While Nicholas released the innkeeper, Chow performed a like office for the women, when they all fell upon the guide, thumping him with their fists, kicking him with their feet, and exclaiming, "Thou rat, thou snake, thou shalt be strangled." As for the miserable fellow, with his limbs bound and his mouth gagged, he could do nothing but roll his eyes at them. Then being released by Nicholas, he would have got upon his legs but for Chow, who threw him upon his back, and, stamping his foot upon his breast, cried, "Lie there, thou dog, for thou art the villain." "It is not so, Chow, or he would not himself be so bound and gagged," said Nicholas. "Nevertheless, he is the traitor; he it was who brought the soldiers upon us, who discovered our retreat," said the innkeeper, giving the prostrate rogue another kick. "Open thy lips, thou rascal; say what has become of the two ladies, or I will slay thee," said Nicholas. "Speak, thou rogue," said Chow, almost breathless with anxiety. "Truly it was the misfortune and not the crime of thy servant; for had he not been chosen as thy guide, this thing could not have happened," replied the trembling fellow. "Open thy lips to a purpose, thou rogue; give me a clue to the track of these robbers, and thy life shall be spared," said Nicholas, more anxious to rescue the princess than to punish the guide, who, gaining courage from the promise, said, "Truly, then, the princess is on her way to the camp of the Emperor." This was too much for Nicholas, who fell upon the man, and would have killed him, but for Chow, who, in his turn, becoming more calm, said, "Let the rogue earn his life by enabling us to follow these thieving rats." Perceiving the wisdom of this, Nicholas removed his hand from the throat of the rogue, who said, "Truly this is a heavy misfortune; for till thy servant left this place, he intended no mischief, when in the mountains he met with a party of soldiers, who have been pursuing us all the way from Kin-Chow for the purpose of earning the reward offered for the princess." "How is this possible, thou rogue?" said Nicholas. "On the day of the festival, these soldiers landed on their way to gather troops for the service of the Emperor Li, whom they were ordered to join on the borders of the province; on the same day that thy outrage upon the person of my uncle, the innkeeper of Kin-Chow, was discovered, and the venerable man in his indignation told the soldiers that the princess, for whom so large a reward was offered, was on the road to Lao-yang, accompanied by a woman, two youths, and his nephew, who might be known by the name of Leang, and who would, doubtless, when he heard of the affront put upon his uncle, aid in capturing the whole party. The soldiers, anxious to obtain the reward, pressed forward with such haste, that, but for our crossing the platform, they would have overtaken us," said the guide; adding, "And would that they had, for then thy servant would have been innocent."