THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
After the fruitless effort to escape from Port Arthur harbor the Russian
warships "bottled up" there remained where they were for a long time to
come. Occasionally one or another attempted to run the blockade, but
results were usually disastrous, and at last the risk became so great
nothing more was done in that direction. The Japanese continued to put
down mines and sank several boats loaded with stone in or near the
winding channel, and this made getting in as hard as getting out--thus
putting a stop to the arrival of more supply boats, such as brought Ben
to the seaport.
In the meantime the campaign on land was pushed forward with increased
activity. The headquarters of the Japanese army investing Port Arthur
was not far from the railroad, but the lines stretched many miles to the
east and the west. Troops were hurried both from Japan and from the
divisions near Liao-Yang, and heavy siege guns were mounted on every
available hilltop. The Japanese were, at the start, at a great
disadvantage--they could not see the enemy at which they were firing.
Hills and mountains cut them off from every view of the port. But they
kept hammering away, day after day, week after week, and month after
month, gaining steadily, throwing up new intrenchments, digging new
tunnels, and hauling their heavy guns forward to more advantageous
positions. The labor was body racking and the sacrifice of life
enormous. But the Mikado's soldiers did not appear to care. They had set
out to capture Port Arthur and they were going to do it.
For the foot-soldiers and for the cavalry there was at the start but
little to do in the way of fighting. Most of the time was spent in
digging trenches and tunnels, and in keeping out of the way of shells
that whistled and screamed in all directions--shells weighing hundreds
of pounds, which, when they struck, tore up the ground for yards around
and smashed the rocks as if the latter were passing through a quartz
crusher. Such is war of modern times, when carried on at a distance of
miles.
But as the months went by, and Japanese and Russians came closer to each
other, hand-to-hand conflicts became numerous. The Russians contested
every foot of the ground, fighting with a courage that was truly heroic,
and sacrificing themselves freely for the Czar and the country they
loved. The hand-to-hand conflicts became bloody in the extreme,
thousands upon thousands being slaughtered between the rising and the
setting of the sun.
From the seacoast the command to which Gilbert was attached moved to a
small place called Fugi Klan. Here they went into camp for several weeks
and while there were joined by a number of other commands, including
that containing those old soldiers of fortune, Dan Casey and Carl
Stummer, who had served with Gilbert and Ben in Cuba and in the
Philippines.
"Py chiminy, of it ton't done mine heart goot to see you, cabtain!"
exclaimed Carl Stummer, rushing up and giving Gilbert a handshake. "How
you peen, annavay?"
"First rate, Stummer. And how are you, Casey?"
"Sure an' it's meself is as foine as a fiddle," answered the Irishman,
with a broad grin on his freckled face. "It's a great war, ain't it now?
Both soides is fightin' like a pair o' Kilkenny cats, so they are! An'
where is me ould friend, Captain Russell?"
"He was captured by Chunchuses."
"No!" came from both Stummer and Casey, and then they poured in a volley
of questions which were bewildering. Gilbert answered them as best he
could.
"Dot's der vorst ding vot I hear yet alretty!" said Carl Stummer, with a
sad shake of his head. "I vish I got dem Chunchusers--or vot you call
dem--here. I fix 'em, eh, Tan?"
Dan Casey nodded vigorously. "Sure an' we'd be after puttin' a ball
through ivery mother's son of 'em, so we would! Poor Ben Russell! I
loiked him loike a brother!" And the honest Irish sharp-shooter heaved a
long sigh.
Both Casey and Stummer had been having easy times of it for several
weeks, but now they were called upon to go forth with pick and shovel,
to do their share of work in digging intrenchments. This was not so
nice, but they went at the labor without a murmur.
"Sure an' we might as well git into practice," observed Casey, as he
started in with vigor. "Whin the war's over an' we git back to the
States, it may be ourselves as will be workin' fer the corporation in
New York or ilsewhere!"
