It was too early for there to be much movement in the streets; yet his
expert ragamuffin eyes picked up signs which comforted him. He saw
wheelbarrows full of country produce moving slowly under cover of the
city wall, and there were vendors laden with empty baskets going to the
markets to replenish their stocks.
He was on perfectly familiar ground. Cautiously he approached a roadway
leading to one of the northern gates. It was his intention to board, if
possible, one of the passenger-carts plying between the northern and
southern limits of the city, and by mixing himself among city folks to
mask his identity. He had already thrown away his staff the night
before. Now he rolled up the blue bundle which had contained his food
and dropped it. Then he took the few small silver coins he had and hid
them in a crevice in the city wall, which he marked carefully so that he
could one day recover his property--if he survived.
He had one small string of holed copper coins left--just enough for a
purchase or two and for his fare on the passenger-cart. Now having done
everything which his fertile brain could suggest he hastened on,
swinging his arms carelessly.
The fact that his tongue moistened his lips continually was the only
sign of excitement he disclosed. His eyes, which were blood-shot from
over-exposure in the sun, betrayed nothing at all. They were alert but
not over-anxious. They looked out of his strong ugly face firmly and
full of resolution, as if the world were an easy place to conquer.
Half-a-mile farther on he met a tattered fellow with a small basket
under his arm who was selling miserable-looking plums. He bought some
more for the sake of the companionship and for the conversation which he
might have than for anything else. But the man knew very little save
that it was dangerous everywhere in the city, and that poverty was the
only sure buckler. There had been very heavy firing the day before: the
foreign devils were still alive and shooting back he asserted. He also
declared that there was a church full of them not more than a mile or
so away who had had the audacity to blow up a whole camp of soldiers it,
was said.
"It is more and more dangerous," grumbled the man. "As for your finding
a seat in any passenger-cart, that is not to be thought of. None with
money dare to move. How should carts ply for the moneyless!"
"Then I must walk," said the boy, "I go to find my relatives near the
Hata gate."
He moved on--very deliberately.
A few shops of the poorer variety had now taken down their shutters. He
noticed that the coffin-shops were open. But there were few people
about, and even the main streets had a solemn and deserted appearance.
Fortunately there were no soldiers--the plum-seller had said that they
were being all drawn out of the city to meet some coming attack.
At length he passed under the shadow of the great Drum Tower which is
right in the middle of the city and stands at the four cross roads. Here
were soldiers. There were many of them aloft in this ancient work,
standing in a line and gazing towards the south.
He hastened on, not daring to linger or to inquire what it might be.
Presently the distant monotonous detonation of rifles fell on his ear.
Firing was evidently going on as usual: the foreign quarter was being
besieged in the same way. Perhaps the soldiers had wind of some
development and were watching for it.
It took him the best part of an hour to reach a point where in the dim
distance he could see the Hata Gate. Now as he looked there was a flash,
and later a long rumbling detonation which mixed with the cracking of
rifles. They were firing cannon from this elevated point: that was what
the soldiers on the Drum Tower were watching.
People were walking here, forced out of doors to get their daily supply
of food. All wore hunted expressions, and the oldest clothes. He knew
from this that the soldiers robbed those who were decently attired.
Later a hiss in the air made him start, and then a spent bullet kicked
up the dust a few yards in front of him. It was getting dangerous, yes;
very dangerous as he approached the battleground of the city.
Now he kept close to the line of shops as the others were doing. But
there were fewer and fewer people abroad the further south he went; and
presently he saw a dense encampment of blue tents.
This must be a headquarters--there were ever so many soldiers about and
camp-suttlers were coming and going with loads of food.
Quickly he went down a side street and tried to work his way round. But
when he came out again on the main thoroughfare there in front of him
was another encampment--this time a camp built of matting.
He ground his teeth impotently--these tortoises were everywhere....
One of the soldiers came suddenly and caught him by the neck whilst he
was gazing at them and forced him to carry a heavy load of
kindling-wood. He undertook the task willingly as it gave him an excuse
to linger. But his satisfaction was short-lived; for he had hardly set
down the load when another soldier armed with a rifle struck him
brutally with the butt and told him to be off.
The blow raised in him deep hatred. With the jeers echoing in his ears
long after they had ceased, he made his way sullenly down the
back-streets.
It was the rage in his heart which was his undoing. For once again he
came out on the main thoroughfare and stood gazing in the direction of
the foreign quarter which was less than half a mile away, a half-mile of
loopholed houses and hidden barricades which he was powerless to
traverse. This murderous warfare had given the locality a ruined look.
Weeds and grass had sprung everywhere; close to him there was a patch of
rank weeks almost as tall as a man.
The monotonous cracking of rifles sounded occasionally in the distance,
but the cannon on the gateway had become silent. For the morning was
advancing and the first energy of the day had evaporated.
He stood there, with his back against a shuttered shop, wondering how he
should manage to force his way through that half-mile. He became
convinced that this was the wrong road to take; there were too many
houses and too many traps. He began moving off. But as he did so he fell
in with some soldiers who were wandering listlessly about, seeking
pickings in the looted shops.
They cried to him asking him what he was doing. He answered insolently
that he, too, was seeking what he could; and after that they captured
him. Tying his hands behind him, they struck at him until he wept; and
then to humiliate him they tore off his coat and shoes.
One man took the shoes jeeringly and held them up, and said to the
others that he would hurl them where they would be lost. But as he did
so, his attention was attracted by something. He stopped talking; pushed
his fingers in the lining of one shoe; and, after a short pause, pulled
out the gold coin which had been so carefully hidden.
"Gold," he cried excitedly as he scrutinized it and rubbed it, "a piece
of foreign-gold!"
They cross-examined the boy and beat him again after that, but he would
confess nothing about foreigners. He said he had looted the piece of
foreign money from a man who must have stolen it. Then they took him up
to their Commander, who was the commander on the great gateway with the
cannon, and said that they had caught a spy; for this must surely be a
spy since he could give no clear account of himself. They detailed the
manner of their capture with a wealth of detail--adding details that
were not true--and the Commander told them to do as they pleased with
him. So they tied him there in front of their barricade, bareheaded and
barechested, up there on the city wall, where the foreigners' bullets
would surely find him, they told him, when their fire opened on the
gun-position as it did every night.
* * * * *
The foreigners found him like that that very night when they executed
their unexpected sortie in the dark against the guns that had been
posted at the gateway and had annoyed them for several days. By a
miracle he was not bayonetted. Providence protected him to the end. He
was half carried, half-led by the sortie-party down to the foreign
quarter, a great excitement filling them. For there were those who could
speak to him in his own language, and they speedily knew who he was
since he talked vociferously and unendingly, telling all he had
suffered. As in dream he saw his red-bearded master emerge out of the
darkness and come towards him with loud exclamations and great strides.
But to him he merely said respectfully: "Your Honour, I have returned;
but the message the great army gave me is inside me because it was too
dangerous to carry and I swallowed it, and by your blessing I shall now
die a natural death."
THE END
Transcripber's Note:
Changed speakly to speaking