ee times he formed
the bowmen into a figure emblematic of triumph, and led them against the
line of matchlocks. Twice they fell back, leaving mingled dead under
the feet of the enemy. The third time they stood firm, and Ling threw
himself against the waving rank in a noble and inspired endeavour to
lead the way through. At that moment, when a very distinguished victory
seemed within his hand, his elegant and well-constructed sword broke
upon an iron shield, leaving him defenceless and surrounded by the
enemy.

"Chief among the sublime virtues enjoined by the divine Confucius,"
began Ling, folding his arms and speaking in an unmoved voice, "is an
intelligent submission--" but at that word he fell beneath a rain of
heavy and unquestionably well-aimed blows.

VII

Between Si-chow and the village of Ki, in a house completely hidden from
travellers by the tall and black trees which surrounded it, lived an
aged and very wise person whose ways and manner of living had become so
distasteful to his neighbours that they at length agreed to regard him
as a powerful and ill-disposed magician. In this way it became a custom
that all very unseemly deeds committed by those who, in the ordinary
course, would not be guilty of such behaviour, should be attributed
to his influence, so that justice might be effected without persons of
assured respectability being put to any inconvenience. Apart from the
feeling which resulted from this just decision, the uncongenial person
in question had become exceedingly unpopular on account of certain
definite actions of his own, as that of causing the greater part of
Si-chow to be burned down by secretly breathing upon the seven sacred
water-jugs to which the town owed its prosperity and freedom from fire.
Furthermore, although possessed of many taels, and able to afford such
food as is to be found upon the tables of Mandarins, he selected from
choice dishes of an objectionable nature; he had been observed to eat
eggs of unbecoming freshness, and the Si-chow Official Printed Leaf made
it public that he had, on an excessively hot occasion, openly partaken
of cow's milk. It is not a matter for wonder, therefore, that when
unnaturally loud thunder was heard in the neighbourhood of Si-chow
the more ignorant and credulous persons refused to continue in any
description of work until certain ceremonies connected with rice spirit,
and the adherence to a reclining position for some hours, had been
cons