The War Tiger
by William Dalton · English · Gutenberg #39163 · 474,021 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: The War Tiger
Author: William Dalton
Release date: March 16, 2012 [eBook #39163]
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39163
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THE WAR TIGER
OR,
ADVENTURES AND WONDERFUL FORTUNES
OF THE YOUNG SEA CHIEF
AND HIS LAD CHOW:
A TALE OF THE CONQUEST OF CHINA
BY WILLIAM DALTON,
AUTHOR OF THE "WHITE ELEPHANT," ETC.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY H. S. MELVILLE
PHILADELPHIA
J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.
1884.
[Illustration: The Escape from the Pagoda.]
PREFACE.
As free use is made in the following story of the names of personages
who played important parts in and during the last Tartar Conquest of
China, the Author believes that a slight sketch of that turbulent epoch
may not be uninteresting to his readers.
Twenty-two dynasties have given some two hundred and forty Emperors to
the Celestial Kingdom; of these, two were Tartars, who obtained the
throne by conquest and bloodshed. In the course of time, however, the
first Tartar family, with the whole of their race, were either massacred
or driven from the land by a Chinese leader, who, by mounting the
throne, founded the celebrated family of the Mings.
The last of the Ming Emperors, Wey-t-song, had not been many years upon
the throne, when, from a wise and energetic man, he became so indolent,
and regardless of all but his pleasures, that the people became
oppressed by the magistrates; indeed, to use a Chinese phrase, to such
an extent did the "big fish eat all the little ones," that a famine grew
in the land, which caused the starving people to arise in rebellion
throughout the empire.
Taking advantage of this disorder, several ambitious lords collected
together bands of vagabonds, set themselves up as petty kings, and
plundered and oppressed the innocent people, till the land grew damp
with their tears.
At the same time, the chief, or king, of the Mantchou Tartars, learning
that China was like a house divided against itself, rode with a large
army upon the frontier of Pe-tche-Lee, the capital province.
The appearance, however, of this great enemy aroused what little
nationality remained, and three great lords came to the Emperor's
assistance. The first was Woo-san-Kwei, who, at the head of an army,
kept the Tartars at bay; the other two, Li-Kong and Chang, were sent
into different provinces, where, although bad men, being good generals,
they succeeded in crushing all other rogues but themselves. The
last-named generals, however, on their return, becoming enraged at the
Emperor's ingratitude, took up arms against him, and, finding no great
difficulty in subduing a people who preferred any other Chinese to their
Emperor, seized upon two of the richest provinces, and established
themselves as independent royalets, or petty kings.
Now, as in the great revolutions of England, America, and France, so in
China, anarchy brought forth its great men; but foremost among them all
stood Chin-Chi-Loong--a kind of Paul Jones, a pirate in the eyes of his
enemies, a patriot in those of his friends.
Found starving when a boy, by the Portuguese priests at Macao, they took
him under their care, taught him Christianity, and baptized him by the
name of Nicholas Gaspard. While quite a youth, he took service on board
a trading ship, in which humble position, the strength of his intellect
and will so soon exhibited itself, that at an early age he became second
in command, and his captain dying soon after, left him sole owner and
commander of the vessel and its rich cargo.
Then it was that his true character began to develop itself; he sought
to accumulate great wealth; for this purpose he traded with Japan, Siam,
and the Europeans, so assiduously, that at the outbreak of the
rebellion, he had become the richest merchant in an empire of rich
merchants; but what to him was of far greater importance, a powerful
sea-chief--for he then commanded and owned the greatest fleet that ever
sailed in the Chinese seas, and as he had taken care to arm every ship,
he became the terror of the three great contending parties; namely, the
Emperor, the rebels, and the Tartars, who, all in turn, at times,
offered great rewards for his head, and at others, for his services.
Remarkable, however, as were the fortunes of this sea-chief, they were
less so than those of his distinguished son, the hero of this story.
The Author will only add, that, although many of the adventures here set
down may not be found in the pages of Chinese history, if, entwining
information with amusement, they bring vividly before the mind's eye of
his young reader, the manners, laws, legends, superstitions, history, or
character of that great, though quaint people in whom more than a
thousand years have failed to make any material change, his satisfaction
will be the greater that he has again deserved well of those to whom his
gratitude is due for the kind, thorough, and hearty reception they gave
to the Adventures of "THE WOLF-BOY OF CHINA."
WILLIAM DALTON.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I.--The Young Sea Chief.--His Mission 11
II.--The Demon Ship.--The Boy Chow 19
III.--Adventures at Sea.--Rescue 29
IV.--The Innkeeper.--Alarming News 38
V.--Adventure in a Buddhist Monastery.--Chow's
Encounter with a Bonze 48
VI.--Thrashing the Gods.--The Boys taken Prisoners 55
VII.--Treachery of the Bonzes.--Nicholas sent to
Prison as a Traitor 61
VIII.--Chow sets out to discover some Thieves 69
IX.--Chow outwits a great Mandarin, and sets
out to rescue his Master 76
X.--Escape of Nicholas from Prison 81
XI.--Pursued by the Yah-yu.--The Boat Wreck 87
XII.--Nicholas again taken Prisoner 94
XIII.--Pagodas, their Antiquity and Uses 103
XIV.--A dangerous Descent 109
XV.--Nicholas discovers a Conspiracy, and makes
an unpleasant Entry into Pekin 114
XVI.--The Boys again in Trouble 126
XVII.--Nicholas resolves upon a dangerous
Adventure 136
XVIII.--The Imperial Gardens 145
XIX.--The Princess of the Mings, and the
Lady Candida 150
XX.--Danger of the Princess.--Her Rescue
by Nicholas 154
XXI.--Assembly of the great Princes of the Empire 163
XXII.--The Boy Prince and the Rival Generals 170
XXIII.--Audience with the Son of Heaven.--Nicholas
accuses a great Prince of Treason 178
XXIV.--Nicholas unveils a Rebel Chief 189
XXV.--Nicholas and the Prince have an Adventure,
and save the Life of Chow 197
XXVI.--Nicholas receives an important Command 210
XXVII.--The Rebels attack Pekin.--Treachery of
a General, and the Fight 214
XXVIII.--Attack on the palace.--Suicide of the
Emperor, the Princess wounded 221
XXIX.--The Secret Cavern.--The Princess saved
by the Boys 230
XXX.--A large Stock of Ladies, two taels
per sack 237
XXXI.--Chow makes a Discovery, and Nicholas
a Surprise 242
XXXII.--Nicholas punishes an ungrateful Innkeeper,
and escapes from his treachery 250
XXXIII.--An Overland Journey.--Attacked by Wolves,
and stopped by a Serpent 259
XXXIV.--Saved by a Musk Deer.--Stories of
wonderful Mountains 264
XXXV.--Treachery of the Guide.--The Princess
seized by Robbers 271
XXXVI.--Once more Prisoners, but with Friends.--The
Guide's Mistake 279
XXXVII.--Interview with the General.--Nicholas causes
Soldiers to be sent in search of the Princess 285
XXXVIII.--Cruel Death of the aged Woo.--A
Battle.--Bravery of the Boys.--Chow taken
by the Enemy 293
XXXIX.--The Rebels beaten.--Artfulness of the Tartar
King.--Chagrin and Disappointment of Nicholas 300
XL.--The Great Boy Emperor.--Nicholas meets with
a fearful Surprise 305
XLI.--Nicholas has an Interview with his Father,
and leaves Pekin forever 309
XLII.--The Rival Sea Chiefs.--Re-appearance of an
old Friend.--A comical Battle with the Tartars 314
XLIII.--Chow discovers his Mother and the
Princess.--Rescues them from the Tartars, and
relates his Adventures 320
XLIV.--A Sea Voyage.--The Colao relates the
Adventures of the Princess 329
XLV.--They reach the Palace of the Sea Chief
Koshinga 333
XLVI.--The King and Queen of Formosa.--Happy
Termination of the Story 336
THE WAR TIGER.
CHAPTER I.
THE YOUNG SEA CHIEF.--HIS MISSION.
Nearly midway between Formosa and the most southern point of the Chinese
province of Fokien are the Pescadores, a cluster of small islands, which
are so barren that their few inhabitants are put to the trouble of
procuring food, and even fuel, from the main land.
These islands, however, have a value of their own in the shape of a
capacious harbor and safe anchorage, that was readily seen by the Dutch,
the first civilized people who established themselves upon the
neighboring island of Formosa, which, although a beautiful and fertile
land, has not a sufficient depth of water for vessels of great draught.
It was in this harbor that a large fleet of trading vessels, laden with
pearls, red copper, sabre-blades, fan-paper, porcelain, and many other
articles of commerce purchased at Japan, and on its way to the large
trading cities further south, sought shelter from one of the violent
tempests so common to the China seas.
One of these vessels was anchored in the direction of Formosa, some
distance in advance. Larger than the others, she was also of European
build, and mounted with ten guns. A horde of wild half-naked men swarmed
about the rigging, and decks, interspersed here and there with an
officer garbed in the wide-sleeved robe common to the Chinese prior to
the Mantchou Tartar conquest.
The afterpart of the deck was taken up with a tent formed of poles and
matting of bamboo, the interior of which was luxuriously fitted with
chairs, tables, and sofas, tastefully wrought from the wood of roses or,
as it is termed in this country, rose-wood. The walls, highly painted
and glittering with japan, were hung with Chinese pictures in gilded and
japanned frames. Between these were long strips of satin up on which,
imprinted in colors and gold, were some of the choicest moral maxims
from the books of the philosopher Confucius.
The panes of the windows, four in number, were formed of stained
transparent paper. In the piers between, supported by glittering
branches, were painted lanterns, and from the ceiling, which shone with
colors and carvings of celestial blue and burnished gold, was suspended
a gong of pure silver. So far there could be no doubt that it was the
floating habitation of a wealthy Chinese, but then, curiously, there was
a total absence of those idols, altars, and burning incense, which to
this day are to be found in all Chinese vessels. The truth was, that
although a Chinese, the owner was a Christian, as was evinced by a niche
at one end of the room, in which stood a handsome _Prie Dieu_,
surmounted by a fine painting of Christ upon the cross.
At this altar, with his hands clasped, knelt a boy of seventeen, whose
high cheek bones, dark eyes, and long black hair, declared his Chinese
origin. His head and neck were bare, and his ample robe of green silk,
which reached nearly to his close fitting leather boots, was confined in
the middle by a crimson girdle, fastened by a clasp of agate stone. From
the girdle hung a short straight sword. Although a Chinese, the youth
was a Christian; one, indeed, of those whose faith had been gathered
from the teachings of the early European missionaries, whose
indefatigable exertions and untiring patience amidst much persecution,
contumely, and even martyrdom, will forever keep their names green in
the memories of the Chinese.
As the youth arose from his kneeling position, the report of a gun rang
through the air, so snatching up his cap of sable, he went on deck to
welcome the arrival of his father, who ascended the side of the vessel
followed by some half-dozen officers, attired like himself in loose
robes of thick brown silk, oiled to withstand the weather and without
one warlike vestment, except the short swords which hung from their
girdles.
Standing with his head bent forward and his arms straight by his sides,
the attitude of respect, the youth waited for his father to salute him,
after which he followed him through the rank of officers to the cabin,
when observing the gloomy aspect of the chief's countenance, he said
"Has my honored father, the great chief, not prospered with the
barbarian Hollanders?"
"To the full, my son, for like the greedy wolves they have purchased the
whole of my merchandise, and I have more than sufficient wealth to
destroy the vermin enemies who are turning the children of the Son of
Heaven from those habits of peace which have so long rendered them the
greatest and most prosperous of the world's people."
"Of what enemies does my honorable father speak? Surely there are none
but the savage Tartars."
"Of three, my son,--the Tartars, who are now within a few leagues of the
palace of Ten Thousand Years himself; the European savages, who under
pretence of commerce have obtained a footing, that, if not soon rooted
out, will last forever; and worse, by far worse,--for internal rebellion
is as destructive to an empire as to an household,--the rebel mandarins
who are now at open war with their holy sovereign."
"Is this treble sore fresh, that it should now so rankle the heart and
cloud the brow of my venerable parent?"
"Truly so, my son, for although long festering it has but now reached a
head," replied the chief, adding, "To the days of my great-grandsire the
empire had been free from the profane feet of barbarians.
"Then the different governments passed into the hands of cowardly
mandarins, whose weakness became the advantage of the pirate Li-Lao, who
ravaged the whole coast with fire and sword, and to get rid of whom the
puny officials sought the aid of the Portugals, who traded at one of the
outer ports. These barbarians, however, were brave; they sought, fought,
and killed the pirate, and destroyed his ships and, as a reward, were
permitted to settle at Macao."
"Surely, my father should be grateful to these Portugals, whose priests
first shed upon his eyes and heart the light of Christianity," said the
boy bowing reverently.
"They taught me for their own ends, and I would not trust the rats."
"But the red-haired barbarians of Formosa, from whom my father has just
returned, are they of the same race?"
"Not so, my son, these Dutch dogs are from a distant country called
Holland, where the people are so miserably poor they cannot afford even
a king."
"Then why, O my father, were such pauper barbarians permitted to place
the soles of their feet on the land of Formosa?"
"By fraud and artifice the rogues obtained their hold. During a tempest
one of their vessels was driven upon the coast: the crew finding the
island to be well situated to their wants, partly by presents, partly by
force, persuaded the simple inhabitants to give them only as much land
as could be encompassed by the hide of an ox, when the rogues cut the
hide into thousands of narrow slips, tied them end to end and therewith
measured the earth, to the great surprise and indignation of the
inhabitants, who, however, were too powerless to offer resistance. In a
short time they were joined by multitudes of their country men and
erected yonder fort, which they call the Castle of Zealand."
"Surely the fleet of my father can exterminate these wasps?" said the
boy, whom I shall for the future call by his Christian name of Nicholas.
But as at that moment an officer entered the cabin and reported the
approach of a strange ship, father and son went on deck, prepared to
give either a salute to a friend or a broadside to a foe.
The vessel proving to be a war junk and carrying the dragon flag of the
Emperor, they fired a salute of respect, when a signal was made from the
junk that she had on board the Mandarin, or Deputy-Governor of Amoy,
with a secret communication for the illustrious merchant Chin-Chi-Loong,
whereupon the chief bowed respectfully at the name of so great a
personage, and prepared to receive him with all the customary tedious
formalities.
This visit from so important a personage very much puzzled Nicholas, who
stood the whole time the mandarin was closeted with his father, leaning
against a gun, in deep thought. When the mandarin had finished and the
official had taken his departure, Nicholas returned to the cabin, where
he found the chief sitting thoughtfully with his hand upon the satin
wrapper of a letter, which from the great seals affixed and the
characters Hong Fong (guarded and sealed), he knew must be of great
importance and from some high personage.
"My information is truthful," said the chief; "there is treason among
the lords of the court, and the dogs believing Chin-Chi-Loong to be as
vile as themselves, have offered him the title of king and the island of
Formosa, if he will aid them with his ships, wealth, and men."
"What answer made my honorable father?" said Nicholas.
"A promise to consent, that the traitors may be caught like rats in a
trap."
"Surely this is not well, for why need the brave stoop to such
villainy?" replied the youth boldly.
Not noticing this reply, the chief became pensive for a few minutes,
then exclaimed, "Would that I could place a letter in the hands of the
Son of Heaven himself!"
"Surely that cannot be a difficulty," said Nicholas.
"Alas! my son, Wey-t-song is so resigned to his pleasures and the
company of the vile bonzes, that the audience-denying tablet is for ever
suspended at the gates of the inner palace."
"Truly it is a maxim that nothing is impossible to the brave. Let my
father place the letter in the hands of his son, and it shall reach the
imperial eyes!"
For a minute the chief gazed proudly at the boy, then passing his hand
across his eyes, as if to chase away some sad thought, said, "It shall
be so, but for nothing less than the safety of his Emperor would
Chin-Chi-Loong risk the life of his only son; but haste, and assume the
dress of a traveling merchant, while I prepare these important
characters."
Without another word Nicholas left the cabin, returning, however,
shortly afterward, dressed in a plain robe of coarse brown silk, with a
girdle of the same color, a couple of short swords beneath his garment,
and thick staff of bamboo.
"This promptness is good and bespeaks success," said the chief, laying
his hand on a letter which was enclosed in three wrappers of satin, the
outer being sealed in many places, adding, "Secure this packet beneath
thy inner robe, for upon its safety may depend the fate of the empire. I
know not by what means thou mayest reach the Emperor, therefore, when in
Pekin it would be well to seek the merchant Yang, in the great square,
who will aid the son of the great merchant of the south." Then taking
another letter from the table, he added, "As you pass through the city
of Hang-tcheou, seek out Father Adam, the chief priest of the
Christians, and place this in his hands; but guard it well, for the
contents are such that were they to meet the eyeballs of the bonzes it
might prove thy destruction."
Then placing a valuable ring on the boy's finger and telling him to take
what silver he might require, till he reached the merchant of Pekin, who
would supply him with more, he bid farewell to Nicholas, who, signalling
one of the consort ships, went on board, and was soon landed at the port
of Amoy.
CHAPTER II.
THE DEMON SHIP.--THE BOY CHOW.
Taking a passage in a merchant junk bound to the port of Ning-Po,
Nicholas continued his journey for some days without meeting with any
event of importance. The voyage was, however, rendered very tedious by
the idolatry of the sailors, who spent a great portion of their time in
offering up presents to a dirty little wooden god stuck behind a small
oil lamp, the odor from which was any thing but agreeable. They would
moreover frequently stop the ship to offer meat and incense to the
images of the sea goddess Ma-tsoo-po, which are perched upon almost
every promontory upon the Chinese coast.
They had been at sea, or rather along the coast, for these sailors never
venture far from land, six days, when the murky atmosphere, the heavy
swell of the waves as they rolled inward, and the fluttering flight of
the sea-fowl, betokened a coming storm; and the crew, trembling with
fear, thought of little else but making offerings to the dirty little
god, praying of him to stop the storm. A sailor and a Christian from his
childhood, Nicholas was no less disgusted with their cowardice than
their foolish superstition, and really fearing that the ship would be
dashed to pieces upon a rock, he earnestly entreated them to exert
themselves. His efforts, however, were useless, for their faith was firm
in the power of their gods, whose protection they sought to purchase in
the following curious manner:--
Taking a quantity of gilt paper, kept on board for the purpose, they cut
it into the shape of copper tchen, the only coin in the empire, and
threw them into the sea as a bribe to the goddess Ma-tsoo-po; but
finding that the marine lady's favor was not to be bought so cheaply,
the whole crew began to busy themselves in building a paper ship, which,
by the way, was so ingeniously constructed that it formed an exact model
of their own junk, being complete with masts, ropes, sails, flags,
compass, rudder, a crew, victuals, and even a book of accounts.
When this redoubtable vessel was finished they let it into the sea with
great ceremony, and amidst the deafening clatter of drums and
instruments, and their own shoutings to the goddess, to wreak her
vengeance upon the toy instead of her adorers' ship.
Nevertheless the hard-hearted goddess was not to be caught with tinsel,
for the storm raged with such terrible violence that the frail bark
would speedily have been dashed to atoms but for Nicholas, who, after
persuading a few of the least obstinate of the men to help him, set to
work and managed to keep her head so straight that they passed through
the channel without touching the rocks by which it was bounded on
either side. So fearful was the hurricane of circular winds that the
shivering crew could see trees torn up by the roots as easily as corks
out of bottles by corkscrews. At length, however, the storm subsided,
and the sailors believing that nothing less than a deity could have
enabled their vessel to live in such a storm, fell upon their knees
before Nicholas and thanked him for quelling the fury of the elements.
"Let my brothers toss their stupid idol into the sea, and offer up
thanks to the One true God of heaven, who alone has saved them," said
the boy.
Enraged at this insult to their god, the sailors gave full vent to their
disapprobation, and would have tossed the bold youth into the sea but
for a sudden cry from the look-out man.
"The wasps of the ocean! the wasps of the ocean are upon us!"
At this cry the crew took alarm, and ran to different parts of the
vessel, and armed themselves with pikes, swords, or any weapon upon
which they could place their hands.
Taking the glass from the trembling hands of the look-out man, Nicholas
endeavored to make out the cause of the alarm. It was a large floating
object at a great distance, and bore some resemblance to a ship, still,
notwithstanding the track it left behind in the water, he was doubtful;
but before he could make up his mind the captain snatched the glass from
his hands, glanced through it, declared his opinion that it was a wasp
of the ocean, or pirate, and ordered his vessel to be put back, with
the hope of outrunning her.
