by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XI
THE FIGHT AT TIENTSIN
Rex crossed the river with Ah Lo, and made his way to Mr. Bateman?s,He was received with delight, and both father and mother showeredquestions upon him as to the state of things in Pekin.
“There has been a lot of miscellaneous fighting,” he said, “but theChinese have not made many determined assaults, and in all cases havebeen readily beaten off. The attacks are slackening off now, I thinkthe Chinese are getting pretty sick of it. When I left the garrison thegirls were quite well. They are working as assistants to the lady whoundertakes the cooking for the hospitals, and they therefore get, Ithink, rather better food than most people. At any rate they look verywell, and I do think that the siege has been good for them, for theyhave not had time to mope over the death of their father and mother, asthey would have done had I brought them down here. When it is all over,that horrible business will seem to them an age back. Indeed it seemsso to me already. I can hardly believe that it is not much more thanthree weeks since I got them out.
“Now, Father, how have you been getting on here?”
“Well, the fighting only began two days ago, but it has been pretty hotsince then. Everyone who can carry a gun has been taking part in thedefence. We have barricaded the ends of all the streets, but I don?tthink we could have held out long if it hadn?t been for the Russians,who came up after Seymour left. By the way, what is the news of him?We expected to hear ten days ago of his arrival at Pekin.”
“He never got up there, Father. I told you that I thought he wouldn?t.When they started they only took with them provisions for six days,and as the railway was everywhere pulled up, they had difficulty intaking even that with them. I don?t know how far they got, but it wascertainly nowhere near Pekin. I believe they are now besieged at thearsenal, eight miles out. We heard heavy firing in that direction whenwe came along last night. Of course we had no idea then as to whatit was, but I have no doubt whatever now. I must go at once and tellwhoever is in command.”
“The Russian Colonel is at the head of affairs in virtue both ofseniority of rank, and of being in command of the strongest forcehere. I don?t think he knows English, but he speaks French. I will askThompson, who I know speaks that language fluently, to accompany me tohis house with you and act as interpreter. We expect some more troopsup to–morrow, and I have no doubt that, as soon as he has given ourassailants here a good thrashing, he will send out a relief party toSeymour.”
Mr. Thompson readily agreed to accompany them, and they proceededtogether to the house of Colonel Wogack, the senior officer inTientsin. When they sent in word that a messenger had arrived fromPekin they were at once admitted. The colonel had just finished dinner.He had with him Colonel Anisimoff and Lieutenant–Colonel Shirinsky. Rexhad changed his clothes before starting, and Mr. Thompson introducedhim to the general as a gentleman who had just made his way down fromPekin.
“What is the news, sir?” the colonel asked in French.
Rex related the state of affairs in the Legations.
“This is much better than we had hoped,” the colonel said warmly.“We have been in the greatest anxiety about the position, and severalrumours have reached us that the Legations had fallen. Are you thebearer of the message for me from the Ministers?”
“No, sir, I came down in disguise, and had I been seized and searched,any paper of that kind would have ensured my death. Sir ClaudeMacdonald, however, bade me give a full account of the position andof the fighting so far, and assure you that, although provisions werebeginning to run short, they could maintain themselves for some timeyet.”
“Have you heard anything, sir, about the relieving force?”
“I went up with them, but left them at Fantail and made my way intoPekin, bringing them the only news that they had received of thecolumn. But, sir, on my way down I heard heavy firing in the directionof the Hsi–Ku arsenal. The only explanation of this that occurs to meis that the arsenal has been captured by Admiral Seymour, and that heis besieged there.”
“Why do you not think that he may be besieging it?” the colonel saidsharply.
“Because, sir, they only had three days? provisions when I left them,and must have been in a state of starvation when they arrived at thearsenal. Admiral Seymour would therefore attack it for the sake of thestores it contained, and as he would no doubt lose heavily, he wouldnot be in a position to cut his way down here.”
“Very well reasoned, sir. As soon as we can spare a force fromhere, we will go out to relieve him. Now, will you kindly give me afull detailed account of the fighting at Pekin and the state of theresources there?”
“May I ask if you speak Chinese, Colonel?”
“Certainly. I have resided for some years in Pekin.”
“Then in that case, sir,” Rex said, “I shall tell you in thatlanguage, as the story is a long one, and it will be tedious totranslate it sentence by sentence.”
“It would certainly be more convenient,” the colonel said.
