and white haired, supporting themselves with
crooked sticks and hobbling painfully on their mutilated feet; the
same mothers with their children sucking their breasts; the same
little boys and little girls laden with a few miserable rags; the same
able-bodied men carrying the food they had saved. The older people
gazed straight in front of them with the stolid despair of the
fatalist East, and did not utter a word. A woman who had given birth
to a child the very night before was being carried on a single plank
slung on ropes, with a green-white pallor of death on her features. I
have never taken part in such a remarkable procession as this.

Thus bloodstained and very weary we finally reached our Legation
quarter, and once again the energy and resolution of Dr. M----
expressed themselves. The grounds of the Su wang-fu, belonging to the
Manchu prince Su, where the first Boxer we had openly seen had sought
refuge a few days previously, were commandeered by him, and by evening
nearly a thousand Catholic refugees were crowded into its precincts.
All day people were labouring to bring in rice and food for their
people, and camp-fires were soon built at which they could cook their
meals. Several of the _chefs de mission_ were again much alarmed at
this action of ours in openly rescuing Chinese simply because they
were doubtful co-religionists. They say that this action will make us
pay dearly with our own lives; that the Legations will be attacked;
that we cannot possibly defend ourselves against the numbers which
will be brought to bear against us; that we are fools. Perhaps we are,
but still there is some comfort in discovering that this nest of
diplomacy still contains a few men.

Meanwhile there is not a word of news from S----, and there are
indications that our despatches to the Chinese Government, which are
being sent from every Legation more and more urgently, are hardly
read. The situation is becoming more and more impossible, and our
servants say it is useless bringing in any news, as there is such
confusion in the Palace that nobody knows anything reliable.

XI

SOME MEN AND THINGS

16th June, 1900.

* * * * *

No developments have taken place during the past few hours. So far
very few men have been conspicuous; and as it is these few who have
brought about the only developments, and outlined our position, and
that they are to-day all terribly tired, we have absolute