“At present,” said Rex, “our men are taking the offensive; the firing on the other side of the river is on the outside of the settlement. Admiral Seymourʼs force canʼt have retired beyond Tientsin; they must be holding the place, for certainly the local Europeans would not have been strong enough to make a sortie, or to have captured that Chinese college. It is either that or else troops must have come up from Taku.”
The truth was that fifteen hundred Russians had arrived after Admiral Seymourʼs force had started. It was fortunate indeed that they had not arrived in time to join it, for if they had, Tientsin could not have made a successful resistance.
All day the firing went on. Where they lay they could see that not only Boxers, but regular Chinese troops, were taking part in the attack. Several times the enemy made rushes almost up to the college, but each time they quailed before the heavy fire and turned back. At nightfall the fighting ceased, and Rex and his companion left their hiding–place and made their way round to the river below the military college, on which side no attack had been made. Groups of men were sitting about talking together, but by exercising great caution they succeeded in avoiding these, and at last approached the college. When they got nearer, Rex shouted: “I am an Englishman with messages from Pekin; donʼt fire!”
“All right, mate!” came back in a hearty voice. “But you must just stop where you are until I call an officer.”
A minute later, a voice shouted: “How many are there of you?”
“Only myself and one servant.”
“All right! come on. As an Englishman you must be a friend.”
A couple of minutes later Rex and Ah Lo entered the college. An officer with two men and a lantern met them.
“You may be an Englishman,” the officer said, “but you look very unlike one.”
“If I hadnʼt disguised myself I should not have got down here,” Rex said with a laugh. “My name is Bateman. I am the son of a merchant here. I went up with Admiral Seymourʼs expedition, but left them when they came to a stand–still, and made my way into Pekin, where I have some relations.”