Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-09
CHAPTER xIx-continued.

mule neaQ, ana EdlltpS4 JAIN ~
All his movements now were characterised
by an intense haste. and yet by certain
calm which did not forsake him. He had
much to do, and yet he did not stop to
think OF anything; he did not forget any
thing: everything seemed prearranged.
Within the prison he was unknown. ana
he had the imperial stamp, which opens
every door, In the form of Sln-wans papers.
When he presented himself before John
Hardy he had in his hands pigments, cos
tune and everything ready for the neees-
sary disguise.
the finger of God where 1t is not, and where
1t Is we see 1t not. John anticipated now
some new torture, to be carried out by
still more subtle agent than Sin-wan.
AS for Ni-ching- tang, he spoke not
word simply doing his will swiftly on the
impotent captive. He painted his face, he
dressed him. And all the time he was cud-
ceiling his brains to remember all the Eng
lish words he needed to tell Hardy what he
was to do.
He found, however, that there was one
fact OF the situation which all but baked
his plans. Hardy was weaker than Nj
ching-tang had counted upon. If Hardys
mind was in as feeble a state as his body
it seemed certain that Sin-wan would not
die.
He took the dazed captive under the arms,
supporting him. and half-dragged him forth.
And while John Hardy was still wondering
to what new experience of pain he was be-
ing hurried, he was In the open air. And
still Ni-ching-tang spoke no word.
With Ni-chtng-tang's own permit, and
with Sin-wans, the two passed beyond the
imperial precincts, Ni-ching-tang lifting az
ter him the tagging steps of Hardy. What
was happening to him John could not
dream; but yonder. beyond doubt. was the
sky. and there the sailing clouds, and I'M
der them breeze of heaven which went
wandering gladly towards the sea.
1t was not possible that he was free? He
NOT halt = -, at
of heaven and of EARTH he denied it. He
was mad again-it was a new torture-the
most devilish of ALL
But when he found himself beyond the
gates-and there around him spread the wide
plain-and there. tethered to tree drowsed
the waiting mule-and there above him was
the vast vault, and the free and wandering
afrs-what could he think? A strange low,
whlmperfng sound-as feeble as can be inn
agined-as thin as the plaintive whine of
very old and senie man-came from his lips,
and two forbidden tears rolled down his
cheeks.
He was wrapped in a long robe OF soiled
silk, which covered the hat OF straw on his
head and descended TO his feet hiding his
rags beneath; and on his feet Ni-chng-tang
had put felt slippers. Thus attired he was
pushed and maneuvered by the China
man to the back of the mule. The
rope was put into his hand: and it
was then that. for the first time, Nj
ching-tang spoke a word.
English vocabulary to express now all he
had to say. For quite half an hour he
went on talking, and 1t was evident that
the scheme which he was putting into exc
cution must have been long meditated; for
his instructions to Hardy how to secure
his safe arrival at Kia-Chau were as
minute as possible In his uncouth and
tentative English he gave some idea of
the formation of the harbor; and he also
spoke of the position In which the strand
ed lphtgenia lay. pointing out to Hardy
that the cruiser would serve as the chief
landmark to warn him of his destination.
He gave John his own name and that OF
his nephew. Finally, he handed John a
sharp knife with which to commit suicide
In case of recapture; and he ended by
saying:
Am got you anything to question me?"
Yes; John had something to ask. He
said:
"Yes-one question"
And he waited a minute before he asked
II owe nothing to Yen How, do l. for
my present freedom?"
He repeated the question thrice, and no
sooner had Nt-ching-tang gathered It's
meaning, than instantly his head went
shaking in a series of vigorous Nos"
NO, no, no." he went; you no goee be-
lleve that. mind! You getee catch-getee
catch Yen How catchee you-sharp-
killee your
Good; all this. then, was not due to any
that moment Of feebleness. when he was
still hardly beyond his prison walls-John
Hardy shrank from hearing that there ex
listed anything good, or human or re-
deeming in the Chinese character. He
was desperately and clandeStinely unwill-
ing TO hear 1t. Some dim and far-off in
stinct even then told him that it would be
necessary for him to go on believing this
bad race to be wholly bad wholly of hell;
and that 1t was in order that he might so
believe 1t that the Chinese iron had been
ordained to enter into his soul.
But, with certain reluctance he ven
tured upon yet another question. He said:
And you, sr-what Is your motive for
setting me free?-Mercy? You want poor
Englishman goee free?-Or you havee
some other reason?"
Nottingham smiled at this simplicity
of the little foreign devil, when the mean
ing of the question entered his head. He
said:
"Poh! you no troublee head for that Me
havee other reasons. But that nothing for
you"
Good again! he owed nothing TO them.
Ni-ching-tang pointed along q road and
the mule moved The Chinaman, whose
presence In the Imperial precincts was
nearly due, stood while and looked after
the dropping figure on the mules back.
Then he re-entered the city to arrange
for the burial of his son.
John occupied two hours In accomplish
ing the four miles to Tung-chow. and, dur
Ing this time. thrice tainted from sheer
powerlessness.
But on the banks of the Peiho. Li-kien
was duly waiting, and the Taku was In
perfect readiness TO receive her strange
white master. BY the time the alarm had
spread through the Imperial precincts that
by the carelessness of his jalier. the white
prisoner had escaped. Hardy was In the
middle of the Peiho. already some miles
below Tung-chow.
In wondrously short time, as the boat
glided down the river, he began to lift
his head, to observe, to reason, to purpose.
How large was the world TO himi His
wan eye turned whitley upward and dwelt
upon the sky; one great sob thronged in
his bosom for exit from his choking throat;
his face worked.
The boat was a bluff craft with an erec-
ton aft, making her there a kind of
house-boat, and with stones laid around
a slab of iron for cooking, for'ard. The
junk sail could quite easily be hoisted and
adjusted by single man, and gave to the
boat, with fair wind and stream. a speed
of some seven knots. In a land where
carts are driven over land by means
of wind and sail, as In China,
the navigation of the seas and rivers
Is In a condition far from elementary. John
found his craft plant and ready. and the
bulge of the upward-tapering lug sail was
fine to his eyes. An exhilaration OF mood,