"No takee notice,"--_pang_, _peng_, _peng_. "All flee, walkee walkee round one sidee house,"--_pang_, _pong_--"Ching go long other sidee,"--_peng_, _peng_. "No make, hully--walkee velly slow over lit' blidge,"--_ping_, _ping_, _ping_, _ping_, _pang_, _pang_. The little bridge was just behind us, and I grasped all he said--that we were to go slowly over the bridge and walk round the back of the house, while he would go round the front and meet us on the other side. _Bang_, _jangle_, _pang_, _pang_, _ping_, _ping_, _peng_, _peng_, went the instrument, as Ching strummed away with all his might. "Wait, Ching come show way," he whispered. And as I saw that the mandarin's men were coming nearer and evidently meant mischief, Ching raised his instrument again, and, after a preliminary flourish, began once more, to the delight of the crowd. My messmates and I slowly left our places and walked round the summer-house towards the little bridge over one of the gold-fish tanks, moving as deliberately as we could, while Ching's voice rang out, "Ti--ope--I--ow!" as if nothing were the matter. The little crowd was between us and the mandarin's retainers, but it was hard work to appear cool and unconcerned. Above all, it took almost a superhuman effort to keep from looking back. Smith could not resist the desire, and gave a sharp glance round. "They're coming after us," he whispered. "We shall have to cut and run." "No, no," said Barkins hoarsely. "They'd overtake us directly. They'd come down like a pack of wolves. We must be cool, lads, and be ready to turn and draw at the last. The beggars are awful cowards after all." We went on over the bridge, and, in spite of my dread, I made believe to look down at the gold-fish, pointing below at them, but seizing the opportunity to look out for danger. It was a quick glance, and it showed me that the crowd from the eating-house were taking no notice of us, but listening to Ching, who had left his seat, and, singing with all his might, was walking along one of the paths towards the front of the low building, while we were slowly making for the back, with the result of crowding the mandarin's men back a little, for the whole of the company moved with our guide, carefully making room for him to play, and thus unconsciously they hampered the movements of our enemies. The distance was not great, of course--fifty yards altogether, perhaps, along winding and doubling walks, for the Chinese are ingenious over making the most of a small garden, but it was long enough to keep us in an intense state of excitement, as from time to time we caught sight of the men following us. Then we saw that they had stopped to watch which way we went, and directly after we knew that they were only waiting for us to be behind the house to go back and hurry round and meet us.