The morning after the audience Nicholas wrote to his father a detailed account of his adventures, and the disgrace and danger of the great Christian father, who, he assured him, would be destroyed, if proofs of his innocence were not speedily produced. When he had placed the letter in the hands of the flying-horse, or court messenger, who was about to start with the imperial cang-ho, he went in search of Chow, and, to his surprise, found the boy had been released under an order signed by Li-Kong, immediately before his abrupt departure. This, however, but puzzled him the more, for surely had the boy been released he would have sought out his master and friend. Then he began to fear that Chow had been decoyed away by some of the many designing traitors he more than suspected to be hovering about the palace, for the purpose of finding from the servant the history of the master. He sat for some time pondering what to do, and at length resolved upon searching through the whole city. With this determination he arose to depart, when he heard the trampling of footsteps, and the chief officer of the imperial prince entered the apartment, followed by four men, carrying a litter, which they placed upon the ground.
"The son of the great Emperor (may he live ten thousand years) sends the noble youth a royal robe, and arms, in token of his amity and brotherhood," said the officer, bowing to the ground.
At the name of the prince, Nicholas performed the ko-tow, and ordered an incense table to be brought, that he might receive the royal message with befitting respect. The officer, however, added, "Further, O noble stranger, that all men may know his gratitude for the safety of his beloved sister, the great prince commands that the ceremony of the incense may be dispensed with, for the son of the Son of Heaven holds the noble youth as his brother in love as well as arms. Moreover, that he may prove his sincerity, the prince will wave his illustrious rank and visit the preserver of the princess his sister." So saying the eunuch withdrew.
The present consisted of a complete military equipment befitting his new rank:—the war cap or helmet, a robe, embossed with plates of gold, both for ornament and protection, boots of rich costly leather, sword, shield, bow, and quiver of arrows, each of which bore the imperial crest, the five-clawed dragon. Delighted more with the gift than its costliness, Nicholas did not stay to examine the present, for fear the prince might speedily arrive; and he was right, for he had scarcely finished attiring himself in his new uniform before Yong-Li, unannounced, entered the room.
In an instant Nicholas threw himself at his feet, and began to pour forth his gratitude, but, taking his hand, the prince said, "Arise, these are not times for ceremonies between brothers, banded together in so holy a cause; the sacred books themselves intended them alone for times of peace and luxury."
"May those times soon return, O my prince," said Nicholas.
"May my brother's wish be realised; but to obtain peace we must earn it by the sword," replied the prince; adding, gloomily, "I come from the board of generals and doctors of war."
"Upon what has their wisdom determined, O prince?"
"Nothing—they are dogs, traitors all; each general of a section declared the walls to be impassable by an enemy, and that the troops were numerous, well exercised, and prepared for a sudden attack," said the prince.
"These are the words of indolent cowards or designing traitors, but your royal father the Emperor——"
"Was present," said the prince; "but, alas! so loves his ease and the counsel of his bonzes, that he gave a ready ear to their reports, nay, promoted them all one step for their vigilance."
"Surely my prince lifted his voice in council?" said Nicholas.
"My brother, yes; but it was as the sound of a zephyr amidst the roarings of a hurricane; that of a youth among the aged and did but cause his majesty to forbid my seeking the rebel Li-Kong in the field."
"Then, my prince, our farther-seeing eye balls must be used for the benefit of the blind," said Nicholas.
"Thus it is that I seek thy companionship in a journey round the walls, when, if I find them as I expect, woe be to the indolent cowards who dare deceive their Emperor," said the prince.
Nicholas then followed them to the courtyard, where they found awaiting them a squadron of the body guard with two richly caparisoned horses, one of which Yong-Li presented to Nicholas, and they proceeded upon their journey amidst the lavish adorations of thousands, who bowed to the earth as they rode through the streets.
"If my prince would truly see the manner in which the officers and soldiers perform their duties, would it not be wise for him to proceed in a chair and with the attendants only of a mandarin of the third order?" said Nicholas.
"Thy words are good," replied the prince, ordering the soldiers to stop at the house of a mandarin, who, having formerly been his military tutor, he knew would keep his rank concealed. Shortly afterward they were met by some soldiers who were conveying several malefactors to the place of execution. Seeing the prince, the soldiers and prisoners knelt with their faces to the ground till he had passed. No sooner, however, had he passed the unhappy men than the son of the Emperor, with tears in his eyes, said, "How unhappy is the lot of a prince, to witness such a sight as that!"
"Surely, my prince, the rogues deserve their punishment, the law awards, and the safety of the state demands it," said Nicholas.
"Truly, I weep not, my brother, at the punishment of these men, for without rewards and punishments the good are not encouraged, and the wicked are not restrained; moreover, chastisement is as necessary to the government of a kingdom, as bread is for the sustenance of the people. But I weep because my time is not so happy as that of old when the virtues of the prince served as a bridle to the people, and his example was sufficient to restrain the vices of his subjects without other chastisement."
The warlike nature and education of Nicholas not permitting him to sympathize with the kind-hearted Yong-Li, he maintained a respectful silence, not however, without a fear for the fate of a prince whose amiable nature was so unfitted for such turbulent times. When they reached the house of the mandarin, the prince dismissed his guard, and, having borrowed from that officer his robe, cap, and chair of state, and a garment of plain green silk for Nicholas, the two youths entered the chair and proceeded on their journey with the usual attendants, one of whom went before, as a kind ofavant-garde, and with a whip to beat them a passage through the crowded streets. At the first guard-house the prince stepped out of the sedan, made himself known to the sentries, and passed in; when, instead of finding the troops engaged in exercising, or in any of the many games permitted by the board of war, some were gambling, some goading crickets with their chopsticks till the insects killed each other, some were singing profane songs, and disporting in the most riotous and unseemly manner, while many who had been drinking deeply, and still held the spirit cups in their hands were reeling about the pavement, but most remarkable of all, no officers except those of the most subordinate grade were to be seen.
"These, then, are the vile dogs to whom the defence of the Imperial City is entrusted. These are the rogues whom the traitor generals commended," said the prince, indignantly; adding, "Truly the royal house is punished for its sins, for this looketh indeed like the decadence of a dynasty."
"These are but the hands, O my prince for whose acts the heads must be made accountable," said Nicholas.
"Nevertheless the dogs shall be punished, my brother; but let us return," said the prince, going to the gate, where the sentry, recognizing the prince, fell at his feet. "Rise, dog, and as thou wouldst save thy miserable head, say who is the general of this section," said Yong-Li.
"The noble Leang, O Grandson of Heaven," replied the trembling soldier.
"Cans't thou be honest and silent as to my visit?"
"Both, as thy slave values his miserable life," replied the soldier.
"I will trust thee, man, and if I find you so, only till the rising of to-morrow's sun, thou shalt be promoted," said the prince; adding, "This rogue Leang must be degraded, and thou, O noble Nicholas, take his command." Thus they visited some half-dozen of the chief and most important points of the fortified walls with similar results. With the works themselves he was satisfied, as was also Nicholas, who, young as he was, had often examined the fortifications of the southern province; and, indeed, the whole line of coast between Siam and Japan.
