The Blue Dragon A TALE OF RECENT ADVENTURE IN CHINA BY Kirk Munroe AUTHOR OF THE "MATES SERIES" THE "PACIFIC COAST SERIES" "FORWARD MARCH" ETC. ILLUSTRATED [Illustration] NEW YORK AND LONDON HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS 1905 Copyright, 1904, by Harper & Brothers. _All rights reserved._ Published October, 1904. [Illustration: "A HORSEMAN FLED BEFORE THEM"] CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. A STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND 1 II. AMERICA'S UNFRIENDLY WELCOME 10 III. ROB TO THE RESCUE 18 IV. A TRIUMPH FOR JO'S ENEMIES 26 V. THREATENED VIOLENCE 35 VI. THE SHERIFF TAKES PROMPT MEASURES 44 VII. THE SENTENCE OF THE COURT 52 VIII. JO'S ENEMIES PREPARE A TRAP 61 IX. JO FINDS THAT HE IS SOME ONE ELSE 70 X. WHAT HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO CHINA 79 XI. ACCEPT A KINDNESS AND PASS IT ALONG 88 XII. FROM THE GOLDEN GATE TO THE PEARL RIVER 97 XIII. IN THE WORLD'S MOST MARVELLOUS CITY 106 XIV. A TURN OF FORTUNE'S TIDE 116 XV. IN THE HEART OF UNKNOWN CHINA 125 XVI. "FISTS OF RIGHTEOUS HARMONY" 134 XVII. LEAPING INTO UNKNOWN BLACKNESS 143 XVIII. A SUPPER OF SACRED EELS 151 XIX. AN EXHIBITION OF THE RAIN-GOD'S ANGER 160 XX. ROB MAKES A STARTLING DISCOVERY 169 XXI. THE REFUGEES OF CHENG-TING-FU 178 XXII. A CHARGE AND A RACE FOR LIFE 187 XXIII. STEALING A LOCOMOTIVE 196 XXIV. THE TIMELY EXPLOSION OF A BOILER 204 XXV. IN CHINA'S CAPITAL CITY 213 XXVI. WAR CLOUDS 222 XXVII. CHINA DEFIES THE WORLD 231 XXVIII. FIGHTING SIXTY FEET ABOVE GROUND 241 XXIX. JO HEAPS COALS OF FIRE 250 XXX. THE CAPTURE OF PEKIN 260 ILLUSTRATIONS "A HORSEMAN FLED BEFORE THEM" _Frontispiece_ MAP SHOWING ROUTE FOLLOWED BY AUTHOR _Facing p._ 1 "AS POOR JO LOST HIS FOOTING AND FELL, ROB DASHED INTO THE MÊLÉE" 20 "HIS MADLY YELLING PURSUERS WERE NOW CLOSE UPON HIM" 140 "THE FUGITIVES MADE A CAUTIOUS ENTRY INTO THE SACRED PRECINCTS" 152 "HE WAS ABLE TO GAZE CALMLY AT HER WHEN THEY ONCE MORE WERE ESCORTED PAST THE CATHEDRAL" 184 "SO THEY DROVE ON, MILE AFTER MILE" 204 "THE SAVAGES FLED IN DISMAY BEFORE THAT CHARGE OF YELLING AMERICANS" 248 TO MY READERS The Blue Dragon, chosen as a title for this story, is the national emblem of China, adopted as such by a desire to flatter and propitiate that spirit of evil considered to be the most powerful. As the dragon is believed to be big enough and strong enough to overcome and devour all the other wicked genii who continually vex Chinese life, the wise men of the "Black-haired People" thought it best to have him on their side, and consequently accorded him the highest honor in their power to bestow. As we of America chose the eagle, strongest of visible air spirits, for our national emblem, so the Chinese chose the most powerful of invisible spirits in whose existence they believe as firmly as we do in the existence of things that we can see, hear, or feel.