Under the Chinese Dragon Part 32

'It is one of those matters which one cannot well help, Excellency,'

Chu-Li rea.s.sured him. 'It may be that the brutes have found some hollow which was not visible from the top of the hill, and have taken shelter in it. I mean some dip in the ground. There is this to be said in our favour. The animals have had a fine feed during the night, and will therefore not be so ravenous, while it is well-known that wolves do not attack so fiercely during the day time. But I have known of a party being torn to pieces, and for that reason we had best hasten.'

They urged their willing animals forward after that, and were soon more than half-way to the village, which could now be distinctly seen. It was then that Jong announced that there was something following the party, causing David to call a halt. At once he, too, caught sight of a slinking object, while Chu-Li declared that he had seen several.

'They are wolves without doubt, Excellency,' he said, 'and keep themselves as low down on the snow as possible, so as to come near without being seen. I had rather fight twenty men than the same number of those fierce brutes.'

'And I too,' agreed David. 'However, we have got to face the matter out.

Jong, do you go on, leading the pack-ponies as fast as possible. Hu-Ty can take my mount as well as Chu-Li's, while we two will walk, firing at the wolves whenever we see them. A few good shots should make them keep their distance. If not, we will mount and ride as fast as the beasts will take us. In less than an hour at any rate we shall be at the village.'

Slipping out of his saddle he handed the reins to Hu-Ty, and took his rifle from him, together with a handful of ammunition. Chu-Li at once joined him, while Jong took the leads of the other animals and sent them towards the village at a smart rate. Indeed, the ponies were only too willing. For though they may not have seen the prowling enemy in rear, they s.h.i.+vered visibly and fretted greatly, showing that they had probably scented the wolves.

'Now, we will take it in turns, Chu,' said David. 'One good shot is better than twenty misses, and besides, if we knock one wolf over, he provides food for his comrades.'

Catching a clear view of a slinking form at that moment he dropped on to one knee, levelled his rifle and took careful aim. The snap of the weapon was followed by a distant howl, while the animal he had fired at leaped into the air and fell backward into the snow.

'Showing that a bullet at a fair range is more deadly than one fired point blank,' he remarked, remembering that when in the cave many of the wolves though perforated had still dashed forward.

'It was a fine shot, Excellency,' exclaimed Chu, with enthusiasm. 'As to a bullet being more deadly, I am sure of it. I have seen men dash forward with mad impetuosity. Nothing could stop them, unless the bullet struck them in the head or heart. Such fanatics seemed to feel nothing till they had given a blow, and then many a man fell never to move again. I know, for I was one of the few who helped my masters, the English, when the legations at Pekin were besieged during the revolt of the Boxers. Those were fierce times, Excellency.'

He drew himself up proudly, while David looked at the soldier in a new light. It was clear that Chu was something like his leader, the astute and travelled Tw.a.n.g Chun, Governor of the province. He at least was not one of the ma.s.ses who saw in a European a foreign devil meant only to be killed.

'You have much to be proud of, Chu,' he said warmly. 'That must have been a fine experience.'

'It was, Excellency; we fought against huge odds, and the attackers were even as fierce as these beasts. But see: the others have fallen upon the one you shot. I will send a bullet amongst them.'

It was an easy shot, and the Chinaman laid a second wolf low. Then he and David leaped into their saddles, while the whole party went on at as great a pace as the ponies could accomplish, leaving the wolves, of whom there seemed to be a great number, huddled around their fallen comrades.

It gave David and his men a breathing s.p.a.ce, and for ten minutes they were able to press on without halting. Then the wolves, having devoured the two which had been shot, came after them again, slinking over the snow, and showing themselves as little as possible.

'We'll do as we did before,' cried David, looking over his shoulder, 'only this time, as there seem to be so many, we had better kill four at least if possible. Come along, Chu. No need to stop Jong and the pack ponies. We shall easily catch them up.'

Two minutes later when they were again in their saddles and had drawn level with Jong, the latter reported that he had seen some of the dark, slinking forms to his left, while within a few minutes Chu announced that others were coming up on the right. It was a very serious position, and though David discussed the matter quickly, no one could devise any other plan than that of hurrying forward.

'We've given those in rear reason to halt for a while at any rate,' he told his men. 'We must wait and see what these others are going to do, and if they look as if they were coming close in we shall have to halt and fire at them. I admit I don't like the business at all. How long will it take us to get to the village at this rate, Chu?'

