Dave Darrin on the Asiatic Station Part 22

Then, in a voice husky at first, but gradually gaining in strength, his excellency began to speak to his subjects, for such they really were.

As his speech continued his voice became louder and more authoritative.

Dave glanced inquiringly at the missionary, who nodded back as much as to say that the governor was making a speech along right lines. Indeed, the speech must have had signal effect, for low murmurs ran in all directions through the lately fighting rabble, and by degrees the last efforts at fighting died out on all sides of the compound.

"As soon as the right moment comes," whispered Dave, "please tell him to order all the people a mile away from this part of the city."

In an undertone the missionary repeated in Chinese. Then, after a few moments, the movement backward began. A visible tremor of rearward motion pa.s.sed through the throngs.

In silence the Chinese had heard the closing words of their governor, and now no crowd of thousands could have been more noiseless.

"Take his excellency below again," Dave commanded Sampson. "He is too valuable an a.s.set to lose just yet. Put him on top of the powder magazine. Our missionary friends will a.s.sure his excellency that he is in not the least danger unless the attack is begun again."

Having seen these orders carried out, Ensign Darrin hurried back to the circle of lanterns.

"Ladies, I am glad to be able to say that I think our danger is nearly over," he announced. "We have a few more wounded to bring down from the walls. After these men have had attention I think we shall be ready to take up the march to the river, and soon after that I believe that you will all be safe on board the 'Castoga.' Don't rub your eyes or pinch yourselves to see if it all be true. I believe the bad dream is ended."

Then Dave sought out Sin Foo and "Burnt-face."

"Come with me to the governor," he directed, for, while the speech from the rampart was being made, these two underlings had somehow managed to slip away from their perilous place on top of the magazine.

"You are not going to offer us violence, are you?" asked Sin Foo fearfully.

"Not unless you do something to merit it," was Darrin's response. "I have other uses in view for you."

Securing the services of the same missionary, Dave directed him to ask the governor if he would trust Sin Foo and "Burnt-face" to go out into the city and carry to the people his excellency's will that no attack be made upon the Americans when they started for the river front.

The governor replied that his two secretaries were the very ones to carry his orders to his people.

"So that fellow is a secretary to the governor, also?" asked Darrin, pointing to "Burnt-face."

"He is the governor's secretary," replied the missionary. "Sin Foo is the under secretary, who, that he might deal with Englishmen and Americans, was educated in England."

"Warn the governor that if his secretaries play him false, and we are attacked, then his excellency will surely lose his life," Dave requested.

"His excellency is satisfied that his secretaries will serve him faithfully, and keep his life secure," the missionary declared.

The governor himself spoke to "Burnt-face" and Sin Foo, after which both bowed low.

"Now, you two may turn yourselves out into the street," Dave announced.

"We will let you pa.s.s through the gates. See to it that you circulate well, and that you impress upon the people their governor's wishes.

Otherwise, his excellency will sail sky-high on a keg of powder-you may be sure of that!"

To Ensign Dave's intense amazement, both "Burnt-face" and Sin Foo bowed very low before him. Next, they threw themselves upon their knees before the governor, who addressed them briefly, but earnestly.

When the secretaries rose Dave called a petty officer, to take them to the gate and to vouch for their right to pa.s.s out.

In the meantime the wounded were being attended. Nearly all of the unhurt defenders still remained upon the ramparts, though the great open s.p.a.ces below were devoid of any signs of a hostile populace.

"I wonder if his excellency would like to change his shoes before starting," Dave suggested to Bishop Whitlock, as he glanced down at the governor's dainty embroidered silken footgear.

"Are you going to take the governor with us?" asked the Bishop.

"He must go with us to the river front, and must remain there until all of our party is safe," Darrin answered.

"But you really mustn't make him walk," objected the Bishop. "If you did, it would be such an affront as the people of Nu-ping would never forgive in foreigners. There are several sedan chairs in the yamen, and there are still enough attendants left to bear it. Permit me, Mr.

Darrin, to see to the matter of the governor's sedan."

"I shall be deeply grateful, sir, if you will," was Dave's answer.

In less than five minutes the chair was ready, resting on the shoulders of eight husky coolies.

Ten minutes later the gates were thrown open. The defenders, hastily recalled from the ramparts, had formed.

First in the line were the marines, with a machine gun. Then followed a detachment of sailors. Danny Grin took command of the advance guard.

Behind this were the wounded, some of whom hobbled slowly and painfully, as there was no conveyance except for those who had been badly hurt.

After the wounded came the women, in a body, and, behind them, the governor in his sedan chair.

There followed the missionaries, armed and unarmed, and the other male American residents of Nu-ping. Finally marched the rest of the seamen with Pembroke as their prisoner, and Dave commanded at this point.

Outside all was now as still as though in a city of the dead.

Was it safe to risk the march, or were they soon to run into some villainous trap prepared by the ingenuity of the Chinese?

"Forward, march!" Ensign Darrin sent the order down the line.

CHAPTER XIII-ALL ABOUT A CERTAIN BAD MAN

Like a long-drawn-out snail the procession crept through the yamen gates. The pace was set by the men most severely wounded.

Was it safe to leave the yamen while mult.i.tudes were yet abroad in the city, and those mult.i.tudes angry over the shedding of Chinese blood?

How many Chinese had fallen in the fight Darrin had no means of estimating. He had seen many fall, but dead and wounded alike had been promptly carried away by their own countrymen.

That the city of Nu-ping was in a ferment of anger there could be no doubt. Yet the governor, who had professed that morning to be unable to stem the revolution, had, by a few words, sent the fighting throngs back in the dead of night.

Last of all in the line walked Dave, in as uncomfortable a frame of mind as he had ever known. If his little party should be attacked and overwhelmed, and the women killed, he had made up his mind that he would make no effort to outlive the disaster. Death would be preferable.

There was still one other who knew less of comfort than any in the procession. That one was His Excellency, the Governor of Nu-ping.

In the sedan chair had been placed six kegs of powder, one of them opened. On top of the kegs, without as much as a cus.h.i.+on to soften the hardness of the seat, was his excellency, squatting, terror-stricken.

On either side marched a sailor with a loaded rifle. Also beside the sedan marched Sailorman Sampson, with a package of loose powder and a piece of slow-match found at the yamen. Seaman Sampson had his orders, with a considerable amount of discretionary power added, all of which was known to the governor with the greenish-yellow face.

As the line swung into the street on the way to the river, Danny Grin and two seamen trod softly ahead, alert for any surprises that might be met, particularly at street corners.