FRIENDS IN NEED
The midshipmen saw that something had occurred to bring about this
change in the behavior of the mandarins, but for their lives they could
not guess its import or the effect it would have upon their condition.
Both lads had come to understand something of Chinese perfidy, and
determined to school themselves to bear any disappointment.
Very deliberately the two mandarins finished their meal, the
midshipmen, even under their tension of impatience, doing full justice
themselves to the savory dishes, and then the servants removed the
remnants of the repast. Meanwhile all four men sat in silence, the
mandarins in their silken robes in great contrast to the forlorn
appearance of the Americans in their dirt-covered uniforms.
At length the silence was broken by the unmusical voice of Hang-Ki, the
Tartar general. While he talked, making many gestures with his hands
to illustrate his meaning, the lads racked their brains for a solution
to this unexpected treatment. Finally the general finished, glancing
interestedly at the midshipmen, anticipating no doubt the effect his
words would have on the faces of the youths.
Phil drummed calmly with his finger nail a signal to Sydney.
“Show no feeling,” the latter read from the clear clicks upon the
hardwood table, and he nodded guardedly in assent.
The second Chinaman was now interpreting the general’s words, and the
midshipmen listened eagerly.
“His Excellency, General Hang-Ki, was given this ring by a soldier who
said it was found by one of the jailers on the person of one of the
American officers. He wishes to know from where it came.”
To Phil’s delight the Chinaman held up the jade ring, which he had
believed was irrecoverably lost.
Phil saw no reason for concealment, so he at once told the story of his
rescue of the Chinaman from the river.
Then it was the midshipmen’s turn to watch the general’s face as Phil’s
words were given him in his own language, but to their disappointment,
his features did not betray the slightest signs of aught save interest.
Finally the interpreting mandarin turned to the expectant lads, a smile
on his intelligent face. They had been wondering unsuccessfully who
this Chinaman might be, using the English language as readily as his
own. He spoke a few words to the general, and receiving an affirmative
nod, he again addressed the Americans.
“I see you do not know me. My name is Emmons. So far I have been
powerless to aid you. The viceroy is not my friend, and if it were not
for the confidence shown me by the general, I should before now have
shared the fate which you have so narrowly escaped. Even now all danger
is not over. This ring, you say,” addressing Phil, “was given you by
the man you saved from the river?”
Phil nodded silently.
“That part we cannot explain. The ring is a gift from the emperor to
Ta-Ling, the viceroy’s official secretary and interpreter. The stone
is the most priceless jade. Fortunately for you the jailer, fearing to
keep it in his possession during the night, gave it to the captain of
the yamen guard, who brought it at once to the general. If it had gone
to the viceroy, before now you both would have been executed.”
“What do you mean?” Phil exclaimed. “Did I commit such a serious
offense by saving this man from drowning?”
Emmons smiled grimly as he answered:
“By saving Ta-Ling’s life you committed a serious offense against
the foreigners in China. That it was he you saved there can be but
little doubt, and he is the bitterest enemy the foreigners have among
the viceroy’s advisers. He is a graduate of an American college, and
because of his harsh treatment at San Francisco each time he returned
to college from his yearly visits to China, he has sworn to avenge
himself upon all Americans, and of course all foreigners will suffer,
because the Chinese people cannot discriminate between an American and
one of another nationality. Because of my American blood I have gained
his enmity, and while once I enjoyed the viceroy’s confidence, now he
has openly shown me his displeasure. This uprising was started by the
wide circulation of handbills, printed in the yamen and distributed
at Ta-Ling’s direction throughout the provinces, calling upon all
patriotic Chinamen to exterminate the foreigners. General Hang-Ki
is the only friend that the foreigners have; he commanded an army
corps against the allies at Peking in 1900, and knows the terrible
consequences awaiting those who dare resort to such barbarous and
uncivilized methods. Unfortunately Ta-Ling has the entire confidence of
the viceroy, and has poisoned his ear against the wiser counsel of the
general.”
“Is the mission still unharmed?” Phil interrupted anxiously.
“Yes,” Emmons answered promptly, “the viceroy has given the general
orders that it be guarded from attack, although Ta-Ling has been making
desperate efforts to gather together the rebels, who were dispersed by
the foreign sailors at Lien-Chow. If he should succeed in having the
general’s soldiers withdrawn from their camp near the mission, he may
yet succeed in his cherished wish.”
