“Tu-sin has surely made his fortune,” thought he, “and he will not refuse to share it with me agreeably to our covenant.”

As he thus reflected he heard a voice at his elbow, and turning round perceived that one in a more wretched plight than himself was asking alms of him.  It was Tu-sin.

The brothers embraced with many tears, and after Tu-sin had learned Fu-su’s history, he proceeded to recount his own.

“I repaired,” said he, “to those who know the secret of the grains termed fire-dust, which Suen has not been able to prevent us from inventing, but of which Wu-chi has taken care that we shall make no use, save only for fireworks.  Having learned their mystery I deposited a certain portion of this fire-dust in hollow tubes which I had constructed of iron and brass, and upon it I further laid leaden balls of a size corresponding to the hollow of the tubes.  I then found that by applying a light to the fire-dust at one end of the tube I could send the ball out at the other with such force that it penetrated the cuirasses of three warriors at once.  I filled a barrel with the dust, and concealing it and the tubes under carpets which I laid upon the backs of oxen, I set out to the city of Constantinople.  I will not at present relate my adventures on the journey.  Suffice it that I arrived at last half dead from fatigue and hardship, and destitute of everything except my merchandise.  By bribing an officer with my carpets I was admitted to have speech with the Emperor.  I found him busily studying a problem in chess.

“I told him that I had discovered a secret which would make him the master of the world, and in particular would help him to drive away the Saracens, who threatened his empire with destruction.

“‘Thou must perceive,’ he said, ’that I cannot possibly attend to thee until I have solved this problem.  Yet, lest any should say that the Emperor neglects his duties, absorbed in idle amusement, I will refer thy invention to the chief armourers of my capital.  And he gave me a letter to the armourers, and returned to his problem.  And as I quitted the palace bearing the missive, I came upon a great procession.  Horsemen and running footmen, musicians, heralds, and banner-bearers surrounded a Chinaman who sat in the attitude of Fo under a golden umbrella upon a richly caparisoned elephant, his pigtail plaited with yellow roses.  And the musicians blew and clashed, and the standard-bearers waved their ensigns, and the heralds proclaimed, ’Thus shall it be done to the man whom the Emperor delights to honour.’  And unless I was very greatly mistaken, the face of the Chinaman was the face of our brother Wang-li.

“At another time I would have striven to find what this might mean, but my impatience was great, as also my need and hunger.  I sought the chief armourers, and with great trouble brought them all together to give me audience, I produced my tube and fire-dust, and sent my balls with ease through the best armour they could set before me.