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diff --git a/29683-8.txt b/29683-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..15faa4c --- /dev/null +++ b/29683-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2748 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Little Girl Lost, by Eleanor Raper + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Little Girl Lost + A Tale for Little Girls + +Author: Eleanor Raper + +Release Date: August 13, 2009 [EBook #29683] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LITTLE GIRL LOST *** + + + + +Produced by David Edwards, Rose Acquavella and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + +THE LITTLE GIRL LOST + +ELEANOR RAPER + + +The Dumpy Books for Children. + +No. XIV. THE LITTLE GIRL LOST. + + + + +The Dumpy Books for Children + +_Cloth, Royal 32mo, 1/6 each._ + +1. THE FLAMP, THE AMELIORATOR, AND THE SCHOOLBOY'S APPRENTICE, _by E.V. +Lucas_ + +2. MRS. TURNER'S CAUTIONARY STORIES + +3. THE BAD FAMILY, _by Mrs. Fenwick_ + +4. THE STORY OF LITTLE BLACK SAMBO. Illustrated in Colours, _by Helen +Bannerman_ + +5. THE BOUNTIFUL LADY, _by Thomas Cobb_ + +6. A CAT BOOK, Portraits _by H. Officer Smith_, Characteristics _by E.V. +Lucas_ + +7. A FLOWER BOOK. Illustrated in Colours _by Nellie Benson_. Story _by +Eden Coybee_ + +8. THE PINK KNIGHT. Illustrated in Colours _by J. R. Monsell_ + +9. THE LITTLE CLOWN, _by Thomas Cobb_ + +10. A HORSE BOOK, _by Mary Tourtel_. Illustrated in Colours + +11. LITTLE PEOPLE: AN ALPHABET, _by Henry Mayer and T. W. H. Crosland_. +Illustrated in Colours + +12. A DOG BOOK. Pictures in Colours _by Carton Moore Park_. Text _by +Ethel Bicknell_ + +13. THE ADVENTURES OF SAMUEL AND SELINA, _by Jean C. Archer_. +Illustrated in Colours + +14. THE LITTLE GIRL LOST, _by Eleanor Raper_ + +15. DOLLIES. Pictures _by Ruth Cobb_. Verses _by Richard Hunter_ + +16. THE BAD MRS. GINGER, _by Honor C. Appleton_. Illustrated in Colours + +_A Cloth Case to contain Twelve Volumes can be had, price 2/ net; or +the First Twelve Volumes in Case, price £1 net_. + + LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS + 48 LEICESTER SQUARE, W.C. + + + + +The Little Girl Lost + +A Tale for Little Girls + +BY ELEANOR RAPER + + + LONDON: GRANT RICHARDS + 1902 + + +_Printed by R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, Edinburgh_. + + + + +TO LITTLE PHYLLIS + +E. R. + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAP. PAGE + + 1. _Nelly and Her Friends_ 1 + + 2. _Lost_ 9 + + 3. _A Journey in a Cart_ 24 + + 4. _Alone among the Chinese_ 35 + + 5. _The Search_ 45 + + 6. _In Captivity_ 53 + + 7. _The Cheshire Cat_ 63 + + 8. _The Chang Family_ 74 + + 9. _Chi Fu's Scheme_ 85 + + 10. _Preparations for Flight_ 96 + + 11. _An Unpleasant Surprise_ 107 + + 12. _Poor Mule!_ 121 + + 13. _The Road to Peking_ 136 + + 14. _Father and Mother_ 146 + + _Conclusion_ 156 + + + + +The Little Girl Lost + + + + +CHAPTER I + +NELLY AND HER FRIENDS + + +Nelly Grey was a little English girl who had never been in England. She +was born in China, and went with her father and mother to live in the +British Legation compound in Peking when she was only three years old. A +compound is a kind of big courtyard, with other courts and houses +inside. Nelly's was a large one, and very open. It had several houses in +it: not like we have in England, but only one storey high, and with +deep, shady verandahs round them. There were also a little church, some +tennis-courts, and several small buildings for the Chinese servants at +the back. + +Nelly could speak both English and Chinese very well. She could play the +piano a little, though not so well as most English children of nine +years old. She could ride a donkey, skate, and play tennis, but she had +never seen a bicycle or a real carriage, because there were no such +things in Peking. But Nelly was quite lively although she was shut up in +a compound all the time. She would have been ashamed to feel dull and +cross, for she had once heard the Minister's wife say, 'Nelly Grey is an +intelligent child and has sense enough to amuse herself.' Since then she +had felt that she must not let the lady change her opinion. Besides, +there were several other foreign[1] children in Peking whom Nelly saw +from time to time. In her compound, living next door, was Baby Buckle. +He had only been there six months, for that was his age, and Nelly loved +him very much. He was such a jolly little fellow, always laughing and +crowing, and almost jumping out of the arms of his Chinese nurse (who +was called an amah) when he saw Nelly coming. And he used to open his +mouth wide and try to bite this old yellow woman, and put his little +fists into her eyes and kick her, until the poor old thing was almost +worn out and could scarcely walk or even stand on her little misshapen +feet. To be sure, he slept a great deal, or the amah would have been +obliged to hand him over to a younger woman. There was another boy in +the Legation, a little Scotchman, who was one year older than Nelly. +They played together very often. But Nelly did not like boys--only baby +boys, she said. Indeed, she often made Arthur Macdonald feel very lonely +and unhappy because she preferred to leave him and go off to play with a +Chinese girl of her own age, called Shiao Yi. Shiao in Chinese means +'little,' so we will call her Little Yi. + +[1] English, Americans, French, and all other white people are +called foreigners in China. + +Little Yi's feet had never been bound, because she was a Manchu child, +and the Manchu women do not bind their feet; so she could run and skip +about the compound almost as freely as Nelly. Almost, I say, not quite, +because Chinese children are not dressed for running about. Their shoes +are hard and clumsy, and in winter their clothes are so thickly wadded +that they look like little balls. + +Then there were two little girls of eleven and twelve who lived at the +German Legation, and were called Bertha and Liza Wolf. It was very +strange for Nelly the first time these children came to see her. Mrs. +Grey was calling upon their mother, who told her that they had just +arrived from home with their governess. At once Mrs. Grey invited them +to come to tea the next day, and she did not think of asking if they +could speak English; neither did their mother, who spoke English +beautifully, remember that her children could not do so. When they +arrived, Nelly was alone with Chu Ma, her amah, and they all laughed a +great deal when they found that they could not understand one another. +Bertha Wolf had picked up the Chinese word 'pu,' which means 'not,' and +she kept repeating that and mixing it up with German. It sounded very +funny. Nelly showed them her dolls' house, and Liza made the dolls sit +down and stand up in a marvellous way by bending their legs and sticking +pins into them. When tea-time came the children had become fast friends +by means of nods, shakes of the head, and the Chinese word 'pu'; which +shows that little girls can get on very well together even when they +don't chatter all the time. Since then Nelly had been taken to the +German Legation twice a week to have German lessons from Fraulein, +Liza's and Bertha's governess, and they, besides quickly picking up +Chinese, came and took English lessons from Mrs. Grey very often. + +At the American Legation Nelly had a friend, Bessie Bates, who had a +brother named Bob, a regular tease. Bessie was only eight, but Bob was +eleven, and every one said that he ought to be at school in America. +Then there were several children living in the mission compounds, but +none of them were near Nelly. At one of the missions there were fifteen +children among the four families stationed there. Nelly told her mother +that it made her hoarse to go to that mission, because there were so +many people to talk to. + +Even if there had been no other companions, Nelly would have been +content to be with her father and mother. She used to love the time just +before she went to bed, when Mrs. Grey nearly always read to her and +told her stories about England. They often talked of Nelly's brother +Tom, who had gone to school at Brighton when the Greys came to Peking. + +With seven o'clock came Nelly's amah to put her to bed. The amah would +have willingly done everything for Nelly, but Mrs. Grey insisted that +she must undress herself and not become helpless, as children brought up +in the East often do, because there are so many servants to wait on +them. At first she used to feel a little afraid when the amah blew out +the candle and left her alone in her little bed in the middle of a great +big dark room; but her mother had taught her that God takes care of us +in the dark just the same as at any other time, and she soon learnt to +curl herself up and go quietly to sleep. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +LOST + + +One Monday, when Nelly had had her tea, she went out of doors to watch +for her father coming home. He had been out on his pony, and Nelly +wanted him to take her up and give her a ride round the compound. The +large gates were open, because the gatekeeper had just been out and seen +Mr. Grey coming, so Nelly ran out into the road without thinking what +she was doing. If she had stopped to think, most likely she would not +have passed the gate, as she knew that she never went outside the +Legation compound alone. However, she soon saw her father, who was very +much surprised and rather alarmed to see his little girl there. But Mr. +Grey, who spoilt Nelly, did not scold her, but stopped, took her up, and +gave her the ride she wanted. He meant to reprove Chu Ma for not looking +better after her charge, but he did not see her again that evening, and +in the morning he forgot it. + +The next evening, after tea, when Chu Ma was chattering to Mrs. Buckle's +amah, Nelly thought it would be nice to have another ride with her +father. The gate was again open, and Little Yi was standing near it. +When Nelly said that she was going to meet her father, Little Yi offered +to go with her. The two children went out, but saw nothing of Mr. Grey. +'We'll walk to the end of the road and look up Legation Street,' said +Nelly. + +Little Yi was quite willing, and they trotted along, all the Chinese +staring very hard to see a little foreign girl in the streets without +even an amah to look after her. They had not far to go before they came +to the corner, but when they looked up the street they could see no one +but Chinese. + +'We might walk on a little,' Nelly said. 'He is sure to come this way, +and it will be such a nice long ride back. You, Little Yi, can ride with +the ma-fu (groom). It will be fun.' + +But Mr. Grey had not gone in that direction at all, and the little girls +were not likely to see him. + +Of course the Chinese went on staring at the children, and a crowd soon +gathered round them. Presently some rude boys began to ask them all +sorts of questions and to laugh at them. Nelly did not like it at all. +She thought she would not wait for her father any longer, but go home. +They tried to turn back, but found Chinese all round them, and felt +quite frightened. Then a nice, clean-looking woman came up to them and +said: + +'Don't mind all those people. Come through my house and return home +round the other way; I'll show you.' + +Nelly and Little Yi thought the woman very kind. They went with her +through a door into her compound, and, after crossing two or three +court-yards, they came to a small set of rooms which the woman said were +hers. She asked the children to sit down, gave them some sugared +walnuts, and said she would go and ask her son to take them home. + +Chinese sugared walnuts are very good, although they don't look +tempting, being of a purplish whity-brown colour. Nelly liked them +better than the chocolate creams which auntie always sent for her in the +big box of groceries Mrs. Grey had from England twice a year. When all +the walnuts were eaten, the children amused themselves by wandering +round the room and examining everything in it. It was not at all like +any room in an English house. The floor was stone, and part of it, +called a kang, was raised like a platform. Every house in North China +has one of these kangs, with a little fireplace underneath. In winter +the Chinese burn charcoal in this fireplace, and at night they spread +wadded quilts on the warm brick platform and sleep there. In the daytime +the quilts are rolled up and the kang is used as a seat. The windows +were small, with tiny-squares filled in with paper instead of panes of +glass. There were two large square arm-chairs and a square table with a +tray and some tea-cups upon it. On the walls were scrolls with funny +pictures of men running all over each other, like flies on a cake, Nelly +thought. + +When they had waited a very long time and it was getting dark, the +children began to be afraid. The door was locked and they could not get +out. Nelly was a brave little girl, but she could not help crying when +she thought of the anxiety her parents would be in about her. + +'Oh dear,' she sobbed, 'why don't they let us out? Let us scream, +Little Yi.' + +And both the children shrieked their hardest, until they heard footsteps +hurrying across the court. + +The door was unlocked, and the woman who had brought the children there +came in with a very old woman, a girl of sixteen, and a boy of ten. + +'What is the matter?' they asked. + +'Oh, take us home,' cried Nelly. 'It is quite dark.' + +The boy having brought a lamp, the room was no longer in darkness, but +Nelly meant that as it was dark it must be late. + +'We can't take you home,' said the woman. 'None of us know the way to +the British Legation except my son, who is not here. He will not be home +now until to-morrow. He went outside the city into the country, and +must have arrived at the gate after it was closed.' + +'Then please take us to the door you brought us through and lend us a +lantern, and we can find our way quite well,' said Nelly. + +'No, no, you can't. You would get lost,' replied the woman. 