own ship. "T'ink we safe
when Russian gunboat come, den all up spout!"

"Did they sink your ship?" asked Captain Ponsberry.

"No sink--shoot holes, back, front, side--all up spout. No fightee no
more den--all up spout!" The latter was his pet phrase and he used it
over and over again.

"You were in the Japanese trade?"

"Yes--carry rice. Now Russians got rice, got junk--all Won Lung's money
gone up spout!" And the Celestial made an odd little grimace.

"Well, they took my ship, too."

"Big schooner your shipee?"

"Yes."

"Won Lung weep for you--all ship gone up spout, samee like Won Lung's
ship gone up spout!"

"Well, we haven't gone up the spout yet," put in Larry, with a laugh.
"Let us thank fortune that we are alive and well."

"Dat so--Won Lung lose fliends on junk--six, seven, ten--don't know how
many yet," and the Chinese officer shook his head sadly. "Bad war, bad!"

"Can you tell us how the war is going?" asked Tom Grandon. "These
Russians say everything is a Russian victory."

"Russians sayee dat?"

"Yes--they pretend to say they have the Japs about beaten."

At this Won Lung screwed up his eyes into mere slits.

"Big lie dat. Japanese win everyt'ing allee timee. Russian warships gone
up spout--Russian army run like--like--up spout!"

After that Won Lung told them all he knew. It was hard to understand
him, yet they gathered that there had been another sea fight in the
vicinity of Port Arthur, in which the Russian navy had come off second
best, and that the Japanese army that had landed in Korea had driven the
enemy to the northwestward, over the Yalu River, and was now forcing
them back upon Liao-Yang.

"If this news about the army is true, Ben and Gilbert must be having a
hot time of it," was Larry's comment. "I must say, I am mighty glad they
are on the winning side."

"Didn't I tell ye them Russians are a lot o' blowers?" came from Luke.
"The truth ain't in 'em half the time."

"Perhaps they do not get the correct news from the front," came from
Captain Ponsberry. "The censors may keep the bad news back, for fear of
disheartening the rest of the men in the army and navy."

"They tell me the Russians are very strict about sending out news,"
rejoined Larry.

"It is true, Larry; no country on the globe is stricter. No telegram can
be sent without it is inspected, and the newspapers cannot print a
single scrap of news, or a single editorial, until after the press
censor has passed u