“But Ta-Ling himself has enemies,” Phil exclaimed. “It must have been
these who attempted to drown him in the river.”
“The one who attempted to drown him in the river is sitting opposite
you in the person of General Hang-Ki,” Emmons answered, smiling at
the lads’ astonished faces. “Knowing that the general would not lend
himself to the intrigues against the lives of foreigners, Ta-Ling
decided to put the general out of the way. The night you saved the
secretary from the river and, as you supposed, received this priceless
royal jade ring as a reward, his Excellency was spending the night with
me on my house-boat. The general, if possible, always sleeps in the
open air, and this aided the would-be murderer in his design. I had
been asleep for some hours when I was aroused by cries, and hurrying
to where I had left the general sleeping, I saw him hurl the body of a
man overboard; but the assassin had nearly accomplished his purpose as
the knife thrust over the general’s heart will show.” Emmons turned his
tongue to the Chinese language, and the general baring his chest, the
lads gazed in horror at the terrible wound.
“We believed,” continued Emmons, “that the man was only a robber, until
we saw this ring and heard your story, but now there can be no doubt
that the would-be assassin was the viceroy’s interpreter, Ta-Ling
himself.”
“Is it likely,” Phil asked incredulously, “that if the man was Ta-Ling,
he would give me this ring?”
“He didn’t give you the ring, you can be sure of that,” Emmons replied
decidedly; “it slipped off his finger when he thanked you. Afterward
when he missed it, he doubtless thought he had lost it in the river.”
“Do you suppose he has recognized me as the one who pulled him out of
the river?” Phil asked suddenly, grasping at the hope that the Chinaman
might befriend him; but Emmons quickly dashed this hope to the ground.
“The night was dark, and besides, after his experience in the river,
for he cannot swim, I doubt if he remembers much of what happened.
According to the old law of China he would not dare for his soul’s
peace to take your life if he knew you had saved him, but Ta-Ling is
a progressive Chinaman, and considers his self-preservation in this
world of more importance than the peace of his spirit hereafter. If
this attempt on the life of a trusted general of the emperor were
known, Ta-Ling could not be saved by even the viceroy. The penalty is
death by a terrible torture.”
“Will the general report this occurrence to the viceroy?” Phil asked
excitedly, his hopes again rising that the interpreter might be
disposed of and Langdon and the rest of the hostages liberated to
return to the safety of their ships.
“The general believes that the time has not come to expose him,” Emmons
answered, lowering his voice to almost a whisper. “Ta-Ling is now the
master of the viceroy’s yamen and if we failed to break his authority
he would make certain of your destruction, reporting to the viceroy
that you all had committed suicide for shame at your misdeeds.”
Both midshipmen’s faces broke into smiles in spite of the serious
situation. Emmons, seeing the merriment caused by his words, hastened
to explain.
“I know that such an idea is entirely foreign to the American mind,
but not so with the Chinese. If a man knows he has committed some deed
which his fellows condemn, he is ashamed, or as we say in China, ‘loses
face,’ and he is very likely to commit suicide to regain his good name.
And again, a Chinaman held prisoner may take his own life for revenge
against his captors.”
“They needn’t fear that from us,” Phil replied. “We’ll cling to life as
long as we are able.”
“That’s what the general and I have come to help you in,” Emmons said
in sympathy; “the jailer has already been cautioned to say nothing of
the ring, and the soldier who brought it to the general is no friend of
Ta-Ling; but even with this doubt removed your lives are in danger so
long as you are held by the viceroy. An ultimatum was received from the
American commander last night that the allies have refused to approve
the commander of the flag of truce’s promises and if the hostages are
not liberated before noon to-morrow, the allied fleet would bombard the
city. This has thrown the viceroy into a fever of fear, for he owns
much valuable property in and about the city. He has given the general
orders to open fire on the fleet if it again moves to an anchorage off
the city.”
“Will he obey the order?” Phil asked eagerly.
“He must,” Emmons replied. “He dare not refuse a direct order from the
viceroy, but he has demanded this order in writing, so as to protect
himself when the day of reckoning comes. General Hang-Ki has sent a
memorial to the viceroy protesting against this action; he realizes
that these gunboats stand for many great battle-ships that would be
sent against his forts as soon as the spring floods bring rising water
in the Yangtse River.”
The midshipmen were silent, while Emmons spoke to the general. The
conversation lasted for several minutes, when finally the former again
spoke in his father’s language.
