“You’ve taught the enemy a lesson which they will not soon forget,” the American captain exclaimed, “and they will not be likely to wish to try conclusions with us again to-night, but at the same time we cannot afford to treat the Chinese with too much scorn.”
Phil quickly explained the find of canister, and the captain, much to O’Neil’s embarrassment, called him up before the assembled sailors and complimented him upon his ready resource.
“It’s men like you, O’Neil,” he said warmly, “that make an expedition of this kind possible.”
O’Neil even in the darkness grinned sheepishly, as if he had been discovered doing something for which he ought to have been ashamed.
Great was the rejoicing in the mission at the unlooked-for deliverance, and upon Commander Hughes’ order the relieved non-combatants quietly packed up their most treasured belongings, ready to be conveyed through the enemy’s country to the protection of the war-ships.
It being found impossible to save the captured guns, Phil, with O’Neil’s aid, deftly dismantled the breech mechanisms and, securing a heavy axe from the mission, rendered quite useless the delicately fitting parts, giving the sailors the damaged pieces to carry to the ditch where they would be thrown into the stagnant water at the bottom.
The missionaries, with tears in their eyes, bid farewell to their home, expecting that after the sailors had gone, the Chinese would return and send up in smoke that spacious monument to their earnest labors in China. The party was obliged to make a wide detour to reach a bridge some miles from the one crossed earlier in the night.
Dawn was breaking when the commander led his victorious men with the rescued missionaries safely to the bank of the river, where small boats were waiting to transport them to the protection of the American war-ships. As the last of the refugees disembarked at the gangway of the “Phœnix,” the sun peeped out from behind the distant hills.
Phil and Sydney longed for a few hours’ sleep, but they well knew that if they succumbed to this desire they might miss altogether what they felt would be the closing scenes in the drama.
By signal, Commander Hughes at once ordered that all non-combatants be sent on board the gunboats, and that the monitors hold themselves in readiness to get under way within the hour.