by Shi Nai-An
Lu Ta did not reply to this. Upon entering the temple they saw that there was no idol of Buddha, but in the center of the hall there was a large chair covered with a tiger's skin. Many bandits there had spears and cudgels and stood in ranks on both sides. In a little time Teng Lung entered assisted by two bandits, and took his seat on the chair. Ts'ao Ch'eng and Yang Chih were close to Lu Ta, and led him to the steps below the chair.
"You bald-headed donkey!" said Teng Lung, "a few days ago you kicked me in the stomach, and it is still discolored. To-day you see me face to face."
Lu Ta opened his eyes wide and staring shouted, "You robber! You need not go!"
Two laborers seized the rope, and pulling it released Lu Ta who taking the priest's staff from Ts'ao Ch'eng whirled it round. Yang Chih threw off his straw hat, and seized his sword. Ts'ao Ch'eng whirled his cudgel and his laborers all came forward with their cudgels. Teng Lung was endeavoring to escape when Lu Ta struck him with his staff, and split his skull into two parts, and the same blow shattered the chair. Yang Chih had attacked about five of the bandits with his sword when Ts'ao Ch'eng called out, "All of you
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must surrender. Otherwise we shall wipe you all out," The five hundred bandits outside the temple were so surprised at what had happened that they immediately surrendered.
They then ordered the bandits to take the body of Teng Lung and bum it on the mountain at the back of the temple. Yang Chih and Lu Ta then went to the granary and took stock of the grain there, put other rooms in order, and took particulars of the things that were stored behind the temple. They then took food and wine for them to eat in the temple. As Lu Ta and Yang Chih were now masters of the stronghold they had a big feast with plenty of wine. All the bandits were submitted to the changed position of affairs and still controlled by their officers. Ts'ao Ch'eng bid adieu to Yang Chih and Lu Ta and returned to his homestead, but we need not say anything more about him.
The men who had formed the escort for the birthday presents and also Hsieh, the steward, went on their way to the Northern Capital, and upon arrival there they went to the yamen of Grand Secretary Liang, and there prostrating themselves asked to be excused for their crime.
Grand Secretary Liang said, "I appreciate fully the difficulties you must have had on the road. But where is Yang Chih?"
"That we dare not say," said the men. "That man is a bold ungrateful thief. When we had gone about seven days from here, we reached the Yellow Mud Ridge where we rested in the shade of some pine trees as it was a very hot day. We did not know that Yang Chih had an understanding with a band of seven thieves. They pretended to be traders of dates, and were pushing seven small ChiangChou-made carts. They had apparently arranged to meet us at that place, and were waiting for us there. Yang Chih had also arranged for a man to carry some wine to arrive there at the same time. Without thinking we bought the wine, but it had been drugged so that we were soon insensible and were all bound up with ropes. Yang Chih joined with the seven bandits in loading the birthday presents on the small carts, and then went off with them. We reported the matter to the magistrate at Chi Chou Fu where we left two of our servants to assist in arresting the
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bandits. We have traveled both day and night to reach here, and report this to Your Honor."
Upon hearing this Liang was very much surprised and cursed; saying, "That banished thief! He was a convicted criminal. I promoted him, gave him a position, and now I find that he has forgotten all my generosity. If I can only catch him I will kill him, and cut him up into ten thousand small pieces." He then dictated a dispatch to his secretary, and sent a man with it to Chi Chou Fu with instructions to travel day and night until delivered. He also wrote a personal letter to Ts'ai, the royal tutor at the Eastern Capital, explaining what had happened.
We need not say anything about the dispatch sent to Chi Chou Fu, but we will now follow the personal letter for the royal tutor. When Ts'ai received the letter, and read it he was very much surprised and said, "These bandits are quite fearless. Last year they seized presents from my son-in-law, and so far they have not been arrested. This year the same thing has happened again, so what will be the end of it?" He wrote a dispatch, and told an officer in his yamen to take it himself with all speed to the governor of Chi Chou Fu who must immediately have the bandits arrested, and report to him at once.
After receipt of the order from Grand Secretary Liang at the Northern Capital the governor at Chi Chou Fu attended to the matter every day without succeeding in arresting the bandits, and was becoming very anxious. One day the doorkeeper reported that an officer from the royal tutor Ts'ai at Eastern Capital had arrived with a very urgent dispatch, and was waiting outside the hall to see the governor.
The governor was surprised at this, but thought that it must have something to do with the matter of the birthday presents also. He went into the hall and when he met, the officer he said, "I have already received an accusation against the bandits from the servants of the commander in chief Liang, and have sent men to arrest the bandits, but so far we have not been able to find any trace of them. I also received a personal dispatch from Liang instructing me to give the soldiers and the official thief catcher only a few days in which to arrest the brigands, and if they did not seeceed in that time they were to be beaten. If
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we get only information as to the whereabouts of these brigands I will go myself and report the matter to your master."
