CHAPTER X
A TRANSFORMATION SCENE--I BECOME A "CHINESE"
While I ruminated upon this most unexpected incident, my ears werealmost insensible of the shouts and singing, the cries of "NipponBanzai!"--Japan for ever!--the music, and the general enthusiasm. Whohad been so base as to state that I was a Chinese spy? Perhaps one ofthe crew who had rescued me from the sinking steamer, and had noticedme in the company of the German officer, a well-known adherent of theChinese. If so, my fate was sealed. The yardarm on which the falconhad perched appeared to me to be my ultimate destination, or to suggestit. The more I ruminated upon my prospects, the less I liked them.
Meantime the _Naniwa_ pursued her course, the lookouts keeping a mostcareful watch for torpedoes. I kept an equally anxious watch for themidshipman.
At length he returned, having had an interview with the captain. Hisexpression puzzled me, because it gave me no assurance of relief, andyet did not suggest despair.
"Well?" I asked, as soon as he came within speaking distance. "Am I tobe boiled in oil?" This was an attempt at levity which my heart didnot respond to.
"No, not yet," was the alarming answer. "But you will have to leavethe ship."
"Leave the ship? Why?"
"Because you must. A rumour has arisen about you, and the men do notregard you with favour. An opportunity will occur to put you ashore,and then you will be landed with others."
"Then you think me a traitor!" I exclaimed. "I swear I am not! Why,you must know yourself that I an Englishman and honest."
"Yes; I said so."
"Won't the captain believe you, then? What can he think of _you_?"
"He believes me, certainly."
"Hang me if I understand you!" I exclaimed irritably. "What is thefuss about? What is to be done? Let me know the worst?"
"The fact is as I said: you will be sent ashore. You understand someChinese?"
"But the dialects differ. Surely your _clever_ captain knows that?"
"Yes; and there lies the point. Four men--our men--are going ashore.They are interpreters of the fleet. The men have an idea that you aremixed up with the Chinese. So the captain thinks it better to send youashore with the interpreters, who intend to search the places andreport upon the country."
"Really, your captain is very kind, but I can't travel in China as aJapanese, or perhaps as an Englishman in your service."
"No," replied my friend calmly. "You must go as a Chinese."
"A Chinese? Play the spy, you mean? Never!"
"Then you may be shot; because the impression amongst the crew, asreported, is hostile to you."
"But the captain can settle that. What's the use of his being captainif he can't quench this falsehood--if he wishes?"
"His wishes are not concerned, his ship is; and _his orders_ are toland you with the explorers from the fleet. No one will harm you inour service, because you shall have a permit. When you meet the armyyou will be safe."
"But why not put me aboard a British vessel? There are several inthese seas. That is the most sensible plan. Ask the captain that?"
"I am afraid his mind is made up on the subject. If you had not beensuspected of Chinese inclinations, you might have got sent away easily.You rather favoured the Chinese, you remember?"
I then recalled some expressions I had used after my release on boardthe _Naniwa_ respecting the conduct of the Japanese ships in respect ofthe steamer _Kowshing_. These remarks must have been heard andcommented upon. I felt annoyed, and said--
"Then I quite believe there are Japanese spies on board. When am I toclear out?"
"When opportunity occurs," the young man replied, rather coldly. "Youneed not think you are under arrest meanwhile."
"Thank you," I said; "I will try to deserve the clemency."
Then he left me to my reflections, and I remained staring at the sea,and thinking of the future, until the hour and the change of the watchwarned me to seek my hammock.
We had sighted nothing during the night, and in the morning the smokeof the retreating warships was all we discerned. Whether the Japanesesquadron had had enough fighting I cannot say. At anyrate, the admiraldid not hasten the pursuit, he returned in the direction of Talien Bay.
The combined squadron now discovered some remnants of the encounter ofthe day before, at which "all hands" gazed with satisfaction andinterest. As we advanced to Hai-yang Island the distant smoke of somesteamer caused the admiral to despatch a cruiser to intercept thevessel, but whatever she was she escaped. My interest in the chase,and in the general surroundings, was keen, because I knew not what fatemight befall me; and if the steamer had been a Britisher I might havebeen transferred to her.
But no such luck was mine. As I gazed around the ship, and realisedthe effects of the action, and recalled the remembrance of it, I feltdepressed. The roar, the smoke, the flames, and the rattle of thegreat fight had all died away and disappeared. The heavy black pall ofsmoke which had shrouded the vessels had been lifted long before, andnothing but a stranded Chinese vessel and fragments of the encounterremained.
A signal fluttered, and the _Chiyoda_ was sent upon its ghoulish errandto destroy the wreck of the stranded ship. This proved to be the _YangWei_, which had run aground. A torpedo effected the desired result,and shattered the vessel to atoms, after which brilliant episode the_Chiyoda_ came pelting up to the squadron again. Then the whole arrayproceeded to the anchorage, where some of the disabled Japanese shipshad repaired. There we ascertained that the falcon which had flown onboard the _Takachiho_ had been easily secured, and placed in a cage;and when, later, one of the imperial chamberlains came to convey theMikado's congratulations to the admiral and the fleet, the bird wascommitted to his charge for conveyance to the Emperor. I heard, longafterwards, that the bird was named after the cruiser, and was thenliving in the imperial aviary at Tokio.
