Blue Jackets | Page 9

off
till sundown."
"Never mind, let's get away from here," said Barkins decisively; "we
don't want to get in a row with the Chinese, and that's what they want."
"But they're quiet enough," I said, growing nervous all the while.
"Yes, they're quiet enough now," whispered Barkins; "but you look at
that big fellow with the yellow belt, he keeps on making faces at us."

"Let him; that will not hurt us."
"I know that, little stupid," he cried, "but what follows may. Look at
him now."
I looked up quickly, and saw the man turn away from looking at us, and
say something to his fierce-looking companions, who glanced towards
us and laughed.
"There," said Barkins, "I'm not going to be laughed at by those jolly old
pigtailed heathens. Here, Ching, old chap, we want to go."
As he spoke he gave our guide a sharp nudge, which made him turn
round and stare.
"Ti--ope--I--ow!"
"Do you hear? We want to go!"
"Ti--ope--I--ow!" howled Ching, beginning again.
"Yes, we want to go," I said anxiously.
"Ti--ope--I--ow!" he howled again, but as he gave forth his peculiar
sounds he suddenly struck--purposely--a false, jarring note, lowered
the instrument, seized one of the pegs as if in a passion, and began
talking to me in a low, earnest voice, to the accompaniment of the
string he tuned.
"Ching see now,"--peng, peng, peng--"bad men with swords,"--pang,
peng--"look velly closs,"--pang, pong--"wantee fightee,"--pang,
pang--"you no wantee fightee,"--pung, pung.
"No," I whispered anxiously; "let's go at once."
"No takee notice,"--pang, peng, peng. "All flee, walkee walkee round
one sidee house,"--pang, pong--"Ching go long other sidee,"--peng,
peng. "No make, hully--walkee velly slow over lit' blidge,"--ping, ping,
ping, ping, pang, pang.

The little bridge was just behind us, and I grasped all he said--that we
were to go slowly over the bridge and walk round the back of the house,
while he would go round the front and meet us on the other side.
Bang, jangle, pang, pang, ping, ping, peng, peng, went the instrument,
as Ching strummed away with all his might.
"Wait, Ching come show way," he whispered. And as I saw that the
mandarin's men were coming nearer and evidently meant mischief,
Ching raised his instrument again, and, after a preliminary flourish,
began once more, to the delight of the crowd. My messmates and I
slowly left our places and walked round the summer-house towards the
little bridge over one of the gold-fish tanks, moving as deliberately as
we could, while Ching's voice rang out, "Ti--ope--I--ow!" as if nothing
were the matter.
The little crowd was between us and the mandarin's retainers, but it
was hard work to appear cool and unconcerned. Above all, it took
almost a superhuman effort to keep from looking back.
Smith could not resist the desire, and gave a sharp glance round.
"They're coming after us," he whispered. "We shall have to cut and
run."
"No, no," said Barkins hoarsely. "They'd overtake us directly. They'd
come down like a pack of wolves. We must be cool, lads, and be ready
to turn and draw at the last. The beggars are awful cowards after all."
We went on over the bridge, and, in spite of my dread, I made believe
to look down at the gold-fish, pointing below at them, but seizing the
opportunity to look out for danger.
It was a quick glance, and it showed me that the crowd from the
eating-house were taking no notice of us, but listening to Ching, who
had left his seat, and, singing with all his might, was walking along one
of the paths towards the front of the low building, while we were slowly
making for the back, with the result of crowding the mandarin's men

back a little, for the whole of the company moved with our guide,
carefully making room for him to play, and thus unconsciously they
hampered the movements of our enemies.
The distance was not great, of course--fifty yards altogether, perhaps,
along winding and doubling walks, for the Chinese are ingenious over
making the most of a small garden, but it was long enough to keep us in
an intense state of excitement, as from time to time we caught sight of
the men following us.
Then we saw that they had stopped to watch which way we went, and
directly after we knew that they were only waiting for us to be behind
the house to go back and hurry round and meet us.
At last we had passed to the end of the maze-like walk, and were
sheltered by the house from the little crowd and our enemies, with the
result that all felt relieved.
"I say," said Smith, "isn't this only a scare?"
"Don't know," said Barkins. "P'raps so; but I shan't be sorry to get on