Brown of Moukden: A Story of the Russo-Japanese War

  *CHAPTER XIII*

  *Mr. Brown's House*

  Schwab and Sowinski--Extempore--The Camera cannot Lie--SowinskiSuspicious--Shadowed--Short Notice--Run to Earth--A Hole in theFence--Lares et Penates--The Press--Sowinski's Supper

  Weeks passed. Moukden was no longer the city Jack had known. Hithertobut few Russian troops had been seen in its streets; now these werethronged from morning till night. Regimental wagons, ammunition carts,rumbled hither and thither, raising clouds of dust. Officers strolledabout, buying knick-knacks of the curio dealers; war correspondentskicked their heels in the hotels; droshkies, rickshaws, troikas, flewthis way and that, to the disturbance of the placid people of thisancient city.

  There were already signs of winter in the streets. The seasons inManchuria do not shade off one into another; summer heat stops, almostat one stride comes winter cold. One morning the shops in the principalstreets were hung with furs--the skins of wild cats, foxes, martens,otters, sheep, raccoons; fur caps, lined coats, woollen hoods, sheepskinleggings, stockings of camel's hair. The Chinese merchants near theeastern ramparts plied a brisk trade with Russian officers, offeringtheir customers cups of tea with true oriental politeness, and raisingtheir prices a hundred per cent.

  They had been weeks of idleness for Jack. The Japanese had occupiedYentai; the Russians had thrown up entrenchments to the south ofMoukden. There was talk of their taking the offensive; but warlikeoperations had ceased for a time, and Schwab had been too busydeveloping his negatives to think about taking more photographs. Jackspent much of his time with the compradore, hoping day after day, but invain, for news of his father. He had caused money to be forwarded toMr. Hi Feng in Harbin for the purpose of pushing enquiries in the north,through Chinese channels, and two trusty Chinese had been sent to makeinvestigations along the Moukden-Harbin section. The latter returnedquite baffled. But Jack sent them out again; he chafed at his ownhelplessness: meanwhile no stone must be left unturned. Once or twicehe had seen Sowinski in the streets; once he met him face to face nearthe palace; but the Pole passed by without giving any signs ofrecognition.

  Schwab had become tired of the Green Dragon, and now lived in a littlehouse which he rented from a Chinese grocer. He was waited on by Hi Lo,who shared with Jack a room looking on the street. One day Jack wasstanding at the window, watching the thronging traffic. He was in lowspirits: he had been so hopeful when he left Father Mayenobe; was he toendure a long suspense like Gabriele Walewska, but in more pain eventhan she, not knowing whether his father was alive or dead? Suddenly,behind a string of carts he saw Schwab approaching in company withSowinski. Schwab was talking eagerly. Jack knew that his employer hadhad several interviews with the Pole; he had probably been establishingbusiness relations between him and Schlagintwert in anticipation of theclose of the war. The two entered the house, and Jack, with a certaintingling of the nerves, betook himself to the kitchen. Presently Hi Locame in to prepare dinner; Sowinski was dining with his master. The boywaited at table, and, coming in and out of the kitchen, he gave Jackfrom time to time information of what was going on. The Pole knew alittle German; both he and his host knew a little English; and as theyeked out their acquirements the quick-witted China boy picked up scrapsof their conversation and reported them to Jack.

  "He piecee Polo man talkee; say-lo what plice Melican lails? Masta hesay velly cheap; he sellum evelyting cheap; he say belongey plentypidgin what-time fightey man all wailo."

  "Boy!" shouted Schwab from the other room.

  "Hai-yah, masta!" replied Hi Lo, hurrying away. He returned in a fewseconds.

  "Masta say wantchee Sin Foo chop-chop."

  Jack whistled under his breath. For a moment he thought of slipping outof the room. But Schwab knew he was there. To leave withoutexplanation would cause trouble. It would perhaps be best to brazen itout. He had already met Sowinski several times without beingrecognized. Yet he regretted that he had not taken French leave themoment he saw the Pole coming. He obeyed the summons.

