A DASHING CHARGE. 223 another claimant They had on one occasion marched to and entered Tingchow, whence they issued by night, and with a rush took Sinlo, a city built hurriedly by the Choo general He with- drew and prepared to attack the Kitan, telling his men that " the day had come when they should repay the goodness of their sovereign/' He ordered them to throw away their bows and arrows, to take their sword and dash among the foe, thus to render useless the formidable arrows of the latter. He led the way himself on his horse, and the Kitan were cut up in a frightful manner, leaving half their men on the field. A similar defeat overtook them a few months after, when the few survivors were pursued by the villagers with white staves, as they fled northwards, and scarcely a man ever returned to his home. The survivors captured of the Kitan were sent to the "emperor by the victorious general with the desire to have them executed. But as there were many of the dite of the Kitan among them, he wisely detained them to act as a check upon the Kitan, first by the hope of receiving them back again, and secondly, by the fear of revenge upon these captives for any loss by the Kitan upon the Chinesa This effectually checked them for three years, during which repeated embassies were sent to the Chinese Court to have them liberated ; and a most serious and persistent effort was made in the third year of their captivity. The emperor, in deUberating with his ministers, mentioned the peace they had enjoyed ever since the capture of those men, and his fear that with their liberty would doubtless commence the same old scenea The commandant of Kichow gave a still more potent argument for their retention ; because they were now aware of the hollowness of the empire, and would not fail to muster all their forces on their return and overflood the laud, when a dire repentance would come too late. A few of the less important prisoners were permitted to accompany the messengers ; but as the Batan did not get what they wanted, they repeatedly ravaged the districts of Tunchow and Junwoo. Their raids were so frequent and sudden, that Yowchow men dared not go for fuel and fodder 10 li east of the city. The grain convoys were often
