to
prevent any one from entering their retreat. This was effective for
some time. One dark night, however, when the usual fusillade along the
outer lines began, the sailors made tremendous preparations for an
attack which they said was bound to reach them. At eleven o'clock they
developed the threatened attack by emptying a warning rifle or two in
the air. Then warming to their work, and with their dramatic Slav
imaginations charmed with the _mise en scene_, they emptied all their
rifles into the air. Then they started firing volley after volley that
crashed horribly in the narrow lanes, retreating the while into the
forbidden area. Fiercely fighting their imaginary foe they fell back
slowly; and as soon as the elderly native converts had sufficiently
realised the perils to which they were exposed, these cowardly males
fled hurriedly through the passageways which have been cut into the
British Legation. The sailors then placed their rifles against a wall
and disappeared. Unfortunately for them a strong guard sent to
investigate this unexpected firing almost immediately appeared, and
presently the sailors were rescued, some with much scratched faces.
The girls, catlike, had known how to protect themselves!

The next day there was a terrible scene, which everybody soon heard
about. Baron von R----, the Russian commander, on being acquainted
with the facts of the affair, swore that his honour and the honour of
Russia demanded that the culprits be shot. I shall never forget that
absurd scene when R----, who speaks the vilest English, demanded with
terrible gestures that the ring-leaders be identified by the victims.
It was pointed out to him that the affair had occurred when all was
dark--that the whole post was implicated--that it was impossible to
name any one man. Then R---- swore he would shoot the whole lot of
them as a lesson; he would not tolerate such things. But the very next
day, when a notice was posted on the bell-tower of the British
Legation forbidding everyone under severe penalties to approach this
delectable building, R---- had his _revanche a la Russe_, as he
called it. Taking off his cap, and assuming a very polite air of doubt
and perplexity, he inquired of the lady missionary committee which
over-sees the welfare of these girls, "_Pardon, mesdames_," he said
purposely in French, "_cette affiche est-ce seulement pour les civiles
ou aussi pour les militaires!_"

VII

THE HOSPITAL AND THE GRAVEY