THE GREAT BATTLE OF LIAO-YANG
What Ben said was true. A battery of six guns was moving swiftly along
the road which led to the bridge of the stream before them. The battery
was so close that they could plainly hear the shouts of the drivers, as
they urged their horses along the highway in the direction of the fatal
spot.
“Come, there is no time to lose here!” shouted Gilbert, and put spurs
to his horse. Ben followed, and away they went side by side to the very
end of the bridge.
Would it be safe to cross this structure? Each asked himself that
question, and then turned an anxious look upon his companion.
“Better not try it,” said Ben.
“Let us ford the river—if we can,” returned Gilbert, and turned his
horse from the bridge to a trail that led to the water’s edge.
Usually the stream was of small importance, but the recent rains had
greatly swollen the rush of water. In they dashed and went down, first
to their steeds’ knees and then to their bodies. The horses were used
to this sort of thing, however, and did not hesitate or lose their
footing.
The battery was thundering along not over two hundred feet from the end
of the bridge, when Gilbert and Ben confronted the foremost driver.
“Back! back!” shouted both, in their loudest tones, and Gilbert added,
as the driver still kept on: “Back! for your life!”
He swung around, and reaching down, caught one of the leading battery
horses by the head. He continued to shout, and just before the bridge
was reached the leading gun was halted, and the others also came to a
standstill.
“What does this mean?” demanded the captain of artillery, as he dashed
up on horseback.
“Don’t go on the bridge,” answered Gilbert, saluting, while Ben did the
same.
“Why not?”
“I have every reason to believe that the Russians have placed a mine
under it.”
At these words there was much astonishment, and Gilbert and Ben had
to tell all they knew. Mined bridges are not new, and before long an
examination of the structure was made and some dynamite and powder
located, along with an electric battery and wire, set to explode the
mine the moment an extra heavy weight should pass onto the bridge.
“Captain, you have done us a great service,” said the commander of the
artillery to Gilbert. “I shall not forget this and shall report it to
the general.” But the report was never sent in, for the reason that two
days later the captain of artillery was killed, along with nearly half
of the men composing his battery.
From the captain Gilbert and Ben learned where to find the command to
which they belonged. In the meantime, Casey and Stummer joined the
others—walking over the bridge when it was safe to do so—and the four
went forward as before.
“Dot vos a great ding to do—safe dot pattery,” remarked Stummer. “Dot
vos a fedder mit your cab in, cabtain.”
“Oh, I did no more than my duty,” said Gilbert modestly. And then he
insisted upon changing the subject.
When the camp was gained late that evening many were astonished to hear
what both Gilbert and Ben had to tell. They reported in full, and told
of the movements of the enemy so far as they knew them.
“It was a daring thing to escape from that prison,” said one of their
superior officers. “Had they caught sight of you, they would surely
have shot you down.”
“We knew the risk we were running,” answered Ben. “We don’t want
another such experience.”
In the camp they found a number of letters awaiting them. Ben had two
from home—one from his brother Walter, and one from his Uncle Job
Dowling. Both said that matters were running smoothly, and that Walter
was doing remarkably well in his new business. They were surprised that
Ben had gone into the army with Gilbert, but wished him well. They
added that so fair they had not heard from Larry since he had left
Nagasaki on the _Columbia_.
Gilbert’s principal letter was from the Richmond Importing Company. In
this he was complimented on having made such a good bargain with the
Japanese authorities for the _Columbia’s_ cargo, and for having sent
the schooner to Manila for another cargo. He was also advised to keep
his eyes open for Ivan Snokoff, and bring that rascal to justice if it
could possibly be done.
“As if I hadn’t done my best to run him down,” said Gilbert, after
reading the letter to his chum.
“I suppose they do not realize the difficulties in the way,” answered
Ben. “But, somehow, I feel it in my bones that you’ll run across
Snokoff some day, and before this war is over, too.”
“It doesn’t seem possible, Ben. He’ll be sure to keep away from any
Japanese advance.”
Both Gilbert and Ben were glad to rest for several days after returning
to camp. The men of their companies were delighted to have them back,
and each insisted upon coming up and shaking hands.
During those days of idleness Gilbert was surprised one day to receive
a visit from Jiru Siko.
“Come to war las’ week,” explained the little brown man. “All wife an’
children in Nagasaki now. Going to fight Russians all time, show ’em
what Jiru Siko can do—not afraid of them, no!”
“Good for you, Siko!” laughed Gilbert. “I hope you come out of the
campaign a general.” Then he asked about the _O-Taka_ and her captain,
and learned that the vessel was now being used to transport soldiers
and stores along the Korean coast.
