CHAPTER XXI
IN THE CHINESE DEN
It was several minutes before Ruth could accustom her sight to theuncertain, flickering flame of the torches with which the cavern wasilluminated. There was, too, a small fire on a stone hearth and above ita stone and cement chimney that portrayed ingenuity in its building.
The cavern was a natural one, but man had made of it a not impossiblehabitation. She felt rugs under her feet as she was drawn along by theKing of the Pipes, and when her eyes became accustomed to the half-gloomof the place she saw that there were several low tables and a couch ortwo, the latter likewise covered with rugs.
Not only had some ingenuity been expended in fitting up the cave, but thefurnishings must have occasioned the expenditure of considerable money.It was not at all the sort of place that she would have expected thequeer old man to occupy on the lonely island.
She was so much interested in Chessleigh's state, however, that she gavesmall attention to these other things. When she could break away from theKing of the Pipes she flung herself down upon her knees beside therecumbent young man and raised his head in her arms.
Chess had received a hard blow from the Chinaman's club. And he had notuttered a word. The latter fact caused Ruth more alarm than anythingelse. She feared that he was very badly injured, although he was notinsensible.
But there was no blood on his head and face. She passed her hand swiftlyover his crown and found an unmistakable lump there, a lump raised by theblow. But, looking more closely into his half open eyes she saw moreintelligence in their expression than she expected.
Indeed, as she peered closely at him she distinctly saw him wink his lefteye, and this act, with the bright look in his eyes, warned her thatCopley was playing possum.
Having been felled by the blow, and feeling himself out-matched by theChinamen who had come jabbering to the scene, Chess had displayed muchmore helplessness than he need have shown. But Ruth decided that he wasvery wise to do this, and she was much relieved to discover this to bethe fact. She did nothing to attract the attention of their captors tohis real condition. She moaned over him, and made little pitying soundsas though she thought he had been very seriously hurt by the blow he hadreceived.
The King of the Pipes put his clawlike hand upon her shoulder again.
"Let him alone. He will have to have his head off, of course. No hope forit. But I will try to postpone your decapitation until the thirty-firstday of June, which comes when there are two Sundays in the same week. Eh?Isn't that shrewd? As King of the Pipes I have to show great astuteness.Oh, great astuteness!"
"I am sure you will help us, sire," murmured Ruth, standing up once moreand looking appealingly at the queer old man.
"Well, I will do what I can. But, remember, we kings can't do what weonce could. Seems to me I told you that before. The war did the businessfor us. And I would not dare suggest taking a consort. The Pipes wouldnever stand for it."
"Whom do you call 'the Pipes'?" Ruth asked wonderingly.
"Look about you. See them? Already they are beginning to smoke up again.And it is a dirty smell. I have to go out and roam about the island toget away from it. Dreadful! To give up my throne room to nasty littlebrass pipes. Ugh!"
While he was speaking the girl stared about her, now better able to seethe place and the people in it. There were at least half a dozen men. Andall were Chinamen, as far as she could see, although not all were dressedin blouse and loose trousers and wadded slippers--the usual costume ofthe un-westernized Chinaman.
Two of the men were lying down, and there were tiny lamps sputtering onthe low stools, or tables, set close to their heads. They heldlong-stemmed pipes with small brass bowls, and had begun to smokesomething that had a very pungent and disagreeable odor.
Ruth's mind had begun to clear. She remembered the heavy boxes she andChess had seen brought ashore, and the Chinaman in the speed launch, andthen the yellow-faced woman being taken on this very day toward theAmerican shore. The whole puzzle began to fit together like a piece ofpatchwork.
Chinamen; a high-powered boat going back and forth across the St.Lawrence; a hidden cave on this supposedly uninhabited island; the heavyboxes; the smoking of this vile paste which she now saw a third Chinamandip out of a tiny bowl, on a stick, and drop into his pipe in the form ofa "pill."
_Opium!_
If these men--and the white men of the speed launch--did any smuggling itwas not diamonds they smuggled. It was opium. And they were probablyrunning Chinese across the border as well. Ruth knew that she was in avery serious predicament when she had swiftly thought this out, if shehad not realized it before.
What would these evil-looking yellow men do to her--and to poor Chess?The latter, she was relieved to feel, was biding his time. But whatchance was likely to arise which would lead to their escape from thiscavern?
She looked about the place. Two of the yellow men were between her andthe passage through which she and her companion had been dragged. If shewanted to, she could not make a dash for liberty.
She turned again to the bedraggled and ragged-haired old man, curiosityabout whom had led to this predicament. The King of the Pipes waswatching her with eyes that glittered like a bird's.
"Hush!" he whispered, moving nearer again. "You cannot escape. The Pipesare very strong and very agile. They would not let you. To tell thetruth, they fear so much for my safety that I haven't the freedom myselfthat I would sometimes like."
"Can't you leave this place?" Ruth asked softly.
"Hush!" he warned her in his usual stealthy way. "Don't speak of it. Ofcourse a king can do no wrong, and naturally a king can do as he pleases.Otherwise, what is kingship? But it is always well to bow to thepeculiarities and the prejudices of one's subjects. They do not like meto leave the throne-room at certain times. So I do not attempt to do so.When you met me before, my dear, there was nobody on the island butmyself. But to-night you see how many are here, and more yet to come."
"More Chinamen?" she whispered.
"No. Perhaps no more of the Pipes," and she thought he showed involuntarydisgust of the opium-smokers. "But other subjects of mine who must becatered to. Oh, dear, yes! Being a king is not all it is cracked up tobe, I assure you."
For some reason Ruth felt more alarm because of this last statement ofthe poor old man than of anything that had gone before. She realized thathe, of course, really had no influence with the opium smugglers. But shebegan to understand that there were other men coming here who might bemore savage than the Chinamen.
She remembered that there had been several white men in the launch whenshe had observed it, and that on one occasion Horatio Bilby had been oneof them. Now, Ruth felt not only a great distaste for Bilby, but shefeared him exceedingly.
It might be that the red-faced fat man who had so fretted Mr. Hammond andher about Wonota, had only crossed the river in the launch as apassenger. He might have no close connection with the opium smugglers.
But knowing Bilby as she did, Ruth could imagine that he might be mixedup in almost any illegal business that promised large returns in money.If he would attempt to steal the Indian girl, why would he not join handswith opium smugglers and Chinese runners, if he saw a possibility of gainin those industries?
She wished she might talk to Chess and learn just what was working in hismind at that moment. She was quite sure that he was by no means asstunned as he appeared to be.
She approved of his feigning, for as long as these men did not seek toinjure her, why should he incur their further notice? He lay on the rug,quite as though he was helpless; but she knew he was alert and was ready,if occasion arose, to show much more agility than the Chinamen or the oldKing of the Pipes dreamed.