THE REBELS BEATEN.—ARTFULNESS OF THE TARTAR KING.—CHAGRIN AND DISAPPOINTMENT OF NICHOLAS.

At daybreak the battle was resumed; and with such terrible bravery did the troops of Woo-san-Kwei and his ally the Tartar king fight, that before noon the rebels fled in all directions; the main body, under Li himself, retreating into the province of Pe-tche-Lee, where for many weeks they were followed by the Tartars; and although the latter beat Li in every engagement, and slew vast numbers of his troops, he managed so cleverly that he reached Pekin; which city being well fortified and manned by his adherents, he held out till the Tartars were reinforced by many thousands of their brethren, who, now that the ancient barrier of Leao-tong had been broken, flooded the empire like a mighty torrent. Then Li, brave and able as he really was, saw the necessity of retreating from the capital. To do this with profit to himself, the artful rogue placed the whole of his troops upon and before the northern walls; by this means he kept the soldiers employed and the enemy at bay at least eight days and nights, during which time his more immediate friends and faithful followers were engaged in carrying from the imperial palace the vast treasures of jewels, gold, and silver, collected by the Ming Emperors during the preceding two hundred and eighty years, with which they escaped to Si-gnan, in the province of Chen-si. Then, when the Tartar army entered the capital, although terribly chagrined at the loss of so much treasure, they did but follow Li-Kong a short distance, when they gave up the pursuit and returned to Pekin, greatly to the vexation of Woo-san-Kwei, who, as you will see, soon found that his new friends were as bad as his old enemies.

No sooner was Li-Kong expelled, than Woo-san-Kwei proclaimed the Prince Yong-Li Emperor, and offered to pay the Tartar king an immense sum for the use of his army, at the same time respectfully begging he would withdraw his troops from the empire, as it was contrary to the sacred books that so many foreigners should remain in the sacred capital; to which polite request the Tartar made an equally polite reply: "We do not," said he, "think it fit to leave yet, for there are many unsubdued thieves who may cause as much trouble as this Li-Kong; moreover, this arch-rebel is himself established in his province, and would doubtless return if he found that we, whom alone he fears, had quitted China; therefore, O noble Woo-san-Kwei, we are resolved to follow up our victory, and exterminate every rogue in the land, so that you may deliver the empire to Yong-Li in full peace and prosperity; as for the payment for our services, we are not poor, and can wait till the kingdom be settled. In the mean time, however, that which we chiefly desire is, that the great Woo-san-Kwei shall recruit his army from our own, and proceed to Chen-si to destroy the dog Li, while we, with our brave Tartars, will endeavor to sweep from the southern provinces the rogues and thieves who are now settled therein."

Deeply chagrined that he had replaced dogs with tigers, Woo-san-Kwei could do nothing but obey—for in reality it was a command; and so he proceeded into Chen-si, accompanied by Nicholas, where, after a campaign of many months, he succeeded in destroying the power and army of Li-Kong; as for the rogue himself, as his body was not found, it was supposed that he had been killed, while endeavoring to escape in the disguise of a private soldier.

Throughout the campaign in Chen-si, Nicholas had fought with terrible energy, for he had hoped that when they took possession of Li-Kong's palace, he should obtain at least some clue to the fate of the princess and Chow, both of whom, if alive, he believed to be in the power of the rebels. As, however, notwithstanding the highest rewards and the most vigorous search, he failed in gaining the slightest clue, he felt greatly pleased when they returned to Pekin, where he was not without hope that the princess might be concealed, and if so, she was safe; for doubtlessly, by the time they reached the city, their Tartar allies would, according to their promise, have proclaimed her brother, the Prince Yong-Li, Emperor.

So great and popular had been the successes of Woo-san-Kwei in Chen-si, that as he rode toward Pekin the people came out, and falling upon their knees, almost worshiped him as the restorer of peace and order. About midway between Chen-si and Pekin, they were met by the great officers of the Tartar king, who brought with them a vast body of troops, in order to augment the state of the general's triumphal entrance into the capital. Now this was very gratifying to Nicholas, for seeing the Tartars pay so much respect to the great Ming general, he doubted less than ever that, like faithful friends, if they had not already done so, they would speedily restore Yong-Li to his throne—a gratification which was considerably heightened, when, at the gates of the city, they were met by a procession of great officers, both Tartars and Chinese, who, in the name of the Emperor, greeted Woo-san-Kwei with the title of King of Chen-si; so with difficulty the procession passed through the masses of people, whose hoarse voices clamored, "Long life, ten thousand years, to the Emperor."

"This, then," thought Nicholas, "is indeed a fortunate day; for not only have these brave Tartars restored the Prince Yong-Li to his right, but the amiable prince commences his reign by an act of gratitude; for, forgetting his quarrel with Woo-san-Kwei, he rewards his great services with the kingdom of Chen-si." Thus they rode onward till they came to the palace, where the Emperor was waiting to do honor to the great general.

Then, as Nicholas passed through the courts of the palace, he stared with surprise, not unmixed with indignation, at the disproportion of the numbers of Chinese to those of the Tartars. Yet again, surely it was but gratitude on the part of the young Emperor to reward those who had restored him to the throne of his ancestors; still a strange fear crept over him, and he said, almost in a whisper, "Truly, O illustrious prince, these barbarians have taken possession of the empire."

