CHAPTER XXI
THE END OF THE CHASE
Ten minutes' paddling brought the boat to the island. Burroughs stoodon the shore with Chung Pi and Chin Tai, waiting in great anxiety.
"O.K.," shouted Errington, the moment he saw his friend. "They'vedivided forces--two parties, nearly three-quarters of a mile apart."
"Good man!" cried Burroughs as Errington stepped ashore. "You can tellme all about it presently. I was uneasy when I heard the shots. We'vegot everything ready. The welding isn't very good, but I think the staywill last long enough to get us home. The only difficulty is thepetrol. I don't think we've enough for more than thirty miles on thewater. Less than twenty, probably, in the air. In any case we shallhave to run the gauntlet again."
"Yes, it looks awkward. I must tell you this much. Seven men are atthe upper end of the pool, dragging their boat out of the mud; no doubtthey've done it by this time. Three more are posted on a dry patchbelow the lower end. I think they'll not attempt to pursue us again;but the boat will probably run down to the gunboat, and they'll be onthe watch for us. If we start the engine the sound will give themnotice: the best thing we can do is to tow the hydroplane into the pool,then set her running, get up enough speed to fly, and cut off to theriver at an angle, so that we reach it some way lower down. Of coursewe shall be heard, and it would be a thousand times better if we couldfly overland the whole way; but we are at least sixty miles from Sui-Fu,and we simply daren't use up our petrol."
"I can't think of any other plan," said Burroughs. "As it is, we shallhave to trust entirely to the current for the last thirty miles or so,and everything depends on how far they venture to pursue us. It's timesome government boats came up stream; but it looks as if they arerelying entirely on the regiments from Tibet to put down the rising. Wemust simply take our chance."
The hydroplane was launched, and the tow-rope fastened to the boat,which Lo San and Chin Tai were to paddle to the pool. Chung Pi, muchdepressed for want of his customary nourishment, inquired anxiously whatit was proposed to do, and looked troubled on hearing that it wasnecessary again to approach the river.
"I am a land fighter," he said mournfully; "in these movements on thewater and in the air I am not myself. I should feel happier if I couldfind some melon garden, and fortify myself against the perils we shallmeet."
"Well, we'll drop you into the first melon garden we see, if you like,"said Burroughs bluntly.
"No, no, illustrious Englishman; I did but utter a pious wish. I muststill hang on to the tail of my horse, though he no longer seems asbeautiful as he did."
They set off along the waterway, Errington instructing Lo San to stop atthe opening into the pool, and report, before paddling farther, whetherhe saw any sign of the enemy. On reaching this point, they foundneither boat nor men; it was clear that Errington had guessed rightly.
As soon as the hydroplane was well out on the pool, the tow-rope wascast off, the planes were outspread, and Errington started the engine,setting the vessel straight towards the channel leading to the river.When it had gathered speed, a touch on the elevator sent it aloft, andErrington steered to the right, intending to strike the river abouthalf-a-mile lower down than the mouth of the channel. He kept fairlylow, so that the flying boat should be concealed from the gunboat by theintervening trees.
They came to the river, and instantly saw with alarm that theirprecaution was futile. In a recess of the opposite bank, with blacksmoke pouring from its funnel, lay the gunboat. The small boat was atthat moment being taken on board. The rebels had chosen this positionto lie in wait, partly to be out of the current, partly to cut off theescape of the hydroplane down the river if it eluded the search parties.
Errington at once steered the machine back towards the land. He darednot risk a straight flight down-stream, within range of the guns;another mishap might put the engine wholly out of action, and in spiteof the expenditure of petrol, flying must be kept up for some minuteslonger. That he did wisely was immediately proved. A fusillade brokeout from the deck of the gunboat, and in another half-minute the machineguns opened fire. Luckily they had been trained hurriedly, and theshots went wide of the mark. Before they could be fired again theflying boat was out of sight behind the trees.
It was some minutes before Errington ventured to direct his course againtowards the river. Everybody on board the flying boat expected that therebels would by this time have come to the conclusion that pursuit washopeless. The vessel alighted safely on the stream, and bearing in mindthe necessity of husbanding the petrol, Errington thought he might nowlet it drift along on the current.
