Then swiftly at a word from the midshipman the four guns in unison roared out a challenge, leaving death and destruction in the path of the hundreds of bullets fired at once from the bores of the guns. Again the reverberation shook the hilltop and again the leaden hail poured into the now disordered ranks of the advancing fanatics. As rapidly as if the guns’ crews were at target practice, the four guns spoke, each time cutting deep gaps in the enemy’s line. After a feeble attempt to rally the disordered legions, the Chinese leaders turned and fled, followed by the already stampeded soldiers. Having assured himself that this time the enemy would not be likely to return, Phil gave the order to cease firing and then turned his eyes expectantly toward the mission, realizing that its inmates had seen the attack and were doubtless anxious of the final outcome. However, in but a few minutes the signal-light appeared and flashed out a message which showed the boy that his captain had understood that he had gallantly repulsed the sudden attack: “Am coming to join you.” Ten minutes later Commander Hughes, with a hundred more men at his back, stood beside Phil in the enemy’s trenches; his captain was unstinting in his praises, while Sydney, who had accompanied him, hugged his chum delightedly; Langdon stood by an amused and pleased spectator. “You’ve taught the enemy a lesson which they will not soon forget,” the American captain exclaimed, “and they will not be likely to wish to try conclusions with us again to-night, but at the same time we cannot afford to treat the Chinese with too much scorn.” Phil quickly explained the find of canister, and the captain, much to O’Neil’s embarrassment, called him up before the assembled sailors and complimented him upon his ready resource. “It’s men like you, O’Neil,” he said warmly, “that make an expedition of this kind possible.” O’Neil even in the darkness grinned sheepishly, as if he had been discovered doing something for which he ought to have been ashamed. Great was the rejoicing in the mission at the unlooked-for deliverance, and upon Commander Hughes’ order the relieved non-combatants quietly packed up their most treasured belongings, ready to be conveyed through the enemy’s country to the protection of the war-ships. It being found impossible to save the captured guns, Phil, with O’Neil’s aid, deftly dismantled the breech mechanisms and, securing a heavy axe from the mission, rendered quite useless the delicately fitting parts, giving the sailors the damaged pieces to carry to the ditch where they would be thrown into the stagnant water at the bottom. The missionaries, with tears in their eyes, bid farewell to their home, expecting that after the sailors had gone, the Chinese would return and send up in smoke that spacious monument to their earnest labors in China. The party was obliged to make a wide detour to reach a bridge some miles from the one crossed earlier in the night.