and city of the Empire, so that all who
were suffering wrong or injustice could have their causes righted at
the shrine of one who had shown such profound devotion and sympathy for
others in distress.

Such is the story of the God of the City.

Since he is regarded as the representative of the dread ruler of the
Land of Shadows, his temple has been erected very much in the same
style as the courts of the Mandarins. Its main entrance is large and
imposing, and the great gates suggest those of the yamen of some high
official.

Within these is an immense courtyard, paved with slabs of granite, and
on each side of this there are six life-size statues of the "runners,"
or policemen, of the god, who stand ready to carry out his decisions,
and to pursue and capture by invisible and mysterious processes those
whom he has condemned as guilty. The faces of these figures are
distorted by passion, and their attitudes are such as men might be
conceived to assume in apprehending some notorious criminal whom Yam-lo
had ordered to be seized.

At the end of this spacious courtyard is the shrine of the god, but he
is so hidden behind a yellow curtain that it is impossible to catch a
glimpse of his image. In front of him are statues of his two
secretaries, who, with huge pens in their hands, stand ready day and
night to take down the petitions and indictments laid before the god by
those who are in sorrow or who are suffering wrong.

One afternoon the peace of such a temple was suddenly disturbed by a
noisy clamour outside, and the sound of hurried footsteps as of a crowd
rushing through the main gates. Two men advanced with rapid, excited
strides straight past the demon policeman at the door, who seemed to
scowl with added ferocity as they gazed at the actors in a scene with
which they would have much to do by-and-by.

The two men were quite young, a little over twenty; and behind them
followed a string of idlers and loafers and street arabs, who seem to
spring up like magic when anything unusual happens. One of the young
men was slightly ahead of the crowd. His face was flushed and his
black eyes sparkled with excitement, whilst in his left hand he carried
a large white cock. He was the complainant, and his purpose in coming
to the temple was to appeal to the god to vindicate his honour.

He took his stand in front of the idol, and the secretaries, with pens
in their hands, seemed to put on a strained look of attention a