At this juncture, Wu Pei-fu issued a peremptory order to Col. Lao that the robber band was to be exterminated and the ladies delivered dead' or alive.'"' This energetic decision had its effect. An attack was organized and kept up for three days and two nights, the brigands being given no rest and scarcely having time to eat or drink, much less sleep. They were further handicapped by being unaccustomed to such a vigorous offensive. Whilst the attack was in progress the two ladies were constantly under fire and saw men. shot down all around them.
The climax was reached on the evening of October 27, when the troops began to close in on the brigands and panic ensued, it now being a case of every man for -himself. The ladies were dragged down the steep mountain side, sometimes by the hands. sometimes by the feet. Half way down, Miss Sharp fell, absolutely exhausted, and the brigand in charge of her left her where she Tay. She crept for shelter into cleft in a yock, upon which some of the soldiers stood to fire after the fleeing bandits. Miss Darroch was dragged! to the bottom into a ravine, and here the brigand chief threatened to shoot her if she would not get up and tolley him. Being too exhausted to move, she told Fan he could shoot her if he liked, but Fan ran away and left. her there. Another brigand then put the lady on his' horse, but only a few yards had been covered when the troops arrived on the scene and the bandit fled. Thus the two ladies were recovered and brought back into safety. What happened to the brigands is not known, That most of them ran away. to loot another day" is tolerably certain,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.