With the Allies to Pekin: A Tale of the Relief of the Legations
by G. A. Henty · English · Gutenberg #47008 · 638,106 chars · public domain (US)
The Project Gutenberg eBook of With the Allies to Pekin: A Tale of the Relief of the Legations
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: With the Allies to Pekin: A Tale of the Relief of the Legations
Author: G. A. Henty
Illustrator: Walter Paget
Release date: September 30, 2014 [eBook #47008]
Most recently updated: October 24, 2024
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47008
Credits: Produced by Giovanni Fini, Shaun Pinder and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WITH THE ALLIES TO PEKIN: A TALE OF THE RELIEF OF THE LEGATIONS ***
WITH THE ALLIES TO PEKIN
[Illustration: THE TIGER SEIZED HIM BY THE SHOULDER.]
WITH THE ALLIES TO PEKIN
A TALE OF
THE RELIEF OF THE LEGATIONS
BY
G. A. HENTY
Author of “With Roberts to Pretoria” “Redskin and Cowboy”
“With the British Legion” &c.
_ILLUSTRATED BY WAL PAGET_
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNERʼS SONS
1903
COPYRIGHT, 1903, BY
CHARLES SCRIBNERʼS SONS.
_Published September, 1903._
THE CAXTON PRESS
NEW YORK CITY, U. S. A.
PREFACE
The campaign which ended with the relief of the Pekin Legations is
unique in its way, carried on as it was by an army made up of almost
all the nationalities of Europe. The quarrel originated in the rising
of a mob of ruffians who were known by us under the name of Boxers. The
movement spread like wildfire, and soon developed into the wholesale
massacre of the missionaries of Northern China. The Empress, seeing the
formidable nature of the rising, and hoping to gain by it the expulsion
of all foreigners from her dominions, allied herself with the Boxers,
besieged the various Legations, and attacked Tientsin, which stands
upon the river by which the trade with Pekin is carried on. Admiral
Seymour, with a force of little over a thousand men, marched to the
relief of the Legations. The railway, however, was cut both before
and behind him, and after severe fighting he retired upon a Chinese
fortress a few miles from Tientsin, where he maintained himself until
he was relieved by another force which had arrived by sea and had
destroyed the forts at the mouth of the river. Tientsin itself was
captured by the allies after one dayʼs hard fighting, and the army
then advanced to the relief of the Legations. The opposition they met
with was trifling in comparison with that which they had encountered
at Tientsin, and they arrived at Pekin not a moment too soon. It was
found that the Legations had been very hard pressed, some of them
having been destroyed by fire. But the garrison had maintained a
heroic defence, aided by the native Christians who had escaped the
massacre and taken refuge with them, and who had done excellent work
in the building and constant repair of the defences, sometimes under
the heavy fire of the enemy. The Empress had fled, but negotiations
were opened with her and terms of peace were ultimately agreed to. For
the particulars of the campaign I have relied chiefly upon _The War of
the Civilizations_, by George Lynch, _China and the Powers_, by H. C.
Thomson, and _The Siege of Pekin Legations_, by the Rev. Roland Allen,
M. A.
G. A. HENTY.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. SCHOOL, 1
II. THE BOXERS, 20
III. IN DISGUISE, 39
IV. A RESCUE, 55
V. WITH SEYMOURʼS COLUMN, 76
VI. IN PEKIN, 96
VII. FORTIFYING THE LEGATIONS, 110
VIII. A PERILOUS ADVENTURE, 134
IX. IN THE ENEMYʼS CAMP, 148
X. A MISSION, 180
XI. THE FIGHT AT TIENTSIN, 211
XII. DELAYS, 232
XIII. CAPTURING THE TAKU FORTS, 251
XIV. SURROUNDED, 270
XV. RELIEF IN SIGHT, 286
XVI. THE CAPTURE OF PEKIN, 303
XVII. THE STORY OF THE SIEGE, 322
XVIII. CONCLUSION, 337
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
“THE TIGER SEIZED HIM BY THE SHOULDER,” _Frontis_ ii
REX RESCUES HIS COUSINS FROM THE BOXERS, 62
REX INTERROGATES A WOUNDED BOXER, 100
“THEY WERE LOWERED DOWN ONE AFTER THE OTHER,” 142
“REXʼS REVOLVER CRACKED OUT,” 170
“THERE WAS A LULL OF SURPRISE THEN A CONFUSED JABBERING,
FOLLOWED BY SEVERAL MUSKET–SHOTS,” 200
“BASIL GUY RAN BACK AND BOUND UP HIS WOUNDS,” 236
“THEIR CAVALRY CUT UP THE FLYING CHINESE,” 290
Map illustrating the Relief of the Pekin Legations, _Facing p._ 1
[Illustration: MAP illustrating the RELIEF of the PEKIN LEGATIONS.]
WITH THE ALLIES TO PEKIN
CHAPTER I
SCHOOL
“Well, Rex, how do you think you will like school?”
“I donʼt know very much about it yet, Uncle. You told me that I was to
expect to be bothered and bullied a bit just at first, but it was not
so bad as I supposed. I was asked a lot of questions, and when I said
I had been taken to China when I was a year old and lived there ever
since, they gave me the nickname of the Heathen Chinee at once. Of
course I did not mind that at all. You told me that probably they would
give me a nickname of some sort, and that was just as good as another.
Anyhow, after the first two days they let me alone. I came off better
than some of the other new boys, who got out of temper to begin with;
so I expect it is all over as far as I am concerned now.”
“I expect so, Rex. The boy who takes things good–temperedly is soon
left alone.”
The speakers were Mr. Bateman and his nephew Reginald, who was always
known as Rex. They had landed at Southampton a month before. Mr.
Bateman, who was a member of a firm of merchants at Tientsin, had
returned to England to take up the management of the London house,
the senior partner having died. Rex was the son of James, the younger
brother of the two remaining partners. As soon as it had been arranged
that the elder brother should return to England, it was agreed that
he should take Rex with him. It had for some time been a settled
thing that the boy should come home for three or four years in order
to associate with English boys and learn their ways, and at the end
of that time should return to China and begin to learn the business.
Robert, now the chief partner, was unmarried, and as it was therefore
probable that Rex would some day become in turn the head of the firm,
both his father and uncle were anxious that he should be prepared as
far as possible for that position.
Rex would have been sent over sooner had they not been afraid that he
might altogether forget Chinese, which he now spoke as well as English.
From his early childhood he had been principally under the charge of
a Chinaman named Ah Lo, who had been chosen from among the Chinese
servants for that post. Ah Lo had at that time been a strong young
fellow of eighteen years of age, intelligent and good–tempered. He was
the son of the native storekeeper, and the child had taken to him. The
choice had been a good one. The lad had watched over his charge with
the care of a woman. He regarded it as a great honour to have been
chosen for the post, and was never so happy as when he took the child
out, perched on his shoulder, or rowed him about in a sampan. As he
grew up Rex had to spend half of his time at his books, and his mother
kept him a good deal with her, as it was as necessary that he should
speak English perfectly, and receive the usual education, as that he
should speak Chinese perfectly. And then, when it was decided that his
uncle should return to England, it was at once agreed that Rex should
accompany him.
“I should be glad,” his father said, “if he could go to a great public
school, and then to one of the universities; but there are two
objections to that course. In the first place, when he was finished
he would be less inclined to settle down to office work here; and in
the second place, he would entirely forget Chinese. He might pick
it up again, but he would never come to speak it like a native—an
accomplishment which would unquestionably be a very great advantage
to him in many ways. You and I, Robert, can get on fairly well, but
we help our Chinese largely with pidgin English, and often feel the
disadvantage of not being able to talk fluently to the people in their
own language. Of course I quite agree with you that it is necessary for
Rex to mix with English boys of his own age, and become in all respects
like them, but I am sorry to think that in four years he will have lost
a great deal of his Chinese.”
“I have been thinking of that too, James, and my idea is that it would
be a good thing to take Ah Lo to England with us. He is very much
attached to the boy, and the boy to him.”
“Yes,” the other said doubtfully, “that is so; but it would not be
possible to have Ah Lo with him when he is at school.”
“Quite impossible, James; the boyʼs life, even if it could be managed,
would be made a burden to him. No, I should propose that Ah Lo should
remain with me. He is a useful fellow in many respects, and when Rex
is engaged with his lessons, he, like most of his countrymen, can turn
his hand to anything. My idea is that we arrange with the master of
the school to let Rex off two afternoons and evenings in the week. He
could then meet Ah Lo at the railway–station, or at some other place a
little distance from the school, and could go out for walks with him,
and if there is a river, go on the water, or make an excursion by rail.
In that way, as they would be together for five or six hours twice a
week, Rex could keep up his Chinese. Of course I should choose some
school within a reasonable distance of London. I shall probably take a
house eight or ten miles out of town, near Surbiton, or somewhere in
that direction. We have agreed that Rex cannot go to one of the great
public schools, as, although perhaps better read in English literature
and history than most boys of his age, he is backward in Latin and
mathematics. Still, I could find some good school, say within ten or
fifteen miles of my house. Moreover, the plan I suggest could not be
carried out at a public school. It would not be permissible, at such an
institution, for boys to break through the ordinary routine, but I have
no doubt that I could make the arrangement I propose at what you may
call a good school, other than Harrow, or Eton, or Winchester.”
“It would certainly be a capital plan, Robert.”
“Of course I should see that his off–days were not the half–holidays,
because we want him to learn to play cricket and football, and he
would be out of it altogether if he were to lose the half–holidays. I
see no reason why the plan should not be carried out. In that way he
would keep up the language, and at the same time would take part in the
games played in the school. In winter I should arrange for the use of
a comfortable room in the town, where they could sit and talk. I shall
let Ah Lo wear his native clothes, if he likes, at my place; but when
he goes to meet Rex I shall put him into European costume and make him
twist his pigtail up and hide it under his hat. If any of Rexʼs school
chums were to see the boy about with a Chinaman, he would never hear
the end of it.”
On his arrival in England Mr. Bateman had taken a furnished house near
Surbiton, and had made the arrangements he wished for Rex at a large
school near the river, some fifteen miles away. Rex had now returned
at the end of his first fortnight. He was soon at home in his new
life, and ere long became very popular among the boys of his own age.
His good temper was unfailing, for although at first he was somewhat
awkward in the games, he very speedily picked them up. As usual with
new boys, he had one or two fights, and came out of them fairly well.
Several of the boys learned boxing from a sergeant in the Guards, who
came down from Windsor twice a week to teach them. Hex asked that he
might be allowed to take lessons, and his uncle readily agreed.
“Certainly you may do so, Rex, and I am glad to find that you have
the opportunity of learning how to use your hands. It is a valuable
accomplishment for anyone, for it develops self–reliance and quickness
of eye, strengthens the muscles, and improves the figure and carriage,
and besides, it enables a man to hold his own in any circumstances;
lastly, it is of special benefit to anyone living abroad and liable to
aggression or insult. An Englishman who can box well is a match for any
two foreigners knowing nothing of the art, and need not fear the attack
of any one man unless he is carrying firearms. I intended to propose
that you should take lessons in the holidays, but as you can do so at
school, by all means begin at once. Keep regularly at it, and the last
year before you go back to China you shall have lessons from one of the
best masters I can find.”
Rex found himself very backward, so he set to work hard to repair his
deficiencies, and had the satisfaction, at the end of the first term,
of getting a remove into a higher form, where the boys were for the
most part about his own age. At first many questions had been asked
as to the reason why he was allowed to get off school two afternoons
in the week; and when he said that as he would return to China when
he left school, it was necessary that he should keep up a knowledge
of the language, there was a good deal of amusement. Once or twice in
his walks with Ah Lo he came across some of the boys, who were fond of
hunting for plants or insects, and he was a good deal chaffed at Ah
Loʼs appearance.
“I thought he would have been dressed in Chinese clothes,” said one
of his friends, “with little turn–up–toe shoes, and a skull–cap with
a peacockʼs feather in it, but he is really quite an ordinary–looking
chap. He is a big fellow, and of course of a yellowish–brown
complexion, with queerly–shaped eyes, which make him look as if he
squinted; but he seems very good–natured.”
“He has got a pigtail, but he wears it under his coat,” said another.
“I should think that he would be an awkward customer in a tussle. I had
no idea the Chinese were such big fellows, Bateman.”
“They differ in height in some of the Provinces, but a great many of
them are tall, and very strong. You should see them loading a ship
or carrying things through the streets. They can carry a good deal
heavier weight than most English sailors. They are generally very
good–tempered, but they get into a tremendous state of excitement
sometimes, and holla and shout at each other so, that you would think
they would tear each other to pieces; but it is not often that they
really come to blows.”
At the beginning of the next term Ah Lo distinguished himself. He had
been for a long walk up the river–bank with Rex, when they saw three
of the boys of the school rowing. A barge was coming down, towed by a
horse. There was plenty of room inside for the boat to pass, and the
rope was trailing in the water, but just as they were about to row over
it the man who was riding the horse suddenly quickened his pace. The
rope immediately tightened, and catching the bow of the boat turned it
over, throwing the boys into the water. The driver and a bargee, who
was walking on the bank near them, burst into shouts of loud laughter.
The boys could all swim, and as the overturned boat was but twelve
yards from the bank, they soon clambered up. They at once made for the
driver and furiously accused him of upsetting them on purpose. The
fellows laughed boisterously, and the boys, losing their tempers, made
a rush towards them. At this moment Ah Lo and Rex arrived on the scene.
They had witnessed the whole affair, and had run up. The Chinaman,
without hesitation, brought his stick down on the head of the driver of
the horse, levelling him to the ground, but breaking the weapon in his
hand. The bargee made a sudden rush. Ah Lo had no idea of fighting, but
with a wild shout he threw himself upon the man, striking, shouting,
scratching, and kicking.
The bargee was taken wholly by surprise at such a novel assault, and
stepped farther and farther back till Ah Lo, seeing his opportunity,
clasped him by the waist and hurled him into the river.
“You bery bad man,” he exclaimed, “to strikee lillee boy! You upsettee
piecee boat; you comee out Ah Lo breakie you head.”
The bargee stood with the water up to his waist. He did not like the
look of this strange adversary, who had, moreover, allies in the shape
of four boys, all of whom were evidently prepared to take their part in
the fray.
“Tompkins,” Rex said, “you might as well swim in and get those two oars
that have drifted down. You cannot be wetter than you are, and if these
fellows want any more the oars would come in wonderfully handy.”
“Now then,” shouted the bargee with a string of the strongest possible
language, “how long are you going to keep me standing here, and my
mate a–lying there with his brains half knocked out?”
“He is all right,” Rex said; “he will come round soon without your
help, I dare say. He will have a lump on his head to–morrow, but he
will be no worse. I donʼt think he will try to tighten the rope and
upset another boat. As soon as we get the oars you can come ashore, if
you like, and see to him.”
In a minute or two Tompkins landed with the two oars. Rex gave one of
them to Ah Lo, and took the other himself. The Chinaman swung it round
his head like a windmill, and then nodded with a satisfied air.
“Now the sooner you three get the boat ashore and turn her over the
better,” Rex said. “There is no fear of this fellow interfering with us
again. Now you can come ashore, bargee, and look after your horse. In
another minute the rope will pull him into the river if you donʼt mind.”
The man came out with a growl, and then went to the horse and, taking
him by the head, led him up along the bank until the stream drifted the
barge alongside. By this time his companion had sat up and was looking
round in a bewildered way.
“You just sit where you are,” Rex said, “unless you want another crack
on the head worse than the first. Your mate is getting the barge
alongside. It does not always pay, you see, to play tricks on boys.”
They waited until the others had got the water emptied out of the boat
and put into the river again. The oars were then handed in to them and
they started down the river, Rex and Ah Lo walking quietly down the
path. The bargee scowled at them as they passed him, but the specimen
he had had of the Chinamanʼs strength deterred him from making any
outward demonstration.
“You did that splendidly, Ah Lo,” Rex said. “I had no idea that you
were so tremendously strong. The way you chucked him into the river
astounded me as much as it did him.”
“He was a bad man,” the Chinaman said quietly. “What he want to upset
boat for?”
“He will be cautious how he tries again,” Rex laughed, “unless he sees
that the towing–path is quite clear of anyone who might interfere.”
Hitherto Rex had been a good deal chaffed by the boys about this
Chinaman, but from this time forward Ah Lo was always spoken of with
respect; and indeed a subscription was got up to present him with a
handsome silver–mounted stick in place of the one he had broken. There
was general satisfaction at the defeat of the bargee, for it was not
the first time that boats had been purposely upset, and there was a
standing feud between the boys and these bullies of the river.
It cannot be said that Rex was in any way distinguished in his progress
with his studies. He was on the modern side of the school, for his
uncle did not wish him to waste his time in learning Latin and Greek,
which could be of no possible use to him in a career in China. In his
English subjects he made fair progress, and maintained a good, though
by no means a high, position in his form. In all sports, however,
he took a prominent place among the boys of his own age. Accustomed
to take swimming exercise daily, he was, when fifteen, the fastest
swimmer in the school. He won several prizes in the athletic sports,
and had a good chance of getting into the second eleven at cricket. It
was considered certain, too, that he would have a place in the second
football team. Before he left, at sixteen, he had gained both these
objects of his ambition, and it was generally considered that he might
even win a place in the first football team in the following season.
“You would be light for it,” the captain said, “but you are so fast and
active that you would be more useful than many of the fellows who are a
good deal heavier than you are.”
“I am sorry I am not going to return after this term, but my time is
up. I have been nearly four years away from my people now, and I shall
be glad to be at work.”
“I suppose it is not a bad life out there?”
“Not at all. Of course it is hot, but one is indoors most of the day,
and they do all they can to make the houses cool. The office shuts up
early. After that one takes a bath and puts on flannels, and goes for
a ride or a row on the river. Of course I could not do much that way
then, but I have been so much on the water here that it will be much
jollier now.”
“I suppose you donʼt have much to do with the Chinese?”
“They work as porters and that sort of thing, but otherwise we do not
see much of them. The native town is quite separate from the British
portion, and it is not often that Europeans enter it. I expect that
they do so even more seldom now, for my fatherʼs last letter tells me
that there is a general feeling of disquiet, and that letters from
missionaries up the country say the same thing. But our officials at
Pekin do not seem to be at all uneasy. My father says that you might as
well try to drive a wooden peg into a stone as to get the officials at
Pekin to believe anything that they donʼt want to believe. That is one
reason why I want to be off as soon as I can, for if things look more
serious my father might write and say that I had better stay here for
a time to see how matters turn out, and naturally if there is a row I
should not like to miss it.”
“It would be very hard,” the other said approvingly, “if there was a
row and you were kept out of it. Of course it would be soon over, the
Chinese would never stand against European troops.”
“I donʼt suppose they would, Milton; but they are plucky enough in
their way, and they are not a bit afraid of death. My uncle says that
he hears they have got no end of rifles and guns—good ones, you know;
not the old gimcrack ones they used to have.”
“Look how the Japs thrashed them, Bateman.”
“Yes, but it was from no want of pluck on the part of the Chinese.
The Japs were well disciplined, while the Chinese had no discipline
at all. Besides, what was worse, they had no officers worth anything.
All appointments there are given by exams, and as everyone who is
not an ass knows, a fellow who is awfully good at books may be no
good whatever as a soldier. Look at our sixth form. Why, among the
captains and monitors, how many of them would make an officer? Peebles
is short–sighted, Johnstone is lame, and there is not one of them who
is any good at football or cricket; while many fellows who are not so
high would make infinitely better officers. Well, it is like that with
everything in China. The great thing there is for a man to acquire what
is called a classical style—something the same, you know, as Cicero
writes in and Demosthenes talked. The Romans and Greeks were both
pretty longheaded, but they never thought of appointing either of these
men as generals in the field. Why, look at our head; he is choke–full
of learning. Well, if he had lived in China he would have been made
either an admiral or a general. Just fancy him with his spectacles, a
skull–cap with a peacockʼs feather, and flowing robes, peering vaguely
about him on the look–out for an enemy. How can you expect fellows to
fight who are officered by men of that sort?”
