might have been expected, this was closed; but it was not locked. The
pirates had clearly pinned their faith on the stanchness of the cell
door. Close to this, in the opposite wall of the passage, were the
other doors which Frobisher had observed when being conducted to his
prison; and it was through one of these that he must pass if he was to
escape at all. The passage itself, he remembered, simply communicated
with the main building of the fort, and to travel by that path was
tantamount to running into the arms of his captors.
With infinite care he tried the latch of the door on the left. It was
locked.
Then he turned the handle of the door on the right. That also was
locked; and his heart sank at the thought of the tremendous amount of
labour that would be needed to overcome this obstacle--if it were
possible to overcome it at all, of which he was more than doubtful.
While he was considering what to do first, his eye caught a faint
glimmer of light shining on something on the wall, and he eagerly
stretched out his hand to it. As he touched it his heart leaped, for
the object was a key--obviously the key of one, or both, of the doors.
He fitted it cautiously into the lock of the right-hand door and turned
it gently, and with a soft click the wards fell back and the door jarred
slightly open.
Without wasting a moment, Frobisher pulled it wide and stepped outside,
exulting in his new-found liberty. But, alas! his exultation was only
momentary. An instant later he realised the cruel hoax that had been
played on him, for extending over a distance of many yards in every
direction was a sort of pavement of broken glass, pointed and keen-edged
as a forest of razors. The glass had been so firmly fixed in the ground
that it was impossible to remove it; and Frobisher instantly realised
that his escape that way was most effectually barred. Even with strong
boots on, it would have been a difficult enough matter to traverse that
glass-strewn patch without cutting one's feet to pieces; and with feet
merely protected by thin wrappings of wool and linen, the thing was an
impossibility.
This, then, was the meaning of the removal of his boots; and, as he
realised the sardonic cruelty of the men who could invent such a device
for tormenting a prisoner, his heart almost failed him. It seemed as
though he were doomed to remain for ever immured in this horrible place.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
PURSUED BY BLOODHOUNDS.
With a smothered ejaculation of bitter disappointment Frobisher recoiled
a few steps in sheer despair, bringing up rather sharply against the
iron-plated door through which he had just emerged; and the next instant
he realised that he was doubly trapped. Escape was cut off in front of
him by that broken glass, and he had been in such haste to _get away_
from his prison that he had never thought of removing the key from the
inside of the door, or of taking precautions to prevent the door from
closing behind him and cutting off his retreat, as it had done.
Retreat, after he was once clear of the walls, had naturally never
entered his mind. But now he would have been glad enough to have been
able to return to his cell unobserved. It would be intensely
humiliating to be obliged to wait there, in the small space between the
door and the glass-sown path, until his jailer arrived, some twenty-four
hours later, to release him. Yet there seemed to be no alternative.
How careless, how criminally foolish he had been to allow himself to be
trapped by so transparent a device! thought Frobisher. He ought to have
suspected a trap directly he discovered that his boots had been removed,
and he might have known that such jailers as he was dealing with do not
leave cell doors unlatched by accident, or leave keys to open other
doors hanging on walls in conspicuous places, just where an escaping
prisoner would be most likely to see them. How those pirates would
laugh and jeer at him on the morrow, when they arrived and found him
there, shivering with the bitter cold of night in that climate, at that
time of year! The mere thought of such humiliation caused Frobisher to
grit his teeth with anger, and he had almost made up his mind to chance
a quick dash across that cruel barrier, trusting that he would not
injure himself so severely as to make escape absolutely impossible, when
something occurred which caused him quickly to change his mind, and made
him shrink back into the shadow of the door, pressing himself up into
one of the corners, to avoid observation and consequent discovery, if
possible.
He had caught sight of the figure of a Chinaman emerging from the shadow
of the jungle which surrounded the fort on its landward side. The man's
figure stood out plain and clear-cut in the moonlight, which was so
bright that Frobisher could easily distinguish his every movement, could
even see how the man was dressed; and he wondered what the fellow could
be doing there at that time of night.
