y one was without a deep offence against Ping Siang, while those
who had not as yet suffered feared what the morrow might display.

A wandering monk from the Island of Irredeemable Plagues was the first
to step forth in response to Tung Fel's plainly understood suggestion.

"There is no necessity for this person to undertake further acts of
benevolence," he remarked, dropping the cloak from his shoulder and
displaying the hundred and eight scars of extreme virtue; "nor," he
continued, holding up his left hand, from which three fingers were burnt
away, "have greater endurances been neglected. Yet the matter before
this distinguished gathering is one which merits the favourable
consideration of all persons, and this one will in no manner turn away,
recounting former actions, while he allows others to press forward
towards the accomplishment of the just and divinely-inspired act."

With these words the devout and unassuming person in question inscribed
his name upon a square piece of rice-paper, attesting his sincerity to
the fixed purpose for which it was designed by dipping his thumb into
the mixed blood of the slain animals and impressing this unalterable
seal upon the paper also. He was followed by a seller of drugs and
subtle medicines, whose entire stock had been seized and destroyed by
order of Ping Siang, so that no one in Ching-fow might obtain poison
for his destruction. Then came an overwhelming stream of persons, all of
whom had received some severe and well-remembered injury at the hands
of the malicious and vindictive Mandarin. All these followed a similar
observance, inscribing their names and binding themselves by the Blood
Oath. Last of all Yang Hu stepped up, partly from a natural modesty
which restrained him from offering himself when so many more versatile
persons of proved excellence were willing to engage in the matter, and
partly because an ill-advised conflict was taking place within his mind
as to whether the extreme course which was contemplated was the most
expedient to pursue. At last, however, he plainly perceived that he
could not honourably withhold himself from an affair that was in a
measure the direct outcome of his own unendurable loss, so that without
further hesitation he added his obscure name to the many illustrious
ones already in Tung Fel's keeping.

When at length dark fell upon the city and the cries of the watchmen,
warning all prudent ones to bar well their doors against robbe