“But our army is officered by men who have passed exams.”
“Yes, but at any rate the exams for the army are not very difficult,
and there is time for them to play as well as work. Still, I know my
uncle thinks that it is about the worst way that could have been chosen
for the selection of officers, and that in the next war we get into
there will be no end of blunders.”
“It is likely enough that there will be; but there is one thing you
must remember, and that is that, fortunately, the fellows who ʻmuzʼ at
school are not the sort of fellows who go in for army examinations.
They go into the church, or to the bar, or as masters in schools,
or things of that sort. Look at us here. Lots of the fellows in the
cricket and football teams are intended for the army, and I suppose it
is the same in other schools, as it is from them that the officers are
drawn. I donʼt say that there maynʼt be a few of what you may call the
grinders; still, certainly the bulk of them are not the sort of men who
would ever set the Thames on fire if it came to only brain work.”
“Have you ever thought of going into the army, Bateman?”
“No, because I have a line ready cut out for me. I think a fellow is a
fool who wants to take up a fresh line for himself instead of taking
that where he is certain, if he is steady and so on, to do well; and in
the next place, when one is an only son, as I am, I think that, even
putting aside the question of doing well, it is his duty to help as far
as he can to take the burden of the work off his fatherʼs shoulders as
he gets on in life.”
“There is no doubt that you are right, Bateman. That is the way to look
at it, though it isnʼt everyone who has the sense to do it. As I have
got two elder brothers I am free to choose my own line, and shall,
if I can pass, go into the army; if not, I shall emigrate. I have got
grit and muscle enough to do as well as most fellows in that way, and
it seems to me that with good health and spirits it would not be a
bad sort of life at all. If I manage to pass we may possibly meet out
in China some day. There are rows in that part of the world every few
years, and although from all descriptions of the country campaigning
there must be unpleasant work, at least it would be a change and an
interesting experience.”
“Well, Milton, if you are out there we shall be very likely to meet,
for any force going towards Pekin would be sure to pass through
Tientsin, and if that were the case I should try to go with it as
interpreter. However, I hope there wonʼt be any rows, for though in
the treaty towns we should no doubt be all right and the troops would
be certain to lick the Chinese, the missionaries all over the country
would be certain to have an awful time of it. We should be very anxious
about that, because my motherʼs sister married a missionary and is
settled a long way up the country.”
“Is your Chinaman going back with you?”
“Yes; I should be awfully sorry to leave him behind. He has been with
me as long as I can remember. My uncle only brought him over here in
order that I might keep up my Chinese. I am sure that he would go
through fire and water for me. It is a good thing to have a man like
that, for, putting aside the fact that I like him tremendously, I would
trust myself anywhere with him, for he is very strong, and, as he
showed when he attacked those two fellows who upset the boat soon after
I came here, there is no doubt that he is plucky. I expect he will be
very glad to be home again. He has got accustomed to European clothes
now, but I have no doubt that he would prefer his own; and then,
of course, his family are there, and in China family ties are very
strong. Families always stick together, even to distant relations. My
uncle says that the population should be counted by families and not by
individuals. Of course I did not think of such matters before I came
away, but he says that it is like the old Scotch clans: the State deals
with the families and not with the different members of it. If a man
commits a crime and gets away, the family are held responsible for it,
and one of them has to suffer penalties and pays either a large money
fine or is executed.”
“That would be very rough on a family that happens to have one scamp
among the sons.”
“Yes, I suppose so; but it helps to keep them all straight. A fellow
who committed a crime, for which his father or any of his near
relations had to suffer, would be considered not only as a disgrace to
the family but as a man altogether accursed and beyond the pall of pity
whatever fate might befall him. My uncle says crime is very rare in
China, and that this is very largely due to the family ties.”
“But there are pirates on the coast and, as I hear, robbers on many of
the rivers?”
“Yes; uncle says these men are fellows who have left their native
villages and have banded together, so that if they are caught it is
never known to what families they belong. They are beheaded, and
there is an end of them, and their family never know anything about
their case. The Chinese are a very peaceable lot, except that they
sometimes get tremendously stirred up, as in the case of the Taiping
insurrection. The people hear stories that the foreigners are trying to
upset their religion or to take some of the land. Hideous stories go
about that they have killed and eaten children or sacrificed them in
some terrible way. Then they seem to go mad; they throw down their hoes
and take up swords and muskets, if they have them, and blindly fall
upon the whites.”
“They call us the foreign devils, donʼt they?”
“No, that is a mistake; the real meaning of the words is ʻocean
devils,ʼ which answers to our word ʻpirates.ʼ Europeans were called
so because the Chinese coasts were ravaged, sacked, and burnt by
adventurers who first sailed into the Chinese seas, and the name has
been applied to the whites ever since. It is the same way with the name
of their country. By a misunderstanding, when we first had diplomatic
relations with them the word ʻCelestialʼ was applied to their empire,
and people ever since have believed that that is what they call the
country. The word ʻCelestialʼ is applied only to the emperor, who is
viewed almost as a god, but they would never dream of applying it to
the country. Because the document said ʻthe Celestial Emperor,ʼ it
was supposed that the kingdom over which he reigned was called the
ʻCelestial Kingdom.ʼ On the contrary, they call it the ʻTerrestrial
Kingdom,ʼ believing, as they did before they had anything to do with
foreigners, that it was, in fact, the only kingdom existing on earth
worthy of the name.”
“And can you write Chinese as well as you can talk it, Bateman?”
“I can write the ordinary Chinese, but not the language of the literati
class; that is entirely different, and the ordinary Chinaman has no
more knowledge of it than I have. I believe that it contains twenty
thousand different characters, and it is very doubtful if even the
most learned Chinaman understands them all. Even the popular language
is scarcely understood in all parts of China. The dialects differ as
much as some of the English dialects, and the native of the Northern
Provinces has the greatest difficulty in conversing with a man from the
South.”
“There is the bell ringing, and I must run round to the boarding–house
to get my books.”
Rex was extremely sorry when the last day of the term arrived and he
had to say good–bye to his friends. Ah Lo, on the other hand, when he
met him at the station, was in the highest spirits. He was delighted
that he was henceforth always to be with his young master, and, though
this was a minor consideration to him, he rejoiced at the thought that
he was soon to return to his native land.
“This is a good country,” he said, speaking in his own language, “much
better than I had thought, and if all my family were not in China I
should not mind living here all my life. They will be glad to see me
too. Except that I have not been with them for so long, I have been a
dutiful son, and have always sent half of my pay to my parents. They
are well content with me. Fortunately I am the youngest of five sons.
If I had been at home I should have had to stay at home to help my
parents; but my brothers are all married and live in the village, so
they can look after them and help them in their labours. As I left
so young they do not miss me, and the money I have saved has helped
to keep them in comfort. They have indeed received much more than
they would have done had I stayed at home and worked for them, for
my wages have been as much as my four brothers could earn together.
I have only sent from here the same as I did when I was at Tientsin,
although I have been paid higher, but then I shall have much to spend
before we start, in buying presents for them and all my relatives.
Besides, I have saved half of my earnings, for I have had no occasion
to spend money here, and with my former savings added to this I shall
be the richest man in the village. If I were to go back I could live
comfortably all my life, but I should never want to do that, master, as
long as you will keep me with you.”
“That will be as long as we both live, Ah Lo; but I think that when you
get back you ought to take a wife.”
“I shall think about it,” the Chinaman said, “but I shall think many
times before I do it. When a man is married he is no longer master of
his own house. The wife is always good and obedient until she has a
son; after that she takes much upon herself. If one were to get the
right woman it would be very good, but it is not in China as it is
here, where you see a great deal of a woman before you marry. In China
I should have to say to one of the old women who act as intermediaries,
ʼI desire a wife,ʼ Then she goes about and brings me a list of several
marriageable girls. She praises them all up, and says that they are
beautiful and mild–tempered, and at last I choose one on her report;
and it is not until after one is married that one can find out whether
the report is true or not. Altogether the risk is great. I am happy and
contented now; it would be folly for me to risk so much with so small
an advantage. Suppose I had married before I came over here, my wife
would have had to stay with my parents, and she might not have been
happy there. I could not have brought her over here, for if I had done
so everything would have been strange to her; the people would have
pointed at her in the street, the boys would have called after her, and
she would have been miserable.”
“I am sorry that you are going back, Rex,” his uncle said to him, when
all the preparations for the voyage had been completed, and he was to
embark on the following day. “I should have liked to keep you here, but
naturally your mother and father want you back, and it is certainly
best for you that you should, at any rate for some years, be over there
to learn the business thoroughly, so that when your father retires you
can succeed him, and in time perhaps come back to take charge here, if
you can find among the clerks one sufficiently capable to represent
us out there. But I shall miss you, lad, sorely. I have always looked
forward to your being home for the holidays, and I had great interest
in your life and doings at school. Still, I knew, of course, that that
could not last for ever. In a small way it will be a wrench losing Ah
Lo; I shall find a difficulty in getting anyone to fill his place. A
more attentive or obliging fellow I have never come across. It will
be a satisfaction to me to know that he is with you, for should any
troubles arise, which I regard as quite possible, you will find him
invaluable.
“I only intended, when I took this house, to stay here until you
returned, but I know so many people round here now that I shall
probably stay on. I found it intolerably dull the first year, but now
that I know all my neighbours it is different, and if I were to leave
and take a house in town I should have all the work of making friends
again.
“I hope that things will settle down in China. Your fatherʼs letters
of late have taken rather a gloomy view of things, and he is not by
any means given that way. I am more impressed by what he says than by
what I read in the papers. In his last letter he says, ʻI feel as if I
were living in a country subject to earthquakes, and that at any moment
the ground might open under our feet. It does not seem to me that our
officials at Pekin have any idea as to the extent of the danger, but
most of us here believe that it is very real. Happily we are strong
enough to hold out here till aid could reach us, and this will be
the case in all the treaty ports, but up–country the outlook would
be terrible. Emma is greatly troubled as to her sister up–country,
although to some extent she shares the belief of Masterton that the
Chinese officials will protect them against the mob if troubles should
begin. Although I donʼt tell Emma so, I do not share in that belief.
“ʼThis Boxer movement, as it is called, might be easily crushed now if
the Chinese authorities chose, but there is good reason for believing
that they have the secret support of the empress, and the men by whom
she is surrounded. If so, the officials throughout the country will
naturally go with the tide; and as life is thought so little of in
China, few of them would bestir themselves in earnest to protect the
missionaries, still less the native converts. Well, I hope that I may
be wrong, but I cannot feel at all comfortable in my mind as to the
future.ʼ
“Knowing your father as I do, I cannot but think that the outlook is
really serious. I was almost surprised that the letter did not conclude
by saying, ‘I think that you had better keep Rex for another year at
school.ʼ”
“I am very glad that it did not say so, uncle. For many reasons I am
sorry to be going back, and I am very sorry to leave you. It has been
very jolly at school, but if there is to be trouble I should like to be
with my father and mother, and to do what little I can to aid in the
defence of the English quarter if it should be attacked.”
CHAPTER II
THE BOXERS
All was ready at last, and Mr. Bateman went down with Rex to join the
steamer at Gravesend. As they went out on the tender Mr. Bateman said
to a gentleman of about his own age, “Hello, Chambers, who would have
thought of seeing you here? Why, I havenʼt seen you since I came home.”
“No, I came three months after you did. I wonder we never ran across
each other before. Surely you are not going out again?”
“No, I have done with the glorious East for good,” the other laughed.
“I am only here to see my nephew off. You will hardly remember him; he
was only about twelve when he came home with me.”
“I certainly should not have known him again, Bateman. I am here on
the same errand as you. My son is going out to Runcimanʼs. I am still
in the firm, and act as their agent here. I wonder we have never run
against each other. My son is two or three years older than your
nephew. Shake hands, you two young fellows. It will be pleasant for you
both, starting with someone you know; it makes you feel comfortable at
once. I know the purser of the _Dragon_, and will get him to shift one
of you so that your cabins may be together. I know he will do that for
me if the ship is not very full, which it is not likely to be at this
time of year.”
The two lads shook hands with each other. They had no time for any
words, for at this moment the tender came alongside the steamer.
“You had better leave your traps here, boys,” Mr. Chambers said, “while
I run down and see the purser before he gets the whole crowd at his
heels.” In three minutes he returned. “I have managed that for you,”
he said. “Bring all your light traps down and take possession. He
has ordered one of the stewards to put your names on No. 17. It is a
three–berth cabin, but you will have it to yourselves. When you have
put all your light traps in, you had better come and watch the baggage
put on board. I suppose you have already sent on board your nephewʼs
boxes for the hold, Bateman?”
“Yes; he has only two flat trunks for the voyage, made, of course, to
go under the berths.”
“That is just what my son has, plus a couple of gun cases.”
“Rex has the same, a double barrel and a Lee–Metford.”
“You donʼt think he will want that, do you?”
“I hope not; but my brother James writes so gloomily about the prospect
that we thought it just as well to get him a weapon that might be
useful in case of trouble.”
“Well, I gave my lad two good double–barrels, not bad weapons in case
of a sudden ruction with the natives. I should think that would be the
worst danger. My people tell me that there is a great deal of talk, but
they do not think anything will come of it.”
“I hope not, I am sure. It would play the deuce with trade, but I
agree with you in thinking that after the lessons we have given the
Chinese, and the tremendous thrashings they have had from the Japs,
they will not be foolish enough to want to do any more fighting. I do
know, though, that they have been buying huge quantities of guns of all
sorts, and rifles. Still, I fancy that is only because they donʼt mean
to be caught napping again.”
While the elders were talking, the two lads made their way below. They
found a steward, who took them to the cabin, on which their names had
already been stuck, and they deposited their light traps there.
“This will be very jolly, Bateman,” Chambers said, “especially as we
are going to the same place. I have been at home for the past ten
years, so it will be all new to me.”
“I have only been at home for four,” Rex said. “I dare say, however, I
shall feel it strange when I go out again.”
“Who is the Chinese fellow who came off with you?”
“He is one of the boys from my fatherʼs place. He was my special boy
till I came home, so they sent him over with me, and he has been at my
uncleʼs ever since.”
“It seems rum keeping him over here all this time.”
“Well, he was kept over here for my sake. I had leave out of school
twice a week, and spent it with him in order to keep up my Chinese.”
“You mean to say you can talk it?”
“Yes, as well as English.”
“By Jove, that is splendid! I wish they had done the same with me. I
suppose I talked it when I came over, though I donʼt know a word of it
now, and shall have all the beastly grind of learning it.”
“Well, anyhow, it will be easier for you than if you had never known
it. They say if anyone has once known a language and then forgotten it,
it is much easier for him to pick it up again. Well, we had better go
upstairs now and look after our baggage.”
In a few minutes they picked out their boxes and saw them taken down to
their cabin. Then they rejoined their friends until the bell rang. The
partings were made with at least a show of cheerfulness.
“I am awfully obliged to you for all your kindness to me, uncle,” Rex
said. “I have had a jolly time, thanks to you, and shall always look
back upon it.”
“I have been glad to have you, Rex, and shall feel like a fish out of
water without you. Give my love to them out there. I hope you will find
things all quiet and comfortable.”
They stood at the rail until the tender steamed away up the river, and
then stood watching the passengers, many of whom were still hunting
for missing boxes. Then they went down and tidied up their cabin, and
afterwards walked on deck until the bell rang for dinner.
Dick Chambers had been educated at Marlborough, had played in the
eleven, and had represented the school at rackets. He had also been
lieutenant in the school corps, and had shot in their Bisley team. He
was a pleasant young fellow, though he put on airs on the strength of
his two yearsʼ seniority.
“Well, are you glad you are going home?” he said, when they went
forward together to speak to the Chinaman.
“Glad some ways, not other ways,” Ah Lo said. “Velly nice summer time,
too much rainee winter time.”
“But it is not very cheerful weather always in Tientsin, Ah Lo,” Rex
said.
“I want to get home to see palents. Sent home money to them, but dat
not likee seeing them. Good piecee people here.”
“You havenʼt got to talk English very well,” Dick laughed, “considering
you have been four years over here.”
“Always talk China–talk with Massa Rex. Talk with Master Robert same
in China. Never let me talk English to Massa Rex. Talk lillie English
to girls in kitchen. Dey always make fun of Ah Lo. Laugh at him face.
Didnʼt talk much with them. Just talk pidgin English.”
“No, I have never talked to him in English from the time when he first
took charge of me until now. My father and uncle always talked to him
in Chinese, so he really has had very little chance.”
“Not want very much learn English,” Ah Lo said; “if learn English,
people in house say ʻAh Lo donʼt do this,ʼ ʻAh Lo do that,ʼ keep him
always at work.”
“You are like the monkeys who could talk well enough if they liked, but
didnʼt do so lest they were made to work.”
Ah Lo grinned, and then said in Chinese to Rex, “Ah Lo can work hard
for his master, but not care to work hard for women who only make fun
of him.”
“I donʼt think the women meant to make fun of you, Ah Lo. My uncle told
me that his housekeeper always spoke very well of you, and said that
they all liked you.”
“Always laughed at Chinamanʼs English.”
“Well, of course it was curious to English servants. Pidgin English
is very curious to people who are unaccustomed to it, with your funny
way of sticking in ʻpieceeʼ at every other word, and ʻnumber one first
chop,ʼ and things of that sort. At any rate there were never any
quarrels between them and you. Are you pretty comfortable down below?”
“Not bad. Ah Lo expects that he will have to hit three or four of those
men who pretend to turn up their noses at him. Ah Lo very peaceable,
not want to fight, but not to be treated like poor common Chinaman. Ah
Lo hit very hard.”
“Yes, I know you do, Ah Lo,” said Rex, “and I have no doubt that you
will astonish them in that way if you begin. Still, it is better not to
do it unless they provoke you a great deal.”
He then walked aft again with Dick.
Three days later a serious complaint was brought before the captain,
that three men had been grievously assaulted and battered by a Chinaman.
The captain was speaking to Rex when the complaint was made.
“That is my servant, no doubt,” Rex said. “He is a very quiet and
peaceable man, and no doubt some of the men forward must have been
playing tricks on him.”
The captain ordered the three complainants and the Chinaman to be
brought aft. The faces of the former bore the signs of violent
treatment, while the Chinaman was evidently none the worse of the
conflict, and wore the usual placid air of his race.
“Now, let us hear your story,” the captain said.
The three men each repeated the story, how without the smallest reason
the Chinee had suddenly sprung upon them and beaten them.
“But how came you,” said the captain, “three of you, to let this man
assault you in the way you describe. Does your man speak English, Mr.
Bateman?”
“He understands it perfectly, sir, but only speaks pidgin English. If,
however, you will question him in English I will translate his replies
to you.”
“Well, sir, what do you mean by beating these men in this style?”
“These men make fun of me,” Ah Lo said. “Ah Lo is a very quiet man,
no want to have row. Men always keep on saying things against him. Ah
Lo pretended not to understand, then they get worse. Presently one
man push against Ah Lo one side, and then take off his hat and say,
ʼBeg pardon,ʼ Then another push other side and say just the same. Then
another man tumble against Ah Lo, then they all laugh very loud. Then
Ah Lo say better look out, then they laugh again and push Ah Lo still
more. That not proper treatment, so Ah Lo take two of them by scruff
of neck and knock their faces together. Then other man run in, and Ah
Lo think it is about time to begin and hit him on nose, quite a little
hit, but made blood run very hard. Then the other men try again, and Ah
Lo slap them, and they tumble down. That is all. Ah Lo very gentle and
quiet, but not proper for men to go too far with him.”
The captain laughed when Rex translated this.