In that part of northern China, especially at that season, men do not
wander about in the jungle at night, or indeed at any other time, if
they can help it, having a very natural objection to being caught and
eaten by prowling, hungry tigers; and it was therefore not a little
strange that this man should arrive at the fort by that way,
particularly as it could be reached much more easily by the road which
the pirates had constructed for their own convenience. It would almost
appear as though the man bad come by this route in order to avoid the
pirates' observation; and the longer Frobisher considered the matter,
the more certain did he become that this was actually the case, and the
more he wondered what the reason might be.
The man had only stood in full view for a few brief seconds, just long
enough to convince the Englishman that he was real, and not a figment of
his own heated imagination. Then he had stepped back quickly into the
shadow of the jungle, crouching down beside a clump of bamboo, where he
was so well concealed from observation that Frobisher could just
distinguish the outline of his stooping body. Indeed, had he not kept
his eyes on the man the whole time, it would have been impossible to
detect his hiding-place, so well did the colour of his clothing blend
with the vegetation which formed his background.
The Englishman's heart began to beat with excitement and hope, for a
thousand possibilities at once presented themselves to him. It was
morally certain that the hiding man could have no connection with the
pirates, or he would have come forward boldly and demanded admittance;
and if not a friend of, or connected with the outlaws, he must
necessarily be opposed to them. Ah! if it were only possible to attract
the man's attention without also attracting that of the pirates, escape
should be a simple matter, thought Frobisher. He was already
practically as good as outside the walls, and all that was necessary was
that something should be laid down on the top of the glass over which he
could walk without cutting his feet, and the thing was done; he could be
miles beyond the possibility of pursuit before morning broke, if only
the preliminaries could be put in hand immediately.
It did not take him long to decide that he would make the attempt to
attract the man's attention. If the latter were a friend, and the
attempt were crowned with success, all would be well, and he would be
free within an hour; while if the man should after all prove to be an
enemy--well, he might as well be discovered and taken back to prison
now, as wait all night in the cold. One thing was quite certain--
without outside assistance escape was impossible; so he decided to put
his fortune to the test and risk his freedom, if not his life, upon the
turn of the die.
With this idea, he drew his handkerchief from his pocket and was about
to step forward and wave it, when he saw a movement among the clump of
bamboo, and the next instant the Chinaman rose to his feet and ran like
a deer toward the very part of the fort in which Frobisher's cell was
situated. He ran noiselessly, on his toes, and bent almost double in
the effort to make himself as small as possible. And he did not slacken
speed until he had reached the walls of the fort, where he again
crouched down in the shadow, almost directly under the window of
Frobisher's cell, about twenty yards away from the spot where the
Englishman himself was concealed.
The latter, in the face of this new move, determined to watch a few
minutes longer before revealing himself, and kept his eyes on the
crouching figure with the greatest interest. Was the man going to prove
friend or foe, rescuer or would-be assassin? Scarcely the latter, the
Englishman thought, for there seemed something strangely familiar in the
man's movements and in his whole appearance; and Frobisher experienced
the sensation of having met, or seen, this man somewhere before, though
under what circumstances he could not for the life of him recall. He
was something of the same build as Ling; but Ling, he knew, was dead,
for he had seen the man's body. Then, again, he might pass at a
distance for Quen-lung, the interpreter; but from what Frobisher had
already seen of that person, he did not for a moment believe that
Quen-lung was at all the kind of man to risk his skin on a midnight
excursion to a pirate stronghold.
Suddenly Frobisher's attention was disturbed by the sound of a very low
whistle, undoubtedly proceeding from the Chinaman. That whistle was
beyond question a signal of some sort, and was just as certainly
intended for himself. To hesitate longer would have been the height of
folly, for the longer the delay now, the greater would be the danger of
discovery; so, putting his fingers in his mouth, Frobisher replied with
another whistle in exactly the same key and tone as the Chinaman's. The
latter leapt to his feet, took a few steps backward, and looked up at
the window; but seeing nothing there, he proceeded to glance round him
anxiously.