"Nought, my prince, but the treachery of the defenders, or the death-dealing cannon of the red-haired barbarians from the West, could effect an entrance into the city," said he.
"Has my brave brother then seen in use those terrible instruments of war that can crumble the strongest towers of stone to the dust, from beyond the reach of bow-shot?" said the prince.
"Such has been thy servant's fortune, O my prince; it could not be otherwise, for they are used on board the war-ships of my noble father."
"By the tombs of my ancestors, thou art a bold boy," replied the prince; adding, with vehemence,
"As I hope to continue the circle of succession, I would forfeit ten years of life to be in possession of a few, that we might sweep these rebels and Tartars from the face of the earth."
At that moment there arose a great clamor of voices, and, looking out of the chair, the prince saw a great crowd assembled upon one of the canal bridges, when, having ordered the attendant with the whip to beat a passage through the people, they witnessed the following extraordinary sight:—
Upon a high platform, near the edge of the bridge, stood a large tub, the top of which was covered with some flimsy material, like silk or cotton, through which something, that in the distance bore a resemblance to a human head, bobbed up and down like a jack-in-the-box. Upon the platform, around the tub, stood six priests.
"How lowly must the dynasty of the great Tait-sou have fallen, that these miserable bonzes are permitted thus shamefully to extort money from the people," said the prince.
"If thy servant's eyeballs play him not false, O my prince, yonder priests are preparing to sacrifice a human life to their wretched gods," said Nicholas.
Not waiting to hear more, the prince leaped from the chair, and, followed by Nicholas forced a way through the crowd till they reached the platform.
All, however, that could be seen of the victim was the forehead, nose, and eyes; the latter rolled so convulsively and glared so terribly, that, notwithstanding the crowd, Nicholas would have attempted a rescue, had not the prince caught hold of his arm, saying, "Stay, my brother, it is the duty of a prince to see justice done;" then addressing the chief bonze, he said, "What crime can this man have committed, O miserable priest, that he should be thus tortured without the presence of the officers of the tribunal of justice?"
"Great has been his crime, O noble youth, and self sought his punishment," replied the bonze, taken aback by the bold tone of the prince; adding, as he pointed to the head, which bobbed suddenly as he spoke, "He admits my words."
"Open thy lips to the purpose, priest, and as you value your wretched life, let us hear his crime," replied the indignant prince.
"The youth must be a stranger to the capital, indeed, if he has not heard the order of the Son of Heaven, which commands that the villain Christians, who have taken advantage of the great Emperor's kindness to raise and nourish a rebellion throughout the land, should be destroyed."
"Such an order has reached thy servant's ears," said the prince, bowing lowly at the name of his father.
"Know, then, that this wretch was long the slave and follower of one of these Christian dogs—see, he admits it, (and the head bobbed up again;) but, fortunately, the gods changing his heart in time, sent him to our pagoda repentantly declaring his villainy and demanding his punishment (here the head gave another bob of acquiescence) from the priests of Fo, who, consulting the gods, obtained permission for him to choose his own chastisement: his choice was to leap from this platform into the canal."
"But the canal is deep, and the man will drown, priest," said the prince, sternly.
"Surely the youth is strangely ignorant that such a feat is a happiness thousands would willingly seek. We have but given him the preference but for his zeal and virtue. (Here the head again gave an acquiescent bob.) Again, at the bottom of the canal he will be met by charitable spirits, who will not only welcome him with honor, but conduct him to the yellow stream." So saying, the bonzes commenced preparations for the final act of the tragedy.
The prince, however, unable any longer to restrain his rage, drew his sword, exclaiming, "Desist, thou murdering rogue; release thy victim immediately."
This violence to their priests so aroused the anger of the pagan crowd, that they would probably have torn Yong-Li to pieces, but for Nicholas, who, beating them backward, cried, "Back, slaves! would you molest the son of your Emperor, the good prince Yong-Li?" and the terrified slaves instantly fell upon their faces. The bonze, though no less dismayed at the presence of the prince, was quicker witted, and said, "Surely the magnificent son of the Son of Heaven would not arrest the flight of a happy soul, impatient to be on its way to the yellow stream."
"Let the miserable wretch speak for himself," said the prince.
"He dares not so anger the gods, who would not only condemn him, but destroy the whole city in their wrath," replied the bonze, giving a sly signal to his brethren to surround the tub, in the event of a rescue being attempted.
"Nevertheless, the wretch shall be saved," said the prince; adding, aloud, "Let the deluded rascal open his lips, or he shall be left to his fate."
At this, the head gave another and stronger jerk upward, but without rising further through the silk, and the eyes rolled and glared more terribly than ever. At which the bonze said, "Cannot the heavenly eyes of the great prince see that the poor creature is suffering from such violent language? See, he is almost distracted and will assuredly expire with grief at so much profanity."
"This is some foul trick, my prince," said Nicholas, who leaped upon the platform so quickly, that, striking one of the priests, he fell against four others, and all were sent flying into the midst of the crowd, who, in their turn, began to pummel them severely for falling so heavily upon their heads and shoulders.
Once upon the platform, Nicholas lost no time in cutting asunder the silk covering of the tub, when, lo! the victim shot up with the rapidity of a rocket, dragging with him, by the hair of his head, a small bonze, in whose hand was the dagger which he had been from time to time plunging into the victim's calves in order to make him utter the responses.
But what was the surprise of the prince when the hands of the intended victim were unbound and the gag removed from his mouth, to see him fall at the feet of Nicholas, clasp his legs, and exclaim, "My noble, noble, master, this is indeed a joyful meeting. Nought but the God of the Christians could have saved Chow's life."
The wretched face, the bleeding legs of the poor boy, so filled the heart of Nicholas with indignation and sorrow, that while tears fell down his cheeks, all he could say was, "My poor, poor friend Chow, this is indeed a fortunate day."
"Then the sacrifice was not thine own seeking, my poor fellow?" said the prince.
"My own seeking, O mighty son of Ming? Look at thy slave's legs, which the rascals have punctured into lace-work. Surely, had Chow sought the yellow stream, he would have chosen to go in a perfect and decent manner." Then the boy would have fallen, but for Nicholas, who held him in his arms, when he said, "I demand justice on the rogues, O great prince, for I am the servant of the noble Nicholas, thy friend, and was with him a prisoner in the Palace Royal, till the night of the audience, when a eunuch came to me and said the Emperor had signified his gracious wish that poor Chow was to be chopped into ten thousand pieces, but that a great lord taking compassion on me would save my life, and give me great promotion, if I would watch and note down the words and actions of my noble master."
"Didst thou hear the name, surname, and title of the villain lord, O Chow?" said the prince.
"Thy slave was not so fortunate, great prince."
"What answer didst thou make, O Chow?" said Nicholas.
"That they might not only cut thy servant into as many pieces as they chose, but never bury them in the tombs of his ancestors, before he would comply. Whereupon, they gave poor Chow over to these rascal bonzes, who intended to torture him with a dagger in that tub, till agony caused him to leap into the canal."
