CHAPTER XIV
'MY BROTHER!'
The two friends sat for a long time discussing their situation. Theproblem of escape was a thorny one. The yamen was at some distance fromthe landing-stage, and the labyrinth of narrow ways by which Burroughshad come to it would puzzle anybody but a Chinaman acquainted with thetown. Even if they contrived to elude the sentinels they might easilylose their way, especially in darkness--and they had already come to theconclusion that only by night could they hope to reach the river safely.The appearance of two Europeans in a town where there were no Europeanresidents would at once attract a curious crowd, and detection must beinevitable. And the first step of all, the escape from the room inwhich they were, was itself at present utterly baffling. Time was ofthe utmost importance. Su Fing might return any day; it was scarcelypossible that a man whose mental powers were attested by the passing ofso many examinations would be imposed on as the simple Chung Pi hadbeen; and there was no knowing what summary methods he might use indealing with the two Englishmen to whom he owed a grudge.
Burroughs examined the bars of the window. They were so deeply imbeddedin the masonry that to loosen them within a reasonable time seemed ahopeless undertaking. The chances of succeeding in a rush through thedoorway, when the door was opened, seemed slight. Burroughs had hisrevolver; Errington was unarmed; and though Chin Tai, who was waitingwithout to act as interpreter between Chung Pi and his German visitor,had his knife, it was not very likely that Burroughs and he couldoverpower the four sentinels on guard at the door. Even if they weretaken by surprise, the sound of the scuffle would quickly bring upothers from the gates and courtyards between the room and the outerwall. The more they thought of the problem, the more thoroughly werethey convinced that violent measures were doomed to failure; they musthave recourse to stratagem. But puzzle as they might, neither had theglimmering of a notion what the first move in the game must be.
They were so deeply immersed in talk that they did not notice the flightof time, and both were surprised when the door was opened, and a Chinesecook brought in their breakfast.
"Rice and beans again, I suppose!" said Errington, with a groan. "I'vehad nothing else."
An idea occurred to Burroughs.
"Take care not to seem friendly with me," he said, twirling hismoustache--Reinhardt's moustache!--and turning his back on Erringtonwith true Germanic disdain. "Hai! Chin Tai, tell these fellows that Idemand to see the captain at once."
He had some doubt whether his demand would be acceded to, but Chung Pihad apparently anticipated something of the sort, for one of thesentinels called up a man from the courtyard, and sent him with themessage to the captain.
When Chung Pi appeared, it was evident that he was much amused. Helaughed as he spoke to Chin Tai.
"He say massa hab catchee too plenty muchee plison," said Chin Tai.
"It's all very well," said Burroughs, frowning haughtily. "I asked youto arrest me, for form's sake, but I didn't say I'd agree to be starved.Is this the fare to put before a German? It is good enough for theEnglishman, but it won't do for me."
He glanced scornfully at Errington, who, taking the cue, assumed an airof dejection and humility.
"I am sorry," said Chung Pi contritely. "It was a mere oversight on mypart. The cook naturally provided for the second prisoner as for thefirst. He did not know of the understanding between your honourableexcellency and my unworthy self. I will at once have a dinner preparedworthy of your august eminence."
"That is well," said Burroughs. "When I have finished my meal, I shallgive myself the pleasure of showing to you the boat which lies at thelanding-stage."
"I must sleep a little first," said Chung Pi. "I have eaten so manymelon seeds that my belt is exceedingly tight."
"At any time your excellency pleases," said Burroughs, with a bow.
The captain retired, after giving orders to the cook. Presently theservant returned, bringing a right royal feast--pickled duck's eggs,bean curd, pork patties, chopped cucumber, millet cakes soaked intreacle, fried cabbage--all very tastily dressed, together with watermelons and tea.
As soon as the door was shut, the two prisoners fell to with a will.
"You'll want something better than rice and beans if we're to have anybother," said Burroughs. "This is very good; I only wish they didn'tuse quite so much garlic and oil."
When they had finished their dinner, Burroughs knocked at the door, andordered Chin Tai, who meanwhile had had to satisfy himself with rice, tolet the captain know that he was ready. It was some time before ChungPi appeared, cracking and eating melon seeds. What explanation he gaveto the sentinels of his indulgence to the second prisoner, or whether hecondescended to give any explanation at all, Burroughs never knew. Heaccompanied Chung Pi to the outer gate, where chairs were waiting, andwhen they had entered these antiquated vehicles, each was lifted by fourchai-jen or yamen runners, and carried through crooked and unsavourystreets, too narrow to admit of more than one passing at a time, down tothe landing-stage. Two chai-jen went in advance, clearing a way withtheir sticks through the crowd. Chin Tai followed.
Lo San's face beamed at the sight of "Massa Bullows." He had begun tofear that some mishap had befallen him, and saw another beating inprospect.
Burroughs invited the captain to step into the hydroplane, but Chung Piexcused himself with many apologies, regretting that the present stateof his health--by which Burroughs understood a surfeit of melonseeds--rendered it inadvisable for him to undergo any excitement.Leaving Chin Tai on the landing-stage, as a guarantee of good faith,Burroughs accordingly embarked alone, and for the space of a quarter ofan hour or so exhibited the qualities of the vessel as a hydroplane,skimming up and down the river at full speed. Its flying powers,however, he refrained from showing.
