"Are they armed?" asked the minister.
"Yes, sir. That is, they were armed with revolvers, but, of course, those were taken from them."
"Very well, let these English-speaking Boxers be brought in, under guard, and we will hear what they have to say for themselves—unless this young lady objects to their presence," he added.
"Oh no, sir; of course I don't!" exclaimed the girl, who hitherto had listened in silence, but with intense interest, to the conversation between her father and the minister. "I want ever so much to see a Boxer whom I can be certain really is one."
In another minute the prisoners, guarded by two heavily armed marines, were ushered into the room. "Pretty tough-looking characters, aren't they?" asked the lieutenant of the girl, by whose side he had taken a position as though to protect her in case of trouble.
"Yes," she replied, hesitatingly. "But do you know," she added, in a low tone, "the face of one of them seems very familiar. I mean the one with the queue."
"Oh, all Chinamen look alike," replied the officer, carelessly. "I've seen a hundred that you'd think were twin brothers of the other one, the tougher of the two. I expect he has murdered more converts than he could count."
Just here the minister, who had stepped for a moment into his office, returned, and at once proceeded to question the prisoners.
"I am told that you speak English; who are you, and why do you come here?" he asked.
"Are you the American minister?" cautiously inquired the one whom the lieutenant had indicated as being the tougher-looking of the two.