gods that when the
eyes of the lions shed blood, the flood which was to destroy the city
would be already madly rushing on its way.

On hearing this, these two butchers determined to play a practical
joke. Next day, in readiness for the coming of the old man, they
smeared the stone eyes with pigs' blood. No sooner had Chung's
messenger caught sight of this than, with terror in his eyes, he fled
along the streets to tell his master the dreadful news. By this time
everything had been prepared, and Chung was only waiting for the
appointed sign. The most valuable of his goods had already been packed
in some of the boats, and now his wife and son and household servants
all hurried down to the water's edge and embarked; and remembering the
injunction of the priest that there should be no delay, Chung at once
ordered the anchors to be raised, and the boatmen, as if for dear life,
made for the larger stream outside.

Hardly had the vessels begun to move when the sun, which had been
blazing in the sky, became clouded over. Soon a terrific storm of wind
tore with the force of a hurricane across the land. By-and-by great
drops of rain, the harbingers of the deluge which was to inundate the
country, fell in heavy splashes. Ere long it seemed as though the
great fountains in the heavens had burst out, for the floods came
pouring down in one incessant torrent. The sides of the mountains
became covered with ten thousand rills, which joined their forces lower
down, and developed into veritable cataracts, rushing with fearful and
noisy tumult to the plain below.

Before many hours had passed, the streams everywhere overflowed their
banks, and ran riot amongst the villages, and flowed like a sea against
the city. There was no resisting this watery foe, and before night
fell vast multitudes had been drowned in the seething floods from which
there was no escape.

Meanwhile, carried swiftly along by the swollen current, Chung's little
fleet sped safely down the stream, drawing further and further away
from the doomed city.

The river had risen many feet since they had started on their voyage,
and as they were passing by a high peak, which had been undermined by
the rush of waters hurling themselves against its base, the boats were
put into great danger by the whirl and commotion of the foam-flecked
river. Just as they escaped from being submerged, the party noticed a
small monkey struggling in the water, and at once picked