A FEARFUL ENCOUNTER.
I have always believed Wi-to was the best friend we had in Kai-Nong, and
that he was quite willing to serve us to the best of his ability, thus
honoring the will of his dead master. But his oriental education and
surroundings had saturated his otherwise liberal mind with the
conventions and prejudices of his people; and he had a supreme contempt
for women and could not tolerate such an unwarranted act as we had
committed; in other words, making the acquaintance of three pretty and
interesting girls who were inmates of harems.
So Wi-to stormed and paced the floor, in one breath condemning us to
horrible tortures and in the next trying to figure out a way to save us.
Meantime we, the culprits, maintained an appearance subdued and
expectant, but could not bring ourselves to realize that we had merited
punishment.
“I will not give you up to Mai Lo,” declared the Chief Eunuch,
positively; “but he has the right to send his men to capture you. For a
time I can hold him at bay, but such delay cannot save you. If I
provided for your escape from the palace, which I might easily do, you
could not cross the province ruled by Mai Lo, and his influence as
governor of Kwang-Kai-Nong extends more or less throughout the Empire.”
“Where is Mai Lo now?” I asked.
“He has returned to his house. But his soldiers are left to guard the
exits of the palace, and they are ordered to capture you alive or dead.
It is an insult to me to invade my territory in this way, and had you
been guilty of any other crime I could have driven away the slaves of
the governor. But a violation of the sanctity of the harem is so serious
that our laws allow the criminals to be taken wherever they seek
refuge.”
“We haven’t been near the harem,” protested Archie.
“Your action is worse. You met the women clandestinely.”
“Are not foreigners sometimes introduced to Chinese women by their
lords?” I asked.
“It is sometimes done in the coast cities, such as Shanghai and
Hong-Kong; but never where the ancient laws of our Empire prevail,” said
the eunuch. “Besides, only the master of the harem can demand the death
penalty for its violation; so, had Mai Lo introduced you to his wife and
daughter, you would have had nothing to fear. As it is, the old serpent
will have your lives.”
“Not if we can help it,” said I. “What would you advise us to do, Wi?”
He paced up and down for a time in deep thought. Then he said:
“Your only hope is to escape from Kai-Nong. Perhaps the governor will
not care to follow you, once you are out of his way.”
“We won’t go until we have carried out the wishes of Prince Kai,” I
returned, stubbornly.
“You can do that very easily and quickly.” He cast his eyes around the
room and noticed the ashes of the burnt paper in the brazier. “I see you
have examined the cabinet.”
I nodded.
“The other work need not take you long,” he continued. “I will at once
send the ornaments and cases here to your room, and you may pack them at
your leisure. Then my men will carry them for you to the border of
Kwang-Kai-Nong, and there await your coming. They will arouse no
suspicion, and you must disguise yourselves and travel separately to the
meeting place. The signet ring of the House of Kai will doubtless
protect you from interference on the journey. So, while the governor’s
men are still guarding the exits of the palace, you will be on your way
out of the country. Yes! That is a good plan to follow.”
“But how can we get away if Mai Lo guards all the exits?” inquired Joe.
“Ah, that is my secret. No one knows this palace as I do. There are
secret ways of which the governor does not dream.”
This statement made me uneasy until I remembered that Prince Kai had
assured me that the private passage to the underground vaults was
unknown to any member of his household but himself.
To gain time we agreed to the suggestion of Wi-to, and the eunuch went
away to issue his commands.
Before long all the ornaments, the two chests, and the packing-cases had
been brought to our rooms and placed at our disposal. Also Wi-to sent
our own gifts, and I was pleased to find that he had selected some
exquisite ivory carvings that were of great artistic value. Perhaps they
were worth more than all the other things we had chosen, and I was
delighted at the evidence of the Chief Eunuch’s good will.
Our evening meal was served in our rooms as usual, and was as sumptuous
as ever; but we had not our usual appetites and were glad when the
dragging, ceremonious meal was ended.
“Of course,” said Archie, “we’ve got to make a trip to the vaults
tonight and bring back all the treasure we can.”
That was inevitable; so we waited patiently until midnight and then
removed our shoes and stole softly down the passage to the dragon
tapestry. We took Bry with us and left Nux to guard our rooms.
Being now acquainted with the way we proceeded more quickly than on the
first occasion and were soon treading the damp and musty tunnel leading
to the tombs.
When we reached the alcove of the first Kai we looked for Joe’s
handkerchief and found that it had been removed from the grating. This
was no more than we had expected.
“My idea,” said I, “is to go straight to the alcove of the seventh Kai,
old Abon, which the Prince’s book declares is the richest of all. We’ll
get that big beryl, for one thing, and anything else that seems
especially valuable.”
“All right,” said Archie, unfastening the grating. “It must be the
seventh alcove to the left of this, for those on the right are still
vacant.”
Joe started first and I came next with the lamp. Archie and Bry were
just behind me. Suddenly we all stopped short.
From out of the darkness of the vast domed chamber a harsh cry smote our
ears and we heard a rush of footsteps toward us.
Spellbound, we stood peering into the gloom, expecting we knew not what.
And then into the dim circle of light made by our lamp there bounded a
huge gray form, which like a catapult hurled itself upon Joe.
I gave a scream of fear, and the cry went echoing through the great dome
like the roar of a multitude. For in a flash I realized what had
happened. The great ape, Fo-Chu—the man-eater—had been loosed upon us.
