Doctor Nikola (Windsor Magazine, 1896)/Chapter 12
CHAPTER XII.
THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS.
At ten minutes to three I was out of bed, fully dressed and prepared for the start. Nikola had roused the coolies some time before this, and they were already busy with their preparations. At three precisely a bowl of rice was brought to us by one of the monks, and by a quarter past we were on our donkeys in the courtyard ready for our start.
So far the only person aroused, in addition to our own party, was the monk who cooked our breakfast. Him Nikola largely rewarded, and, in return for his generosity, the gates were opened without disturbing the household. We filed out and then picked our way down the rocky path into the valley. Arriving at the bottom we continued our journey, ascending and descending according to the nature of the path. Every hour the country was growing more and more mountainous, and by midday we could plainly discern snow upon the highest peaks.
At half-past twelve we reached the inn where it had been decided that one of our retinue should be left behind to hocus the animals of our pursuers. For this work we had chosen a man whom we had the best of reasons for being able to trust. A sufficient excuse was invented to satisfy his scruples, and when we left him behind it was with instructions to follow us as soon as he had done the work and could discover a convenient opportunity. That the man would do his best to accomplish his mission, we had not the slightest doubt, for the reward promised him was large enough to obviate the necessity of his doing any more work as long as he should live. Therefore when we left the inn, after baiting our animals for a short time, it was to feel comparatively certain that the success of our scheme was assured.
As soon as the caravansary was hidden by the corner of the mountain Nikola called me up to him and said—
“In a few moments I am going to push forward as fast as I can to a village lying off the track a few miles to the northward. I hear that four days out of the week they have camels for sale there, and it will be hard if I cannot purchase one, and with it a silver- plated red saddle, before dusk. You must continue your journey on to the ford, where you will in all probability arrive to find the messenger awaiting you. Give him this letter from the chief priest of Llamaserai, warning the Great Ones of the mountains of my coming, and bestow upon him this largess.” Here he handed me a number of gold pieces. “Then be sure to hasten his departure as much as you can, for we must run no risk of his meeting those who are behind us. I turn off here, with one man, so press forward yourself with all speed, and good luck go with you.”
“But when I have despatched the messenger back to the monastery, what am I to do?”
“Wait till he is out of sight and then follow in his track for about half a mile. Having done so, find a convenient spot, camp and wait for me. Do you comprehend?”
I answered that I understood perfectly. And then ordering one coolie to follow him, with a wave of his hand he turned off the track and in less than five minutes was lost to my sight. For nearly three hours I rode on, turning over and over in my mind the plan I had arranged for conducting the inter view that lay before me. The chief point I had to remember was that I was a courier from the society, sent from Pekin to warn the monastery that one of the Great Three was approaching. Upon my success in carrying out this mission would very much depend the reception accorded to Nikola, so that the story I was about to tell the messenger at the ford must necessarily be plausible in every particular.
By five o'clock, and just as the sun was sinking behind the highest peaks, the road began to widen out, the valley became larger and the track more plain. I followed it along at a medium pace, and then, having turned a corner, saw the smooth waters of the river before me.
As I did so a sort of cold chill passed over me; the whole success of our expedition seemed to rest upon my shoulders, to depend upon my presence of mind and the plausibility of my tale. If by any chance the man should suspect that I was not all I pretended to be, he might decide to wait, and then, with the help of any men he might have with him, detain me a prisoner. In that case those behind us would catch us up, and I should be proved to be an impostor. Then, if nothing worse befell me, I should find myself carried on to the monastery, to be a subject for the experiments in torture of which I had heard mention the previous night.
When I reached it I discovered that the river at this particular ford was about eighty yards in width and scarcely more than two feet in depth. On either bank rose precipitous cliffs reaching even in the lowest places to certainly more than two hundred feet. To the right, that is facing north, the channel flowed between solid granite walls, but where I stood it had evenly sloping banks. I rode] down to the water's edge, and seeing no one on the other side dismounted from my donkey and seated myself upon the sand. I was relieved to find that I was alone on my side; but I became more anxious when I saw that the man whom I had come to meet had not yet put in an appearance. There was this to be remembered, if he delayed his arrival for very long I should be placed in a nasty position, for in that case our pursuers would come up, discover me, and then I should be hopelessly done for.
