The War Tiger

by William Dalton

  CHAPTER XXVII.

  THE REBELS ATTACK PEKIN.--TREACHERY OF A GENERAL, AND THE FIGHT.

  It was the middle of the third watch; Nicholas was dreaming of the rebelLi-Kong, the Emperor, the princess, the soldiers, and his father'sfleet. A sudden grip upon his arm made him set bolt upright upon hissleeping mat, and there stood Chow, in a state of great excitement,holding in his arms his master's habiliments and accoutrements, as ifthe place had been on fire, or he had suddenly turned thief, and wasabout commencing business upon his master's clothes.

  "Awake, O my master, we are caught like rats in a trap; the rebels areupon us!"

  "What words are these, Chow?" said Nicholas, leaping off the mat, takingthe clothes and attiring himself.

  "The General Kin means harm; let us escape, my master;" and Chow pointedto 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 hisdismay, he found the sentries helplessly intoxicated and lying in alldirections; but worse, there, against the walls, leaned a ladder, bywhich means a body of troops were about to ascend.

  "Softly, Chow," said Nicholas; and like cats they crept toward theladder upon their knees. Another minute, and a soldier stood upon theuppermost round with a lighted torch in his hand.

  "See, the rat makes a signal that all is right," said Nicholas, and inanother instant a blow from his fist sent the torch-bearer spinningthrough the air over the heads of his fellows; then with a yell of ragethe man's next comrade jumped upon the parapet, and being received witha violent blow in the stomach from Chow's fist, followed his companionin arms. Another made the same attempt, but picking up the torch whichhad fallen upon the ramparts, Chow dashed the burning brand in his face,when with a wild howl of pain, the soldier fell backward, sweeping thescaling party off the ladder as clean as if he had been a thirty-twopound cannon ball. Then, making the most of their advantage, the boyscaught 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 wholeline of walls appeared to be deserted. As for Chow, he had no soonersucceeded in arousing the men from their stupor, and placed some at thegreat guns, and others along the walls, so that another scaling partywould come within range of their matchlocks, than, perceiving a body ofthe enemy moving to the front he pointed one of the cannons and appliedthe torch to the touch-hole; a flash--a roar followed; but the onlyeffect it had upon the rebels was to cause them to send forth loudshouts 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 asChow had fired the cannon.

  "Then back, and brain the dogs with them as they mount the walls," saidNicholas, as the enemy was about attempting another escalade; adding,"Haste thee, O Chow, to the Prince Yong-Li, and pray of him to sendassistance to his brother, who dares not quit his post with life;" when,as without a word Chow disappeared from the rampart, Nicholas snatchedup a matchlock, and so placed himself and men beneath the breastworkthat the arrows might pass over their heads, and many were the sealerswho reached the uppermost round of the ladder to be dashed headlongamong their comrades by the brave youth and his little band; and so theywould have held out for some time, but for a shower of bullets from thematchlocks of a body of soldiers who made their appearance upon thewalls, 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 wasgagged, his arms bound with cords, and taken by the soldiers to his ownroom, amid the shoutings of the rebels, who now seemed to be enteringthe city from all sides.

  But why had they not killed him at once? for what reason had theybrought him there?

  He was not left long in suspense, for no sooner had Kin secured theentrance 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 thatthere was no possibility of his getting free, he ordered the soldiersfrom the room, and said, merrily, "The young war tiger is brave, but heis no match for the fire-eater Kin."

  "Let the dog without a heart unbind the arms of his prisoner, and heshall 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 hatefultreason, thou villain."

  "But the youth is young, brave, and should live in honor and highpromotion."

  "He would be more honored in dying for his Emperor."

  "That Emperor is the chosen of Tien, the great Li-Kong, who would havethe young war tiger live to serve him."

  "These are snake's words, the rogue Li-Kong is as false as his cowardslave 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 muchvillainy," was the calm reply.

  "Now let the young war tiger open his ears, and if he is reasonable heshall 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 personserve so great a prince?"

  "Is he not the son of the great merchant of the south, who rules thefour seas?"

  "If the dull rogue hath discovered his prisoner's birth, how is thisthat he dares to think that when free he would let so great a traitorlive, after such an execrable proposition?"

  Greatly perplexed at this rebuff, Kin could make no reply. Suddenly, thebooming of cannon, the roar of millions of voices, and the clash ofarms, sounded through the night air, and he said, "Hear you that cannon,boy? It is the terrible mouthpiece of the fugitive tradespeople, whoaccompanied the rice wagons."

  "O thou miserable rogue," exclaimed Nicholas, as it now flashed acrosshis mind that the rice wagons and the fugitive tradespeople had been theruse by which Li-Kong had obtained an entrance into the city for histroops. "O that he was free, for there were guards enough yet to savethe imperial family."

  "It is a maxim, that it is no use repining for the past, O youth. By histyranny and oppression Wey-t-song has forfeited the throne to theheaven-selected Li-Kong, whose troops now fill the streets, and who willconfer upon the young war tiger high rank, and upon his parent, thegreat sea chief, a kingdom, if he will submissively rule the seas as atributary. See the success of the great Li," he added, as the room, nay,the whole sky became illuminated, "the palace is in flames--let theyoung 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 feltit his duty to die; but for his father, for the princess--still therewas a chance of escape. Should he comply? surely a promise to traitorswould not be valid. He considered for a moment--it was but for amoment--and even the bold sea-boy had not courage enough to--tell a lie.

  Perceiving his hesitation, the countenance of Kin brightened. "The nobleyouth is reasonable; he consents," said he.

  "No, thou false rogue."

  "Then he dies a miserable death," said the enraged Kin, calling to hisguard. There was no reply, but a scuffle in the passage, and the soundof angry voices, when, pale with fear, the general opened the door, andthe next minute was--in the arms of Chow, who held him till thesoldiers of the prince, who accompanied him, had bound the traito
r astightly as a mummy.

  "It is our turn now, thou vile rogue," said Chow, as he cut the cordsthat bound his master.

  "This is well accomplished my brave Chow; but now let us leave thetraitor and haste to the palace," said Nicholas.

  "It is hopeless, O my master, for the outer palace is in flames, andsurrounded by the rebels."

  "Is it not a maxim that no effort is hopeless to the brave?"