On to Pekin/Chapter 16
CHAPTER XVI
ENTERING TIEN-TSIN UNDER DIFFICULTIES
It did not take Gilbert long to rouse up and reach for his weapons. His pistol and sword secured, he ran to where his company was already forming, under the directions of Second Lieutenant Bruff. A shooting in the direction of the Pei-Ho told him that hostilities had already started.
"The Chinese are moving in the direction of Tien-Tsin," announced Major Morris. "We must follow them up. The French detachment will support us."
But little more was said, and five minutes later the battalion of American regulars were moving along silently. It was still raining, but it could be seen that the storm was coming to an end.
Presently there came a loud shouting out of the darkness, followed by more shots.
"Don't let them get into the boat! For the love of heaven, push her from shore!"
"Some Americans or English in a boat, and in trouble!" cried Captain Banner, and gazed at the major inquiringly.
"Company A will march directly to the river shore," said Major Morris, promptly. "If those people in the boat need assistance, give them all you can."
The rain had soaked the marshland thoroughly, and soon the members of Company A found themselves in water over their ankles. The shouting from the river continued; and at length they made out a small lighter, usually used to transport goods from the steamboats in Taku Harbor to Tien-Tsin. The lighter was filled with refugees from Tien-Tsin,—men, women, and children,—who were trying to escape the furies of the Chinese bombardment. The craft had become stuck in the mud, and was being fired upon by a party of Boxers, numbering at least two hundred and fifty.
As soon as he realized the situation, Captain Banner did not hesitate as to what to do. Bringing his company to a halt, he ordered the men to fire low, so as not to hit anybody in the boat.
The first round was very effective, six Boxers being killed and as many more wounded. The attack came largely as a surprise, for the Celestials had been so intent upon killing those in the boat that they had paid no attention to what might come behind them. At once yells and shrieks arose; and, when Company A poured in a second and a third round, the Boxers scattered, some running up the shore, and the others down. They fired only a handful of shots, and these did little damage.
By this time both the American and French soldiers were ranging along the Pei-Ho, and the scattering of the Boxers brought on their doom. One detachment fell into the hands of the Frenchmen, and were killed almost to a man; while the other—by far the larger detachment—ran into the arms of the other companies of Major Morris's battalion. A fierce rough-and-tumble fight ensued, the most of it on the American side falling to Company C; and then the Boxers leaped into the stream to swim for the other shore. At least twenty were laid low on land, and as many more killed or wounded in the water.
It was soon learned that the lighter had started from Tien-Tsin on the evening of the day before, in the midst of the heavy downpour of rain. It carried twenty-eight people, mostly English and German, although there was one American and his wife and little girl.
"The bombardment at Tien-Tsin is something awful," said the American, whose name was Margoss. "At first the Chinese couldn't get our range; but now they have it, and they pour shot and shell into almost any place they select. My partner in business, Mr. Mackley, was sitting on the front porch of his residence when a shot struck the top of the porch, killing him instantly. Most of the stores are in ruins, and the people have all they can do to keep the fires that start from spreading."
"What are our soldiers doing?"
"I know nothing of any but the marines under Captain McCalla, and they can do but little outside of holding their own. Some of the sharpshooters are out every day, picking off every pig-tail who shows himself. But that is only a drop in the bucket; for the government troops of China have united with the Boxers, and combined they number thousands to our hundreds. If the Chinks could fight as the foreign troops fight, we should be wiped out in no time."
"The barbarities are something dreadful," put in Mrs. Margoss. "The Chinese are very brutal, literally hacking women and children to death; and this has so angered some of the Japanese and Russians that they can't be held in check, and consequently they are taking no prisoners, but putting all the enemy to the sword or bayonet. In some cases women and children are treated like the men, for the Japanese and Russians say they are not to be trusted."
This version of affairs was corroborated by all the others in the boat. The refugees were very bitter, for many of them had lost everything but the clothes on their backs. Two in the craft had been wounded, and two had leaped overboard and disappeared.
