Leaving the Club, the _ricksha_ coolie proceeded in the opposite
direction to that which Browne had followed, when in search of the
gentleman to whom he had presented the letter of introduction. At
first, and while he remained in the Queen's Road, there was but little
difference to be observed; the thoroughfare was a fine one, broad and
commodious. After one or two turnings, however, matters changed
somewhat, and he found himself in a labyrinth of narrow, tortuous
streets, the shops on either side of which were small and mean, the
names over the doors being for the most part in the Celestial
characters. The confusion that existed in the streets was
indescribable. Here the Mongolian was to be seen in all his glory.
But, in addition to the Chinamen, almost every nationality known to the
Asiatic world was represented; while through it all, towering head and
shoulders above the crowd, stalked the stately Sikhs on patrol duty.
At last, after a drive that had occupied perhaps a quarter of an hour,
the coolie drew up, before what was probably the largest shop Browne
had yet seen in the neighbourhood. It was built in the Chinese
fashion, and, in order that West and East may meet on an equal footing,
had two names over the door, one in Chinese writing, the other plainly
printed in English characters: "Johann Schmidt." Browne alighted, and,
having told his coolie to wait, entered the shop. He was greeted on
the threshold by a stout Chinaman, who was plainly in charge.
"What for you piecee look see?" inquired the latter.
Browne, not being adept at pidgin-English, replied to the effect that
he desired to see and speak with Herr Schmidt. Whether the man
comprehended or not he could not tell; at any rate he left him alone in
the shop, while he disappeared behind a curtain at the farther end.
When he returned, a few seconds later, he was accompanied by a portly
individual, whose nationality the veriest tyro could not mistake. As
if to make it doubly sure, he carried in his hand an enormous pipe
fashioned after the pattern of the Fatherland. His face was large and
almost spherical; his hair was close-cropped, as was his beard; he was
attired in white trousers, a flannel shirt, which would have been none
the worse for a wash, and a black alpaca coat. The Teutonic stolidity
was certainly well developed in him. On seeing Browne he stopped and
sucked contentedly at his pipe, but said nothing. The younger man was
the first to speak.
"You are Herr Schmidt, I believe?" said Browne, in English. The other
nodded his head, but still did not venture upon speech. "I bring a
letter of introduction to you," said Browne, dropping his voice a
little, as though he were afraid of being overheard. "It is from a
certain Herr Otto Sauber, whom I met in Paris about two months ago. He
told me that you would do all you could for me in a certain matter."
"Herr Sauber?" inquired the German. "I cannot dink that I am mit him
acquainted."
Browne's disappointment was plainly discernible on his face. He had
fully expected that, immediately he presented the letter Sauber had
given him, this mysterious Johann Schmidt would understand and arrange
everything. This, however, did not appear to be the case. The man
before him sucked stolidly at his pipe, and watched him with eyes that
had no expression in them. The position was embarrassing, to say the
least of it. Was it possible that his mission was going to prove
futile after all, and that, for the good he was to get out of it, he
might just as well not have wasted his time by calling at Hong-kong at
all? For upwards of thirty most uncomfortable seconds the two men
stood watching each other. Then Browne spoke.
"You are quite sure, I suppose," he asked, "that you do not know the
gentleman in question? I certainly understood from him that you had
been acquainted with each other for many years."
The German shook his head. Then he said slowly, "Perhaps, mein frien,
if you would mit me come, I will talk mit you ubon the madder. So many
men do say dot they know Johann Schmidt. But Johann do not know dem.
If you to mine office would come, we will talk mit each other dere."
Browne accordingly followed him behind the curtain to which I have
alluded. There he found, to his surprise, a most comfortable and, I
might almost add, luxurious apartment. The walls were hung with
pictures of considerable merit, interspersed with innumerable curios,
collected from almost every country in the Farther East. In any other
place the room might have ranked as a fairly noteworthy apartment; but
here, surrounded by so much that was sordid--nay, almost barbaric--it
was little short of unique. Pointing to a long bamboo chair which
fitted a corner beneath an enormous Cantonese dragon, used for burning
pastilles, the German bade Browne seat himself. Before the latter did
so, however, he handed the German the letter with which Herr Sauber had
furnished him. The other took it, cut the flap of the envelope with a
jade paper-knife, and, drawing forth the contents, placed an enormous
pair of spectacles upon his nose, and read them thoroughly. Upwards of
five minutes had elapsed between the time Browne had given him the
letter until he spoke again. These long delays were having a bad
effect upon the young man's temper; they strained his nerves to
breaking-pitch. He felt that this phlegmatic individual would not
hurry himself, even if another's existence depended upon it. To all
intents and purposes he had united in his person the apathy of the
Asiatic with the stolidity of the Teuton.
"Now dat I look ubon it, I do remember Herr Sauber," the other replied.
"It was once dat we very good friends were, but it is many years dat I
heard of him." The old fellow wagged his head solemnly until his
glasses shook upon his nose. The recollection of the incident,
whatever it was, seemed to afford him considerable satisfaction, though
why it should have done so was by no means apparent to Browne.
