little　more　than　an　empty　honour。　　The　place　was　in　truth　a
  graveyarda　sacred　graveyard；　for　on　Tabong　Mountain　were　shrined
  and　sepultured　the　bones　of　the　ancient　kings　of　Silla。　　Better
  governor　of　Kyong…ju　than　retainer　of　Adam　Strang；　was　what　I
  thought　was　in　his　mind；　nor　did　I　dream　that　it　was　except　for　fear
  of　loneliness　that　caused　him　to　take　four　of　the　cunies　with　him。
  Gorgeous　were　the　two　years　that　followed。　　My　seven　provinces　I
  governed　mainly　though　needy　yang…bans　selected　for　me　by　Yunsan。
  An　occasional　inspection；　done　in　state　and　accompanied　by　the　Lady
  Om；　was　all　that　was　required　of　me。　　She　possessed　a　summer　palace
  on　the　south　coast；　which　we　frequented　much。　　Then　there　were　man's
  diversions。　　I　became　patron　of　the　sport　of　wrestling；　and　revived
  archery　among　the　yang…bans。　　Also；　there　was　tiger…hunting　in　the
  northern　mountains。
  A　remarkable　thing　was　the　tides　of　Cho…Sen。　　On　our　north…east
  coast　there　was　scarce　a　rise　and　fall　of　a　foot。　　On　our　west　coast
  the　neap　tides　ran　as　high　as　sixty　feet。　　Cho…Sen　had　no　commerce；
  no　foreign　traders。　　There　was　no　voyaging　beyond　her　coasts；　and　no
  voyaging　of　other　peoples　to　her　coasts。　　This　was　due　to　her
  immemorial　policy　of　isolation。　　Once　in　a　decade　or　a　score　of
  years　Chinese　ambassadors　arrived；　but　they　came　overland；　around
  the　Yellow　Sea；　across　the　country　of　the　Hong…du；　and　down　the
  Mandarin　Road　to　Keijo。　　The　round　trip　was　a　year…long　journey。
  Their　mission　was　to　exact　from　our　Emperor　the　empty　ceremonial　of
  acknowledgment　of　China's　ancient　suzerainty。
  But　Hamel；　from　long　brooding；　was　ripening　for　action。　　His　plans
  grew　apace。　　Cho…Sen　was　Indies　enough　for　him　could　he　but　work　it
  right。　　Little　he　confided；　but　when　he　began　to　play　to　have　me
  made　admiral　of　the　Cho…Sen　navy　of　junks；　and　to　inquire　more　than
  casually　of　the　details　of　the　store…places　of　the　imperial
  treasury；　I　could　put　two　and　two　together。
  Now　I　did　not　care　to　depart　from　Cho…Sen　except　with　the　Lady　Om。
  When　I　broached　the　possibility　of　it　she　told　me；　warm　in　my　arms；
  that　I　was　her　king　and　that　wherever　I　led　she　would　follow。　　As
  you　shall　see　it　was　truth；　full　truth；　that　she　uttered。
  It　was　Yunsan's　fault　for　letting　Chong　Mong…ju　live。　　And　yet　it
  was　not　Yunsan's　fault。　　He　had　not　dared　otherwise。　　Disgraced　at
  Court；　nevertheless　Chong　Mong…ju　had　been　too　popular　with　the
  provincial　priesthood。　　Yunsan　had　been　compelled　to　hold　his　hand；
  and　Chong　Mong…ju；　apparently　sulking　on　the　north…east　coast；　had
  been　anything　but　idle。　　His　emissaries；　chiefly　Buddhist　priests；
  were　everywhere；　went　everywhere；　gathering　in　even　the　least　of　the
  provincial　magistrates　to　allegiance　to　him。　　It　takes　the　cold
  patience　of　the　Asiatic　to　conceive　and　execute　huge　and　complicated
  conspiracies。　　The　strength　of　Chong　Mong…ju's　palace　clique　grew
  beyond　Yunsan's　wildest　dreaming。　　Chong　Mong…ju　corrupted　the　very
