THE DRAGON AWAKES.
On their way to the dockyard, while passing along the "Street of Many
Waters", they heard in the distance the sound of a military band,
playing very barbaric music--to English ears, that is to say--but in
what was undoubtedly "march" time. Presently they found themselves
compelled to halt for about five minutes at a cross street, named "The
Lotus", while several companies of a Chinese Line regiment went swinging
past on their way to the barracks; and Drake and his companion could not
refrain from commenting favourably upon the smart and businesslike
appearance of the men.
They were, it appeared, part of a crack corps; and every officer and
private seemed fully to realise the fact, and to be proud of it. There
was not a single soldier among them standing less than six feet in
height, and the majority were broad in proportion. The Navy men whom
Frobisher had so far encountered were usually uniformed somewhat after
the fashion of European officers and seamen. The officers wore the
flat, peaked cap, with a gold dragon in front instead of the crown and
anchor, while their jackets and trousers of dark-blue cloth were almost
exactly similar to those of our own men, except that the facings,
instead of being gold, were of that peculiar shade of blue so much in
favour among the Chinese. The ordinary tars wore the conventional
dark--blue, baggy trousers, and a blouse of the same colour, cut to a
"V" shape at the neck in front, but minus the collar at the back which
European seamen have adopted, while the skirt of the blouse was allowed
to hang loose outside the trousers, instead of being tucked in. The
only essential difference between the Celestial seamen's uniform and our
own lay in the cap, which, instead of being flat and dark-blue in
colour, was of the conventional Chinese shape and white in colour, with
a knob of some soft material on the top. Their pigtails were rolled up
and tucked into the crown of these caps--or, more correctly, hats.
Their arms consisted of rifles--which, Frobisher noted, were of
widely-different patterns, most of them obsolete, although all were
breech-loaders--and a kind of cutlass, somewhat similar to the British
naval weapon, but with a two-handed hilt, and only a small, circular
piece of polished brass for a guard.
The soldiery, however, smart though they were, in no way resembled those
of European armies. Their uniforms, all similar of course, consisted of
identically the same hat as that worn in the Navy; a white jacket, very
long and very loose, with baggy sleeves, the collar, front, and skirt,
and the edges of the cuffs all edged with broad Chinese-blue braid; and
short and baggy trousers, gathered just below the knee, and tucked into
a kind of "puttee" legging, consisting of a long wrapping of white
canvas. The trousers were also white, with a Chinese-blue stripe of
broad braid down the outside--and, strangely enough, the inside also--of
the leg. The boots were eminently sensible and serviceable, and were
something like the Red Indian's moccasin, the uppers being made of two
thicknesses of deer hide, which were kept on the foot by means of a
narrow tape run through eyelets, while the soles were built up of
several thicknesses of felt, amounting in all to about an inch and a
half. They had an appearance of great clumsiness, but were, as a matter
of fact, extremely light, springy, and comfortable. The thickness of
the soles, the springiness of the felt, and the absence of heels made
the boots particularly easy to march in, and the soldiers were thus able
to cover great distances without feeling fatigue. These men, instead of
hiding their pigtails under their head-gear, allowed them to hang down;
and some of them, Frobisher observed, were of great length, in some
cases falling as low as the back of the knee.
For arms the men carried rifles, of a more modern pattern than those in
use in the sister service; in fact, they seemed, so far as Frobisher
could see without close inspection, to be Martini weapons of the 1879
pattern--a most serviceable and reliable fire-arm, far superior to the
modern small-bore rifle in the opinion of soldiers themselves, as a
man-stopper and rush-checker. A long, wicked-looking bayonet with a
basket hilt, the back of the blade serrated for three-quarters of its
length, like the edge of a large saw, swung from the left hip; and the
armoury was completed by a long-hilted, long-bladed knife, or short
sword, stuck through the belt which supported the bayonet. They would
certainly be a "tough crowd to meet at close quarters", as Drake
murmured to his companion while the men swung past.
The soldiers appeared to be extremely partial to flags, for there seemed
to be one to every twenty or thirty men. These were all identical in
shape and colour, being triangular and yellow, with the device of a
crimson dragon, open-jawed, in the centre.
