CHAPTER XV--OF CHEONG-CHAU'S MESSENGER
To the reader who is unacquainted with China, the conduct of Ling mayappear to be highly improbable. In any other country in the world sucha crime might be committed, but in no other country would the criminalnot be seized with alarm. He would know that there was direct evidenceagainst him and, in consequence, he would be obliged either to fly forhis life or else stand his trial on a charge of murder or manslaughter,as the case might be.
In this regard China is unique--a country without police, in whichevidence is extremely hard to obtain, no man presuming to testifyagainst his neighbour. Under the old imperial regime there were no realcourts of justice beyond the summary jurisdiction exercised by the localgovernment official--the prefect, the _tao-tai_ or the viceroy. And sofar as we are aware, these very necessary reforms have not yet beeninstituted in the modern republican China of the twentieth century.
Ling had little or nothing to fear. Men-Ching had no relations whomight carry the tale to the viceroy's _yamen_. Both Ah Wu and Yung Howhad been frightened out of their lives, and the Honanese had noapprehensions in regard to the unfortunate boy whom he had kidnapped inSanshui.
In less than a minute after this deed of violence had been accomplished,Ling was sprawled at his great length upon one of the couches in theouter room. There, puffing complacently at a pipe of opium, he appearedto have dismissed the incident from his mind. He was busy making plansfor the future. Ah Wu had now sufficiently recovered his composure toattend to the wants of his unwelcome guest. He brought Ling opium; helighted the spirit-lamp; he rolled opium pills in his fat littlefingers.
To all intents and purposes, Ling had taken complete possession of theopium den. He himself might have been the proprietor. He offered YungHow a pipe of opium, which Yung How accepted. He ordered Frank to beseated, and the boy had no option but to obey. Then he deliveredhimself as follows, addressing himself to Ah Wu.
"Ah Wu," said he, "I desire that you will be so good as to make acomplete confession. There are certain details connected with thisaffair concerning which I am completely in the dark. For instance, whowas to go for the treasure to the Glade of Children's Tears?"
"I was," said Ah Wu.
"Alone?"
"No. Yung How was to accompany me." And Ah Wu indicated his Hong-Kongfriend by a motion of the hand. "We were to hire a junk in which totake away the money. We were to be assisted by Men-Ching and anotherman."
Ling looked across at Yung How and nodded pleasantly.
"And so, my tame cat, your name is Yung How. A fit name for one whowashes plates and brushes a foreigner's clothes."
"I do not wash plates," said Yung How; "that is coolies' work."
"I beg your pardon," said Ling. "Since it is beneath your dignity towash plates I am sorry for you, for presently I propose to eat at AhWu's expense. And you shall wash the plates which it shall be mypleasure to use."
Yung How made a wry face, and dropped his eyes to the ground. Frankobserved that the man muttered to himself.
The boy was astonished that Yung How had not yet recognised him. Was itpossible that he would fail to do so? The thought seemed too good to betrue. On the other hand, it was possible that Frank had already beenrecognised, that Yung How knew who he was, and had managed to concealhis surprise. The average Chinese is quite capable of suchextraordinary self-control. The boy's train of thought was interruptedby Ling, who took up the thread of his cross-examination.
"And so," said he, "you, Ah Wu, and Yung How, were to go together to theGlade of Children's Tears, having first ascertained that theneighbourhood was safe, that the foreigners in Hong-Kong had not thoughtfit to send armed men to capture you?"
"That is so," said Ah Wu.
"And the money was to be brought here by river?"
Ah Wu nodded. "To Canton," said he.
"Where Cheong-Chau would come by night, giving you your share and takingthe rest back with him to Pinglo, to divide amongst his gang?"
Ah Wu nodded again.
"A simple business," said Ling. "A well-laid plot that has come togrief. Well, I am generous. My soul is of honey. I am soft of heart.You will find me a better master than Cheong-Chau. I can be generous tothose who help me, as I know how to deal with those who declarethemselves my enemies." And he jerked a finger in the direction of thelittle room beneath the stairs.
"Do you mean," asked Yung How, "that you propose to buy our silence?"
The man rose upon his couch like a bearded lion.
"I mean nothing of the sort," he cried. "Go to the viceroy if you willand tell him that you saw Ling take the life of Men-Ching in the opiumden of Ah Wu--say I murdered the man. It will be a lie, I tell you. Heattempted to stab me and I killed him in self-defence. Still you arefree to go to the _yamen_ with any tale you like, and when you havefulfilled your errand, I tell you frankly, upon the word of a man whoholds the truth as sacred, that you shall not live for forty-eighthours. That is the manner of man I am, and that is the way in which Ibuy your silence."