"Sad must have been thy sufferings, my poor Chow," said the prince; who then ordered his attendants to convey the boy to the palace, in order that the imperial doctors might attend him. Then sending for a body of yah-yu, he ordered them to take the bonze and his assistants to the great prison, to await a trial; after which they returned to the palace.
"Thanks be to Tien, my brother, we have saved thy friend from those vile bonzes," said the prince.
"Would O prince, that we could as easily save the servants of the true God of heaven from their villainies," replied Nicholas, thinking of the sufferings of the Christian fathers.
On the day following the visit of the prince to the military stations, a change was made among the officers. Some were bambooed, some reprimanded, and others sent into confinement. The post of Leang, who held the command of five hundred men under the General Kin, being given to Nicholas, he took Chow with him as a kind of sub-officer, and as the wounds of the latter fortunately proved to be only in the flesh, he soon became well enough to caper with delight at the chance his new position might give him of meeting the slayer of his father.
For some time Nicholas had little else to do but keep his men at their posts, and exercise them in the use of the matchlock, which, although the Chinese then knew so little about it, that the rebound of the stock did as much mischief to the owner as the barrel did to his enemies, he had long practised on board his father's ships. Then, again, he would exercise them in sword, and bow and arrow practice, and the use of their shields.
Such was his employment till intelligence arrived that the rebel Li-Kong was on his march to besiege Pekin with a large army, when, seeking an audience of the Emperor, he threw himself at the foot of the throne, and prayed to be sent with a party of flying horse to make observations, and drive the people of the neighboring towns and villages into the capital for protection. His zeal, however, was useless; for, placing his whole faith in the bonzes and intriguing nobles around him, who laughed to scorn the idea of so improbable an event as the invasion of so great a capital by a mere rebel, Wey-t-song angrily commanded Nicholas to keep to his posts upon the walls, where he remained, till wearied with inaction he longed to return to his father's fleet. Wait a little Nicholas, and there will be action enough.
More than once during the reign of Wey-t-song had famine stalked through the land, but then he had struggled to stem the torrent by opening his purse and granaries. Now, however, that nature withheld her ordinary supplies, a rebel army crowded the approaches to the capital, so that provision could not be brought in, and the dearth of food grew so great, that a pound of rice could not be purchased for less than its weight in silver, and the flesh of horses, rats, dogs, cats, and mice had become so rare, that even rotten skins were bought for human food. The Emperor wickedly kept close within the luxurious apartments of his inner palace, caring but little for the starving people, so that he and the great mandarins could revel in their luxurious ease and pleasures.
Now, as indolence will spread as fast as nettles, the officers of the army, instead of attending to their duties, spend the greater part of their night-watches in gambling and drinking so hard, that had the enemy come upon them suddenly they must have surrendered. Yet the imperial troops were so numerous and the defences so strong, that with anything like a good show of fighting the rebels could have been beaten back, if not indeed entirely destroyed. As, however, these officers must have been fully aware of all this, it is only reasonable to suppose they were playing another little game of their own, that we shall soon see.
Thus weeks passed away, without more than mere rumors of the movements of the rebel Li-Kong, who, it was said, was fast approaching the capital, and sacking towns or destroying the people on his march. There one day came a number of men to the eastern gate, reporting themselves to be fugitives, who had been driven to seek protection in the capital from Li, who was on his march by the eastern suburbs; and as also they brought the joyful intelligence that a vast quantity of rice was on the road from the southern provinces, under the charge of a body of merchants, who had managed to evade the rebels by taking a different route, they were received with open arms and treated handsomely.
Then, as the General Kin feared that the starving people would set upon the wagons as they entered the city, he came out on the day of their arrival with a large body of soldiers to escort the food to the storehouse, where it could be fairly distributed. But so eager was the general to secure the grain from a sudden rush of the hungry people, that he encompassed the procession with his troops so perfectly, that neither wagons nor the fugitive tradesmen who accompanied them could be seen by the crowd. Moreover Kin kept close the wagons till they were safe within the fore-court of the storehouses. After performing his duty, the general astonished Nicholas by carrying his indefatigability so far as to personally inspect the walls, post the sentries, and examine the flints of their matchlocks, all of which was very puzzling, for not only was there no enemy to be seen, but the deserters and fugitives reported that the attack, if made at all, would be upon the opposite walls of the city, whither, in fact, Kin had sent already a great part of the soldiers who had hitherto been posted upon that side.
It was the middle of the third watch; Nicholas was dreaming of the rebel Li-Kong, the Emperor, the princess, the soldiers, and his father's fleet. A sudden grip upon his arm made him set bolt upright upon his sleeping mat, and there stood Chow, in a state of great excitement, holding in his arms his master's habiliments and accoutrements, as if the place had been on fire, or he had suddenly turned thief, and was about commencing business upon his master's clothes.
"Awake, O my master, we are caught like rats in a trap; the rebels are upon us!"
"What words are these, Chow?" said Nicholas, leaping off the mat, taking the clothes and attiring himself.
"The General Kin means harm; let us escape, my master;" and Chow pointed to the open window.
"Thou art a coward, Chow, draw thy sword, and follow," said Nicholas, rushing with his own weapon in his hand to the walls, where, to his dismay, he found the sentries helplessly intoxicated and lying in all directions; but worse, there, against the walls, leaned a ladder, by which means a body of troops were about to ascend.
"Softly, Chow," said Nicholas; and like cats they crept toward the ladder upon their knees. Another minute, and a soldier stood upon the uppermost round with a lighted torch in his hand.
"See, the rat makes a signal that all is right," said Nicholas, and in another instant a blow from his fist sent the torch-bearer spinning through the air over the heads of his fellows; then with a yell of rage the man's next comrade jumped upon the parapet, and being received with a violent blow in the stomach from Chow's fist, followed his companion in arms. Another made the same attempt, but picking up the torch which had fallen upon the ramparts, Chow dashed the burning brand in his face, when with a wild howl of pain, the soldier fell backward, sweeping the scaling party off the ladder as clean as if he had been a thirty-two pound cannon ball. Then, making the most of their advantage, the boys caught hold of the ladder and threw it over upon the discomfited rebels, who lay sprawling at the foot of the walls.
Then, holding the torch above his head, as a signal for assistance, Nicholas indeed saw that treachery was in high quarters, for the whole line of walls appeared to be deserted. As for Chow, he had no sooner succeeded in arousing the men from their stupor, and placed some at the great guns, and others along the walls, so that another scaling party would come within range of their matchlocks, than, perceiving a body of the enemy moving to the front he pointed one of the cannons and applied the torch to the touch-hole; a flash—a roar followed; but the only effect it had upon the rebels was to cause them to send forth loud shouts of exultation. Well they might exult, for the guns were harmless.
"The villain Kin has had the balls withdrawn," exclaimed Chow.
"Our matchlocks are useless, they have been robbed of their flints," said the soldiers, who had attempted to fire them at the same time as Chow had fired the cannon.