"It is as wise, O youth, to make a virtue of necessity, as it is childish to resist the decrees of fate," said the general; and then a pang of disappointment shot through the youth's heart; his illusion vanished; moreover, he would have given his life to have avoided the scene before him. They had entered the great hall of audience; there, upon the golden dragon throne, surrounded by the warrior princes and chiefs of Mantchouria, sat the Emperor. The Emperor, indeed! not Yong-Li, but a Tartar child of six years of age. Heartsick, enraged, he would have spoken. The general perceiving his misery, clutched his arm. Nicholas checked his impatience, but nevertheless muttered, "Surely the heavens will fall, for the great Woo-san-Kwei has proved a traitor."

THE GREAT BOY EMPEROR.—NICHOLAS MEETS WITH A FEARFUL SURPRISE.

Once having entered the rich empire of China, the Tartar king determined to remain, and thus artfully sent Woo-san-Kwei, the only man he feared, to chastise the rebels in Chen-si, so that he could the better introduce more and more of the warrior tribes beneath his rule: moreover, he was so cruel to those who resisted his army, and so generous and kind to those who submitted freely, that the people, glad to get a sovereign who had power enough to crush the rapacious nobles, unanimously hailed him Emperor; before, however, he could be formally installed, he became seized with a mortal illness, so, calling his brother Amavan, he created him regent during the minority of his son Chun-ti, a child six years of age.

Fortunately for the young Emperor, Amavan, unlike most Asiatic uncles, proved faithful to his nephew, and, more fortunately still, Amavan happened to be a great as well as a brave man, who conquered his enemies as much by his intellect as his sword. Taking care, therefore, to have an overwhelming number of troops in Pekin, he first sought to establish the government by distributing the great offices of the empire equally among his Tartars and the Chinese mandarins. Then to Woo-san-Kwei he had represented by his ambassadors the folly of endeavoring to oppose the great power of the new Emperor, and, moreover, the cruelty of bringing upon the people the horrors of a civil war; while, if he would aid in the firm settlement of the new dynasty, he should not only be created King of Chen-si, but that, as the laws of the Chinese were the best in the world, the Tartars should conform to them in every respect. To all of which Woo-san-Kwei, being so entirely checkmated, could but submit, retaining a hope that the time and opportunity might come when he should be powerful enough to drive these Tartars from the land—a task which, when too late, he found to be rather more difficult than bringing them in.

Having thus, as he thought, gained over the Ming general to his cause, and wishing to give the Chinese a proof that the young Emperor wished to conciliate them, Amavan resolved that the greatest of their countrymen should be received on his entry into Pekin with royal honors; and more, that the same day should be the one chosen for his imperial nephew's first grand levee.

I will now return to Nicholas, who, with hardly suppressed indignation, was compelled to witness the following scene.

Having commanded the great lords, who were prostrate at the foot of his throne, to rise, the child Emperor Chun-ti addressed them in a speech that not only astonished the whole court, but remains to the present day one of the marvels in the history of China.

"It is your strength and power more than my felicity, my dear and generous uncle, and you, the rest of my noble commanders, which supports my weakness, and makes me so undauntedly ascend this imperial throne. My present assurance, and this chair's stability, is, I hope, as happy a sign of my future prosperity as its tottering proved unfortunate to the thief Li-Kong. You see my first step to the empire, but I know your valor to be such that I look not only upon the kingdom of China as my own, but conceive the empire of the world not only by me possessed, but also established. The rewards due to such incomparable virtues shall be no other than the riches of the empire and royal dignities."

At this extraordinary speech from the lips of so young a child, and which, notwithstanding the silence of solemn historians on the subjects, I believe must have been taught Master Chun-ti by his uncle, the artful Amavan, the nobles fell upon their faces, as thankfully as a flock of famished wolves at the sight of a good meal after a run of a great many hundreds of miles.

After which the Emperor added, "And that it may be known throughout the empire that we can reward merit, whether it be found in our Chinese subjects or our own black-haired race, we bestow upon the rebel-subduing Prince Woo-san-Kwei, the title of Pacifier of the Western World, and the dignity and rank of King of Chen-si; may his appointment prove fortunate to the people." Whereupon, to the disgust of Nicholas, the Ming general knelt before the Emperor, and holding his hands above his head, received the golden box, in which were placed the symbols of his office.

After this Nicholas was pained not only to witness the bestowal of high offices upon the Tartar chieftains, but, for worse, the acceptation of dignities by Chinese mandarins, who had been profuse in their professions of loyalty to the Ming family. Then, as the Emperor was about to move his sleeves as a signal of the close of the audience, one of the nobles announced the arrival of some great personage, whose name his ears failed to catch, whereupon the regent Amavan said, "This man, O my prince, is the greatest of your majesty's conquests," and in another minute a personage of majestic height and figure, attired and attended with all the magnificence of a king, entered the hall and fell at the foot of the throne, and as he did so Amavan proclaimed his name and titles, when Nicholas gave a cry of astonishment, and would have rushed forward, but for Woo-san-Kwei, who, by whispering in his ear, caused him to become as pale and almost as silent as marble. His surprise and indignation was not wonderful, for the great man who knelt at the feet of the Tartar chief was no less a personage than his own father, Chin-Chi-Loong.

NICHOLAS HAS AN INTERVIEW WITH HIS FATHER, AND LEAVES PEKIN FOR EVER.

