The War Tiger / Or, Adventures and Wonderful Fortunes of the Young Sea Chief and His Lad Chow: A Tale of the Conquest of China
PHILADELPHIA J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 1884.
As free use is made in the following story of the names of personages who played important parts in and during the last Tartar Conquest of China, the Author believes that a slight sketch of that turbulent epoch may not be uninteresting to his readers.
Twenty-two dynasties have given some two hundred and forty Emperors to the Celestial Kingdom; of these, two were Tartars, who obtained the throne by conquest and bloodshed. In the course of time, however, the first Tartar family, with the whole of their race, were either massacred or driven from the land by a Chinese leader, who, by mounting the throne, founded the celebrated family of the Mings.
The last of the Ming Emperors, Wey-t-song, had not been many years upon the throne, when, from a wise and energetic man, he became so indolent, and regardless of all but his pleasures, that the people became oppressed by the magistrates; indeed, to use a Chinese phrase, to such an extent did the big fish eat all the little ones, that a famine grew in the land, which caused the starving people to arise in rebellion throughout the empire.
Taking advantage of this disorder, several ambitious lords collected together bands of vagabonds, set themselves up as petty kings, and plundered and oppressed the innocent people, till the land grew damp with their tears.
At the same time, the chief, or king, of the Mantchou Tartars, learning that China was like a house divided against itself, rode with a large army upon the frontier of Pe-tche-Lee, the capital province.
The appearance, however, of this great enemy aroused what little nationality remained, and three great lords came to the Emperor's assistance. The first was Woo-san-Kwei, who, at the head of an army, kept the Tartars at bay; the other two, Li-Kong and Chang, were sent into different provinces, where, although bad men, being good generals, they succeeded in crushing all other rogues but themselves. The last-named generals, however, on their return, becoming enraged at the Emperor's ingratitude, took up arms against him, and, finding no great difficulty in subduing a people who preferred any other Chinese to their Emperor, seized upon two of the richest provinces, and established themselves as independent royalets, or petty kings.
William Dalton
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THE WAR TIGER
OR,
A TALE OF THE CONQUEST OF CHINA
The Escape from the Pagoda.
PREFACE.
CONTENTS
THE WAR TIGER.
THE YOUNG SEA CHIEF.—HIS MISSION.
THE DEMON SHIP.—THE BOY CHOW.
ADVENTURES AT SEA.—RESCUE.
THE INNKEEPER.—ALARMING NEWS.
ADVENTURE IN A BUDDHIST MONASTERY.—CHOW'S ENCOUNTER WITH A BONZE.
THRASHING THE GODS.—THE BOYS TAKEN PRISONERS.
TREACHERY OF THE BONZES.—NICHOLAS SENT TO PRISON AS A TRAITOR.
CHOW SETS OUT TO DISCOVER SOME THIEVES.
CHOW OUTWITS A GREAT MANDARIN, AND SETS OUT TO RESCUE HIS MASTER.
ESCAPE OF NICHOLAS FROM PRISON.
PURSUED BY THE YAH-YU.—THE BOAT WRECK.
NICHOLAS AGAIN TAKEN PRISONER.
PAGODAS, THEIR ANTIQUITY AND USES.
A DANGEROUS DESCENT.
NICHOLAS DISCOVERS A CONSPIRACY, AND MAKES AN UNPLEASANT ENTRY INTO PEKIN.
THE BOYS AGAIN IN TROUBLE.
NICHOLAS RESOLVES UPON A DANGEROUS ADVENTURE.
THE IMPERIAL GARDENS.
THE PRINCESSES OF THE MINGS, AND THE LADY CANDIDA.
DANGER OF THE PRINCESS.—HER RESCUE BY NICHOLAS.
ASSEMBLY OF THE GREAT PRINCES OF THE EMPIRE.
THE BOY PRINCE AND THE RIVAL GENERALS.
AUDIENCE WITH THE SON OF HEAVEN.—NICHOLAS ACCUSES A GREAT PRINCE OF TREASON.
NICHOLAS UNVEILS A REBEL CHIEF, AND OBTAINS A TITLE.
NICHOLAS AND THE PRINCE HAVE AN ADVENTURE AND SAVE THE LIFE OF CHOW.
Chow in the hands of the Bonzes.
NICHOLAS RECEIVES AN IMPORTANT COMMAND.
THE REBELS ATTACK PEKIN.—TREACHERY OF A GENERAL, AND THE FIGHT.
ATTACK ON THE PALACE.—SUICIDE OF THE EMPEROR, THE PRINCESS WOUNDED.
THE SECRET CAVERN.—THE PRINCESS SAVED BY THE BOYS.
A LARGE STOCK OF LADIES, TWO TAELS PER SACK.
CHOW MAKES A DISCOVERY, AND NICHOLAS A SURPRISE.
NICHOLAS PUNISHES AN UNGRATEFUL INNKEEPER, AND ESCAPES FROM HIS TREACHERY.
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY.—ATTACKED BY WOLVES, AND STOPPED BY A SERPENT.
SAVED BY A MUSK-DEER.—STORIES OF WONDERFUL MOUNTAINS.
TREACHERY OF THE GUIDE.—THE PRINCESS SEIZED BY ROBBERS.
ONCE MORE PRISONERS, BUT WITH FRIENDS—THE GUIDE'S MISTAKE.
Nicholas and Chow taken Prisoners.
INTERVIEW WITH THE GENERAL.—NICHOLAS CAUSES SOLDIERS TO BE SENT IN SEARCH OF THE PRINCESS.
CRUEL DEATH OF THE AGED WOO.—A BATTLE.—BRAVERY OF THE BOYS.—CHOW TAKEN BY THE ENEMY.
The aged Woo brought in chains before the walls.
THE REBELS BEATEN.—ARTFULNESS OF THE TARTAR KING.—CHAGRIN AND DISAPPOINTMENT OF NICHOLAS.
THE GREAT BOY EMPEROR.—NICHOLAS MEETS WITH A FEARFUL SURPRISE.
NICHOLAS HAS AN INTERVIEW WITH HIS FATHER, AND LEAVES PEKIN FOR EVER.
THE RIVAL SEA CHIEFS.—RE-APPEARANCE OF AN OLD FRIEND.—A COMICAL BATTLE WITH THE TARTARS.
CHOW DISCOVERS HIS MOTHER AND THE PRINCESS.—RESCUES THEM FROM THE TARTARS AND RELATES HIS ADVENTURES.
A SEA VOYAGE—THE COLAO RELATES THE ADVENTURES OF THE PRINCESS.
THEY REACH THE PALACE OF THE SEA CHIEF KOSHINGA.
THE KING AND QUEEN OF FORMOSA.—HAPPY TERMINATION OF THE STORY.
THE END.
