8
The next three days were without incident – and without Wu Lien. She didn't come out of the wagon and Ju continued to ignore me except when she needed something; she treated me as nothing more than a lowly servant and in a manner, I suppose I was. We made good time though, but by midday, it rained. By night it had stopped but the ground was still wet. It made for miserable sleeping as my blankets remained damp and even the nearby fire didn't help. And in the morning, my back was stiff.
I said I didn't see Wu Lien over those three days and that was true, but I heard her. In the evenings, she took to playing a stringed instrument and singing. Her voice was lovely, tender and melodious and it almost brought tears to my eyes. She also played what sounded like a flute, the notes odd to my ear but pleasant, nevertheless. I would lie on my bedroll and listen to her, picturing her lovely face. If I'd had any whiskey left, I would've drunk some and found the time even more pleasurable.
One morning when Ju was making breakfast for the two of them, I asked her about the musical instruments, what they were called.
"Her learn play many years ago – have special teacher. Learn music to please husband one day. Her play 'meihuaqin'." Ju imitated the plucking of strings, both on the body of an instrument and a fretted neck. "Her also play 'plum blossom'." She made the motions as if playing a flute.
"I'd like to see Wu Lien play some time. Perhaps tonight she could…" I never even finished before Ju was up and at me like a hornet.
"No! Her play for Fang Zhen only – no play for you! Music for husband, for after body's pleasure. Man listen and smile at wife. Him love Wu Lien for giving pleasure many ways – for body and soul. Music not for you. You….you are yĕ mȃn! Pah!" She spat at the ground again.
I said nothing else but a movement caught my eye - Wu Lien looked out the wagon door. Our eyes met and then she ducked back inside. It was as if the sun had briefly peeked out from behind clouds on a gloomy day, adding a touch of brightness and beauty, and then, just as quickly, hid again.
As I said, we made good time and would make Virginia City in three more days if we kept the same pace. The weather had turned balmy and warm, a light breeze blew and it was pleasant travel. I stopped wherever there was water nearby and became more cautious in my bathing and shaving, only taking care of the essentials. But it seems I didn't have to worry about a repeat of the earlier incident as Ju and Wu Lien never left camp until I returned – and I returned quickly, not wanting to leave them for too long.
But one and a half days from Virginia City, as I was driving the team of horses, I felt the hair prickle the back of my neck. I slapped my nape, expecting to kill a crawling insect but there was nothing. I scratched and then ignored the feeling. But it wouldn't leave. I sensed we were being followed. I stopped the wagon, listening for sounds, a horse whinnying, the sound of a branch being snapped by a horse hoof, a man'but heard nothing. Nothing but Ju who stuck her head out the wagon window.
"Why you stop? Need hurry get to Fang Zhen! Quickly! We go now!"
I put up my hand, my head cocked to listen, and as hard as it is to believe, the subtle gesture caused Ju to stop talking and listen as well. I heard Wu Lien's small voice from inside the wagon and Ju turned and said something softly in Chinese. Then, in a lower voice, Ju asked me, "It men from bad town? Men who want Wu Lien? It them?"
I waited, listening. "I thought I heard something. I guess I was wrong." But Ju was cautious and she still listened, sticking out her head, her eyes narrowed. I snapped the reins and the horses started again. But I was uneasy all day. I decided to set up camp before dark.
I tried to talk myself out of the feeling that someone was following us and waiting for the right time to make themselves known. Why wait so long? Were they trying to judge how many of us there were? If it were men from Jawbone, they already knew our number and that I was the only man. Perhaps, I considered, they were Indians. There had been no Indian trouble for a few years but that didn't preclude a renegades looking for wives. Or scalps. Or horses. Or just a little fun.
About an hour before nightfall, I found what I considered a safe place to camp and drove the wagon about so the back door faced a brook that rolled over rocks and swirled around as the water made its way downhill. I would stake the horses near the brook. They would serve as watch-outs, calling out to approaching horses. I would sleep with my back to them and a camp fire between me and the wagon.
"We stop now?" Ju called as I unhitched the horses. I told her we were, and she set about to prepare their dinner. After watering the horses, I tethered them and was about to wash the day's dust and smell off myself when I heard some rustling in the grass. I slowly scanned the far side of the brook and saw a small, brown rabbit. They usually came out this time of day, at dusk. It sat looking about, its nose twitching, taking in the smells.