Rex then told the story at length. He was saved much time in explainingthe nature of the defences from the colonel?s knowledge of the ground.The Russian officer made several comments here and there.
“Why did they not hold the customs–house?” he asked. “It was a strongbuilding and but a short distance from the Fu.”
“Yes, sir, but I believe that it was considered that the force wasbarely sufficient to hold the Legation. Indeed, the occupation of theFu was to some extent an afterthought, and it was necessitated by thegreat number of the Christian Chinese who came in for shelter, and forwhom it was absolutely impossible to provide in the Legations. It wasfor the same reason that the Austrian, Italian, and Dutch Legations andthe Pekin Club were abandoned. A portion of the French Legation hasbeen destroyed, also part of the Fu.”
Then he related the incidents of each day?s fighting.
“Was our bank held as well as our Legation?” the Russian asked.
“Yes. The line of defence went round the back and side of your Legationand the Russian Bank to the Tartar wall. On the other side it did notreach the Tartar wall.”
The narration occupied more than an hour. At the end, Colonel Wogackthanked Rex very warmly for his information.
“It is all most valuable, and especially that part relating to AdmiralSeymour?s expedition. I hope we shall get some more messengers throughto Pekin, for it is clear that up to the time you left, the Chinesewere gradually gaining ground. They have abundance of artillery, andif they were to bring it into play they could breach the walls anddefences in half a dozen places in the course of twelve hours. Whatyou tell me of your visit to Prince Ching affords a certain amount ofhope, but there is never any depending on Chinamen. To–morrow the otherparty may get the upper hand again and fighting go on more earnestlythan ever. Matters here have become much more serious in the course ofthe past day or so. Until the Taku forts were taken the Chinese regulartroops held aloof from the Boxers, but now the Chinese regular troopshave joined the Boxers, and we are likely to have hot work of it.”
On their way home Rex told his father what the colonel had said.
“Yes,” he said. “In the opinion of a good many men the summons to thosefortresses to surrender was a mistake. Up till that time the affairmight have been considered as an insurrection; indeed, the Chinesetroops several times fought the Boxers, but the attack on the TakuForts was considered by the Chinese as a declaration of war on thepart of the Powers. I don?t say that there is not a great deal to besaid both ways. There was always the danger that the Chinese wouldunite against us, especially as the Empress openly upheld the Boxers.In that case it is certain that the available force on board the shipswould not have sufficed to fight their way up here, and consequentlyTientsin must have fallen, and Pekin also. It was therefore a mostdifficult question to decide. Our attack on the Taku Forts certainlyhad the effect of uniting the Chinese against us, but had that attacknot been made, or had it been delayed, we should probably have had allthe Chinese against us,
with an inadequate force to oppose them, andTientsin and Pekin would have been lost, and the life of every Europeanin them sacrificed.
“Come in, Mr. Thompson. We must get Rex to go over his narrative forour benefit. It need not be so full as that which he gave to thecolonel, in the first place because we don?t know the position of allthe Legations, so that details would be lost on us; in the next place,because it is getting late, and Rex has already had a long day of it.”
It was not, however, till past midnight that Rex finished and theyturned into bed. They were awakened an hour later by a series of loudexplosions, which told that the sailors were engaged in blowing upthe military college. In the morning Rex learned more of what hadtaken place. The Boxers had set fire to several places in the nativecity, and to the railway–station. They were beaten off, and a trainwas despatched to Tong–Ku, filled with women and children; the restwere ordered to take shelter in the Gordon Hall, the large municipalbuilding in the British section.
The next night the Boxers renewed the attack on the railway–station,but were again repulsed. On the following day they were joined by theChinese troops, and from that time all communication with the Taku wascut off. That day the Military College was taken.
An incessant fusillade was going on when Rex awoke somewhat late thenext morning. He dressed hastily and hurried downstairs.
“What is up, Father? Are they attacking us again?”
“They have occupied the college that we blew up last night, and are nowkeeping up a heavy fire from that shelter. When it gets dark we are allgoing to barricade the ends of the streets, as it would be impossiblefor us to move out of our houses during the day. The municipality havealready met this morning, and it has been decided that all goods in thestore–houses, with the exception of the valuable ones, shall be givenup for the purpose. Fortunately there is a great quantity of sacks ofwool and rice, both of which will do admirably for the purpose. Thegreater part of the volunteers are occupied in the houses at the end ofthe street, where they answer the fire of the enemy; but the Chinesenever show themselves. Did you notice the state of the river as youcrossed it last night?”
