*CHAPTER X*
*The One-Eared Man*
Mr. Helping-to-decide on Tour--Watched--The Tragedy of the Topknot--AVampire--Mr. Helping-to-decide at Home--An UnholyAlliance--Cross-Examined
"How do you do, sir? I trust you enjoy excellent health and spirits."
These were the first words Bob heard when he came to himself. He wassurrounded by a group of Korean soldiers, about whom there was nothingmartial but the blood-red band in their hats. In the centre, justalighted from a palanquin, was a Korean in long white cloak and a hatlike an inverted flower-pot; he was bowing and smiling with a mingledexpression of amiability and concern. Bob recognized him in a moment;it was Mr. Helping-to-decide.
"Thank you, I'm rather shaky," said Bob looking round. "What has becomeof that brute?"
"Outside, sir. You stop horses; you stop tigers too. You kill him stonedead, sir."
"Did I really? The last I remember is an uneasy idea that the tiger wasgoing to kill me. D'you mind giving me your hand. I feel rather giddyand battered."
With Mr. Helping-to-decide's eager assistance he rose to his feet andstaggered out of the hut. There lay the tiger, a fine animal nearlytwelve feet long. Beside it was the horse, whose skull had been brokenby a single blow from the tiger's massive paw.
"I wonder I escaped," said Bob.
"A good, a famous shot, sir," said the Korean; "but you have a scratch,an abrasion, on your nob just where your hair begins."
"Have I? I am lucky it is no worse. But how is it I have the pleasureof seeing you here, sir?"
Then Mr. Helping-to-decide explained that he was on the way to hiscountry house some fifteen miles distant. He had been sent by hisgovernment to watch the Russians at Seng-cheng, and had gone into thetown with the full determination to let nothing escape his attention.But the Russians objected to being watched. They peremptorily orderedhim out of their lines, and compelled him to disband his troops,allowing him to retain only the small escort which Bob saw with him. Hewas following his wife and family, who had preceded him along the road,when the sound of a shot had arrested his progress, and on searching hehad found the tiger in the throes of death, and underneath it theinanimate form of the man to whom he owed eternal gratitude. If only hehad been a little earlier he might have killed the tiger before it madeits spring, and so have saved his honourable benefactor the bruises hewas sure he bore on his body and the cut he saw on his head. Still, hehoped that he might some day have an opportunity of doing something inreturn for the Englishman's condescending kindness.
It was now several years since Mr. Helping-to-decide had eaten hisdinners at Lincoln's Inn, but he spoke with extreme volubility, and wasseldom at a loss for a word. Law lecturers, London landladies,leader-writers and cabmen had all assisted to form his style.
"Many thanks," said Bob. "Really you are too kind. I am very glad tohave met you, as, knowing the country, you may be able to assist me toescape."
"Certainly, sir, with the greatest pleasure. If you will come with me,no wild beasts will dare to molest you."
"I wasn't thinking of wild beasts," said Bob with a smile. "I wasthinking of Russians. The Cossacks are after me."
An instantaneous change took place in the expression of Mr.Helping-to-decide's features. He glanced round with a quick movementlike that of a startled hare, and peered among the trees as thoughexpecting to find a Cossack behind every one of them.
"I don't think they are here just now," added Bob, repressing a smile.He proceeded to give an account of the circumstances that had broughthim to that spot, the Korean listening with gathering apprehension.
"This is a most astounding fix," he said. "The Russians are veryhostile, very unkind. They are on all sides" (he made a wide sweep withhis arm); "they will find you, and then, hon'ble sir, what in the nameof goodness will you do? You are more than a match for a horse, youhave considerable facility with tigers, but with a Russian--ah! that isultra vires. Why, would you believe it?--they treat me, who help todecide in the War Department of his Imperial Majesty--they treat even meas if I were a dog! It is a jolly astounding fix!"
The little man looked so sincerely perturbed that Bob made an effort tokeep a grave face.
"It is very kind of you," he said, "to feel so much anxiety on myaccount. After a short rest I shall be well enough to push on. I shallhave to do so on foot, unless one of your men will sell me his horse. Icould give him a bill on Yokohama."
"On no account whatever, hon'ble sir. I am still head over ears in yourdebt. Do I not owe to you preservation of my better half? Yes, by gum!Now, sir, if you will do me the honour to ride in my insignificantconveyance, I will have you transported to my humble roof, where theweary are at rest, and we can there enjoy sweet converse about via mediain these awkward circs."
