Then as an afterthought the mandarin picked up Phil’s uniform blouse from the ground at his feet and searched through the pockets carefully. Phil was terrified; the plan of the yamen was in his trousers pocket on the ground at the Chinaman’s feet. If he searched through his trousers, all hope of escape would be ended.
CHAPTER XII
A DARING PLAN
Ta-Ling threw down the coat impatiently and glanced disdainfully at the other articles of apparel. He then took up Phil’s muddy trousers gingerly as if fearful of soiling his esthetic hands. The lad’s heart was in his throat while he watched the Chinaman guardedly, striving to appear unconcerned, and cudgeling his brain for something to say in order to turn the man’s attention from a search of the guilty garment.
“Why are you so bitter against my people?” Phil asked hoarsely. “Were you not educated in America?”
Ta-Ling dropped the tattered garment, glancing up quickly, a scowl on his yellow face.
“Why am I bitter against you?” he answered. “I despise everything American. Was I not put in a pen in San Francisco along with such cattle as coolies from Japan, Corea and my own country? Your stupid officials claimed not to be able to distinguish between us. I heard one say ‘All Chinks look alike to me.’ After the first experience, when I was washed and my clothes fumigated as if I had been a pauper immigrant, I got letters from college friends, but armed even with these I suffered indignities at the hands of these ignorant officials. When I left America with my graduation diploma in my pocket I took oath to my father’s spirit that I would consecrate my life to making foreigners respect the persons of the high class Chinese, and in starting this crusade I saw it was first necessary to drive all foreigners out of our sacred country.”
Both midshipmen were astonished at the earnestness in Ta-Ling’s voice. If the situation had been reversed, would they have acted differently? Had not this man ample reason to hate all foreigners?
“Even if some of our stupidly ignorant and irresponsible officials could not distinguish between ranks in your society,” Phil urged, “why should you revenge yourself against us? We are innocent of all blame. We came into your city under the sacred protection of a flag of truce, and in committing a crime against us you will only confirm foreigners in their belief that a Chinaman is not worthy of considerate treatment. Your cause will not be benefited, and your people will suffer; the allied fleet will avenge our deaths as was done in Peking.”
“What do I care how many of these low-caste dogs die?” Ta-Ling retorted scornfully; “there are over four hundred million of such animals. Your deaths will force the foreign governments to wage war on China, and once this war is begun, our people will rise up from one end of the empire to the other to drive the foreigner from the soil of China.”
“But the missionaries, who have at heart only the enlightenment of your people,” Phil urged, catching his clothes stealthily from the ground at Ta-Ling’s feet.