“Well, not to flatter you, Tremorne, I think your invasion of Corea at the head of a band of Japanese is quite as foolhardy as his attempt to run down the yacht.”
“Oh, no, Mr. Hemster; the Coreans are a bad people to run away from, but if you face them boldly you get what you want. They call it the Hermit Kingdom, but I should call it the Coward Kingdom. A squad of determined little Japs would put the whole country to flight.”
“Well, you can do as you like, and I’ll help you all I’m able. Of course you’re not responsible for the plight of the Prime Minister; I’m the cause of the mix-up, and if you want the yacht you just take it, and I’ll stay here in Nagasaki with the womenfolk till you return; but if I had my way I’d clear out of this section of the country altogether.”
“Why not do so, Mr. Hemster. I have entirely given up the notion of taking the yacht, because the Chinese steamer will be much less conspicuous and will cause less talk in Chemulpo than the coming back of the yacht. Of course the Emperor will have spies down at the port, and it will seem to them perfectly natural for the black ship to return. Meanwhile, before his Majesty knows what has happened, I shall be up in Seoul and in the Palace with my Japanese, and I think I shall succeed in terrorizing the old boy to such an extent that in less than ten minutes we shall be marching back again with Hun Woe’s whole family and troop of relatives. ‘Once aboard the lugger’ they are safe, for Corea has no ship to overtake them, and the whole thing will be done so suddenly that the Chinese steamer will be half-way across the Pacific, or the whole way to Shanghai, before the Coreans have made up their minds what to do. I shall leave with the ship, and have them drop me at Nagasaki or Shanghai, or whatever port we conclude to make for. Then I can rejoin the yacht at any port we agree upon.”
“You appear to think you’ll have no trouble with your expedition, then?”
“Oh, not the slightest.”
“Well, you know, we had trouble enough with ours.”
“Yes, but this is a mere dash of twenty-six miles there and twenty-six miles back. We ought to be able to do it within a day and a night, and if old Hun Woe attends rightly to his coaling and his provisioning, all Corea cannot stop him. I think he is badly enough frightened not to omit any details that make for his safety.”
“Very well, we’ll stay right here till you return. I suppose that old Chinese tub will take some time worrying her way to Corea and back again, although I’ll confess she seemed to come on like a prairie fire when she was heading for us. Now I guess everybody is just a little tired of life on shipboard. I’ve noticed that when a lot of people are cooped up together for a while things don’t run on as smoothly as they might sometimes, so I’ll hire a floor in the principal hotel here and live ashore until we see your Chinese steamer come into the harbour again. I suppose the captain will prefer to live on the yacht, but the rest of us will sample hotel life. I’m rather yearning for a change myself; besides I think my daughter would be safer ashore than on board here, for one can’t tell, as you said, what these hoodlums may attempt; and as long as they’re convinced she’s on the yacht we’re in constant danger of being run down, or torpedoed, or something. Now, you wouldn’t mind telling my daughter what you’ve told me about the intentions of this here Prime Minister? She’s rather fond of wandering around town alone, and I guess she’d better know that until this Chinese steamer sails away she is in some danger.”
“I suggest that she shouldn’t go sightseeing or shopping without an escort, Mr. Hemster.”