Chapter 27

THE BATTLE IN THE CORRIDOR.

When we reached our rooms and behind bolted doors examined the contents of the tapestry curtain, we were amazed at the splendor of the treasure we had obtained.

“But it isn’t on board the Seagull yet,” Joe reminded us, and we sighed regretfully as we realized the truth of this statement. Nux took charge of the booty and then we all went to bed and tried to sleep; but on my part the attempt was not very successful. I wakened every little while with a start to see the glowing eyes of the great ape regarding me from the darkness, or the great gray body hurtling through the air to fall upon me; and my cheek pained me from the deep gash it had received.

So I slept but fitfully until daybreak, when I rose to find Archie and Joe already up and Bryonia making coffee over an alcohol stove.

Our first care was to dispose of the jewels, and this we did by tearing the leaves out of some of the books of Prince Kai, a big heap of which had been sent us by the eunuch, and wrapping the gems in them. Afterward we packed two boxes with them and nailed on the covers. To carry out the deception we had planned, we next concealed in the empty drawers of the cabinet enough ornaments to have filled the two boxes.

So far our work had progressed very well, and we had just finished breakfast and were congratulating ourselves on our progress when our eunuch Tun ran in and told us that the governor’s troops had been ordered to advance upon our retreat and capture us in our rooms.

“Send for Wi-to at once,” I commanded.

The eunuch hesitated.

“No can,” he said, with downcast eyes.

“Why not?” asked Archie, impatiently.

“Wi-to no see anybody,” answered the man.

“Great Cæsar! He isn’t drunk again, is he?” I cried, recalling with sudden fear what such a calamity would mean to us.

The fellow was loyal to his chief and would not confess the truth; but it was not hard to guess. It occurred to me that his annoyance over our trouble about the women had sent him upon another spree, fast upon the heels of the last one. But the loss of the Chief Eunuch’s protection was a serious thing to us just then, and evidently Mai Lo, having heard the news, had decided to order an attack at once, a thing he would not otherwise have dared do.

“Shall we barricade the door?” I asked.

“I’ve a better plan than that,” replied Joe, who was a thoughtful fellow and full of resource. “Let us stand in the passage outside and shoot down any one who turns the corner by the dragon tapestry. There are two reasons for adopting this plan. One is that we can reserve the use of the secret panel in case we want to get to the vaults by way of the underground passage, and the other is that we can retire into our rooms as a last resort and bolt the door.”

“And in that case we’d be like rats in a trap,” added Archie.

I saw the wisdom of Joe’s proposal and at once sent our two blacks with revolvers to hold the passage.

“Don’t be afraid to shoot,” I said. “It’s our lives against theirs, and if they find we mean business they may decide to let us alone.”

Nux and Bry grinned approvingly and took their stand in the passage, while we remained to discuss the situation.

Presently we heard the crack of pistols and howls of rage, and gained the passage in time to see the governor’s soldiers come crowding around the bend while our blacks discharged their weapons with cool aim and telling effect.

The foremost wanted to draw back when they met with opposition, but those behind, who could not see what was happening, pushed them along by main force, and so dense was the pack of crimson and azure tunics that Nux and Bry could not fire without hitting some of them.

But there was another danger—that their very numbers would defeat us if they obtained the advantage; so we all joined in the scrimmage and poured a hail of bullets into the foe. Those who fell literally blocked the bend in the passage, and at last their cries were heeded by those in the rear and the mob surged back and disappeared from sight.

We could hear their loud jabbering for a few minutes and then from the sounds we knew they had all retreated to the lower hall of the passage.

Presently a head slid slowly into view, which we recognized as that of Tun. The eunuch signalled to us not to shoot, and then ran up to ask if the soldiers could remove their dead and wounded. We gave permission at once and then stood on guard while the fallen were dragged away.

Pretty soon Tun came back to say that there would be no further attack until the soldiers could find their governor and get from him further orders. Just now Mai Lo was nowhere to be found.

So we left Bry alone in the passage and sat down in our room to talk over our predicament.

Now it seems that just beyond the main doorway that led into our suite of rooms this length of passage abruptly ended, and as it was hung with tapestry we supposed it was a blank wall. But as Bry paced up and down he was astonished to see the tapestry move. Then it was pushed aside and a lovely girl emerged and signalled to him by placing her finger over her lips.

Our man understood and was discreet enough to show the girl into our reception-room without a word. We sprang up amazed when Nor Ghai stood before us, her hands crossed upon her breast and her head bobbing with courtesies in a comical fashion. But as I looked at her I saw her eyes were red with weeping; so I took her hand and said gently:

“What is it, little friend? Have they dared to harm you?”

“No—no—no!” she replied, hastily. “Wi-to has but told me not to leave the palace. It is not for myself I weep, but for my poor companions,” and she broke down and sobbed bitterly.

We three fellows looked uncomfortably enough at this exhibition of female misery, and did not know how to comfort Nor Ghai.

So to hide our embarrassment, Archie demanded in a rough voice:

“What has old Death’s-Head been doing to them?”

“Who—who mean you?” sobbed Nor Ghai.

“Why, the gov’nor, of course, Mai Lo.”

“Him—him has took away all their jewels and silks an’ clothe poor Ko-Tua an’ Mai Mou in black cotton. An’—an’—” with fresh sobs—“tomorrow him say him cut out both their tongues for talk with foreign devils!”

