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[[underlined]] Chapter XIV. [[/underlined]]        305.

     I discussed the situation with Mr. Tung, and we decided that he should ride to Ta T'ung and see the magistrate, returning if possible that night; while I remained at the village, to watch developments on the ground. Accordingly he rode off, about 9 a. m., on our best horse. 
     After Mr. Tung had left, I proceeded, with Kuang-lien, to examine further the temple where we lodged. It was a much-terraced structure of gray brick, with up-tilted roof corners, arched passages and flights of stone stairs in the thickness of the walls, and a  large rusty cast-iron bell with scalloped rim, made in the Ming period. This hung on a roofed platform [[strikethrough]] near [[/strikethrough]] ^[[close to]] the northeastern corner of the building, near its top, overlooking the valley beneath. As we stood beside it, we had a fine view. Remnants of the snow of the day before were still lying on the northern ([[underlined]] yin [[/underlined]] 陰) slopes of the treeless hills beyond the Chên-ch'uan Ho, and the pools in the river-bed were coated with ice. 
     We now mounted our horses and rode down to the river, which we forded, and then followed its farther bank to the point, nearly opposite the northern end of the Fang Shan, where the Great Wall crossed it. For I was anxious to see what provision had been made to keep out invaders who might follow the river down from the north. No such provision, however, was apparent, the earthen rampart ending abruptly, as though broken or washed away, on one bank and continuing on again from the other. Between them was simply a wide gap through which passed the river-bed, merely an expanse of sand and mud, now bare for the most part. I could only surmise that formerly, before deforestation and soil-erosion had done their work, there must have been a greater and more constant flow of water in the stream, sufficient in depth to check parties of raiders. But even ^[[s]]o, it would seem that in winter, when everything was frozen so^[[li]]d, the gap could easily have been forced. 
     The Great Wall hereabout, as through so much of its length, was of 

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