Then the first officer took the glass, and after gazing for some time,
said, "Truly, my brothers, this is no ship, but a frightful demon that
the insulted Ma-tsoo-po has sent from the bottom of the sea to devour us
for carrying this impious youth."
This was sufficient for the superstitious fear of the crew, who,
clustering toward Nicholas, with one voice cried, "Over the side with
the irreligious dog."
Seeing no other chance, the boy ran to the stern of the vessel, and,
keeping them at a distance with his sword, said, "Let my brothers open
their ears. Their servant has brought this calamity upon them, but will
yet save them from the anger of the demon by seeking him before he
reaches the vessel, for surely the demon will be satisfied with one
victim."
"The boy's words are good, and if he will pay for the boat it shall be
so, otherwise it is not well that we should lose its value," said the
artful captain, fearing he should lose any money Nicholas might have
about his person.
"Back, rat!" said he to the advancing captain, keeping him off with his
sword and springing side-ward on to the edge of the junk, adding, "Lower
the boat, with provisions, and I will give you silver; refuse, and I
will leap into the sea."
Fearing he would keep his word, the crew placed some rice cakes and a
small water cask in the boat and lowered it; and when Nicholas saw it
fairly afloat, and held but by one cord, he scrambled down the side like
a cat, drew his sword across the rope, threw a handful of silver upon
the deck, and pulled so hard at the oars that in a very short time he
was far out of the cowards' reach and on his way to the floating demon;
which, however he had no sooner caught full sight of than he laughed
till he could handle the oars no longer, for the terrible demon who had
scared the wits of the sailors proved to be neither more nor less than a
great tree which the circular winds had wrested from the earth with such
violence that the root had dragged with it a mass of earth and pebbles
sufficient to keep it afloat in a perfectly upright position, when, with
its spreading branches and lower boughs, it bore in the distance no bad
resemblance to a well-rigged vessel.
Rowing cautiously, for fear the tree might topple over and upset his
boat, he heard a faint cry. Surely it could not be human; he listened;
again he heard it; and looking upward you may imagine his astonishment
at seeing a boy sitting across one of the upper branches.
"Who cries for help?" said Nicholas.
"It is the miserable Chow, who must die if the benevolent stranger will
not aid him," was the reply.
"Canst thou swim, O Chow? If so, drop into the water, for I dare not
come nearer," said Nicholas; but scarcely had he spoken when a strong
gust of wind toppled the tree over with its great arms stretched out as
if to save itself from falling. Fortunately it fell in an opposite
direction to the boat. In the fall the boy was dashed so violently upon
the water, that becoming instantly senseless he would have sunk but for
Nicholas, who, getting hold of the long hair of his head, managed to
drag him into the boat. Upon recovering his senses he said, "Alas! then,
Yen-Vang has poor Chow after all."
"Thou art far away from the king of the lower regions, my poor Chow,"
said Nicholas.
"By the social relations, I am alive and on earth--no, on water--and
ungrateful to the benevolent stranger," said the boy, holding his head
with both hands, as if the better to comprehend his situation.
"Satisfy thy hunger and say how it happened that Chow came to be perched
like a wild goose on a masthead," said Nicholas, giving the boy some of
the rice cakes, which he devoured as ravenously as if he had not tasted
food for a week.
The lad, who had so unexpectedly made the acquaintance of Nicholas, was
a tall, bony youth of about sixteen, with a broad forehead, sparkling
black eyes, and covered with a coarse robe, so torn and tattered, that
he might have passed for a beggar of the lowest class.
When he had satisfied his hunger, Chow clasped the knees of his new
friend, and with tears of gratitude flowing down his cheek, said, "Chow
will be thy slave, O generous stranger, for truly it could be for no
other purpose that the gods have saved his life."
"Tush! talk not of slavery or gods, Chow, but say what is thy name,
surname, and the rank of thy family," said Nicholas.
"Truly, the story of Chow is as miserable as his own mean person. I am
from Tun-Hien, in Ching-Foo, in the province of Tche-Kiang. My father
was a mandarin of the fifth rank, who having taken a good degree, held
office under the governor of the fort, till one moon since, when the
terrible rebel, Li-Kong, took possession of the city in defiance of the
Son of Heaven himself, and massacred all who would not submit; my father
being one of the first to acknowledge the traitor, became the first to
be punished for his disloyalty to our holy Emperor, which happened as
thy servant will relate.
"One day, my mother, who was accounted very handsome, so far forgot the
social regulations laid down for women, as to stand gazing from a window
while a body of soldiers passed through the street. For that unbecoming
act, both my venerable father and myself suffered, for the officer
clattered at the door, when the servants not daring to refuse so
powerful a personage, admitted him to the house, when he ran into the
inner apartment of my mother, who was so alarmed at such barbarian
behavior, that she rose to leave, when the villain would have carried
her away but for thy insignificant servant, who clutched his throat and
so gashed his cheek that the waters even of the yellow stream will never
wash them out.
"Hearing the struggle, the soldiers came to the rogue's help, and would
have killed poor Chow, but for my father, who, returning at the moment,
compelled the officer, bad and bold as he was, to make his escape; but,
alas! no sooner had the rogue left, than instead of being grateful, my
father burst into loud lamentations, crying, 'Alas, alas! that ever so
mean a person was born, for thou hast insulted the chief favorite of the
prince, who will assuredly be revenged;' and so it proved, for the next
day we were all taken before the prince, who ordered the whole family to
be exterminated, and our house burnt to the ground; but what was worse,
alas! my father was not even strangled, but disgraced by being sent to
the yellow stream incomplete, for he was beheaded on the spot, and the
villain officer begged his wife as a slave, to which, in her misery, my
mother offered to consent if they would but spare the life of thy
miserable servant, her son. To this the prince consented, but the
officer was so enraged at the wound in his cheek, that he ordered me to
be dressed in beggar's rags, and beaten out of the town toward the sea.
Accordingly the wretches beat me till I could not stand, and left me to
starve and die on the sea-shore.
"For days and days I wandered in the hope that some fisherman would take
compassion upon me; but alas! none dared to encourage so treasonous a
youth for fear of suffering similar punishment; then, but for the hope
that retaining my miserable existence would some fortunate day enable me
to punish the villain, I should have thrown myself into the sea,
although even that consolation I could not seek without impiously
forgetting my duty to my father, for has it not been wisely said that we
should not live beneath the same heaven with the destroyer of our
parents?"
"It is a pagan doctrine, Chow; but how came you upon yonder perch?" said
Nicholas.
"Without hope, tired, and sad, I wandered along the coast till the great
storm sent the terrified wild animals in all directions; to escape from
them I climbed a tree upon the very verge of the sea, when shortly
afterward the wind-demon blew one great gust which carried it into the
sea, where its great spreading root and the earth around kept it
floating till the benevolent stranger came to my rescue."
"Thou shalt be revenged upon this villain officer, my poor Chow, and
upon the greater rogue, Li-Kong," said Nicholas.
"How,--what words are these? surely the benevolent stranger cannot be in
his senses to speak thus of men so powerful," replied the astonished
Chow.
"What would Chow do to obtain the punishment of his enemies? Would he
faithfully serve the stranger who has saved his life?"
"If these are the words of truth,--and who is thy mean servant that he
should doubt?--O wonderful stranger, Chow will be thy slave till he goes
to meet his ancestors."
"Then, surely as I have spoken, it shall be so. But how wouldst thou
know this vile rogue again?"
"Is it possible for a son to forget the slayer of his parent, even if
the wound in his face would not betray him?" said Chow, who gazing
earnestly in the face of Nicholas, added, "Art thou really a boy or a
man of short measure?"
"Truly, like thyself, a boy of long measure and ample fullness, whose
mean surname is Nicholas," said the other laughing.
"No, no, noble Nicholas, not like Chow; for if a boy, thou art like him
who became the Emperor Tait-sou, a little great man-boy," said Chow.
CHAPTER III.
ADVENTURES AT SEA.--RESCUE.
Having recovered his strength, Chow took a turn at the oars, and for an
hour pulled lustily, to get as far from the coast as possible, for fear
of being observed by any straggling party of the rebels who might pursue
them, when, if they searched Nicholas and discovered the letter,
farewell to the sea chief's schemes. This fear, however, soon became
absorbed in a greater; night came on, and brave sailor as he was,
Nicholas did not fancy being upon that stormy sea in such a fragile
boat.
Then Nicholas took the oars, and had not been pulling long, when he
perceived the glimmering of a light in the distance. He rested for a
moment; the light grew larger and nearer: this was hopeful; it might be
the lantern of a trading ship; yet fearful, for it might be a pirate.
The suspense was terrible, and like a gallant fellow he determined to
end it as soon as possible; for this purpose he pulled heartily, and was
rewarded at length by getting near enough to the stranger to distinguish
voices, then a few long pulls, and strong pulls, and he reached the
ship, when by the light from her lanterns perceiving some ropes hanging
out, he clambered up her side, telling Chow to follow. In another
second they both stood upon the deck, but also in the arms of men, who
would have stabbed them with their knives but for the presence of mind
of our hero, who exclaimed, "Fear not, brothers of the sea, we are not
pirates."
The men, however, not being so easily appeased, bound the arms of the
boys with ropes and took them into the presence of the captain, much to
the disgust of Chow, who said, "Truly it is a maxim that a servant
should follow his master, but our career will be one of short measure by
this strange frolic, O noble Nicholas."
"Silence, Chow, let not thy heart leap between thy lips at the first
threat of danger," said Nicholas angrily.
"The bravest war tiger would become a mouse with his body packed as
closely as a cotton ball," said Chow surlily.
The captain, however, no sooner saw Nicholas, than with a start of
surprise he ordered the sailors to leave the cabin, and took up a large
knife from the cabin table, when the terrified Chow cried, "Take the
worthless life of thy mean slave, O noble commander, but in the name of
thy ancestors spare my noble master."
Chow's fear became surprise in no small degree when the captain, without
noticing his prayer, not only cut the cords from the arms of Nicholas,
but made him a respectful bow.
"Thanks, worthy commander," said Nicholas, taking the knife and
releasing Chow.
"Truly the heavens have tumbled down a surprise," said Chow, with a
caper, adding, "Is the noble man-boy a good demon, that he can transform
enemies into friends with a glance of his eye?"
Without, however, satisfying Chow, Nicholas asked the captain to give
the boy a sleeping mat in another cabin, after which he said, "It is
well, O Yung, that you chanced to be at sea this night, or my noble
parent would have had to mourn his son." But little more passed, for
Nicholas was glad to seek a long rest, and possession of the sleeping
mat which the captain resigned to him.
The reason of this civility is easily explained--the vessel itself
belonged to the sea chief, and its commander was one of his officers in
charge on a voyage to Ning-Po, which port they reached the following
day. Having landed, the boys took leave of the captain, and sought a
lodging at one of the largest inns, where, after resting for a few days,
Nicholas began to prepare for his journey inland.
His first care was to furnish Chow with a becoming robe of stout silk, a
cap, trousers, and thick-soled leather boots. As soon as the boy had put
them on he began to caper about, crying, "My master is generous, and the
gods will reward him for making a poor boy decent enough to pay due
reverence to the tombs of his ancestors, for truly he could not worthily
sweep the dust from their resting-place in such unbecoming tatters; for
although Chow is poor, he is of worthy descent and honorable relations."
"Truly, Chow, thou art now fit to take a degree at the next examination
at Pekin, if we ever arrive there," said Nicholas.
"It is not reasonable that the noble Nicholas should laugh at his mean
servant, for at the examination of his Hien he passed so creditably
through the first two sacred books, that he would have obtained a
government promotion but for the villain who destroyed his house. _May
his soul pass into the body of a rat!_" said Chow gloomily.
"Pardon, O disappointed scholar. It was villainous to laugh, for it is a
wise saying, 'that the well to do should sympathize with the
unfortunate,'" said Nicholas, adding, as he took his cap, "But let us
now seek for a passage-boat, for it is also wisely said, 'that the
loiterer about the business of another is incapable of conducting his
own affairs.'"
When they reached the river, they engaged a passage to Hang-tcheou, and
having waited for a favorable tide, the barge was soon out of the river
into a canal, upon which for days they proceeded, at times being pushed
along by poles thrust into the water, at others, being drawn along by
coolies, or porters, an employment that affords a means of existence to
a vast portion of the population of China.
Tche-Kiang, through which they so leisurely traveled, is, perhaps, the
most fertile and beautiful of the eighteen provinces of China, and
large enough to contain the whole of Scotland and its adjacent islands.
Besides rivers, it is watered by some sixty canals, which serve not only
as an easy method of transit, but so to irrigate the great plains around
that they yield crops of rice, pulse, and cotton, twice and sometimes
thrice a year. It was pleasant to watch these canals pouring forth their
sparkling limpid streams to lave the feet of the neighboring hills and
mountains, which for many miles presented an aspect of singular beauty;
some, like carved and nature painted pyramids, being wrought into
terraces, which shot one out of the other, teeming with the yellow
grain, cotton, or tea-trees, while others were thickly sprinkled with
shady trees, which waved over sloping cemeteries of quaintly shaped
tombs and temples. It was a charming picture--nature dressed to the
verge of foppery--more, it was a glorious land, and smiling as if in
pride at its power of blessing the human race--and more again, that its
owners knew its worth and industriously stretched its blessings to the
utmost.
Then the boat came to a dike, or sluice, and they were about to enter
another canal at least fifteen feet beneath their level. To pass this,
the barge was hoisted by Coolies up an inclined plain of freestone by
means of ropes upon capstans and sheer strength of muscle, then gently
let down a slope upon the other side into the water, a mode adopted to
the present day to move even the largest vessels from canal to canal.
Thus pleasantly the young travelers were wafted through the province,
now through vast plains of rice, then by the sides of great hills
clustering with the tea-plant, on again through vast orchards of
mulberry-trees and the useful and curious tallow-plant; then again
through plantations of bamboo, that inseparable companion of the
Chinaman from the cradle to the grave--for it receives the infant,
corrects the boy, is the means of living for the man, and entwines the
corpse. Then again they passed through towns and cities, swarming with
busy workers at the silk-loom and multifarious handicrafts, and toiling
children, women, and men in the fields, till they passed another dike,
and then they were upon the beautiful lake Tsao-hou, about the naming of
which the following pretty story is told:--
"Many years ago there lived a priest of the Taouist religion, who had
obtained a reputation for his skill in magic. At the festival of the
feast of dragon boats, the priest went to sport in the river in honor of
his gods, but by some mischance he was drowned, and his body no where to
be found. His dutiful daughter, Tsao-hou, a girl fourteen years of age,
felt her father's loss so deeply that she wandered along the banks of
the river for seventeen days and nights, weeping and wailing over her
loss. At last she threw a large melon into the river, putting up the
prayer, 'May this melon sink wherever the body of my father lieth.' With
anxious eyes she watched the gourd as it floated on the surface of the
stream, until it stopped at a certain spot where it sank. The poor
damsel, frantic with grief, rushed to the place and plunged after it.
She too was drowned, but five days afterward her lifeless trunk rose to
the surface with her father's body in her embrace. Both were buried on
the river bank, and in commemoration of that incident the name of the
girl was given to the lake and a magnificent temple erected to her
name."
On the sixth day they came to Chao-Hing, the Venice of China, where the
canals are so numerous that any portion of the city may be reached by
boats. Imagine a city with, in place of streets, one large network of
water-roads, intersected with bridges, so light and fanciful that one
could imagine them to have been blown together by the breath of fairies,
and you will have some notion of Chao-Hing.
This city is celebrated alike for its silk-worms and book-worms. So
great is the reputation of the scholars of Chao-Hing that they are
sought for by the viceroys of provinces to fill government offices. Near
to this city and not far from the mountain of Asses (so called from its
being shaped in the form of that animal) is the sepulchre of the great
Emperor Yu, the model sovereign of China.
This prince obtained the throne by having saved the empire from the
deluge of water which in his time covered the lands; indeed, he must
have been no common engineer, for in thirteen years, by unwearied labor,
he leveled high mountains, embanked and confined great rivers within
their channels, drained lakes and marshes, enclosed rapid torrents with
banks, and divided rivers into canals, which not only gained a great
extent of country, but rendered the whole more fertile. It was the great
genius and wonderful energy of Yu that caused the reigning Emperor to
choose him for his successor in preference to either of the four
princes, his sons.
Among other remarkable things told of this Emperor, it is said that he
first taught the people to cultivate, sow, and manure lands, and divided
his dominions into nine provinces, causing as many great brazen vessels
to be made, on each of which a map of a province was engraved. In
succeeding times these vessels became very precious, for it was believed
that the safety of the state depended on their security, and that
whoever obtained them would also obtain the crown.
A qualification rare amongst kings was possessed by this useful prince.
He hated flatterers, and the only way to gain his favor was to tell him
of his faults. Moreover, Yu thought no employment so becoming a
sovereign as doing justice to the people; thus he gave access to his
subjects at all hours, and that no obstacle might be thrown in their
way, he had affixed to his palace gates a bell, a drum, and three
tables, one of iron, one of stone, and another of lead, upon either of
which people who wanted an audience were to strike.
The bell was to distinguish civil affairs, the drum for matters relating
to law or religion, the leaden table for the ministers, the tablet of
stone to denote a complaint of wrong done by some magistrate, and lastly
the iron tablet was to denote any very serious trouble. So rigorously
did Yu adhere to this rule, that it is said that he arose from table
twice in one day, and another day came three times out of his bath at
the sound of the bell.
Another story is, that when wine, which was first invented in his reign,
was shown to him, he expressed great regret, "for," said he, "this
liquor will cause the greatest trouble to the empire." But wise and
powerful as he was, Yu could not conquer sensuality; for in China, as in
most other countries, the love for strong liquors is potent.
CHAPTER IV.
THE INNKEEPER.--ALARMING NEWS.
For six more days the boys sailed along this canal till they came to
Hang-tcheou-fou, the terrestrial paradise of China, of which, in
conjunction with another great city, the people have a saying, "Heaven
is above, but Hang-tcheou and Foo-tcheou are below." As a combination of
work and pleasure, a great manufacturing city, and a fashionable and
healthful watering-place, this spot has not its equal in the world; for
as the province of Tche-Kiang is the most celebrated in the empire for
its growth of mulberry-trees and the finest silk-worms, so is its
capital, Hang-tcheou, celebrated for its looms and the quality and
quantity of those rare silks, satins, and taffetas, which no less
gladdened the eyes of the moderns than they surprised and delighted the
wealthy Romans, who, not knowing from whence they came, believed them to
be the handiwork of "furthest Ind."
Not alone the Manchester, but the Bath or Cheltenham of China, this city
is also famous for its scholars, and as being the residence of the
fashionables, if such a term may be used to a people who are proverbial
for having kept in manners, customs, laws, religion, and dress, and
even ideas, with little exception, to the pattern men and women,
fashioned and shaped by their early Emperors, Yaou and Yu, some four
thousand years ago; for the latter perhaps Hang-tcheou is chiefly
indebted to its vicinage to the celebrated lake See-ho. The waters are
so clear that the smallest pebbles may be seen shining like crystals
from the bottom. In the middle are two islands adorned with temples and
houses, wherein water parties, after taking their pleasure upon the
lake, resort for rest and refreshment. Upon piles driven into the bed of
the lake are large stone walks or pathways for pedestrians, which stretch
from the banks to the islands, with openings for boats, across which are
thrown fancifully wrought bridges. The banks are studded with temples,
mansions, monasteries, for the bonzes or priests of Buddah, as also a
small but beautiful palace for the use of the Emperor, when he makes a
tour through his southern provinces.
Near to this lake, and reposing in a valley beneath the foot of a
mountain, upon the summit of which, as if in guard over the dead for the
past forty centuries, the huge Lui-fung-ta, or tower of thundering
winds, is the great cemetery, or vale of tombs, a city in size, which is
kept reverentially clean, and strewn at stated periods with fresh
flowers, over which forests of willows weep for the departed.
One of the chief beauties of this famous lake I had almost forgotten to
mention. Its sides, where the water is shallow, are covered with the
clustering and rare flowers, lien-hoa, a plant so choice that it is
fostered in the innermost recesses of the houses of the great and
wealthy. Not unlike our own tulips, the Lien-hoa has a little ball
supported by a small filament similar to that formed in lilies; its
color varies, being at times violet, white, or a mixture of red and
white; it emits a fragrant odor; the fruit is as big as a small nut, and
the kernel is white and of good taste. The physicians esteem it, and
prescribe it for weak patients. The leaves are long, and swim upon the
water, communicating with the root by long strings. The dense
population, which has rendered it necessary to turn every atom to
account, has led the busy-bee genius of the people to make every
particle of this plant useful. The before-mentioned strings are used by
the gardeners to wrap round their goods, and the white and pulpy root is
eaten in summer for its cooling properties.
