I looked up, and saw leaning toward me Wallace Carmichel, the British
Consul-General in Seoul, an efficient man whom I had not met for five
years, when he was in the Embassy at Pekin. At once there flashed
through my mind Mr. Hemster’s desire that I should not mention our
plight to the Consuls of either his country or my own, so I resolved
on the instant to keep to myself, if possible, the mission that had
brought me to the capital. Indeed within the last few minutes the
whole situation had changed. I had no desire to return to Seoul, and
only retreated because I was compelled to do so; but now the way was
perfectly clear between me and Chemulpo on turning my horse around. Yet
Carmichel would think it exceedingly strange if I could not give some
excuse for marching up to the gate of Seoul and marching down again,
like the historical general on the hill. I wished he had remained
at his Consulate, yet there he was, beaming down upon me, so I took
momentary refuge in airy persiflage.
“Hullo, Carmichel, how goes it? Has the early-closing movement been
adopted in Seoul? It isn’t Saturday afternoon, is it?”
“No, it isn’t,” he replied, “and if you’ll take the advice of an old
friend, you’ll turn your horse’s head, and make straight back for
Chemulpo. I think we’re in for a rather nasty time here, if you ask me.”
“I do ask you. What’s wrong?”
I was anxious to learn whether he knew anything of the escape of our
party in the early morning; but even if he had been told about it,
the Coreans are such unmitigated liars that it is not likely he would
have believed them if he had not himself seen the procession, and I
very much doubted if he had done so, for Carmichel was never afflicted
with the early-rising habit. I was, however, wholly unprepared for his
amazing reply.
“The Empress of Corea was assassinated last night,” he said. “I imagine
they don’t want the news to spread. The Palace is closed, and all the
gates of the city were shut before I was up this morning. The Court
entourage is trying to pretend that the Empress died a natural death,
but I have it on as good authority as anything can be had in this
mendacious place that the Empress was literally cut to pieces.”
“Good God!” I cried. “Can that be true?”
“Anything may be true in this forsaken hole. I heard you had left the
service. Came into a fortune, eh? Lucky devil! I wish I were in your
shoes! This is worse than China, and that was bad enough. I suppose
you are here on private business. Well, take a friend’s advice and get
back. Nothing can be done here for a while, any how.”
“I’ll take your advice, Carmichel. Is there any message I can carry for
you to Chemulpo?”
“No, you may tell them what’s happened.”
“Are you in any danger, do you think?”
“I don’t think so. Of course, one can never tell what may turn up in
this beastly place. I’ve got the Consulate well guarded, and we can
stand a siege. I heard that there was a mob approaching the town, and
so came up to see what it was all about. Where are you stopping at
Chemulpo?”
“I have been yachting with a friend of mine, and his craft is in the
harbour there.”
“Well, if you’ve no business in Seoul, I advise you to get back to the
yacht. You’ll be safer on the sea than in Corea.”
“I believe you!”
“How did you come to be in the midst of that Bank Holiday gang,
Tremorne?” asked the Consul, his curiosity evidently rising.
“Oh, they overtook me, so we came along together.”
“It’s a wonder they didn’t rob you of all you possess.”
“I forestalled that by scattering something like twenty thousand sek
among them. I thought I’d be all right when I came to the gate, but was
rather taken aback to find it closed.”
“Twenty thousand sek! And I suppose you don’t mind throwing it away any
more than a handful of ha’ pence! Lucky beggar! And yachting around the
world with a millionaire friend, I expect. Well, life’s easy for some
people,” said the Consul-General with a sigh.
I laughed at him, and wondered what he would have said had he known the
truth.
“Sure you don’t want me to send a guard up from Chemulpo for you?”
“No, I don’t think our consulate will be the storm-center here. I
rather imagine the tornado will rage around the residence of our
Japanese friends. The Coreans say that a Japanese killed one of the
guards here this morning at the gate, but the Japanese Minister insists
that all of his countrymen in the city are accounted for, and that this
allegation of murder is a lie, which I have not the least doubt it is.
I heard a lot of promiscuous firing this morning before I was up, but
it seemed to me all in the direction of the Palace. They are eternally
raising some shindy here, and blaming it on decent people. I’m sorry to
see you turn back, Tremorne, but a man who isn’t compelled to stay here
is wise to avoid such diggings. If you return you’ll call on me, won’t
you?”
“Oh, certainly,” said I, gathering up the reins. “So long, Carmichel,
and be as good to yourself as you can.”
Saying this I turned toward Chemulpo, and reached it very late that
night. The journey was one of the most disagreeable I had ever
taken, for my right arm--I suppose through the straining of the
muscles--became utterly helpless and very painful. It swelled so,
especially at the shoulder, that I feared I should have to cut the
sleeve of my coat. David was more fortunate than I, because he did his
business with one shot: my giant required continual shooting, and now
I was suffering for it. If I had been attacked, I should have found
myself completely helpless; but fortunately the way was clear, and
with my three steeds I came through without mishap. Before going on
board I searched out my two Japanese, and found, as I expected, that
Mr. Hemster had rewarded them with a liberality that took their breath
away. He had paid them for the three horses, which he looked upon as
lost, and now I turned the nags over to them, together with the twenty
thousand sek that was on one of them; so the brave, resourceful little
men had no complaint to make regarding lack of recognition.
I had not intended to go aboard the yacht that night, but Mr. Hemster
had made the Japs promise to show a flare if any news came of me, and
in the morning he was going to organize an expedition for my rescue. As
soon as I encountered my Japs one of them ran for a torch and set it
afire. It was at once answered by a rocket from the yacht, and before I
had finished my conversation with him I heard the measured beat of the
oars in the water, and found that in spite of his fatigue the kindly
old man himself had come ashore for me. He tried to shake hands, but I
warded him off with my left arm, laughing as I did so, and told him my
right would not be in condition for some time yet. As we rowed out to
the yacht I told him all that had happened, and informed him about the
murder of the Empress, which news my Japanese friends were commissioned
to proclaim in Chemulpo, as I had promised the British Consul. Mr.
