Alarmed for the safety of his letters, Nicholas examined his girdle; they were safe; when shocked at his insinuation, the repentant Chow exclaimed, "Truly, my master, Chow is less than the least of little dogs, and must crave the good father's forgiveness,"--which he took the first opportunity of doing, by falling upon all fours before the priest and knocking his forehead to the ground, till the latter in pity lifted the boy upon his legs again. CHAPTER VI. THRASHING THE GODS.--THE BOYS TAKEN PRISONERS. Anxious to deliver his father's letter to the Christian priest, yet fearful of making inquiries where he was to be found, now he had heard of the governor's enmity to Christianity, Nicholas determined to make the effort alone, and having thanked the bonze for his hospitality and presented him with half an ounce of silver, he was about proceeding in his search, when the latter solicited him to join in the morning prayers of the monastery; a solicitation he was too prudent to refuse, for fear of awakening the suspicions of the bonzes, whom he knew to be the main persecutors of his religion. As for Chow, like the majority of his countrymen he was of no religion in particular, but a little of each of the sects into which the Chinese are divided; Confucian, Buddhist, and Taouist; he, therefore, willingly followed Nicholas, who, with something like a feeling of disgust, entered a spacious hall, the ceiling of which shone with gold and japan. In the centre were placed three colossal representative gods of the past, present, and future--the Buddha who is, and the Buddha who will be--with a vase of incense and a lamp of burning tea oil before each. At the sound of a small bell, a number of yellow-robed priests, with heads shaven, clean and oily as bladders of lard, made their appearance and commenced the ceremony; one rang a bell violently, while another clattered like a watchman upon a hollow bamboo cane. This clamor was for the purpose of arousing the attention of the gods, which, after a few minutes, being supposed to be accomplished, the whole society of priests knocked their heads upon the ground repeatedly; and when tired, they began to chant hymns and create a fearful din by playing rough music upon much rougher instruments; after which they marched out of the hall regularly and in double file. Not a little pleased at the conclusion of the ceremony, Nicholas followed, taking care, however, on leaving the building, to choose an opposite direction to the bonzes.