The boy travellers in the Far East : adventures of two youths ... - Library

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THE BOY TKAVELLEES.
CHAPTEE XXVI.
riiOlI SHANGHAI TO PEKIX.
tlieir return to Shanghai, the Doctor informed his _V0Ting compan-
ions that tliey -wonld take tlie lirst steamer np tlie coast in the dii-ee-
tion of Pekiii.
They had only a day to wait, as the regnlar steamer for Tien-tsin was
advertised to leave on the afternoon following their retui'n. She was
not so large and comfortable as the one that had cai-ried them to Handvow
and hack; bnt she M'as far better than no steamer at all, and they did not
hesitate a moment at taking passage in her. They found that she had a
Chinese crew, with foreign othcers—the same as they had found the riverboat
and the steamers from Japan. The captain was an American, who
had spent twenty years in China, and knew all the peculiarities of the
na^•igation of its waters. He liad passed through two or three shijowrecks
and been chased by pirates. Once he was in the hands of the rebels, who
led him ont for execution; but their attention was diverted by an attack
(.)n the town where they were, and he was left to take care of himself,
which you can be sure he did. Another time he saved himself by crawl-
ing through a small window and letting himself fall about ten feet into
a river. The night was dark, and he did not know where to go; but he
thought it better to take the chance of an escape in this way, as he felt
sure he would have his head taken off the next morning if he remained.
Luckily he iloated down to where a foreign ship was lying, and managed
to be taken on board. lie thought he had had cpiite enough of that sort
tif thing, and was willing to lead a rpiiet life for the rest of his days.
They descended the river to the sea, and then turned to the northward.
Xothing of moment occurred as the stea\ner moved along on her course,
and on the morning of the third ilay from Shanghai they were entering
the month of the Pei-ho River. The I)octor pointed out the famous Taku
forts through the thin mist that overhung the water, and the boys natu-
rally asked what the Taku forts had done to make themselves famous.
•• There is quite a history connected with them," the Doctor answered.