Although mid-day when they arrived at this city, you will not wonder
that it was nearly dark by the time they reached the gates, when I tell
you that the river was one vast floating town of vessels, the greater
part of which were arranged into streets, crowded with passing mandarin
junks laden with pleasure parties, and decorated with japan, gilding,
silk streamers, and that emblem of rank, the umbrella; government junks,
some of war, and others freighted with rice, silks, and other matters,
which had been given by the different townspeople as taxes in lieu of
money; then numerous junks laden with salt and other commodities, to say
nothing of the many thousands of San-pans or egg-house boats, in which
a vast portion of the poorer section of the Chinese reside, never being
permitted to come ashore without especial permission from the governor;
then again, the floating islands of trees, with their huts formed of
poles and matting of bamboo. Indeed just such a scene is a picture of
the every-day life presented on the canals and rivers of this country;
but particularly in the southern provinces, which so swarm with human
beings, that thousands are compelled from want of room on land to take
refuge on the water, where they not only live, but carry on their
various avocations.
Notwithstanding the haste of the boys to enter the city, as they passed
through the gates the great bell above them began to sound the first of
the five watches or divisions into which the night is divided, and the
crowds who thronged the narrow streets began to scamper in every
direction to their homes, for the law of China very wisely holds "that
the daylight is for labor and the night for repose." Greatly fatigued,
the young travelers sought the first inn where they regaled themselves
with a plentiful meal, foolishly forgetting the passing time: indeed,
before they had finished, they heard the sound of the second watch, when
the landlord made his appearance and begged of his honorable guests to
take their departure, much to the surprise of Nicholas, who had resolved
to go no further that night. "Surely," said he, "the perfection of
innkeepers would not turn away travelers who are willing to pay for
their entertainment and lodging."
"From what distant province can the honorable youth have journeyed, that
he knows not that the inns are full of the servants and officers of the
illustrious Ching-Ti, who has this day arrived, to fill with his form of
full measure the governor's sedan, and judgment seat?" said the
innkeeper.
"Truly the worthy innkeeper will pardon his younger brother for
observing that the name of the Mandarin of Hang-tcheou is Yang-ti, or
the eyeballs of his humble guest have become twisted, for Yang-ti is the
name upon this chop," replied Chow, producing a kind of passport which
had been given to him at the custom-house before entering the city.
"Where have been the ears of my honorable guest that he has not heard
that the noble Yang has completed the measure of his joys and sorrows in
this world?"
"Surely the noble governor cannot have passed so suddenly to the yellow
stream or the shadow kingdom of Yen-Vang," said Chow.
"There can be no doubt that it is a sad history, for greatly was the
good Yang loved, not only in this his last province, but in all those
over which he had ruled, never having retired from a government without
receiving the boots of honor," replied the innkeeper.
It may be as well to explain to you, that when the governor of a city
removes to another province, the people exhibit their approbation of his
wisdom and justice by paying him great honor. When he commences his
journey he finds, for a considerable distance along the road, tables
covered with silk placed at certain intervals, upon some of which are
laid burnt perfumes, candlesticks, waxlights, meats, pulse, and fruits;
and upon others, wine, and tea, ready for use. As soon as the popular
mandarin appears, the people fall upon their knees, bow their heads and
weep, offer him the things upon the tables, and present him with a pair
of new boots; they then pull off his old ones, and preserve them as
relics in a small cage, which they hang over the gates of the city
through which he passed.
"Will the worthy innkeeper relate the ill-doings that could have brought
this good magistrate to misfortune?" said Nicholas, guessing at the
innkeeper's meaning.
"Truly it was no less than a fondness for the religion of the Fan-Kwi."
"Surely that could be no crime under our good Emperor, who has
befriended the Christians, even to permitting the members of his family
to become followers of the Lord of Heaven," said Nicholas.
"It is true that the information may be incorrect, but such has fallen
into thy servant's ears; moreover it is said that the great Yang's
conduct has offended the bonzes at Pekin, who are all-powerful in the
palace of the Son of Heaven, whom they persuaded to send the
Christian-exterminating Lord Ching-Ti, with an order signed by the
vermilion pencil, to put Yang to death."
"Has the vile deed been performed?" said Nicholas hastily.
"Hush!" said the host in a low tone. "Surely such language will bring a
heavy punishment upon thy head."
"Has the noble mandarin suffered, O worthy man?" said Nicholas, whose
rising indignation outweighed his prudence.
"It has been wisely said, that it is of little use to repine at what
can't be recalled," replied the innkeeper, adding, "The soul of the
great Yang is now in search of a better habitation, but he left this
world with dignity, for the Son of Heaven, _may he continue the circle
of succession_, remembering his servant's good deeds, mercifully
permitted him to be his own executioner, and, moreover, gave him the
choice either of the silken cord, the gold leaf, or his own state
necklace."
"Truly if the great lords esteem these things as favors, thanks be to
Tien that thy servant is but a small weasel of a personage," said Chow,
making some very remarkable grimaces.
"When the noble Yang received the message, he called for the incense
table, burned perfume in honor of his royal master, chose the silken
cord, and having held it high above his head in token of his willingness
to obey the royal will, immediately strangled himself," said the
innkeeper, without noticing Chow's interruption.
That the boys did not shudder at this recital, may surprise you who are
not perhaps aware that this is a common method of showing the royal
gratitude for past services in the middle kingdom. Not only are these
three methods used as punishments, but as a means of suicide, which in
China, as in most unchristianized countries, is esteemed a meritorious
means of slipping through a difficulty. The gold leaf being taken in the
form of a pill, is washed down with water, which is supposed so to
expand the leaf and extend the stomach that life soon becomes extinct.
The death by the necklace is more uncommon. There is a bird of the crane
kind, on the crown of whose head is a scarlet tuft of down or velvet
skin, to which the Chinese believe the poison of the serpents which it
eats determines. This crest is frequently formed into a bead which is
concealed in the ornamental necklaces worn by the high officers of the
empire, for the express purpose of surmounting worldly difficulties, for
let this venom but touch the lip, and death instantaneously ensues.
There is a legend that the life of this bird extends to one thousand
years, that it is in its prime at sixty, when it can sing regularly and
beautifully every hour of the day, but that it cannot mount trees till
it reaches its thousandth year.
When the innkeeper had finished, the clanging of the watchman's bamboo
rattle in the streets reminded Nicholas of the lateness of the hour, and
he said, "But, even now, the worthy innkeeper has not informed his
younger brothers where they may find a lodging for the night.
"Thy servant, noble youth, must have been born in an unfortunate hour,
that he cannot offer the advantages of his inn, but the truth has been
spoken, none but the servants and officers of the great Ching-Ti can
rest here to-night."
"Surely taels of silver are not so plentiful in this city that all will
refuse," said Chow.
"Truly for less than an ounce of silver two travelers might find a
lodging in the house of the bonzes."
"The priests of Fo are rogues," said Nicholas, giving utterance to an
opinion that has been popular in China from all time.
"The noble youth possesses a tongue that will place him in the cangue,
or procure him a branded cheek by this hour to-morrow, if he rules it no
better," said the innkeeper; but before the boy could reply, the man's
wife ran into the room, crying and beating her breast, and implored of
her husband to follow her to the bedside of their dying daughter.
Shocked that they had been the means of keeping the man from so holy a
duty. Nicholas apologized, and was about leaving the house, when with an
hysterical laugh, the man said, "See, O honorable youths, this woman has
but little faith in the power of the holy bonzes, who have been offering
sacrifices to Fo, to save the life of this pearl of my existence."
"By what means, O foolish man, can these bonzes save thy child's life?
Are not the physicians of Hang-tcheou famous for their skill?"
"Truly they are less than mice; they could not save my child, and I have
dismissed them for a holy bonze, whose influence over the god who
protects the lives of the young, has made him promise that my pearl
shall not become dissolved in death."
"She is passing from us now, O my husband," said the unhappy wife.
"It cannot be, woman; the god is but chastising you with a terrible
fear, for your want of faith; for how is it possible he can refuse so
trifling a favor as the life of a young girl, when I have daily offered
sacrifices of animals, and money, and burned incense at his altar?"
Shocked at the man's superstitious belief in the power of Fo, and his
brother idols, Nicholas made one other effort to shake it; finding,
however, that it was useless, he paid the bill, purchased a lantern for
himself and another for Chow, and they went on their way to the Buddhist
monastery, the only house wherein he could find shelter for that night.
CHAPTER V.
ADVENTURE IN A BUDDHIST MONASTERY.--CHOW'S ENCOUNTER WITH A BONZE.
To Londoners who find it an easy matter to pass, at any time of the
night, from one end of the metropolis to the other, it may appear that
Nicholas and Chow had no very difficult task before them. Such however,
was not the case, for in the first place, instead of open thoroughfares,
the great streets of the cities of China are barricaded at the ends with
chains, and the smaller ones with wicket-gates, at each of which is
placed a watchman, whose business it is to question every pedestrian,
and through the night to keep clanging a piece of hard wood against a
hollow bamboo cane, for the purpose of showing his watchfulness.
As the boys, by aid of their lanterns picked their way through the
streets, they found them deserted; with the exception of a few
stragglers, each of whom carried a lantern, upon which was
ostentatiously emblazoned his name and rank. Imagine all the gas lamps
in London extinguished, and their places supplied by a few dancing
will-o'-the-wisp kind of lanterns, and you will have a tolerable notion
of the appearance of the great cities of China by night. Dismal, truly,
but perhaps not more so than were the streets of London not many years
since, when they were lighted by flickering oil lamps. Again, as were
those of London at the very period when these adventures happened, the
streets are so narrow that a good-sized carriage or wagon cannot pass
through without danger to the people, but then the narrowness of the
streets was less pardonable in Londoners of that age, than in the
Chinese of the present, whose great people ride in sedan-chairs, and
whose little people walk, and convey their goods to and fro in narrow
carts, like barrows, with one centre wheel. The Celestials are at least
consistent in fitting their vehicles to their streets, which is more
than could be said of old London, with its gutter streets and heavy
lumbering coaches, types of which may be seen every day in the London of
the present time.
The street in which the inn was situated was one of the principal, and,
therefore, of great length, and along the pavement, which was in the
middle of the road, the boys trudged onward, passing every now and then
beneath one of the numerous Pai-ho, or arches, which are erected to the
memory of good magistrates and virtuous women, till they came to a
lattice-gate which led into a smaller street, when their progress was
arrested, for the watchman was not at his post. They waited for some
time, till becoming impatient, Chow kicked the gate, when there arose
such a queer hissing noise, that the boy fell upon his face, exclaiming,
"My master, my master the demons of Yen-Vang have swallowed the
watchman, and are guarding the gate in his stead."
"Thou art a foolish coward," said Nicholas, who clambered up the gate,
and after looking through the wicket for a minute let go his hold and
laughed immoderately. "O Chow, Chow, thou idiot! not to know a demon
from one of thine own kind; surely these demons are nothing but geese;"
and as the watchman opened the wicket Chow saw that the noise which had
alarmed him had been caused by a couple of those birds, which the
watchman had trained to cackle and hiss at the slightest noise, so that
he might take a comfortable nap, with the certainty of being aroused
when wanted by the hissing.
"Truly they must be barbarian geese, for I should have understood them
had they cackled in Chinese," said Chow.
To get the gate open was one thing, to pass through another, for
perceiving neither name nor rank upon the lanterns, the watchman
determined to detain the boys as suspicious characters, and for that
purpose began to clang upon his bamboo for assistance, when a personage
came up to the wicket, and both the watchman and Chow bent their heads
respectfully. From the yellow robe, the string of beads around his neck,
and his shaven head, Nicholas saw that he was a bonze, or priest of Fo.
As this reverend gentleman came through the gate he ran his fingers up
and down the beads, and muttered, "O Mi to-fo," and so would have
passed, but for Chow, who said, "Will the man of prayer pardon an
insignificant mouse for interrupting his holy meditations?"
"The dogs are vagabonds, perhaps robbers, who have no name, surname, or
profession on their lanterns, O holy bonze," said the polite watchman.
"What would the nameless night prowlers with the priest of Buddha?" said
the bonze.
"Truly nothing but a guide to the monastery, where they seek a lodging
for which they pray of the holy father to accept alms."
At the word alms the eyes of the bonze sparkled with delight, and having
lifted his lantern so as to get a full view of Nicholas, he said to the
watchman, "Thou rascal! thy dog's head hath less brains than these
geese, and thine eyeballs are of lead, or thou wouldst have seen that so
well-looking a youth must be of honorable descent; moreover, where was
thy charity, that thou wouldst not aid a traveler?"
"Surely the man would be wanting in sense who should suppose that he had
the wisdom and divining power of a holy bonze," replied the trembling
guardian of the night.
Not deigning, however to notice this observation, the bonze conducted
the boys along several streets, till they reached a building surrounded
by a high wall, through which, by means of a small gate, they passed to
an avenue of magnificent trees, paved with marble, and which led to a
large gateway, guarded upon each side by a very ugly stone god. Passing
through the gateway, they entered a small room lighted from the centre
by one large lantern, decorated with portraits of the god Fo, in every
variety of character. This god, as you may probably know, is represented
by almost every kind of animal, biped and quadruped, into which during
the lapse of centuries his soul is supposed to have passed. Around this
room, which was for every day use, were small idols of gilt copper, with
ghos-sticks burning before them; on the table, in the centre of the
room, stood a time measure, that must remind you of the period of our
own King Alfred. It is termed the hourly incense-stick, and is notched
at equal distances, and as from notch to notch the stick takes exactly
one hour to burn, it accurately marks the passing time.
This ghos-stick, so named from its being burned as incense in the
ghos-houses or temples of China, is compounded of sawdust mixed with
glue and scent, and evenly rolled into thin rods of two or three feet in
length; in fact, the very same brown stick adopted by smokers in this
country for its pleasant perfume, and continuing to burn till reduced to
ashes. Having introduced the boys to this room the bonze withdrew, and
shortly afterward sent a servant with blankets and sleeping mats, upon
which they stretched themselves, not a little pleased at the opportunity
of getting a good sleep after their day's fatigue.
Long before morning, however, Nicholas was suddenly aroused from his
slumbers, and to his surprise saw the bonze upon the floor, with Chow
pummeling him with his fists, and crying, "I have thee, I have thee,
thou slayer of people's parents."
Not knowing what to make of this strange scene, Nicholas caught Chow by
the arm and endeavored to pull him away; this, however, served but to
excite him the more, for he pummeled at the bonze harder than ever. The
behavior of the priest was still more surprising, for instead of showing
any indignation at this strange treatment, all he said was, "Harm the
youth not my son; he is possessed with a demon; he sleeps, poor boy, and
mistakes me for some terrible enemy."
This explanation Nicholas soon found to be correct, for poor Chow had
been battling in his sleep; but how the bonze came into the boy's
clutches was a mystery, and one that, worn out as he was with fatigue,
he did not just then care about solving, so that he could get Chow to
his mat again, which after considerable trouble he managed, by telling
him that he was an officer of justice and would see that his enemy
should be punished. After which Nicholas threw himself upon his mat,
fell into a sound sleep, and slept till he was awakened by the deep
tones of the monastery bell.
During the morning meal he related the adventure to the much-puzzled
Chow, who could remember nothing but that he had dreamed that the slayer
of his father suddenly entered the room, and after prowling about for
some time, first searched the robe of Nicholas, and then came to his
bed, when, thinking he was going to kill him, he attacked him in
self-defence; though how his enemy should have become transformed into
the bonze, who certainly had no business in the room, was a puzzle that
he could not make out.
The explanation of the bonze was, that he had entered his visitors'
apartment to see that they had been properly attended to by the
servant--an explanation not at all satisfactory to Chow, who as soon as
the priest left the room said, "Is my master's girdle safe? for these
holy fathers are great rogues."
Alarmed for the safety of his letters, Nicholas examined his girdle;
they were safe; when shocked at his insinuation, the repentant Chow
exclaimed, "Truly, my master, Chow is less than the least of little
dogs, and must crave the good father's forgiveness,"--which he took the
first opportunity of doing, by falling upon all fours before the priest
and knocking his forehead to the ground, till the latter in pity lifted
the boy upon his legs again.
CHAPTER VI.
THRASHING THE GODS.--THE BOYS TAKEN PRISONERS.
Anxious to deliver his father's letter to the Christian priest, yet
fearful of making inquiries where he was to be found, now he had heard
of the governor's enmity to Christianity, Nicholas determined to make
the effort alone, and having thanked the bonze for his hospitality and
presented him with half an ounce of silver, he was about proceeding in
his search, when the latter solicited him to join in the morning prayers
of the monastery; a solicitation he was too prudent to refuse, for fear
of awakening the suspicions of the bonzes, whom he knew to be the main
persecutors of his religion.
As for Chow, like the majority of his countrymen he was of no religion
in particular, but a little of each of the sects into which the Chinese
are divided; Confucian, Buddhist, and Taouist; he, therefore, willingly
followed Nicholas, who, with something like a feeling of disgust,
entered a spacious hall, the ceiling of which shone with gold and japan.
In the centre were placed three colossal representative gods of the
past, present, and future--the Buddha who is, and the Buddha who will
be--with a vase of incense and a lamp of burning tea oil before each. At
the sound of a small bell, a number of yellow-robed priests, with heads
shaven, clean and oily as bladders of lard, made their appearance and
commenced the ceremony; one rang a bell violently, while another
clattered like a watchman upon a hollow bamboo cane. This clamor was for
the purpose of arousing the attention of the gods, which, after a few
minutes, being supposed to be accomplished, the whole society of priests
knocked their heads upon the ground repeatedly; and when tired, they
began to chant hymns and create a fearful din by playing rough music
upon much rougher instruments; after which they marched out of the hall
regularly and in double file. Not a little pleased at the conclusion of
the ceremony, Nicholas followed, taking care, however, on leaving the
building, to choose an opposite direction to the bonzes.
The boys had not walked more than a hundred yards, when they came to the
foot of a small hillock, which served as a base or pedestal for a
shrine, in which, upon a raised platform, like a small boy upon a tall
stool, sat an ugly little god with a dragon's head, so glittering,
however, with gold and gaudy colors, that they knew it to be a private
idol that some foolish devotee had decorated at his own cost, with a
view to obtain some especial service from heaven. When within earshot of
this deity, they observed two bonzes come from behind the shrine,
attended by a servant, who, having prepared the incense table commenced
to bow their heads to the ground and mutter their prayers.
Not wishing either to join in, or interrupt the priests' devotions, the
boys took up their position behind the trunk of a large tree, where they
witnessed the following scene:--
Scarcely had the bonzes commenced their head knockings when a mob of the
lower class of people, with sticks and hammers in their hands, came
clamoring toward the shrine. They were led by a man, who had no sooner
reached the astute and kneeling priests, than with one kick he sent them
rolling over each other, saying at the same time, "Get thee hence, thou
rogues of bonzes, and let us deal with this villainous god." The bonzes,
seeing so many persons, arose and scampered off to their monastery for
help, when the _leader_, whom Nicholas now recognized as his friend, the
innkeeper, approached the idol, saying, "How now, thou dog of a spirit!
Have I not fed thee, lodged thee handsomely, and offered incense each
day at the cost of half my hard earnings, that thou shouldst save the
life of my daughter, who, notwithstanding, has been carried to the
yellow stream? Let us punish him, my friends, that he may deceive no
other father." As he uttered the last words, he struck off the arm of
the god with such force that it struck a bonze, who was at that moment
coming toward the idol in advance of some twenty of his brethren; at
which the people cried, "This is indeed a just retribution upon the vile
bonze."
"Do not the people fear the vengeance of the gods, that they behave
thus?" said the stricken priest, calmly, and dissembling his rage.
"Truly the gods may render us unfortunate," said one cowardly fellow,
and the superstitious crowd hesitated. Perceiving his advantage, the
bonze followed it up. "Surely," said he, "the people are not
unreasonable, like this man, who is ungrateful to the gods for taking
his daughter, as if, forsooth, his child were better than the children
of his neighbors."
"This is true. Why should one complain that he is not more fortunate
than the rest?" said the cowardly voice.