I never liked killing rabbits. When my father and I collected pelts to sell in New Orleans, I didn't mind skinning the beavers of foxes or even the coyotes but rabbits were different. They were helpless creatures. But a nice, fat rabbit would taste good roasted on a makeshift spit. I pulled out my gun, took aim and fired. The horses jumped and pulled at their ropes but I had a rabbit. It wasn't quite dead though, still kicked as it bled. So, I snatched it up by its head and with a snap of my wrist, broke its neck. And the oddest thing – I suddenly remembered a childhood rhyme from somewhere, told to me by someone – "Bye, baby Bunting, Daddy's gone a hunting to get a little rabbit skin to wrap the baby Bunting in." I shook my head at my foolishness; what a time to think of such a thing.
Needless to say, despite being upset by the noise and demanding to know what it was, Ju was thrilled with the rabbit and I set about to make a spit while Ju deftly skinned it. I considered that my pa and I couldn't have done it half so well. But Ju tossed the rabbit skin into the trees.
"No," I said as I went to fetch it. "It might attract wolves or coyotes. I'll bury it." With a sturdy stick, I managed to start a hole and then scooped out the dirt with my hands. When I finished, darkness had fallen but the pelt along with the guts, was buried and the savory smell of the roasting rabbit was making my mouth water and my stomach cramp with hunger. When I stood up, I saw Wu Lien kneeling in the doorway of the wagon, watching me. And as all the times before, she dropped her gaze when I looked her way.
While the rice boiled and after I washed my hands, I crouched near my saddle and bedroll and cleaned my nails with my penknife. I mentally chided myself; suddenly I had become intent on keeping myself clean. I even wished I had bathed instead of killing the rabbit for dinner. My usual habit when I was home was to wear clean shirts and trousers every day along with daily washing and shaving, but I had never before been so concerned while on the trail. It was obviously Wu Lien who made me so self-conscious.
That night, dinner was good and I suppose since I had provided the rabbit, Ju felt they should share the rice. But I still ate alone near the fire while the women ate inside the wagon. But over the sound of the frogs at the brook and distant wolf howls, I heard Wu Lien's voice and it sounded, from her tone, that she was reprimanding Ju. Ju replied harshly, they argued some more and then fell silent. But I knew that my interpretation of their voices may have been incorrect but it did make me wonder who was actually in charge – Wu Lien or Ju.
I fed the fire before I settled down in my bedroll, having already checked on the horses, my gun at ready. I hadn't heard anything all evening to indicate we had been followed but it was a feeling I couldn't shake. I knew it would be a rough night for sleeping but finally, my rifle lying beside me and my pistol near my hand, I tucked myself into the bedroll and attempted to get some sleep. I kept hearing noises – field mice, a kit fox perhaps, a bobcat or any nocturnal animal. An owl perched in the branches of a nearby tree and I watched it for a while, the firelight eerily reflected in its eyes as it stared.
I apparently had fallen asleep because I jerked awake. A horse had nickered. I grabbed up my gun, started to rise and then something slammed against my back. I fell over. I had dropped my gun and reached for it but I felt another slam across the back of my skull. I fought to keep conscious as pain radiated down my neck and nausea filled me. I tried to rise as I heard and then felt someone creep past me, heading for the wagon. I raised my head and saw two men, one larger, broader than the other. They were wearing Chinese-style clothing – cotton pajamas and tunics with black hoods over their heads. These weren't miners from Jawbone.
And then it started. I tried to reached my gun; it had been kicked a few feet away. My head spun and throbbed, my stomach roiled as I crawled toward it. One man climbed into the wagon, pulling out Wu Lien who was wrapped in a silk sleeping robe and nothing more. She screamed, her bare legs flailing as the man wrapped his arms about her and held her. And Ju, yelled, struck the man who roughly pulled her out by her ankles. My eyes didn't focus well but I could see that he struck Ju with a cudgel, probably the one used on me. Ju dropped to the ground, moaning. He struck her as she tried to raise up, calling out one last time. I'm sure she was calling him vulgar names, threatening him - threatening them, but the men ignored her and the larger one pushed her aside with his squat boot.
