CHAPTER XII--RISKING ALL ON ONE THROW
Just before Dave gained the parapet some of his sturdiest Jackies, byseizing a score of the yellow scoundrels and hurling them bodily overthe wall on the heads of their countrymen below, had succeeded inclearing some elbow room in which to fight.
The machine gun at this point had ceased sputtering, for its server hadbeen forced back in the rush.
Dave's sword flew in straight up and down cuts as he hurled himselfamong the furies who fought to drive him back. Thrice he parried spearthrusts that otherwise would have spitted him.
Rallying around him the strongest of his fighting men, Ensign Darrindrove the yellow men back for an instant.
"Tune up the machine gun," Dave bellowed. "We must rake this multitudeagain if we would have a single chance to win."
By signs, since he could not make himself heard many yards away, Darrinpassed the word down the line for sailors and marines to fill themagazines of their rifles and fire into the Chinese, who were making aneffort to raise new ladders against the wall.
But Ensign Dave glancing along his thin, exhausted line to see if manyof them were hurt, muttered to himself:
"The next rush ought to sweep us down into the compound. Then for themagazine, and--the Big Noise!"
"Mr. Darrin," bawled a missionary from below, "your sailor, Sampson,ordered me to come to you to say that the governor is nearly dead withterror over his position. Sin Foo promises that if the governor bebrought up here, his excellency will order and persuade the rabble tocease fighting and withdraw."
"Do you believe that, at this late stage, the governor could influencethese thousands of mad men?" Dave demanded.
"It is more than possible," replied the missionary.
"Tell Sampson, if you please, to bring his excellency up here. If thegovernor makes one false move, back he goes to the top of the magazine,without any further chance to redeem himself from going up with therest of us in the Big Noise. Please tell Sampson to rush the governorhere."
"And shall I come back, that I may know just what his excellency saysto the rabble?" suggested the missionary, who, like most of the othersof his band, spoke the language of China.
"Be sure to come back, if you please," Dave begged.
Again swarms of ladders were rushed to the walls. Pigtailed heads weremixed with short-haired Chinese heads, for, though the republic desiredall Chinamen to lop off the pigtails of the monarchial days, only aportion of the Chinese men have done so.
At times the swarms coming up the ladders pressed so close that sailorsand marines fought them with the butts of their rifles and with fists,even. The superior athletic physique of the Anglo-Saxon bore up beforethe rushes of the Chinamen with seemingly tireless energy. Had the topof the rampart been broader the Chinese must have carried all beforethem, but in the narrowness of the top of the wall the sailors had theadvantage.
Once more ladders had been tipped over, the last of the yellow menhurled to the ground below, and again the machine guns and the infantryrifles poured their shots into the thousands below.
Now up came Sampson, carrying in his arms a collapsed form that was theGovernor of Nu-ping.
"Stand up, confound you!" adjured Seaman Sampson, planting the governoron his feet and seizing him by the collar. "Stand up!"
The greenness of the governor's yellow face was more ghastly than ever.He shivered as a few stray shots whistled uncomfortably close to hisears.
The rays of four pocket electric lights were turned upon him by as manysailors equipped with these articles. His excellency stood in the spotlight, a very sorry-looking object.
Soldiers and civil officials are chosen from two different classes inChina. Often these civil officials, when put to the test, prove to betimorous indeed.
"Tell him to secure silence and make his speech," Dave requested of themissionary.
His excellency's arms waved like a spectre's as he made gesturesappealing for silence. Within thirty seconds the signs of his successwith his own people began to appear.
Gradually motion stopped in the multitude. Some of the more lowly amongthe Chinese fighters, out beyond the thick of the rabble, even fellupon their knees.
The peril seemingly passed, the governor became steadier. He was aruler speaking to obedient masses--or at least so it appeared.
Then, in a voice husky at first, but gradually gaining in strength, hisexcellency began to speak to his subjects, for such they really were.As his speech continued his voice became louder and more authoritative.
Dave glanced inquiringly at the missionary, who nodded back as much asto say that the governor was making a speech along right lines. Indeed,the speech must have had signal effect, for low murmurs ran in alldirections through the lately fighting rabble, and by degrees the lastefforts at fighting died out on all sides of the compound.
"As soon as the right moment comes," whispered Dave, "please tell himto order all the people a mile away from this part of the city."
