n they did not trouble to speak, but merely pushing fire-pieces
against the luckless shopkeepers' heads waited in silence. Immediately
the men broke down anew and began whining more explanations. It was
true there were no right feet, they said. The right feet were over
there in a neighbour's shop. That shop had all the right feet; they
had only left feet. This seemed strange humour. Yet it was a good, if
crude, device which these cunning shopkeepers had hit on even in their
distress. For they knew that looters would probably not waste time
attempting to match shoes in such confusion, when so much better
things were lying near. They hoped at least to save their stock by
this device; and it seemed certain that they would. I said not a word;
this was a family affair.

In the end a bargain was struck; two pairs of shoes for each man, and
the rest to be left untouched. Then the right feet appeared soon
enough from hidden places, and the shopmen were saved from further
loss. With all the other things the same procedure was adopted along
this shopman's street. A bargain was struck in each case, which saved
one side from undue loss and gave the other far less trouble. In this
new fashion we captured chickens, eggs, sheep, rice, flour, and a
dozen other necessaries, only taking a quarter of what we would have
seized otherwise, in return for the help given. It was curious
shopping, but everybody was curious now. What you did not take,
somebody would seize ten minutes later.

These occupations were so peaceful and gave so little difficulty, that
it soon seemed to me as if everything was actually settling down
quietly in this one corner of the city. Yet it was not so. We were
only having momentary luck. For presently soldiers of various
nationalities began passing in many directions, some returning from
successful forays, and others just starting out to see what they could
pick up. And on top of them all came a curious young fellow from one
of the Legations, galloping along on a big white horse he must have
just looted. He was accompanied by no one. He had been half-mad for
weeks during the siege and now seemed quite crazy as he rode.

It was he who had again and again volunteered to play the part of
executioner to all the wretched coolies engaged in sapping under our
lines who had been captured from time to time, and whose heads had at
once paid the last penalty. This man had done it always with a
shot-gun, and he had seemed to