But I need not have worried myself for I had not long to wait. Within half an hour of my arriving at the ford somebody mounted on a camel rode out of the defile on the other side and approached the water's edge. He was a big man, dressed in some light brown material; he rode a well-bred camel, and when he turned round I could detect the fact that his saddle was red and ornamented with silver. Calling my men together I bade them wait for me where they were, and then taking my donkey by the head rode him into the stream.
So small was the animal that the water was well above the saddle flaps when I reached the deepest part. But in spite of much snorting and endeavouring to turn back I persuaded him to go on, and we finally reached the other side in safety. The messenger from the monastery had dismounted from his camel by this time and was pacing up and down the shore. As I got nearer to him I saw that he had but one arm, and that one of his eyes was missing.
Dismounting from my donkey on the bank, I approached him, at the same time bowing low.
“I was to find a messenger from the Great Ones of the mountains,” I said. “Are you he whom I seek?”
“From whom come you?” he asked, answering my question in the proverbial Irish fashion by asking another.
“I come from the chief priest of the Llamaserai at Pekin,” I answered, “and I am the bearer of important news. I was told that I should find here a man who would carry forward the letter I bring without a moment's delay.”
“Let me see it,” said the man. “If it is sealed with the right seal I will do what you ask, not otherwise.”
I gave him the letter and he turned it over and over, scrutinising it carefully.
“This is the chief priest's seal,” he said at last, “and I am satisfied; but I cannot carry it forward at once as it is my duty to remain here until dusk has fallen.”
“Of that I am quite aware,” I answered. “But you will see that this is a special case, and to meet it I am to pay you this gold, that is provided you will go forward and warn those from whom you come of my master's approach.”
When I had given him the bribe he counted it carefully and deposited it in his pocket.
“I will wait half an hour,” he said, “and if no pilgrims have arrived by that time I will set off.”
Having arranged it in this satisfactory fashion we seated ourselves on the sandy beach, and when we had lit our pipes, smoked stolidly for half an hour. During that time my feelings were not to be envied. I did not enjoy my smoke, for I was being tortured on the rack of suspense. For aught I knew our man might have failed in drugging the ponies of the pursuing party. In that case they would probably be within a few miles of us and might put in an appearance at any moment.
The sun sank lower and lower behind the hill till finally he disappeared altogether. Long shadows fell from the cliffs across the water, the evening wind sprang up and whistled among the rocks, but still no sign came of any cavalcade upon the opposite bank. If only our rivals did not put in an appearance for another quarter of an hour we should be saved.
In addition to this suspense I had another anxiety. Supposing Nikola had not succeeded in obtaining an animal and saddle of the kind he wanted, and should he prevented from reaching the ford in time to receive the men he was expecting, what would happen then? But I would not let my mind dwell upon it. And yet for most positive reasons I dared not attempt to hurry the messenger, who was still sitting stolidly smoking. To let him think that I was anxious to get rid of him would only be to excite his suspicions, and those once aroused he would in all probability determine to remain at the ford. In that case I might as well walk into the river and drown myself at once.
One by one the stars came out and began to twinkle in the cloudless heavens, such stars as one never sees but in the East. The wind was rising, and in another half hour it would be too dark to see.
At last my companion rose and shook himself.
“There be no pilgrims here,” he said, “and it is cold by the water. I shall be going. Is it your pleasure to come with me, or will you remain?”
“I have no will,” I answered. “I must perforce remain till the caravan bringing my master shall arrive. Then I shall come on. Do not you wait for me.”
He did not need to be twice bidden, but approaching his camel mounted, and then with a curt nod to me set off up the path.
As soon as he disappeared I walked down to the water's edge and called to my men to come over, which they did. When they had landed I bade them follow me, and forsaking the ford we set off at a brisk pace up the track.