In an undertone the missionary repeated in Chinese. Then, after a fewmoments, the movement backward began. A visible tremor of rearwardmotion passed through the throngs.
In silence the Chinese had heard the closing words of their governor,and now no crowd of thousands could have been more noiseless.
"Take his excellency below again," Dave commanded Sampson. "He is toovaluable an asset to lose just yet. Put him on top of the powdermagazine. Our missionary friends will assure his excellency that he isin not the least danger unless the attack is begun again."
Having seen these orders carried out, Ensign Darrin hurried back to thecircle of lanterns.
"Ladies, I am glad to be able to say that I think our danger is nearlyover," he announced. "We have a few more wounded to bring down from thewalls. After these men have had attention I think we shall be ready totake up the march to the river, and soon after that I believe that youwill all be safe on board the 'Castoga.' Don't rub your eyes or pinchyourselves to see if it all be true. I believe the bad dream is ended."
Then Dave sought out Sin Foo and "Burnt-face."
"Come with me to the governor," he directed, for, while the speech fromthe rampart was being made, these two underlings had somehow managed toslip away from their perilous place on top of the magazine.
"You are not going to offer us violence, are you?" asked Sin Foofearfully.
"Not unless you do something to merit it," was Darrin's response. "Ihave other uses in view for you."
Securing the services of the same missionary, Dave directed him to askthe governor if he would trust Sin Foo and "Burnt-face" to go out intothe city and carry to the people his excellency's will that no attackbe made upon the Americans when they started for the river front.
The governor replied that his two secretaries were the very ones tocarry his orders to his people.
"So that fellow is a secretary to the governor, also?" asked Darrin,pointing to "Burnt-face."
"He is the governor's secretary," replied the missionary. "Sin Foo isthe under secretary, who, that he might deal with Englishmen andAmericans, was educated in England."
"Warn the governor that if his secretaries play him false, and we areattacked, then his excellency will surely lose his life," Daverequested.
"His excellency is satisfied that his secretaries will serve himfaithfully, and keep his life secure," the missionary declared.
The governor himself spoke to "Burnt-face" and Sin Foo, after whichboth bowed low.
"Now, you two may turn yourselves out into the street," Dave announced."We will let you pass through the gates. See to it that you circulatewell, and that you impress upon the people their governor's wishes.Otherwise, his excellency will sail sky-high on a keg of powder--you maybe sure of that!"
To Ensign Dave's intense amazement, both "Burnt-face" and Sin Foo bowedvery low before him. Next, they threw themselves upon their kneesbefore the governor, who addressed them briefly, but earnestly.
When the secretaries rose Dave called a petty off
icer, to take them tothe gate and to vouch for their right to pass out.
In the meantime the wounded were being attended. Nearly all of theunhurt defenders still remained upon the ramparts, though the greatopen spaces below were devoid of any signs of a hostile populace.
"I wonder if his excellency would like to change his shoes beforestarting," Dave suggested to Bishop Whitlock, as he glanced down at thegovernor's dainty embroidered silken footgear.
"Are you going to take the governor with us?" asked the Bishop.
"He must go with us to the river front, and must remain there until allof our party is safe," Darrin answered.
"But you really mustn't make him walk," objected the Bishop. "If youdid, it would be such an affront as the people of Nu-ping would neverforgive in foreigners. There are several sedan chairs in the yamen, andthere are still enough attendants left to bear it. Permit me, Mr.Darrin, to see to the matter of the governor's sedan."
"I shall be deeply grateful, sir, if you will," was Dave's answer.
In less than five minutes the chair was ready, resting on the shouldersof eight husky coolies.
Ten minutes later the gates were thrown open. The defenders, hastilyrecalled from the ramparts, had formed.
First in the line were the marines, with a machine gun. Then followed adetachment of sailors. Danny Grin took command of the advance guard.Behind this were the wounded, some of whom hobbled slowly andpainfully, as there was no conveyance except for those who had beenbadly hurt.
After the wounded came the women, in a body, and, behind them, thegovernor in his sedan chair.
There followed the missionaries, armed and unarmed, and the other maleAmerican residents of Nu-ping. Finally marched the rest of the seamenwith Pembroke as their prisoner, and Dave commanded at this point.
Outside all was now as still as though in a city of the dead.
Was it safe to risk the march, or were they soon to run into somevillainous trap prepared by the ingenuity of the Chinese?
"Forward, march!" Ensign Darrin sent the order down the line.