"A FIERCE STRUGGLE ENSUED."
Stan altered his opinion the next day when they reached a busy city
built on both sides of the river, for Wing gave him a quiet hint to
look, and upon turning, the lad found that they were gliding by a
towering junk whose deck swarmed with villainous-looking men all well
armed, while at intervals they passed four more.
"Allee bad," whispered Wing. "No lookee; pletend can't see pilate
ship."
Five more were passed, all of which were given a bad character; but
their occupants were lying about, smoking and sleeping, eating and
drinking; and being close up to the quays and warehouses of the teeming
city, the men were upon their best behaviour, and not disposed to seize
and plunder such small fry as the little boat from the _hong_.
Hence it was that Stan's _sampan_ remained untouched, and reached the
disembarking place in safety.
Here, evidently so as not to draw attention to his young chief, Wing
slung a few necessaries, scale fashion, at either end of a bamboo,
balanced his load across his left shoulder, and after giving the boatmen
a few instructions which led to their setting off at once on the return
journey, he led Stan away from the riverside, right into the busy part
of the city, where no notice was taken of them. A short time after the
lad found himself at the house of one of the Chinese merchants, who gave
him a warm welcome, and talked with him in pidgin-English about his
father and uncle.
Stan noticed that he exhibited no little inquisitiveness about his
further proceedings, shaking his head and looking very solemn as he
hinted that the country was in a very disturbed state.
"But Mr Wing will know how to take care," he said. "He will know, too,
that the farther you keep from the river the less likely you are to meet
with pirates or wandering bands of soldiers. You must take care."
Wing evidently meant to take care, for that evening, after dark, he laid
his hand upon Stan's shoulder and drew him away from the window.
"Too many bad man," he said, directing the lad's attention to the
rough-looking armed people lounging about the street. "See young Lynn
and say, `Foleign devil. What want heah?' No look out window. Go to
bed. Sleep."
Stan laughed at the ultra-precautions taken, but obeyed, and for want of
something to occupy himself, lay down quite early, to listen to the
shuffling of feet and the loud conversation going on below his window,
thinking the while that he would most likely lie awake all night. But
before he could make an effort to combat the drowsiness that had seized
upon him he was fast asleep, and the next thing he knew was that Wing
was shaking his arm.
"What is it?" he cried. "Coming to bed?"
"Get-up time," replied the Chinaman. "Mollow molning. Come 'long."
"But,"--began Stan. He said no more, his mouth stretching wide in a
portentous yawn; and, still half-asleep, he suffered himself to be led
out of the house and along a dark, uneven street, the air of which felt
chilly, as if the morning was close at hand.
Twice over he began to question Wing, but received a hurried whisper to
be silent, and by degrees it dawned upon him that their land journey had
commenced, and that Wing was nervously anxious lest their departure
should become known.
"Soljees," he whispered, and put his hand to his lips.
"Why, there's not a soul about," said Stan to himself, feeling sleepy,
and out of temper to a degree that made him ready to quarrel with his
guide for taking such unnecessary precautions.
But he remained silent, and trudged on close behind his companion,
stumbling every now and then in the darkness, and longing the while for
the coming of broad daylight, so that he could avoid the rough stones
and mud-holes which seemed to be always in his way.
He was surprised, too, at the extent of the city, for no sooner was one
devious street passed than they plunged into another, their wanderings
lasting for what must have been close upon half-an-hour, before they
plunged into a narrower passage than ever--one where the overhanging
eaves on either side seemed to nearly touch--while right in front a huge
wall towered up, looking jetty black, all but a square patch on a level
with their feet.
"Why, this must be a big house into which we are going," he thought.
But the idea had no sooner crossed his mind than he felt his arm
gripped, and Wing checked him so suddenly that he came heavily against
his guide's chest.
"What's the matter?" whispered Stan.
"St! Big gate. Plentee soljee fass sleepee," whispered Wing. "Now
come 'long, quick, quick."
He slipped his hand down to the lad's waist as he spoke, and drew him
along past where Stan dimly made out a group of men sitting and lying
upon a big bench beneath a great shadowy house.
There was no time to see more before they were out on the other side,
with the great building reared up in the gloom behind them, and a
feeling of freedom as of an open space in front.
So great a sense of relief came over the lad that he felt bound to
speak; but certain sounds behind checked him once more, and he turned
cold at the proximity of the danger they had escaped.
For a deep, gruff voice growled out something he could not interpret,
and this was replied to by another voice, evidently that of a man newly
aroused from sleep.
The brief conversation was carried on angrily, and interrupted again and
again as if the speakers kept listening.
This was proved to Stan by the firm pressure of Wing's hand, and the
twitches it kept on giving as he stood otherwise quite motionless.
Stan's heart beat till a feeling of suffocation began to oppress him,
while with straining eyes he tried to penetrate the dark shadows behind.
At last, however, the talking ceased, and he felt the hand which Wing
had at liberty pressing upon the top of his head as if to make him stoop
down. Grasping his guide's wishes, he bent low, and immediately felt
himself drawn onward, the pair stealing along softly in the darkness as
silently as possible, and as quickly, for before they had gone many
yards Stan was conscious of the fact that there was a long, pale line of
light right ahead, and that it was not so dark; for on glancing over his
shoulder he could dimly see the gate through which they had come, a huge
structure with curving roof and vast eaves, dominating a high wall which
went off into the darkness right and left.