He said: “Well, my men, it seems to me that what you have got serves
you right. You thought because this Chinaman was quiet and inoffensive
that you could play any tricks you liked with him. You have made a bad
mistake. It is evident that he is an uncommonly strong fellow, and he
has given you what you deserved. I should say it would be wise for you
to leave him alone in future, because if this is his way of being very
quiet and gentle it might be serious if he lost his temper with you.”
“Ah Lo is quiet and good–tempered,” Rex said, as the others went
forward. “One day when a couple of bargees upset a boat with some of
our fellows in, Ah Lo took one of them and chucked him right out into
the river. You never saw a fellow so astonished. But even then you
would not have said that he was out of temper, for he looked as placid
as possible, and only smiled when the fellow stood in the river and
hurled bad language at him. He has been with me since I was a child,
and I have never once seen him put out about anything.”
From that time there were no more complaints of Ah Lo. The voyage
passed, as most voyages do pass, without any particular incident. They
had one gale in the China seas, but no serious damage was done except
that a boat was washed away and the bulwarks stove in. Rex and Dick
had become great friends by the end of the voyage, and had promised to
see a good deal of each other when they landed. They were not sorry,
however, when the voyage came to an end, for Rex was looking forward
to seeing his father and mother after their long separation, and Dick
to reviving his very faint recollections of the country, and to making
the acquaintance of the other young fellows of the establishment, and
to entering upon serious work. They went ashore for a few hours at
Hong Kong, and at Shanghai were transhipped to a comparatively small
steamer, in which they made the journey to Taku. As soon as the vessel
dropped anchor Mr. Bateman came on board. He had known the date at
which she was due, and had come down by rail on the previous day.
“Well, you are grown a big fellow,” he exclaimed, after the first
greeting. “Of course, I knew that you would have grown, but I did not
expect to see such a big fellow as you are. Ah, Ah Lo, so there you
are! I have heard capital accounts of you from my brother, and Rex has
never failed to give news of you in every letter he wrote.”
As soon as the first questions had been asked and answered on both
sides, Rex said, “This is Dick Chambers, father. We have been great
chums on the voyage. He is coming out to Runcimanʼs house.”
“Oh yes, of course! I know your father very well. I am glad you came
out together. It must have been more pleasant for both of you. One of
the clerks of your house is somewhere about. He came down here to meet
you, but I suppose he has not yet identified you.”
An hour later all their belongings were got on shore, and a short time
afterwards the train started. There was a great deal for father and son
to talk about, and although the journey across the low flat country
would have been considered very slow in England, it seemed to pass
rapidly. It was not until the next morning that Rex had time to talk
of anything but England, and to ask about local matters.
“Things are very unsettled,” said his father. “There are reports of
massacres of missionaries at several places, but these reports must
be received with a great deal of suspicion. For myself I am not very
much inclined to believe them; and they always have to pay so heavily
for indulging in freaks of this sort that I should hardly think they
would be so foolish as to repeat them. You see, the last murder of
two German missionaries gave Germany an excuse for seizing the port
of Kiaochow. That action has been in all respects unfortunate. The
province is considered a sort of Holy Land by the Chinese, and they
have consequently resented the seizure of that port very bitterly.
Besides, naturally it seems an altogether preposterous price to pay
for the murder of two foreigners. I am wholly with them there. Suppose
two Chinese had been killed in Germany, what do you think the Germans
would say if China were to demand as compensation Bremerhaven? You only
have to look at it in that light to see the monstrosity of the affair.
Why, after defeating China and taking Pekin and expending some millions
of money, all that the Allies demanded was that five ports should be
open for commerce; and yet Germany takes as her own a port, with the
surrounding country, for the death of two missionaries. Still, even
that gross act of spoliation would, one might think, hardly excite
the people to rise against missionaries in general. I cannot believe
that at the worst these are anything more than isolated outbreaks,
and I believe they will be very severely punished by the authorities.
Still, it may safely be said that there is not an Englishman alive, not
even Mr. Hart, who really understands the Chinese, or who can predict
what they will do in any given circumstances. They are very like
children: they will bear desperate oppression and tyranny with passive
submission, and they will then break out furiously at some fancied
wrong.
“We never really get near the Chinese. They live in their native
city; we live in our own settlement. We draw what labour we require
from them, it comes and it goes again; but as far as the people are
concerned, their ways, their talk, and their manner of life, we know
no more of them than if the native town were situated in the moon.
Their whole existence differs in almost every respect from ours. A
Chinaman, if he is aggrieved by another, will go to the house of the
man he has quarrelled with, and will cut his own throat at the door,
and public opinion demands that the other man shall also cut his. If a
man commits a crime and bolts, they donʼt trouble greatly to catch him.
They simply inflict the punishment due to him on his nearest relative.
I donʼt say that the system doesnʼt act well, for the ties of family
are tremendously strong, and few Chinamen, indeed, would so utterly
disgrace themselves as to allow their fathers to be executed in their
place.
“As to religion, it can scarcely be said that they have any except
worship of ancestors. They have superstitions, but no real religion.
They look at everything, in fact, in a light that differs directly from
that in which we regard it. Every Chinaman will cheat in a bargain if
he can, and only laugh if he is found out, for he has no shame whatever
in conduct which he considers natural if not meritorious. But they
have not the slightest fear of death. I do not know that they have the
same fatalism as the Mohammedans, but practically it comes to the same
thing. I donʼt know whether you have heard in England about the Boxers?”
“Yes, I have heard something about them, but not much.”
“The sect has existed some two hundred years. It doesnʼt seem
originally to have had any very positive aims. Its members performed
certain rites and certain exercises in a secret sort of way, but I
fancy that is pretty well all that is known of them. It is really
only lately that they have become at all prominent, and have gone in
for recruiting their numbers to any extent. The whole basis of the
association has been changed. It was formerly an association apparently
without any political aims, and to some extent resembling our own
freemasonry; and it has become an active, militant, and in a certain
sense a national movement, directed principally against foreigners,
but also against the corruption of the Chinese Court and the terrible
condition of the people in general.
“In one of their early proclamations they say the whole populace is
sunk in wretchedness, and that all the officials are spoilers of their
food. The condition of the Yamen is unspeakable. In every market and
in every guild nothing can be done unless the officials are bribed.
All sorts of exactions are made. They are all alike; ill–gotten
wealth is their one object; right has disappeared from the world,
and sins are unnumbered. In the Yamens it is of no avail to have a
clear case; unless you bribe, you will lose the day. All this is
unquestionably true. After reciting these things the proclamation then
turns to foreigners. It says: ʻGreater calamities have overtaken the
nation. Foreigners, devils come with their teaching, and converts to
Christianity, Roman Catholics and Protestants, have become numerous.
These are without human relations, but being most cunning they have
attracted all the greedy and covetous as converts, and to an unlimited
degree they have practised oppression.ʼ
“The great impulse was given in Shan Tung in the north, but the
movement spread like wildfire. At first the authorities at Pekin were
altogether hostile to it, but, seeing its increasing power, there can
be little doubt that the Empress has secretly encouraged it, with the
object, no doubt, of diverting it from internal reform to hostility
to foreigners. On the other hand, the more enlightened of the Chinese
see the danger of the association. Several of the viceroys have taken
measures against them, and General Nieh is preparing to attack them.
The nine Yangtze viceroys are strongly opposed to the association. At
present there has been no overt movement. It seems, as I said, true
enough that some small missions in the interior have been attacked, but
even this is unconfirmed. The cloud may blow over, or it may burst.
I hope that in any case it will be confined to Northern China. If it
extends over the whole country there can be little doubt that every
missionary settlement in China will be wiped out, and the European
settlements in all the mission towns will be attacked and their
position become precarious in the extreme.
“As long as the movement is confined to the North it will be
manageable. I do not say that the position of the European inhabits
of Pekin will not become one of terrible peril, and we here may get
our share of trouble; but Pekin is comparatively close to the sea,
and although for a time the movement may have its own way, it will be
only a repetition of the last troubles. A fleet of the Allied Powers
could batter down the Taku forts and an army march to Pekin. They would
have a battle or two to fight on the way, but they would defeat the
Chinese with great slaughter, capture Pekin, and force the Empress to
make terms. This will, to my mind, be almost assuredly the way things
will go, unless the Empress takes firm ground, issues a proclamation
denouncing the Boxers in the strongest terms, and orders all viceroys
and generals to take prompt and energetic steps against them. I may
tell you, however, that a considerable number of the British colony
here do not share my views, and believe that the thing will die out.
“At any rate, for the present there is nothing to do but go on with
our regular work, and see what comes of it. Your work will not be very
heavy, for trade is nearly at a stand–still, and no one is getting
fresh goods up from Shanghai. So you will have an easy breaking–in to
work, which will give you an opportunity of looking up the few young
fellows you knew before you left. There are, I think, only five or six
who have not been home, but there are others who, being a few years
older than you, went home before you and have since returned. There
are, of course, some pleasant families here, and these I will give
you an opportunity of knowing by having some of them to dinner every
night this week. In that way you will speedily get to feel at home in
the place. I shall, of course, take you up to the club. You used to do
a good deal of drilling with Ah Lo before you went away, and as you
would no doubt like to keep up your rowing, you will have plenty of
opportunities of doing so on the river.”
For the next three weeks Rex had a very pleasant time. He spent the
morning always in his fatherʼs office, where he was instructed in the
method of book–keeping employed, and in the general work of the house.
Of an afternoon he either went with Ah Lo for a ramble in the native
city or for a sail on the river, and sometimes played at cricket. Of
an evening he either dined at home or at other houses, and at the end
of the three weeks had made the acquaintance of almost all the British
families in the settlement. Dick Chambers was generally at liberty in
the afternoon and shared in the amusements.
“Stick to your amusements, Rex,” said his father. “The great thing in
this country is to take to outdoor exercise as much as possible, and
to make life go pleasantly when your work is done. I consider that for
the next two or three years it will be quite sufficient for you to
work here from nine till one, except on mail days, when you will find
it necessary to stick at it all day. The more amusement you get out of
your life the better I shall be pleased.”
So Rex joined in all that was going on. He and Dick were at once
enrolled in the volunteer corps that had recently been formed, and
of which all the clerks and younger members of the firms there had
become members as soon as there were signs of possible trouble. As the
news from without became daily more serious, cricket was given up and
the evenings were devoted to drilling and shooting. The latter was
specially attended to. It was evident that so small a body of men could
have small occasion for manœuvres of any kind, but that individual
shooting might be of extreme importance. Dick Chambers had been elected
captain of the corps, as he had learned his work at Marlborough and was
the best marksman of his year.
“It isnʼt much of a place for defence,” he said to Rex, “but of course
we shall have troops up from the ships; and at any rate five–and–twenty
of us, if we shoot straight, can do a good deal; and of course all the
heads will join if necessary, though they may not think it worth while
to do so now. There is no doubt that the news gets worse every day, and
that there are large numbers of these Boxers all over the country. I
think the Chinese general is really, as he says, hostile to them, but
of course what he does when the time comes will depend upon what orders
he gets from the Empress, who is in every sense an unknown quantity in
the problem. If he fights the Boxers, we shaʼnʼt have to; if he joins
them, we shall all have our work cut out for us. In case of a row we
may take it as certain that the population of the native town will all
join in, partly because, like the rest of them, they hate us, partly to
get a share in the loot. I hear that some of the traders are getting
alarmed, and are sending their goods down to the port to be shipped
back to Shanghai by the first steamer that comes along. I donʼt think
that our people are going to do so.”
“I am sure my father will not,” Rex said. “He thinks there is no doubt
that we shall be able to defend ourselves with the aid of the force
they will send up, and I believe he expects that they will send some
troops up from Shanghai very shortly. Things may hang on as they are
for some time. He rather calculates that a good many of the coolies
who have been in the employ of the various houses for the past ten or
twelve years will stand by us. I donʼt think that any strong national
feeling exists among them, and I believe they will stick to those who
have paid and treated them well. I donʼt mean that he thinks that
they will fight, but they will throw up barricades and strengthen the
godowns. In that way they would be of immense use.”
“It all depends, from what I hear,” Dick said, “upon whether they have
families in the town. Those that have will be obliged to leave us
whatever their own feelings may be, otherwise their families would be
massacred at once. Of course if a man has come from a distance with a
wife and a child or two he will probably bring them in here, but those
born and bred here who have lots of relations would have no option in
the matter, poor beggars!”
More alarming reports from up country continued to arrive, and the
greatest anxiety began to prevail as to the fate of the missionaries.
One morning when Rex went in to breakfast he found his mother in tears
and his father looking very grave.
“What is the matter?” he asked.
“There is a report in the town that there has been a riot at Chafui.
The mission–house has been attacked, and certainly some of the
missionaries have been killed. Others, it is said, were taken to the
governorʼs Yamen. What has been their fate no one knows. It is certain
that what troops there were in the town did not in any way interfere
with the Boxers, and whether the governor had the power or the will
to resist them is not known. Robson had no right to keep his wife and
girls there. I wrote him again and again begging him to send them down
here, but he is one of the most obstinate men I ever knew. If he liked
to risk martyrdom, of course he was at liberty to do so, but he had no
right to expose them to such a fate. However, it is useless to talk of
that now. It is maddening to think that Kate and the two girls should
be in the power of these fiendish scoundrels.”
“Can nothing be done, father?”
“What can be done?” Mr. Bateman said bitterly. “It will be as much as
we are able to do to hold our own here. The whole country round is in
their hands, and it is very doubtful whether Admiral Seymour can, with
every man that possibly can be spared, fight his way to Pekin, which
is two hundred miles away. Certainly no force can be spared to rescue
people who fall into the hands of the Boxers so far away.”
Rex stood in silent consternation. He had not seen his uncle or any of
the family since his return, but his aunt and the two girls had been
staying some weeks at the house before he went away. “It is awful!” he
said at last; “and Uncle must have been mad not to have sent them down
when the troubles began.”
“I think so, too, Rex. As for his staying himself it is different. He
has a large number of converts there, and no doubt he hoped that his
presence there would be some protection. You see, one of the principal
causes of the Chinese dislike for us is the missionary question. It is
a religious question as much as a political one. The Chinese are in
some things very superstitious. They worship to some extent the spirits
of their ancestors, but for other religion they care but little. There
is no ill–feeling between men of different religion here. No resistance
was offered to the spread of Buddhism; the Taoists do not quarrel with
those who are practically Confucians. But with Christianity it is
different. The converts come under the protection of the missionaries,
who have behind them the European powers, and consequently they are,
to a great extent, independent of the local officials. The feeling
has been greatly aggravated by France insisting that her bishops
should have the rank of mandarins, and be judges over their native
converts. All this has been a great mistake, for which we are paying
now. I believe that our own missions have striven hard to avoid giving
offence, and all missionaries in the up–country stations dress in
native costume, for the Chinese regard dress as a serious matter.”
While this conversation had been going on, Mrs. Bateman had left the
room.
“You had better sit down and eat your breakfast, Rex. You can give me a
cup of tea; I could not eat anything now. Kate is very dear to me, and
so are the girls. They were here twice while you were away, and stayed
with us each time for some weeks.”
“I donʼt remember much about the girls, father. The elder was three
years younger than I, and was quite a child, and Mabel was two years
younger still.”
“They were growing up very nice girls,” Mr. Bateman said sadly. “Jenny
is now nearly fifteen and Mabel thirteen. Of course they had not the
freshness of girls brought up at home, and I spoke to their mother when
she was up here, and wrote to your uncle, urging that they should go
home for a couple of years, and offering to pay all their expenses. He
said that in another year he would take the matter into consideration.”
Rex ate a few mouthfuls, and then went out into the courtyard. Ah Lo
was sitting there. By his serious face Rex saw that he had heard the
news.
“This is a terrible business,” Rex began.
“A very bad business, master.”
“Is there anything to be done, do you think?”
The Chinaman knit his eyebrows. “What could be done?” he asked.
“That I donʼt know; but it is horrible to sit here and do nothing when
my aunt and cousins are, if they are alive, prisoners, and may be put
to horrible tortures before they are killed.”
Ah Lo was silent.
“Do you think you and I could get there and try to rescue them?”
The Chinamanʼs eyes opened wide. “Do you really mean that, young
master?”
“Yes; I do not see why we should not get there all right, though
I donʼt say that we could rescue them. We could both dress up as
villagers, or as Boxers if you like, and as I speak Chinese as well
as you do, I donʼt see why we should not both make our way through.
I could stain my skin just a little so as to get it just the right
colour, and shave my head and put on a pigtail. Many Chinese wear
spectacles, great things with thick rims.”
“Villagers do not often wear them, master, though the literati who wear
their eyes out in staring at a book often do. You could not go as one
of them, for you do not speak the same language.”
“Well, I should think that you might paint a little line in each corner
of my eyes so as to make them look a little up and down like the
Chinese eyes.”
“Ah Lo had better go alone,” the Chinaman said quietly.
“Not at all,” Rex said. “My aunt and cousins are a great deal to me,
they are nothing to you, and I certainly wonʼt let you go alone.”
“The master would never let you go,” Ah Lo said positively.
“I donʼt suppose he would; but he would not know anything about it
until I had gone. I should leave a letter behind telling him why I had
gone, and that I was so disguised that I could pass for a Chinaman
anywhere. I should say also that I know my chance of succeeding is not
great, but that I consider the risk of being found out is still less. I
should, of course, promise to take every precaution.”
“The master would never forgive me,” Ah Lo said.
“Oh, yes! he would. I should say further that I had made up my mind
to go, and that I told you that if you did not go with me I should go
alone, which I mean to do. I am some months past sixteen now, and I
think I can take care of myself, though I should feel a great deal more
comfortable having you with me.”
CHAPTER III
IN DISGUISE
“Well, what do you think of it, Ah Lo?”
“If you have quite made up your mind, young master, I will go with
you,” Ah Lo said quietly; “if I return with you the master will not say
much, and certainly if you do not return I shall not.”
“Thank you, Ah Lo! Now, let us settle at once how we shall go, for
every hour is of importance. Which do you think would be best, to go as
villagers or as Boxers?”
“I think as villagers, master. We can go from village to village with
the tale that we have been coolies working here, and that now there is
no trade and no employment we are going to visit our family, who live
near Chafui. We can carry with us clothes such as the Boxers wear,
either red or yellow, so that when we get to Chafui we can put them on
if we like. Of course we shall take swords and long knives.”
“I have the two revolvers my uncle gave me when I came away,” Rex said;
“we can each carry one of them. As we shall say that we come from
Tientsin, the fact that we have revolvers would excite no suspicion. If
we are questioned we could easily say that we took them secretly from
our employerʼs house when we came away from here. I have got a good
stock of cartridges. Of course many of the Boxers are armed with good
rifles, but would a villager be carrying them?”
“No, but a coolie from here might do so. Numbers of the Boxers have
been killed near Tientsin, and there would be nothing improbable in
the statement that as we left the town we had picked up two rifles. A
good many rifles are still lying in the suburbs where the fighting went
on; if you go out there this morning you might find a couple, for the
streets are quite deserted, and then you might put them in a doorway
where we could find them as we went along. You would also have to find
some packets of cartridges. When shall we start, master?”
“If we can be ready to start to–night all the better.”
“There can be no difficulty about that. I know many native shops where
I can get the clothes, and there are plenty of dead Boxers from whom I
could take red suits. You could not get your head shaved here, but I
will carry a razor and soap with me, and in the morning, first thing,
will shave your head. I can buy a pigtail in the town, as many people
who have not much hair use false pigtails, and I have no doubt that
plenty of them are to be found in the empty shops in the native town.”
“Shall we require to take any food with us?”
“We can take enough rice for our journey, master, and we can get tea
anywhere; but you will have to do without anything else.”
“That makes no difference at all; I can do very well on rice, and I can
take some of the condiments we use with it. Even if we are searched,
these will be as natural as the rice.”
“Is there anything else that you can think of, master?”
“No, I cannot think of anything else at present, but I shall see you
again later, and can then fix on the hour for starting.”
During the time when the danger was at its greatest the house had never
been so silent, or the face of Mr. Bateman so grave. His wife was
absolutely prostrated. This added to the resolution the lad had taken.
