“That’s what the general and I have come to help you in,” Emmons said in sympathy; “the jailer has already been cautioned to say nothing of the ring, and the soldier who brought it to the general is no friend of Ta-Ling; but even with this doubt removed your lives are in danger so long as you are held by the viceroy. An ultimatum was received from the American commander last night that the allies have refused to approve the commander of the flag of truce’s promises and if the hostages are not liberated before noon to-morrow, the allied fleet would bombard the city. This has thrown the viceroy into a fever of fear, for he owns much valuable property in and about the city. He has given the general orders to open fire on the fleet if it again moves to an anchorage off the city.”
“Will he obey the order?” Phil asked eagerly.
“He must,” Emmons replied. “He dare not refuse a direct order from the viceroy, but he has demanded this order in writing, so as to protect himself when the day of reckoning comes. General Hang-Ki has sent a memorial to the viceroy protesting against this action; he realizes that these gunboats stand for many great battle-ships that would be sent against his forts as soon as the spring floods bring rising water in the Yangtse River.”
The midshipmen were silent, while Emmons spoke to the general. The conversation lasted for several minutes, when finally the former again spoke in his father’s language.
“The viceroy is ignorant of our presence here and we must soon leave you. If Ta-Ling should discover that we had talked with you, all hope for you would be over.”
The midshipmen were cast down into the depths of despair. Then they were not to be liberated at all, and would again go back to their prison and be in the cruel clutches of that fiend Ta-Ling.
“The general has done his best to arrange an escape,” were the cheering words from Emmons. “To-night you will be put in a cell away from the Chinese prisoners. The door of the cell will be unlocked. Here is a plan of the yamen, and I have marked your route to the gate and safety. I shall have chairs waiting you at the gate. Success depends upon yourselves; we dare not help you farther. In this room marked in pencil you will find mandarin robes, which you must put on. The guards throughout the yamen will be removed until midnight, so you must succeed before that time. The room in which you will find disguises is occupied by the viceroy’s treasurer. He is a close friend of Ta-Ling and cannot be bought. If you are discovered the general will be powerless to save you.”
“And Langdon?” Phil asked earnestly, his heart beating high with hope. “We cannot go a step without him and our four sailors.”
“That is more difficult,” Emmons replied with annoyance. “He is being constantly visited by Ta-Ling. To attempt his escape may defeat all. The four sailors are in another part of the yamen and except for cruel treatment are safe for the present. The general is grateful to you for revealing this plot against his own life, but his real intention is to give your captain information as to what will happen if he attempts to run by the forts. There is, however, a channel, known to only the Chinese, leading behind and close to the long narrow island on the opposite side of the river. This island is now covered with tall reed grass which will conceal the hulls of the gunboats from the rays of the search-lights of the fort. Here is a sketch plan of this channel. If your commander will start at night and use the channel I suggest, it may be that he can take his entire fleet past the forts undiscovered. I dare not take this message myself, for my movements are closely watched. I fear even now Ta-Ling may have discovered our purpose.”
“Can we depend upon this information?” Sydney whispered to Phil, as Emmons and the general rose to their feet. “Might it not be a trick to blow the gunboats up by mines in this narrow channel?”