THE FIGHT AT TIENTSIN
Rex crossed the river with Ah Lo, and made his way to Mr. Batemanʼs,
He was received with delight, and both father and mother showered
questions upon him as to the state of things in Pekin.
“There has been a lot of miscellaneous fighting,” he said, “but the
Chinese have not made many determined assaults, and in all cases have
been readily beaten off. The attacks are slackening off now, I think
the Chinese are getting pretty sick of it. When I left the garrison the
girls were quite well. They are working as assistants to the lady who
undertakes the cooking for the hospitals, and they therefore get, I
think, rather better food than most people. At any rate they look very
well, and I do think that the siege has been good for them, for they
have not had time to mope over the death of their father and mother, as
they 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 seems
so to me already. I can hardly believe that it is not much more than
three 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 hot
since then. Everyone who can carry a gun has been taking part in the
defence. We have barricaded the ends of all the streets, but I donʼt
think we could have held out long if it hadnʼt 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 wouldnʼt.
When they started they only took with them provisions for six days,
and as the railway was everywhere pulled up, they had difficulty in
taking even that with them. I donʼt know how far they got, but it was
certainly nowhere near Pekin. I believe they are now besieged at the
arsenal, eight miles out. We heard heavy firing in that direction when
we came along last night. Of course we had no idea then as to what
it was, but I have no doubt whatever now. I must go at once and tell
whoever is in command.”
“The Russian Colonel is at the head of affairs in virtue both of
seniority of rank, and of being in command of the strongest force
here. I donʼt think he knows English, but he speaks French. I will ask
Thompson, who I know speaks that language fluently, to accompany me to
his house with you and act as interpreter. We expect some more troops
up to–morrow, and I have no doubt that, as soon as he has given our
assailants here a good thrashing, he will send out a relief party to
Seymour.”
Mr. Thompson readily agreed to accompany them, and they proceeded
together to the house of Colonel Wogack, the senior officer in
Tientsin. When they sent in word that a messenger had arrived from
Pekin they were at once admitted. The colonel had just finished dinner.
He had with him Colonel Anisimoff and Lieutenant–Colonel Shirinsky. Rex
had changed his clothes before starting, and Mr. Thompson introduced
him to the general as a gentleman who had just made his way down from
Pekin.
“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 several
rumours have reached us that the Legations had fallen. Are you the
bearer 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 Claude
Macdonald, however, bade me give a full account of the position and
of the fighting so far, and assure you that, although provisions were
beginning to run short, they could maintain themselves for some time
yet.”
“Have you heard anything, sir, about the relieving force?”
“I went up with them, but left them at Fantail and made my way into
Pekin, bringing them the only news that they had received of the
column. But, sir, on my way down I heard heavy firing in the direction
of the Hsi–Ku arsenal. The only explanation of this that occurs to me
is that the arsenal has been captured by Admiral Seymour, and that he
is besieged there.”
“Why do you not think that he may be besieging it?” the colonel said
sharply.
“Because, sir, they only had three daysʼ provisions when I left them,
and must have been in a state of starvation when they arrived at the
arsenal. Admiral Seymour would therefore attack it for the sake of the
stores it contained, and as he would no doubt lose heavily, he would
not be in a position to cut his way down here.”
“Very well reasoned, sir. As soon as we can spare a force from
here, we will go out to relieve him. Now, will you kindly give me a
full detailed account of the fighting at Pekin and the state of the
resources 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 that
language, as the story is a long one, and it will be tedious to
translate 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 explaining
the nature of the defences from the colonelʼs 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 strong
building and but a short distance from the Fu.”
“Yes, sir, but I believe that it was considered that the force was
barely sufficient to hold the Legation. Indeed, the occupation of the
Fu was to some extent an afterthought, and it was necessitated by the
great number of the Christian Chinese who came in for shelter, and for
whom it was absolutely impossible to provide in the Legations. It was
for the same reason that the Austrian, Italian, and Dutch Legations and
the Pekin Club were abandoned. A portion of the French Legation has
been destroyed, also part of the Fu.”
Then he related the incidents of each dayʼs 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 Legation
and the Russian Bank to the Tartar wall. On the other side it did not
reach the Tartar wall.”
