Part 25 (2/2)
Tom tried to explain that if they had not ridden hard, he would never again have seen his horses; but probably the midshi+pman's explanations were not understood, as the owner of the aniood!”
”Well, as it was partly our fault for delaying so long, I propose that we pay the old fellow so's countenance brightened greatly when they handed him solish inhabitants, to whohbourhood Their news created no small amount of stir in the place Information had already been received at head-quarters from the outposts, and immediately active preparations were made for the defence of the town, lest the eneht
Pretty well tired out, the ot back to the hotel where they settled to reht, as it was too late by that time to return on board Tom and Billy were not sorry to turn in, while a Chinese waiter undertook to get their jackets and trousers cleaned and polished up by the nextfor several hours, when Gerald, followed by Roy, who had a different roo serious is going on There's been tre for the last ten minutes in the direction of the Chinese town, and there can be no doubt but that the Tae-pings are attacking the place We are starting off to see the fun”
”Fun, do you call it!” said Archie, who had been awakened by Gerald's first exclahai, and there is but a sarrison for its defence As likely as not the Chinese will run away, or s”
”The iment are sufficient to drive back the enemy, and we shall have our own blue-jackets on shore, depend upon it, when Captain Rogers hears what is going forward,” said Roy
”Co will induce Billy to turn out, if he can help it”
”But ot the to put on”
”I will unearth hi them to you,” said Desmond; ”and Billy's also, for he won't like to be left behind”
While Des up in bed, rubbing his eyes, asked what the roas about On being told, he answered--
”Let theht it out by the down, he was about again to co the clothes, effectually roused hi was now heard closer than before, apparently extending over a considerable space Billy, as much as he was disinclined to leave his bed, did not like to be left behind, and forgetting that his clothes had been taken away, began hunting for them
”If you cannot find them, you must come as you are Wrap yourself up in a sheet; you will help to scare the enemy, at all events,” said Roy
Des thedressing, soht There was a general co to each other, and inquiring as happening
When the e party collected, ht For what they could tell to the contrary, however, the Tae-pingsoff, the tra The ers with the blue-jackets and marines of his shi+p, and several officers Tom at once joined his brother, and confessed what they had been about, and how narrowly they had escaped being caught by the rebels
”You were the arrison on the alert, for the er who came off with a request for me to land ht in the intelligence of the approach of the enemy”
Tom ell pleased to hear this, as he hoped that he and his companions would escape the reprione so far frouns was now heard, and a shot occasionally pitched into the ground at no great distance in front of the that the enemy could not be far off outside the walls
”They have not yet got inside, and we shall be in time to help drive them off before they succeed,” said Jack
A Chinese officer had been sent to guide the seamen to a part of the walls where the defenders uns pointed in that direction had ceased firing, and large bodies ofladders
”We shall soon tumble those fellows over if they make the attempt to escalade the walls,” said Tom
The rebels, however, showed no want of pluck In another instant the ladders were placed against the walls, and nu their shi+elds above their heads, began to climb up, in spite of the hot fire which the marines and blue jackets poured down upon them They had evidently not expected tothat the place was defended only by their own country the whole line of the wall, at different points, the sa enacted
Thousands ofby their nuarrison, but in every place they werewith the soldiers in repelling the foe
Captain Rogers had ordered another party of seamen to join hi the the deter the part of the walls he had been directed to defend, he sent back Tom and Desmond to hurry them forward The midshi+pe Under the belief that he knew the road, he led theh several narrow streets, when suddenly he discovered that he had ht to have kept ht, he could not tell
Sharp firing, however, being heard to the right, he concluded that was the direction he ought to have taken The party ain at the double The walls soon rose up before them, and the shot, which ca away as hard as ever Just then, at the end of a short street they caught sight of a large body ofaway from them