"
"And the bowmen?" suggested Ling, with difficulty restraining an
undignified emotion.
"Really, the elegant Ling will discover them to be persons of
deficient manners, and quite unworthy of occupying his well-bred
conversation," replied the Chief. "As regards their methods--if the
renowned Ling insists--they fight by means of their bows, with which
they discharge arrows at the foemen, they themselves hiding behind
trees and rocks. Should the enemy be undisconcerted by the cloud of
arrows, and advance, the bowmen are instructed to make a last
endeavour to frighten them back by uttering loud shouts and feigning
the voices of savage beasts of the forest and deadly snakes."
"And beyond that?" inquired Ling.
"Beyond that there are no instructions," replied the Chief. "The
bowmen would then naturally take to flight, or, if such a course
became impossible, run to meet the enemy, protesting that they were
convinced of the justice of their cause, and were determined to fight
on their side in the future."
"Would it not be of advantage to arm them with cutting weapons also?"
inquired Ling; "so that when all their arrows were discharged they
would still be able to take part in the fight, and not be lost to us?"
"They would not be lost to us, of course," replied the Chief, "as we
would still be with them.
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