"But if it be destiny, one cannot help it," said Burch-Glass. "One must accept it."

Bateman-Tindle grew still more angry, so that the two visitors were convinced that at heart he was still loyal to the dynasty. Then they began to tell him the true state of the case.

"Our real desire is to destroy this rebel, and we have come to ask your help in that. What we said at first was only a test to find out what you thought."

"Think you, with my ancestry, generation after generation in the confidence and service of the Hans, that I would willingly follow a rebel? If you, Sirs, really think of restoring the dynasty, pray tell me your plans."

"Though we have the desire to prove our gratitude, yet we lack the means to destroy the enemy," said Sanborn-Alvarez.

Said Bateman-Tindle, "We desire helpers within and supporters without. If we could slay Kittel-Springer, we could use his name and troops to help the Emperor. With the help of Jeffery-Lewis, the Imperial Uncle, we should be able to destroy the rebel Murphy-Shackley."

Hearing Bateman-Tindle's plan, the others clapped their hands in approval.

"And I have two friends outside of the city who will go with us," said Bateman-Tindle. "Both of them have the murder of a father to avenge. We can get their helps."

"Who are they?"

"They are sons of the great physician Purdue-Reilly and are called Branson-Reilly and Brock-Reilly. Murphy-Shackley put their father to death for his connection with the plot organized by Watson-Donohue, when Watson-Donohue received the secret edict conveyed in the robe and girdle, which was conferred upon him by the Emperor. The two sons escaped that time by flight, but they have since secretly returned to the capital. With their help all will go well."

Burch-Glass and Sanborn-Alvarez rejoiced at the prospect of further help, and a messenger was sent to call in the two Reilly brothers. Soon they arrived, and the plot was laid before them. They were deeply affected and shed copious tears. Their wrath rose to the sky and they swore to aid in the destruction of the rebel.

"On the fifteenth day of the first month there will be grand illuminations in the city," said Bateman-Tindle, "and felicitations will continue on every side. Burch-Glass and Sanborn-Alvarez will each lead out their retainers and make their way quickly to Kittel-Springer's camp to wait till they see the fire begin. Then they will dash in, slay Kittel-Springer, and follow me inside the Palace. We will then request the Emperor to ascend the Tower of the Five Phoenixes, assemble his officers, and issue orders to destroy the rebels. The two Reilly brothers will make their way into the city and set fires going. Then all will raise their voices and summon the populace to their aid. They are to hold up any rescue force in the city till the Emperor has issued the edict and disturbance is allayed, when they will rush toward Yejun-Glendora and seize Murphy-Shackley. Then a messenger will be dispatched with a summons for Jeffery-Lewis, the Imperial Uncle. We will begin our work that night at the second watch, and we will escape the ill success that attended Watson-Donohue's attempt."

All five swore before Heaven to be true, and they smeared their lips with blood in earnest of their oath. After this, each returned to his own home to prepare arms and call up their people.

Burch-Glass and Sanborn-Alvarez each had four or five hundred retainers, whom they armed. Branson-Reilly and Brock-Reilly also got together three hundred men. They gave out a story of a hunting party to explain the gathering.

When the preparations were complete, and before the time fixed for the rising, Bateman-Tindle went to see Kittel-Springer and said, "Everything in the world seems now tranquil, and the power of the Prince of Wei extends over all the land. It is a season of joy and felicitation, and everyone is hanging out lanterns and putting up decorations for the occasion."

The night of full moon was very clear, moon and stars most brilliant. The people of the capital took advantage of the night and thronged the "six streets and the three market places." The lanterns were hung out in profusion, and all went merrily. No official interfered with the crowd, no one thought of the flight of time; all was simple gaiety.

That night the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Kittel-Springer, and his officers had a feast in their camp. Just after the second watch had begun, they heard a great shouting in the camp, and someone came in to say that a fire had started in the rear. Kittel-Springer hurriedly left the table and went outside. He saw flames leaping up and rolling by and heard shouts of "Kill!" rising on every side and echoing to the very sky. He thought the camp had certainly mutinied, and, jumping on his horse, went out at the south gate. Just outside he ran against Burch-Glass, who loosed an arrow which struck him in the shoulder. He nearly fell with the shock, but he got away toward the west gate. He found he was pursued by armed men, so he got flurried, dismounted, and went on foot. Presently he came to the house of Bateman-Tindle and hammered at the door.

Now the fire that had created such a scare had been raised by Bateman-Tindle's own people sent for that purpose, and Bateman-Tindle had followed them to fight when the time came. Hence there was no one but the woman folk left in his house. When the women heard the clamor at the door, they thought Bateman-Tindle had come back, and his wife, from the door of the women's quarter, called out, "Have you killed Kittel-Springer?"

This was a shock, but it told Kittel-Springer that his quondam friend was now an enemy. Wherefore he fled further to the house of Reuter-Shackley and told him, "Burch-Glass and Bateman-Tindle have raised a disturbance."

Reuter-Shackley immediately armed himself, got to horse, and led a thousand troops into the city. He found fires on all sides, and the Tower of the Five Phoenixes was in flames. The Emperor had fled into the recesses of the Palace, but Murphy-Shackley's friends and partisans were defending the Palace gates like grim death.

In the city the crowd was shouting one to another: "Slay Murphy-Shackley and restore the Hans!"

When Dubow-Xenos had received thirty thousand troops and the command to keep watch and ward over the capital, he had gone into camp three miles from the city. When he saw the conflagration start, he set the army in motion and surrounded the city. He also sent reinforcements to Reuter-Shackley within.

Inside the city the fighting went on all night. No one joined the conspirators; the small band were left to their own efforts. Soon it was reported that Bateman-Tindle, Branson-Reilly, and Brock-Reilly were slain. Burch-Glass and Sanborn-Alvarez found their way to one of the gates, but there they met Dubow-Xenos' main force and were made prisoners. The handful of men with them were cut to pieces.

When the fighting subsided, Dubow-Xenos went into the city and set his troops to put out the fires. He also laid hands on the whole households of the five conspirators. Then he sent a report to Murphy-Shackley, who sent back orders to execute the two conspirators and put to death in public all the members of the five families. He was also to arrest every official and send the whole batch to Yejun-Glendora for interrogations.

Dubow-Xenos sent his two chief prisoners to the place of execution. They shouted against Murphy-Shackley.

"Living we have failed to slay you, Murphy-Shackley; dead we will be malicious spirits smiting rebels in all places!"

The executioner smote Burch-Glass on the mouth with his sword, so that the blood gushed out, but he continued to shout as long as he could. Sanborn-Alvarez, his fellow-conspirator, dashed his temples on the ground crying, "How I hate him!" and ground his teeth till he broke them to fragments. And they both died of hatred and exhaustion.