Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-06-12

" c"Sneiy Oh Une Chinese
woke early, and had hardly begun dress
ing before herald came to inform me tha
ene Viceroy OF the province desired to see M
az ms yamen" at 10 that morning. Thi
strange summons at once connected wifi
ny naroorlng an escaped prisoner. and. full
VI vague dlstrust, had almost decided eitbe,
W put 70 sea two hours before the ADVERTISED
Tune noon, and SO temporarily avoid any ex
pianations, or to plead press of business. ana
refuse 70 obey an almost royal command
disturbed by such doubts, | hardly felt re-
neVed when another herald came to say that
ohe Vlceroy had concluded, as he desired 70
y 'ne SUPP 10 Visit the captain, and that my
presence at the ''yamen" would be excused.
ouen thing as a yiceroy visiting in state
aMercnant vessel was almost unprecedented,
anu began 70 fear that Twas implicated in
rank.
NOW the customary official messengers be-
gan 70 pour in-first, two clad in robes of
state announced that his excellency would
arrive IN half an hour; then four more that
he was coming in ten minutes; then four
norsemen, gaudily caparisoned, rode down
to the wharf where was now waiting. In
say that their master would arrive in five
wants, bearing aloft on high poles red sign
boards, on which all the virtues under the
sun were ascribed in Chinese characters to
their lord; soldiers with flags and swords and
spears, men with whips and gongs to clear
the way; mandarins on horseback. lictor.
with long pheasants' tails in their caps. and
large rabble ON football proclaimed thai
his exceleDcy had arrived Alighting from
gorgeous green sedan chair, borne by six
teen men in livery, he greeted me most DO !
htely and accepted my invitation 10 take
passage in my gig off to the ship A large
portion of his escort followed, occupying a
small fleet of sampans.
The viceroy was ushered into the cabin
and, strange to say, selected a chair imme
diately in front of the door of the closet in
winch the refugee was concealed.
After few courtesies had been exchanged
was Informed through an Interpreter that
Prince lchang, the leader Of an insurrection.
VINO had been captured and condemned to be
beheaded, had made his escape. Suspicion.
they said, seemed to point to his being se
GREETED ON board my ship; a sampan had been
seen to go alongside of her the night before
about midnight; itreached the ship with two
boatnlen and one foreigner, and returned to
tne shore with only one man, and he made
on IN great haste as soon as he had landed.
leaving the sampan adrift. "Of course The
captain knew nothing about the escaped pris-
oner, and so he could have no objections to
the ship to be searched. .
This was subtly put To refuse to allow II
would be equivalent to acknowledging that
he man was on board, and would cost me
ny place IN company whose interest it was
o placate the unfriendly Chinese. To allow
he ship to he searched involved the possible
discovery Of the man, and in that case his re- I
apture and certain DEATH as well as my own
dismissal from the company. /
Either course might endanger the lives of
he foreign community in Annoy, against {
Fhom the hatred of the Chinese needed only b
pretext 70 begin general massacre felt a
ne color come and go in my cheeks, and for L
moment thought of delivering the refugee \
p to certain death, saying that when took I
i'm ON board was not aware of the nature e
I the oifense, and then revulsion Of feeling q
anne over me. ! thought "this man has o
listed his life IN my hands and, hunted Grim. o
lai that he is, will not betray him" o
All this flashed through my mind in an in. a.
ant, and when turned to the viceroy felt y
le same spirit Of helpless yet indomitablede u
lnce that every true sailor feels in tue fury r
the storm. ! said quietly: Certainly, Sc
our exceilency; my steward will turn over -
e keys to your servants, but they will find o.
such man on board my ship" "a
The search party went all over the ship.
rected by the crew, and after probing into :"
rners and peering in amongst the bales Of 70 70
K and boxes Of tea, no stranger was found. 81
lls was reported to the viceroy, who said: ~
on have not searched this cabin. do 50. ~
was wild with excitement and alarm, but ~
Y relief was intense when my furtive glance ~
owed me that the search party did not dare w
ask their master TO move from in front of So
2 door. This relief was Of short duration. 10 ns
be again asked if they had searched .i'
cry where Everywhere except in that ~
artnent behind your excellency's chair 81
9 Will look there too; where is the kevr' CIV
now became thoroughly frightened, and "a
milling Tor some loophole to escape. ue
told the viceroy that that was locker MI
lere | kept my wines, and-I was ashamed Psi'
confess it to so high ruler under the s'Son az
Heaven that ! sometimes hid opium and al
Ter contraband articles there. Would his WI
'ellency forgive me if | begged that that ma
ce be left unopened as my peccadilloes. il no.
covered, would cost me my post as cap GO
a. In that case" said the viceroy, 81 70
save you from trouble by inspecting my .ne
!; the keyr am, anu
doubtful whether to confess my completely , -
o brave it through, thought of the mys- re
GUS nature of the whole affair, and hoped no
the strange passenger might in some NV nE'
sterious manner have escaped This straw Iea
hope that drowning desperation chung to uap
ed the day. reached in my pocket, and was
d trembling fingers pulled out the key. anu .1,,
be viceroy unlocked the door, opened it, 81 81
closed it hastily behind him ~ :,
y nerves were then so wrought upon that :. ~ y
uld almost have heard the dew fall. and 80 = ~
led heard a word within spoken very -
Then the door opened again, aud there 80 49,
rustic Of silken robes, the door closed ..-'
the viceroy said in Chinese, ''No one 80.
Ell" $50
elt my heart throb with one great bound. -
things seemed to reel around me. When -
covered my composure enough to look up L.,
pleased aud grateful eyes saw an ex- l L,tsl
ion thought recognized, and in an in ts,.
. / knew what my own unstrung nerves - =.
a.