"Then back, and brain the dogs with them as they mount the walls," said Nicholas, as the enemy was about attempting another escalade; adding, "Haste thee, O Chow, to the Prince Yong-Li, and pray of him to send assistance to his brother, who dares not quit his post with life;" when, as without a word Chow disappeared from the rampart, Nicholas snatched up a matchlock, and so placed himself and men beneath the breastwork that the arrows might pass over their heads, and many were the sealers who reached the uppermost round of the ladder to be dashed headlong among their comrades by the brave youth and his little band; and so they would have held out for some time, but for a shower of bullets from the matchlocks of a body of soldiers who made their appearance upon the walls, headed by the General Kin himself.
"Seize the dog!" said the traitor, pointing to Nicholas.
"Thou great rogue,"—before, however, Nicholas could say more he was gagged, his arms bound with cords, and taken by the soldiers to his own room, amid the shoutings of the rebels, who now seemed to be entering the city from all sides.
But why had they not killed him at once? for what reason had they brought him there?
He was not left long in suspense, for no sooner had Kin secured the entrance of his brother rebels into the city than he entered the room, and first examining the cords that bound the boy's arms, to see that there was no possibility of his getting free, he ordered the soldiers from the room, and said, merrily, "The young war tiger is brave, but he is no match for the fire-eater Kin."
"Let the dog without a heart unbind the arms of his prisoner, and he shall discover," was the fierce reply.
"What shall thy servant discover, O brave youth?"
"His villain body hurled out of the window."
"Knows not the youth that I can slay him as if he were a venomous rat?"
"Do this, and I will thank thee for not letting me outlive such hateful treason, thou villain."
"But the youth is young, brave, and should live in honor and high promotion."
"He would be more honored in dying for his Emperor."
"That Emperor is the chosen of Tien, the great Li-Kong, who would have the young war tiger live to serve him."
"These are snake's words, the rogue Li-Kong is as false as his coward slave Kin, who fears to trust himself with an unbound youth."
"Thou rat, thou pirate, I will slay thee," said the enraged general, drawing his sword.
"Do this, and my vision will be for ever shut out from so much villainy," was the calm reply.
"Now let the young war tiger open his ears, and if he is reasonable he shall be free," said the general, getting the better of his rage.
"Then unbind his arms, thou dog."
"Truly, if thou wilt promise to serve the great Emperor Li-Kong."
"Even if so much treason existed in my heart, how could so mean a person serve so great a prince?"
"Is he not the son of the great merchant of the south, who rules the four seas?"
"If the dull rogue hath discovered his prisoner's birth, how is this that he dares to think that when free he would let so great a traitor live, after such an execrable proposition?"
Greatly perplexed at this rebuff, Kin could make no reply. Suddenly, the booming of cannon, the roar of millions of voices, and the clash of arms, sounded through the night air, and he said, "Hear you that cannon, boy? It is the terrible mouthpiece of the fugitive tradespeople, who accompanied the rice wagons."
"O thou miserable rogue," exclaimed Nicholas, as it now flashed across his mind that the rice wagons and the fugitive tradespeople had been the ruse by which Li-Kong had obtained an entrance into the city for his troops. "O that he was free, for there were guards enough yet to save the imperial family."
"It is a maxim, that it is no use repining for the past, O youth. By his tyranny and oppression Wey-t-song has forfeited the throne to the heaven-selected Li-Kong, whose troops now fill the streets, and who will confer upon the young war tiger high rank, and upon his parent, the great sea chief, a kingdom, if he will submissively rule the seas as a tributary. See the success of the great Li," he added, as the room, nay, the whole sky became illuminated, "the palace is in flames—let the young war tiger give his answer."
"If it is adverse?" asked Nicholas.
"The head of the son will be sent to the father."
Then bitter were the feelings of Nicholas—for himself? no! for he felt it his duty to die; but for his father, for the princess—still there was a chance of escape. Should he comply? surely a promise to traitors would not be valid. He considered for a moment—it was but for a moment—and even the bold sea-boy had not courage enough to—tell a lie.
Perceiving his hesitation, the countenance of Kin brightened. "The noble youth is reasonable; he consents," said he.
"No, thou false rogue."
"Then he dies a miserable death," said the enraged Kin, calling to his guard. There was no reply, but a scuffle in the passage, and the sound of angry voices, when, pale with fear, the general opened the door, and the next minute was—in the arms of Chow, who held him till the soldiers of the prince, who accompanied him, had bound the traitor as tightly as a mummy.
"It is our turn now, thou vile rogue," said Chow, as he cut the cords that bound his master.
"This is well accomplished my brave Chow; but now let us leave the traitor and haste to the palace," said Nicholas.
"It is hopeless, O my master, for the outer palace is in flames, and surrounded by the rebels."
"Is it not a maxim that no effort is hopeless to the brave?"
Having dismissed the soldiers, the two boys mingled with the vast crowd that was surging toward the palace with deafening cheers for Li-Kong, who, by the treachery of the general, aided by those of his own troops who for weeks past had been passing into the city under the pretence of being fugitive tradespeople, had now reached the very walls of the outer palace without opposition. Indeed, so great were the numbers of the rebel troops and the mass of people who joined on their way, that when they came in sight of the palace walls the imperial soldiers fled in dismay, and so well had the rebel chief, and his brother traitors near the person of the Emperor, organized the conspiracy, that it was not until the outer palace was in flames that Wey-t-song became aware that Li-Kong had even entered Pekin. Then, however, like another Sardanapalus, his energies became aroused, and he collected together some few hundreds of his body guard, and determined to sell his life as dearly as possible, and till morning he held out; for so well did his guards handle the bows, and so clumsily did the rebels use their matchlocks, that it was early morning before the latter could effect an entrance to the inner palace.
When, however, the broad light of morning came, what with the force of numbers, and their being enabled to use their matchlocks to greater advantage, they soon forced the gates and rushed into the great courten masse. Being among the first to enter, Nicholas and Chow beheld the Emperor, in the uniform of one of his own officers, exhorting his troops to die with him rather than to succumb to rebels. After a short fight, however, the coward guards threw down their arms, and shouted, "Long life to the heaven-bestowed Emperor Li-Kong." Indignant at their cowardice, Nicholas would have rushed among them, but for Chow, who whispered the danger of the princess.
For a minute the fraternization of the guards appeased the rebels—it was only for a minute—then they shouted for the head of the vile Wey-t-song, and one of the guards pointing to the inner palace, they ran in that direction like a herd of hungry wolves, killing all, men, women, or children, whom they met in their way; then they came to the ladies' palace, and with hideous shouts of exultation, set it on fire; and the poor women, at least those who were not destroyed by the flames, ran from all quarters, but, alas! only to fall by the swords of the fiends, or, if escaping the latter, to perform, to them, the sacred duty of throwing themselves headlong into the canals, that they might not survive the downfall of their imperial master.
More infuriated than the rebels, and with a wild hope of saving the Emperor and the princess, Nicholas ran through the burning palace, as if seeking death from the falling timbers; but, alas no clue could be found to those he sought. At length he thought of the imperial gardens, a place that the rebels, in their anxiety to plunder the palace, had forgotten.