“No, Father.”
“It was just as well that you didn?t, my boy, for it is full ofcorpses. Some thousands of Chinese must have been massacred inthe native city, all of them no doubt people who are supposed tobe favourable to us—coolies employed here and their relations,shopkeepers who have supplied us with small necessaries, and perhapssome of the better class who have ventured opinions hostile to theBoxers. It is a horrible business, lad, and the troops are so furiousat the sight that they may give little quarter when the tables areturned and we take the town. That is the worst of a war in thiscountry; the Chinese never give quarter, and as a result little isgiven on our side. Our men may possibly be kept in hand, but I doubtwhether the Russians, or the Germans, or the French will be restrained.”
Rex at once put on his uniform, took his rifle, and joined the partywho, behind some hastily–thrown–up barricades, were trying to keepdown the Chinese fire. With that exception the day was comparativelyquiet. All the Europeans not engaged in combating the Chinese fire wereemployed with the sailors and marines in erecting barricades, while theRussians held the outposts.
The next morning the Chinese opened fire with two field–guns postedon the railway embankment opposite to the British section. CommanderBeattie, of the _Barfleur_, with three companies of sailors, wassent across the river to try to silence them; but the Chinese,sheltered behind the mud walls which intersected the ground in everydirection, poured in so heavy a fire that the attempt had to beabandoned, Commander Beattie and three of his officers being wounded.A nine–pounder gun was then brought up to the river bank front underthe command of Lieutenant Wright, of the _Orlando_. This opened fireupon the two Chinese guns, and maintained it so rapidly, and with suchexcellent aim, that the Chinese guns were withdrawn. Lieutenant Wright,however, was mortally wounded by a bursting shell.
Most of the Chinese guns were placed in the yamen fort, forty–five ofthem being in position there. There was also a battery of seven guns inthe canal, two miles from the railway–station, a couple of guns withina thousand yards of it, and another couple behind the ruins of theMilitary College. Besides these there were several sand–bag batteriesalong the bank of the river between the French settlements and thenative city, in the city wall, and in the arsenal. All these now openedfire, and from their different positions were able to cannonade thesettlements from every direction.
The din was incessant, and many of the houses speedily became ruins.Unfortunately the besieged had but a few guns to meet it, havingonly seven twelve–pounder Russian guns of an obsolete pattern, anew fifteen–pounder, a Maxim, and a Nordenfeldt, which had justarrived, but which was of little use, as there were very few rounds ofammunition to fit it.
For a week the position was grave in the extreme; the defending forcewas constantly engaged, and the enemy swarmed round them; but thoughthey made numerous demonstrations they never attempted anything like adetermined attack. In one attack the enemy set fire to the buildingsin fourteen places, burnt down the Roman Catholic cathedral and thegreater portion of the French station, and nearly succeeded incapturing the railway–station, which was held by the Russians.
Day by day the situation became more serious. There had beenno communication with the coast for nearly ten days; the enemydaily became more daring, and their attacks were repulsed withever–increasing difficulty. Then one of the volunteers, Mr. Watts,offered to ride through the Chinese lines by night. He knew thecountry well, and believed he could get through; but the service was adesperate one. The Russian general gave him two Cossacks as an escort.These might be of use if he fell in with a very small party of theenemy; but as he could not speak their language they could be of littleother service. His comrades gave him a hearty farewell when he left,never expecting to see him again. Nevertheless, almost by a miracle,he succeeded in getting through, and carrying news to the fleet thatthe position at Tientsin was becoming desperate, that they maintainedthemselves with the greatest difficulty, and that their ammunition wasfast giving out.
No time was lost; two thousand men—British, Americans, andRussians—bringing with them two Russian batteries, each of sixfifteen–pounder Krupps, were at once landed. The Russians werecommanded by General Stössel, the Americans by Major Waller, and thenaval brigade by Commander Craddock and Captain Mullins. The force alsoincluded four hundred Welsh Fusiliers under Major Morris, and a portionof the Chinese regiment from Wei–Hai–Wei under Lieutenant–ColonelBowyer.