"As for the worthy Sing, the gods may pardon him, in consideration of
his great grief; but then he must desist from this profanity," said the
bonze.
"The bonze is generous, and his words are reasonable," said another.
"Are my friends unjust that they will not listen to an injured man,
whose injuries may be their own to-morrow?" said the innkeeper.
"This is reasonable also; let us hear Sing," cried several voices.
At that moment, Nicholas, who feared lest the artful bonzes should get
the better of the dispute, came forward, and said, "Why should the
worthy Sing waste words? surely he has been sufficiently injured; the
measure of his grief is full, for he will leave no descendant to fulfil
the necessary offices at his tomb."
"The words of the honorable youth are wise," said the fickle crowd; and
Nicholas continued, "That there has been robbery, there can be no
doubt, my friends; for, notwithstanding the god promised to cure the
daughter of this worthy man, she has passed to the yellow stream, and,
therefore, he is unworthy of his quality of godship, and should be
punished; therefore, in justice to the worthy Sing, let this temple be
pulled down, and the stupid idol pay the penalty in his own person."
To which the priest endeavored to reply, but the people would not listen
to him, and acting upon the suggestion of Nicholas, threw a cord round
the god's neck, pulled him to the ground, and belabored him with sticks
and hammers.
During the proceeding the priests, who were too wise to lose their
tempers, addressed a knot of lookers-on, vehemently threatening them
with terrible misfortunes, but at the same time declaring, that if Sing
would come to some agreement, the god, who was of a short temper, would
do what was reasonable on his part and prevent future evils. This had
the desired effect upon all but Sing and some of his friends, who
continued to belabor the idol till the converts to the bonze's opinion
drove them away, when, becoming broken into antagonistic parties, they
threw aside their weapons and fought each other with their fists, till a
body of yah-yu, or city police, entered upon the ground, and seizing
Sing, the principal bonze, and the two boys, as the chief rioters,
hurried them off to the police tribunal.
As for the mob, no sooner had the prisoners been removed, than mortified
at the profanity into which they had been hurried, they gathered
together the fragments of the deity, stuck them together as well as
possible, washed him, and fell at his feet, exclaiming, "In truth we
have been a little too hasty, but then your godship has been a little
too slow in performing your promises, and thus brought the beating upon
yourself. But still it is a good saying, that 'what has been done can't
be undone.' Let us, therefore, think no more of this matter, and if you
will forget what has passed we will repair thy temple and gild you over
again."
For fear that my reader may think this episode exaggerated, I must
assure him that similar scenes are even now of frequent occurrence--and
why not? For although idolaters, the Chinese are neither enthusiasts nor
fanatics. With the greater part, the worship of idols is an inheritance
which it would be impossible to reject;--it is custom they worship.
Moreover, like ourselves, they are a business-like people, and will have
money's worth for money; therefore, if they pay an idol for a certain
quantity of work, and he does not complete his contract, they give him a
sound thrashing--and the principle is not a bad one after all.
CHAPTER VII.
TREACHERY OF THE BONZES.--NICHOLAS SENT TO PRISON AS A TRAITOR.
With the proverbial rudeness of most small officials, the yah-yu threw
cords around the arms of the prisoners and dragged them along the
streets, amid the jeers and laughter of the populace, who, enjoyed the
prospect of the probable punishment of so serious an offence as rioting,
namely, being led about the streets with the cangue, a wooden collar as
large as a small table, around their necks; but in this the Chinese
crowd was not worse than others in Europe, for, with shame be it said, a
tendency to indulge in the minor miseries of their fellows is the cruel
propensity of most masses.
When they came to the tribunal they found it crowded with people, who
were standing upon either side of the hall, so as to form a lane by
which to approach the mandarin, who was sitting at a table, upon which
stood a box of bamboo reeds, tipped with yellow; upon his left side sat
the secretary, and upon his right stood three men with ominous-looking
bamboo canes in their hands. The first case heard was that of a youth
whose propensity for gaming had led him to squander a large sum of
money lent to him by his father for the purpose of commencing business.
I must tell you however, that before bringing the boy before a tribunal,
the father had fruitlessly tried every method of kindness. Having
listened patiently, the mandarin severly reprimanded the youth, then
taking fifty of the yellow-tipped reeds threw them on the ground as a
signal for the men with canes to give him fifty blows. Before, however,
they could obey, his mother, with tears in her eyes, threw herself at
the mandarin's feet, begging of him to pardon her son. Being a
kind-hearted man the magistrate complied, but ordering to be brought to
him a volume written by one of the emperors for the instruction of his
subjects, and opening it at a particular part, said, "Promise O youth,
to renounce gambling and to listen to your father's directions, and I
will pardon you this time; but that you may not forget, go and kneel in
the gallery of the hall of audience and learn by heart this chapter on
filial obedience, which till you repeat and solemnly promise to observe
obedience, you shall not depart from this tribunal."
The youth being delighted at this lenient sentence bowed his forehead to
the earth, and, moreover, I must tell you, kept his promise, although he
was three days learning the task. Such being the spirit of the laws, and
the paternal mildness with which they are for the most part carried out,
excepting only in cases of high treason, we need not wonder that this
great population has submitted to their rule for four thousand years.
When this case was over the chief of the yah-yu bowed to the ground and
charged his prisoners generally with rioting to the disturbance of the
public peace.
"What has the priest of Fo to say to this disgraceful charge? let him
open his lips," said the mandarin. Whereupon the bonze fell upon his
knees and accused the innkeeper of attacking the idol and leading a mob
to destroy the monastery.
"What sayest the innkeeper? for surely the offence is serious," said the
mandarin.
Then, bowing to the ground, the innkeeper related the morning's
adventure, stating that but for the assistance of Nicholas and Chow, the
bonze would have killed him, adding, "Truly, O jewel of justice, thy
mean servant demands the punishment of this rascal bonze and his
trumpery god, who, notwithstanding the sums paid to them, have permitted
his only child to be carried from this life."
Having listened patiently to both sides, the mandarin said, "It is true
that two offences have been committed, the one against the public peace,
and the other against a private person. The former, being the most
heinous, must be first dealt with; and, as without the bonze and the
innkeeper, there could have been no such disturbance, let both be
corrected with twenty blows. As for the two youths, who were drawn into
this disturbance, let them pay half a tael each to some poor person to
receive ten blows for them."
The sentence having gone forth, the men with the bamboos caught hold of
the culprits, threw them upon the floor, and they received a similar
punishment to that dealt out by a schoolmaster upon a refractory pupil;
after which, the delinquents, smarting with pain, humbly returned thanks
for this benevolent and fatherly correction.
"As for the second offence," said the mandarin, "it is clear that the
bonze is either a rogue or no good judge of the powers of the different
gods, and knew not to which to apply for this particular favor, an
ignorance that has caused the innkeeper to lose his goods; and, in
either case, is unfit for his office; therefore, if he is found within
the city walls after this night, he shall be placed in the cangue for
three moons. As for the god himself, who is the principal party
concerned, let him be plucked down from his seat as a useless and
malicious deity."
Thus compelled, by custom, to recognize the foolish superstition of Fo,
although he no more believed in it than you do, the mandarin humorously
punished the bonze.
The wily priest, however, had not quite played out his game, so,
dissembling his rage at the result of the trial, he fell upon his knees,
saying, "Pardon, O ever-flowing stream of justice, but the meanest and
most insignificant servant of Fo, dares claim a reward for a great act."
"What words are these, thou dog of a bonze?' said the angry official.
"If the eyeballs of thy contemptible servant are straight in their
sockets, he has seen placards bearing the character of the illustrious
tsong-tou (viceroy) of the province promising twenty taels for any
follower of the Christian priests, whose houses of prayer have been so
wisely destroyed.
"What useless words are these, for where in this city is such a dog to
be found, since they were hunted down by the illustrious governor? may
he live a thousand years," replied the mandarin.
"This was a terrible surprise to Nicholas, for not only did it convince
him that the persecution of the Christians had commenced, but that his
own mission had somehow been discovered by the priest; nor was he
disappointed, when the latter said, 'Truly, O grand canal of justice,
that turbulent youth is even now on a treasonable errand to the
Christian priest, Adam, who has so traitorously fled the city.'"
"These are dog's words, thou rogue of a bonze," said the boy.
Not regarding the interruption, the priest added, as he placed a paper
in the hand of the mandarin, "The dragon vision of the lord of justice
will discover to him that his servant's words are pearls of truth."
Having glanced at the paper, the mandarin said sternly to Nicholas,
"Thou art young to be concerned in treason, and yet these characters
warn the priest, Adam, against the great Ching-Ti, whom the anonymous
writer tells him is about to arrive at Hang-tcheou, specially charged by
the Son of Heaven to root out the Christian priests."
"As this is the first time, O mandarin, that thy servant's ears drink
in this intelligence he must have been innocent of the contents of that
packet," replied Nicholas.
"The youth is young; but, like the body of a snake, his words are
twirling and slippery. It is true, those characters may not have reached
his eyes, but it is equally true that he was the bearer, for the cover
is even now in his girdle," said the priest.
"Thy servant, O mandarin, cannot deny that he bore the letter, but it
was in ignorance that it was a crime," said Nicholas, taking the
envelope from his vest, now fully convinced that the bonze had picked
his girdle.
"Although it is certain that the writer is a traitor, it is not equally
so that this youth is an accomplice," said the mandarin, after examining
the envelope.
"The dog is a Christian, O lord of justice; and in the name of the Son
of Heaven, I claim the twenty taels," said the bonze, forgetting the
submission due to a magistrate, in his rage and fear that Nicholas might
escape.
"Thy words are dirt, thou turbulent rogue, for it is not clear that the
youth is a Christian," said the angry mandarin, adding kindly to
Nicholas, "Let the youth deny this charge and he shall be believed, for
his words are straight as the flying arrow."
Here was a chance, for it was evident the mandarin was his friend.
Still, notwithstanding that imprisonment for life, if not speedy death,
stared him in the face, Nicholas was too brave to forswear his Saviour,
and he replied, "If to be a Christian, O mandarin, is to merit death,
then am I ready to die."
Then the good-natured, but disappointed magistrate said sorrowfully,
"The youth is as brave as he is honest, and deserves a better fate; yet
must the commands of the great tsong-tou be observed, therefore let the
youth be conveyed to the great prison to await his sentence." Without a
word or the movement of a muscle, the boy permitted the attendants to
bind his arms.
This was too much for Chow, who, with a leap like that of a wounded
hare, cried, "The priest, O great lord, is a midnight thief." But such a
demonstration being against the rules of decency, the officers seized
and silenced the boy by clapping a gag in his mouth. Then the mandarin
ordered twenty taels to be given to the bonze, and the latter having
made the customary bow was about to depart, when the magistrate said,
"Now priest, relate by what means that letter came into thy possession,
for it is a maxim that justice should be equally balanced."
Then the bonze related how he met the boys, and took them to the
monastery, adding that as they were passing through a passage the letter
having fallen from the youth's girdle, he picked it up, and divining
that its contents were treasonous, retained the document for
examination.
"These are dog's words," exclaimed Chow, from whose mouth the gag had
been taken by the mandarin's order; "the priest is a rogue and a rat,
for he stole the paper at night while my noble master slept, and
although for hours thy servant believed it was a dream, and mistook the
bonze for an enemy, he now remembers that after filching the letter from
the girdle, the rogue opened the envelope, stole the contents, and then
by some mysterious means of his own closed it again."
The bonze being about to reply, the mandarin interrupted him, saying,
"Truly has it been said that although eggs are close things, the chicks
will out, for the rogue forgot to explain how the letter could leave the
pocket of its owner without the envelope. The theft is clear, and it is
but justice to the state that the thief should receive fifty blows, and
pay twenty taels of silver." This sentence was speedily executed upon
the roaring coward, whose back was still sore with the first beating,
and so he left the tribunal considerably worse off than he had come
before it.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHOW SETS OUT TO DISCOVER SOME THIEVES.
It was with no little distress of mind that Chow, who now loved Nicholas
as a brother, parted with him at the gates of the prison. He tore his
hair, beat his breast, and roared and capered as if in bodily as well as
mental agony. Never should he see his noble master again; the wicked
viceroy would kill him. O that he had not been a Christian, or so unwise
as to admit it! These, and many other foolish things, passed through his
mind, till he became wearied and fatigued. When more calm, he began to
upbraid himself with folly and cowardice, for giving way to useless
grief instead of setting his wits to work to aid him.
Like most Chinese, Chow believed, or at least followed, the mongrel
creed of the country, and he proposed to himself to seek the aid of the
gods; although even his faith in their powers had become weakened by the
exhibition of the morning; at length, however, it occurred to him to
seek the innkeeper, who being well to do, and an old inhabitant of
Hang-tcheou, could if willing, give material assistance; if not willing,
thought Chow, he must be the most ungrateful of human beings. So he went
off to Sing, who was not only glad to see him, but invited him to live
at the inn until they could hit upon some good scheme to rescue
Nicholas; and so, that night, they talked and talked the matter over,
till, becoming tired, they went to bed to sleep on it.
The next morning they compared notes as to their sleeping thoughts. The
result of Chow's was to get a mob together to burst open the prison
gates; at which very wise suggestion Sing laughed loudly, greatly to the
disgust of Chow, who became very angry, as he fancied the innkeeper
doubted his courage; but when Sing explained a little plan of his own he
capered about joyfully, and begged that they might commence immediately.
"Let us first ask the gods for a fortunate day," said Sing.
"Then will not the worthy Sing seek a temple at once?" said Chow.
This being agreed to, they started off to the suburbs, where, in a
retired spot, near the great lake, they found a divining temple.
These temples, which are sprinkled through the country, are always open
for the convenience of the people, who enter upon nothing of importance,
whether it be marrying, burying, buying, selling, house-building,
party-giving, or setting out upon a journey, without first seeking to
discover in the cup of destiny a fortunate day or hour for the proposed
undertaking.
Upon the altar stood a large wooden cup, filled with small sticks,
marked with certain mystic characters, representing both good and ill
luck. Taking up this cup, Sing began to give it sharp quick jerks,
while Chow, taking hold of a book that was hanging to the wall, searched
for marks to correspond with those upon the sticks which might be thrown
to the ground by Sing's jerking. With serious countenances they went
through this performance, Sing believing that by a peculiar scientific
twist of his wrist he could jerk out a few sticks of luck. For some
time, however, the sticks were obstinate, and would not move; then a
sharper jerk and one jumped out, then another, and another, three in
all; and Chow, having examined the luck spots very earnestly, groaned
with despair, for neither bore the required mark. Then, to propitiate
the god of wood, paint, and gold leaf, they burned incense and tinsel
paper, and, by way of reaching the cupidity of the deity, for it is
difficult to made a Chinese believe that even a god will "do something
for nothing," they placed some copper coins upon the altar, enough, I
suppose, to satisfy his greedy godship; for when, at the risk of
spraining his wrist, Sing gave the next jerk, out jumped two of the
lucky spotted sticks, and the oblique eyes of Chow began to smile so
satisfactorily that there really appeared to be some danger of their
meeting across his nose and melting into one big orb in the middle of
his forehead. Holding the sticks above his head, the boy capered about
with delight, crying, "Thanks to Tien, the day will be fortunate, for
the god has promised, and there is no rogue of a bonze present to
persuade him from his good intentions."
As for Sing, he was no less pleased, for, notwithstanding his previous
experience, his faith was entire in the cup of destiny, as it was,
indeed, in the gods.
Chow's delight was almost as great as if his master had been already
rescued. However, as soon as the first ebullition had subsided he began
to think how he should commence operations, and so, puzzling his brains,
he walked by the side of Sing, who was also quietly endeavoring to think
out some grand plan of proceeding. Thus they proceeded till they came
near the walls of the city, when their attention was aroused by a
terrible discord. Not a dozen yards from them was a small house (like
all Chinese habitations, one story high), before which stood the wall of
respect, so called, because like a brick curtain it hides the domicile
from the gaze of strangers. Near the doorway stood an elderly man with
two pieces of metal, which he kept clanging against each other, stopping
only at intervals to fulminate at the very compass of his voice, many
fearful curses and maledictions against thieves who had plundered his
house, fully believing that by the agency of the gods these curses would
reach and crush the thieves, wherever they might be.
"It is only old Hoang, the retired innkeeper," said Sing cooly, as if
not at all regretting the misfortunes of his successful rival. He could
not, however, have possessed any such paltry feeling, for he added,
"Will the venerable Hoang permit his younger brother to assist him in
discovering these rogues?"
"The offer of the worthy Sing is good and grateful to his mean brother,
but alas! nothing can avail old Hoang, for the Fong-Choui is his enemy,
and will not be satisfied till his house is destroyed," was the reply.
To explain what I must tell you, that it is one of the most remarkable
and foolish beliefs of the Celestials, that, apart from sanitary
reasons, the situation of a house may effect the happiness and fortunes
not only of its owner, but his descendants for several generations. The
demon who exercises this baneful influence is the Fong-Choui, or wind
and water. Thus, if a neighbor (it had been Hoang's case) builds his
house in a contrary direction and so that one of its corners is placed
opposite your own, your destiny is fixed, your only remedy being to have
it immediately pulled down. To obtain the removal of the house in
question, Hoang had applied to the mandarin, but as that officer had
received a larger bribe from the neighbor than he could afford, the
official recommended the old man to pull down his own house; but as this
would have ruined him, he had had recourse to the only other remedy,
which was, to erect upon the roof of his house a monster with a dragon's
head and a large forked tongue, so pointed at the unfortunate corner
that it would frighten away the Fong-Choui. That wind and watery
personage, however, was not so easily frightened, for the next day some
thieves entered his house and effected a very clever robbery.
By the aid of a mysterious engine (known, I suppose, only to the thieves
of China), which will burn great holes in the thickest wood without
causing either scent or flame, the rogues had entered Hoang's dwelling
in the night so quietly that when the old gentleman awoke in the morning
he found his bed without curtains or coverlid, and the room without
furniture, all of which, besides other things of value, had been taken
from the house.
"Surely thy dogs of servants must have been accomplices," said Chow.
"Not so, youth, for although I slept deep into the day, when I arose the
servants were all in such a deep slumber that I believed them in the
sleep of death."
"Surely my elder brother will seek the mandarin, and have the dogs'
heads searched for," said Sing.
"Alas! O worthy Sing, thy unhappy servant is under the baneful influence
of the Fong-Choui, and the mandarin dares not interfere."
Feeling deeply for the poor man, and not liking the idea of the thieves
escaping so easily, Chow asked, "Has the worthy and honorable Hoang
sought the mandarin?"
"It would be useless youth, without, indeed, a stranger would interfere,
and break the charm of the Fong-Choui."
"With the will of the venerable Hoang, his younger brother will seek the
tribunal of police," said Chow.
Delighted with the offer, Hoang led them through the rooms of his house,
which Chow examined with the talent of a detective police officer, and
after pacing about for some time he stumbled. Looking to see the cause,
he saw it was a small square box. "See," he said, "the robbers in their
flight have dropped some of their plunder."
"Surely that box must belong to the villains, for it has never before
darkened my eyes," said Hoang.
"Then by the toe of the Son of Heaven we have some clue to the way in
which the robbery was effected," said Chow, as he opened the box and
took out a little pyramid, resembling our own pastiles. Placing one to
his nose he said, "It is the baneful drug of Setchuen. Light but one and
place it near the nostrils of a sleeper, and it will be many hours
before he can be awakened. In this manner, O venerable friend, has the
house been robbed,--its inmates were under the influence of the drug."
"Thy discovery is great, and may lead to the capture of the thieves.
Would that so poor a man could reward such a benafactor."
However, as time was an object to Chow for the success of some plan,
which from the cunning brightness that flitted through his eye seemed
just then to have crossed his mind, he stopped the garrulous gratitude
of the old gentleman by begging the box of pastiles as his reward. This
being granted, he took a very formal leave, promising not to rest till
he had seen the mandarin himself.
CHAPTER IX.
CHOW OUTWITS A GREAT MANDARIN, AND SETS OUT TO RESCUE HIS MASTER.
As they walked to the inn Chow explained to Sing his plan for the rescue
of Nicholas, which, after some serious consideration and many words of
advice, the innkeeper approved; but as it could not be put in operation
before evening, as soon as they reached the inn they went into one of
the inner apartments, and while they refreshed themselves with a good
meal, chatted over the details.
After they had completed their arrangements, Sing led Chow to an
outbuilding, in which were two oblong coffins, the one sealed down, the
other with the lid half off. The first contained the body of Sing's
daughter, of whom he had been so fond in life that in death he kept her
in the same room with the open coffin which had been presented to him by
the girl as a filial offering.