"So, while Chow went in an opposite direction, he took the path leading to the mulberry grove, and there, upon a mound, he discovered the object of his search—both Emperor and princess; but, to his horror, the first dead, and hanging by his own girdle from the bough of a prune-tree, and the princess senseless, expiring from a deep wound in her side, from which the blood was flowing copiously. Shocked so that the blood in his veins seemed congealed, Nicholas cut down the dead Emperor with his sword, then stanched the wound of the princess with his silk girdle, ran to the lake, filled his cap with water, and sprinkled it in her face, when, joy! the pale face resumed the hue of life—still she was insensible, and he miserable, for he knew not what other means to adopt for her restoration. Then came the sound of approaching footsteps—it might be a rebel, and he clutched his sword, determined to die before the royal lady should be taken from him—but no, it was Chow, who, having lost himself for some time in the mazes of the garden, had reached the spot by mere accident; and no sooner did the faithful fellow perceive the tragic scene, than he fell upon his knees and wept.
"Truly the villains will speedily be here, and we shall be lost if we can not discover some hiding-place," said Nicholas.
"The gods must intend our escape from this den of thieves, for I have just crept out of yonder cavern," said Chow, pointing to a thick bush at some short distance from where they were standing.
Then, without more words, they bore the senseless girl to the spot indicated by Chow, and pushing aside the brushwood, entered a cavern lighted from the top by a small grating, and laid her upon the floor. The stanching of the blood, the cold water, and the movement, revived her, when she exclaimed, "This terrible dream—where am I? who art thou, thou terrible man?"
"Fear not beautiful daughter of the Ming, for thou art in the hands of thy own servants, who have saved thee——"
"Saved me!" she said, with a vacant gaze at Nicholas; then, as if remembering some terrible occurrence, added, "From my royal father, who plunged his dagger in my side, that his daughter might escape the villain Li-Kong, but the Emperor, my parent, O noble youth?"
"Alas! unfortunate princess——"
"Enough—enough—I remember all—the holy Emperor has saved himself the disgrace of falling into the power of the traitor. But why then," she added, bitterly, "has the worthless life of a daughter of his own blood been saved?"
"To be the most valued jewel in the throne of her brother the Emperor Yong-Li," said Nicholas.
"By restoring my worthless life thou hast brought shame and disgrace upon the daughter of thy Emperor, for hath it not ever been the custom of the daughters of the Son of Heaven to kill themselves upon the downfall of their sovereign?"
"The princess is of the religion of the Lord of Heaven, who alone giveth and taketh life," replied Nicholas.
"Thou art right, noble youth, and the descendant of Tait-sou will bear her misfortunes more as becomes a Christian than a daughter of China," said the princess; adding, sorrowfully, "but the remains of my beloved parent——"
"Shall be saved from the profane hands of rebels if the princess will remain within this cavern," replied Nicholas; who, followed by Chow, returned to the mound, where for a minute he stood contemplating all that remained of the last Emperor of the Ming dynasty. "Alas! poor prince, that thy virtues should have been clouded with so many faults. See, O Chow, how bitterly he felt the ingratitude of his petted and pampered guards," said Nicholas, reading some lines that the Emperor had written in his own blood upon the border of his robe, and which were:—"The heavens are in thy favor, O Li-Kong; yet, although my subjects have basely abandoned me, I beseech of thee, as their parent, to wreak thy vengeance on my body; but save, O save my deluded people."
"The rebels come this way," said Chow.
"Let us hide till they have passed," said Nicholas, and snatching up his cross-bow, he ascended the nearest tree, believing that Chow had done likewise.
The new comers were two officers of Li-Kong.
"It was in this direction, O Lee, near the mulberry grove, that the woman slave saw the princess fly," said one, looking about.
"So said the heaven-bestowed Li," replied the other; but perceiving the body of the deposed sovereign, rebel as he was, his inherited awe for the majesty of the Emperor caused him to throw himself upon the ground, saying, "This then, O my poor prince, is the end of thy glories! indeed thy punishment has been severe, may it lead thy successor to avoid thy faults."
"Get thee to thy feet, O Quang, for the Emperor who can forsake his people well merits that they should forsake him in his extremity; moreover, should the heaven-bestowed Li see thee, he will cause thy foolish head to be chopped from thy shoulders, for, like a hungry tiger, he cares but little whether his food be friends or enemies, so that he can satisfy his appetite."
"Thy words are good," said Quang, rising to his feet; adding, "Yet the most ravenous beast becomes satisfied."
"True, O Quang, but when this morning the great Li for the first time sat upon the golden throne of state, it trembled and tottered."
"A sad omen, O Lee; surely his majesty should have chosen a fortunate day."
"Truly, according to the chief bonze, it is an omen, signifying that while the body of Wey-t-song remains whole, the heaven-bestowed Emperor is in danger, and it is this that has angered him; but see, he comes," and both fell to the earth before the rebel general, who approaching with his great officers, said, "Have you discovered the princess, you crawling slaves?"
"At the risk of their lives thy slaves must deliver their miserable intelligence to the fortunate and heaven-bestowed founder of the most magnificent of dynasties," said Quang.
"Let the slave open his lips."
"The great princess has escaped with the Christian woman Candida," replied the trembling Quang.
"Escaped!" exclaimed the tyrant; "then let it be proclaimed throughout the empire that he who can bring her unarmed to our feet, shall receive high promotion, and the weight of his mean body in gold;" but at that moment, for the first time, seeing the body of the Emperor, he exclaimed, "The great traitor to his people has been too fortunate in having been permitted to close a luxurious career with the honorable punishment of self-destruction; he should have been exhibited alive in a cage;" then reading the lines upon the dead sovereign's robe, "See thou, O Quang, that the miserable body be cut into a thousand pieces, and distributed far from the tombs of his royal ancestors," said this new-made sovereign, with less generosity than the second Emperor of the Tartar race, who some years after, while hunting, happening to see in the distance the monument which had been erected to the memory of the unfortunate Wey-t-song, quitted his horse, and falling upon the earth, said, with tears in his eyes, "O Prince! O Emperor! worthy of a better fate, you know that your destruction was not owing to us, your death lies not at our door, your own subjects brought it upon you, it was they that betrayed you; it is therefore upon them, and not on my ancestors, that heaven must send down vengeance."
As you may imagine, this arrested the attention of Nicholas, who became deeply interested, and, as he listened, it was with difficulty he could keep down his indignation. He had smiled as he heard of Lee's terror at the omen, groaned at the slaughter of the people, rejoiced at the escape of the Lady Candida, the more so as the soldiers believed that she had carried away the princess with her, which would at least throw them off the right track; then at the sight of the brutal Li he had instinctively placed an arrow on his bow, but the danger of the princess taught him prudence, and he did but nervously twitch the string; when, however, Li spoke of the dead Emperor his heart throbbed with indignation, and he was nigh losing his presence of mind; then when Li delivered the order for the mutilation of the body, every vein in the boy's forehead and neck seemed bursting with rage, which, when the tyrant struck the corpse with his foot, he could no longer suppress; no human power could keep it back, and just missing the tyrant's throat so narrowly that its feather brushed his necklace, an arrow pierced the bark of the tree against which he was standing.
"See with what vigilance the guards have sought for traitors, when this could so nearly reach the mark," said the brave rogue, coolly, but holding his shield in readiness for the next.
