The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-28

OF war Of the Chinese In the yard were the
usual rows n tents with the banners IN front
Of them or the stacks Of long spears courtynrds
all oyergrown with grass and weeds, decay
wreck and ruin everywhere, a sorry show Tor
m Emperor's own palace
This second gate was Just like the nrst In
general slze and appearance The gun was
run up In front Of The centre arch and In IN"
purely impersonal fashion 70 which he had been
getting accustomed the gunner put In the TWO
shells that did their work and made the gat"'
ready 20 be pushed apart Here the Chinese
gave us n lively surprise Tho gaie' had been
opened and The whole column was moving
through M coolly as II on parade, when, with
about half a company out In the open beyond
and n Colonel and licutcnant-Colone punched
mp with tho General right In the arch, they
sent n very sharp fire through II
For n second there was some confusion
The first impulse Of some Of the men farthest
In the rear was to got ahcnd whore they could
get into II. but the order was for those nj the
head to retire except those far enough forward
to get out Of the arch and take cover under the
ramps at the ends Of the gate. Finally. Just as
the men were nearly all clear Of tho arch one
fellow was hit and fell just Mt the far side Ono
OF the trumptcters OF tho Fourteenth happened
to be near him and started TO help him through,
but got ono Of those mimic slugs In the right
hip for II. A soon NJ he got out and the other
man was removed. the two guns we're brought
up, and working diagonally through the long
arch they shellcd the ends Of the gate ahead
with tremendous effect. Once n shell burst
s~qunrely in the spot where there had just been
very sharp firing. After that the firing Stacked
on very greatly and It certainly seemed as II
| that ahsII b.I Jana IT, rnrk
STOPPED OUTSIDE THE PALACE.
II WIS tho last burst Of the fighting. Before
the Smelling had finished ChaiTee had given
orders that we were not TO go beyond tho next
gate in any event. and having now apparently
chased tho defenders away from Il, our work
was ended and We should 60 into camp some
where about where we were. To soldiers and
civilians alike the decision to stop was n bitter
blow. No ono pretended to understand It.
and the only explanation that had any credence
was that Chanee had gone further than the
other Powers thought he should and they had
stopped him. It had been said that there was
10 be n conference Of Generals at II o'clock.
but II was now noon and hanee had not started.
The stopping was in line with what the Chinese
had been doing in the morning, yet now their
guns were heard in action against the Imperial
Guy on l0e nOTlTl, elNl ana west HONfNfT1
nothing happened all the afternoon. Tie troops
sat about their camp In the gates Of the Purple
city and erowled because they were not sent
straight through the palace itself. Here they
we're where no white men had ever been before,
That was true; but after all this was not
the palace. II was only tho courtyard At the
outer gates, and now we had taken the last Of
tho gates and had only to push open two more
big doors 10 be at the very hearts heart Of
desire.
A PEEP HRorGH THE DOORS.
This last courty ard showed more signs Of
recent lnhabitance. There were the usual
double row OF tents all along the wall and many
banners in front Of thcm, some Of tthe7e most
gorgeous, such that the hearts OF certain we'll
known looters who happened TO he along
thrilled with enthusiasm and desire At the
sight. But alas for the hooters, all were taken
strictly into account by the military people.
The buildings along the wall between this
gate where we were now and the last one just
ahead OF va lcd back for the FIRST time into
other compartments and were not so squalid
and d.SIeputable. A dozen or more Chinese
Of various ages and conditions came out OF
them m q talked 10 TIE through interpreters
They said all the Imperial party had left the
palace the dav before, and those who had
been doing the fghtine were only a few servants
who had staid behind. Judging b. their uni
forms and equipment, that seemed quite plau-
sible. We went up to the last gate and reered
through the broad crack between the doors
at the mysterious rlories Of the forbidden
heaven. II didn't look any different 70 those
on our side, Just the same srass-grown and
careless aspect. with a vista Of yellow-tiled
roofs. Not much to night for. after all.
HARD WORN FOR NoTHING
Then at 5 O'Clock ChaTee came back and said
IL had been decided to withdraw from our po-
sition and camp outside the wall again where
We did last night. That was a sickcner. II
was nearly dark and We were settled down.
To get out and move back TO that vile camp
in the Nth Of the Chinese city was hard TO take.
But back We went, Chahee said We had pun
ished the Chinese sufficiently In the occupation
Of their gates for the day. II had been n mill
tary necessity TO take them because the Chinese
had been sniping from them into the legation
grounds. but now that It had been done 1t did
not seem likely that there would be any recur-
renee Of the shipping and the movement was
deemed 70 have been completed.
1t was pretty hard to get the average Pekin
man to swallow that explanation that night.
Late in tho evening | saw Fukushima. He told
Ue lil1t II uhu Decu lIf fIoTl OF INC Japanese
10 open communication with the Chinese before
they left the palace and that his troops had
gone 10 the north, east and west gates at the
samc time that ours were going through the
ones We did take. At each gate tho Japanese
met with violent opposition so that they had
not been able to deliver thsir communications
10 the Chinese and had instead become involved
I'm Y cry rharprghtins In whichthey had suffered
severely. The word which they hsd tried to
send through the aate- Of the Forbidden city
was simply that they wore establishing their
guards for the protection ~ the city and any
Chinese who might be in It. whom they Ruarsn-
teed n protect. and that they had no intention
Of attacking the city. but merely ~ guarding
II. When | asked him why that was tine desire
of the Japanese Gen. Fukushima smiled and
replied That ! cannot say now. BY and by"
Thus the Americans put in the whole day
at hard and costly work Cor nothing The
British stayed In their camp In the carriage
park and rested. except such d%etachments
Of them rs went out early after any specially
choice plants o'gloot. The Russians seemed
10 sYend the entire day in recovering from
the effects 81 their fight for the Tung-rien-
mum. Late in the evening they were wander
ing about in the streets with their dead and