Under the Chinese Dragon: A Tale of Mongolia

by F. S. Brereton

  CHAPTER XI

  David goes on a Journey

  'And now to investigate the secrets of the ruined city wherein dwelledTsin the mighty, Tsin, the ruler of a tiny principality, who years andyears ago set himself one of the biggest tasks man has ever undertaken.'

  They were seated in their tent in the light shed by a candle lamp, andthe Professor lolled back on the tiny camp-bed which was to be his ownspecial property. Indeed, a glance round the camp showed clearly thatthe expedition was organised thoroughly, and promised by the equipmentit carried to give comfort to every one. For first, there was the largetent for the use of the Professor, David, and Dick, with its threenarrow beds, its collapsible table and chairs, and its waterproofflooring. Then, a little distance away was a smaller, bell tent, inwhich Alphonse was to repose, and beside it, within easy reach, a fieldkitchen, while further still was a third tent, similar to that occupiedby Alphonse, for the accommodation of the four Chinese.

  'Of course, those whom we employ to help us with the digging will haveto find their own quarters,' said the Professor at the very beginning oftheir forming camp. 'There happens to be a village some two miles away,and no doubt the inn there will take them in. But there are also one ortwo old buildings still standing in this ruined place, and they willprobably elect to settle there.'

  That, in fact, was what the dozen coolies whom he had hired had decidedon. Already they had secured the basement of what had been a two-storiedhouse, though now the upper part had gone, while to effect an entranceinto that below needed quite a lot of excavation. For the rest, the campwas pitched on a grassy knoll some hundred yards from the ruins andwithin three miles of the huge Chinese wall, which, not so perfectnow-a-days as it was wont to be, is still a marvel of human ingenuityand perseverance, stretching as it does for fourteen hundred miles overhill and valley, cutting the northern provinces of China from the restof the world.

  'As I was saying,' began the Professor again, 'we are about toinvestigate the ruins of the city--quite a small place, I imagine--inwhich dwelt Tsin, the one-time ruler of a small province in thisneighbourhood. You must understand that he was one of many kingscontrolling the numerous provinces into which China was divided some twothousand years ago, a somewhat different condition to that now ruling,for there are only some fifteen provinces now-a-days. Tsin, like all therest of these little kings, was for ever squabbling with his neighbours,so that there were frequent little wars, and as a natural consequencemany additions were made to, or territory taken from, the various landsbelonging to these kings. However, Tsin seems to have been fortunate,for he made additions. In fact, he ate up his neighbours, and with morewealth and more men increased wonderfully in power. He ended byconquering every part of China, and becoming Emperor of the CelestialEmpire.'

  'And richly deserved his reward, no doubt,' ventured David. 'I shouldimagine that the people were all the happier for having one ruler only.Trade and other matters must have gone more smoothly.'

  'I agree with you; things probably were more fortunate. But Tsin was notwithout his troubles; his kingdom was for ever being invaded byMongolian nomads from the north, nomads who were as elusive as they werewarlike. They devastated portions of his kingdom, and when armies weresent in pursuit they melted away, taken in ambush, or lost hopelessly inthe desert. It was to check those nomads that Tsin started the GreatWall of China beside which we lie, and no doubt, once completed, itfulfilled its purpose. It will repay a visit one of these days.'

  Dick and David had, as a matter of fact, already visited the huge wall,and had marvelled at its vastness. For this Great Wall of China is notmerely an erection two bricks thick; it is a huge earth wall, faced withmasonry, buttressed and supported everywhere, and freely supplied withfortified gates and quarters for its garrison. Fourteen hundred miles ofit, stretching across the kingdom! Think of the enormous labour, thinkof the host required to guard its length. And to-day it is deserted, oralmost so. The broad track on its summit, constructed of such a widththat three carts could conveniently be driven side by side, is now nolonger of service. Mongolia has ceased to send in her nomads. Perhapsthe very presence of the wall has prevented them, or maybe they havebecome less warlike. There the wall lies, a work to rouse the admirationof modern-day people.

