The National tribune., 1900-10-18
"0UR DETSEY." "
The International Gun of the Picking
Siege.
Special correspondence to THE NATIONAL TRrnps Z

Special correspondence 10 THE NATIONAL TRInUSK
PEKING, CHINA, Aug. %.
Have you seen our DotSey quer ed
a bright young sjll who had lived u wei
come the allied relief troops on Aug. II.
No. rcIlied the old officer, Il have
not; who is she?
Our Betsey? Why, our Betsey is the
international Gun of the Peking Siege.
She is the Yellow Dragon, the BntIsh
Lion, the Russian Bear, and our own glOr-
ious Stars and Stripes all comb ned-tAe
emblem of Harmony of Nations-such as
every true American understands.
Il don't believe l understand; perhaps
the forced march here in the hot sun WIS
too much for my poor head int rIupted
her listener. You must tel N pia my.
Il am just coming to that, but We al
felt so eloquent on the subject of Bets y
that we have to give what do you cal
it, sort of pie or a tin, you know" an
swered the girl whose spirits even SIX
weeks in siege had failed to quench.
You see it was this way, she contin-
ued; we were having an awfully hard
time here, in the British Legation; we had
in the cannon line little Italian one
pOunder, and it could only be in one place
at d time-while the Chinese were attack
ing us from several places at time
nearly all day and all night. Our United
States Marines on the wall wanted a can-
uOl lut HSalutu SJlIiccc Ddl4l
cade down. In fact, we needed one 10
break barricades in every direction, for
the Chinese had formed a perfect Gordon
Of barricades around us. Well, Mitch IL.
our Marine gunner,-such a brave fellow,
he conceived the idea Of making Il g n
or cannon. He found some old brass pip
ing and worked and worked upon it for d
long time.
Just by accident one day two Chinese
servants passed him while busy with the
pipe and they grasped his idea.
%. Do you want something like thatT
they asked. If you do we can get you
one Now, wasn't that Chinese-likei
gun before the thought occurred to them
that another might be used. Well, off
they ran and returned with an Old Chi
nese cannon. Not another thing but u
cannon. Now l will tell you why we call
her the international.
"0f course, you must know, 'Betsey' is
only her pet name. The Internal. nal j.
her formal appellation because her bod
was found in an old Chinese junk shop
within our lines. She was mounted upon
an Italian carriage, loaded with Russian
shells, fired by an American gunner, from
the British Legation walls. Now, you see
why we call her the International, but
she is our Betsey' just the same"
Then God bless Betsey, the Interna-
tional," said the old officer, lifting his hat.
This would have made an excellent con
clusion TO the conversation, but the young
American girls tongue was lOosened. ii +
cheeks grew pink and her eyes bright; it
seemed so good Is be talking to some one
from the outside world an officer at that
Just as soon as Betsey was finished, or
mounted as the soldiers say, Mitchell and
the Captain gave her trial. They turned
her on a wall and didn't she give one
great rusty, wheezy old roar from her old
throat and sc! Not only through it, but
another back of it, and we all-welI, We
! just went wild.
And then our boys took her upon the
wall near Chieu-meu gate and turned her
on the Chinese barricades. Again she
roared and sent the bricks flying. Before
that our men had used rifles only, and the
Chinese thought that we had nothing else
Well when Betsy struck them, they were
so surprised that, instead of lodging or
| lying down, they jumped straight up and
looked over their barricades, and our mrn
swept them with a rife volley. And that
was only the beginning of Betsy's good
work. She knocked down barricades and
prevented rushes from the enemy and
| lots Of things just as bad.
| I'VE all just love her And when in
the midst OF all the other bombarding we
heard a voice entirely different, a wheezy,
| throaty, gusty roar, as If the old gun had
caught and swallowed tacks, we all used
to pause, and some one was sure TO say,
Just listen to our dear old Betsy She
is to be given to the United States, be-
lieve, and remain at the National Muse
um, Washington, and some of lis are GO
| ing to propose that the Alumni of this
| siege hold an annual celebration in her
honor: Don't you think that a good
idea?"
| Indeed l do" replied the old veteran
with patriotic warmth.
j. MARTIN MILLER.