264 THE LAST OF CHINA 



accomplish the journey in this time. On February 8th 

 we left Ti-hua, and in the next seven days travelled 

 700 fi, arriving at Shi-hu on February 15th. At 

 first the country was semi-wooded in character, not 

 unlike England, though the trees thinned out after 

 a time. The snow was sufficiently deep to delay 

 us in several places, particularly as we were 

 following in the tracks of the Imperialist army. 

 At one small town we came up with about four 

 hundred troops, infantry and cavalry. They were 

 faring better than the first detachments, who had 

 been despatched without proper clothing, in con- 

 sequence of which many were so badly frostbitten 

 about the legs that they died. At Manas, which 

 seemed to be in a state of great unrest, judging by 

 the crowd of evil-looking idlers who watched our 

 arrival, we crossed the river, making ourselves 

 somewhat unpopular with the army while so doing. 

 Strings of carts and waggons were drawn up on 

 the bank, and it was only by exercising a good 

 deal of "push" that we managed to force our 

 carts to the front. Many of the ammunition 

 waggons were over their axles in the frozen ice, 

 and, judging by the confusion and shouting, it 

 would be some time before they were extricated. 

 Shortly afterwards we saw a wolf standing about 

 150 yards from the road. A number of soldiers in 

 a passing cart also noticed him, and one gallant lad, 

 fixing his bayonet, started in pursuit. The wolf, 

 however, thought discretion the better part of 

 valour, and decamped. At Shi-hu we heard that 

 there had been a fight a few days before. Hundreds 

 were said to have been killed and wounded, though 

 victory eventually rested with the Loyalists, who 