Not daring to believe, yet trembling for fear his father should be the traitor to the Mings that his submission to Chun-ti had proclaimed him, Nicholas followed the procession that conducted Chin-Chi-Loong to the palace appointed for his residence in Pekin; nor could he help remarking the absence of Chinese faces among the soldiers and attendants who followed him. Again, when he entered the palace, the courtyards, and the passages, nought could he see but Tartars. "Surely," he thought, "my beloved father must be a prisoner of state;" and, much vexed at his unfilial misgivings of his parent's loyalty, he sent to the chief a message by one of the attendants, that "the bearer of his letter from the south to the north" craved an immediate audience of the King Pacifier of the South; when, as the chief knew that it could be no other than Nicholas, in another minute the father and son had met again, after their long absence from each other.

"Is it possible that my father can have become so terrified by the tempestuous fortunes of the imperial Ming, that he should seek the sunshine of the barbarian's court?" said Nicholas, sadly, when the first greeting was past.

"This is, indeed, the most unfortunate day in the life of Chin-Chi-Loong, if his son can believe him willingly guilty of so great a crime," said the chief.

"What words are these, my noble parent? for if thou art not a receiver of stolen things, how camest thou by this kingdom of Fokien? for surely it was not given to thee by the Emperor Yong-Li," replied Nicholas.

"Is my son blind, that he cannot see that his parent is a prisoner to these Tartar dogs?"

"A prisoner, my father! Do the Tartars confer kingdoms upon their prisoners?" said Nicholas.

"Even as thou wilt hear," replied the chief; adding, "The commission sent by the Emperor Wey-t-song created his servant lord of the four seas. Once in possession of that office I sought to sweep the rebels and thieves from the sea-coast provinces, but by the time I had effected this great end, the news came that the rebel Li-Kong had slain the Emperor and usurped the throne; then I determined to hold possession of the seas, towns, and cities for the Prince Yong-Li, and so for many months kept the miserable Tartars who had invaded those provinces at bay; and even when the barbarians poured into the empire like locusts, I still kept possession of the sea-coast towns and cities. Then, afraid of my power, the Tartar king and his brother Amavan sent a great embassy, assuring me they were allies of the great Woo-san-Kwei, who, to quell the rebellion and hunt the robbers from the face of the land, had prayed their assistance; moreover, they swore that when they had purged the empire of all such rogues, they would place it in the hands of the Prince Yong-Li and leave the land."

"Surely my father was too wise to believe the artful thieves," said Nicholas.

"Not so, my son, for the embassy was supported by a letter in the characters of Woo-san-Kwei, informing me of the cruel murder of his parent, earnestly beseeching my aid in exterminating the rebels, and also assuring me of the good faith of the Tartar rats. Not doubting so great and wise a general, and moreover that the people might believe my authority lawful, I accepted from the Tartar king the title of Pacificator of the South, and the kingdom of Fokien. When, however, I had made amity with him, he poured fresh hordes into the cities, so that speedily I had little power upon land, and determined upon the first opportunity to again seek my fleet. It was then that I became betrayed into their hands, for the Prince Amavan, who commanded in the south, suddenly gave out that he was proceeding to Pekin, to aid in the installation of the new Emperor, and prayed that previous to his departure I would take part in a great hunting expedition. Knowing this to be the darling pastime of these barbarians, I complied. When, however, we had reached a great distance from the coast, I saw a large body of troops come from behind a neighboring hill, and immediately, fearing treachery. I resolved to escape, but the mild manner of Amavan persuaded me that my fears were idle; so when too late I found myself in the midst of the main body of his army; with the greatest politeness, he informed me his brother the king was dead, and that the Emperor was his nephew Chun-ti. At the news, I could have plunged my dagger into the rogue; but knowing that force would be useless among such a formidable army, I dissembled my rage, and pretended to rejoice at the chance of prosperity the people would have beneath such an Emperor."

"Indeed it were better to die than dissemble, my father," said Nicholas, with flashing eyes.

"Listen, my son. Well, taking advantage of my apparent joy, this Amavan told me he was commanded by the Emperor to invite me to his court, where I should formally receive my title and kingdom from the imperial hands. Thus had I the choice of entering Pekin as a captive or a king."

"The former would have been more worthy of the great sea chief, whose ambition hath ruined him," said Nicholas.

"Is it possible that thou canst dare——"

"Pardon, O my father, but thy son will dare any thing and every thing till he can rescue his parent, country, and Emperor from the hands of these barbarians, and until he has done this he will rest neither by night nor day."

"Do this, and my error may yet be retrieved."

"Thy son shall be worthy of his parent," replied Nicholas; adding, "But cannot my father cast aside this mock dignity, and at once escape from this rebellious city?"

"It is not possible; it would not be wise; it would be treasonous to the General Woo-san-Kwei."

"Then the noble Woo-san-Kwei is not a traitor to the Emperor Yong-Li," said Nicholas, eagerly.

"Hist!" replied the chief by way of caution; then adding, "He but waits the opportunity to rise and exterminate the Tartars."

"Thank Heaven!" exclaimed Nicholas; adding, "Yet surely these double ways are neither honest nor successful." Then, taking farewell of his parent, he left the palace, and making his way to a portion of the city unfrequented by the Tartars, exchanged his rich clothes for the attire of a small merchant, went to the river, and after some hard bargaining, took a passage on board a trading junk, and left Pekin for ever.

THE RIVAL SEA CHIEFS.—RE-APPEARANCE OF AN OLD FRIEND.—A COMICAL BATTLE WITH THE TARTARS.

