and examine the scene of the late siege. They found the Jap quarter the
most populous. The inhabitants who had fled had returned, and the
streets were taking on their normal aspect. Near the boundary of this
district they saw a house with a placard in the Jap language, and asked
an Anglian soldier who was passing what it meant.

"That's one of the Jap placards to show that the natives who live there
are good people who have given no offense," said he.

"Let's go in and pay them a call," said Cleary.

They entered, and passing into a back room found a woman nursing a man
who had evidently been recently shot in the side. She shrank from them
with terror as they entered, and made no answer to their request for
information. As they passed out they met a young native coming in, and
they asked him what it meant.

"Some Frank soldiers shot him because he could not give them money. It
had all been stolen already," said the lad in pigeon English.

"But the placard says they are loyal people," said Cleary.

"What difference does that make to them?" was the reply.

Farther on in a lonely part of the town they heard cries issuing from
the upper window of a house. They were the cries of women, mingled with
oaths of men in the Frank language. Suddenly two women jumped out of
the window, one after the other, and fell in a bruised mass in the
street. Sam and Cleary approached them and saw that they had received a
mortal hurt. They were ladies, handsomely dressed. The first impulse of
Sam and Cleary was to take charge of them, but seeing two natives
approach, they called their attention to the case and walked away.

"I suppose it's best not to get mixed up with the affairs of the other
armies," said Sam.

The quarter assigned to the Tutonians they were surprised to find quite
deserted by the inhabitants.

"I tell you, those Tutonians know their business," said Sam. "They
won't stand any fooling. Just see how they have established peace! We
have a lot to learn from them."

They saw a crowd collected in one place.

"What is it?" asked Sam of a soldier.

"They're going to shoot thirty of these damned coolies for jostling
soldiers in the street," he answered.

Sam regretted that they had no time to wait and see the execution.

As they reentered their own quarter they saw a number of carts loaded
down with all sorts of valuable household effects driven along. They
asked one of the na