'You must +wait here until my son comes home.' + +'We won't,' said Little Yi, and made a rush for the door. But the boy +caught her and forced her back on the kang. + +'Why do you want to keep us?' asked Nelly. + +'It is our custom in China, when we find children, to keep them until we +can hand them over to their parents,' said the woman whom they had +thought so nice, but whom they now considered very cruel. + +She was a tidy-looking woman, wearing black trousers bound tight round +the ankles, and the usual blue cotton smock. Her feet were not very +small, and she could walk about fairly quickly. The old woman was very +ugly and untidy, but the girl evidently gave a good deal of attention to +her toilet. She had silk trousers and a handsomely embroidered smock +over them. Her feet were very small, and just like a claw. Her hair, +which was a beautiful jet black, was dressed most elaborately with a +sort of comb behind, and flowers stuck in. Her lips were stained red and +her face was powdered. She wore long silver nail-protectors on the third +and fourth fingers of each hand, and had very large round jewelled +earrings. The boy had a greasy black cotton coat and a thick long tail +of hair. + +Nelly tried her best to persuade the family to allow Little Yi and her +to go, but they would not listen to her. Then Little Yi began. + +'You don't know what bad luck you will have if you keep a foreign child +all night,' she said. 'The foreigners are wonderful people. They can do +all sorts of things--take out their teeth and put them back again, their +eyes too, some of them.' + +There was once at Peking a gentleman with a glass eye, and Little Yi had +heard that he was able to remove it. As for teeth, she knew quite well +that the British Minister slept with his on his wash-stand every night. + +When Little Yi found that the women were not at all afraid, she said: + +'If you keep us here, she (pointing to Nelly) will die, and then she +will always haunt you. Everything you eat will taste bitter and make you +ill.' + +But Nelly never would allow Little Yi to romance and tell untruths. She +was crying bitterly now, but she stopped and told the woman that she was +a Christian, and that Christians do not die on purpose to haunt people +out of spite, as heathen do. + +But the children found that it was useless to try to persuade or +frighten the Chinese. Nelly gave it up and asked for something to eat. + +'To be sure,' said their first acquaintance; 'I have told the coolie (a +Chinese servant who does only the rough work) to bring you something.' + +She had hardly finished speaking when the man arrived with two bowls, +in which was a sort of soup containing little pieces of meat and +vegetables. The children were given chopsticks with which to fish out +the meat, and were expected to take the soup from the bowl. Then they +had a piece of Chinese bread, which is like steamed dumpling, and half +an apple each. Nelly might have enjoyed the meal if there had not been +eight eyes watching her all the time, and the old woman constantly +peering at her clothes and feeling them. + +When all was eaten they were told that they were to sleep on the kang +with the girl, who would look after them until morning. The other three +then left them, shutting and locking the door. + +As soon as they were gone, the girl began to talk freely. She said her +name was An Ching, and that she was the daughter-in-law of the woman Ku +Nai-nai who had brought them there. Her husband was the son who, Ku +Nai-nai said, was to take them home. The boy was his brother and the old +woman their grandmother. Lowering her voice, she told them that her +husband was not away from home at all, and that he intended to keep +Nelly and Little Yi until he heard that a reward had been offered for +finding them, and for her part she was very glad that they were there. +It was very dull for An Ching. Her mother-in-law would not let her stand +at the door and look up and down the street as some young wives were +allowed to do. She also told them that Hung Li, her husband, lived at a +city called Yung Ching, and he, she, and Ku Nai-nai were to go back +there next day. + +An Ching was very anxious to see Nelly undress, and got quite excited +over her clothes. She had never seen foreign clothes before. Little Yi +became quite lively in showing off Nelly and talking about all the +wonderful things foreigners had, but Nelly felt very unhappy. She longed +for her dear father and mother and her own little bed, and she wanted to +kneel down and say her prayers, but felt afraid to do it before An +Ching. At last she found courage to say that she was going to pray, and +Little Yi at once began to explain the whole of the Christian religion +to An Ching. Meanwhile Nelly quietly knelt down upon the kang and said +her prayers, taking care to ask God to comfort her parents and send her +back to them soon. The poor child felt much happier when she had done +this. She crept into her quilt, and was soon asleep. Little Yi and An +Ching presently came and curled themselves up on the kang, and all was +silence until next morning. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +A JOURNEY IN A CART + + +When Nelly woke next morning she felt rather stiff, for she had never +slept on a stone kang before. Little Yi and An Ching being still asleep, +Nelly got up very gently and said her prayers. Then she thought she +would get dressed before An Ching was able to annoy her by fingering all +her clothes. How thankful Nelly felt that she could dress herself! +Bessie Bates, she thought, would not have known what to do; for Bessie +never even put on her own shoes and stockings. Nellie would have liked +her bath to-day, although she often felt that she could do very well +without it. But she knew that it was impossible to have one, and made up +her mind to dress without washing. Imagine her surprise when she found +that her clothes had been taken away from the corner of the kang where +she had left them, and a little suit of Chinese girl's things put in +their place! They were not new clothes either, although they certainly +did look fairly clean. Just then An Ching woke, and laughed when she saw +Nelly standing without anything on but the little white petticoat she +had slept in, and looking for her clothes. + +'Where are they?' asked Nelly. + +'Ku Nai-nai came in early this morning and took them away,' replied An +Ching. 'She wants you to put on our kind of clothes. Make haste and we +will go across the courtyard to Ku Nai-nai's room for breakfast.' + +Then An Ching awoke Little Yi, who was very much amused to see Nelly +putting on her Chinese dress. + +'But her hair won't do,' said Yi. + +'No,' replied An Ching, 'we must see to that.' + +Poor Nelly! She had to swallow very hard to keep back the tears. What +did they mean to do with her? + +She soon found out, however, when they had all taken some Chinese +porridge in Ku Nai-nai's room, and wiped their faces and hands with wet +towels. Ku Nai-nai told her that she was to have her head shaved in +front and the back dressed in a tail like Little Yi's. + +Nelly begged and protested and cried in vain. An Ching told her that it +was of no use to cry, and that if she made any trouble or noise she +would be whipped, but if she were good and quiet no one would be unkind +to her. + +A Chinese barber arrived, and poor Nelly was obliged to submit to having +her front hair cut away and a small portion of her head shaved. Nelly's +hair was dark, though not black, like a Chinese child's. They all said +she looked very nice, and the boy grinned from ear to ear. Nelly would +have liked to slap him. The barber seemed very well satisfied with his +work and the pay he received. Ku Nai-nai threatened him with all sorts +of revenge if he breathed a word of what he had done, and told him that +if he kept quiet they would perhaps employ him to take Nelly back to +her parents. + +When the barber had gone, two carts appeared in the small compound, and +out of one stepped a young, surly-looking man, who, An Ching said, was +her husband. His name was Hung Li, as Nelly soon found out by his mother +screaming all sorts of directions at him, when he began to pack the +carts. Boxes and bundles and food for the journey were put in, and the +children began to understand that they were to be taken to Yung Ching +with Hung Li, his wife and mother. However, they had been so much +comforted by learning, through the talk with the barber, that they +really were to be given back to their parents, that going to Yung Ching +at first did not seem to matter much, especially as they had no idea +where Yung Ching was. There was no putting on of cloaks and hats, the +Chinese not using these articles. + +An Ching and the children were in one cart, which was driven by a +carter, while Ku Nai-nai occupied the other with her son as driver. +The cart was most uncomfortable; it looked like a large arched +travelling-trunk, covered with dark blue cotton. Open at one end, it was +placed between two heavy wooden wheels, and had a square board in front, +from which the shafts stuck out. It was on the side of this board that +the driver sat, and the others were inside under the covering, sitting +flat on the bottom of the cart, for there was no seat. + +It was a fine, bright, breezy April day. As the cart jumped and jolted +over the lumpy, unpaved road, Nelly could not see outside at all, for +the carter had pulled down the curtain, with its square piece of gauze +for a window, and besides, there were such clouds of dust that when she +tried to look through the gauze she could not tell where they were. +Little Yi fixed her eye to a tiny hole she had found in the blue cotton. +She noticed that they passed the American Legation, but after that the +road was quite strange to her, as she had never been far from home. + +The carters were yelling to their mules and the street hawkers were +crying their wares, but above their noise the children could hear the +humming of birds' whistles overhead. The Chinese tie whistles under +pigeons' wings, and when the birds fly they make a strange kind of +humming or whistling noise. Nelly thought they must be the pigeons that +often flew over the Legation compound, and belonged to a mandarin who +lived not far away. The birds seemed to Nelly to hover about the carts +for some time; but at last they evidently remembered that it was the +hour for them to feed, and they turned round and flew home. + +About noon the travellers reached the great, high wall that stands all +round the city, and passed through the gate. When they were well on the +road outside Peking, Hung Li stopped the carts and said every one was to +get out for a time. But Nelly and Little Yi were only allowed to stretch +their limbs for about five minutes, after which they were made to get +into the cart again, and the curtain was pulled down as before. They +were given a little food, and were quite glad to be alone, as they had +not been able to speak to each other, without being overheard, since the +day before. + +'Do you think your father will give money to have you back?' asked +Little Yi. + +'Yes, of course. Won't yours? They won't ask him so much as mine,' +answered Nelly. + +'Well, you see, I am only a girl,' said Little Yi. 'I know my father +likes me as much as my brothers, but he would be ashamed to make a fuss +over a girl.' + +'Oh, what will my mother do?' cried Nelly. 'I am afraid she will think I +am dead. I would not mind so much if only I could write to her. Won't +your mother be miserable too?' + +'No,' replied Little Yi. 'She has her sons, and she will know that I am +with you, but I am afraid she will scold me for going outside the gate.' + +'I should not like to have a Chinese mother,' said Nelly. 'They don't +love their little girls as English ladies do.' + +Just then An Ching threw back the curtain and got in. There was really +not enough room for three in the cart, and they were soon dreadfully +cramped. An Ching told the children they had better try to sleep, and +she let them put their heads on her lap. They were glad to do it, for +they were very tired. Nelly dreamed about her father and mother and Baby +Buckle. She thought she heard the baby calling her name. Indeed, she was +sure she heard him crying, even after she was sitting up awake. She was +about to rush out of the cart, which had stopped, when An Ching held +her back and told her that what she had heard was a Chinese baby in the +inn at which they had just arrived, and where they were to pass the +night. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +ALONE AMONG THE CHINESE + + +The children were glad to climb down from the cart and breathe the pure, +fresh, country air. No house was to be seen except the inn. All around +were stubbly fields, with trees in the distance. The road along which +they had come ran in front of the inn, and was almost hidden by grass. +The inn itself was surrounded by a low wall. There were several +buildings, a large one in the centre for the inn-keeper and his family, +some sleeping-rooms, and sheds for the carts and mules. Ku Nai-nai, An +Ching, and the children were shown into one of the sleeping-rooms. Then +the girls were allowed to stroll about the yard. No one took any notice +of Nelly. Ku Nai-nai explained that she was a southern child whom they +had adopted. She forbade Nelly to speak any English, and would not allow +either of the children to talk to the people of the inn. Little Yi, she +said, was her grandchild. + +After supper (bowls of rice only) the women went out and sat down on the +side of the road and chattered. The children came too, and Nelly watched +the sun set. It was the first time in her life that she had ever seen it +go right down behind the earth and leave nothing but the fields in front +of them, all quite flat. She asked Ku Nai-nai if they would be up in +time to see it rise again in the morning. Ku Nai-nai told her that they +intended to start very early, and she could come out and look if An +Ching would come with her. An Ching said she would if she were not too +sleepy. An Ching had never thought of wanting to see the sun rise. +'Foreigners had such funny ideas,' she said. + +When the sun had quite set they went in to bed, all four on one kang, +and slept well in spite of the fleas. + +Next morning, before daybreak, Hung Li knocked at their door and asked +for their bedding, so that he could put it in the carts. Nelly +remembered the sun first thing, and as soon as she and Little Yi had put +on some of their clothes, they made An Ching come out with her hair +unbrushed. The children ran in front to the spot where they were the +night before, but saw only a grey mist. + +'Why, there is no sun!' said Little Yi. 