Bob did not much relish the idea of proceeding over the roads cooped upin the narrow space of a palanquin carried by coolies, but the Korean'sanxiety that he should keep out of sight was so evident that he decidedto accept the offer. He returned to the hut to fetch the Cossack's cap,cloak, and rifle, and his own glass, but when he reappeared with them,Mr. Helping-to-decide again looked startled and begged him to leave thembehind. Bob yielded, except as to the glass. A Korean cap was foundamong the official's belongings, and with this perched on his head Bobcrept into the palanquin, prepared to endure an uncomfortable journey.
Just as the party was about to move off, one of the escort approachedMr. Helping-to-decide, and, first humbly kow-towing, said something in atone of supplication. The functionary explained. The men would like thehorse; would he allow them to cut up the animal? Bob declared that hehad no objection whatever; whereupon Mr. Helping-to-decide told the menthat they might have the horse if they first skinned the tiger. A dozenmen at once set to work, and in half an hour the double operation wasperformed; the dismembered horse was distributed among the escort, thetiger's skin was entrusted to the head coolie, and after this long delaythe party resumed their northward journey.
As they left the group of huts, no one noticed two Chinamen crouching ina ruined cabin, within a few feet of Bob and Mr. Helping-to-decide.They had seen and heard all that passed since the arrival of theKoreans. When the party had finally departed, the Chinamen left theirplace of concealment, struck through the trees in a north-westerlydirection, and presently reappearing on their little ponies, made offtowards the Ping-yang road.
Mr. Helping-to-decide rode by the side of the palanquin, the top ofwhich was lifted up, and showed himself anxious to keep up his guest'sspirits by a never-ceasing flow of conversation, to which Bob listenedwith a fearful joy. He explained that the Koreans were deeply interestedin the result of the war, for it appeared inevitable that the countrymust come under the dominating influence either of Russia or of Japan.They would rather have neither, but if it must be one or the other, theypreferred Japan to Russia. But there was one particular grudge they hadagainst Japan. It was due to Japanese influence that the Emperor ofKorea, some years before, had decreed the abolition of the topknot andplunged the whole nation into despair.
"Dear me!" said Bob. "I should have thought it the other way about.The cultivation of the topknot must give you a good deal of trouble."
"Ah! You are a barbarian--excuse me, a foreigner; you do notunderstand. How should you? In your country what do they do to a manwhen he is grown up and becomes married?"
"I don't know that they do anything--except send in tax-papers, and thatsort of thing."
"Well, in my country we wear cranial ornament--topknot to wit. In Koreathe topknot is a sine qua non; without it a Korean has no locus standi:he is a vulgar fraction--of no importance. Let me inform you, hon'blesir, a gray-beard, though of respectable antiquity, if minus a topknot,is to all intents and purposes a baby-in-arms. That is our Koreancustom. Now, hon'ble sir, can you imagine our unutterableconsternation, perturbation of spirit, nervous prostration, when anImperial decree issues--every con
jugal Korean's topknot shall beabbreviated, cut off instanter! There is dire tribulation, soreperplexity. All Korea plumps into the depths of despair. Besides, it isthe height of absurdity. How, hon'ble sir, shall distinction henceforthbe drawn between celibate irresponsible and self-respecting citizen withhostages to fortune? That is what we ask ourselves, and echo answers,how? I pause for a reply."
Bob, chuckling inwardly at Mr. Helping-to-decide's wonderful command ofthe English tongue, looked sympathetic, and said:
"It was very awkward certainly. But what happened?"
"At promulgation of decree I was residing at my eligible country house.By gum, I think, such humiliating necessity cannot embrace theCham-Wi--hon'ble helping-to-discuss in his Majesty's War Office. Perishthe thought! But, hon'ble sir, stern duty calls me to metropolitan city.I arrive at the outer gate. Lo! I am arrested, I the Cham-Wi, byguardian of the peace--copper, who stands outside with huge shearsferociously brandished. I make myself scarce--bunk. Alas! vain hope: abrawny arm seizes me from behind; one, two, the deed is done; mytopknot--where is it? It is beyond recall. I am dishonoured. Beholdme on my beam ends!"
The recollection moved Mr. Helping-to-decide almost to tears. Havingrecovered, he went on to explain that a domestic revolution soonafterwards removed the emperor from the influence of his evil advisers.The decree was abrogated; and since then the Koreans had cultivatedtopknots anew, and had again become honourable men.
