The War Tiger Part 29

"Truly, daughter of my beloved master, thy safety would have been endangered had we been permitted to remain here, for since the villain mandarin knew thy secret, it is but reasonable to believe that it may be in the possession of another who may part with it for a high price to the Emperor Chun-ti. But since this cruel order has arrived, to destroy all the houses for ten miles inland, the princess can find no safer asylum than the country of the great patriot Koshinga," said the colao.

Never could there have been a more fortunate time for them to leave the town; for, as all the inhabitants were hastening to obey the order of the Emperor, and were busy with their own affairs, they could escape the watchful eyes of the Tartars. So that very day they set about making preparations for their departure, and before twenty-four hours had pa.s.sed, the whole party were on board Chow's ship and moving down the stream; indeed, not a moment before it was necessary, for scarcely had they got under way when a boat put off from the sh.o.r.e, filled with Tartar soldiers, the chief of whom commanded them to stop.

"What would the Tartar dogs?" said Chow, standing upon the p.o.o.p of the vessel. The reply, however, was an arrow, which but narrowly missed the breast of the brave fellow; who, however, taking no notice of the missile, said, very coolly, as the soldiers reached the side of the ship and demanded to be admitted on board, "What would the Tartar dogs on board a quiet trading vessel?"

"The daughter of the miserable Ming," was the reply.

"Then only two at a time, my brother," replied Chow, acquiescing in their request. And without waiting for further permission, the two soldiers climbed up the side and stood on the deck, only, however, to find themselves tightly clasped by armed men, who had been lying down in readiness for them. At the same time Chow, a.s.sisted by some of his crew, threw a heavy bar over the ship's side into the boat below, which falling across the bows and sinking her, sent the soldiers into the water struggling for their lives.

"Oh, oh!" said Chow to the two prisoners, "you are the affectionate rogues who wanted a lock of my hair."

"Surely the magnanimous hero would not murder two poor men who were doing their duty," was the reply.

"Truly it is said that fortune comes to every dog in its turn, and I am the bow-wow now," said Chow to the Tartars, as he tied together the ends of the long head-tails, of which they were so proud that they wished all China to imitate them, and consequently now roared for fear of losing them.

"Get you gone, you dogs!" said Chow; and the next moment the men were toppled over into the river, plunging, kicking, and at every plunge giving such reciprocal pulls at each other's tails that they became as belligerent as two cats in a similar predicament, and the more so, that the people upon the banks stood laughing heartily at their ridiculous gyrations.

CHAPTER XLIV.

A SEA VOYAGE--THE COLAO RELATES THE ADVENTURES OF THE PRINCESS.

Once on board, they were safe, for although the junk had been painted to resemble a trading ship, she was equipped with arms of every kind, and, moreover, with men, who had been hidden below; and it was fortunate that she was so well prepared, for when a Tartar junk put off after them, the crew of the latter no sooner perceived the deck crowded with armed men, and a flag hoisted at the masthead, displaying the terrible name of Koshinga, than they relinquished the chase.

Once out at sea, the vessel was as quiet and happy as a holiday junk, and Chow sought permission to enter the state cabin of the princess.

"Truly, my brave Chow, we have had a narrow escape from these barbarians," said the princess; adding, "The words of the n.o.ble Ki were wise, the secret must have been known, and sold to the usurper."

"Truly thy servant would willingly sacrifice his mean life, could he see the great Yong-Li ascend the throne of his magnificent ancestors,"

exclaimed Chow; but, to his surprise, the beautiful eyes of the princess became suffused with tears.

"It is not under heaven, O princess, that thy slave can have given thee pain?" said Chow.

"Surely this is weak, for no tears should be found in the eyes of the daughter of the Mings, but those caused by the suffering of the people,"

said the princess; adding, "Alas! my poor brother, with him has departed the last hope of his race."

"What are these sad words, O my princess? Is it possible that the Emperor Yong-Li can have left the earth?"