A hundred yards from the river the path turned abruptly to the right hand and wound through a narrow gorge. This however we did not enter, as I deemed it wisest to settle in a sheltered spot on the left. I rode ahead and reconnoitred, and having ascertained that it would not be discernible from the path, bade them pitch our camp there. With in ten minutes of our arrival the donkeys were picketed, the tents erected, and the camp fires lighted. Then leaving the men to the preparation of the evening meal I returned to the track and hurried along it in the direction of the ford.
When I was within fifty yards of the turning which would bring me within full sight of the river I heard a soft whistle. Next moment a man mounted on a camel came into view and pulled up alongside me. In the half dark I could see that the rider was dressed exactly like the man to whom I had talked at the ford; he had also one arm, and his right eye was closed.
“Bear to your left hand,” he said, leaning down from his camel to speak to me; “you'll find some big rocks, and behind them you must hide yourself. Have your revolver ready to your hand, and if anything should happen, and I should call to you for assistance, come to me at once.”
“Did you have much difficulty in procuring your camel?” I asked, hardly able to believe that the man was Nikola.
“None whatever,” he answered; “but the clothes and saddle were a little more difficult to obtain. However I got them at last, and now do you think I look at all like the man I am here to represent?”
“One or two little things are different,” I said; “but you need have no fear; they'll not suspect.”
“Let us hope not,” said Nikola. “Where are the others?”
“Camped back yonder,” I answered, “in a little gully to the left of the gorge.”
“That's well; now creep down to the rocks and take your place. Be sure not to forget what I've told you.”
I made my way down as he ordered, and little by little crept along to where three big boulders stood out upon the sand. Between these I settled myself, and to my delight found I had an almost uninterrupted view of the ford. As I looked across the water I made out a small party coming down the slope on to the sand on the other side. Without losing time they plunged in, and so quiet was the night I could even hear the splashing made by their animals and distinguish between the first noise and the more sullen thud as they advanced into deeper water. Then I heard a hoarse call, and a moment later Nikola rode down to the water on his camel.
In two or three minutes the fording party had reached the bank, scarcely more than ten paces from where I lay. So close were they indeed that I could hear the breathing of the tired animals quite distinctly and the sigh of relief with which they hailed the dismounting of their masters. The man who was in command approached Nikola and after a little preamble said—
“We were delayed on the road by the sickness of our animals or we should have been here earlier. Tell us, we pray, if any other travellers passed this way.”
“But one party,” said the spurious messenger with a chuckle; “and by this time they are lost among the mountains. They grudged me alms and so I did not tell them the true path. Ere this to-morrow the vultures will have torn the flesh from their bones.”
“How many in number were they?” asked the man who had first spoken.
“Five,” answered Nikola; “and may the devils of the mountains take possession of them! And now who be ye?”
“We have come from Pekin,” answered the spokesman of the party, “and we bring letters from the chief priest of the Llamaserai to the Great Ones of the mountains. There be two barbarians who have stolen their way into our society, abducted him who is to be one of the Three, and substituted themselves in his place. The symbol of the Three, which was stolen by a foreign devil many years ago, is in their possession; and that was the party who passed this ford on their way to the mountains, and whom thou sawest.”
“They will go no farther,” said Nikola, when they had finished, with another grim laugh; “and the hearts that would know our secrets will be tit-bits for the young eagles. What is it that ye want of me?”
“There is this letter of warning to be carried forward,” said the man; and as he spoke he produced from his pocket the roll of paper I had seen in his possession the previous night. He handed it to Nikola, who placed it inside his wadded coat, and then proceeded towards his camel, which he mounted. When he was up he turned to the small party who were watching him and said—
“Turn back on your path. Camp not near the ford, for the spirits of the lost pass up and down in the still hours of the night, and it is death to hear them.”
His warning was not without effect, for as soon as he had ridden off I noticed with considerable satisfaction that the party lost no time in retracing their steps across the river. I watched them for some time, and only when they were dimly outlined against the stars on the brow of the hill did I move. Then knowing that they must be making haste, and having given them a quarter of an hour's grace, I slipped out of hiding and made my way up the path towards the gully where we had fixed our camp.
