Ten minutes later Ta-Ling, preceded by his guards, pressed through the frightened throngs of Chinese in the narrow street outside of the yamen. The gun fire had now ceased and the terrified natives were slowly slinking back to their hovels. Passing unhindered through the city gate, the secretary led the way directly to the jetty. Here he was to have met his ally, Commander Ignacio, earlier in the evening, but much to his surprise and satisfaction, as he reached the landing, he saw a steam launch waiting. “Can you take me to the ‘Albaque’?” he questioned the coxswain eagerly. The sailor glanced up in surprise. Where was his captain? He had seen him, as he supposed, with this Chinaman. “I am waiting for the captain,” he replied, a shade of suspicion in his voice. “Wasn’t he with you?” It was Ta-Ling’s turn to be surprised. “With me!” he exclaimed. “I was to have met him hours ago.” The coxswain shook his head, mystified. Had he not seen his captain go away with this man? Then he suddenly thought of the crowd of Chinese who had boarded a launch below him and had then gone alongside of his ship. His captain surely could not have been among those men. He gave it up. It was too deep for his understanding, for that launch had then gone down the river shortly before the fight between the forts and a strange war-ship. “All right; get in,” he said finally. In several minutes Ta-Ling was greeted warmly by the officer of the deck of the “Albaque.” The latter was glad to see the Chinaman again. The quartermaster of the gunboat had persisted that the launch of the Chinaman had not landed, but had gone down the river, and the young officer had commenced to fear that he had been duped into giving up both the captain’s correspondence and the Chinese refugee. “May I see your captain?” Ta-Ling asked anxiously. “It’s of the utmost importance.” “My captain has not returned!” the officer exclaimed, alarm in his voice. “Where is he? quick, man! Everything depends upon my finding him at once,” Ta-Ling cried in vexation. “He was with you; the launch was waiting for him,” the officer returned, catching his breath, his heart in his throat. “I haven’t seen him since this morning,” the Chinaman declared impatiently. “Does no one know of his whereabouts?” The officer was rooted to the spot from fright. His throat was parched with fear and his tongue unruly. “You were here to-night asking for the papers of the captain,” he managed to gasp, his worst fears realized. “You’re dreaming, man,” Ta-Ling retorted almost angrily. “Come, explain! What do you mean?” The officer related to the anxious Chinaman how some one whom he could have taken oath was he had come on board from a launch and he had given him the copies of his captain’s letters to the viceroy, and also a Chinese refugee who had escaped on board from the shore.