by Kirk Munroe
CHAPTER XXII
A CHARGE AND A RACE FOR LIFE
There is but one gateway to the walled city of Cheng-Ting-Fu, and thisopens on the west. Consequently, it was on this side that most of theBoxer rabble, who longed for an opportunity to loot the valuable missionproperty within its walls, were gathered. Their object was to starve thestubborn city into submission, and they watched always for the openingof its gate in token of surrender. If our lads had been willing to leavetheir ponies in the city, they could have been let down from the wall onan opposite side and made good their escape on foot. This, however, theywould not do, for without horses the long journey still before them,through a region swarming with footpads, was practically impossible. Sothey issued from the wicket, which instantly was closed behind them,sprang into their saddles, and turned northward, hoping to ride for somedistance unnoticed in the shadow of the lofty wall.
But this hope was doomed to a quick disappointment, for almost instantlythey were discovered, and a crowd of men were seen running so as to headthem off.
"We've got to ride through them," said Rob, "and shoot down any one whotries to stop us. I will go first, and do you follow close. Don't firea shot until my pistol is empty; then I'll drop behind and reload whileyou clear the way. It's our only show for life, Jo. Come on!"
With this Rob wheeled his pony and dashed at full speed straight atthe swarming encampment, with Jo close at his heels. It was a gloriouscharge, that of two against a thousand, but it could not have lasted aminute had the latter been anything save a wretched rabble, unprovidedwith fire-arms and without leaders. As it was, they were scattered likechaff by the madly racing ponies, the few who attempted interferencewere shot down, and three minutes later our lads, still yelling withexcitement, drove through the last of their enemies and found themselvessafe on the open plain.
"After that experience I would undertake to ride through the wholeChinese army with twenty American cow-boys," boasted Rob, as he reinedhis panting steed down to a walk.
"Of course, it might be done," answered Jo, quietly, "only it would bewell to consider that an army is made up of soldiers provided with guns,and that even a Chinese bullet sometimes finds its mark."
"I beg your pardon, old fellow! It was a mean thing to say," cried Rob,contritely. "I ought to be ashamed of myself, especially when I rememberhow splendidly one Chinese, by the name of Jo Lee, rode through thathowling mob only a few minutes ago. But Americans can't help bragging,you know, and I surely am an American."
"If they do brag," replied Jo, "it is because they have so much to bragof, while my poor country has so little."
"Your country has a history older than that of any other nation onearth," said Rob, consolingly; "and you invented more than half thethings that go to making the civilization of the world, such as thecompass, and printing, and gunpowder, and ever so many more; forI remember our history teacher telling us about them. He said thecivilization that started in China thousands of years ago had beenspreading westward from this country ever since: first over Asia, thenover Europe, and finally over America. 'At length,' he said, 'the greatwave of enlightenment has swept across the Pacific, and again is makingitself felt on the coasts of Asia. Japan already is uplifted by theflood, and China, now at the lowest ebb of her fortunes, will soon feelthe life-giving influence of the rising tide.'
"I remember it particularly," continued Rob, "because, of course, Ialways was interested in everything about China; but I never realizedjust what he meant until I came back and saw what a splendid countrythis has been and what a splendid country it could be again. Why, Mr.Bishop said that China's wealth of coal and iron alone is sufficient tomake her one of the greatest nations of the world."
"I expect your teacher was right when he said that China was at thelowest point of her fortunes," remarked Jo. "I don't see how she couldvery well sink any lower, and she will stay down just so long as theEmpress Dowager lives and rules the country. She hates foreigners, andis bitterly opposed to progress, reformers, and changes of any kind. Itis certain that she is encouraging and helping on this Boxer uprising,for if she wanted to she could have it put down and stamped out withina week. I told you of my orders not to interfere with them, no matterwhat they did, and while we were charging through that encampment justnow I caught sight of a Boxer banner on which was written: 'By OfficialDecree: Exterminate Foreigners.' They never would dare display such aflag if they didn't really have official backing, and in China to-daythe only 'official' whose word is law is the Empress Dowager."
"I don't see how you found time to read what was on a flag," said Rob,"or even to notice it. I didn't see a thing except the crowd, thatlooked like so many wolves snarling at us, and especially those whotried to stop us. If it hadn't been for our pistols they would have gotus sure. I only hope we didn't kill any of them."
"Why?" asked Jo. "They were trying to kill us, and if we don't lookout," he added, sharply, "they will do it yet."
Thus saying, he pointed over his shoulder to a rapidly advancing cloudof dust, moving from the direction of the Boxer encampment they had sorecently charged. The dust-cloud hung above a road that ran parallelto the direction they were taking. In fact, it was the road over whichthey now would be riding had the bare fields that they had choseninstead been covered with their usual crops. That they could not see thehorsemen raising the dust was because the highway along which the latterwere moving was a "low-way," worn by generations of travel, scoured byfloods in winter and swept by the strong winds of summer until it wasmany feet below the level of the adjoining land.