  palace　guards；　the　Tiger　Hunters　of　Pyeng…Yang　whom　Kim　commanded。
  And　while　Yunsan　nodded；　while　I　devoted　myself　to　sport　and　to　the
  Lady　Om；　while　Hendrik　Hamel　perfected　plans　for　the　looting　of　the
  Imperial　treasury；　and　while　Johannes　Maartens　schemed　his　own
  scheme　among　the　tombs　of　Tabong　Mountain；　the　volcano　of　Chong
  Mong…ju's　devising　gave　no　warning　beneath　us。
  Lord；　Lord；　when　the　storm　broke！　　It　was　stand　out　from　under；　all
  hands；　and　save　your　necks。　　And　there　were　necks　that　were　not
  saved。　　The　springing　of　the　conspiracy　was　premature。　　Johannes
  Maartens　really　precipitated　the　catastrophe；　and　what　he　did　was
  too　favourable　for　Chong　Mong…ju　not　to　advantage　by。
  For；　see。　　The　people　of　Cho…Sen　are　fanatical　ancestor…worshippers；
  and　that　old　pirate　of　a　booty…lusting　Dutchman；　with　his　four
  cunies；　in　far　Kyong…ju；　did　no　less　a　thing　than　raid　the　tombs　of
  the　gold…coffined；　long…buried　kings　of　ancient　Silla。　　The　work　was
  done　in　the　night；　and　for　the　rest　of　the　night　they　travelled　for
  the　sea…coast。　　But　the　following　day　a　dense　fog　lay　over　the　land
  and　they　lost　their　way　to　the　waiting　junk　which　Johannes　Maartens
  had　privily　outfitted。　　He　and　the　cunies　were　rounded　in　by　Yi　Sun…
  sin；　the　local　magistrate；　one　of　Chong　Mong…ju's　adherents。　　Only
  Herman　Tromp　escaped　in　the　fog；　and　was　able；　long　after；　to　tell
  me　of　the　adventure。
  That　night；　although　news　of　the　sacrilege　was　spreading　through
  Cho…Sen　and　half　the　northern　provinces　had　risen　on　their
  officials；　Keijo　and　the　Court　slept　in　ignorance。　　By　Chong　Mong…
  ju's　orders　the　beacons　flared　their　nightly　message　of　peace。　　And
  night　by　night　the　peace…beacons　flared；　while　day　and　night　Chong
  Mong…ju's　messengers　killed　horses　on　all　the　roads　of　Cho…Sen。　　It
  was　my　luck　to　see　his　messenger　arrive　at　Keijo。　　At　twilight；　as　I
  rode　out　through　the　great　gate　of　the　capital；　I　saw　the　jaded
  horse　fall　and　the　exhausted　rider　stagger　in　on　foot；　and　I　little
  dreamed　that　that　man　carried　my　destiny　with　him　into　Keijo。
  His　message　sprang　the　palace　revolution。　　I　was　not　due　to　return
  until　midnight；　and　by　midnight　all　was　over。　　At　nine　in　the
  evening　the　conspirators　secured　possession　of　the　Emperor　in　his
  own　apartments。　　They　compelled　him　to　order　the　immediate
  attendance　of　the　heads　of　all　departments；　and　as　they　presented
  themselves；　one　by　one；　before　his　eyes；　they　were　cut　down。
  Meantime　the　Tiger　Hunters　were　up　and　out　of　hand。　　Yunsan　and
  Hendrik　Hamel　were　badly　beaten　with　the　flats　of　swords　and　made
  prisoners。　　The　seven　other　cunies　escaped　from　the　palace　along
  with　the　Lady　Om。　　They　were　enabled　to　do　this　by　Kim；　who　held　the
  way；　sword　in　hand；　against　his　own　Tiger　Hunters。　　They　cut　him
  down　and　trod　over　him。　　Unfortunately　he　did　not　die　of　his　wounds。
  Like　a　flaw　of　wind　on　a　summer　night　the　revolution；　a　palace
  revolution　of　course；　blew　and　was　past。　　Chong　Mong…ju　was　in　the