Such gifts as this, which I dare say you will think a sombre one, are by
no means more rare among the Chinese than the preservation in their own
houses of the bodies of those they have loved. And just above an altar
upon which incense was burning, hung a portrait of the dead girl, before
which silently and with cheeks damped with tears of memory, Sing threw
himself reverentially, and prayed fervently for the other world
happiness of his child. Having, with as much real sympathy as mere
courtesy, joined in the ceremony for a short time, Chow arose, and left
the bereaved parent throwing cuttings of silver paper upon the burning
dish, in the belief that in the next world it would change into real
money for his daughter's use.
As when Chow reached the police tribunal he found it closed for the day,
he clattered upon a large gong or kettle drum, affixed to the door, a
piece of great daring on his part; for if his business did not strike
the mandarin as being of the greatest importance, he might make sure of
some fifty blows for his impudence, for the public officers in China are
quite as averse to doing too much for the public money as many that I
could name of our own.
The door was opened and the boy was shown into the hall of audience,
where he had not long to wait before the mandarin and four bamboo sticks
in waiting made their appearance. "How, dog! Why this clatter at our
gates when the tribunal is closed?" asked the surly grandee.
"Will the magnificent fountain of justice give his unworthy servant a
private hearing?" said the bold boy, glancing significantly at the
bamboo sticks in waiting.
"Let the fellow's mouth be opened with ten blows for his impudence,"
said the polite magistrate; but as the men were about to obey, Chow
thrust his hand into his robe, and pulling out a letter threw it into
the great man's lap, a piece of effrontery so beyond all precedent that
the bamboo sticks waiting stood aghast and ready at a glance from the
mandarin to immolate the profane boy. The magistrate, however, no sooner
opened the paper than in tremulous tones he exclaimed, "Leave us alone,
this fellow has matters of private importance to communicate."
This order having been obeyed, Chow broke through the rules of decency
and etiquette by speaking before he was spoken to. "A crime has been
committed within thy district, O mandarin, yet justice sleeps. Surely
this is not according to the sacred books," said he.
"What dog's words are these? of what crime speaks the youth?" said the
magistrate wildly.
"According to the sacred books, O mandarin, it is the magistrate's duty
to discover and punish crime within his district. Yet, not withstanding
the house of the retired innkeeper Hoang is in a well-guarded quarter of
the city, it has been broken into and its furniture and valuables
stolen; moreover what is more surprising in so populous a district, the
thieves have escaped."
"What words are these?" said the mandarin again, being in fact so
troubled that he knew not what to say.
"Truly, it is a shrewd maxim; 'that large fowls will not eat small
grain,' yet, the largest may be choked if too greedy, for there are
still larger birds to swallow them; in turn even thou mayst be stripped
of thy rank and offices, if not strangled," said Chow, adding, "Would
the lord of justice wish straighter words?"
The words proved straight enough to go direct to the mark, for the
mandarin fell upon his knees and begged Chow to accept half his fortune,
and although it would be letting his rogue off cheaply enough, the
rescue of Nicholas was his object, and he promised to forego using his
knowledge of the great man's delinquency, providing that he would give
him an order under the official seal that would admit him to his
master's prison. Rejoiced to purchase his safety so easily, the mandarin
not only gave the order, but also promised to see that Hoang's property
was restored to him within a few days. After this Chow gave a paper to
the magistrate, and left the tribunal well satisfied with the result of
his visit.
Now, as I dare say you are anxious to know how it came about that so
poor a boy could have such power over so great a personage, I will tell
you, and you will obtain some little knowledge how public affairs are
managed in China, and moreover, learn that dishonesty may sometimes
place the greatest official beneath the thumb of the smallest of
persons, as indeed it happened in this case.
When Chow was chattering over his plans with the innkeeper he examined
the box of pastiles, and on taking them out, discovered a paper at the
bottom, evidently placed there for security, as the thieves could not
have dreamt of leaving their most valuable implements behind. That paper
was an order for four men, whose names were mentioned, to pass to the
boats on the canal, with any quantity of goods, without questioning, and
was signed with the character of the mandarin, which accounted for the
thieves getting off with so many things, but it also proved that the
mandarin was in connivance with them, and was in the habit of granting
these passes to robbers in return for a large bribe. Now, as Chow could
write very well, he immediately composed a letter to the mandarin,
telling him the whole transaction, and, moreover, that the thieves were
well known to a friend of his, who, if he did not return by a certain
time that evening, would disclose the whole matter to the viceroy;
therefore it was not to be wondered that the great man trembled and
implored of Chow to accept half his fortune, for had it been brought
before the viceroy he would, as Chow more than, hinted, in all
probability have been strangled.
CHAPTER X.
ESCAPE OF NICHOLAS FROM PRISON.
Having, at the same time, secured an order for admittance to Nicholas
and the restitution of old Hoang's property, Chow went in search of a
shop, where he purchased a rope of silk, and returned to the prison,
which was next to the tribunal.
At that time far in advance, and even now not much worse than our own,
the prisons of China are large and spacious, and although some of the
most criminal of the inmates are loaded with chains, the greater number
are permitted to take exercise and converse with each other in an open
court during the day. Their health is cared for,--if any are ill a
physician attends them, and when a death takes place a report is sent to
the Emperor, who issues orders for an examination, something like our
inquests, into the cause, when should it appear that any of the officers
are at fault, they are immediately degraded and punished. When a
prisoner dies the body is not permitted to pass through the ordinary
doorway, but through an opening reserved for the purpose. It is seldom,
however, that deaths occur in these places, for should a person,
especially above the lowest rank in life, be in danger, he or his
friends pray that he may be taken without the walls to expire; indeed,
so infamous is it considered for a corpse to be taken through this dead
opening, that "May he be dragged through the prison hole" is the
greatest expression of evil a person can wish his enemy.
The prison in which Nicholas was confined was a large building, with its
front to the street and its back to the canal. There were three courts,
each having treble gates, well guarded by armed sentries. Chow found no
difficulty in passing the first two gates, but the third was under the
charge of the chief gaoler, who not only made him show the mandarin's
order, but ordered two soldiers to accompany the boy to his master's
cell, which was situated at the top of one of the four corners or
towers, and overlooking the canal.
The armed men he met at every turn, and the dismal-looking strength of
the halls, courts, doors, and staircases through which he passed, made
Chow feel very wretched, for not an atom of a chance could he see for a
prisoner to escape. However no sooner did he again get sight of Nicholas
than all difficulties vanished, his countenance brightened, and the
affectionate fellow fell at his feet and wept with joy.
"How is this? surely thou art not a Christian, my poor friend, that they
should bring thee here?" said Nicholas sorrowfully.
"Truly both servant and master are fortunate, for the mandarin has
permitted them to keep each other company."
For some minutes Chow squatted upon the floor with his head bent to the
ground, apparently in grief at his master's position. Really, he had
not calculated upon the presence of the two gaolers; it was an awkward
dilemma, still he was not one to stick at a difficulty, and so he began
to think. His were not pleasant thoughts, for it was just possible that
the mandarin on recovering from his fright might tremble at the probable
consequences of permitting the escape of Nicholas, and to make his own
peace confess the whole affair to the Christian-hating viceroy.
Having finished cogitating, Chow commenced a lively conversation with
Nicholas about any thing and every thing but what was most on his mind;
then he endeavored to chat with the surly gaolers; the attempt, however,
proved a failure, till he brought forth a porcelain bottle filled with
rice spirit. When the men grew better tempered, Chow said, "Is there any
law that will prevent the honorable guard from bestowing upon his
servants some hot tea, for surely it will refresh them?" Without making
any reply, one of the gaolers opened the door and called aloud for the
beverage.
Some minutes after swallowing the tea, Chow rolled over upon the floor,
and howled like a dog; which extraordinary proceeding so alarmed
Nicholas and the men, that one of the latter, throwing down his weapon,
fell upon his knees and began to rub the sufferer's stomach. "Will the
ungrateful villains let me die the dog's death for the want of a cup of
water?" Surprised as they were at such a remedy, the frightened men
provided the water, but at the same time pointed to the porcelain
flask.
For the hint the patient thanked them, but he knew it would be of no use
without hot water. Would the honorable gaolers get some?
That was another affair, for to ask for hot water would be to proclaim
that rice spirit was being drunk in the prison, when gaolers as well as
prisoners would be bambooed.
Then, having coaxed and importuned for some time fruitlessly, Chow held
his hand upon his stomach, and alarmed Nicholas with performing a long
series of tragic-comic grimaces and contortions, when seeing the men
begin to tremble at the heavy punishment that awaited them if a prisoner
died beneath their charge, he said, "Surely the noble guardians would
not have it proclaimed to the next visiting mandarin that they have been
drinking the prohibited spirit."
Perceiving now that they were upon the horns of a dilemma, the gaolers
hesitated. Then a bright thought came to one, and he said, "Truly, the
tea is cold; a fire-pan will warm it; and so it will not be suspected
that rice spirit has been brought into the prison." Thus settling the
matter to his satisfaction, the man procured a small dish of fire and a
cup of cold water, when Chow had another attack, and in his paroxysms
kicked over his tea-cup, and then very inconsistently clamored for cold
water. This request being complied with, the patient sipped and appeared
a degree better, for he then stood upon his feet and thanked his
deliverers, and, moreover, offered them some more spirit, an offence
which was repeated and accepted till both gaolers became very
good-humored and talkative, first to Chow, then to Nicholas. Finding
that they were busy with the latter, Chow sauntered up to the fire and
sat before it, as if to prevent another attack by its heat. Then a sweet
perfume pervaded the atmosphere, and so gradually increased in strength,
that, imperceptibly to themselves, the tongues of the men slackened by
degrees, their loud tones softened into silence, their heads waved
gently to and fro, till, overcome by the density of the air, they fell
sideways upon the ground. It was not far to fall, for they had been
squatting upon the floor during their jovial conversation. Then taking a
large sponge that he had been holding to his own nostrils, Chow held it
to the nose of Nicholas, who, not being intoxicated with spirit, soon
exhibited signs of returning animation, when creeping up to the drooping
gaolers, he passed something, not a sponge, near to their nostrils,
which seemed to have the effect of double locking their senses. Then
leading the half-insensible Nicholas to the window, he took a knife from
his girdle and cut away the painted paper panes, when the cold air soon
made the master as sensible as the servant.
Arresting by a sign, Nicholas's exclamations of surprise at these
proceedings, Chow pulled forth the silken cord, fastened one end to the
table, then tying his knife to the other end he let it gently down, and
hung out of the window with it in his hand, as if he had been fishing.
In a few minutes he obtained a bite, for the rope gave a jerk. This
being satisfactory, he whispered to his master to descend by the loops.
Nicholas complied, and in one minute found himself in the arms of some
person, and in another, carried into a small room, about large enough to
hold four men. A minute more, Chow entered the cabin, the boat began to
glide along the canal, and Nicholas comprehended the whole of Chow's
scheme. Now you have the reason of his delight in seizing upon the box
of pastiles, two of which he had managed to light while his back was
turned to the gaolers. The cold water Chow knew to be an antidote to the
stupifying effects of the perfume, if applied immediately, as in the
case of Nicholas. As for the boy's illness, that was a ruse, and a very
good one too, under the circumstances.
CHAPTER XI.
PURSUED BY THE YAH-YU.--THE BOAT WRECK.
When the boat had run a sufficient distance from the prison, Sing, for
he it was who had so ably aided in the escape, putting a pole in the
hands of Nicholas, and taking one himself, they forced the little craft
along the waters with the greatest possible speed. As for Chow, not
finding another pole, and resolved not to be left out of the good work,
he took off his boots, threw his legs over the stern, and helped to
propel the boat by paddling against the water with his feet. By these
means, in a very short time, they arrived at the back of Sing's house,
which fortunately faced the canal. It was thus, indeed, that the
innkeeper had been enabled to pass to the prison in the little san-pan
which he had borrowed from a friendly boatman.
Going into the house to caution his wife against feeling alarmed at his
probably prolonged absence, he left them for a few minutes, and when he
returned they had no small cause to rejoice at his thoughtfulness, for
his wife had just heard from one of the prison attendants, who lived at
the inn, that about half an hour after their escape the relief guard of
gaolers had discovered their absence, and sent a body of yah-yu, both by
land and water, to recapture them.
"By the toe of the Emperor, the villain god has deceived me, for he
promised a fortunate day," said Chow.
"It is thy head and heart, and not the foolish images, that have
hitherto helped thee, Chow. We will now trust to the same aids, and by
the assistance of the One true God, these rogues shall not overtake us,"
said Nicholas.
"The noble youth is brave, but he may not perform impossibilities,"
replied Sing.
"Truly it is not far to the river," said Nicholas.
"The river!" exclaimed Sing, with affright. "Truly Fo himself could not
make a boat live upon the river such a night as this, at the full of the
moon."
"It is our only safety, for these rascal yah-yu dare not follow," said
Nicholas, who regarded the great and dangerous waters of the river as
his native element, adding, "If thou, Chow, but show a brave heart."
"Truly, my master, Chow fears not men, but surely it would be a vile
thing to anger the god of the waters, who may this night swallow all who
dare to pass from the estuary."
"Art thou an idiot, that after the exhibition at the monastery, the
folly of these toy gods of the bonzes is not imprinted upon thine
eyeballs?" said Nicholas, adding angrily, "But if thou fearest, hide
thee with the good Sing, and thy master will brave the torrents alone."
"This thing may not be, O noble Nicholas, for rather than leave thee,
thy servant would be a hundred times swallowed by Yen-Vang himself,"
said Chow.
"Thou art brave, youth, and may it please Fo to conduct thee safely to
thy journey's end," said Sing, adding with alarm, "But see, yonder is
the boat of the yah-yu, for surely no other would be in motion at this
hour of the night."
"Then," said Nicholas, looking at a red light which appeared to be fixed
at the prow of a moving boat, "we must labor for our lives, Chow."
Then taking a silent but hearty farewell of the innkeeper, the youths
clutched the poles and in another minute they were gliding along the
water street unheeded, except by the watchmen, whose questions they
answered with a few copper coins, and they pushed on through the dark
night, till nearly worn out with the exertion. The fact, however, that
they were toiling for their lives, lent them additional strength, so
after a short rest, away they went again in right good earnest; then the
hum of distant voices floated through the night air. Resting for a
moment Chow placed his ear near to the water, saying, "Truly they are
following us, but more, my master, we are near the great dike, which it
would be as easy to pass as to swallow a mountain."
"Courage, O Chow, let us pass the dike, and the rats will never overtake
us," said Nicholas, toiling harder than ever at the pole.
This dike or sluice divided from the canal the waters of the river which
Nicholas had been so anxious to reach, but as Chow knew they could not
get the boat hauled over by Coolies at that hour of the night, he could
perceive nought but a barrier that by arresting their progress, must put
them in the hands of their enemies; still not liking to disobey, he
toiled at his pole, and speedily the boat came alongside some twenty
others, which had arrived too late to be hauled over that night.
Nicholas, however, knowing the influence of money, determined to get
over the difficulty. So fetching the lantern from the cabin, he so
shaded its light with his robe, that while it could not be seen by their
pursuers, he could see moored some distance from them a little fleet of
san-pans. This he had expected, so gently pushing the boat alongside one
of them he tapped upon the egg-like roof, and in another minute a man
put out his head, when putting a piece of silver in his hand, as an
earnest of a greater reward, the boatman acquiesced, and in a few
minutes more he had aroused some of his fellows, who very nimbly set
about mooring their boats till they had drawn them across the canal, so
as to form a barricade, in the event of the enemy making its appearance;
after which the boatman fastened a stout rope around the stern of the
boys' boat, got into his own, and cautioning them to hold on by the roof
of the cabin, with the assistance of some dozen of his mates in their
boats, forced the little craft to the summit of the stone slope, when
all clinging to the rope, let her slide gently down the other side into
the river, when silently the san-pans moved back to their moorings, so
that upon their arrival at the dike the yah-yu must have been strangely
puzzled at the boy's escape from their clutches.
The dangers of the river, however, were far greater than Nicholas had
calculated, for the great stream upon whose bosom they had embarked, was
at times as tempestuous as the ocean, and they possessed neither oars
nor sails; as for the poles, the great depth of the river rendered them
useless. Again, the night was so dark, that except by the feeble light
of their lantern they could not see each other's faces; their only
consolation was, that the waters were then as smooth and tranquil as
those of the canal, except that a rapid current seemed to be sweeping
them along without an effort of their own.
"May the great god Fo protect us against Ma-tsoo-po, to whom we can
offer no incense," said Chow.
"How! Can it be that one so brave on land should be so great a coward
upon water?" said Nicholas.
"Truly it is a maxim, my master that, 'all are cowards who can't help
themselves.' Chow in the waters would be less than the least of little
fishes, for he cannot swim," was the gloomy reply.
"It is also a maxim, 'that the gods forsake those who forsake
themselves,'" said Nicholas, adding, "But it is fatigue, my poor Chow,
that destroys thy courage; get thee, therefore, into the cabin and rest
for a time, while I keep watch."
"Nay, Fo protect us, or we are food for the favorites of the god of the
waters," replied Chow, as the boat at that moment made a tremulous
movement, which so alarmed Nicholas, that clutching hold of Chow's arm,
he said, "Now put forth all thy energies or we are lost, for the 'bore'
is upon us."
This was sufficient, for in the presence of real danger Chow soon drove
away the troubled fancies of his brain.
"The poles are our only chance," said Nicholas, and, quickly as thought,
they fastened their poles to the sides, so that they stretched out like
two great arms. "Let us but keep our whole weight steadily upon the
handles, and we may keep her course straight," said Nicholas; and no
sooner had they thrown themselves across the poles than a noise like
that of distant thunder rumbled through the air; it was the great tide
wave rolling like a mountain toward them. Now they could not escape; so,
commending their souls to Heaven, they awaited its approach with
suspended breath. It came, and, with a roar, caught up the boat,
carrying it to a height of fifty feet; in another second the boys were
covered with a cold sweat at the narrowness of their escape, which had
been owing to their precaution. Then followed a calm, as if the anger of
the watery element had subsided. The boys slackened their hold of the
poles, and so they continued for two hours, going they knew not whither.
Suddenly the boat began to rock.
"To your pole, Chow," cried Nicholas. No sooner had he complied, than
they found they had entered upon a rapid, for the little craft shot
forth almost with the velocity of an arrow. Then came the first faint
streaks of daybreak, and they trembled, for they saw that they had
entered a narrow creek. "Steady, for our lives, there is hope yet, for
yonder vessel may see us," said Nicholas. The vessel to which he alluded
was a large junk, so skilfully handled that she seemed to be stemming
the torrent. Gaining hope, the boys clung to their only chance, namely,
keeping the poles in their fixed positions. Another half hour, however,
and their strength became exhausted, the poles quivered, the boys felt
they could not hold out much longer; still another determined effort;
their minds lent strength to their limbs. Then the first light of the
sun, an eastern sun, shone upon the junk, and disclosed a huge painted
eye (the government emblem), at the sight of which, and screaming aloud
"The yah-yu!" Chow let go his hold, fell backward, and one pole being
thus released, the boat lost its equilibrium, the pole of Nicholas
snapped, and she swang round like a Catherine wheel. They were in a
whirlpool--nothing could save them--then came a fearful crash, and
neither Chow nor Nicholas could distinguish more.
CHAPTER XII.
NICHOLAS AGAIN TAKEN PRISONER.
With the wild whirling of the waters ringing in his ears, and the great
painted eye before his vision, Nicholas stared around. Where could he
be? He was lying upon a mat, in a small low room; he sat up, endeavored
to comprehend his position, and the san-pan, the bore, the torrent, the
whirlpool, all flashed across him--but where could he be? There before
him stood a copper god, hideously grinning at a pan of burning incense.
Surely it must be the cabin of a junk--but what?--whose? Possibly the
yah-yu's. It must be so; and, brave as he was, he shuddered. Then,
looking out of the window, he could see nothing but a vast extent of
paddy (rice in the husks) fields. Then he saw the junk was passing along
a canal, which, from its width, he knew must be the great Imperial
Canal. Then Chow--poor Chow--and as he believed him to have been
swallowed up in the waters, the gallant boy burst into tears; and this
great grief banished every selfish thought from his mind. Then he
trembled for the safety of his letters; but, feeling beneath his robe,
he found them secure. Again he wept for Chow, and, happening to look at
the god, the hideous little brute seemed to be rejoicing at his
troubles, and in momentary rage he knocked the deity off its perch with
his fist, with such violence that the pain and blood upon his lacerated
knuckles immediately reminded him of the stupidity of the act, and he
laughed at his folly; but reflecting that the captain of the vessel
might visit such an insult to the image upon himself he replaced it in
its original position.