When I reached the firelight I saw that Nikola had dismounted from his camel and entered his own tent. I found him removing his disguise and preparing to change back into his own garments.
“We have come out of that scrape very neatly,” he said; “and I can only add, Bruce, that it is owing to your foresight and intelligence that we have done so. Had you not had the wit to obtain a view of that man we should in all probability have been caught in a trap from which there would have been no escaping. As it is we have not only got rid of our enemy but have improved our position into the bargain. If we make as good progress as we have hitherto done we should be inside the monastery by to-morrow evening.”
“I hope we shall,” I answered; “but from what we have gone through of late I am induced to think that it would be wiser not to stock our poultry-yard before we have seen that our incubator is in good working order.”
“You are quite right, we won't.”
Half an hour later our evening meal was served, and when it was eaten we sat round the camp fire smoking and talking, the dancing flames lighting up the rocks around us and the great stars winking grimly down at us from overhead. The night was very still; save the grunting of the picketed donkeys, the spluttering of the flames of the fire, the occasional cry of some night bird, and once the howl of a jackal among the rocks, nothing was to be heard. It cannot be considered extraordinary, therefore, if my thoughts turned to the girl I loved. I wondered if she were thinking of me, and if so, what she imagined I was doing. Our journey to the monastery was nearly at an end. How long we should remain there when we had once got in I had not the very vaguest notion; but if the luck which had followed us so far still held good we ought soon to be able to complete our errand and return with all speed to the coast. Then I told myself I would seek out my darling and, with her brother's permission, make her my wife. What I would do after that was for the Fates to decide. But of one thing I was convinced, as long as I lived I would never willingly set foot in China again.
Next morning, a little after daylight, we broke camp, packed the animals, mounted and set oft. For the first five miles the track was a comparatively plain one, leading along a valley, the entrance to which was the gorge I had seen on the previous night. Then circling round the side of the mountain by a precipitous path we came out on to a long tableland, whence a lovely view could be obtained. The camel we had turned loose earlier in the day to roam the country, or to find its way back to its former owner, as might seem to him best. It was well that we did so for at the elevation to which we had now arrived travelling with him would have proved most difficult if not impossible. Not once but several times we had to dismount and clamber our way from rock to rock into ravines and across chasms as best we could. On many occasions it looked as if it would be necessary for us to abandon even the sure-footed animals we did bring with us, but in each case patience and perseverance triumphed over difficulties and we were enabled to push on again.
By midday we had lost sight of the track altogether; the air was become bitterly cold, and it looked as if snow might fall at any minute. At half-past three a few flakes descended, and by the time we found a camping place under an overhanging cliff the ground was white.
Being provided with plenty of warm clothing ourselves this did not so much matter, but for our poor coolies, whom nothing we had been able to say or do before we set out would induce to provide themselves with anything different to their ordinary attire, it was a matter of serious concern. Something had to be done for them. So choosing a hollow spot in the cliff into which we could all huddle we collected a large supply of brushwood and lit a bonfire at the mouth. Into the circle of warmth we led and picketed our donkeys, hoping to be able to keep them snug so that they should have strength left to continue their journey next day.
Every moment the snow was falling faster, and by the time we turned into our blankets it was nearly four inches deep around the camp. When we woke in the morning the whole contour of the country was changed. Where it had been bare and sterile the day before we now had before us a plain of dazzling white. Unfortunately the intense cold had proved too much for one of our donkeys, for when we went to inspect them he lay dead upon the ground. One of the smaller coolies was not in a much better state. Seeing this, Nikola immediately gave him a few drops of some liquid from that marvellous medicine-chest, without which he never travelled. Whatever its constituents may have been it certainly revived the man for a time, and when we began our march again he was able to hobble along beside us. Within an hour of setting out, however, he was down again, and in half an hour he was dead, and buried beneath the snow.
Our road now, by reason of the snow, was purely a matter of conjecture, for no track of any sort could be seen. For this reason, as we could not turn back, and it was a dangerous matter to proceed without knowing in what direction we should steer, our position might have been reckoned a fairly dangerous one. By the middle of the afternoon another of our coolies dropped, and seeing this Nikola decided to camp.
