Abuses did not wait to creep in but ran in full-grown and we had the spectacle of the dungsih acting with despotic power. If " thief was caught and brought before him, the dungsih very promptly had him beheaded; and if ever accused of over-reaching his authority, he could plead that he acted in the public interest. Nor was the dungsil much of an evil as he was a necessary' part of the government machinery. He stoutly held that as he was neglected by the civil authorities and only sought after by the military when they were in need of supplies, he had to take care of his villages alone.
Many of these patriarchs were nown to the writer as men of great courage and real integrity. They loved their estates, accepted their responsibilities and fought grimfy to maintain them against the ever rising tide of banditry. Many thrilling tales could be told of their battles with robbers, some-tinies with victory on their side but often meeting defeat which ended in 4 general massacre of an entire village. Bitter enmity were aroused and now their day of reckoning has come. For with the passing of the militarists with whom they were allied, their power has suddenly crumbled. The first great task of the Dang Bu has beer make a clean sweep of the dung-sih and all for which he stood.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.