As soon as the men had passed, Frobisher and Drake continued their walk,
and shortly afterward reached the entrance to the dockyard, where they
were sharply challenged in Chinese by a sentry. Fortunately, as has
been before noted, Drake was an excellent Chinese scholar; and, in
answer to his explanation that they were in search of Admiral Wong-lih,
the man allowed them to pass, and very civilly directed them where to
go, having seen the officer in question pass but a short time
previously.
While Drake was obtaining this information Frobisher amused himself by
looking around him; and as he did so, he caught sight of a very
gorgeously dressed official approaching, attended by several servants,
one of whom was holding a large umbrella over his master's head, while
another timidly supported the heavy silken train of the mandarin's
cloak. There was something familiar about this man's appearance, but
the Englishman could not remember whether or not he had really met him
before, or whether it was only a resemblance to some other that had
attracted his notice. He was a man of very high standing--there could
be no doubt about that; for, while he was yet some ten yards away, the
sentry abruptly ceased his conversation with Drake, pushed the little
skipper aside, and presented arms, his face assuming the fixed
expression of a wooden image, touched, Frobisher imagined, with more
than a trace of fear. And indeed, upon closer inspection, the
official's countenance itself was seen to be anything but pleasant in
expression.
He did not deign to return the sentry's salute, but stared in a
particularly offensive manner at the two Englishmen, finally coming to a
halt and putting several questions to the sentry, who replied in tones
that positively quavered with apprehension. During this time the
personage never took his eyes off the two friends, and Frobisher was on
the point of losing his temper when the unknown, with a distinctly
perceptible sneer, turned his back rudely and, with a curt command to
his waiting attendants, stalked majestically away.
"Who the--?"
"What a--" began Drake and Frobisher simultaneously, then stopped.
Frobisher, simmering with rage, continued:
"Drake, ask this sentry, here, who in thunder that insolent bounder is.
By Jingo! I have half a mind to go after him and tweak his pigtail
soundly. Why, he looked at us as though we were dirt beneath his feet--
as though we had no business to be alive. Confound his impudence!"
Drake, fully as indignant, sharply put the desired question, and in
reply received a long explanation from the sentry, who constantly sent
glances after the mandarin, as though fearful that the latter might
overhear what he was saying, even at that distance. Presently he
concluded, and Drake translated whilst the two continued their search
for Wong-lih.
"The fellow says," explained Drake, "that the individual who treated us
to such a close scrutiny is a very important official indeed. He is one
of the members--the chief, in fact--of the Naval Council, also a
four-button mandarin, entitled to wear the insignia of the golden
peacock. And he is also the captain of the battleship _Ting-yuen_, the
flagship of the Chinese northern fleet, which flies the flag of the
celebrated Admiral Ting himself. Last, but by no means least, he holds
an important post in the dockyard (though how he manages to carry out
the duties of that and those of captain at one and the same time I do
not know); while, to cap everything, he is a member of the Chinese Royal
Family, a Prince, no less, I assure you. What do you think of that for
a tally, eh, Mr Frobisher?"
"Well, I am rather inclined to be sorry for the people who come under
the scope of his Naval jurisdiction," returned Frobisher. "I should
hate to serve in any ship of which he was captain. Of course I don't
know the fellow from Adam, but there is something about him that aroused
in me a very strong sense of repulsion; he looked to me like an
arch-criminal. By the way, did the man tell you what his name was? I
feel sure I've seen him somewhere before; I remember that repellent,
snaky look in his eyes, which gives one the shivers up and down one's
spine."
"Oh ay," replied the skipper; "I'd forgotten that. He did mention his
tally, as a matter of fact. Let's see--um--what was it again? Ah, I
remember. He called him Prince See--at least, that's what it sounded
like."
