Then as they heard the footsteps of the soldier they squatted before the fire, pretending to be in earnest conversation. The man joined them, and having poured some hot water into a cup, took a pinch of tea-dust from a little packet and made himself a cup of that beverage. But while the soldier was drinking, and probably chuckling at the good round sum he should obtain in the morning for Chow and Nicholas, the latter pulled his arms behind, and held them till Chow tore enough of his coa.r.s.e loose garment to form a ligature, with which he secured them; then throwing him upon his back, and leaving Nicholas to prevent his rolling over, he pulled from his robe a portable lantern, unfolded it, lit the wick, then lighting the pastile, at arm's length he held it beneath the soldier's nostrils till he became stupid, and indeed, until he became insensible, when, rolling him over and leaving the pastile burning, they left the hut, taking good care to secure it from the outside.

CHAPTER XIII.

PAG.o.dAS, THEIR ANTIQUITY AND USES.

Alone, unarmed, in a strange country, at night, and pursued by enemies, the boys stood for a time to consider their next steps. Fortunately, at that moment the moon began to shine more brightly, and they saw at the distance of some few hundred yards the giant form of a paG.o.da rising from the summit of a hill, with its quaint polygon form, varnished green tiles, and gilded bells hanging from every point.

"Truly the G.o.ds have directed our footsteps to a resting-place till the morning," said Chow.

This was indeed a fortunate discovery, for, knowing that most of the paG.o.das were untenanted, they might hide there; and with lightened hearts they walked onward, till they came to a valley, or cemetery, filled with tombs, and through which they walked till they came to the base of a hill, at the top of which was the entrance to the paG.o.da.

Having reached one of the gates, they found it locked, a difficulty that was soon surmounted by Chow, who cast his lantern toward one of the windows of the lower story, and, as he expected, found that, like the majority of these quaint structures, this one was in ruins; so, by means of the shoulder of Nicholas, he climbed through a window, and speedily opened the gate, when they found themselves in an apartment lined with black varnished tiles, nearly all of which were carved with gilded idols.

"Thank Heaven, we are safe from the rats," said Nicholas.

"And may sleep, O my master," said the fatigued Chow, laying himself at full length upon the floor, an example that was speedily followed by Nicholas, who, like Chow, notwithstanding the danger that surrounded them, fell into a sound sleep.

These singular, and frequently beautiful buildings, towering upward in various heights upon the rising grounds, like an unequally grown forest of quaint spires, form the chief characteristic in Chinese scenery. As if the builders believed luck to be found in odd numbers, they are either of seven, nine, or thirteen stories, and moreover, all shaped from the model of the famous Tower of Nankin, which, after an existence of nine hundred years, has so recently been wantonly destroyed by the iconoclastic insurgents, who are, at the present time, making every effort for the extermination of the Mantchou Tartars.

As for the origin of these structures, it is of so remote a date, that, even in four thousand years old China, there is as much difference of opinion as about the origin of the round towers of Ireland. Some of the learned writers a.s.sert that they were erected monumentally to great and good people, others that they were intended as watch-towers in time of war.

A very probable theory is that they are of Indian origin, having been introduced by the priests of Buddha, for the purpose of saving the holy relics, thumbs, fingers, toes, or any other portions of the body of the G.o.d that might from time to time be found, or rather palmed upon the superst.i.tious people by the bonzes. By way of ill.u.s.trating this theory, I will relate to you some of the popular legends. The first is really a wild-goose story.

The primitive Buddhists of India were not under such strict rules of diet as the sect afterward became; that is, not vegetarians, but at liberty to eat veal, venison, and goose flesh. Well, it happened that on a certain day, as a party of priests were seated in the open air, a brace of wild geese flew above them, which caused them to exclaim, "Our wish is that these fowls would do a benevolent act," when one of the birds immediately dropped down dead. Upon which remarkable event, the priests cried, "This goose brings down a prohibition to abstain from flesh; we must therefore consider its meritorious act." Whereupon they erected a building over the poor goose, which they called paG.o.da, which word, translated from the Indian word, tsang-po, into Chinese, is equivalent to wild goose.