Once masters of Pekin, which being so near their native wilds, enabled them to introduce hordes of their fellow-countrymen, the Tartars conquered province by province, till they obtained possession of the whole empire. The most difficult, however, to subdue, were the southern districts, which edged the sea, and chiefly for this reason: that not long after they succeeded in entrapping Chin-Chi-Loong, to their surprise, there appeared another and a greater sea chief, whose fleet was so large, and his successes so great in destroying the Tartar settlements upon the coasts, and even the great towns up the Yang-tse-Kiang, that the greater part of the Chinese, who had any spirit or patriotism remaining, flocked to his standard, and swelled his fleet and army to such a size, that the Tartar government, trembling with fear for the capital itself, offered immense rewards for his head; and finding that of no use, offered to give him the command of the seas, and even a kingdom, if he would acknowledge their rule; but all this was of no use: the terrible patriot Tching-Tching-Kong, (or Koshinga, as the Portuguese did, and I shall for the future, name him,) would listen to no other terms but their departure from the country, to which, but for the sudden appearance on the coast of another formidable sea-chief, named Yuen, they would in all probability have been compelled to yield.

Now the difference between these two chiefs was, that while Koshinga protected the Chinese against the invaders, the chief Yuen was a mere pirate, and, if booty were to be gained, destroyed both peoples alike. Moreover, the latter seemed to have a great hatred for Koshinga; for, although he dared not meet him in fair fight, if by chance he ever fell in with a solitary ship of his fleet, he would wantonly sink it with all its crew; and so terrible had the name of this Yuen become, that the people upon the coast named him the Black Sea-dragon. Neither was it possible to make out the object of this pirate. It could not have been the desire of mere wealth, for the Tartar government, thinking him a very desirable antagonist to Koshinga, offered him wealth, and the same rank they had offered to his rival, provided he succeeded in destroying the latter; but still, although Yuen hated the patriot sea chief, his dislike to the Tartars was no less, for, like Koshinga, he destroyed their houses and massacred their people at every opportunity. So at length, giving up all hope of conquering either of his amphibious enemies, Chun-ti issued an order that all the houses, cities, towns, and villages, within ten miles of the sea, should be destroyed, chiefly, I believe, to prevent the people from supplying them with provisions.

Well, one day, shortly after this order had been received, and the inhabitants of a small town on the coast of Fokien were in high bustle packing up their goods and chattels ready for departure, some by means of carts, others, and the greater part, by junks and barges, a large merchant junk stood in from the sea, entered the narrow creek into which the river emptied itself, anchored, and would have remained unnoticed by the soldiers, who were inspecting the carrying out of the Emperor's orders, but for the appearance of a young man, who, stepping on shore, was immediately seized by the order of the officer. "Who is the vile slave, that he dares disobey the commands of the great Emperor?" said the latter.

"Surely thy servant, who has but just entered the town, can be guilty of no crime?"

"Are the words of the Emperor dirt, that they should have escaped the ears of so small a dog?" said the officer.

"Truly these holy words have not fallen into the ears of thy mean servant, O magnificent commander," returned the other.

"Then let the dog's ears be opened, and he shall hear," said the officer, directing a soldier to proclaim the royal command, which was to the effect that the long hair of every Chinese should be shaven from his head, and the growth of a Tartar tail encouraged, in order that there should be no difference between the two races.

When the stranger, however, heard the order, his eyes flashed, and his lips quivered with rage, at the great badge of slavery the Tartars were thrusting upon his countrymen; and he placed his hand beneath his robe, as if clutching the hilt of a sword; but then, looking at the Tartar troops, who had by this time surrounded him, and perceiving the folly of resistance, he said, "Truly the ears of thy servant have not heard this order."

"Let the dog obey, or he shall be strangled," was the only reply.

Then, with a look half tragic, half comic, and, taking his long flowing locks in his hand, he said, "Surely the magnificent commander will give his servant a few hours to prepare his head for so serious a farewell?"

The next minute, however, one of the barbers who accompanied the troops for the purpose of performing the first operation upon the conquered people, made his appearance, and, setting down his apparatus, began to prepare his scissors and large knife, when, like a half-secured animal whose dim instinct had just been aroused to the fact of the coming slaughter, the stranger struck out with both fists, sending barber and officer rolling one over the other, and darted off, followed by at least a dozen arrows from the bows of the soldiers, who, however had been too much surprised to aim properly.

Now, weak and effeminate as the Chinese had shown themselves in allowing the empire to become so easily conquered by the Tartars, this insult was always deeply felt even by those who had been compelled to submit, so in a few minutes they gathered about the Tartars in great numbers, and being inspired by the stranger's pluck, from hard words came to such hard blows, that the bully Tartars were very glad to beat a retreat, only promising to themselves a great revenge hereafter.

As for the stranger, he ran with such speed and blind terror, at the notion of losing his beautiful hair, that he tumbled headlong over an old sow into a litter of pigs, which were among the goods about to be taken away; and, comical as was this scene, it might have been serious, for the animal, seeing her family attacked by so formidable an enemy, would have made it a personal matter, but for a mob of people who came to the rescue of the stranger, at whose spirit in resisting the hateful order they were so delighted, that they lifted him upon their shoulders; when the youth, in his excitement, mistaking them for Tartars, put both his hands to his locks, exclaiming, "You dogs, I will rather lose my head than prove such a coward."

