CHAPTER XVI
A LITTLE LUNCHEON PARTY
"What's the row, Pidge?" asked Burroughs, when the sentinels and ChinTai had been dismissed, and the door closed behind them.
"Oh, he'd been telling a heap of lies, and when he started abusing you,I knocked him down."
Reinhardt started when he heard Burroughs speak in his natural voice.The disguise as it were fell off: his vague misgiving was justified; thecropped hair, the thickened eyebrows, the upturned moustache, no longerimposed upon him, and he writhed in his bonds.
Burroughs gave him a contemptuous stare.
"I don't care, personally," he said very quietly, "what lies you tellabout me. There never has been any love lost between us. All I regretis that, among Chinamen, I should have had to treat a European--evensuch a European as you are--with such indignity. But you've brought iton yourself. You're a dangerous man. You're in league with theserebels; I know it, you needn't protest; in spite of that, in spite of myappeal to you, you wouldn't move a finger in Errington's behalf. I musttreat you as an enemy--a secret enemy, and take the precautions that fitthe case. Errington and I have matters to discuss, and owing to theaction of your friends the rebels, we have to discuss them here. Yourcompany has been forced upon us, so I'll take the liberty of relievingyou from the necessity of overhearing our conversation."
"I protest," the German began, blusteringly. "I don't want to hear yourconversation. Speak in ze corner; whisper."
Burroughs paid him no attention, but opened the door and called to ChinTai.
"Stuff up Mr. Reinhardt's ears," he said.
Chin Tai produced a dirty rag from the pouch at his waist.
"No, not that," said Errington impulsively. "Haven't you a handkerchief,Ted?"
Burroughs gave his handkerchief to the Chinaman, who tore it in strips,and rolled up two wads which he placed in the German's ears.
"Wait outside, and let me know if the captain comes."
As soon as the door was shut, Burroughs took Errington to the window.
"The position's this, old man," he said. "Su Fing is coming down river.It's all up with us if he finds us here. Reinhardt won't stick at atrifle. We must get away somehow or other before evening. How it's tobe done beats me."
"Where did you go when you left me?"
"I showed off the boat to Chung Pi. He'd eaten so many melon seeds thathe wouldn't venture on board at first; but I got him on after a bit. Ionly did it to heighten my importance. It was when we were goingup-stream that we met a launch of Su Fing's, and heard that the chiefwould be here to-night."
"You didn't fly?"
"No. Chung Pi is sure to have heard of the flying boat, and he'd havesmelt a rat. Why?"
"I've just had an idea," said Errington eagerly.
"Gently, old chap. I'm not at all sure that Reinhardt can't hear if youraise your voice. What is it?"
In a low tone, but with great animation, Errington explained the planwhich had suddenly suggested itself. For some time the two discussed ittogether. It was a strange conversation, conducted under the eyes ofthe German, glaring at them as he lay fierce and helpless on the floor.
They were interrupted by the entrance of the cook man bringing themidday meal. It was a generous repast; the cook had taken a hint fromwhat happened at breakfast-time, and provided food in even greatervariety than before. Burroughs and Errington took their chop-sticks andsat on the floor in front of the pots and pans. Errington glanced atReinhardt.
"We can't feed while he goes hungry," he said.
"Speak for yourself," said Burroughs. "I've not the slightestobjection."
"But they've brought grub for him. He'd better have his share."
"Just like you! All right; but he'll be a sort of skeleton at thefeast."
"A substantial skeleton! He won't depress me. But it's a rummy go,when you come to think of it."
Burroughs went to the German and released him.
"Some of this food is for you," he said, speaking close to Reinhardt'sear. "Errington suggests that you should join us."
He went back to his place beside Errington. For some seconds Reinhardtmade no movement beyond sitting up and stretching himself, with a sullenstare at Burroughs. Then either the matter-of-fact consideration thathe was hungry, or something in the humour of the situation, caused himto banish his sulks. He crossed the room, and squatted heavily oppositethe Englishmen.
"Whatever happens to any of us, this is certainly the last time we threeare likely to have a meal together," said Errington.
The situation was certainly novel. Men have sat down at table withmurder in their hearts; quarrels have arisen at the board; but it is notcommon for two men to eat with a third whom one has just knocked down,and whose moustache the other is wearing.
There was naturally a constraint upon the party--upon Errington moreparticularly, for he could not forget that he had once been Reinhardt'sfriend, nor that he owed him money. He might suspect that the Germanhad cheated him, but a debt is a debt. Yet to eat in silence wasimpossible, and presently Burroughs broke the ice.
"Have some of this," he said to Reinhardt, looking into one of the pans.
"I beg pardon," said Reinhardt. "I am a little hard of hearing."
The Englishmen glanced at each other.
"Better go the whole hog and do it decently while we are about it," saidErrington.