The little maid, in her misery, wasn’t doing very well with her English; but we understood.

“The old scoundrel!” cried Archie, greatly shocked.

“We mustn’t allow this, boys,” said Joe, with decision.

“Why, it strikes me we’re in rather bad shape to interfere,” I suggested, regretfully.

“We must interfere,” declared Archie. “We got these girls into this trouble by our rashness, and we must get ’em out of it again.”

“We’ve also got ourselves into trouble,” I reminded him.

“That doesn’t make any difference,” said Joe. “We’re men and they’re just girls, and helpless in this heathen country. We’ve got to hunt up Mai Lo and stop this little game before it’s too late. If we can’t save the treasure and the girls both, let the treasure go to blazes!”

Nor Ghai looked at him gratefully, and Archie gave him a sounding whack on the shoulder.

“Where is the governor?” I asked the girl.

“I know not. But Ko-Tua, she run away and come to me, with Mai Mou. They in my harem now.”

“Why, that’s better than finding the governor,” I said. “Don’t let them go home again, Nor Ghai.”

“I cannot help. The eunuchs will take them,” she said.

“Well, there’s only one thing to be done,” I announced, gravely. “They must come here.”

“Ah, oh!” exclaimed the girl. “If they do that, Mai Lo cut off their heads.”

“He won’t get a chance,” said Archie; “or if he does, he’ll have to cut off our heads too. Bring your friends here, Nor Ghai.”

She hesitated, looking from one to the other of us in bewilderment.

“Have no fear, little friend,” said I, gently. “Go and fetch Ko-Tua and Mai Mou to us. In that way alone can you possibly save them.”

She nodded brightly, smiling through her tears, and tripped away.

We watched the passage an hour; two hours. Then we began to fear that Nor Ghai had in some way been prevented from returning. But no; she appeared, finally, leading the governor’s girl wife and daughter by either hand, and then she explained that she had much trouble in inducing her friends to accept our protection.

To them the governor of Kwang-Kai-Nong was a mighty power, and they feared to defy his authority by seeking the protection of three boys who were foreigners and themselves fighting for their lives.

Indeed, when I came to consider the matter from this point of view, I was surprised that Nor Ghai had succeeded in winning them over.

But here they were, finally, and Ko-Tua said to us in her simple way:

“With no tongue a woman could not live happy, could she? So we do not care if we lose our lives. We come to you and trust you, for Nor Ghai says Wi-to is your servant, and Wi-to is almost as great as Mai Lo.”

I had my doubts of Wi-to’s usefulness to us at this juncture, but did not express them. As well as we could we impressed the maids with the fact that we were not beaten yet and intended to put up a good fight to the last. Nor Ghai told us that the news of our defeat of the soldiers had already reached the harem, and had caused the condemned girls to decide to place themselves under our protection.

We had Nux lead Ko-Tua and Mai Mou to the further chamber of our suite, and when they had entered we ordered the black to stand at the door and guard them.

Nor Ghai thanked us and went back to her harem. She said she was in no danger, as no one had authority to punish her except Wi-to. There would be a hunt for Ko-Tua and Mai Mou presently, but only Nor Ghai knew the secret entrance to our corridor.

When she had gone we felt our responsibilities overpowering us, and tried to concoct some plan to force old Mai Lo to pardon his wife and daughter. If we could not do that we must carry them away with us to Shanghai; but in that case they would double our danger and we should not know what to do with them after they were safe out of Kwang-Kai-Nong.

“I say, Sam,” remarked Archie, after we had been thinking it over for a long time, “this is one of those bridges you’re always talking about. Don’t let’s cross it till we come to it.”

After luncheon, which Tun and his helpers served as usual, we passed an anxious and dreary afternoon. Tun had informed us that the captain of the soldiers had still been unable to locate the governor to get his commands, and seemed unwilling to attack us again without further orders. Also we gleaned the information in a roundabout way that Wi was still shut up in his room under the influence of a strong drink brewed from rice.

About three o’clock Archie slapped his leg and exclaimed:

“I’ll bet a cookie Mai Lo is in the vaults sorting treasure!”

“I feel sure of it,” said I.

“Well, then,” proposed Joe, after a pause, “let’s go down and find him, and have it out with the old rascal in the tombs of the ancestors.”

“In what way?” I asked.

“Let’s offer to divide with him. There’s enough for us all. Who cares what becomes of the governor—whether he suicides or not—so long as we get out of this infernal country and back to Shanghai with our share of the plunder?”

“That’s a clever idea, Joe!” I exclaimed. “There’s no use fighting if a peaceable arrangement can be made. Why haven’t we thought of making a bargain with Mai Lo before?”

It did not take us long to prepare for the trip. The passage was still deserted, but it was necessary to leave both Nux and Bry to guard the entrance to the rooms, and the girls.

So we three boys crept to the dragon tapestry, passed the secret panel without being discovered and soon were creeping along the tunnel for the third time on our way to the chih of the Ancestors of Kai.

I carried with me the famous scimitar we had found in the cabinet—the one with the seven great rubies set in the hilt. For our ammunition was getting low, and if we found a need to use weapons in our present adventure the scimitar might prove very handy.