As we took good vantage points in the darkness for listening and making observations, we remarked two extraordinary things in our immediate neighborhood.
Another invisible guest was present with us at the Chinese gathering.
He lay on the ground with his head in a hole dug by the dogs under the fence.

He was perfectly still and evidently had not heard our advance.
Nearby in a ditch lay a white horse with his nose muzzled and a little further away stood another saddled horse tied to a fence.
In the courtyard there was a great hubbub.

About two thousand men were shouting, arguing and flourishing their arms about in wild gesticulations.

Nearly all were armed with rifles, revolvers, swords and axes.

In among the crowd circulated the gamins, constantly talking, handing out papers, explaining and assuring.