Suddenly Gilbert felt his arm grasped by Captain Banner. “No picnic this, lieutenant,” came in a low voice. “We’re going to be thrown in among all sorts; and we’ve got to take what comes, and say nothing.”
“What gets me is, how is an international army to be commanded, when we can’t understand some of the foreigners’ talk and they can’t understand ours?”
“That’s a problem for our superiors to solve. At the start, I guess each nationality will have to move on its own hook. We are here to rescue the Americans who are in danger in Pekin and elsewhere, and that is what we must fight for until further orders from headquarters.”
It was not until early the next morning that Gilbert’s company went ashore, at Tongku, the majority of the regiment landing at Taku. Some supplies were arriving from Shanghai; and part of these were placed in care of Captain Banner’s command, while the rest went on board of the Monocacy, then lying at the Tongku dock.
“She’s an old boat,” said Captain Banner, referring to the Monocacy. “Her guns date back to 1865, and I understand that she has been laid up in Chinese waters for over fifteen years. Dewey wouldn’t take her to Manila when he sailed to wipe out the Spanish fleet. But one of her men told me that she makes a first-class hospital and relief ship.”
There was not much to do, excepting to watch where the supplies were placed and to keep tab on them, so that some Italian soldiers in the vicinity would not walk away with the things; and Gilbert took it easy under a big shed built of logs and split bamboo. Presently, much to his astonishment, a Chinaman appeared, wearing the uniform of a British soldier.
“Please you slay where him Cap’n Wilbur land,” said the Chinaman, after saluting in true military fashion.
“What’s that?” asked Gilbert, who found it hard to understand the Celestial.
“Me lookee for him, Cap’n Wilbur,—Englees officer. You know where him land?”
“The English are landing something down the stream a bit. You may find him there.”