Unlike Li-Kong, whose courage was as remarkable as his crimes, the teeth of his officers chattered, and their knees knocked together with fear, as if the arrow had been a thunderbolt from their own gods; when, however, they recovered, they placed their shields before their faces and rushed to the direction from whence the arrow had flown, and would soon have discovered Nicholas but for a huge lion, who, finding the door of his cage open, rushed upon the group with such unmistakable intentions, that not only the officers, but Li-Kong, brave as he was, fled in terror to the palace, with the beast at their heels. You will little wonder at the extreme fright of the soldiers, when I tell you that this lion was the only animal of his kind in China, having been presented to the late Emperor by a foreign king, or they would probably have met the brute face to face.
"Thou hast had a narrow escape, O most prudent master," said Chow, coming forth when he saw the coast clear.
"Had I been taken, it would have been a just punishment for missing my mark; but by what fortunate chance did that savage beast escape from his cage, O Chow?" replied Nicholas, descending the tree.
"That chance, O my master was the foresight of thy servant, who unfastened the door of the cage of that four-footed brother of Yen-Vang, neither knowing nor caring whether he might not himself be the first meal, so that the noble Nicholas escaped."
"It was well done, my brave Chow; yet surely that rebel rogue must be protected by some demon to have escaped so narrowly both arrow and lion; but let us haste to the cavern, or they may return."
Now, although the whole of this adventure had not occupied more than an hour, Nicholas was greatly in fear for what might have happened to the princess, an anxiety reciprocated by the princess, who, as soon as she saw them again, exclaimed, "Thank heaven, the noble youth is saved;" then added reproachfully, "But he has not performed his promise, for he brings not the sacred remains of his royal master;" when, however, Nicholas related the adventure, although in great anguish of mind at being denied the sacred right of paying the last office of respect to the corpse of her parent, she was overjoyed at their escape.
"Escape, O great princess; thy small servant is not clever and gifted, like the mole, or he would eat a hole through the end of this rat-trap; for to attempt it by the entrance would be to submissively ask the traitor Li-Kong to cut us all into ten thousand pieces," said Chow.
"The words of the brave Chow are reasonable, for truly this cavern is but a trap," said Nicholas.
"It is not so; push thou against the end of the cavern," said the princess.
"Truly we are fortunate," said Nicholas with astonishment, as he found the end giving way, and disclosing to his vision a long narrow passage.
"It was made by the great Tait-sou, and leads to an unfrequented suburb of the city; by this means he could leave the palace alone, and by mixing among the people judge for himself how the mandarins were respected by them," said the princess.
"Surely they will follow us here," said Nicholas.
"Not so, noble youth; for the secret is known but to few. It was the sole vile act of the great Tait-sou's reign that he caused this passage to be made by condemned prisoners, whom he afterward slew, that they might not divulge the secret," said the princess, adding, "Let us trace its course."
Then, helping the wounded girl to walk, they proceeded down the passage for a considerable distance, till their progress was arrested by a door; pushing this, however, they found themselves in a small cavern, lighted, like the one at which they had entered, by a small grating from above.
"How is it possible, O noble Nicholas, that we can pass through the roaring rebels, who are, doubtless, without?" said Chow.
"It is a reasonable question, O noble youth; truly we had better remain here till night," said the princess.
But, having considered for a minute, Nicholas said, "Not so, great princess; remain thou here with Chow, and thy servant will find some means of deliverance;" whereupon he borrowed from Chow his less conspicuous cap, robe, and boots, then felt his way up a flight of narrow steps, till his head struck against a trap-door; lifting this gently, he found himself in a small stone room, the door of which stood open; passing this, he came into an oblong court, and saw at once that the place had been erected as a tomb, and, moreover, that he was at the most remote end of a valley of tombs. So far he believed the princess to be in a place of safety, for none, even in those rebellious days, would dare to enter the ancestral tomb of another.
Crossing this valley of sepulchres with inverted face, as if in deep contemplation after visiting the tomb of his ancestors, he came into the open road, where a vast crowd were floating onward into the city, mad with excitement, and shouting, "Many years' life to the heaven-sent Emperor!" he mixed with them, and so, safely passed onward to the house of the merchant Yang, who no sooner saw him than he ordered an incense table, and returned thanks to Fo for his safety. "For," said he, "thy servant made but little doubt that the son of the great Chin-Chi-Loong had been slain."
"The son of the merchant of the south lives to avenge the death of his Emperor," said Nicholas.
"Hist! hist!" said the merchant, pale with fear, lest some servant might hear the words; adding, "Truly Wey-t-song but merited his fate."
"Art thou also a traitor, O Yang?" exclaimed Nicholas, indignantly.
"The rich need be cautious, for is it not a maxim, that a successful rebel is more to be feared than a dead Emperor, O noble Nicholas?"
Indignant as he was at this disloyalty, Nicholas, remembering the necessity of the princess, dissembled his anger, and said, "Is the worthy Yang under sufficient obligation to Chin-Chi-Loong to serve his son?"
"Even to the extent of his life and fortune."
"Then I will trust thee," said Nicholas, dropping the usual formality of speech, and telling him the whole of his adventure of the morning.
"Truly, O youth, this is a dangerous affair; but Yang dares not break faith with the great chief who may some day be master of us all," said the merchant, trembling with fear.
"This, then, is just; I would have the head-dress and mourning garb of a widow, and the coarse robes of two Coolies."
"This is a cautious method of proceeding, and shall be done," said Yang, who left the room, leaving the impatient youth walking to and fro with great anxiety. The articles, however, not being very difficult to obtain in that part of the city, the merchant soon returned with them packed up in a small bale; then, hastily thanking Yang, Nicholas took the bale with him some little distance from the house, and paid two Coolies to carry him in their sedan to the gate of the valley of tombs; having arrived there, he jumped out of the chair, and paid the Coolies handsomely, telling them to leave it near the gate, and to fetch him again in two hours' time; when, not in the least doubting the honesty of so generous a customer, the Coolies went off to spend their earnings at a wine-shop, and Nicholas proceeded cautiously to the cavern.
Having explained his scheme to the princess, he left her in the cavern to attire herself in the widow's weeds, while he and Chow proceeded to the tomb above, to assume the garbs of Coolies.
This being done, he gave Chow some silver and sent him off to the wine-shop, after which he assisted the princess up the steps, and, supporting her, they slowly walked through the valley, till they came within a short distance of the gate, when, to the delight of Nicholas, Chow came up to them and said:—
"I found the two sots drinking like fishes, and when I told them a merchant wished to hire them, they laughed heartily, saying, that they had already been engaged by too good a passenger to stir for the next two hours."
Then, assisting the princess into the chair, Nicholas and Chow took the place of the Coolies, and so carried it to the house of Yang.
