'The Chinese coolies and soldiers in west China have a decided weakness, just when they are about to entire for the night, to set in order what is known as the "Dragon Gate Tactics": in other words, to put themselves quietly and' gently to sleep by a little friendly talk. A little over one week ago a number of Chinese soldiers strange to the border, when retiring for the night, were discussing the events of the day. "Got any cash" said soldier number one? "Not a brass cent," replied Soldier number two. "How, can you say that "asked—soldier} umber one," when you are carrying out so much silver to Yachow." "My dear fellow," answered number two, "to get hold of that silver Wwe must put the officer in charge out of business, Chinese houses, especially along] the frontier here, are built of two materials, namely, wood and_ tiles. In the course of time the roof is minus tiles and the boards plus racks. Someone, not necessarily next door, heard this friendly. conversation and reported it to the official, The four men were arrested next day and condemned shot, Through the friendly offices of someone oF perhaps fear of the ether soldiers, the four men were put in iron shackles and marched through the streets, escorted by 2 strong Tibetan guard. So tight were the shackles that the men are reported to have suffered considerably in trying to walk. On investigation it was finally disclosed that the men were merely having fendly chat entirely free from alice presence and had ditions whatever on the silver they were escorting out to Yachow. Their sentence: was therefore mitted to detention for several months. Telegraphic news "has now reached the city that the soldiers who escorted in the Chinese loth and escorted out the Chinese silver met with robbers and were unfortunately and cruelly robbed.
The Chinese merchants on the border here apparently reasoned this way 0 did the soldiers: if these soldiers could be trusted to bring cloth in surely they can be trusted to carry silver out; the argument of the soldiers was similar to the merchants. A little over one week ago, taking advantage of 500 ' soldiers returning to Yachow, the merchants: grasped the opportunity of getting' silver, opium, musk, wool and other commodities ' safely transferred to the outside world. A chance in a lifetime! an escort of soldiers! clear road to Yachow! no fe and no risk! A telegram announces that the expedition met with.
Tachienlu at the village of Red Mud.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.