The National tribune., 1900-11-29

:. In another boat were Capt. BrewsteI
II newspaper correspondents and soldiers,
r navy Doctor. In another were sick, wound
: ed and convalescent marines and soldier
d from Picking, some of whom had bee
c through the siege, others wounded in TIA
taking of Picking.
: QUEER WATER THIP.
= Some boats were ordered off befor
y dark. In fact, the officers on shore wer
1 in great haste to see-us away, whereas "a
: experienced river-man always hesitate
: about sending boats off at dark, wher
sand bars are as abundant as at Tuu
Chow.
We were just about to push off whel
1 an officer appeared, gesticHlating Wild.
2 with Il cane.
Have you folks your provisions?" h
shouted. If not, why haven't You gon
to the CommisSariat and got them?"
SuppoSlng that they were, according Il
promise, slowed away somewhere in 1ht
boat, we were trife aStonished, but
knowing that war time means confusion
two gentlemen of our party went TO the
Quartermaster. After waiting until dark
one of the men Ga missionary said:
Pardon me. sir, but the ladies in oul
boat had very early breakfast and neeC
some food"
knew you had lunch on the way" re
Joined an officer standing near. land sup
posed you could get along with that unit
morning."
But, finally, the regular army rations
were given, except sugar and coffee, which
were supplied upon special request. This
done, we were pushed off into the stream
Unquestionably the parting guest was sped
vigorously on his way. But we did moi
speed far for, out in the open stream, the
Corporal discovered that three boatmen
were missing, and that of the remainder
l,f In sr,lty ftr-,N l.
thing about the boat. While he was ex-
claiming upon this we sailed peacefully
upon 4 sand bank, where we lay for 10
| hours.
Lieut. Waldron, of the 9th Inf, was on
| board with US as passenger, but he came
calamity forward, got the guards, and they
spent almost the night in the cold river
water trying to push us off; but to no
| avail. Early the next morning Capt.
Brewster and his party drifted by us.
| Lieut.. Waldron, bearing orders to Hui Shi
WI, wished to go on his boat, but Capt.
Brewster declined stopping his boat to let
him on, and we secretly rejoiced for
Lieut.. Waldron had proved himself very
good man, and we wanted him with us.
Finally we were pushed off the bank
and fairly started-to run in Il bank on All
average of every half hour. The river at
this point was low. Great drifts of muddy
sand rose from the river-bed and along its
side
These drifts were destitute OF every
thing save the bare and swollen bodies of
dead Chinese Waving corntields on every
side, not even the chirp of a bird to break
the stiffness, and the dead floating by and
around us.
Every rustic among the corn was fol
lowed by n rifle-shot from some boat. lie
track of the great allied army was visible
on every hand. The river that had
4
now was one great silence save for the
boats of soldiers. Russians, French and
Japanese crews all passed us. Russians
speculative, French voluble to each other,
and japanese friendly, with handwriting
and How de dos from japanese Off
GERS.
We could not fail to notice that, while
the Western nations had seized the largest
boats, which traverSed the shadows, with
many stoppages, the japanese had every
house-bOat on the river. These boats
skinned the waters like birds and We're
the better in the end. Some of these con-
tanned sick soldiers, some provisions, but
usually there was only one japanese to
manage his Boxer boat crew.
We were amused in one place to find
seine Chinese families, living in old boats
along the bank. These, one and all, bore
the flag we had last seen on every house
in Peking-"Loyal Citizen of Great ia
pan'-showing that the war won by Ja-
pan is still fresh in memory.
About o'clock in the afternoon we
seemed hopelessly stuck. There was not,
nor had there been, any evidence that we
were part of conyoy-in fact, we Were
deserted.
Just as our good Lieutenant and the
Corporal climbed out of the water, in de-
spair of ever getting off, the finest little |
Japanese gentleman came up, took US in
tow, then tied us to his boat, and we sailed |
in to Ma TOu, to be informed that our con- |
voy was 1G miles ahead of us. A message |
was left for Mrs. NJ. S. Woodward, OF |
Chicago, Maj. Conger's guest, who had |
been one OF the best siege hospital nurses. |
The message was from Mitchell, our brave !
gunner, wounded day or two before the |
troops reached Picking, saying that his |
wound had not been dressed for 80 hours |
and that he feared gangrene would set in. |
We had to part with Lieut.. Waldron at |
Ma Tou, for. in order to meet his appoint |
ment, he had to take the short wagon cut |
from Ma Ton to Hsi Shi WI. But the |
japanese still remained with us and towed |
us safely on.
The scenery was unvaried-cornfeTds |
on each side, crafts full of soldiers on the |
river and dead bodies in it and strewing |
the banks.
AT He Shi WI we found that our friend |
the Lieutenant had telegraphed to some !
one concerning us, and as result Capt |
Brewster had been waiting for US some
hours. Here we said good-by reluctantly |
TO our japanese friend, who had delayed |
his own course to help us along. BY this |
time several of the boys were having |
chills and cramps from their long time in |
the river. They were not over the IA |
tisue of the march to Picking. But we
wrapped them up as best we could and |
gave them of our scanty store of medi- |
cines. Some of the women on board could |
not now eat the bacon and salmon, and at |
He Shi WI a Russian officer kindly gave |
us six chickens and n duck.
No cock or utensils having been pro
vided, the gentlemen with us did the cook
ing, using the COrporars dishes We had |
four spoons between us, the Corporaps |
knife and fork and the bowls of the Chi |
nese boat crew. We congratulated our
selves that the siege had prepared us for
this extremity of emergency.
Then, too, we foraged for green corn
along the way, and SO did not lack for
food. At He Shi WI, as at the three
towns between Tung Chow and Tien-Tsin,
there were located allied guards to the
number of 2J0 each.
When il was explained to Capt Brews-
ter that the boat contained Minister Con
gers guests, he at once became very So
licitous.
And where were you when We passed
you?" he asked, with feeling.
Just in the sand bank where you left
us, Captain, when you refused to stop
for Lieut. Waldron," sick voice re-
marked, to the gallant Captains discom-
fort.