As Yang had prepared the ladies of his family to receive a young girl, who, he said, was about to be taken into a distant province by her brother, as soon as the troubles had subsided, the princess was warmly received in the Hall of Ancestors, and immediately conducted to the inner apartments of the house. Cleverly as this was managed, Nicholas now trembled for the safety of the princess; indeed, she could be safe no where, but with the Lady Candida, or the Prince Yong-Li, both of whom he believed to have fled to Woo-san-Kwei, in Leao-tong, therefore, difficult as was the task, he determined to take her to that province. As for Yang, whose loyalty was stronger toward the family of Nicholas than to the imperial line, and who really wished a person likely to prove so dangerous as the princess out of his house, he offered his advice and assistance; and as a small junk belonging to him was about to proceed to Tien-sin, on the banks of the Pei-ho (or white river) with a cargo of goods in exchange for salt, he offered to place it at the command of Nicholas, who, when at the mouth of the river, would find it no difficult matter to make a voyage through the gulf of Pe-tche-Lee, and of Leao-tong, to some town upon the coast.
This being arranged, they determined that the junk should start as soon as she was laden, and that the princess should embark as a young widow, whose husband having been killed in the rebellion, was returning to see her friends in Leao-tong. But then the princess could not travel without a female attendant,—and whom could they trust? that seemed their greatest difficulty. It was surmounted, however as you will see in the next chapter.
Previously to his successful march upon Pekin, Li-Kong had besieged the capital of the great province of Honan, which, after a few days' hard fighting, he succeeded in taking; when by way of punishing the inhabitants for their brave resistance, he ordered a slaughter so large and indiscriminate that for many after years his name was used as a bugbear to frighten children; so insatiable was his appetite for decapitation, that, like Nero, he longed that the millions had but one neck, that he might strike the whole of their heads at a blow.
The mightiest rivers, however, can but run their course, and so at length, in the event of his making himself Emperor, he might have some subjects left, he commenced to banish and to pardon, and by way of rewarding his soldiers, one day when he was in a good humor, he commanded them to sell the whole of the remaining women prisoners in the public market-place, and keep the money; but as the soldiers asked such high prices, and the fathers, husbands, and brothers, of Honan, had been robbed of their property, after a two days' sale a large stock of ladies remained on hand, which they were obliged to take with them to Pekin, where, after the conquest, they hoped to obtain better prices.
Tyrants are, however, capricious; and so, being offended with his soldiers for not discovering the princess, with hideous humor Li-Kong ordered the women to be placed in sacks, and sold with other plunder at two taels each.
Now it so happened that on the morning of the sale, Chow was passing through the market-place, and seeing a crowd of people examining the sacks, which were arranged in rows and tied at the necks, with small breathing holes near the top, he stopped to watch the progress of the cruel comedy. Anxious fathers, brothers, and husbands, who had followed the army from Honan, for the purpose of rescuing their female relatives, bought sack after sack at the reduced price, each, when the purchase was completed, tearing them open; the greater number, however, giving vent to fearful cries, when they discovered that their chance in the lottery proved a blank; others, recognizing a wife, daughter, or sister, would become almost frantic with joy. Many, before purchasing, would slip behind a sack, rip it with a knife, to have a peep, and get rewarded with a sound caning for their artfulness.
Well there were only half a ton, or at least five sacks of ladies left for disposal, when a great lout of a countryman drew up in his cart, jumped out, and after looking at his almanac, said, "Truly this is a fortunate day, and I am likely to get a good wife cheap; so, although two taels is all I have obtained for my last crop of rice, I will trust to Fo; for young or old, handsome or ugly, I must have a wife to help me till my grounds." Just then a shrill scream issued from one of the sacks. "Who knows," continued the countryman, "but the gods may have sent that scream to direct my choice, for if the woman is neither young nor pretty she may be well dressed, and, consequently the wife or daughter of some wealthy mandarin, who will purchase her of me, and so make my fortune?"
"Let the noble paddy bird make his choice quickly," said a soldier.
"There are the two taels, most illustrious war tiger," said the countryman, giving the money and taking his choice.
"We will see thy choice," said one of the soldiers, about to open the sack.
"Nay, illustrious soldier, it would offend the gods if other eyes but mine saw my prize." So saying, the man took the sack up in his huge arms, lifted it into the cart, and drove slowly away, followed by Chow, who was curious to discover the kind of prize the wise-acre had drawn.
Unable to restrain his curiosity, the man no sooner reached an unfrequented part of the suburbs than he stopped by the bank of a canal, pulled a knife from his pocket, ripped open the sack; but then a change came o'er his dream, for with his body bent double, his two hands upon his knees, and his bullet head thrown to the extreme stretching of his neck, he stared with disgust for at least a minute, then in a paroxysm of rage, the disappointed ruffian placed his hands upon the woman's shoulders, screaming, "Thou vile old bamboo stick!"
The trembling woman fell upon her knees and prayed for mercy.
"Has the wretched woman no friend who will purchase her?"
"Truly the friends and relations of thy servant have been slain by the soldiers; she has no friend in the world."
"Thou hast robbed me of my money, thou antique rat, and shall be punished," said the brute, who, first striking her to the ground, picked her up in his arms, and would have thrown her into the canal but for Chow, who, going to the back of the cart, caught hold of the man's legs and dragged him on to the ground, when, not comprehending the wherefore of his wheelbarrow position, the fellow began to roar for mercy, but turning his face and finding his enemy to be a mere youth, he sprang upon his legs and attacked him with his clenched fists. For a time they had a hard fight, after the fashion of the Chinese, who are as much given to that sport, pastime, or brutality, as the English themselves. At length, however, with one well-directed blow, Chow settled the transaction, when, admitting himself to be soundly thrashed, as all women-beaters should be, the bully fell upon his knees, and said, that if the woman were a relation he was sorry for what he had done in the moment of vexation at losing his money, and moreover, begged that Chow would purchase her again for half the amount he had paid.
"Take the whole, thou miserable dog," said Chow, throwing down two taels that Nicholas had given him in the morning, to purchase a thick robe for the voyage to Leao-tong, then, lifting the poor creature from the cart, he laid her upon the bank of the canal, and by dashing water in her face brought her to her senses. But why does Chow suddenly fall at her feet, kiss the hem of her garment, take both her hands in his own, gaze in her face for a moment, and then, throwing his arms around her neck, sob like an infant. Surely there was some good reason for such strange conduct?—We shall see.
While Chow had been engaged in his adventure with the countryman, Yang received intelligence from the commander of his junk, that the vessel was laden, and only awaited his orders for sailing. So far, circumstances were favorable for the voyage to Leao-tong, and if they could but secure a proper attendant for the princess they might set out that evening. That was the great difficulty to be got over. Many plans were suggested, but all seemed so fraught with danger of discovery, that they were well nigh at their wit's end. While Nicholas and Yang were discussing the matter, there was a great hammering upon the gong at the door. It was Chow, who in another minute stood before them. Alone? No, but to the astonishment of Nicholas, accompanied by a woman, so veiled that no feature could be seen.
"How! what means this? Who is this woman?" exclaimed Nicholas.
"The noble Nicholas bestowed two taels upon his servant."
"What words are these?" replied Nicholas, impatiently; adding, "Hast thou bought the robe?"
"Pardon, O noble master, but thy servant can better do without a robe for the rest of his life than the glorious purchase he has made with those taels."
"What purchase is this, thou rogue?" said Nicholas, vexed that he could get no direct answer.
"His dearly beloved lost mother, O my master."
"Thy mother! What words are these?"
