4 rumour was current that these rebels after defeating General Li had also defeated a French force of four hundred wid Paotingfu fearing them, had closed its gates. This rumour proved to be unfounded. The French to the number stated, viz., four hundred, had gone to General assistance, but up to present writing no further news has been heard from either them or Yuan Shih-kai's troops en route to the sane place. Should this combined force be defeated, and it is certainly a possible contingency, the rebels whose prestige is already considerable, will indeed be a source ut danger ~even to the capital.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.