"No, I thank you," said Raiden; "I fell into some boiling tea, and I shall have to smart for it. Besides, you are stronger than ever to-night; I should get whipped." "The saki! the saki! if the quarrel is over," said the spectators. "Speak, Prince! In what fashion will you amuse us to-night?" "First let us drink," said the Prince. "This is scarcely a time for rejoicing. Sad news are spread through the castle; all hearts are uneasy, for civil war is at hand. The pranks which we have played are out of season now,--like the flowers and leaves when the first gales of winter blow." Saki was brought. Utter silence ensued; all eyes were fixed on the Prince. "I have come to talk to you, who have been my companions in pleasure," he continued. "You love fighting, you are brave, you are strong; will you be my comrades still, and fight under my command, against the enemies of Fide-Yori?" "To be sure we will!" cried several sailors. "But our wives and children; what will become of them?" "Who will feed them in our absence?" "You know very well that gold flows from my fingers like water from a fountain. I will not let you leave your trade and risk your lives without paying you handsomely. How much does a fisherman earn in a day?" "That depends; on bad days, when the sea is very rough, we don't make so much as an itzibou. Good hauls of the net sometimes bring in half a kobang." "Well! I will pay you half a kobang a day while the war lasts." "It's too much! it's too much!" was the general shout; "our blood is not worth so much." "I will not take back my words," said the Prince. "But consider," cried Raiden: "there are a great many of us; if you engage us all at that price, the sum total will be considerable." "I can count," said the Prince, smiling. "I want two hundred men: that makes one hundred kobangs a day, three thousand kobangs a month, thirty-six thousand a year." Raiden opened his eyes wide. "Where will you get so much money?" "You have no idea of the wealth of princes," said Nagato, astonished at this strange discussion. "I shall scarcely notice the outlay; so have no scruples." "Good! good! If that is so, we accept," exclaimed the sailors. "For that price you can have us cut into fifty pieces," said Raiden, who had not yet recovered from his surprise. "You will run great dangers," said the Prince; "you must be bold and loyal." "He who fights the sea has no fear of men," said a sailor; "we are accustomed to danger." "Listen!" said Nagato: "you will choose among your boats fifty of the best and strongest; you will make no change in their peaceful aspect; you need not remove your fishing-tackle; but hold them ready to put to sea at the first signal." "Agreed!" said Raiden. "I will provide you with arms," continued the Prince, "but you will carefully conceal them; you must look like fishermen, and not like soldiers."