'We are too early.' + +'I quite forgot that the sun never rises in the same place as it sets. +We must go round to the other side of the inn,' said Nelly. + +An Ching was quite puzzled, and thought it wonderful for Nelly to know +where to look for the sun when she had never been there before. + +They went round the inn and found the sun just appearing like a golden +ball. It seemed to come up very quickly, and then all around was quite +light and bright. When they went back to the inn An Ching was very +anxious for Nelly to explain all about the sun's movements, but Ku +Nai-nai said it was time to go, at which Nelly was not sorry, because +she was not sure that she remembered all there was in her geography book +about the sun. + +Ku Nai-nai said that the sun did the same thing where she lived in the +country when she was a girl, and it used to set behind different trees +at different times of the year. + +'When you are as old as I am, An Ching, you will know more about +things,' said she. 'You would know more now if you spent less time in +looking into the glass.' + +And then they certainly would have quarrelled, if Hung Li had not +appeared and scolded them for not being ready; at which Ku Nai-nai +turned upon him and asked in a loud voice what he meant by being rude to +his parent in a public inn. As no Chinaman likes to appear disrespectful +to his mother, Hung Li said no more. + +At last they were ready to start again. Nelly could scarcely climb into +the cart, so stiff and sore was she with her long cart ride of yesterday +and two nights on a stone kang with only a wadded quilt to lie upon. But +she did manage to get in, though not without shedding some tears at the +thought that she was going farther away from her parents. And somehow +the cart did not seem to bump so badly to-day, and the stiffness wore +off instead of growing worse as she had expected. She was getting used +to it. + +They went along very slowly all day, and put up again that night at +another inn. This time it was a small village, and there was no open +space in front. The children were too tired even to talk. They both went +to sleep almost as soon as they arrived, and slept until rather late +the next morning, for Hung Li did not now seem to be in such great +haste to reach Yung Ching. When they woke they were quite fresh, and +Little Yi was anxious to be off once more; for An Ching said that there +was a river to cross, which she seemed to think rather exciting. + +In about two hours' time they came to this river, which was after all +only a muddy stream with steep banks. There was a flat ferry-boat with +two men to manage it. These men, the carter, and Hung Li took the mules +out of the carts and made the women and children sit well back in them. +Then they slid the carts slowly down the incline and on to the boat, and +took them over, after which they fetched the mules and harnessed them +again. Then came the difficult part, to get the mules to pull the carts +up the incline at the other side, with the men pushing behind and +shouting and screaming at each other and the poor mules, enough to +deafen you. The children's cart was tilted so high that they were +looking up at their toes all the time: at least Nelly and Little Yi +were, for An Ching's toes had become claws some years ago. At last, with +a mighty pull from the sturdy mules, they got up the bank, and the other +cart was not long in following. + +Two hours more and they were at Yung Ching. As they entered the town +Hung Li came and pulled down the curtain, but not before Nelly had +peeped round the opening and noticed that the roads were not black, like +those of Peking, but proper dust colour. Everything had a brownish look, +she thought, and it certainly was not a large city such as Peking. + +'Here we are at last,' said An Ching, and the carts turned under an arch +and Hung Li knocked at a large door, which was opened by a middle-aged +woman, who was the only servant of the Ku family, Nelly learnt +afterwards. This woman stared very hard upon seeing the children, but Ku +Nai-nai told her in a low voice not to ask any questions while the +carter was there, and said she would tell her all about them when he was +gone, which she did, promising a portion (very small) of the reward they +were to get for the children when they were taken home. + +The compound seemed clean and well kept, and Nelly thought that the Kus +ought to be far too respectable and well-off people to steal children +for money. 'But they are only heathen,' she said to herself. + +Nelly and Little Yi were given a small room adjoining Ku Nai-nai's in +the centre or chief building of the compound. An Ching and her husband +had their quarters at the right, across the court. The children were +sorry that they were no longer to be with An Ching, but, as she said, it +was only at nights that they need be separated. + +Nelly was the only European in Yung Ching among thousands of Chinese. +She never thought of that. Had she done so she must have felt glad that +she was shut up in a compound, away from curious eyes and fingers. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE SEARCH + + +Chu Ma was the first to miss Nelly in the Legation. She rushed about as +fast as her little feet would allow, calling, 'Ni-li! Ni-li! Ni-li! +Ku-niang!' (Ku-niang means 'Miss' or 'girl'). She overturned Arthur +Macdonald's top in her flurry, just when he had lashed it up into a +beautiful spin. Arthur was cross about the top, but he could not help +laughing to see solid Chu Ma in such a fuss. 'She is hopping about like +a hen on a rail,' he thought. 'What is the matter?' he asked. + +'I can't find Nelly anywhere,' replied Chu Ma. 'Do you know where she +is?' + +'I don't know,' said Arthur, 'but I should think that she is playing +some girl's game with Little Yi and her dolls.' + +Chu Ma had not thought of Little Yi. She at once tottered off to the +girl's house, only to find that Lin Nai-nai, Little Yi's mother, was +wondering what had become of her. + +Lin Nai-nai, seeing that Chu Ma was scarcely able to hobble any farther, +offered to go and look for both the children. She, being a Manchu, had +unbound feet, and soon inquired about the children at every house in the +compound, but she was obliged to return to Chu Ma without them. The two +women then went back to Mrs. Grey's house, and there made further +search and inquiries. Mrs. Grey was dressing to go to dine at the +American Legation with Mr. and Mrs. Bates. Chu Ma knocked at her room +door to see if Nelly were there. Of course she was not. Then Chu Ma told +Mrs. Grey that Little Yi could not be found either. Just then Mr. Grey +arrived and was told too. Remembering that Nelly had come out to meet +him the day before, he at once went to question the gatekeeper as to +whether the gate had been left open again. The man declared that it had +not, that he had never left it a moment, and that only Little Yi had +been near it that afternoon. She, he said, he had seen walking towards +her own home. This was not true, as we know, for the gatekeeper had left +the gate open while he went to buy some rice, and it was then that the +children had slipped out. + +Mr. and Mrs. Grey became quite uneasy, for they knew that the children +could not be hiding such a long time, as Arthur Macdonald suggested. +Mrs. Grey declared that she could not think of going out to dine until +they were found, and Mr. Grey then went himself to each house in the +compound. After another hour's fruitless search, Mrs. Grey wrote a note +to Mrs. Bates, explaining why she could not come, and asking if by any +chance Bob and Bessie knew anything about Nelly. Bob persuaded his +mother to allow him to go back with the coolie who had brought the note +and help to look for Nelly. When he arrived at the British Legation, he +and Arthur Macdonald set to work to look in all the places that they +had ever hidden in when playing hide-and-seek together. They insisted +also upon going into all the Chinese and students' quarters, and looking +into places where it would have been impossible to hide. + +'You forget, Arthur, that we are looking for girls, not a thimble,' said +Bob, when he saw Arthur rummaging in a small pigskin trunk of Chu Ma's. + +And now it was quite dark, and still there was no news of the girls. Mr. +Grey went to all the Legation and Customs' people, but no one knew +anything about the missing ones. The search had to be given up for that +day, and Bob went back to Bessie, who was sitting up, anxious to hear +the news. + +After a sleepless night Mr. and Mrs. Grey rose early and began the +search again. Mrs. Grey wrote notes to all the missionaries, and Mr. +Grey went out to inquire among the Chinese. Perhaps if he had turned to +the right up Legation Street, as Nelly and Little Yi had done, he might +have heard something about the foreign child who had gone with a woman +into a Chinese house near. But he went over the bridge in the other +direction. + +That afternoon, when Bob Bates set out for his usual ride with his +ma-fu, he decided to make inquiries among the Chinese. The ma-fu +suggested that they should ask at some of the shops in Legation Street +near them, and sure enough they soon heard that a crowd had been seen +following a European and a Chinese child in the streets the evening +before. Bob was very persistent, and gave cash (small coins) for +everything which appeared to be reliable information. At length, by +means of questions and cash, he found some one who had seen Nelly and +Little Yi follow Ku Nai-nai into the native house. He at once left his +pony with the ma-fu, found the house, and knocked hard without any +result. He could get no answer at all. Then Bob went breathlessly to the +British Legation with the news that he believed that Nelly was shut up +in a house close by; but Nelly, as we know, was asleep in the cart on +her way to Yung Ching. Mr. Grey was still out, and Bob had to wait until +he returned. They went together to the house and knocked again. This +time the old woman of whom we have heard admitted them, and when +questioned, said: + +'Yes, the children did step in here with a woman who comes to see me +sometimes, but they only stayed until the crowd had gone. Then they set +off home.' + +This was all that old Ku Tai-tai would say. She declared she knew no +more, and did not know where the woman lived. Her name was Wang, she +said. + +Mr. Grey was obliged to return to his wife with no news but this. He +went to the Chinese magistrate, who thought the children were being kept +in hiding until a sufficient reward was offered for their release, and +advised him to have bills printed and stuck up, announcing how much he +would pay to any one who brought back the little girls. + +When this was done, Nelly's and Little Yi's parents could only wait, +which is often the hardest thing we have to do. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +IN CAPTIVITY + + +By the time that Nelly and Little Yi had been at Yung Ching a month, +Nelly and An Ching had become great friends. Poor Nelly would have been +very miserable but for An Ching, who used to cheer her by constantly +talking about Mr. and Mrs. Grey and when Nelly would be back in Peking. +And An Ching used to tell Nelly about her own childhood, which must have +been very dull, Nelly thought; her marriage to Hung Li when she had seen +him only twice, and how she was carried in a red chair from her +parents' house to Ku Nai-nai's. She told Nelly that Hung Li was very +greedy, and would do anything for money. It was he who prevented his +mother from taking the children home the evening they left the Legation, +as she at first fully intended to do; but Ku Nai-nai was herself rather +fond of money, and did not require much persuasion. + +An Ching taught Nelly to sew backwards in Chinese fashion, using a +thimble without an end, like a thick ring, on her finger; and she cut +out and helped her to make a little blue cotton coat which they thought +would fit Baby Buckle. Nelly used to kiss and pat that little coat, and +loved it quite as much as any doll she had ever had. In return Nelly +taught An Ching to knit, with some chopsticks, which they pointed at +the ends, for needles. + +The children were rarely allowed to go outside the Kus' compound, and +never alone, but they could play out of doors as much as they wished. +The larger court had the houses or set of rooms in it, and there was a +smaller court which was entered through a queer gateway just like a +large round hole in the wall. This court was at the side of Ku Nai-nai's +rooms, and had no windows looking into it. An Ching, Nelly, and Little +Yi used often to go and sit there with their work, and the children +sometimes played at jumping through the hole. They saw no one but the +Kus and their servant. Even when the barber came to shave Hung Li's head +they were shut up out of sight, and their hair was kept short with Ku +Nai-nai's scissors. + +Little Yi was becoming almost reconciled to life in Yung Ching, for +although she was fond of her parents, she did not love them as Nelly did +hers. She missed the large compound of the British Legation, and would +have been very pleased to know at any moment that she was to be sent +home. But she ate, slept, and was just as contented all day long as she +had always been. + +But Nelly, poor child, was no longer the merry little hopping and +skipping creature she had been in Peking. She never had a fit of the +giggles now, and she was thin and pale; still, she was not absolutely +miserable, for she felt sure she was going to leave Yung Ching soon, +especially after she overheard a conversation which took place in Ku +Nai-nai's room one night after she and Little Yi were in bed. + +Hung Li began by telling Ku Nai-nai he had been cheated out of some +money by a man with whom he had done business that day; and he added: + +'It is time these children went home now. I must have more money. I +shall go and see the barber when next I go to Peking, and arrange with +him to give them up to their parents.' + +'How do you mean to do it?' asked Ku Nai-nai. 