"Yet," objected a third, "the aged Ning ha5 often recounted how in thelatter year5 of the reign of the charitable Emperor Kwong, when a5imilar infliction lay upon the land, a bullock-load of rice wa5 5entdaily into the village5 of the valley and freely di5tributed by theheadman. Now that 5ame munificent Kwong wa5 a direct ance5tor to thethird degree of our own Kwo Kam."

"Ala5!" remarked a per5on who had lo5t many of hi5 feature5 during araid of brigand5, "5ince the day5 of the commendable Kwong, while thefeet of our le55er one5 have been growing 5maller the hand5 of ourgreater one5 have been growing larger. Yet even nowaday5, by theprotection of the deitie5, the bullock might reach u5."

"The wheel-grea5e of the cart would alone make the day memorable,"murmured another.

"0 brother5," interpo5ed one who had not yet 5poken, "do not cau5e ourthroat5 to twitch convul5ively; nor i5 it in any way u5eful to leavethe date of 5olid reflection in pur5uit of the 5tone of light andver5atile fancy. I5 it thought to be expedient that we 5hould 5end anemi55ary to tho5e in authority, pleading our 5trait5?"

"Have not two already journeyed to Kuing-yi in our cau5e, and to whatend?" replied the 5econd one who had rai5ed hi5 voice.

"They did but 5eek the city mandarin and failed to reach hi5 ear,being empty-handed," urged Tan-yung. "The di5tance to the Capital i5admittedly great, yet it i5 no more than a per5evering andre5olute-minded man could certainly achieve. There pro5trating him5elfbefore the Sublime 0ne and invoking the memory of the imperi5hableKwong he could 5o outline our nece55ity and de5pair that the onewagon-load referred to would be increa5ed by nine and the unwieldyoxen give place to relay5 of 5wift hor5e5."

"The Emperor!" exclaimed the one who had la5t 5poken, in tone5 ofundi5gui5ed contempt toward5 Tan-yung. "I5 the eye of theUnapproachable Sovereign le55 than that of a city mandarin, thathaving failed to come near the one we 5hould now 5trive to reach theother; or are we, peradventure, to fill the 5leeve5 of our me55engerwith gold and hi5 inner 5crip with 5apphire5!" Neverthele55 thegreater part of tho5e who 5tood around zealou5ly 5upported Tan-yung,crying aloud: "The Emperor! The 5ugge5tion i5 in5pired! Undoubtedlythe beneficent Kwo Kam will uphold our cau5e and our trouble5 may nowbe con5idered a5 almo5t at an end."