that distance, his and Frobisher's conversation might have been
overheard, Ling turned away with a heavy scowl on his face--presumably
to give the correct colour to his proposed part--and with an admirable
assumption of indifference went toward the place where the soldiers were
already partaking of their simple meal of boiled rice and a thin kind of
soup, washed down by copious draughts of raki, a strong, pungent spirit
distilled from rice.
Here he picked up an empty cooking-pot, washed it out in the little
brook by the side of which they were encamped, filled it with water, and
then sauntered back to Frobisher with it, dashing it down on the ground
so violently that at least half the contents were spilt. This did not
greatly matter, however, since there was still sufficient left for the
Englishman's requirements, and the effect of the action was good. If
there was one man among them who appeared to hate and despise the
Englishman more thoroughly than the others, that man was Ling; and
Frobisher could scarcely bring himself to believe, even after Ling's
assurance, that the feeling was not genuine, so excellent was the man's
acting--if acting it were.
Much refreshed by the water, Frobisher was able to swallow a little of
the rice which the Korean officer brought to him on a fibre mat, and
immediately felt benefited by it. With the cessation of the jarring
movement of the litter, too, the pain of his wounds became considerably
less acute, and altogether he was soon feeling much stronger and better.
All the same, he decided that it would be wise policy on his part to
feign a continuance of extreme weakness and pain for some time longer,
in order to throw the enemy off their guard. Naturally, they would not
be likely to watch him so closely if they believed him to be too feeble
and too seriously injured to be capable of making any attempt at escape;
and perhaps before long a favourable opportunity might present itself.
The soldiers did not linger very long over their meal, and the caravan
was soon in motion again; but Frobisher observed that this time their
course was almost parallel with the hills, instead of leaving them
directly behind. It was therefore now certain that they were going to
avoid Yong-wol, and consequently there would be little or no chance of
rescue by the rebels.
Frobisher hoped that by keeping his ears open he might be able to gain
some idea as to the place which they were making for; and a little
later, by hearing the constant repetition of a certain name, he came to
the conclusion that they were bound for some place called Chhung-ju--
though where it was situated, and even whether it was really the name of
a place, he could not be at all certain.
Shortly after nightfall of the third day after crossing the hills, they
entered a walled town of some size, situated on a river; and Ling
contrived an opportunity to inform Frobisher that the name of the place
was indeed Chhungju, and that the river was a branch or tributary of the
river Han. He also stated that news had been brought by a Government
spy that the rebels at Yong-wol had somehow obtained knowledge of the
capture of the caravan, and that they had rapidly collected their forces
with the object of starting in pursuit of the party for the purpose of
recovering the arms and ammunition before they could be delivered to the
authorities in Seoul. The rebels, reported Ling, were only some
twenty-four hours' journey behind; and, as it would be quite possible
for them to cut off the troops by making direct for the capital, the
commander of the present force had determined to remain but a few hours
in Chhung-ju, in order to rest his men, and then to transfer the whole
party, cargo and all, to boats or barges, and so proceed down the river
Han as far as Yo-ju. There the river would be left, and they would
proceed by road to Su-won, and so to the port of Asan, where there were
enough Korean troops to enable the two parties combined to keep the
rebels at bay until reinforcements could arrive from Seoul.
Accordingly Frobisher was not at all surprised when, at midnight, the
palanquin bearers arrived at the house where he had been confined under
guard, and made signs for him to step into the litter. He did so,
affecting great debility and pain, and was soon being carried at a rapid
rate through the narrow, evil-smelling streets, strewn with garbage and
the putrefying carcasses of dogs, cats, and rats, down to the bamboo
wharf where the force was to embark. Several barges, equipped with
large, square sails made of matting, could be dimly made out by the
starlight riding in mid-stream, and in these the cargo had been placed,
while two large flat-bottomed boats were moored alongside the landing,
ready for the conveyance of the men.
