A DANGEROUS DESCENT.
When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out
at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening. He called
to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for
him to reply. Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close
pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of
Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we
are lost after all!"
"Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeballs," said Nicholas; but, looking for
himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the pagoda,
not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the
junk.
"The rogues will arouse the bonzes at the monastery," said Chow.
"Truly the rats are not so senseless. They know we are unarmed, and hope
to take us without letting the bonzes share the reward; but let us
ascend, it is our only chance," said Nicholas, leading the way up a
steep staircase to the next story; but, hearing voices beneath, he
added, "Let us clamber to the top and lie quiet, when they may perhaps
give up the search." So they ascended the next staircase, but when they
came to the third story they were vexed to find the stairs fallen so
completely to ruin that they could proceed no higher. Fortune, however,
favored them, for looking around they saw a ladder, which had probably
been left by the bonze, whose business it was to exhibit the ancient
ruin for the convenience of visitors. To ascend was the work of a
minute, but before they had reached the uppermost round of the ladder
they heard their pursuers enter the lower apartment, when, quickening
their movements, they soon reached the seventh story. Now, as like a
pyramid, the building diminished in bulk as it increased in height, the
top was so small that they could but just pass through the small
aperture into the little room, which, fortunately, was in such a
dilapidated state, that the roof near the central pole or spire, which
ran up the interior from the base to the apex, and was surmounted by a
kind of large button, was nearly off.
Once in this room, they set about fortifying their position, by pulling
up a few of the loose flooring-boards and throwing them over the well
hole by which they had entered. It was a happy thought, for as they were
laying the last board over the hole, they saw the soldier upon the first
round of the top ladder. In a moment they squatted down with their whole
weight upon the boards, and as the aperture was so small that but one
man could ever attempt to pass through at a time, they were secure.
For at least two hours they remained in that position, which proved
such a formidable obstacle to the entrance of the man, that tired out,
he determined to consult with his companions as to some other means of
destroying the boys. Then, leaving Chow upon the boards watching through
a hole for the man's next attempt to force their position, Nicholas
ascended through a hole in the crumbling roof, looked around for some
few minutes, then descending, said, "We will escape from the roof."
"Where are our wings, O, my master? for without them we shall become
very small pieces of broken china by the time we reach the bottom," said
the astonished Chow.
"In our garments," said Nicholas, taking off his robes and tearing the
inner one into narrow slips, which being sufficient explanation for
Chow, he followed his master's example, and by plaiting them together
they managed to form a long rope with loops for hand holes at intervals.
The manufacture of this rope took them some hours, during which time
they expected every minute that the enemy would attempt to force the
entrance with a great log of wood or bar iron; fortunately, however,
little dreaming that there was the most remote possibility of escape for
the boys, the enemy had resolved to starve them into a surrender.
It was near dusk when they had completed their labor. Nothing could be
better, for if they could escape now they would reach the town before
the closing of the gates; therefore, resolving upon the attempt, they
pulled aside one of the boards and listened again. Fortune was in their
favor, for, by the conversation that was going on among the men, they
heard, that, tired of waiting, the soldier was gone in search of some
heavy instrument that would force an entrance. Then Nicholas longed for
a couple of big bamboos, that they might fight their way through them;
not, however, being able to command the use of such weapons, they
determined to make use of the rope the minute the men returned.
Having arrived at this determination, Nicholas reascended the roof and
watched until he saw the soldier coming toward the pagoda, carrying a
huge block of wood, when throwing the rope around the centre column or
spire, so that they could pull it after them, leaving no trace of their
means of escape, he signaled to Chow to follow. He swung on to the rope,
keeping both ends in his hands, and lowered himself on to the projecting
canopy or fringe of the second story, and by a swing of the body reached
the terrace, where he waited for Chow, whose legs he guided in his
descent, after which they pulled down the rope, and by performing the
same feat at each story, reached the ground at the portion of the
building opposite to the door, and as he had calculated, where there
were no openings by which they could be seen from within.
Once upon the ground, Chow gave a caper of joy, and proposed to scamper
off immediately. Nicholas, however, having effected the escape, like a
wise general, wished to protect his retreat from pursuit. To do this,
they entered the lower apartment of the pagoda, which, as they had
expected, they found empty; then ascending the next story, they could
see the enemy above them in consultation. It was the story with the
loose ladder. So removing their only means of descent, they carried it
with them some distance from the pagoda, and hastened toward the town,
heartily rejoicing at the success of their scheme, and laughing merrily
at the plight of their pursuers, who, when found in the pagoda, would be
punished as thieves, or if they dared to explain the cause of their
presence in the pagoda, would be severely bambooed for not informing the
nearest mandarin of the escape of such an important prisoner as the
runaway Christian.
As they reached the city just before the closing of the gates, they
found so many persons hastening to their homes, that they passed through
without being noticed, and speedily procured a lodging at the nearest
inn.