In spite of this bad business of the topknot, Mr. Helping-to-decide wasquite emphatic in his preference of the Japanese to the Russians, and hewas glad to know of the successes of the former at Port Arthur. He wasable to give Bob some information about the progress they were making inKorea. Their armies now stretched in a long front of some fifty miles,and were only waiting for the break-up of the ice to press forward tothe Yalu. Between their present position and Wiju there were five riversin all, which would require to be bridged, but this would give littletrouble to the Japanese engineers, who were exceedingly quick andcapable. They had also exact information of the Russian dispositions.Many Japanese, disguised as Chinese or Koreans, were constantly movingin and out among the Russians, carrying their lives in their hands.Several had been caught and shot, but more had escaped detection andbrought valuable information to their generals. The Russians weredoubly incensed at this because they were unable to play the same game.While the Japanese were perfectly at home in the country, and weremoreover very skilful in disguising themselves, no Russian could easilypass for a Chinaman or a Korean, for even if his physique were notagainst him, his ignorance of the languages would prove a seriousdrawback.
"That makes me wonder what I am to do," said Bob. "I want to reach theJapanese lines, and the disadvantages of the Russian are disadvantagesin my case also."
"You must come to my house; we will disguise you,--make you look quitethe lady. Then you can ride in a palanquin to the south, and I willsend trusty men to guide you and bring you o.k. to the Japanese."
Bob was not enamoured of the suggestion, and hoped that some other meanswould offer. Meanwhile, having no alternative to suggest, he saidnothing.
Twelve miles of the journey had been accomplished, at a terribly slowpace, and three more remained to be covered, when an old andweather-beaten Korean riding a pony appeared rounding the shoulder of ahill not far ahead. He quickened his pace when he saw the cavalcade,and on meeting Mr. Helping-to-decide entered into grave conversationwith him. Bob, watching the functionary's face, saw its expressionbecome more and more agitated and alarmed. He came at length to thepalanquin, and explained that the rider was the sergeant in charge ofthe village they were approaching, and had come to report that duringthe past few days a notorious Manchu brigand, in Russian pay, had beenraiding within ten miles of the village under pretence of reconnoitring.He was a man whom the people had long had reason to dread. During thewar in 1894 he had committed terrible atrocities in Northern Korea, andhad since infested the upper reaches of the Yalu with a band ofdesperadoes, terrorizing a district several hundred square miles inextent. His head-quarters were supposed to be in a mountain fastnesssome distance beyond the Yalu. Before the outbreak of the present warthe Russians had more than once attempted to extirpate his gang, but hehad always proved too clever for them. They had now come to terms withhim, and were utilizing his great knowledge of the country and hisundoubted genius for leadership. He was a most accomplished linguist,speaking every dialect of the Korean-Manchurian borderland, besideshaving a good knowledge of Japanese, a smattering of Russian, and acertain command of pidgin English. In his early youth he had been atrader on the Chinese coast, but it having been discovered that he wasin league with pirates, he had suddenly disappeared, being next heard ofas ringleader of his desperate band of brigands. He was utterlyunscrupulous, and the fact that he was now acting with the Russians onlyincreased the gravity of the news that he was in the neighbourhood ofMr. Helping-to-decide's home.
The Korean was much depressed during the remainder of the journey, andspoke but little. He cheered up, however, when the village at lengthcame in sight. It was evening; only women were to be seen in thestreet, for it is the Korean custom for the men to remain indoors afternightfall, and leave the streets free for their women folk. Mr.Helping-to-decide rode through the village till he came to the onlyhouse of stones and tiles which it contained, where, dismounting, hepolitely invited the honourable sir to deign to enter his contemptibleabode. Bob was very glad to stretch his limbs after many hours in thepalanquin, and, slipping off his boots at the door, found himself forthe first time an inmate of a Korean house of the better sort.
He could not help comparing it unfavourably with the Japanese interiorhe had found so pleasant at Nikko. There was a striking lack of thesimple grace of Kobo's house. The room to which his host led him wassmall and bare. The tiled roof was supported on a thick beam runningthe whole length of the house. In place of the spotless mats of Kobo'srooms there was a dirty leopard-skin and an expanse of yellowishoil-paper covering the whole floor. The walls were of mud and plaster,with sliding lattices covered with tissue-paper that also appeared tohave been well oiled. One or two jars and a lacquer box completed thefurniture.
