Commander Tien had an opportunity to negotiate the release of the two unfortunate ladies a few days after their capture in the neighbourhood of Chowchiakow. Ho felt so sure of his power to force the brigands to give up the ladies without terms that he would not enter into negotiations. In fact, he said that he had.no power to do ought but fight. Though the brigands—were practically without ammunition they were per-miltted to get away, and now in the hills they can make any terms they wish and hold the ladies till these demands are granted. It was these tactics that brought Lao Yang-ren his promotion to be the protector of the South-east district of the province, with his brigands at present honourable soldiers, after they had ravaged the adjacent districts with the utmost cruelty.
The military governor claims that the whole thing is one more of the plots of Fengtien and the Anfu clique to discredit him. This story has gained considerable evidence among those who seem best fitted to judge. If such is the case it has had considerable success thus far, for it is presumed that certain strictures' have already: come upon the devoted head of the tuli. He is really anxious to have these ladies freed, not only from his own sense of personal responsibility, but also from the fact that he has a kindly sense of the danger in which the ladies are and must be tillsthey are free.
At present both he and General Chin Yun Ngoh have - put the whole of their military force in the south-west district under command to the end of gaining the freedom of the ladies. However it is now the generally accepted opinion that only the plan that proved! successful with Lao Yangren will avail to free them:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.