"Yah, udder puttin' town railroad dracks alretty in der Vest," answered
Carl Stummer. "Dot is," he added, "of I ton't got money enough to puy a
farm."
"'Tis a stock farm I'm wantin'," came from Casey. "Wid horses galore.
There's money for ye, Carl!" And he went to work with added vigor--as if
he expected to turn up the stock farm from the soil beneath him.
To Gilbert, even though he occasionally saw Stummer and Casey, the days
were very lonely. He missed Ben greatly, and each day wondered if he
would ever see his old war chum again. Major Okopa saw this and did what
he could to cheer up the young officer.
"He may turn up before you realize it," said the major. "I don't think
he was killed."
"If he is alive, it is very strange that we do not hear from him."
Two days later came a batch of letters into camp, written, or rather
painted, for the most part, on thin Japanese paper. Among the
communications were two for Gilbert, one from Captain Ponsberry
concerning the _Columbia_ and her cargo, and the other from a stranger
in Pekin, China.
"Who can be writing to me from Pekin, China?" mused the young captain,
and began to read the communication with interest. It was from a Chinese
merchant, and ran in part as follows:
"You will be mystified to receive this from an utter
stranger, but I deem it my duty, kind sir, to send this word
to you.
"Know, then, that one Ken Gow, a servant of my family, was
in Port Arthur up to sixteen days ago--first a servant in an
American family there, and next a prisoner in the vilest
prison man ever saw, guarded by dogs of Russians unworthy to
be used as door mats. Ken Gow is a faithful man, the flower
of all my help.
"It is needless to explain to you why my servant was thus
ill-treated. But you must know that when in prison he met
your great friend Captain Benjamin Russell, and it was the
captain who saved Ken Gow from many hard blows from the
other prisoners, who wanted not a Chinaman amongst them.
"Ken Gow was grateful, even as I am grateful, and he
promised to get word to you of this matter if the Russians
granted him his liberty. Finding no fault in my servant he
was, after a time, liberated, and watching his chance, left
Port Arthur and came home.
"Kind sir, he is grateful to Captain Russell and would do
much for him if he could. Yet his most is to send this
letter to you, telling you that Captain Russell is alive and
held in a Port Arthur prison as a spy. One Russian hates
him--his name, Captain Barusky,--and it would appear that
this Russian is also your enemy, so beware of him.
"I can tell no more. Ken Gow is sick from his treatment at
the hands of the Russian dogs. Accept this miserable
assurance of my eternal friendship, and esteem for one I
know must be high and illustrious."
"CHENG MO."
Gilbert read the letter several times and showed it to Major Okopa. It
was written in true Chinese style, with a big Chinese seal attached, and
was, beyond all doubt, genuine.
"I can't understand one thing," said the young captain. "How did Ben get
to Port Arthur?"
"It may be that this Captain Barusky had him taken there, Captain
Pennington."
"I thought Captain Barusky was at Mukden."
"The Russians have been taking in some troops at Port Arthur on the sly.
Despite Admiral Togo's efforts, some supply boats and transports have
passed his ships."
"If Barusky is there he will do what he can to make Ben miserable. He is
down on both of us--for he knows we are down on him and Ivan Snokoff."
"Do you think Snokoff could have anything to do with this?"
"I'm sure I don't know. Anything is possible. Snokoff would be glad to
make trouble for Ben--since he helped me to make him settle up at
Liao-Yang. Those Chunchuses tried to capture both of us."
The matter was talked over for half an hour, but brought forth no
satisfaction. To Gilbert's mind, being held by the Russians as a spy was
as bad as being in the hands of the Chinese brigands.
"I wish we could get into Port Arthur at once," he said, finally. "I
shouldn't like anything better than to capture this Captain Barusky and
liberate Ben."
"We are bound to get into the port sooner or later," answered Major
Okopa. "They are bringing up more siege guns every day. If the Russians
won't give up we'll batter the whole town down over their heads."
"Which will be a bad thing for Ben," rejoined Gilbert. "I don't want him
killed in the attempt to rescue him."