At whatever risk he might incur, his aunt and cousins must be rescued
if they were alive when he reached Chafui, and it were within the
limits of possibility to do so. He did not think that the journey in
itself really involved any risk, and should he find that all had been
massacred he had but to return. He knew how precious his life was in
the eyes of his parents, and he resolved to take every means possible
to avoid risk. Even if the news he brought back were of the worst, it
would be better for his mother than the terrible anxiety that she was
now suffering as to the fate of his aunt and cousins.
In the course of the day he wrote a letter to his father, which ran as
follows:—
“MY DEAR FATHER,
“When you receive this I shall be miles away. As you know, as far
as talking goes, I can pass anywhere as a native; and as I shall be
thoroughly disguised, I feel sure that with Ah Lo I could go right
through China without being suspected. Seeing how terribly anxious my
mother and you are about the safety of Aunt and the girls, I have made
up my mind to go to Chafui to gather news of them. I am sure that it
would be better for Mother to know even the worst than to suffer this
terrible anxiety. I do not think I shall run any risk whatever.
“I must tell you that though Ah Lo is going with me it is very much
against his will, because he thought that you would blame him if
things went wrong, and it was only when I told him that if he did not
go with me I should go alone that he consented to accompany me. It
was not that he thought of the danger, but that he feared you would
be displeased with him for undertaking this journey without your
permission. I donʼt think that I should have carried out the threat.
Although I know the language well enough I do not know anything of
the customs and the religion, and I felt that it would really be a
hazardous enterprise if Ah Lo did not go with me. Now, however, that
at last he has consented to accompany me, I have no fear whatever.
“I should have asked your permission to undertake this expedition,
but I was afraid that you would refuse, and I felt so sure of being
able to accomplish my purpose without difficulty that I decided to go
without telling you of my intention. You see, Father, it is evident
that after what is going on every white man in China will be in peril
for a long time to come, and as it is settled that I am going to stay
here for at any rate a good many years, I shall have to run risks, and
those risks will be greater than any I am likely to meet with now that
I am going in disguise. I am quite prepared for emergencies, so I hope
that you will not be angry, though I know you will be anxious until I
return.
“Ah Loʼs native village is only a few miles from Chafui, and his story
that, as there was no longer work to be done in Tientsin, he was going
for a time to see his friends is plausible. Indeed, we shall probably
stay there among his friends and learn all that has taken place in the
town, so that everything will be easy sailing. You must not expect me
back for about a month. It will take us ten days to walk to Chafui,
ten days to stay at Ah Loʼs village and get full information, and
ten to return. That is as near as I can tell at present. There may
be unexpected delays, but anyhow we shall not be back in less than a
month. Should I find that I am likely to be much longer away, I shall,
if possible, send one of Ah Loʼs people down with a message to you.
“Of course, Father, you can, if you think best, tell Mother where I
have gone, and why, or lead her to believe that I have gone down to
the coast to make arrangements with ships that have arrived with
goods for you, or to act as an interpreter to the troops as they come
up.
“I believe that if I had never gone to England I should not have
thought of carrying out such a plan as this, but one gets to think for
oneʼs self when one is at school. I feel sure that there was scarcely
a fellow of my age there who, if he had the advantages in the way of
speaking languages that I have, would not willingly have undertaken
the job. Certainly I feel that the amount of risk to be run is very
small compared with the importance of relieving Motherʼs mind and
yours, and, of course, though it is some years since I have seen my
aunt and cousins, I, too, am very anxious.”
That evening he felt even more than before that the proposed expedition
was excusable, for his father said: “I am terribly anxious, Rex. Your
mother has been delirious all the afternoon, and the doctors are both
feeling very anxious about her mind. You see, we have all gone through
the strain of the last two months, and this blow coming on the top
of it has had a very much greater effect than it would have had in
ordinary circumstances. They think that if she had known for certain
that her sister and the girls had been killed, the shock would have
had less disastrous effects than this terrible uncertainty. It may be
weeks, it may even be months, before the truth can be known and her
mind relieved of the strain. They fear that when the present paroxysms
have passed away she may settle down into a state of fixed melancholia,
and if bad news came then it might simply deepen this melancholia,
which would in that case become permanent.”
“It is indeed terrible, Father, but I hope that the doctorsʼ view is a
mistaken one.”
Mr. Bateman shook his head and passed his handkerchief across his
eyes, and if up to that time Rex had had any doubt that he was going
to act wisely, he felt now that, even apart from his own anxiety about
his aunt and cousins, he was fully justified by his motherʼs state in
carrying out his plan.
At eleven oʼclock that night he crept out of the house. He had dyed his
skin with a mixture which Ah Lo had brought him, dressed himself in the
native clothes, and put the sword, knife, and pistol in his belt. In a
bundle he had three boxes of ammunition and the Boxer clothes, together
with a pair of light boots to put on when there were no villages near,
in case the Chinese shoes should gall his feet. Ah Lo was at the gate
of the courtyard. He wore no disguise, but had put on coarse coolie
clothes instead of those he wore as a trusted servant in the house.
“Have you got everything, Ah Lo?”
“Everything; ten pounds of rice, the box of clothes, the ammunition for
the pistols, another bottle of the dye for your skin, some black dye
for your eyebrows and eyelashes, and a little brown for the corners of
your eyes. I have changed the piece of gold you gave me for dollars in
cash, and I have got a pigtail and the razor and soap.”
“I have bought a small compass,” Rex said. “It may be useful to us
going across the country, for I know that the roads are mostly tracks
between the villages and cross each other in all directions.”
On leaving the premises they picked up Rexʼs rifle and bag of
ammunition, and the rifle that Ah Lo had bought during the day and had
hidden away outside the settlement. Then they made a detour to avoid
the native town, and, when once fairly beyond this, struck out across
the fields. They made a long detour to avoid the encampment of Chinese
soldiers, and then struck into a steady walk.
When a few miles from the town they saw fires burning, and made another
detour to avoid these, knowing that they marked the position of parties
of Boxers. They walked steadily all night, and in the morning reached
a village, having made, as they calculated, at least thirty miles. Few
people were about. Burnt cottages showed that the Boxers had passed
that way and, as usual, had looted and destroyed everything they could
lay hands on. Indeed, not being a regularly–organized body, they were
forced to depend upon what they could take for subsistence, and were
the scourge of the districts through which they passed.
“So you are going to Chafui!” said an old man whom they had asked if
there were any Boxers in the neighbourhood. “You will have to be very
careful. Those who have been attacking Tientsin are still in that
neighbourhood, but you may come across other parties marching down to
join them. They are terrible people. If anyone refuses to give them all
that they ask for, they will kill everyone in the house and burn it
afterwards. They make most of the young men go with them to fight the
whites in Tientsin. It is a terrible time. I can remember the Taiping
rebellion, and this seems to me to be quite as bad. They all say that
the Empress is in their favour, but I cannot believe it. They tell
terrible tales about the missionaries; but I lived for some time at
Chafui, and it seemed to me that they were good and peaceful people,
and although I stay so near Tientsin I have not till of late heard
a word against the merchants there. They have indeed done much good
for the town; they pay those who work for them well and do no harm to
anyone. A son of mine worked for them for ten years, and came back with
enough money to live comfortably all his life. He was a good son, and
helped me as a son should do, but the Boxers killed him a month ago
because he ventured to say that so far from doing harm the foreigners
enriched the town and brought much trade into it.”
“I shall take care to keep my mouth shut when I get home,” Ah Lo said.
“I too have worked for them and found them good masters and just
people, but after what you have told me I shall take care not to say a
word in their favour.”
“You will be wise not to do so. And now you say you wish to sleep, as
you have walked all night. You can lie down in the room upstairs; no
one will disturb you. We used to be glad to question strangers who came
along, for further news, but now our own troubles are quite as much as
we can think of. I fear that this will continue until the last of the
sea–pirates is killed; after that who can say what will happen!”
After cooking the rice they had bought, and eating a meal, they went
upstairs and slept for many hours. As soon as night fell they continued
their journey, and on the seventh morning after starting they arrived
within a few miles of Chafui. They had met with no adventures on the
way. Several times they went into the fields and hid among growing
grain to avoid a party of the enemy, and once, just as they had arrived
in a village, a band of Boxers came in, but they managed to slip out of
the house unobserved and spent the night in the fields.
They had agreed that they would not enter Chafui until they had first
paid a visit to Ah Loʼs native village, where they would be able
to learn the state of things in the town. They could then decide
whether it would be best to put on their Boxer dresses or not. They
had scarcely entered the village when Ah Lo was recognized. As one of
his old friends shouted his name and a welcome, people ran out from
all the houses to greet them, and by the time he reached his fatherʼs
door he was surrounded by a crowd of friends and neighbours, and Rex
understood for the first time how very close was the family bond in
China.
It was five years since Ah Lo had been there, and he was greeted as a
wanderer returning to his parents, and bringing, no doubt, some of the
proceeds of his labours. Indeed, the villagers had already benefited,
for while he was in England he regularly forwarded a portion of his
wages to his parents. Thus he bore a good name. He had never brought
any trouble upon the village; he had never been called upon to pay
a fine for his misdeeds; and his father and mother were considered
fortunate people in having such a son. They too had come to the door,
attracted by the loud talking outside, and their delight at his return
was touching.
When at last they had entered the house and closed the door the old man
said: “We have been uneasy about you. The message telling us of your
return, and your welcome present, gave us at first great joy; but when,
two days later, the disturbances began we trembled for your safety, and
have offered up many prayers to Buddha to preserve you for us. But I
see that things have gone wrong with you. Last time you came you were
well clad, and all said truly, ‘Ah Lo is making his fortuneʼ; but now
your clothes are those of a common man.”
“I have so clad myself, Father, in order to escape plunder on my way
with my friend here. He too belongs to the white merchant for whom I
have worked so long. Like myself he wanted to escape from the city
where there was such fierce fighting, and as trade was at a stand–still
we had no difficulty in getting away.”
“He is welcome for your sake,” the old man said. “If he is your friend,
assuredly he is our friend also, and he shall share with us all we
have, which, indeed, we owe chiefly to you. And have you come to stay
with us for good, Ah Lo?”
“No, Father, I have come to gather news, and that partly on business;
so my pay is still going on. As you know, the missionary at Chafui is
the brother of my patron—at least his wife is sister of my patronʼs
wife. News has reached him that there were bad doings at Chafui, and
consequently he and his wife are greatly disturbed; so I said that I
would come here and learn the truth of the reports that we had heard.”
“It is true,” his father said. “The Boxers came to Chafui and stirred
up the people of the town, and they ran together and attacked the
praying–house and the people who have taken to the strange religion.
The missionary fought hard when they attacked his house, but what
could he and a handful of his followers do against many hundreds? The
soldiers did not move to help him, and the house was taken and he was
killed. The women of the family were carried to the governorʼs yamen.
It was reported that his wife has died from grief and terror, but I
cannot say whether that is true; of her daughters I have not heard.”
This confirmation of his worst fears was a terrible blow to Rex, who
with difficulty restrained himself from bursting into tears.
“That is bad news indeed,” Ah Lo said gravely. “It will be a heavy blow
to my patron and his wife, and I myself am sorely grieved, as is also
Shen Yo, my companion; for we have both seen the lady and her children
when they have been staying at our patronʼs house. They were good
people and kindly, and assuredly never did anyone any harm.”
“They were well spoken of,” Ah Loʼs father said: “no one had any harm
to say of them. It was not until the Boxers stirred up the rabble
of the town against these Christians that there was any disturbance
here. It was always said that the governor was unfavourable to the
Christians, but as they gave no cause of complaint things have always
gone on quietly enough, as the orders from Pekin always have been
that they should not be molested. But for some weeks past we have
heard reports that the Empress had turned her face against them, and
that her counsellors were of opinion that these foreign people should
be destroyed or driven from the country. We even heard that men were
being drilled in Pekin; but people in general did not think much
of these things until the Boxers grew numerous and began to create
disturbances. Many of us were grieved, for the white people had shown
much kindness and had given good medicines to people who were ill, and
in other ways had done much good. But, of course, when the Empress and
her counsellors had given the word to kill, no one would venture to
withstand the Boxers and the rabble of the town. The governor knew the
will of those in high places, and when word was sent to him of what was
being done, he remained in his yamen and kept the soldiers quiet, so
that no one dared to lift a finger to aid the whites. Many tales were
told of their ill doings; how they stole little children and sacrificed
them to their gods; but for myself I did not believe these things.
We have always heard from you that the whites were good people, that
they treated all natives well, and assuredly if you had heard of such
doings as this you would not have remained with them. Therefore we did
not believe these tales to their disadvantage, but we should only have
thrown away our lives if we had ventured to express our feelings. Even
in the village most people believed the tales, and said it was good
that the foreign devils should be destroyed, so now that you have come
back you must not speak in favour of these people or you will assuredly
lose your life.”
“I shall hold my tongue, Father. Who am I that I should disobey the
orders of the Empress? Nevertheless, I tell you that these white people
are good. Have I not lived among them for nearly four years? They are
good people. Among them no one is ill–treated, or beaten, or put to
death. None carry weapons; everyone respects the others. Although I was
a stranger and a foreigner, no one molested me; I went and came as I
chose. As to their offering sacrifices and killing children, the thing
is absurd. They are anxious to do good to foreigners, and subscribe
great sums to send their priests abroad that they may teach other
people their religion. All these stories that are told about them are
lies, and they have been told for the purpose of rousing ill–feeling
against them. I am grieved that this trouble has come about, but
assuredly it is no business of mine, except in so far as it concerns
the friends of my patron. The ladies have stayed at his house, and they
have spoken kindly to me and have given me money. I would do much for
them for their own sake, as well as for that of my patron, who, as I
have always told you, is the best man I have ever met. But I see that
I can do nothing, and I can only grieve over the misfortunes that have
befallen him. Of course I shall say nothing here as to my feelings,
and shall even join in the cry against the foreigners. I have no wish
to throw away my life and to bring disgrace and death upon you and my
mother.”
“That is right, Ah Lo. It would assuredly bring terrible misfortune
upon you were you to say a word in favour of the Christians. There
are many who share your feelings, but they dare not open their lips,
and you too must hide your real sentiments. The order has come that
the Christians must be destroyed, and that order must be obeyed. Most
of the young men of the village have joined the Boxers, fearing that
unless they did so evil would befall them. Now tell me something about
the country where you have been living, and about these strange people,
who are not content to live in their own island, but come here to turn
the minds of the people against their god and to bring trouble on the
land. Are there many of them?”
“Very many; not so many as there are in China, but they are brave
soldiers, and have arms altogether superior to ours. That, together
with the way in which they are trained, gives them a great advantage
over us. But though they can fight well, they do not wish to fight.
They are great traders, and it is only when their trade is interfered
with, or their people ill–treated, that they go to war. They have no
enmity against people of other religions, and all the time that I was
in England no one ever tried to turn me from my faith. No one said
a word against Buddha, or interfered with me in any way. They think
that their religion is right, just as we believe in ours, and they try
to convert others, just as the Buddhists came to China and converted
large numbers of our people. They think that they are doing good, and
spend much money in trying to do so. It is strange to me that they
cannot leave things alone, but it is their way, and certainly I have no
ill–will towards them on that account. When my mother has got our meal
ready, and we have eaten, I will tell you much about them and of the
life that I led there; but the tale is so long that I dare not begin it
fasting.”
For two or three hours Ah Lo talked with his parents, and then went out
into the village with Rex and chatted with the villagers. He learned
a good deal as to the state of the town, and arranged to buy some
vegetables, saying that he wanted to go in and see for himself what
had taken place, and that he did not like going in empty–handed, as he
might be ill–treated by the Boxers were he walking about idly.
The great topic of conversation, however, was with regard to the
fighting at Tientsin. Few particulars of this had been heard, and the
villagers were astonished when they heard that the white devils had
resisted all attacks upon them and had repulsed the Boxers with great
slaughter, although the latter were no doubt much more numerous and
had succeeded in destroying the greater portion of the town. Ah Lo,
however, told his friends that the Boxers were still excited, and would
no doubt renew their attacks with greater success, although some of the
sailors from the ships were coming up to aid the whites.
“I was glad to get away,” he continued, “for there was always shooting
going on, and I feared that if the Boxers came in they would kill those
who were in the employment of the whites. Most of these men managed to
escape before I did, but I took the opportunity of the lull in fighting
to escape at night.”
It was not Until the old people had retired for the night that Ah
Lo and Rex sat down to talk with each other. It had been a long and
painful day for the lad; he had been compelled to appear at his ease,
to answer innumerable questions, and to support Ah Lo in his various
statements. But when at last he found himself alone with his faithful
servant he exclaimed; “Thank God, Ah Lo, we can now talk and decide
what is to be done! I feel almost mad at the news. It is bad enough
to know that my aunt has died, but to think of my cousin in the hands
of these fiends is enough to drive me out of my mind. Of course we
must try to rescue them. How it is to be accomplished I have not the
faintest idea at present, but I am quite resolved that if it is in any
way possible it must be done.”
“I am ready to do what I can, master, but if they are in the governorʼs
yamen I do not see how we can manage to release them.”
“No, nor do I; but there must be some way. There is always some way, Ah
Lo, if one can but hit on it. I suppose the governorʼs yamen will be
guarded by soldiers?”
“It is certain to be,” Ah Lo said. “It would be in ordinary times, but
now the watch is probably more strict than ever, because, although the
governor has sided with the Boxers, it is probable that he is still
afraid that they may attack him.”
“Well, to–morrow we must have a good look at the place. It is certain
that there is no time to be lost, for these two poor girls may at
any moment be murdered. We may take it as certain that there is no
possibility of releasing them by force. The people here are evidently
so completely cowed by the Boxers that it would be hopeless to get
any of them to aid us in that way. We can do nothing until we see the
place. I suppose you know it?”
“Yes, there is a large courtyard in front of it, with a guard–house at
the gate, and a wall runs across the courtyard just about the middle of
the house. In the front part are the public offices, in the back the
governorʼs private apartments. Behind the building there is a large
garden.”
“And it is probable that the prisoners are kept at the back of the
house?”
“It may be so, master, but one cannot say. It is possible that the
public may be permitted to stare at them, and in that case they might
be in the front part of the house.”
“That doesnʼt matter much. When we are in the town to–morrow we will go
into the courtyard if the gates are open and the public are admitted;
if not, we must try some other means to find them. Now, from what you
say, I should think that it is by the garden that we must effect an
entrance. Though there may be sentries in front of the house, it is
hardly likely that any will be placed in the garden. But if sentries
are there we ought to have no difficulty in settling them. Once into
the garden, we ought easily to effect an entrance by a door or a
window. Then, of course, we should have to be guided by circumstances,
for there will doubtless be a number of servants sleeping in the
passages, and possibly some soldiers. You are going to help me, arenʼt
you, Ah Lo?”
“Certainly, master; I have come here to do so. My life is of little
consequence to me. If it is my fate to die now I must die. Tell me what
you want done and I will do it.”
“Thank you, Ah Lo! I knew that I could rely upon you. If I could manage
it by myself I would do so, but certainly I shall require assistance.
We have to consider not only how to get the girls out, but also how we
are to escape pursuit. Of course we shall need disguises, for there is
sure to be a hot search, and the whole country will be scoured.”
“Well, master, we may as well sleep now. We can talk matters over
when we go to the town in the morning. A couple of great baskets of
vegetables will be ready for us in the morning, and we shall have
plenty of time to talk over our plans as we go along.”
CHAPTER IV
A RESCUE
An hour after dawn they started. Early as it was the vegetables had
been cut and packed in three large baskets, and after paying for them
they put the straps of the baskets across their foreheads and started.
The loads were fairly heavy and although Ah Lo carried his without
difficulty, Rex found the strap press very heavily on his forehead.
“I was thinking it over in the night, master,” Ah Lo said, when they
had gone a short distance.