Frobisher gave another low whistle, and, as the man now turned his head
in his direction, fluttered the white handkerchief. The Chinaman
instantly caught sight of the movement, and commenced to run toward the
prisoner, coming to a sudden standstill as he encountered the outer edge
of the carpet of broken glass. A low exclamation of "Phew!" escaped him
as he understood the meaning of the obstacle, followed by a subdued
execration in English; and on hearing this, Frobisher at once knew who
it was that was risking his life in an endeavour to save him. The man
was none other than Captain Drake!
How the little skipper had come to hear of his friend's predicament, and
how he had contrived to travel some three hundred miles in disguise
undetected, Frobisher could not guess. All he knew was that at last he
had again a stanch comrade by his side--one who would not forsake him,
even in the last extremity; and in his relief he could scarcely help
shouting aloud for very joy. But fortunately he remembered in time the
absolute necessity for strict silence, and contented himself with
calling in a low voice:
"That's you, Drake, surely?"
"It is that same," responded the little man, in a tone as subdued as
Frobisher's own; "but where the dickens are you? I saw something move
just now, but I'm hanged if I can see a thing now."
"I'm here, just beside this door," replied Frobisher. "I should have
been away an hour ago, if it had not been for this confounded glass."
"But couldn't you manage to get across, if you take it coolly and walk
slowly?" whispered Drake. "If you plant your feet carefully and balance
yourself well before each step, you ought to be able to do it. But
watch you don't slip; that's where the danger comes in."
"D'ye think I should not have done that long ago, skipper, if it had
been possible?" Frobisher whispered. "The thing is impossible, because
they have taken away my boots, and the thin wrappings I have round my
feet would be cut to ribbons in half a dozen steps."
"I might have known," replied Drake. "That's an old game of theirs.
Well, you must be got across somehow, that's clear, and quickly.
There's nobody on guard up above us as yet, but there's no knowing when
they may take it into their heads to post a sentry. H'm!" pulling at
one of the pieces of glass, "the stuff's stuck in too securely to move,
so it's no use thinking of trying to get over the difficulty that way.
And there's neither time nor opportunity to collect anything to lay down
on top of it. There's only one way that I can see, and so let's try
it."
Without waiting for Frobisher to ask his plan, the little man commenced
the dangerous voyage across the pavement of glass. He had a thick stick
in his hand, and Frobisher saw that he was wearing thick, wooden-soled
Chinese boots. Thus provided, Drake succeeded in making the journey in
safety, and in a few minutes stood unharmed by his friend's side,
shaking his hand as though he meant to pull his arm from its socket.
"I'm glad, glad indeed to see you again, laddie," he murmured heartily;
"and more than glad to see that those yellow-skinned pirates have not
deprived you of any of your limbs. That is quite a common trick among
the Chinks."
"And," returned Frobisher heartily, "I don't think I need tell you how
glad I am to see you again. But how did you get to know I was here? I
understood from the admiral at Tien-tsin that you had gone to England
for a cargo of arms and ammunition for the Chinese Government."
"So I did," replied Drake; "and I carried out my contract, too. I've
only been back in China a couple of weeks. But we must not stay here
yarning; this is much too dangerous a place to be swapping experiences
in. These will keep until later, when we are out of this mess."
"That's so," agreed Frobisher. "But the question is, how are we to get
away? You saw for yourself what a ticklish matter it is to cross that
glass, even with stout boots on your feet and with the assistance of a
thick stick to help you to keep your balance; and upon my word I fail to
see how I am going to manage the business. You don't propose to carry
me, I take it?" he concluded, chuckling, and giving the little man a sly
dig in the ribs.
"I would even try that, and succeed too, perhaps," was Drake's reply,
"if there was no other way out. But we can do better than that. I
thought of a scheme directly I came to the edge of the glass-sown patch
and understood the game that the Chinks had been playing off upon you,
but I wasn't such a born fool as to stand there and shout it across to
you, with the chance that some yellow-skin might be up aloft there and
hear me. Besides, I wanted to see for myself whether or not the scheme
would work. And it has, for here I am, safe and sound, and not a penny
the worse for the passage.