Hemster was much affected by this news, and I saw plainly that he
considered his ill-fated expedition to have been the probable cause of
this unfortunate lady’s taking off.
I was nearly famished when we reached the steamer, for I had had
nothing since early morning but a ham sandwich I had put in my pocket.
The bag of provisions intended for consumption on the way had been
carried by the Chinese cook, and at the moment of parting I had thought
nothing of the commissariat, which was extremely poor generalship on my
part, and an omission which caused me sorrow later in the day.
Sitting in the boat after my exertions left me so stiff and unwieldy
that one of the sailors had to help me up the side, and, stepping on
deck, I staggered, and would have fallen if he had not caught me. The
waning moon had risen, but the light was not strong. I saw a shadowy
figure make for the companion-way, then stop with a little cry, and run
forward to where I stood.
“You are wounded, Mr. Tremorne!” she cried.
“No, Miss Stretton, I am all right, except my arm, and its disablement
is rather a joke than otherwise.”
“He is wounded, is he not, Mr. Hemster?” appealed the girl, as the old
man came up the gangway.
“Tut, tut, child! You should have been in bed long ago! He isn’t
wounded, but he’s nearly starved to death through our taking away all
the provisions with us when we deserted him.”
“Oh, dear!” she cried. “Then you didn’t find the bag.”
“What bag?” I asked.
“When we were having lunch Mr. Hemster remembered that you were
unprovided for, so we raised a cairn of stones by the wayside and left
a bag of provisions on top of it, hoping you would recognize it, for
Mr. Hemster felt sure you would win through somehow or other. You would
be extremely flattered, Mr. Tremorne, if you knew what faith he has in
you.”
I laughed and told her I was glad to hear it.
“Tut, tut!” said the old man. “Don’t stand idly chattering here when
there’s a first-rate supper spread out for you down below. Away you go.
I must have a word with the captain, for we are off to Nagasaki within
ten minutes, so I shall bid you both good-night.”
I took it very kindly of the old gentleman to leave us thus alone, and
I have no doubt he thought of his own younger days when he did so. I
wickedly pretended a greater weakness than I actually felt, and so Miss
Stretton kindly supported me with her arm, and thus we went down the
stairway together, where, as the old gentleman had said, I found one
of the most delicious cold collations I had ever encountered, flanked
by a bottle of his very finest champagne. I persuaded Miss Stretton to
sit down opposite me, which, after some demur about the lateness of the
hour, she consented to do, for I told her my right arm was absolutely
helpless, and the left almost equally awkward.
“So,” I said, “you must prove yourself a ministering angel now.”
“Ah, that,” she said, “is when pain and anguish wring the brow. As I
understand it, pain and anguish wring the arm. Please tell me how it
happened.”
Under the deft manipulation of the Japanese boy, the champagne cork
came out with a pop, and, as if it were a signal-gun, there immediately
followed the rattle of the anchor-chain coming up, and almost before my
story was begun, we heard the steady throb-throb of the engine, and it
sent a vibration of thankfulness through my aching frame.
“You do look haggard and worn,” she said; “and I think I must insist on
regarding you rather in the light of a hero.”
“Oh, there was nothing heroic in flinging cheap cash about in the
reckless way I did. I was never in any real danger.”
“I think we have all been in danger, more or less, since we entered
those Palace gates. Although I said nothing I could see from your face
what you were thinking.”
“Yes, I know of old your uncanny proclivities in mind-reading. Now that
every pulsation of the engine is carrying us farther away from that
plague-spot of earth, there is no harm in saying that I spent some
days and nights of deep anxiety, and that, I assure you, not on my own
account.”
“I quite believe you,” said the young lady, raising her eyes for a
moment, and gazing down on the tablecloth again. Then she looked
brightly up once more, and said archly:
“I hope it won’t make you conceited, but I walked the deck to-night
with fear tugging at my heart. I don’t think I ever was so glad in my
life as when I saw the flare, as had been arranged, and knew you were
safe. When I heard you talking to Mr. Hemster in the boat, your voice
floated over the water very distinctly, and I think I breathed a little
expression of gratitude.”
“Hilda,” said I, leaning across the table, “it is very kind of you to
say that.”
Here, to my annoyance, the Japanese boy came into the saloon, although
I had told him I had no further need for him that night. He approached
us, and said respectfully, and I am sure somewhat unwillingly:
“Miss Hemster’s compliments, sir, and she wishes you would stop
chattering here all night long, so that people could get to sleep.”
Miss Stretton sprang to her feet, a crimson flush coming into her face.
“Thank Miss Hemster for me,” said I to the Japanese, “and inform her
that we will finish our conversation on deck.”
“No, no!” cried Hilda peremptorily; “it is terribly late, and it is too
bad of me keeping you talking here when you should be resting. I assure
you I did not intend to remain on deck after I had learned of your safe
arrival.”
“I know that, Hilda. It was when you saw me stagger that, like the
kind-hearted girl you are, you came forward. Now, do come up on deck
with me, if only for five minutes.”
“No, no,” she repeated in a whisper.
Forgetting the condition of my arm, I made an effort to encircle
her. She whisked herself silently away, but, hearing the groan that
involuntarily escaped me when the helpless arm struck the table and
sent an electric spasm of pain to my shoulder, she turned rapidly
toward me with pity in her face. Then, springing forward, she raised
her lips to mine for one infinitesimal fraction of a second, and almost
before the rest of that moment of bliss was passed I found myself alone
in the empty saloon.