Chung Pi was so much impressed and delighted with the marvellous vesselthat he overcame his squeamishness, and consented to try a short tripup-stream. A few miles above the town, Burroughs caught sight of asmall launch coming down swiftly on the current, and ran up to meet it,intending to turn and race it, with the object of still furtherimpressing the captain. But in a few moments Lo San, interpreting asentence of his passenger, informed him that the launch was one of SuFing's dispatch boats, and was probably bringing a message from thechief to Chung Pi.
Feeling somewhat alarmed, Burroughs slowed down, and ran the hydroplanealongside the launch. A sashed and turbaned officer on deck shouted agreeting to Chung Pi, and told him that Su Fing was now on his way downthe river with the bulk of his force, and might be expected to arrivebefore sunset.
"He say you velly happy this time," Lo San interpreted. "Su Fing hecome look-see boat, say he velly good, numpa one boat."
Burroughs was anything but happy. He forced a smile, but felt mostunphilosophically irritated when the ends of Reinhardt's moustachetickled his cheeks. He listened unheeding to the monotonous voice of LoSan translating the encomiums passed by Chung Pi on the admirablevessel, and steered mechanically down-stream towards Meichow, whitherthe captain said they must return at once in order to make preparationsfor Su Fing's fitting reception. Sufficiently alive to the necessity ofsparing petrol, he did not drive the vessel at full speed, much to thedisappointment of Chung Pi, who was looking forward to a dashingreappearance before the eyes of the thousands of admiring spectatorsnow, beyond doubt, congregated at the riverside.
The imminent return of Su Fing threatened to put a bar to any plan thatmight be evolved for releasing Errington. As yet, think as hard as hemight, Burroughs had been quite unable to form any likely scheme. On theway down the river he bent his brains exclusively on the problem, blindto the probability that Chung Pi might become suspicious of his lack ofexhilaration at the prospect of a speedy meeting with the chief. Themore he puzzled, the more hopeless the situation appeared. He knew thatthe coming of Su Fing would draw the whole population into the narrowcontorted alley-ways that served as str
eets, so that, even if he gotErrington out of the yamen, the chances of gaining the landing-stageundetected were naught. He tried to think of some means of persuadingChung Pi to bring Errington to the hydroplane; indeed, he ventured tohint that it would be a fine thing to meet the chief far up the river,and offer the prisoner to him as a sort of slave to grace his triumph.But Chung Pi would not hear of it. He objected that the orders he hadreceived were strict: the Englishman was to be closely guarded; and itwas as much as his rank was worth to disobey commands so explicit.Burroughs would not excite suspicion by pressing the point; and, indeed,he liked the fat simpleton so well as to wish to avoid getting him intohot water.
Thus uneasy, depressed, more nervous than he had ever been in his lifebefore, he was running towards the landing-stage, not giving a glancebeyond, when an exclamation from Lo San caused him to lift his eyes.Then he saw something that shot a cold shiver through him. This was thelast straw. A quarter of a mile beyond the landing-stage, coming rounda bend in the river, was the nose of a launch which he instantlyrecognized as Reinhardt's. It would reach the stage about the same timeas his own vessel. The game was up! Reinhardt was certainly on board;the launch had never been seen on the river without him. He wouldcertainly betray the pseudo-German. There had never been any love lostbetween them. They had parted in anger. And with a man of Reinhardt'stemperament the "rape of the lock," the explanation of which would flashupon him the moment he caught sight of it adorning Burroughs' lip, wouldsupply the fiercest motive for revenge.
Burroughs turned his head away from Chung Pi; he could no longer keep upthe forced smile, which he felt must have become an awful grimace.Always a little slow of thought, he did not remember, for a moment ortwo, that in his story to Chung Pi he had unwittingly provided himselfwith an avenue of safety. All at once the recollection flashed uponhim: he was Lieutenant Eitel Reinhardt, of the gunboat _Kaiser Wilhelm_.The moustacheless German was his brother!
"My brother! my brother!" he shouted excitedly.
Lo San looked at him in amazement. Was his master mad? Then he, too,remembered.
"My honourable master's brother," he exclaimed to Chung Pi.
The captain's broad face gleamed with interest and satisfaction. Thisnew arrival was the very man who had arranged the gifts for Su Fing,whom his brother had so unfortunately missed, of whose money he himselfhad a hundred dollars safely tucked into his pouch.
"Brothers are as double cherries," he said. "The coming of your augustrelative is as the shining of the morning sun on the closed petals of arose."
Burroughs bowed as Lo San translated, feeling that another word wouldmake him shout with maniacal laughter. With a turn of the wrist he ranthe boat alongside the landing-stage, just a second or two before thelaunch came up at the farther end. With Chung Pi he stepped off,observing that Reinhardt was standing at his gangway, waiting for hisheavier and more cumbersome vessel to be brought alongside. And almostwishing that the planks might part, and plunge him into the water andoblivion, he walked forward to meet his fate.