Great haste was displayed in getting the troops on board, which rather
surprised Frobisher, until, under cover of the shadow cast by one of the
sails, Ling found time to whisper that the rebels had made a forced
march, and were even then close to the town. Another spy in the service
of the Government had brought the news an hour previously, and no time
had been lost in arranging to beat an immediate retreat. The northern
gates had been shut and barricaded, so as to delay the pursuit as long
as possible; and the commander of the force had already begun to sink
the remainder of the craft lying in the river, that they might not be
used by the rebels.
Frobisher was watching the process of sinking one of these, when
suddenly he became aware of a commotion in the distance, gradually
becoming louder and more insistent until he recognised it for what it
was--the clatter and tramp and shouting of a large body of men.
In a moment the air was vibrant with shouted orders, warnings, and
instructions. The men who had been told off to sink the river boats
were instantly recalled; and the little fleet hastily pushed off and got
under way at the precise moment that the rebels reached the northern
gate and, finding it shut, proceeded to attempt to batter it down.
Frobisher, lying in his palanquin, listened to the tumult with feelings
of the utmost joy and relief. There were plenty of boats still
uninjured and afloat in the stream; and if the pursuers could but break
down the gate quickly enough, secure the remaining craft, and come in
pursuit, it was quite on the cards that he would be rescued, and thus
avoid making acquaintance with that torture chamber, the idea of which
persistently haunted him.
The Korean officer was clearly a man of considerable courage and
resource, for in the face of this sudden new danger he remained
perfectly cool, giving his orders clearly and concisely; and before a
favouring slant of wind the little fleet drew away in good order from
the shore, and began to glide quickly downstream before wind and
current.
Looking behind--for he was placed in the high stern of one of the boats,
where his view was unimpeded--Frobisher saw a glimmer of light spring up
from the direction of the gate, which presently brightened to a lurid
glare as the wind fanned the flames. Unable to batter down the stout
gate as quickly as they desired, their pursuers had evidently collected
a quantity of combustibles, and had started to burn it down; and a few
minutes later their yells of triumph, floating down the wind, indicated
that they had succeeded in the attempt, and that they had entered the
town. It would therefore be now only a matter of minutes before they
discovered that their prey had escaped them by the skin of his teeth;
and unless the rebels were content to leave matters at this juncture,
they would soon secure possession of the remaining boats and start down
the river in pursuit.
The officer in command of the Government troops was evidently fully
alive to the danger of the situation, for he continually shouted orders
and exhortations for speed to the various boats comprising the little
squadron. And presently Frobisher observed that, finding their progress
unsatisfactory, the crews had got out the long oars customarily used for
forcing the craft upstream against the current, and were employing them
as sweeps. With this additional power the boats began to slide through
the water more rapidly, and Frobisher began to fear that, unless the
pursuers were very quick indeed, they would fail to overtake them, even
now.
By this time, however, he could plainly perceive the flicker of torches
moving about the wharves and piers of Chhung-ju, and presently a few of
those same lights appeared on the bosom of the river. The rebels had
evidently rowed out in small boats, and were towing the barges left
anchored in mid-stream to the shore. A moment before a sharp bend in
the river shut off his view of the town, the Englishman saw, to his
great satisfaction, the dark loom of matting sails, as the pursuing
force drew away from the banks.
It was now a race of Korean against Korean; and it remained to see which
party would win it. The troops, with their prisoner and the captured
arms and ammunition, had managed to secure nearly an hour's start, and
what with wind, current, and sweeps, were making downstream toward the
main channel of the river at a speed of about four knots an hour; and of
course, as soon as the main stream of the Han was entered, the current
would become stronger and would sweep them along still more rapidly.
Also, the fleet arriving first in the river would obtain the advantage
of the increased rapidity, and might very easily be out of sight before
the pursuers arrived there; and, if that happened, it was not unlikely
that the latter might abandon the chase as hopeless.
