CHAPTER XXXIII.
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY.--ATTACKED BY WOLVES, AND STOPPED BY A SERPENT.
By the time Nicholas returned to the inn, Chow had prepared every thingfor their departure; the camel was laden with a litter for the twoladies, behind which were two tents, rough sleeping mats, furs and asupply of food and fuel.
"All is prepared, O noble Nicholas, according to thy order," said Chow.
"Thou art as nimble as thou art brave, Chow," said Nicholas, passing tothe room of the princess, whom he found with the mother of Chow wellwrapped in furs.
"It is well that thou art prepared, O beautiful and illustrious La-Loo,for the villain innkeeper heard our conversation, and I doubt notintended to earn the rebel Li-Kong's reward." At this the limbs of theprincess trembled, and her face became pale with fear.
"Let us haste then, O noble brother, for La-Loo fears that demonLi-Kong, and would rather that her parent's blow had proved effectivethan fall into his power."
"The weather is severe and the journey drear, and fraught with dangersof savage beasts and still more savage men," said Nicholas, as fearfulof the danger of proceeding as of remaining; adding, "At least theinnkeeper can not return till to-morrow, and early morning would be lessdangerous than the darkness of this winter's night."
"The last of the line of the great Tait-sou have the courage of theirancestors. Let us on our journey, my brother," said the princess.
Without another word Nicholas led the princess and her attendant to thecamel, and assisted them into the litter.
"Surely," said La-Loo, "there are times when women should have thecourage of men. An arrow sped by my hand would be as useful as one fromthe bow of my brother."
Understanding the meaning Nicholas gave the princess his own bow, andquiver full of arrows.
"Truly my venerable and beloved parent can pull a bow-string to save herlife," said Chow giving his bow and arrows to his mother.
"This is not well, Chow, for we are left unarmed, except with our shortswords, which will be of little use," said Nicholas.
"The noble Nicholas left Chow to provide for the journey, and so,knowing that female arms, like female tongues, can fight when the timecomes, he provided weapons for each," said Chow, taking two bows fromthe sides of the mule.
"Thou hast the wisdom and foresight of a colao, O Chow," said Nicholas,laughing; then adding, seriously, "But the guide."
"Is here, O noble stranger, and as he hopes to have his tomb welldusted, will conduct thee safely to the distant mountains," said ayouth, stepping forward with an unlighted torch in his hand.
Nicholas then mounting behind the camel, Chow upon the mule, and theguide taking hold of the cord which was tied to the great animal'smouth, they proceeded on their journey, and as it was just within thetime of closing the gates, they passed out of the town into the opencountry of teas and drugs; and so quickly did they travel, that beforenight came on they had reached a narrow gorge between two mountains,which was good, inasmuch as they would be protected from the keen winds.The darkness came on, and the guide lighted his torch, which flamed soterrifically, that they might have passed for one of our slow nighttrains.
So for some hours they traveled, till they came to a forest so densewith trees that the guide would go no further, and they pitched the twotents, one for the ladies, and the other for themselves, surroundingboth with a great fire, made of stubble, to keep off the wolves or otherbeasts of prey. The following morning they resumed their journey, tillas they were leaving the forest, they could hear the distant howling ofwolves; the camel exhibited its fright by making strange noises, and themule grew restless, snorted, and every now and then turned its head asif to look for its enemies. The whole party fixed arrows in their bows,ready for an attack, and for some time their hearts palpitated withalarm. Ordering the little caravan to stop, Nicholas sent Chow toexamine the probability of an attack. He had been absent half an hourwhen they heard the trampling of horses near at hand. What could itmean? surely they were not pursued? Then came Chow, who, runningforward, said, "We are lost, O my master, for there are banditti near."
"On my brother, on, for these rogues are doubtless the troops of therebel Li-Kong," exclaimed the princess, as she leant forward from thelitter with the bent bow in her hand; and onward they went, with openears, and as noiselessly as possible; passing along the side of amountain into which the wood opened, till they came to a gorge, when theguide stopped, and proposed that they should make a _detour_, in orderto avoid the passage of the mountain platform.
"It is not possible, my master; for to the right are the banditti, tothe left the wolves. Let us keep onward and dare this platform;" andagain they proceeded through the gorge. Still the wolves kept up theirdreary howling, and the trampling of the banditti, if banditti theywere, seemed at no greater distance from them than the animals; atlength they passed through the gorge, when a sight was before them thatwould have caused the stoutest hearts to quail. There, leading from thegorge, was the platform of which the guide had spoken. It was supportedby rafters, which stood out some six feet from the rock, a mere shelf,without edge or railing, at least five hundred feet above the level ofthe sea, which the mountain skirted.
"It would be death to cross with these animals; we must turn back andmake the _detour_," said the guide.
"Open thy ears. We dare not, O noble Nicholas," said Chow! "for thewolves are upon us."
"Onward, my brother, for there are sounds of more terrible beasts thanwolves. Let us trust ourselves in the hands of Providence," said theprincess.
Seeing the knees of the guide knocking together with fear, Nicholassaid, "Get thee to the rear, and follow the mule, thou coward;" then,dismounting, he caught hold of the reins in the nostrils of the camelsand averting his eyes from the chasm beneath, led the sure-footed beastalong the platform. They had reached midway, when the wolves, with ahowling concert, made their appearance at the commencement of theplatform; and as Chow, who brought up the rear, led the mule, he feltthe animal tremble, and fearing that if the wild brutes ventured acrossthe platform the terrified beasts would be the means of precipitatingthe whole party into the abyss, he trembled with anxiety. It was afearful situation, but the brave youth retaining his presence of mind,crept to the flanks of the mule, and only in time, for one of the wolveswho had ventured along the platform, followed by the pack, received anarrow in his brain, and as he rolled over into the abyss beneath, itscompanions stood with their fore feet stretched forward, and their earsbent, as if astonished, when another arrow flew among them, but sointent had Chow become in this fight, that he was unconscious that theprogress of the rest of the party had been stopped midway. For the causeof this we must return to Nicholas; who, as he led the camel, to hishorror, saw issuing from a fissure in the rock the head of a serpent ofthe most venomous kind. He fixed an arrow in his bow, but a moment'sthought, and he dared not fire, for should he miss the reptile it wouldbe upon them instantly. What should he do? His sword--yes--he drew it;but then he dared not leave the camel's head, and he called to Chow,little thinking that he was in a more terrible position than himself.
"Let fly thy arrow, my brother; should you miss, here is my bow," saidthe princess, leaning forward.
Still Nicholas would not move. The situation was fearful; the wolves onone side, the deadly serpent on the other; indeed words are wanting topaint the dread anxiety and terror of all, even the animals who stoodtransfixed, with their hearts beating against their sides in the agonyof fear.