They'll be in the camp […] before the Wet's out, mark my words.

Ten years later two Belgian fathers were assigned to live in Sinkiang. They went out from Belgium through Russia, and there is an interesting note on their first contact with their Sinkiang flock. This was at Kuldja, just within the border. There were Russian Orthodox priests here who had repeatedly offered to minister to the Catholics in the intervals between visits of the Roman priests from Kansu.

Determined to learn from Bouch's mistakes, they conducted a through [sic] survey of the riverbed. Having learned what they needed to know, they submitted plans for a new double-track bridge by the end of 1880.

Both Malcolm and King were firebrands. And both were disciplined organisers of people. Malcolm was able to channel the anger of a crowd into action, but then to ensure they did not descend into violence.