"A patriot! a hero! down with the Tartar thieves!" said the mob.

When the stranger, recovering from his fright, said, "Pardon, O my brothers, for believing you to be such dogs."

Then the crowd gave more cheers, and asked where he would be taken to.

"Know any of you the residence of the colao Ki?" was the reply.

"To the house of the good Ki," exclaimed the mob, and in a few minutes more they had deposited him at the gates of a great house not far distant from the sea.

"What rogue is this who dares disturb the quiet of the noble Ki?" said the servant who opened the gate.

"Let me pass, thou mean fellow," said the apparently mad-headed stranger, rushing through halls and courts till he reached the door of the women's apartments, which, to the horror of the servant, who now called for assistance, he burst open, and, seeing two ladies, fell at the feet of one of them, sobbing aloud, "Then my information is true, and I have found thee again, my venerable and beloved parent." Need I tell you that the stranger was no other than Chow?

"The gods punish me with a false vision, my eyeballs must be old, or it is indeed my beloved son Chow," said the lady, throwing her arms around her son's neck.

"The faithful friend of the noble Nicholas! Surely this is not possible," said the princess, hysterically, so forgetting her rank in her delighted surprise, that she embraced him as a brother, not a little, I assure you, to the wonder and horror of the servants, and the colao himself, who had hastened to the apartment to secure the daring robber, as the frightened servant had reported, and which Ki believed Chow to be, feeling certain that none but a thief would be guilty of so profane an act as entering the sacred apartments of the ladies.

CHOW DISCOVERS HIS MOTHER AND THE PRINCESS.—RESCUES THEM FROM THE TARTARS AND RELATES HIS ADVENTURES.

When the surprise had a little subsided upon both sides, Chow looked around, listened anxiously for a moment, and then said, "This is a fortunate day; the surprise, the joy is great, but, alas! it will be short-lived, for the barbarians can neither forget nor forgive," and he related his adventure with the soldiers; when, taking him by the hand, the princess said, "Fear not, friend of my brother; the barbarians dare not enter the house of Ki; for the usurper, barbarian as he is, has bestowed honor upon the noble colao for his services to his late Emperor, and as a consolation for his misfortunes; and in the house of one upon whom Chun-ti has bestowed the honored title of 'Faithful to his Prince,' no person dares enter unasked."

"Thy servant feared less for himself than for his beloved mother and the illustrious princess, whom he is commanded by the noble Nicholas to rescue from the degenerate soil of China, till it again owns its native princess," said Chow; adding, "From the hour that the vile guide betrayed the illustrious princess into the hands of the rogues, the noble Nicholas has left no stone unturned to discover thy fate." Then, repeating the history of their adventures to the time of his being taken prisoner by Li-Kong, he added, "So enraged was the villain mandarin, that, instead of killing me on the spot, he reserved me for a cruel death upon our reaching Pekin; then, however, being driven from the capital, he took me with him to Chen-si, where I was kept loaded with chains in a damp hole for many months, till indeed the great rebel was himself driven out of Chen-si, when, so ill that I could not walk, I was taken from the prison and conveyed to the house of the physician, who had been ordered to take charge of the sick and wounded, and unfortunately I remained senseless so long, that when I recovered, I discovered that not only had the great Woo-san-Kwei been the general who had punished Li, but that my beloved master had been with him. Bitterly regretting the misfortune that had caused me to miss him so narrowly, I resolved on seeking him in the capital; and so without money or food, but what I could beg on the road, I traveled, being compelled to rest many days upon my journey.

"At length, however, I reached Pekin, when, to my great rage, not only did I find that the Tartar prince had seized the throne, but that my noble master had left the city in horror at the great treason of his illustrious parent Chin-Chi-Loong. Then, weary of a world which contained so much vileness and misfortune, I should have myself sought the yellow stream, had it not occurred to me, that it would be villainous to desert the beloved parent whom I had resolved to discover; but, moreover, my master had taught me that it was a great crime; and, trembling that I had ever contemplated such a thing, I rushed down to the canal and engaged myself as a Coolie, for I thought the employment would drive away my sorrow, and, perhaps, throw some lucky chance in my way, and so it happened; for one day, carrying some goods for a traveling merchant, the good man took a fancy to me, and offered to take me with him into the province of Fokien. The offer gave me joy, for I knew that if ever I found my master it would be near the sea, which he loves as if he were a fish, and so it chanced; for one day, after many months' traveling, we lodged at the town of Ho-a, when a few days afterward the Chinese inhabitants became very joyful, and the Tartar soldiers were greatly terrified at a report that the terrible Koshinga, whose name just about that time had become famous, would land. Well, the report proved true, for the sea chief appeared with a great fleet, and drove the Tartars inland; when, feeling weary of my servitude, and longing to fight against the usurping barbarians, I offered my services to one of the commanders, and no sooner had I put in force that virtuous resolution, than my fortunes began to mend, for in one of the ships I found the noble Nicholas.