'Half an hour, Excellency. By then if the wolves mean to attack, there will be little left of us.'

There was a deep line across the soldier's brow, while his eyes were drawn and anxious; but of his pluck there could be no two opinions.

Chu-Li was a fine soldier and feared nothing, nothing perhaps that was human. But wolves were different altogether. However, the situation was one that had to be faced, and for that reason the party went on as fast as possible, taking no notice of the brutes which were attempting to outflank them. But at length the latter had drawn in perceptibly, while half-a-dozen were in front of the party between them and the village.

'Then there's nothing for it but to dismount and fire as we go,' said David, as he set an example by dropping from his saddle. 'Hu-Ty must help. The ponies are not likely to stray with these beasts so near them, and will more likely huddle closely together. Come, let us do our utmost to drive the wolves off.'

Walking rapidly beside their ponies David and the two Chinamen stopped every few seconds to fire at the wolves, knocking several over. But as fast as one fell, others seemed to leap into his place, as if they came from the snow itself. And a bad sign for the fortunes of the party,--the beasts were now ignoring their fallen comrades.

'Looks as if they preferred humans,' thought David, grimly. 'I begin to see that we shall have to halt and make a stand. Chu,' he called loudly.

'They look as if they were about to make a rush. They have come in a lot closer and are all round us now. If they run in make a dash for the ponies, and take up your posts in the very centre. It's hard luck for our mounts, but we must put them between us and our enemies. Ah! they're moving. That big one out there seems to be a leader.'

Up went his rifle, and the beast he aimed at howled as he pulled the trigger. But he did not fall as had the others. Glaring at David's party for a moment, he suddenly sank his head, and with his limbs bent beneath him came das.h.i.+ng forward over the snow. And as he came his mates followed, howling and yapping.

'Into the centre!' shouted David. 'Put the ponies outside. Begin to fire at once.'

Bunched in a little group, the forlorn little party made the utmost of the situation. The four stood close together with the ponies immediately outside them. And the poor animals seemed to have guessed that they were to act as a bulwark, for they cowered, s.h.i.+vering and stamping their hoofs, and pressing in upon the men who were to defend them. It was just before a volley belched from the rifles of his party that David heard a distant gong, and then a loud report. Looking round in the direction of the village he was overjoyed to see a number of men running towards him, many of whom carried flaming brands, while the weapons they bore were as many and as various as the garments of the strangers.

'Fire as hard as you can!' he shouted. 'The villagers are running out to help us, so that if we can keep the wolves at bay for a couple of minutes we shall be safe.'

Those two minutes were perhaps the most strenuous he had ever spent in all his life. Even Chu-Li admitted that the defence of the legations at Pekin was hardly equal to that last attack. For the wolves had heard the gong and the shout of the villagers, and as if determined that their prey should not escape them, they dashed in madly, their eyes flaming, their teeth parted in a snarl. More than one managed to leap on to the backs of the ponies, only to be at once shot or struck down by the knives the Chinese carried. One even fixed its fangs in the neck of a pony, till the poor beast, driven frantic with pain and fear, dashed away from the circle. Twenty wolves were on it immediately, and would have had it down and torn to pieces in little time had not a crumb of sense returned to the pony. It kicked madly in all directions, and then galloped back to its comrades, where Chu and Jong slashed at the wolves still holding to it. By then the villagers were close at hand, running forward in a compact body, and at once, with many a snarl of rage, the wolves took themselves off.

'Who are you?' demanded one of the strangers, who was m.u.f.fled to the eyes, and dressed in padded clothing which made him of enormous size.

'You come from the north or the south? Answer immediately. If from the north, then in spite of the wolves you must go on your journey.'

'We come from the south. This Excellency is a friend of Tw.a.n.g Chun, the n.o.ble Governor of this province,' answered Chu, putting himself forward as spokesman. 'The Excellency bears letters to all whom it may concern.

He is a n.o.ble Englishman.'

'Then follow; a friend of the n.o.ble Tw.a.n.g Chun is our friend. You will be welcome.'

David bowed as the Chinese headman kow-towed before him, looking as if he found it hard to bend, so many garments had he on him. Then our hero thanked him warmly, and asked why, if he had come from the north, he would not be welcome.

