“We’ve just escaped from prison,” Phil explained, “and your ship arrived in time to save us from those guns. Their shots were beginning to come pretty near, I can tell you.” “Escaped from prison,” Lieutenant Washburn exclaimed, still mystified. “Where then is the ‘Phœnix’? She hasn’t been sunk, I hope,” he added hastily in sudden alarm. Phil quickly set his mind at rest on that point. “She’s at Lien-Chow, in the To-Yan Lake, and we are on our way there now. “Commander Hughes will be mighty relieved to see the ‘Monterey’!” he exclaimed joyfully. “With her the forts have no perils--she can run by whenever she wishes.” “I am sorry for him,” Lieutenant Washburn answered, his voice betraying a note of bitterness, “for I am a great admirer of your captain. He’s the kind of man we need in command of our ships. There’s a rumor afloat that he’s in disgrace and will be put under arrest. I hope it’s not true, but the rumor was persistent in the fleet when we left. If it’s true I suppose our captain has the order.” Phil pretended to be greatly surprised and unconsciously raised his hand to make sure the telegram was safe in his pocket. “The ‘Monadnock’ is on her way up the river. She’s slower than we are, and as our captain is senior he pressed ahead. “Nice surprise they gave us,” he added laughingly, pointing to the now quiet forts. “We thought they were only having target practice and supposed of course they’d stop to let us pass. But when they opened on us, although our captain had sounded to ‘general quarters’ as a precaution, you could have knocked us all down with a feather.” “I am happy to say their target practice upon us was not good,” Phil returned in high humor; “but if you’ll excuse me, I’ll shed these gay clothes. Mine are pretty seedy after three days in a Chinese prison, but I’d appear to better advantage when we go aboard the ‘Monterey.’” The war-ship, by signal-lights, informed her lieutenant that she was about to anchor, directing the launch to follow and then come alongside. Before the rattle of chain announced that the anchor was holding the steel fortress stationary against the swift current, the midshipmen recited to Lieutenant Washburn the story of their adventures. O’Neil listened eagerly, grunting with glee when they told of the triumph over Ta-Ling and Commander Ignacio. After a short delay the launch was steered alongside the anchored war-ship, and the Americans, now in their own clothes, quickly scrambled over the low side. Commander Barnes, the monitor’s captain, ranking junior to Commander Hughes, immediately summoned the midshipmen and Langdon to his cabin. Phil as spokesman gave the surprised captain a detailed account of the happenings since the attempt to blow in the gates of the American mission. Commander Barnes’ eyes opened wider and wider in astonishment as the lad proceeded.