Of this same paG.o.da, which still exists, another legend is given.

"Nearly six hundred years after the introduction of Buddhism into China, a priest of the sect was sent to India to collect and translate into the Chinese language the sacred books of Budd. On his return with the volumes, he brought also a model of a paG.o.da; in commemoration of which, and also as a receptacle for the sacred books, the Emperor erected a paG.o.da." If this legend is true, and it certainly is more probable than any of the others, it is curious, as during the reign of this same Emperor, in the year 636, a Christian teacher first came from India to China, and was not only encouraged by the Emperor, but was authorised by a royal decree to preach Christianity among the people.

Another legend states that in the year 256 a foreign priest of the Buddhist religion appeared at the capital, and performed many strange and supernatural feats, which, reaching the ears of the Emperor, caused him to send for the priest, of whom he inquired if Buddha could communicate any divine emblems. The priest replied, that Buddha had left some traces of himself on earth, particularly bone relics, which possessed miraculous powers. The Emperor, scarcely believing the story, told the priest that if any such bone could be found, he would erect a great paG.o.da. To this the story goes on to say, that the priest, twenty-one days after, brought one of the G.o.d's bones in a bottle, and presented it to his majesty, and that when taken into the palace, it lighted up the whole building. Then comes the most astonishing portion of the legend. In his haste to inspect this wonderful bone, the Emperor turned it out of the bottle, into a large copper vessel, when the bone, probably a leg bone, of its own accord kicked the ma.s.sive basin with such violence that it became shivered into a thousand pieces. This, you would imagine, was in all conscience sufficiently prodigious to weaken his majesty's nerves. The priest, however insisted upon exhibiting another wonder, telling the emperor that so matchless were the qualities of this bone, that diamond or steel could not scratch it, fire could not scorch it, nor the heaviest hammer smash it; indeed, to injure this precious bone in any way would be to perform one of the labors of Hercules. This, however, was too much for the belief of the Emperor, and so he ordered his stoutest blacksmith to take his heaviest hammer and make the attempt; the priest, however got the best of it, for no sooner did the hammer touch the bone than it crumbled into atoms, when, probably, in delight at its success, this clever bone shone with such effulgence that it weakened the eyes of all beholders. After this the monarch wanted no more proof of the G.o.dship of Buddha, kept his promise, and built the first paG.o.da in China.

Most of these legends have a close connection with Buddhism and its priests; it is, therefore, most probable that these paG.o.das have, from their introduction into China in the middle of the first century of the Christian era, been used in connection with the bonzes. This opinion is entertained by the learned Chinese scholar, the Rev. Mr. Milne, who says, "Among the Chinese themselves it is a common saying. In paG.o.das they save and preserve the family of Buddha. Usually priests of this order are in charge of the paG.o.da, and sit at the doors of the most famous and frequented, to receive gratuities from visitors. PaG.o.das are situated generally on Buddhists' lands, and there are in their vicinity, or around their base, temples or monasteries for Buddhist priests.

Within those paG.o.das that are at all in a state of preservation, Buddhist idols, relics, pictures, and books are deposited. The histories of these buildings throughout the empire, at least the earliest of them, are crammed with Buddhist tales and fictions." So interesting are these extraordinary monuments of antiquity, as being the probable and supposed depositories of Buddhist writings and Indian doc.u.ments, which, should they ever be brought to light will not only throw a light upon the early intercourse between China and Hindostan, but elucidate the mystery which now hangs over the history of the religion of ancient India, a matter of importance to every intelligent being, that at the risk of being tedious, I could not forbear having a little gossip with my young reader on the subject. But now to return to our young heroes.

CHAPTER XIV.

A DANGEROUS DESCENT.

