“There’s no one,” he said somewhat gruffly—he was rather startled, for they were a mile over the border and he knew that the Government officers were on a sharp lookout for him, and felt, despite his strength, if any trick or surprise were attempted it would go hard with him. “If they catch you with me it be too bad,” sententiously remarked Tie Co. It seemed as if his words were in answer to Fabian’s thoughts. “But they will not catch us; so cheer up your heart, my boy,” replied the latter, more heartily than he felt. “If they come, and I not with you, they not take you and it be all lite.” “Yes,” assented Fabian, wondering what his companion was thinking about. They emerged from the woods in the dusk of the evening and were soon on the bridge crossing the river. When they were near the centre Tie Co stopped and looked into Fabian’s face. “Man come for you, I not here, man no hurt you.” And with the words he whirled like a flash over the rail. In another flash Fabian was after him. But though a first-class swimmer, the white man’s efforts were of no avail, and Tie Co was borne away from him by the swift current. Cold and dripping wet, Fabian dragged himself up the bank and found himself a prisoner. “So your Chinaman threw himself into the river. What was that for?” asked one of the Government officers. “I think he was out of his head,” replied Fabian. And he fully believed what he uttered. “We tracked you right through the woods,” said another of the captors. “We thought once the boy caught sight of us.” Fabian remained silent. * * * * * Tie Co’s body was picked up the next day. Tie Co’s body, and yet not Tie Co, for Tie Co was a youth, and the body found with Tie Co’s face and dressed in Tie Co’s clothes was the body of a girl—a woman. Nobody in the laundry of Chen Ting Lung & Co.—no Chinaman in Canada or New York—could explain the mystery. Tie Co had come out to Canada with a number of other youths. Though not very strong he had always been a good worker and “very smart.” He had been quiet and reserved among his own countrymen; had refused to smoke tobacco or opium, and had been a regular attendant at Sunday schools and a great favorite with Mission ladies. Fabian was released in less than a week. “No evidence against him,” said the Commissioner, who was not aware that the prisoner was the man who had broken out of jail but a month before. Fabian is now very busy; there are lots of boys taking his helping hand over the border, but none of them are like Tie Co; and sometimes, between whiles, Fabian finds himself pondering long and earnestly over the mystery of Tie Co’s life—and death. THE GOD OF RESTORATION