Out in the east, when top-dog, the Briton is bad, but the Russian much worse, as the Chinese are well aware. Sometimes I would ride out alone through villages in this neutral territory, and as I galloped towards the group of trees by the temple, I would see in the distance women, children, and men hurrying into their compounds and barring the gates. The village streets and the cultivated land surrounding the village would be deserted by the time I arrived. Not a living soul would be seen--only the black pigs routing in the mud, and the half-wild village dogs walking along the mud walls and barking loudly. If I rode straight through, and, after going a little way, looked back, I saw the people coming out and staring after me. If I pulled up on the lee side of one of their wretched mud dwellings, took out my pipe and filled it, then smoked, some bold man would put out his head and say, “Yingwa,” whereon a crowd of the inquisitive would gather rapidly and gaze at me wonderingly. There is no fear of the English; the Russians are beheld with terror by these simple villagers, who have lost much through their depredations. The first time I stayed in a Chinese inn up in this country I was surprised at the consideration shown to Englishmen. The innkeeper sent one of his men to conduct me to the place I wished to visit, and men with lanterns to bring me back safely. They fed me well, pressed me to take cocoa--the only English food he possessed--gave me cigars, provided me with a private room--a luxury in small country inns--arranged with a carter to convey me on the next stage of my journey, and absolutely refused to accept any payment. I was, he said, the first Englishman to visit his inn, and that was honour. His servants also refused to accept gratuities--for the same reason. That was north, a country possessing great agricultural wealth. The district is but a score miles from the Imperial cattle reserve, and the supply is so great as to appear illimitable. Naturally, the Russians have been drawing upon it for their increased needs. But they have lost ground in this territory, as they have where the Japanese have attacked them. Amongst my notes of February, I have: “Three hundred Cossacks from Liaoyang crossed the Liao plain, and rode to the mountains. They visited I-chow and Kuan-ning, then by way of Tung-na-ku and Hsiao-hei-shan went to Lao-ta-tsu, where a post is established.” This town was in the southern district much nearer established Chinese authority than is Hsinmintun. At the end of April the Cossacks had commenced to denude the country of cattle, going out in troops of fifty, each accompanied by a Chinese interpreter. Each troop considered it an unlucky day when a bullock apiece had not been captured. The Russians also requisitioned cattle from the Tartar generals, and if sufficient were not forthcoming, at once renewed their demand for all the Chinese troops in the Fengtien province to be disarmed.