But he was disabused in a very short time. For some miles the riverwound with such frequent curves that only short stretches of it werevisible in either direction. Thus it was with a shock of surprise thatthe occupants of the flying boat discovered, on nearing the end of astraight reach, that the gunboat was coming down at full speed scarcelyhalf-a-mile behind them. Errington at once started the engine; thevessel cut round the curve, and planed along at a rate far exceeding themaximum of which the gunboat was capable.
"We can easily keep ahead as long as the petrol lasts," said Burroughs;"but it seems as if the beggars know by instinct that we're runningshort. The worst of it is that we've several long straight reaches tonavigate a little lower down, and there they can fire at us as theyplease."
"Wouldn't it be better to go ahead full speed until the petrol givesout?" said Errington. "We could gain at least a dozen miles on thegunboat."
"And still be forty from Sui-Fu, absolutely helpless."
"Why not run up some creek, then, and hide until she has passed or givenit up?"
"No good. We've passed one or two sampans already, and the farther wego the more traffic we shall meet; some one would obligingly inform thehonourable ruffians of our whereabouts. No: we'd better go as we aregoing; use our engine for spurts when we are hard pressed, and driftwhen we are not."
Very soon afterwards they encountered a difficulty which they might haveforeseen. The river narrowed to little more than a gorge, through whichthe water poured in swift swirling volume. A junk was being hauledagainst the current by a hundred "trackers" on the bank. The channel onone side was obstructed by the tow-ropes; on the other there was notroom for the flying boat to pass, because of the rocks that projectedinto the stream, even though the planes had been folded back. There wasnothing for it but to draw into the side, and wait until the vessel hadpassed.
This wasted five minutes of valuable time. The gunboat would, of course,be delayed in the same way; but the gorge was fairly straight, and ifshe gained the upper end before the fugitives had escaped at the lower,the flying boat would be at the mercy of her guns.
Almost immediately after the boat had run in to the bank a shot whistledoverhead. Luckily the junk had now passed. Its deck was crowded withChinamen gazing curiously at the flying boat. At the sound of the shotthey yelled with fright, and ran for shelter beneath the port gunwale.A second shot from the gunboat struck away one of the junk's yards, manyof the trackers dropped their ropes and ran for their lives, and theunwieldy vessel fell away towards mid-stream, forming an effectivescreen against the guns.
Profiting by this diversion, Errington again put the engine at speed,and the flying boat raced down the river, out of the gorge, into a broadstraight reach that extended apparently for miles. Burroughs glancedinto the petrol tank: it was almost empty. All that they had remainingwas a little in the bottom of the can which had been pierced by thebullet. Lo San poured this into the tank.
Up to this time the Englishmen had retained their confidence; but theaccumulated misfortunes of the last few minutes plunged them indesperate anxiety. The drifting of the junk across the stream might beexpected to check the gunboat for at least ten minutes, during whichthey would be safe from gunfire. But as soon as the gunboat got clear,she would have a free field, and unless the flying boat could
arrive atthe farther end of the long straight reach before the guns could bebrought into action, she could hardly escape.
Only one course was possible: to use up all the remaining petrol for alast flight. Then the issue was in the hands of Fate. The planes werethrown back. Running on at full speed, the vessel skimmed the surface,rose into the air, and flew along at the rate of fifty miles an hour.The occupants of various sampans, fishermen casting their nets from thebanks, men and women at work in the paddy fields beyond, gazed withamazement at the strange object flying over the middle of the river.Before it came to the end of the straight reach the petrol was allconsumed; the vessel sank upon the surface; and behind, the gunboatcould be seen steaming after it in full career.
Errington steered round the bend. It was a short one; in five minutesthe river again stretched straight in front. He was familiar enoughwith the neighbourhood to know that Sui-Fu was still nearly thirty milesdistant. There was now no engine power to rely on; they could butdrift. Once more the idea of running into a creek occurred to them, onlyto be abandoned, for the sampans in this part of the river were morenumerous, and some one would certainly think it worth while to betraytheir presence.
They were at their wits' end. During their flight they had gainedseveral miles on the gunboat, but the very fact that they had descendedwould inform the rebels that they could fly no longer. The pursuitwould be kept up; they must be overtaken within twenty minutes at themost, unless some unforeseen incident intervened.
