The Man in the Buffalo Hide, page 1 by Louis Becke
<< Return to Title Details & Download2
bellion had been stamped out in blood and fire by Gordon and his "Ever Victorious Army," and the Viceroy (Li Hung Chang) had taken up his quarters in Canton, and was secretly torturing and beheading those prisoners whom he had sworn to the English Government to spare.
Carpenter was in command of a Chinese Government despatch vessel‹a side-wheeler‹which was immediately under the Viceroy's orders. She was but lightly armed, but was very fast, as fast went in those days. His ship had been lying in the filthy river for about a week, when, one afternoon, a mandarin came off with a written order for him to get ready to proceed to sea at daylight on the following morning. Previous experience of his estimable and astute Chinese employers warned him not to ask the fatfaced, almond-eyed mandarin any questions as to the steamer's destination, or the duration of the voyage. He simply said that he would be ready at the appointed time.
At daylight another mandarin, named Kwang‹one of much higher rank than his visitor of the previous day‹came on board. He was attended by thirty of the most ruffianly-looking scoundrels‹even for Chinamen‹that the captain had ever seen . They were all well armed, and came off in a large, well appointed boat, which, the mandarin intimated with a polite smile, was to be towed, if she was too heavy to be hoisted aboard. A couple of hands were put in her, and she was veered astern. Then the anchor was lifted, and the steamer started on her eighty miles trip down the river to the sea, the mandarin informing the captain that he would name the ship's destination as soon as they were clear of the land.
Most of Carpenter's officers were Europeans‹Englishmen or Americans‹and one or two of them who spoke Chinese, attempted to enter into conversation with the thirty braves, and endeavour to learn the object of the steamer's mission. Their inquiries were met either with a mocking jest or downright insult, and presently the mandarin, who