ut at length more Chinese
troops began to appear, all running rapidly in long flights, and a
troop of cavalry came out of a side street not more than two hundred
yards away from where we lay, and headed away at a furious gallop.
Everybody was obviously making for the north of the city; what was
going on in the other quarters to cause this exodus? The cavalry, as
they moved in close formation, were so tempting, that without
hesitation once more our rifles rang out in a well-knit volley. That
caused a terrible commotion, for cavalry are an easy mark. Ponies
broke away and galloped frantically into side streets; there was a
waving and a mix-up which blurred everything, and yet before we had
time to realise it, bullets were hissing all round us and kicking up
little spurts of dust a few inches from our bodies; a resolute
commander was in front of us. This firing became so violent that we
were driven to take shelter, and as we ran and were seen the bullets
hissed quicker and quicker. Then as suddenly as it had commenced this
pelting ceased; we saw our cavalrymen flicker away in the distance,
and once more everything was absolutely quiet. It was obvious that
something so urgent was taking place, that no one had any time to lose
in pranks.

Many minutes elapsed before we noticed any fresh signs of life, and we
remained spread across the street on our stomachs, earnestly searching
in vain for some explanation. At last, when I was becoming tired of
it, figures began to move on the long street again--little indecisive
blue dots that jerked forward, halted, appeared and disappeared in a
most curious way. They were also coming towards us--jerking about like
people possessed. Climbing a wall, I brought my glasses to bear; they
were ordinary townspeople, there was not a shadow of doubt about that,
men, women, and children, running violently, waving and calling to one
another, and apparently much distressed.

I remained on this wall-top idly gazing until my vision began to
become blurred, and I could no longer see. Then something made me
close my eyes for a second to regain command over them again; and when
I opened them and looked again through that powerful Leiss, my jaw
dropped. This time, with a vengeance, it was something new. Dense
bodies of men in white tunics and dark trousers were debouching into
the street, thousands of yards away, and were then marching due
east--that is, towards the Palace. They came on and on, until it