“All right. I am ready for the biggest engagement of the campaign,” laughed Gilbert.
“An’ dot vos me,” put in Carl Stummer. “I ton’t vont to got rusty on dot bicket line no more.”
The whole company were hard at work cleaning up their uniforms and weapons, for the outward movement was to begin promptly at noon. Soldiers were everywhere in evidence. The Russians and Germans were encamped between the Chinese city and the river; while on the opposite side of the native quarter were the French, English, Japanese, and American, in the order named.
The opening movement was made by the Russians, and some Germans, who swung to the northward to take the river forts and prevent, if possible, any Celestial troops from coming across the Pei-Ho to re-enforce those in the native city.
In the mean time the Japanese commander, General Fukushina, started for the moat before the great south gate of the inner city. All the cannon in that vicinity were to clear the way for the Japanese, who were then to rush in, and blow up the gate with dynamite, so that the allied infantry might enter.
The various movements were well planned, but hard to execute; for all the Allies communicated with each other only with the greatest difficulty. The Russians reached the first forts with ease; but then the fire of the other forts was turned upon them, also a fire from across the Pei-Ho, and they lost heavily.
Meanwhile the British and Japanese cannon-fire was directed toward the great south gate; and the Japanese rushed forward, followed by the English troops, with the American marines on the extreme left. The Ninth United States Infantry were ordered to get in further down the road, which meant in an open space not far from the mud wall.
As the Allies neared the south gate, they found that the bridge had been destroyed, and the fields flooded with water. On they went, however, through the liquid mud, almost up to the great gate. But the aim of the Chinese was deadly, and scores of soldiers dropped in a very few minutes. The Allies could not keep the ground they had gained, and fell back to the intrenchments which had first given them shelter.
The sun was blazing down hotly; and, when that first rush was over, Gilbert was almost ready to drop with exhaustion. But there was no rest for anybody, for the various commanders realized that it was “now or never”; for, if the native city was not taken, the Chinese troops on the western plain would pour in on them, and they would be cut off from all help.
Colonel Liscum of the Ninth United States Infantry was everywhere along the line, cheering and encouraging his men. “We must win out,” he is reported to have said. “They cannot stand up against us much longer.”