  "You Sin Foo, bring ze photographs, zose I haf developed."

  "Allo lightee, masta."

  Jack went out conscious that the Pole's eyes had been fixed on him.Returning with the photographs he gave them to Schwab, and was on thepoint of leaving the room when the German bade him wait. Schwabunrolled the papers and spread them before his guest.

  "Zere! Vat you zink of zat? Zose I took at ze battle of Liao-yang.Ach! zat, mein frient, vas a fearful time. You vere not zere? No--youare a man of beace; ve gorresbondents are men of var. Picture ze hillof Shu-shan, schrapnel burst here, zere, everyvere; ze bullet fall zickas leaves of Vallombrosa. Zat hill, mein frient, vas target for hundertfifty guns. Zere am I, at ze top, fixing ze Japanese batteries in myfocus. Danger! Donnerwetter! It vas truly bandemonium. But vy am Izere? Duty, mein frient, calls me; business are business; my duty, I ambaid to do it; but not enough, no, certainly not enough. Vy, I writezis mail to Duesseldorf and say I can no longer encounter such dangerfor ze brice. I muss haf increase of screw. Boy, fetch ze camera."

  Jack laid it on the table.

  "See, mein frient," continued Schwab. "Gontemblate zat hole!Schrapnel! Anozer inch, or inch and half--ach! it is all ofer vizHildebrand Schwab. Ze var gorresbondent run colossal risk, true; but zevar gorresbondent vat is also var photographer--vy, his risk is--vatshall I say? it is schrecklich, furchtbar!"

  Jack was aghast at Schwab's magnificent assurance. If he had been alonewith the Pole, that would have been another matter; but to dilate uponhis exploits in the presence of one who knew exactly what heroic part hehad played was astounding. Jack reflected, however, that he was merelya Chinese servant, and as such of no importance.

  Finding that his invention was more than equal to the strain, Schwabproceeded with even greater confidence.

  "Look at zis, mein frient. Here ve haf terrible scene of carnage in aRussian trench, a whole gombany is viped out by vun shell." Herr Schwabhanded his guest the photograph of soldiers sleeping in the ditch nearthe Moukden railway-station. "And zis--vat zink you of zis?" He pickedout the snap-shot of Siberian infantry before the blazing pawn-shop."Here, mein frient, ve see Russian infantry vat make nightattack onvillage near Yentai: zey set on fire house full of Japanese."

  "Ver' good, ver' good," remarked the Pole with an acid smile--"for aphotograph made by night."

  Schwab shot a suspicious glance at his guest.

  "Ja!" he said, "it is vonderful. Zese vill abbear in ze bages of mybaber, ze _Illustrirte Vaterland und Colonien_, zey vill give trueaccount, shpeaking better zan volumes of gorresbondence, of ze horriblescenes vat zeir rebresentative haf beheld at ze bost of danger."

  Sowinski's attention had been flagging; perhaps his intuition haddetected the artistic temperament. At any rate Jack felt that his eyeswere once more fixed on the silent Chinese boy--fixed in a puzzled,scrutinizing gaze. The epic of the camera being completed, and Schwabturning the conversation once more to business, Jack took theopportunity of slipping away. Hi Lo remained in the room to replenishthe glasses. When Jack's back was turned, Sowinski, as Hi Lo reportedlater, leant forward and asked quietly:

  "Tell me, where did you get your boy?"

