e nearly always carried. Where the fire was
hottest, there Gordon was always to be found, caring no more for the
bullets that pattered round him than if they were hailstones. The
Chinese soldiers came to look on the little cane as a magic wand.
Gordon's "magic wand of victory," they called it.

During the siege he found men in his own army selling information to
the rebels. One young officer, more out of carelessness, it seemed,
than from any bad wish, had written a letter giving information to the
enemy.

"I shall pass over your fault this time," said Gordon, "if you show
your loyalty by leading the next forlorn hope."

Gordon forgot this condition, but the young officer did not. He led
the next assault, was shot in the mouth, and fell back and died in the
arms of Gordon, who was by his side.

A very wonderful old bridge, one of fifty-three arches, was destroyed
during the siege of Soochow, greatly to Gordon's regret.

One evening he was sitting smoking a cigar on one of the damaged
parapets of the bridge when two shots, accidentally fired by his own
men, struck the stone on which he sat. At the second shot he got down,
entered his boat, and started to row across the creek in order to find
out by whom the shots had been fired. He was scarcely clear of the
bridge than the part on which he had been seated fell crashing into the
water, nearly smashing his boat.

The Chinese were more sure than ever that it must be magic that kept
their general alive. Even when in a fierce fight he was severely
wounded below the knee, they believed that his magic wand had saved his
life.

From Soochow and the rebels he succeeded in rescuing Burgevine and his
miserable followers, even although he knew that Burgevine was ready for
any deed of treachery towards him at any minute.

One rebel stronghold after another fell before Gordon and his army, but
many and fierce were the fights that were fought before Soochow was
taken.

The Wangs gave in at last. They agreed to surrender if Gordon promised
to spare the lives of the leading Wangs--six in all--to treat all the
other rebels mercifully, and not to sack the city. To all these
conditions Gordon, Li Hung Chang, and General Ching gladly agreed, and
that night one of the gates was thrown open, and the Ever-Victorious
Army took possession of Soochow.

As a reward for their brave service, and to make up to them for the
loot they were not to have, Gordon asked Li Hung Chang to