"Well, I will only tell the illustrious princess how that I kept by the side of the noble Nicholas in all battles that have been fought by the great Koshinga; but in the midst of our adventures and successes, both the noble Nicholas and his servant were unhappy, for they pined to learn the fate of the daughter of the Mings, whom the heavens had once entrusted to their care. At every town upon the coast, from every man who joined the fleet, did we endeavor to trace some clue, not omitting to offer great rewards; it was all, however, useless, till one day a Tartar prisoner was taken and brought to our ship, and as he had with him a copy of the Pekin Gazette, which contains the officers of the empire and the decrees of the Emperor, the noble Nicholas eagerly read it to find out the movements of the barbarians, when, much to his surprise, he saw that the noble Ki had been restored to his rank and fortunes, and, moreover, was permitted to reside unmolested at his native palace in Fokien. 'Thus, then, O Chow, we have a fortunate day; here is a clue to the princess—for should she have escaped the villain rebels, this old and faithful servant of her royal father will surely know,' said the noble Nicholas."

"Truly the great Father of heaven hath directed, this even," said the princess.

"Then, O my princess, the heart of thy servant leaped for joy; for he knew that the clue to the illustrious daughter of the Mings would lead to the discovery of his beloved mother, so upon his knees he begged his noble master to let him search the coast of Fokien, a request he would have granted, had not the whole fleet been ordered by the chief Koshinga to attack and drive the barbarian Hollanders from the great island of Formosa on that day. Then for nearly four moons was the fleet before the castle of Zealand, which protects the island; and so well did the barbarians fight, that we had no other hope but to starve them out; at length, however, they were joined by the numerous ships of the traitorous black dragon Yuen, and for the first time Koshinga was near being defeated, till at length destiny led him to fill seven of his ships with oil and inflammable materials, when, taking advantage of the first north-easterly wind, he set them on fire, and sent them among the ships of Yuen, the greater part of which being destroyed, the crews with the black dragon sought the shores in their boats. Thus having got rid of the fleet, the great Koshinga landed his troops, and after a great battle killed the greater portion of the pirates, made the remainder prisoners, and took possession of the country."

"Truly this Koshinga is a great war dragon," said the princess.

"And noble as he is brave; for although he punished the traitor pirates with death, as enemies to their true Emperor, he permitted the miserable Hollanders, who, being barbarians, could know no better, to pile up their household goods in one of their ships and depart."

"Thou hast not said aught of the noble Nicholas during this terrible fight," said the princess.

"Truly, O illustrious lady, he fought like the brave war tiger that he is, and performed the greatest act of the fight; for with his own hands he slew the villain Yuen."

"Then great was his destiny, for he has rendered the whole empire grateful," exclaimed Ki.

"They owe the noble Nicholas more gratitude than the rebel Li-Kong, of whose place of refuge, or fate, none have been able to imagine, since the taking of Chen-si by the great Woo-san-Kwei."

"God is indeed great; thus may treason be for ever punished," said the princess.

"But greater to thy servant was the capturing of the villain mandarin, who killed his venerable parent. I had struck the rogue down with my sword, and rejoicing that I had at last the opportunity of destroying so great a villain, was about to kill him, when he saved his life by uttering a few words."

"Is it under heaven that thou couldst save the life of the slayer of thy parent?" exclaimed Chow's mother.

"Truly, my noble mother, for those words were 'Thy mother and the princess.' Like magic they kept my sword suspended midway, and I said, 'What words are these, thou dog?' And the mean rogue said, 'If the noble captain will save the life of his slave, he shall be restored to his parent.' Need a son tell his mother that he promised when the rascal said, 'That it had been known for a long time to him that the princess was living in disguise in the house of the retired colao in Fokien, and that had Li-Kong been successful in defeating Koshinga, it was the rogue's intention to sail for the coast and seize the illustrious lady?"

"Truly Heaven is merciful in having destroyed such a villain," said the princess.

"Then," added Chow, "delighted with the discovery, my enmity to the rogue became lost in my anxiety to again see my parent; so I besought of the noble Nicholas to send me in search of those lost pearls of our existence, which he did with these words: 'Tell the illustrious princess that the Tartar rogues will seize her if she does not seek the protection of Koshinga, the friend of China and the Mings, of whose favor her adopted brother Nicholas will assure her.' Thus commissioned, I obtained one of the smallest junks of the fleet, had it repainted and disguised to resemble a trading vessel, set sail from the island, and landed this morning, when I so nearly fell into the hands of the rats of Tartars. Such is the history of thy servant, and such his mission. It is for the great wisdom of the princess alone, to consider whether the daughter of the Mings may long remain in safety and undiscovered beneath the dominion of the butchers of her race."

"Heaven is beneficent and thy words wise, O Chow," said the princess.

"Truly, daughter of my beloved master, thy safety would have been endangered had we been permitted to remain here, for since the villain mandarin knew thy secret, it is but reasonable to believe that it may be in the possession of another who may part with it for a high price to the Emperor Chun-ti. But since this cruel order has arrived, to destroy all the houses for ten miles inland, the princess can find no safer asylum than the country of the great patriot Koshinga," said the colao.

Never could there have been a more fortunate time for them to leave the town; for, as all the inhabitants were hastening to obey the order of the Emperor, and were busy with their own affairs, they could escape the watchful eyes of the Tartars. So that very day they set about making preparations for their departure, and before twenty-four hours had passed, the whole party were on board Chow's ship and moving down the stream; indeed, not a moment before it was necessary, for scarcely had they got under way when a boat put off from the shore, filled with Tartar soldiers, the chief of whom commanded them to stop.

"What would the Tartar dogs?" said Chow, standing upon the poop of the vessel. The reply, however, was an arrow, which but narrowly missed the breast of the brave fellow; who, however, taking no notice of the missile, said, very coolly, as the soldiers reached the side of the ship and demanded to be admitted on board, "What would the Tartar dogs on board a quiet trading vessel?"