  'And now to speak of these ruins. They are small, as I have saidalready,' the Professor told them, 'and since I do not expect todiscover much of interest, I have decided to send you two lads forward.John Jong shall go with you, while the naval officer who spoke suchexcellent English has provided me with passports. It seems that hisfather is a mandarin, and commands the district a hundred and fiftymiles north, where are located the Mongolian ruins I am so anxious toinvestigate. Will you go?'

  Would they go? David and Dick were as eager as the Professor himself todip into the past by investigating the ruins of the city in which Tsinhad dwelled so many hundreds of years before. But a journey throughChina offered superior attractions; and besides, there was another cityto be visited, or rather the ruins of one that had formerly existed.

  'Go, sir? Of course!' declared David, with marked enthusiasm. 'Nothing Ishould like better.'

  'Quite a little experience for us, sir,' declared Dick. 'Do we march orride?'

  'The latter. You will go in state; that is, you must create a goodimpression wherever you travel, for that will appeal to the natives. Idon't think that there should be any difficulty, nor any danger. Thepassports I have and the letter you will carry to Twang Chun shouldcommand attention, for it seems that he is a very important official.More than that, like his son, he is westernised, speaks English andFrench, and longs for the day when his country will be less bigoted andcramped. Of course you will take arms with you, and since it is alwaysas well to keep on the right side of the natives and attract littleattention, you will travel in native costume. Jong will see to that partfor you.'

  There was jubilation in the faces of our hero and his friend. Theyglanced at one another as the Professor ceased speaking, and thengrinned openly.

  'Ripping!' exclaimed the latter. 'Swells we shall be. Jong will be toobig after such a journey to speak to his countrymen. But how aboutputting up for the night, sir?'

  'As far as possible you will avoid staying in a village, and in case itshould happen that you find yourselves a long way from a town of anyimportance, you will camp in the open. I brought three _tentes d'abris_with me, and those will accommodate you very nicely. Of course you mightgo to the native rest-house or inn; but I don't advise it. There is, asa rule, only one guest-chamber, with one long _kang_ or couch on whichto lie, and since the Chinese are none too clean in their persons youwould find such quarters most unpleasant, besides laying yourselves opento robbery. In the big towns you will at once ask for the residence ofthe mandarin, and this letter which I shall entrust to you willcertainly obtain a lodging under a fine roof and with comfortablesurroundings, unless, of course, the mandarin happens to be bigoted,and hates all foreign devils. There are few, I imagine, who will care todisplease Twang Chun, the Governor of the province. Now, as practice insuch matters is excellent for all people, I leave it to you two toorganise your own expedition. Get out a list of the things you imagineyou will want. You will each have a Tartar pony for riding purposes, andcan take three more besides the one Jong will ride, making roughly aspare horse apiece for your baggage. Let me see the list whencompleted.'

  It may be thought that such a task as was now given to the two youngfellows would take but a little while to complete. But when they came tomake the list of which the Professor had spoken they discovered thatthey were often in doubt. For instance, with regard to the question ofammunition.

  'Twelve rounds apiece for magazine pistols, ditto for rifles,' saidDick, as if he had been at this sort of work a long while.

  'More!' exclaimed David, with a knowing wag of his head. 'There might bea ruction; we might be attacked.'

  'Pooh! Never did come across such a firebrand,' laughed Dick. 'Alwaysimagining that we are going to run our heads
up against some sort oftrouble. Still, if you think so, we'll carry more. Say forty roundseach. How's that?'

  'Right; far more sensible. Now for grub. My word, we mustn't run shortof that!'

  David was always a good man at his trencher. The open-air life they werenow leading, the novelty of his surroundings, and the exercise heenjoyed had given him an appetite there was no denying.

  'Of course we might shoot something,' he said, 'though we haven't seenmuch so far that would be worth the while. Besides, in this queercountry one hardly knows what it would be proper to kill and what not.The Professor says one has to be careful not to touch other people'sbelongings, and the latter are often straying about. Vote we make ourlist of stores a handsome one.'

  In the end they took sufficient tinned meats to last them for two weeks,having reckoned that the journey would not take longer than eight days.A small bottle of brandy was included in their stores, rice for Jong, abag of biscuit, and a box of dried apples.

