"I'm afraid we're going to die," I said," Mr. Qian continued, "'But don't be afraid. ’”

"Is he scared?" The cook asked.

"Not at all," replied Master Qian, "he is very resolute—ah! Almost as resolute as I am. ”

"If I had been replaced, I would have been scared to death on the spot." The maid said.

"You're a woman." Lao Li cheered up a little and said in response.

"Lao Li is right," Master Qian nodded approvingly, "There is nothing to hope for the women's family." We were men, and we put a blackout lamp on the fireplace shelf in the old Lee house, and we went downstairs with a black rumbling - just like this. ”

Master Qian got up from his chair and took two steps with his eyes closed in order to match his description with the corresponding movements, and at this moment, he was as startled as the other companions, and ran back to the chair in a panic. The cook and maid screamed.

"There's a knock on the door," said Mr. Qian, pretending to be nonchalant, "who is going to open the door." ”

No one moved.

"It's a strange thing, the boss came and knocked on the door early in the morning," Mr. Qian looked at the pale faces around him in turn, and his own face was like ashes. "But the door has to be opened, do you hear it, who is it?"

Master Qian said while staring at Lao Li, he was very modest by nature, perhaps considering that he was a nobody, so he thought that this question had nothing to do with him, in short, he avoided answering.

Master Qian turned his pleading gaze to the tinker, but he suddenly fell asleep again. Not to mention the women.

Everyone found that it was already dawn, and they were somewhat relieved, so they let the dog run ahead and climb the stairs themselves. Two women, who were afraid to stay down, followed.

They talked loudly, to warn any ill-intentioned fellow outside the door that they had the advantage in numbers, and to pull the tails of the two dogs in the hallway, according to a clever plan devised by the same gentleman of great invention and genius, so that they barked in the hallway.

After taking these precautionary measures, Master Qian grabbed the tinker's wrist tightly, for fear that he would slip away, and gave the order to open the door.

Lao Li complied. The group of people looked out through the shoulders of others, and found nothing terrible, only to see poor little Yongchang so weak that he could not speak, and raised his eyes with difficulty, silently begging for mercy.

"A child!" Master Qian shouted, and bravely lifted the tinkerer behind him. "What's going on—what's going on? - weird - look here - you still don't get it? ”

As soon as he opened the door, Lao Li, who had gone behind the door, suddenly saw Yongchang, and couldn't help but let out a loud scream, Old Man Qian grabbed one of the child's legs and one arm, fortunately it was not the injured one, dragged him into the hallway, and threw him straight on the floor.

"That's him." Lao Li shouted upstairs with vigour. "Ma'am, catch a thief, ma'am. There's a thief here, miss. I'm hurt, miss. I hit him. ”

"It's a lantern, miss." The tinkerer shouted, pressing his hand to his mouth to make his voice clearer.

The two maids rushed upstairs with the news that Lao Li Sheng had captured a thief, and the tinker was very busy rescuing Yongchang, lest he have not had time to hang him on the gallows, but the matter would be finished first. In the midst of this noisy chaos, a woman's sweet voice sounded, and in an instant, everything calmed down.

"Lao Li!" The voice whispered at the top of the staircase.

"Yes, miss," replied the old man, "don't be afraid, miss, I'm not hurt." He didn't struggle desperately, miss. I restrained him with three strikes and five divisions by two. ”

"Shh The girl replied, "That gang of thieves frightened my aunt, and now you will frighten her." This poor guy is badly injured, isn't he? ”

"It hurts badly, miss." Lao Li replied with indescribable pride.

"He looks dying, miss," shouted Old Li, with the same look on his face as before. "Miss, don't you want to come and see him? If he really can't, it's too late. ”

"Don't shout, it's like a man." The girl replied, "Wait quietly, and I'll talk to my aunt." ”

With a sound of footsteps as soft as the voice, the speaker walked away. She soon returned, and ordered the wounded man to be carried upstairs to Lao Li's room, and to be careful.

The tinkerer went to saddle the pony and set off for Conch City, where he summoned a ranger and a doctor as fast as he could.

"But do you want to see him first, miss?" Lao Li asked very proudly, as if Yongchang was some kind of bird with rare feathers, which he had shot down with extraordinary skill. "Would you like to take a look, miss?"

"It is not now," replied the maiden, "poor fellow. Be kind to him, for my sake. ”

The speaker turned and walked away, and the old butler looked up at her with pride and admiration in his eyes, as if she were his own child. Then he bowed down towards Yongchang and helped carry him upstairs with feminine delicacy and zeal