“ON TO PEKIN”
“I am very glad you came when you did,” exclaimed Mrs. Bartlett, when
Gilbert reappeared at the house. “If you had not come, I do not know
what I should have done.”
She spoke in a whisper, so that her husband might not be disturbed
again. Jennie had gone to the sufferer, and administered a quieting
draught; and he was now in a fitful doze.
“Had Polk been here long before I came?” asked the young lieutenant, in
an equally low voice.
“At least half an hour. We tried by all means in our power to get rid
of him; but he would not go, and at one time almost pushed his way into
my husband’s bed-chamber.”
“I do not believe he will bother you again, at least not right away.”
And Gilbert told how he had threatened Nuggy Polk. “I imagine he is a
coward at heart.”
Mrs. Bartlett led the way to a side room; and, sitting down here,
Gilbert listened to what she had to tell concerning the second fire at
the warehouse.
“I believe some Russian soldiers started it, possibly the fellows you
warned away. It is a great loss; but, fortunately, we have a little
insurance, if it can be collected. The fire was a great set-back for
Mr. Bartlett; and, although he was getting better after you left, he is
now as bad as he was before.”
“Do you still wish to go to Taku?”
“I think not. The bombardment is over, and all is now as quiet as one
would wish. I understand you have driven the Chinese out entirely.”
“We have driven all the soldiers and Boxers out, and the others are as
meek as lambs. But the looting goes on, in spite of what has been done
to stop it.”
“I presume you will now press on to Pekin.”
“I don’t believe we’ll do anything for a week or so. We are awaiting
the arrival of more troops, both from Manila and from the United
States. And we need boats for the river and horses for the cavalry.”
“And what is the news from Pekin?”
“All our people are shut up, and suffering a terrible bombardment. A
mine was discovered under the American legation, but it was cut off
before the Chinese could explode it. They say most of the dwellings of
the foreigners are wrecked. Many of the missionaries outside of Pekin
have been slain, and their bodies mutilated.”
Mrs. Bartlett shuddered. “War is horrible, lieutenant. I want no more
of it. And I want no more of the Chinese. If my husband gets better, I
am going to persuade him to sell out his interest here, and go back to
the States.”
Soon after this Jennie came back; and then Gilbert was invited to
tiffin on the back piazza, which had been repaired since the fall of
the tree. As Mrs. Bartlett was a motherly lady and Jennie a lovely and
engaging young miss, it can readily be imagined that Gilbert enjoyed
the repast thoroughly. He lingered as long as he dared, and then
hurried off to the office of the provost marshal of the district, to
caution the guard against allowing the Bartletts to be disturbed by
either Nuggy Polk or Jerry Nickerson.
When the young lieutenant arrived at headquarters, he found that some
mail had just come in from the States and from the Philippines. There
was one letter for him from Manila, and written by Larry Russell, that
interested him very much. This ran as follows:--
“_Dear Gilbert_,--I suppose by the time this reaches you, you will be
in the hottest of the fighting, and will be covering yourself with
glory. Well, go in and win, and don’t come out of the struggle with
less than a colonel’s commission.
“All still remains somewhat quiet here, and we boys expect to move
very soon; but whether to China or to the United States nobody can
tell. The rebels are lying low in the mountains, and Ben says he may
get another go at them; but I don’t think so.
“By the way, there is an old friend of mine in China, a missionary
named Martin Wells, who sailed with me on the _Columbia_. You’ll
remember my telling you about him. He was stationed at Hong Kong at
first, but later on went to Pekin; and I’ve read in a newspaper that
he was trying to escape from the Boxers. If you can do anything for
him, I wish you would. Have you seen or heard anything of the old
_Columbia_? She must be somewhere around the Gulf of Pechili, unless
the Chinese pirates have captured her. I hear that those rascals are
taking advantage of the war. I must hurry, as the mail is closing.
“Ever your friend,
“LARRY RUSSELL.”
“Dear Larry!” murmured Gilbert. “I don’t wonder Ben and Walter love
him. Yes, I remember hearing about the Rev. Mr. Wells; and I’ll do all
I can for him if we chance to meet.”
Gilbert had looked for a few days’ rest, but in this he was mistaken.
It was true there was no fighting; but preparations were continued for
the advance on Pekin, and this gave him plenty of work to do.