However, this is by the way. My personal adventures were at the timemuch more interesting to me, and yet I was neither kept in bondage norfor a while put ashore. But one day the verdict was delivered, thesentence pronounced, and my farewell was made. The circumstances wereas follows:--
A lieutenant came into the berth with my friend, and by him I wasinformed that I must prepare for departure. We had been acting asescort to a number of transports in Japanese waters, and any chance ofescape had been carefully prevented. So when the lieutenant came inwith his interpreting junior, I was almost pleased to meet them andhear my fate, though it was tinged with despair. Anything thenappeared to me better than submission to the polite suspicions to whichI had lately been enduring, and even thus my position as an Englishmanand a sailor preserved for me a greater degree of toleration than wouldhave been granted to most other foreigners. The recital of myadventures and training, particularly my rescue of the young Japaneseofficer, pleaded in my favour; but the rumours from the forecastle,which had penetrated to the ward-room, compelled attention, and inwar-time any underhand practices, if only suspected, always bringdisaster.
The fleet, as I have said, had for some time patrolled the Manchuriancoast, seeking for a landing-place for the lately raised army, of whichMarshal Oyama was appointed general-in-chief. The division had landedin Corea near the Taidong River, and thither the men-of-war proceededwhen the arrangements for the disembarkation had been concluded.
It was on the 23rd October that the whole array of transports, escortedby a number of warships, left the river; and next day, an eventful dayfor me, they anchored off the Manchurian coast at some little distancefrom shore, in thick and misty weather. All hands were alert, thoughnothing had occurred to alarm us, but when the vessels becamediscernible from the shore some excitement was manifested, because thenatives had never seen such an array of force, and could not believe inits advance. They knew the water was shallow, and though their junkscould come in, and lie at ease under the shadow of the hills, the greatvessels would be wrecked, they knew.
The _Naniwa_ had anchored when the
two officers came to the berth insearch of me, and made the final proposition, as I anticipated. Myyoung friend interpreted the decision.
"The captain and officers," he said, "have no alternative in thismatter, though I am instructed to say that in their opinion you havenot willingly transgressed nor plotted against his Imperial Majesty.Therefore they offer you the opportunity to go ashore with our scouts,and to act with them. Will you accept the offer?"
"Pray accept my thanks for the courtesy. But what if I decline it?"
"Then you will be dealt with in a more severe manner."
I paused before I replied to this. My temper rose, and I felt that anydispute was to be avoided. Still I could not withhold a protest.
"Your captain can, of course, hang me, but I am perfectly innocent.Cannot he send me aboard some American or British ship?"
"We have no means of doing so," he replied, when this renewed demandhad been translated. "You must decide at once, and, if you do acceptthe offer, make your preparations."
"Well then, I must accept, I suppose. What preparations do you referto?"
"You must appear as a Chinese, and accompany the interpreters ashore,and bring back the intelligence to the Commander-in-Chief."
I was staggered. My heart beat loudly. Was this Japanese method?Then the punishment was really intended to fit the supposed crime. Iwas accused of being a spy. The Japanese would make me one in fact!This was carrying the war into the enemy's country with a vengeance.
"Impossible!" I gasped. "I cannot. You surely will not compel me toplay the spy?"
The lieutenant perceived my indignation, and said something to thejunior officer.
"You must decide quickly," he said. "The troops will soon be landed."
This was a form of speech which I discounted. The vessels were milesaway from shore.
"Who will be my companions? and shall I be treated well?"
"Certainly. One of your associates can speak French, you can alsospeak a little Chinese. They will be told that you are an Englishcorrespondent of a newspaper. You sketch?"
"A little."
"Then your arrangements will be easily made. You will go as atraveller, as many of your compatriots have already done in Asia-Minorand farther East. Put aside the idea of 'spy,' sir; think of yoursafety only. You will be a traveller, and can move as you please."
"You do not expect me to return?"
"No, indeed! Pardon me, we want to get rid of you."
I smiled faintly. "Very well," I said. "How can I find the dress?"
"Very easily. You shall see. This is settled then?"
"Decidedly!"
"That is good. The captain will supply you with _cash_, and give you apass to roam as you please; but the Chinese may interfere with you."
"You will give me a revolver?"
"Yes; and plenty of ammunition. A knife may be useful--or sword."
"Perhaps; but why a sword?"
"To kill yourself, if necessary, and save yourself torture," repliedthe young man calmly, as he retreated in the wake of his superior.
I shuddered, and stood staring after them as they ascended to the deck;then followed them, and looked around me once again on the Yellow Sea.It had never warranted its name before in my eyes. It did then.
We were anchored off a village almost as primitive as some in Cornwall;and the sandy beach, the cliffs, and the more distant hills, somehowreminded me of England, though the junks destroyed the illusion, andthe costume of the astonished natives dissipated any resemblance to thesturdy west-country fishers of my own land. I wondered how the troopswould manage to embark; but I soon perceived a party of Japanese hadlanded in a small boat, and had planted a flag on one of the hills.