At that moment the door opened, and Chow entered with a tray, upon which
were two cups, a jar, and other materials for a meal, and in his
surprise exclaiming "Chow!" the latter was so much startled that he
nearly dropped the tray.
"May Tien be thanked; my master is far from Yen-Vang."
"Where are we, O Chow?" said Nicholas, recovering from his surprise; but
the boy would answer no questions until Nicholas had partaken of the
meal.
As soon as by eating and drinking, he had satisfied Chow that he was
really alive, the latter said, "Truly the gods must have been favorably
disposed toward the noble Nicholas, to have kept him alive for so many
days and nights, without brains in his head or food in his mouth."
"What words are these, O Chow?" said Nicholas, placing his hand to his
forehead, as if making an effort to decipher the boy's meaning.
"Let my master open his ears," said Chow; adding, "Worn out with my
exertions in the boat, I no sooner perceived the terrible eye than I
loosened my hold of the pole, and either from fright or fatigue, became
insensible; the water, however, revived me, and looking for my master, I
saw him lying by my side upon a shelving edge of rock, for, thanks be to
Fo, we had dashed upon the rock, the servant with out harm, but the
master receiving such a blow that it deprived him of his senses; when,
alarmed for his life, I shouted to the crew of the junk for help, and
begged of them to take us on board, but the rats refused, saying, that
as the gods had evidently reserved us for drowning, to resist would be
to provoke Ma-tsoo-po. Then, as my only hope, I shouted to them that I
had secured a traitor for whose head fifty taels were offered."
"Surely thou art not a rogue." But not noticing this, Chow continued,
"The hope of so much silver made the rogues carry us on board, and then
poor Chow could have swallowed fire, for when he begged of them to use
means to recall thee to thy senses, the dog of a captain said, 'Know
thou rat of a boy, that if fifty taels are offered for the rascal's
head, it will save trouble to lop it off at once.' Then Fo sent a
thought into my brainless head, and falling at the captain's feet, I
told him that so great were thy crimes, that although fifty taels would
be given for thy head, five hundred and a mandarin's button would be
given for thy whole body.
"Then said the captain, 'the dog utters words of wisdom,' and fearing to
lose the silver, if you died, he commanded a physician who happened to
be on board to make thee sound and whole, and moreover, promised to
reward me with ten taels if I helped to bring thee round."
But as they heard approaching footsteps, Chow said softly, "Get thee to
thy mat, it is the physician; do not let him bring thee to thy senses,
or we are lost."
By the time Nicholas had lain down, an elderly man, with a small funnel
and a porcelain cup in his hands, entered the cabin, and with as much
meaningless mystery of manner as one of our doctors, knelt by his side
and commenced the comical operation of feeling his pulse, or rather
pulses, for the physician's hands and fingers traveled up and down the
boy's body like a flea in search of a choice bite. Having gone through
this performance, he placed the funnel in the patient's mouth, and
poured down his throat a decoction of the gen-seng root, a plant which
the Chinese believe will cure all ills; and, disagreeable and difficult
as it was, Nicholas swallowed it, which so delighted the old gentleman
that he left the cabin chuckling, but telling Chow on no account to
attempt to awake him for the next three hours, as he was assured that
nature was bringing him to by her own means.
"Verily the old cheat believes I have a fever," said Nicholas, jumping
up as soon as the doctor had left the cabin.
Chow, who had been gazing from the window of the cabin while the
physician was present, no sooner saw him leave than he said, "We shall
leave the dogs now;" adding, "Let the noble Nicholas remain senseless
till Chow returns," and without another word he left the cabin.
For some time Nicholas remained quiet upon the mat, but getting tired he
arose, and looking out of the window he saw that the junk was in the
middle of the canal, and from the great quantity of boats knew they were
near to some great city. He had not, however, been looking long, when to
his surprise he saw one of these san-pans come alongside the junk, and
taking Chow on board, paddled off to the shore, where he remained for
some time, and then was brought back to the junk. What could that mean?
Surely Chow was not playing him false. No he was ashamed of the thought.
The boy must be concocting some scheme for his benefit; but hearing
footsteps he resumed his position upon the mat, and in another minute
the physician and Chow entered. This time the doctor only went through
the pulse performance, saying, "Now if the rascal would but move a limb
it would show that Fo and the immortal drug had sent the blood into his
muscles."
A comical notion came into the patient's head; it was dangerous, but it
might prevent the necessity of the funnel being put in his throat, and
so with a slight yawn he suddenly gave the old gentleman such a kick on
the shins that he started with surprise, but delighted that his
treatment had succeeded, he said, "Truly the rogue is getting his
strength," and hopped out of the room, uttering maledictions upon the
sailors for robbing him of his gen-seng.
"What meant the rat by those words?" said Nicholas, and he was more
than satisfied when Chow told him the following story: The doctor placed
implicit faith in the wonderful curative powers of the famous gen-seng,
a quantity of which he carried about with him, ready for any accident
that might happen. Knowing this, Chow had managed to secure the whole,
and, as he anticipated, when the old gentleman discovered his loss he
grew furious, and told the captain that Nicholas would die. The captain
being in fear of losing his reward, had all the men searched, and not a
few beaten with the bamboo. It was all of no use. What was to be done?
Chow offered to go ashore and procure some; the captain agreed, a signal
was made for a boatman, who, as we have seen, came off to the junk, took
Chow ashore, from whence he returned with the much-prized plant, which,
by the way, he had no greater trouble in obtaining than putting his hand
in a hole in the lining of his outer garment.
While in the boat Chow had made good use of his time, for he had bribed
the boatman to bring his little craft alongside the junk about the
middle of the third watch.
The night is divided into five watches; the first begins at seven and is
distinguished by a single stroke, which is repeated every minute till
the second watch, when two blows are given, and so with the third,
fourth, and fifth.
Anxiously did they await the treble sound; at length it came,--one, two,
three,--and they stood with breathless expectation; about the tenth
minute of the third watch there was a tap at the paper window, when
pulling out his knife, Chow ran the blade around the paper, and the next
moment the end of a rope was thrown through. Making this fast to a hook
within the cabin, Nicholas crept legs foremost through the hole, and
catching hold of a rope swang himself into the san-pan. Chow followed,
and they crawled into the little cabin, when the san-pan glided away,
not, however, without arousing one of the sailors, who believing that
the boat had crept alongside with some nefarious design upon the
property of the vessel, sharply warned the boatman of the danger of any
such attempt, as he was on the _qui vive_. The boatman, however, having
given a satisfactory reply, he pushed onward, and after passing through
a little world of junks, san-pans, and barges, they managed to effect a
landing without being noticed. After which, the man having fastened his
boat led them through the suburbs till they reached a small mud hut,
from the top of which issued a wreathing column of flame and smoke.
"It is the hut of a sentry," exclaimed Nicholas, who knew that the
signal huts were distributed at distances of about a mile apart
throughout the interior, as a warning to all would-be depredators that
the police were on the alert, and this being precisely the kind of place
they should have avoided, he said, "For what purpose has the worthy
boatman brought us to this hut."
"Truly, my master, we are in safe hands, for the man on duty is the
boatman's brother and will let us hide here till morning," said Chow,
and the next moment they were within the hut partaking of a portion of
the soldier's fare of hot tea and rice bread.
After some little time the boatman said, "Truly it is not often that
brothers meet, and it is well that we should have a fraternal
conversation."
When the men left the hut Chow took a paper from his robe, leant over a
fire, and having perused it, said, "The dog is a rogue, he would give us
shelter to-night but to betray us in the morning."
"What words are these? Truly the boatman knew us as nought but two poor
travelers."
"My master's thoughts are generous," replied Chow; adding, as he handed
Nicholas the paper, "Let the noble man-boy read for himself."
Taking the paper, Nicholas read, "Let the noble commander offer a
handsome reward, and the rascals who have escaped shall be again placed
in his hands."
"Truly this is villainy; but how fell this paper into thy hands, O
Chow."
"Is it not a maxim that wickedness defeats its own ends?" said Chow;
adding, "As thy servant was getting from the window of the junk into the
san-pan, that paper fell into his hand. Doubtless the rascal boatman
threw it upon the deck, from whence by accident, it fell into my hands."
"Truly it must have been thrown by the hand of Heaven," said Nicholas.
"We will defeat the rascals, for fortunately I have saved one of the
thieves' pastiles," said Chow, pulling one of the pyramids from beneath
his robe.
Then as they heard the footsteps of the soldier they squatted before the
fire, pretending to be in earnest conversation. The man joined them, and
having poured some hot water into a cup, took a pinch of tea-dust from a
little packet and made himself a cup of that beverage. But while the
soldier was drinking, and probably chuckling at the good round sum he
should obtain in the morning for Chow and Nicholas, the latter pulled
his arms behind, and held them till Chow tore enough of his coarse loose
garment to form a ligature, with which he secured them; then throwing
him upon his back, and leaving Nicholas to prevent his rolling over, he
pulled from his robe a portable lantern, unfolded it, lit the wick, then
lighting the pastile, at arm's length he held it beneath the soldier's
nostrils till he became stupid, and indeed, until he became insensible,
when, rolling him over and leaving the pastile burning, they left the
hut, taking good care to secure it from the outside.
CHAPTER XIII.
PAGODAS, THEIR ANTIQUITY AND USES.
Alone, unarmed, in a strange country, at night, and pursued by enemies,
the boys stood for a time to consider their next steps. Fortunately, at
that moment the moon began to shine more brightly, and they saw at the
distance of some few hundred yards the giant form of a pagoda rising
from the summit of a hill, with its quaint polygon form, varnished green
tiles, and gilded bells hanging from every point.
"Truly the gods have directed our footsteps to a resting-place till the
morning," said Chow.
This was indeed a fortunate discovery, for, knowing that most of the
pagodas were untenanted, they might hide there; and with lightened
hearts they walked onward, till they came to a valley, or cemetery,
filled with tombs, and through which they walked till they came to the
base of a hill, at the top of which was the entrance to the pagoda.
Having reached one of the gates, they found it locked, a difficulty that
was soon surmounted by Chow, who cast his lantern toward one of the
windows of the lower story, and, as he expected, found that, like the
majority of these quaint structures, this one was in ruins; so, by means
of the shoulder of Nicholas, he climbed through a window, and speedily
opened the gate, when they found themselves in an apartment lined with
black varnished tiles, nearly all of which were carved with gilded
idols.
"Thank Heaven, we are safe from the rats," said Nicholas.
"And may sleep, O my master," said the fatigued Chow, laying himself at
full length upon the floor, an example that was speedily followed by
Nicholas, who, like Chow, notwithstanding the danger that surrounded
them, fell into a sound sleep.
These singular, and frequently beautiful buildings, towering upward in
various heights upon the rising grounds, like an unequally grown forest
of quaint spires, form the chief characteristic in Chinese scenery. As
if the builders believed luck to be found in odd numbers, they are
either of seven, nine, or thirteen stories, and moreover, all shaped
from the model of the famous Tower of Nankin, which, after an existence
of nine hundred years, has so recently been wantonly destroyed by the
iconoclastic insurgents, who are, at the present time, making every
effort for the extermination of the Mantchou Tartars.
As for the origin of these structures, it is of so remote a date, that,
even in four thousand years old China, there is as much difference of
opinion as about the origin of the round towers of Ireland. Some of the
learned writers assert that they were erected monumentally to great and
good people, others that they were intended as watch-towers in time of
war.
A very probable theory is that they are of Indian origin, having been
introduced by the priests of Buddha, for the purpose of saving the holy
relics, thumbs, fingers, toes, or any other portions of the body of the
god that might from time to time be found, or rather palmed upon the
superstitious people by the bonzes. By way of illustrating this theory,
I will relate to you some of the popular legends. The first is really a
wild-goose story.
The primitive Buddhists of India were not under such strict rules of
diet as the sect afterward became; that is, not vegetarians, but at
liberty to eat veal, venison, and goose flesh. Well, it happened that on
a certain day, as a party of priests were seated in the open air, a
brace of wild geese flew above them, which caused them to exclaim, "Our
wish is that these fowls would do a benevolent act," when one of the
birds immediately dropped down dead. Upon which remarkable event, the
priests cried, "This goose brings down a prohibition to abstain from
flesh; we must therefore consider its meritorious act." Whereupon they
erected a building over the poor goose, which they called pagoda, which
word, translated from the Indian word, tsang-po, into Chinese, is
equivalent to wild goose.
Of this same pagoda, which still exists, another legend is given.
"Nearly six hundred years after the introduction of Buddhism into China,
a priest of the sect was sent to India to collect and translate into the
Chinese language the sacred books of Budd. On his return with the
volumes, he brought also a model of a pagoda; in commemoration of
which, and also as a receptacle for the sacred books, the Emperor
erected a pagoda." If this legend is true, and it certainly is more
probable than any of the others, it is curious, as during the reign of
this same Emperor, in the year 636, a Christian teacher first came from
India to China, and was not only encouraged by the Emperor, but was
authorised by a royal decree to preach Christianity among the people.
Another legend states that in the year 256 a foreign priest of the
Buddhist religion appeared at the capital, and performed many strange
and supernatural feats, which, reaching the ears of the Emperor, caused
him to send for the priest, of whom he inquired if Buddha could
communicate any divine emblems. The priest replied, that Buddha had left
some traces of himself on earth, particularly bone relics, which
possessed miraculous powers. The Emperor, scarcely believing the story,
told the priest that if any such bone could be found, he would erect a
great pagoda. To this the story goes on to say, that the priest,
twenty-one days after, brought one of the god's bones in a bottle, and
presented it to his majesty, and that when taken into the palace, it
lighted up the whole building. Then comes the most astonishing portion
of the legend. In his haste to inspect this wonderful bone, the Emperor
turned it out of the bottle, into a large copper vessel, when the bone,
probably a leg bone, of its own accord kicked the massive basin with
such violence that it became shivered into a thousand pieces. This, you
would imagine, was in all conscience sufficiently prodigious to weaken
his majesty's nerves. The priest, however insisted upon exhibiting
another wonder, telling the emperor that so matchless were the qualities
of this bone, that diamond or steel could not scratch it, fire could not
scorch it, nor the heaviest hammer smash it; indeed, to injure this
precious bone in any way would be to perform one of the labors of
Hercules. This, however, was too much for the belief of the Emperor, and
so he ordered his stoutest blacksmith to take his heaviest hammer and
make the attempt; the priest, however got the best of it, for no sooner
did the hammer touch the bone than it crumbled into atoms, when,
probably, in delight at its success, this clever bone shone with such
effulgence that it weakened the eyes of all beholders. After this the
monarch wanted no more proof of the godship of Buddha, kept his promise,
and built the first pagoda in China.
Most of these legends have a close connection with Buddhism and its
priests; it is, therefore, most probable that these pagodas have, from
their introduction into China in the middle of the first century of the
Christian era, been used in connection with the bonzes. This opinion is
entertained by the learned Chinese scholar, the Rev. Mr. Milne, who
says, "Among the Chinese themselves it is a common saying. In pagodas
they save and preserve the family of Buddha. Usually priests of this
order are in charge of the pagoda, and sit at the doors of the most
famous and frequented, to receive gratuities from visitors. Pagodas are
situated generally on Buddhists' lands, and there are in their vicinity,
or around their base, temples or monasteries for Buddhist priests.
Within those pagodas that are at all in a state of preservation,
Buddhist idols, relics, pictures, and books are deposited. The histories
of these buildings throughout the empire, at least the earliest of them,
are crammed with Buddhist tales and fictions." So interesting are these
extraordinary monuments of antiquity, as being the probable and supposed
depositories of Buddhist writings and Indian documents, which, should
they ever be brought to light will not only throw a light upon the early
intercourse between China and Hindostan, but elucidate the mystery which
now hangs over the history of the religion of ancient India, a matter of
importance to every intelligent being, that at the risk of being
tedious, I could not forbear having a little gossip with my young reader
on the subject. But now to return to our young heroes.
CHAPTER XIV.
A DANGEROUS DESCENT.
When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out
at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening. He called
to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for
him to reply. Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close
pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of
Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we
are lost after all!"
"Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for
himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda,
not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the
junk.
"The rogues will arouse the bonzes at the monastery," said Chow.
"Truly the rats are not so senseless. They know we are unarmed, and hope
to take us without letting the bonzes share the reward; but let us
ascend, it is our only chance," said Nicholas, leading the way up a
steep staircase to the next story; but, hearing voices beneath, he
added, "Let us clamber to the top and lie quiet, when they may perhaps
give up the search." So they ascended the next staircase, but when they
came to the third story they were vexed to find the stairs fallen so
completely to ruin that they could proceed no higher. Fortune, however,
favored them, for looking around they saw a ladder, which had probably
been left by the bonze, whose business it was to exhibit the ancient
ruin for the convenience of visitors. To ascend was the work of a
minute, but before they had reached the uppermost round of the ladder
they heard their pursuers enter the lower apartment, when, quickening
their movements, they soon reached the seventh story. Now, as like a
pyramid, the building diminished in bulk as it increased in height, the
top was so small that they could but just pass through the small
aperture into the little room, which, fortunately, was in such a
dilapidated state, that the roof near the central pole or spire, which
ran up the interior from the base to the apex, and was surmounted by a
kind of large button, was nearly off.
Once in this room, they set about fortifying their position, by pulling
up a few of the loose flooring-boards and throwing them over the well
hole by which they had entered. It was a happy thought, for as they were
laying the last board over the hole, they saw the soldier upon the first
round of the top ladder. In a moment they squatted down with their whole
weight upon the boards, and as the aperture was so small that but one
man could ever attempt to pass through at a time, they were secure.
For at least two hours they remained in that position, which proved
such a formidable obstacle to the entrance of the man, that tired out,
he determined to consult with his companions as to some other means of
destroying the boys. Then, leaving Chow upon the boards watching through
a hole for the man's next attempt to force their position, Nicholas
ascended through a hole in the crumbling roof, looked around for some
few minutes, then descending, said, "We will escape from the roof."
"Where are our wings, O, my master? for without them we shall become
very small pieces of broken china by the time we reach the bottom," said
the astonished Chow.
"In our garments," said Nicholas, taking off his robes and tearing the
inner one into narrow slips, which being sufficient explanation for
Chow, he followed his master's example, and by plaiting them together
they managed to form a long rope with loops for hand holes at intervals.
The manufacture of this rope took them some hours, during which time
they expected every minute that the enemy would attempt to force the
entrance with a great log of wood or bar iron; fortunately, however,
little dreaming that there was the most remote possibility of escape for
the boys, the enemy had resolved to starve them into a surrender.
It was near dusk when they had completed their labor. Nothing could be
better, for if they could escape now they would reach the town before
the closing of the gates; therefore, resolving upon the attempt, they
pulled aside one of the boards and listened again. Fortune was in their
favor, for, by the conversation that was going on among the men, they
heard, that, tired of waiting, the soldier was gone in search of some
heavy instrument that would force an entrance. Then Nicholas longed for
a couple of big bamboos, that they might fight their way through them;
not, however, being able to command the use of such weapons, they
determined to make use of the rope the minute the men returned.
Having arrived at this determination, Nicholas reascended the roof and
watched until he saw the soldier coming toward the pagoda, carrying a
huge block of wood, when throwing the rope around the centre column or
spire, so that they could pull it after them, leaving no trace of their
means of escape, he signaled to Chow to follow. He swung on to the rope,
keeping both ends in his hands, and lowered himself on to the projecting
canopy or fringe of the second story, and by a swing of the body reached
the terrace, where he waited for Chow, whose legs he guided in his
descent, after which they pulled down the rope, and by performing the
same feat at each story, reached the ground at the portion of the
building opposite to the door, and as he had calculated, where there
were no openings by which they could be seen from within.
Once upon the ground, Chow gave a caper of joy, and proposed to scamper
off immediately. Nicholas, however, having effected the escape, like a
wise general, wished to protect his retreat from pursuit. To do this,
they entered the lower apartment of the pagoda, which, as they had
expected, they found empty; then ascending the next story, they could
see the enemy above them in consultation. It was the story with the
loose ladder. So removing their only means of descent, they carried it
with them some distance from the pagoda, and hastened toward the town,
heartily rejoicing at the success of their scheme, and laughing merrily
at the plight of their pursuers, who, when found in the pagoda, would be
punished as thieves, or if they dared to explain the cause of their
presence in the pagoda, would be severely bambooed for not informing the
nearest mandarin of the escape of such an important prisoner as the
runaway Christian.