'If the barber goes to the +Ying-Kua-Fu (British Legation) he will certainly be arrested, and then +he is sure to tell about us.' + +'Do you think I shall let him go to the Legation?' replied Hung Li, +scornfully. 'No,' he went on; 'I shall write a letter to the foreign +girl's father, asking him to send some one alone with the money to the +Chien Mên (centre gate). I will be there to meet the messenger, and the +barber will be outside with the children in some retired place. I shall +take the messenger to see the children, and then he will hand over the +money. The barber can slip away afterwards.' + +'Yes,' grunted Ku Nai-nai, 'and what's to prevent the child telling her +father where to find us in Yung Ching?' + +'And what if she does?' replied Hung Li. 'No one has seen the children. +The mandarin of this district is my friend, and I can make it all right. +You don't suppose I want to adopt the children? You (turning to An +Ching) would like to keep that pale-faced little foreign imp, I suppose, +but you shan't do it.' + +An Ching did not reply, but next day, when Nelly told her that she had +been awake and heard the talking in the next room, she said: + +'No one cares for me here, and I am of no use in the world. If I can get +away I shall try to come to you in Peking.' + +'Oh, do,' said Nelly, delighted. 'How can it be managed?' + +'I don't know. We must think it all out. I am not as stupid as Hung Li +thinks,' replied An Ching. 'If I were sure that your father and mother +would take me as a servant, I'd manage it.' + +'I am certain they will when they hear how kind you have been to me,' +said Nelly. 'You shall come as my maid to England; but you can't do +much, can you? You don't know about our ways; but never mind, I'll teach +you. Wouldn't you like to learn some English to begin with?' + +And Nelly at once began to give English lessons to An Ching, and Little +Yi sometimes condescended to listen. They had no books, and it was only +by repeating words and short sentences over and over again that anything +could be done. Nelly was much bothered when she was asked the names of +things that do not exist in English, such as the hair ornaments worn by +the Chinese women. She was obliged to invent names for them. For +instance, the embroidered band a Chinese girl wears as soon as she is +old enough not to have her hair shaved in front Nelly called a +'hair-belt,' and the curved, flat ornament sticking out behind An +Ching's head she christened 'head-protector.' Nelly was not quite sure +that it was good English to invent names, but she said to herself, 'The +Chinese call a tea-cosy "a tea-pot's hat" and a sewing machine "an iron +tailor."' Greatly to Nelly's surprise and sorrow, there were times when +she could not remember the names of things in English. She was, in fact, +beginning to forget her own language. One day, when it had taken her a +very long time to remember that 'wa-tzu' meant stockings, she was in +great trouble, until Little Yi reminded her that she had always called +them 'wa-tzu' in Peking. 'I've often heard you say that and lots of +other things in Chinese when you were speaking English,' added Little +Yi, decidedly. + +Nelly next set to work to teach An Ching to sing hymns, and succeeded +pretty well, as far as the tune was concerned, with the help of Little +Yi, who, having often listened with all her ears to the singing in the +Legation chapel on Sunday mornings, knew some of the airs quite well. An +Ching and the two children used to go through the round gateway into the +inner court, and while Nelly sang the words very distinctly, An Ching +and Little Yi hummed the tune. 'Art thou weary' was their favourite +hymn. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +THE CHESHIRE CAT + + +It began to be very hot about the middle of May. The Ku family had put +their wadded clothes away and taken to cottons and thin silks. Nelly and +Little Yi were also supplied with some very plain unwadded cotton coats +and trousers at the same time. But in spite of this the little +foreigner, as the Chinese called her, began to feel the heat and +confinement of the small compound. She thought of her friends, who would +all be preparing to go to the hills with their parents, and the days +seemed very long. It was hard just to wait, with nothing at all +happening. One day was just like another. There were no Sundays, no +letters, no books, no lessons. The time was not even divided into weeks. +Nelly quite lost count of the date. She only knew it Chinese fashion, by +the number of new moons there had been since the Chinese New Year. + +It appeared as though Hung Li never would go to Peking as he had said, +but he did start one day at the end of May, and An Ching told the +children that he intended to see the barber and arrange for them to be +handed over to their parents. He had business to do on the way to Peking +as well as in that city, so that he would be away some time, An Ching +said. + +Nelly was very glad to see Hung Li start, and she leaped through the +round hole in the wall again and again, really and truly jumping for +joy. She made An Ching and Little Yi sing their very best and loudest, +until the small court resounded with the strains of 'Art thou weary,' +and Ku Nai-nai, who was rather deaf, and shouted a good deal when she +talked, heard the singing in her room, where she was sitting smoking on +the kang. Little Yi and An Ching soon tired of singing so hard this hot +day, but Nelly was too full of delight at the thought that Hung Li was +actually off to feel any fatigue. She was more like little Nelly Grey of +the British Legation than she had been since that unlucky day on which +she wandered from home. She kept up her spirits and energy for two or +three days, and then something happened. + +One morning the two children and An Ching had been singing and Nelly +giving her English lessons as usual, when Ku Nai-nai came out, and in +her usual rough, loud, screaming voice when angry, demanded why they +were wasting time there instead of helping to get the mid-day meal +ready. An Ching had quite forgotten that the old woman-servant was not +well, and was shut up in her room out of the way. The children began to +follow An Ching; but Ku Nai-nai, who certainly appeared to have got out +of bed the wrong side that morning (only you can't get off a kang except +at one side), would not allow Nelly in the cook-house. 'No foreigners +shall meddle with _my_ food,' she said; whereat Nelly was very glad, for +she had only offered to go and help on An Ching's account. + +So Ku Nai-nai hustled off An Ching and Little Yi, at the same time +telling Nelly to stay where she was. Nelly, left to herself, drew the +bench upon which she had been sitting quite near the wall, so as to be +in the shade. Presently she heard something scraping against the wall on +the other side, and it seemed as though there were voices quite close. + +The Chinese being very fond or privacy, all the compound walls are built +very high and solid, and as the houses are only one storey high, no one +can see into his neighbour's premises. Nelly did not remember to have +heard any sounds coming from the next compound before; but noises there +were, sure enough, and the talking became more and more distinct. Nelly +got up from her seat to look at the wall. As she did so, she saw what +was evidently a Chinaman's head just above the top, and she heard him +quite distinctly tell some one below 'to hold the ladder tight.' Nelly +was just wondering what she should do, and was half inclined to run +through the hole into the next court, when the rest of the head came +into view, and she saw that it belonged to a plump, pleasant looking +Chinaman. It was very round, and Nelly was at once reminded of the +Cheshire cat in _Alice in Wonderland_. It and she looked at each other +for some seconds. Nelly was the first to speak. + +'Oh!' she said. + +'A fine day,' said the head. + +'Rather hot,' replied Nelly. + +'Was that you singing?' asked the head. + +'Yes,' answered Nelly. + +'I can sing that too,' said the head. + +Nelly was too much astonished to reply. + +Then the head rose a little higher, and showed a pair of shoulders and +arms. 'He does not look like the Cheshire cat now,' thought Nelly, 'but +a rather nice Chinaman.' He continued: + +'How is it that you have large feet? You look like a foreigner. Don't be +afraid of me.' + +Thus encouraged, Nelly replied: + +'I am a foreigner, and of course I have large feet.' + +'What are you doing here?' asked the man. + +'I have been brought here,' replied Nelly vaguely, 'and I want to get +away, but Ku Nai-nai will be very angry if she knows I am talking to +you.' + +'Then don't tell her,' said the man. 'I shan't. She is the woman who +speaks so loudly, I suppose. I'll bob down if she comes. Where do you +live?' + +'Peking, the British Legation.' + +And then Nelly told the man all about Little Yi and herself being +brought to Yung Ching by Hung Li and Ku Nai-nai. When she had finished +the man seemed to be considering for some time. At length he said: + +'Perhaps I can help you to escape. You had better not say a word to any +one. Would you come with me and leave the Chinese girl?' + +'Oh no,' replied Nelly. 'Little Yi does not mind being here nearly so +much as I do, but she does not want to stay, and I am afraid they would +never take her home without me. I wish An Ching could come with us.' + +'Who is An Ching?' + +'She is Hung Li's wife,' Nelly replied, 'and is very kind to me. Hung Li +and Ku Nai-nai don't care for her. They make fun of her and call her +stupid, but she isn't, although Little Yi can cook and help with the +work better than she can. Her feet are very small, so of course she +can't run about much. She is pretty, too. Her skin is almost white, and +she can embroider beautifully, and I want her to come and be my maid and +learn English. Mayn't I tell her about you? Little Yi might let it out, +but I don't think An Ching would.' + +'No,' said the man. 'Tell no one yet. I will talk to my family about it, +but I don't think we can take An Ching. She belongs to Hung Li, but you +don't. I will come again to-morrow or the next day when you are alone. +Look here,' he continued, thrusting his right hand up his left sleeve +and producing some red paper, which he threw down; 'pick this up quickly +and hide it.' + +Nelly did so at once, thrusting the precious paper into her sleeve. + +'When you are alone,' he continued, 'tear off a bit of paper and throw +it over the wall. If any one comes, and you hear me on the ladder, begin +to talk loudly, and I shall keep away. Could you be here to-morrow +morning while the women are brushing their hair?' + +'Oh yes,' replied Nelly, delighted. 'I could easily come. Little Yi +likes to watch the hairdressing, and I don't. I am often here alone +then.' + +'Very well, expect me to-morrow morning. I will go now.' + +'Stop,' said Nelly. 'How is it that you can sing that hymn? Are you sure +you can?' + +The man smiled, and in a low voice began: + + Lao-lu kun-fa fu chung tan ti + Hsin li chiao ku-nan + Yu i wei k'ai en-tien ch'ing ni + Te p'ing-an. + +As he went on Nelly opened her eyes and mouth wider and wider, so +surprised was she. + +'Why,' she exclaimed, when he stopped, 'I don't know it in Chinese,' and +she was too puzzled to say more. + +'The hymn has been translated by a missionary,' the man said. 'I am a +Christian. See you again.' + +And he bowed and bobbed down out of sight, leaving Nelly in the middle +of the court, too astonished to move. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +THE CHANG FAMILY + + +Nelly stood perfectly still for some seconds, gazing at the empty space +on the top of the wall. Then she pinched herself to make sure that she +was not dreaming, and said, 'Well, I never! A Christian! That is why he +looks so nice.' + +Then she went back to her bench and began to think hard, keeping up a +small flow of conversation to herself all the time, somewhat after this +fashion: 'Now let me see. He is a Christian, and this is Yung Ching. +Have I ever heard of any missionaries who live at Yung Ching? No, I +haven't. If there are other Christians here, there must be a missionary +who comes sometimes. Should I ask Ku Nai-nai if there are any Christians +in Yung Ching? I'd better not. I wish it was to-morrow morning. It may +rain, and then what shall I do? Oh dear, some of that red paper is +sticking out of my sleeve. I must tuck it in,' which she did, and +continued: 'Perhaps after all he is only a Roman Catholic Christian. +Well, that is a great deal better than being a heathen, although some +missionaries' children don't seem to think so. Do Catholics sing "Art +thou weary," I wonder? There is that red paper again. Where can I hide +it? Behind this little heap of stones in the corner; and then I'll go +and see what the others are doing.' + +Nelly made a hole in the heap of stones and carefully hid the red paper. +She had barely finished when Little Yi came running to call her. + +'Come and see what I have made to eat,' she panted. 