"But with regard to what he says in the letter?" the young man at last
exclaimed in desperation. "Will you be able to help me, do you think?"
"Ah! I know noddings about dat," answered Schmidt. "I do not
understand what dis business is. If it is Chinese silk, or curios, or
gondiments of any kind, den I know what you want. Dere is no one on
dis island can subbly you so goot as Johann Schmidt."
Browne did not know what to say. For his own sake he knew that it
would not be safe to broach such a delicate subject to a man, like the
one seated before him, whose only idea in life seemed to be to cross
one fat leg over the other and to fill and smoke his pipe until the
room was one large tobacco-cloud, unless he was quite certain of that
person's identity with the individual, to whom he had been directed to
apply.
"To put the matter in a nutshell," said Browne, lowering his voice a
little in order that it should not carry farther than the man seated
before him, "I understood from Herr Sauber that if any one happened to
have a friend, who had the misfortune to be compelled to stay rather
longer in a certain place, than was quite conducive to his health or
peace of mind, by applying to you an arrangement might possibly be
made, whereby his release might be effected."
Herr Schmidt for the first time took the pipe out of his mouth and
looked at him. "Bardon, mein frien, but I do not understand what is
meant by dat speech," he replied. "If de place, where dat frien of
yours is living, is not to his health suited, why does not he elsewhere
go?"
Though Browne felt morally certain that the man understood what he
meant, he did not feel justified in speaking more plainly at the
moment. He had to feel his way before he definitely committed himself.
However, a little reflection was sufficient to show him, that it would
be impossible to make any progress at all unless he spoke out, and that
even in the event of his doing so, he would not be placing himself in
any way in the other's power. He accordingly resolved upon a line of
action.
"The truth of the matter is, Herr Schmidt," he began, leaning a little
forward, and speaking with all the emphasis of which he was master, "I
happen to have a friend who is at the present time confined on a
certain island. He is in delicate health, and his friends are anxious
to get him away. Now, I have been informed that, if suitable terms can
be arranged, it would be possible for you to effect this escape. Is
this so?"
"Mine goot frien," returned the German, "let me tell you dat you speak
too plain. The words dat you talk mit me would make trouble mit my
friens de police. Besides, dere is no esgaping from der jail ubon dis
island."
"I did not say anything about the jail upon this island," retorted
Browne; "the place I mean is a very long way from here."
"Well then, Noumea, perhaps?"
"No, not Noumea," answered Browne. "If I am to enter into more
explanations, I might say that my friend is a Russian, and that he is
also a political prisoner." He stopped and watched Herr Schmidt's face
anxiously. The latter was sitting bolt upright in his chair, with a
fat hand resting on either knee; his spectacles were pushed on to the
top of his head, and his long pipe was still in his mouth. Not a sign
escaped him to show that he understood.
"I dink dat mein old comrade, Herr Sauber, must have been drunken mit
too much schnapps when he talk mit you. What should Johann Schmidt
have to do mit Russian bolitical brisoners? His piziness is mit de
curios of China, mit silk, rice, ginger, but not mit de tings you do
speak to him about."
"Then I am to understand that you can do nothing to help me?" said
Browne, rising from his chair as if to take leave.
"For mineself it is not possible," returned the other, with great
deliberation. "But since you are a frien of mein old comrade Sauber,
den I tink over tings and gause inquiries to be made. Dis a very
strange work is, and dere are many men in it. I do not tell you dat it
gannot be done, but it will be difficult. Perhaps dere may be a man to
be found who will gommunicate mit your friend."
The meaning of this speech was perfectly clear to him. In plain
English, it, of course, meant that, while Herr Schmidt was not going to
commit himself, he would find some one else who would.
"I should be under a life-long obligation if you would do so," answered
Browne. "And what is more, I may as well say now I am not afraid to
pay handsomely for the service rendered."
This time there was a twinkle to be seen in the German's eye. "I know
noddings at all about what you speak; you will remember dot," continued
he. "But I will do de best I can. If you write me now on a paper de
name of your frien, and de place where he is--what shall we say?--now
staying, I will let you know what de price would be, and when der work
can be done. It will be--how you call it?--a ready-money transaction."
"I desire it to be so," replied Browne a little shortly.
There was silence between them for a few moments. Then Schmidt
inquired where Browne's yacht was anchored. Browne informed him; and
as he did so, it struck him that this was a rather curious remark upon
his companion's part, if, as he had led him to believe at the beginning
of the interview, he knew nothing whatever about his coming to
Hong-kong. However, he did not comment upon it.
"Dat is goot, den," said Schmidt. "If I find a man who will run de
risk, den I will gommunicate mit you before den o'clock to-night."
Browne thanked him; and, feeling that they had reached the end of the
interview, bade him good-bye and passed through the shop out into the
street once more. His coolie was still seated on the shafts of his
_ricksha_; and, when Browne had mounted, they returned at a smart trot,
by the way they had come, to the Club. Here he found his friends
awaiting him. They had done the sights of the city, and were now eager
to get back to the yacht once more.