  'Makes a splendid sweet,' declared David. 'Soak 'em over night in water,or milk if you can get it. Same with the rice you mean to use. Then putthe two into a cloth, tie up the top and pop the whole into a kettle.Boil it, my boy, till the rice is done to a turn, and serve it with asprinkling of sugar. That reminds me--tea's wanted, sugar too, and don'tforget a kettle, a frying-pan, and a saucepan.'

  'Besides tin mugs, a teapot, spoons, forks and knives.'

  'And a filter to pass the water through. Can't be too careful,' saidDavid. 'Water supplies in this country are not often too reliable, andthough one can be quite secure by drinking boiled water, yet one hasn'talways the time, nor the fuel, so we'll take a filter.'

  Having completed their list to their entire satisfaction, they consultedJong, and with his help packed their stores into three lots, which wereso arranged as to be easily secured on the pack saddles which theProfessor had purchased. Then they took their list to the latter andasked for his approval.

  'Very complete,' he agreed. 'All that I can suggest now is cash. Youwill want an abundance of the small coins on which the Chinese coolieplaces such value. A little scattered now and again will gain friendsfor you. A handful will buy you a sack of rice when your store isexhausted; I shall hand over a sufficiency, while for funds on yourarrival, should you need money, this letter will obtain the same fromTwang Chun. And now, the sooner you get away the better; let us sayto-morrow. You had best be up early so that Jong can complete yourtoilets. Don't forget that it is necessary that your appearance shouldbe correct in every particular, just as if you were endeavouring todisguise yourselves.'

  On the following morning, before the sun had risen, and while still agrey mist hung over the cold land, David and Dick turned out of thetent, took a dip in a lake close at hand, and then submitted themselvesto Jong's attentions.

  'Allee lightee,' he lisped, grinning as they came to him. 'Soon makeeExcellencies same as one Chinaman. Allee same, so that mother not beable to knowee dem. Jong shavee de head now. Den put on de pigtail. Noteber wear him before, Misser Davie? Den you soon see. Fine, MisserDavie. You one great big swell, wid a tail reachin' lightee down to demiddle ob you. Now boil de kettle, get de soap, sharpen de razor.'

  He set about his work humming a Chinese refrain devoid of all tune,while Alphonse emerged from his tent in his shirt sleeves, and using anative bellows soon had his fire going. It made the lads laugh to watchhim hopping quickly about, and to see the extraordinary costume which hestill adhered to. For if David and his friends out there in China werestill, in spite of their local surroundings, in spite of essentiallyCelestial environment, undoubtedly Englishmen, Alphonse was as decidedlya Frenchman. His peaky little beard, and the way he carried himself, aswell as the quickness of his movements, told one that. It was notnecessary to regard his extremely loud shirt, his appalling cap, nor thepointed boots which he found comfort in wearing.

  '_Bien!_ You depart to-day. _Bon voyage, messieurs_,' he said, as hebrought them each a steaming cup of tea. 'Let Alphonse tell you that youwill find native costume comfortable, as comfortable as is mine, for hehas tried it. _Oui, messieurs_, he has tried it. He owed his life to thedisguise once.'

  David could not imagine how any disguise could cloak this very obviousFrenchman. He smiled a little dubiously.

  'Ah, you do not believe. Then I will tell you. It was on our lastjourney, the Professor's and mine. The people were angry with us; wewere foreign devils who had caused the rain to fall for a month insuccession. They surrounded the house; guns were fired; there was agreat commotion.'

  'What happened then?' asked Dick, eagerly.

  'They dragged us out, the Professor and myself. They put us into woodencages and carried us in them to their mandarin. But he, though he didnot love foreign devils, was afraid to harm us. He took us into hishouse, saying to the mob that he would hand us over in the morning. Thenhe dressed us like natives, and passed us out through a back door verysecretly. _Bien, messieurs_, we strolled through the mob. They wouldhave torn us to pieces had they known that we were the foreign devilsthey had captured. We passed through them and got right away. It waswhat you call a narrow shave.'

  'And the mandarin, how did he explain your flight?' asked David, curiousto hear how such a matter would be arranged in this country ofsurprises, of ignorance and bigotry.

  'I will tell you. He barred the door and the window. He burned ourclothes. In the morning he took the ringleaders of the mob to the roomand announced that they were free to kill us. Then he feigned as greatsurprise as they. He pointed to the charred remains of our clothing, andsuggested that we had vanished into the air, perhaps to stop the rain,for as luck would have it, the downpour ceased that very evening. I tellyou, for us it was a close shave.'

