Lokiang is a hsien city about 30 miles from here. The soldiers of Major Ssu have been going to and fro supplying the troops with rice. A day or two ago a company of about 40 or 50 of them were on their way back from Lokiang with 20 odd mules laden with rice. On the road they fell in with brigands (so they themselves said) who re lieved them of the rice. They, therefore, justly indignant, went back to Lokiang and assessed the two richest men there at $30,000 compensation, as a "punish ment" to the hsien for not keeping brigands away. They then departed not back to their own people but off to some rival party, (General Liu presumably) the other side of Chongkiang. Lu Ts'ai is reported to be getting the worst of it, and his troops are correspondingly fickle.
I have another dollar story to tell. General Lu, perhaps not wishing to be outdone by the rank and file, has assessed the salt merchants at $80,000 in order to raise the needful funds. My informant tells me this will put many folk out of work. Result: more brigands.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.