![]() ![]() It was still dark and I could only see dimly, but they seemed to be swarming into the train. I was just going to open the door and go back, when Miss MacFadden grabbed me, dragged me into her stateroom, slammed the door, and said in a queer breathless whisper, ‘They are attacking the train and are just outside.’ I peeked out through the curtain and saw a crowd of people. Everything was quiet except for a (to me) queer crackling noise outside but no one was in sight. I got up, half asleep, put on a thin silk wrapper and bed-slippers, and without speaking to Mathilde, who was over my head, went into the corridor. I went to sleep almost immediately and was aroused by the train stopping with a jerk. dinner party the night before and we were awfully tired, so decided to go to bed early. When they finished, the man who won jammed a big wad of bills into his pocket and strolled out of the car, jingling silver in both hands. They were in their shirt sleeves and the table was piled with money. We had a very good dinner in an equally up-to-date dining car, and I amused myself watching - and criticizing, alas! - a party of young English and American men playing poker just in front of us. The car was much the most luxurious I have ever seen in the East, quite the last thing in modern sleepingcars, more like the Twentieth Century Limited than Chinese. With a good deal of bustle and rushing around, we finallysettled down in two compartments on the Peking-Pukow express - Mathilde and I in one and Miss MacFadden in the other. We had so much hand luggage with us, we were afraid of losing it on the ferry. We left Shanghai early Saturday morning, taking a Chinese guide with us as far as Nanking, where we changed for the Peking train. I think I shall begin at the beginning and try to tell you everything as it happened. Of course, for the rest of my life, when I am ‘ stalled ‘ conversationally, it will be a wonderful thing to fall back on: ‘Oh, I must tell you about the time I was captured by Chinese bandits.’ That remark, from a fat, domesticlooking old lady in a Worth gown, ought to wake up the dullest dinner party. ![]() 1923 MY DEAR SISTER,- I suppose if I am ever going to write you about our adventure I’d better begin at once, as I am getting to the place where I want to put the whole thing out of my mind, for a while at least. ![]()
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