'Because, Excellency, there is plague there, and in spite of the cold weather people are flying from it. Mobs have pa.s.sed us, but we have kept them at a distance. Elsewhere the frantic people have burst into defenceless villages, and have murdered every one so as to take their food supplies. We had rather welcome wolves than these maddened individuals. But tell me about the beasts who attacked you. You have had a very narrow escape without doubt. I myself have never seen the brutes attack so fiercely, and I am accustomed to them.'

Nowhere else had our hero been made so welcome as in the village to which they had now come, and he and his party spent three days there, resting after their adventures, and waiting till the snow had cleared.

For a thaw had set in, and the wet made the ground almost impossible for horses. But on the fourth day they were able to start, and set out from the village, having made arrangements that supplies of rice and of chickens should be forwarded to the ruins weekly.

'Unless, of course, something occurs to prevent our despatching the food, 'said the headman.' We have abundance here, and shall be glad to sell it. But this trouble in Manchuria is very pressing, and it may be that we shall not be able to spare men to go to you. Everywhere reports say that mobs are parading the country, and when a Chinaman is homeless and hungry no law is sufficient to stop his thieving and killing. A fine journey, Excellency. It has been a pleasure to meet you.'

Three days later David reached the ruins where his comrades were working, and was hailed with delight by the Professor.

'I began to get really nervous about you,' he declared, 'especially when the snowstorm broke over the country. Come and tell me all that has happened to you.'

'And now let me hear something about the work here, Professor,' asked David when he had told him about the discovery of the hollow during the snowstorm, and the attack of the wolves. 'How are you progressing?'

'Splendidly; couldn't be better,' exclaimed the Professor, rubbing his hands together with energy. 'We seem to have dropped upon the very part which your poor father excavated. Of course, he did not go very far; that we know, for Chang and his ruffians so soon interrupted him.

However, he removed a ma.s.s of debris, which has made our work all the lighter. We have already made discoveries. We have opened up some wonderful inscriptions, and d.i.c.k hit upon a buried bronze bowl which is unique I should say, and will find a place in the British Museum. The only contretemps we have experienced was two days after the snowstorm. A band of most villainous-looking fellows came this way and demanded provisions. They were from Manchuria, from the plague-infested area, and, of course, my workers would have nothing to do with them. They moved off soon afterwards, though there is little doubt that had they been in greater strength they would hardly have let us off so lightly.

Come in, and see what we have been doing.'

For three weeks David worked with the excavators, finding the task of the greatest interest. For the diggers had come upon a covered way, built in stone, and absolutely perfect, and from this, as the debris was cleared away, it was possible to enter houses, the roofs of which were just visible above the all-pervading sand, while the interiors were often almost free of that material. And in them was found abundance of food for reflection--domestic articles in great numbers left by those ancient residents, tiled ways which could not be improved upon by the later Romans; and bronze vases and receptacles of every shape and design, some so elegant, in fact, that the Professor, who was a connoisseur in such matters, declared that the form was similar to that found in ancient Grecian vases, and that this old Mongolian civilization had undoubtedly sent its artistic wares broadcast, till they reached the far west, and were copied by a race less ancient than these Mongolians, but ancient for all that.

'Believe it or not as you will,' he said, impressively, 'but there is reason in my statement. Here are vases similar to those made by the ancient Greeks. But Greece was probably only rising in power and to the summit of her artistic attainments when this city had ceased to exist, for the civilisation of these parts is extremely ancient. Yet the work of the two nations has a decided similarity. What more natural than to conclude that here in China was laid down the model for future designers in bronze? One sees the same elsewhere. j.a.pan, famed for long now for her art in bronze, is merely a copyist. Her designers took their curves and angles from the modellers of the Celestial Empire.'

It was all extremely fascinating, and David threw his heart into the work. Often and often, too, he wondered whether some day he and the diggers would come upon a part where there could be no doubt that his father had worked. And then, why should he not discover the will for which he had come to the country?

'It's not the money,' he said, many and many a time, when discussing the matter with the Professor. 'I don't really care a pin about it just now, though I daresay it will prove very useful. But I said I would come out to China to search for it. Here I am. I mean to discover it, if the will is actually in existence.'

'All of which proves you to be what your respected stepmother proclaimed,' smiled the Professor. 'David, I'm afraid you are an exceedingly stubborn customer.'

Stubborn or not, the lad had set his heart on the undertaking, and the further the excavations progressed the more eagerly did he move about the ruins. Then the course of his search was interrupted, for peace and tranquility are never to be long expected in such a country as China.