The Blue Dress Girl

by E. V. Thompson

  Despite the menace posed by the European forces, for ten days the only action was a series of minor skirmishes against small bands of Chinese bannermen. Then, on Christmas Day Lord Elgin issued an ultimatum to Viceroy Yeh and the Canton city authorities. They must surrender the city within forty-eight hours, or it would be stormed by the armies of Britain and France.

  The deadline arrived – and passed. From the occupants of the city there was a defiant silence.

  Admiral Sir Michael Seymour wanted to begin a bombardment immediately, but, at Lord Elgin’s request, the barrage was delayed. The plenipotentiary minister wanted to give the Chinese: ‘An hour or two longer to ponder on their folly.’

  The extension of the ultimatum proved futile. At 6 a.m. on 28 December signal flags were hoisted to the yard-arm on the Admiral’s ship. Five minutes later they were lowered, and the bombardment of Canton commenced. Within a matter of hours the great wall of Canton city was breached. An assault on the main objective of the Allies was immediately launched.

  Admiral Seymour, Charles Cavendish, his senior aide-de-camp, and Kernow watched in nervous silence as troops, sailors and Royal Marines formed up and marched towards the breached wall.

  The fighting was fierce, but mercifully brief. By the end of the day British and French forces had taken the northern, strategically important sector of the city. To all intents and purposes Canton had fallen. The cost to the British and French had been only fifteen dead, with a further one hundred and thirteen wounded.

  Sir Michael Seymour called for a halt in the fighting. He felt confident that a formal surrender from Viceroy Yeh would be forthcoming when he realised his city was in the hands of the Fan Qui armies.

  The British Commander-in-Chief waited in vain. Urged by Lord Elgin to have patience, he waited for a full week for the formal surrender of the city. Then his patience ran out.

  Calling his various commanders together, Seymour issued an order for Viceroy Yeh’s arrest. Kernow was present at the briefing and when the admiral had issued his orders, he turned to his junior aide-de-camp.

  ‘This is your chance to see a little action, Kernow. Go into the city with the search parties. Question whoever you wish – but find Yeh and bring him back here.’

  Leading a company of about a hundred Royal Marines, Kernow plunged into the maze of streets inside the walled city. His was one of many companies entering the city through various gates, each striking for the heart of Canton.

  On the river-bank, Kernow had spoken at length to some of the refugees who had fled from the city. As a result of what they had told him, he and his company made for a large house owned by the lieutenant general of the Tartar garrison.

  Occasionally asking directions from curious but non-belligerent residents, Kernow soon arrived at the lieutenant general’s house. Sending some of his men around both sides and to the rear of the spacious, detached building, Kernow entered without pausing to announce his presence.

  In a passageway inside the house he was met by a distinguished, elderly Chinese man dressed in silken robes. The man bowed politely in greeting and said, ‘Welcome. May I ask what it is you seek?’

  ‘We’re looking for Viceroy Yeh.’ Kernow’s reply was curt and pared of traditional Chinese etiquette. ‘I have reason to believe he is hiding in this house.’

  ‘You need search no further, Fan Qui. I am Yeh Ming-che’en, His Imperial Majesty’s Viceroy for the province of Kwangtung.’

  Kernow smiled at the elderly Chinese. ‘A worthy try, sir. However, unless I am mistaken you are in fact the lieutenant general in charge of the Canton garrison. I apologise for the manner in which I and my men have entered your house, but you must lay the blame upon Viceroy Yeh….

  At that moment there was a shout from the rear of the house. Brushing past the disconsolate lieutenant general, Kernow hurried through the house until he emerged in a very attractive garden.

  He was in time to see a portly Chinese, dressed in ill-fitting servant’s clothing, being helped down from the high garden wall by some of Kernow’s marines.

  A sergeant said to Kernow, ‘We’ve just caught this man trying to make his escape over the wall, sir.’

  One look at the portly man’s immaculately manicured hands confirmed Kernow’s suspicions.

