CHAPTER XIV 



THE GREAT RAM OF THE SHANSI MOUNTAINS 



Away up in northern China, just south of the Mon- 

 golian frontier, is a range of mountains inhabited by 

 bands of wild sheep. They are wonderful animals, 

 these sheep, with horns like battering-rams. But the 

 mountains are also populated by brigands and the two 

 do not form an agreeable combination from the sports- 

 man's standpoint. 



In reality they are perfectly nice, well-behaved brig- 

 ands, but occasionally they forget their manners and 

 swoop down upon the caravan road less than a dozen 

 miles away. This is done only when scouts bring word 

 that cargo valuable enough to make it worth while is 

 about to pass. Each time the brigands make a foray 

 a return raid by Chinese soldiers can be expected. Oc- 

 casionally these are real, "honest-to-goodness" fights, 

 and blood may flow on both sides, but the battle some- 

 times takes a different form. 



With bugles blowing, the soldiers march out to the 

 hills. Through "middle men" the battle ground has 

 been agreed upon, and a "David" is chosen from the 

 soldiers to meet the "Goliath" of the brigands. But 

 David is particularly careful to leave his gun behind, 

 and to have his "sling" well stuffed with rifle shells. 



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