Yung How did not move a muscle of his face.
"Then I fail to understand you," said he.
"I will make my meaning plainer," said the other. "This afternoon Isend these letters to Hong-Kong by post, by the night boat. They willarrive to-morrow morning. In two--or at the most three--days, theransom will be paid: twenty thousand dollars will be conveyed by somemeans from Hong-Kong to the Glade of Children's Tears. I think nosoldiers will be sent because the Englishman in his letter has expresslystated that such a course would not be wise."
At that moment there came a loud, persistent rapping on the outer door,which Ah Wu had already locked. Ling at once ceased talking, but it isa singular fact that he was the only one of the four of them who showedno signs of being alarmed. They sat in silence, listening for severalminutes, during which time the knocking upon the door continued. It wasLing who was the first to speak.
"Who is there?" he asked, addressing himself to Ah Wu.
"I have no idea," replied Ah Wu.
Ling got to his feet, strolled across the room, and drawing thecurtains, unbolted the door. On opening it he beheld, standing beforehim upon the threshold, a man dressed in the scarlet coat ofCheong-Chau's brigand band.
"What do you want?" asked Ling.
"Men-Ching," said the man.
"And who, may I ask, is Men-Ching?"
"He is a friend of mine."
"He is not here," said Ling. "You can come in, if you like, and see foryourself."
The man entered the opium den, advancing down the centre of the room.Frank recognised him at once: he was the man who had accompaniedMen-Ching upon his journey from the mountains. He went straight up toAh Wu, to whom he bowed, folding his hands in accordance with the customof his nation.
"You, I believe, are Ah Wu?" he asked. "You are the landlord of thisestablishment?"
"I am," said Ah Wu.
"I come for a friend of mine, Men-Ching by name. I think you know him.He told me he would be here."
"He is not here," said Ah Wu, who, palpably nervous, from time to timeglanced in the direction of Ling.
"That is strange," said the man. "He certainly told me that I shouldfind him here. Can you tell me where he is?"
Ah Wu shook his head. "I cannot say," said he.
The man looked perplexed. He stood for a moment stroking his chin, asif he was undecided what to do. Then Ling laid one of his great handsupon the man's shoulder.
"I will tell you where he is," said he. "He left here in greathaste--and unexpectedly. He has gone upon a journey--a long journey. Hedid not say where he was going, for two reasons: firstly, he had no timeto tell us; secondly, I do not believe he knew. And so, my friend, wecan give you no information likely to be of value. Who are we, that weshould know all things, that we should be able to solve the riddles ofthe universe? We are poor mortals, with little wisdom and great hopes.We arrange our lives in accordance with our own ideas, and
those ideasare but guess-work, the product of imagination. We know nothing. Welive in the dark. The printed page of the book of mysteries lies openbefore us, but we are blind and unable to read. Could I soar higher thanan eagle, traversing the eternal plains of space, I might be able totell you something of Men-Ching. As it is, I cannot." And Ling, with ashrug of the shoulders, turned away.
The man regarded his broad back in amazement. He could make neitherhead nor tail of what he had been told. And at the same time he was ina dilemma: he could do nothing without Men-Ching; in a great city likeCanton--with which he was not well acquainted--he had no idea where tolook for him.
"It is of the greatest importance," said he, "that I find Men-Chingwithout delay. I have news for him."
Ling whipped round at once.
"News," he exclaimed. "I tell you, my good man, you may be perfectlyfrank with us. We are in the secret."
"You are!" cried the man.
"All four of us," said Ling, whose capacity for falsehood appeared to bein proportion to his other faculties.
The man looked in surprise from Ling to Ah Wu, from Yung How to Frank.
"I see you doubt me," continued Ling. "Permit me to enlighten you. Youare one of Cheong-Chau's band--that is evident from your coat. You camesouth with Men-Ching in order to convey certain letters to Hong-Kong.Cheong-Chau demands a ransom of twenty thousand dollars as the price ofthe lives of three European prisoners whom he holds in his hands. Thissum of money is to be conveyed by junk, before the new moon, to theGlade of Children's Tears. It has already been arranged between my verygood friend, Cheong-Chau, and Men-Ching, that we four, accompanied byMen-Ching himself, proceed to the Glade of Children's Tears in order totake possession of the money. I am surprised that Men-Ching did notinform you of all this. I presume you no longer doubt me?"
"I cannot doubt you," said the man. "You know more of the matter thanmyself. I was aware that Cheong-Chau had agents in Canton, but I wasnever informed who they were. Perhaps you will be so good as to adviseme what to do."
