NICHOLAS PUNISHES AN UNGRATEFUL INNKEEPER, AND ESCAPES FROM HIS
TREACHERY.
Rejoiced that the tedious sea-voyage was at an end and that the princess
would, in all probability, by a few day's rest, gain health and strength
sufficient for the long land journey before them, you may guess the
vexation of Nicholas, on arriving at the inn, to find a crowd of persons
around the door enjoying the following scene. The innkeeper was kneeling
before the chair of a tax-gathering mandarin, surrounded by his bamboo
sticks in waiting, who seemed to have in their charge three beggars.
_Mandarin._--"Thrice hath the dog's hide been corrected, and yet his
tribute is not ready."
_Innkeeper._--"Is it not true, O tribute-collecting lord, that but
little may be gleaned from an empty purse?"
_Mandarin._--"Therein is thy crime, slave, that having thrice received
our paternal correction, thy vile purse should still remain empty. Know,
thou mean dog, that the purse of the subject should be ever at the
service of the Emperor."
_Innkeeper, giving his empty purse._--"The laws of the empire must be
obeyed, there is thy servant's purse."
_Mandarin, angrily._--"Would the vile innkeeper laugh in our face?"
_Innkeeper._--"Surely, O great mandarin, the owner of an empty purse
hath but little cause for laughing!"
_Mandarin._--"Thou incorrigible dog, where hath been thy industry, that
thou hast not sufficient even to pay thy taxes?"
_Innkeeper._--"Truly the wars and the robbers have driven from the
province its trade, and thy servant hath not rice sufficient to sustain
life in the mean bodies of himself and family."
_Mandarin._--"If these are straight words, the dog's life cannot be of
value to him; let him, therefore, pay the debt he owes to the Emperor,
by humbly begging of the Tartar-subduing General, Woo-san-Kwei to let
him offer his carcass of full measure to the barbarians, that he may
shield the life of a better man."
_Innkeeper._--"Truly, O fountain of wisdom the officers of the
rebel-subduing general have already stolen from thy servant his four
sons."
_Mandarin._--"Stolen, thou vile rat! Let the rogue receive twenty blows
for this word of disrespect, and fifty for half the debt he owes to the
Emperor."
In an instant the innkeeper was thrown upon his face, and while one man
held his head, and another his feet, a third belabored the poor fellow
till he roared again. When the punishment was concluded, and the
innkeeper had, according to custom, thanked the official for his
kindness, the mandarin said, "Such is the punishment of rogues who will
not pay their taxes;" adding, "But that the cheating innkeeper may not
escape too easily, let him provide food and lodging for these three poor
people till his debt be paid."
"May thy servant inquire the amount of this innkeeper's debt; for it is
fitting that the taxes should be paid?" said Nicholas, coming forward to
the astonishment of the official, who said, sternly, "The sum, bold
stranger, is one ounce of silver."
"Then, may thy servant be permitted to pay this silver; for he would
engage for himself and sister the man's house, which cannot be large
enough for these poor people also?"
"Truly it may not be refused," replied the mandarin, taking the money,
and rescinding his order for the accommodation of the poor people; but
adding, as he left the spot, "It is a maxim that people should settle
their own debts before paying those of others."
"Where is the justice now, my master; for although he has received the
debt in full, that rat of the taxes hath not taken back the blows from
this poor man's hide?" said Chow, fortunately for himself in such soft
tones that he could not be heard by the mandarin. More pleased than
otherwise at the scene which they had considered good fun, the crowd
dispersed; when, silencing the noisy gratitude of the innkeeper, who,
after all, had been more frightened than hurt with the blows which had
been dealt out to him, as much as a matter of form as a punishment,
Nicholas and his party entered the inn, and having secured the two best
rooms, one for the princess and her attendant, the other for himself and
Chow, he gave the bird's nests to the wife of the innkeeper for the use
of the ladies.
As for themselves, the boys made a good meal, and then whiled the time
away in conversation till it became dark, when they both sought their
beds; which, queer as it may seem to you--being nothing but piles of
bricks shaped to the human form, and heated from beneath with charcoal,
the flame and heat of which are dispersed by pipes joined to an upright
tube, which carries the smoke through the roof--they greatly enjoyed
after their long journey.
The next morning Nicholas visited the princess, and to his surprise and
delight found that she had recovered her strength. "This is indeed joy,
O my princess!" said he, kneeling; when, taking him by the hand, the
royal lady said, "Kneel not before her whom thou hast so much
befriended, O noble youth; for it is naught but the poor fatherless girl
La-Loo who is before thee, and would indeed be thy sister."
"This is not possible; the daughter of the Ming can never be less in the
world than its princess--first in beauty as in rank," said Nicholas.
"The daughter of the Ming, or the girl La-Loo, be she whom she may,
noble youth, will travel alone through this dreary province in search of
her brother, if she can not journey as thy sister."
"Then be it so, for thy servant dares not disobey, O beautiful La-Loo!"
said Nicholas; adding, "Is it the will of the princess, to proceed upon
her journey?"
"The will of her adopted brother is the will of La-Loo," replied the
princess, and Nicholas left the room; but pushing the door before him,
imagine his surprise to find the innkeeper at the threshhold with his
little head upward, his short arms stretched forward from his great
body, and his legs in the hands of Chow, who appeared to be pulling him
from the door.
"Release thy mean servant from the hands of this vile person, O noble
youth, or his legs will be pulled as easily from his body as those of a
crab," said the man, piteously looking in the face of Nicholas.
"The rascal, the rogue, the elephant in size, but mouse in honesty, was
listening to thy conversation, O my master," said Chow.
"Let the mean rat rise upon his bamboo legs," said Nicholas; adding,
"What has the dog learned of his guests' affairs?"
"Truly so grand a mien could belong to none but the son of a king, and
so beautiful a lady, could be none other than a princess," said the man.
"Thou rascal," said Nicholas; but adding, more prudently, "Canst thou be
honest, and serve us?"
"For ever, O noble youth," replied the innkeeper.
"Trust not so small a mouse," said Chow.
"The innkeeper shall be rewarded according to his merits. Let him
conduct his guest to the merchants of the town, and he shall receive
some silver," said Nicholas, quitting the house with the man, who led
him to the various dealers and merchants, from whom he purchased a
camel, a mule, a tent, provision, and in short all things necessary for
a long journey overland.
When he had made these purchases, he whispered some secret instruction
in the ear of Chow, and sent him with the animals and articles back to
the inn; after which he said, "Will the worthy innkeeper open his lips
in a temple, and promise to keep to himself the secret he has
discovered?"
"Truly the noble youth does not doubt that the words of his servant are
straight?" replied the man, evasively.
"The worthy innkeeper must do this, or forfeit these two ounces of
silver," replied Nicholas, exhibiting the money, which had the desired
effect.
"There is but one temple for this poor town, and that is upon the
mountain without the walls."
"To that we will proceed, if the worthy innkeeper will show the way."
The man obeyed; they passed through the gates of the town into a narrow
road, which led them to the foot of a high mountain, near the summit of
which stood a small temple.
"It would be better to seek an altar within the inner apartments of thy
servant's inn, the gods would be equally as attentive to his promise,
and the noble youth would be saved the necessity of climbing so steep a
hill."
"Truly this temple can not be used often, or some easier means of ascent
would be made," said Nicholas.
"The words of the noble youth are wise, for truly this temple is but
used on the festivals of the first of the month."
"When is the next festival, O worthy innkeeper?"
"To-morrow."
"Then ascend."
Obeying, the innkeeper commenced climbing the narrow and slippery stairs
cut in the hill side; when they reached the top and stood in the temple
before a huge wooden god, who seemed to form part of the back wall of
the temple, out of which he had been cut, Nicholas, pointing to one of
the arms of the idol, said, "Truly, the god hath been neglected and
requires painting." Turning his back to Nicholas to examine the idol,
the man gave a shriek of alarm. Nicholas had taken a cord from his vest,
thrown it over his arms, and made him as harmless as if he had been in a
straight jacket.
"What means the youth; is he a robber?"
"Silence thou ungrateful hog," said Nicholas, pulling him toward the
idol, to which he secured his body, legs and arms.
"Now, thou dog, open thy lips, and say what fell into thine ears whilst
thou wast listening at the door of the ladies' apartments."
"Truly, thy mean servant could not hear much, for little was said by the
princess."
"Then how, thou trembling rogue, couldst thou know it was a princess who
spoke?"
"Thy servant divined that the lady must be of exalted rank; for in the
first place, had she not been a great lady escaping from the province of
Pekin, she would not have crossed the gulf in such weather, neither
would so noble a youth as thyself have treated a sister with such
exalted respect."
"Thou art a cunning dog, whose words are dust; and if thou dost not
admit that thy vile ears were at that door before the time when thou
wert caught, I will slay thee," said Nicholas, drawing his short sword,
and holding it threateningly.
"Pardon, O noble youth; but as iron can not resist the lode-stone,
neither can the ears of thy servant resist a secret: he did--did
listen," said the man trembling with fear.
"What didst thou hear, dog?" the sword was now at his throat.
"That the Emperor Wey-t-song was slain, and that the Emperor Li had
offered a great reward for the Princess of the Mings."
"Should I kill thee, thou mean rat, thou wouldst but meet thy merits."
"The magnanimous youth would not soil his sword with the blood of so
mean a person."
"No; but thou shalt remain here till we are beyond the reach of harm
from thy vile tongue."
"Surely the noble youth would not starve so ill-conditioned a person,"
said the man in a whining tone. "Thou art now safe, thou rogue, and I
will pay thee the two taels I promised; but if even when released from
thy bondage when the temple is visited to-morrow, thou speak but the
name of the lady you have seen, I will return and punish thee, if it is
years to come." So saying Nicholas threw the silver upon the floor,
closed the door of the temple, descended the mountain, and made as much
haste as possible back to the inn.