afterwards, and bade him come home again or accept further aid, but the
proud youth refused to receive from her any assistance, and determined
to make his own way in the world.

Noorhachu first came into notice in 1583. In that year Haida, chief of a
small district south of Hootooala, made an attack, assisted by the
Chinese, on some neighboring clans. One of these was governed by a
relative of the old Manchu chief Huen, who, with his son and a small
force, hurried to his aid and helped him to defend his town. Haida and
his allies, finding the place too strong for them, enticed a part of the
garrison outside the walls, and then fell upon and treacherously
massacred them. Among the slain were Huen and his son.

This brutal murder left Noorhachu chief of his clan, and at the same
time filled him with a fierce desire for revenge, both upon Haida and
upon the Chinese. He was forced to bide his time, Haida gaining such
influence with his allies that he was appointed by them chief of all the
Niuche districts. This act only deepened the hatred of Noorhachu, who
found himself made one of the vassals of the murderer, while many of his
own people left him and attached themselves to the fortunes of Haida.

Fortunately for the youthful chief, the Chinese did not strongly support
their nominee, and Noorhachu pursued his rival so persistently that the
assassin did not feel safe even within his stockaded camp, but several
times retreated for safety into Liautung. The Chinese at length, tired
of supporting a man without the courage to defend himself, seized him
and handed him over to Noorhachu, who immediately put him to death.

The energy and success of Noorhachu in this scheme of vengeance gave him
a high reputation among the Niuche. He was still but twenty-seven years
of age, but had probably laid out his life-work, that of making himself
chief of a Niuche confederacy, and employing his subjects in an invasion
of Chinese soil. It is said that he had sworn to revenge his father's
death by the slaughter of two hundred thousand Chinese.

He began by building himself a stronghold. Selecting a site in the plain
where water was abundant, he built a town and surrounded it with a
triple wall. This done, he began the work of uniting the southern clans
under his sway, a task which proved easy, they being much impressed by
his victory over Haida. This peaceful progress was succeeded by a
warlike movement. In 1591 he suddenly invaded the dist