The boat drifted on, and came to another bend; the gunboat had not yethove in sight, but they could distinctly hear the throbbing of itsengines. Again the river straightened, and though there were slightcurves which would hide them from the pursuers for some few moments at atime, the general course was so direct that for at least five minutesthey would afford a target for the guns. Looking anxiously back,Burroughs saw the gunboat come into the straight, perhaps a mile behind.Errington steered near the left bank, in order to gain what cover theoccasional slight windings would afford. A minute afterwards they hearda report, but they did not see the shot, nor discover where it fell.Half-a-minute later a shot plunged into the water a yard or two behind;the gunners had the range. A tree-clad bluff hid them for anotherminute; as soon as the boat again came into the open, a third shot fellsome distance ahead, and the gunboat was rapidly overhauling them.Disregarding the risk of striking a submerged rock, Errington hugged thebank, losing time by following the curves, but gaining what was muchmore precious in this crisis, fitful protection from the guns.
They came to the end of the reach. Turning the corner, they suddenlycaught sight of the smoke of a steamer ahead of them, coming up-stream.Their feeling at the moment was that they were caught between two fires,though an instant's reflection showed them the scant probability of theapproaching vessel belonging to the rebels. They were tense withexcitement, anxiety, hope. The nose of the gunboat behind came intoview, only to disappear again as the flying boat rounded a slight curve.The vessel ahead was not as yet visible; merely its smoke could be seenover the right bank. In another minute both vessels came into sightsimultaneously, at almost equal intervals from the smaller craftdrifting downstream. But the gunboat was with the current; the vesselapproaching, which appeared to be a gunboat also, against it. Theformer opened fire again; shots churned up the water around the flyingboat; one carried away the elevator, another shivered the air tractorinto a thousand fragments; and all on board expected every moment thatthe little vessel would be sunk or shattered--when suddenly the firingceased. The Englishmen looked round eagerly. Their pursuer wasswinging round.
"Hai yah! He wailo!" cried Lo San, springing up and clapping his handsfrantically.
The chase was over.
Quivering with relief from the strain, Errington steered into the bank,and lay to until the gunboat came up. She carried no colours, but therewere several figures in the bows whose aspect and costume marked themout unmistakably as Germans. The vessel hove to, and one of theofficers, catching sight of Burroughs, gave a salute and called to himin German. Burroughs grinned.
"I am an Englishman," he said.
"English!" cried the officer; "but you look not so. You very like acompatriot. Vat happen?"
Burroughs in his downright way was about to answer, but Errington caughthim by the sleeve, saying--
"Hold hard, old chap."
His quicker mind saw that the Germans would be glad of a pretext forintervention, and though he had no love for the rebels, he loved theGermans and their methods less.
"You have been attack by ze pirates?" the officer continued. "If zat isso, and you give me note demanding assistance, I go up to Meichow, andland men; zey shall learn----"
"Nothing to speak of, sir," said Errington cheerfully. "They werehaving a little firing practice, and we got in the way."
"But surely you vill make complaint!" said the German, his face falling.
"Oh, not at all," replied Errington airily. "We're used to that kind ofthing. It would get 'em into trouble. They're not a bad lot. I believethis man was one"--with a jerk of the thumb towards Chung Pi--"a jollysort of chap, you know."
The officer glanced from one to another of the flying boat's crew;Burroughs with inscrutable face, Errington with an easy smile, the fatChinaman stolid, the two servants unmistakably grinning. He waspuzzled, suspicious; was the Englishman fencing with him? Did he dareto play with a German?
"Vell, gentlemen," said the officer, now thoroughly irate, "you villaccompany me to Sui-Fu. I shall report zat my gunboat interrupt toprotect you from ze rebels. You will do me ze honour to step up board."
"It's really very kind of you," said Errington, with a charming smile,"but we're in a hurry, thank you, and will go down under our own power!"
He cast off, the vessel came into the current, and politely doffingtheir hats the Englishmen waved a smiling farewell.
"We're well out of that," said Burroughs.
"Yes," said Errington, "it would hardly do for our little affair to bemade the pretext for a German landing in force and all the rest of it.It's the very thing they've been looking for. But I say, _would_ youmind taking off that moustache?"
