32 On the Li-ti-ping 
ment, and ran back to bring her husband. My fame had 
preceded me! 
The old man, who was half-blind, presently appeared, 
and taking me by the hand led me in, and so up a ladder to 
a large room, where in a few minutes he had a fire blazing ; 
meanwhile his wife brought up hot water, some eggs, and 
a quilt, while the son, a fine strapping young fellow, set out 
immediately for the city, a mile away, to inform the official 
of my safe return and rouse my men. 
How shall I describe the kindness with which those 
humble Lissus took me in and in the most hearty manner 
put everything they possessed at my disposal? However, 
I was too tired to eat, and bidding the old man give me 
one of the soft brown sugar bricks which the Chinese 
manufacture, I sliced off some parings and ate them; but 
the sweet matter burned my tongue, and for a day or two 
it was so badly furred that it pained me to eat anything. 
My one desire now was to sleep, and the old man him- 
self having taken off my boots and puttees—the only things 
I did take off—I wrapped myself in the quilt and lying 
down on the hard boards beside the fire soon fell into a 
deep dreamless slumber. 
About nine o'clock I awoke suddenly to find the room 
full of light and noise. However it was only Kin and 
Sung who had arrived from camp with food and blankets 
for me, but I was too weary to move, and bidding them 
put out the torches after covering me up with extra 
blankets, I turned over on my hard bed and immediately 
fell fast asleep again. 
On the following morning I awoke early, and after a 
hearty breakfast rode out to where the men had pitched 
the tents, on the edge of some rice fields just outside but 
overlooking the city. It was a glorious morning, delight- 
fully warm, and I felt in the best of spirits. 
My Lissu friends at first refused to take anything for 
their hospitality, but later I sent them a present of money 
which they gratefully accepted; and during the day, as I 
had anticipated, there arrived back several soldiers who 
had been sent out by the official to look for me—a kindly 
act of grace on his part. The soldiers told me that they 
had followed my tracks to the end of the path, and had 
