Hills of Han 9
First came a statement of the “five items” of difference between these
“Gentry and People” and the Ho Shan Company--all of a technical or
business nature. Only in the last “item” did the emotional reasoning
common to Chinese public documents make its appearance.... “_Five_. In
Honan the company boldly introduced dynamite, which is prohibited. The
dynamite exploded and this gave rise to diplomatic trouble, a like thing
might happen in Hansi with the same evil consequences.” Then followed
this inevitable general statement:
“At present in China, from the highest to the lowest, all are in
difficulty--the annual for the indemnities amounts to Taels 30,000,000,
and in every province the reforms involve great additional expenditure,
while the authorities only know how to control the expenditure, but not
how to reach fresh sources of income. Those in power can find no fresh
funds and the people are extremely poor and all they have to trust to
are a few feet of land which have not been excavated by the foreigners.
Westerners say that the coal of Hansi is sufficient to supply the needs
of the world for two thousand years; in other countries there is coal
without iron, or iron without coal, but in Hansi there is abundance of
both coal and iron and it forms one of the best manufacturing countries
in the world. At present if there is no protection for China then that
finishes it, but if China is to be protected how can Hansi be excluded
from protection? Therefore all China and all Hansi must withstand the
claims of the Ho Shan Company.
“The company’s agent general says that the agreement was drawn up with
the Chinese Government, but at that time the people were unenlightened
and traitors were suffered to effect stolen sales of Government lands,
using oppression and disregarding the lives of the people. Now all
the Gentry and People know how things are, and of what importance the
consequences are for the lives of themselves and their families, and so
with one heart they all withstand the company in whatever schemes it may
have, for they are not willing to drop their hands and give themselves
up to death, and if the officials will not protect the mines of Hansi
then we will protect our mines ourselves.
“We suggest a plan for the company, that it should state the sum used to
bribe Hu Pin Chili, and to win over Chia Ching Jen and Liu O and Sheng
Hsuan Hui and the Tsung Li Yamen, and the Wai Wu Pu and the Yu Chuan
Pu, at the present time, and the bribes to other cruel traitors, and a
detailed account of their expenditure in opening their mines since their
arrival in China, and Hansi will repay the amount. If the company still
pushes the claim for damages, in consequence of the delay in issuing the
permit then the Hansi people will never submit to it.
“In conclusion the people of Hansi must hold to their mines till death,
and if the Government and officials still unrighteously flatter the
foreigners in their oppression and flog the people robbing them of their
flesh and blood to give those to the foreigners then some one must throw
away his life by bomb throwing and so repay the company, but we trust
the company will carefully consider and weigh the matter and not push
Hansi to this extremity.”
Mr. Withery laid the documents on Doane’s desk, and gave up an hour to
jotting down notes for his own annual report. Then he took a long
walk, in through the wall and about the inner city. He was back by
four-thirty, but found no sign of his friend.
At five a stout Frenchman arrived, a man of fifty or more, with a long,
square-trimmed beard of which he was plainly fond. Doane returned then
to the house.
4
The three men had tea in the study. M. Pourmont, with an apology,
smoked cigarettes. Withery observed, when the genual Frenchman turned
his head, that the lobe of his left ear was missing.
M. Pourmont regarded the local situation seriously.
“Zay spik of you,” he explained to Griggsby Doane.
“Zay say zat you have ze petit papier, ze little paper, all yellow, cut
like ze little man an’ woman. An’ it is also zat zay say zat ze little
girl, ze student, all ze little jeunes filles, is ze lowair vife of
you, Monsieur It is not good, zat. At Paree ve vould say zat it is _se
compliment_, but here it is not good. It is zat zay have not bifore spik
like zat of Monsieur Doane.”
Doane merely considered this without replying.
“That statement of the Gentry and People looks rather serious to me,’’
Mr. Withery remarked.
“It has its serious side,” said Doane quietly. “Put you see, of course,
from the frankness and publicity of it, that the officials are back
of it. These Gentry and People would never go so far unsupported. It
wouldn’t surprise me to learn that the documents originated within the
yamen of his Excellency Pao Ting Chuan.”
“Very good,” said Withery. “Put if he lets it drift much further the
danger will be real. Suppose some young hothead were to take that last
threat seriously and give up his life in throwing a bomb---what then?”
“It would be serious then, of course,” said Doane. “But I hardly think
any one here would go so far unsupported.”
