The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-09


Europe. This new bridge is good enough in
ats way. but IT does not compare with the
work performed under the orders of the
Emperor shih. two thousand years ago.
The old bridge is capable OF doing work for
mankind for at least two thousand years to
come.
Crossing over the bridge TO its west end
the Pao-Ting-Fu column reached the viii
lage where the Belgian engineers had their
famous stand-on fight with the Boxers in
the days Immediately preceding the siege
OF Picking. Here the first days march
ended. In the ruins of the railway depot
some of the troops camped. The remainder
distributed themselves among the buildings
that had been left standing by the Boxers
who had visited and incidentally more than
half destroyed the place.
Never did a place present a more COM
plete picture OF desolat.on and emptiness
than did this little village on the west bank
Of the Hun. At one time the people there
had possessed a fair share OF wealth. The
Boxers who are supposed 20 be both patri-
otic end charitable, had relieved the people
of their wealth. The process Of relief was
simple. and is described by the word loot"
When the International column halted in
the town, during the last of the daylight,
there were very few Of the original in
habitants left. Never were soldiers more
eager TO make the best of their chances
than the members of General Gazelee's
command. These Englishmen are always
eager. though they do not always get on
the right scent. Four of them, who had
done a prosperous business in finding
things" in Picking started out through this
little town by the Hun. They were gone I'M
Ill after dark. Two or three times they
were encountered by other night providers,
who would ask:
h the blooming luck?'
'Slowi' would be the answer. Were
stony" lizard up.)
II was about 9 o'clock when this quartet
came back to camp. How they had sue
ceeded in lodging the sentries of the other
commands was a mystery, but at all events
they came back safe and sound. Earlier in
the day strict orders had been issued to the
English soldiers to refrain from everything
except Official loot. They managed, how
ever, to get by all the sentries of other ma
tions. and came three front-one behind
upon one of their own sentries. Him they
passed, after a challenge and a few curious
looks. The fourth man in the rear of the
trio had something on the off side that he
managed to conceal from view.
TOMMY ATKINS'S LOOT"
And so the four Tommies came into
ramp. They reached the quarters shared
by others comrades, and their entrance
woke up some of the sleeping ones.
II say. what didjer get?' asked one of
the reused sleepers.
SSH" was the answer from one of the
quartet. Its a bit of blooming loot"
Its good, eh?'
Oh, no." responded the Tommy, setting
his heavy box on the floor. Its rotten,
of course"
His tone was suficient. to arouse every
man in the room. Not one in the lot had
failed to nal money through the loot at
Tien-Tsin and Peking. but here the of
fcers had been so stern that most of the
Tommies had been bluffed out of their best
chance. Several Of them had picked up
small matters in the way of personal prop
erty. One had even done so we'll as to
pick up three jade bracelets, but the ar.
rival OF Tammy A. with a handsome look
ing lockwood box, inlaid with pearl and
with the lid fastened down with ornate
screws. was enough to bring the whole
company around him within two minutes.
Many were yawning, but the instinct OF
loot is strong with soldiers.
BY the time that the whole company
was looking on, or trying to look on, Tom
my A had borrowed a ~screwdriver from Q
comrades kit and was turning vigorously.
AT length the lid was free, and was re-
moved. In the top Of the box was a lot
OF dusty paper. This was snatched out
by at least a half dozen pairs of hands
The box had been very heavy, and there
fore must contain some metal-probably
gold. The last thickness of paper had been
removed and a slab of wood lay on top.
Throw the beggarly lumber yard out"
suggested Tommy B.. grasping at the slab.
1t was dropped to the floor. Out came an
other bit OF wood-another and another
and each covered with Chinese characters
inscribed with ornate fourishes Of Chi
nese chirography. Board after board came
o%ut-until the box was empty. Tommy B.,
c.. d., E. and f. glared at Tommy A, and
then the whole chorus calculated:
Nothing but a blooming. rotten box Of
ancestral tablets!"
And that was all IL was. Ancestral tab
lets are something very important to a
Chlnaman. They represent the family tree,
family history. family pride and religion.
all rolled into one. The owner of these tab
lets had evidently spent some time in pack
ing them; plainly he had determined to get
away with them, even at the possible cost
OF something more valuable; but he had
been overtaken by some Boxer pursuer and
had dropped the box only in order to es-
cape with his life.e If it was a tragedy TO
the Chinaman to lose his family's ancestral
tablets, 1t would have been far worse had
these soldiers found the box in his posses
sion. For, just at daylight, there was a
sound Of chopping. Tommy A. was holding
a Ratchet over these tablets. In a minute
or two they were all reduced TO kindling.
AT least, kindling was what the soldier had
intended TO make of them. But the wood
was so worthless that it wouldn't even
burn! There wasn't potential heat enough
10 warm a cup of coffee out of the whole
box load, box included. In a general way
this incident gives a very fair idea of the
valae OF the loot picked up on the way to
Pao-Ting-Fu. The Chinese themselves are
the most artistic hooters in the world. 1t
Is worse than useless 10 look for treasure
IN n conntrv through which the RoxerS