  He bustled off to his camp kitchen, leaving the lads wondering greatly.To them the tale seemed impossible. But then they did not know Chinavery well. They had no idea of the crass ignorance and superstitionwhich even to-day sways the mass of the people. Had they had moreknowledge, they would instantly have realised that such a sequel waspossible, and that in the Celestial Empire one can encounter hopelessignorance on one hand, and a depth of cunning adjacent to it. But Jonghad his pot of water boiling now, and had put a fine edge on to thewedge-shaped native razor which he intended to use. He quickly latheredthe hair over the temples and round the crown of each lad's head, andrapidly removed those portions. Then he produced two wonderful pigtails,and having snipped the hair left on the crown as short as possible, heheated the base of the pigtails, thus melting the adhesive alreadythere, and applied them. A touch with a stick of charcoal to theireyebrows made a vast effect, while a line drawn outside the eyes gave adistinctly Celestial expression. After that it took but little time todon the native costume, and before Alphonse announced breakfast bothDavid and Dick were dressed for their journey.

  'You look at least forty,' declared the latter, surveying his friend,and bursting into a merry peal of laughter, 'and as wise as any judge.'

  'While you should be at least the governor of a province,' grinnedDavid, delighted at his friend's appearance. 'Now for the Professor.'

  'Excellent!' declared the latter, walking all round them. 'I can find nofault; Jong has turned you out wonderfully well. But you mustn't stridealong like that, David--nor walk with such an elastic step, Dick, mylad. Recollect that a Chinese gentleman, as you are supposed to be, haslittle if any call to show energy. He is essentially a tranquil person.His face is as impassive as that of a Red Indian's, while he seldomsmiles. And above all he is deeply imbued with his own dignity. So,however youthful and merry you may feel when by yourselves, remember tolook austere when in the company of strangers. And now to discuss theroute. I have a map here, and as I have been over the ground before Ihave been able to put down all the chief towns you will pass. Of coursethere are thousands of completely walled cities in China, particularlyup in this direction, where Mongolian incursions are always likely. Youwill pass several, and will, no doubt, sleep the night in more than one.Now, I have looked ove
r your list of stores, and have suddenlyremembered drugs. Alphonse has packed a box containing useful tabloidsand other medicines, besides a supply of bandages and dressings. Ah!breakfast's ready; come along.'

  An hour later the little cavalcade was ready to set out, and once morethe Professor inspected the lads and their mounts. To speak the truth,even a native of the country would easily have been deceived, for Davidand his friend looked exactly what they were meant to look, namely, twoChinese gentlemen of some importance travelling through the country withtheir servant.

  'Of course you are not bent on commerce,' said the Professor. 'NoChinaman of any importance would soil his hands with trade. You are twoofficials going through to see Twang Chun. Good-bye! Look for me in amonth's time.'

  'Gee-up!' shouted Dick, shaking his reins. 'Good-bye, Professor!'

  They headed at once for the road that stretched across the countryadjacent to the camp, and which perhaps had even borne Tsin, the mightyruler of the Celestial Empire in those far-off days. Then they settleddown to their long journey, David and Dick alongside one another,chatting and laughing, and Jong behind, his bare toes in thestirrups,--for the cold weather was not yet on them,--his reins knottedon his pony's neck, and leads from the other three animals attached tothe bow of his native saddle.

  'I rather fancy it will be as well to have some sort of regulations formarching,' said David, when they had accomplished some ten miles, andthe camp was only a memory to them. 'You see we are foreigners, thoughwe don't look it, and something might turn up when we least expect it.'

  Dick laughed loudly. David vastly amused him, and, if he had only made aclear confession, interested him also. For the lad displayed so manysides to his character. At one moment he was as dashing and plucky asone could wish. A regular fire-eater he had shown himself in the affairin the gulf of Pechili. And at other times he was as cautious as any oldwoman.

