A deputation
from the local "gwan" waited upon me to learn my wishes and to receive
my commands. I was assured that no European ever walked to Sui-fu from
Lan-chi-hsien, and that if I attempted to do such a thing I should have
to go alone, and that I should never reach there. I remonstrated, but my
boy was firm. He took me to him and fathered me. He almost cried over
me, to think that I, that I, his master, of all people in the world,
should doubt his allegiance to me. "I no 'fraid," he declared. "P'laps
master no savee. Sui-fu b'long velly big place, have got plenty
European. You wantchee makee go fast, catchee plenty good 'chow.' I
think you catchee one piecee boat, makee go up the river. P'laps I think
you have got velly tired--no wantchee makee more walkee--that no b'long
ploper. That b'long all same fool pidgin."
And at last I melted. There was nothing else to do.
That no one ever walked to Sui-fu from this place the district potentate
assured me in a private chit, which I could not read, when he laid his
gunboat at my disposal.
This, he said, would take me up very quickly. In his second note,
wherein he apologized that indisposition kept him from calling
personally upon me--this, of course, was a lie--he said he would feel it
an honor if I would be pleased to accept the use of his contemptible
boat.
Pages:
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109