General Chaffee was now in command of all the American forces in
Tien-Tsin and on the way; and these numbered in round figures five
thousand men. The British troops numbered about the same, and the
French and German about half as many. Of Russians there were at least
ten thousand, and twice that many Japanese. Of course, all of these
could not participate in the forward movement; and the actual army
which struck out for the Chinese capital numbered only sixteen thousand
men.
Before the Allies left Tien-Tsin there were numerous heavy rains; and
these caused the Pei-Ho to overflow its banks, and rush through the
broken dikes the Chinese had left behind them. As a consequence, the
marshlands were covered with water and mud for miles around, rendering
the advance of the soldiers exceedingly slow and difficult. The rains
continued; and, when it was not raining, the sun shone down so fiercely
that many a man was prostrate by the heat. The water was so impure as
to be unfit to drink, and the whole territory abounded in fever and
malaria for the foreigners.
By the last day of July all was in readiness for the advance; and the
first movement was made by the Russian contingent, which advanced up
the river a distance of several miles, and, after a slight resistance,
captured some additional mud forts. This movement up the muddy stream
was followed by the starting of the transports, which had to be poled
along, for fear of running into the junks the Chinese had sunk in the
channel. A few of the craft were towed by Chinese coolies, but their
progress was not satisfactory.
Following the advance of the Russians came that of the French, and
these two commands went up the Pei-Ho between the river and the
railroad. The Americans, English, Japanese, and other commands advanced
along the west bank of the Pei-Ho, the Americans being two thousand
strong, including a battery.
The Chinese were strongly intrenched at Peitsang, in a position ten to
twelve miles north of Tien-Tsin. They had over twenty thousand troops
on the firing line, and half as many more in reserve; and several of
their batteries held excellent positions for defence.
The main portion of Peitsang is on the left side of the Pei-Ho. It
is a town of considerable importance, containing many thousands of
inhabitants and a long wharfage. Back of the town is a long lake,
connecting with the river by canals. These canals had all been cut, and
the roads beside them ploughed up.
The going out of the Allies from Tien-Tsin proper was like the moving
of some immense caravan, or what many a boy in America knows as a “Wild
West” show. The troops were arrayed in a dozen different uniforms,
and marched as pleased them; and behind them came the quartermasters’
turnouts, horses and wagons, cows and carts, little donkeys with loads
which almost placed them out of sight, and huge, awkward camels with
their burdens towering skyward. There were also Chinese coolies with
packs, and with rickshaws--that is, carriages meant to be pulled by
human hands. Everything that could “go” was pressed into service.
“It’s on to Pekin now, sure!” exclaimed Captain Banner, as he trudged
once more beside Gilbert. “And, in my opinion, we are going to have our
hands full.”
“I am ready to take what comes,” answered Gilbert. “I was getting tired
of hanging around Tien-Tsin.”
“Sure, an’ this marchin’ is worse nor the bogs av ould Ireland,” broke
out Dan Casey, as he splashed through water up to his ankles. “Iviry
shtep I take I think I’ll go into a hole up to me waist.”
“Dot’s all right, so long as you ton’t vos go in ofer your head, Tan,”
replied Stummer. “How dis mud does stick to mine poots! Feels like it
vos goin’ to bull ’em off, hey?”
“You ought to be used to such travelling by this time,” laughed
Gilbert. “You have had lots of experience in the Philippines.”
On and on went the soldiers through the water and mud. Each was heavily
loaded, and the suffering was great. Yet but few complaints were heard,
for each nation was vying with the others to get ahead.
As soon as the first detachment of the Allies appeared, the Chinese
batteries began to thunder forth their shot and shell with deadly
effect. The guns were well managed, and to silence them seemed at first
impossible.
“Major Morris, you will take your battalion around to the road on the
left,” said the lieutenant-colonel, as he dashed up on horseback.
“Yonder gun must be silenced. Do you think your boys can do the work?”
“We can try,” answered the major, as he saluted. Then he turned to
the four companies behind him. “Boys, we are ordered to storm yonder
position and take that gun. We must do it.”
“We will! We will!” was the reply. “Hurrah for Old Glory!”
“I know I can depend upon you. Forward, double-quick! Left oblique!”
Away went Company A, with the others close behind. As soon as the
road mentioned was gained, the major brought the second half of the
battalion up on the side of the first. Then came the order to advance
in a skirmish line; and away went the three hundred and fifty odd
regulars on the double-quick, firing at will as they advanced.