  ‘Thank you, sergeant. The honour of capturing his Excellency Viceroy Yeh has fallen to you and your men. I can’t help feeling that true justice might have been better served had you shot him down, but you have done very well. Very well indeed.’

  Chapter 24

  ‘YOU SEEM TO have found your way around Canton well enough, Kernow. Interesting city, is it?’ Admiral Seymour, Charles Cavendish and Kernow were in the admiral’s cabin on board the flagship. It was nightfall and the senior aide-de-camp had just produced drinks for the three of them.

  ‘Fascinating, sir. It has a very long history. It’s supposed to be the place where the Gods brought rice to mankind. I’d like to spend more time in the place.’

  Admiral Seymour and Charles Cavendish exchanged glances and the admiral said, ‘I think we can arrange that for you, young man. It’s been suggested that the French and ourselves put a joint force of police into the town to keep order. A hundred Royal Marines and thirty Frenchmen is the figure agreed upon. It would obviously be a very great help if one of the British members of the force spoke both Chinese and French. That would seem to make you the ideal choice. I can’t place you in command, of course. That will have to be given to a major, but you will be his adjutant. How does that appeal to you?’

  It appealed to Kernow greatly, although his enthusiasm was dampened somewhat the next day when he met the man who was to be his commanding officer.

  Major Thaddeus Kelly was a man whose reputation had made him a legendary figure in the Royal Marines. He had led men in battle in the Lebanon and in Egypt, seen action in many other parts of the world, and had been rewarded for extreme bravery in an action up the Songibesar River in Borneo when a pirate stronghold was wiped out in a fierce battle.

  But Major Kelly’s reputation had been made many years before. His prowess as a fighting marine had not brought him promotion to the high rank he felt he justly deserved. He laid the blame for this at the door of men of ‘good’ family. Such men were able to use money and influence to gain promotion that should have gone to fighting men, like himself.

  Major Kelly was now approaching retirement age. In recent years he had been drinking far too much and the alcohol served to fuel his smouldering resentment. There had been a time when fellow officers would have hidden his shortcomings from the outside world, but he had few loyal colleagues now. Most of those who remembered Kelly as a man of action had left the service. Newer officers saw only a man who drank too much, shouted too often, and whose judgement was frequently flawed.

  This was the man who had been given command of the ‘police’ force brought in to maintain law and order in the walled city of Canton.

  Kelly took an instant dislike to Kernow when the younger man arrived at the house that was to be their headquarters inside the city. It was late evening and Major Kelly was enjoying his customary drinking session.

  ‘So you’re to be my adjutant, are you, sonny? Well, this isn’t a staff posting. You’ll find things different with me. You can forget about sending men off to do your fighting while you stand on board the flagship wearing a fancy silk sash and holding a drink in your hand. You’ll be leading your men from the front. We’re here to keep these Chinese in order. If it means running a few of them through with a fancy sword, I’ll expect you to set an example, you understand me?’

  Kernow nodded. He and Major Kelly would have many differences of opinion about the way to carry out their duties in the Chinese city, but the almost empty brandy bottle standing on the table gave its own warning. This was not the time to discuss anything.

  ‘Good. Now put your things in your room and get out on patrol. I want the Chinese to know we’re here. They can expect to see us every time they turn a
round. What’s more, they’ll move out of our path when they meet up with us in the street. That’s the only way to gain the respect of these people. They were defeated in battle and we mustn’t let them forget it. Well, what are you waiting for? You’ve got your orders. Go out and get on with the job.’

  Kernow’s first interview with his new commanding officer set the pattern for the days that followed. Kernow maintained a permanent night patrol, although this did not mean he was excused duties during the day. He was expected to help with administrative duties and receive complaints and delegations from the officials of the Chinese city.

  Late at night a few days later, Kernow and a patrol of a dozen men were making their way towards the main city gate. Suddenly they heard a commotion coming from a house not far from the building where the marines were housed.

