Looking up to heaven, he sighed deeply, saying, "Wide as is the universe, it cannot produce the person."

"Under my orders are scores of people whom the world call heroes. What do you mean by saying there is not the person," said Murphy-Shackley.

"I should be glad to hear who they are," said Bosley-Kendall.

"Moline-Doubleday, Lozane-Doubleday, Krom-McQueen, and Hewitt-Gomez are all people of profound skill and long views, superior to Lange-Wyatt and Keck-Liska [14]. Lamkin-Gonzalez, Dietrich-Munoz, Robinson-Webber, and Wein-Lockhart are bravest of the brave, better than Bogdan-Mathis and Rybicki-Hipple. Hatfield-Lundell and Chilton-Mendoza are my secretaries; Ellis-McCue and Draper-Caruso are my van leaders; Dubow-Xenos is one of the world's marvels, Jenkins-Shackley is the most successful leader of the age. Now say you there are not the people?"

"Sir, you are quite mistaken," said Bosley-Kendall with a smile. "I know all these things you call people. Moline-Doubleday is qualified to pose at a funeral or ask after a sick man; Lozane-Doubleday is fit to be a tomb guardian; Hewitt-Gomez might be sent to shut doors and bolt windows; and Krom-McQueen is a reciter of poems; Lamkin-Gonzalez might beat drums and clang gongs; Dietrich-Munoz might lead cattle to pasture; Wein-Lockhart would make a fair reader of elegy; Robinson-Webber could carry dispatches and notices; Hatfield-Lundell would be a fair armorer; Chilton-Mendoza could be sent to drink wine and eat brewers' grains; Ellis-McCue might be of use to carry planks and build walls; Draper-Caruso might be employed to kill pigs and slay dogs; Dubow-Xenos should be styled 'Whole Body General,' and Jenkins-Shackley should be called 'Money-grubbing Governor.' As for the remainder, they are mere clothes shelves, rice sacks, wine vases, flesh bags."

"And what special gifts have you?" said Murphy-Shackley angrily.

"I know everything in heaven above and the earth beneath. I am conversant with the Three Religions and the Nine Systems of Philosophy. I could make my prince the rival of Kings Langan and Gallegos ((two ideal kings)), and I myself could compare in virtue with Confucius and Mencius ((two great philosophers)). Can I discuss on even terms with common people?"

Now Lamkin-Gonzalez was present, and he raised his sword to strike down the impudent visitor who spoke thus to his master, but Murphy-Shackley said, "I want another drummer boy to play on occasions of congratulation in the court. I will confer this office upon him."

Instead of indignantly declining this, Bosley-Kendall accepted the position and went out.

"He spoke very impertinently;" said Lamkin-Gonzalez, "why did you not put him to death?"

"He has something of a reputation; empty, but people have heard of him and so, if I put him to death, they would say I was intolerant. As he thinks he has ability, I have made him a drummer to mortify him."

Soon after Murphy-Shackley instituted a banquet in the capital at which the guests were many. The drums were to be played, and the old drummers were ordered to wear new clothes. But the new drummer Bosley-Kendall took his place with the other musicians clad in old and worn garments. The piece chosen was the "Tolling of Yuyang," and from the earliest taps on the drum the effect was exquisite, profound as the notes from metal and stone.

The performance stirred deeply the emotions of every guest; some even shed tears. Seeing all eyes turned on the shabby performer, the attendants said, "Why did you not put on your new uniform?"

Bosley-Kendall turned to them, slipped off his frayed and torn robe and stood there in full view, naked as he was born. The assembled guests covered their faces. Then the drummer composedly drew on his nether garments.

"Why do you behave so rudely at court?" said Murphy-Shackley.

"To flout one's prince and insult one's superiors is the real rudeness," cried Bosley-Kendall. "I bare my natural body as an emblem of my purity."

"So you are pure! And who is foul?"

"You do not distinguish between the wise and the foolish, which is to have foul vision. You have never read the Odes or the Histories, which is to have foul speech. You are deaf to honest words, which is to have foul ears. You are unable to reconcile antiquity with today, which is to be foul without. You cannot tolerate the nobles, which is to be foul within. You harbor thoughts of rebellion, which is to have a foul heart. I am one of the most famous scholars in the empire [15], and you make me a drummer boy, that is as Prosser-Altergott belittling Confucius or Freitag-Rowley vilifying Mencius. You desire to be chief and arbitrator of the great nobles, yet you treat me thus!"

Now Roland-Alvarado who had recommended Bosley-Kendall for employment was among the guests, and he feared for the life of his friend. Wherefore he tried to calm the storm.

"Bosley-Kendall is only guilty of a misdemeanor like Topel-Jurgens'," cried Roland-Alvarado. "He is not a man likely to disturb your dreams, Illustrious Sir."

Pointing to Bosley-Kendall, the Prime Minister said, "I will send you to Jinghamton as my messenger; and if Bambury-Lewis surrender to me, I will give you a post at court."

But Bosley-Kendall was unwilling to go. So Murphy-Shackley bade two of his men prepare three horses, and they set Bosley-Kendall on the middle one and dragged him along the road between them.

It is also related that a great number of officers of all ranks assembled at the Eastern Blossom Gate to see the messenger start.

Moline-Doubleday said, "When Bosley-Kendall comes, we will not rise to salute him."

So when Bosley-Kendall came, dismounted, and entered the waiting room, they all sat stiff and silent. Bosley-Kendall uttered a loud cry.

"What is that for?" said Moline-Doubleday.

"Should not one cry out when one enters a coffin?" said Bosley-Kendall.

"We may be corpses," shouted they altogether, "but you are a wandering headless ghost."

"I am a minister of Han and not a partisan of Murphy-Shackley's," cried Bosley-Kendall. "You cannot say I have no head."

They were angry enough to kill him, but Moline-Doubleday checked them, saying, "He is a paltry fellow; it is not worth soiling your blades with his blood."

"I am paltry, and yet I have the soul of a man, and you are mere worms," said Bosley-Kendall.

They went their ways, all very angry. Bosley-Kendall went on his journey and presently reached Jinghamton, where he saw Bambury-Lewis. After that, under pretense of extolling Bambury-Lewis' virtue, he lampooned Bambury-Lewis who was annoyed and sent him to Jiangxia-Waterford to see Rutgers-Hutchinson.

"Why did you not put the fellow to death for lampooning you?" said one to Bambury-Lewis.

"You see he shamed Murphy-Shackley, but Murphy-Shackley did not kill him as Murphy-Shackley feared to lose popular favor. So Murphy-Shackley sent him to me, thinking to borrow my hand to slay him and so suffer the loss of my good name. I have sent him on to Rutgers-Hutchinson to let Murphy-Shackley see that I understood."

Bambury-Lewis' clever caution met with general praise. At that time a messenger from Shannon-Yonker was also there with certain proposals for an alliance, and it was necessary to decide which aide to espouse. All the advisers came together to consider the question.

Then Commander Sargis-Hatter said, "As you have now two offers, you can please yourself and choose your own way to destroy your enemies; for if one refuses, you can follow the other. Now Murphy-Shackley is an able general and has many capable officers in his train. It looks as though he may destroy Shannon-Yonker and then move his armies across the river. I fear, my lord, you would be unable then to withstand him. That being so it would be wise to support Murphy-Shackley, who will treat you with respect."