CHAPTER XXII
MR. TING EXPLAINS
The adventures and misadventures of the flying boat are, for thepresent, ended; but there are certain scenes in the history of the humancharacters of this little drama which may perhaps have an interest forthose who have followed their fortunes hitherto.
On the day after the arrival of Burroughs and Errington in Sui-Fu, veryearly in the morning, Chin Tai came to his master's bedroom door andknocked with much more vigour than usual.
"What is it?" Burroughs shouted from within.
"Time fo' gettee up, sah," called the man, grinning at the can ofshaving water he carried.
"What time is it?"
"No savvy allo plopa; time fo' gettee up all-same."
"It's hardly light, confound you! Didn't I tell you I wanted a longsleep?"
"Plenty muchee solly, sah; time fo' gettee up. One piecee fella outsidecome look-see Massa Bullows; he say he no can wailo[#] befo' he habtalkee cash pidgin[#] 'long-side Massa Bullows."
[#] Go away.
[#] Money matters.
"Send him to Sing Wen. You know perfectly well I don't do business inbed, you ass. Any more of this foolo pidgin and you'll get the sack."
"Massa no unastan'," cried Chin Tai excitedly. "This piecee man he sayhe come look-see Sing Wen evely day-lo; Sing Wen say he no can makeeanyting fo' he; he muss waitee fo' massa come back."
"Who is the blackguard?"
"He velly 'spectable fella, sah; he belongey opium shop-lo Pa-tangside."
"Oh! That's quite enough. Tell him to get out; I've nothing to do withhim or his opium."
"My tellum all that, sah; he say he stop plenty longee time; massa nolook-see he, ch'hoy! he cut float on door-step all-same."
Extravagant as
this threat might appear, Burroughs knew that it was byno means unheard-of for a Chinaman, smarting under a sense of injustice,to commit suicide on the threshold of the man who had injured him. Hewas considering whether he had not better get up and prevent the horriddeed, when Errington, who occupied the next room, came in by thecommunicating door.
"You're in for it, old chap," he said, laughing. "The receiver's as badas the thief, you know, and there's going to be trouble about thatmoustache of yours."
He picked up the moustache from the dressing-table, and dangled itbefore Burroughs' disgusted eyes.
"Hang it all!" cried Burroughs, "I had absolutely nothing to do with it.Sing Wen is the culprit."
"Qui facit per alium----"
"Oh, shut up! He wasn't my agent."
"You'll find it hard to prove that after giving him a hundred dollars.Better see the fellow and save scandal. I'll stand by you, Moley."
Burroughs got out of bed, muttering anathemas, threw on hisdressing-gown, and went to the door, followed by Errington. The sight ofthe grinning China boy waiting there with his shaving-can exasperatedhim, and Chin Tai shrank against the wall before his master's glare.
They went down-stairs. On the step at the outer door squatted the sleekform of the highly respectable brother-in-law of Sing Wen's brother. Herose and kow-towed humbly.
"Now, what do you want?" said Burroughs sternly.
"My velly solly come this time wakee up hon'ble genelum," said the man."My catchee plenty smart inside. Sing Wen he pay-lo hantun[#] dolla fo'Toitsche genelum moustachee. Mandalin he makee my pay-lo hantun dollasqueeze.[#] My catchee nuffin, losee my numpa one cutsoma; he nobelongey my shop no mo'e. Hai! plenty bad pidgin. Wuss pidgin all-same.My pay-lo barber fella tin[#] dolla fo' fixee moustachee. My loseehantun dolla one time, 'nother time tin dolla; my tinkee hon'ble genelumpay-lo tin dolla, my wailo all plopa inside."
[#] Hundred.
[#] Fine.
[#] Ten.
"That's only fair," said Errington in a laughing undertone to Burroughs."You don't want the poor chap to be absolutely out of pocket over thebusiness."
"It might be worse," growled Burroughs. "I'll give you a chit[#] to SingWen to pay you ten dollars. That'll satisfy you?"
[#] Note.
"My savvy hon'ble genelum numpa one fella," cried the delighted man,bowing to the ground.
"I say, what'll you give me for this?" asked Errington, producing themoustache from behind his back.
The Chinaman stared. His eyes gleamed.
