Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-05-25

Il1h I'LL NtiCA oAh tAAC
ing compelled to occupy the British le-
cation chapel. where they are, Indeed,
closely packed. while the English mis-
sionaries occupy part OF the first sec
retary'B house. The Americans have
formed into two messes the Presbyte-
Fians and Methodists eating at one
time. the Congregationalists, who are
in the majority, at another. They
brought In with them considerable
provisions in the way of timed stores,
but have been compelled to draw from
the commissariat their supply OF rice
and cracked wheat zach day. The for
eign ministers guaranteed the three
shopkeepers of Peking, Mesas. Krue-
ger OF Kierullf & Co, lmbeck and
Chamot, the amount OF their stock
II they would turn it"into n commits
sary's hands for distribution to the
entire community as needed. This was
at once done and a commissary de-
partment appointed to take charge.
Many OF the besieged owned ponies )r
mules, which were also placed under
a committee. consisting Of Messrs. Al
lardyce and Brazier. n or two or
these animals have been killed each
day and each person foreigner) q
been allowed to draw nalf a pound or
meat. Many at first could not be per-
suaded TO even taste horse meat Or
mule meat, but after several weeks or
siege life there were very few who did
not daily go to the butchery for their
supply. The meat has been Inspected
daily by a physician and a c~ertincate
OF healthy flesh given TO the butcher
before the meat was allowed TO be ais
pensed. One OF the British marines,
NVIliaF M IlaffG nf tho RIVAL marine nRnt
infantry, had been a butcher previous
TO enlistment, and his services have
been invaluable to tho entire coInmu-
nifty. The Chinese coolies are fed with
soup made from the bones, from the
1ead and cleaned entries. Not an
Dunce OF the flesh has been wasted.
Many of the ponies that took part
I'm the Picking spring meeting as racers
last May have since served us with
Juicy steaks or toothsome sausage.
The mule meat Is considered to be
better on the whole than horse meat
and In this opinion l fuzzy concur. AS
we have only one donkey In the COM
pound none OF US has as yet tried don
key flesh, but the Chinese assured us
II is even better than the larger AMI
mails. Several days since one or the
two COWS in the compound, having
dry, was killed for food and a notice
DldCRu VII lIlc pdIltlll u NhN pNAN
tower that applications for portions OF
the meat would be received from all
ladies and children, but that only such
men as were wounded or Ill could, up.
on physicians certificate, receive a
portion.
Every one wanted some, expecting to
enjoy a taste Of fresh beef and a
change from horse. The result was
most, disappointing. The cow was old
and tough and her flesh infinitely in
ferior to the regular ration OF horse Or
mule. The Chinese Christians, sup
ported by us In the Su Wang Flu, hav-
ing been for weeks upon nothing but
cracked wheat or "hoa lang" Cruel,
were longing for some animal food and
begged they might be given some Of
he dogs that continued TO come from
II over the city TO feed each night up
4 IA refuse In the moat between the
5u Wang Flu and the British legation.
A few foreigners with shotguns. there
fore. sailed forth yesterday and kined
eight good-sized specimens OF the ca
nine race, that were forthwith handed
YER to the hungry converts for their
assumption.
AS after July Is the Smelling ceased
and some OF the enemies soldiers with
an eye to business brought a few eggs
to the Japanese barricade for sale, a
market department vas established
and placed under Messrs. A. d. Brent
and j. M. Allardyce, where egg could
be obtained pro rata for numbers Of
I'M and children In a household,
compared with the supply on hand.
But often the supply only admitted Of
one egg being sold to a household of
women or children. At other times an
egg each could be obtained daily. But
alas! the Chinese soldiers soon found
out what their soldiers were doing and
promptly stopped II, 80 that after Au-
gust 6 the market was obliged to close
from lack OF eggs. On July 20, two
days after the Smelling ceased, the
tsung-li-yamen % n a present to the
ministers Of 100 watermelons, 20 egg
plants, GO vegetable squashes and 100
~cucumbers. Some few OF the besieged
besides the ministers thus obtained the
first taste of fresh vegetables they
had enjoyed for a month. The minis
ters' request to the yamen that vege-
table vendors be allowed to come TO
the barbados or the great gate, how
ever, was denied. and we have since
had no further supply. 1t is hard to
know that within half a mile OF us
In any direction there is an abundance
of fresh fruits and vegetables, and yet
owing to the closenesS OF our invest
ment by the hostile troops we cannot
obtain a cents worth. on August 5,
while l was standing talking with a
Japanese sentry on an outpost barri-
cade OF the Su Wang Flu a Chinese SOL
diet in full uniform walked quickly to-
ward US up the narrow lane our barri-
cede commanded. l called on the Jap
ancse to fire on him, but he remarked:
Let him come on, he has no gun and
may want to sell something
True enough. just before reaching
us he held up his hand in front OF his
face to Indicate that he wished to
speak, and SO was allowed to come
around the corner of the barricade. lie
was a young man of not over 20, but
showed the marks of being a confirmed
opium eater. II ave brought you
some eggs" he remarked, hastily eX-
posing ten OF the precious ovules TO
view. The Jap counted out 40 cents
and rave him, and advised him to clear
out, which he speedily did, .remarking
as he left: II will lose my head If
am caught at this" AS he could buy
the eggs in the market for 5 cents his
percentage Of profit was very hand
some. After the so-called truce of
July IS the native soldiers occupying
the wall to the east of the American
marines barricade strictly observed
the terms of the truce and never eth
err enlarged their barricade nor fired
another shot. But these were the only
ones who did so. From all the other
barbados we were frequently fired on
and every night or two a vigorous at
tack would be made upon us, during
which the Chinese would eXpend many
hundred rounds of ammunition firing
their rifles into u barbados or the
roofs of our houses, and scarcely doing
any damage, as we would all seek
shelter until the enemy were tired out.
Only once or twice did they actually
come out from behind their b~arrlcades
with the intention apparently of rush
ing us, but upon receiving a volley and
having several killed or wounded
would hastily bolt back again to cover
CHAPTER vI.-CONTINUED.
One night the author was selected by
Adjutant Squiers to lead a company OF
tap coolies In an attempt to remove the