e clear," the Governor cried at length. "Put all of
these adulterers in chains!"

The bonzes had some thought of resisting; but they had no weapons and
were outnumbered. The only ones left free were an old man who kindled
the incense, and the two little novices still in childhood.

The gate of the monastery was closed and guarded. On his return to the
yamen, the Governor took his seat in the Hall of Justice, and had his
prisoners questioned in the usual ways. Fear of pain loosened their
tongues, and they were condemned to death. They were cast into prison
to await the ratification of their sentence.

As the Governor of the prison went his rounds to inspect their bonds,
the Superior whispered to him:

"We have brought nothing, neither clothes, nor blankets, nor food. If
you will allow me to return for a moment to the monastery with three
or four of my monks, I will willingly give you a hundred ounces of
silver."

The prison governor knew the wealth of the monastery. He smiled:

"My price is a hundred ounces for myself, and two hundred for my men."

The Superior made a grimace, but was compelled to promise this larger
sum. The warders consulted with each other, and finally, when night
came, led the Superior and three of his bonzes back to the monastery.
From a secret place among their cells the monks took the promised
three hundred ounces, and gave them at once to the warders. While
these were weighing them and sharing them among themselves, they
collected the rest of their treasure, and secretly laid hold of
weapons, short swords and hatchets, which they rolled up in their
blankets. Also they brought away wine. Thus heavily laden, warders
and bonzes alike returned to the prison, and held a feast. The priests
succeeded in making their warders drunk. In the middle of the night
they drew forth their weapons and, having first set each other
free, proceeded to force the gates. They might perhaps have escaped
altogether; but in their rancour against the Governor they went first
to attack the yamen. The troops of police were numerous and well
armed, and the bonzes were quickly overcome. The Superior gave his
men orders to return as quickly as possible to the prison, to lay down
their arms and to say that only a few of them had revolted, since this
might save the others. But the warders attacked them so hotly that
they were all put back in chains.

Their crime was grave, and doubly aggravated by rebellion. Next day,
wh