The narration occupied more than an hour. At the end, Colonel Wogack
thanked Rex very warmly for his information.
“It is all most valuable, and especially that part relating to Admiral
Seymourʼs expedition. I hope we shall get some more messengers through
to Pekin, for it is clear that up to the time you left, the Chinese
were gradually gaining ground. They have abundance of artillery, and
if they were to bring it into play they could breach the walls and
defences in half a dozen places in the course of twelve hours. What
you tell me of your visit to Prince Ching affords a certain amount of
hope, but there is never any depending on Chinamen. To–morrow the other
party may get the upper hand again and fighting go on more earnestly
than ever. Matters here have become much more serious in the course of
the past day or so. Until the Taku forts were taken the Chinese regular
troops held aloof from the Boxers, but now the Chinese regular troops
have 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 those
fortresses to surrender was a mistake. Up till that time the affair
might have been considered as an insurrection; indeed, the Chinese
troops several times fought the Boxers, but the attack on the Taku
Forts was considered by the Chinese as a declaration of war on the
part of the Powers. I donʼt say that there is not a great deal to be
said both ways. There was always the danger that the Chinese would
unite against us, especially as the Empress openly upheld the Boxers.
In that case it is certain that the available force on board the ships
would not have sufficed to fight their way up here, and consequently
Tientsin must have fallen, and Pekin also. It was therefore a most
difficult question to decide. Our attack on the Taku Forts certainly
had the effect of uniting the Chinese against us, but had that attack
not been made, or had it been delayed, we should probably have had all
the Chinese against us, with an inadequate force to oppose them, and
Tientsin and Pekin would have been lost, and the life of every European
in them sacrificed.
“Come in, Mr. Thompson. We must get Rex to go over his narrative for
our benefit. It need not be so full as that which he gave to the
colonel, in the first place because we donʼt know the position of all
the 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 they
turned into bed. They were awakened an hour later by a series of loud
explosions, which told that the sailors were engaged in blowing up
the military college. In the morning Rex learned more of what had
taken place. The Boxers had set fire to several places in the native
city, and to the railway–station. They were beaten off, and a train
was despatched to Tong–Ku, filled with women and children; the rest
were ordered to take shelter in the Gordon Hall, the large municipal
building 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 the
Chinese troops, and from that time all communication with the Taku was
cut off. That day the Military College was taken.
An incessant fusillade was going on when Rex awoke somewhat late the
next 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 now
keeping up a heavy fire from that shelter. When it gets dark we are all
going to barricade the ends of the streets, as it would be impossible
for us to move out of our houses during the day. The municipality have
already met this morning, and it has been decided that all goods in the
store–houses, with the exception of the valuable ones, shall be given
up for the purpose. Fortunately there is a great quantity of sacks of
wool and rice, both of which will do admirably for the purpose. The
greater part of the volunteers are occupied in the houses at the end of
the street, where they answer the fire of the enemy; but the Chinese
never show themselves. Did you notice the state of the river as you
crossed it last night?”
“No, Father.”
“It was just as well that you didnʼt, my boy, for it is full of
corpses. Some thousands of Chinese must have been massacred in
the native city, all of them no doubt people who are supposed to
be favourable to us—coolies employed here and their relations,
shopkeepers who have supplied us with small necessaries, and perhaps
some of the better class who have ventured opinions hostile to the
Boxers. It is a horrible business, lad, and the troops are so furious
at the sight that they may give little quarter when the tables are
turned and we take the town. That is the worst of a war in this
country; the Chinese never give quarter, and as a result little is
given on our side. Our men may possibly be kept in hand, but I doubt
whether the Russians, or the Germans, or the French will be restrained.”
Rex at once put on his uniform, took his rifle, and joined the party
who, behind some hastily–thrown–up barricades, were trying to keep
down the Chinese fire. With that exception the day was comparatively
quiet. All the Europeans not engaged in combating the Chinese fire were
employed with the sailors and marines in erecting barricades, while the
Russians held the outposts.
The next morning the Chinese opened fire with two field–guns posted
on the railway embankment opposite to the British section. Commander
Beattie, of the _Barfleur_, with three companies of sailors, was
sent across the river to try to silence them; but the Chinese,
sheltered behind the mud walls which intersected the ground in every
direction, poured in so heavy a fire that the attempt had to be
abandoned, Commander Beattie and three of his officers being wounded.