It was a terrible journey. The railway had been completely destroyed,the heat was overpowering, and the enemy, though they did not ventureto make an open attack, kept up a constant fire upon them. Neverthelessthey toiled on unflinchingly, and at last reached Tientsin, to thedelight of the inhabitants, who now found themselves in a position todefy any attack.
Rex had been continually at one or another of the barricades. The firefrom two guns concealed among some houses had been particularly gallingand accurate, and Rex, with two of his comrades, had often talked overthe possibility of silencing it. On the twenty–second Rex said: “Well,I mean to go out to–night and see if I cannot stop the fire of thatgun. Are you two fellows disposed to go with me?”
“Certainly, if you think there is a shadow of a chance.”
“I think that there is a very good chance. You see, the Chinese gunsalways stop fire between ten at night and four in the morning. It istrue that sniping goes on all night, showing that there are skirmishersout all that time; but if we could pass through these we are safe, forthere is no doubt that the artillerymen serving the guns lie down andgo to sleep. I have a Chinese disguise, and, talking the language as Ido, I feel sure that I can get through. I shall take my man Ah Lo withme. Two might be quite enough if it were not that the gunners probablylie down close to their pieces, and if they woke up before we haddriven both spikes in and made a rush, we might fail in our object. Forthat
reason I should like to have two more if you are willing to come.”
Both the young men expressed their willingness to go, one of themsaying, however, that neither of them spoke Chinese well enough to pass.
“That does not matter,” Rex replied. “It would, of course, be betterfor us to go through in two parties and join when we have passed theskirmishing–line. Ah Lo can go with one of you and I can go with theother, so that if we are stopped and questioned we can do the talking.”
“Yes, that will make it all right,” the other said. “There is nodifficulty about disguises; there are still some coolies here. Now,what ought we to take?”
“We must each take a heavy hammer and a spike, also a thick feltwad to put on the top of the nail when we strike it, so that we canpractically spike the guns without making a noise. In addition we hadbetter each take a brace of revolvers and a sword, so that we can makea pretty tough fight should we be attacked. Still, if we are discoveredafter we have finished our work, we must take to our heels rather thanto our arms. In that case I think it would be wise, instead of makingat once for the camp, to run to one of the houses. The night willbe dark, and in the confusion the Chinese will not at first realizewhat has happened, and before they recover we shall probably be outof sight. If we get a good start there is little fear that we shallbe overtaken, and even if we should come upon skirmishers they aresure to be very scattered. We can shoot them down before they realizewho we are and what we have been up to, and then there will only be ashort run and the risk of a chance bullet before we are safe behind thebarricade.”
“Well, it all seems plain enough, and I really don?t see why it couldnot be managed.”
“I have no doubt in the least that it could be managed,” Rex saidconfidently. “There are only two real difficulties; the one is, to makeour way through their skirmishers without being detected, the other isto find the guns in the dark.”
“Yes, that will be a serious difficulty. One of those Chinese houses isjust like another, and as the guns are a good thousand yards away, thechances are that we should not find them.”
“We can manage that,” Rex said, after a moment?s thought. “To–day wewill put a lantern on the barricade, and ask the middy in charge to letit remain there, telling him what we want it for. Then we will go backfifty or a hundred yards and place another lantern in a window in sucha position that when we are going in a direct line for the guns thelight of the first shall cover that of the second.”
“That is a splendid idea, Bateman; that will certainly get over thedifficulty. You are a wonderful chap to plan things. Well, I feel surenow that we shall succeed if only we can make our way through thosesniping beggars.”
The lanterns were obtained, and Rex went with them to the barricades.The officer in command there was a midshipman of the _Orlando_. Rex hadhad several chats with him during the past few days. “Hello, Bateman,”he said, “what are you up to with those lanterns at this hour? Going tolook for a subterranean mine?”
“No, I will tell you what I am going to do, but you must keep it asecret; all sorts of objections might be raised, and the enemy wouldget to know what we were up to.”
“You can trust me.”
“Well, then, we are going out to–night to spike those two guns overthere that have been doing so much mischief for the past two days.”
“You are! By Jove! I should like to go with you, but of course I can?t.I have got to stick here whatever happens till the thing is over. Howare you going to do it?”
“Four of us are going out. There is no doubt the fellows who work theguns all go to sleep between ten and four, so we have a fair chance togo up and spike the guns before they wake. Of course the difficultywill be to get through those fellows who keep watch all night. For thatwe have to trust to chance. We shall carry pistols, and if we comeacross one or two men we can use them without attracting attention, asanyone who heard the shots would naturally think that some of their ownmen were sniping.”