"Now, here it is, just as simple as ABC. You are a thundering big chap,
I know, while I'm a little 'un; but I noticed long ago that your boots
and mine are pretty much of a size, while these that I'm wearing now are
a bit big for me, though they're the best I could get hold of. I just
slip these boots off, and you slip 'em on; then, with the help of this
stick, you make the passage of the glass, same as I've done, while I
stand here to watch you do it, and at the same time keep a look-out.
Then, as soon as you're across, you chuck me back the boots and the
stick, one at a time, and I'll catch 'em--I haven't been a cricketer all
these years for nothing. The rest'll be all plain sailing, and I'll be
alongside you on the right side of the glass in two shakes of a lamb's
tail. Savez?"
"Excellent!" returned Frobisher in a whisper; "and, as you say,
perfectly simple. Only, you must go first. You surely do not suppose
that I am going to make good my escape, leaving you here to run the risk
of being taken in my stead--"
Drake kicked off his shoes, with a muttered sailor's blessing on
Frobisher's head at what he termed the latter's "tomfoolery", and, going
down upon one knee, seized first one and then the other of Frobisher's
feet, removed the bandages from them, and then thrust on the boots.
"Capital fit!" he murmured, as he rose to his feet and put the stick
into his companion's hand. "Now, off you go, my buck, and look sharp
about it, or the pirates will have two prisoners to amuse themselves
with instead of one."
Recognising that the little skipper was determined to have his own way,
Frobisher forbore to protest further. He stepped carefully out upon the
broad area of broken glass, and, creeping along close under the wall,
was able so effectually to steady himself by it and with the help of the
stick that in a few minutes he had safely negotiated the passage which a
short time before had appeared practically impassable. Then, running
far enough round the outer margin of the glass-sown ground to secure a
clear shot in through the doorway, he threw back to Drake first one
boot, then the other, and finally the stick, and had the satisfaction of
seeing his friend deftly catch each of them. Five minutes later the
little skipper was safely beside him.
"Thank God we are both out of that hole!" piously ejaculated Frobisher
under his breath, as the pair crept along in the deep shadow of the rear
wall of the fort. "Where away to now?"
"Into the jungle first, where we can't be seen by any chance look-out up
aloft," answered Drake. "Then, as soon as we are safely hidden, I'll
explain."
They made the passage across the open and reached the cover of the
jungle in safety, whereupon Drake replaced his boots, while Frobisher
swathed his feet again in the strips of underclothing which he had
brought away with him. These were serviceable enough as foot-gear, and
Frobisher found that they protected his feet much better than he had
anticipated, lasting quite a long time before needing to be replaced by
other strips.
Having readjusted their clothing, the two men were ready to begin their
long and perilous journey back to civilisation, which Drake gave his
companion to understand would have to be made overland. But before
starting, Frobisher requested Drake to cut him a heavy cudgel, similar
to the one he himself was using, so that, in the event of their
encountering an enemy, they might have something, at least, to defend
themselves with. Drake did so, and, as he handed it to his friend,
plunged his hand into one of his pockets and brought out something which
he also passed over to Frobisher.
"Why," exclaimed the latter in astonishment, "that's one of my own brace
of revolvers! How in the name of fortune did you get hold of it?"
"And here's the other," said Drake, showing the butt. "I got them out
of your cabin aboard the _Su-chen_--she got back safely to Tien-tsin, I
may tell you; but how I came to be aboard her, or to get up here, is too
long a yarn to spin now. Let it wait until we are in less danger than
we are in at present."
"Right you are, skipper!" answered Frobisher; "the yarn will be
interesting enough, I'll be bound. I'm glad you found these revolvers
and brought them along, for they are good barkers, and a man feels a
certain sense of security with one of them in his hand. Now, lead the
way, since you probably know it best."
Drake took a comprehensive glance at the stars, and then plunged along a
narrow and apparently seldom-trodden path through the jungle, seeming to
find his way by instinct, for the forest was so dense that the moon's
rays seldom succeeded in penetrating it.
