By the time Nicholas returned to the inn, Chow had prepared every thing for their departure; the camel was laden with a litter for the two ladies, behind which were two tents, rough sleeping mats, furs and a supply of food and fuel.

"All is prepared, O noble Nicholas, according to thy order," said Chow.

"Thou art as nimble as thou art brave, Chow," said Nicholas, passing to the room of the princess, whom he found with the mother of Chow well wrapped in furs.

"It is well that thou art prepared, O beautiful and illustrious La-Loo, for the villain innkeeper heard our conversation, and I doubt not intended to earn the rebel Li-Kong's reward." At this the limbs of the princess trembled, and her face became pale with fear.

"Let us haste then, O noble brother, for La-Loo fears that demon Li-Kong, and would rather that her parent's blow had proved effective than fall into his power."

"The weather is severe and the journey drear, and fraught with dangers of savage beasts and still more savage men," said Nicholas, as fearful of the danger of proceeding as of remaining; adding, "At least the innkeeper can not return till to-morrow, and early morning would be less dangerous than the darkness of this winter's night."

"The last of the line of the great Tait-sou have the courage of their ancestors. Let us on our journey, my brother," said the princess.

Without another word Nicholas led the princess and her attendant to the camel, and assisted them into the litter.

"Surely," said La-Loo, "there are times when women should have the courage of men. An arrow sped by my hand would be as useful as one from the bow of my brother."

Understanding the meaning Nicholas gave the princess his own bow, and quiver full of arrows.

"Truly my venerable and beloved parent can pull a bow-string to save her life," said Chow giving his bow and arrows to his mother.

"This is not well, Chow, for we are left unarmed, except with our short swords, which will be of little use," said Nicholas.

"The noble Nicholas left Chow to provide for the journey, and so, knowing that female arms, like female tongues, can fight when the time comes, he provided weapons for each," said Chow, taking two bows from the sides of the mule.

"Thou hast the wisdom and foresight of a colao, O Chow," said Nicholas, laughing; then adding, seriously, "But the guide."

"Is here, O noble stranger, and as he hopes to have his tomb well dusted, will conduct thee safely to the distant mountains," said a youth, stepping forward with an unlighted torch in his hand.

Nicholas then mounting behind the camel, Chow upon the mule, and the guide taking hold of the cord which was tied to the great animal's mouth, they proceeded on their journey, and as it was just within the time of closing the gates, they passed out of the town into the open country of teas and drugs; and so quickly did they travel, that before night came on they had reached a narrow gorge between two mountains, which was good, inasmuch as they would be protected from the keen winds. The darkness came on, and the guide lighted his torch, which flamed so terrifically, that they might have passed for one of our slow night trains.

So for some hours they traveled, till they came to a forest so dense with trees that the guide would go no further, and they pitched the two tents, one for the ladies, and the other for themselves, surrounding both with a great fire, made of stubble, to keep off the wolves or other beasts of prey. The following morning they resumed their journey, till as they were leaving the forest, they could hear the distant howling of wolves; the camel exhibited its fright by making strange noises, and the mule grew restless, snorted, and every now and then turned its head as if to look for its enemies. The whole party fixed arrows in their bows, ready for an attack, and for some time their hearts palpitated with alarm. Ordering the little caravan to stop, Nicholas sent Chow to examine the probability of an attack. He had been absent half an hour when they heard the trampling of horses near at hand. What could it mean? surely they were not pursued? Then came Chow, who, running forward, said, "We are lost, O my master, for there are banditti near."

"On my brother, on, for these rogues are doubtless the troops of the rebel Li-Kong," exclaimed the princess, as she leant forward from the litter with the bent bow in her hand; and onward they went, with open ears, and as noiselessly as possible; passing along the side of a mountain into which the wood opened, till they came to a gorge, when the guide stopped, and proposed that they should make a dÉtour, in order to avoid the passage of the mountain platform.

"It is not possible, my master; for to the right are the banditti, to the left the wolves. Let us keep onward and dare this platform;" and again they proceeded through the gorge. Still the wolves kept up their dreary howling, and the trampling of the banditti, if banditti they were, seemed at no greater distance from them than the animals; at length they passed through the gorge, when a sight was before them that would have caused the stoutest hearts to quail. There, leading from the gorge, was the platform of which the guide had spoken. It was supported by rafters, which stood out some six feet from the rock, a mere shelf, without edge or railing, at least five hundred feet above the level of the sea, which the mountain skirted.

"It would be death to cross with these animals; we must turn back and make the dÉtour," said the guide.

"Open thy ears. We dare not, O noble Nicholas," said Chow! "for the wolves are upon us."

"Onward, my brother, for there are sounds of more terrible beasts than wolves. Let us trust ourselves in the hands of Providence," said the princess.

Seeing the knees of the guide knocking together with fear, Nicholas said, "Get thee to the rear, and follow the mule, thou coward;" then, dismounting, he caught hold of the reins in the nostrils of the camels and averting his eyes from the chasm beneath, led the sure-footed beast along the platform. They had reached midway, when the wolves, with a howling concert, made their appearance at the commencement of the platform; and as Chow, who brought up the rear, led the mule, he felt the animal tremble, and fearing that if the wild brutes ventured across the platform the terrified beasts would be the means of precipitating the whole party into the abyss, he trembled with anxiety. It was a fearful situation, but the brave youth retaining his presence of mind, crept to the flanks of the mule, and only in time, for one of the wolves who had ventured along the platform, followed by the pack, received an arrow in his brain, and as he rolled over into the abyss beneath, its companions stood with their fore feet stretched forward, and their ears bent, as if astonished, when another arrow flew among them, but so intent had Chow become in this fight, that he was unconscious that the progress of the rest of the party had been stopped midway. For the cause of this we must return to Nicholas; who, as he led the camel, to his horror, saw issuing from a fissure in the rock the head of a serpent of the most venomous kind. He fixed an arrow in his bow, but a moment's thought, and he dared not fire, for should he miss the reptile it would be upon them instantly. What should he do? His sword—yes—he drew it; but then he dared not leave the camel's head, and he called to Chow, little thinking that he was in a more terrible position than himself.

"Let fly thy arrow, my brother; should you miss, here is my bow," said the princess, leaning forward.

Still Nicholas would not move. The situation was fearful; the wolves on one side, the deadly serpent on the other; indeed words are wanting to paint the dread anxiety and terror of all, even the animals who stood transfixed, with their hearts beating against their sides in the agony of fear.