A nine–pounder gun was then brought up to the river bank front under
the command of Lieutenant Wright, of the _Orlando_. This opened fire
upon the two Chinese guns, and maintained it so rapidly, and with such
excellent 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 of
them being in position there. There was also a battery of seven guns in
the canal, two miles from the railway–station, a couple of guns within
a thousand yards of it, and another couple behind the ruins of the
Military College. Besides these there were several sand–bag batteries
along the bank of the river between the French settlements and the
native city, in the city wall, and in the arsenal. All these now opened
fire, and from their different positions were able to cannonade the
settlements 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, having
only seven twelve–pounder Russian guns of an obsolete pattern, a
new fifteen–pounder, a Maxim, and a Nordenfeldt, which had just
arrived, but which was of little use, as there were very few rounds of
ammunition to fit it.
For a week the position was grave in the extreme; the defending force
was constantly engaged, and the enemy swarmed round them; but though
they made numerous demonstrations they never attempted anything like a
determined attack. In one attack the enemy set fire to the buildings
in fourteen places, burnt down the Roman Catholic cathedral and the
greater portion of the French station, and nearly succeeded in
capturing the railway–station, which was held by the Russians.
Day by day the situation became more serious. There had been
no communication with the coast for nearly ten days; the enemy
daily became more daring, and their attacks were repulsed with
ever–increasing difficulty. Then one of the volunteers, Mr. Watts,
offered to ride through the Chinese lines by night. He knew the
country well, and believed he could get through; but the service was a
desperate 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 the
enemy; but as he could not speak their language they could be of little
other 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 that
the position at Tientsin was becoming desperate, that they maintained
themselves with the greatest difficulty, and that their ammunition was
fast giving out.
No time was lost; two thousand men—British, Americans, and
Russians—bringing with them two Russian batteries, each of six
fifteen–pounder Krupps, were at once landed. The Russians were
commanded by General Stössel, the Americans by Major Waller, and the
naval brigade by Commander Craddock and Captain Mullins. The force also
included four hundred Welsh Fusiliers under Major Morris, and a portion
of the Chinese regiment from Wei–Hai–Wei under Lieutenant–Colonel
Bowyer.
It was a terrible journey. The railway had been completely destroyed,
the heat was overpowering, and the enemy, though they did not venture
to make an open attack, kept up a constant fire upon them. Nevertheless
they toiled on unflinchingly, and at last reached Tientsin, to the
delight of the inhabitants, who now found themselves in a position to
defy any attack.
Rex had been continually at one or another of the barricades. The fire
from two guns concealed among some houses had been particularly galling
and accurate, and Rex, with two of his comrades, had often talked over
the 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 that
gun. 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 guns
always stop fire between ten at night and four in the morning. It is
true that sniping goes on all night, showing that there are skirmishers
out all that time; but if we could pass through these we are safe, for
there is no doubt that the artillerymen serving the guns lie down and
go to sleep. I have a Chinese disguise, and, talking the language as I
do, I feel sure that I can get through. I shall take my man Ah Lo with
me. Two might be quite enough if it were not that the gunners probably
lie down close to their pieces, and if they woke up before we had
driven both spikes in and made a rush, we might fail in our object. For
that 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 them
saying, however, that neither of them spoke Chinese well enough to pass.
“That does not matter,” Rex replied. “It would, of course, be better
for us to go through in two parties and join when we have passed the
skirmishing–line. Ah Lo can go with one of you and I can go with the
other, 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 no
difficulty 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 felt
wad to put on the top of the nail when we strike it, so that we can
practically spike the guns without making a noise. In addition we had
better each take a brace of revolvers and a sword, so that we can make
a pretty tough fight should we be attacked. Still, if we are discovered
after we have finished our work, we must take to our heels rather than
to our arms. In that case I think it would be wise, instead of making
at once for the camp, to run to one of the houses. The night will
be dark, and in the confusion the Chinese will not at first realize
what has happened, and before they recover we shall probably be out
of sight. If we get a good start there is little fear that we shall
be overtaken, and even if we should come upon skirmishers they are
sure to be very scattered. We can shoot them down before they realize
who we are and what we have been up to, and then there will only be a
short run and the risk of a chance bullet before we are safe behind the
barricade.”