He saw nothing of Mrs. Helping-to-decide. The evening meal was sharedby himself and his host alone. The food brought in by the femaleservants was sufficient for a much larger company. It consisted firstof all of some questionable sweetmeats; these were followed by raw fish,underdone pork chops, rice in various forms, radishes of gigantic size,and fruit, including dried apples and very tough and indigestiblepersimmons. Bob knew that he would be regarded as impolite if herefused to partake of all these dishes. He did his best, but found itdifficult to swallow anything but the rice, in the cooking of which theKorean excels. His poor trencher-work was, however, put to shame by Mr.Helping-to-decide himself, who disposed of course after course with agusto which would have amazed his visitor had he not heard extraordinarystories of the capacity of the Koreans in this respect. When the mealwas over, Bob was not surprised to see his host fall asleep, and beingthus left to his own resources, he rolled himself up in his cloak and asilk coverlet provided by one of the maids, and made himself ascomfortable as possible on the floor.
He passed a most uneasy night. He had not been long asleep when he halfwoke with the feeling that his right side was scorching. He turned oversleepily, only to find by and by that the left side was even hotter thanthe right had been. Whatever position he chose, he could not escapethis totally unnecessary heat, which, combined with the unpleasant odourfrom the oiled-paper carpet, made him wish he could go back to the coldruined hut in which he had spent the previous night. The explanationwas, that beneath the floor was a cellar in which a fire had been lit,and the coolie had piled on enough fuel to last through the night. Thiswas a simple means of heating the house, but Bob could not helpwondering whether a refrigerator would not perhaps form a moresatisfactory bed-chamber than an oven.
He was glad when morni
ng came, and Mr. Helping-to-decide, awaking fromhis heavy sleep, had sufficiently regained his senses to discuss waysand means. It soon appeared that the trusty Korean servant who was tohave assisted Bob towards the Japanese lines was absent, having gone tokeep a watch on the Manchu brigands. Mr. Helping-to-decide accordinglyproposed that Bob should remain with him until the man returned, andimpressed upon him the advisability of keeping within doors in order notto attract attention. Bob was by no means pleased at the prospect ofspending even one day within these close walls, but seeing no help forit he submitted with a good grace.
It was a dreary time. During the morning he was left to himself, and towhile away the hours he found nothing better to do than to look out,through a slit in one of the tissued lattices, at what went on in thestreet. But after the mid-day meal, Mr. Helping-to-decide proposed agame of "go", which Bob knew from previous experience might be spun outto any length. They were in the midst of the game, when there was agreat shouting and hurry-scurry in the street; then the clatter ofgalloping horses. Mr. Helping-to-decide sprang up in agitation, and Bob,going to his slit, saw a troop of Cossacks headed by a tall Manchugalloping up the street, followed by a band of riders, whom from theirfeatures and habiliments he concluded to be Manchu bandits. Mr.Helping-to-decide stood in quivering helplessness. The horsemen reinedup before his house; some of them went round it in both directions, andthe terrified owner turned his white face to Bob and groaned.
When the house was surrounded, the commander of the Cossacks shoutedsomething which neither Bob nor the Korean understood. But the cry wasimmediately repeated in the vernacular by the tall Manchu; he haddismounted and was approaching the house with the apparent intention offorcing an entrance through the sliding lattice.
"What does he say?" asked Bob.
"He says, hon'ble sir, 'Bring out the spy'," faltered Mr.Helping-to-decide. "This is indeed a critical moment. I am at aloss--flabbergasted. I am driven to conclusion it is all u.p."
The Manchu had now come to the wall of the house, and bellowed what wasevidently a threatening message.
"'If the spy is not brought out instanter,'" translated Mr.Helping-to-decide, "'he will conflagrate this residence and adjacentvillage, with incidental murder of inhabitants.'"
Mr. Helping-to-decide wrung his hands in impotent despair.
"I shall give myself up," said Bob.
His host's agitation at once gave place to polite admiration and a showof confidence at which Bob almost laughed. He recognized that it was nolaughing matter. The ruined state of the hamlet in which he had met thetiger was clear evidence that the invader's threat was no empty one, andthe tales he had heard of the Cossacks' brutality did not promise apleasant experience to any prisoner who fell into their power. But Bobfelt that he had no alternative. There was just a hope that as aBritish subject he would come off with a whole skin, but in any case itwas impossible to let the whole village suffer through any weakness ofhis. He therefore pulled aside the lattice, stepped out, and with abold bearing that ill-matched his inward quaking, delivered himself upto the enemy.