"By Jove! then I remember when I met him last, Drake," exclaimed
Frobisher. "It was when I went with my friend the admiral to the
Council meeting at the Navy Building, when I received my commission in
the Chinese Navy. Wong-lih mentioned then, that his name was Prince
Hsi; and I recollect how very unpleasantly he impressed me then. It
appears also that he is a bit of a scoundrel; for in Wong-lih's absence
in Korea the fellow had the audacity to send the _Chih' Yuen_, the ship
I was to be appointed to, to Wei-hai-wei to have her 9.4's replaced by
12-inch guns, intending to sell the smaller weapons, substitute old,
out-of-date twelves, and pocket the difference. But, luckily, Wong-lih
met her on the way there, screwed the information out of her captain,
and stopped Hsi's little game. He hates Wong-lih, therefore; and, as I
am a friend of the admiral's, he has honoured me also with a share of
his dislike."
"The low-down, ruffianly swab!" Drake burst out. "But there! that's
just the sort of beast he looks. Well, Mr Frobisher, if, as you say,
he dislikes you--and from the way he looked at you I should say that
`hate' was the more correct word--I would advise you to keep your
weather eye lifting. That sort of man hesitates at very little, and he
seems to have the power, as well as the will, to do you a bad turn; so
watch out!"
"I will, Drake," replied Frobisher; "you can rely on that. But here we
are at last, I think; this is the place where the sentry said we should
find Wong-lih, isn't it?"
"Ordnance Wharf, third shed along, first door on the far side of the
sheer-legs before you come to the fifty-ton crane, he said," replied
Drake; "so I reckon that this is the door. And, by Jiminy! there is the
admiral himself, walking beside the other officer in gold lace--a
flag-captain, I should say, by his aiguillettes."
"That's him, right enough," agreed Frobisher, and together the two men
set off in pursuit, keeping a little in the rear until the two officers
should have finished their conversation.
Presently the captain saluted and went off about his own business, and
Wong-lih, turning, caught sight of Drake and Frobisher. As his eyes
fell upon the latter, he stood stock-still, his jaw dropped, his
eyebrows went up, and he looked as though he had seen a ghost.
"Why, Captain Frobisher," he exclaimed at last, coming forward and
holding out his hand, "is it then really you? My dear boy, I am glad to
see you again, safe and sound, too, by all appearances. I have been
mourning you as dead these three months and more, ever since I got back
from the south and learnt of the disaster to the _Su-chen_ on the
Hoang-ho. I never expected to see you alive again when I heard that you
had fallen into the clutches of the pirates; and I was more grieved than
I can tell you--as Captain Drake here can testify--not to be able to
send a rescue party after you to try to save, or at least avenge, you.
But it was absolutely impossible; I had neither ships nor men to spare.
The imminence of our war with Japan, which has been threatening daily
for months past, and which is now an all-but-acknowledged fact, would
not allow of it. Much as I regretted you, my country naturally was my
first consideration."
"Of course, sir," agreed Frobisher heartily; "I quite understand. I,
too, am delighted to see you once more; indeed, I came down here to the
yard on purpose to find you and report myself ready for duty. I hope,
sir, that you can still employ me."
"Employ you?" ejaculated the admiral. "I should rather say we can!
Why, I could use hundreds of men like you, if only they existed in
China. But come along to my office; we can talk more comfortably there.
And you too, Captain Drake, if you will so far honour my poor
quarters."
"With pleasure, with pleasure, my lord--your maj---er--Sir, I mean,"
Drake almost shouted, in his confusion, quite "flabbergasted", as he
himself would have called it, at the Chinaman's stately, old-world
courtesy. And a few minutes later they found themselves in Wong-lih's
comfortably-furnished office, in the ordnance department of the
dockyard. Arrived there, and having seated themselves, the admiral
ordered refreshments, and immediately plunged into the matter always
nearest his heart, now more so than ever.
"Since you have reported, Captain Frobisher," he commenced, "I take it
that you are ready for service at any moment."
"This instant, if you wish it, sir," answered Frobisher.
"Thank you, Captain!" said Wong-lih. "That is practically what it
amounts to. Your ship, the _Chih' Yuen_, is here now; and I would like
you to take command of her at the earliest possible moment. She is in
readiness to go to sea, with stores, ammunition, and men aboard--would
be at sea now, as a matter of fact, had we had an officer to whom we
dared trust her. And you, sir," turning to Drake, "are you willing to
accept service under my Emperor? If so, I can offer you a berth."
"Certainly I am, your Highness," replied Drake heartily. "Only, if I
may be so bold as to say so, I should like to be on the same ship as my
fr--as Captain Frobisher here."