'I really am a good +cook. I don't know how my mother can get along without me. I know so +much about foreigners, too,' said Little Yi, who was certainly becoming +more conceited than ever. She was a smart child, and more energetic than +most Chinese. Ku Nai-nai was becoming quite fond of her in a selfish +fashion, because Little Yi could fill her pipe, arrange the rooms, and +run to fetch things much better than any child of her age whom she had +ever known, although she did not always remember that none of her +family and friends were Manchus, and that the poor little Chinese girls +of Yi's age were all suffering from foot-binding. Luckily for Nelly, +Little Yi's concoction of meat, flour, and sauce quite took up the +attention of the household; otherwise, they might have noticed how +thoughtful she was. Indeed, Little Yi did remark that Nelly did not +appear to think much of her dish. + +There was plenty of time for reflection all the afternoon and evening, +for Ku Nai-nai seemed determined to have a regular turnout while the old +woman was out of the way, and kept An Ching and Little Yi quite busy. +Nelly decided that if the Christian--for that was how she thought of the +Chinaman--could help Little Yi and herself to get away before Hung Li +returned, they had better go with him. But would Little Yi consent? When +the children were together in Peking, Little Yi gave way to Nelly in +everything, but now Nelly did not feel so sure of her. She went to bed +early, and never ceased to wonder what was going on in the next compound +until she fell asleep. + +Now the next compound was built on nearly the same plan as the Kus'. The +dwelling-places were all in the centre court, and there was the same +large round entrance left in the wall, through which you could pass into +a small court at the side. This was next to the Kus' small court, and it +was there that Nelly's Christian, whose surname was Chang, had appeared +over the wall. Hung Li and Ku Nai-nai did not know that there were any +native Christians in Yung Ching, but there were, and they even had a +small room set aside for preaching and Christian worship, where an +English clergyman from Peking sometimes held services. The room was in +the compound of the native lay reader's house, quite at the other side +of the town, and Chang and his family were the only converts who did not +live close to this little meeting-house. + +When Chang, chuckling to himself at the astonishment he had caused, +descended the ladder, he found his wife waiting for him at the bottom. +They both went through the round hole in the centre court and then +indoors. Chang Nai-nai was most eager to learn all that Nelly had said, +for she had only heard one-half of the talk from her post at the foot +of the ladder, and as it was she who had first heard the sound of +hymn-singing coming from their neighbours', she considered herself +entitled to know everything. When her husband had satisfied her on this +point, she demanded of him what he was going to do. Her little eyes +twinkled as she suggested that they might just as well have a reward on +the children's account as Hung Li. 'And,' she added, 'we have to live, +even if we are Christians.' + +'To be sure,' said Chang, 'and are we not living pretty comfortably on +the type-cutting I get from the missionaries in Peking? I shall do my +best to help the children to get home, even if I gain nothing by it, but +if the foreign child's father offers me something afterwards I shall not +refuse it. Suppose our son had been stolen, what should we have done? +There he is.' + +A tall, pale boy of fourteen appeared in the doorway. + +'Listen, Chi Fu,' he continued; 'I have seen one of the hymn-singers,' +and he repeated his account of his adventure of the morning, and told +his son how he and Chang Nai-nai had gone into the small court and heard +Ku Nai-nai call away her daughter-in-law and Little Yi, and tell Nelly +to stay where she was. When they found that only one person was there, +Chang had ventured to fetch a ladder and look over. + +'Now, Chi Fu, my clever son, you must tell us how we are to get hold of +these children, and then I can easily take them to Peking.' + +'You'll be only too glad of an excuse to get to Peking,' struck in +Chang Nai-nai, 'and I shall be left here to look after all those young +fowls. It is not easy this hot weather, and Chi Fu there has his head +too full of books and learning to be of any use.' + +'Now don't scold, old woman,' replied Chang. 'I can take some of your +chickens to sell in Peking at the same time. Fatten them up well, and +the foreigners will give me good prices.' + +Chang Nai-nai only grunted. She was not really mean and greedy, but she +loved to make a fuss. + +Meanwhile Chi Fu had been reflecting, his knees crossed one over the +other and his head resting, in what he thought was a graceful attitude, +on the palm of his left hand, supported by his elbow on the table. + +'Respected father,' he said, when he could get a word in, 'it seems to +me that the first thing to be done is to write to the young lady's +parents. All we need do is to inform the honourable gentleman where his +daughter is to be found.' + +'That is so, my son, and you can write the letter.' + +'I will write to-morrow, after you have inquired the correct name and +address of the young lady's father. To avoid risks, in case the letter +should be opened on the way, instead of writing in the usual characters +of our language I'll use the Romanised, which I learnt in the mission +school in Peking.' + +'You'll write your letter and send it, and before any one can come the +children will be off with that man Ku Hung Li. We must get them here +before he returns,' said Chang Nai-nai. + +'You are right too, my mother. The letter shall be written, and we will +also try to think of some other plan to benefit the foreign and native +young ladies.' + +With which Chi Fu rose slowly and majestically, and glided into the next +room. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +CHI FU'S SCHEME + + +Chang and his wife saw no more of their son that day until it was time +to eat rice in the evening. Chi Fu had been at the mission compound. +Naturally the Changs were both full of excitement over the morning's +adventure; so little happens to disturb the tranquillity of home life in +China. They had talked of nothing else, and were quite ready to begin +again when Chi Fu arrived. + +'Well, have you thought of a plan to get hold of those children?' his +mother asked, as soon as he had swallowed one bowl of rice. + +The family oracle replied slowly that he had thought a good deal about +it, and that he had inquired at the mission when the courier was going +to Peking. + +'You surely did not tell about those children?' screamed Chang Nai-nai. + +'No, I only asked about the courier,' quietly replied Chi Fu, 'and as he +has only just left, my letter could not go until next month. It would +not be prudent to send a letter written in foreign characters otherwise +than by the mission courier, and were I to use Chinese writing it might +be read on the way.' + +Chi Fu partook of another half bowl of rice, and then continued: + +'Therefore it would be advisable to make some plan for the escape of +the two young ladies, and receive them here.' + +'But what plan?' cried his mother. 'Your father and I have been thinking +it over all the afternoon, and there seems no way.' + +'No, there is no way unless we get the help of some one in the +compound,' replied Chi Fu. Then he dropped a little of his dignity, and +warming to the subject, unfolded his plan, which was that his father +should question Nelly next day about An Ching, and that if she seemed +reliable Nelly should tell her everything, and they would arrange a +meeting between her and Chang. If An Ching were willing to help, it +would be quite possible to get the children over the wall by means of +ropes. Chi Fu, who certainly had a good head on his shoulders and could +use it to some purpose when he forgot his affectation, suggested also +that in case of an extra courier being sent from the mission, or the +arrival of a missionary, Nelly had better write a letter to her parents, +which he could enclose. + +'But,' said Chang, 'if we get the children, are we to keep them here +until they are taken back to Peking?' + +Chi Fu replied that he was afraid his father would be obliged to make +the journey to Peking, and told his mother to fatten her fowls in +readiness. There would be plenty of time, as Ku Hung Li was not likely +to be back yet, and they could not attempt to get the children away +except by night, in which case they must wait for the moonlight. + +Chang and his wife thought that their clever son had planned everything +marvellously, and next morning Chang went into the small court and +waited to see what would happen. He had not been there long when he saw +a little red ball on the other side of the wall rise up in the air +several times. Nelly was trying to throw a pebble wrapped in a piece of +red paper over the wall, but as Bob Bates had often told her, she threw +just like a girl, and it was only after several attempts that her little +red messenger landed on Chang's side. + +Very soon after her successful throw Nelly saw Chang's pleasant, round, +smiling face appearing cautiously over the wall. When he was satisfied +that no one else was looking, he came a step higher. + +'Good-morning, Ku-niang (young lady),' he said. 'What are the others +doing, and where are they?' + +'They are all busy doing their hair,' Nelly replied; 'at least An Ching +and Ku Nai-nai are. Little Yi is washing some rice at the well, and the +old servant is still ill. I'll begin to sing at once if I see any one +coming. I can see quite well through the hole when I stand here in the +middle of the court. Please will you tell me your name?' + +Chang did so, and said: 'My son thinks that we ought to let An Ching +know of the plan to get you away. Are you sure she is to be trusted?' + +'Oh yes, quite,' replied Nelly. + +'You are sure she won't tell her mother-in-law or any female friends who +come to the house?' + +'I am certain she won't say anything about it to Ku Nai-nai, and I don't +believe she has any friends. She wants to get away from here and come to +me in Peking. But there's Little Yi,' Nelly went on. 'She'll be cross +if I tell An Ching and not her.' + +'Well, well,' said Chang, 'of course she will have to know, and it may +as well be now.' + +And then he told Nelly about his son's idea that she should write to her +father. + +Nelly was delighted, until she suddenly remembered that she had nothing +to write with. + +Chang at first said that she must do her best with Chinese paper and the +brush that the Chinese use for a pen, but then he recollected that Chi +Fu had a lead pencil and some foreign paper, of which he was very proud. +He promised to throw them over the wall, and went on to talk about his +clever son. He had by no means finished when Nelly, who spied An Ching +coming, suddenly began to sing most vigorously. Chang broke off and +vanished, leaving Nelly standing in the middle of the court foolishly +looking at the wall. + +'Whatever is the matter?' An Ching asked when she had hobbled into the +court. 'What are you looking at?' + +'Nothing,' said Nelly; 'at least he's gone now.' + +'Who? What do you mean?' exclaimed An Ching. + +'The Christian--I mean Chang.' + +An Ching was more and more puzzled, and looked at Nelly in wonder. + +At length Nelly said, 'Come and sit down and I'll tell you all about +it.' + +They both sat down on the bench near the wall, and Nelly told her tale +to the astonished An Ching, or rather she half told it, for just as she +was in the middle of it Ku Nai-nai came shouting for that lazy An Ching +to come indoors. + +You may be sure that An Ching made haste to finish up her work after +they had all eaten their mid-day meal. She and Nelly got out to the +court alone, and Nelly was able to finish the exciting story. An Ching +was too surprised to offer any advice. She agreed, however, that Little +Yi must know at once, and when that young lady joined them she was told +the wonderful news of the man in the next compound who was willing to +help them to get away. + +Little Yi was quite as enthusiastic about it as was possible to a +Chinese girl. She wanted Nelly to throw over some red paper at once to +call Chang, but An Ching said that as Ku Nai-nai had already been +smoking and dozing some time, she might call them at any moment, so it +was decided that they should wait until next day, and throw over the +paper as soon as ever Ku Nai-nai was comfortably settled on the kang +with her pipe. + +Poor An Ching! she hated the thought of being left behind, and was +dreadfully disappointed when she heard that Chang had said he could not +take her; but she promised to do nothing to hinder their flight in any +case. There was one thing she did not want to do, though, and that was +to talk to Chang over the wall unless his wife were there. 'You must see +him first, Nelly,' she said, 'and tell him to send up his wife to talk +to me, or else get two ladders. It would not be at all proper for me to +speak to a strange man alone. Respectable Chinese young women never do +that.' Nelly saw no objection, though she thought An Ching was foolish, +and it was decided that she and Little Yi should receive Chang next day. + + + + + +CHAPTER X + +PREPARATIONS FOR FLIGHT + + +If Ku Nai-nai had been more wide-awake, she could hardly have failed to +notice how quickly the housework and cooking were done next day; but as +she was not given to interesting herself in other people's motives +(although she was very suspicious when there was the slightest cause for +it, and sometimes when there was none at all), she did not observe that +Little Yi was eager to prepare her pipe and pot of tea, while An Ching +and Nelly wiped out the bowls and put them in the cook-house. There is +not much to do in a Chinese family--no scrubbing or polishing; the +cooking, too, is quite simple in the ordinary home. The stone floors are +swept and the furniture wiped over. The Chinese don't mind dust, but +they like to have things in their places and the rooms orderly. Chinese +girls never come in from a walk and throw their hats and gloves on a +chair, because, to begin with, they don't wear hats and gloves, and they +very seldom go for walks. + +An Ching pretended to be cross because Nelly had spilled some rice, and +told the children to go off and leave her to finish alone. They went +directly to their favourite side court, and at once got the red paper +out of the heap of stones and threw a piece with a pebble inside over +the wall. Nelly finding that she could not throw any better than +before, Little Yi tried, and succeeded very well--so well, indeed, that +Chang was there with his ladder in almost no time after they had left +the house. He gave the children the usual Chinese greeting of, 'Fine +day. Are you well?' + +Nelly replied: 'Quite well. It is rather hot. This is Little Yi.' + +Chang hoped Little Yi was well, and when she had replied that she was, +and hoped he was too, he asked for 'the young Ku Nai-nai,' meaning An +Ching. + +Nelly explained (not without the assistance of Little Yi, who liked to +put in her word) that An Ching did not consider it proper to talk to +Chang without his wife. + +Chang repeated this to his wife, who was at the foot of the ladder. + +'She is quite right,' said Chang Nai-nai. + +'Then,' said Chang, 'you must come up and talk to her.' + +Now Chang Nai-nai had never mounted a ladder, and she was rather afraid +to do it, but she thought she would like to see into the next compound, +and resolved to try. + +Chang came down, and she cautiously went up a few rungs, but stopped and +asked Chang to follow her, as she felt rather nervous. When Chang had +reassured her, she ventured to go two rungs higher, gave a great sigh, +and exclaimed, 'You are not following me!' + +Chang told that he could not very well do so until she was higher still. + +Chang Nai-nai, who was very determined and not lacking in courage, +resolutely went up a little higher. She was now more than half way to +the top, and there she stuck, seized by a sudden terror. She looked very +funny, clinging with both hands to the ladder, and her little claw-like +feet close together on one of the rungs. Chang could not help smiling, +which greatly annoyed the poor woman, and she at once began a tirade +against the foolishness of An Ching. Why could she not talk with a +grey-headed old man (Chang had about six grey hairs) who might have been +a grandfather had their little baby girl lived and been married at +sixteen, as she herself was? 