CHAP. PAGE

1. _Nelly and Her Friends_ 1

2. _Lost_ 9

3. _A Journey in a Cart_ 24

4. _Alone among the Chinese_ 35

5. _The Search_ 45

6. _In Captivity_ 53

7. _The Cheshire Cat_ 63

8. _The Chang Family_ 74

9. _Chi Fu's Scheme_ 85

10. _Preparations for Flight_ 96

11. _An Unpleasant Surprise_ 107

12. _Poor Mule!_ 121

13. _The Road to Peking_ 136

14. _Father and Mother_ 146

_Conclusion_ 156

The Little Girl Lost

CHAPTER I

NELLY AND HER FRIENDS

Nelly Grey was a little English girl who had never been in England. She
was born in China, and went with her father and mother to live in the
British Legation compound in Peking when she was only three years old. A
compound is a kind of big courtyard, with other courts and houses
inside. Nelly's was a large one, and very open. It had several houses in
it: not like we have in England, but only one storey high, and with
deep, shady verandahs round them. There were also a little church, some
tennis-courts, and several small buildings for the Chinese servants at
the back.

Nelly could speak both English and Chinese very well. She could play the
piano a little, though not so well as most English children of nine
years old. She could ride a donkey, skate, and play tennis, but she had
never seen a bicycle or a real carriage, because there were no such
things in Peking. But Nelly was quite lively although she was shut up in
a compound all the time. She would have been ashamed to feel dull and
cross, for she had once heard the Minister's wife say, 'Nelly Grey is an
intelligent child and has sense enough to amuse herself.' Since then she
had felt that she must not let the lady change her opinion. Besides,
there were several other foreign[1] children in Peking whom Nelly saw
from time to time. In her compound, living next door, was Baby Buckle.
He had only been there six months, for that was his age, and Nelly loved
him very much. He was such a jolly little fellow, always laughing and
crowing, and almost jumping out of the arms of his Chinese nurse (who
was called an amah) when he saw Nelly coming. And he used to open his
mouth wide and try to bite this old yellow woman, and put his little
fists into her eyes and kick her, u