Then conducting them to the back of the house, where stood several sedan chairs that her husband let out for hire, the woman told them to jump into one of them, gave instructions to two Coolies who were waiting for a job, wished them a prosperous journey, drew the curtains, and thus, in about an hour's time, the boys were set down upon the banks of the great Yang-tse, when, having rewarded the Coolies for their trouble, they walked leisurely along in search of a boatmen to carry them to the opposite side. "Truly, O Chow, thou wert born in an unfortunate hour," said Nicholas. "My master's words are true; still, the hundred families' lock must have been hung around thy servant's neck, or he could not have escaped so great a danger as this." "Open thy lips to a good purpose, and say how this matter happened," said Nicholas, laughing. "Well, having made the purchases, I came to the quay where the passage-boats discharge their passengers, when, _may I be punished for forgetting my masters affair_, I could think of nothing but the villain who slew my noble parent, and who, I thought, might possibly be among the soldiers who had just arrived from Pekin, and were embarking to go to Nankin, which, they say, is even now besieged by the rebels. The notion, fit only as it was for the head of a goose, could not be helped, and I stood gazing at the war-tigers. Well, thy servant had not been long looking, when an old gentleman seized him by the arm, saying, 'Thou dog, thou stolest both my patient and my gen-seng;' and, seeing that it was the physician, I jerked off his hand, took to my heels, and, fearing for the safety of my master should the crowd stop me, I frightened them by calling out, 'Beware, my brethren, of the madman,' and as that made the frightened people stand aside, I was enabled to reach the inn in safety." "Truly this was well done," said Nicholas; but as, at that moment, they had arrived at a great swamp of paddy, or rice-fields, which stretched for miles inland down to the very edge of the river, and was covered with water of sufficient depth to enable the shallow boats to sail for miles into the interior, their progress was stopped, when Nicholas said, as he pointed to a multitude of men, women, and children, who, at some little distance, with their trousers tucked up to the knees, appeared to be amusing themselves with paddling about in the water, "Let us catch the eyeballs of one of yonder shrimp hunters."