“Well, it all seems plain enough, and I really donʼt see why it could
not be managed.”
“I have no doubt in the least that it could be managed,” Rex said
confidently. “There are only two real difficulties; the one is, to make
our way through their skirmishers without being detected, the other is
to find the guns in the dark.”
“Yes, that will be a serious difficulty. One of those Chinese houses is
just like another, and as the guns are a good thousand yards away, the
chances are that we should not find them.”
“We can manage that,” Rex said, after a momentʼs thought. “To–day we
will put a lantern on the barricade, and ask the middy in charge to let
it remain there, telling him what we want it for. Then we will go back
fifty or a hundred yards and place another lantern in a window in such
a position that when we are going in a direct line for the guns the
light of the first shall cover that of the second.”
“That is a splendid idea, Bateman; that will certainly get over the
difficulty. You are a wonderful chap to plan things. Well, I feel sure
now that we shall succeed if only we can make our way through those
sniping 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 had
had 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 to
look for a subterranean mine?”
“No, I will tell you what I am going to do, but you must keep it a
secret; all sorts of objections might be raised, and the enemy would
get to know what we were up to.”
“You can trust me.”
“Well, then, we are going out to–night to spike those two guns over
there 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 canʼt.
I have got to stick here whatever happens till the thing is over. How
are you going to do it?”
“Four of us are going out. There is no doubt the fellows who work the
guns all go to sleep between ten and four, so we have a fair chance to
go up and spike the guns before they wake. Of course the difficulty
will be to get through those fellows who keep watch all night. For that
we have to trust to chance. We shall carry pistols, and if we come
across one or two men we can use them without attracting attention, as
anyone who heard the shots would naturally think that some of their own
men were sniping.”
“That seems good enough,” the middy said; “but what on earth have you
got 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 are
somewhere along those ruins over there; they fire every three or four
minutes. Just at present, as far as I can make out, they are pounding
the French settlement. I should think the line would be somewhere about
that 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 if
we once got among those houses in the dark we might search for half an
hour before we found the position, and likely enough might fall over
some 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 will
go back with you. Two eyes are better than one; there is only the flash
to guide us, for they are using smokeless powder.”
They went back to the point that he had suggested, and stood looking
earnestly till they saw the flash. Both agreed that they were five or
six yards too much to the left. They accordingly moved a little in that
direction. 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 and
see.”
It turned out to be as he thought.
“All right! I will leave the lantern in the house and light it as we
come along, which will be about twelve oʼclock. I shall be glad if you
will keep your eye upon both lights and see that they burn steadily.
Probably they will not require attention, but at the same time, as the
success of the job depends upon both keeping alight, it is as well to
run no risks. There is, perhaps, more fear of the one on the barricade
coming to grief than of this. One of your sailors might topple it over.”
“You neednʼt be afraid of that. I will put a man to sit by the side of
it, or rather to sit down behind it in shelter, for the bullets whistle
pretty close over that point sometimes.”
“It would be a very good plan,” Rex said, “if you would get him to put
his hat in front of it and take it away again about every quarter of a
minute, so as to make the light twinkle. You see there are a good many
lights in the houses at night, and at a distance we might easily make
a mistake; but if this one were to be kept flashing we could hardly go
wrong.”
“A good idea again, Bateman! I shall see that that is done. Is there
anything else?”
“Well, I think that after we have been gone five minutes it would be
an advantage if you would make your men fire half a dozen shots. Those
snipers would be sure to answer at once, and we should then get some
idea of their situation and probably be able to avoid them.”
“That shall be done,” said the middy. “The danger will, of course, be
in spiking the guns.”
“That is so, but we shall all be in disguise, so that if we stumble
over any of them in the dark we shall only be taken for some of their
own fellows. We shall each carry hammers and spikes, and felt wads an
inch thick, so that when we find the guns we shall be able to spike
them without making any noise.”
“Do you know the mechanism of those Krupp guns?”
“No.”
“Well, then, you would only be going out on a foolʼs errand. You
would not be able to spike them, and if you did, they would have no
difficulty in cutting the spike off by taking the breech–block out.
