THE BATTLE IN THE CORRIDOR.
When we reached our rooms and behind bolted doors examined the contents
of the tapestry curtain, we were amazed at the splendor of the treasure
we had obtained.
“But it isn’t on board the _Seagull_ yet,” Joe reminded us, and we
sighed regretfully as we realized the truth of this statement. Nux took
charge of the booty and then we all went to bed and tried to sleep; but
on my part the attempt was not very successful. I wakened every little
while with a start to see the glowing eyes of the great ape regarding me
from the darkness, or the great gray body hurtling through the air to
fall upon me; and my cheek pained me from the deep gash it had received.
So I slept but fitfully until daybreak, when I rose to find Archie and
Joe already up and Bryonia making coffee over an alcohol stove.
Our first care was to dispose of the jewels, and this we did by tearing
the leaves out of some of the books of Prince Kai, a big heap of which
had been sent us by the eunuch, and wrapping the gems in them. Afterward
we packed two boxes with them and nailed on the covers. To carry out the
deception we had planned, we next concealed in the empty drawers of the
cabinet enough ornaments to have filled the two boxes.
So far our work had progressed very well, and we had just finished
breakfast and were congratulating ourselves on our progress when our
eunuch Tun ran in and told us that the governor’s troops had been
ordered to advance upon our retreat and capture us in our rooms.
“Send for Wi-to at once,” I commanded.
The eunuch hesitated.
“No can,” he said, with downcast eyes.
“Why not?” asked Archie, impatiently.
“Wi-to no see anybody,” answered the man.
“Great Cæsar! He isn’t drunk again, is he?” I cried, recalling with
sudden fear what such a calamity would mean to us.
The fellow was loyal to his chief and would not confess the truth; but
it was not hard to guess. It occurred to me that his annoyance over our
trouble about the women had sent him upon another spree, fast upon the
heels of the last one. But the loss of the Chief Eunuch’s protection was
a serious thing to us just then, and evidently Mai Lo, having heard the
news, had decided to order an attack at once, a thing he would not
otherwise have dared do.
“Shall we barricade the door?” I asked.
“I’ve a better plan than that,” replied Joe, who was a thoughtful fellow
and full of resource. “Let us stand in the passage outside and shoot
down any one who turns the corner by the dragon tapestry. There are two
reasons for adopting this plan. One is that we can reserve the use of
the secret panel in case we want to get to the vaults by way of the
underground passage, and the other is that we can retire into our rooms
as a last resort and bolt the door.”
“And in that case we’d be like rats in a trap,” added Archie.
I saw the wisdom of Joe’s proposal and at once sent our two blacks with
revolvers to hold the passage.
“Don’t be afraid to shoot,” I said. “It’s our lives against theirs, and
if they find we mean business they may decide to let us alone.”
Nux and Bry grinned approvingly and took their stand in the passage,
while we remained to discuss the situation.
Presently we heard the crack of pistols and howls of rage, and gained
the passage in time to see the governor’s soldiers come crowding around
the bend while our blacks discharged their weapons with cool aim and
telling effect.
The foremost wanted to draw back when they met with opposition, but
those behind, who could not see what was happening, pushed them along by
main force, and so dense was the pack of crimson and azure tunics that
Nux and Bry could not fire without hitting some of them.
But there was another danger—that their very numbers would defeat us if
they obtained the advantage; so we all joined in the scrimmage and
poured a hail of bullets into the foe. Those who fell literally blocked
the bend in the passage, and at last their cries were heeded by those in
the rear and the mob surged back and disappeared from sight.
We could hear their loud jabbering for a few minutes and then from the
sounds we knew they had all retreated to the lower hall of the passage.
Presently a head slid slowly into view, which we recognized as that of
Tun. The eunuch signalled to us not to shoot, and then ran up to ask if
the soldiers could remove their dead and wounded. We gave permission at
once and then stood on guard while the fallen were dragged away.
Pretty soon Tun came back to say that there would be no further attack
until the soldiers could find their governor and get from him further
orders. Just now Mai Lo was nowhere to be found.
So we left Bry alone in the passage and sat down in our room to talk
over our predicament.
Now it seems that just beyond the main doorway that led into our suite
of rooms this length of passage abruptly ended, and as it was hung with
tapestry we supposed it was a blank wall. But as Bry paced up and down
he was astonished to see the tapestry move. Then it was pushed aside and
a lovely girl emerged and signalled to him by placing her finger over
her lips.
Our man understood and was discreet enough to show the girl into our
reception-room without a word. We sprang up amazed when Nor Ghai stood
before us, her hands crossed upon her breast and her head bobbing with
courtesies in a comical fashion. But as I looked at her I saw her eyes
were red with weeping; so I took her hand and said gently:
“What is it, little friend? Have they dared to harm you?”
“No—no—no!” she replied, hastily. “Wi-to has but told me not to leave
the palace. It is not for myself I weep, but for my poor companions,”
and she broke down and sobbed bitterly.
We three fellows looked uncomfortably enough at this exhibition of
female misery, and did not know how to comfort Nor Ghai.
So to hide our embarrassment, Archie demanded in a rough voice:
“What has old Death’s-Head been doing to them?”
“Who—who mean you?” sobbed Nor Ghai.
“Why, the gov’nor, of course, Mai Lo.”
“Him—him has took away all their jewels and silks an’ clothe poor Ko-Tua
an’ Mai Mou in black cotton. An’—an’—” with fresh sobs—“tomorrow him say
him cut out both their tongues for talk with foreign devils!”
