sulted in failure, and
those who took part in it were wiped out!

And now it was that the Russians deemed the moment suitable for a
counter-demonstration. The _Bohr_, doubtless in obedience to some
signal from the shore, steamed up toward the head of Hand Bay as far as
the shoaling water would permit, the five steamers loaded with troops
closely following her and making as though it was their intention to
land the troops upon a small promontory jutting out into the head of the
bay. This was a distinct menace to the Japanese left, and although it
might be merely a demonstration, it was imperative to meet it, or it
might develop into a serious and most embarrassing attack; therefore,
badly as it could be spared from the task of shelling the heights and
the Russian trenches, a battery of our field-guns placed on the
south-western slope of Mount Sampson was turned upon the gunboat and her
accompanying flotilla of steamers, the latter being compelled to hastily
retire, while several of our shells struck the _Bohr_, and temporarily
silenced her fire. Judging from appearances generally, the gunboat
appeared to have been rather severely punished; and about a quarter of
an hour later she slowly retired to her former position, farther down
the bay, and re-opened her fire, although with considerably less vigour
than before.

The fire from Fort Hoshangtao, occupying the promontory which separates
Sunk Bay from Hand Bay, was a most galling factor in the fight, for its
guns had a range which enabled them to drop their heavy shells right
upon our left and centre, while it was out of range of our own guns.
Therefore our men had to stand motionless, hour after hour, and endure
the pitiless shelling of the Russian gunners, with the bitter knowledge
that to silence the fort was quite out of our power.

The utter annihilation of the first battalion of stormers warned General
Oku that to advance comparatively small parties was but to sacrifice
them uselessly, while it also indicated that the task of artillery
"preparation" had been by no means as complete as he had judged it to
be; he therefore sedulously continued the work of preparation all
through the afternoon until five o'clock, when a message from the
artillery commander warned him that the crisis was at hand. The message
was to the effect that he had fired away practically his entire supply
of ammunition, only his reserve rounds remaining. What was he to do?

Situated as I w