A consultation was held; and it was decided that the lighter should be used to ferry the American and French soldiers over the river, that they might have more of a chance to get into Tien-Tsin. On a pinch the craft could carry several hundred men, so it did not take long to complete the movement. This done, the lighter was again turned over to the refugees. With the latter went all the Americans and French who had been wounded, under an escort of eight Frenchmen,—clever shots, who could do a good deal in the way of protection if the lighter got into another tight corner.
By the time the battahon was ready to continue its march toward Tien-Tsin it was broad daylight. As the soldiers came closer to the foreign quarter of the city, they kept closer together; and a vidette was sent ahead, that they might not fall into a trap.
The evidences of a bombardment were now to be seen on every hand. The Pei-Ho was full of the dead bodies of Boxers, some washed up on the shore by the tide and others floating aimlessly hither and thither. Here and there a savage "chow" (Chinese wolf dog) was feeding on the corpses. Where the road was not torn up, it was strewn with household effects, soldier equipments, and the like. At one point there was a hasty breastworks built of a pile of salt.
Suddenly, just as Tien-Tsin was sighted, there came a number of shots from across the river, and one of the French soldiers was struck in the arm. A body of Chinese troops had sighted the oncoming troops, and in a few minutes a small field-gun was trained upon them.
"Double quick!" came the order from Major Morris; for he realized that they could do nothing against an enemy who lay across the stream and who had a piece of artillery at his command.
The order was obeyed as quickly as given. The Frenchmen were in the lead; and they soon reached the wall of the foreign quarter, where of a sudden they received a cheer from their own countrymen, who were guarding the outer defences in that vicinity.
"Right wheel!" came the order for the American battalion; and they moved off in the direction of a row of huts, but still keeping close to the wall. They were still some distance from one of the arsenals, when a volley from an embankment to their left made them stop.
That the entire foreign quarter of Tien-Tsin was suffering a heavy bombardment there could be no doubt; for the booming of cannon was continuous, and from a distance came that whining of shells which, when once heard, is never forgotten.
"Hurrah! I see an American flag!" cried Gilbert, after looking through a pair of field-glasses.
"Hurrah for Old Glory!" was the cry. "See, there is an opening for us, at yonder gate!"
Major Morris had already seen the opening, and the battalion was immediately urged onward once more. Once some Chinese troops showed themselves in the long grass to the westward, and the four companies of Americans opened fire on them. Then the embankment was gained, and the troops slipped through the gate mentioned, just as a Chinese field-gun sent a twelve-pound shot after them. The shot took off the top of a near-by flagstaff, but otherwise did no damage.
Once inside of the outer wall of Tien-Tsin, the battahon felt fairly safe for the time being. Still, they were but a short distance from the Chinese quarter; and it was soon learned that the Celestials had from ten to twenty thousand troops on hand, with many more pouring into the neighborhood every day. What the outcome of the fighting at Tien-Tsin would be, no one cared to predict. It was felt that the Allies needed re-enforcements very much.
"What a mixture of troops!" such was Gilbert's comment when first he saw the camp of the Allies. English, French, German, Itahan, Russian, and Japanese were represented; and of these troops there were numerous branches, such as the ChineseEnglish, the East Indian English, and the Japanese-German and Chinese-French. It was a conglomeration as startling as it was interesting. Some few of the troops were on ponies and horses, but the majority were afoot. All were armed in the latest fashion, however; and the general appearance presented was formidable.
"China must think it has the world against it," observed Gilbert, after the company had come to a halt and Major Morris had gone off to report to his superior.
"And so it has," answered Captain Banner. "Civilization is going to move on; and China must move, too, or take the consequences."
The battalion was too tired out to do anything but rest; and a cool, shady spot was found for it not far from the English legation, for it was but natural that the Americans and the English should stick together, speaking the same language. Gilbert was glad enough to throw himself down, and was soon half asleep.
"They tell me the Chinese have four mounted guns in the native quarter," remarked Captain Banner, on returning from a short walk.
"But we have heard more than four cannon," said Gilbert.
"Oh, they have others, on the outside. They are directing a good part of their fire over to the railroad station, and an English officer just told me that the round-house is in ruins."
"What are we to do?"
"Nothing for the present. I suppose they will put us on the outer defences to-morrow."
"Then we'll see some more real fighting very soon."
"We shall."