" PhilipofT," said I, turning to my Cossack, " you ask me where the English are. Well, the English are here."
At about two o'clock in the afternoon we started on our homeward march. On the way we picked up a flock of fine sheep, which we paid for. Soon after, when at a distance of about twelve versts from Ta-hoshan, we selected a number of cattle, but the Chinese owners refused, in what seemed to me to be an obstinate and exasperating manner, to let us have them. We said that we would pay for them, but they said they did not want to take money. They would not sell their cattle; they wanted them back instantly. That was all. Amid the hubbub caused by this unexpected obstinacy, an incident that took place at the front escaped attention. A Cossack soon dashed in, however, at full speed to report it. One of the two men who always ride at some distance in front of the vanguard had been shot by a Hunghuze. Immediately, the cattle were relinquished and the sheep also, and we all started forward at the gallop.
" The Hunghuze! The Hunghuze! " was the word hat ran down along the line.
We seemed to think that it was merely a matter of
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riding into a group of indifferently-armed robbers and slashing them to pieces, and were consequently as full of innocent glee as children who have been just released from school. Not one of us seemed to foresee at this moment the dreariness and the horror of the night which followed. We soon passed a poor Cossack lying on the ground with a broken arm. The "feldsher " was giving him first aid; his horse was standing beside him, and some of his comrades were helping him.
There was a village close by, and in front of it two parties of Cossacks dismounted and prepared to fire. In another instant the unfortunate hamlet would have been raked with bullets — for we did not know but that it might be filled with Hunghuze — but luckily our leader changed his mind and ordered his men only to advance and search the houses. Each party that advanced was headed by an officer, sword in hand; and the search which they made was remarkably thorough.
I accompanied the Cossacks into the village and was struck by the contrast between the set faces and resolute demeanour of the soldiers and the stupid countenances of the Chinese, who seemed unable to realise the danger in which they stood, and who kept feebly wailing in chorus "Hunghuze mayo.... Hunghuze mayo.... Hunghuze dalyoko dalyoko." (" There are no robbers here. There are no robbers here. They are far away.")
One old man who was driving a little donkey which was attached to a big cylindrical stone under which corn was being ground, told us this over his shoulder and continued at his work. He did not seem to know how near he was to death.
While this search was going on, and while other parties of Cossacks were scouring the neighbourhood in all directions, the robber had met his doom. One of our vanguard had noticed him a few versts further on, riding in the plain, a most suspicious-looking object, mounted on a Chinese pony and armed with a rifle, and had charged down on him at once. The robber made no attempt to escape. Reining in his pony and unslinging his rifle, he calmly awaited the on-coming horseman, and, taking deliberate aim, had shot him at close quarters in the stomach. But the wound, though it finally proved mortal, failed to stop the career of the Russian, who had just time to give the Hunghuze a sword-cut that severed his jugular vein. Then the Cossack fell from the saddle that he never sat in again.
Before dying, the u razboyneek" made some remarkable statements. He said that he was one of Tulensan's men (Tulensan was the most formidable robber chieftain in Manchuria), and that there were a Japanese general (!)and ten Japanese officers among the Hunghuze all of whom were now paid by the Japanese. What interested us more was his statement that, in the village which we had occupied the previous night, there was a band of his brethren, a thousand strong, anxiously awaiting us, and that he was one of their scouts. A letter was found on his body and afterwards translated. It was addressed to his " fifth brother," also apparently in the Hunghuze business, but contained little of interest, being full of the obscure allusions to domestic details and pre-arranged plans which — with abrupt gaps between — are to be found in the letters of the uneducated all over the world.
In this letter he also asked his brother to buy rifles and ammunition for the band, these, as well as money, being scarce.