“Donʼt call me master, Ah Lo; you know that we agreed that you should
always call me Shen Yo.”
“I will try to do so. Well, I have been thinking it over, and I
consider that if we succeed in getting the ladies away, we should at
first go north. The search will be made for us chiefly on the roads
to Tientsin and Pekin. The distance is about the same to both towns.
They will scarcely suspect that we have gone north, and if we travel
all night, hide in a rice–field during the day, and then again travel
all night, we should be beyond the reach of searchers, and could then
travel round to Pekin, which would, I think, be safer than Tientsin,
where the Boxers will always be in numbers. Of course we must have
disguises for the ladies. Their best plan would be to dress as boys.
Chinese women do not travel about, and their doing so would at once
give rise to suspicion. We must, of course, get some stain to give them
the proper native colour. When we have turned our faces towards Pekin
we must state that you and I are going to enlist in the Chinese army,
that we have friends in Pekin, and that the boys are going with us to
get any work they can. We can account for our guns by saying that we
have obtained them from some of the Boxers who had brought them from
Tientsin.”
“Yes, we must stick to them if we can,” Rex agreed. “As they are
magazine rifles we ought to be a match for any twenty of these
villagers or a dozen Boxers; and at any rate, if the worst came to the
worst, we could be killed fighting and not be put to death by slow
torture.
“I have been thinking too,” Rex added, “that the best thing to do
will be to set the house on fire. If we take in with us a large can
of spirit, sprinkle it over everything in one of the rooms, and then
spill a lot in the passage and set it all alight, the sudden alarm will
create such a tremendous confusion and panic that we may be able to
seize the girls and carry them off without being noticed.”
“That would be a very good plan,” Ah Lo agreed. “We shall have to carry
a heavy sledge–hammer with us to break in the door of their prison,
for they are sure to be locked up. A sentry will probably be stationed
at their door, and of course we must stab him. If we set fire to the
house, as you propose, we had better carry thick clothes with us to
throw round them, as, in order to carry them off, we may have to run
through the flames. The wrappings will protect them, and besides people
wonʼt notice what we are carrying and will think that we are rescuing
valuables from the flames. It will be well also, if possible, to seize
porcelain jars or other valuables. I can carry the elder girl; and you
can take the younger on one shoulder, and carry a jar or some other
valuable on the other. We had better have cloaks and broad hats, like
those of the soldiers. There would be no fear, in the confusion, of
anyone noticing our faces.
“I really think, Shen Yo, that we may be able to succeed. It did not
seem possible at first, but I think now that with the aid of fire we
may be successful.”
“I certainly donʼt see why we shouldnʼt,” Rex said. “In such wild
confusion as there would be, no one would notice anyone else. The
great thing is to be quite sure where the girls are kept, and that we
must find out to–day if possible. We will get rid of our vegetables as
soon as we can, and then wander about with the empty baskets on our
shoulders. We shall then see if people go in and out of the yamen.
It is most likely that they will. Many will have petitions to make
and some complaints to lay before the governor. Some, perhaps, will
only go in to stare about. Possibly a little cash may induce one of
the soldiers to point out the door of the room where the girls are
confined, and that will be all that we shall want. When we have found
that out we shall have to buy two suits of clothes for the girls,
two cloaks and hats like those worn by the military, long lengths of
rope for climbing the wall and getting down, a hook of some sort for
catching the top of the wall, a sledge–hammer, a chisel for opening a
door or a window, and a bottle holding a couple of gallons of spirit.
Can you think of anything else?”
“We must get some provisions and leave them at the bottom of the wall
before we climb up, for we must not go anywhere to buy food for the
first day or two after we start.”
“Yes, that will certainly be a good plan.”
When they approached Chafui they overtook some other peasants also
carrying in vegetables, and, joining them, they entered the town
together. Numbers of Boxers in their red jackets were in the streets,
and a good many of the regular soldiers. The townspeople were moving
about; some were laughing and chatting with the soldiers, others moved
quietly about, evidently feeling by no means sure that the Boxers would
not, before they left the town, plunder the houses.
Rex and Ah Lo were not long in disposing of the contents of their
baskets, and they moved nearer and nearer to the yamen as they did so,
getting rid of a large number of their goods within a short distance
of the gate. They sat down for a while near the gate of the yamen and
watched the people go in and out of the courtyard. Then, approaching
the gate, they laid their blankets down a short distance from the
soldiers standing at the gate, and entered. No questions were asked,
and, crossing the courtyard, they entered the house. They saw two
soldiers standing at a door and went up to them.
“What do you want?” one of them asked.
“Can we see the little white devils? We have come a long way to have a
look at them.” And he slipped a few coins into the manʼs hands.
“No, you canʼt see them,” the man said; “the orders of the governor are
strict. They wonʼt be here much longer; the governor expects a message
from the viceroy to–morrow, and then we shall put an end to them. It
might just as well have been done at first. If it had, we should have
been saved the trouble of keeping sentry over them for the past week.”
This was serious news, but they had seen all they required. There was
a door between the private apartment and the public rooms. This was
closed, and the room occupied by the prisoners was next to it. Having
ascertained this important fact, Rex and his follower left the house,
took up their baskets, and walked off.
“I think that is as well as we could expect,” Rex said. “We may take it
for certain that no sentries will be placed in the private part of the
house; so that if we enter on that side we can make our preparations
and light our fire without fear of being disturbed. Now we had better
take a turn round the place behind, to choose the spot where we will
climb over, and see if any sentries are placed on that side.”
The wall was about fourteen feet high, and there was a door at the
back. All was quiet, and there was a piece of waste ground behind the
garden. They examined the door carefully.
“I think, Ah Lo,” said Rex, “it will be better to cut round this lock,
if we cannot force it, instead of climbing over the wall. That would
take us time; while if the door could be opened at once we should
run straight down the garden, close the door behind us, and make off
without a momentʼs delay.”
“It would certainly be much better,” Ah Lo agreed. “We should have
plenty of time to cut through the door after it gets dark. If we decide
to do that we shall have to buy a saw and a tool for cutting a hole
through which to thrust it. It would certainly be a relief to get rid
of the ropes. We may as well get the other things at once, and then we
can sit down in some quiet place, eat our food, and talk matters over.”
When Ah Lo had bought all the various things they required, they sat
down with their backs against a wall. All their purchases were stowed
in the bottom of one of their baskets, the other being put into it so
that no one might see what they were carrying.
“Of course,” said Rex when they were seated, “it wonʼt be an easy job.
In the first place, we have to make an entrance; I donʼt think that
there will be much difficulty about that. Then, you see, we shall have
to light a fire in two rooms, one on each side, and as the flames rush
out of the doors, we must open the door of communication. Probably
it is fastened with a bar. There must be a sufficient blaze to cause
a panic among the sentries. For a moment there will, no doubt, be a
tremendous uproar, and anyone in the passage or rooms will rush out.
Then we must seize the moment to break in the door. If the sentries
should keep their place, which I should think is very doubtful, we must
throw ourselves upon them at once. The door once open, the rest will
be easy; we shall have but to wrap the girls in the blankets and run
through the fire with them. The critical moment will be that at which
we open the door; we must make perfectly sure that the two sentries
are taken by surprise. I have every hope that the place will be burnt
down, and in that case it is likely enough that they will never give
the captives a thought beyond concluding that they have been burnt
to death. I think it would be a good thing to take the hangings from
some of the rooms, roll them up into a bundle, and soak them with the
spirit. Then, when we have taken down the bar and have the door ready
for opening, we will light that bundle, so that when we open the door
there will be a great blaze close to the men and at the same time they
will see the flames from the rooms farther down the passage. The scare
is almost certain to make them bolt, and we can then break in the other
door. The noise will merely sound to them as if something on fire had
fallen down, and we shall have got the girls out through the door
before they can open the gate of the yard and call the sentries from
the guard–house.”
“I think it ought all to go right,” Ah Lo agreed. “Now, master, I think
that I will go back again. I must see my father and mother and tell
them that I have to go away on urgent business, for that I hear the
Boxers are coming to our village in the morning to search for every
able–bodied man, and that, therefore, I must leave at once. What will
you do?”
“Can we return to the back of this yamen without passing through the
town?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will go with you. We need not bring our baskets back with us;
we can make the things up into a bundle. I would rather walk home with
you and return than hang about here where I might be questioned.”
Accordingly they again took their baskets on their backs and returned
to the village, hiding their parcels before they entered. Hearing the
news they brought, several young men, who had managed to escape the
last search of the Boxers, at once made off into the country. Ah Lo
and Rex remained with the two old people until dusk. The old people
were much distressed to hear that their son had to leave them so soon.
He promised to pay them a longer visit as soon as it was safe to do
so, and having left a sufficient supply of money to last them for some
time, he took a tender farewell of them and started once more with his
companion.
They arrived without adventure at the back of the yamen, and at once
set to work on the lock, as it was now perfectly dark and the streets
were already deserted except by parties of Boxers. In an hour they
had cut round the lock, but then they found that the door was also
held by bolts. It did not take them long, however, to enlarge the hole
sufficiently for Rex to get his arm through and unfasten the bolts.
They now waited until the lights in the house gradually disappeared,
and then moved quietly up to it. They found, as they hoped would be the
case, that the door of the house was unfastened.
Having ascertained this, they waited another hour until they were sure
that everyone was asleep. Then they entered, lit a lamp that they
had bought for the purpose, and set to work. They soon piled mats and
curtains near the doors of the rooms on both sides of the passage, and
poured oil and spirit over them. When this was done they made up a roll
six feet high and six feet long, and, saturating this with oil, carried
it to the door. They then set a light to the great piles of inflammable
materials in the two rooms. These flashed up instantly, and the flames
came rushing through the doors. When they saw that the blaze had taken
a good hold of the material they set fire to the bundle in the passage.
As this blazed up they removed the bar and flung the door open. The
two sentries gave a loud cry as they saw the flames rushing out at the
end of the passage, and made a simultaneous rush for the front door.
Running in, Rex and his companion found that the door of the girlsʼ
prison was held by bars only. These they undid, and found to their
satisfaction that the door opened, and that there was no occasion to
break it down.
The light of the flames was amply sufficient to enable them to see. The
two girls lay in each otherʼs arms in one corner.
“It is all right, girls!” Rex cried. “I am Rex, and I have come here to
save you!”
Then, lifting the girls to their feet, they wrapped the blankets round
them. Each lifted one and sprang through the flames rising from the
roll, and then through the sheet of fire at the end of the passage.
When they reached the open air they released the girls from the
wrappings, and, snatching up their rifles, which they had left leaning
against the wall outside, ran down the garden. Once outside they felt
that they were for the present safe.
Already a babel of noises was arising from the yamen—shrieks of women
and shouts of men.
[Illustration: REX RESCUES HIS COUSINS FROM THE BOXERS.]
“I hope the women wonʼt be burned,” Rex said.
“If they cannot get down the staircase they can jump from the windows,”
said Ah Lo.
“Thank God, girls, that we have got you out! We have some native
clothes for you, but we must run for some little distance first; the
fire will bring all the town out.”
“Are we dreaming?” Jenny said. “Can it be really you, Rex?”
“It is, dear; you can seize me and shake me, to make sure that you are
awake. Are you strong enough to walk?”
“Yes, if I am really awake.”
The younger sister, however, could scarcely stand, and Ah Lo caught her
up and they at once started, Jenny pouring question after question into
Rexʼs ear as he hurried her along. When they were two or three hundred
yards away they broke into a walk.
“Now we can go on steadily,” Rex said. “We are absolutely safe till the
morning, and by that time I hope we shall be a good many miles away.”
When they had gone another mile Rex said: “We had better stop here and
eat something, for we shall want all our strength for the journey.”
“But how did you come to be here, Rex?”
“Well, dear, we heard such terrible news of what was going on
throughout the country that Ah Lo and I determined to come out in
disguise to see if we could be of any assistance to you. Of course we
have heard all that has happened, so do not pain yourselves by talking
about it at present. We have got stain for you to colour your skin, and
the dresses of Chinese boys in which you must disguise yourselves. It
would not do for you to be travelling as girls. We shall try to make
our way to Pekin. Of course we shall have difficulties, but I trust
that we shall get through all right. We intend to give out that we are
going to enlist in the army, and we shall have to invent some story
to account for your going with us. We have got rifles, so that if we
should be interfered with by any small party we shall be able to give
a good account of them. We have got you out more easily than we had
expected, and no one is likely to notice that you have escaped. They
will have more than enough to do if they wish to save the house, and I
doubt whether they will succeed in putting out the fire, for I think we
set the place pretty well alight.”
Indeed, it was already evident that the fire had got a great hold,
for, from the point that they had now gained, the flames could be seen
leaping out of all the windows on the ground floor at the back of
the house. The fugitives went almost at a run for another mile, and
when they stopped and looked round, the yamen was in a blaze from top
to bottom. Ah Lo now set Mabel on her feet, and the two girls threw
themselves into each otherʼs arms and burst into tears.
“Now you had better eat something,” Rex said, after he allowed them a
short time to recover themselves. “Did the brutes feed you well?”
“We had enough to eat till to–day; they have given us nothing to–day,
and we thought that that was a sign that the end had very nearly come.”
“No doubt it was so. Now in the first place you must each eat and drink
something.”
“I donʼt feel as if I wanted anything.”
“Never mind, it is absolutely necessary that you should eat. We must
get as far away as we can before morning, and unless you eat you wonʼt
be able to walk.”
The girls ate slowly at first, but as their appetites came back they
managed to eat a hearty meal. While they did so Rex told them about the
fighting at Tientsin, and the way in which they had made their way
into the yamen and set it on fire.
“I can only just see the outline of your figure, Rex,” Jenny said, “but
you seem to have grown tremendously since I saw you last.”
“Yes, I have grown a good deal. Four years make a great difference at
my age. You have grown a good deal too, Jenny; you were quite a small
girl when I saw you last. How pleased my father and mother will be to
see you both again!”
“Did they send any messages?”
“No, Jenny, and for a very good reason. They did not know that we were
coming. We stole off quietly in the night, for I was not at all sure
that they would let me try if I asked their permission. I left a letter
for them saying where I had gone, and that, as I had Ah Lo with me, I
felt pretty sure that it would come out all right. You see, I speak
Chinese nearly as well as he does, and there was no real reason why
anyone should suspect that we were not what we looked. Now, dear, if
you have finished we will go on.”
They went for some ten miles before the day began to break. Ah Lo
carried Mabel for the last five, for both girls were weakened by the
scenes they had gone through, the grief at the loss of their parents,
and the fear as to their own fate. As day approached they went into a
large field of standing corn, which rose some feet above their heads.
“Now, girls, you go on a few yards and then change your clothes. Here
is the stain. You must dye your whole skin and darken your eyebrows,
eyelashes, and hair. You know a great deal better than I do how your
hair must be plaited into pigtails and wound up under these hats.
I think you will find the clothes all right; they are just jackets
buttoning up in front, and loose trousers. You can put on your own
boots as long as we are walking in an open country and there is no one
about, but when we are likely to meet anyone you must put on these
Chinese shoes. After you have dressed yourselves you had better lie
down and have a long sleep. We shall keep a look–out; but as we entered
the field in single file, and raised the stalks after us, it is not
likely that, even if the owner comes along, he will suspect that anyone
is in hiding here. Before you try to go off to sleep you had better eat
another meal.”
“Are we on our way to Pekin, Rex?”
“No, we have come north so far; for if a search is made it will be in
the direction of Pekin or Tientsin. I do not think it at all likely,
however, that they will trouble to look for us. They will not give
you a thought at first; and when they do think of you the place will
be in such a blaze that they wonʼt be able to get at your room, and
will certainly conclude that you have perished in the flames. The only
possible ground for suspicion will be that the door at the end of the
garden may be found open; but no one may think of going round there for
some days, and at the worst they will but fancy that robbers broke in
there, and, while plundering the rooms, accidentally set the house on
fire. At any rate, long before the idea can occur to them that it was
an attempt to rescue you, we shall be a hundred miles away.”
The day passed quietly. Ah Lo and Rex in turn slept and watched near
the edge of the corn. Men could be seen working in some of the fields,
but no one approached the edge of the field in which they were hidden.
Late in the afternoon the girls joined them, looking their character
so well that even Ah Lo said that he would not have suspected them of
being anything but what they seemed. A hearty meal was then eaten,
and an hour after dark they started again, this time making towards
the east. They passed through many small villages during the night,
and walked, they calculated, over twenty miles, Ah Lo, as before,
carrying Mabel the last seven or eight miles. Again they hid during the
day, and in the evening turned their faces towards Pekin. Their stock
of provisions was now exhausted, and the next day Ah Lo went into a
village and brought a fresh supply.
They met with no adventure until they were half–way on their journey,
when one evening as they were passing through a village, the door of
one of the houses opened and three men whose dress showed them to be
Boxers came out.
“Hello!” one of them said, “who are you?”
“We the travellers,” Ah Lo replied.
“What makes you travel so late?”
“We are anxious to push on to the next village.”
“Come in here and let us have a look at you,” one of them said.
“Shall we go in, master?” Ah Lo said in a whisper.
“Yes, you had better; there is a large party of them. You go on, girls;
stop by the side of the last house in the village on the right–hand
side.”
Rex and Lo then followed the men into the house. Inside were nine
others, several of them smoking. “Now where are you going to?” demanded
the Boxer who had before spoken, and who was apparently the leader of
the party.
“We are going to enlist in the army.”
“You had better join us. I see you have a good gun; where did you get
it from?”
“I got it from some men who were fighting at Tientsin and returned home
wounded.”
“Well, you will get others there,” the man said; “you had better hand
them over to us. You must stop here for the night and go on with us. It
appears to me that there is something suspicious about you. Where are
the two boys who were with you?”
“They have gone on. I told them to.”
“Two of you run after them and fetch them back,” the man said angrily.
Ah Lo and Rex both unslung their guns from their shoulders as if
to hand them over. They were still standing in the doorway, and Ah
Lo shoved one of the Boxers, who tried to pass him, and sent him
staggering backwards. The captain, with an exclamation of fury, drew
his sword. Ah Lo dropped his rifle against the manʼs chest and fired.
The others at once sprang to their feet.
“Donʼt throw away a shot!” Rex exclaimed. “Now it is begun we must
finish them,” and he shot down the man next him. “Step back outside the
door, then only one can get at us at a time.”
The rifles rang out again, and three more of the Boxers fell. The
others, seizing their arms, rushed in a mass towards them.
“Fire by turns, Ah Lo,” Rex said as he fired, and then drove the muzzle
of his rifle with all his force into the chest of the next man coming
at him; the man fell as instantaneously as though he had been shot. Two
or three of the Boxers were armed with guns, and these attempted to
press forward so as to be able to use them. Rexʼs thrust had cleared
the crowd a little back, and Ah Lo shot one of the men with a gun as
he pressed forward. Almost at the same moment one of the others fired,
and the ball passed along Rexʼs arm and came out in the shoulder.
With a howl the man rushed forward again. Rex and Ah Lo fired at the
same moment. There were now but four Boxers left, and these charged
before they were ready to fire again. Ah Lo clubbed his musket; Rex,
as before, used his gun as a spear, and as a Boxer rushed at him with
uplifted sword, caught him full in the chest.
“Hold the door while I load, Ah Lo,” he said.
It took but a couple of seconds to discharge the cartridge and reload
and close the breech, and then Rex shot one assailant just when Ah Lo
struck down another. The last man threw down his weapon, but Ah Loʼs
blood was up, and knowing that none of the party must be allowed to get
away, he brought the butt of his musket down with all his strength upon
the manʼs head.
“That has been sharp work, Ah Lo,” Rex panted. “Now, we must be off.”
“I donʼt think they are all killed,” Ah Lo said.
“Well, most of them must be, and certainly none of the others can be
in a position to take up the pursuit. We had better not wait another
moment, or we shall have the villagers out on us.” So saying he started
to run.