“That seems good enough,” the middy said; “but what on earth have yougot the lantern for? Do you mean to march out with it to show the way?”
“Not exactly,” Rex laughed. He then explained their plan to the middy.
“First–rate, a jolly good idea!” said his friend. “The guns aresomewhere along those ruins over there; they fire every three or fourminutes. Just at present, as far as I can make out, they are poundingthe French settlement. I should think the line would be somewhere aboutthat house fifty yards behind.”
“I will go and stand there,” Rex said, “and watch for the next shot.It is most important to get the lanterns in the exact line, because ifwe once got among those houses in the dark we might search for half anhour before we found the position, and likely enough might fall oversome of the sleeping Boxers.”
“They are not Boxers,” the midshipman said, “they are regular troops.Those guns are Krupps, and the Boxers have no guns of that sort. I willgo back with you. Two eyes are better than one; there is only the flashto guide us, for they are using smokeless powder.”
They went back to the point that he had suggested, and stood lookingearnestly till they saw the flash. Both agreed that they were five orsix yards too much to the left. They accordingly moved a little in thatdirection. Five minutes after they saw another flash.
“This is just about right,” Rex said; “there is a window just overhead.The house looks to me as if it were empty; at any rate I will go in andsee.”
It turned out to be as he thought.
“All right! I will leave the lantern in the house and light it as wecome along, which will be about twelve o?clock. I shall be glad if youwill keep your eye upon both lights and see that they burn steadily.Probably they will not require attention, but at the same time, as thesuccess of the job depends upon both keeping alight, it is as well torun no risks. There is, perhaps, more fear of the one on the barricadecoming to grief than of this. One of your sailors might topple it over.”
“You needn?t be afraid of that. I will put a man to sit by the side ofit, or rather to sit down behind it in shelter, for the bullets whistlepretty close over that point sometimes.”
“It would be a very good plan,” Rex said, “if you would get him to puthis hat in front of it and take it away again about every quarter of aminute, so as to make the light twinkle. You see there are a good manylights in the houses at night, and at a distance we might easily makea mistake; but if this one were to be kept flashing we could hardly gowrong.”
“A good idea again, Bateman! I shall see that that is done. Is thereanything else?”
“Well, I think that after we have been gone five minutes it would bean advantage if you would make your men fire half a dozen shots. Thosesnipers would be sure to answer at once, and we should then get someidea of their situation and probably be able to avoid them.”
“That shall be done,” said the middy. “The danger will, of course, bein spiking the guns.”
“That is so, but we shall all be in disguise, so that if we stumbleover any of them in the dark we shall only be taken for some of theirown fellows. We shall each carry hammers and spikes, and felt wads aninch thick, so that when we find the guns we shall be able to spikethem without making any noise.”
“Do you know the mechanism of those Krupp guns?”
“No.”
“Well, then, you would only be going out on a fool?s errand. Youwould not be able to spike them, and if you did, they would have nodifficulty in cutting the spike off by taking the breech–block out.Your best plan would be to get the breech–blocks out and carry themaway. They would probably be too heavy to carry far, but if you wereto get them out and take them a short distance away, you might hidethem among the ruins and cover them over with rubbish. That wouldeffectually put them out of action until we go out and capture theplace. Look here! have you got a pocket–book with you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, then, I can show you roughly the action of the gun and how toopen the breech and get the
block out. When you grasp that you willfind no difficulty in doing it, if you coach the fellows who are goingwith you how it is done. You see the action would be quite noiseless,and though it would take you a good bit longer than spiking, that wouldnot be very important if you find all the fellows asleep.”
“Thank you! I am very much obliged to you. It would have been ahorrible sell to find, when we got there, that after all we could donothing.”
They went together to the barricade and sat down in as comfortable aspot as they could find. Then the midshipman drew a plan of the breechaction and explained minutely to Rex how it worked and how he shouldproceed to get out the wedge and stopper. In the evening, when theothers came off duty, Rex brought them home, and, taking them up intohis room, explained to them what was to be done. He knew that it wasuseless to attempt to get Ah Lo to understand it, but he would onlyhave to put his hand on the part to be operated upon, and get Ah Lo toapply his strength to it.