Your best plan would be to get the breech–blocks out and carry them
away. They would probably be too heavy to carry far, but if you were
to get them out and take them a short distance away, you might hide
them among the ruins and cover them over with rubbish. That would
effectually put them out of action until we go out and capture the
place. 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 to
open the breech and get the block out. When you grasp that you will
find no difficulty in doing it, if you coach the fellows who are going
with 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 would
not be very important if you find all the fellows asleep.”
“Thank you! I am very much obliged to you. It would have been a
horrible sell to find, when we got there, that after all we could do
nothing.”
They went together to the barricade and sat down in as comfortable a
spot as they could find. Then the midshipman drew a plan of the breech
action and explained minutely to Rex how it worked and how he should
proceed to get out the wedge and stopper. In the evening, when the
others came off duty, Rex brought them home, and, taking them up into
his room, explained to them what was to be done. He knew that it was
useless to attempt to get Ah Lo to understand it, but he would only
have to put his hand on the part to be operated upon, and get Ah Lo to
apply his strength to it.
“Even if we canʼt get out the breech–block, or find it too heavy to
carry away, it would be sufficient, I should say, to take out the wedge
and stopper, and carry them off, for I doubt whether they would be able
to replace these parts, and at any rate they could only do so after
several daysʼ delay, which would be a good deal gained.”
At a quarter to twelve Rex and Ah Lo set out, and on arriving at the
barricade found their two companions already there. The lanterns were
lighted, and they at once set out. They advanced until they judged
that they were near the line of snipers, and then lay down. They had
scarcely done so when the defenders of the barrier opened fire, and
directly afterwards, as Rex had expected, the Chinese ahead replied.
The shots were all pretty close together, which seemed to show that the
Chinese there were in a group. Rex and his companions immediately set
off again, and, after proceeding about a hundred yards to the right,
again went forward. All had muffled their shoes with strips of blanket
before starting, and, treading very cautiously to avoid stumbling
against stones or other obstacles, they went quietly forward, holding
their 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 the
left until the Chinese snipers were behind them and they had the two
lanterns in line. They went on faster now till they knew that they must
be near the houses, for the night was so dark that they could not even
see the outline. Looking frequently back to be sure that they were
keeping the exact line, they proceeded steadily and at last came upon
a wall, evidently the remains of a house. From this point they moved
forward foot by foot until they felt that they were far enough among
the ruins; then they scattered a little until, to their delight, they
came upon the guns. Listening intently they could hear the sound of
heavy breathing and snoring a short distance ahead, and judged that the
Chinese must be lying but fifteen yards away. They drew together round
one 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 moved
to the other gun and completed the operation. They had finished it
and 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 three
turns among the ruins were soon in the open again.
“Keep along still farther to the left,” Rex said, as there was a sudden
shout behind. “Evidently the wakeful Chinaman has got up to investigate
the cause of the disturbance, and has discovered that the guns have
been 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 has
fallen. Letʼs shove these things in here and cover them up; they are
precious heavy, and we canʼt do any fighting until we have got rid of
them.”
The suggestion was no sooner made than it was carried out. Kneeling
down they rapidly scraped a hole in the debris, and carefully hid the
portions of the guns which they had carried off. As they did so they
could hear a rush of shouting men behind them.
“We had better follow them,” Rex said. “No doubt they will scatter
along the line, and we shall then have a good chance of getting
through.” Accordingly they retraced their steps and joined their
pursuers. The mob of Chinamen scattered as they advanced, and halted
to make enquiries when they reached the sniping line. As the men here
declared that no one had passed them, the great bulk went on to the
right or left. Rex whispered to Ah Lo, who exclaimed: “They may have
run on; we will see if we canʼt overtake them!” and with his companions
passed 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 were
challenged as they approached the barricade, for the Chinese had opened
a heavy random fire.
“All right!” Rex shouted, “donʼt 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 not
brought the pieces with us, but we have buried them in the ruins where
they 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, and
feared that you had been captured.”
“No, we had done the business before they got the alarm, and were able
to make off without being seen. Then we joined them and rushed in
pursuit of ourselves; but when they scattered in all directions we kept
straight on, shouting that we should overtake the fugitives.”