“I will run,” Ah Lo said, “but there is no fear that the villagers will
come out. When they hear the firing they will think that the Boxers are
quarrelling among themselves, and certainly no one will venture out to
see about it.”
They found the girls waiting at the appointed place, and they gave a
cry of joy as Rex ran up.
“What has happened?” they asked together.
“The Boxers were nasty and were sending two men off to catch you, so we
stopped them, and we had a tough fight, but none of them got away.”
“How many were there?”
“Twelve.”
“And you killed them all?”
“We shot eight of them. Ah Lo broke the skulls of two, and I knocked
the wind out of the other two. Whether I killed them or not I do not
know, but it is quite certain that they cannot be in a fit condition
to take up the pursuit. We can now go on again; only for the rest of
the journey we must avoid villages.
“You neednʼt grieve for the Boxers,” he said, as the girls uttered an
exclamation of horror at what he had said. “As likely as not they have
come from Chafui; but if not, no doubt they have taken part in some
of these massacres and were making for Tientsin to join their fellows
there.”
“Oh, how could you do it, Rex? I am not sorry for the Boxers a bit, but
it is wonderful that you two should have killed twelve of them in two
minutes; I am sure the firing did not last longer than that.”
“It was quick work certainly, Jenny; but with these breech–loaders one
can fire all the shots in a magazine in less than a minute, and at such
close quarters there was no possibility of missing oneʼs aim. If there
had been a few more of them we should probably not have succeeded so
well, for our magazines were nearly empty when we had finished. Still,
holding the door as we did, so that only one man could really get at us
at once, I think we should have given a good account of ourselves even
if there had been five or six more.”
They made an unusually long journey that night; the girls would not
hear of stopping, although Rex assured them that there was no chance of
being overtaken. When day dawned they were more than usually careful in
hiding themselves among some very high grass. Rex and Ah Lo took turns
to watch all day, but to their satisfaction they saw no one hurrying
along the road as if carrying a message of importance.
“I did not expect to see one,” Ah Lo said; “the villagers will be
frightened out of their lives when they venture out in the morning and
see what has happened. I think it likely that they will at once bury
all the bodies, for they will be afraid that should a party of Boxers
come along and see what has taken place, they would plunder and burn
the village and kill all the inhabitants. No, I do not think there is
any fear that the alarm will be given.”
They continued their journey thus till they were within fifteen miles
of Pekin. Here the road was no longer unfrequented during the day,
bands of armed men and Boxers frequently passing along. The next day
they made ten miles and then lay down to sleep. Soon after daybreak
natives in carts, with vegetables and grain, came along. As soon as
they had passed, the fugitives issued out, and presently overtaking one
of the parties journeyed on in company with them until they reached the
gates of the city. They wandered about for some hours before they found
the quarter where the Legations were situated, for they did not like
to ask directions, as that would have shown that they were strangers
in the city. They came at last to a building where two marines were
keeping guard. From these they heard that the British Legation was
in the next street, and soon they were gladdened by the sight of an
English uniform.
They were stopped by the sentries, but on Rex saying in English that
they were fugitives from one of the missions that had been destroyed
they were allowed to enter.
The Legation stood in a very large enclosure which had at one time been
a palace belonging to a member of the imperial family. The gardens
were charmingly laid out, and it contained several courtyards, each
surrounded by buildings.
They were conducted by one of the servants of the Legation to the house
of the minister, Sir Claude Macdonald, and upon Rex sending in their
names they were at once admitted.
“We have made our escape, sir,” Rex said, “from Chafui, where the
mission has been destroyed and all save these two young ladies,
daughters of the missionary in charge, murdered. I myself am the son of
Mr. Bateman of Tientsin. These young ladies are my cousins, and with
the aid of this faithful Chinaman, who has for many years been in my
fatherʼs service, I have succeeded in rescuing them from the hands of
the Boxers.”
“I congratulate you indeed, sir. A considerable number of fugitives
have already arrived here. I will hand the ladies over at once into the
charge of Lady Macdonald, who will see that they are well cared for.”
He rang a bell and told a servant to take the girls to Lady Macdonald,
and then turned again to Rex:
“We had heard reports of the massacre at Chafui, and were afraid that
all had perished. I shall be glad to know how you and these young
ladies escaped?”
Rex gave a brief account of the incident.
“I congratulate you most warmly on the success of your enterprise, and
on the courage you displayed in undertaking it and carrying it out. It
certainly seemed, on the face of it, to be a most mad–brained attempt,
but it has been amply justified by the success that has attended it.
“Our position here is very precarious, and although the court continue
to give us assurances of the most friendly intentions, we have the best
grounds for believing that the Empress and her advisers are bent upon
our destruction. However, we are making every preparation for defence,
and believe that we shall be able to hold out until assistance arrives.
What are your own intentions?”
“My intentions, sir, are to make my way at once down to Tientsin. My
parents cannot but feel the most lively anxiety as to my safety, and my
first duty is to go back to relieve their suspense. If any expedition
is sent up here to your relief, I shall hope to accompany it in some
capacity. I can speak Chinese like a native, and may be useful as an
interpreter. I shall, of course, leave my cousins here if you will
kindly permit them to stay, for although with my Chinese follower I
might make my way without difficulty through any bodies of the Chinese
who may be on the road, I could hardly do so if I were accompanied by
two girls, however well they might be disguised.”
“Certainly not,” the envoy said; “that would be quite impossible.
There are, we know, a considerable number of the Chinese between us
and Tientsin. They have already torn up the railway, and although
my messengers do get through, direct communications are entirely
interrupted. Still, as you have made the journey from Chafui here
without difficulty, I should think that you might manage to accomplish
the journey to Tientsin safely. Of course you will remain here a day or
two. One of the members of my staff will lend you a suit of clothes.”
He touched the bell. “Send Mr. Sandwich here. He is one of the student
interpreters,” he said, turning again to Rex, “and is about your own
height; and I have no doubt that his things will fit you well. I shall
be glad if you will dine with me and afterwards give me more detailed
accounts of your adventures.”
In a few minutes the young man made his appearance. “Mr. Sandwich,” Sir
Claude said, “I will hand over this gentleman, who has just arrived
from Chafui, to your charge, He will only be staying here for a day or
two, for he is going to try to make his way down to Tientsin. I shall
be obliged if you will lend him a suit of clothes while he stays here.”
“Certainly, I will do all I can to make him comfortable.”
“I should be obliged, sir,” Rex said, “if you would allow a surgeon to
dress my arm. A bullet entered just above the wrist and ran up to my
shoulder. I think the wound is going on all right, but it is rather
painful, and I should be glad to have it dressed properly.”
“Certainly, I will send our doctor to the college at once. He will be
there almost as soon as you. You did not tell me that you had been hit.”
“It is not a serious wound, sir; the bullet only just went under the
skin, and I fancy that when it has once been properly dressed it will
give me no more trouble.”
“You are well disguised,” Sandwich said as he left the room with Rex.
“I am sure that I should not have had any suspicions, however closely I
inspected you. How did you manage to get here from Chafui?”
“I speak Chinese like a native. I was born in Tientsin, and was sent
home to England four years ago; but as my father was most anxious that
I should keep up Chinese, he sent with me one of the coolies who had
always been my special servant, and so I came back speaking it as well
as when I went.”
“We heard that there had been a massacre at Chafui.”
“Yes, I managed, with the aid of my man, to rescue my two cousins, who
are the daughters of the missionary there. I was just in time, for they
were to have been murdered on the following day.”
“But how was it that you were not murdered yourself?”
“For the simple reason that I was not there when the massacre took
place. The news of the massacre came to us at Tientsin, and I set off
with my man to see if any of them had survived and if possible to
rescue them. This we effected by setting fire to the governorʼs yamen,
where the girls were confined, and carrying them off in the confusion
that ensued. The only adventure we met with on the road was that we
were interfered with by a party of a dozen Boxers. We had a fight with
them; but as we had breech–loaders, and they were jammed up in a room,
we had no difficulty in disposing of them all.”
“By Jove, that was a plucky thing,” Sandwich said; “and so you are
going off again?”
“Yes, I am in a hurry to get back to my people, who must be in great
anxiety about me.”
“Well, this is our college,” the young man said, stopping before
a building of some size. “We are all trained here for the Chinese
Consulate service. I will take you to my room first and rig you out. We
shall be having a meal directly, and then I can introduce you to the
fellows, when I promise you a hearty reception.”
Half an hour later Rex went down in a suit of white clothes to the
dining–room. He had already asked Sandwich to hand over Ah Lo to
the proper quarter, where he could get rations and lodging. He was
introduced to eight or ten young men who were studying at the college,
and, after the meal was over, related the story of the rescue of his
cousins. The narrative excited great interest, and he was warmly
praised.
CHAPTER V
WITH SEYMOURʼS COLUMN
That evening after dinner Rex told the envoy in full the story of his
adventures. The chiefs of two or three other Legations were present,
and all expressed great surprise that a mere lad should have carried
out so desperate an undertaking.
The next morning the doctor called to see Rex.
“You are thinking of going down at once, are you not?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, I have come in to tell you that your cousins cannot possibly go
with you. Their recent experiences have been a terrible strain on them,
and as a result of the reaction, both are completely prostrated. The
younger one is very feverish, and is, I expect, in for a sharp illness.”
“I am very sorry to hear that, sir, though I cannot say that I am
surprised. They have held on very well, but they were weak when they
started, and throughout the journey they have had no chance of picking
up strength. I was afraid that they would break down before they got
here. At any rate I shall run down to Tientsin to see my father and
mother, who are no doubt suffering great anxiety, and shall then, I
hope, be able to arrange to come back for them. I suppose I can see
them before I start?”
“Certainly, but the shorter your visit the better. You may be quite
sure that they will have every attention here. I donʼt think there
is any reason for being uneasy about them. It is the natural reaction
after the strain, and I hope that in another fortnight or so they will
be able to travel. I will go across with you to their room now.”
Rex at once went over.
“I have come to say good–bye, Jenny,” he said, as he entered the shaded
room in which his cousins were lying. “The doctor says that you wonʼt
be fit to travel for another fortnight, and you know I must run down to
see my father and mother, who will by this time be in a great state of
alarm about you. I shall be back for you, and I hope if I come at the
end of a fortnight I shall find you both in a fit state to go. If you
are not, I shall wait till you are. Good–bye, dear!”
“Good–bye, Rex! Of course you ought to go to Tientsin, and we shall
look forward to your return. Thank you a thousand times for all that
you have done for us, and thank Ah Lo too!”
Mabel was lying with her eyes half–closed and her cheeks flushed with
fever, and Rex, seeing that it was of no use trying to rouse her to say
good–bye, kissed Jenny and went quietly out of the room.
“I shall keep your clothes until I come back again, Sandwich,” Rex said
when he was taking leave of his friend.
“You are perfectly welcome to them if you donʼt bring them back,” the
other laughed. “I have any number of suits, and if trouble comes on we
shall not be particular about washing.”
“I expect I shall be back before long, for if there is a row here I
should like to be in it.”
Rex and Ah Lo went to the railway–station in time for the train which
started at ten oʼclock. Several merchants and others were going down
also. The journey was a tedious one, for the train travelled slowly
and stopped frequently. It was just breakfast–time next morning when
they arrived. Rex walked in unannounced just as his father and mother
were sitting down to breakfast. They leapt to their feet with cries of
surprise and delight.
“I cannot blow you up now, Rex,” his father said after the first joy of
the meeting had passed, “but it was the maddest thing that I ever heard
of. I am too glad, however, at your safe return to scold you. We were
beginning to lose all hope of your return. We thought you might get to
Chafui, and of course it was a great satisfaction that you had Ah Lo
with you; but when you found that everyone had been massacred, what
prevented you from returning at once?”
“The fact, Father, that I found that they were not all massacred. My
uncle and aunt had both fallen, but the girls were prisoners in the
governorʼs yamen. It was a close affair, for they were to have been
given to the Boxers to be massacred the very next day. We got them out,
however, and took them safely to Pekin, and they are at present staying
at the Legation.”
“You have saved the dear girls!” his mother exclaimed; “that is indeed
good news. But where are they?”
“They are at Pekin, Mother. They bore up splendidly until they got
there, and then they broke down, and the doctor said that they would
need careful treatment and rest before they could be moved. So I ran
down here to tell you of my safety, and am going back again in a few
days to bring them home. I will give you full particulars when I have
got into my own clothes and had some breakfast. We brought a good
stock of provisions with us, but finished the last morsel yesterday
afternoon. It has been a tremendously long journey, and, as you may
imagine, I am pretty peckish. Before sitting down, however, I will run
upstairs and change, for I must have a wash before eating. I shall be
down again in ten minutes.”
He soon returned, and his father and mother asked no questions until he
had finished breakfast, except that his mother asked how he had left
the girls.
“I think they will both be better for a rest, Mother,” he said. “They
both look fagged, which is not to be wondered at, considering all they
have come through, but they are a good deal better than when I first
saw them.”
As soon as breakfast was over, and before he questioned Rex further,
Mr. Bateman sent for Ah Lo.
“Ah Lo,” he said, when the Chinaman came in, “you did wrong to aid my
son to carry out this enterprise. However, as it succeeded so well I
cannot blame you, and indeed must thank you heartily for having carried
Rex safely through the matter.”
The Chinaman smiled. “I think it is the other way. Mr. Rex carried me
through the affair. He always told me what to do; I did just so and it
came out all right.”
“Well, I shall not forget the great service you have rendered us.” Ah
Lo bowed and went off.
“Now then, Rex, give us an account of your doings, for at present I
cannot imagine how you managed to get the girls out from the governorʼs
yamen.”
It took Rex more than an hour to relate his adventures, for he was very
frequently interrupted by exclamations and questions from his father
and mother.
“It was a wonderful rescue,” his father said, when he had brought that
part of the story to a close. “It seems simple enough as you tell it,
but I really can hardly imagine how the plan occurred to you. There the
girls were shut up in the strong house of a governor, with sentries
over them and a guard but a few yards away. It was a problem that
might have puzzled the sharpest brain, and it was carried out without
the slightest hitch. It does you extreme credit, Rex, and I feel proud
of you. Well, go on with your story.”
There was a fresh outburst of surprise when Rex related the fight with
the twelve Boxers.
“Well, my boy,” Mr. Bateman said when Rex brought his story to an
end, “after that you can be trusted to go anywhere, and I donʼt think
your mother or I will in future feel anything like the same anxiety
concerning you as we have experienced this time.”
“And now, Father, how do matters stand here at present?”
“Things are quiet. A good many sailors have come up, and although a
large number of the rebels are still round the town, we have no fear
whatever that they will be able to take the place.”
“I think the fighting will be pretty hard work, Father, if, as I think
there is little doubt, the Boxers attack in earnest. But what are the
regular Chinese troops going to do?”
“I think the envoys still hope that they will stand aloof; but as far
as I have learned, the general opinion is just the other way. The
Empress and her ministers profess that the Boxers are a peaceable
people who only desire well for the empire. They have issued a few
shilly–shallying edicts, which can be read both ways, but it is
generally believed that the Boxers have been put in the foreground
because the Empress thinks they are more than sufficiently strong to
destroy the Legations and kill every white and native Christian in the
country. She doesnʼt want the responsibility. Before Europeans she
can, if she chooses, disavow their actions, while at the same time
professing her inability to control them, and declaring that as the
will of the people is that no white men shall henceforth live or trade
in China she must bow to their wishes. Many think, therefore, that if
the Boxers can do the work alone they will be allowed to do it; if not,
the Imperial troops will join them.
“It is quite certain that an enormous number of native Christians
have been massacred in various parts of China, and I have heard that
some have been murdered in Pekin itself. I hope that enough troops
will be collected to go up before long. Troops have come in from all
directions, but I am afraid it will be at least a couple of months
before anything like an army can be moved forward. From the ships now
here probably only two thousand men could be spared for the purpose.”
“I doubt whether that would be enough, Father. There are hordes of
Chinese between this and Pekin, and a large number of them are armed
with the best rifles. They have breech–loaders of all sorts, and you
know we must do them the justice to say that they fought bravely enough
round here. I fancy they will fight even better to prevent us from
getting to Pekin.”
“It is by no means certain, Rex, that in the first place we shall not
have to fight on for our own existence. Great numbers of Boxers and
other ruffians throng the town, and if they know their own business
they will not be fools enough to allow an army to gather here at all.
As to the Taku Forts, I believe they will be taken just as easily as
they were last time. Still, the larger vessels cannot come up the
river, and the smaller ones will probably have to be escorted up by
troops. They will doubtless be opposed fiercely, and not improbably we
shall be attacked here at the same time, in which case we may have to
fight hard.”
“All right, Father! I should like it all the better. Knowing, as we do,
how they have massacred hundreds of missionaries and their families and
many thousands of native Christians, we shall feel a real satisfaction
in fighting these fiends.”
“And yet, Rex, a good deal of allowance must be made for them. You
must remember that China has always been an exclusive country, and
that the Chinese appear to have an ingrained hatred of foreigners. To
begin with, we come here because they donʼt want to buy our opium, and
we fight them and compel them to open Chinese ports to trade. Well,
the Chinese are not fools, and as long as it was only a question of
trade they might put up with us, seeing that they obtained as much
advantage from trade as we do. This, however, was not enough. We invade
them with a vast crowd of missionaries, who settle themselves in all
parts of the country, build themselves houses and churches, and set
to work to convert the Chinese. Naturally the Chinese donʼt like it.
Certainly we should not like it ourselves if hundreds of Chinamen were
to settle down in all our towns, open joss–houses, hold out all sorts
of advantages to proselytes, and convert the lowest and most ignorant
class of the population to Confucianism or Buddhism. But this is not
all. Missionaries take the converts under their protection, set up a
little imperium, demand the right to judge and punish their own people,
and generally to set the local authorities pretty well at defiance;
and the Catholic bishops have actually insisted upon having the title,
rank, and power of Chinese viceroys.
“All these things are odious to the mass of the people, and when, as
at present, they find the whole of the European powers engaged in a
general grab of fresh ports, they say this thing must stop. I need not
say that I hold these massacres in abhorrence, but if they had simply
brought down all the missionaries to the treaty ports and said to them,
ʻIf you come outside these walls you will be at once put to death,ʼ I
should say that they were acting just as most European powers would
act in similar circumstances, and that from their own point of view
they were acting wisely. It would be necessary, of course, for us
to retain ambassadors at Pekin to protect our treaty rights and to
settle any disputes that might arise, but beyond that I would, if I
were the Emperor of China, forbid any foreigner from going beyond the
treaty ports, which would be all so strongly fortified that they could
defy any attack. Of course, foreigners might be allowed to enter the
Chinese service if invited to do so, drill their troops, manage their
dockyards, build their railways, and conduct their mines.
“To my mind, the game of grab that has been going on of late has been
shocking. The Russians who stepped in to prevent the Japanese from
obtaining any benefit from their defeat of China were the first to
begin by their enormous appropriation of territory. We seized a port
opposite to them, and the Germans, Italians, and French all seized
ports and territories. Can one wonder that China was moved to the core,
that this sect of Boxers, which has existed for a very long time,
suddenly became a violent political association, and that the Empress
has gladly availed herself of their assistance? It would be strange
indeed if it were not so. You must remember that the Chinese as a race
are extremely intelligent. Owing to the denseness of the population
and the poverty of the people the weakly die off in childhood, and
the struggle for life is so severe that the wits of the people become
sharpened. They are the cleverest bargainers in the world. Every
transaction is a battle in which purchaser and seller try to get the
better of one another. Physically they are fine men; and their lives
being for the most part hard, they have little or no fear of death.
“When you take all these things into consideration, you can see that
there is a great deal to be said for the action of the Chinese.
They have perpetrated horrible cruelties upon the missionaries and
native Christians, but they have lived under a cruel régime. Capital
punishment under the most atrocious conditions is very frequent among
them, and they have become habituated and hardened to it. You must
remember that at home as late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth any
persons found begging were executed, or, as a mild punishment for a
first offence, had their hands or ears cut off.
