CHAPTER XIV
THE DEAD CITY
ALAN woke first. It was broad daylight, and the boat was motionless. The box was not between him and Mark. It was on the other side of the boat, and beside it sat a Chinese with a knife across his lap. He turned and looked at Alan. It was Chun Lon. Alan decided that this must be part of the dream, too; he looked at Mark, sleeping still, then out at the end of the boat. It was no longer attached to the train of other craft, and the launch was not in sight. Low marshy banks stretched out on either side, broken here and there by the high graves which fill every possible bit of ground in China. A man in faded blue rags stood leaning indolently on the big bow-sweep, raised picturesquely against the sky. Alan looked within again and rubbed his eyes. Chun Lon was still there, sitting motionless, with
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