Chapter 25

THE TRAP IS SPRUNG.

Next morning we found the Chief Eunuch quite recovered from his debauch and as keen and attentive to his duties as ever. One of his men had neglected his tasks while Wi-to was under the influence of liquor, so his chief called him into his private office and cut him down with his own scimitar.

The incident created no excitement in the palace, and when we met Wi after breakfast was over he was as smiling and complaisant as ever. But it taught us how little human life was valued in this strange land.

I ventured to ask the Chief Eunuch once again to assist me to select the ornaments for Prince Kai’s friends, and to my relief he consented readily. So we walked through the state apartments and made choice of some moderate-sized articles, of no great value but of considerable weight. Also I chose two teakwood chests bound in bronze, with excellent locks, in which I said that I would pack the books.

Wi-to was pleased that we were so modest in our demands and showed no disposition to rob the palace of its most rare and precious objects of art. So when it came to a choice of our own gifts the eunuch declared that he would himself make the selection, acting as the confidential servant of his late master, whose generous nature he well knew.

“I will send the gifts to your rooms,” he said, “and the gifts for our royal prince’s friends shall be brought as well; and the packing-cases as soon as our artisans can prepare them.”

We thanked him, and he added, cordially:

“Do not let these preparations hasten your departure, I entreat you. It is good to have guests in the palace. If you go away there will be nothing for me to do but quarrel with Mai Lo.”

We had an appointment that afternoon to meet the girls in the willow pavilion; so when the hour arrived we sauntered away from the palace and lost ourselves in the shrubbery, afterward picking our way cautiously toward the remote corner where the pavilion stood.

The girls were all assembled and eagerly awaiting our coming, for we had promised to tell them more about our American women, in whom they were greatly interested, and to describe their dress and social privileges and methods of amusement. I suppose that to these poor secluded creatures, who experienced so little variety in their narrow lives, our stories sounded like fairy tales. Some inkling of woman’s position in our western civilization they had gleaned from their copies of Byron and Shakespeare, which, by the way, only Ko-Tua had the ability to read. But the books could not answer questions, and the pretty maids were full of questions today, some of which we were puzzled to answer.

During our several interviews our relations with the little Chinese beauties had become so friendly and free from constraint that they were no longer afraid of us and we sat around the wicker table like brothers and sisters.

As Joe was describing a bit of modern finery Mai Mou exclaimed:

“Ah! You can wear that when you become a widow, Ko-Tua.”

“A widow!” said I. “When will that be, Ko-Tua?”

“I do not know; but before long, Sam. My husband must soon kill himself, you know.”

“I’ve heard something of the sort. Will it make you unhappy to become a widow?”

“No, I shall be glad. I hate Mai Lo,” she replied, simply.

I glanced at Mai Mou.

“And you, little Pearl?” I inquired.

“I do not like my father, either,” she replied. “But I do not know him very well. Perhaps he is better than he seems.”

“No, he is worse,” said Archie, positively. “I’m sure of it.”

“But when the time comes,” continued Ko-Tua, raising her big, wistful eyes, “my husband——”

She gave a great start, and a look of horror spread over her beautiful face and actually transformed it. For her eyes had caught some object beyond our circle, and remained fixed and dilated.

Mai Mou followed her gaze and gave a little cry that conveyed the agony of a wounded deer. Nor Ghai stood up in her place and the smile faded from her pallid face.

Of course we boys whirled around at once, and there stood Mai Lo, just within the entrance, his glassy stare taking us all in, his hands folded tightly upon his broidered robe.

That last posture was new to me and gave me the idea that at last the mandarin was as much aroused as he had ever before been in his life.

He must have enjoyed the confusion he had caused, for I confess that I felt as guilty as a school-boy caught in the act of robbing an apple-orchard.

The discovery was so unexpected that for a time I could hardly comprehend its import, but presently vague thoughts of possible consequences to these innocent girls began to pass through my brain, and they steadied me and made me grow angry instead of afraid. The other boys must have felt the same way, for it was Archie who broke the terrible silence by saying with a growl:

“Shall I kill him, Sam?”

I was almost tempted to consent, but when Archie drew his revolver and cocked it with a cool deliberation, I put my hand on his arm and said:

“Not yet.”

One thing puzzled me. Bryonia had come with us to a place within sight of the pavilion, where we left him in the thicket of trees as a watch to warn us of danger. But here was the mandarin, and Bry was still silent. What could have become of our faithful black?

