The Chinese of these parts were simply bullied by the Russians into parting with everything they possessed, and their Chinese officials were dispossessed of the little authority which had been allowed to remain. The same harsh rule was applied in even greater force in the north, and the Tartar general at Kirin is supposed either to have died of broken heart, or to have committed suicide in order to avoid dishonour. Another note of mine of much later date shows a different state of affairs in this neutral territory. In August thirty Cossacks were seen near Hsiao, riding two on each pony; two miles behind a force of about three hundred bandits were in hot pursuit. To obtain further meat supplies the Russians purchased at Kulan Fair and Ha-lao, on the Mongolian frontier. In neutral territory they seldom paid for their supplies, merely gave a receipt for the beasts they took away, and sometimes tied that to the horns of the cattle driven into the Russian lines. The extent of the enormous traffic may be judged from the fact, that as many as a thousand head of cattle have been delivered in Mukden in one day from the Hsinmintun road alone. The villagers were powerless to protect their property, so bought the aid of the hill men, all of whom are more or less engaged in horse and cattle dealing. Hence after the raids, there were counter raids and border warfare. The hill men number between fifty and eighty thousand, and from them soldiers are recruited. Their leaders are all known to the Chinese government, at least by name; some have been and some still are in government service, acting as independent police for the protection of the frontier and for the purpose of preventing cattle raids. The conditions were bad before the war began; they have since grown increasingly worse. Russian outposts were attacked, and had to be abandoned, and with the exception of the road between Hsinmintun and Mukden, which the Russians must keep open to get through supplies from China, it is doubtful if there are now any Russian soldiers stationed in neutral territory. The hill men grew bolder as the Japanese successes followed each other, and in the summer they agreed upon common action and scoured the country, driving the Russians before them and killing all whom they could capture. At first they had their own leaders, two of whom I met, but latterly they have been organized and commanded by Japanese, who wear Chinese dress, and have queues fastened inside their caps. The hill men are now an irregular force of raiders, quite free from Chinese control, and are being used to annoy the Russians, and where possible to break up the line, hinder railway communications, and hamper the Russians in getting through food supplies from Mongolia.