“Well, what then?”
“I will summon my eunuchs and have you killed.”
“Go ahead!” I said, scornfully.
“You refuse?”
“Of course. We are not afraid of you.”
The mandarin blew a whistle, and through the hedge leaped a band of a dozen fierce fellows wearing the governor’s colors of crimson and azure. They bore naked scimitars, and at a word from Mai Lo dashed past the soldiers and flew toward us.
Three revolvers cracked and three of the eunuchs fell, while others stumbled over them; and as the fellows held back, startled at such unexpected opposition, with one accord we saw our chance to escape. Each seized a stool and swinging it for a weapon we leaped upon our enemies and literally fought our way to the entrance. I tried to see Mai Lo and brain him as a farewell token, but the wily mandarin had taken pains to be out of the way.
Once free of the imprisoning willows we fled with all our speed toward the palace, and as soon as they had recovered from their astonishment the soldiers and eunuchs were after us in hot chase.
Emerging from the thicket into the palace gardens we came plump upon a rescue party, consisting of Nux and Bry at the head of a band of eunuchs led by Wi-to himself.
Our pursuers halted until the governor came up, running with somewhat undignified haste. He jabbered away to the Chief Eunuch, behind whose men we had taken refuge, and Wi appeared both astonished and embarrassed by what he heard. Turning to me, he asked: