AN OVERLAND JOURNEY.--ATTACKED BY WOLVES, AND STOPPED BY A SERPENT.
By the time Nicholas returned to the inn, Chow had prepared every thing
for their departure; the camel was laden with a litter for the two
ladies, behind which were two tents, rough sleeping mats, furs and a
supply of food and fuel.
"All is prepared, O noble Nicholas, according to thy order," said Chow.
"Thou art as nimble as thou art brave, Chow," said Nicholas, passing to
the room of the princess, whom he found with the mother of Chow well
wrapped in furs.
"It is well that thou art prepared, O beautiful and illustrious La-Loo,
for the villain innkeeper heard our conversation, and I doubt not
intended to earn the rebel Li-Kong's reward." At this the limbs of the
princess trembled, and her face became pale with fear.
"Let us haste then, O noble brother, for La-Loo fears that demon
Li-Kong, and would rather that her parent's blow had proved effective
than fall into his power."
"The weather is severe and the journey drear, and fraught with dangers
of savage beasts and still more savage men," said Nicholas, as fearful
of the danger of proceeding as of remaining; adding, "At least the
innkeeper can not return till to-morrow, and early morning would be less
dangerous than the darkness of this winter's night."
"The last of the line of the great Tait-sou have the courage of their
ancestors. Let us on our journey, my brother," said the princess.
Without another word Nicholas led the princess and her attendant to the
camel, and assisted them into the litter.
"Surely," said La-Loo, "there are times when women should have the
courage of men. An arrow sped by my hand would be as useful as one from
the bow of my brother."
Understanding the meaning Nicholas gave the princess his own bow, and
quiver full of arrows.
"Truly my venerable and beloved parent can pull a bow-string to save her
life," said Chow giving his bow and arrows to his mother.
"This is not well, Chow, for we are left unarmed, except with our short
swords, which will be of little use," said Nicholas.
"The noble Nicholas left Chow to provide for the journey, and so,
knowing that female arms, like female tongues, can fight when the time
comes, he provided weapons for each," said Chow, taking two bows from
the sides of the mule.
"Thou hast the wisdom and foresight of a colao, O Chow," said Nicholas,
laughing; then adding, seriously, "But the guide."
"Is here, O noble stranger, and as he hopes to have his tomb well
dusted, will conduct thee safely to the distant mountains," said a
youth, stepping forward with an unlighted torch in his hand.
Nicholas then mounting behind the camel, Chow upon the mule, and the
guide taking hold of the cord which was tied to the great animal's
mouth, they proceeded on their journey, and as it was just within the
time of closing the gates, they passed out of the town into the open
country of teas and drugs; and so quickly did they travel, that before
night came on they had reached a narrow gorge between two mountains,
which was good, inasmuch as they would be protected from the keen winds.
The darkness came on, and the guide lighted his torch, which flamed so
terrifically, that they might have passed for one of our slow night
trains.
So for some hours they traveled, till they came to a forest so dense
with trees that the guide would go no further, and they pitched the two
tents, one for the ladies, and the other for themselves, surrounding
both with a great fire, made of stubble, to keep off the wolves or other
beasts of prey. The following morning they resumed their journey, till
as they were leaving the forest, they could hear the distant howling of
wolves; the camel exhibited its fright by making strange noises, and the
mule grew restless, snorted, and every now and then turned its head as
if to look for its enemies. The whole party fixed arrows in their bows,
ready for an attack, and for some time their hearts palpitated with
alarm. Ordering the little caravan to stop, Nicholas sent Chow to
examine the probability of an attack. He had been absent half an hour
when they heard the trampling of horses near at hand. What could it
mean? surely they were not pursued? Then came Chow, who, running
forward, said, "We are lost, O my master, for there are banditti near."
"On my brother, on, for these rogues are doubtless the troops of the
rebel Li-Kong," exclaimed the princess, as she leant forward from the
litter with the bent bow in her hand; and onward they went, with open
ears, and as noiselessly as possible; passing along the side of a
mountain into which the wood opened, till they came to a gorge, when the
guide stopped, and proposed that they should make a _detour_, in order
to avoid the passage of the mountain platform.
"It is not possible, my master; for to the right are the banditti, to
the left the wolves. Let us keep onward and dare this platform;" and
again they proceeded through the gorge. Still the wolves kept up their
dreary howling, and the trampling of the banditti, if banditti they
were, seemed at no greater distance from them than the animals; at
length they passed through the gorge, when a sight was before them that
would have caused the stoutest hearts to quail. There, leading from the
gorge, was the platform of which the guide had spoken. It was supported
by rafters, which stood out some six feet from the rock, a mere shelf,
without edge or railing, at least five hundred feet above the level of
the sea, which the mountain skirted.
"It would be death to cross with these animals; we must turn back and
make the _detour_," said the guide.
"Open thy ears. We dare not, O noble Nicholas," said Chow! "for the
wolves are upon us."
"Onward, my brother, for there are sounds of more terrible beasts than
wolves. Let us trust ourselves in the hands of Providence," said the
princess.
Seeing the knees of the guide knocking together with fear, Nicholas
said, "Get thee to the rear, and follow the mule, thou coward;" then,
dismounting, he caught hold of the reins in the nostrils of the camels
and averting his eyes from the chasm beneath, led the sure-footed beast
along the platform. They had reached midway, when the wolves, with a
howling concert, made their appearance at the commencement of the
platform; and as Chow, who brought up the rear, led the mule, he felt
the animal tremble, and fearing that if the wild brutes ventured across
the platform the terrified beasts would be the means of precipitating
the whole party into the abyss, he trembled with anxiety. It was a
fearful situation, but the brave youth retaining his presence of mind,
crept to the flanks of the mule, and only in time, for one of the wolves
who had ventured along the platform, followed by the pack, received an
arrow in his brain, and as he rolled over into the abyss beneath, its
companions stood with their fore feet stretched forward, and their ears
bent, as if astonished, when another arrow flew among them, but so
intent had Chow become in this fight, that he was unconscious that the
progress of the rest of the party had been stopped midway. For the cause
of this we must return to Nicholas; who, as he led the camel, to his
horror, saw issuing from a fissure in the rock the head of a serpent of
the most venomous kind. He fixed an arrow in his bow, but a moment's
thought, and he dared not fire, for should he miss the reptile it would
be upon them instantly. What should he do? His sword--yes--he drew it;
but then he dared not leave the camel's head, and he called to Chow,
little thinking that he was in a more terrible position than himself.
"Let fly thy arrow, my brother; should you miss, here is my bow," said
the princess, leaning forward.
Still Nicholas would not move. The situation was fearful; the wolves on
one side, the deadly serpent on the other; indeed words are wanting to
paint the dread anxiety and terror of all, even the animals who stood
transfixed, with their hearts beating against their sides in the agony
of fear.