The Boy Fortune Hunters in China by L. Frank Baum

The Chief Eunuch eyed me expectantly. He was a clever fellow in his way, and had more than ordinary intelligence; but all his life had been passed in this retired place and he judged people and things from his own limited point of view. He could understand how his master might wish to reward friends with costly gifts, because he had lived surrounded by rare and precious objects of art. Likewise he supposed books precious, because there were so few in the palace, and he had seen so much intrigue in his life that it was but natural that the Prince wished to destroy certain papers left in his desk before a successor obtained possession of them. But he could not understand our undertaking the commission to do these things without reward. So when I answered his question, I said:

"You must not suppose we are mercenary, or that we journeyed to Kai-Nong solely for a reward; but Prince Kai did tell us we might each select a jewel or ornament for ourselves while we were here."

"That is just," said the eunuch.

"But we will confess that the chief reason for favoring your Prince, aside from our friendship for him, was a love of adventure. Mai Lo paid our expenses here, and will pay to send us back if we demand it. We have his contract. But if he is not able to do that, we have funds of our own in Shanghai which we can draw upon. For, mark you, Wi-to, we are important people in our own country."

"I am sure of that," was the reply. "And if you have a contract with Mai Lo, he must pay to send you back to Shanghai."

"If he is alive. But he ought to commit suicide before long."

"Oh, I see! " exclaimed the eunuch. "You intend to compel him to do this?"

"We intend to see that he doesn't rob the Ancestral Halls and run away with the treasure. For that reason we may remain your guests longer than would be required to execute the orders of Prince Kai, who greatly feared that Mai Lo would rob his ancestors."

"You shall remain as long as it pleases you," returned Wi-to, with sparkling eyes. "And you may call upon me and all my followers to assist you, in case the renegade governor tries to escape you."

"Thanks; that was just what we expected," I exclaimed.

Then, feeling well satisfied with our interview and our tour of inspection, we left the Chief Eunuch and returned to our own rooms.

"Do you think it wise to harp on the subject of Mai Lo's robbing the Ancestral Halls? " asked Joe, when we were where we could not be overheard.

"Why isn't it wise? " I asked.

"Why, the Chief Eunuch may get suspicious that something is up."

"I want him to get suspicious of Mai Lo, and watch that old fox so carefully that he won't get a chance to steal anything until we get through. Besides, it will relieve us of any suspicions. Wi thinks it's impossible for us to get to the burial vaults, because our enemy the governor guards all entrances. And he's crafty enough to believe that we wouldn't talk about robbing the Ancestral Halls if we had any idea of doing it ourselves."

"Sam's right," declared Archie.

"I think so, too," acknowledged Joe. "But I began to fear we were overdoing the thing. Our talk about the orders of Prince Kai worked all right, didn't it?"

"Why, it was all very reasonable to the eunuch," I said, "and we will have no trouble in getting the packing cases to our rooms, where we can replace the ornaments and books with the treasure."

"It looks too easy altogether," said Archie, doubtfully.

"You must remember Prince Kai planned it all, and he knew the conditions here perfectly," answered Joe. "I imagine our greatest difficulty will be in getting back to Shanghai. If the governor acts ugly and refuses us an escort we won't get fifty miles without being murdered."