As they reached the city just before the closing of the gates, they
found so many persons hastening to their homes, that they passed through
without being noticed, and speedily procured a lodging at the nearest
inn.
CHAPTER XV.
NICHOLAS DISCOVERS A CONSPIRACY, AND MAKES AN UNPLEASANT ENTRY INTO
PEKIN.
The next morning they laughed heartily when the innkeeper told them that
the bonzes of the monastery in the suburbs had taken some rogues who had
been found concealed in the pagoda before the police tribunal, and that
the mandarin had ordered all of them a severe bambooing.
Greatly as he enjoyed this news, Nicholas was too wise to wish to remain
in the city any longer than possible, for he knew that the enraged junk
captain would leave no effort untried to retake them; he, therefore,
engaged a passage for himself and Chow in a barge that was proceeding to
Tching-Kiang.
Once on board the passage boat and floating down along the royal canal,
they felt secure, for surely no mishap could now happen to interrupt
their journey; and so, indeed, they arrived at Tching-Kiang, where, as
this city was on the banks of the Yang-tse, which here interrupts the
course of the canal, they were compelled to disembark and remain one
night.
The next morning Nicholas sent Chow to purchase a sword, a bow, and some
arrows, in place of those taken from him in the prison. During his
absence, he sat talking to the wife of the innkeeper, for amongst the
lower classes, the women are permitted to have greater intercourse, as
indeed is necessary, to enable them to assist in earning the family
living. He had not been chatting for any length of time when there arose
a great hubbub in the street, and, looking out of the window, what was
his surprise to see Chow running, as if for his life, followed by an old
gentleman, who stopped every now and then to take breath and shake his
fists angrily at the mob, who, believing it to be a race, shouted for
mere fun. A glance, however, made Nicholas aware of the true character
of the pursuer, and he begged of the woman to aid him in saving the life
of his friend, who was being hunted by a madman, who if he caught him,
he would kill him.
Before she could reply, Chow ran up to the door; the woman opened it,
let him in, and shut it again in the face of the old gentleman, whose
stomach, being of extreme protuberance and what his countrymen call full
measure, received such a blow that, what with loss of breath and
fullness of indignation, his big body toppled over his short legs, and
he lay upon the ground with his little head turned upward, like a turtle
gasping at falling heat drops.
"Truly we are lost, for the old rat is the physician," said Chow.
"Can the worthy woman aid us?" said Nicholas, fairly baffled.
"Let the youths follow," said the good-natured Woman; adding, "Whither
would they be taken?"
"To the river," replied Nicholas, not knowing where else to say.
Then conducting them to the back of the house, where stood several sedan
chairs that her husband let out for hire, the woman told them to jump
into one of them, gave instructions to two Coolies who were waiting for
a job, wished them a prosperous journey, drew the curtains, and thus, in
about an hour's time, the boys were set down upon the banks of the great
Yang-tse, when, having rewarded the Coolies for their trouble, they
walked leisurely along in search of a boatmen to carry them to the
opposite side.
"Truly, O Chow, thou wert born in an unfortunate hour," said Nicholas.
"My master's words are true; still, the hundred families' lock must have
been hung around thy servant's neck, or he could not have escaped so
great a danger as this."
"Open thy lips to a good purpose, and say how this matter happened,"
said Nicholas, laughing.
"Well, having made the purchases, I came to the quay where the
passage-boats discharge their passengers, when, _may I be punished for
forgetting my masters affair_, I could think of nothing but the villain
who slew my noble parent, and who, I thought, might possibly be among
the soldiers who had just arrived from Pekin, and were embarking to go
to Nankin, which, they say, is even now besieged by the rebels. The
notion, fit only as it was for the head of a goose, could not be helped,
and I stood gazing at the war-tigers. Well, thy servant had not been
long looking, when an old gentleman seized him by the arm, saying,
'Thou dog, thou stolest both my patient and my gen-seng;' and, seeing
that it was the physician, I jerked off his hand, took to my heels, and,
fearing for the safety of my master should the crowd stop me, I
frightened them by calling out, 'Beware, my brethren, of the madman,'
and as that made the frightened people stand aside, I was enabled to
reach the inn in safety."
"Truly this was well done," said Nicholas; but as, at that moment, they
had arrived at a great swamp of paddy, or rice-fields, which stretched
for miles inland down to the very edge of the river, and was covered
with water of sufficient depth to enable the shallow boats to sail for
miles into the interior, their progress was stopped, when Nicholas said,
as he pointed to a multitude of men, women, and children, who, at some
little distance, with their trousers tucked up to the knees, appeared to
be amusing themselves with paddling about in the water, "Let us catch
the eyeballs of one of yonder shrimp hunters."
These people were a species of jacks-in-the-water, who, as they stalked
about every now and then pulled their legs out of the mud, and taking
something from it, deposited it in a small bag which they had by their
sides. They were mud fishers in search for prawn, shrimps, and other
small fish, which, when felt by the foot, they dexterously seized
between the toes. This is only one instance in which these poor people
show themselves as clever with the foot as the hand and another proof
of the old axiom, that necessity is the mother of invention.
For some time they endeavored to call the attention of one of these
people without avail; then, holding up a copper coin and shouting, a man
came to them, and soon after fetched a boatman, who, for a small sum,
engaged to row them in search of a ferry-boat.
The little boat paddled through the fields, past men engaged in wild
geese catching, and huge duck boats, from the sides of which, down
inclined boards, hundreds of those birds were waddling into the fields,
as industriously earning their living among the rice stubble as the mud
fishers.
These duck keepers are a class peculiar to the Chinese. Their boats are
large and roomy, with a broad board extending around the sides for a
promenade for the birds, which are as dear to their masters as the pig
is to the Irishman. The birds have the largest apartment of the floating
house. In the morning the ducks waddle round the promenade at their
pleasure, except after the rice harvest has been gathered, when the
boards are inclined, and they walk up and down the slope at their will;
and so well are they brought up, that, if hundreds of them are out upon
a cruise, they will instantly return to the boat at their master's
whistle.
Once in the boat, Nicholas had no wish to leave it, till he had crossed
the river. This he had some difficulty in persuading the man to do, for
it was three leagues broad at that part. The sight, however of a piece
of silver strengthened his courage, and, fixing up his little sail of
bamboo matting, he made the attempt, when, after some hours, they
reached the opposite banks, dismissed the boatman, and felt as pleased
as a fugitive between whom and the bloodhounds a vast water track has
passed.
Having crossed the great river, they had no fear of further pursuit, so,
hiring two sedan chairs, they reached Kin-Chow the same evening. The
next morning they again took passage upon the Royal Canal, down which
they traveled for some days, till they arrived at Yang-Chow, a city
celebrated for its manufacture of salt and singing girls. These poor
creatures are matter of commerce with the merchants, who have taught
them to sing, paint, and play on musical instruments, when they can sell
them for very large sums of money to the great lords, who purchase them
for the recreation of their households.
Resting at this city for one day, they again started upon their journey,
and in a few weeks arrived at Tien-sin, from which place they proceeded
by a small canal to Tsing-Chow, the nearest place to Pekin, where they
landed.
"Thanks be to Tien, my master, we shall soon be in the venerable city
itself."
"Thou art fond of Pekin, Chow?"
"The tombs of thy servant's ancestors are near its walls," said Chow,
gloomily.
"Why, in the name of the social relations, art thou as dull as a
tailless peacock?" said Nicholas.
"It is filial pity, for last night I dreamt that I should discover in
Pekin the dog who slew my venerable parent, and should I die without
searching him out, the tombs of my ancestors would refuse to hold me."
"These are wild words and foolish fancies, Chow," said Nicholas; adding,
as he beheld the boy stare in the faces of the passers-by, "Moreover, if
thy manners are so barbarous, thou wilt surely get into trouble;" and,
believing that occupation or a mission would drive these thoughts from
Chow's mind, he stopped at the house of a dealer in horses, and, having
bargained for two, said, "Thou art well informed of the ins and outs of
Pekin, Chow?"
"Every rat-hole, my master," was the reply.
"Then for fear that the hour may be too late ere I reach the city, take
one of these horses and hasten to the great square, where thou wilt find
one Yang, a wealthy merchant; seek his presence, and inform him that the
son of his correspondent, the great merchant of the south, would beg a
lodging of him while he remains in the capital."
"Thy commands shall be obeyed," said Chow, turning a sumersault on to
the back of one of the horses, and in another instant was at full gallop
toward Pekin.
Nicholas then sought a house of refreshment, and, having regaled himself
with a cup of hot tea and rice cakes, mounted the other animal,
intending to follow Chow.
The distance, however, was longer than he had calculated; moreover he
took the longest road, so that by the time he reached within view of the
walls, towers, and yellow roofs, of the imperial city, the gates were
closed for the night, and none would be permitted to pass without a
searching scrutiny; so, although much vexed, he determined to seek a
lodging at an inn he had passed on the road. However, the innkeeper
addressing him, rudely said, "How is this, that a mere boy should be
without the walls at this hour? Has he no respect for his parents, who
will assuredly be punished for their neglect?"
"Is the worthy innkeeper of barbarian parents, that he would refuse to
lodge a youth, who, tired and weary, has but just arrived from a long
journey, and is willing to pay handsomely?" said Nicholas, showing him
about an ounce of silver.
"Truly the vision of thy servant must have been dull, that he could not
before perceive that the youth before him was nobly allied and of great
respectability," said the man, now that he greedily eyed the precious
metal. "Yet," he added, "it is not possible that the noble youth can
lodge beneath this roof, for the inn is already crowded with merchants,
who enter Pekin at daylight."
"Then will I trouble the most perfect of innkeepers no longer," replied
Nicholas, believing the man to be an extortioner.
"The words of thy servant are as true as the sacred books, but if the
noble youth will bestow a fee upon the porter he can procure a lodging
at yon mansion," replied the man, as he pointed to a large house near
the inn.
"What words are these? Yonder mansion is the palace of some noble
mandarin, who will deservedly chastise thee for thy insolence in making
his house a common inn."
"Not so, O noble youth, for although the front is fair to look at, the
house is in ruins and under the care of a porter. The mandarin is in a
far distant province, if, indeed, as is reported, he is not at this
moment in rebellion against the Emperor."
"Tien forbid that a true-born Chinese should soil the soles of his boots
with the dust of a traitor's door stone," said Nicholas.
"Thy servant said it was but rumored, O loyal youth," replied the
innkeeper; adding angrily, "Truly if thou refusest this thou wilt get
none other lodging."
"Truly it may be but scandal, therefore show me to this porter, and thou
shalt be rewarded for thy trouble," replied Nicholas.
The innkeeper then conducting him to one of the smaller of the three
doors in the wall of respect, which, as with all the houses of the
great, are built before the house, summoned the porter, who for a piece
of silver took charge of his horse, introduced him into a small room,
which led from one side of the great central hall, and leaving him a
sleeping mat withdrew, when Nicholas laid himself at full length, glad
enough to get the opportunity of getting a good night's rest.
Nicholas had not slept long before he was awakened by the sound of
voices, which he could hear so clearly and distinctly that he knew it
proceeded from some adjoining room. More vexed, however, at the
disturbance than curious to listen to the conversation, he turned over
and tried to sleep, but then the tones became louder, and he fancied he
heard his father's name. If so, it evidently concerned him; therefore in
self-defence, he must listen; and, setting up on his mat, he saw that he
was in a double room divided by folding doors, between the crevices of
which came a glimmering light, so creeping softly forward, he peeped
through. There at a table, beneath a painted lantern, the light from
which played upon their faces, sat two men of tall stature and
soldier-like appearance, but neither of whom could he at first
recognise. A minute more, however, and he fancied that in one he could
trace familiar features; still he could not recall them to his memory.
He listened attentively, for the taller man spoke earnestly for some
time of such matters that made the boy burn with rage and horror. When
he had concluded, the other smiled and said, "Truly, O illustrious
prince, we have secured the ambitious pirate of the south. May the time
for action speedily arrive." No sooner had he spoken, than, like a
glimpse of light in a cavern, the recognition flashed across the boy's
mind. The last speaker was the mandarin envoy who had visited his
father's vessel, and he trembled for the safety of the Emperor's letter.
It was consolatory, however, that should they meet, the mandarin would
not know him, for they had not met on board the vessel. When the
mandarin had spoken, his companion said, "Hush, general! no tiles, for
walls may have ears; but enough, I am satisfied." Then after whispering
together for some little time, they arose, and Nicholas crept back to
his mat. The moment after to his horror, the doors were thrown open, and
the prince exclaimed, "How! we are betrayed; what rogue is this?"
"Silence, my prince, he sleeps, and can have heard nothing," said the
other, cutting down the lantern from the other room and holding it
before the pretending sleeper, who, notwithstanding his perilous
position, did not move a muscle. The boy, however, had a harder trial
yet, for drawing his dagger, the prince exclaimed, "True, general, he
may not have heard--but, he may--and as dead dogs can't bark--" but, as
the prince was about to strike, and the brave boy was mentally preparing
to clutch at the weapon, with both hands, the mandarin caught the arm of
the would-be assassin, led him into the other room, whispered with him,
and then they both left the house, after securing all the doors from the
outer side.
Bathed in a cold sweat, Nicholas arose and examined the room, to find
some means of escape, for he little doubted that they would speedily
return. It was useless, and he made up his mind to await the chapter of
accidents. For some time fear kept him awake, but at length nature would
have her way and he fell off to sleep.
When he awoke he found a party of yah-yu and the porter of the house at
his side; the latter looking at him maliciously, said, "Take the vile
dog before the police tribunal, he is a thief and a rogue."
"Silence, rascal! for thou knowest that I am no thief, but a traveler
who paid thee for a night's lodging."
"Away with the young rogue," said the porter; and, binding him hand and
foot, Nicholas was made to make his first entry into Pekin amid the
shouts of the rabble, who were delighted that so vile a house-breaker
and thief should be caught.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE BOYS AGAIN IN TROUBLE.
Smarting with indignation at the accusation, which had evidently been
made for the purpose of getting him transported to the penal province,
Nicholas was taken before the police mandarin like a common thief. When,
however, they reached the tribunal, they found the magistrate engaged
examining witnesses on the part of a military mandarin who had been
insulted in the public streets. "Let the worthy officer state his
complaint," said the mandarin.
"Know, O fountain of justice," said the officer, joining his hands above
his head, and bowing nearly to the ground three successive times, "that
as thy servant was riding through the great square, a young man,
possessed either with demons or samshu, jumped so rudely before me that
I stumbled and fell to the earth, and when he stared me full in the face
like a hungry wolf, I remonstrated, but the rascal held me down,
continuing to stare with glaring eyeballs; he then tore the plaster from
this wound which I received on my cheek in fighting the rebels of
Chen-si, and began to dance round me most frantically with a drawn
sword, crying, 'Thou villain, slayer of honest folks' parents, I have
found thee at last, and will cut thee into pieces small enough for
mince pies.' Alarmed at this violent rudeness, I could but say, 'Hold,
dog, I am a soldier of the Emperor.' 'Ah, ah! I know thou art, thou
villain,' said he. 'I have received a wound,' said thy servant. 'Ah, ah!
I know thou hast, thou villain,' again said the madman. 'Begone, dog,
what wouldst thou do?' said I. 'Slay thee, and burn thy house, even as
thou didst my parents, villain;' whereupon the rascal would have slain
thy servant upon the instant but for the timely aid of this good
merchant Yang," said the soldier, pointing to a stout elderly man who
stood by his side.
Now, guessing at once that this terrible prisoner must be Chow, Nicholas
felt no surprise when he saw the poor fellow, with his arms tied behind
him, dragged before the mandarin, who said, "What says the murdering
thief to this charge?"
"What can the unfortunate Chow say, most beneficent father and mother of
justice, but that it was all a mistake, and that thy unworthy slave has
ever been taught that no man should exist beneath the same heaven with
the murderer of his parents?" said Chow, as he cast some comical glances
at the bamboo canes.
"What words are these? What has this most wise maxim to do with thy
case, fellow?" said the mandarin.
"Much, O magnificent judge, for thy slave's father was destroyed by the
chief officer of the rebel Li-Kong, whom this worthy war-tiger
unfortunately resembles, both in the wound on the cheek, and the length
of his hair."
"If thy words are not false, then thou art a worthy but unfortunate
servant of the holy lord our Emperor," said the mandarin; "but who will
assure us of this?'
"Truly will I, O learned judge," cried out Nicholas.
"Who is this dog, that speaks without prostrating his mean person at the
feet of justice?" said the mandarin.
"A thief and a rascal, who is awaiting to be tried," cried the porter
who had accused Nicholas.
"By the beard of Confucius, this is daring; give the dog a dozen
strokes," said the mandarin.
"Stay thy command, O running fountain of justice; let not thy celestial
ears be profanely filled by the tongues of dogs," shrieked Chow with
fear, as soon as he saw that his master was a prisoner.
The mandarin would have visited this daring interruption with a heavy
punishment, but for some words whispered in his ears by the merchant
Yang, and which caused him to smile and say, "The honorable merchant
Yang has answered for thy truth boy; but that for the future you may not
be liable to such mistakes, we will give thee a fatherly correction."
The mandarin then pulled fifty reeds from the case, and threw them upon
the floor, whereupon two of the footmen caught hold of Chow, took off
his robe, and held him on the floor, while another administered fifty
blows, after which Chow got upon his legs, made a very wry face, and
twisted and writhed about like an eel making an effort to walk upon the
tip of his tail.
"Leave off twisting and twirling thyself out of nature, thou dog, and
return thanks to his high justiceship for his kindness in correcting so
miserable an affair as thy mean self," said one of the footmen.
With one eye glaring upon the footman, and the other smiling upon the
mandarin, Chow held his hands behind his back to assuage the pain, and
made two or three attempts to bend his back, but failing, dropped
suddenly on his knees, and bowing his head to the ground, said, but with
a twist of his back or grimace between every word, "Thy correction--O
father--and mother--of justice, is beneficial, but like physic would
be----"
"What, boy?" said the mandarin, laughing.
"More agreeable if it were tasteless, yet thy mean servant thanks thee,
noble judge, for this care of his mind;" and Chow hopped among the
bystanders.
When Chow had been disposed of, the porter formerly charged Nicholas
with entering the mansion at night for the purpose of robbery.
"Who art thou boy; thy name, surname, and from what province?" said the
mandarin kindly.
"The mean name of thy unworthy servant is Nicholas, of the province of
Fokien, from whence he has traveled on special affairs to a worthy
merchant of Pekin, named Yang."
"So far thy words are truth," said the mandarin, to the astonishment of
Nicholas; "but what answer can the youth make to the charge of this
man?"
"That it is vile and false, and that the dog is a traitor in league with
rebels, who happening to meet with thy servant last night at the same
house, are fearful that he may have discovered their plots, and so hope
to destroy him."
At that moment there arose a great bustle in the court, and a cry of
"Make way for the illustrious deputy-general of the nine gates," and a
military mandarin, with a tiger painted on his breast, a gold button and
a peacock's feather in his cap, both of which bespoke his high rank,
entered the tribunal, and testified to the guilt of Nicholas, who
recognizing in him the man who had been addressed the previous night by
the title of general, exclaimed, "Behold, O Mandarin, one of the
traitors."
Great was the effect of the new comer upon the judge, for, not paying
the least attention to the exclamation of Nicholas, he said, "Truly
falsehood will not flow from the lips of the Heaven-appointed
deputy-general. As for thee (turning to Nicholas,) vile dog, as thy
guilt is now clear, thou shalt receive one hundred blows, and be
banished for life."
Now, while the mandarin was speaking, Chow happening to get a full view
of the general's face, rushed through the crowd, crying, "It is the
villain, it is the destroyer of my parents,' and in another moment he
had clutched the general by the throat, thrown him upon the ground, and
would have strangled him, but for the help of the footmen, who speedily
seized him, bound his arms, and carried him with Nicholas to the
prison.
"This fancy, that every officer you meet is the destroyer of your
parents, will prove thy destruction, my poor Chow," said Nicholas, as
soon as they were alone in the prison.
"There can be no doubt it is the villain, for saw you not the wound upon
his cheek? but, alas! my trouble is the greater that I slew him not
before we were shut up in a cage like two dogs for fattening."
"Thy liberty at least was secure, but for thy foolish attack upon the
mandarin of war."
