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Rh went, with me behind him. My heart was in a flutter, not knowing what was coming next.

But soon the whole cause of the trouble was revealed. An American naval officer had been waylaid by three Chinese footpads. One had run away—the fellow I had encountered—but the others remained, and they had the officer on his back and were going through his pockets.

"Let up, or I will shoot!" said Dan, and flourished his pistol. At the same moment I stumbled over the officer's sword and picked it up.

"Shoot them! the villains!" moaned the officer. He had received a heavy cut over the temple from which the blood flowed profusely.

"Stop, I say," commanded Dan, and now the two Celestials turned. One aimed a blow at Dan, but I cut him short with the sword." Then my chum fired, and the rascal dropped his club, and of a sudden both took to their heels and disappeared in the darkness and mist.

We followed the Chinamen for a distance of fifty feet, then returned to the officer, to find that he had sunk down beside a wall in a heap. His eyes were closed and he did not move.

"He looks as if he was dead," said Dan soberly. "He's got an awful cut over the eye."

"Perhaps he has only fainted," I returned "Let us bind his head up without delay.