“Of course, if we are attacked, I shall aid in the defence; but
although I have lost my sister–in–law and her husband, I shall feel no
personal animosity towards the Chinese, for I consider that we have,
from their point of view, given them ample grounds for endeavouring to
get rid of us.”
“Well, I donʼt think that I ever thought of it in that light, Father,
but it certainly does seem rough on them that we should seize port
after port on the smallest pretext, and send our people interfering
with their customs and religions all over the country. Certainly
at ordinary times they have always seemed to me an inoffensive set
of people, placid and good–tempered, which makes it all the more
extraordinary that they should go in for such hideous massacres.
However, Father, whatever excuse they have, it is quite certain that we
must not let them take Tientsin if we can keep them out of it.”
“We shall certainly do our best,” Mr. Bateman laughed, “and I have no
doubt that we shall succeed. Still, we may have some tough work before
us.
“We have received a despatch from Macdonald urgently asking that troops
should be sent up at once,” Mr. Bateman said to Rex two days after his
return.
“Well, Father, if things really do look bad I should like to go back
again. I told the girls that I would, and I certainly should like to
be there on my own account if there is any fighting.”
“Probably there will be fighting here also, Rex.”
“Yes, Father, but there is no doubt that you will be able to beat them
off here. Marines and blue–jackets will be sent up from the ships to
take the place of those who are going forward now. Besides, no doubt
an attack will be made on the Taku Forts, and you know they are not
formidable. I donʼt think, however, that it is anything like so certain
that they will be able to hold out in Pekin. The Legations cover a big
extent of ground, and what with the Boxers, the lower classes of the
city, and the Chinese army, there will be a tremendous pressure upon
them. Now, as Ah Lo and I managed to get the girls away from Chafui,
it seems to me possible that, if the worst comes to the worst, we may
manage to rescue them again. At any rate I know it would be a big
comfort to them if I were there.”
“I donʼt know, Rex,” his father said gravely, “that I should be
justified in letting you go. Still, you got so wonderfully out of the
last business that I am disposed to let you have your own way in this.
Besides, if there is fighting here, which I think probable, you will,
of course, want to take part in it, and are as likely to be killed here
as at Pekin, and as it will certainly be a comfort to the girls to have
you there, I shall not say ʻNo.ʼ There will, however, be no occasion
for you to go up with the troops. Possibly on their arrival there
things will calm down, and in that case the troubles are more likely
to begin here by the sea. I think there is scarcely a shadow of doubt
that the Taku Forts will be bombarded, and that the ships will open a
passage for the gun–boats up the river. You had better, therefore, wait
for a week at any rate, by which time we shall hear whether matters
have settled down in Pekin.”
“Very well, Father, but I do not think there is a chance of that. There
is no doubt that the Empress and her favourites are secretly urging on
the Boxers, and although these will probably begin an attack, they will
be joined in the end by the Imperial troops. I have no doubt, however,
that I shall be able to get there in time. You see, Father, if I take
part in the defence of the Pekin Legations it will be something to talk
about all my life.”
“I am afraid, Rex,” his father said with a smile, “that, although I do
not say that you are not anxious to be at hand if your cousins are in
danger, you would be just as eager to go if they were not at Pekin at
all. I begin to think that I have made a mistake in your education,
that I should have done better if I had kept you by me and sent you
to the College of Student Interpreters at Pekin. It seems to me that
you are more fitted for the profession of a knight–errant than a sober
trader.”
“Oh, I donʼt think so, Father! When things are quiet I shall be quite
content to be quiet, to work hard all day, and to take a ride or sail
in the evening.”
“Well, we shall see when matters do settle down, Rex, as I have no
doubt they will after a time. I shall be quite content if we resume
trade at the treaty ports as before, and I hope that the result of this
war will not be the further breaking up of China.”
The next morning the glad news was heard that strong detachments from
all the ships of war were coming up and were going to march on Pekin.
Admiral Seymour was to be in command, and the force would amount to
about two thousand.
“This is splendid, isnʼt it, Father?” said Rex.
“It is capital news, my boy; but two thousand men are but a small body
to go through a bitterly hostile country defended by an army which,
including the Boxers, cannot be put at much less than forty thousand
men. There is no doubt that the railway will have been greatly damaged
by the Boxers, and if our men trust to that, they will have no means
of transport when they come to the point where the line is destroyed,
which will probably be about half–way between this and Pekin. At the
same time it is undoubtedly right that the effort should be made. Our
countrymen cannot be allowed to perish if it be possible to save them.
We know that so far they are unhurt, for the telegraph wire is still
open to Shanghai, and we get messages from there, contradictory ones,
it is true, but still, in spite of the varying nature of the reports,
there is little doubt that up to the present time the Legations are
safe.
“It is probable, indeed, that those four hundred men who went up to
Pekin six weeks ago as guards to the Legation have so far saved the
situation. The Chinese, as you know, did all in their power to prevent
them from coming. Fortunately the ambassadors had by that time so fully
recognized the danger of the situation that they brought them up in
spite of the Chinese Ministers. It is but a small force to resist a
well–armed army and a vast crowd of Boxers and the rabble of the town,
but there must be a good number of white men there, missionaries of the
city, and many who have made their way in from country stations. The
European shopkeepers, too, and such merchants as have not left, will
between them considerably raise the fighting force. Besides, you told
me that at any rate some slight defences had been thrown up when you
came away; no doubt these have since been increased. It is fortunate
that all the Legations are fairly close to each other, and can probably
be connected with each other without much difficulty.
“The German, French, Japanese, and Pekin Hotels make practically one
block, the Spanish is but a short distance away, the British Legation
is separated from the Palace of Prince Su only by the street, the
Russian Legation lies close to the British, and the United States
Legation and Russian Bank face it. I should fancy that the line of
defence will include all these. The Dutch Legation is isolated on
one side, and the Italian on the other. The Austrian and the Belgian
Legations also lie apart, and close to the former are the post–office
and customs. These, however, are all that are outside the probable
line. I should hope that the Tartar wall, which overlooks the whole and
is close to the United States and German Legations, will also be held.
It is a big area for seven or eight hundred men to defend; but it was
not a much larger force that held Lucknow, and what can be done in one
place can be done in another.”
“I do hope, Father, that you will allow me to go up with the troops.
If, as you think, they are not able to reach Pekin, I could push on in
disguise and get into the town as easily as I left it. I donʼt think
there will be the least difficulty about that. I am very anxious about
the girls, and might, if the worst came to the worst, escape with them
in disguise, as I did before. Even if Admiral Seymourʼs force should
fight its way into the town, I should think that they will be in a
similar position to that in which General Havelock found himself when
he fought his way into Cawnpore. He would certainly be able to defend
the Legations against the whole Chinese force, but he might not be able
to cut his way out, encumbered as he must be, with a mass of native
Christians who certainly could not be left there to be murdered. Even
putting the girls aside, I should like, above all things, to take part
in the defence.”
“I donʼt know that you would be able to go with the troops even if I
gave you leave, Rex.”
“Well, you see, I should become an interpreter. They will be sure to
want some men with them who know the language, to question prisoners,
and buy stores, and so on.”
“Well, I will think it over. I must speak to your mother before I
settle on such a question as that. Of course there will be a good deal
of danger, but I have very little doubt that as soon as these troops go
up, the Chinese will attack us here. Large numbers of them are in the
neighbourhood, and if they find they cannot resist the advance of the
force, they will close in behind it and march upon this town. Certainly
we could not hope to hold the native quarter, but I feel sure that we
could defend the settlement. Still, we might lose many men. There will,
of course, be no fear of our having to stand a long siege, for the
fleet are sure to batter down the Taku Forts, and the gun–boats will
shortly be sent up the river. Besides, the troops from India and Port
Arthur, and the Japanese, will soon arrive, and will no doubt come up
to our succour. I can quite understand your desire to take part in the
siege, to say nothing of your idea of getting the girls away. Going up
with two thousand men also is a very different affair from starting off
on your own account.”
The next morning at breakfast Mr. Bateman said: “I have talked the
matter over with your mother, and though she is very reluctant to part
with you, she has given her consent, as I have pointed out to her
that naturally at your age you want to take part in a defence which
is likely to be historical, and that you would certainly be a comfort
to your cousins and might be of vital service. You have already shown
great presence of mind and resource, and I have no doubt would do so
again in case of necessity.”
“But you must promise me,” Mrs. Bateman said, “that you will take care
of yourself, and not expose yourself needlessly. You must remember,
my boy, that, fond as we are of your cousins, you are all in all to
us. You are our only child, and for our sakes you must promise not to
thrust yourself needlessly into danger.”
“I will not run risks more than I can help, Mother. Of course, if I do
get into Pekin, I must take part in the defence.”
“Yes, Rex, of course, I understand that; I only beg of you not to
expose yourself recklessly.”
“I promise not to do so, Mother. Of course I shall take Ah Lo with
me. I am awfully obliged to you for giving your consent; it would be
a splendid thing to go through the siege. It is not like an ordinary
siege in an ordinary war. They have attacked us and perpetrated the
most horrible massacres all over the country; they have lied through
thick and thin; they are treacherous and cruel brutes, who will
certainly show no mercy if they capture the place, so that I shall feel
that I am fighting in a good cause, and that these men deserve all they
will get.”
Tientsin presented a busy appearance. Troops arrived fast by train from
the coast, and it became known that an expedition of some two thousand
men was going to advance to Pekin under the command of Admiral Seymour.
“Do you think, Father, that you could get leave for me to accompany the
expedition. I could make myself useful as an interpreter.”
“I was introduced to Admiral Seymour this morning, Rex, and the idea
did occur to me then, but I thought it well to wait until I talked the
matter over with you again. It would certainly be far less risky to
go with the troops than to make your way up in disguise, for by all
accounts the Boxers and the roughs who have joined them are clearing
out the villages and putting numbers of people to death. So you see
your disguise could not be any great protection. However, I shall see
Admiral Seymour again this afternoon, for I am supplying a good many
articles they require. If you go with me I shall introduce you to him,
and we shall hear what he says about it.”
Admiral Seymour was at the railway–station seeing to the detrainment
of a strong body of marines and blue–jackets and to the unloading of
their stores. Mr. Bateman waited until he was disengaged, and as he was
leaving the station went up to him.
“I have sent the things you wanted to the depot, and shall be willing
to send any further supplies that you may require. Everything in my
store is entirely at your disposal.
“Will you allow me to present my son to you? He has only lately
returned from a most hazardous journey which he accomplished in
disguise. He went to save two girl cousins of his who were the sole
survivors of a mission station at Chafui. He succeeded in rescuing them
and taking them to Pekin, where he was obliged to leave them, as they
were prostrated by what they had gone through. He is very anxious to
return there; and as he speaks Chinese perfectly, he thought perhaps
that you would be kind enough to allow him to accompany your expedition
in the character of an interpreter. He might be useful in questioning
prisoners or villagers. He could carry arms also, for he and a native
servant annihilated a party of twelve Boxers who attacked them while
they were bringing his cousins down.”
“I have already got two or three interpreters, Mr. Bateman, but I have
no doubt that I could do very well with another. I will attach him to
the company of marines and blue–jackets from the _Centurion_.”
“Thank you very much indeed, Admiral!”
“Ah, here is Major Johnston, who commands the marines!” said the
admiral; “I will put you under his charge at once.
“Major Johnston, I shall be glad if you will take charge of this young
gentleman. He speaks Chinese fluently, and no doubt you will find him
very useful as an interpreter. He is most anxious to get up to Pekin,
because two of the young ladies there are his cousins. He will probably
have a yarn to tell you of how he rescued them from the Boxers at
Chafui. You will, of course, attach him to your mess.”
“Very well, sir, I shall be very glad to have someone with me who
speaks Chinese; we are pretty sure to get hold of some wounded Boxers,
and we may get valuable information from them.”
Again thanking the admiral, Rex went off with the major, whose men were
quartered in the customs–house. He was soon busy translating orders to
the coolies who were assisting in bringing up cases of ammunition and
other stores. In a couple of hours all was quiet.
“My father will be very glad, sir,” he said to the major, “if you will
take up your abode at his house. I have no doubt that all the officers
will be quartered among the residents. I think that we can very well
house four, and, if they donʼt mind squeezing, six or seven.”
“Thank you, Mr. Bateman! I donʼt know whether we have been told off to
quarters, but if not, I will very gladly accept your offer.”
Rex hurried home, and his father returned with him and assured the
officer that it would be a great pleasure to him to have as many
officers as the house would hold, and that he could very well contrive
to take in ten of them.
“Thank you very much, Mr. Bateman! It will take some little time to see
the men properly quartered. I notice that a quantity of straw has been
provided for them. What time do you dine?”
“We will fix our dinner hour to suit you. We generally dine at seven.”
“That will suit us very well. I command two companies, and have six
officers, whom I will bring with me. You will have to take us in the
rough, for we have only the uniforms that we stand in.”
“You shall dine in your shirt sleeves if you like, Major.”
Rex returned with his father, and there was for a short time some
bustle in the house getting bedrooms ready and making arrangements for
dinner. At seven oʼclock the officers arrived and were introduced by
Major Johnston to Mr. and Mrs. Bateman. They were a merry party, for
the officers were all in high spirits at being selected to take part in
the expedition. When they heard that Rex had only returned from Pekin
the week before, they asked him innumerable questions as to the country
and the strength of the force that would be likely to oppose them.
“I think that you will have harder work than you expect,” he said.
“A considerable portion of the railway is certainly pulled up, and,
judging by the number of fires I saw as I came down at night, the enemy
must be in very strong force. I have no doubt that they will fight
hard, for the Boxers believe that they are invulnerable, and will fight
with fanatical fury.”
“We shall soon teach them that they are mistaken as to their
invulnerability,” one of the officers laughed, “and I donʼt think that
any number of armed peasants, for that is what they are, will stop us.”
“I hope not, indeed,” Rex said. “I only say that I think it will be
harder work than you expect.”
“Now, Mr. Bateman,” the Major said, “I hope that you will tell us the
story of the rescue of your cousins, of which the admiral told me.”
“I have had to tell it so many times since I came back,” Rex said,
“that I really hope you will excuse me.”
“Oh, no, that is mistaken modesty on your part!”
“I will tell it for him,” his father said; “it is a good story, and
does the boy great credit.”
“Then I will go and see if everything is ready outside,” said Rex.
It was half an hour before he returned, and by that time his father had
finished the story. The officers all warmly congratulated him when he
re–entered the room.
“I wish I had done it,” one of the young lieutenants said. “I would
have given anything to have carried out such a plan.”
“I suppose you have not been in England at all,” the Major said; “for
if you had been you would scarcely have been able to speak Chinese so
well.”
“Yes, he has been four years there,” Mr. Bateman said, “but I sent
over with him a Chinese boy, who has always been his companion, and
Rex had two days off school each week to go about with him and so keep
up his knowledge of the language. I intend to go home myself in a few
yearsʼ time, and as he will then be left in charge it is of the utmost
importance that he should keep up his Chinese. Latin and Greek would be
of no value whatever here, so I arranged that he should only take up
English subjects and English games.”
“A capital plan, Mr. Bateman. His knowledge of the language has already
stood him in good stead.”
“What is the latest news?”
“We had a telegram to say that the American Mission buildings at Tung
Chau, twelve miles from Pekin, have been abandoned by the missionaries,
and have been looted and burned by the Chinese soldiers sent to
protect them; and further, that seventy–five native Christians,
who have been trained for years by the American missionaries, were
massacred there. The British Legation summer residence in the hills
near Pekin has also been burned. A telegram from Shanghai says that
there has been a fight between General Nel Hsi Chong, with three
thousand men, and the Boxers, and it is reported that the general has
been superseded for his trouble.”
“When do you leave?”
“The rest of the force will be up to–morrow, and we shall start on the
following morning. Altogether we shall have nine hundred and fifteen
British, three hundred and fifteen Germans, three hundred Russians,
one hundred and fifty–eight French, one hundred and four Americans,
fifty–two Japanese, forty Italians, and twenty–five Austrians.”
“Rather a mixed lot,” Mr. Bateman said. “It is as well that our
contingent is so strong. Had it not been so, Admiral Seymour might have
found some difficulty with the commanders of so many nationalities.”
“Yes, it is certainly well that we constitute nearly half the
force—more than half the force, if we count in the Americans and Japs,
on both of whom we can rely. However, I donʼt think that there will be
any trouble with the Russians, Germans, and French, who wonʼt be able
to understand each other, and as it is so short a march they will have
no opportunity of coming to any mutual understanding. We might even
count in the two small parties of Austrians and Italians as going with
us.”
CHAPTER VI
IN PEKIN
All were hard at work on the following day making preparations for
the advance. Rex acted as interpreter to the major, and got on quite
familiar terms with his officers. The start was made early the next
morning in four troop trains. The men cheered lustily as they started,
and the residents of the town all gathered to give them a hearty
send–off. Rex managed to get a place in the train for Ah Lo, and took
with him in a small bundle the disguise he had worn at Chafui. He
was perhaps the only person in the train who did not feel absolutely
confident of a triumphant march to Pekin, but he had made up his mind
that should they have to fall back he would himself pursue his journey
with Ah Lo.
For a time the train passed through cultivated ground, but the work
of the enemy was very soon visible. Portions of the line were torn
up in many places, and attempts had evidently been made to destroy
the bridges. Several times the train had to stop in order to make
repairs, but owing to the large number of hands available the work was
performed so rapidly that there was only a short delay at these points.
At Lo–Fa for the first time the Boxers were seen actively engaged.
The plate–layersʼ cabins were in flames, and the telegraph poles had
been cut down, and men were engaged in destroying them. The villages
bordering the line were also in flames, and the inscription, “Kill all
foreigners,” was posted up everywhere. The Chinese troops alighted and
fired several volleys at parties of Boxers, but apparently without
doing any execution, their ineffectual efforts exciting much merriment
among the allied troops.
A mile farther smoke was seen rising from several villages, and General
Nieh refused absolutely to continue the journey, declaring that the
whole country was evidently swarming with Boxers, and that it was
highly dangerous to advance. He insisted on returning to Lo–Fa. Admiral
Seymour strongly urged him to remain there with his men, but without
success; he and his soldiers were firmly convinced that it was useless
to try to fight the Boxers, who, they believed, were invulnerable to
shot. After the Chinese had left, the troops were detrained. The work
of repairing the line had for the last few miles been very heavy, and
as it was already late they halted there for the night.
So far their work had been altogether unimpeded by the enemy, who
had apparently fallen back as soon as the laden trains were seen
approaching in the distance. The troops had grumbled a good deal at the
cowardice of the enemy, but consoled themselves with the idea that they
had not yet gone half–way, and that no doubt the Boxers would make a
stand later on.
There were plenty of materials for making camp fires, and these were
soon blazing, and as night closed in, songs in various languages rose
from the bivouacs of the different nationalities. The officers gathered
round their own fires and chatted on the prospect before them.
“Your anticipations have not been fulfilled thus far, Bateman,” one of
the lieutenants said to Rex.
“No, but it is not yet time for them to be fulfilled. It was only
during the first half of my journey down that I saw the Boxersʼ fires
all over the country. They will become thicker and thicker as we near
Pekin, and in the end I expect that the whole Chinese army will come
out to meet us, swollen by the rabble of the town.”
The expedition moved forward again in the morning. It was soon evident
that in the country through which they were now advancing the Boxers
had carried out their operations more thoroughly than in that through
which they had already passed. In many places the railroad had been
taken up for some hundreds of yards, and the sleepers carried off and
burned, while the whole of the telegraph poles had been cut down and
the wires carried away. The troops were very soon all detrained again
and employed in the work of restoring the line, an operation which was
only carried on with great difficulty.
