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against the brigands as he had visited personally only the day before the scene of the latest murder and he was surprised to find, on personal examination, that the murdered person was one of the leaders of the brigands who had been shockingly chopped to pieces by his brothers in crime - The good Mandarin reasoned that if they were blood thirsty enough to kill one another, how eager they must be for my scalp, let alone those of my Chinese interpreter, photographer, maker of impressions of inscriptions, cook,{who equals even Reuben} and servant making a party of six fit to feast any band of  brigands - to say nothing of my gang of coolies - [[inserted, in pencil]] Reuben - Yondotega Colored Steward Cook &c &c for [[usual?]]. [[/inserted, in pencil]]. I assured him that our party were all fighting men and feared only the stone demons under the feet of those giants within the cave temples.  But he was serious, called together my six soldiers cautioned them to be brave and watchful, examined their rifles, cartridges and dirks and said he would send reinforcements.  With expressions of extreme regard he bid me good bye and left with his own guard of twenty or more soldiers - After he had gotten out of the field of danger in which I am working and living, he sent to my neighborhood one half of his personal guard to make several marches through the cliffs and to discharge their rifles frequently so that any brigands who may be in hiding will keep their hiding places knowing as they must, that the troops are here - Today additional troops have ^[[been]] on duty in this locality - and firing alarms having ^[[been]] popping all day.