men--a little rear guard backing slowly toward the
west, working their smoking rifles in feverish haste as they fired
volley after volley at the foe we could not see.

But these were pressed back and back until the first line of the enemy
came opposite our shelter. They were men of medium height, with olive
complexions and almond eyes. In them I recognized the descendants of
the ancient Chinese race.

They were well uniformed and superbly armed, and they fought bravely
and under perfect discipline. So rapt was I in the exciting events
transpiring in the street that I did not hear the approach of a body of
men from behind. It was a party of the conquerors who had entered the
palace and were searching it.

They came upon us so unexpectedly that we were prisoners before we
realized what had happened. That night we were held under a strong
guard just outside the eastern wall of the city, and the next morning
were started upon a long march toward the east.

Our captors were not unkind to us, and treated the women prisoners with
respect. We marched for many days--so many that I lost count of
them--and at last we came to another city--a Chinese city this
time--which stands upon the site of ancient Moscow.

It is only a small frontier city, but it is well built and well kept.
Here a large military force is maintained, and here also, is a terminus
of the railroad that crosses modern China to the Pacific.

There was every evidence of a high civilization in all that we saw
within the city, which, in connection with the humane treatment that
had been accorded all prisoners upon the long and tiresome march,
encouraged me to hope that I might appeal to some high officer here for
the treatment which my rank and birth merited.

We could converse with our captors only through the medium of
interpreters who spoke both Chinese and Abyssinian. But there were
many of these, and shortly after we reached the city I persuaded one of
them to carry a verbal message to the officer who had commanded the
troops during the return from New Gondar, asking that I might be given
a hearing by some high official.

The reply to my request was a summons to appear before the officer to
whom I had addressed my appeal. A sergeant came for me along with the
interpreter, and I managed to obtain his permission to let Victory
accompany me--I had never left her alone with the prisoners since we
had been captured.

To my delight I found that the o