Part 9 (1/2)

Monday morning had come, and still there seemed no prospect of resuming the journey to Yo Ju.

”We must get on,” said Mr. Reid, ”our time is limited. We must make some arrangement for an a.s.sistant for Mr. Kit-ze.”

Mr. Chefoo had now a high fever and was unable to sit up. It had been decided to leave him with Mr. Ko until their return, which would be in about three days, as they were not going much beyond Yo Ju.

In the midst of their perplexity Mr. Ko came to them with a beaming face. He knew the very thing! Why had he not thought of it before? They could take Mr. Choi-So. Now that his honorable guests were about to depart, he, Mr. Ko, would not need his cook. Mr. Choi-So himself was anxious to go along with them. He had approached Mr. Ko on the subject.

He was an excellent poleman, quick and careful. He had several times a.s.sisted in carrying sampans up and down the river, twice for Mr. Ko himself. Besides, he bore an excellent character. Mr. Ko knew him. He had known his father too.

”I see no reason why we shouldn't take him,” said Mr. Reid.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”HE FORTHWITH ... PROCEEDED TO THROW RICE INTO THE WELL.”]

But Mr. Wilburn opposed this. He had not liked the man's concealment of himself in the sampan, neither had he been favorably impressed by his appearance on that occasion. His sullen, hang-dog look had betokened anything but innocence. He could have been after no good. Mr. Wilburn's suspicions had been strengthened by the presence of Choi-So at Mr. Ko's.

Neither Mr. Reid nor Mr. Wilburn had learned the story of the red _miriok_, or image of Buddha, as it ought more properly to be designated. The young people, after consulting among themselves, had decided to tell no one, at least not until they could agree on some plan. Mr. Choi-So had given them his confidence. He evidently trusted them and believed that they could help him. If he wanted the others to know too, then he would tell them. He showed plainly that he feared Mr.

Wilburn and was not at ease with Mr. Reid. Helen and Clarence both felt that they wanted their father to know, but they respected Mr. Choi-So's feelings. Perhaps he would himself tell the missionary.

Things were in this unsatisfactory state when Mr. Choi-So's offer to attend them as poleman was made known. The young people were pleased. It was the very thing, they thought. It would give them more time to decide upon some action, for the desire was now keen with each one to secure the _miriok_ from Mr. Kit-ze and return it to Mr. Choi-So.

”The poor fellow will go demented if we do not,” declared Clarence. ”He is half crazy on the subject, anyhow. We can at least try to give him peace of mind.”

”I wish we could give him something else,” added Helen wistfully.

”But we can't,” a.s.serted Clarence; ”at least not now. His mind is too upset about the _miriok_. Besides, Mr. Kit-ze has really treated him dishonestly. He ought to be made to give the image back to him. The poor fellow has pinched and saved until he has the amount Mr. Kit-ze paid, so he told us.”

”Oh,” said Helen, ”if only I could talk to this poor Choi-So so that it would go to his mind and then to his heart, how happy I should be! If only I could show him that this image for which he is willing to sacrifice life itself is only a wretched little piece of metal!”

”But he ought to carry it back,” said Clarence.

”And run the chance of being thrown into a dungeon, fed on bread and water, and kept there perhaps for years without ever hearing of a single one of the sweet and precious things Jesus wants to do for him? Oh, it is dreadful! He had better lose the _miriok_.”

”And lose his mind with it? No, my sister, believe me that is not the right way for poor Choi-So. Let us get the _miriok_ for him--that is, if we can--and perhaps afterward we may induce him to return it by messenger and listen to us.”

Mr. Wilburn was finally induced, through Mr. Reid's clear and forceful way of presenting the matter to him, to withdraw his opposition to Choi-So's accompanying them as poleman; but not so Mr. Kit-ze. He had been the last one to discover Choi-So's presence at Mr. Ko's, and this had been only a short time before the stowaway's offer to take Mr.

Chefoo's place. The old boatman made quick and stormy objections. He would not, he declared, permit such an idiot to handle a pole of his sampan, for he was one who had no sense for moving his hands two ways at once. If ever he had had any sense it was under his arm, for it certainly had never been put into his head for the lack of room there.

But after a time Mr. Kit-ze grew cooler and seemed, to some extent, to be ashamed of his outburst, especially as Helen had now drawn near to him and taking his hand, was gazing at him reproachfully.

”Don't say that, Mr. Kit-ze,” she said. ”You don't really know that he can't help you with the sampan, do you?” regarding him steadily. ”Only try him, won't you? Think what it means to us to be delayed here. Oh, we must go on, and you must help us, Mr. Kit-ze, by your consent. Perhaps it will only be to Yo Ju, as we may find another poleman there to suit us.”

Thus Helen pleaded, and little by little Mr. Kit-ze's heart relented, his opposition relaxed, till he at length agreed to Choi-So's accompanying them as far as Yo Ju. But the stipulations were that he was not to move from his end of the sampan, and at night he was to leave them.

”Mr. Kit-ze is afraid of him,” commented Mr. Wilburn. ”He can read the rascal in him as plainly as I can.”

”I hope it will be proved ere we part from our poleman, that both you and Mr. Kit-ze are mistaken,” said Mr. Reid earnestly. ”I can't believe that there is anything vicious in the man. He hasn't at all that appearance to me. To my eye it is more an anxiety to get up the river than anything else I can detect.”

Mr. Ko was pleased that they had finally decided to take Mr. Choi-So.

”You won't regret it,” he a.s.serted. ”He'll take you over the rapids better than any one I know; and,” he concluded, looking at Mr. Reid a little peculiarly, ”it's my opinion you won't dismiss him at Yo Ju. At any rate, I'll have you a good poleman by the time you come back.”

By ten o'clock they were ready to be off, having bidden good-bye to poor Mr. Chefoo after having spoken all the consoling words to him they could.

In honor of their departure, Mr. Ko had donned a spotless suit of white.