Raising myself upon my elbow, with sleepy eyes I looked around me. I was half hidden by brushwood, and did not recognise the place as that in which I had lain down. I at once scrambled to my feet, and made the unpleasant discovery that my companion had quitted me, and had managed to abstract my revolver. Then a great rush of blood flushed my veins. I had been betrayed! The Japanese had managed to extract from me the compass and map, had stolen the revolver, and had dragged me into the brushwood to die, perhaps.
I stood, utterly depressed; I cursed the fellow who had thus betrayed me, and the officers who had sent me to my doom. I swore that if I got back I would be revenged upon the treacherous Japs, who after ridding themselves of me had sent me to die in the wilderness. Yet the interpreter had really saved my life, I thought, at first. "Yes," replied Reflection, "because you were armed." Yes, that was so. Still why, if he had desired my death, had he not shot me at once when he had stolen the revolver?
I cast myself down in despair, and again looked around me. I had been hidden evidently, dragged when asleep into the small thicket and thrust out of sight. What then had become of the interpreter, and why had I been concealed? These were questions which I could not answer, nor could I conjecture any reasons for the man's conduct. Perhaps he had been instructed to get rid of me, and not to kill me, and had taken this opportunity.
This was maddening. Here was I in a perfectly strange country in disguise, and certain to be taken prisoner either by Chinese or Japs, and in either case sure to be ill-treated. To be sure the Japanese do not kill their prisoners, and they appeared lenient to the natives so far as I could ascertain, but in those cases the natives were submissive and frightened. I doubted not that amid the excitement of battle the little sleepy-looking Japs would quickly arouse themselves and slay without compunction. The Mikado's men are quiet and polite, pleasant and kind; but under any superficial polish, even under the influence of real kindness, there lies a strong and determined, slowly and surely rising determination, which when it rises to "boiling-point" cannot be stayed. An explosion must ensue, as the enemies of Japan will find out some day.
Lying there in the chilly darkness, which an already waning moon only partly dissipated, I reflected upon my condition. I determined to find my way to Port Arthur, avow myself an Englishman, and if questioned declare the advance of the Japanese. Why should I keep their faith when they had betrayed me? I would "give them away," as they had forsaken me. That would be my revenge. Some of the Chinese officers surely could speak English or French, and even a little German, picked up at a tutor's, might assist me, though my knowledge of the last-named tongue was limited to phrases.
Having made up my mind, I curled myself up in the brushwood and lay undisturbed, rather hungry and excessively miserable, until kind sleep overtook me about midnight.
As soon as daylight enabled me to see, I examined my dress and pockets, and found that, with the exception of a sum of money in my belt, I had been regularly "cleaned out." Everything of any value, except the belt, had been stolen, and I marvelled how the thief had succeeded. Perhaps the liquor which he had given me had stupefied me; the "rice spirit" is somewhat "heady." At anyrate there I stood, a coolie in appearance, untidy, unshaven, bedraggled, cold and hungry, and quite unable to help myself. I could only draw in my belt tightly to appease my hunger, and prevent the qualms I dreaded. Luckily I found a stream, washed and drank of it, and then made my cast south-east again.
The air was frosty and fresh, and I walked rapidly to warm my chilled frame, but had not proceeded more than two miles, as I judged, when three men who were coming across an adjacent path from another direction espied me. I had no chance of retreat, they saw me at once, and to my dismay I perceived others behind them. No doubt a village was near, or a large farm perhaps, though single farms are not frequent in China. The villages are walled, and every foot of ground belonging to these farmers is utilised and fertilised, so that the best results are obtained by continual attention; and the land is of course taxed, the taxes being paid to the public exchequer. "Anything," even the shaven hair of the villagers, is put into the ground; vegetable and animal refuse is of course in request. Tobacco is used to kill insects, and the zebu, or buffalo of the country, is the labouring animal, which takes the place of the horse or ox; and milk, butter, etc., are almost unknown. There are ducks, and fowls, and hogs, the last especially are plentiful, and in China the "black hog," instead of the "black dog" of the British nursery, may very likely "get upon the children's backs," and cause ill tempers. The dog and the cat here pass their time pleasantly, but the stranger must cave canem.
The villagers—farmers—came upon me, and stood a little away, staring in wonderment at me. Then they surrounded me, and made inquiries which I ignored,—not from pride,—and then they tried more questions, and searching ones. Fortunately they found nothing, but they conferred together, and indicated that I must return with them to the village. Of course I had no alternative, and accompanied them, where, in a kind of shed, I was commanded to strip! In the most emphatic fashion I declined, folding my arms and exclaiming, "Englishman," and added—what they knew already—"Fan Quei" (foreign devil).
They then paused, but suddenly seized me, and while some held me down, the rest dragged off my clothes, until they came to the belt around my waist, that they did not take away, perhaps thinking it was something magical, it being ornamented and worked, but they felt it, and evidently discussed it. Finding nothing in it—luckily the distributed coin escaped them—the fellows gave me my clothes, and sent for another person. While I was dressing, the person arrived—a true Chinese of Canton breed, such as we may see in East London, England.