The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-13

must obey their chiefs rise at the proper
moment, fight like heroes. and heaven
would be found on their side
WHOLESALE FENCING BOUT.
Absurd as this sort of stuff was. the ora
tor produced instant effect upon his hear
ers. From my hiding place I could see
them gradually drop into pastures. / can
not describe their attitudes, which. to a
pre5udiced Western mind, seemed grotesque
In the extreme. Voices rose in a low chant.
As the posturants warmed TO their work
the voices grew louder. IL was a sing-song
chant. with a few different notes, sounding
like the recitative at al opera. There was
much that was dramatic. BOTH in posture
and chant. Another score or more of Chi
nese arrived, the newcomers taking their
places in the now crowded little courtyard
without interruption. TIL inn attendant
brought out a board. on which rested a toll
erably good imitation of a European head,
made of what looked like mud and coarse
hair. The sight of this thing was greeted
with a shout Of frenzy. In a twinkling
swords hitherto invisible glistened in the
pale light. One after another these excited
yellow monsters dashed at the head. cut
ting 1t TO bits on the edge of their keen
swords.
Still the chant kept up. At one end Of
the courtyard a pair of swords rang out
as they crossed. One after another cou-
pies engaged in thu play of steel until the
whole scene became one of fencing, the
leader being the sole one in sight wno DID
not engage. over all the clash of steel
sounded the chant, two women and i man
-
time by beating together hollowed-out
blocks Of wood.
To my considerable amazement, at first,
I beheld Yang and Ming dancing through
the throng, although they were not armed.
This they did in order not to arouse sus-
picion. No one present appeared to give a
thought to the coffin lying at the side of
the yard. All that puzzled ne was
that the guns were not in evidence, for
/ had rather expected a drill in the manual
of arms. Yang informed me afterwards
that the Boxer does not drill with the rifle,
trusting to the gods to teach him what to
do with a gun in case one comes to his
hands.
After an hour or so the hubbub ceased.
Out of sight went the swords. On their
knees before their leader the Boxers re-
| peated the words of their oath. This done
the leader disappeared. By ones and twos
the Boxers melted away. Yang and Mins
lay in the courtyard pretending to sleep.
Just before daylight they picked up the cot
fin. just as 1 was beginning TO snore in a
manner most unbecoming a corpse-even a
curious one-and bore me out of the inn.
Two miles or so from the village, soon after
daylight, Yang released me from the box.
pointing the way to Picking.
That Boxer meeting, ceremony and drill
were held almost under the noses of the
allied troops. Yang, who turned up later
in the day to claim his reward, tells me
that there are thousands of villages in
China where similar meetings are held
nightly. Unless people here who are much
better informed than myself are making q
huge mistake, the Chinese will find them
selves, before spring, warmed up for a far
more obstinate fight than that of last sum-
mer. 1t is beyond a serious doubt that
there are more than a million Chinamer
seriously preparing for the new fray. Ev.
cry regiment of the allied troops leaving
China at present increases our weakness
before the oncoming yellow horde.
r. w. AYMAR.
1 TCOpyright, 1901