Page:Frank Owen - The Scarlett Hill, 1941.djvu/222

RV 217 (LI PO) dreamed that he was floating through the sky, drawn by six white clouds.

The eunuchs took off his clothes. He opened his eyes and gazed dully about him. Nothing to worry about. These people had no beards. No beards, no enemies. Why fight if a man have no beard? The next moment he changed his mind. They emptied a jug of cold water over his head. As he opened his mouth in protest, another eunuch doused him with a second jugful.

"Ugh! horrible stuff!" Some of it got in his mouth. This was going too far. His anger broke all bounds. He began crashing his fist into those babbling, hairless faces. They went down easily before the force of his blows. When all of the eunuchs were temporarily destroyed or else had melted away in torrents of tears, he was still spoiling for a fight, shouting for a worthy opponent and still very drunk. Stark naked he set out for "The Pavilion of Aloes" where Court that morning was being held. He had heard reference to Aloes as the eunuchs chattered about him. It is well for the dignity of China, that he encountered Kao Li-shih. Kao with his great hands spun Li Po around like a top, and pushed him with no attempt at gentleness in the other direction.

This made Li Po dizzy. He closed his eyes that the world might settle down once more. At the same time his eyes lit up. Here was a new menace for him to destroy.

Now it is true that Kao Li-shih had no beard; what RV 217 (217)