"Perhaps you can do something to cure yourself," said Burroughs in aloud tone to the German.
Reinhardt removed the wads from his ears, and looking at them doubtfullyfor a moment, laid them down on the floor beside him.
"Zanks," he said. "Now I am all attention."
"Not at all," said Burroughs. "Have some of this--I don't know what itis."
He ladled a sort of stew on to Reinhardt's plate. For a few momentsthere was silence as they plied their chop-sticks. Then Reinhardt,glancing up under his eyebrows, said gravely--
"I zink it is chow--puppy-dog, you know."
The others held their chop-sticks suspended.
"I'll try something else," said Burroughs, looking suspiciously intoanother pan.
"In China one must not inquire too much," the German went on. "One musthave faith. Once I was at an inn, deep in ze country. I demand dinner;zey say zere is none. Naturally I must have dinner, and I command zeinnkeeper very loud. Zat is effective. Soon he bring me aragout--excellent; I eat it wiz gusto. Afterwards I discover it israts."
The Englishmen's faces expressed their disgust, and again there wassilence.
"China is a great country for rats," said Errington lamely.
"Zat is true; zere are rats all up ze Yang-tse."
"Water-rats," suggested Burroughs.
"So; four legs--and two," said the German.
"Tails--and pigtails," said Burroughs.
"I make a study of zem all."
"My boy says that rats' whiskers are lucky," said Errington after apause.
"White rats!" added Burroughs.
Reinhardt's eyelids flickered. He seemed to avert his gaze with aneffort from Burroughs' moustache.
"I zink he is perhaps mistaken," he said.
Then he appeared to feel that he was skating on thin ice, towards adanger-mark. An observant onlooker might have discovered a resemblancebetween these three men, talking so quietly over their meal, andfencers, warily feeling for each other, but careful not to engage. Eachwas trying to "make" conversation, and found, almost in spite ofhimself, that it trended towards the personal. Reinhardt, the keenestand most experienced of the three, was the first to feel the tendency,and to attempt to divert it.
"Ze Chinese," he went on, "zey are very superstitious. Zey believe inspells and charms, zings which Europe dismissed hundred years ago, andmore. Zey talk always of luck."
"Don't you see that men make their own luck," said Burroughs.
"Perhaps, but not at cards," said Reinhardt. "Zat is skill." He
pulledhimself up suddenly. "Ze Chinese are indeed extremely skilful. As youEnglish say, zey will catch a weasel asleep."
"And skin him!" said Errington artlessly.
"I have heard of that too," said Burroughs, catching Reinhardt's eyesagain fixed on his moustache.
"Is zere any more cabbage?" asked the German, bending forward over thepan.
"No, but there is some parsley," replied Burroughs, in best phrase-bookstyle; and a minute or two afterwards the meal and the difficultconversation came to an end together.
During the pauses each of the party had been busily thinking: Burroughsand Errington of the scheme which they had partially discussed,Reinhardt of the extraordinary circumstances in which he found himself.For once, at any rate, the German felt that he had no trumps. He sawthrough Burroughs' imposture; and he was pretty sure that the moustachewhich had fascinated his eyes during the meal was his own. Inwardlyboiling with indignation and outraged vanity, he was sportsman enough toenter into the spirit of the situation so far as speech was concerned;his brain was cogitating an exemplary vengeance, and he hugged himselfwith the thought that the hour of revenge was at hand. The apparentcoolness of the Englishmen amazed him. With Su Fing already on his waydown the river, their heads were as good as gone. Yet nobody watchingthem, or listening to their talk, could ever have imagined that theirlives hung on a thread.
At the conclusion of the meal, Burroughs said politely--
"I regret the necessity of tying you up again."
"And I," said the German, with equal courtesy, though his eyes wereblazing, "I regret to be ze cause of so much trouble."
Burroughs called in his servant and the sentinels, and by their handsReinhardt was again bound. Chin Tai caught sight of the ear-wads lyingbeside the German's plate.
"He wantchee he 'nother time all-same?" he asked his master.
"Your conversation--is it not finished?" the German interposed. "One isincomplete wizout ears."
"I'm afraid you must remain incomplete for a while," said Burroughs."Put them in, Chin Tai; then tell those fellows they can clear away thefood and eat what's left. I want you."
As soon as the door was closed behind the guard, Burroughs tookErrington and Chin Tai to the window, and the three remained for someminutes in earnest conversation.
"Now," said Burroughs at last to the servant, "you know what you have todo. First of all, cut off to the captain; he has finished his luncheonby this time--and say that I request the honour of waiting upon him on amatter of great urgency."
"Allo lightee, sah; my talkee he allo plopa."
And he went with an air of much self-importance to fulfil his errand,reflecting with a chuckle that Lo San was out of this.