"Hai! My pay-lo fifty dolla," he exclaimed. "Takee wailo tin dolla,forty dolla lef behind." He opened his money pouch and counted out thenotes. "My savvy catchee plenty good pidgin, galaw!"
"Don't offer it to Mr. Reinhardt, you know," said Errington, as the manpocketed the moustache.
"My savvy plopa pidgin," said the man with a leer, and shuffled away.
Reinhardt had a very unpleasant quarter of an hour with Su Fing on thechief's arrival at Meichow. Explain, protest as he might, the rebelrefused to believe him, and accused him (unkindest cut of all) ofvoluntarily transferring his moustache to Burroughs for the purpose ofdeception. But Reinhardt was a German, and therefore personallyinviolate. Su Fing sent him ignominiously down the river, expressingwith ironic courtesy his ardent wish that his moustache would never growless.
Reinhardt would gladly have gone into retirement until he could oncemore show a German face to the world. Unhappily, within a week aperemptory message from his firm summoned him to Shanghai. Hisappearance in the European quarter was the reverse of triumphant. Someold acquaintances affected not to recognize him; others addressed him insuch tones of mournful sympathy that he could hardly control his rage.The story had already got about, and when he entered the Club (for hedid not lack courage) the air of kindly commiseration with which he wasgreeted drove him frantic. The younger members of the club talked amongthemselves of getting up a subscription for the purchase of a newmoustache. In a few days his dressing-table was littered with a greatvariety of infallible hair-growers. The directors of Ehrlich Soehnesaid very unpleasant things of the ridicule he was reflecting on thefirm. There were bets in the Club that he would stand it for ten days;but nobody grudged paying up when, at the end of a week, it was knownthat he had taken passage for Hamburg. There was a vast crowd to see himoff, and this evidence of his popularity gained him the good-will of theuninformed passengers until the story leaked out on board the liner. Hisvoyage home was not pleasant.
The last that was heard of Conrad Reinhardt was a story from the GermanCameroons. He had got into bad odour with the natives, and one daydisappeared. Several persons, probably innocent, were punished; but hewas soon forgotten.
Lo San and Chin Tai had behaved very well during the time of stress inwhich their lives and their masters' hung in the balance. But when theyreturned to the routine of service at Sui-Fu, their daily bickeringswere resumed. Chin Tai's animosity was fed by the substantial presentwith which Errington rewarded Lo San's devotion. Lo San, it must beconfessed, was very exasperating. In the midst of a wordy war with hisfellow-servant he would twit him with his ignorance and want ofenterprise. He took a delight in displaying to the cook and otherdomestics, in Chin Tai's presence, the card tricks by means of which hehad paid his way to Meichow.
On one of these occasions the two came to blows, which in China does notmean fist-play in the approved British style, but includes the use offinger-nails and boots, and very painful handling of the pigtail. Theyells of combatants and spectators in the kitchen reached the ears ofthe masters in the dining-room.
"We shall really have to sack those fellows," said Burroughs. "It isgetting intolerable."
"Let us go and knock their heads together first," said Errington. "Ishould be sorry to lose Lo San."
"He's not a patch on Chin Tai at looking after one's clothes," saidBurroughs, loyal to his man.
"But Lo San's heaps better in serving at table."
"He can't polish boots."
"Chin Tai can't clean a gun."
"Well, hadn't we better have it out ourselves first?" said Burroughs,laughing. "Great Scott! there'll be murder soon. Come on, Pidge."
They hastened to the kitchen. The two boys had each other by thepigtail with one hand, and with the other were drawing streaks on eachother's face. Burroughs dragged them apart.
"Hai! You piecee ruffians! What fo' you makee this infernal bobbely?"he said.
"He call me foolo!"
"He say my plenty muchee fathead!"
"He say my no can do card-pidgin!"
"He say my tellum plenty lies, talkee foolo pidgin all time."
"Hold your tongues, both of you!" cried Burroughs. "Chin Tai, if youcan't keep the peace, I'll cut off your pigtail and send you home toyour grandmother."
"Massa say muss belongey good up outside olo ribber, can do plentyfightee wailo Sui-Fu," Chin Tai protested with an aggrieved air.
"But I said you were to fight quietly, not yell the house down. Now Iforbid you to fight at all, do you understand?"