Then, with an effort to subdue her sorrow, she said, "Even so, my brave Chow;" but, her grief overcoming her resolution, she could utter no more, and Chow respectfully left the cabin, followed by the colao, who thus related the adventures of the princess, and his mother, from the time of their abduction by the strange soldiers:--

"When, O brave Chow, the robbers found they had obtained the great prize they had so long been in search of, they hastened with all speed to the sea-coast, where they hoped to find a ship that would take them to the coast of Pe-tche-Lee, where the army of Li was reported to be encamped; when, however, they reached the port, they heard that the Prince Yong Li had quarrelled with Woo-san-Kwei, and having got together a great army, had marched to the city of Chao-Hing, which, after a few days, he had retaken from the Tartars, and caused himself to be proclaimed Emperor.

Then, when the cunning thieves heard this news, and also that Yong-Li was reconquering the country all around, they bethought themselves that Yong-Li would give them a much higher price for a sister that he loved so dearly, than would Li-Kong for a princess whom he only hoped to make his wife; so, making a virtue of a necessity, the rogues threw themselves at the feet of the royal lady, implored pardon for their roughness, and making a merit of their great crime, declared they were the faithful servants of her house, and intended to take her to her royal brother's court. Too glad to hear such news, she readily bestowed upon them a pardon; and, moreover, promised them great rewards if they would only conduct her in safety to her brother's presence.

"After some months' tedious and difficult traveling, they arrived at Chao-Hing, where they found that the report was truthful, and that the prince had really made a very great stride toward his throne. Well, the rogues were rewarded, and the princess delighted at being not only restored to her brother, but to the good and great Candida Hiu, who had escaped to Chao-Hing some time previously, with myself, the ancient servant of the imperial Mings; but, alas! fortune is capricious. A great army of barbarians so encompa.s.sed the city, that we were unable to procure food; still we held out, and the soldiers fought bravely, with the hope of being soon relieved. Then some foul demon put it into the head of the Tartar general, that the place might be taken without fighting. So, seeing that the waters of the river were at a greater height than had ever before been known, he first made a breach in the walls, and then caused his army to cut away the dikes and embankments, so that the waters rushed in such terrible force that the houses were beaten down, and the city made one vast pool, in which three millions of people were drowned, the Lady Candida among them. Fortunately, however, the Emperor, the princess, and their servant, escaped the flood, and, after many trials and difficulties, reached the court of the King of Pegu, who, seeing the heir to so great a throne in such misfortune, readily offered him one of his palaces for his residence; and there we remained happily for some time, and might have continued till more fortunate days, but that its coming to the ears of the Tartars, that the Prince Yong-Li was under the protection of the King of Pegu, the latter, for fear of being dethroned by his terrible neighbor, was compelled to give the prince into the hands of the Tartar, who, taking him to Pekin, there had him destroyed in a cruel and ignominious manner. Fortunately, however, the Tartar did not know that the imperial La-Loo, was with her brother, and so, aided by the King of Pegu, I traveled into my own province of Fokien, taking the princess as my daughter, and thy mother as her attendant; and no plan could be so safe, for the Tartar barbarian had proclaimed that all those Chinese n.o.bles who had suffered by the tyranny of Wey-t-song, or Li-Kong, should be reinstalled in their former rank and possessions, conferring upon me alone, for my long and faithful services to my late master, the high and honorable t.i.tle of 'Faithful to the Emperor.'"

"Truly this is a sad and marvelous history," said Chow, taking a respectful leave of the venerable n.o.ble, and proceeding to the duties of the ship.

CHAPTER XLV.

THEY REACH THE PALACE OF THE SEA CHIEF KOSHINGA.

Oh! how the heart of the princess bled for the poor people, as sailing along that coast she saw with what terrible haste the Emperor's command had been obeyed. There, as far as the vision could pierce, ran, blazed, crackled one cordon of fire; miles in thickness, this fearful belt seemed as if it were to ward off the attack of worlds of savage beasts, instead of one mortal man. Yet such was the shocking policy of the Tartar despot, that to starve the great sea warrior from the coast, he laid waste hundreds of miles, ruined millions of his new subjects, and turned a fertile and populous land into a dreary wilderness.