"Say `friend', Drake," broke in Frobisher. "It was on the tip of your
tongue, and it is the truth. If a man who saves another's life is not a
friend, I do not know what else you would call him."
"Quite right, Captain Frobisher," said Wong-lih. "I like to hear you
say that. And as for you, Mr Drake, I can satisfy your wish very
easily, as it happens. The acting first lieutenant of Mr Frobisher's
ship is not fitted for the post, but he was the best we had at the time.
Now, if you choose, you shall replace him as first lieutenant of the
_Chih' Yuen_, and I will have your commission made out immediately."
"Nothing would please me better, my lord," replied Drake, with the
utmost enthusiasm; "and I assure you that you--"
"Very well, then," interrupted the admiral, who was plainly hard pressed
for time; "that's agreed. You shall receive your commission to-night.
And now, gentlemen both, although I am so busy that I scarcely know what
to do first, I must spare the time to give you a short account of the
state of affairs as it stands at present, since it is necessary that you
should have the fullest information to enable you--you in particular,
Captain Frobisher--to understand exactly how things are with China, and
how extremely critical the situation is. When you have heard what I am
about to tell you, you will be able to form your own ideas and plans,
and so be in a position to work intelligently with your brother
captains, and under the admiral who is going to command the northern
fleet, to which you will be attached. I may mention that I am to be in
command of the southern division, while Admiral Ting will be your chief.
"You remember, of course, Captain Frobisher, that when the rebellion in
Korea became so serious that the Government could not deal with it, the
Korean Minister asked our assistance, and we gave it, as you saw, at
Asan. I also informed you then that Japan had thereupon thought fit to
manifest a somewhat unfriendly attitude by sending an unnecessarily
strong guard to her Minister at Seoul, coupled with an intimation that
she would feel obliged to send a much larger force if the rebellion was
not immediately crushed. That, in itself, as we fully realised,
amounted very nearly to a threat of war against China, and showed us
that Japan was only awaiting her opportunity. We therefore sent a very
strongly worded protest against such action to Tokio; and the Japanese
thereupon agreed to defer action until it could be seen what turn events
in Korea were going to take.
"That was the situation when you were sent in the _Su-chen_ up the
Hoang-ho; and those of us who had eyes to see and ears to hear were
fully awake to the fact that this concession on the part of Japan was
merely a postponement of the evil day. Perhaps she found she was not as
fully prepared for war as she had imagined. I know we were not. My
colleagues and I, and those of us who had our country's interests at
heart, took warning, therefore, and hurried forward our preparations for
war as rapidly as we could.
"Then things remained fairly quiescent until a few days ago. We had
practically quelled the Korean rebellion, and matters were resuming
their normal status in Korea, the only thing that remained being to
institute the reforms which were undoubtedly necessary in that country.
The proposals for these were offered to, and accepted by, the Korean
Government; and the proposed modifications of policy began to take shape
at once. One would therefore have thought that our little campaign in
Korea might be said to have terminated satisfactorily, and that Korea
might be left to carry out the course of action to which she had pledged
herself. In fact, we actually commenced the withdrawal of our troops.
"Then, suddenly, Japan sprang her mine. Our Minister at Seoul was
informed by the Japanese representative that Japan did not consider
Korea competent to carry out her promises, and that therefore Japan
would unite with China to carry out the reforms between them. This, of
course, was tantamount to Japan claiming the right to share China's
suzerainty over Korea, a most audacious and--I may almost call it--
infamous proposition. It was one to which Japan, of course, knew we
would never agree, and we told her so in very plain terms.
"The next thing we heard was that Japan had landed no fewer that five
thousand men in Korea, and that they were marching on Seoul; and on the
same day the Japanese Minister there forced the situation by tendering
two ultimatums--one to Korea, and one to us. The Korean ultimatum
required that, within twenty-four hours, Korea should disclaim Chinese
suzerainty and pledge herself to allow Japan alone to carry out the
reforms in question. The alternative was that, if Korea would not
agree, she was to be treated as an enemy to Japan. The ultimatum
addressed to us was to the effect that we should, also within the same
time, surrender our suzerainty to Japan and relinquish all claims over
Korea--the alternative in our case being war!
