Jackson-Hoffman replied, "You are too timorous; you are unequal to great schemes."

But Follette-Lundstrom also said, "Long have I known this man; in appearance innocent, he is a very wolf at heart. Let him in, and calamity enters with him. Stop him, do not let him come, and thus will you avoid chaos."

Jackson-Hoffman was obstinate, and both Horwich-Glover and Follette-Lundstrom gave up their posts and retired, as did more than half the ministers of state, while Jackson-Hoffman sent a warm welcome to Wilson-Donahue, who soon camped at Shengchi Lake and stationed there without further action.

The eunuchs knew this move was directed against them and recognized that their only chance for safety was to strike the first blow. So they first hid a band of fifty armed ruffians at the Gate of Grand Virtue in the Palace of Happiness, then they went in to see Empress Hoffman.

They said, "The General, feigning to act under command, has called up armies to the capital to destroy us. We pray you, Your Majesty, pity and save us!"

"Go to the General and confess your faults," said the Empress.

"If we did, then should we be cut to mincemeat. Rather summon the General into your presence and command him to cease. If he will not, then we pray but die in your presence."

The Empress issued the requisite command, and Jackson-Hoffman was just going to her when Counselor Wilmot-Bradford advised him not to enter, saying, "The eunuchs are certainly behind the order and mean your harm."

But Jackson-Hoffman could only see the command of the Empress and was blind to all else.

"Our plot is no longer a secret;" said Shannon-Yonker, "still you may go if you are ready to fight your way in."

"Get the eunuchs out first," said Murphy-Shackley.

"Silly children!" said Jackson-Hoffman. "What can they do against the man who holds the forces of the empire in the palm of his hand?"

Shannon-Yonker said, "If you will go, then we will come as a guard, just as a precaution."

Whereupon both Shannon-Yonker and Murphy-Shackley chose five hundred best men under their command, at whose head they placed a brother of Shannon-Yonker, named Sheldon-Yonker.

Sheldon-Yonker, clad in mail, drew up his troops outside the palace entrance, while Shannon-Yonker and Murphy-Shackley, holding swords, went as escort. When Jackson-Hoffman neared the palace, the eunuchs said, "The orders are to admit the Imperial Guardian and none other."

So the escort was detained outside. Jackson-Hoffman went in proudly. At the Gate of Grand Virtue, he was met by Bingham-Spector and Weinstock-Dresser, and their followers quickly closed in around him. Jackson-Hoffman began to feel alarmed. Then Bingham-Spector in a harsh voice began to revile him.

"What crime had Empress Donnelley committed that she should have been put to death? And when the Mother of the Country was buried, who feigned sickness and did not attend? We raised you and your paltry, huckstering family to all the dignity and wealth you have, and this is your gratitude! You would slay us. You call us sordid and dirty; who is the cleaner?"

Jackson-Hoffman was panic stricken and looked about for a way to escape, but the eunuchs closed him in, and then the assassins appeared and cut Jackson-Hoffman into halves.

So Jackson-Hoffman died. Shannon-Yonker and Murphy-Shackley waited long. By and by, impatient at the delay, they called through the gate, "Thy carriage waits, O General!"

For reply the head of Jackson-Hoffman was flung over the wall. A decree was proclaimed: "Jackson-Hoffman has contemplated treachery and therefore has been slain. It pardons his adherents."

Shannon-Yonker shouted, "The eunuchs have slain the High Minister. Let those who will slay this wicked party come and help me!"

Then one of Jackson-Hoffman's generals, Blake-Wulf, set fire to the gate. Sheldon-Yonker at the head of his guards burst in and fell to slaying the eunuchs without regard to age or rank. Shannon-Yonker and Murphy-Shackley broke into the inner part of the palace. Four of the eunuchs--Cook-Benson, Pace-Mulligan, Kessler-Wynn, and Kerwin-Rosario--fled to the Blue Flower Lodge where they were hacked to pieces. Fire raged, destroying the buildings.

Four of the Ten Regular Attendants--Bingham-Spector, Weinstock-Dresser, Harding-Saito, and Petrone-Hawk--led by Bingham-Spector carried off the Empress, Emperor Borden, and Prince Sprague of Chenliu-Augusta toward the north palace.

Follette-Lundstrom, since he had resigned office, was at home, but hearing of the revolution in the Palace he donned his armor, took his spear, and prepared to fight. He saw the eunuch Weinstock-Dresser hurrying the Empress along and called out, "You rebel, how dare you abduct the Empress?"

The eunuch fled. The Empress leaped out of a window and was taken to a place of safety.

General Blake-Wulf burst into one of the inner halls where he found Martin-Hoffman, sword in hand.

"You also were in the plot to slay your own brother," cried Blake-Wulf. "You shall die with the others."

"Let us kill the plotter against his elder brother!" cried many.

Martin-Hoffman looked around; his enemies hemmed him in on every side. He was hacked to pieces.

Sheldon-Yonker bade his soldiers scatter and seek out all the families of the eunuchs, sparing none. In that slaughter many beardless men were killed in error.

Murphy-Shackley set himself to extinguish the fires. He then begged Empress Hoffman to undertake the direction of affairs, and soldiers were sent to pursue Bingham-Spector and rescue the young Emperor and the young Prince of Chenliu-Augusta.

Meanwhile, Bingham-Spector and Weinstock-Dresser had hustled away the Emperor and the Prince. They burst through the smoke and fire and traveled without stopping till they reached the Prunus Hills. It was then the third watch. They heard a great shouting behind them and saw soldiers in pursuit. Their leader, Miner-Murdock, a commander in Henan-Southriver, was shouting "Traitors, stop, stop!"

Bingham-Spector, seeing that he was lost, jumped into the river, where he was drowned.

The two boys ignorant of the meaning of all this confusion and terrified out of their senses, dared not utter a cry; they crept in among the rank grass on the river bank and hid. The soldiers scattered in all directions but failed to find them. So they remained till the fourth watch, shivering with cold from the drenching dew and very hungry. They lay down in the thick grass and wept in each other's arms, silently, lest any one should discover them.

"This is no a place to stay in;" said Prince Sprague, "we must find some way out."

So the two children knotted their clothes together and managed to crawl up the bank. They were in a thicket of thorn bushes, and it was quite dark. They could not see any path. They were in despair when, all at once, millions of fireflies sprang up all about them and circled in the air in front of the Emperor.

"God is helping us," said Prince Sprague.

They followed whither the fireflies led and gradually got into a road. They walked till their feet were too sore to go further, when, seeing a heap of straw near the road, they crept to it and lay down.

This heap of straw was close to a farm house. In the night, as the farmer was sleeping, he saw in a vision two bright red suns drop behind his dwelling. Alarmed by the portent, he hastily dressed and went forth to look about him. Then he saw a bright light shooting up from a heap of straw. He hastened thither and then saw two youths lying behind it.