rank by his colleagues, instead of examining the entire
area of the defence carefully with his own eyes and seeing exactly
whether this is so or not, never ventures beyond the limits of the
British Legation. At least, no one has ever seen him. Even the
so-called chief of the staff, who is the commander of the British
marines, does not regularly visit the French lines. Practically, it
may be said that while there is death and murder outside there is only
armed neutrality within. It is an extraordinary position.

In spite of the way they have been treated up to the 1st Of July, the
French and Austrians still sullenly cling to the ruins of the French
barricades. But on the 1st the Chinese, elated at their success in
capturing the eastern half of the French Legation, pushed their
barricades nearer and nearer, and only one hundred yards behind their
advanced lines they brought two guns into action, firing segment and
shrapnel alternately. Under this devastating bombardment, almost _a bout
portant_, as the French say, the last line of French trenches and their
main-gate blockhouse became untenable. Pieces of shell tore through
everything; men were wounded more and more quickly, and in the most
sheltered part a French volunteer, Wagner, had his entire face blown off
him, dying a horrible death. The French commander, disheartened by the
treatment he had received from the commander-in-chief, and convinced
that all his men would be blown to pieces if they remained where they
were, ordered his bugler to sound the retire. The clarion's notes rose
shrilly above this storm of fire, and dragging their dead with them, the
Franco-American survivors retreated into the fortified line behind
them--the Peking hotel. Here they manned the windows and barricades of
the intrepid Swiss' hostelry, which had already been heavily damaged by
the Chinese guns. A determination was arrived at not to be driven out of
this hotel until the last man had been killed; it was necessary at all
costs to prevent the enemy from breaking in so far. More volunteers were
brought to reinforce this line, and the sinking spirits of the French
were restored; for within half an hour of their retreat the bugler had
sounded the advance again, and with a rush the abandoned positions were
reoccupied and the Chinese driven back. Then the guns stopped their
cannonade, and a breathing space was given which was sufficient to
repair some of the damage done.

While these stirrin