Morris tribune., 1899-08-05

on he Is to marry the one who owns IL,
1t is brought in and, no sooner.has ne
got it on, just as be is tying the cord
round his waist, than 1t transforms it
self into strong bands Of rope wound
round his limbs. He rolls over In ex-
cruciating pain. and as he does so the
curtain of enchantment falls and the
beauties and the palace disappear.
Next morning his three companions
also find the scene changed when they
awake. As the east shone white they
opened their eyesand raised their heads,
only to see that the great mansion and
lofty hall. the carved beams and orna-
mental pillars, had all disappeared, and
they had been sleeping all night ON the
ground under the cypress grove. The
errant Pa Che was found bound fast
to tree and yelling with pain. After
releasing him the pilgrims again jour
aeyed westward. They found that the
air grew hotter and hotter, and on
resting for the nigat at village by the
roadside are told that they can go no
further in that direction as there Is an
enormous mountain in their path, and
all on fire, which reduces the whole re-
sion to sterility. and which they can
neither cross nor get round.
Shing Che questions vender OF pulse
at the door and learns that the only
way to deal with this obstacle is to OBJ
tain the loan OF a certain fan. made OF
iron, which will put the fire out. It is
in the hands of the iron-fan fairy, who
dwells In palm leaf cave on noun
tain called Ts'ui Yum San beautiful
Cloud Mountain. It is 1,5O0 Ii $500
uliles) away. "That is of no conse-
luence,' says WI Sun Shing, and be-
fore you can wink he is there, but he
finds it no simple matter This fairy,
called Lo Sab, is wife to the ox-demon
king and is female of an uncertain
disposition. Although she is sort OF
aunt to the pilgrim he suddenly recol-
lects that she has an ancient grudge
against him. The cid woman is dis
tinctly pugilistic, and they turn to with
sword and staff and Lave battle royal
on the mountain.
Sun Shing is likely to get the better
of her, but she teaches him the use OF
the fan in a sense he did net anticipate
She waves 1t once and he is blown BY
hyperb0rean hurricane, against which
he is helpless, and alights only by hold.
ing hard to a rock by both hands, Sc, ,O0C
Ii away. Here he is helped by friend
VINO gives him a pill which he is to
swallow and then he can stand comfort.
ably in the strongest wind that ever
blew. Away he hies back, and this
time the fan waves in vain. Then the
old woman enters her house and slams
the door In his face. He turns himself
into bee, flies through the crack ci
the door, and, after most surprising
battle, gets the fan and makes off with
it like lightning; Now he is sure oi
success and with his companions ap.
proaches the mountain as close as the
heat of the flames will permit. Then
Shing Che raised the fan and, ailyanc.
3
ing near to the fire, waved it with all
his might. At the first wave the blaz-
ing fire OF the hill burst forth witt in
tense heat. At the second wave it in
creased a hundredfold. He tried !
third, and the flame rose at least ten
thousand feet high and singed all TIE
hair on his body before he could gel
back to Shuen Tsang. He cried ont
Back, back! Fire, fre!" Shuen Tsans
mounted his horse and they all had to
gun for their lives. Tue old aunty has
played him a~jade's trick She has
cunningly given him the wrong fan
Then he learns that this fire-fiamine
mountain was kindled by himself
long before. But he is not to be beat.
en-. He personates the old womanx
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