was the help of man, for the doctors could do nothing for him.
They then turned to the spirits and implored their help. In these
surely they would not be disappointed.

First of all they sent to a medium to ask what was the matter. She
told them that the sick man had lost a soul, and they would have to go
out and find it. A party of them, therefore, quickly set out, carrying
a measure of rice, which they strewed by the way to show the spirit the
direction home. At every step Everlasting Pearl frantically called
out, "My husband, come home, come home." Each time, when her cry
arose, the rest of the party answered with assurance, "He has come
home, he has come home." But when they returned, after their weary
tramp, the lost soul had not found its way home, and there was no
improvement in the condition of the patient.

A few days later, the mother decided that they would have to call in a
Taoist priest for a ceremony called _kan tong_, or "influence." In the
middle of the afternoon, when the spirits were supposed to have come
out of their hiding-places, the priest started his work. Three men
were beating the gong and drum most vigorously, while he himself took
three sticks of incense and worshipped the idol hanging before him.
Then he drew a tiger on two pieces of paper, put them down on the
ground, and called for the chosen medium. A relative of young Hsue,
with a red turban round his head, stepped forward, and took his stand
somewhat reluctantly on the tigers. He had seen other mediums return
with their bodily and mental health impaired, and he had no desire to
risk his own; but his duty and brotherly love bade him perform this
service for his young kinsman.

The priest now began chanting his formulas to the beating of the gong,
keeping his eyes steadfastly fixed on the medium, watching for the
latter to show signs of being mesmerized. After a time, when the
pupils of the eyes began to dilate, and when the man started jumping,
as the tigers were unable to keep his feet quiet any longer, the priest
asked, "Have you seen light?" The medium answered in the affirmative,
and off he dashed, whilst a number prepared to follow him. They were
horribly painted and armed with pitchforks. On and on they rushed,
calling for the soul. Anything more devilish can hardly be imagined.
Suddenly the medium stopped in one of the fields, and declared that
that was the place where the soul had been lost. Lighting their
ince