The boats had left and the last group of soldiers were crossing in the ferry when they were fired on from the city wall. Tke Yunnan troops returned the fire and a few were killed on either side, but the fighting did not develop into real battle. However. the sound of shooting seemed to be a signal te the Kuangsi troops surrounding the city, and to the robber bands who were lurking nest, that the Yunnan troops had left, and forthwith they began to come in from every side. Men vith known leaders and men without them; some whose cotton badges told to which company they belonged, while the very appearance of others told as plainly as words could that they were "Green Forest" men and were in for getting al! they could while the opportunity lasted. There was no leader strong enough to take command of all the factions, so each body shifted for itself and prepared for business. At four o'clock in the afternoon small disturbances took place in various parts of the city, but nightfall brought a holocaust of lawlessness such as Liuchow has never experienced for many 2 day. Looting began on a large scale. All joined in the fray and every street was looted, business and residential sections alike. The main Can-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.