Perhaps Archie’s threatening attitude helped to unlimber the silent Mai Lo’s tongue, for without altering his position he said in his calm, monotonous tones:

“I suppose you are aware, young men, of the penalty for this outrage.”

“Outrage!” I cried, resentfully.

“An outrage against the most sacred institution of China—the harem.”

“Fiddlesticks!” said Archie. “Don’t be an ass, Mai Lo. You’ve traveled a little and you know you’re talking rot.”

“This is not America; it is Kai-Nong,” said the governor, grimly. “You have violated the sanctity of my family relations. You have disgraced Nor Ghai, the daughter of the princely and royal Kais. For this our laws have provided a relentless penalty—death!”

“It is so,” wailed the little Nor Ghai, bursting into tears. “You will die—you will all be sliced! And I knew it and warned you.”

Mai Lo lifted his hand and Mai Mou and Ko-Tua crept obediently toward him with bowed heads and passed out of the pavilion. I saw them push through a hedge and in a flash realized why Bryonia had not seen the approach of the governor. We were nearer to Mai Lo’s house than the palace, and there was probably a gate in the wall that had admitted the girls and the governor from a direction opposite to that in which we had ourselves come.

Nor Ghai had started to follow her companions, but Mai Lo uttered a harsh order in Chinese and she halted, standing like a statue.

The mandarin clapped his hands, and four of his gaudily dressed soldiers burst through the hedge and entered the pavilion, guarding its entrance, There was no other way for us to escape.

Mai Lo thoughtfully took a position behind his soldiers before he made his next move.

“If you will leave this place at once, without a moment’s delay, and travel straight to Shanghai,” he said, deliberately, “I will spare your lives. If not——”

“Well, what then?”

“I will summon my eunuchs and have you killed.”

“Go ahead!” I said, scornfully.

“You refuse?”

“Of course. We are not afraid of you.”

The mandarin blew a whistle, and through the hedge leaped a band of a dozen fierce fellows wearing the governor’s colors of crimson and azure. They bore naked scimitars, and at a word from Mai Lo dashed past the soldiers and flew toward us.

Three revolvers cracked and three of the eunuchs fell, while others stumbled over them; and as the fellows held back, startled at such unexpected opposition, with one accord we saw our chance to escape. Each seized a stool and swinging it for a weapon we leaped upon our enemies and literally fought our way to the entrance. I tried to see Mai Lo and brain him as a farewell token, but the wily mandarin had taken pains to be out of the way.

Once free of the imprisoning willows we fled with all our speed toward the palace, and as soon as they had recovered from their astonishment the soldiers and eunuchs were after us in hot chase.

Emerging from the thicket into the palace gardens we came plump upon a rescue party, consisting of Nux and Bry at the head of a band of eunuchs led by Wi-to himself.

Our pursuers halted until the governor came up, running with somewhat undignified haste. He jabbered away to the Chief Eunuch, behind whose men we had taken refuge, and Wi appeared both astonished and embarrassed by what he heard. Turning to me, he asked:

“Is it true? Have you forced yourselves into the presence of Mai Lo’s wife and daughter, and also of the Princess Nor Ghai?”

“Why we have seen and talked with them, if that’s what you mean,” I replied.

“I demand the culprits,” called Mai Lo. “In the name of the law, I demand them!”

“Go quick,” whispered the Chief Eunuch, scowling. “Quick, for your lives, to the palace!”

We obeyed without question, sprinting along the paths at our best gait and urged by the loud clamor of protesting voices behind us.

Bry and Nux brought up our rear more leisurely, and Wi-to held back the mandarin’s gang of cut-throats until we had a good start.

But after we had reached our apartments and bolted the outer door securely we had not time fully to regain our breath before the shouts of our pursuers were heard in the halls and passages.

The noise calmed down presently, and after several minutes a sharp rap came at our door.

“It is I; admit me!” said the voice of the Chief Eunuch.

Joe opened the door, but bolted it again as soon as Wi-to had stalked into the room.

The eunuch gazed upon each of us in turn with black looks. Then he said, slowly and bitterly:

“Why, in the name of Buddha, have you done the one thing that has forfeited my right to protect you?”

“Have we?” I asked, curiously.

“Yes,” he snapped, grinding his teeth savagely. “You are doomed. Even my power cannot save you!”