"Awake, O my master, we are caught like rats in a trap; the rebels are upon us!" "What words are these, Chow?" said Nicholas, leaping off the mat, taking the clothes and attiring himself. "The General Kin means harm; let us escape, my master;" and Chow pointed to the open window. "Thou art a coward, Chow, draw thy sword, and follow," said Nicholas, rushing with his own weapon in his hand to the walls, where, to his dismay, he found the sentries helplessly intoxicated and lying in all directions; but worse, there, against the walls, leaned a ladder, by which means a body of troops were about to ascend. "Softly, Chow," said Nicholas; and like cats they crept toward the ladder upon their knees. Another minute, and a soldier stood upon the uppermost round with a lighted torch in his hand. "See, the rat makes a signal that all is right," said Nicholas, and in another instant a blow from his fist sent the torch-bearer spinning through the air over the heads of his fellows; then with a yell of rage the man's next comrade jumped upon the parapet, and being received with a violent blow in the stomach from Chow's fist, followed his companion in arms. Another made the same attempt, but picking up the torch which had fallen upon the ramparts, Chow dashed the burning brand in his face, when with a wild howl of pain, the soldier fell backward, sweeping the scaling party off the ladder as clean as if he had been a thirty-two pound cannon ball. Then, making the most of their advantage, the boys caught hold of the ladder and threw it over upon the discomfited rebels, who lay sprawling at the foot of the walls. Then, holding the torch above his head, as a signal for assistance, Nicholas indeed saw that treachery was in high quarters, for the whole line of walls appeared to be deserted. As for Chow, he had no sooner succeeded in arousing the men from their stupor, and placed some at the great guns, and others along the walls, so that another scaling party would come within range of their matchlocks, than, perceiving a body of the enemy moving to the front he pointed one of the cannons and applied the torch to the touch-hole; a flash--a roar followed; but the only effect it had upon the rebels was to cause them to send forth loud shouts of exultation. Well they might exult, for the guns were harmless. "The villain Kin has had the balls withdrawn," exclaimed Chow. "Our matchlocks are useless, they have been robbed of their flints," said the soldiers, who had attempted to fire them at the same time as Chow had fired the cannon.