d been
fired through my gateway. European soldiery, who had broken away from
their corps, and native vagabonds and disguised Boxers, who had hidden
panic-stricken during the first hours after the relief, were now
prowling about armed from head to foot. The vast city, which had been
given over for weeks to mad disorders and insane Boxerism, was in a
receptive condition for this final climax. There was no semblance of
authority left; with troops of many rival nationalities always pouring
in, and a nominal state of war still existing, with the possibility of
a Chinese counter-advance taking place, how could there be?... There
was nothing left to restrain anybody....

I thought of these things lying at my ease, and debated how long I
could stay in that unconcerned attitude. It was not long. For as I
lay, there was a thunder of blows somewhere near, and then a crackle
of shots, whose echoes smote so clean that I knew that firearms were
pointed in the direction of this house. I jumped up without delay. I
was not a minute too soon, for as I seized my rifle, one of my men ran
in and shouted to me that foreign cavalrymen had burst in, shooting in
the air, and were now driving out all the animals and looting all the
carts as well. Nothing could be done unless I lent my leadership.

Hastily I ran out, feeding a cartridge into my rifle-chamber as I
rushed. This time I was determined to give a lesson and pay back in
the same coin. The marauders were Cossacks again.

There were only four of them, however, and when they caught sight of
me they tried to stampede my mob and bolt ingloriously with them. But
we were too quick. I gave the first man's mount my first cartridge in
a fast shot, which took the animal well behind the shoulder and
brought the rider instantly down in a heap to the ground. That mixed
them up so that before they could extricate themselves they were all
covered with our rifles and the gates tight shut. Then we calmly
dragged the men off their ponies and kept them in suspense for many
minutes, debating aloud what to do. Finally we let them go after some
harsh threatening. The man who had lost his mount, nothing abashed,
swung himself coolly up behind a comrade, with his saddle and bridle
on his arm, without a comment. And as soon as they were in the open
street they galloped fast away, as if they feared we would shoot them
down from behind. That showed what was going on elsewhere....

I knew now what to expect unl