  "Vich? Sin Foo? Oh! I tell you. I got him to carry ze camera. Ach!zese Chinamen! Zey are above all zinks suberstitious. Zey zink zecamera hold tousand defils; not one haf ze gourage to undertake it tillI abbly to ze gompradore of a Mr. Brown, for whom I had a letter. Mr.Brown is a bad lot; he is gone, none knows vere--ze Russians haf him putout of sight for because he haf betrayed zem to ze Japanese. Perhapsyou know him, mein frient? Vell, ze gompradore recommend me zis boy,Sin Foo, vat haf some intelligence and do not fear ze defils. He is ofuse--yes, of use; he is not afraid to follow me in ze zick of ze battle.Vere ze gombat rage, zere is Schwab and his camera. It is in ze blood.My ancestor Hildebrand Suobensius vas a great fighter--a Landsknecht. Ivill tell you his history----"

/>   Hi Lo's report made Jack uneasy. Sowinski was evidently suspicious. Ifhis suspicions took definite form, it was scarcely likely that a man ofhis rancorous disposition would leave things as they were. In the duskof the evening Jack hurried to his friend the compradore; he felt thatat this critical moment he needed advice from a Chinaman of experience.When Hi An heard what had happened, he said at once that it would bemadness for Jack to remain longer in Moukden. Sowinski would certainlyseek a resolution of his doubts; he would in any case have Jackarrested; and being in disguise, Jack would in all probability, ifarrested, meet the fate of a spy.

  While they were talking, Hi Lo came in hurriedly to report that one ofSowinski's servants was hanging about Schwab's house, apparently on thewatch. That clinched the matter. Jack must make himself scarce, and asspeedily as possible. Where was he to go? In the confused state of thecountry he might easily disappear; he could become a camp-follower, ormafoo to some European. But this would have its dangers; a Chinaman, ashe had already proved, would soon penetrate his disguise; with adefinite purpose before him, he did not care to be the sport of chance.He might take refuge for a time with Wang Shih's people; but it was notimprobable that search would be made for him there, and he did not wishto involve them in the escape of a spy. There was his friend Ah Lum; heremembered the chief's invitation, and bethought himself that theChunchuses, moving constantly about the country, enjoyed the bestopportunities of learning his father's whereabouts. His mind was madeup; he would join the brigands.

  But unluckily the city gates were now shut. Since the war had comenearer to the walls, the entrances had been guarded more strictly. Noone was allowed to go in or out after nightfall unless he wore a uniformor had a pass. The inner wall was too high to climb over; if by anychance he could slip through the gates, traverse the suburbs, and climbthe outer wall, he might be shot; if he waited till morning, he ran therisk of arrest. Yet, all things considered, it seemed better to wait.Sowinski was apparently not quite sure of his ground. Then, to ensurehis escape, a pony was needed; and he would have to enquire of Ah Lum'sagent in the city, from whom alone could he learn the presentwhereabouts of the band. Finally, he was disinclined to leave Schwabwithout personally informing him of his approaching departure. This wasperhaps in the circumstances a small matter, but it had more weight withJack than he was probably aware of.

  Taking leave of Hi An, he set off to return to Schwab's house. Hi Lohad preceded him. As he walked he felt that he was being dogged. Hedid not care to assure himself by looking back; but he took the firstopportunity of slipping into a side street, and hurrying to hisdestination by a short cut. Schwab was writing, alone.

  "My velly solly, masta," said Jack, kowtowing with even more than usualhumility. "My wantchee wailo."

  "Vat you say? Already vant holiday? No, no, boy. You haf been viz menot yet vun monce. I do not gif holidays so soon."

  "My no wantchee holiday; my wantchee wailo allo-time; no come back; habcatchee muchee plenty leason."

  "Donnerwetter! Vat is zat for a kind of business? Zat is desertion;infamous! Who zen vill carry ze camera? No, I cannot let you go; no, Irefuse, I vill bay you no vages."

  "My velly solly. My likee masta first-chop; wantchee wailo all-same.Masta no say Sin Foo belongey tellum what-time he wantchee go. Masta nowantchee pay-lo wages? all-same; my no makee bobbely. Suttinly my wailochop-chop."

  "Ach! Zat is ever so; ze goot servant cut his shtick; ze bad servantshtick fast. Vell, if I say no, vizout doubt you vill run avay?"