“Even if we can?t get out the breech–block, or find it too heavy tocarry away, it would be sufficient, I should say, to take out the wedgeand stopper, and carry them off, for I doubt whether they would be ableto replace these parts, and at any rate they could only do so afterseveral days? delay, which would be a good deal gained.”
At a quarter to twelve Rex and Ah Lo set out, and on arriving at thebarricade found their two companions already there. The lanterns werelighted, and they at once set out. They advanced until they judgedthat they were near the line of snipers, and then lay down. They hadscarcely done so when the defenders of the barrier opened fire, anddirectly afterwards, as Rex had expected, the Chinese ahead replied.The shots were all pretty close together, which seemed to show that theChinese there were in a group. Rex and his companions immediately setoff again, and, after proceeding about a hundred yards to the right,again went forward. All had muffled their shoes with strips of blanketbefore starting, and, treading very cautiously to avoid stumblingagainst stones or other obstacles, they went quietly forward, holdingtheir pistols in readiness for action, and stooping low.
They met with no interruption. The party on the left were still firing,and they found no one ahead of them. Gradually they moved towards theleft until the Chinese snipers were behind them and they had the twolanterns in line. They went on faster now till they knew that they mustbe near the houses, for the night was so dark that they could not evensee the outline. Looking frequently back to be sure that they werekeeping the exact line, they proceeded steadily and at last came upona wall, evidently the remains of a house. From this point they movedforward foot by foot until they felt that they were far enough amongthe ruins; then they scattered a little until, to their delight, theycame upon the guns. Listening intently they could hear the sound ofheavy breathing and snoring a short distance ahead, and judged that theChinese must be lying but fifteen yards away. They drew together roundone of the guns and felt the breech.
“Here is the handle of the lever,” Rex whispered.
Opening the breech they took out the wedge and stopper, and then movedto the other gun and completed the operation. They had finished itand were moving off when one of them stumbled and fell. A Chinaman,startled by the sound, exclaimed: “Who is there; what are you doing?”Making no reply, however, they hurried on, and making two or threeturns among the ruins were soon in the open again.
“Keep along still farther to the left,” Rex said, as there was a suddenshout behind. “Evidently the wakeful Chinaman has got up to investigatethe cause of the disturbance, and has discovered that the guns havebeen tampered with.”
As he spoke a chorus of yells came from the direction of the guns.
“Look here!” Rex said, “here is a pile of earth where a wall hasfallen. Let?s shove these things in here and cover them up; they areprecious heavy, and we can?t do any fighting until we have got rid ofthem.”
The suggestion was no sooner made than it was carried out. Kneelingdown they rapidly scraped a hole in the debris, and carefully hid theportions of the guns which they had carried off. As they did so theycould hear a rush of shouting men behind them.
“We had better follow them,” Rex said. “No doubt they will scatteralong the line, and we shall then have a good chance of gettingthrough.” Accordingly they retraced their steps and joined theirpursuers. The mob of Chinamen scattered as they advanced, and haltedto make enquiries when they reached the sniping line. As the men heredeclared that no one had passed them, the great bulk went on to theright or left. Rex whispered to Ah Lo, who exclaimed: “They may haverun on; we will see if we can?t overtake them!” and with his companionspassed on at a run.
It was straight sailing now; the guiding lantern was in front of them,and at the top of their speed they ran down towards it. They werechallenged as they approached the barricade, for the Chinese had openeda heavy random fire.
“All right!” Rex shouted, “don?t fire, whatever you do.”
A minute later he and his companions climbed the barricade.
“Well, have you succeeded?” the midshipman asked.
“Yes, thanks to your advice, we have disabled the guns. We have notbrought the pieces with us, but we have buried them in the ruins wherethey are certainly not likely to be discovered.”
“No fighting?”
“No, we have not had to draw a trigger.”
“Well done! I heard a terrible din right out in that direction, andfeared that you had been captured.”
“No, we had done the business before they got the alarm, and were ableto make off without being seen. Then we joined them and rushed inpursuit of ourselves; but when they scattered in all directions we keptstraight on, shouting that we should overtake the fugitives.”
“Well, you have done a first–rate job, and as a result we shall havea comparatively quiet time to–morrow, for their shot generally strucknear us. Shall I report the affair?”
“No,” Rex said. “We have agreed that we will say nothing about it. Wemight get a blowing–up for acting without orders. We don?t want praise,and are well satisfied to have silenced those troublesome guns.”
