I stopped and watched their faces.  Sure enough; the idea fair made them ache.  Each and every one of these men was spoiling for a fight.

“Now, tell me; how would ye like to become the emperor’s body-guard?” I did not have to wait long; the light that flared in their faces told me plainly.  “And—­how would ye like to have me for your emperor?”

At that their tongues were loosed, and I hindered them not.  They yelled for pure joy, and pressed about me like a pack of children.  I saw that the time was ripe for action.

“Up, then!” I roared, and, of course, led the way.  We met the emperor’s guard on the lower stairs; and from that point on we fair hacked our way through.

Well, no need to describe the fight.  For a time I thought we were gone; the guards had a cunningly devised labyrinth on the second floor, and attacked us from holes in a false ceiling, so that we suffered heavily at first.  But I saw what was amiss, and shouted to my men to clear away the timbers; and after that it was clear work.  I lost forty men before the guard was disposed of.  The emperor I finished myself; he dodged right spryly for a time, but at last I caught him and tossed him to the foot of the upper stairs.  And there he still lies for none of my men would touch him, nor would I. We covered him with quicklime and some earth.

As soon as we had taken care of those who were not too far gone, I called the men together and caused a round of spirits to be served.  Then we all feasted on the emperor’s store, and soon were feeling like ourselves.

“Men,” I said impressively, “I am proud of ye.  Never did an emperor have such a dangerous gang of bullies!”

At that they all grinned happily, and I added:  “And ’tis a fine staff of generals that ye’ll make!”

Need I say more?  Those men would have overturned the palace for me had I said the word.  As it was, they obeyed my next orders in such a spirit that success was assured from the first.

First, using the dead emperor’s name, I caused the various chiefs to be brought together at once to the court chamber.  At the same time I contrived, by means I need not go into here, to prevent any word of our action from getting abroad.  So, when the former staff faced me the next morning, they learned that they were to be executed.  I could trust not one; they were all friends of the old man.

With the chiefs out of the way, and my own men taking their commands, the whole army fell into my hands.  True, there were some insurrections here and there; but my men handled them with such speed and harshness that any further stubbornness turned to admiration.  By this time the fame of Strokor was spread throughout the empire.

And thus it came about that, within a week of the night that old Maka first put the idea into my head, Strokor, son of Strok, reigned throughout Vlamaland.  And, to make it complete, the army celebrated my accession by taking a pledge before Jon: