The Revolutionist Occupation of La-chi-mi 215 
the main road, their object presumably being to converge 
simultaneously on Wei-hsi, and thence marching northwards 
to Batang, to join hands with the Ssu-chuan revolutionists. 
From time to time small patrols of three or four men 
hurried out of the village, talking and laughing, most of 
them going eastwards in the direction of Tali. 
As there seemed no immediate prospect of getting away 
unless I stirred things up in person, I repaired once more 
to the yamen and was again cordially received by the much- 
harassed official, who looked even more apprehensive than 
on the previous day. The new arrivals, seated at breakfast 
in the courtyard, their pack animals standing by, eyed me 
curiously, but said nothing. As before, armed soldiers stood 
about in groups chatting, strolled casually into the room to 
join in the conversation, and made themselves very much 
at home ; the yamen was at their mercy, the official virtually 
a prisoner. 
The unfortunate man said that all his soldiers had 
deserted and hence he could not possibly make arrange- 
ments for me, or find men to go till the morrow, but that if 
I would only be patient and wait one more day, I should 
certainly be able to start next morning; so hard did he 
beg me to stay that I began to think he felt a certain 
amount of security in the presence of an Englishman, who 
might at least be relied on to see fair play. But as a matter 
of fact the official had little to fear, and in any case I could 
have done nothing to help him, being helpless myself. 
Procrastination is the thief of time however, and I in- 
sisted on starting at once with two porters, for, as I tried to 
explain, should my mules reach T‘eng-yueh in advance, it 
was quite possible that since they had farther to go the 
Europeans there might fear some accident had befallen me. 
Returning to the inn I found many of the soldiers 
standing about in the street, chaffing with the inhabitants, 
buying oranges from the children, and drinking tea at the 
tea-shops. They seemed to be plentifully supplied with 
money and paid for everything they bought, which was all 
these village people cared about. They became interested 
in my shot-gun, and requested me to show them how it 
worked, whereupon we fell to chatting. 
At last my porters appeared, and shortly before mid-day 
