COLLAPSE OF THE BOYS 221 



The boys sent in a deputation to say that, as 

 they knew we should bolt and leave all our be- 

 longings at the first sign of danger, they must 

 have horses, or they would not accompany us any 

 farther ! Ching-yii, however, refused to associate 

 himself with their views, and eventually accom- 

 panied us across the Gobi desert to Omsk. 

 Hsuie was in a dreadful state of nerves, and, in 

 a closely fitting black suit which he had donned 

 for the occasion (he was the spokesman of the 

 party), swollen eyes, red nose, and general air 

 of being \'ery sorry for himself, looked as though 

 he were preparing for his own funeral. George 

 informed a crestfallen quartette that our funds 

 would only last until we got to Lanchow-fu : 

 that he could not get them horses, and would 

 not if he could, and that if they deserted us now 

 their chances of getting home safely across a 

 robber-infested country were absolutely nil, a 

 peroration which reduced the ringleader to tears, 

 and stamping with rage, they descended to their 

 own quarters. The only apparent relief to their 

 feeling lay in abusing Ching-yii, but that solace 

 was very speedily denied them ! We stayed at 

 Choni for three days more. News filtered in but 

 slowly, and was very uncertain. The revolution- 

 ists were said to have executed two hundred men 

 at \Vuchang for looting, and a number at Sian-fu. 

 We did not, however, apprehend any danger from 

 the revolutionaries themselves, but from the crowd 

 of ruffians who infested the large cities and sur- 

 rounding country. 



The Prince was ordered by the \^iceroy to 

 provide 1,000 cavalry to guard the passes of 