'I won't have anything to do with helping +the children to get home to their parents, no matter what the reward may +be, if I am obliged to climb ladders and talk with ridiculous young +women,' she went on. + +'Come down, then,' said Chang. + +But this was more than could be expected of her. As we all know from +experience, especially girls who have got so far as climbing into a +hay-loft, it is very much easier to go up a ladder than to come down. +Chang Nai-nai might have remained where she was until she dropped off, +had not Chang mounted after her and almost carried her down. + +When the little woman was safely deposited on the ground, she became +less irate against An Ching. + +'What can be done?' she said. 'The young woman is in the right, but +mount that ladder again I will not. If she can find a ladder and climb +up on her side, let her do so. If she can't, as she is trying to help a +foreigner, she might adopt the foreign custom of talking to any one. +You can go up again and tell the children what I say. When she knows +what I've suffered on that ladder she will give in, I think.' + +So Chang mounted once more and told the children, who had heard a good +deal of the talk, about Chang Nai-nai's efforts to converse with An +Ching. They both went to try and persuade her to come, and found her in +her own room. She finally consented, and, half dragged by the children, +appeared through the round hole. Chang, who was still at his post, took +away all An Ching's embarrassment by greeting her with: + +'Is the young Ku Nai-nai well?' + +Then, after a few more formalities, he asked Little Yi to go and stand +in the round gateway, so as to be able to warn them if any one came, and +he began at once to discuss with An Ching ways and means for releasing +the children. + +The arrangements were very simple. In eight days' time there would be +sufficient moonlight. + +The children were to wait until they were sure that Ku Nai-nai was +asleep, and then squeeze themselves through the window over their kang +and come out into the court. Chang would be on his side with Chi Fu, and +they would let down a large round basket, into which the children must +get, one at a time, and be hauled over the wall. An Ching suggested that +she should ask Ku Nai-nai to allow her to go and visit a relative on the +day which would be arranged for the flight, and she would stay there all +night, to avoid suspicion. She saw very well that Chang could not take +her away too, but she begged him to aid her if she found any means of +joining Nelly later. Chang promised to think about it. Then he threw +Nelly the pencil and a sheet of paper, and took leave of them all for +that day. Nelly at once began to consider what to say to her parents, +and finally wrote the following letter: + + 'DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER--I am quite safe here in Yung Ching + with the Kus, and so is Little Yi, but we want to come home. + Chang, who lives next door and heard us singing, is going to + try to help us to get away. Ku Hung Li, who stole us, says he + will send us home with a barber, but I would rather go with + Chang. There is a very nice girl called An Ching, who is very + kind to us, and I want her to come and live with us in Peking, + but her feet are very small, so she can't do much, though she + can sew beautifully. How is Baby Buckle? and Bob and Bessie and + Arthur, and all the other children? I wear Chinese dress now, + but my hair has only been shaved once. There is no more room on + this paper, and this is all I have. Chang gave me it; he is a + Christian. + + 'Your loving daughter, + 'NELLY GREY.' + +This letter took Nelly more than a day to write. When it was done she +threw it over the wall into Chang's compound. + +Chang and Chi Fu were very busy during the next few days in making +arrangements for a cart to be ready on the night fixed for the flight. +Nelly and Little Yi on their side were all impatience for the day to +arrive, and poor An Ching was despondent. She hunted over all her +treasures, and gave each of the children a keepsake. Nelly's was a +little square looking-glass with tassels, to hang from her belt, and +Little Yi had a thick silver ring with an enamelled green frog in the +centre. Nelly thought of plan after plan for An Ching's escape, but An +Ching shook her head at each one. 'Oh, Nelly,' she said one day, 'how +lucky you are not to have been born a China-woman!' + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE + + +Everything went on well in both compounds. Chang came at the call of the +little red signal every day, and let An Ching know what he and Chi Fu +were doing. Nelly asked Chang if he thought that Chi Fu could tell her +the date, and Chi Fu sent her an almanac which had been given to him by +a missionary at the beginning of the year, but it was of no use to Nelly +until Chang told her that the longest day was only nine days off; so she +put a cross at the date which was nine days before the 21st of June, +and thus found out the exact date. In this way she knew when Sunday +came, and although there would be only one more for her to spend in Yung +Ching, she resolved to keep it in the best way she could, by saying over +to herself all the hymns she could remember and taking more time for her +prayers that morning; neither would she do any teaching or sewing. + +The day before the one fixed for the moonlight adventure arrived. An +Ching had got permission to go and see her relatives the next day; the +old servant, who was better, was to go with her. It was very hot, almost +too hot to talk. Ku Nai-nai said there would be a thunderstorm. An +Ching, Nelly, and Little Yi were sitting on the bench in the small +court. They had just had a visit from Chang, who told them not to +expect him the next day, as he must go and fetch the mule in the +evening. He and Chi Fu would certainly be there the next night, he said, +and he cautioned the children to close the window after they had climbed +through. Little Yi was almost asleep, and was swaying to and fro as she +sat on the bench. Nelly had hold of An Ching's hand, and was telling her +how she should send her messages through Chang's mission. Nelly had got +over the excitement, and was quietly happy at the thought of going home. +How she longed to see her dear father and mother and Baby Buckle! She +thought of all this for some time, with her hand still in An Ching's; +and An Ching was thinking of her loneliness when the children would be +no longer with her, and of Hung Li's wrath when he returned. Then Nelly +too was overcome by the heat, and she nodded and bobbed about until at +last her head fell in An Ching's lap. An Ching stroked the pretty little +cheek, and felt as if her heart would break at losing her friend. She +was resolutely keeping back her tears, when all three gave a great +start, and the children were wide awake in a moment. There was a loud +rumbling sound. + +'The thunder!' exclaimed Nelly. + +But An Ching knew better. She realised that the noise came from a cart +passing under the archway into the outer court next to the street, and +that Hung Li had come back. She said nothing, and all three stood +listening. Sure enough, it was a cart, and the large gate was being +opened. The children heard it too, and although no one spoke a word, +each one knew that it must be Hung Li. There was no mistaking now; it +was his voice in the inner court talking to Ku Nai-nai. + +'I must go,' said An Ching. 'We will talk it over again this afternoon. +You two must pretend to be glad that Hung Li has come back.' + +An Ching left them, and was greeted by her husband with a command to get +him something to drink. Ku Nai-nai began to scold her for being out of +the way when needed. She did not mind though, for now, perhaps, she +thought, the children would not go away the next night. + +Hung Li set about unharnessing the mule, and tied it to a post in the +court. He then partook of some food, which they had hastily prepared +for him, and flung himself down on the kang, where he was soon fast +asleep. When An Ching could get away, she took the children's bowls and +chopsticks into the small court, and they fetched their food from the +cook-house. Little Yi was the first to ask if they should still get out +of the window and be hauled up the wall in a basket, as arranged. + +'It would be of no use,' said An Ching. 'Hung Li has the mule ready, and +would easily overtake your cart next morning.' + +'But,' exclaimed Nelly, 'Chang says he has as much right to us as Hung +Li, and I don't see why we can't go.' + +'Hung Li would kill me if you escaped while I am here to look after +you,' replied An Ching. 'If I go away to-morrow you might try to get +off, but we can't decide anything until we hear what he intends to do.' + +Hung Li slept peacefully for a couple of hours. Then he got up, called +for Ku Nai-nai and An Ching, refreshed himself by wiping his face with a +rag dipped in hot water, and took a deep draught from the spout of the +tea-pot, after which he began to talk. + +'We shall start to-night' he said. 'There are bills out all over Peking +offering 500 taels (£100) reward for the children. I shall take them +back at once. An Ching must go too, to look after them. The barber will +wait for us at the city gate, and send a message to the _ying kua jên_ +(Englishman) as soon as we arrive. It is all settled.' + +Ku Nai-nai grunted. She did not really care what became of the children, +but she told Hung Li she hoped he would make sure of the money, and that +too much of it would not stick to the barber's fingers. + +An Ching was delighted, though she did not dare to show it. She left the +room, saying she must make ready. Her first care was to find the little +girls and tell them the news. + +Although Nelly and Little Yi would rather have gone with Chang, they +were very pleased to hear that they were to start so soon, especially as +An Ching was to go with them. + +'Then we shall not go over the wall in a basket after all,' said Little +Yi. 'I should have liked that.' + +'We must write a letter at once,' said Nelly, 'and throw it into +Chang's compound.' 'Yes,' said An Ching, 'but who is to write it?' + +This was a puzzle. An Ching, like nearly all Chinese women, could not +write at all, and Nelly could only do so in English. + +'You know some characters, Little Yi,' continued An Ching. 'Suppose you +try.' + +Little Yi felt very much flattered. 'All right,' she said. 'Give me a +piece of paper and I'll do it.' + +An Ching tottered off to her room, and returned with a piece of the +rough tissue paper which the Chinese use for writing upon, a brush, a +piece of Indian ink, and a slate slab to mix it on, all tucked up her +sleeve. + +Little Yi knelt down and spread her materials on the bench, while An +Ching stood ready to sit down on the letter in case Hung Li or his +mother came. + +Little Yi could only make a few characters, and had never written a +letter, but she began boldly with a beautiful 'we.' + +'Can not come,' said Nelly. + +'I can't make "can,"' said Little Yi; so she wrote 'not' and as much as +she could remember of 'come.' + +'Hung Li is here,' dictated Nelly. + +'How can you expect me to know how to make "Hung" and "Li"?' objected +the scribe. + +An Ching said that the character for 'Hung' was the same as that used +for the word 'red,' and she thought she could make the 'Li.' + +She took the pen and did it, very badly and quite crooked. + +Then Little Yi found she was not able to make 'is.' She missed that and +put 'here.' + +The letter then read, 'We not come. Hung Li here.' + +'That's enough,' said An Ching. 