  "No fea'."

  "Vell zen, I let you go. You haf done me vell; zat is ze truth. Butbusiness are business; you haf served me vun monce less two days. I bayyou zen fifteen dollar less ze vorth of two days. Vat is zat?"

  "My no savvy, masta; my no hab catchee t'ings so-fashion China-side."

  "Vell, I vill gif you fifteen dollar, and zay nozink about vat you oweme. Vere you go?"

  "My go look-see flend long long wailo."

  "So! I tell you zis; if again you gome back to Moukden vile HildebrandSchwab is var gorresbondent, he alvays gif you job."

  "Masta too muchee velly kind. My tinkee Toitsche genelum numpa onechappee, galaw! My say-lo by-by, masta; so long!"

  The farewell interview had taken longer than Jack anticipated. He wasanxious to be gone, feeling insecure in Schwab's house. Giving thehard-earned dollars to Hi Lo, he hastened back by side streets to thecompradore, with a suspicion that he was watched as he left the house bytwo Chinamen whom he caught sight of on the other side of the road. Hepeeped back at the first corner, and saw that one of the men was comingin his direction; the other had disappeared. On reaching Hi An's househe found that the man was absent; he had spoken of making enquiries ofAh Lum's agent. Jack waited rather anxiously. Twenty minutes passed,then the compradore came in very hurriedly.

  "Sowinski is coming with Russian soldiers!" he gasped. "They will behere in five minutes. I found Ah Lum's man, Me Hong; he will send aguide to Hsien-chia-kou, ten miles away. You must not go near Me Hong.But how to get away!"

  Jack fortunately could keep his head. He had but a few minutes todecide on a course, and he made the most of them. If he went into thestreet he would be at once seen; probably there were already men on thewatch at each end. The only other way out was by the back. Thecompradore peered out; as Jack expected, he saw several figures lurkingin the shade of the wall. Jack remembered that in the fence separatingthe compradore's garden from Mr. Brown's there was a narrow gap throughwhich Hi Lo had been wont to creep as a short cut to the house. Betweenthe fence and the house there was a line of shrubs about two and a halffeet high. It was growing dark; if he could creep away under cover ofthe bushes to the hole in the fence he might gain his father's house.There he would in truth be in the enemy's country; but the attention ofthe watchers would probably be engrossed by the soldiers whose tramp wasnow heard approaching, and his own house would be the last that Sowinskiwould suspect as the fugitive's hiding-place. What the next step mightbe Jack could not imagine; the first was risky, but he saw no other. Ina word he told the compradore of his intention. The man gasped; thenwith a rapid movement took a revolver from a shelf and pressed it intohis young master's hand.

  "Good-bye, Mr. Hi! I will let you know. Don't forget Father."

  He slipped to the back door, dropped on all-fours, and wriggled alongthe ground close to the line of shrubs. He had barely started when heheard Sowinski loudly summoning Hi An to open the door. The compradoremade some reply, apparently temporizing; the answer was an angry shout,followed by a soothing response from the faithful servant. Jack heardno more; in another moment he reached the gap in the fence. He wriggledthrough; the garden had been neglected since Mr. Brown's arrest, and theundergrowth was rank; this was fortunate, for only a few feet away hesaw, leaning on the fence, the form of a Russian soldier, and a yard ortwo beyond him another. They were talking together, or they might haveheard the rustle as Jack squeezed through the hole and made for thehouse.

  In these few moments he had been rapidly thinking. He could not hope tohide in the house, but he might pass through it, gain the front door,and escape by the street. Naturally he was so familiar with the housethat there was no danger of his going astray. But, slipping in by theback door and turning into the passage leading to the front, his hopewas suddenly dashed. Three Chinamen stood at the open door, completelybarring his egress. They were talking excitedly and in loud tones. Jackoverheard one of them say that the Russians were arresting a supposedChinaman, actually an Englishman who had come to spy for the Japanese,the very man who had been living in Hi An's house behind, and whoseillness had given them such concern. Evidently they were servants ofthe Pole, stationed at the door to keep watch. The three men blocked upthe doorway and stood facing the street.

