Back to Burma 249 
it is almost inconceivable that an entire village would 
exhibit sufficient public spirit to espouse the cause of the 
victims in a campaign of retaliation against all Europeans 
upon all future occasions. It is a provincialism for which 
I have never been able to account satisfactorily, so I simply 
ascribe the phenomenon to local peculiarities of tempera- 
ment; and there is no doubt that this malady is prevalent 
at Kan-ngai in a conspicuously virulent form. 
Scorning to wander from inn to inn seeking lodgings for 
myself and pony, I shook the dust of the wretched place 
from my feet, and went on some six or eight miles to a little 
Shan village, screened behind groves of bamboo. It was 
just dark when I turned aside from the high road. 
Crossing the ditch we squeezed through the narrow 
gateway in the mud wall and I at once found myself 
amongst bamboo huts thatched with straw. Near at hand 
a gate stood temptingly open, and entering the compound 
I called out to the occupants of the hut, where a light 
burned brightly. The Shan who appeared in answer to 
my summons—a prematurely aged and skinny figure much 
disfigured about the mouth from chewing betel nut—happily 
had at his command at least a smattering of Chinese, but 
though willing, he had no accommodation to offer me and 
I persuaded him accordingly to guide me elsewhere. This 
he did, and though his friends at first refused to open the 
gate, even at his recommendation—at least I supposed he 
was recommending me to their care as a harmless and 
possibly remunerative guest, in spite of the bellicose atti- 
tude of two dogs—the actual production of an Indian rupee 
acted like magic; a few more words were exchanged, and 
two men came out to the wicket, which was immediately 
opened. Within five minutes, Beauty’s wants having been 
attended to in the meantime, I was sitting in the hut sur- 
rounded by half-a-dozen friendly people, while a pretty 
Shan girl set about preparing me a meal of rice, eggs, and 
vegetables. 
I had also a small flitch of bacon which I had forcibly 
annexed at lunch time, owing to the sordid behaviour of an 
old woman, who having stated the price of my modest 
repast and received an Indian rupee by way of payment, 
thereupon outrageously violated the rate of exchange. 