"You too, Lo San," said Errington. "No more of it, or off you go."
"My fightee he inside," said Lo San.
"My callee he plenty bad namee--inside," said Chin Tai.
"Well, what you do inside is nothing to me," said Burroughs, repressinga smile. "Perhaps if you take care to behave outside, you'll be friendsinside by and by."
There was no more fighting; the peace of the house was no moredisturbed; but while China boys are China boys, Lo San and Chin Tai willnever cease to look jealously upon each other as long as they serve twomasters whom they equally respect.
Some three weeks after the escape from Su Fing's yamen, a pleasantlittle party sat at table in the dining-room of Mr. Burroughs' house atShanghai. Mr. Burroughs and his family were there; the only guests werePierce Errington and Mr. Ting. They were all very merry. Four of theparty heard the full story of the flying boat's adventures for the firsttime, and as Errington ha
d a pretty art of humorous narrative, there wasmuch laughter at the tale of Reinhardt's moustache and the vicissitudesin the career of Chung Pi.
When Mrs. Burroughs and her daughter--whom Errington looked on verykindly--had left the men to themselves, Mr. Ting put on his spectacles.
"Look out!" Errington whispered to Burroughs. "There's something in thewind when Tingy puts on the goggles."
Mr. Ting glanced benevolently round the table, his eyes resting withpeculiar intensity on Errington--the old Pidge whom everybody loved,with not a care upon his clear, fresh countenance. Lighting acigarette, the Chinaman said quietly--
"I have something to say. It is a stlange stoly; it concerns Pidge, buthe will not mind, I know, if I speak befo' his flends."
Errington looked a little uneasy.
"Look out!" whispered Burroughs slyly.
"Ten years ago," Mr. Ting went on, "when Pidge was a little boy of nine,my flend and master, Mr. Ellington, called me into his loom one day andsaid to me, 'We have done well over that deal in cotton, Ting. I'vemade a velly fine thing out of it. But you know what I am. I am a lichman to-day, but I can't cure myself of this mania for speculation, andas likely as not I'll be a poor man to-mollow. I want you to help me.Here's ten thousand pounds, put it away; never lemind me of it; if I askyou fol it, don't give it me. I hand it to you in tlust fo' me and myson. If I'm blought to beggaly, pay me the intelest; if I die, hold itfo' my boy. Watch over him, bling him out here for a year or two; ifthen you see that he inhelits my fatal weakness, pay over the intelest,but never let him touch the plincipal.'"
He paused. The three men's eyes were fixed on him; a flush had mantledErrington's cheek.
"'But if my boy, when he leaves school,'" Mr. Ting continued, "'turnsout well, the sort of fellow that can be tlusted to make good use of themoney, give it him; it will give him a good start.' That is what myflend said to me.
"I have done what he wished. You wondered, Pierce, why I sent you suchvelly tilesome letters; you thought Ting a nuisance----"
"Sir!" Errington expostulated, but the Chinaman smiled and raised hishand for silence.
"I was doing what I thought my flend would like. But that is over; theschool-days are past. I have kept the tlust; the money is wellinvested, it is nearly twenty thousand now; the time has come fo' me togive account of it."
"Perhaps you had rather be left alone with Mr. Ting, my lad," said Mr.Burroughs kindly.
"No, sir; please stay. You were my father's friend too, and theMole-----"
Mr. Ting noted the look that was exchanged between the two--a look inwhich spoke affection and perfect confidence.
"No one else knows of this," he said. "I only made plovision for thedevolution of the tlust if I should die; I ventured to tlansfer it toyou, Mr. Bullows."
"I appreciate your confidence, Mr. Ting," said Mr. Burroughs warmly.
"But I have made up my mind that it is the ploper time to tlansfer themoney to Pidge himself. He has been here more than a year; he has agood head fo' business, evely one says so; and I think his father wouldapplove my action. A little while--may I say it?"--Errington answeredwith a glance--"a little while I was aflaid that I might still have tohold the money, and pay only the intelest; but I think--I am light, am Inot?----"
"I promised Ted," murmured Errington.
Mr. Ting's spectacles seemed to gleam with satisfaction and benevolence.He took from his pocket a large envelope which he handed to Errington.