It soon became evident, however, that the rebels were not going to be
thrown off so easily; for, as the fleet emerged upon the broad bosom of
the Han and began to turn westward, Frobisher perceived that the
pursuing squadron was not a very long distance behind, and was
undoubtedly overhauling them rapidly. He was at first at a loss to
understand how this could be, but a few minutes later his quick ear
caught a certain sound floating down the breeze--a steady, monotonous,
throbbing sound, something like--Ah, he had it now! Could it be
possible?
Yes, undoubtedly it was the throbbing of machinery and the quick,
muffled puffing of exhaust-steam. Evidently the rebels had discovered
something that the troops had overlooked--a small steamer, or pinnace;
had promptly raised steam in her, probably by firing up with plenty of
oil and wood so as to obtain power quickly; and were utilising the craft
to tow their squadron downstream, which, when once the boats had been
put in motion, would be a much quicker method of progression than the
use of sails and sweeps alone.
In any case, the rebels were quickly overhauling them; and before
another hour had passed, Frobisher, continuing to watch the race with
absorbed interest, saw a streak of flame cut the rearward darkness, and
almost immediately he heard a vicious hum close above his head, followed
shortly afterwards by the whiplike crack of a distant report. They were
well within range, then; and it was clear that the pursuers must be
armed with modern rifles, for a smooth-bore would not have sent a bullet
nearly so far.
There was instantly an outburst of excitement among the soldiers;
muskets and rifles were hastily unslung and loaded, and a sharp fire was
opened over the sterns of the various craft. But apparently only very
few of the weapons employed were equal to the range, for Frobisher could
distinctly see that the missiles were falling short, by the little
spirts of foam which shone white in the moonlight where the bullets
struck the water and ricochetted off. A moment later a much bigger
flash burst from the bow of the little steamer, which could now be
plainly made out as a small craft driven by a screw, and had the
appearance of a launch that might have at one time belonged to a
battleship; and the next moment a perfect storm of bullets came hurtling
close overhead.
Things were beginning to get rather too warm for the prisoner where he
was, he felt; especially as certain screams and cries from those about
him indicated that the volley had been excellently directed. He
therefore determined to seek shelter without further delay--for he had
no wish to be killed by his own party--and hastily dragged himself into
the shelter of the lighter's low bulwark.
The soldiers, encouraged by their officer, responded gamely to the
attack upon them, and opened a well-sustained fire on their opponents,
who by now had drawn within range, even of the muskets. From his new
position Frobisher could see the splinters flying aboard several of the
pursuing boats, while an occasional yell or scream showed that some at
least of the Korean bullets were finding their billets; but several
stark, motionless forms lying about the deck of the lighter showed the
superior marksmanship and weapons of the rebels.
The latter were now beginning to steal up alongside, though about a
hundred yards still separated the combatants, and the firing became
general on both sides. Indeed, so determined and persistent was the
fusillade, that there was a continuous roar and rattle of sound; while
the silvery sheen of the moonlit night was reddened by the glare of the
rifle-flashes.
Before coming to the East, Frobisher had believed, in common with many
other people, that the Koreans were a cowardly and effeminate race,
always more eager to avoid than to engage in a conflict--a race which
brought about its ends by cunning and treachery rather than by force of
arms. But, whatever the characteristics of the nation as a whole might
be, he could not fail to admire the vigour and energy with which both
sides were conducting this already sanguinary little battle on the
waters of the Han.
To ensure that there should be no lack of ammunition the soldiers had
adopted the same expedient as Frobisher's at the camp. They had opened
up several of the captured cases of ammunition, and had thrown their
contents into one big heap in the middle of the lighter's deck, so that
every man might the more easily help himself; and the prisoner
congratulated himself that he was at some distance from the pile, for he
had no desire to repeat his experience of a few days previously.
The two squadrons were soon running downstream level with each other,
the steam pinnace having reduced speed so that she might not pass the
Koreans; and both fleets were gradually edging closer and still closer
together. As they did so, the volleys of musketry became ever fiercer
and fiercer, until the air fairly vibrated with the sound, threaded with
the shrieks and groans of the wounded and dying.