"By the vermillion pencil itself, Chow cares not for liberty, if they
ruin his noble master."
Then Nicholas began to think upon his miserable position,--sentenced to
be beaten with the bamboo to him worse than death, for, being born upon
the coast, unlike most Chinese, he had never been subjected to such a
degradation; and then to be banished for life, at the very commencement
of his career,--it was horrible. Greater, however, was his anxiety for
the safety of his father's letters. Could he but send a message to the
merchant Yang,--alas! that was impossible. Should he give it to Chow?
No; for he knew not what punishment awaited the boy for assaulting so
great an officer. He was indeed at his wit's end, and he prayed to the
Almighty for aid.
"Let not the noble Nicholas be so sad, for truly the gods can never
desert the innocent and unfortunate," said Chow, while tears of
affection wetted his cheeks; adding, "I will pray of them to take my
worthless life in exchange for thy liberty."
"I can not, do not doubt thy affection, my good Chow, but place not my
faith in these foolish deities; there is but One true God, whose Son
died on the cross to save mankind, and in Him I trust in my hour of
difficulty."
"My master is of the religion of the Fan-Kwi (foreign devils.) Will
their god aid him in the hour of his troubles?" replied Chow,
despondingly.
"Thou wilt see Chow," replied Nicholas, angrily.
"Truly, but in the mean time the bamboo will cut us into strips like an
umbrella in a storm," said Chow, making such queer contortions and
grimaces, that in spite of his troubles Nicholas could not help
laughing. "Then," he added, "thy servant has a scheme that will save
thee, my generous master."
"Open thy lips, O wise and prudent youth," said Nicholas.
"The noble Nicholas has a father?"
"Truly, a noble one."
"Then, as Chow has neither father, mother, nor aught else, but hatred
for his father's slayer and gratitude to the preserver of his life----"
"What words are these?" said Nicholas, impatiently.
"The good Nicholas has money; let him give it to Chow, and he will bribe
the mandarin to slit him into ribbons in thy stead," said Chow,
seriously.
"Silence, Chow! this scheme of thine is offensive," said Nicholas, not
without a tear at the boys devotion.
"Alas! of what use is a friend if he will not be serviceable in the hour
of need?" said Chow.
Their conversation was interrupted by the opening of the door.
"It is the illustrious Yang himself, who spoke good words to the
boy-correcting mandarin; may he be turned into a bamboo himself in the
next world," exclaimed Chow with a writhe of remembrance.
"Thou art the son of the good merchant, my correspondent?" said Yang.
"The face of the worthy merchant, is welcome in the hour of difficulty,"
said Nicholas.
"That difficulty is past, for thou art released," replied Yang, leading
him to a covered vehicle, into which Chow followed, and all three
proceeded to the merchant's house, where they found a substantial meal
awaiting them, a portion of which Chow carried with him to another
apartment.
"Will the venerable Yang say by what fortunate chance he was enabled to
confer upon the son of his correspondent such an everlasting debt of
gratitude!" said Nicholas.
"Know then, my nephew, for my nephew thou art, being the son of my
adopted brother, that when the comical ape Chow brought thy message, I
watched for thy coming till evening, when knowing that you could not
pass through the gates that night, I lodged Chow in my house. This
morning I went to meet you, telling Chow to follow close behind my
chair. Passing through the great square we met with the military officer
whose affair took us to the tribunal, where by means of a small present
secretly conveyed to the mandarin, I succeeded in getting the foolish
fellow off with a mere fatherly correction, which the dispenser of
justice was compelled to give him for form's sake. This affair being
settled, judge my horror at finding you charged with so fearful a crime.
However, I was prepared; for Chow, while listening to his own accuser,
had seen you in the custody of the yah-yu, to whom I went, and by means
of a bribe made them tell me the reason of your being in that plight.
When I had learned the particulars, I whispered to the mandarin that I
would present him with a handsome sum in silver if he would treat you
leniently. But when the favorite general of the Prince Li-Kong appeared,
the affair took another turn, and for fear of losing his own head, the
mandarin was compelled to condemn you. Yet, sad as this was, it was to
be managed with money. So by giving a handsome sum to an already
condemned criminal, the poor wretch agreed to suffer in your place."
"How! what rascality is this? Surely the innocent shall not suffer. The
mandarin must be sought," said Nicholas.
"Hist, hist, my good nephew! it is all over; for, foreseeing your
objection, the money was handed over to the man's family and he himself
dispatched at once to the penal settlement for condemned criminals."
"It is a vile practice, O Yang," said Nicholas with disgust.
"It is a common one," replied the merchant; adding, "but what brings the
son of the great merchant to Pekin? he is young to be entrusted so great
a journey."
"Are then the special secrets of my noble parent of so little value that
they may be wafted about the very air of this vile city of Pekin?" said
Nicholas.
"Pardon thy servant, O noble youth, who seeks to know thy affairs that
he may help to render them prosperous."
"The worthy Yang must forgive the haste of a boy who so far forgets his
duty to his elder," said Nicholas.
That night the boys slept at Yang's house.
CHAPTER XVII.
NICHOLAS RESOLVES UPON A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE.
The following morning when Nicholas saw the merchant, he said,
"Yesterday the worthy Yang would have learned the object of my visit to
Pekin. I would gain admittance to the imperial palace. Will he aid me?"
"Alas! my nephew, nothing can be more difficult, for it is crowded with
bonzes, and I fear worse--rebels, who swarm around the royal person like
hornets; but whom seekest thou within the outer palaces?"
"Even the Son of Heaven himself, at the feet of whose throne I would
kneel."
"Is the youth bereft of his senses? does he not know that it is certain
death to pass the prohibited wall of the inner palace?"
"May then the illustrious Prince Woo-san-Kwei be found within the
palace?" asked Nicholas.
"Nay, even if thou couldst boast the friendship of the great
Woo-san-Kwei thou wouldst not be safe. The prince is too honest and
brave to be much in favor just now. Wouldst thou be safe, youth, thou
must seek the Prince Li-Kong."
"The vile traitor," muttered Nicholas at the name.
"Hist, hist! thou wilt assuredly lose thy head, boy," said Yang, placing
his finger upon his lips.
"Let the friend of the merchant of the south open his lips to a purpose.
Can, or can he not, aid me to gain admittance within the palace? for it
is my father's command that I should seek the Emperor or the Prince
Woo-san-Kwei, and at the peril of my life he must be obeyed," said
Nicholas firmly.
"Since thou art determined, take this," said Yang placing a ring on the
boy's finger; adding, "It will pass thee through the guards of the outer
palaces and courts as far as the prohibited wall, and then proceed no
further, as you value your life, but await the approach of one of the
officers of the guard, to whom you must show that ring, and tell him
that you have business with the red-girdled Prince Woo-san-Kwei;
further, be prudent, or thou wilt seek thy death."
"The worthy Yang has indeed filled me with gratitude," said Nicholas,
who then sent Chow for a chair. When the boy returned he asked his
master to what part of the city he would be carried.
"To the palace."
"By the five social relations the noble Nicholas is tired of this world,
for he has no sooner escaped one death than he seeks another," said
Chow.
"Wag not thy foolish tongue, O Chow, but if thy heart fails thee stay
behind."
"And leave the noble Nicholas to go to the world of spirits alone? that
would indeed be base. No, no; Chow will follow; but my noble master has
forgotten his sword, he may require it," said the boy.
"I am sufficiently armed," replied Nicholas showing the hilt of a small
dagger beneath his robe, adding, "Now let us proceed."
They then passed through the streets, which swarmed with people who were
as busy as bees in a hive, some making purchases of itinerant
tradespeople, viewing the wonderful feats of jugglers, mountebanks, or
players, listening to the marvelous narratives of _viva voce_ novelists,
or testing their fates with cheating fortune-tellers. As they approached
the palace, they found crowds of people gazing at the great observatory,
upon the top of which the astronomers of the court, in full dress, were
engaged in watching the heavens. When they arrived at the wall which
confined the city of buildings that made up the imperial residence,
Nicholas dismissed the chairman, and they passed into the first court,
which was as large and full of houses as a small country town. It took
half an hour to walk through; and as they had to traverse seven more of
these courts, which took them three hours, you may imagine the great
extent of the whole palace. The last but one was surrounded with the
palaces of the princes of the red girdle, or those more distant in blood
from the throne. This court was crowded with mandarins, officers,
eunuchs, and soldiers of the Emperor, who were earnestly peering through
telescopes at the sun, which from a deep blood red became yellow and
dim, and gradually more and more opaque, till the whole world seemed to
be enveloped in darkness, and darkness blacker than midnight, for there
was no moon.
When the earth's light became extinguished, the mandarins fell flat upon
their faces, moaning aloud, while the noise from thousands of drums
shook the very walls.
"Let us fall upon our faces, O my master, and pray to the terrible
dragon," exclaimed Chow, suiting the action to the word, and endeavoring
to drag Nicholas with him. As, however, Nicholas was averse to this
superstition, he refused to comply, and stood looking upon the people as
if they had been performing for his especial and solitary benefit.
Whatever was the superstition, it laid firm hold of Chow, who, long
after the light had returned to the heavens and the other people to
their feet, continued to moan, kick his legs, and knock the earth with
his forehead. At length, after repeatedly calling to him in vain,
Nicholas turned him upon his back, when, opening his eyes and finding
the light had returned, he jumped upon his feet, and, as the sweat of
fear rolled from his brow, said, "Thank the gods, the greedy monster of
a dragon has not swallowed the sun and moon. O master, what would become
of us all; what would become of day and night without the sun and moon?"
"Art thou foolish, O Chow, to believe that this eclipse was caused by
the effort of a monster dragon to swallow the heavenly luminaries?"
"Who is thy servant, O noble Nicholas, that he should doubt, when
learned mandarins believe?" said Chow.
"Know, O Chow, that the mandarins believe in it no more than thy
master, but perform a ceremony handed down to them by their ancestors."
When the people who had been praying of the dragon not to swallow the
poor sun and moon began to disperse, the boys continued their journey
till they came to the outer or prohibited wall of the inner palace,
when, pointing to a soldier who stood at the gate with a naked sabre in
his hand, Chow said. "Look, my master, to pass yon tiger of war will be
to seek Yen-Vang in the other world," and at the same moment the soldier
said, "Are the slaves tired of their lives that they approach the
prohibited wall without bowing to the earth?"
Having performed the required ceremony, Nicholas presented the
merchant's ring to the soldier, saying, "Let the eyes of the war tiger
rest upon this token, for by its means his servant would seek the
illustrious yellow girdle, Woo-san-Kwei."
"The power of the token may not be doubted, for it bears the character
of the prince; yet may the noble youth not see the barbarian-subduing
prince, for he is in council with the colaos," said the soldier.
"Then, by the toe of the Emperor, (may he live ten thousand years,) we
are as good as in our coffins; for know, O my master, it is death to
sleep within the walls of the palace," said the trembling Chow.
"Surely," said Nicholas, placing a piece of silver in the soldier's
hand, "the brave warrior can secure lodging within the walls for a youth
whose duty compels him to risk his life rather than leave the palace
without speaking with the great Woo-san-Kwei."
"Truly it will be hazardous," but before the soldier could finish his
reply, the officer of the night came up with the relief guard.
"Who are these vile dogs that are so openly seeking their death?" said
he.
"This youth, O noble commander, bears the ring of the great
Woo-san-Kwei, whose presence he seeks; but as the patriot prince cannot
be seen, with the noble commander's permission the youth shall lodge
with me this night."
"The noble and unfortunate Ki utters judicious words, and shall command
in this thing," replied the officer, to the surprise of Nicholas, who
could not comprehend an officer of the guard being so politely
submissive to a man so much his inferior.
The permission, however, did not extend to Chow, whom the officer
undertook to convey back again out of the palace.
"Then slit me into bamboo slips, thou Captain of war tigers, for the
servant dare not leave his master," said Chow, who refused so
obstinately that the soldiers had to carry him away.
As Ki led the way through the streets and passages on the way to his
quarters, Nicholas was not a little surprised to find that he was
respectfully saluted by all whom they passed. Again, instead of the
common room appropriated to soldiers of his humble station, his quarters
consisted of a house by itself. Neither could Nicholas get rid of his
puzzle, till Ki said, "Has the name of the colao Ki ever fallen into the
ears of the honorable youth?"
"Truly so; for whose ears could be so dull as not to have drunk in his
fame as a wise minister of state?"
"Yet such is the viscissitude of fortune, that the colao is now before
thee, O youth, plucked of the peacock feather, and the golden ball torn
from his cap."
"The great and good colao degraded to a mean soldier! Are such things
possible? O unfortunate man!" said Nicholas, bowing respectfully to the
fallen noble.
"The purest sky is sometimes shaded by the blackest cloud. The cloud
over the head of Ki is the Prince Li-Kong, to whom every thing is now
possible; but open thy lips, youth, and send forth thy wishes with the
Prince Woo-san-Kwei. If it be to ask promotion to some office, know that
he has none to give, for the shadow of Li-Kong stands between him and
the Majesty of China."
"Thy servant seeketh nothing for himself, O noble Ki, but to serve the
Emperor, to whom through the great Woo-san-Kwei, he would present a
petition."
"All petitions now pass through the Prince Li-Kong," said Ki
sorrowfully.
"Then, by the vermilion pencil, I will seek the Emperor himself, O noble
Ki."
"Thou wouldst be slain in the attempt, O daring boy; there is but one
means."
"Name it, O noble Ki, and thy name shall be buried in my heart," said
Nicholas impetuously.
"It would be but to condemn thee to death."
"Thou art laughing at me, O noble Ki," replied Nicholas bitterly.
"Not so, youth; and since thou hast set thy heart upon the venture, open
thine ears to the only means," said Ki; adding, "Know that the Emperor
has one young and beautiful daughter, who apart from the bonzes and
Li-Kong, alone dares to present a petition to his majesty."
"Again, I say, thou art laughing at me, O cruel Ki; for how is it
possible for a strange youth to pass the guard that surrounds the palace
of the ladies?"
"Know then, further, that every morning the princess, with her ladies,
walks in those gardens just beyond the prohibited wall; through the
outer gate you can pass by means of this key," said Ki, giving him a
key; adding, "Near the inner wall there is a tall mulberry-tree, up
which you must climb, and so reach the top, and fall into the gardens;
then hide thyself till the royal lady passes. She will be attended by
the lady Candida Hiu, at whose feet throw thyself, proclaim thy mission,
and she will influence her beautiful mistress to deliver thy petition to
the Emperor; but remember, O youth, should you cross the path of one of
the eunuchs of the palace thy hours are numbered."
"Noble Ki, I am thy servant for life," said Nicholas, kneeling and
clasping the knees of the old colao; adding, "but say, O Ki, who is this
Lady Candida Hiu?"
"The pupil of the good Christian fathers whom the bonzes would have
massacred, the Lady Candida is the friend and teacher of the princess,
and but for her influence over her royal mistress, the punishment would
be death for worshiping in any of the many churches erected by the lady
herself."
"Art thou then a disciple of the Saviour of mankind, O Ki?"
"To the teaching of the lady Candida Hiu am I indebted for having
forsworn the stupid worship of Fo and the selfish philosophy of
Confucius," replied the colao; adding, "But ask no more, O youth, for to
speak of Christ out of the pale of that lady's influence is to earn
disgrace, if not death." So saying the ex-minister retired, leaving
Nicholas to his own thoughts.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE IMPERIAL GARDENS.
The next morning Nicholas proceeded on his mission, and, as the courts
of the palace were crowded with soldiers and mandarins of various ranks,
in waiting to receive the great lords of state, who were that day to
have audience with the Emperor, he managed to pass through the crowd
without being once challenged. With but little difficulty, he found the
door mentioned by Ki, and passing through by means of the key, he
entered a narrow lane between two walls. Near the inner wall stood the
mulberry-tree, up which he clambered quickly, for he knew not who might
enter the passage. When, by means of one of the branches, he had gained
the top of the wall, his eyes drank in a new pleasure. There, before,
beneath were the magnificent gardens of the inner palace, and so charmed
were his senses that for a minute it seemed as if the penalty of death
were but a small price for the vision. The enclosed grounds were of many
miles extent, and so varied in their arrangement, that they might have
served for a model of the empire itself. There was something of most
things natural and artificial in China: towering mountains cut into
terraces and planted with trees of rarity and beauty; fertile valleys
laid out in orange groves and intermingled with murmuring rivulets;
then bridges of tinted marble, wrought to resemble flying dragons, whose
eyes and scales were fashioned from colored metals, flew across small
lakes of clear, transparent water, in which, as a paradise of their own,
gamboled shoals of gold and silver fish, which at that time had not been
brought to Europe; then orchards of fruit trees, making the morning air
redolent with the mingled scents of rare specimens of pears, apples,
peaches, citrons, apricots, muscadine grapes, pomegranates, and oranges.
The sides of the main canal, from which the dripping rivulets sprang,
were embossed with cypress and mulberry-trees, whose feet seemed planted
in a sprinkled fringe of water melons. On this canal, with its awning of
yellow silk and golden fringe, floated the gilded japanned pleasure
barge of the ladies.
For a time the boy's head swam with a new sensation. Such, thought he,
must have been the garden of that Emperor whose jealousy of the powers
of the cruel winter over his summer beauties caused him to waste the
revenue of a kingdom and the industry of a whole people in creating a
garden of artificial flowers, forgetting that the annual decay was alone
the cause of the ever-living freshness and perfume of nature.
Then the sweet scents and beauteous sight tired Nicholas, for he thought
of the suffering, starving people. Surely it should not be possible for
such a paradise to exist in the midst of so much treason and
rotten-heartedness, and then the bold sea boy thought of his own rough
life, and became disgusted with himself for dwelling upon so much
sensuousness, for he knew that the empire had never smiled and prospered
with a happy, peaceable and well-fed people, except when the Emperor had
set the example of temperance and labor; and, moreover, that luxury and
indolence had ever preceded the downfall of dynasties; and then by far
more interesting became the cotton, the tallow and the mulberry-trees
that Heaven had bestowed upon the land of China for the support of its
hundreds of millions, and which had no vocation in such a garden of
luxury.
As it must be interesting to my young readers, I will give a description
of these singularly valuable trees. The seed of the cotton shrub is sown
by the husbandmen on the same day that they get in the harvest. When the
rain has moistened the earth the shrub thrusts itself forward to a
height of about two feet, and in the month of August gives forth a
yellow or a red flower, which fades into a pod, which on the fortieth
day after the appearance of the flower divides itself into three parts,
each containing a wrapping of pure white cotton, similar in size to the
ball of the silk-worm. At this period, the husbandmen fasten the ball to
the pod, leaving it till the following year, when the fibres of the
cotton become so securely fastened to the seeds, that the husbandman is
compelled to separate them by means of two thin rollers, one of wood and
the other of iron, placed so close to each other, that in passing the
cotton between them, the naked seed is exuded from behind. The cotton
is then carded and ready to be converted into calico, an employment that
gives food to many thousands of people.
Of equal value and more curious is the tallow-tree, which lights the
whole of the empire. While the leaves and long stalks of this plant
cause it to resemble the aspen and the birch, its trunk and branches
resemble in shape, height, and size the cherry-tree. From the grey bark,
spring long elastic branches, the leaves of which grow but from the
middle to the end, where they finish in a tuft, where the fruit grows in
a hard brown husk of triangular form. The husk generally contains three
kernels, covered with a thin substance resembling white tallow. When the
husk begins to open and fall away, the fruit gradually appears. Each
kernel contains another of the size of a hemp seed, which from its
oleaginous nature is converted into oil.
To make the tallow, the shell and kernel are beaten together in boiling
water till the surface becomes covered with fat, which when cold,
condenses; then, by adding fair proportions of linseed oil and wax to
give consistency, they have produced the material which, when shaped
around a wick of hollow reed, produces the candles in use in China. Thus
does nature and the ingenuity of the people create from this
extraordinary tree a double means of lighting the empire.
As for the mulberry-tree, it is so well known that I need but tell you,
that after rice, the Chinese consider its culture as a sacred duty, and
deservedly so, for by feeding the silk-worm, it not only clothes the
people, but silk, being in immense demand over the known world, is the
primary means of giving them employment; indeed the mulberry-tree is an
"institution," and of such ancient date, that even in four thousand
years old China, which contains the oldest records in the world, there
is no authentic record of its discovery. There is a legend, however,
"that, till the days of Ti-Long, the wife of the Emperor Hoang-ti, the
people were savages, and used the skins of animals for clothing, but her
far-sighted majesty noticed that as
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