sserted." But it must also be reaffirmed that as long as Gordon
thought he could save the Wangs' lives he was prepared to secure the
person of Li Hung Chang and hold him as a hostage for their safety. Of
that, at least, there can be no question.

I must now ask the reader to return to the point when Gordon and Dr
Macartney were standing on the wall near the Low Mun Gate, in order
that the following important and authoritative narrative may be
understood. General Ching entered by this gate at the head of a party
of his troops, and Gordon, somewhat uneasy at the signs of commotion
he thought he had detected across the creek, at once addressed him,
asking--"Well, how did it go off? Have the Wangs seen the Futai?"

Taken off his guard, or confused between the sudden question and his
own knowledge of what had occurred, Ching quickly replied, "They have
not seen the Futai."

"What!" replied Gordon, equally hastily; "that must be nonsense. I saw
the Wangs myself ride out of the city to the rendezvous, and spoke to
them."

Ching then corrected himself by saying, "Oh, yes, that is all right,
but they have not shaved their heads, and they want to retain half the
city," the western half, that nearest to the relieving force, still at
a considerable distance from Soochow, under the heroic Chung Wang.

To which Gordon at once responded, "That won't do. They must conform
with what has been agreed upon," and turning to Macartney, he said,
"Will you go to the Lar Wang's palace and tell him that this cannot
be, and meet me afterwards at Wuliungchow, where I am to join the
steamer _Hyson_ to go on the Taiho Lake?"

Macartney at once accepted the mission, and proceeded to the Lar
Wang's palace, but before following him thither it is necessary to
refer to two earlier passages, one known and the other up to this
moment unknown, in the relations of General Gordon and Sir Halliday
Macartney.

The passage which is known is that where Macartney, sent as the
representative of the Futai Li Hung Chang, and escorted by that
Governor's own bodyguard, healed the breach caused between Gordon and
General Ching by the latter firing on some of Gordon's troops and
treating the matter with marked levity, which so enraged Gordon that
he was on the point of attacking the Imperialist troops when Sir
Halliday Macartney arrived as peacemaker, and with equal tact and
energy averted the catastrophe. This incident has already been
referred to, and need not