"Velly neah ketchee ketchee," said Wing, with a sigh of relief.
"But suppose they had caught us," said Stan; "I am an English subject,
and you are my attendant. They dared not have kept us."
Wing uttered a funny little squeak.
"Eh?" he cried. "Wheah Englis' sailoh? No Englis' man-o'-wha, and big
gun go bang two time. Chinaman velly much aflaid when Englis' soljee--
sailoh heah. Not heah now; Chinaman laugh; say, `Don't ca'e mandalin
button.' Chinese soljee ketchee young Lynn--Wing. Say, `Don't ca'e
nobody.' Puttee in plison. P'l'aps nevah come out again. Velly bad."
"Ah, well! they didn't see us," said Stan, "so let's go on faster."
"Yes; go fastee now. Go long way, have bleakfast. Don'tee want see
soljee. Plentee don't ca'e lobbah. Steal dollah. Takee young Lynn
gold watch. Velly bad, wicked man."
"We shan't meet any of them now, I suppose?" said Stan as he gave an
uneasy look round at the fast-broadening dawn.
"Wing no know. Velly likely bad soljee come. Velly likely no bad
soljee come. Allee same pilate on livah. Don't know quite safe till
get home. Wing velly glad get home to _hong_. S'pose get home and no
young Lynn. Misteh Blunt say, `Where young Lynn?' and Wing say been
gone lose young Lynn. Misteh Blunt call Wing dleadful name. Nea'ly
kill Wing."
"Then you must not lose me, Wing."
"No; no must lose young Lynn. Takee gleat ca'e young Lynn."
He nodded and smiled as he hurried his companion along, till the great
gateway began to grow small in the distance, and the glazed tiles of the
roof glittered and flashed and grew confused; while in the distance, far
down the rough track, a temple seemed to rise out of a clump of trees,
at whose edge a few humble-looking houses appeared beyond where the
regularity of the enclosures told of cultivation.
A short time later Wing's next words sent a thrill of satisfaction
through Stan, for he laughed, chuckled, and rubbed his hands.
"Good bleakfast," he said. "Plenty eat, plenty tea. Wing know allee
people."
Before they had gone much farther Stan was in possession of the
information that the place they were approaching was a large tea-farm,
with its warehouses, and sheds where tea-chests were made; and that for
a long time past the produce of this farm had been sent down regularly
to the _hong_ by one or other of the trading-junks that bore the
up-country produce to the stores of the foreign merchants.
This was interesting enough, and suggestive of the journey now becoming
perfectly peaceful. But Stan's main ideas at this time were in
connection with the expected meal, so that plenty of energy was brought
to bear to get over the intervening distance; while, to make matters
better, it soon became evident that they were seen. People came out to
stand in the sunshine, shading their eyes and watching the coming
visitors. Wing's signals were answered, and a couple of young men came
running and recognised the guide, when the visitors were eagerly
welcomed to join the morning meal that had been prepared.
The troubles of the early morning were soon forgotten, while, but for
the strangeness of his surroundings, there were moments when Stan could
have fancied that he was enjoying the hospitality of some farmer's
family thousands of miles away in old Devon. But the satisfaction was
only short-lived, for the meal was hardly at an end before the door and
windows were darkened prior to being thrown open by a crowd of
rough-looking men bearing clumsy weapons.
Wing was seated with his back to the door, and at first saw nothing, for
Stan, who had the fresh-comers in full view, felt that the best plan
would be to sit perfectly calm and unconcerned.
And this he did till Wing, startled by the darkening of the window,
looked quickly round and sprang to his feet.
"Lun! lun!" he whispered sharply to his young charge; and catching at
his wrist, he tried to drag him towards the door in the back of the
place.
He was too late.
A rush was made by the rough-looking soldiers, several of whom literally
pounced upon Stan, hurling him down to the floor; and as he, naturally
enough, made a brave dash for liberty, a fierce struggle ensued, in
which the lad had ample proof of the futility of a half-grown boy trying
to resist the united efforts of half-a-dozen heavily built men.
Of course, the struggle did not last many minutes before Stan found
himself upon the earthen floor of the Chinese house, with four men
seated upon him, leaving him hard work to get his breath, as he stared
wildly round to see how his companion had fared.
But he looked in vain, for in the noise and confusion Wing had managed
to get behind some of the people of the house, who willingly helped him
to pass outside, leaving Stan to his fate.
"A coward!" muttered the boy as soon as he had satisfied himself that
Wing had gone.
"No," he added after a few moments' thought; "he couldn't help it, poor
fellow! I know: he has escaped. He'll go down the river to warn Mr
Blunt, and he'll get help from the port. They'll send men up from one
of the ships to get me set at liberty. For these people will not dare
to hurt me. I'll be bound to say that Mr Blunt will soon get to know,
and if these scoundrels are not punished severely for this it is strange
to me."