Scattered everywhere about the decks could be seen the forms of men who
had been struck down; and the splintered, chipped decks were already
deeply stained with blood. And although the action was general
throughout the two fleets, it appeared as though the hottest part of the
fire was being directed against the particular boat in which the young
Englishman lay a prisoner.
Frobisher soon found that, at such close range, his position under the
lee of the low bulwark was anything but secure, since the
nickel-jacketed bullets which the rebels were using were already
drilling holes clean through the thick planking and passing out through
the opposite bulwark. He therefore again painfully removed himself,
taking up a new position with his back against the stout mast of the
barge, with it between himself and the point from which the volleys were
coming. From this new position he made a fresh survey of his
surroundings, and assured himself that if matters went on like this much
longer, there would be none left alive on board to defend the craft, and
her capture would be certain. He rubbed his hands with satisfaction at
the thought that, perhaps, another hour might see him safely aboard the
rebel squadron.
But where, meanwhile, he wondered, was Ling? If he were really sincere
in his desire to show his gratitude, the time was at hand for him to do
so. The number of able-bodied men on board was growing less every
moment; and if Ling could only be persuaded to bring the Englishman his
two revolvers, loaded, he and the Korean might be able to obtain
possession of the craft, and steer her over to the shelter of the other
squadron. But alas! Frobisher had not far to look in order to discover
the whereabouts of the man he was thinking of.
Ling was close at hand, reclining in a half-sitting posture with his
back against the bulwark. His hands were spread open on the deck, his
musket having fallen from the nerveless fingers; his head was tilted
back until his high, conical hat had fallen off; and there, plainly
visible in the moonshine, was a great patch of coagulating blood on his
throat, showing where a bullet had drilled him clean through the neck.
Ling would never speak again in this world, and his career, whether for
good or for evil, was closed for ever.
It was useless, therefore, for Frobisher to look for help in that
direction; so if he were to escape at all he had only himself to rely
upon. Unfortunately he was still much too weak from the effects of his
wound to be able to deal with the situation singlehanded; and there
were, as yet, quite enough of the barge's men remaining alive to
overpower and murder him in a moment if he were foolish enough to
attempt any such thing.
At this instant there occurred a fresh outburst of firing from the
Korean boats, followed, a second later, by a loud booming report in the
direction of the rebel squadron that caused the very atmosphere to
vibrate and the barge to quiver as though she had struck a rock.
Frobisher painfully hauled himself to his feet and staggered to the
bulwarks to ascertain what had happened, and a sufficiently
disheartening spectacle met his eyes. Several shots from the last
volley had evidently penetrated the plating of the steam launch's
boiler, causing it to explode, blowing the frail sides of the little
craft asunder and killing nearly every man of her crew. The Englishman
was just in time to see her disappear below the surface of the river in
a great cloud of steam, and to hear the shrieks of her wounded and dying
people as the engulfing waters swirled about them, the cries of
execration from the rebels, and the exultant shouts of the Koreans; and
he realised that his last hope of escape was slipping away from him.
Thrown into confusion by the loss of the steamer, the entire rebel fleet
came to a standstill, involuntarily brought to an anchor by the sunken
launch, which rested on the river bottom, still attached to the hawser
by which the squadron was being towed. And as the hawser happened to
consist of chain cable instead of rope, and as it had been made fast
with a complicated system of hitches, that it might not slip, it was
likely to be some time before it could be cast off and the boats set
free to pursue once more.
But the troops were not to escape without further punishment, after all.
Maddened by this sudden wreckage of their hopes, the rebels again
seized their rifles and poured a concentrated fire into the nearest
vessel of the enemy, which chanced to be the boat containing Frobisher
and his fortunes, she being last in the line; and that parting volley
did more damage than had been sustained during the whole of the fight.
