Grasping the binoculars from Langdon’s hand, he raised them swiftly to his eyes. A black dot appeared, upon which the lad focused his attention, as if to lose it might mean a miss. He saw the bird-like bolt rise high above the white stone emplacements, and knew on the instant, from his long experience watching just such shells at the peaceful drill of target practice, that the messenger of destruction, filled with an explosive that would scatter death and consternation in its path, would go true to its aim. “Right on top of the emplacement!” he shouted excitedly a half second before a liquid fire flashed on the parapet of the forts, while tons of earth and rock were scattered in every direction. CHAPTER XXIII THE FORTS SURRENDER While Phil had been gazing spellbound at the half ton shell, fired by O’Neil with such startling effect, Sydney was watching excitedly a small squad of Chinese soldiers toiling painfully upward from the gun emplacements. When the roar of discharge shook the air he had seen these small black figures throw themselves behind the jutting rocks, and after the missile had exploded upon the parapets of the forts, hurling by its tremendous force a large gun backward from its substantial mountings, these persistent dots of men again appeared to view, creeping steadily upward. What did it mean? Were these men deserting their guns? Sydney heard his captain give the order to reload, and knew that within the minute another shell would be speeding toward the enemy. The foremost Chinaman had now reached the foot of the great flagstaff, and the next second, to the lad’s delight, he saw the yellow banner flutter slowly to the ground. “They are striking their colors,” he cried excitedly. All eyes turned in glad surprise toward the flagstaff to the right of and above the gun emplacements. “A white flag!” Phil gasped, a tinge of disappointment in his voice, as he saw the banner of submission mount the flagpole quickly. Now all was over, and he had seen but one shot fired. “Cease firing!” Commander Hughes hastily ordered, fearing that the next shot might, with the white flag displayed on the forts, cause the Chinese to think that the monitor had intentionally disregarded the sanctity of the emblem, thus precipitating an engagement with the forts which the American officer was only too glad to avoid. The bugles sounded the retreat from firing, and disappointed faces soon appeared from the turrets, to gaze out upon the unwelcome white flag flaunting in the light morning breeze. “Follow us,” had been the signal to the “Monadnock,” and the two victorious vessels, in column, made a graceful turn and then steamed up stream toward the renegade gunboats anchored off Ku-Ling. “What does it mean?” Phil breathed excitedly to Langdon. “Something has happened,” Langdon exclaimed, shaking his head in mystery.