When Nicholas opened his eyes, he found Chow awake and on the look-out at the aperture by which he had entered the previous evening. He called to him, but the boy's whole attention was evidently too much engaged for him to reply. Surely, thought Nicholas, the enemy must be in close pursuit, and in an instant, he was upon his legs and by the side of Chow, who exclaimed, "The rascals have discovered our retreat, and we are lost after all!"

"Surely thy fears deceive thy eyeb.a.l.l.s," said Nicholas; but, looking for himself, he saw coming through the tombs in the direction of the paG.o.da, not only the soldier and the treacherous boatman, but the captain of the junk.

"The rogues will arouse the bonzes at the monastery," said Chow.

"Truly the rats are not so senseless. They know we are unarmed, and hope to take us without letting the bonzes share the reward; but let us ascend, it is our only chance," said Nicholas, leading the way up a steep staircase to the next story; but, hearing voices beneath, he added, "Let us clamber to the top and lie quiet, when they may perhaps give up the search." So they ascended the next staircase, but when they came to the third story they were vexed to find the stairs fallen so completely to ruin that they could proceed no higher. Fortune, however, favored them, for looking around they saw a ladder, which had probably been left by the bonze, whose business it was to exhibit the ancient ruin for the convenience of visitors. To ascend was the work of a minute, but before they had reached the uppermost round of the ladder they heard their pursuers enter the lower apartment, when, quickening their movements, they soon reached the seventh story. Now, as like a pyramid, the building diminished in bulk as it increased in height, the top was so small that they could but just pa.s.s through the small aperture into the little room, which, fortunately, was in such a dilapidated state, that the roof near the central pole or spire, which ran up the interior from the base to the apex, and was surmounted by a kind of large b.u.t.ton, was nearly off.

Once in this room, they set about fortifying their position, by pulling up a few of the loose flooring-boards and throwing them over the well hole by which they had entered. It was a happy thought, for as they were laying the last board over the hole, they saw the soldier upon the first round of the top ladder. In a moment they squatted down with their whole weight upon the boards, and as the aperture was so small that but one man could ever attempt to pa.s.s through at a time, they were secure.

For at least two hours they remained in that position, which proved such a formidable obstacle to the entrance of the man, that tired out, he determined to consult with his companions as to some other means of destroying the boys. Then, leaving Chow upon the boards watching through a hole for the man's next attempt to force their position, Nicholas ascended through a hole in the crumbling roof, looked around for some few minutes, then descending, said, "We will escape from the roof."

"Where are our wings, O, my master? for without them we shall become very small pieces of broken china by the time we reach the bottom," said the astonished Chow.

"In our garments," said Nicholas, taking off his robes and tearing the inner one into narrow slips, which being sufficient explanation for Chow, he followed his master's example, and by plaiting them together they managed to form a long rope with loops for hand holes at intervals.

The manufacture of this rope took them some hours, during which time they expected every minute that the enemy would attempt to force the entrance with a great log of wood or bar iron; fortunately, however, little dreaming that there was the most remote possibility of escape for the boys, the enemy had resolved to starve them into a surrender.

It was near dusk when they had completed their labor. Nothing could be better, for if they could escape now they would reach the town before the closing of the gates; therefore, resolving upon the attempt, they pulled aside one of the boards and listened again. Fortune was in their favor, for, by the conversation that was going on among the men, they heard, that, tired of waiting, the soldier was gone in search of some heavy instrument that would force an entrance. Then Nicholas longed for a couple of big bamboos, that they might fight their way through them; not, however, being able to command the use of such weapons, they determined to make use of the rope the minute the men returned.

Having arrived at this determination, Nicholas reascended the roof and watched until he saw the soldier coming toward the paG.o.da, carrying a huge block of wood, when throwing the rope around the centre column or spire, so that they could pull it after them, leaving no trace of their means of escape, he signaled to Chow to follow. He swung on to the rope, keeping both ends in his hands, and lowered himself on to the projecting canopy or fringe of the second story, and by a swing of the body reached the terrace, where he waited for Chow, whose legs he guided in his descent, after which they pulled down the rope, and by performing the same feat at each story, reached the ground at the portion of the building opposite to the door, and as he had calculated, where there were no openings by which they could be seen from within.