Then, when Chow had related the scene with the sacks, and his adventure with the countryman, and how that it resulted in the discovery of his mother, who stood before them, Nicholas heartily and sincerely congratulated him, as did also the merchants, who ordered the servants to take her to the inner apartments, all of which so gratified the delighted Chow that he fell at the feet of Nicholas, kissed the hem of his robe, and with tears of gratitude and joy told them that his mother had made her escape from the slayer of her husband, but having been retaken, the enraged mandarin had ordered her to be sold with the other women. So, O noble Nicholas, has the great Tien rewarded thy servant for endeavoring to rescue what he thought to be a strange woman from a villain, who was about casting her in the canal.
Now, nothing could be more fortunate for all parties than this discovery of Chow's, for as the mother would not leave Chow, nor Chow leave his mother or his master, if he could help it, it was speedily settled that no better attendant could be found for the princess, and so it was arranged that they should start at once.
The merchant, partly by his great interest with the usurper's government, and partly by bribes, secured a com-ho or passport for himself and family; sedan chairs were procured, and the whole party passed through the city to the river, where the junk was awaiting them. Then, having seen them safe on board and given instructions to his captain to obey Nicholas, he placed a purse of silver in the youth's hands, took his leave, and left the travelers to pursue their journey, and with but one interruption from a river mandarin, who stopped their progress to examine their cam-ho, the junk proceeded down the Pei-ho, or white river.
The junk was upon a small scale something like what the houses of our merchants were, when, proud of their profession, they had their residences attached to their warehouses, one-half being occupied by the cargo, and the other divided into rooms, each of which was furnished in accordance with the quality of its tenant. The two usually set aside for the ladies of the family were tenanted by the princess, who, as became her rank and sex, kept herself secluded from the eyes of the male passengers and sailors.
For several days they continued their voyage down the river, till by the fields of millet seed, pulse, and turnips, the numerous mud hovels, the shoals of small boats, and the thousands of starving men, women, and children, who were paddling about the fields, and the very city of huge salt stacks upon the banks, they saw that they were approaching the town of Tien-sin, at which place, in consequence of the number of vessels which had arrived that day laden with timber, they were delayed for some time before the captain could unload his vessel and take in a cargo of salt.
As in our own manufacturing counties many thousands of poor mechanics and artisans make little livings for themselves and great fortunes for their employers, so in Tien-sin, the most miserably poor and shrivelled portion of the vast population in China produce a commodity which places their masters, the salt dealers, among the most wealthy merchants in the Empire. While the captain is unloading his cargo I will tell you how these people produce this common edible.
In addition to the pits of salt, which, like coal, are found in many of the provinces, there are many places where it is discovered by scattered spots of gray earth. To obtain this salt, they level the surface of the earth as smooth as glass and in a sloping direction so that the water will run off. When dried by the sun, and the white particles of salt are seen, they first raise it in small heaps, like haycocks, then spread it upon sloping tables with ledges, and pour soft water upon it, which, as it soaks in, extracts the salt and runs into an earthen vessel by means of a small channel. The earth thus drained is not wasted, but laid aside, so that after a few days, when dry, they reduce it to a fine powder, and replace it in the spot from whence it was taken, when, after six days, it is again mixed with particles of salt, which are again extracted as before, so that not one atom becomes lost.
While the men are thus engaged in the fields, the women and children are employed in huts, in boiling the salt water in large iron basins, which they place over an earthen stove, with holes made in such a manner that the fire heats all the basins alike. When the salt water has boiled some time, it becomes thick, and changes slowly into a very white salt, which is stirred with an iron spatula till it becomes quite dry.
When the captain had exchanged his cargo for an other of dates, which he intended again to exchange profitably in Leao-tong for peas and drugs, Nicholas purchased a quantity of furs and mats, which he soon found to be necessary; for, as they approached further to the north, the winds blew keenly, and the iceblocks floated so numerously as frequently to impede their voyage; indeed, the cold was so intense that nothing but the fear of losing life or liberty, or the love of gold, would have induced any one to make the voyage in that inclement season (it was in November). Indeed, by the time they had passed the mouth of the Pei-ho and got into the gulf of Pe-tche-Lee, the snow fell so heavily, and the north winds blew so keenly, that, breaking through all discipline, the sailors lighted fires upon the deck, and laid near them, drinking rice spirit so copiously, that had not Nicholas, who knew so well how to manage such insubordinates, thrown the spirit tubs overboard, they must have foundered upon theSha-loo-poo-teenislands. As it was, so long and so rough was the passage across the gulf, that the princess became fearfully ill; so much so, indeed, that at one time they feared she would have died. At length, however, they came to an anchor off the coast of Kin-Chow, a distance of seven miles from the shore, and so planted with dangerous rocks that they were compelled to make fire-signals for the townspeople to put off to them in their lighters or barges.
As the people have these lighters always ready for the purpose, it was not long before several answered the signal, and came alongside. Choosing the most commodious, Nicholas caused a large fire to be lighted in the cabin, where the princess, who was too ill to walk, was lifted on board, and the lightermen rowed them the roughest seven miles of their journey. Nicholas and Chow paced the deck in no very good humor, as they were obliged to entrust themselves to the slow movements of the boatmen, who neither for love nor money would hasten their pace. Moreover, as the sea rolled so heavily, the distance was lengthened by their being compelled to take a circuitous course between and around the dangerous rocks.
When the boatman, who, although slow, were sure, brought them beneath the huge rocks which form the sea-walls of Leao-tong, Chow looked up with amazement. "Surely," said he, "Yen-Vang must have built these great rocks to prevent the province from falling upon the heads of the people in his watery dominions;" adding, as he saw some little birds, like swallows, flying about the rocks, "Truly, if my eyeballs are straight, those little creatures promise us some of the soup of life."
"Truly our eyeballs play us false, O Chow, for these birds are seldom found but on the coast of Tonquin, Java, and Cochin-China," said Nicholas doubtfully.
"It is true that the servant has not the wisdom of his master, yet the stomach and the nose are excellent diviners. Moreover, it is said that this bird-nest soup is strengthening to the weak. The princess is weak, O my master, and Chow would obtain some of those nests."
Then, as they were near a jutting point of the rock of no very difficult ascent, Nicholas ordered the barge to stop, while Chow ascended and procured some half-dozen of the nests, from which to the present day, one of the most popular dishes of China is made.
As Nicholas had said, these birds' nests are seldom found except on the coasts of Java, Cochin-China, and Tonquin. The birds are not unlike swallows, as to their feathers; the nests, which they build high up in the clefts of the rocks, are supposed to be composed of small sea-fish, fastened together by means of a viscous juice, which distils from the beaks of the little creatures, and serves as a gum to fasten the nests to the rock. They are also seen to take the froth that floats upon the sea, with which they cement every part of their nests, in the same manner that swallows build with mud and clay. This matter being dried, becomes solid, transparent, and of a greenish color; but, while fresh, it is generally white.
When Chow had procured these nests, the boatmen resumed their toil, and in a short time reached the harbor; Chow landed first, and having procured a litter, the princess and his mother were conveyed through the rows of dirty-looking granite houses, which form the town of Kin-Chow, till they arrived at a small inn.