  'You do make me smile,' declared Dick, searching for a handkerchief, aluxury which neither had yet abandoned, but for which, nevertheless, itwas somewhat difficult to find a handy place in the strange garmentsthey were wearing. ''Pon my word, you make a chap roar. Always imaginingdanger's coming; always taking precautions; always getting ready; andthen, no sooner does something spring up, all unforeseen, as it were,than you chuck all precautions, venture out into the open, andpractically invite people to shoot you. Look at the ship--helped to getthe party away from what was an ugly trap, and then, when all were safe,walked peacefully back in search of an axe. You do really take it.'

  'Shut up!' growled David, crossly. 'I'm serious.'

  'So am I.'

  'Look here,' declared our hero, with some warmth, 'I'll not stand anymore of--oh, I say, let's be serious,' he laughed, for who could beangry with Dick--Dick the merriest and most light-hearted of the party?For if ever contrasts were asked for, a better example could not bebrought forward than David and his companion. The one, as Dick had said,a strange mixture of dash and daring, and of shrewd, almost nervouscaution; and the other, Dick Cartwell, as jolly as the day was long, themost thoughtless individual breathing, an inconsequent, harmless sort offellow, who made friends of all and sundry with an ease which wasastonishing. Caution! Dick threw it to the winds.

  'Don't get looking round for trouble till trouble troubles you, oldboy,' he had said on more than one occasion when twitting David. Dickfollowed the proverb strictly. He made no effort to look into thefuture, to prepare for squabbles, even in a country not altogetherfriendly. Left in command of the Professor's party, he would have beensoundly asleep when the pirates so stealthily slipped aboard the vesseland slid along the decks towards the cabin. But once the danger waspresent, once he was with his back against a wall, there was no betternor more reliable fellow. Dick fought with as light a heart as hepossessed when eating his dinner. Light-heartedness was his one fault,in fact, if one could actually declare it a fault; for on the march andunder everyday conditions it cheered his companions and helpedwonderfully to keep every one going.

  'Well, let's hear all about this matter,' he asked, smiling at our hero,and urging his steed beside him with a kick from his heel. 'You areanticipating trouble.'

  'Nothing of the sort. I do declare you are an aggravating fellow. I saythat we are in a country where foreign devils are not too popular, andthough we don't appear to be foreigners, yet people might discover ournationality. In fact, they are sure to when we put up in the towns. Verywell, then. We must take it turn and turn about to watch, Jong doing hisshare with us. Of course I'm speaking of the time when we are out on theroad, or in camp, should we settle down outside a village or town. Inthe house of a mandarin we should be free from interference. Now, whatdo you say to the plan?'

  'A beastly bother, but necessary perhaps. I agree. When do we start?'

  'Right away; nothing like getting settled down to our duties. We'll havea chat with Jong.'

  They pulled their ponies round and edged them up alongside the singlestore pony trotting at the Chinaman's left hand.

  'We're going to take it in turns to watch when on the road,' said David.'I'll start now, and continue till noon; then Dick till late in theafternoon; then you'll come on duty. We'll share the night out evenlywhen we're in the open.'

  Jong took a few minutes to absorb his meaning. Not that the man wasdense; it was simply because he had not a very abundant command ofEnglish.

  'Allee lightee; savvey,' he exclaimed at last, with a curious littlelisp which rather became him. 'Jong say dat allee lightee. Watch, den noeasy to be cut to piecee. Neber know who or what comin' along. P'lapsdere robbers. Dey make mincemeat of de lot of us before you have time tobreathe. Jong watch like a dog. Him savvey!'

  'Then I start right off; let's get back to our places.'

  The two young fellows kicked their lazy little ponies into a canter, andpulled them in again when they were some fifty yards ahead of theChinaman. And until the hour of noon David kept a careful eye all abouthim. Then they halted for a spell, Jong quickly getting a kettle over afire and the water boiling. A cup of tea and a slice from a tin of meatput all in a good temper, and made them ready to proceed. That evening,as the shades were lengthening, they slid through the gates of a walledcity. Dick's hours for duty were almost ended. In a little while theywould be under a roof and, they hoped, in hospitable quarters. Butneither Dick nor David nor the talkative Jong saw that figure trailingalong behind them on the main road. Not one had observed a man creepfrom a ditch a mile from the gates of the city, and slink cunninglyafter the party. For it was Chang, and his object so far was to remainin the background, undiscovered till the hour for action had arrived.