"Thanks be to Tien, my brother, we have saved thy friend from those vile bonzes," said the prince. "Would O prince, that we could as easily save the servants of the true God of heaven from their villainies," replied Nicholas, thinking of the sufferings of the Christian fathers. CHAPTER XXVI. NICHOLAS RECEIVES AN IMPORTANT COMMAND. On the day following the visit of the prince to the military stations, a change was made among the officers. Some were bambooed, some reprimanded, and others sent into confinement. The post of Leang, who held the command of five hundred men under the General Kin, being given to Nicholas, he took Chow with him as a kind of sub-officer, and as the wounds of the latter fortunately proved to be only in the flesh, he soon became well enough to caper with delight at the chance his new position might give him of meeting the slayer of his father. For some time Nicholas had little else to do but keep his men at their posts, and exercise them in the use of the matchlock, which, although the Chinese then knew so little about it, that the rebound of the stock did as much mischief to the owner as the barrel did to his enemies, he had long practised on board his father's ships. Then, again, he would exercise them in sword, and bow and arrow practice, and the use of their shields. Such was his employment till intelligence arrived that the rebel Li-Kong was on his march to besiege Pekin with a large army, when, seeking an audience of the Emperor, he threw himself at the foot of the throne, and prayed to be sent with a party of flying horse to make observations, and drive the people of the neighboring towns and villages into the capital for protection. His zeal, however, was useless; for, placing his whole faith in the bonzes and intriguing nobles around him, who laughed to scorn the idea of so improbable an event as the invasion of so great a capital by a mere rebel, Wey-t-song angrily commanded Nicholas to keep to his posts upon the walls, where he remained, till wearied with inaction he longed to return to his father's fleet. Wait a little Nicholas, and there will be action enough. More than once during the reign of Wey-t-song had famine stalked through the land, but then he had struggled to stem the torrent by opening his purse and granaries. Now, however, that nature withheld her ordinary supplies, a rebel army crowded the approaches to the capital, so that provision could not be brought in, and the dearth of food grew so great, that a pound of rice could not be purchased for less than its weight in silver, and the flesh of horses, rats, dogs, cats, and mice had become so rare, that even rotten skins were bought for human food. The Emperor wickedly kept close within the luxurious apartments of his inner palace, caring but little for the starving people, so that he and the great mandarins could revel in their luxurious ease and pleasures.