"The daughter of the miserable Ming," was the reply.

"Then only two at a time, my brother," replied Chow, acquiescing in their request. And without waiting for further permission, the two soldiers climbed up the side and stood on the deck, only, however, to find themselves tightly clasped by armed men, who had been lying down in readiness for them. At the same time Chow, assisted by some of his crew, threw a heavy bar over the ship's side into the boat below, which falling across the bows and sinking her, sent the soldiers into the water struggling for their lives.

"Oh, oh!" said Chow to the two prisoners, "you are the affectionate rogues who wanted a lock of my hair."

"Surely the magnanimous hero would not murder two poor men who were doing their duty," was the reply.

"Truly it is said that fortune comes to every dog in its turn, and I am the bow-wow now," said Chow to the Tartars, as he tied together the ends of the long head-tails, of which they were so proud that they wished all China to imitate them, and consequently now roared for fear of losing them.

"Get you gone, you dogs!" said Chow; and the next moment the men were toppled over into the river, plunging, kicking, and at every plunge giving such reciprocal pulls at each other's tails that they became as belligerent as two cats in a similar predicament, and the more so, that the people upon the banks stood laughing heartily at their ridiculous gyrations.

A SEA VOYAGE—THE COLAO RELATES THE ADVENTURES OF THE PRINCESS.

Once on board, they were safe, for although the junk had been painted to resemble a trading ship, she was equipped with arms of every kind, and, moreover, with men, who had been hidden below; and it was fortunate that she was so well prepared, for when a Tartar junk put off after them, the crew of the latter no sooner perceived the deck crowded with armed men, and a flag hoisted at the masthead, displaying the terrible name of Koshinga, than they relinquished the chase.

Once out at sea, the vessel was as quiet and happy as a holiday junk, and Chow sought permission to enter the state cabin of the princess.

"Truly, my brave Chow, we have had a narrow escape from these barbarians," said the princess; adding, "The words of the noble Ki were wise, the secret must have been known, and sold to the usurper."

"Truly thy servant would willingly sacrifice his mean life, could he see the great Yong-Li ascend the throne of his magnificent ancestors," exclaimed Chow; but, to his surprise, the beautiful eyes of the princess became suffused with tears.

"It is not under heaven, O princess, that thy slave can have given thee pain?" said Chow.

"Surely this is weak, for no tears should be found in the eyes of the daughter of the Mings, but those caused by the suffering of the people," said the princess; adding, "Alas! my poor brother, with him has departed the last hope of his race."

"What are these sad words, O my princess? Is it possible that the Emperor Yong-Li can have left the earth?"

Then, with an effort to subdue her sorrow, she said, "Even so, my brave Chow;" but, her grief overcoming her resolution, she could utter no more, and Chow respectfully left the cabin, followed by the colao, who thus related the adventures of the princess, and his mother, from the time of their abduction by the strange soldiers:—

"When, O brave Chow, the robbers found they had obtained the great prize they had so long been in search of, they hastened with all speed to the sea-coast, where they hoped to find a ship that would take them to the coast of Pe-tche-Lee, where the army of Li was reported to be encamped; when, however, they reached the port, they heard that the Prince Yong Li had quarrelled with Woo-san-Kwei, and having got together a great army, had marched to the city of Chao-Hing, which, after a few days, he had retaken from the Tartars, and caused himself to be proclaimed Emperor. Then, when the cunning thieves heard this news, and also that Yong-Li was reconquering the country all around, they bethought themselves that Yong-Li would give them a much higher price for a sister that he loved so dearly, than would Li-Kong for a princess whom he only hoped to make his wife; so, making a virtue of a necessity, the rogues threw themselves at the feet of the royal lady, implored pardon for their roughness, and making a merit of their great crime, declared they were the faithful servants of her house, and intended to take her to her royal brother's court. Too glad to hear such news, she readily bestowed upon them a pardon; and, moreover, promised them great rewards if they would only conduct her in safety to her brother's presence.

"After some months' tedious and difficult traveling, they arrived at Chao-Hing, where they found that the report was truthful, and that the prince had really made a very great stride toward his throne. Well, the rogues were rewarded, and the princess delighted at being not only restored to her brother, but to the good and great Candida Hiu, who had escaped to Chao-Hing some time previously, with myself, the ancient servant of the imperial Mings; but, alas! fortune is capricious. A great army of barbarians so encompassed the city, that we were unable to procure food; still we held out, and the soldiers fought bravely, with the hope of being soon relieved. Then some foul demon put it into the head of the Tartar general, that the place might be taken without fighting. So, seeing that the waters of the river were at a greater height than had ever before been known, he first made a breach in the walls, and then caused his army to cut away the dikes and embankments, so that the waters rushed in such terrible force that the houses were beaten down, and the city made one vast pool, in which three millions of people were drowned, the Lady Candida among them. Fortunately, however, the Emperor, the princess, and their servant, escaped the flood, and, after many trials and difficulties, reached the court of the King of Pegu, who, seeing the heir to so great a throne in such misfortune, readily offered him one of his palaces for his residence; and there we remained happily for some time, and might have continued till more fortunate days, but that its coming to the ears of the Tartars, that the Prince Yong-Li was under the protection of the King of Pegu, the latter, for fear of being dethroned by his terrible neighbor, was compelled to give the prince into the hands of the Tartar, who, taking him to Pekin, there had him destroyed in a cruel and ignominious manner. Fortunately, however, the Tartar did not know that the imperial La-Loo, was with her brother, and so, aided by the King of Pegu, I traveled into my own province of Fokien, taking the princess as my daughter, and thy mother as her attendant; and no plan could be so safe, for the Tartar barbarian had proclaimed that all those Chinese nobles who had suffered by the tyranny of Wey-t-song, or Li-Kong, should be reinstalled in their former rank and possessions, conferring upon me alone, for my long and faithful services to my late master, the high and honorable title of 'Faithful to the Emperor.'"