The little maid, in her misery, wasn’t doing very well with her English;
but we understood.
“The old scoundrel!” cried Archie, greatly shocked.
“We mustn’t allow this, boys,” said Joe, with decision.
“Why, it strikes me we’re in rather bad shape to interfere,” I
suggested, regretfully.
“We _must_ interfere,” declared Archie. “We got these girls into this
trouble by our rashness, and we must get ’em out of it again.”
“We’ve also got ourselves into trouble,” I reminded him.
“That doesn’t make any difference,” said Joe. “We’re men and they’re
just girls, and helpless in this heathen country. We’ve got to hunt up
Mai Lo and stop this little game before it’s too late. If we can’t save
the treasure and the girls both, let the treasure go to blazes!”
Nor Ghai looked at him gratefully, and Archie gave him a sounding whack
on the shoulder.
“Where is the governor?” I asked the girl.
“I know not. But Ko-Tua, she run away and come to me, with Mai Mou. They
in my harem now.”
“Why, that’s better than finding the governor,” I said. “Don’t let them
go home again, Nor Ghai.”
“I cannot help. The eunuchs will take them,” she said.
“Well, there’s only one thing to be done,” I announced, gravely. “They
must come here.”
“Ah, oh!” exclaimed the girl. “If they do that, Mai Lo cut off their
heads.”
“He won’t get a chance,” said Archie; “or if he does, he’ll have to cut
off our heads too. Bring your friends here, Nor Ghai.”
She hesitated, looking from one to the other of us in bewilderment.
“Have no fear, little friend,” said I, gently. “Go and fetch Ko-Tua and
Mai Mou to us. In that way alone can you possibly save them.”
She nodded brightly, smiling through her tears, and tripped away.
We watched the passage an hour; two hours. Then we began to fear that
Nor Ghai had in some way been prevented from returning. But no; she
appeared, finally, leading the governor’s girl wife and daughter by
either hand, and then she explained that she had much trouble in
inducing her friends to accept our protection.
To them the governor of Kwang-Kai-Nong was a mighty power, and they
feared to defy his authority by seeking the protection of three boys who
were foreigners and themselves fighting for their lives.
Indeed, when I came to consider the matter from this point of view, I
was surprised that Nor Ghai had succeeded in winning them over.
But here they were, finally, and Ko-Tua said to us in her simple way:
“With no tongue a woman could not live happy, could she? So we do not
care if we lose our lives. We come to you and trust you, for Nor Ghai
says Wi-to is your servant, and Wi-to is almost as great as Mai Lo.”
I had my doubts of Wi-to’s usefulness to us at this juncture, but did
not express them. As well as we could we impressed the maids with the
fact that we were not beaten yet and intended to put up a good fight to
the last. Nor Ghai told us that the news of our defeat of the soldiers
had already reached the harem, and had caused the condemned girls to
decide to place themselves under our protection.
We had Nux lead Ko-Tua and Mai Mou to the further chamber of our suite,
and when they had entered we ordered the black to stand at the door and
guard them.
Nor Ghai thanked us and went back to her harem. She said she was in no
danger, as no one had authority to punish her except Wi-to. There would
be a hunt for Ko-Tua and Mai Mou presently, but only Nor Ghai knew the
secret entrance to our corridor.
When she had gone we felt our responsibilities overpowering us, and
tried to concoct some plan to force old Mai Lo to pardon his wife and
daughter. If we could not do that we must carry them away with us to
Shanghai; but in that case they would double our danger and we should
not know what to do with them after they were safe out of
Kwang-Kai-Nong.
“I say, Sam,” remarked Archie, after we had been thinking it over for a
long time, “this is one of those bridges you’re always talking about.
Don’t let’s cross it till we come to it.”
After luncheon, which Tun and his helpers served as usual, we passed an
anxious and dreary afternoon. Tun had informed us that the captain of
the soldiers had still been unable to locate the governor to get his
commands, and seemed unwilling to attack us again without further
orders. Also we gleaned the information in a roundabout way that Wi was
still shut up in his room under the influence of a strong drink brewed
from rice.
About three o’clock Archie slapped his leg and exclaimed:
“I’ll bet a cookie Mai Lo is in the vaults sorting treasure!”
“I feel sure of it,” said I.
“Well, then,” proposed Joe, after a pause, “let’s go down and find him,
and have it out with the old rascal in the tombs of the ancestors.”
“In what way?” I asked.
“Let’s offer to divide with him. There’s enough for us all. Who cares
what becomes of the governor—whether he suicides or not—so long as we
get out of this infernal country and back to Shanghai with our share of
the plunder?”
“That’s a clever idea, Joe!” I exclaimed. “There’s no use fighting if a
peaceable arrangement can be made. Why haven’t we thought of making a
bargain with Mai Lo before?”
It did not take us long to prepare for the trip. The passage was still
deserted, but it was necessary to leave both Nux and Bry to guard the
entrance to the rooms, and the girls.
So we three boys crept to the dragon tapestry, passed the secret panel
without being discovered and soon were creeping along the tunnel for the
third time on our way to the chih of the Ancestors of Kai.
I carried with me the famous scimitar we had found in the cabinet—the
one with the seven great rubies set in the hilt. For our ammunition was
getting low, and if we found a need to use weapons in our present
adventure the scimitar might prove very handy.