himself, and Gordon
sought him in vain. He wrote to Li, telling him he must give up his
post as Governor, or Gordon and his army would attack all the places
the Chinese held, retake them, and hand them back to the rebels. His
anger and his shame were equally great.

Li Hung Chang did the wisest thing that then could be done. He sent
for Halliday Macartney, a wise and brave English officer, and a friend
of Gordon's, and asked him to go to Gordon and try and make peace
between them. Macartney at once got a native boat with several rowers,
and started for Quinsan. It was the middle of the night when he
arrived, and Gordon was in bed. Very soon, however, he sent Macartn