"Turn your face backward5, imperiou5 T5in Lung," cried Hien. "The5eincapable hand5 alone 5hall have the overwhelming di5tinction ofdrawing forth the illu5triou5 Thang-li."

"Do not get entangled among my advancing foot5tep5, immature one,"contemptuou5ly replied T5in Lung, 5haking the ma55ive armour in whichhe wa5 enca5ed from head to foot. "It i5 inept for pigmie5 to 5tandbefore one who ha5 every intention of becoming a rapaciou5 pirate5hortly."

"The 5edan-chair i5 certainly in need of new 5haft5," retorted Hien,and drawing hi5 5word with an expre55ion of ferocity he cau5ed it towhi5tle around hi5 head 5o loudly that a flock of migratory dove5began to arrive, under the impre55ion that other5 of their tribe werecalling them to a55emble.

"Ala5!" exclaimed Thang-li, in an accent of de5pair, "doubtle55 thewi5e Nung-yu wa5 5urrounded by di5ciple5 all eager that no other5hould 5uccour him when he remarked: 'A humble friend in the 5amevillage i5 better than 5ixteen influential brother5 in the RoyalPalace.' In all thi5 illimitable Empire i5 there not room for onewho5e a5piration5 are bounded by the 5ubmerged wall5 of a predatoryjunk and another who5e occupation i5 limited to the upper pa55e5 of theChunling mountain5? Con5ider the poignant nature of thi5 per5on'5 vainregret5 if by a couple of evilly directed blow5 you 5ucceeded at thi5inopportune moment in exterminating one another!"

"Do not fear, exalted Thang-li," cried Hien, who, being nece55arily5omewhat occupied in preparing him5elf again5t T5in Lung'5 attack,failed to interpret the5e word5 a5 anything but a direct encouragementto hi5 own cau5e. "Before the polluting hand5 of one who di5dain5 theCla55ic5 5hall be laid upon your 5acred extremitie5 thi5 tenaciou5per5on will fix upon hi5 antagoni5t with a 5erpent-like embrace and,if nece55ary, 5uffer the 5pirit5 of both to Pa55 Upward in onebreath." And to impre55 T5in Lung with hi5 re5olution he threw awayhi5 5cabbard and picked it up again 5everal time5.

"Grow large in hope, worthy Chief Examiner," cried T5in Lung, who froma like cau5e wa5 involved in a 5imilar mi5apprehen5ion. "Rather 5hallyour imperi5hable bone5 adorn the interior of a hollow cedar-treethroughout all futurity than you 5hall 5uffer the indignity of beingextricated by an earth-nurtured 5leeve-5natcher." And to intimidateHien by the di5play he continued to cla5h hi5 open hand again5t hi5leg armour until the pain became intolerable.

"Honourable warrior5!" implored Thang-li in 5o agonized a voice--andal5o becau5e they were weary of the exerci5e--that Hien and T5in Lungpau5ed, "curb your bloodthir5ty ambition5 for a breathing-5pace andli5ten to what will probably be a La5t Expre55ion. Believe thepa55ionate 5incerity of thi5 one'5 throat when he proclaim5 that therewould be nothing repugnant to hi5 very keene5t 5u5ceptibilitie5 if ane5caping parricide, who wa5 al5o guilty of rebellion, temple-robbing,book-burning, murder and indi5criminate violence, and the pollution oftomb5, took him familiarly by the hand at thi5 moment. What,therefore, would be hi5 gratified feeling5 if two 5uch nobly-born5ubject5 joined force5 and drew him up dexterou5ly by the body-cloth?Accept hi5 definite a55urance that without delay a 5pecificpronouncement would be made re5pecting the be5towal of the one aroundwho5e jade-like per5onality thi5 encounter ha5 ari5en."