One man, the smaller man, held Wu Lien's arms, pushing her to a kneeling position, her robe falling open. The other man grabbed her hair, forcing her head up. He said something to the smaller man, who shook his head as if saying no, as if disagreeing. But the other man gazed into Wu Lien's face and then harshly said something and pulled a knife.
Wu Lien pled, her small voice begging; she knew what they were going to do and I don't think it was kill her. He caressed her face with one hand, speaking what sounded like words of love in a soft voice, holding the knife with the other. Then, the man behind her held Wu Lien's chin with one hand as if steadying it – the larger man was going to mutilate her face.
I finally reached my gun and gripped it, my head still throbbing. I raised it and hoping my aim was true, I squeezed the trigger and the larger man dropped, the knife flying from his hand. I had shot him in the back. He fell against Wu Lien who cried in pain – she had been knocked back and the man still held her hair. She grabbed at his hands, trying to keep him from pulling her hair.
I scrambled to my feet, pointing my gun. "Let her go,' I said. I was unsteady and I could see the man was judging the situation. Ju was on the ground groaning. He had Wu Lien and lifted her by her hair until she was on her cloth-bound feet. And he shouted something at me in a quavering voice. He sounded more like a boy than a man, a frightened boy.
"Let her go," I shouted again. Ju tried to rise from the dirt, moaning. She saw the man holding Wu Lien about the waist. Somehow, Ju managed to get to her knees, shouting in Chinese. And Wu Lien looked at me helplessly. I slowly approached the two of them. "Ju, tell him to let Wu Lien go. Tell him to release her or I'll kill him.
Ju did as I ordered and the man started to walk backwards, dragging Wu Lien with him. He probably had a horse tied not far away. Hopefully, if I offered the opportunity, he would release Wu Lien and run. I decided to take a chance and tossed my gun on the ground, much to Ju's displeasure.
"See. Just let her go and you can leave." I kept approaching him and he said something in a shaky voice but it was Chinese.
"What Mistah Adam Cartwright do? Him throw gun! What him do! You kill man! Him want cut off Wu Lien's nose – slice lips off. You kill him! Now!"
I stepped closer and even with the black hood on his head, I could tell he was afraid, terrified of the bok gwai and all the horrible deeds the whites did. I had the upper hand now. The man stopped, paused. He shoved Wu Lien at me and turned to run. I caught her and saw her face, that beautiful face that had come so close to being destroyed. She held on to my arms, speaking to me, the tears in her eyes. I wanted to go after the man – more than likely a boy –- and I was conflicted. But I steadied her and then took off after the boy. Wu Lien followed me — why I didn't know. I quickly closed the distance between us and he was trying to get on a horse that kept going in circles. I grabbed him and took great pleasure in slamming my fist into his face as I swung him around. He dropped to the ground, out completely.
I pulled off the hood. It was one of Feng Zeng's youngest sons by one of his 'nieces', a boy of about 15 years old. I was sure then that the dead man was more than likely Fang Shan, Fang Zhen's eldest son by his only legitimate wife. Him I knew, had a few dealing with - a bad-tempered, arrogant man.
Wu Lien had managed to reach me by then, breathing heavily and supporting herself by holding onto a slender tree. I considered how to manage what needed to be done.
"Bring me a rope," I said, looking up at her and mimed tying a rope about the boy's wrists. "Rope. Go get me a rope." I waited and then Wu Lien nodded and took the sash from her robe which then fell open completely. She wasn't shy or embarrassed. I tried not to stare but she was almost more perfect in body than face. I took the sash and wrapped it many times about the boy's wrists but I knew that in my condition, I couldn't drag him. Maybe I could get Ju to help me, each of us grabbing an ankle. It would be a type of justice for Ju to employ.
I stood up and said we would go back to camp and motioned. We walked a few steps, my holding her elbow while she held her robe closed. Wu Lien seemed to trip. I reached for her, pulling her upright. And for a few seconds we stood looking at each other. And then she flung herself at me, and while I held her, she pulled my head down and pressed her lips to mine. And for the first time, I didn't think, didn't analyze or evaluate my actions – I just responded. I pulled her closer and she softly murmured words in Chinese, kissing my neck, my chest, her soft hands rushing over my skin like lotus petals on the wind, and we dropped together onto the soft grass.