ld be in danger.
First the young Chinese stole forward with my friend following him like
a shadow, constantly reminding him that he would strangle him like a
mouse if he made one move to betray us. I fear the young guide did not
greatly enjoy the trip with my gigantic friend puffing all too loudly
with the unusual exertions. At last the fences of nagan hushun were in
sight and nothing between us and them save the open plain, where our
group would have been easily spotted; so that we decided to crawl up one
by one, save that the Chinese was retained in the society of my trusted
friend. Fortunately there were many heaps of frozen manure on the plain,
which we made use of as cover to lead us right up to our objective
point, the fence of the enclosures. In the shadow of this we slunk along
to the courtyard where the voices of the excited crowd beckoned us. As
we took good vantage points in the darkness for listening and making
observations, we remarked two extraordinary things in our immediate
neighborhood.

Another invisible guest was present with us at the Chinese gathering.
He lay on the ground with his head in a hole dug by the dogs under the
fence. He was perfectly still and evidently had not heard our advance.
Nearby in a ditch lay a white horse with his nose muzzled and a little
further away stood another saddled horse tied to a fence.

In the courtyard there was a great hubbub. About two thousand men
were shouting, arguing and flourishing their arms about in wild
gesticulations. Nearly all were armed with rifles, revolvers, swords
and axes. In among the crowd circulated the gamins, constantly
talking, handing out papers, explaining and assuring. Finally a big,
broad-shouldered Chinese mounted the well combing, waved his rifle about
over his head and opened a tirade in strong, sharp tones.

"He is assuring the people," said our interpreter, "that they must
do here what the Chinese have done in Kobdo and must secure from the
Commissioner the assurance of an order to his guard not to prevent the
carrying out of their plans. Also that the Chinese Commissioner
must demand from the Russians all their weapons. 'Then we shall take
vengeance on the Russians for their Blagoveschensk crime when they
drowned three thousand Chinese in 1900. You remain here while I go to
the Commissioner and talk with him.'"

He jumped down from the well and quickly made his way to the gate toward
the town. At once I saw the man who was lying