"There can be no doubt it is the villain, for saw you not the wound upon his cheek? but, alas! my trouble is the greater that I slew him not before we were shut up in a cage like two dogs for fattening."
"Thy liberty at least was secure, but for thy foolish attack upon the mandarin of war."
"By the vermillion pencil itself, Chow cares not for liberty, if they ruin his noble master."
Then Nicholas began to think upon his miserable position,—sentenced to be beaten with the bamboo to him worse than death, for, being born upon the coast, unlike most Chinese, he had never been subjected to such a degradation; and then to be banished for life, at the very commencement of his career,—it was horrible. Greater, however, was his anxiety for the safety of his father's letters. Could he but send a message to the merchant Yang,—alas! that was impossible. Should he give it to Chow? No; for he knew not what punishment awaited the boy for assaulting so great an officer. He was indeed at his wit's end, and he prayed to the Almighty for aid.
"Let not the noble Nicholas be so sad, for truly the gods can never desert the innocent and unfortunate," said Chow, while tears of affection wetted his cheeks; adding, "I will pray of them to take my worthless life in exchange for thy liberty."
"I can not, do not doubt thy affection, my good Chow, but place not my faith in these foolish deities; there is but One true God, whose Son died on the cross to save mankind, and in Him I trust in my hour of difficulty."
"My master is of the religion of the Fan-Kwi (foreign devils.) Will their god aid him in the hour of his troubles?" replied Chow, despondingly.
"Thou wilt see Chow," replied Nicholas, angrily.
"Truly, but in the mean time the bamboo will cut us into strips like an umbrella in a storm," said Chow, making such queer contortions and grimaces, that in spite of his troubles Nicholas could not help laughing. "Then," he added, "thy servant has a scheme that will save thee, my generous master."
"Open thy lips, O wise and prudent youth," said Nicholas.