“All right. If any Chinamen do turn up, arrest them on the spot.”
A second guard was summoned, and presently the consul appeared, in his dressing-gown. He read the message with keen interest.
“The Cross Mission to be blown up!” he ejaculated. “This is awful! I must get the folks out of the building at once.”
“Let us investigate first,” said Gilbert. “Is there a cellar under the building?”
“Yes, a small one.”
The consul led the way to the mission, which was close by, followed by Gilbert and several others. A well-covered lantern was taken along, and a minute inspection began of the cellar. In one corner was found a large, square box of powder; and running into this was a fuse enclosed in a small copper tubing. Without hesitation, Gilbert pulled the fuse from the box; and all danger of having the mission blown up was over.
“Phew! but that was an escape!” said one of the party, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. “If that had gone off, all of us would have been blown to Kingdom Come.”
The box of powder was removed to a safe place; and then the party went upstairs, told the mission folks of what was going on, and returned to the consulate.
“And now, if you let me know something about this Chow Fun, we’ll try to bag him,” said the young lieutenant, who believed in the old saying, “Make hay while the sun shines.”
“The house is on the next block,—the small white place behind the stone wall,” replied the consul. “There are two brothers, Chow Fun and Chow Ching. Up to now I had thought them very friendly.”