Chapter I: Preface

As free use is made in the following story of the names of personages who played important parts in and during the last Tartar Conquest of China, the Author believes that a slight sketch of that turbulent epoch may not be uninteresting to his readers.

Twenty-two dynasties have given some two hundred and forty Emperors to the Celestial Kingdom; of these, two were Tartars, who obtained the throne by conquest and bloodshed. In the course of time, however, the first Tartar family, with the whole of their race, were either massacred or driven from the land by a Chinese leader, who, by mounting the throne, founded the celebrated family of the Mings.

The last of the Ming Emperors, Wey-t-song, had not been many years upon the throne, when, from a wise and energetic man, he became so indolent, and regardless of all but his pleasures, that the people became oppressed by the magistrates; indeed, to use a Chinese phrase, to such an extent did the "big fish eat all the little ones," that a famine grew in the land, which caused the starving people to arise in rebellion throughout the empire.

Taking advantage of this disorder, several ambitious lords collected together bands of vagabonds, set themselves up as petty kings, and plundered and oppressed the innocent people, till the land grew damp with their tears.

At the same time, the chief, or king, of the Mantchou Tartars, learning that China was like a house divided against itself, rode with a large army upon the frontier of Pe-tche-Lee, the capital province.

The appearance, however, of this great enemy aroused what little nationality remained, and three great lords came to the Emperor's assistance. The first was Woo-san-Kwei, who, at the head of an army, kept the Tartars at bay; the other two, Li-Kong and Chang, were sent into different provinces, where, although bad men, being good generals, they succeeded in crushing all other rogues but themselves. The last-named generals, however, on their return, becoming enraged at the Emperor's ingratitude, took up arms against him, and, finding no great difficulty in subduing a people who preferred any other Chinese to their Emperor, seized upon two of the richest provinces, and established themselves as independent royalets, or petty kings.

Now, as in the great revolutions of England, America, and France, so in China, anarchy brought forth its great men; but foremost among them all stood Chin-Chi-Loong--a kind of Paul Jones, a pirate in the eyes of his enemies, a patriot in those of his friends.

Found starving when a boy, by the Portuguese priests at Macao, they took him under their care, taught him Christianity, and baptized him by the name of Nicholas Gaspard. While quite a youth, he took service on board a trading ship, in which humble position, the strength of his intellect and will so soon exhibited itself, that at an early age he became second in command, and his captain dying soon after, left him sole owner and commander of the vessel and its rich cargo.

Then it was that his true character began to develop itself; he sought to accumulate great wealth; for this purpose he traded with Japan, Siam, and the Europeans, so assiduously, that at the outbreak of the rebellion, he had become the richest merchant in an empire of rich merchants; but what to him was of far greater importance, a powerful sea-chief--for he then commanded and owned the greatest fleet that ever sailed in the Chinese seas, and as he had taken care to arm every ship, he became the terror of the three great contending parties; namely, the Emperor, the rebels, and the Tartars, who, all in turn, at times, offered great rewards for his head, and at others, for his services.

Remarkable, however, as were the fortunes of this sea-chief, they were less so than those of his distinguished son, the hero of this story.

The Author will only add, that, although many of the adventures here set down may not be found in the pages of Chinese history, if, entwining information with amusement, they bring vividly before the mind's eye of his young reader, the manners, laws, legends, superstitions, history, or character of that great, though quaint people in whom more than a thousand years have failed to make any material change, his satisfaction will be the greater that he has again deserved well of those to whom his gratitude is due for the kind, thorough, and hearty reception they gave to the Adventures of "THE WOLF-BOY OF CHINA."

WILLIAM DALTON.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I.--The Young Sea Chief.--His Mission 11

II.--The Demon Ship.--The Boy Chow 19

III.--Adventures at Sea.--Rescue 29

IV.--The Innkeeper.--Alarming News 38

V.--Adventure in a Buddhist Monastery.--Chow's
Encounter with a Bonze 48

VI.--Thrashing the Gods.--The Boys taken Prisoners 55

VII.--Treachery of the Bonzes.--Nicholas sent to
Prison as a Traitor 61

VIII.--Chow sets out to discover some Thieves 69

IX.--Chow outwits a great Mandarin, and sets
out to rescue his Master 76

X.--Escape of Nicholas from Prison 81

XI.--Pursued by the Yah-yu.--The Boat Wreck 87

XII.--Nicholas again taken Prisoner 94

XIII.--Pagodas, their Antiquity and Uses 103

XIV.--A dangerous Descent 109

XV.--Nicholas discovers a Conspiracy, and makes
an unpleasant Entry into Pekin 114

XVI.--The Boys again in Trouble 126

XVII.--Nicholas resolves upon a dangerous
Adventure 136

XVIII.--The Imperial Gardens 145

XIX.--The Princess of the Mings, and the
Lady Candida 150

XX.--Danger of the Princess.--Her Rescue
by Nicholas 154

XXI.--Assembly of the great Princes of the Empire 163

XXII.--The Boy Prince and the Rival Generals 170

XXIII.--Audience with the Son of Heaven.--Nicholas
accuses a great Prince of Treason 178

XXIV.--Nicholas unveils a Rebel Chief 189

XXV.--Nicholas and the Prince have an Adventure,
and save the Life of Chow 197

XXVI.--Nicholas receives an important Command 210

XXVII.--The Rebels attack Pekin.--Treachery of
a General, and the Fight 214

XXVIII.--Attack on the palace.--Suicide of the
Emperor, the Princess wounded 221

XXIX.--The Secret Cavern.--The Princess saved
by the Boys 230

XXX.--A large Stock of Ladies, two taels
per sack 237

XXXI.--Chow makes a Discovery, and Nicholas
a Surprise 242

XXXII.--Nicholas punishes an ungrateful Innkeeper,
and escapes from his treachery 250

XXXIII.--An Overland Journey.--Attacked by Wolves,
and stopped by a Serpent 259

XXXIV.--Saved by a Musk Deer.--Stories of
wonderful Mountains 264

XXXV.--Treachery of the Guide.--The Princess
seized by Robbers 271

XXXVI.--Once more Prisoners, but with Friends.--The
Guide's Mistake 279

XXXVII.--Interview with the General.--Nicholas causes
Soldiers to be sent in search of the Princess 285

XXXVIII.--Cruel Death of the aged Woo.--A
Battle.--Bravery of the Boys.--Chow taken
by the Enemy 293

XXXIX.--The Rebels beaten.--Artfulness of the Tartar
King.--Chagrin and Disappointment of Nicholas 300

XL.--The Great Boy Emperor.--Nicholas meets with
a fearful Surprise 305

XLI.--Nicholas has an Interview with his Father,
and leaves Pekin forever 309

XLII.--The Rival Sea Chiefs.--Re-appearance of an
old Friend.--A comical Battle with the Tartars 314

XLIII.--Chow discovers his Mother and the
Princess.--Rescues them from the Tartars, and
relates his Adventures 320

XLIV.--A Sea Voyage.--The Colao relates the
Adventures of the Princess 329

XLV.--They reach the Palace of the Sea Chief
Koshinga 333

XLVI.--The King and Queen of Formosa.--Happy
Termination of the Story 336

THE WAR TIGER.