The Cossack captain sat his horse side by side with the Manchu a fewpaces in advance of his troop. As Bob approached, amid perfect silence,he noticed that the Manchu leant quickly forward and peered at him withan interest greater than the circumstances seemed to warrant. Somethingin the man's face was familiar to Bob, who, as the Manchu turned halfround to speak to the Russian officer, saw that he had only one ear. Heremembered him clearly now. He was the man who had been saved fromdrowning by the _Sardinia_,--the man from whom Bob himself had savedKobo's half-throttled servant Taru in the Ueno Park. It was Kobo's oldenemy, the Manchu Tartar, Chang-Wo. The discovery did not tend toreassure Bob, but for all his tremors at the dangerous possibilities ofthe situation, he knew that his only chance was to maintain an air ofutter fearlessness, and no one could have guessed from his undauntedattitude that he felt he was in a very tight place.
The Cossack captain looked hard at him for a moment, then grufflyaddressed him, presumably in Russian.
Bob shook his head, saying, in the best French he could command, that hewas sorry he was not familiar with the Russian tongue. To his surprise,the Cossack did not understand him. Bob had believed that everyeducated Russian knew French, and such ignorance seemed to prove thisofficer a boor.
"So much the worse for me," thought Bob.
The Cossack said a few words to the Manchu, who bent over and began acatechism in pidgin English, interpreting each answer as he received itto the Russian. Bob was surprised: on board the _Sardinia_ the man hadprofessed to know no English. He had some difficulty at first inunderstanding the strange idiom, but the general purport of Chang-Wo'squestions was clear.
"What-side belongey?"
"I am a British subject."
"What you pidgin?"
"I am in the Japanese service."
"What-for you Japan-side?"
Bob hesitated. It was not likely that the Manchu would know what arange-finder was. He made an attempt to explain, but thecircumlocutions he had to use aroused the Manchu's suspicion, and heinterrupted impatiently:
"What you hab catchee in Korea?"
"I was left behind."
"What pidgin makee you hab got behind-side?"
"It was my bad luck--an accident."
"What-tim' you hab catchee accident?"
"Three days ago."
"What-side?"
"Near Yongampo."
"Supposey you tellum allo 'bout it?"
"Well, I got mixed up in a fight between Cossacks and Japanese, and Iwas bowled over."
"Bowled over! What that say?"
"Hit, tumbled on the ground: savvy?"
"How hab got wailo?"
"On a horse."
"How horso belongey you?"
"Caught it."
"What-side horso this-tim'?"
"Dead."
"You come this-side sampan?"
"In a ship."
"What callum ship?'
"That I can't tell you."
"No savvy?"
"Oh yes, I know; but I can't say."
"What-for no tellum?"
"Because I'm in the Japanese service."
"What namee Japanese that-tim' Yongampo?"
"What do you mean?"
"Japanese belongey you come Yongampo. He namee--what?"
"I can't tell you that."
"What-for no tellum?"
"For the same reason as before."
"Muss tellum--velly soon."
"Very sorry; it's quite impossible."
"You belongey too muchee sassy. You no tellum, my hab got whip."
Bob gave him a look, but said nothing. The Manchu raised his whip anddealt him a sharp blow with the stock, which struck his shoulder, onlyescaping his head because he swerved suddenly aside as he saw it coming.The next moment the Manchu lay sprawling on the ground. Bob had sprungat him and hit him so heavily and unexpectedly beneath the jaw that helost his balance and fell backwards over his horse's haunches. Hepicked himself up, and drawing his sword rushed at Bob, who stood withflaming eyes and clenched fists ready to defend himself. But theCossack officer moved his horse a pace or two forward and interposed.He spoke a few rapid words to the Manchu, saying in effect that theprisoner was too valuable to be killed in a fit of temper; informationcould no doubt be got out of him in course of time; and meanwhile heshould have a foretaste of the discipline awaiting him.
The Manchu gave way with a sullen scowl, and remounted his horse. Thenthe captain gave an order; a trooper dismounted, and came towards Bobwith a narrow leather thong in his hand. Bob instantly guessed what wasto be done, and seeing the utter vanity of resistance, he submittedquietly, while the thong was firmly bound about his right wrist and thenknotted to the near stirrup of the captain's horse. Another order wasthen given; the whole troop set off at a trot down the deserted street,and as Bob was dragged by the side of the horse, the last object heremembered seeing was the p
ale, terror-stricken face of Mr.Helping-to-decide peeping through the broken lattice of his house.
Kobo: A Story of the Russo-Japanese War Page 11