"I am the intimate servant of the royal tutor," said the officer. "He told me his intentions, and sent me specially to see that all the bandits were arrested. Just before I left the Eastern Capital the royal tutor spoke to me and said that he wanted me to stay in your yamen until this matter was settled. He wants you to arrest the seven traders of dates, the wine seller, and also Yang Chih who disappeared. They must all be arrested within ten days, and be sent to the Eastern Capital. If you do not succeed in arresting the men within that time I am afraid that he will banish you to Sha Men Tao. It will be very dangerous even for me to return and report a failure to the royal tutor. If you doubt my word then please peruse the dispatch from the royal tutor which I have brought."
The governor read the dispatch, and was much surprised. He at once summoned a number of thief catchers. Just then a man standing on the steps outside the door attracted attention by calling out "ngo" and the governor turning to him said, "Who are you?”
The man replied, "I am Ho T'ao, thief catcher in the Third Police Area."
The governor asked, "Are you the man in charge of the affairs regarding the stealing of the birthday presents at the Yellow Mud Ridge?"
Ho T'ao replied, "Your Excellency, I had charge of the party that went to attend to that matter, and I have not had a wink of sleep since I started, and have kept the men under constant supervision. Although I beat the men with my stick continually we have not found a single trace of the bandits so far. There has been no neglect on my part, and yet I can find no plan to settle the matter."
The governor spoke in a loud voice, "Nonsense! As the ancients said, 'You have not been sharp enough, and your men have been too slow.' I was a doctor of law Han-lin, and rose to my present position after many difficulties. To-day an officer has arrived from the royal tutor at the Eastern Capital with a dispatch which states that all the bandits must be arrested within ten days, and sent to the Eastern Capital.
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Should I fail to execute this order I shall be dismissed from office, and banished to Sha Men Tao. Although you are a thief catcher yet apparently you are of no use, and will bring a great calamity to me. I shall, however, first send you to a very distant military post, so far away that even the wild geese cannot fly there." He then summoned a man, and told him to brand on the thief catcher's face the three characters: "Banished to. . . Chou" leaving a blank space for the destination to be branded in afterwards. This done the governor said, "Ho T'ao! If you do not arrest those bandits I will never forgive
you."
Ho T'ao after hearing this withdrew to his office where he summoned a large number of policemen to have a secret discussion of this matter.
Ho T'ao said, "In your positions you get your wages whether you have anything to do or not, but although you have not arrested the bandits you have not said anything about it. But you will surely have pity for me with these characters branded on my face."
The men replied, "Sir, we are not as senseless as wood or grass and we do know about your difficulty. We think that the bandits must have come from a remote and wild place in the hills in another district. When they seized the valuable presents they must have returned to their mountain stronghold in good spirits so how can we find them? Even if we know where they have gone to we shall still be quite helpless."
When Ho T'ao heard them say this his sorrow for himself was doubled. Without saying anything he left the room, mounted a horse and started off for home. Upon arrival at home he led the horse to a trough at the back of the house, and tied it up there. He was by himself, and felt very melancholy.
Upon entering the house his wife asked him, "Husband, how is it your face is like that?"
"A few days ago," said Ho T'ao, "the governor gave me an order to arrest some bandits who had stolen, at the Yellow Mud Ridge, the valuable birthday presents that had been sent by Grand Secretary Liang to Ts'ai, the royal tutor. I took the order but so far I have failed to arrest the bandits. To-day I was going to ask for a renewal of the time limit for
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the arrest of those men, and I did not know that an officer had arrived from the Eastern Capital with an order that the bandits must be sent there without delay. The governor asked me what news I had about the bandits, and I replied that I could get no news of them, and so far they had not been arrested. Thereupon the governor gave orders and had these three characters branded upon my face leaving a space for the place of my banishment to be filled in later on. I did not know what my fate will be."
His wife asked, "Well, and how will you put this matter right?"
Just then his younger brother Ho Ching entered, and Ho T'ao said to him, "What are you doing here? Why have you not gone gambling?"
Mrs. Ho T'ao signaled to Ho Ching with her hand and said to him, "Brother-in-law, just come into the kitchen, as I have something to say to you." They both then went into the kitchen where Ho Ching sat down.
The woman spread on the table some meat, vegetables, and wine, warmed a glass of wine, and then asked Ho Ching to dine.
Ho Ching said, "My elder brother was very insulting to me. I am his younger brother, although I am not very able."
The woman said, "You do not understand, but your brother is exceedingly upset just now."
"But my brother has a good income every day," said Ho Ching, "so where has the money gone to? I have not troubled him with visits so why is he so upset to-day?"
The woman said, "Some traders of dates at the Yellow Mud Ridge stole the birthday presents sent by Grand Secretary Liang at the Northern Capital to Ts'ai, the royal tutor at the Eastern Capital. An order came from the Eastern Capital that if the bandits were not arrested within ten days the officer should be branded and banished to a distant military post. Did you not notice the three characters branded on your elder brother's face? Sooner or later he would suffer more if those men were not arrested, and is therefore disinclined to drink with you. So I have prepared some food and wine for yourself. While he is in this melancholy mood you must excuse him."
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"I have heard at several places," said Ho Ching, "that some bandits captured the birthday presents. But where did it happen?"