  Jack noiselessly slipped into the dining-room, lit by a single lamp. Hefelt like a fox in a hole, with dogs all round ready to snap him up ifhe showed his nose. He looked round the familiar
room with a curioussense of aloofness. Had this been for so long his home? It was thesame room, the same furniture--a table, a few chairs, engravings on thewalls, the large oaken press; but a different air seemed to pervade itnow. For a moment he thought of hiding in the press until dead ofnight, and then slipping away. He opened the door; the lock had beenforced; the press was empty save for a few bottles of wine. Clearlythis would not be a secure refuge; a bottle might be required at anymoment. What else could he do? He could open the window--the onlyglass one in the house--and drop into the street; but he would certainlybe seen by the men at the door or by a casual passer-by, though therewere few people about at that hour of the evening. Yet no other coursesuggested itself, and he was moving towards the window when he heardsoft footsteps in the passage outside. Quick as thought he sprangbehind the open door, listening with thumping heart.

  One of the servants passed by on the way to the kitchen. He had left theothers at the door to keep watch while he prepared his master's supper.The cloth, Jack noticed, had been left on the table. In a minute or twothe man would come into this very room, and Jack must be seen. Withnerves tingling he waited, setting his lips as a plan of action wassuggested to him by the emergency. Soon he heard the clink of glass.The servant was returning. He came from the kitchen carrying a tray witha glass jug, a tumbler, and a plate. He entered the room, walked to thetable, and set the tray upon it. At that moment Jack stepped quietly upto him from behind, brought one arm round over his mouth to stifle anycry, and with the other held the cold barrel of his pistol to the man'stemple.

  "Keep silent, for your life!" he whispered.

  The Chinaman, with fear in his eyes, made no sound or movement, butstood as still as his trembling limbs allowed. Still keeping the pistolpointed at the man's head, Jack quietly closed the door. Then he said:

  "I will do you no injury, but your safety and mine require that youshould be out of harm's way for a time. I have business with yourmaster. Go into that press. So long as you are quiet and do what youare told, you have nothing to fear. But if you make the slightestsound, that moment will be your last. You understand me?"

  He spoke very low and rapidly, but distinctly. The man nodded; therewas no mistaking the grim meaning with which this tall foreigner whospoke Chinese fingered the trigger of his revolver. Crossing the roomto the press, the Chinaman stepped into it, and Jack closed the door.

  He wondered if he could slip out of the house before Sowinski returned.Before long the Pole must discover that the bird had flown; he wouldrealize the hopelessness of searching the whole of Moukden at night fora man disguised as a Chinaman, and, furious as he might be, he woulddoubtless accept the situation for the moment, and return to his eveningmeal. Once more Jack was making towards the window when he heardfootsteps again, this time approaching from the back of the house; notthe shuffling felt soles of Chinese, but the tramp of heavy Europeanboots. At the same moment there came from the street the clatter ofseveral feet marching in time. Jack stepped back from the window. Heheard a gruff voice, the voice of Sowinski, say in Russian:

  "Sergeant, there is no more to be done. The spy has got away. Informthe sentinels at the gates. He cannot leave the city to-night; we maytrap him yet. Report to General Bekovitch; I will see him in themorning. Good-night!"

  The sergeant responded, and marched his squad away.

  "Where is Ming Fo?" demanded Sowinski of the servants at the door. "Whyis he not watching with you?"

  "He is preparing your supper, master; we are keeping watch for him."

  "You have seen no one pass?"

  "No one."

  "Very well. Go and get your supper."

  Sowinski's Visitor]

  Then Jack heard Sowinski's footsteps approaching the room and the twoChinamen shuffling along behind towards the kitchen. His chest heaved;the crisis was at hand.