t less than a hundred yards such practice was
disgraceful. This time both the men were aroused, and, abandoning
their log, they disappeared round some ruins, only to reappear with
their tunics on, their bandoliers strapped round them, and their
Mausers in their hands. They meant to have some revenge. I lost sight
of them for quite ten minutes, only to have them both out again almost
halfway between myself and the Japanese posts from which I had sallied
forth. I was cut off! I would have to wipe those two men out or else
they would do that to me.

They were in no hurry, however, for they began by beating the ground
carefully and taking advantage of every piece of cover. They evidently
suspected that some of our men had come out in skirmishing order and
were still lying hidden; at last one saw something. He had caught
sight of the Japanese sentry who was looking out anxiously to see what
had become of me. So rising hurriedly, the soldier fired at the brown
Japanese face. Before he had sunk on his knees again I had drilled him
fair with a snapshot--in the head it must have been, because he went
over with a piercing yell and with his hands plucking at his cap. The
other man did not wait to see what would happen, but fled as fast as
he could down a small lane that ran only twenty feet past me. Seeing
the game was played out, I rose and fired rapidly from under the crook
of my arm and missed. Reloading as I scrambled after him, I drove
another bullet at him, and he staggered wildly but did not fall. My
blood was now up, and I was determined to get him, even if I had to
follow into the Chinese camp, so I sped along too. The fellow was now
yelling lustily, calling his comrades to his aid, and I seemed to be
going mad in my excitement. I fired again as I ran, and must have hit
him again, for he reeled still more; then he turned totteringly into a
ruined doorway....

Just as I determined that I must give it up the scene changed like the
flash of a lamp. My quarry stumbled and fell flat; dozens of
half-stripped men came charging towards me, loading as they ran, and
almost before I knew it, the ground around me was ripped with bullets.

Then in turn how I raced!

Such was the storm of fire around me that I nearly dropped my rifle so
as to improve my pace, and all the moisture left my mouth. Holding
grimly on I at last cleared the exposed ground, and jumped through
into the Japanese barricades. In their rage the Chinese soldiery