vishly from
point to point, while I overcame the distances in a series of inspired
bounds.

In the meanwhile the sounds of encouragement from the ever-increasing
multitude grew like the falling of a sudden coast storm among the ripe
leaves of a tea-plantation, and with them the voices of many calling
upon my name and inciting me to further and even higher achievements
reached my ears. Not to grow small in the eyes of these estimable
persons I continued in my flight, and abandoning all set movements and
limits, I began to traverse the field in every direction, becoming more
proficient with each effort, imparting to myself a sideway and even
backward motion while yet in the upper spaces, remaining poised for an
appreciable period, and lightly, yet with graceful ease, avoiding the
embraces of those who would have detained me. Undoubtedly I could have
maintained this supremacy until our band might justly have claimed the
reward, had not the flattering cries of approval caused an indiscreet
mistake, for the alarm being spread in the village that a conflagration
of imposing ferocity was raging, an ornamental chariot conveying a band
of warriors clad in brass armour presently entered into the strife, and
discovering no fire to occupy their charitable energies they misguidedly
honoured this offensive person by propelling a solid column of the
purest and most refreshing water against his ignoble body when at the
point of his highest flight. This introduction of a thunderbolt into the
everyday life of an insect must be of questionable authenticity, yet
not feeling sufficiently instructed in the lesser details of the
sportiveness to challenge the device, I suffered myself to be led
towards the pavilion with no more struggling than enough to remove the
ignominy of an unresisting surrender, pleasantly remarking to those
who bore me along that to a person of philosophical poise the written
destiny was as apparent in the falling leaf as in the rising sun,
pointing the saying thus: "Although the Desert of Shan-tz is boundless,
and mankind number a million million, yet in it Li-hing encountered his
mother-in-law." Changing to meet another of our company setting forth
with a club to make the venture, I was permitted for a moment to
engage him; whereupon thrusting into his hand a leather charm against
ill-directed efforts, and instructing him to bind it about his head, I
encouraged him with the imperishable watch-word of the Emperor Tsin