"Of course we could not possibly send a reply within the time
stipulated; and even if we could, we should have refused the proposal
with scorn. Our Minister at Seoul did all that man could do to gain
time, and sent the news to us immediately. As soon as we heard of
Japan's action we knew that the anticipated moment had come, and that
war had become inevitable; we therefore hurried eight thousand men on
board transports, and dispatched them at once to Asan. And now comes a
circumstance it almost breaks my heart to tell.
"War had not yet been actually declared, you understand, and Japan was
still officially awaiting our decision; yet the Japanese fleet, in its
full strength, lay in wait for our transports and the convoying
men-of-war, and attacked them, sinking the transport _Kowshing_, with
over a thousand men on board, and one of our cruisers. The other
transports and cruisers escaped and got safely to Asan, where the troops
were landed, the ships sheltering under the guns of the fortress. The
messenger who brought the news of this treacherous attack informed us
that the five thousand Japanese troops which I mentioned just now,
having reached Seoul, had been dispatched again immediately, under
General Oshima, to Asan to attack the garrison there. They met a small
force of our soldiers four days later, at Song-hwan, and, I am sorry to
say, defeated them; and the only silver lining to our cloud lies in the
surprise those Japanese will receive when they find themselves met at
Asan by seven thousand of our men, instead of only the small garrison of
the place; for it is not very likely that Oshima's force, being on the
march, will have heard either of the naval battle, or of our successful
landing of the majority of our men at Asan.
"The sea fight occurred a week ago, but we only received news of the
land battle to-day; and although we have been taken unawares by Japan's
treachery in striking before the declaration of war, we have managed to
prepare ourselves pretty well, thanks to the warnings we had that this
was coming. Mark me!--Japan shall find to her cost that she cannot
insult and ride rough-shod over my country without being called to very
strict account. War, Mr Frobisher, will be declared by China against
Japan tomorrow, the 1st of August; and I rely upon you, as well as upon
all the rest of my officers, to do your utmost to keep command of the
sea. The country which secures that will have the other at her mercy;
and we ought to be able to secure it, as our Navy is, if anything, a
little more powerful than that of Japan, seeing that we have two
battleships, as well as cruisers, whereas Japan has only cruisers. That
is the situation, gentlemen; and you are now as fully posted as I am
with regard to the state of affairs; so strike hard and often for China,
when you get the opportunity."
"We will, sir," replied both men enthusiastically.
"But," continued Frobisher, "I trust that our ammunition will prove very
different from that supplied me on the _Su-chen_. You probably heard
that the expedition failed for no other reason than that more than half
our shells were filled with charcoal instead of gunpowder?"
"Alas! alas! I did," replied Wong-lih; "and I wish I could promise you
that such monstrous iniquities should never occur again. But I cannot.
I am doing, and have always done, my best to prevent this shameful
tampering with Government property; but what can one man do, amongst so
many? You will remember that I told you the mandarins were filling
their pockets at the expense of their country; and there is no telling
how far their peculations may have extended. I have examined as much
ammunition as I have had time for, and I am bound to say that it looks
all right; but beyond that I cannot go, for it is impossible to know for
certain without opening every cartridge, and at a crisis like this, that
would be an impossibility. You must do as I do, and trust that your
powder will prove what it pretends to be."
"Very well, sir," returned Frobisher, bowing. "It does not seem a very
satisfactory state of affairs; but I shall do my best, I assure you."
"I am certain of it," returned Wong-lih. "And now, one last word.
Sorry as I am to have to acknowledge it, there are traitors everywhere
about us, so trust no one but yourself and your admiral. News must have
been conveyed to Japan by one of my countrymen to have enabled her fleet
to know when the transports sailed, and where to meet them. That man,
whoever he is, has Japanese gold in his pocket, and the blood of a
thousand of his countrymen on his head."
Drake and Frobisher exchanged glances involuntarily. The same suspicion
had evidently crossed the mind of each simultaneously.
"Do you suspect anyone in particular, sir?" enquired Frobisher. "If so,
perhaps you will kindly warn me in which direction to exercise the most
care."