The advance of General Kuroki’s army in the direction of Liao-Yang
began August 23. There was a smart skirmish with a small body of
Russians who immediately fell back towards An-Ping. After this Field
Marshal Oyama ordered a general advance of the three Japanese armies,
and it was this advance which brought on the great chain of fights
lasting ten days, which are now known as the battle of Liao-Yang—a
bloody struggle which has few parallels in history. In this contest
over four hundred thousand men were engaged, the battlefield extending
over a distance of seventy-five miles, and the killed and wounded
numbered fully thirty thousand.
As said before, the Japanese commander not only washed to confront
General Kuropatkin in battle, but he wished also to get behind the
Russian general and cut him off from a possible retreat northward
along the line of the railroad. For this reason, while General Oku and
General Nodzu hammered at the Russian front, General Kuroki struck the
Russian line in the far east, and did his best to turn the enemy’s
flank.
Liao-Yang is on the Tai-tse River, which flows almost east and west.
In order to get around the Russian flank it was necessary for General
Kuroki to cross the river, as well as cross several smaller streams.
All of the hills in that vicinity were in the possession of the
Russians and were protected by batteries. There was a strong Russian
detachment at An-Ping, and another at Liandiansian.
General Kuroki’s army advanced in three columns, through the valley
of the Lan, a small stream flowing into the Tai-tse, and here it was
that a hot fight was experienced, in which both Japanese and Russians
showed uncommon bravery. The Japanese general wished to separate the
two Russian fighting forces, but his plan was only partly successful,
and before the third day’s fighting in that vicinity, General
Kuropatkin became alarmed at the possibility of having his flank
turned, and ordered his troops to fall back, which they did, leaving
An-Ping and numerous other places of advantage in the hands of the
Japanese.
The first shock of this great battle was felt by Gilbert and Ben the
second day after the general advance was begun. The battalion was
ordered to help drive a Russian battery from its position on a small
hill, and away went the Japanese soldiers on the double-quick, with
fixed bayonets. “_Banzai! banzai!_” was the cry, and the charge was
delivered with tremendous fierceness. The Russians answered by pouring
in a deadly fire which killed fully a quarter of the companies. But the
Japanese did not waver, and went forward once more with louder shouts
than ever.
“This is war, if ever there was such a thing!” panted Ben, as he came
up beside Gilbert, after the fighting had continued the best part of
half an hour. He was dripping from perspiration and so out of breath he
could scarcely speak.
“Both sides seem to know how to fight,” was Gilbert’s reply.
“What is the matter with your left hand?”
“I got stuck with a bayonet. But it doesn’t amount to much.”
“Do you think the Russians will retreat?”
“We are ordered to charge until they do, Ben. There is no retreat for
our side,” answered the acting major of the battalion.
Again came the shock of battle, and once more a great number of men
were mowed down. But now the Russians broke and started to run. Then
the battery tried to get away. One gun was overcharged and blown to
pieces, and another overturned by the Japanese, while the remainder
made good their escape. On the field lay three of the gunners who had
died at their post of duty.
When night fell the Japanese had gained an important position to the
east of Liao-Yang, and the Russians had been driven back all along the
line. As tired as the soldiers were they were forced to fortify the
positions they had gained, and the artillery was brought up, so as to
be in readiness by daybreak.
It was not yet six o’clock when the contest was renewed, but this was
to the south and southwest. For the command under Gilbert there was
nothing to do but to march down to the river. Here a crossing was
effected during the afternoon. The Russians offered a slight show of
resistance, and called additional troops to the front during the night.
The next day the battle broke forth with renewed fury. The batteries
on both sides did their utmost to silence each other, while the great
plain in front of Liao-Yang, many miles in extent, was filled with
the armies of the Czar and the Mikado, fighting with a desperation
and valor that could not be excelled. At first the fighting of the
infantry was at a distance, but soon the armies drew closer and closer
to each other, and then came the shock of steel against steel, while
the batteries poured in their awful fire from all sides. It was perfect
inferno, and before night fell the plain was strewn with thousands upon
thousands of dead and wounded.
“This cannot be kept up—it is beyond human endurance,” said more than
one soldier and officer that night, when trying to catch a little
rest. But at dawn the contest was renewed, and tired as they were the
soldiers upon both sides went at it as bravely as before. But the
Russians could not hold their defenses, and alarmed by the movement to
cut him off from a possible retreat northward, General Kuropatkin fell
back, and the next day ordered his army to evacuate Liao-Yang.