They raced past His Excellency Hao Su Ting, who stood aghast at the gross disregard of etiquette and vainly commanded them to halt. Nor did the mad pace slacken until the last of them had dived to cover. O’Shea forgot his business and grinned with honest enjoyment, but the face of the secretary, now haggard and parchment-like, recalled him to the task in hand. This lone Chinese who had withstood the desire to run away was moving nearer to examine the branded back of the red-haired sailor. “Ye have all the marks of a man that is sick to the soul with fear,” grimly observed O’Shea, “but you are too brave to give up to it, and I admire ye for it. Tell me, have you ever seen a man scarred like that before?” The secretary spoke with a visible effort, and his voice had the rasping edge of intense excitement. “Yes, I have seen that character, symbol, whatever you will call it--in my own country. It is most shocking, amazing, to behold it in this way, inflicted upon an American.” “Do you need to look at it any longer? Can ye remember it? Will I show it to His Excellency?” demanded O’Shea. “I cannot forget it,” slowly replied the other. “No, it is not necessary to show it to the ambassador. I assure you it is not necessary. I shall inform him that I have seen it. He will know what it is. I wish very much that it may not be seen by his illustrious self.” The words and manner of the secretary conveyed the weightiest earnestness. He was in an agony of dread lest Hao Su Ting should return and view the spectacle of the branded man. O’Shea pitied his distress and was shrewd enough to perceive that nothing would be gained by opposing him. Maguire was restless, and Johnny Kent had trouble in sticking fast to him. “Walk him along toward the railroad station,” said O’Shea to his comrade. “He will give you no bother once he makes his offing and goes clear of this Chinese colony. Here’s the gun, if ye need to persuade him a bit. Wait for me there, Johnny. This young man from Cathay will have a talk with me.” “It looks as if you had sort of started things, Cap’n Mike. Aye, aye, I’ll take Bill in tow and run to moorings with him till you throw up signal rockets.” With this reply, which betokened excellent discipline, the engineer grasped the sailor-man by the arm, and marched him into the road. O’Shea and the secretary were about to resume their conversation when the latter’s attention was caught by the beckoning gesture of the Chinese ambassador, who seemed impatient. “His Excellency wishes to ask me why there was so much unseemly excitement by his servants,” said the young man. “I would prefer first to talk with you, but his command must be obeyed. Your name? Thank you. I shall have the pleasure of acquainting Captain O’Shea with the ambassador of China to the United States.” “’Tis no pleasure for any one concerned, to judge by the symptoms,” replied the shipmaster.