The body of the ferocious beast beat Joe down as if he had been a
feather, and sent him sprawling upon the floor. But at the same time the
ape, blinded by the violence of its own onslaught, struck its head with
terrific force against a grating and rolled over again and again before
it could recover itself.
Instantly Bry seized Joe in his strong arms and fled back to the alcove
we had just left, and Archie and I were but an instant behind. Yet so
active was the great ape that, just as I pulled the grating to behind
me, he made a second leap, and the weight of his body against the bronze
bars sent me plunging head foremost into the alcove. The lamp flew from
my hand and was extinguished, while in my fall I threw down one of the
vases and its contents scattered themselves over the floor and rained
around me like hailstones.
It was Archie who had presence of mind to throw the catch in place that
secured the grating, and so protect us from Fo-Chu, who raged and beat
upon the bars in his desire to reach us.
In the darkness I struggled to my feet, while Bry lighted a match and
recovered the lamp, which, being metal, was not broken. Not much oil had
been spilled, and when the flame from the wick flared up we looked at
each other to see what damage had been done. The blood was streaming
from a cut in my cheek and Joe had a bump upon his forehead as big as a
goose-egg; but when we glanced at the horrible visage of the Sacred Ape,
who clung fast to the outside of the grating and regarded us with evil
eyes and vicious bared teeth, we were thankful enough that we had
escaped so lightly.
“Here is another item of account against Mai Lo,” growled Archie,
staring at the beast.
“Yes,” said I, while Bry bound up my cut with a handkerchief; “it’s easy
enough to explain this little surprise. The governor is keeper of the
Sacred Apes, and discovering that we knew a way to enter the vaults he
loosed the old man-killer in them, expecting the ape to make an end of
us all.”
“He nearly succeeded,” said Joe, tenderly feeling of his bruise. “I
thought when old Fo-Chu struck me that my game was up.”
“Well, what’s to do now?” demanded Archie.
“Let’s take what is in this alcove and be satisfied,” I suggested,
shuddering as I glanced at the ape and met its cruel gaze.
Silently we began to gather up the scattered gems that littered the
floor. Bryonia had brought along a strip of tapestry from our rooms, and
we spread this upon the tiles and placed the gems upon it in a
glittering heap.
We took such pearls, rubies and emeralds as seemed of good size and
color, but the jade and golden ornaments were too clumsy and big to be
utilized. When we had emptied the jars and vases we had a princely
fortune piled upon the cloth, yet it did not satisfy us.
“You see, Prince Kai had robbed this alcove already,” remarked Joe, “and
there is so much to be had in the other places that I hate to go back
and call this a night’s work.”
“But what can we do?” I asked, eyeing the great ape who still clung to
the bars of the grating and fiercely watched our every movement.
“Confound the beast!” exclaimed Archie, and threw a small emerald at the
brute.
The jewel missed him and fell in the domed chamber. In a flash Fo-Chu
bounded after it, caught it in his claws, and examined it with almost
human shrewdness. Then he sprang at the grating again, and clung there
as before.
“Good!” cried Joe. “I believe we can capture the ape and get him out of
the way for good. Shall we risk it?”
When he explained his plan we thought it was worth a trial. On looking
around we found a chain necklace, with heavy links of gold set with
gems. Joe stood before the grating and waved the necklace just out of
reach of the beast’s hand, tantalizing old Fo-Chu until he grew furious
and shook the bars with fierce energy.
Then suddenly Joe released the necklace and sent it flying far into the
chamber.
With a bound the ape was after it, and Joe released the catch and
skipped out of our alcove in an instant, running to the next grating to
the right, which he opened before Fo-Chu discovered he had been tricked.
But seeing Joe standing quietly at the next alcove the beast uttered a
snarl and with savage impetuosity hurled his huge body straight at his
proposed victim. Joe slid behind the wall and allowed the ape to fall
sprawling within the alcove. The next instant the boy was outside,
slamming the grating to and springing the catch.
We who had watched this bold trick with bated breath now uttered a cry
of joy and dashed out of our retreat.
“The tables are turned,” said Joe, panting a little from his exertions.
“You are now our prisoner, Fo-Chu.”
The ape realized it and with blood-curdling yelps was furiously testing
the bars in his effort to escape. But they held securely and we knew we
were safe.
The only danger was that the beast would discover the method of
releasing the catch; but Bry happened to have a small Yale lock in his
pocket, so we unearthed a heavy bronze chain from one of the alcoves,
and by tossing an object inside the niche induced Fo-Chu to dive for it.
This gave us a chance to snap the lock through its links.
Knowing we were now masters of the situation we proceeded to the tomb of
Kai Abon and examined it with care. It yielded us about two quarts of
superb rubies, besides three dozen magnificent pearls and the great
beryl. From there we visited the place where Mai Lo had been assorting
his jewels, but found he had removed the heap and secreted his treasure
elsewhere. The vault of the third Kai, however, contained a vast store
of fine gems, and after we had secured these and added them to the
treasure already acquired, we were well satisfied with the result of our
night’s adventure.
Before we returned along the passage we went to take another look at the
Sacred Ape. He was squatting upon the floor of his alcove, motionless
but alert, and by the lamplight I thought his eyes glowed like two great
rubies.