“The viceroy is ignorant of our presence here and we must soon leave
you. If Ta-Ling should discover that we had talked with you, all hope
for you would be over.”
The midshipmen were cast down into the depths of despair. Then they
were not to be liberated at all, and would again go back to their
prison and be in the cruel clutches of that fiend Ta-Ling.
“The general has done his best to arrange an escape,” were the cheering
words from Emmons. “To-night you will be put in a cell away from the
Chinese prisoners. The door of the cell will be unlocked. Here is
a plan of the yamen, and I have marked your route to the gate and
safety. I shall have chairs waiting you at the gate. Success depends
upon yourselves; we dare not help you farther. In this room marked
in pencil you will find mandarin robes, which you must put on. The
guards throughout the yamen will be removed until midnight, so you must
succeed before that time. The room in which you will find disguises is
occupied by the viceroy’s treasurer. He is a close friend of Ta-Ling
and cannot be bought. If you are discovered the general will be
powerless to save you.”
“And Langdon?” Phil asked earnestly, his heart beating high with hope.
“We cannot go a step without him and our four sailors.”
“That is more difficult,” Emmons replied with annoyance. “He is being
constantly visited by Ta-Ling. To attempt his escape may defeat all.
The four sailors are in another part of the yamen and except for cruel
treatment are safe for the present. The general is grateful to you for
revealing this plot against his own life, but his real intention is to
give your captain information as to what will happen if he attempts
to run by the forts. There is, however, a channel, known to only the
Chinese, leading behind and close to the long narrow island on the
opposite side of the river. This island is now covered with tall reed
grass which will conceal the hulls of the gunboats from the rays of the
search-lights of the fort. Here is a sketch plan of this channel. If
your commander will start at night and use the channel I suggest, it
may be that he can take his entire fleet past the forts undiscovered.
I dare not take this message myself, for my movements are closely
watched. I fear even now Ta-Ling may have discovered our purpose.”
“Can we depend upon this information?” Sydney whispered to Phil, as
Emmons and the general rose to their feet. “Might it not be a trick to
blow the gunboats up by mines in this narrow channel?”
Phil put the question to Emmons, but the latter assured them of the
honesty of the general.
“The general believes he is serving his country in giving this
information,” he added; “he knows his people will suffer through the
viceroy’s treachery. If the fleet can pass without being discovered, he
cannot be held guilty of disobeying the order of the viceroy. So you
see it is important that this message should reach your captain in time
to prevent him from carrying out his threat of running the batteries.”
Reluctantly the midshipmen agreed to leave Langdon and the four sailors
behind and make the attempt to escape in order to carry the information
of the secret channel to Commander Hughes. Each felt that in doing so
they might be sacrificing their friend to the revenge of Ta-Ling when
he had discovered the absence of the midshipmen, but the good of the
cause demanded it be so.
In but a few moments the jailer led the lads back to their distasteful
prison.
Passing a great tub of clear water, both lads looked longingly at it
and then at their soiled hands. To their delight the Chinaman smiled
and motioned that they might indulge in a bath.
Delightedly the lads stripped their unclean clothes from their bodies
and bathed in the soothing water. Forgetful of their surroundings,
with the complacent jailer sitting close by an amused spectator, they
talked gayly of their hoped-for deliverance. Then the bright smiles on
their faces were suddenly frozen by the sound of a voice which they had
learned to dread.
“You seem very cheerful for men who are soon to be executed,” Ta-Ling
said in his perfect English. “What has put my good friends in such
excellent spirits?”
Both midshipmen were speechless with astonishment. How long had this
eavesdropper been listening? Had he discovered the intrigue of the
Tartar general? These were the questions that passed through their
minds. They waited in cruel suspense for the next words of their enemy
to answer these fateful questions.
Ta-Ling turned upon the trembling jailer, berating him soundly,
punctuating his words with kicks and blows which the cringing man
received without a sign of resentment.
“I have told him that if I saw you laughing again,” he cried angrily,
“he would have his head chopped off. Your treatment here has been too
kind.”
Then as an afterthought the mandarin picked up Phil’s uniform blouse
from the ground at his feet and searched through the pockets carefully.
Phil was terrified; the plan of the yamen was in his trousers pocket on
the ground at the Chinaman’s feet. If he searched through his trousers,
all hope of escape would be ended.