It was the middle of the third watch; Nicholas was dreaming of the rebel Li-Kong, the Emperor, the princess, the soldiers, and his father's fleet. A sudden grip upon his arm made him set bolt upright upon his sleeping mat, and there stood Chow, in a state of great excitement, holding in his arms his master's habiliments and accoutrements, as if the place had been on fire, or he had suddenly turned thief, and was about commencing business upon his master's clothes.

"Awake, O my master, we are caught like rats in a trap; the rebels are upon us!"

"What words are these, Chow?" said Nicholas, leaping off the mat, taking the clothes and attiring himself.

"The General Kin means harm; let us escape, my master;" and Chow pointed to the open window.

"Thou art a coward, Chow, draw thy sword, and follow," said Nicholas, rushing with his own weapon in his hand to the walls, where, to his dismay, he found the sentries helplessly intoxicated and lying in all directions; but worse, there, against the walls, leaned a ladder, by which means a body of troops were about to ascend.

"Softly, Chow," said Nicholas; and like cats they crept toward the ladder upon their knees. Another minute, and a soldier stood upon the uppermost round with a lighted torch in his hand.

"See, the rat makes a signal that all is right," said Nicholas, and in another instant a blow from his fist sent the torch-bearer spinning through the air over the heads of his fellows; then with a yell of rage the man's next comrade jumped upon the parapet, and being received with a violent blow in the stomach from Chow's fist, followed his companion in arms. Another made the same attempt, but picking up the torch which had fallen upon the ramparts, Chow dashed the burning brand in his face, when with a wild howl of pain, the soldier fell backward, sweeping the scaling party off the ladder as clean as if he had been a thirty-two pound cannon ball. Then, making the most of their advantage, the boys caught hold of the ladder and threw it over upon the discomfited rebels, who lay sprawling at the foot of the walls.

Then, holding the torch above his head, as a signal for assistance, Nicholas indeed saw that treachery was in high quarters, for the whole line of walls appeared to be deserted. As for Chow, he had no sooner succeeded in arousing the men from their stupor, and placed some at the great guns, and others along the walls, so that another scaling party would come within range of their matchlocks, than, perceiving a body of the enemy moving to the front he pointed one of the cannons and applied the torch to the touch-hole; a flash—a roar followed; but the only effect it had upon the rebels was to cause them to send forth loud shouts of exultation. Well they might exult, for the guns were harmless.

"The villain Kin has had the balls withdrawn," exclaimed Chow.

"Our matchlocks are useless, they have been robbed of their flints," said the soldiers, who had attempted to fire them at the same time as Chow had fired the cannon.

"Then back, and brain the dogs with them as they mount the walls," said Nicholas, as the enemy was about attempting another escalade; adding, "Haste thee, O Chow, to the Prince Yong-Li, and pray of him to send assistance to his brother, who dares not quit his post with life;" when, as without a word Chow disappeared from the rampart, Nicholas snatched up a matchlock, and so placed himself and men beneath the breastwork that the arrows might pass over their heads, and many were the sealers who reached the uppermost round of the ladder to be dashed headlong among their comrades by the brave youth and his little band; and so they would have held out for some time, but for a shower of bullets from the matchlocks of a body of soldiers who made their appearance upon the walls, headed by the General Kin himself.

"Seize the dog!" said the traitor, pointing to Nicholas.

"Thou great rogue,"—before, however, Nicholas could say more he was gagged, his arms bound with cords, and taken by the soldiers to his own room, amid the shoutings of the rebels, who now seemed to be entering the city from all sides.

But why had they not killed him at once? for what reason had they brought him there?

He was not left long in suspense, for no sooner had Kin secured the entrance of his brother rebels into the city than he entered the room, and first examining the cords that bound the boy's arms, to see that there was no possibility of his getting free, he ordered the soldiers from the room, and said, merrily, "The young war tiger is brave, but he is no match for the fire-eater Kin."

"Let the dog without a heart unbind the arms of his prisoner, and he shall discover," was the fierce reply.

"What shall thy servant discover, O brave youth?"

"His villain body hurled out of the window."

"Knows not the youth that I can slay him as if he were a venomous rat?"

"Do this, and I will thank thee for not letting me outlive such hateful treason, thou villain."

"But the youth is young, brave, and should live in honor and high promotion."

"He would be more honored in dying for his Emperor."

"That Emperor is the chosen of Tien, the great Li-Kong, who would have the young war tiger live to serve him."

"These are snake's words, the rogue Li-Kong is as false as his coward slave Kin, who fears to trust himself with an unbound youth."

"Thou rat, thou pirate, I will slay thee," said the enraged general, drawing his sword.

"Do this, and my vision will be for ever shut out from so much villainy," was the calm reply.

"Now let the young war tiger open his ears, and if he is reasonable he shall be free," said the general, getting the better of his rage.

"Then unbind his arms, thou dog."

"Truly, if thou wilt promise to serve the great Emperor Li-Kong."

"Even if so much treason existed in my heart, how could so mean a person serve so great a prince?"

"Is he not the son of the great merchant of the south, who rules the four seas?"

"If the dull rogue hath discovered his prisoner's birth, how is this that he dares to think that when free he would let so great a traitor live, after such an execrable proposition?"

Greatly perplexed at this rebuff, Kin could make no reply. Suddenly, the booming of cannon, the roar of millions of voices, and the clash of arms, sounded through the night air, and he said, "Hear you that cannon, boy? It is the terrible mouthpiece of the fugitive tradespeople, who accompanied the rice wagons."

"O thou miserable rogue," exclaimed Nicholas, as it now flashed across his mind that the rice wagons and the fugitive tradespeople had been the ruse by which Li-Kong had obtained an entrance into the city for his troops. "O that he was free, for there were guards enough yet to save the imperial family."

"It is a maxim, that it is no use repining for the past, O youth. By his tyranny and oppression Wey-t-song has forfeited the throne to the heaven-selected Li-Kong, whose troops now fill the streets, and who will confer upon the young war tiger high rank, and upon his parent, the great sea chief, a kingdom, if he will submissively rule the seas as a tributary. See the success of the great Li," he added, as the room, nay, the whole sky became illuminated, "the palace is in flames—let the young war tiger give his answer."

"If it is adverse?" asked Nicholas.

"The head of the son will be sent to the father."

Then bitter were the feelings of Nicholas—for himself? no! for he felt it his duty to die; but for his father, for the princess—still there was a chance of escape. Should he comply? surely a promise to traitors would not be valid. He considered for a moment—it was but for a moment—and even the bold sea-boy had not courage enough to—tell a lie.

Perceiving his hesitation, the countenance of Kin brightened. "The noble youth is reasonable; he consents," said he.

"No, thou false rogue."

"Then he dies a miserable death," said the enraged Kin, calling to his guard. There was no reply, but a scuffle in the passage, and the sound of angry voices, when, pale with fear, the general opened the door, and the next minute was—in the arms of Chow, who held him till the soldiers of the prince, who accompanied him, had bound the traitor as tightly as a mummy.

"It is our turn now, thou vile rogue," said Chow, as he cut the cords that bound his master.

"This is well accomplished my brave Chow; but now let us leave the traitor and haste to the palace," said Nicholas.

"It is hopeless, O my master, for the outer palace is in flames, and surrounded by the rebels."

"Is it not a maxim that no effort is hopeless to the brave?"