  Hurrying in that direction, Kernow was in time to see a Royal Marine in the midst of a crowd of Chinese. He appeared to be fighting for his life. Kernow and his patrol ran to the rescue. Snatching the marine, they beat back the angry crowd.

  ‘What’s this all about?’ Kernow demanded in Chinese, speaking to a man who seemed angrier than any of the others.

  The Chinese jabbed a finger in the direction of the marine, who was dusting himself down in a manner that suggested he had been drinking that evening. ‘Your soldier attack my wife. Knock her to the ground and rape her in front of my children.’

  ‘Do you have any witnesses to this?’

  ‘I am a witness. So are my friends. They hear what is happening but are frightened to go near my home. They come and find me. I get home but … I am too late.’

  For a moment it seemed the angry and distraught Chinese would set upon the marine once more, but Kernow stepped between them. ‘If this is true the man will be severely dealt with.’

  Turning to the marine, Kernow said, ‘This man has accused you of attacking his wife. What do you have to say?’

  The marine looked at him scornfully. ‘I didn’t attack anyone. She wanted me to do it.’

  ‘Have you been drinking?’

  ‘What if I have? There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?’

  ‘What’s your name?’

  ‘Marine Halliday. I’m Major Kelly’s batman.’

  Kernow did not allow his surprise to show. Speaking to the Royal Marine sergeant who was second-in-command of his small patrol, he said, ‘Keep him here while I go off and speak to the woman involved.’

  The angry Chinese man took Kernow inside the house and one look at the woman was sufficient to see the truth of the matter. The woman sat on the floor in the corner of the room, her back against the wall. She was crying. She also had a bloody nose, one eye was almost hidden by swelling flesh and her dress was torn from chest to waist.

  She was surrounded by other women, all talking agitatedly among themselves. When Kernow entered the room they drew back from the woman to allow him through to her. She looked up and saw him and immediately began screaming.

  Kernow had seen enough. Backing out of the room, he left the house, promising that the marine would be dealt with as he deserved.

  In the street once more, Kernow had difficulty controlling his anger. ‘Sergeant, take this man back to headquarters and keep him under guard. He’s to be charged with rape.’

  Kernow was required to deal with one further incident during the first half of the night’s patrol. It involved a trio of French sailors attached to the ‘police’ force who had been looting from a shop. Kernow made them return their booty and then sent them back to their own headquarters under escort. He doubted whether they would suffer any penalty. They and their officers seemed to take it for granted they had the right to confiscate anything that took their fancy.

  Shortly before midnight, Kernow returned with his patrol to their headquarters for a meal break. As he entered the building he met the sergeant leaving in company with the two men who had acted as escort to Marine Halliday.

  ‘What have you done with Halliday? I hope you left him under lock and key.’

  ‘No, sir. Major Kelly came in and told us to release him. Said he had some work for Halliday to do for him.’

  ‘Did you tell Major Kelly why Halliday had been arrested?’

  ‘Yes, sir. He said the Chinese were lucky we hadn’t turned the marines loose in Canton to rape all their bloody women.’

  ‘Where is Major Kelly now?’

  ‘He went to his quarters, sir. Halliday went with him.’

  When Kernow knocked at the door of Major Kelly’s quarters it was Halliday who opened it. Brushing him to one side, Kernow entered the room.

  Major Kelly was stripped to the waist. Leaning over a bowl, he was swilling water over his head. Reaching blindly for a towel, he called, ‘Who’s that, Halliday? Tell them to go away. I’ll see them in the morning.’

  ‘You’ll see me now, Major. I demand to know why you’ve released this man. I arrested him for raping a Chinese woman.’

  ‘You demand! You! Godammit, Keats, who do you think you are? Coming into my quarters demanding!’

  Major Kelly was rubbing his face vigorously with the towel, but his cheeks owed their high colour to anger and not his ablutions.

  ‘This man was sent here under escort. It’s my intention to have him charged.’

