very
dangerous work. Do you think you can accomplish it, Captain Pennington?"

"I can try," answered Gilbert, modestly, and ordered his company
forward. He turned them slightly to the left, for here a fringe of thin
brushwood offered a shelter that was not great, but much better than
none.

"Major Okopa expects us to take this hill," he said, in the best
Japanese he could muster. "Let us do our best!"

"_Banzai!_" came the rallying cry from the men, and up the slope they
rushed, with Gilbert at their side. Crack! crack! went the rifles of the
Russians, and then, without warning, several shells were sent up. One
man of Gilbert's company was killed and two wounded, but they did not
waver. Passing the brushwood, they ran out boldly on the slope above
them.

Many of the rocks at the top of the hill were loose, and as the Japanese
came closer, the enemy began to send them down in a shower which was
highly dangerous to those below.

"Beware of the stones!" cried Gilbert.

He had hardly spoken when he saw that he would have to look after his
own safety. The Russians were working over a rock that weighed several
hundreds of pounds.

All at once the mass broke loose. There was a yell of delight from
above, and then the big bowlder came rolling straight for Gilbert. Had
it touched him he must surely have been crushed to death.

But the young Southerner was as cool as he was quick. Pausing to make
certain which way the big stone was coming down, he made a quick leap in
the opposite direction. Then the bowlder went bounding past him, to
crash into some small trees at the bottom of the hill.

"Are you hurt, captain?" asked his lieutenant.

"No," answered Gilbert. Then he leaped to the front once more. "Come!"
he cried. "_Banzai!_ Forward for the Mikado!" And on the whole company
went as before, firing rapidly as they did so. The Russians clung to the
hilltop a few minutes longer, and then, as the first of the Japanese
gained a footing there, they broke and fled in wild disorder down the
other side of the hill, and into the woods to the northward. The
Japanese pursued them for two hours but could not catch them, and at
last the chase was abandoned. In this skirmish, called the battle of
Po-yang-ling, the Japanese lost in killed and wounded four men, and the
Russians seven. Three of the Czar's soldiers were also taken prisoners.

After that the powder train had no more difficulty, and four days later
reached its destina