Ling stroked his black moustache. He appeared to be deep in thought.
"If I were you," said he, "I should leave the matter in Men-Ching'shands. He cannot be far away. If I were you I should return at once toCheong-Chau."
"That is not necessary," said the man.
Ling looked up quickly, lifting his eyebrows. For a moment his eyesflashed, suggesting something of the fierce sudden intelligence of abeast of prey that scents its quarry.
"How do you mean?" he rapped out.
"It is not necessary," said the man, "that I return to Cheong-Chau, forthe simple reason that Cheong-Chau himself has come to me."
Ling closed his mouth with a snap.
"Ah!" he exclaimed. "So Cheong-Chau is--in Canton?"
"He approaches Canton," said the man. "That is the information that Idesired to give to Men-Ching."
"He approaches Canton," repeated Ling. "This is indeed interesting! Andcan you tell me why Cheong-Chau approaches Canton?"
"Yes," said the man. "One of his prisoners has escaped."
At the word Frank Armitage caught his breath. With a great effort ofwill he managed to control himself. He stared hard at the opium bowl,filled with the sticky, treacle-like substance, that was immediately infront of him.
The boy felt like a helpless bird, imprisoned in a cage of poisonoussnakes. He could not be blind to the peril in which he stood. Hardly aminute passed when it was not made evident to him that his life hungupon a thread. At any moment he might be discovered, and then, in thehands of such a man as Ling, he could hope for little mercy.
"What you tell me interests me vastly," said Ling, still addressinghimself to the brigand. "You have no idea how annoyed I am. And so oneof the prisoners has escaped! I think you had best return toCheong-Chau, taking with you a written message from my friend, Ah Wu."
Ah Wu looked up at Ling in something like despair. The fat proprietorof the opium den, at that moment, bitterly regretted that he had everhad anything to do with the business. He feared Cheong-Chau, but he wasterrified of Ling. He now found himself between the hammer and theanvil.
"What do you wish me to do?" he asked, in a weak voice. "What sort of amessage am I to send to Cheong-Chau?"
"Tell him the truth," said Ling. "Tell him that Men-Ching called herethis morning, and soon afterwards departed unexpectedly, in a greathurry. Say that you presume he has gone to Hong-Kong. He told you, Ibelieve, that the letters were safe."
And even as Ling said these words he placed one of his hands upon thepocket of his coat--and they all heard the crinkling sound of the stiffrice paper upon which the letters had been written. Both Yung How andFrank regarded Ling in astonishment. The man was beyond doubt anaccomplished and unmitigated villain. He was never at a loss. As forAh Wu, very meekly he crossed the room to the writing-desk where he kepthis accounts. There he wrote a letter, handling with skill the longChinese ink-brush. And as he wrote Ling strolled up to him, glancedover his shoulder, and strolled away. Then Ah Wu folded the letter andsealed it and gave it to Cheong-Chau's man, who a few moments afterwardsleft the opium den.
No sooner was he gone than Ling bolted the door and came back quicklyinto the room.
"This," said he, "is going to be a touch-and-go affair. It will be anopen question now who gets to the Glade first: Cheong-Chau or I. Youthree shall help me. I take it, you prefer to be on the winning side. Ishall need the assistance of every one of you. You will have your fairshare of the plunder, more than you would have got from Cheong-Chau--Ipromise you that. But I have warned you once, and I warn you again:play me false, and I deal with you as I dealt with Men-Ching. It isalready late in the afternoon. There is much to be done to-night. AhWu, you must keep the place closed; you must put up a notice outsidesaying that no customers will be admitted. Tell me, is there a backentrance?"
Ah Wu nodded his head.
"Good!" exclaimed Ling. "You and I must get the body of that fool outof the way. We shall be able to do that as soon as it is dark. As forthese two, they can remain here till we return. I care not how many menCheong-Chau has brought with him. I know how to settle him. The man isan opium fiend, and by opium he shall fall. Now then, Ah Wu, are we tobe friends or foes?"
"Friends," said Ah Wu.
"Then swear friendship."
And Ah Wu swore, with a hand uplifted, by the Five Sacred Books.
And then Yung How swore fidelity to Ling, who rounded upon Frank.
"And you, my little smooth-faced infant, whom I have truly taken to myheart, you have not told me yet your name?"
"Ah Li," said Frank, who for some time had been prepared for such aquestion.
"And you also swear?"
And Frank swore, following the example of Ah Wu and Yung How, and usingthe same words to be faithful to the mighty Ling. And as he made thedeclaration he satisfied his conscience that he attached no moreimportance to the words than did Ling to the life of the man whom he hadkilled.