In the meantime Lieutenant Smith of the _Aurora_ went forward with a
party of three officers and forty–four men to try to reach Neting,
thirteen miles ahead, to prevent more damage being done to the line
and to hold the railway–station there. He was attacked soon after he
started. At three villages in succession he drove the enemy out with
ease; but at half–past ten a determined attack was made on him by
about four hundred and fifty Boxers, who charged in line with great
courage. His little force, however, repulsed them with heavy loss; but
as ammunition was then beginning to run short, and the enemy was still
increasing in strength, Lieutenant Smith retired. As great bands of
Boxers could be seen in the distance, Major Johnston was sent forward
with sixty men to examine the line ahead.
“You may as well come on with me, Bateman; we shall very likely fall in
with some villagers and perhaps capture a Boxer, and so get information
as to the position of the enemy in front of us and the state of the
line.”
“I shall be very glad to come, sir.”
Ah Lo, without receiving any specific orders, fell in as a matter of
course in the rear of the marines. They went steadily on, keeping two
miles ahead of the leading train, and when eight miles above Lo–Fa
they saw a body of Boxers, which they reckoned about three thousand
strong, streaming out from a village on the left. This force did not
make directly for the little party, but bore towards their rear with
the evident intention of cutting them off. They had with them a good
many mounted men who, dashing forward, crossed the railway behind them,
while the men on foot made for a partially–burned bridge and a village
commanding the line.
“Fall back at the double!” Major Johnston called. “Not too fast; it
is certain that we shall have to fight them, and it wonʼt do to put
ourselves out of breath. Keep up a quick fire as you go; halt when
you fire, and take steady aim. They wonʼt like the long range of our
bullets. I donʼt suppose we shall do them much harm, but our fellows
will hear the firing at the wagons and we shall soon have a party up to
our assistance.”
Rex and Ah Lo unslung their rifles and joined the marines in their
steady fire. The return of the enemy was not effective; only a few were
armed with guns, and these were not of long range. For a mile a running
fight was kept up, twenty or thirty of the enemy being killed. They
nevertheless persisted in their endeavour to cut off the party. When,
however, he saw a body of marines and blue–jackets coming up at the
double, the major at once halted his men.
“Now, my lads, you can give them independent fire as quick as you like;
there is no fear of their closing with us now.”
The Boxers who had crossed the line began to move back and join their
companions, and the approaching blue–jackets at once opened fire upon
them with rifles and Maxims. The reinforcements soon joined Major
Johnstonʼs party, and under his lead attacked the village and drove the
Boxers from it. Following hotly upon their heels, they forced them also
to retire from another village with the loss of some forty killed and
wounded.
Rexʼs services were at once called into requisition. He slung his rifle
behind him, and set to work to interrogate seven wounded Boxers who had
fallen into our hands. From them he learned that farther back the line
had been almost entirely pulled up, that the forces there were very
numerous, and their strength had just been increased by the addition
of ten thousand regular troops, who had been nominally disbanded in
order that they could join the Boxers, while the Government might be
able still to affirm that the Boxers were acting in defiance of their
orders and that no Imperial troops had joined them. They said, too,
that a considerable proportion of the troops in Pekin had been brought
to the southern gate to oppose the relieving army if they broke through
the forces opposed to them. Rex learned that two days previously there
had been fighting in Pekin and that it was expected that the Legations
would all be taken in the course of a few days.
The army advanced no farther that night, but the next day pushed on
to Lang Fang, which was half–way to Pekin. They found all the station
buildings destroyed and three hundred yards of the track torn up.
Boxers were seen busy in the work of destruction, but when a shell was
dropped among them they fled. A patrol that went out reported that a
mile and a quarter of the track had been destroyed.
[Illustration: REX INTERROGATES A WOUNDED BOXER.]
The news that he had learned from the wounded Boxers on the previous
day had excited in Rex a burning desire to push forward. The position
in Pekin seemed to be precarious, and he became so impatient to get
to the principal scene of action that he determined to leave the army
and make his way up in disguise. It was evident that if the line was,
as it seemed, almost totally destroyed beyond this point, the progress
of the relief column must be extremely slow. As the troops must hold
to the railway, for they had no other means of carriage, it seemed to
Rex highly improbable that they would be able to fight their way into
Pekin. Having made up his mind, he went to Major Johnston.
“I am most anxious to go forward,” he said. “We know that the Legations
are attacked, not seriously perhaps at present, but they may be so any
day. It appears to me very doubtful whether this expedition will be
able to fight their way into the town, and if they do so it must be
a considerable time before they get there. I do not know that if the
place were taken I should be able to get my cousins off, but at least I
could try. At any rate, I have brought my native disguise with me, and
have no doubt that I can make my way into Pekin. How I shall get into
the Legation I donʼt know, but I think that by mixing with the Boxers I
shall be able to make my way in at night. Is there any occasion, sir,
for me to inform Admiral Seymour of my intentions?”
“None at all, Bateman. I shall probably have an opportunity of speaking
to him in the morning, and shall mention to him that you have started
to make your way in alone. It is a risky business, I know, and I wish
you well through it. I begin to think that you were quite right when
you said that the opposition would be greater than we expected. We
only reckoned upon the Boxers, and did not think that they would tear
up the railway. It is now evident that our difficulties will increase
with every foot that we advance. I trust, however, that if we do have
to fall back, the Legations will be able to hold out. Our people may
be driven from some of the outlying places, but I should think that if
the whole of the defenders are concentrated at our Legation they ought
to be able to defend it as long as food and water hold out. You did not
hear, I suppose, when you were there, how they were provided in that
respect.”
“No, I did not hear anything about it. You see, when I was there the
ambassadors still clung to the belief that the Empress was favourably
disposed towards foreigners. As far as I could hear, no one else
thought so; but I am afraid that they did not believe it necessary
at that time to lay in provisions for a siege, and if the native
Christians take refuge with them they will want a very large supply.
“Very well, sir; then as soon as it is dark I shall make off. I shall
make straight for the river and follow its course. It is certain that
the greater portion of the enemy will be gathered close to the line of
railway, and I donʼt anticipate any difficulty in making my way up.
Pekin is only some forty or forty–five miles from here, and I shall
enter it to–morrow. I shall, of course, make a circuit of the city and
go in at the northern gate, and in that way I shall probably have no
difficulty whatever until I get near the Legation.”
That afternoon Rex said “Good–bye” to the other officers of his
acquaintance, and as soon as it was dusk, coloured his skin, touched
up his eyebrows and eyelashes, painted a line from the corners of his
eyes so as to give them an upward inclination, fastened on his pigtail
again, and set out with Ah Lo. As he had anticipated, they experienced
no difficulty in making their way up. Occasionally they saw parties
of Boxers on the banks of the river, and had to make detours to avoid
them, but by morning they saw the towers of Pekin ahead. Turning aside
into a field of standing grain they lay down and slept for some hours,
and when they awoke they made a detour round the city and entered by
the northern gate. As no troops were stationed here, they went on
unquestioned into the city.
As they advanced they came upon many ruined houses, and at one point
a large tract had been cleared by fire. Many dead lay in the streets,
for the most part horribly slashed and mutilated. Bands of roughs were
still searching ruined houses for loot. In some parts business was
still going on; the better class of shops were all closed, but those
that supplied the poor were open, and the inhabitants were going about
their usual avocations as if nothing had happened.
As they neared the Legations they could hear occasional firing. In
this part the shops were all closed, and there was no traffic whatever
in the streets. At some points large numbers of Boxers were gathered.
Avoiding these, they turned into a narrow lane which led towards the
British Legation. They went nearly to the end of this, and here Rex
entered a doorway, took off his Chinese clothes, under which he had
his own, wrapped up his pigtail, and put over it a Scotch cap he had
carried with him. Then he and Ah Lo started out at a run for the
Legation. Here and there men were grouped on the walls, and these, on
seeing a European coming along, shouted words of welcome to him. Half
a dozen shots were fired from neighbouring houses, but they arrived at
the entrance untouched. A dozen soldiers were stationed here.
“You have managed that well, sir,” the sergeant in command said as they
entered. “Have you come far?”
“I have come on from the relieving force. They are at Lang Fang.”
“Will they be here soon, sir?”
“I very much doubt whether they will get through at all. The line is
all torn up, and they will be opposed by an immense force. I fear that
you will have to wait till a much bigger force is gathered.”
“That is bad news, sir, but I expect we shall hold out all right. They
donʼt seem very anxious to come to close quarters.”
Rex went straight to the ambassadorʼs quarters and sent in his name,
and he was at once admitted.
“So you are back again, Mr. Bateman?”
“Yes, sir; I came up with the relieving force two thousand strong
under Admiral Seymour. They had reached Lang Fang, but I have great
doubts whether they will get much farther, as the railway has been
completely destroyed, and they are without means of carriage. There
is no doubt that they will be met by an ever–increasing resistance
as they move forward, and twenty thousand regular troops have moved
round to the south gate to oppose them if they get as far as that. The
communications are already cut behind them, and so large a force is
concentrated near Tientsin that that town will probably be attacked.
“The Taku Forts will be attacked very shortly. Troops are on their way
from India, Port Arthur, and Japan, and I have no doubt that before
long an army will be gathered sufficiently strong to fight its way up.
But I fear that it must be some weeks before they are in a position to
do so.”
“Do you bring any despatches for me?”
“No, sir; I was afraid that if I mentioned to the admiral that I was
coming on, he would object, so I came off of my own account. I had
learned that the Legations were being attacked, and I was most anxious
to be here to cheer my cousins up, and to endeavour to do what I could
for them if things went badly.”
“Very well, Mr. Bateman, I am glad of the news that you have brought
me, though it is not satisfactory, but I own that I have had my own
doubts whether the force that is coming up was strong enough to make
its way here. It is better, however, to know the worst. We shall be
glad of the assistance of your rifle and that of your man, for we
are very short–handed, and even the aid of two rifles is not to be
despised. You had better take up your quarters, as before, at the
college.”
Rex withdrew, and at once went to the doctorʼs house.
“I am glad to be able to tell you,” said the doctor, “that the young
ladies have now pretty well recovered, and if the railway were working
I should say that they could very safely be taken down to Tientsin. As
it is, however, they will have to wait until reinforcements come up.”
“Then I can see them, sir?”
“Certainly; the elder girl is quite recovered, and the younger one is
convalescent, but is still weak. It will do her good rather than harm
to see you, for they have necessarily been somewhat lonely, as everyone
here is busy. The ladies have all been occupied in making sacks to hold
earth for the fortifications, and the girls have therefore been left
more to themselves than they otherwise would have been.”
Rex at once went across to the house. The girls leapt up with a cry of
delight as he entered.
“Oh, Rex,” cried Jenny, “we are glad to see you! When did you return?”
“About half an hour ago. I had to come up in the disguise I wore
before. You know, I suppose, that we are quite cut off from Tientsin
now?”
“So we have heard, and they say that there is going to be fighting
here?”
“Yes, but there is no doubt that we shall beat them off. You need not
be uneasy.”
“Oh, we are sure of that! I feel quite different from what we did
before. For the past three or four days I have been helping to make
sacks, and even Mabel has done a little. And how are Uncle and Aunt?”
“They are all right. I believe my father will have his share of
fighting, for a great force of Chinese has gathered outside the town,
and they expect to be attacked. It is hoped, however, that the ships
will destroy the Taku Forts, in which case the light craft will make
their way up to Tientsin. Then, of course, every man that can be spared
from the ships will join the relief column.”
“But I thought that they were on their way up now, and that we were
expecting them here to–day?”
“I am sorry to say, dear, that I think there is very little chance of
their coming at all at present. I came up with Ah Lo.”
The girls looked at each other in dismay.
“Then how long do you think it will be before they really come up?”
“I am afraid it will be many weeks. Large reinforcements of British
troops are coming from India, Russians have been despatched from Port
Arthur, and any number of Japanese, and French, and Germans are being
sent forward; but it must be some time before they are all here, and we
must make up our minds that we are going to hold our own.”
Then he changed the subject.
“And so you are getting stronger, Mabel? You are looking ever so much
better.”
“Oh yes! I am feeling ever so much better, and the doctor says I shall
soon be strong and well again.
“We are getting quite full here now, for numbers of the native
Christians are coming in for shelter. Everyone is told off to do
something. Jenny is to help serve out food to the women and children,
and I expect that I shall soon be able to assist also.”
“Yes, I expect we shall all be made useful,” said Rex.
“Ah Lo has come up too, I suppose?”
“Yes, he came with me as a matter of course, and we shall both aid in
the defence.”
“I wish I were a boy,” Jenny said. “I should like to help kill some of
the Boxers. I dare say a good many of those who were at Chafui have
come here and will be among those who are going to attack us.”
“You will be just as useful in your own way, Jenny, as if you were a
boy and could carry a gun.”
“You must give us each a pistol, Rex, so that if they should take the
place we can shoot ourselves. We have both made up our minds that we
will do that rather than fall into their hands again. You donʼt think
it would be wicked to kill ourselves, do you?”
“Certainly not, Jenny; but in the first place I donʼt think that there
is much chance of their capturing the Legations, and in the next place
I hope that if they did so, Ah Lo and I should be able to get you out
again in disguise. But at any rate I donʼt think you need have any
fear. There are four hundred soldiers here, and the employees of all
the Legations would certainly make a hundred more. Besides these there
are the merchants and other people, and I expect they will form a corps
out of the Christians who have come in. Most of these Legations are
strong buildings, and it will be hard if we cannot beat off any attack.
It is lucky that all the Legations lie within a short distance of each
other, and can all be defended together. When I leave you I will go
round and see what has been done to fortify them.”
He stayed chatting with them for another half–hour, and then went down
to the college.
“I have turned up again like a bad penny, Sandwich,” he said, as he met
his friend, “and am quartered here.”
“We shall all be heartily glad to have you with us, and I regard you
and your man as a valuable reinforcement. Have you heard that this
morning the Boxers have begun to massacre the native Christians? I
believe that great numbers have been killed.”
“They ought all to have come in here,” Rex said.
“No doubt we should have done the best we could for them,” Sandwich
said, “but we should have had a lot of difficulty in feeding ten
thousand of them. Though I am awfully sorry for the poor beggars, their
presence here would scarcely be an advantage, for they would hamper
us terribly in our defence. You will have to put up with bad cooking
unless some of these Christians that are coming in turn out to be
decent cooks, for the servants and coolies are all leaving. You should
see Sergeant Herring talking to them as they go out!”
Rex laughed. He had already made the acquaintance of the sergeant, who
had been twenty years at the Legation, and who was in general control
of its arrangements. He was a big man, with a powerful voice and an
authoritative manner, and ruled the coolies with a rod of iron. He was
a well–known figure in the city, and was regarded by the populace as
being only less important than the ambassador himself.
“I can quite fancy him,” Rex said, “and how the coolies would sneak off
under the thunder of his voice. Well, I should say that we are just as
well rid of the coolies. I donʼt suppose they could have been relied
upon. They are not like the native Christians, who, knowing that their
lives are forfeited if the Boxers get in, will certainly be faithful
even if they are not very useful. By the way, I have not brought your
clothes back. I came up in a suit of my own under my disguise, but I
was afraid of carrying a bundle. They will come up, then, washed and
ironed, when all this is over.”
Sandwich laughed. “All right, Bateman! I shaʼnʼt be able to get much
washing done now, and shall hail the arrival of a clean suit when—that
is a very vague word—_when_ they come up.”
There was a good deal of excuse to be made for the coolies and
servants. They were almost all drawn from the population of Pekin,
and their families, according to the Chinese law, would assuredly
suffer were they to remain at the Legation. This would account for the
difference between their conduct and that of the native servants in the
Indian Mutiny, for these, in the great majority of cases, remained true
to their masters.
CHAPTER VII
FORTIFYING THE LEGATIONS
“Now, Sandwich, tell me what have been the events here so far.”
“Well, things have been gradually getting worse since you went away.
It is difficult to say what was the first act of violence, but on
the ninth the Boxers burst into the pavilion on the race–course and
threatened some of the students, one of whom, in order to get away,
had to shoot a man with his revolver. On the tenth the Summer Palace
of the Legation, on the hills, was burnt, and since then it has been
impossible to go beyond the town. By the evening of the eleventh all
the whites in the city were gathered at the various Legations, but
the streets were still crowded with people, and business went on
as usual within this quarter. The Chinese teachers in the British
Legation, however, all struck, the coolies began to desert, and some
property belonging to the Roman Catholics was looted. This morning
the outlook was still more threatening. Mysterious marks appeared on
the doors. A party of Germans and Italians raided a temple where the
Boxers were said to be drilling, but they only captured a few weapons
and a quantity of the red cord which the Boxers use as girdles. This
afternoon things looked still more serious. Two of the Legation
servants were cut down while shopping, and orders were given to clear
the streets. In a short time all the shops were shut and the crowd
cleared out. If you had arrived yesterday you would have witnessed the
usual bustle instead of empty streets. Later on there was a fire in
the streets, and the marines turned out, but it proved to be the French
clearing the street near their Legation. At night there were fires in
many parts—the American Mission, the Eastern Roman Catholic Cathedral,
and the Presbyterian Mission were all in flames, and to the east there
must have been half a square mile of shops in flames. All through the
evening we heard firing in the city.
“Still later a large party of Boxers, carrying torches, moved down
towards the Austrian Legation. A machine–gun mounted on the wall was
in readiness for them, and when they came within a hundred and fifty
yards it opened fire. The torches were immediately dropped and the
Boxers bolted. The Austrians turned out to pick up the dead, whom
they expected to find strewn in the street, but not a single one was
seen, and it was discovered next morning that the bullets had cut some
telegraph wires where they crossed the street nearly thirty feet above
the level. Of course we had a good deal of laughing about it this
morning, but it was a very unlucky affair. Had the machine–gun been
well aimed it would have done great execution, for the Boxers were all
crowded together, and it would have been a very valuable lesson. As it
was, however, it only confirmed the Boxers in their belief in their
invulnerability.
“This morning we heard that the South Cathedral was on fire. That takes
you up to the present time. Oh, by the way, we hear that the tower over
one of the gates has been burnt.”
“What is the actual line we hold?”
“Well, at present it goes from the Tartar wall to the Imperial wall by
the side of the French Legation and the customs–house, and runs from
the north bridge along by the side of our Legation across some houses
to the Russian Legation, and then by the side of that across Legation
Street to the Tartar wall. The Americans and Russians defend the
west corner, the Germans and French the southeast, the Austrians the
northeast, and the British the north–west. Of course the thing is only
beginning yet, and there has been no organized attack, but no doubt we
shall have plenty of it before long.”
“What are the Chinese authorities doing?”
“They occupy themselves principally in encouraging the Boxers in every
way, and in the next place in sending in assurances to the ambassadors
that everything is perfectly peaceful and that they need be under no
uneasiness whatever. At the same time Prince Tuan, the head and patron
of the Boxers, has been appointed to the head of the Tsung–li–yamen,
which is equivalent, you know, to our ministry. Several of the moderate
members, moreover, have been turned out of it, and their places filled
by creatures of Tuan. I really wonder that they think it worth while to
keep up the farce of friendliness.”
“Ah! there is the dinner–bell. At any rate we can for the present enjoy
our meals; we may not have much to enjoy in that way presently.”
They had scarcely sat down when there was an outbreak of musketry fire
and a call for reinforcements. All had brought their rifles into the
room with them, and, catching these up, they ran out. The fight was
over, however, before they got to the scene. It was upon the north
bridge that the sentries had been firing. A party of Boxers had come
down from that direction, and after a volley had been poured into
them, had charged, but had fallen back on receiving another, leaving
two of their number dead upon the ground. Two wounded also were taken
prisoners.
During the night they were several times aroused by the sounds of
volley–firing, but as these were not followed up, no one stirred. They
learned in the morning, however, that the Boxers had come down from all
the various roads leading to the Legations, but had retired on finding
that they were strongly guarded.
The next morning the Boxers started a number of large f
Showing first 200,000 characters. Full text: gutenberg.org/ebooks/47008