AFLOAT ON THE DOGGER BANK.
A Story of Adventure on the North Sea and in China.
CHAPTER XIV.
An hour passed, and Charlie, Fred, and Ping Wang were still in the wooden collars. Charlie and Fred closed their eyes; but, as they did not succeed in getting any sleep, after ten minutes' endeavour they gave up the attempt, and had a short conversation in low tones.
Ping Wang was lamenting that he had persuaded the Pages to come to China, when they heard a shout of 'Foreigners!' and turning their eyes in the direction from which it came they saw a European approaching. He wore a beehive hat, but the remainder of his attire was European.
'He is coming towards us!' Fred exclaimed, joyfully.
'But he won't be able to set us free,' Charlie answered.
'He is a missionary,' Ping Wang declared, 'and you may be sure that he will do all that he possibly can to help us out of our trouble. Come closer!' he shouted, in Chinese. 'We want to speak to you.'
'I say,' Charlie exclaimed, 'it's Barton, the old "International!"'