As we were all watching them, some soldiers quitted one of thetransports, and then the ships, in obedience to a signal, moved incloser, feeling their way, and steering "for the flag" on the hill.The soldiers had included a party of engineers, and after a while theybegan a long pontoon-bridge in the shallow water, to land the artilleryand horses. I was intensely interested in the calm and deliberatemanner in which the Japanese set to work. They had apparently no fearof interruption by the enemy, for I saw some of the men-o'-war,scouting in the offing, capturing a few junks, and finally a smallsteamer, which proved a great assistance in towing and landing troopsand supplies.
These arrangements were not made nor completed in a day, nor in ten. Ithink a fortnight elapsed before I was once more warned for service,and a complete suit of Chinese dress procured for me.
My young mentor brought it to me below.
"Here is your uniform," he said; "your travelling dress. Don't look soangrily at me," he continued; "indeed I cannot help it."
This pacified me somewhat, and after all the change was nothing moreextraordinary than Burton's. I began to perceive that the Japanesecaptain was, perhaps unwittingly, doing me a good turn, for someEnglishmen were certain to turn up with the army, and with them I couldbe assured of protection. Unfortunately, I could not "have it out"with the captain, either to thank him, or to condemn.
The Chinese dress is so simple, that one wonders it is not adopted moregenerally. The night-suits and day-suits are almost identical, and thedress of ladies and gentlemen, in pattern and material, are almostalike. The trousers, tunic, or kirtle, need no decided measurement,for one measure is sufficient for each garment, as from hip to ankle,or from neck to the knees, as the case may be. In winter, wadding isquilted into the clothes, and several suits worn over the innermost, sothat a man may be apparently stout until unrolled, or undressed. Thesuits wear for years, as the fashion of the Chinese passeth not away;and when the old suit is discarded, it is relegated to night-duty--goeson the "night-shift," as the miner says.
There was no difficulty in arraying me over my body-clothing in Chinesecostume, and in a few minutes I was transformed into the outersemblance of a Chinaman _with_ a crop of thick hair. The dresser thenshaved my face, and made me up, and he began to shave my locks. This Iresented, and was about to resist forcibly, until the young officerinterfered and made peace.
At length I was attired, painted, and coiffe; my delicate skull wasshaven; a long lock was retained, and to this a proper pigtail was byartifice attached. When this caudal appendage was fixed, and my wholeappearance touched up, I caught sight of myself in a mirror, and, aftera struggle with my pride, burst into a roar of laughter.
It was too ridiculous! The "coolie," butcher-blue suit, the queershoes, the long sleeves, the wide trousers and loose tunic, made mefeel as if dressed for a fancy ball, and my amusement was only checkedby the presentation of the revolver and some cartridges. I wasinstructed to rely upon my chosen companion for all else, and forexample. We were to travel in pairs, and I was to keep silent, as muchas possible, for my own sake and his. My young friend, the middy, gaveme several hints as to behaviour and manners, and my own experiencedictated several more, which I could employ with advantage.
When my costume had been completed by a cap, I was taken on shore bythe young officer, Tomi, and put under the care of a Japaneseinterpreter, who seemed to be a good sort of fellow. Tomi urged him,with much native eloquence, to be vigilant, and to look after theEnglishman, who was one of those "crazy creatures" who risk their livesin the search of information. The Japanese apparently understood thenature of the animal. A Chinese would have thought me a lunatic, foreven a man who hunts, or "sports" in any way, is regarded by Celestialsas stupid. "They should get men to do all this for them," they say ofthe British athlete.
The natives were perfectly quiet, and we (the scouts) were directed toproceed across the isthmus, first along the coast to Putsewo, orPittozo-wo, and thence across towards Fuchow. The former place isabout twenty-eight miles from where we had landed, and in the directionof Port Arthur. The other two scouts were directed to proceed furtherin the direction of Kinchow, which is at the opposite side of thepeninsula, where it is narrowest, there being only about two milesdistance between
the shores of Talien Bay and the Nan-Kua Pass. Thepeninsula then expands. Port Arthur occupies the eastern side in thebay, at the extremity.
My companion, named Hoyo, or Hoko, took a rather nervous farewell ofthe officer. Tomi clasped my hands, and repeatedly assured me that mylife had been frequently in danger, and had I remained I must havefallen a victim to the enmity of the Japs. He again protested that hewas for ever my debtor, and had even volunteered to accompany me in myexpedition, but had been refused.
"Take this badge," he concluded, "it is a private token of a Japanesenaval officer. If ever in the company of our fleet, or even with thearmy, and in trouble, produce it. It is the Emperor's gift, and willassure you of safety. Farewell!"
He wrung my hand, touched his cap, and turned away to the boat, whileHoko and I mounted the sandy shore which ascended beside the riverHua-yuan.
Thus I was again "dismissed" from naval service, and cast upon my ownresources, and slender they were indeed!
In the Yellow Sea Page 11
