Imperial Valley press., 1937-02-14
N. IN, NctlIcu,
and Whit Wellman


1 ATER. up north, we witnessed
- the death of a thousand
cuts" a torture unsuitable for de-
scription and the even more
popular death, where the bones
are broken one by one until the
victim can stand no more. In
Buddhist temple I made friends
with priest and got Spike to in
terpret an ancient Buddhist book
a volume well thumbed and
displaying detailed illustrations
for some of the fiendish tortures.
I don't say the church practiced
these things-but Buddhist had
written it.
We waited few weeks in Nam
king, hoping for things to begin.
The old Dowager Empress was a
shrewd woman, and daily we
heard official assurances at the
foreign legations that her impe-
rial government would protect all
foreigners. She sent out assur-
ances, and simultaneously sent
out runners and horsemen over
the country, doing things which
didn't sound like peace or protec-
tion.
Outside of Nanking, fighting
began in isolated spots. In the
streets we began to hear shouts of
"Sha! Shaw Kill! Kill" News
came that the Italians had shot a
few Boxers. A day later the box
ers murdered one of the Japanese
ministers. Legations sent out calls
for. reinforcements, but no one
knew which way they were COM
ing =. or if they would arrive at
all. Red turbans and sashes ap-
peared in Markings streets :.
the blood-red Boxer uniform.
Nanking, very obviously, wasn't
friendly place. Spike decided that
we'd better join some outfit or get
out. Civilians were in for bad
time.
Looking back has its ironic
comedy. When England took over
Hong Kong, the world applauded
and got busy slicing off pieces
of China for themselves. It was
Kipling's day, and empires were
building. spreading, stretching
eastward. Today. Japan annexes
Manchuria, and Europe and Amer
ica scream, mo, no. that's un-
fair!"
rHOSE Marking Boxers started
slowly, but were working into
a fine fury. So far they had con-
tented themselves with killing
Chinese Christian converts. Spike
and l explored the city amid
shouts of "Sha! Sha!-Kill! KILL"
but were unmolested as rule.
Compared with what came later,
before the walls of Peking, 1t was
a picnic. We were surrounded
once or twice, threatened by hys-
terical natives, and once they had
me down until Spike came plung-
ing into them, fists flying, uttering
great seafaring oaths +. good,
hearty British imprecations which
the Boxers (who were not more
than angry youths) evidently took
for heather mumbo jumbo, and
scattered before Spikes madness.
Its undignified =" Spike
grumbled, giving kick to one OF
the lingering attackers. They've
no respect for an Englishman any
more. Wen show 'em, son."
We'll get to Shanghai and
take a boat" he decided. "Tientsin
Is about 40 miles from Peking,
and around Peking troubles wait
ing" Spike talked of trouble like
most people talk about party.
That night we left Nanking IN
rickshas, feeling like plutocrats,
with money enough to buy the
souls of a dozen coolies. BY morn
Ing we pulled into Suchow, and
without pausing we kept on to-
ward Shanghai g. still by rick
shas, which by this time we prac-
tically owned. Ten miles out from
Suchow we ran into our first
A crowd of coolies seized our
boys, and we stopped short in the
middle of the mud road.
They were shouting, "Shd!
Shap They wanted money, or
anything else.
Now, what in the name Of
seven sacred saints and my dear
dead auntw Spike began, but it
did him no good. We were han
died roughly, searched thorough
ly. But Spike had taken the pre-
caution to place our remaining
wealth between our feet and
socks. Our pockets were emptied.
and we were dismissed.
But our ricksha boys refused to
bulge. They turned into mules,
and believed we were out of funds.
II the bandits hadn't found money
on us, how could we pay them I?
It was logical. And Spike would
not show them the color of his
gold, guessing quite rightly that