YANG-TZE RIVER 153 



they left singing. To have been afraid 

 would have proved serious, not to have been 

 just would have been wrong. If my friend 

 Dr. Wilcox should read this page he will 

 doubtless recall the incident here related, 

 as he will remember the miserable luck we 

 had during the entire trip. 



At another time, while shooting on the 

 large island below Chinkiang, I was made 

 to feel uncomfortable for a few moments. I 

 knew that I was in the territory and waters 

 of the Yangtze pirates but as usually 

 happens game is more abundant near such 

 places. It was a dark night and I was read- 

 ing when I felt the jar of a boat against 

 mine and immediately after two men jumped 

 on the front deck. As I looked up I saw 

 through the glass panel in the door that one 

 of them wore a sword. The scabbard dis- 

 tinctly gleamed through the glass, and my 

 servant boy who was near became nervous- 

 I was alone but neither of the men had seen 

 me, and I placed my eight bore fowling gun, 

 each barrel loaded with 2^ oz. of buck shot, 

 convenient, as I did not intend to be robbed 

 and carried off a captive by Chinese river 

 pirates. Soon one of the men stepped in 

 front of the glass panel and I saw that he 



