Part 10 (2/2)

The next evening they stopped at a large place, and were subjected to the usual persecution; this, however, was now less prolonged than during the early days of their captivity, for they had now no longer strength or spirits to resent their treatment, and as no fun was to be obtained from pa.s.sive victims, even the village boys soon ceased to find any amus.e.m.e.nt in tormenting them.

When most of their visitors had left them, an elderly Chinaman approached the side of the cage. He spoke to their guards and looked at them attentively for some minutes, then he said in pigeon English, ”You officer men?”

”Yes!” Jack exclaimed, starting at the sound of the English words, the first they had heard spoken since their captivity. ”Yes, we are officers of the _Perseus_.”

”Me speeke English velly well,” the Chinaman said; ”me pilot-man many years on Canton river. How you get here?”

”We were attacking some piratical junks, and landed to destroy the village where the people were firing on us. We entered a place full of pirates, and were knocked down and taken prisoners, and carried away up the country; that is six weeks ago, and you see what we are now.”

”Pirate men velly bad,” the Chinaman said; ”plunder many junk on river and kill crew. Me muchee hate them.”

”Can you do anything for us?” Jack asked. ”You will be well rewarded if you could manage to get us free.”

The man shook his head.

”Me no see what can do, me stranger here; come to stay with wifey; people no do what me ask them. English s.h.i.+ps attack Canton, much fight and take town, people all hate English. Bad country dis. People in one village fight against another. Velly bad men here.”

”How far is Canton away?” Jack asked. ”Could you not send down to tell the English we are here?”

”Fourteen days' journey off,” the man said; ”no see how can do anything.”

”Well,” Jack said, ”when you get back again to Canton let our people know what has been the end of us; we shall not last much longer.”

”All light,” the man said, ”will see what me can do. Muchee think to-night!” And after saying a few words to the guards, who had been regarding this conversation with an air of surprise, the Chinaman retired.

The guards had for some time abandoned the precaution of sitting up at night by the cage, convinced that their captives had no longer strength to attempt to break through its fastenings or to drag themselves many yards away if they could do so. They therefore left it standing in the open, and, wrapping themselves in their thickly-wadded coats, for the nights were cold, lay down by the side of the cage.

The coolness of the nights had, indeed, a.s.sisted to keep the two prisoners alive. During the day the sun was excessively hot, and the crowd of visitors round the cage impeded the circulation of the air and added to their sufferings. It was true that the cold at night frequently prevented them from sleeping, but it acted as a tonic and braced them up.

”What did he mean about the villages attacking each other?” Percy asked.

”I have heard,” Jack replied, ”that in some parts of China things are very much the same as they used to be in the highlands of Scotland.

There is no law or order. The different villages are like clans, and wage war on each other. Sometimes the Government sends a number of troops, who put the thing down for a time, chop off a good many heads, and then march away, and the whole work begins again as soon as their backs are turned.”

That night the uneasy slumber of the lads was disturbed by a sudden firing; shouts and yells were heard, and the firing redoubled.

”The village is attacked,” Jack said. ”I noticed that, like some other places we have come into lately, there is a strong earthen wall round it, with gates. Well, there is one comfort--it does not make much difference to us which side wins.”

The guards at the first alarm leapt to their feet, caught up their matchlocks, and ran to aid in the defence of the wall. Two minutes later a man ran up to the cage.

”All lightee,” he said; ”just what me hopee.”

With his knife he cut the tough withes that held the bamboos in their places, and pulled out three of the bars.

”Come along,” he said; ”no time to lose.”

Jack scrambled out, but in trying to stand upright gave a sharp exclamation of pain. Percy crawled out more slowly; he tried to stand up, but could not. The Chinaman caught him up and threw him on his shoulder.

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