Page:Frank Owen - The Scarlett Hill, 1941.djvu/336

RV 331 (VICTORY) yards around. Then he turned to the mob churning around him, a mob somewhat awed, somewhat impressed, but still defiant.

"Is there none among you true to your Emperor?" cried Kao angrily.

"Yang Kuei-fei must die!" a harsh voice boomed out sonorously.

Others took up the refrain. "Down with the House of Yang!"

"Yangs have brought rebellion!"

"Death to all Yangs!"

The burst of hatred verged into incoherence. In the mob no sense of reason remained. Neither was there leadership. The cry had been raised spontaneously by a dozen different tongues, spurred on by the efforts of those among the troops who had sworn allegiance to An Lu-shan and whose self-appointed task was to cause dissension. They had not intended to drive the new revolt to an extremity of violence. Yet it had slipped from their control, and they trembled from the contemplation of the evil thing their handiwork had wrought.

But Kao Li-shih stood his ground, waiting the opportunity to speak. Whenever the discord lessened he cried out, "Is there none among you true to your Emperor?"

Again and again he flung the question in the face of the mob.

Finally a powerful figure fought his way to Kao's side.

"I am Hung Chow," said he, "a carver of jade. Many RV 331 (331)