“Yes!” cried M. Pourmont, in some excitement, “an’ at who is it zat zay
t’row ze bomb? It is at me, _n’est ce pas?_ At me! You tlink I forget
v’en ze mob it t’rowr ze _bierre_ at me? _Mais non!_ Zay tear ze cart
of me. Zay beat ze head of me. Zay destroy ze ear of me. _Ah, c’ était
terrible, ça!_”
“They attacked Monsieur Pourmont while he was riding to the yamen for an
audience with Pao,” Doane explained. “But Pao heard of it and promptly
sent soldiers. 1 took it up with him the next day. He acted most
correctly. The ringleaders of the mob were whipped and imprisoned.”
“But you mus’ also say to Monsieur Vitieree zat ze committee of my
_compagnie_ he come to Peking--_quinze mille kilometres he come!_--an’
now _Son Excellence_ he say zay mus’ not come here, into _ze province_.
It is so difficult, ça! An’ ze committee he is ver’ angry. He swear at
Peking. He cool ze--vat you say---heels. An’ ze work he all stop. No
good! Noz-zing at all!”
“That is all so, Henry.” Thus Doane, turning to his friend. “I don’t
mean to minimize the actual difficulties. But I do not believe we are in
any such danger as in 1900. Even then the officials did it, of course.
If they hadn’t believed that the incantations of the Boxers made them
immune to our bullets, and if they hadn’t convinced the Empress Dowager
of it, we should never have had the siege of the legations. But I am to
have an audience with His Excellency tomorrow, at one, and will go over
this ground carefully. I have no wish, myself, to underestimate the
trouble. My daughter arrives next week.”
“Oh!” said Withery. “Oh... your daughter! From the States, Grigg?”
“Yes, I am to meet her at Hankow. The Hasmers brought her across.”
“That’s too bad, in a way.”
“Of course. But there was no choice.”
“But zat is not all zat is!” M. Puurmont was pacing the floor now. “A
boy of me, of ze _cuisine_, he go home las’ week to So T’ung an’ he say
zat a--vat you call?--a circle..
“A society?”
“_Mais oui!_ A society, she meet in ze night an’ _fait l’exercise_--”
“They are drilling?”
“_Oui!_ Ze drill. It is ze society of Ze Great Eye.”
“I never heard of that,” mused Griggsby aloud. “I don’t really see what
they can do. But I’ll take it up to-morrow with, Pao. I would ask
you, however, to remember that if the people don’t know the cost of
indemnities, there can be no doubt about Pao. He knows. And it is hard
for me to imagine the province drifting out of his control for a single
day. One event I am planning to watch closely is the fair here after the
middle of April. Some of these agitators of the Gentry and People are
sure to be on hand. We shall learn a great deal then.”
“You’ll be back then, Grigg?”
“Oh, yes. By the tenth. I shan’t delay at all at Hankow.”
It seemed to Henry Withery that his friend and host maneuvered to
get him to retire first. Then he attributed the suspicion to his own
disturbed thoughts.... Still, Griggsby hadn’t returned to the house
until after M. Pourmont’s arrival. It was now nearly midnight, and there
had been never a personal word.
But at last, M. Pourmont out of the way for the night, lamp in hand,
Griggsby led the way to the remaining guest room.
Withery, following, looked up at the tall grave man, who had to stoop a
little at the doors. Would Griggsby put down the lamp, speak a courteous
good night, and go off to his own attic quarters; or would he linger? It
was to be a test, this coming moment, of their friendship.... Withery’s
heart filled. In his way, through the years, out there in remote Kansu,
he had always looked up to Grigg and had leaned on him, on memories
of him as he had been. He had the memories now--curiously poignant
memories, tinged with the melancholy of lost youth. But had he still the
friend?
Duane set down the lamp, and looked about, all grave courtesy, to see if
his friend’s bag was at hand, and if the wash-stand and towel-rack had
been made ready.
Withery stood on the sill, struggling to control his emotions.
Longfellow’s lines came to mind:
“A boy’s will is the wind’s will,
And the thoughts of youth are long, long
thoughts.”
They were middle-aged now, they two. It was extraordinarily hard to
believe. They had felt so much, and shared so much. They had plunged at
missionary work with such ardor. Grigg especially. He had thrown
aside more than one early opportunity for a start in business. He had
sacrificed useful worldly acquaintances. His heart had burned to save
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