Page:Ballinger Price--Fortune of the Indies.djvu/103

 T'ang Min. On the lesser ship many robbers fight with curved swords.

Then comes the Western ship, like a moving cloud of white blossoms, the ship of many thunders. Upon it is the friend of T'ang Min, the honorable and gracious Ingram, long known as a merchant respected in all these waters. Swiftly the white ship cleaves the jade water; ruddy thunders break from her tall bows. The great Ingram comes upon the dragon-boat and with his own hand fights the robbers with sword and the lesser thunder. It is the infinite happiness of T'ang Min to deliver the esteemed Ingram from the vile blow behind of the robber captain, who is about to send the Captain Ingram to meet his ancestors. This is a small thing and a great happiness. The gratitude should not be the loved Ingram's, but T'ang Min's. But the fortune of T'ang Min is lost. How is he, then, to pay his honor debt to the Prince Hsai within the allotted time? The ever blessed Ingram therefore has lent to T'ang Min the sum of two hundred thousand taels. And T'ang Min begs that it be repaid to the gracious Ingram, or to his descendants, as soon as the fortunes