In any case, these mon took for themselves the high-sounding titles of the Society of the Preservation of Religion, and the Army for the Ejection of Robbers, with Lau as commander-in-chief, and with this, great weight attached to them they fu allied forth to conquer. swept down from the Lingsh mountains, taking every village before them' to. Liemchow city, and, before the Nationalist troops realtzed what was taking place, they had invested that city. By October, 26 they were having everything their, own way. Not content to hang on at Liemchow until they had forced the city to surrender, they divided their forces and on October 27, sent force to take Pakhoi. The city, only about 200 troops and was ance of the soldiers, and the whole city was thrown into the worst kind of a panic. Shop windows hastily wore thrown up and from noon on the 27th until 8 pin. there was utter confusion everywhere, for the town was full of the' wildest rumours. Women were running to and fro, talking at the top of their voices, rieshas and coolies were commandeered at any price to take doxas and valuables to places of safety, and it speaks well for the various missions and the and little for the Pol ment of the army and the agitators, that the former were in great mand as places in which to store valuables and as a refuge for women and children. If one never has been through a panic like this, there are some thrills awaiting.
The Nationalists also were busy, and soldiers and officers were run. ning here and there, with a look of great importance. When the local Consul asked the officer commanding the troops for protection Jor the foreign community, he gave every assurance that such should be given. The following day, however, he fled to the consulate for refuge, fearing the robbers would }win, and his men were left to fight it out without him, By 9 pin, the whole city was quiet as as a tomb, everybody being inside, with their doors shut and barred. On all the avenues of travel leading to the plain, outposts were established and one could hear, all night through, for few of us slept, the sharp business-Vike demand of these outposte:—"Who goes there?" and an immediate answer, No chances were taken. With all our scare, nothing happened and we were about to become ashamed of ourselves for becoming alarmed when the rumour flew over the town that the robbers were just above Kotak, a market town three miles northeast of Pakhoi, We observed the soldiers gotting into full pack and taking on additional fighting material and more men were being sent up to the front line which had been established about two miles out of the city, to the east, but still in sight from the roofs of the foreign houses on the ridge. After all, it looked as if the robbers were coming, and indeed they were.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.