222 RUMOURS OF WAR 



Shensi and Kansu. He merely laughed at the 

 order, which, in any case, seemed rather super- 

 fluous, as the revolutionists were already over the 

 border. He was also ordered to drill his men, 

 but, as he pithily remarked, " ISIy men can't drill. 

 They only know how to advance or retreat ; " a 

 concise summary of the movements of troops in 

 war from its earliest days ! 



Although we knew little of what was going on 

 in the great centres of Eastern and Northern China, 

 vibrations from the storm were felt in even the 

 westernmost extremities of the Empire. Some 

 threw an interesting sidelight on the difficulties 

 with which the provincial Manchu governors had 

 to cope. 



At Taochow was stationed a certain Colonel Li, 

 a man of great influence, who, on account of 

 favouritism and the suspicion with which he was 

 regarded by the Viceroy, had been kept in a very 

 subordinate position. In his extremity the latter 

 now asked Li to raise a troop of men, and come 

 to Lanchow in order to protect him. Li agreed 

 on the condition that he might raise four hundred 

 cavalry from Taochow itself, to be supplied with 

 modern arms from the arsenal at I^anchow. The 

 Viceroy agreed, Li raised his men, armed them 

 with the rifles which had been sent, and, being a 

 revolutionary at heart, refused to move, in spite 

 of repeated orders from Lanchow. 



On November 16th we said "Good-bye" to 

 all our friends at Choni with real regret. Lao- 

 Wei brought a parting present of eggs and milk, 

 and I felt quite a wrench at parting with him, for 

 we had had many a good day's hunting together. 



