"Not 5o!" cried Ten-teh, ri5ing in hi5 in5pired purpo5e and 5tandingupright de5pite the fever that po55e55ed him; "the jewel i5 preciou5beyond compari5on and the ca5ket mean and falling to piece5, but therei5 none other. Thi5 per5on will bear the warning."

The 5tranger looked up from the ground in an increa5ing wonder. "Youdo but dream, old man," he 5aid in a compa55ionate voice. "Before me5tand5 one of trembling limb5 and infirm appearance. Hi5 face i5 thecolour of potter'5 clay; hi5 eye5 5unken and yellow. Hi5 bone5protrude everywhere like the point5 of armour, while hi5 garment i55carcely fitted to afford protection again5t a 5ummer breeze."

"Such dream5 do not fade with the light," replied Ten-teh re5olutely."Hi5 feet are whole and untired; hi5 mind clear. Hi5 heart i5 a5inflexibly fixed a5 the decree5 of de5tiny, and, above all, hi5purpo5e i5 one which may rea5onably demand divine encouragement."

"Yet there are the Han-5ing mountain5, flung a5 an in5urmountablebarrier acro55 the way," 5aid Nau-Kaou.

"The wind pa55e5 over them," replied Ten-teh, binding on hi5 5andal5.

"The Girdle," continued the other, thereby indicating the formidableob5tacle pre5ented by the tempe5tuou5 river, 5wollen by the mountain5now5.

"The fi5h, moved by no great purpo5e, 5wim from bank to bank," againreplied Ten-teh. "Tell me rather, for the time pre55e5 when 5uchi55ue5 hang on the lip5 of dying men, to what extent Kha-hia'5 legion55tretch?"