'Fold it up and put any character which +means Chang on the outside.' + +Little Yi did so, and they screwed the bit of paper up with a pebble +inside and threw it over the wall. + +The preparations for departure were very few and simple. They had no +luggage. An Ching had a small bundle with some extra clothing, comb, +etc., and a box was fastened on behind the cart with cups, a tea-pot, a +few cooking utensils, and some charcoal for cooking their food on the +way. Nelly could hardly believe that they were to start. They had only +been a few months in Yung Ching, but it seemed like years. + +Ku Nai-nai was unusually pleasant at the last. She told Little Yi that +she should miss her, and said a few kind words to Nelly. + +Just before sunset the party started. An Ching and the children were +inside the cart, with Hung Li as driver, sitting on the shafts. Hung Li +had forgotten to pull down the curtain in front of the cart, and just as +they turned out of the compound into the street they came face to face +with Chang. + +Nelly and Little Yi both started and bent forward to greet him, but An +Ching held them back and whispered, 'Hush!' + +Chang, after making sure that Hung Li was not looking, quickly put his +head forward and asked under his breath, 'To Peking?' + +The children nodded vigorously, but An Ching said, in a low voice, 'I +don't know.' + +Chang vanished, and the children looked questioningly at An Ching. She +motioned to them to keep silent, and they did so, greatly wondering. +When Hung Li, who was sitting with his back to the others, turned and +saw that the curtain was not drawn, he angrily pulled it down, whipped +up the mule, and they were off at a good pace. Nelly was quite pleased +to feel the jolting of a cart once more. 'But surely,' she thought, +'this one bumps more than others.' It seemed so to her because she had +not been in a cart for so long a time. + +Just when they were getting outside Yung Ching, the thunderstorm which +they had been expecting came, and the rain fell heavily, so that they +were glad to keep well inside the cart. Hung Li tried to get under +shelter too, but he found that he must make up his mind to bear the +rain, if he meant to get any distance on the road before it became dark. +He was very cross, and no one dared to speak a word. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +POOR MULE! + + +It was very uncomfortable for every one during the next couple of hours. +The cotton covering of the cart became soaked, and drops of water began +to fall through. Hung Li was in a dreadful temper because the mule had +gone slightly lame, and he was afraid that it would not be able to reach +the first stopping-place. How he did lash and scold the poor creature! +An Ching took the opportunity, when he was obliged to get down and lead +it, to explain why she had told Chang she was not sure that they were +going to Peking. + +'I heard him say,' she jerked out, 'that if he were questioned about a +foreign child on the road, or if people seemed inquisitive, he should +branch off half way and go to some quiet country place. Ku Nai-nai told +him he would be very foolish to do so; but he is very obstinate, and if +he gets a little too much wine there is no knowing what he will do.' + +'Dear me!' sighed Nelly, 'shall we ever get home?' + +'To be sure you will,' replied An Ching. 'Chang will let the foreigners +in Peking know where you have been, and your letter will be sent.' + +'Yes, and mother will know that I am well,' thought Nelly. + +They went on until they came to the river, which it was too late to +cross, even if the mule had been able to do it. There was a small inn +close at hand. Hung Li knocked at the door, roused the inn-keeper, and +asked for one small room for his wife and children. He said that one of +them, a boy, had hurt his leg, and he should carry him in. Nelly found +that she was the boy. An Ching bundled her up well about the head, and +Hung Li carried her to the kang, where she was soon fast asleep. + +'You will have to carry Little Yi too,' An Ching told Hung Li. 'If the +inn-keeper sees her feet he will never believe she is your child.' Hung +Li did so, pretending that he did not want her shoes to get wet. Then, +being afraid that the mule might die, he gave it a good feed and +comfortable quarters for the night. + +Next morning the children were very stiff, and would have liked to run +about, but they were kept shut up in the room while An Ching fetched +their food, and as soon as the cart was ready they were carried back to +it, with the same excuses. + +It was with great difficulty, in spite of the good food and rest which +had been given to the mule, that it was able to pull the cart up the +steep muddy bank after crossing the river. It stood panting hard for +some time when the task was finished, quite regardless of the blows +administered by the cruel driver. + +'You'll never get to Peking with that mule,' called out the ferryman as +they started. + +They went along very slowly. An Ching suggested, when they arrived at a +quiet, open part of the road, that the children should walk to lighten +the cart, and they were very glad to be out in the fresh morning air; +even An Ching got out when they came to a slight incline, but Hung Li +took care to make the children climb in again whenever he saw a human +being approach. + +Now that Yung Ching was well behind them, Hung Li decided not to urge +the mule too much, in case it died before he was able to return it to +the man from whom he had hired it in Peking; so that morning passed +pleasantly enough. The children gathered flowers by the wayside, and the +sunshine made Nelly hopeful. It was a delight to be in the country, with +all so fresh and cool after the rain. At mid-day they passed through a +dirty village, where they bought some eggs and bread. When they were +well outside the village they cooked the eggs and took a meal, after +which the mule was unharnessed and fed, greatly to his surprise, and the +children had a sleep in the cart, while Hung Li and An Ching reposed on +some straw close by. + +That afternoon they passed a funny little hut with a red dog painted on +the door, which Nelly remembered to have seen on the journey from +Peking. She wondered if they would go to any of the same inns they had +stayed at before, but Hung Li carefully avoided them, and took a +different road as often as possible. + +When they put up at the inn that night the children were again carried, +with the same explanations, although the ground was not very wet this +time. + +'To-morrow we shall be in Peking,' said Nelly delightedly. + +'No,' replied An Ching. 'We have come very slowly; we shall be three +nights on the road this time.' + +Nelly was disappointed, but made the best of it. She slept badly that +night, and had a headache the next morning. + +An Ching was away a long time getting the breakfast, and when she +returned with her hands full she was very excited. + +'One of the placards offering the reward for you two has just been stuck +on the wall of this inn,' she exclaimed. 'Hung Li is in a great rage. He +says he must be off at once. He intends to get another mule and hurry +off to Peking.' + +'So he is not going to take us to some other place? I am so glad,' said +Nelly. + +'No, he seems to have changed his mind. I am to get a small coat for +Little Yi, and she is to pretend to be a boy.' + +'Why me?' exclaimed Little Yi. 'My ears are pierced. I could not be a +boy, and I won't. Nelly was the boy yesterday.' + +'What does it matter? No one will notice the holes in your ears if you +take out the earrings, and then you can run about. Nelly must not be +seen at all, Hung Li says. It's no use objecting. You'll have to do it. +You naughty boy!' she shouted, as she heard Hung Li and another man +talking outside the door. + +Little Yi and Nelly giggled. Then An Ching locked them in and went to +buy the coat. There was very little difference between it and the one +she was wearing. An Ching saw that Little Yi's queue was right, took out +her earrings, and then removed her bracelets. + +Nelly was carried to the cart in a bundle, and Little Yi, in no amiable +mood at having lost her earrings and wooden bracelets, was hustled in +after An Ching. + +Nelly was still feeling rather weak and tired, and so was the poor mule. +He dragged them wearily along the road for a couple of hours, and then +his troubles were all over, for he stopped quite still and dropped to +the ground, and before Hung Li could get him out of the shafts he was +quite dead. + +Of course every one was obliged to come down from the cart. Little Yi +and An Ching helped to undo the harness and Hung Li dragged the mule out +of the way. Nelly shed a few tears over the poor dead animal which had +toiled on so bravely to the end. + +Hung Li was in a worse temper than ever. He wished he had never seen the +little foreign imp and big-footed Manchu child; 'and I wish I could get +rid of you as well,' he said to An Ching. At last he set off to fetch +another mule, threatening all sorts of penalties to whoever stirred from +the spot or spoke to passers-by. Before going, he propped up the shafts +of the cart and made them all get inside. They were relieved when the +angry man had gone, and tried to settle themselves comfortably in the +cart; but when he was well out of sight, Little Yi, regardless of +consequences, got out and looked round. An Ching did not trouble much, +as she knew Hung Li could not be back very soon, but when after a time +she put her head outside and could not see Little Yi at all, she became +uneasy and herself got out. Nelly did the same. They called and ran in +every direction before they found her. An Ching thought she saw +something moving behind a clump of bushes some yards away. She asked +Nelly, who could walk much better than she, to go and see. Nelly went +behind the bushes, and sure enough she saw Little Yi a long way off, +running away as hard as she could towards two men, one of whom Nelly to +her great surprise and joy recognised as Chang. The other she thought +must be Chi Fu. She waited until they came near, then she rushed +forward, caught hold of Chang's hand and burst into tears. + +Tears of joy don't last very long. Nelly's were soon gone, and there was +no trace of them when they all went to the other side of the bushes, +where they found An Ching, who stood as if spellbound when she saw them. + +'However did you find us?' she asked Chang. 'But you must go away,' she +added; 'Hung Li may be back any moment. He will kill me if he finds you +here,' and she hurried the children into the cart and got in herself. + +When they were safely in, Chang said: 'This is my son Chi Fu. He will +keep a good look-out and I will talk to you here. If Hung Li comes we +can walk quietly away. But he can't be back for a long time yet if he +has gone to get a mule; the next village is nearly as far as the one +you left this morning.' + +Chang then told them how he and Chi Fu came to be there. + +'When I saw you start,' he said, 'I at once went into my house and +consulted with my son, who said that he and I must certainly follow you. +He got two mules at once and we set off early next morning. We rode hard +and reached the river well before noon. At the inn near the river we +heard about a party which had crossed earlier, and although the +inn-keeper said the children were boy and girl, we felt sure that it +must have been you.' + +Here Chi Fu came up and put in his word. + +'Don't forget to tell the young foreign lady that her letter has been +sent off,' he said. + +'No,' replied Chang; 'I'll tell her. You must go farther away and keep +a good look-out on the road the way Hung Li went.' And Chang turned to +Nelly and told her that a courier had started for the Peking mission two +days ago and taken her letter enclosed in one for the missionary from +Chi Fu. + +'And did you get my letter?' asked Little Yi. 'We threw it over the +wall.' + +Chang replied that his wife had picked up a piece of paper with some +writing upon it, but it was nearly all blotted out by the rain and could +not be read. + +'It was of no consequence,' said An Ching, at which Little Yi was not +pleased. 'How did you manage to find us?' + +'We rode on quickly, and very soon saw your cart in the distance; then +we followed by a side road too narrow for a cart. When you stopped to +rest at noon I got off my mule and came quite close. I saw the young Ku +Nai-nai as she lay asleep.' + +An Ching did not much like this, but she said nothing. + +Chang continued: 'It was easy to follow you and put up at the same inn +at night, especially as Hung Li did not know us. We rode after you this +morning, and when we saw that the mule had fallen we left ours with an +old man in a hut over there,' pointing beyond the bushes, 'and began to +walk towards you. Little Yi saw us coming, and here we are.' + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE ROAD TO PEKING + + +'Now what are you going to do?' asked An Ching. + +'We shall follow you to Peking or wherever Hung Li takes you, and then +go at once and tell the English gentleman where you are. You have no +need to fear now,' turning to Nelly, 'that you will not get home.' + +'And can't An Ching come with us?' + +'I dare not take her,' said Chang, 'but perhaps your father can arrange +something. Now I will go and ask Chi Fu what we had best do.' + +Chi Fu thought that all they could do for the present was to keep the +party well in sight and put up at the same inn that night. Chang +returned and told An Ching this, and said they would go and get their +mules. He cautioned all three not to appear to know either of them, even +if they came and spoke to Hung Li. + +After Chang and Chi Fu went away it seemed a very long time before Hung +Li returned with another mule. He was accompanied by a man who brought a +cart and took away the dead animal. Hung Li told An Ching that he had +only been able to get a mule to take them as far as the next village, +and they must put up there. He had brought some food, and they prepared +another meal by the roadside. The children ate sitting in the cart. As +soon as they had finished, Hung harnessed the mule and then set off once +more. + +This was a good strong beast and took them along briskly to the next +village, but as so much time had already been wasted it was late in the +afternoon when they arrived. + +Hung Li was now obliged to go in search of another mule and return the +one he had to its owner. By the time this was done, it was too late to +start again that day. + +The inn was about a hundred yards from the main road. It stood in an +open space and was reached by a narrow winding path. All round and +between the inn and the road was short grass and stubble. But on the +opposite side of the road, a short distance on the way they had come, +there was a hillock with a clump of trees