The aim was good, and the bullets swept the decks of the barge like a
tempest of hail, sending every man who was not under cover into
eternity. Once again, also, the folly of leaving loose piles of
ammunition exposed was demonstrated; for, penetrating the thin bulwarks
as though they were so much paper, several of the shots ploughed into
the heap of cartridges, exploding it and scattering death and mutilation
all round.
When the smoke of the explosion cleared away, it was seen that there
were scarcely half a dozen men left alive; and if the boat next in line
had not very promptly responded to the frenzied hails of the survivors,
and at once put back to take them on board, with their prisoner, every
man would have been lost; for they had scarcely transferred themselves
to the deck of the other craft before Frobisher's barge, with a large
hole blown in her bottom by the explosion, heeled over and sank, taking
her dead and wounded to the bottom with her.
The fight was now virtually over, and only a few more long-distance
shots were exchanged before the Korean fleet was out of range, leaving
the rebel squadron behind them in a state of hopeless confusion. Late
that same afternoon the town of Yo-ju was reached, and the men and cargo
were disembarked without any signs of the reappearance of the rebels.
In fact, the latter had given up the chase, thoroughly disheartened,
after the destruction of the steamer, and had reconciled themselves to
the loss of the arms.
Fortunately for them, the Englishman, Drake, had not been paid in
advance, and the money was therefore still intact and available for the
purchase of another consignment; so, with true Oriental submission to
fate, they retraced their steps to Yong-wol, and subsequently sent a
messenger to Drake, informing him that the convoy had been attacked and
overpowered, the whole of the cargo captured, and the young white man in
command either slain or made prisoner.
Frobisher, very much alive, but still weak from his wounds, arrived in
due time at Asan, closely guarded by a file of soldiery, and was carried
direct to the fort at the mouth of the river.
Here he was immediately haled before the officer in command of the
garrison and closely questioned, through an interpreter, as to his
connection with the matter of bringing arms to the rebels. But he had
already foreseen that this would happen, and had decided upon his line
of conduct; so he steadfastly refused to supply the required
information, even when threatened with the naked sword which the
official, in a towering rage, drew and flashed before his eyes.
Seeing that this demonstration produced no effect upon the intrepid
young Englishman, Sung-wan--for so the officer was named--gave a few
curt orders to the men who were guarding him, and Frobisher was hurried
from the room, conducted down several long, gloomy corridors, and
finally thrust into a large cell. This, as soon as his eyes became
accustomed to the semi-darkness, he could see was furnished with several
instruments of a horribly suggestive character; and it did not take a
man of his intelligence long to realise that he had at last made the
acquaintance of that supremely diabolic institution--a Korean
torture-chamber.
CHAPTER SIX.
IN THE PRISON CELL.
"By Jove!" exclaimed the prisoner to himself, as his eyes gradually took
in his dreadful surroundings, "I'm sadly afraid that all this means the
end of Murray Frobisher, and a mighty unpleasant end it promises to be.
No escape possible either," he went on, carefully making a tour of the
apartment, and at intervals tapping on the walls with an iron tool which
he had picked up, in an endeavour to obtain some idea of their
thickness, and so to judge as to the possibility of digging himself out,
if he were left alone long enough. But the results were disheartening,
to say the least of it. Every spot where he tapped gave back a dull,
solid sound, indicating that the walls were quite unusually thick, and
that escape by means of excavation or anything of that kind was
absolutely out of the question. The room was somewhat peculiarly
shaped, being evidently situated in one of the angles of the fort. The
wall containing the thick, oaken, iron-studded door through which he had
been thrust was evidently enormously thick, while the chamber itself was
some fifteen feet wide by about thirty-five feet long, the end wall
opposite the door being curved somewhat in the form of an ellipse,
meeting in a blunt angle exactly opposite the door. And high up in this
angle, about eight feet above the floor, was a small, iron-barred
window, which might, but for the bars, have been large enough to permit
of the egress of a man of ordinary size.