国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

ial investigation in connection with the recent tragedy. The commission was headed by Mr YUAN CHENG-HONG, and consisted of seven or eight other persons. In the course of their investigations everything was carefully noted down; and when the report was ready it was read out aloud by Mr YUAN and afterwards signed by the two Europeans. Copies were sent to our committee and to the authorities in Lanchow and Ning-hsia.

Mr YUAN then paid a visit to the Torgut prince, after which he returned to Suchow in company with SÖDERBOM. The latter was to buy flour and at the same time procure a coffin for MA, as the latter's remains were to be sent to his home.

SÖDERBOM's ADVENTURE WITH ROBBERS

At this time a band of six robbers were encamped on the west side of the river at Mao-mu. When they crossed the Edsen-gol the Chinese despatched a force of sixty soldiers against them. The robbers then retired down the river. But the soldiers marched in triumphal procession through the street of Mao-mu, as if they were already returning from a great victory.

In a short time the robber-band came back and commenced plundering raids at the edge of the Mao-mu oasis. SÖDERBOM volunteered to take part in the pursuit of the band. An officer and twenty-nine policemen were placed at his disposal, and he was given charge of the party. They rode to the village Chi-ko-tung, where the robbers were said to have their quarters. Five li outside the village they dismounted from their horses and cautiously advanced. A scout reported that the robbers had posted a sentinel. The police-officer fired three shots. But just at this juncture reinforcements for the police arrived from Mao-mu, and thinking that it was the robbers who had fired they replied with hundreds of shots. However, the mistake was cleared up and the whole party entered the village, where they were told that the robbers had decamped three hours earlier . . .

They were already on their way to another village and SÖDERBOM undertook their pursuit. His party now consisted of eighty men, so he was able to surround the village.

The band had descended on a rich man's farm. SÖDERBOM rode up with five Chinese and opened fire at a distance of one hundred and fifty meters. His first shot hit a robber's horse, another of the robbers dismounted of his own accord, while a third was flung out of the saddle. They rushed helter-skelter to the river to cross to the other side. SÖDERBOM caught them up with a couple of men and shot one bandit through the nose. Three of them were captured. One threw down his rifle, flung himself to the ground, and pretended to be dead. A fifth ran towards the mountains, throwing off his clothes in order to be able to run the better; but he was nevertheless caught. The sixth, the one with his nose shot through,

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