"I heard that it occurred at the Yellow Mud Ridge."
"But who could have done it?"
The woman replied, "Uncle, you are not yet drunk. I have already told you that the men who captured the valuables were seven traders of dates."
Ho Ching burst into a roar of laughter, and said, "So that is it. But if he knows that there were date traders why is he so melancholy? Why does he not send some clever men to arrest them?"
"What you say is all right," said the woman, "but he cannot find out where they have gone to."
Ho Ching laughed again and said, "Sister-in-law, you need not be anxious. But you know that my elder brother was always asking men to come and dine with him whom he called his 'younger brothers' but he never invited me, his real younger brother, to join them. If he had previously invited me to dine with him we could this day have discussed the matter of these bandits."
"Brother-in-law, do you know where the bandits are?"
"I might have some plan of saving him from it," said Ho Ching, when my brother is in a critical position." He then got up with the idea of leaving the room, but his sister-in-law detained him to drink two more glasses of wine. When she heard these statements made she thought they were somewhat strange so she immediately went to her husband, and told him what she had heard. Her husband told her to bring Ho Ching in, and when Ho T'ao saw him he smiled and said to him, "Younger brother, if you know where the bandits have gone to why do you not help me?"
"I do not know that," said Ho Ching. "I only spoke to your wife in a joking manner. But how can I help you?"
"Good brother," said Ho T'ao, "do not look upon this matter with indifference. Just think of my goodness instead of my fault, and so save my life."
"Elder brother," said Ho Ching, "have you not some very smart men among the two or three hundred you employ, and why cannot they help you in this matter? I am only a single individual so how can I help you?"
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"You need not talk about those men," said Ho T'ao. "I think that you know something of the haunts of the bandits so I hope that you will not tell any other man about it and so help him to capture the bandits. If you give me the information I will see that you are duly rewarded. You will in this way also relieve my mind."
"Elder brother," said Ho Ching, "I really do not know where they have gone to."
"You may pay no attention to me," said Ho T'ao, "but we are uterine brothers and you must tell me what you know for the sake of our parents."
"Do not be in such a hurry," said Ho Ching. "When matters are more urgent I will try and help you to arrest those small bandits."
"Uncle," said the woman, "you should display your brotherly love by helping your elder brother. The royal tutor has issued an order for the immediate arrest of all these men. It is a very big affair, and yet you speak of 'small bandits.'"
"Sister-in-law," said Ho Ching, "you are aware how many times my elder brother has beaten and cursed me for gambling so that I am afraid of him, and do not dare to dispute with him. Previously he had wine and food, and had a good time with other men, but now he realizes that his younger brother is of some use."
Ho T'ao saw that his brother knew something more so he quickly took ten ounces of silver and placed them on the table and then told his brother to take them. "If we capture the brigands I myself will give you a reward of gold, silver, and silk."
Ho Ching laughed and said, "There is a saying, 'When there is urgent business we clasp the feet of Buddha, but when nothing happens we do not even bum incense.' But if I now take the silver it would seem that I have been trying to extort it from you. So take the money away as I do not like you to bribe me. If you say anything else about giving me money I will not say anything. As you both have spoken kindly, I will tell you about the bandits."
"The money is the reward offered by the yamen," said Ho T'ao, "so why should you not take it? Younger brother, do not refuse it." I ask you again, 'Do you know where those bandits have gone to?"'
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Patting his leg, Ho Ching said, "I have all those bandits in my pocket."
Ho T'ao was surprised, and asked, "Younger brother, how can you talk about putting all those bandits in your pocket?"
"That is my business," said Ho Ching. "I have already got them all inside. Now take away that money, and do not try to bribe me again
. I want us to be the best of friends." He then told them in detail all that he knew.
At Yun Cheng Damien heroes distribute wealth,
At Liang Shan Po assemble many veterans.
We will now relate what was in Ho Ching's pocket.
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CHAPTER 17
THE HANDSOME WHISKERS DEVISES A SCHEME
TO SECURE THE FLYING TIGER; SUNG KUNG-
MING SECRETLY ENABLES CH'AO KAI TO ESCAPE
THE thief catcher, Ho T'ao, spoke to his younger brother, Ho Ching, "These ingots of silver are the reward offered by the yamen, and when we capture the brigands there will be much greater reward. I would not attempt to cheat you. But why did you say that you had put the brigands in your trouser's pocket?"
Ho Ching put his hand in his breast pocket, and drew forth a folding note paper with cover, and pointing to it said, "All those brigands are here."
Ho T'ao asked, "But how their names got written there?"
"I won't deceive you," said Ho Ching. "The day before yesterday I lost every cash at gambling, and a fellow gambler took me to the An Lo Village, about five miles outside the North Gate, to an inn owned by a man named Wang, where there were many men assembled who were gambling with small stakes. The officials had issued an order that at every inn they must keep a register of the guests who stayed there, and should record their names, where they came from, where they were going to, and what was their business. The register must be sent every month through the alderman to the local official for inspection. The waiter at the inn did not know how to write so he asked me to stay there for half a month and keep that register for him."
