an
fleet continued to pour a storm of shot and shell after the
retreating fragments of the little command. That night the Chileans
broke into the liquor store-houses and soon drunkenness increased their
natural blood thirstiness. Prisoners were murdered in cold blood and
women were wantonly shot down. They even fought among themselves, many
being killed in that way. Next morning the streets of Chorrillos
presented a sad and bloody spectacle. Dead and dying were everywhere.
Even the poor rabona women had not been spared. Their bodies could be
seen all over the place. Many dead were seen on the beach where they had
fallen when cruelly bayoneted off the cliffs.

While Boyton and a brave Peruvian officer, Colonel Timoteo Smith, were
hastily crossing a meadow, they saw a young Chilean officer fall from
his horse, wounded. They noticed that he wore the iron cross of Germany
on his breast and ran forward to save him. Before they could reach him,
a Peruvian Indian, knife in hand, bounded to the spot, cut the young
man's throat from ear to ear and tearing the decoration from his
breast, quickly disappeared. On examining the body it proved to be that
of a young captain or lieutenant. It was learned afterward that he
was the nephew of the celebrated General Von Moltke, the German soldier
and strategist. His death was outright murder.

After the retreat to Miraflores, a truce was declared and an effort made
to arrange terms of peace. The foreign diplomats, among whom was
United States Minister Christiancy, and high military officers were
holding a conference, while the two armies faced each other. During
the peace conference, a gun was fired. It was said at the time that a
Peruvian soldier fired at a cow. At any rate, the Chileans began the
attack at once. The crack of their guns along the line sounded like the
running of a finger over the key board of a piano. The bullets
began to shatter the house in which the diplomats were conferring. They
suddenly became aware of their danger and fled in all directions.
Minister Christiancy was seen in his shirt sleeves valiantly running
across the fields towards Lima along with many others. Not to speak
flippantly, it was a genuine go-as-you-please hurdle race, for they had
to jump the low, mud walls forming the fences. The Peruvians were
utterly routed. When Don Nicholas saw the battle going against him, he
gallantly mounted his charger and rode to t