Phil put the question to Emmons, but the latter assured them of the honesty of the general.
“The general believes he is serving his country in giving this information,” he added; “he knows his people will suffer through the viceroy’s treachery. If the fleet can pass without being discovered, he cannot be held guilty of disobeying the order of the viceroy. So you see it is important that this message should reach your captain in time to prevent him from carrying out his threat of running the batteries.”
Reluctantly the midshipmen agreed to leave Langdon and the four sailors behind and make the attempt to escape in order to carry the information of the secret channel to Commander Hughes. Each felt that in doing so they might be sacrificing their friend to the revenge of Ta-Ling when he had discovered the absence of the midshipmen, but the good of the cause demanded it be so.
In but a few moments the jailer led the lads back to their distasteful prison.
Passing a great tub of clear water, both lads looked longingly at it and then at their soiled hands. To their delight the Chinaman smiled and motioned that they might indulge in a bath.
Delightedly the lads stripped their unclean clothes from their bodies and bathed in the soothing water. Forgetful of their surroundings, with the complacent jailer sitting close by an amused spectator, they talked gayly of their hoped-for deliverance. Then the bright smiles on their faces were suddenly frozen by the sound of a voice which they had learned to dread.
“You seem very cheerful for men who are soon to be executed,” Ta-Ling said in his perfect English. “What has put my good friends in such excellent spirits?”
Both midshipmen were speechless with astonishment. How long had this eavesdropper been listening? Had he discovered the intrigue of the Tartar general? These were the questions that passed through their minds. They waited in cruel suspense for the next words of their enemy to answer these fateful questions.
Ta-Ling turned upon the trembling jailer, berating him soundly, punctuating his words with kicks and blows which the cringing man received without a sign of resentment.
“I have told him that if I saw you laughing again,” he cried angrily, “he would have his head chopped off. Your treatment here has been too kind.”