approach so close as this to
the frontiers of the Empire. This present audacity of theirs, and more
especially the known violence of character of the Long Hairs, contributed
to throw the whole town into utter dismay and confusion. Upon hearing of
their loss the Long Hairs had tumultuously rushed to the Chinese
tribunal, and, their long sabres in their hands, lightning in their eyes,
and thunder in their mouths, had demanded justice and vengeance. The
terrified Mandarin instantly despatched 200 soldiers in pursuit of the
robbers. But the Long Hairs, seeing that these foot soldiers could never
overtake the brigands, who were well mounted, threw themselves into their
saddles, and dashed off in search of the thieves. They returned next day
with no other result attained than that their fury was redoubled.
Altogether destitute of foresight, these half-savages had gone off
without any provisions whatever, never thinking that, in the desert, they
would find nothing to eat. Accordingly, after a day's forced march,
hunger had compelled them to return. Not so the Chinese soldiers. These
worthies, knowing much better what they were about, had provided
themselves for their warlike expedition with infinite asses and oxen
laden with apparatus for the kitchen, and with ammunition for the mouth.
As they felt no sort of desire to go and fight for 2000 cattle that did
not belong to them, after a very brief military progress they halted on
the bank of a river, where they spent several days, eating, drinking, and
amusing themselves, and giving no more heed to the brigands than though
there had never been such personages in the world. When they had
consumed all their provisions they returned quietly to Tang-Keou-Eul, and
declared to the Mandarin that they had scoured the desert without being
able to come up with the robbers; that once, indeed, these had seemed
within their grasp, but that, availing themselves of their magic powers,
they had vanished. At Tang-Keou-Eul everybody is persuaded that the
brigands are all more or less sorcerers, and that in order to render
themselves invisible, all they have to do is to exhale in a particular
manner, or to throw some sheep's treddles behind them. It is probably
the Chinese soldiers who have brought these fables into vogue; at all
events they certainly make excellent use of them in all their
expeditions. The Mandarins, doubtless, are not their dupes; but provided
the victims of the robbers