"Missing!" ejaculated Larry, in horror. "Taken by Chunchuses! Oh, Gilbert, this is dreadful!"
"Well, I don't know as you feel any worse than I do, Larry," answered Gilbert. "It makes me wild to think of it."
"But couldn't you find any trace of him at all?"
"Not the slightest, although I think he was carried off in a boat."
"But why should the Chinese brigands make him a prisoner?"
"I'm sure I don't know, excepting to hold him for a ransom. But if they intended to do that it is likely we should have heard from them before this."
The matter was discussed as long as Larry and Luke could remain on shore. But nothing came of it, and with a heavy heart the young gunner's mate returned to his place on the warship.
[CHAPTER XXVIII]
THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
After the fruitless effort to escape from Port Arthur harbor the Russian warships "bottled up" there remained where they were for a long time to come. Occasionally one or another attempted to run the blockade, but results were usually disastrous, and at last the risk became so great nothing more was done in that direction. The Japanese continued to put down mines and sank several boats loaded with stone in or near the winding channel, and this made getting in as hard as getting out—thus putting a stop to the arrival of more supply boats, such as brought Ben to the seaport.