Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-10

Americans or English. Passing out through
the Chen-mun gate we passed along the
main road, by the Temple Of Heaven, where
English headquarters have been established,
and then by the Temple Of Agriculture,
which Is the American headquarters. once
through the southern gate we came to the
former site of the destroyed railway from
Pekin to Taku.
1t was fully dark by the time that we left
Pekin behind and went out upon the roaQ
to the old Deer Park. At first we passed
German sentinels, with not few challenges
to delay us. Not once, except when thus
halted, did Yang ard Ming drop out Of their
steady jog-trot. After we got by the Ger
mans we encountered the Russians. But a
coffin passing out of Pekin Is such a com
mon sight nowadays that no suspicion ,s
aroused. In the middle of November the
air around Pekin is so frosty that the sem
tries have enough to do to keep themselves
passably warm on post; Yang and ming
undoubtedly kept up their trot in order to
keep themselves warm.
The landscape, even by day, is monot-
onous out in this part of the empire.
A fiat plain stretches mile after mile. AS
We reached the high wall Of the old Deer
Park the men bearing the coffin with Its
live load turned to .De westward following
the wall until we came to the little village
of Huang- tsun, which lies in the watershed
between the Hun and the Pei-ho rivers.
Bump! Down to the ground went my coffin,
with jar that all but discharged my re-
EolNer. We were on a lonesome bit of road
that was not even en1ivened by the proxim
ity of a Russian patrol. Ming sat on the
coffin, while Yang scurried off in search of
inforIna ton.
How bitterly cold it was in that perforat-
ed box. BY the time that Ming had smoked
two pipes-I could keep count by the
metallic tapping of the bowl against the
wuod-he got up and began to stomp around
to warm himself. l would have given much
for the same privilege, but. cooped up as
| / was | was forced to remain inactive and
/ freezing for the better part of forty-five
minutes ere Yang returned. Some words
! he whispered in his comrades ear-then the
coffin was in the air once more, and l was
! jogging on toward the discoveries of the
| night.
Our course now lay around to the west of
| Huang-tsun, where on the banks of the
! Hun. lie the ruins Of old Pekin. which stood
| as live city for more than 900 years, but
! which has now been abandoned for more
/ than COO years. And it is on this old SITE
! amid the crumbins ruins that yellow men
/ are now conspiring to drive cut the for
| esgners and the present dynasty, too
| Through the old ruins my odd vehicle was
! toted, still at a jog-trot. until entered
! the confines of little village. Now Yang
and Ming slowed up to walk. emitting as
/ they went sound that was between a
SrUnt and Il groan. With my eyes at the
tiny holes ] could see a light here and there
/ i'll native house; now and then the cry of
! yellow baby was heard n Chinese cur
! OF a dog came out to sniff and grow.
The Boxers Drill.
At last we stopped before little bit of
g.,
with circular door closed. A few words
| from Yang and the door opened Many
more words, and | could hear the door
creak wider ajar. My bearers carried me
/ inside. We were in court yard fianked
on three sides by the walls of the hotel,
ana on the fourth side by the wall through
| which We had entered On one side
/ could hear with much distinctness as
| though through paper partitions. the move
| ments of domestic animals. After more
| jabberng, Yang and Ming sat upon the
coffin calling for refreshments. AS for
myself l was able to as much as the
light of burning wick in bowl of oil
| Oh top of post in the yard permitted me
| 10 see. For the first fifteen minutes all
/ was able to see the passing in and
out of the Cinnamon, who brought rice and
tea to my pair of bearers. Yang and Ming
! ate and drank, and then, of course, smoked
This was becoming decidedly SLOW. Where
| We're the Boxers?
Had l not been impatient the time would
have seemed short enough. Hardly had
| Yang and Ming started on the second pipe
| when the low sound of cautious voices came
| from outside. With amazing quickness the
fellow who had been attending my two
! bearers flew to the circular door. A few
more words, and he swung the door oper
| inwards. allowing three newcomers tc
enter. l could see the look of surprise
with which they stared at my two bearers
a few words from Yang, however, set then
right. Within the next few minutes there
were a score of other arrivals. the heather
coming singly or in pairs. Something II
tn, stealthy look of each suggested thai
they had been speaking past allied sol
diers.
OF sudden there was hush. The door
opened again, to admit into the court yarl
a tall slender young Chinaman with 6
countenance of much lighter hue than h:
fellows. 1t was plain that he was a inaI
of some Importance. As the light fell upo:
his face / could see something sinister !:
his eyes, He had the face of fanatic
,;,l, h. ,,,, dow
brought him without orders, this chef
noble, Observation-Disclosures he was-begaT
To address the little assemblage. l learne'
afterward that he was telling his hearers
of the wrongs they had suffered at TIT
hands Of the foreign devils. At TIL
same time he declared that the late Boxe
reverses had been due solely to their lacl
/ of proper observance of their oaths. Now
heaven was favoring them once more
They must obey their chiefs, rise at tn
proper moment. fight like heroes and heave'
wcu.d be found on their side.
| Absurd as this sort of stuff was, tn
: orator produced instant effect upon hi
. hearers From my hiding place l coul'
see them gradually. drop into postures.
cannot describe their attitudes, whlch 20
prejudiced western mind seemed grotesqu
in the extreme. Voices rose in 10y
chant As the posturants warmed to thet
] work the voices grew louder. 1t was
sing-song chant. with 81 few different note
sounding like the rec.tative at an opera
There was much that was dramatic bot
in posture and chant Another score G
more of Chinese arrived. the newcomer
= taking their places in the now crowde
= little court yard without interruption. III
I inn attendant brought out a board o.
which rested a tolerably good imitation 0
: a European head made of what locke
like. mud and coarse hair The sight OF thi
= thing was greeted with shout OF frenzy
4 In a twinkling swords hitherto invts.bl
= gIistened in the pale lighr.7 One after an
= other these excited yellow monsters dashe
: "a the head, cutting il To bits on the edS
g u their keen swords.
b Still the chant kept up.
2 At one end of the court yard a par G
q swords rang out as they crossed. one al
\ Ter another couples engaged in the play {
: steel until the whole scene became one
fencing, the leader being The sole one
: sight who did not engage. over all IN
9 clash of steel sounded the chant two We
;. | men and man coming out of the inn int
q the yard to keep time by heating togethe
o hollowed-out blocks of wood.
I To my considerable amazement. at mrs
g I bcheld Yang and Ming dancing throug
n the throng although they were not armed
: This they did in order not to arouse su:
n ! plcon No one present appeared to give
| thought to the coffin ing at the side
= the yard. All that puzzled me was thf
the guns were not in evidence, for l ha
+ ra expected drill in the manual
! ;,,fp ,.I aft ar1