174 SHOOTING IN CHINA 



Yamen, the name for the official residence. 

 We had been sitting in a room for a few 

 moments when a very pleasant young 

 Chinese entered and said that the magis- 

 trate would be in very soon. During the 

 interval we had some conversation with the 

 young gentleman and noticed that he spoke 

 English plainly. I inquired where he 

 learned to speak the English language, and 

 he answered that he had been taught by 

 Dr. Gilbert Reid at Peking. I then told 

 him that we all knew Dr. Reid, and he 

 expressed pleasure in meeting us and said 

 that the magistrate was his father and he 

 knew would be glad to convenience us in 

 every way he could. Soon the magistrate 

 came in, a fine looking specimen of the 

 Manchu gentleman, and he made us feel at 

 perfect ease. After the situation had been 

 explained, he promptly replied that we 

 should have a new crew and that he would 

 have those who had deserted arrested. 

 I thereupon said that we were shooting for 

 pleasure and did not wish to cause trouble 

 or to be troubled, and that if he would have 

 us provided with a competent crew we did 

 not care to see again the fellows who had 

 deserted. After drinking tea and eating 