Choosing the most sheltered spot we could discover we cleared away the snow and erected our tents, and when this was done lit a fire and picketed the remaining donkeys. The sick coolie we made as comfortable as possible with all the clothing we could spare, but we need not have given ourselves the trouble for at nightfall he too reached the end of his journey.
By this time I must confess my own heart had sunk down to the lowest depths. Nikola however was still undismayed.
“The death of these men,” he said, “is a misfortune, I will admit, but we must not let it break us down altogether. What do you say if we take that fellow out and bury him in the snow at once? There is still light enough if we are quick about it.”
Having no more desire than he to spend the night in the company of the poor fellow's dead body, we lifted it up and carried it out to where a great drift of snow showed up some fifty paces from our tent door. Here we deposited it and went back to the camp, leaving the softly falling flakes to cover him. But that evening two more unpleasant facts were destined to reveal themselves to us. Our two remaining donkeys were unable to stand the rigour of the climate any longer and were on the verge of dying. Seeing this Nikola left the tent again, and taking his revolver with him put an immediate end to their sufferings. When they dropped he cut their throats and then returned to the tent.
“What did you do that for?” I asked, at a loss to understand his last action.
“If you want an answer,” he said quietly, “examine the state of our larder, and then review our position. We are here on the tops of these mountains; one track is like another; where the monastery is I cannot tell you; and now, to add to our sorrows, our provisions are running short. Donkeys are not venison, but they are better than cold snow. And now you know why I shot them.”
Accordingly, next morning before we began our journey, we cut up all that was worth carrying with us from the two poor beasts. It was well that we did so for our search for the monastery was no more successful on this occasion than it had been on the previous day. To add to the hopelessness of it all I was beginning to feel ill, while the one remaining coolie staggered on after us more like an animated corpse than a living man.
Sometimes in my dreams I live that dreadful time over again. I see the snow-covered country with its yawning precipices, gently sloping valley and towering heights; I picture our weary, heart-sick little band struggling on and on, sinking into the white shroud at every step, Nikola always in advance, myself toiling behind him, and the last coolie lagging in the rear. Bound us the snow whirls and eddies, and overhead some great bird is soaring, his pinions casting a black shadow on the otherwise speckless white. Then the dream invariably changes and I find myself waking up with a certain nameless but haunting terror, for which I cannot account. But to return to my narrative.
An hour before sundown the coolie dropped, and once more we had to camp. If I live to be a hundred I shall not forget one particular connected with that ghastly night. We were all so weak by this time that it was a matter of impossibility for us to erect a tent. A drowsiness that there seemed no with standing had laid its finger upon us. Only the coolie could keep awake, and he chattered incoherently to himself in his delirium.
“Bruce,” said Nikola about eight o'clock, coming round to where I sat, “this will never do, that poor fellow over there will be dead in half an hour, and if you don't mind what you're about you will soon follow suit. I'm going to set to work to keep you awake.”
So saying this extraordinary individual produced his medicine chest and opened it by the fire. From inside the cover he took out a tiny draught-board and a small box of men.
“May I have the pleasure of giving you a game?” he asked as politely as if we were comparative strangers meeting in a London club. Half awake and half asleep, I nodded, and began to arrange my men. Then when all was ready we commenced to play, and before three moves had been executed I had caught Nikola's enthusiasm and was wide awake.
Whether I played it well or ill I cannot say, I only know that Nikola worked out his plans, prepared strategies and traps for me, and not only that, but executed them as if he had not a thought of anything else on his mind. Only stopping to throw wood upon the fire, and once to soothe the coolie just before he died, we played on till daylight. Then after a hasty breakfast we abandoned everything we had, save our few remaining provisions and such small articles as we could stow about our persons, and started off on what we both believed must certainly prove our last march.
How strange are the workings of Fate. As we left the brow of that hill and prepared to descend into the valley we discerned before us, on the loftiest pinnacle of the range, a great stone building. It was the monastery, in search of which we had come so far and braved so much.