CHAPTER XXXVIII.
CRUEL DEATH OF THE AGED WOO.--A BATTLE.--BRAVERY OF THE BOYS.--CHOWTAKEN BY THE ENEMY.
With terrible anxiety, Nicholas awaited the return of the party sent insearch of the princess, but when evening came and they brought not theslightest clue, his grief grew beyond all bounds, and he resolved toseek the general's permission to go himself in search, but, as on thefollowing day, a deserter from the enemy brought news that the main bodyof the rebels was within a few miles of Lao-yang, he was compelled toremain with Woo-san-Kwei, at least till the enemy had been destroyed orbeaten back from whence they came.
Then terrible preparations were made for a close fight, in the event ofthe enemy assaulting the town before the arrival of the Tartars; butwhen Li-Kong came in sight, with an army so vast that it covered thecountry for miles, the hearts of Woo-san-Kwei's troops grew faint, forshould the Tartars deceive them, they were lost, for against suchnumbers it was impossible they could hold out many days. Still, thegreatest coward grew courageous when he thought of the merciless crueltyof Li, knowing it would be a far more easy death to fall upon the wallsthan into his hands, and so for days they held out bravely against theattacks which had now become incessant. Then, through the continuedefforts, both by day and night, made by the two youths, to sustain thecourage of the troops, the latter recovered their spirits, and sogallantly did the boys help in repelling the assailants, that they werepraised by the general in front of the whole army.
Fourteen days had they defended the town, when the provisions became soscarce, that, again losing hope, the troops grew mutinous and threatenedto throw down their arms, when, upon the fifteenth, upon a hill thatarose far behind the rebel army, there shot up to the heavens a vastbody of blue fire, upon which, forgetting their troubles, the soldiersbecame frantic with joy, offered thanks to Fo, and returned to theirduties with renewed energy; and no wonder, for it was the signal thatthe Tartars were on their march to relieve them.
Li-Kong must also have understood the signal, for from the moment of itsappearance one-half of his army began to manoeuvre, so as to present agood front to the new enemy, while the other commenced a fierce assaultupon the town. Seeing assistance at hand, Woo-san-Kwei ordered histroops to reserve their arrows and ammunition till their ally had soweakened the enemy's rear that he could judiciously leave the town, andattack them in front. When, however, the besieged slackened fire, theassaulting party retired, and a body of their cavalry, holding theirgreat shields before them to receive stray arrows, rode forward towithin half a bow-shot from the walls, when they came to a dead halt.
"What mean the dogs? surely they escort an envoy from the rash rebel,"said the general, commanding silence along the walls; and then orderingone of his officers to shout to the party, that they might remove theirshields without fear.
This having been done, the men let fall their shields, when the sightthat presented itself caused the brave general to reel, so that he wouldhave fallen but for the support of Nicholas. As for Chow, he placed anarrow in his bow, and would have sent it flying at the chief of theparty, had not an officer struck the arrow from its rest, saying, "How,wouldst thou disobey the general?" and brought to his senses, the boystood stamping his feet, gnashing his teeth, and twitching the bow withsuppressed rage. Well might the sight cause such consternation on thepart of the general, for there upon horseback, heavily laden withchains, sat his father the venerable Woo, with his long gray hairflowing down his bared neck, accompanied by an executioner, who stood byhis side, holding a naked sabre.
The aged Woo brought in chains before the walls.]
"What would the General Li-Kong with Woo-san-Kwei, that he thus humbleshim?" said Woo-san-Kwei.
"Let the venerable Woo answer the question of his rebel son," said thechief of the party.
Then with a glance of fierce defiance at his guards, the old noble said,"It is well known, O my son, that the heavens, earth, and fate causestrange vicissitudes of fortune; even so have they deposed the EmperorWey-t-song, and placed in his royal seat the Emperor Li-Kong, who, ifthou wilt make a virtue of necessity, acknowledge his dominion, andserve him as a faithful tributary, will confer upon thee the title anddignity of a king; but if thou refusest submission, the head of thyparent will be the penalty. Such are the words the aged Woo hath beencommanded to deliver; it is now for his brave son to consider what heoweth to him who gave him life."