For some days the little ship ploughed those waters, which, though famous for their tempests, were, as if in augury of better fortunes, now as placid as a lake, till at length they came in sight of the Pescadores, from almost every point of which they could see the colors of the victorious Koshinga. Then they reached the point of Formosa, upon which the Hollanders had erected their fort, but from which now floated the flag of the sea chief; then Chow sent up a signal, and in reply the Dutch guns bellowed forth a salute. Shortly afterward some large barges put off from the sh.o.r.e to the ship, the princess and her party took their seats, and were speedily rowed to the sh.o.r.e, upon which she had no sooner put her foot, than Nicholas fell upon his knees before her, saying, "Welcome, ill.u.s.trious daughter of the Mings, to the kingdom of Koshinga."

"Surely, my brave and n.o.ble brother, this is but mockery; for the daughter of the Mings is now but an outcast orphan," said the princess, taking Nicholas by the hands and a.s.sisting him to rise.

"Not so, O ill.u.s.trious, princess! for, like a brand from the flames, this great and fertile island hath been plucked from the thieving Tartars and Hollanders by Koshinga, that it may be restored to the princess of China, as a resting-place, till the whole of her empire be recovered."

"Who, O my brother, is this bold, brave man that thus shakes the world by his power?"

"A patriot, and a true Chinese, whose only ambition is to root out the miserable Tartars from the land, and restore its throne to its ancient Emperors," replied Nicholas; adding, "But the princess would see this terrible sea chief." Then he led her through the double rows of troops, which were drawn up the whole length between the castle and the sh.o.r.e, and all of whom bent low with respectful loyalty as the daughter of their late Emperor pa.s.sed. When within the castle, he led her to a door where a number of ladies in rich dresses stood ready to receive her.

"Now, O ill.u.s.trious princess, will thy servant prepare the n.o.ble chief for the great honor of thy visit," said Nicholas, leaving her to the care of the ladies.

CHAPTER XLVI.

THE KING AND QUEEN OF FORMOSA.--HAPPY TERMINATION OF THE STORY.

The pleasure of the princess had changed to grief; she felt disappointed and desolate, for once fallen from her high rank, and having been thrown by misfortune beneath the care of Nicholas, she had learned to regard him as a brother; therefore, after the death of the Prince Yong-Li, great had been her delight, by antic.i.p.ation, of again meeting him--but now, alas! the brave youth seemed changed. Was he not, indeed, one of the officers of the great Koshinga, by whose command he had received her, not as a dear friend, but with the cold and formal respect due to that exalted rank, which, as it seemed about to rob her of her adopted brother, was hateful to her?

Thus, in a very melancholy mood, she followed the ladies through the corridor into a suite of rooms, magnificently furnished with the spoils from the well-laden ships of Li-Kong. She, who, more fortunate than most princesses, had had the painful mantle of royalty torn from her shoulders and been permitted for a season to taste the troubles of ordinary mortals, which, compared to her former state, seemed luxury itself, was again about to be petrified by state garments, and, like the idols, her Christian teaching caught her to despise, placed upon a throne high up out of the way of common humanity, and as her experience had taught her, mocked with a false adoration.

The morning came, however, and still she as much feared to meet the chief as if he had been her greatest enemy. At last the terrible moment of meeting came, and she was conducted by her ladies to the great hall of the castle, which was hung with yellow cloth of gold. Not noticing the crowd of officers around, who were bowing to the ground, she bent her head downward, and as the ladies led her forward to the chair of state, she heard, "Welcome to the Queen of Tai-ouan." The welcome was echoed by a hundred voices; the princess looked up, the throne was vacant, but by her side, and holding her hand, stood the terrible Koshinga, at the sight of whom she trembled, but it was with joy, for the great sea chief after all was neither more nor less than Nicholas, the son of the merchant of the south, who, by his great abilities, valor, and energy, had conquered a kingdom and crowned himself.

Thus ends the troubles of the princess, Chow, Nicholas, and my story. I will, however, add, that although by some unaccountable neglect the historians of China have omitted to say one word about the queen, they all state that not only was Koshinga, the great son of Chin-Chi-Loong, crowned first King of Formosa, but in that capacity received amba.s.sadors from several of the monarchs of Europe.

THE END.