They had been jogging along at a steady four miles an hour for about an
hour and a half, when the fugitives were startled by hearing the distant
boom of a heavy gun, proceeding apparently from the spot which they had
recently left. They at once guessed what it meant, and realised the
danger in which they still stood. Evidently Frobisher's escape had
somehow been prematurely discovered, and that gun had been fired as an
alarm. Instead of having, as they had confidently anticipated, about
eighteen or twenty hours in which to make a good start, they had gained
but an hour and a half; and the pirates would be already on their track.
True, it might take them some time to discover in which direction the
fugitives had headed; but they would assuredly make the discovery sooner
or later, and then it would be purely a question of speed.
"By Jove, Drake!" exclaimed Frobisher, "we must hurry now. Those
fellows have discovered my absence; and they will lose no time in taking
up the pursuit, you may depend. Do you know of any hiding-place that we
can make for?"
"I thought of just this thing on my way here," answered Drake, breaking
into a run, "and picked out a spot which will suit us to a T, if we can
but reach it in time. It's an old ruined town, goodness knows how
ancient; nobody lives there now, and there are thousands of ruined
houses and plenty of underground passages where we can hide, if we can
only get there unseen."
Breath being precious, the pair wasted no more in talk, but saved it all
for the long run before them. Side by side they dashed along at top
speed, sometimes colliding with trees, or stumbling over stones and
creepers, until they were bruised from head to foot, but never once
halting.
When they were beginning to hope that they might be out-distancing the
pursuit, a deep, bell-like note floating down the wind warned them that
the pirates possessed bloodhounds, and that the dogs were hard upon
their trail. Frobisher took out his revolver and spun the cylinder to
satisfy himself that it was loaded, and then thrust it back into his
pocket. If those dogs came within shot, he would take care that they
hunted no more prisoners.
"How far ahead now?" he panted, when they had been running for another
half-hour at top speed.
"About five miles," grunted Drake, who was feeling the strain even more
than Frobisher. "We should be there in about half an hour at this
pace--if we can keep it up. Hope I shall be able to hold out. I'm not
in such good form as I once was. Getting old, too. If I can't keep up,
you push on, lad; and I'll try to keep 'em back with my pistol."
"Likely, isn't it?" replied Frobisher ironically. "If you can't hold
out, of course I shall stay and face it out with you: but do all you
can; we must not give in at the last moment."
On and on they plunged, and at last they began to find the jungle
thinning out, so that the going was a little easier, and their pace
consequently increased; but they could tell by the frequent,
deep-throated baying that the dogs were gaining on them steadily. They
dashed out of the forest altogether at last; and away in front of them,
on the right bank of the mighty Hoang-ho, its houses gleaming spectrally
in the moonlight, stood the ruined city that Drake had referred to, not
more than two miles distant--a very haven of refuge, as Frobisher could
easily imagine, if they could but reach it; for it was of considerable
extent, and, once lost in its labyrinthine streets or underground
passages, the pirates might search for them in vain.
They had not heard the dogs for some minutes, and, hoping that the
pursuit had perhaps been abandoned, Frobisher glanced round. It was
well that he did so. The dogs had also left the forest, and, seeing
their prey in front of them, were running in silence. They were not
more than fifty yards distant, and, grasping his revolver, Frobisher
called to Drake, and together the two men turned to face the beasts.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
GENGHIZ KHAN'S HOARD.
Hideous brutes the dogs were, quite unlike the usual breed of
bloodhound, for they were fully as large as young leopards and every
whit as powerful and ferocious. They certainly possessed the drooping
ears and heavy loose jowl of the bloodhound, but their hides were not
smooth-haired, like the Cuban dog's, but rough and shaggy like a wolf's,
with which animal it is quite possible their forebears had been crossed.
Their legs were extremely long, but very massive and powerful, giving
them the power of covering great distances at high speed; and altogether
the appearance of the beasts was sufficient to inspire a very wholesome
terror in any unfortunate person on whose track they were placed. There
were, fortunately, only three of them, and as their masters had not yet
appeared in sight Frobisher and Drake hoped to be able to settle them
with their clubs and revolvers, and reach the shelter of the ruined city
before the pirates could overtake and recapture them.