  ‘Do I need to remind you that I am in command here, Mister Keats? I’ll decide who’s going to be charged and who isn’t. I say that Halliday can’t be spared right now. When he can, I’ll be the one to say whether or not he’ll face a court martial. And don’t think you can go running to the admiral to complain about me. He sailed back to Hong Kong today. You’d better go now – before I put you on report for not being out on the streets carrying out the duties I’ve set out for you.’

  Kernow left Major Kelly’s quarters fuming at the commanding officer’s disregard for the very law and order he was in Canton to uphold. The smirk on the face of Marine Halliday as he let Kernow out of the quarters did not help his temper. He determined that the marine would not escape the justice he so patently deserved.

  The next day a deputation of Canton city officials came to the small police force’s headquarters to complain about the actions of Marine Halliday and the looting of the city by the French sailors.

  They left with the wrath of Major Kelly ringing in their ears. He declared they should consider themselves lucky the whole town hadn’t been burned down around their ears. It most certainly would have been had he been in command of the operation.

  ‘Good, that’s got rid of them. I doubt if we’ll have any more complaints from them.’ Major Kelly opened a desk drawer and lifted out a bottle of brandy. ‘If we do we’ll need to organise a few search parties, looking for hidden weapons in the houses of the officials.’

  ‘I thought we were here to keep order, sir. That’s hardly the way to set about it.’

  ‘It’s my way, Mister Keats. If I need an opinion from you I’ll ask for it. Until then I’ll be obliged if you carry out your duties with a little more efficiency, or I’ll be forced to make a complaint to the admiral about you. All this talk of complaints reminds me … it’s been reported that some of these so-called river pirates have been raiding houses down by the river. You can take a patrol along there tonight. See if you can catch some of them. That should make your Chinese friends happy.’

  ‘How many men shall I take?’ The river pirates operated in large numbers and were notorious for their ruthlessness.

  ‘A sergeant and six.’

  It was a dangerously small number as Major Kelly must have realised, but when Kernow protested, he was told it was all the men who were available.

  ‘You know how few men we have to spare, Mister Keats. After all, it’s you who has been telling me about the breakdown of law and order on the streets of Canton. Off you go now, I’m a busy man. I expect to have a report on my desk in the morning that you have eliminated the threat of river pirates from the area.’

  Chapter 25

  ‘IF I WAS you, sir
, I wouldn’t try to argue with the major.’ The sergeant of marines spoke confidentially to Kernow as they led their tiny patrol along the riverbank in the darkness. ‘I’ve served with him a long time. He was a good soldier once. The best. But I’ve watched him go down over the years. He’s bitter about not being given more promotion. I’m not saying he hasn’t deserved it, but the answer to them sort of problems can’t be poured out of a bottle.’

  ‘It’s not his problems I’m worried about tonight, sergeant, it’s ours. These Chinese pirates travel in strength, and they don’t give up easy. I’d be happier if we had twenty-five or thirty more men.’

  ‘Never mind, sir. Just think yourself lucky you’re taking marines and not soldiers.’

  Kernow allowed himself a wry smile in the darkness. There wasn’t a good marine alive who didn’t consider himself the equal of four or five regular army men – and Kernow did not doubt these were good marines.

  ‘There are some huts a little way along the riverbank, sir. Shall we go ’round ’em?’ The voice belonged to the marine Kernow had sent ahead in the hope he might prevent the remainder of the small platoon walking into trouble.

  ‘No, I’ll go into the largest of them and have a chat with whoever’s inside. The remainder of you wait for me outside – and keep a good lookout. Our lives may depend on it.’

  The occupants of the hut chosen by Kernow had already gone to bed and his intrusion terrified them. However, Kernow soon succeeded in soothing their fears and he persuaded them to talk to him.

  He sat across a candle-lit table from the head of the house while the man’s wife and a great many children peered at him over the edge of their bunks, bedclothes drawn up as far as their dark eyes.

  ‘I haven’t come to harm you,’ explained Kernow. ‘I and my men are here to try to protect you from the river pirates. Have you had any trouble with them?’