They went quietly back to their homes, and next day had the pleasure ofhearing remarks of surprise and satisfaction at the silence of the twoguns that had been so troublesome.
That morning a relief force, under the command of Lieutenant–ColonelShirinsky, sallied out to the assistance of Admiral Seymour, andthe day passed in comparative quietness at Tientsin, the time beingemployed by the troops and inhabitants in strengthening the barricades.The Chinese, who were of course aware of the large reinforcementsthat had arrived on the previous day, and were probably anticipatingan attack, remained inactive. Only a few shots were fired into thesettlements during the day.
Having nothing else to do Rex wandered all over the settlements, andwas surprised to see the enormous damage that had been effected by theChinese guns. The French settlement had been almost entirely destroyedby fire and shot, the damage greatly exceeding that which had beeninflicted on the British settlement. Many of the houses had sufferedterribly. The municipal buildings had been struck many times, but,being solidly built, had suffered only from the heavier missiles.Houses facing the river were all riddled with musket balls, and manyhad been badly knocked about by the Chinese guns on the oppositeside. The loss of life, however, had been particularly small, and theinhabitants, feeling that the worst was over, congratulated themselvesthat it had not been more serious.
Rex learned that the heaviest fighting had taken place round therailway–station. This point was guarded jointly by a force of Japanese,French, and British, the Japanese and French being stationed on theplatform and in the station buildings, while the British, with aMaxim, held the engine–house. The fighting lasted day and night forseveral days in succession, the enemy making the engine–house thespecial object of their attack, and endeavouring to silence the Maximby planting two nine–pounders in a clump of trees less than twelvehundred yards away. Their fire was so accurate that the men who werenot working the gun had to
lie down in the ash–pit between the rails,planks being placed across the opening to give them protection. One daythe Chinese put eight shells into the wall within a space of twentyfeet, killing and wounding seventeen of the Welsh Fusiliers, who wereat that time on guard.
The French and Japanese erected sand–bag barricades along the platform,and, lying down on the rails behind, fired through loopholes. Once ortwice the fighting was so close as to be nearly hand–to–hand. Betweenthe station and the Russian camp was an undefended gap of a quarter ofa mile, studded thickly with Chinese graves, which afforded excellentcover, and enabled the Boxers to advance to within a short distance ofthe station. One night, indeed, a number of Boxers managed to creep upunseen, getting behind some empty trucks standing by the siding, cutoff the French in the station, and the British in the engine–house.It was a moment of great peril, but fortunately some Sikhs of theHong–Kong regiment, who were coming out to relieve the blue–jackets andmarines, saw the situation, and attacked the enemy. A fierce fight,lasting some three hours, ensued, the Sikhs showing the greatestcourage and presence of mind, and the assailants were in the end drivenoff with heavy loss. The allies, however, also suffered heavily; theircasualties, which occurred chiefly among the French and Japanese,amounting to nearly a hundred and fifty. The Boxers, who had been armedwith rifles from the arsenal, also showed great courage, many timessallying out from between the trucks and charging with fixed bayonets,a weapon of whose use they knew so little that those on a number ofthe rifles picked up after the fight were still fixed in the scabbards.
The British Club had been turned into a hospital at first, but it wasfound to be a great deal too exposed in position, and the wounded wereremoved into the Gordon Hall, where they were comparatively safe. Thehospitals were excellently managed, and the wounded bore all theirsufferings without complaint, although terribly harassed by the fliesand afflicted by the great heat. The continual bursting of shells alsotroubled them greatly; the explosion was serious enough to men in soundhealth, and it was, of course, much more trying to those who wereshaken by loss of blood and had their nerves much less under control.
The French priests behaved with great courage and humanity, feedingand protecting all the Christian Chinese who came to them, Catholicand Protestant alike. Many of the Chinese women were housed in themissions, and private firms sheltered numbers of them in theirwarehouses; but nevertheless the Chinese Christians suffered heavily,as their houses stood for the most part in exposed positions. When Rexwas off duty as a volunteer he spent the greater part of his time invisiting these poor people, carrying rice and other necessities fromhis father?s store–houses. He was surprised at their patience andresignation; they evinced the most touching gratitude for the welcomesupplies that he brought them. The rice was generally cooked for themin the house, and Ah Lo always accompanied Rex with two pails full ofthe food, while Rex carried the smaller comforts in a basket.