“Well, you have done a first–rate job, and as a result we shall have
a comparatively quiet time to–morrow, for their shot generally struck
near us. Shall I report the affair?”
“No,” Rex said. “We have agreed that we will say nothing about it. We
might get a blowing–up for acting without orders. We donʼt 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 of
hearing remarks of surprise and satisfaction at the silence of the two
guns that had been so troublesome.
That morning a relief force, under the command of Lieutenant–Colonel
Shirinsky, sallied out to the assistance of Admiral Seymour, and
the day passed in comparative quietness at Tientsin, the time being
employed by the troops and inhabitants in strengthening the barricades.
The Chinese, who were of course aware of the large reinforcements
that had arrived on the previous day, and were probably anticipating
an attack, remained inactive. Only a few shots were fired into the
settlements during the day.
Having nothing else to do Rex wandered all over the settlements, and
was surprised to see the enormous damage that had been effected by the
Chinese guns. The French settlement had been almost entirely destroyed
by fire and shot, the damage greatly exceeding that which had been
inflicted on the British settlement. Many of the houses had suffered
terribly. 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 many
had been badly knocked about by the Chinese guns on the opposite
side. The loss of life, however, had been particularly small, and the
inhabitants, feeling that the worst was over, congratulated themselves
that it had not been more serious.
Rex learned that the heaviest fighting had taken place round the
railway–station. This point was guarded jointly by a force of Japanese,
French, and British, the Japanese and French being stationed on the
platform and in the station buildings, while the British, with a
Maxim, held the engine–house. The fighting lasted day and night for
several days in succession, the enemy making the engine–house the
special object of their attack, and endeavouring to silence the Maxim
by planting two nine–pounders in a clump of trees less than twelve
hundred yards away. Their fire was so accurate that the men who were
not 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 day
the Chinese put eight shells into the wall within a space of twenty
feet, killing and wounding seventeen of the Welsh Fusiliers, who were
at 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 or
twice the fighting was so close as to be nearly hand–to–hand. Between
the station and the Russian camp was an undefended gap of a quarter of
a mile, studded thickly with Chinese graves, which afforded excellent
cover, and enabled the Boxers to advance to within a short distance of
the station. One night, indeed, a number of Boxers managed to creep up
unseen, getting behind some empty trucks standing by the siding, cut
off the French in the station, and the British in the engine–house.
It was a moment of great peril, but fortunately some Sikhs of the
Hong–Kong regiment, who were coming out to relieve the blue–jackets and
marines, saw the situation, and attacked the enemy. A fierce fight,
lasting some three hours, ensued, the Sikhs showing the greatest
courage and presence of mind, and the assailants were in the end driven
off with heavy loss. The allies, however, also suffered heavily; their
casualties, which occurred chiefly among the French and Japanese,
amounting to nearly a hundred and fifty. The Boxers, who had been armed
with rifles from the arsenal, also showed great courage, many times
sallying out from between the trucks and charging with fixed bayonets,
a weapon of whose use they knew so little that those on a number of
the 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 was
found to be a great deal too exposed in position, and the wounded were
removed into the Gordon Hall, where they were comparatively safe. The
hospitals were excellently managed, and the wounded bore all their
sufferings without complaint, although terribly harassed by the flies
and afflicted by the great heat. The continual bursting of shells also
troubled them greatly; the explosion was serious enough to men in sound
health, and it was, of course, much more trying to those who were
shaken by loss of blood and had their nerves much less under control.
The French priests behaved with great courage and humanity, feeding
and protecting all the Christian Chinese who came to them, Catholic
and Protestant alike. Many of the Chinese women were housed in the
missions, and private firms sheltered numbers of them in their
warehouses; but nevertheless the Chinese Christians suffered heavily,
as their houses stood for the most part in exposed positions. When Rex
was off duty as a volunteer he spent the greater part of his time in
visiting these poor people, carrying rice and other necessities from
his fatherʼs store–houses. He was surprised at their patience and
resignation; they evinced the most touching gratitude for the welcome
supplies that he brought them. The rice was generally cooked for them
in the house, and Ah Lo always accompanied Rex with two pails full of
the food, while Rex carried the smaller comforts in a basket.