Once upon the ground, Chow gave a caper of joy, and proposed to scamper off immediately. Nicholas, however, having effected the escape, like a wise general, wished to protect his retreat from pursuit. To do this, they entered the lower apartment of the paG.o.da, which, as they had expected, they found empty; then ascending the next story, they could see the enemy above them in consultation. It was the story with the loose ladder. So removing their only means of descent, they carried it with them some distance from the paG.o.da, and hastened toward the town, heartily rejoicing at the success of their scheme, and laughing merrily at the plight of their pursuers, who, when found in the paG.o.da, would be punished as thieves, or if they dared to explain the cause of their presence in the paG.o.da, would be severely bambooed for not informing the nearest mandarin of the escape of such an important prisoner as the runaway Christian.

As they reached the city just before the closing of the gates, they found so many persons hastening to their homes, that they pa.s.sed through without being noticed, and speedily procured a lodging at the nearest inn.

CHAPTER XV.

NICHOLAS DISCOVERS A CONSPIRACY, AND MAKES AN UNPLEASANT ENTRY INTO PEKIN.

The next morning they laughed heartily when the innkeeper told them that the bonzes of the monastery in the suburbs had taken some rogues who had been found concealed in the paG.o.da before the police tribunal, and that the mandarin had ordered all of them a severe bambooing.

Greatly as he enjoyed this news, Nicholas was too wise to wish to remain in the city any longer than possible, for he knew that the enraged junk captain would leave no effort untried to retake them; he, therefore, engaged a pa.s.sage for himself and Chow in a barge that was proceeding to Tching-Kiang.

Once on board the pa.s.sage boat and floating down along the royal ca.n.a.l, they felt secure, for surely no mishap could now happen to interrupt their journey; and so, indeed, they arrived at Tching-Kiang, where, as this city was on the banks of the Yang-tse, which here interrupts the course of the ca.n.a.l, they were compelled to disembark and remain one night.

The next morning Nicholas sent Chow to purchase a sword, a bow, and some arrows, in place of those taken from him in the prison. During his absence, he sat talking to the wife of the innkeeper, for amongst the lower cla.s.ses, the women are permitted to have greater intercourse, as indeed is necessary, to enable them to a.s.sist in earning the family living. He had not been chatting for any length of time when there arose a great hubbub in the street, and, looking out of the window, what was his surprise to see Chow running, as if for his life, followed by an old gentleman, who stopped every now and then to take breath and shake his fists angrily at the mob, who, believing it to be a race, shouted for mere fun. A glance, however, made Nicholas aware of the true character of the pursuer, and he begged of the woman to aid him in saving the life of his friend, who was being hunted by a madman, who if he caught him, he would kill him.

Before she could reply, Chow ran up to the door; the woman opened it, let him in, and shut it again in the face of the old gentleman, whose stomach, being of extreme protuberance and what his countrymen call full measure, received such a blow that, what with loss of breath and fullness of indignation, his big body toppled over his short legs, and he lay upon the ground with his little head turned upward, like a turtle gasping at falling heat drops.

"Truly we are lost, for the old rat is the physician," said Chow.

"Can the worthy woman aid us?" said Nicholas, fairly baffled.

"Let the youths follow," said the good-natured Woman; adding, "Whither would they be taken?"

"To the river," replied Nicholas, not knowing where else to say.

Then conducting them to the back of the house, where stood several sedan chairs that her husband let out for hire, the woman told them to jump into one of them, gave instructions to two Coolies who were waiting for a job, wished them a prosperous journey, drew the curtains, and thus, in about an hour's time, the boys were set down upon the banks of the great Yang-tse, when, having rewarded the Coolies for their trouble, they walked leisurely along in search of a boatmen to carry them to the opposite side.