Page:Ballinger Price--Fortune of the Indies.djvu/182

 ; "not outside of books. It can't have happened, you know."

At that moment there was a rush of feet behind them, and there appeared—also with the sudden inconsequence of a dream—a neat Chinese very much out of breath. He pointed to the wall of Huen's garden and to himself, and gasped out a message to the interpreter.

"He says," said the student, looking as usual, a little perplexed, "that Mr. Huen sent him quick to say he thinks it will be very safer to go by private river-boat with the honorable box. He has ordered rickshaws for you, and the boat will be waiting. It is his hospitality and his wish."

Mark and Alan looked at each other and then at the tidy and self-respecting servant in his black satin coat.

"We can't refuse," Mark said; "it would be awfully impolite, after all this. They're such sticklers for manners."

"We'd be just as safe on the steamer," Alan said dubiously; "safer, in fact. We could hang on to the box, and there'd be lots of people around."

"We can't tell him we won't, though. Here