So great was the indignation of the troops of Woo-san-Kwei, that but forthe danger of Woo, whom the rebels had placed in their front, they wouldhave shot down the whole party. As for the general, he stood for someminutes bewildered; had it been his rank, fortune, or life, that was indanger, his filial love would have prevented an instant's hesitation;but was he not the son of a man whose whole life had been dedicated tothe people? alas! this knowledge made his agony the greater; for thebetter the man, the greater reason his life should be saved at any cost.At any? No--not at the cost of his honor, and the safety of the people,whom this Li-Kong was decimating hourly.
With terrible patience the chief of the party awaited a reply. It wasgiven. Woo-san-Kwei fell upon his knees. "Pardon, O my venerable andnoble parent," said he aloud, "but it is not under heaven that thoucouldst wish thy son to do this thing; if it be so, let this be theanswer: He that is not faithful to the people will never be faithful tohis son; therefore, if you forget your duty and fidelity to the imperialfamily, and the people, by demanding that thy son should be guilty of sogreat a crime, no man will blame Woo-san-Kwei for forgetting his dutyand obedience to such a father." Then, turning to the chief, the generaladded sternly, "Take back these words, thou dog: That the son of thevenerable Woo will die the dog's death rather than acknowledge so greatand cruel a thief as this Li-Kong."
"These are fragrant words, O my noble son; for hadst thou been guilty ofso monstrous a crime, the names both of father and son would havesounded hateful in the ears of posterity: the father, that he hadbrought up a son so basely; and the son, that he could save so bad aparent," replied the venerable noble.
"Shall it go down to posterity that the noble Woo-san-Kwei was theassassin of his parent?" said the chief of the party.
"Thou hast thy answer, dog, and if thou art within bow-shot longer thanthe next five minutes thy miserable life shall be the forfeit," said thegeneral; adding sorrowfully, "Farewell, O my venerable parent. May thegreat Tien pardon me, if I have not chosen virtuously."
"Thy choice, O noble son, will make happy the last moments of thyfather," said the old noble; when, interrupting him, the rebel chiefsaid, "Still thou shalt have another chance to save this old man's life,thou obstinate rebel;" adding, "I will grant thee another hour, and ifwithin that time a fire is made upon your walls, I shall take it as thetoken of your submission; but if at the end of the hour such a signalhas not been made, then shall a similar signal from the Emperor's campproclaim thy parent to be on his journey to the yellow stream."
After this the party hastened back to their camp, leaving the agonizedgeneral standing in melancholy thoughtfulness, till just as the fifthminute expired his attention was called to a small party of horsemen,who, led by Nicholas and Chow, were at full gallop after the envoy. Itwas rashness, nay, madness, for they were rushing upon the very outpostsof the enemy, and nothing less than a miracle could save the foolishyouths; when, turning to an officer, he cried, "Haste thee with whathorse you can collect to the rescue of those foolish boys."
The order was obeyed, and some two hundred horse galloped forward, andreached them in time to save Nicholas alone; as for Chow, havingrecognized in the chief of the party the mandarin who had slain hisfather, he had galloped greatly beyond his own party, when the mandarin,fearing for the safe custody of Woo, pressed forward with such haste,that, getting far ahead of his own party, Chow found himself a prisonerbefore he knew where he was. Enraged at his danger, Nicholas would havefollowed, but for the soldiers sent by Woo-san-Kwei, who, coming up tohim, caught hold of the rein of his horse, and in the name of thegeneral comm
anded him to return to the city. By the time, however, hereturned to the town, Woo-san-Kwei had determined to make a dash at therebels with a faint hope of saving his father,--a hope that was notunreasonable, especially as the advanced guards of the Tartars were nowseen to attack Li-Kong from the opposite side. The little army wasready; the general was at their head; but before they had marched far, abright flame shot up from the camp of Li-Kong. The head of Woo-san-Kweifell upon the neck of his horse; he sobbed aloud, "The assassin hastaken thy life, my noble parent;" but arousing himself, he added, "Forthis one deed, O thou villain, thou shalt be hunted from the land;" andso great were the numbers of the Tartars, and the bravery ofWoo-san-Kwei and his little army, that before midnight Li-Kong had beendriven from his position with the loss of at least one-half of his greatpower.