The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-07-19
CHINESE SIMPLICITY.
A LAUGHAeLE INCIDENT OF THE CAP
TURE OF PEKlNG.

LUKE Or PEklNG.
The Amazing Display of Innocence,
ChildIike and Bland, by a Celestial
Warrior Caused Even Grim Gem
eral Chaffee to Smile.
One of the most laughable instances
which / witnessed during the war in
China happened on Wednesday, the 18th
Of August, 1900, the day following the
one on which Peking was entered by the
allies and the legations were relieved.
The American troops, commanded by
General Chaffee, started in the early
morning from their camp under the Tar
tar city wall, near the canal gate, with
out consulting the other powers as to
their destination or intentions. About o
a. m. word came to Chaffee that a side
gate had been found and opened on the
right. With two officers Of his staff the
general started at once to see for himself
the prospect of entrance. But a short
time before gallant Captain Riley had
fallen, shot dead by a bullet through the
head, which struck him as he was sight
ing a gur on top of the Chen gate. Dear
~ beloved as an officer, a soldier and a
man, the news of his death was a shock
to every one of the little army of Amer
leans, who respected and admired him SO
greatly.
When General Chaffee and his staff
officers went to the gate that had been
discovered. passed through it and along
the inside Of the outer wall, l accom-
panied them. None of the party felt in
the mood for levity, and remember that
l, for of'". was laboring under very
strong realization of the danger of our po-
sition. We eventually discovered that
the gate had but admitted US to an outer
court, which was apparently between the
outer wall and an inner one Of equal d.
mansions. Consequently we had gained
nothing In the matter Of position by find
ing the gate.
Before we had discovered all this, how
ever. and as we were still engaged explor-
ing the court, those in advance came upon
a Chinese. in the uniform of a soldier. so
suddenly as to cause them to wonder If
he had not sprung from the ground. His
proximity at the moment of the discovery
Of his existence, the fact that he was ap-
parently unarmed and the broad and
trustful grin which illumined his counte-
nance were all partly responsible for his
escape from death. Had he been seen at
any distance. or had he attempted to es-
cape. he would certainly have been shot.
Under the existing circumstances he very
probably owed his life to the presence Of
the American commander In chief.
As the Americans advanced he present
ed small wooden tablet, upon which
were several Chinese characters. His
evident anxiety that we should not over
look this bit of unintelligibly inscribed
of nnn fn fn h0
conclusion that he was the bearer Of a
message from 'the city within a city
within a city" In other words. we
thought: Here's a man with a message
from the palace. Perhaps it is from the
empress dowager. or even the emperor
himself"
At that moment I saw the interpreter
Of the French general approaching.
Knowing that he could speak Chinese. I
FASTENED toward him and explained the
important find we had made. The inter-
prefer had come to ask General Chaffee
II the French artillery might shell the inn
perial city towers from the Tartar city
wall, firing over the heads Of the Amer
lean troops Chaffee refused to entertain
such proposition for a moment. but. of
course, thet didn't stop the French. In
fact, Chaffee had to use all his well known
bluntness, and even employ discourteous
and profane language, before the French
shells ceased bursting within few yards
of the American advance. But that Is
another story.
The French Interpreter was as eager as
I to see what was on the placard. He,
the soldier detailed to guard the Chinese
and myself formed an anxious knot as
the Frenchman scanned the queer hero
glyphics. I read disgust on his face be
fore he had finished, but he did not have
an opportunity to speak before the Chi
nese commenced an earnest and emphatic
harangue to the newcomer. or course
the Monaghan had tried the same thing
on all of us. but this was the first time he
was understood. As he finished. or rath-
er slowed down after the first squirt, Gen
eral Chaffee came up.
"What about this fellowT asked the
general.
"Why, SIR" said the interpreter. with
sickly smile, ''this is a Chinese soldier.
The board he carries testifies to that fact
and in addition tells who he Is and to
what body Of troops he is attached. He
belongs to a sort of imperial guard. He
says he was on duty guarding the gate in
the outer wall and left his post but for
moment to find on his return that your
soldiers had entered In his absence. He
Is very anxious that should ask you to
go outside the gate at once: for, he says.
no one Is allowed in here. and II his COM
mander discovers that he has neglected
his duty and left his post and gun he will
be severely punished. He also says that
| II you will allow him to return to the gate
be will show you the order which forbids
any one to enter II"
Well, we all laughed. One or two Of
the younger ones fairly howled. We
didn't any Of US feel gay. but no one could
keep a straight face in the presence of
such amazing simplicity. Even grim
Chaffee smiled and grunted. which was
as near as ever knew him to come to a
| laugh There was that innocent idiot of
Chinese soldier actually asking his en-
emies, who were even then undecided
whether to put an end to him or send
him to the rear as a prisoner. to 60 out Of
the imperial city because his commanding
officer would punish him for letting us in!
And when one thinks of the American
casualties that were piled up before that
day was over and the Chinese dead that
were scattered over that stubbornly con-
tested ground the gatekeeper's unusual
request seems still more ludicrous.
| The last I saw of him he was vainly
endeavoring to make up bis mind whether
to stop and expostulate with the Amer
lean soldiers whose hold on his pigtail
was too secure for comfort or to go ON
resignedly In the face of the anticipated
severity Of the punishment when he
should be called to account for his aban-
Comment Of his post.-London News.
r.-s-- no<h pYoco.