A LARGE STOCK OF LADIES, TWO TAELS PER SACK.
Previously to his successful march upon Pekin, Li-Kong had besieged the
capital of the great province of Honan, which, after a few days' hard
fighting, he succeeded in taking; when by way of punishing the
inhabitants for their brave resistance, he ordered a slaughter so large
and indiscriminate that for many after years his name was used as a
bugbear to frighten children; so insatiable was his appetite for
decapitation, that, like Nero, he longed that the millions had but one
neck, that he might strike the whole of their heads at a blow.
The mightiest rivers, however, can but run their course, and so at
length, in the event of his making himself Emperor, he might have some
subjects left, he commenced to banish and to pardon, and by way of
rewarding his soldiers, one day when he was in a good humor, he
commanded them to sell the whole of the remaining women prisoners in the
public market-place, and keep the money; but as the soldiers asked such
high prices, and the fathers, husbands, and brothers, of Honan, had been
robbed of their property, after a two days' sale a large stock of
ladies remained on hand, which they were obliged to take with them to
Pekin, where, after the conquest, they hoped to obtain better prices.
Tyrants are, however, capricious; and so, being offended with his
soldiers for not discovering the princess, with hideous humor Li-Kong
ordered the women to be placed in sacks, and sold with other plunder at
two taels each.
Now it so happened that on the morning of the sale, Chow was passing
through the market-place, and seeing a crowd of people examining the
sacks, which were arranged in rows and tied at the necks, with small
breathing holes near the top, he stopped to watch the progress of the
cruel comedy. Anxious fathers, brothers, and husbands, who had followed
the army from Honan, for the purpose of rescuing their female relatives,
bought sack after sack at the reduced price, each, when the purchase was
completed, tearing them open; the greater number, however, giving vent
to fearful cries, when they discovered that their chance in the lottery
proved a blank; others, recognizing a wife, daughter, or sister, would
become almost frantic with joy. Many, before purchasing, would slip
behind a sack, rip it with a knife, to have a peep, and get rewarded
with a sound caning for their artfulness.
Well there were only half a ton, or at least five sacks of ladies left
for disposal, when a great lout of a countryman drew up in his cart,
jumped out, and after looking at his almanac, said, "Truly this is a
fortunate day, and I am likely to get a good wife cheap; so, although
two taels is all I have obtained for my last crop of rice, I will trust
to Fo; for young or old, handsome or ugly, I must have a wife to help me
till my grounds." Just then a shrill scream issued from one of the
sacks. "Who knows," continued the countryman, "but the gods may have
sent that scream to direct my choice, for if the woman is neither young
nor pretty she may be well dressed, and, consequently the wife or
daughter of some wealthy mandarin, who will purchase her of me, and so
make my fortune?"
"Let the noble paddy bird make his choice quickly," said a soldier.
"There are the two taels, most illustrious war tiger," said the
countryman, giving the money and taking his choice.
"We will see thy choice," said one of the soldiers, about to open the
sack.
"Nay, illustrious soldier, it would offend the gods if other eyes but
mine saw my prize." So saying, the man took the sack up in his huge
arms, lifted it into the cart, and drove slowly away, followed by Chow,
who was curious to discover the kind of prize the wise-acre had drawn.
Unable to restrain his curiosity, the man no sooner reached an
unfrequented part of the suburbs than he stopped by the bank of a canal,
pulled a knife from his pocket, ripped open the sack; but then a change
came o'er his dream, for with his body bent double, his two hands upon
his knees, and his bullet head thrown to the extreme stretching of his
neck, he stared with disgust for at least a minute, then in a paroxysm
of rage, the disappointed ruffian placed his hands upon the woman's
shoulders, screaming, "Thou vile old bamboo stick!"
The trembling woman fell upon her knees and prayed for mercy.
"Has the wretched woman no friend who will purchase her?"
"Truly the friends and relations of thy servant have been slain by the
soldiers; she has no friend in the world."
"Thou hast robbed me of my money, thou antique rat, and shall be
punished," said the brute, who, first striking her to the ground, picked
her up in his arms, and would have thrown her into the canal but for
Chow, who, going to the back of the cart, caught hold of the man's legs
and dragged him on to the ground, when, not comprehending the wherefore
of his wheelbarrow position, the fellow began to roar for mercy, but
turning his face and finding his enemy to be a mere youth, he sprang
upon his legs and attacked him with his clenched fists. For a time they
had a hard fight, after the fashion of the Chinese, who are as much
given to that sport, pastime, or brutality, as the English themselves.
At length, however, with one well-directed blow, Chow settled the
transaction, when, admitting himself to be soundly thrashed, as all
women-beaters should be, the bully fell upon his knees, and said, that
if the woman were a relation he was sorry for what he had done in the
moment of vexation at losing his money, and moreover, begged that Chow
would purchase her again for half the amount he had paid.
"Take the whole, thou miserable dog," said Chow, throwing down two taels
that Nicholas had given him in the morning, to purchase a thick robe for
the voyage to Leao-tong, then, lifting the poor creature from the cart,
he laid her upon the bank of the canal, and by dashing water in her face
brought her to her senses. But why does Chow suddenly fall at her feet,
kiss the hem of her garment, take both her hands in his own, gaze in her
face for a moment, and then, throwing his arms around her neck, sob like
an infant. Surely there was some good reason for such strange
conduct?--We shall see.