be a cross between Adonis, and--and Diamond Dick! She wants a man
who carries six-shooters in all his pockets, and who fears neither God,
man, nor the devil!"

"A regular hell buster!"

"That's it! Down in her heart I think she cares for me a little bit.
But I'm nothing but a plain, ordinary business man. I never did
anything devilish in my life. There's nothing romantic about me. Look
at this necktie! Did you ever see a hero wearing a plain black
four-in-hand? Never! Did you ever see a hero wearing nice tan oxfords
without a spot of mud on them? If I can somehow manage to make her
think for a few minutes that I've got heroic stuff in me, she may
listen to a little sense. She tells me--rather she threw it in my
face--that you are going to take Helen and her on a sight-seeing trip
into some of the darkest holes in Shanghai. You know the ropes, and
there's no danger, of course."

"None at all," said Peter.

"Well, I want to know if you'll let me go along. I'll stand every
expense; I've got money to burn! Let me in on it, and----"

"But there isn't going to be a chance for anybody to be a hero. I'm
going to take those girls to the safest place in Shanghai. A New
England church would be a cavern of iniquity alongside of it!"

Anthony laid his fingers along his knees.

"Well, couldn't you stir up something? That's my idea. I'll leave it
to you to crack up some danger, not real danger, of course--we can't
let those girls get near any real danger. But we can start a fake
fight--or something--and give me a chance to play the hero, to rescue
Peggy in my arms; that sort of stuff, you know." He looked at Peter
foolishly.

Peter stroked his nose. "It might be done," he said. "I'll see what I
can do."

Anthony arose, extended his hand, and said: "Of course, I'll need a
revolver."

"Load it with blanks," advised Peter. "You know, some people think
it's bad luck to kill a Chink."

Anthony was eyeing him curiously. "Do you?" he asked.

Peter nodded his head slowly. "Sometimes," he said.

CHAPTER III

Anthony and the twins called for Peter as soon as they could tear
themselves away from the many fascinating incidents attendant upon
coming to an anchorage in the Whang-poo-Kiang.

It was late in the afternoon when the first company tug came down-river
from Shanghai for passengers. And it was nearly dusk, the golden-brown
evening of China, when they were decanted upon the public landing s