  saddle。　　The　Emperor　ratified　whatever　Chong　Mong…ju　willed。　　Beyond
  gasping　at　the　sacrilege　of　the　king's　tombs　and　applauding　Chong
  Mong…ju；　Cho…Sen　was　unperturbed。　　Heads　of　officials　fell
  everywhere；　being　replaced　by　Chong　Mong…ju's　appointees；　but　there
  were　no　risings　against　the　dynasty。
  And　now　to　what　befell　us。　　Johannes　Maartens　and　his　three　cunies；
  after　being　exhibited　to　be　spat　upon　by　the　rabble　of　half　the
  villages　and　walled　cities　of　Cho…Sen；　were　buried　to　their　necks　in
  the　ground　of　the　open　space　before　the　palace　gate。　　Water　was
  given　them　that　they　might　live　longer　to　yearn　for　the　food；
  steaming　hot　and　savoury　and　changed　hourly；　that　was　place
  temptingly　before　them。　　They　say　old　Johannes　Maartens　lived
  longest；　not　giving　up　the　ghost　for　a　full　fifteen　days。
  Kim　was　slowly　crushed　to　death；　bone　by　bone　and　joint　by　joint；　by
  the　torturers；　and　was　a　long　time　in　dying。　　Hamel；　whom　Chong
  Mong…ju　divined　as　my　brains；　was　executed　by　the　paddlein　short；
  was　promptly　and　expeditiously　beaten　to　death　to　the　delighted
  shouts　of　the　Keijo　populace。　　Yunsan　was　given　a　brave　death。　　He
  was　playing　a　game　of　chess　with　the　jailer；　when　the　Emperor's；　or；
  rather；　Chong　Mong…ju's；　messenger　arrived　with　the　poison…cup。
  〃Wait　a　moment；〃　said　Yunsan。　　〃You　should　be　better…mannered　than
  to　disturb　a　man　in　the　midst　of　a　game　of　chess。　　I　shall　drink
  directly　the　game　is　over。〃　　And　while　the　messenger　waited　Yunsan
  finished　the　game；　winning　it；　then　drained　the　cup。
  It　takes　an　Asiatic　to　temper　his　spleen　to　steady；　persistent；
  life…long　revenge。　　This　Chong　Mong…ju　did　with　the　Lady　Om　and　me。
  He　did　not　destroy　us。　　We　were　not　even　imprisoned。　　The　Lady　Om
  was　degraded　of　all　rank　and　divested　of　all　possessions。　　An
  imperial　decree　was　promulgated　and　posted　in　the　last　least　village
  of　Cho…Sen　to　the　effect　that　I　was　of　the　house　of　Koryu　and　that
  no　man　might　kill　me。　　It　was　further　declared　that　the　eight　sea…
  cunies　who　survived　must　not　be　killed。　　Neither　were　they　to　be
  favoured。　　They　were　to　be　outcasts；　beggars　on　the　highways。　　And
  that　is　what　the　Lady　Om　and　I　became；　beggars　on　the　highways。
  Forty　long　years　of　persecution　followed；　for　Chong　Mong…ju's　hatred
  of　the　Lady　Om　and　me　was　deathless。　　Worse　luck；　he　was　favoured
  with　long　life　as　well　as　were　we　cursed　with　it。　　I　have　said　the
  Lady　Om　was　a　wonder　of　a　woman。　　Beyond　endlessly　repeating　that
  statement；　words　fail　me；　with　which　to　give　her　just　appreciation。
  Somewhere　I　have　heard　that　a　great　lady　once　said　to　her　lover：　　〃A
  tent　and　a　crust　of　bread　with　you。〃　　In　effect　that　is　what　the
  Lady　Om　said　to　me。　　More　than　to　say　it；　she　lived　the　last　letter
  of　it；　when　more　often　than　not　crusts　were　not　plentiful　and　the
  sky　itself　was　our　tent。
  Every　effort　I　made　to　escape　beggary　was　in　the　end　frustrated　by
  Chong　Mong…ju。　　In　Song…do　I　became　a　fuel…carrier；　and　the　L