"There is your father's tlust-deed," he said. "It is flom this daycancelled. There is also sclip, value nearly twenty thousand pounds.The best of blessings is a good son."
He took off his spectacles and carefully replaced them in their case.The silence was broken by Mr. Burroughs.
"I congratulate you with all my heart," he said, reaching out his handto Errington.
"Jolly glad, old chap!" said the Mole.
Errington took the envelope, and shook hands with his friends, in theconfusion of utter amazement. He laid the envelope beside his plate,then rose with the impulsive haste so characteristic of him, walkedround the table, and clasped the hand of Mr. Ting.
"Forgive me, sir. I don't know what to say. You and the Mole are thebest friends any man could have, and--and----"
He could say no more.
Lying wakeful that night, Errington thought over the past, and lookedhumbly into the future. What was he to do with this fortune which thelove of a father and the loyalty of a friend had secured to him? Beforehe slept he had made up his mind. Mr. Burroughs was a sound, ploddingman of business; not wealthy; unable to develop his business for want ofcapital. What better could he do than invest the money with him, as theprice of a partnership? He knew his own capacity; he had never a doubtthat the work he could put in would justify itself; and if only Mr.Burroughs would consent, Errington was sure that the future would provethe wisdom of his step.
So it fell out. The style of the firm became Burroughs & Errington.The two younger partners managed jointly the branch at Sui-Fu, and thebusiness grew by leaps and bounds. Their friendship was never cloudedby the least shadow, though in course of time Burroughs declared one dayin jest that his nose would soon be put out of joint--when Mrs.Errington appeared on the scene. Lo San looked forward to this eventwith the most ardent approval, for when "Massa Bullows" left the house,he hoped to see the last of Chin Tai.
One day, Chin Tai announced a visitor. "Velly big fat China fella, sah,"he said, with a gravity behind which his master detected a sly amusement"inside."
"Show him in," he said.
The door opened to admit Chung Pi, bigger and more prosperous-lookingthan ever, and--what was this?--actually sporting a mandarin's buttons.He greeted Burroughs with great heartiness, and a touch of theself-importance that beseemed his new rank. After complimentarysalutations, he addressed Burroughs in a speech of some length, notgiving Chin Tai time to translate as he went along.
"What's it all about?" asked Burroughs, when he came to an end.
"He say he tank hon'ble genelum velly muchee. No can tink what fo' hebelongey flend one time that mislable olo outside fella Su Fing. Hevelly big glanty[#] fightee man; empelor say he muss wailo catchee SuFing, fightee bad fella all plopa. Chung Pi he go makee what empelorsay, catchee Su Fing Cheng Tu side, killum tousan hantun bad fella, habcatchee topside button allo lightee. He say he hangee on tailo boofulhoss--booful!--booful!"
[#] Grand.
* * * * * * * *
HERBERT STRANG'S ROMANCES OF MODERN INVENTION
ROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN DAYS. 3/6
"The most stimulating, as it is certainly the breeziest he has evergiven us."--_Observer_.
KING OF THE AIR;
or, To Morocco on an Aeroplane. 2/6
"Much the best book of its kind now in existence."--_ManchesterGuardian_.
"The flights of the airship and final rescue of the imprisoned diplomatare brilliantly told."--_Journal of Education_.
"The story goes with a fine zest and gusto, and few writers have knownas well as Herbert Strang the exact proportions to allow of amusementand information."--_Bookman_.
LORD OF THE SEAS:
the Story of a Submarine. 2/6
"Mr. Herbert Strang has struck a new vein with remarkable success, andhas narrated a series of exciting adventures in the South Seas in aneffective and admirably sustained tone of humour."--_Notts Guardian_.
"A rattling good story, full of life and go."--_Record_.
SWIFT AND SURE:
the Story of a Hydroplane. 2/6
"A grand yarn about a hydroplane, in which Mr. Strang shows that he is anew Jules Verne."--_Hearth and Home_.
"The excitement increases from chapter to chapter."--_Literary World_.
THE CRUISE OF THE GYRO-CAR:
A Story of Adventure in Albania. 2/6
"One of the most readable motoring books we have ever handled. Itshould have an enormous sale."--_The Ro
ad_.
HENRY FROWDE AND HODDER & STOUGHTON
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