In the Yellow Sea Part 26

"Oh no!" I pleaded. "There has been slaughter and hacking enough! Let him go free!"

"He has lied concerning my brother. He deserves to _die_! I shall only prevent his robbing in future. Take him, and keep him in guard."

The soldier tied the man's hands together with his belt, and drove him away before him, leaving me with the officer. My appeal had been in vain. As a fact, I had no energy to continue the question, because my bodily strength was waning fast. The excitement which had so far sustained me was already disappearing, and the disgust which had replaced it did not tend to keep me up.

The j.a.panese officer perceived this, and beckoned me to accompany him.

I saw he was anxiously looking at my pallid face. What would have become of me had he not come to my rescue I did not venture to think.

I followed him closely, and retraced my bloodstained steps through the lately prosperous-looking streets, then well furnished with shops, now a terrible line of dismantled houses; goods lying upon the ground amid the dead, and accentuating the desolation.

My conductor took me to an inn, or hotel, in which resided, temporarily, several j.a.panese. These gentlemen, I ascertained, were journalists and artists employed by the newspapers and others, for the j.a.panese people took the greatest interest in the struggle with China.

Two of these men spoke English quite sufficiently for conversational purposes, and they made me welcome by request of the officer.

"When opportunity occurs," he said, "we will send you home. Perhaps we may despatch you to one of your men-of-war vessels. Farewell!"

I had only time to thank him for the idea of such a happy despatch, when I felt faint and sick. My new friends immediately removed me to an upper chamber,--a rather unusual thing in China,--and laid me upon the couch or bench which was then being warmed by the hot air from the fire or "furnace." Handing me a thick counterpane, which the increasing cold made acceptable, my friend left me to recover myself--my strength and my self-possession.

It was long before I was able to rise. The day pa.s.sed. Food was repugnant to me. My brain reproduced all the horrors I had witnessed, and I shuddered as with ague. The night was still more dreadful, as my solitude was invaded by three of the company, and I was thankful when morning again dawned and left me alone, if listless and ailing.

I must pa.s.s rapidly on, for nothing occurred to alarm me. I lay quiet, eating and sleeping and thinking. My new companions amused me by telling me their adventures, and listening to mine. They taught me some of their language, and I imparted to them some English. The weather grew worse, frost and snow set in, with bitter winds; and I learned that the headquarters of the army had been fixed at Kinchow, till the second army--Port Arthur force--made northward for Kai-ping.

The j.a.panese fleet was in Talien Bay. Winter had set in in earnest, and transport was very difficult.

Christmas pa.s.sed. Such a Christmas it was, too. I felt like the boy who had been left at school while all the other fellows went home for the holidays. Most of my companions had scattered, but two stayed, one for some Government business, and the other awaiting orders as to the disposal of the quant.i.ties of plunder and stores, before leaving to join the fleet. We conversed in a mixture of j.a.panese and English, a dialect which did more to keep up my spirits than anything save release, because we laughed at each other's mistakes all day. The weather became very cold, and as the year came to an end I began to feel "hipped," and really uneasy. But the New Year caused a change in the troops' quarters, and indirectly in mine, for when the second army advanced, or rather a portion of it advanced, to the north, to join the Yalu army, I was very agreeably surprised by a visit from the officer I knew as Tomi's brother, and, best of all, he was accompanied by Tomi himself. This visit was paid in the month of January 1895, when I was feeling extremely "low."

My astonishment was great as my pleasure at the meeting, and in my delight, being also conceited about my new attainments, I exclaimed in "dog" j.a.panese--

"Tenno Heika Banzai! Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha! So glad to see you again!"

Somewhat to my astonishment the two officers touched their caps, and, looking at each other, burst into a hearty peal of laughter. I stared.

What had I said? I felt guilty and nervous, then annoyed at the laughter.

"Well, gentlemen, what's the joke?" I said. "Have I in any way offended you? Pray accept my excuses--in English. I a.s.sure you"--

"Please excuse _us_," said the naval officer, seizing my hand. "We are delighted to learn that you have mastered j.a.panese as well as Chinese and French. Thank you for Emperor _and Company_."

"I think you do not quite understand," remarked my military friend.

"Do you know what you _did_ say?"

"Yes--at least I think so. I intended to cheer your Emperor and you, and to wish success to the j.a.panese united arms. I suspect I made a little mistake."

"No, no!" cried the young lieutenant Tomi. "It was beautiful!

Splendid! It sounded so well, too. Didn't it?" he asked, turning to his brother.

"Yes; and so exactly to the point," added the captain, laughing again.

"You are already an interpreter, Mr. Julius."

I felt rather "at sea" at this renewal of the merriment, but the officers quickly subdued their laughter, though it occasionally burst out in spasms while they alternately announced their business.

"We have another mission for you, Julius," said the younger. "A pleasant little trip to an English man-of-war perhaps."

I leaped to my feet in delight. "Really?" I said. "You mean that?"

"Oh yes, certainly. _We_ understand English," he said, laughing.

I blushed, and felt annoyed with Tomi. But I dare not show this.

"When you and your brother have _quite_ finished laughing"--I began.

But this attempt at dignity set them off again, and though really angry, I was compelled to join them. The whole business seemed so ridiculous.

"Pray pardon us," gasped the elder officer. "This is really business--from the admiral."

"The admiral!" I exclaimed. "Does he know anything about me?'

"Of course, certainly; and when you talk to him in _j.a.panese_"--

This caused another explosion, and I made condemnatory remarks concerning the native smile.

"Well," I asked coldly, "any further _joke_?"

"This is no joke, indeed," said the sailor. "The Admiral Ito wants a letter conveyed to the _Severn_--what you call it--cruiser, for conveyance to Admiral Ting, the Chinese naval commander. The little difficulty arose about the messenger being a j.a.panese, and then I reminded my captain that you were in Port Arthur, and trustworthy. My brother had already told me so much. The immediate result has been our presence here, and our request to bring you to the admiral. Will you come? we will fit you out again."

"And I am to join the _Severn_?"

"Perhaps. At anyrate if you carry the letter, and bring back an answer or not, you can act as an amba.s.sador."

"With pleasure," I cried, delighted to think I was again to be restored to British protection, and to see English faces. "I will accompany you at once."

I made some few--very few--changes in my appearance, which was a bit remarkable for an English youth, or "man." My stubbly hair, my thick wadded costume,--_a la Chinois_,--for your Chinaman pads his garments until his bulk, in winter, vies with Mr. Daniel Lambert, of pious memory. Thus, something like a clean scarecrow, crossed with the Fat Boy in _Pickwick_, I accompanied my deliverers.

As we quitted my quarters, I said as pleasantly as possible--

"Tell me the mistake I made when you came in?"

They smiled at the recollection, and the sailor-boy said, nodding at me--

"It was all right, really. You only said, Hurrah for the Emperor! and"

(here he choked)--"and called out for the '_j.a.pan Mail Steam Company_.'

That's all."

I laughed aloud at the connection. What I intended to say I have now no idea, and my j.a.panese friends never enlightened me.

This was my last attempt at Asiatic languages--on service.

CHAPTER XVII