"Truly this is a sad and marvelous history," said Chow, taking a respectful leave of the venerable noble, and proceeding to the duties of the ship.

THEY REACH THE PALACE OF THE SEA CHIEF KOSHINGA.

Oh! how the heart of the princess bled for the poor people, as sailing along that coast she saw with what terrible haste the Emperor's command had been obeyed. There, as far as the vision could pierce, ran, blazed, crackled one cordon of fire; miles in thickness, this fearful belt seemed as if it were to ward off the attack of worlds of savage beasts, instead of one mortal man. Yet such was the shocking policy of the Tartar despot, that to starve the great sea warrior from the coast, he laid waste hundreds of miles, ruined millions of his new subjects, and turned a fertile and populous land into a dreary wilderness.

For some days the little ship ploughed those waters, which, though famous for their tempests, were, as if in augury of better fortunes, now as placid as a lake, till at length they came in sight of the Pescadores, from almost every point of which they could see the colors of the victorious Koshinga. Then they reached the point of Formosa, upon which the Hollanders had erected their fort, but from which now floated the flag of the sea chief; then Chow sent up a signal, and in reply the Dutch guns bellowed forth a salute. Shortly afterward some large barges put off from the shore to the ship, the princess and her party took their seats, and were speedily rowed to the shore, upon which she had no sooner put her foot, than Nicholas fell upon his knees before her, saying, "Welcome, illustrious daughter of the Mings, to the kingdom of Koshinga."

"Surely, my brave and noble brother, this is but mockery; for the daughter of the Mings is now but an outcast orphan," said the princess, taking Nicholas by the hands and assisting him to rise.

"Not so, O illustrious, princess! for, like a brand from the flames, this great and fertile island hath been plucked from the thieving Tartars and Hollanders by Koshinga, that it may be restored to the princess of China, as a resting-place, till the whole of her empire be recovered."

"Who, O my brother, is this bold, brave man that thus shakes the world by his power?"

"A patriot, and a true Chinese, whose only ambition is to root out the miserable Tartars from the land, and restore its throne to its ancient Emperors," replied Nicholas; adding, "But the princess would see this terrible sea chief." Then he led her through the double rows of troops, which were drawn up the whole length between the castle and the shore, and all of whom bent low with respectful loyalty as the daughter of their late Emperor passed. When within the castle, he led her to a door where a number of ladies in rich dresses stood ready to receive her. "Now, O illustrious princess, will thy servant prepare the noble chief for the great honor of thy visit," said Nicholas, leaving her to the care of the ladies.

THE KING AND QUEEN OF FORMOSA.—HAPPY TERMINATION OF THE STORY.

The pleasure of the princess had changed to grief; she felt disappointed and desolate, for once fallen from her high rank, and having been thrown by misfortune beneath the care of Nicholas, she had learned to regard him as a brother; therefore, after the death of the Prince Yong-Li, great had been her delight, by anticipation, of again meeting him—but now, alas! the brave youth seemed changed. Was he not, indeed, one of the officers of the great Koshinga, by whose command he had received her, not as a dear friend, but with the cold and formal respect due to that exalted rank, which, as it seemed about to rob her of her adopted brother, was hateful to her?

Thus, in a very melancholy mood, she followed the ladies through the corridor into a suite of rooms, magnificently furnished with the spoils from the well-laden ships of Li-Kong. She, who, more fortunate than most princesses, had had the painful mantle of royalty torn from her shoulders and been permitted for a season to taste the troubles of ordinary mortals, which, compared to her former state, seemed luxury itself, was again about to be petrified by state garments, and, like the idols, her Christian teaching caught her to despise, placed upon a throne high up out of the way of common humanity, and as her experience had taught her, mocked with a false adoration.

The morning came, however, and still she as much feared to meet the chief as if he had been her greatest enemy. At last the terrible moment of meeting came, and she was conducted by her ladies to the great hall of the castle, which was hung with yellow cloth of gold. Not noticing the crowd of officers around, who were bowing to the ground, she bent her head downward, and as the ladies led her forward to the chair of state, she heard, "Welcome to the Queen of Tai-ouan." The welcome was echoed by a hundred voices; the princess looked up, the throne was vacant, but by her side, and holding her hand, stood the terrible Koshinga, at the sight of whom she trembled, but it was with joy, for the great sea chief after all was neither more nor less than Nicholas, the son of the merchant of the south, who, by his great abilities, valor, and energy, had conquered a kingdom and crowned himself.

Thus ends the troubles of the princess, Chow, Nicholas, and my story. I will, however, add, that although by some unaccountable neglect the historians of China have omitted to say one word about the queen, they all state that not only was Koshinga, the great son of Chin-Chi-Loong, crowned first King of Formosa, but in that capacity received ambassadors from several of the monarchs of Europe.

THE END.