Evening star., 1898-11-18

Taku to Fien-Tsin without escort of any
kind. En- route they had to pass Chinese
regiment on the march. Mr.. Detring, who
was behind, saw solder-encouraged by
his officers and comrades demeanor-delib-
erately stab his friends pony in the but
took with his bayonet, the whole regiment
being convulsed when the animal plunged
nearly unseated his rider, and boted. Mr.
Detring at once rode at the man, cut him
ovec the head with his riding whip, picked
out the commanding officer, and harangued
him so vigorously on the thrashing which,
unless an apology were forthcoming, he
would forthwith intiiet on him, and on the
certain loss of his head when the matter
came to be reported to the Niceroy Ii. that
the officer descended from his horse and
knocked his head nine times in the dust be-
fore his soldiers. And Mr.. Detr!nS, miles
from any possible assistance rode unharm-
ed on his way.
With the exceRtioniof cases where organ
lied bodies are concerned-such as reSi-
ment, fire brigade, or gang of ccoltes-no
help is, rule rendered by the bystand-
ers to a compatEot who has risked a maui
vaise plaisanterie on a foreigner. and who
is in return receiving A lesson in comitas
inter gentes Much AS his wit and audacity
were relished, not a finger is lifted to help
him.
One can even disafn a hostile mob by
managing to turn the laugh against the
ringleader Remarks as to his personal ap-
pearance are often very useful. A friend
of mine once saved the situation by point
ing hilariously to a bald-headed man at the
head of an angry crowd, and exclaiming:
Where oh, where, did this shining light
spring from? Is it perchance some planet
that has left its starry bed to condescend
to light us?''
A curious case happened to myself. One
winters evening a crowd lettering on the
banks of the moat outside the Pekin walls
hooted and yelled I rode past on a very
hard pulling pony-in the benign hone or
making him bolt | pulled up with difficult
ty, and turned his energy in their direction.
One man, dressed in silks and Sat1nS. had
his mouth still open, but the yell dled en-
his lips when he saw that he was singled
out. In the most absurd panic, for mad
nothing in my hand he ran down the slip
perry bank. out on to the thin Ice, winch
promptly gave way. letting htm IN up to the
waist. asked him why he had run into
such cold water Gn China everything is by
contraries), and left the crowd 1eettns at
him he woefully emerged.
But one must make sure of having got
the right man. Two friends of mine were
travelling one winter-a shooting trip. L
think-in the wild country north of Pekin.
Tired. cold and hungry, they round a r0ugh
inn at night and proceeded to the mud
floo-ed, paper-windOwed guest room as
signed to them in the place Of honor 1T the
bottom of the court yard. But they. being
the first, or among the first foreigners to
visit the out-of-the-way town they hao
reached the bulk of the inhabitants IN
vaded the inn to have a look at them, pour
ed like the tide into their room, and when
driven out stood outside and Doked tnelr
fingers through the windows through "n.ch
"paepholes'' rushed in night air at some
thing considerably below zero. After sew
erai appeals to their feelings, my friends
lost patience, and, making sally, captured
q man left stupidly standing in the yard
when the wave retired. He was taken into
the room and asked what he meant by it
AS he obstlna tely refused to answer they
laid him down and administered nan a
dozen with a cleaning rod. At this point
the landlord came in. and when he saw who
was the captive. laughed til! he cried.
Why" he said, that's our village idiot:
and he's deaf and dumb.