t have come from a
lost spirit breathed his last.

And now the battle became a mighty one indeed. Arrows shot from
invisible bows flew quicker than flashes of light against this single
mighty fighter, but they glanced off a magic shield which fairy arts
had interposed in front of him. Weapons such as mortal hands had never
wielded in any of the great battles of the world were now brought into
play; but never for a moment did Monkey lose his head. With marvellous
intrepidity he warded them off, and striking back with one tremendous
lunge, he laid another of the demons dead at his feet.

Dismay began to raise the coward in the minds of those who were left,
and losing heart they turned to those subtle and cunning devices that
had never before failed in their attacks on mankind. Their great
endeavour now was to inveigle Monkey into a position where certain
destruction would be sure to follow. Three-pronged spears were hurled
against him with deadly precision, and had he not at that precise
moment leaped high into the air no power on earth could have saved him.

It was at this tremendous crisis in the fight that Monkey won his
greatest success. Leaping lightly to the ground whilst the backs of
his foes were still turned towards him, he was able with the
double-edged sword which he held in each of his hands to despatch three
more of his enemies. The last remaining foe was so utterly cowed when
he beheld his comrades lying dead upon the road that he took to flight,
and soon all that was to be seen of him was a black speck slowly
vanishing on the distant horizon.

Thus ended the great battle in which Monkey secured such a signal
victory over the wild demons of the frozen North, and Sam-Chaong drew
near to gaze upon the mangled bodies of the fierce spirits who but a
moment ago were fighting so desperately for their very lives.

Now, Sam-Chaong was a man who naturally had the tenderest heart for
every living thing; and so, as he looked, a cloud of sadness spread
over his countenance and he sighed as he thought of the destruction of
life which he had just witnessed. It was true that the demons had come
with the one settled purpose of killing him, and there was no reason
therefore why he should regret their death. But life to him was always
precious, no matter in what form it might be enshrined. Life was the
special gift of Heaven, and could not be wilfully destroyed without
committing a crime against the gods.

So