at one side. The room which +had been engaged for An Ching had its door, and also a small window, +opening towards the road. Nelly and Little Yi could quite well see the +hillock and clump of trees on the other side of the road from the +window, and they had not been long in the room before they noticed that +Chang and Chi Fu were there with their mules. Later in the evening they +saw the two come over to the inn and heard them make arrangements to put +up there for the night. An Ching went outside and passed them quite +close, but they took no notice of her. She heard Chang inquire of Hung +Li if he were going to Peking next day. + +'I am not sure,' said Hung Li, in a very surly tone. + +Chang took no notice of his rudeness, but said politely: + +'I hope you will permit my son and me to follow your party, as we are +strangers to these parts and not very sure of the road.' + +'You can if you like,' replied Hung Ching ungraciously, and walked away. +An Ching felt sure he had been drinking. + +Nelly was still feeling far from well when she awoke next morning. She +got up early, slipped the bolt, went out on to the dewy grass and looked +up the road towards Peking. The fresh air revived her, although she was +still very languid and depressed when she returned to the room. An Ching +was awake, and reproved her for going out. + +'You know how dreadfully angry Hung Li would be with me if he saw you,' +she said. + +But she let Nelly stand at the open window, and Little Yi, being in +boy's clothing, was not prevented from going in and out as she pleased. + +An Ching went as usual to get the breakfast. Hung Li was still half +tipsy. He said he was in a hurry to be off, although he did not appear +to be making any preparations. + +Chang and Chi Fu took their mules and went to the hillock to wait until +Hung Li's party started. Nelly was sitting listlessly in the room, and +Little Yi had gone outside to have a look round. Presently a cloud of +dust began to rise from the road in the distance, and four riders came +in sight. Little Yi looked intently, suddenly turned round, and ran back +to the room where Nelly was, crying breathlessly: + +'There's your father and another gentleman riding from Peking!' + +Nelly jumped up, dashed through the door and into the grassy space, +paused a moment to look, and set off as fast as she could go. How she +ran! but her legs felt weak, something thumped in her head, and her +heart went pit-a-pat. + +Mr. Grey rode with his head bent, and was looking at the ground. + +'Father! father! father! do stop!' Nelly called out. + +But her father did not see or hear, and there was An Ching shouting to +her, and she knew that Hung Li might be after her directly. + +'Father! father!' she wailed. + +She thought she shouted loudly, but her voice was very weak and quite +drowned by the clattering of the pony's hoofs. + +Still he did not look up, and was going by without seeing her! It was +too much for the poor child. She felt as though everything was turning +upside down, and just as her father rode past she fell to the ground in +a faint. + +But Chi Fu had seen it all from the hillock; and as Nelly fell he dashed +forward and stood with outstretched arms in the middle of the road, +ready to stop Mr. Grey's pony. When it came up he caught hold of the +bridle and turned the head right round, greatly to the astonishment of +the rider. + +'What does this mean?' exclaimed Mr. Grey angrily. + +'Your daughter! your daughter!' replied Chi Fu, pointing to Nelly as she +lay on the ground. + +Mr. Grey asked no more questions, but spurred his pony and galloped back +to where the little girl lay, Chi Fu running after him. He jumped off +his pony and stooped anxiously over the little figure. + +'It's Nelly,' he said, when he looked at the face, and he kissed her. + +Mr. Grey soon saw that she was only in a faint, and taking her in his +arms he carried her towards the inn, feeling very happy to have +recovered his little girl. When Little Yi came up he recognised her in +spite of her boy's clothing, and giving her a kindly pat on the head he +told her to keep close to him and run to get some water as soon as they +were at the inn. Little Yi showed him the room they were occupying and +went for the water, while Mr. Grey sat with his child on his knee. + +When her father bathed her head with the water Nelly soon recovered. Her +happiness and delight when she found herself in her father's arms cannot +be described. Let each girl who reads this imagine it for herself. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +FATHER AND MOTHER + + +With the help of Little Yi, who talked sixteen to the dozen, Nelly soon +told her father the whole story. Then came such a string of questions, +about Nelly's mother and Baby Buckle, and all Nelly's Peking friends and +Little Yi's as well! The talking was nearly all in Chinese. Nelly found +it difficult to get back into English, she said. + +'You will make Hung Li give up An Ching and take her with us, father, +won't you?' asked Nelly. + +'I'll see what I can do,' her father promised, 'but I am afraid it +cannot be managed.' + +'It can be done easily enough if you will buy her, Sir,' said Little Yi. +'Hung Li does not like her, and he loves money.' + +This was a new idea to Mr. Grey. He thought he might be able to arrange +it after all. 'We will go and see them and talk about it,' he said. + +The courtyard of the inn was in a state of great confusion when Mr. Grey +and the children entered it. Hung Li was raging and fuming in a dreadful +way, while An Ching stood by with a frightened face. The two Changs were +trying to explain things to the Legation student who had come with Mr. +Grey from Peking to go with him to Yung Ching in search of Nelly. They +had started as soon as Nelly's letter reached the Legation. This young +gentleman, who had been in China only a short time, understood very +little Chinese, and Chang and Chi Fu were trying to talk to him by +signs. It was funny to see them pointing to the wall, a basket, red +paper and a rope. The poor student was hopelessly muddled, but the +Chinese grooms who had come with him and Mr. Grey quite understood and +were enjoying themselves thoroughly. The inn-keeper was shouting +directions to every one, and his wife trying to question An Ching, who +was in a terrible fright. A crowd of villagers began to collect, and +every one was talking at once. + +Leaving the children in charge of his companion, Mr. Grey pushed his way +into the midst of the throng, shouting at the top of his voice: + +'Where's the man who stole my daughter?' + +The noise stopped at once. A dozen pair of hands seized Hung Li and An +Ching and brought them face to face with Mr. Grey, while the crowd +closed eagerly round. + +Hung Li was dreadfully afraid. He had counted on the children being +handed over by his friend the barber in exchange for a nice round sum of +money, and had never thought the affair would bring him within arm's +length of a fierce foreigner. + +'Why did you do this?' asked Mr. Grey sternly. + +'I did not,' said the coward. 'It was my mother who stole the child and +hid her from me. I was taking her back to Peking.' + +'Very well,' said Mr. Grey, 'I must hand you over to the magistrate.' + +This was quite enough for Hung Li, who knew that if he were once inside +a Chinese prison he might have to stay there a very long time. + +'Don't tell me any lies,' Mr. Grey continued. 'You kept my daughter shut +up in your house, and she might have died if it had not been for your +wife.' + +Hung Li grunted, but said nothing. + +'But,' went on Mr. Grey, 'I will let you go on one condition, that you +give up all claim to your wife and let her come to live with my daughter +in Peking, and I will give you fifty taels for her.' + +Hung Li did not expect to be let off so easily. 'Take the woman,' he +said. 'She has no children and I don't want her.' + +'All right,' replied Mr. Grey. 'I take all these people to witness our +bargain.' + +There was a chorus of 'Hao, hao' (good, good), from the crowd, and +everybody seemed pleased. + +Mr. Grey at once ordered his servant to fetch his bag containing the +lumps of silver and long strings of copper cash with a hole through the +middle, which are the only coins the Chinese have. The inn-keeper +brought a scale; the silver was weighed and handed over to Hung Li. He +went away without taking any notice of An Ching, and nobody was +surprised. The Chinese do not think much of women, you see. + +As for An Ching, she was delighted. + +All this time Chang and his son had kept quietly in the background. +They were Hung Li's neighbours and did not want to make an enemy of +him. This was their Chinese caution. As soon as he had gone they came +forward. Mr. Grey thanked them warmly, and told them that they should +have the reward he had offered if they would come with him to Peking, +which they were very glad to do. + +They were soon ready to leave the inn. Mr. Grey's servant had hired a +cart and good strong mule. An Ching and the children got into the cart +and the others rode alongside, excepting the Legation student, who went +ahead to prepare Mrs. Grey. + +Nelly was almost too excited to sit still as they came into Peking, and +even Little Yi was very anxious. + +'How do you feel, An Ching?' asked Nelly. + +'I don't know,' she replied. 'Glad and sorry, but more glad than sorry. +Nobody cares for me but you now. My parents did, a little, but no +Chinese girl is ever loved by her father as yours loves you.' + +'That's not true,' said Little Yi, although she knew that it was. + +'Well, I hope I am wrong, Little Yi. When children are as good and +truthful as Nelly perhaps their parents are very fond of them; but I +never knew a Chinese girl so good.' + +Little Yi sniffed, but said no more. + +When the large gates of the Legation were opened and the cart drove in, +Nelly almost fainted again. It was a very pale, fragile-looking little +creature that Mr. Grey lifted out of the cart. Mrs. Grey had been on the +look-out, and could not remain indoors when she saw the party arrive. +She rushed hatless across the compound, and Nelly bounded to meet her. +Mother and child clung to each other with all their might, while Chu Ma +fairly wept for joy to see her baby, as she called Nelly. At the same +time Little Yi's parents dashed towards her and embraced her, and they +all began chattering and crying. Little Yi hoped An Ching would notice +how affectionate her father was. + +It was not until they had gone indoors that Mr. and Mrs. Grey remembered +the Changs and An Ching. When Mr. Grey at length brought An Ching into +the room, Mrs. Grey kissed her too and thanked her for being so good to +Nelly. + +Mrs. Grey herself put Nelly to bed that night. It seemed so strange to +Nelly to see everything just as she had left it. There was actually the +almanac on the wall with the coloured picture of Ruth and Boaz in the +field. Nelly had pinned this almanac up months ago when she was +attending a dancing class at the American Legation, because, she said, +'Boaz was doing the first position of the waltz step beautifully.' She +laughed, and it did her good and she felt glad and happy. As she said +her prayers that night, she felt as though she really loved God and that +He quite understood when she thanked Him for the gift of a good father +and mother. + + + + +CONCLUSION + + +The next few days Nelly spent quietly with her parents, and in showing +An Ching all the wonders of a foreign household. Then she was taken by +her father and mother to spend the rest of the summer in a Chinese +temple at the hills, where she soon saw all her friends. + +Baby Buckle did not know her, of course, and the coat she had brought +him was too small, as he had grown very much. But he was 'darlinger' +than ever, Nelly said. Bessie Bates and Liza and Bertha were delighted +to see Nelly, but they seemed shy with her at first, and Bob Bates and +Arthur Macdonald treated her almost as though she had been a grown-up +lady. She was not very well all the summer, and the doctor advised a +change. 'England,' he said, 'would be a good thing.' 'And school,' added +Mr. Grey. And to England Nelly went in the autumn with her mother and An +Ching. She was left with her aunt in Brighton, where she attended a day +school near her brother Tom's. An Ching stayed with her and learnt to +speak English very well. The people of Brighton used to stare at An +Ching almost as much as the Chinese did at Nelly when she was stolen in +Peking. She became a Christian in time and used to go to church +regularly. Two years later, Arthur Macdonald came to Tom's school and +often spent his holiday afternoons at Nelly's aunt's. Bob and Bessie +Bates went to school in America, but Liza and Bertha stayed with their +governess in Peking. Baby Buckle grew into a very mischievous little +boy; so troublesome was he that his father decided to send him home, and +he, too, when he was a very small boy, came to the school where Tom had +been. Nelly used to go and see him and bring him to her aunt's. No +matter how naughty he was, she always made excuses for him. 'He was such +a darling baby, you know,' she used to say. + +Little Yi never tired of telling her adventures, and all her female +relatives, none of whom had ever been outside Peking, looked upon her as +a great traveller. Chi Fu studied so well that he became a school +teacher in the Church Mission. His parents admired him more than ever, +and left Yung Ching to come and live near him. One day he received a +letter from Nelly in English, and was able to read it to them in Chinese +quite easily. + +'He is a great scholar, my son,' said the good Chang to himself. + +It was the proudest day of his life! + + + + +FINIS + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Little Girl Lost, by Eleanor Raper + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LITTLE GIRL LOST *** + +***** This file should be named 29683-8.txt or 29683-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/9/6/8/29683/ + +Produced by David Edwards, Rose Acquavella and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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