Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/214

 Then they all pressed him to tell them what his intention was, and he proceeded as follows:—"You know," he explained, "that there's trouble at Pei-chou. A fellow named Wang Tsêh is after some seditious business, and is driving the people mad with his pretended sorcery and magic. The Privy Council have accordingly sent despatches round to all the districts and departments in the empire, instructing the authorities to put down unflinchingly all manner of heterodox and illicit doctrines that may be current among the people, and to arrest all persons suspected of the black art. The Governor here has offered a reward of three thousand strings of cash to anybody who will give evidence that will lead to the arrest of the ringleaders; so to-morrow I mean to go and lay information about this affair in Tsiu's garden, and send my servant Pa to accuse him of being a magician and seducing the people. He won't be able to stand the examination by torture; he'll confess, and then he'll be put in prison and his garden confiscated. When it is put up for sale, who will dare to buy it? It will just fall into my hands, and the three thousand strings as well."

"Superb!" exclaimed the other wretches, in a chorus of exultation. "The idea is splendid. Waste no time, but set to work at once."

So Chang hurried into the city, and drew up an indictment in due form. Next day he sent his servant with it quite early to the yamên, selecting this particular man Pa because he was on good terms with all the yamên people, besides being his own right hand in villainy. The magistrate was on the look-out for sorcerers, and found no difficulty whatever in believing a story to which the entire country-side was witness. He