Both midshipmen’s faces broke into smiles in spite of the serious situation. Emmons, seeing the merriment caused by his words, hastened to explain. “I know that such an idea is entirely foreign to the American mind, but not so with the Chinese. If a man knows he has committed some deed which his fellows condemn, he is ashamed, or as we say in China, ‘loses face,’ and he is very likely to commit suicide to regain his good name. And again, a Chinaman held prisoner may take his own life for revenge against his captors.” “They needn’t fear that from us,” Phil replied. “We’ll cling to life as long as we are able.” “That’s what the general and I have come to help you in,” Emmons said in sympathy; “the jailer has already been cautioned to say nothing of the ring, and the soldier who brought it to the general is no friend of Ta-Ling; but even with this doubt removed your lives are in danger so long as you are held by the viceroy. An ultimatum was received from the American commander last night that the allies have refused to approve the commander of the flag of truce’s promises and if the hostages are not liberated before noon to-morrow, the allied fleet would bombard the city. This has thrown the viceroy into a fever of fear, for he owns much valuable property in and about the city. He has given the general orders to open fire on the fleet if it again moves to an anchorage off the city.” “Will he obey the order?” Phil asked eagerly. “He must,” Emmons replied. “He dare not refuse a direct order from the viceroy, but he has demanded this order in writing, so as to protect himself when the day of reckoning comes. General Hang-Ki has sent a memorial to the viceroy protesting against this action; he realizes that these gunboats stand for many great battle-ships that would be sent against his forts as soon as the spring floods bring rising water in the Yangtse River.” The midshipmen were silent, while Emmons spoke to the general. The conversation lasted for several minutes, when finally the former again spoke in his father’s language. “The viceroy is ignorant of our presence here and we must soon leave you. If Ta-Ling should discover that we had talked with you, all hope for you would be over.” The midshipmen were cast down into the depths of despair. Then they were not to be liberated at all, and would again go back to their prison and be in the cruel clutches of that fiend Ta-Ling.