Jo was convinced that the dust-cloud was raised by horsemen, becauseof its volume and its rapid advance. That they were enemies was almostcertain, since they came from the direction of the angry encampment; andhe believed them to be endeavoring to cut off Rob and himself, becauseotherwise they, too, would be riding across the open fields instead ofploughing through the smothering dust of the gully-like road.
Our lads had allowed their ponies to walk for the last mile or so, butnow they urged them forward at a brisk "lope," for they were determinedthat no man nor body of men from that encampment should get in advanceof them if they could help it. Every few seconds one or the other ofthem glanced over his shoulder at the dust-cloud, to see if they weregaining on it, and finally Rob uttered a shout of: "Here they come,helter-skelter, and enough of them to eat us alive if they catch us! Nowwe've got to make time. Great Scott! They've got guns, too!"
The horsemen, having discovered that their object was suspected and thattheir prey was likely to escape, had left the sunken road and now werestreaming across the fields in open and hot pursuit. Also, just as Robglanced back, one of them fired a shot, though where the bullet went to,no one knows. Certainly, it did no harm to our friends, but the shotitself filled them with dismay, as it showed their present pursuers tobe better armed than any of the vagrant bands they yet had encountered.
"I believe they are imperial cavalry!" exclaimed Jo. "Yes, I am sureof it," he added, a moment later, as he detected a triangular, yellowpennon fluttering from a lance borne by one of the pursuing horsemen."They must have been sent out from the city and must have some reasonfor suspecting us. I wonder if it has become known that we communicatedwith your mother? That would be a sufficient cause for beheading us bothif we are caught, so we must not be."
"I won't be!" declared Rob, clinching his teeth and urging his pony togreater effort. "I'll die first!"
On they swept, mile after mile, over the parched land and under ablazing sun. How they longed for rest and water and shade and coolness;but none of those things were for them so long as that deadly pursuitwas kept up. It did not seem to gain on them, but neither did it loseground. To be sure, some of the cavalry-men straggled, so that they cameon in a long, irregular line, but a group of half a dozen leaders keptwell together.
A river came into view, and Rob wondered what would happen when theyreached it. He began to think he didn't much care so long as he couldget a drink of its water. A
ll at once he almost jumped from his saddle,for from beyond the river came a sound both startling and familiar,such as he had not heard since leaving America. At Cheng-Ting-Fu he hadseen the torn-up track of the recently constructed railway, but he hadforgotten it, as he also had the fact that a portion of it, somewhereto the northward, still was in working order. Thus, for a moment, hecould hardly believe to be real the sound that came echoing across theHsuho. It was the sharp whistle of a locomotive calling for brakes, andas our lads plunged down the steep river-bank they saw a train of open"gondolas" slowly backing towards the stream on the opposite side. Theyalso saw a crowd of people evidently awaiting its coming.
For half a mile they forced their nearly spent ponies across the sandand gravel of the dry river-bottom. Then appeared a channel so shallowas easily to be forded. Directly from this rose the steep farther bank,and in an effort to climb it Rob's exhausted steed fell and rolled tothe bottom, while Jo's pony refused even to attempt the ascent.
Rob disentangled himself from the struggling beast, and gained hisfeet, bruised but sound in limb. As he stood up a yell of triumphcame from across the narrow water, and a quick glance showed that thepursuing Chinese cavalry-men were close at hand. At this same moment Josprang from his exhausted pony.
"We must run," he cried, "and mix with the people on the bank. Perhapswe can hide in one of the cars."
So the lads, one still in the yellow robes of a priest, and the other inthe dark-blue blouse with red facings, full trousers, and short boots ofimperial troops, dashed up the bank together and ran towards a throngof soldiers now crowding aboard the cars, as though they, too, soughtpassage on the train.
As they began to push their way into the crowd, one of the soldiers,staring hard at Rob, uttered an ejaculation that caused Jo to turn andlook at his friend with sudden dismay. In the haste of leaving theirponies and running for the train he had not noticed that Rob had lostboth his priestly head-covering and the great, shell-rimmed spectaclesthat had proved so complete a disguise. Now, without them, though hestill was tinted yellow and robed as a priest, there was no mistakinghim for anything but a foreigner, and "fan kwei" (foreign devil) waswhat the soldier had just called him.
Others, attracted by the man's exclamation, were turning to look, andat the same moment came a loud shouting from the rear. Those who hadchased our lads so persistently all that morning were close at hand.
For an instant Jo's heart sank like lead and he believed they were lost.Then like a flash came a thought of one thing that they still might do.
