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Rh found a large, square box of powder; and running into this was a fuse enclosed in a small copper tubing. Without hesitation, Gilbert pulled the fuse from the box; and all danger of having the mission blown up was over.

"Phew! but that was an escape!" said one of the party, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. "If that had gone off, all of us would have been blown to Kingdom Come."

The box of powder was removed to a safe place; and then the party went upstairs, told the mission folks of what was going on, and returned to the consulate.

"And now, if you let me know something about this Chow Fun, we'll try to bag him," said the young lieutenant, who believed in the old saying, "Make hay while the sun shines."

"The house is on the next block,—the small white place behind the stone wall," replied the consul. "There are two brothers, Chow Fun and Chow Ching. Up to now I had thought them very friendly."

Taking two of Captain McCalla's marines and his own men with him, Gilbert set off for the house of