On to Pekin/Chapter 26
CHAPTER XXVI
THE BATTLE OF PEITSANG
Gilbert felt his heart beat rapidly as he advanced at the head of the second division of Company A. It was no slight thing to rush to the firing line at any time, and he felt that the present movement was to be hotly resisted.
The gun before them was situated on an elevation of ten feet above the marsh, with a bank on the right and the left. In front of the gun was a deep ditch, all of fifteen feet wide. But at one end of the ditch was a small pile of dirt, which, in their haste, the Chinese had been unable to remove.
Boom! the gun belched forth just as the battalion was crossing the marsh, cutting down three of the soldiers and causing a momentary check in Company B.
"Forward!" shouted the major. "Don't hang back, boys. We'll soon have the hill!"
"Forward it is!" shouted an old regular. "Who's afraid of the Chinks? I'm not!" And he went on ahead.
So far, Gilbert had not fired; but now he saw a good chance, and, aiming at one of the Celestial gunners, he discharged his pistol, and the gunner immediately tumbled out of sight. But there were a dozen to take his place; and soon the field-piece was loaded and fired again.
When the pile of mud in the ditch was reached, it was found almost too soft for the soldiers to step upon; and the foremost men hesitated, not knowing whether to go on or retreat.
"Down with your rolls!" shouted Gilbert, who was the nearest officer; and at once a score of blanket rolls went down in the mud. More followed; and these formed a temporary bridge, over which the soldiers leaped in safety.
The ditch crossed, there came a wild yell from the top of the embankment in front; and immediately a perfect horde of Chinese soldiers appeared, waving their fantastic banners and discharging their guns and pistols. But the Celestials were too excited to shoot very straight; and most of their ammunition, consequently, went to waste.
"Come on up the hill!" cried Gilbert, as he started to lead the way. He had seen a small opening, and was quick to take advantage of it. The way was slippery, and the situation a critical one; but he knew that a quick dash is worth a dozen common advances. In a minute he was at the top of the slope, and half a company came upon his heels.
Gilbert now found himself confronted by two Chinese soldiers, each of whom took aim at him as soon as he showed himself. Before the men could fire, one was knocked over by a bullet from the rear. The second, however, pulled trigger directly on Gilbert's breast; and the bullet scraped the young lieutenant's ribs so deeply that the blood flowed through his shirt.
"You are shot!" cried Captain Banner. "Better go to the rear."
"Not yet!" was Gilbert's answer. "Come on, boys! The gun will soon be ours!" And again he led the way.
But the Chinese did not intend to give up their field-piece thus easily; and soon a fierce hand-to-hand encounter was on, both sides first emptying their weapons and then using their gun-stocks for clubs. Finding they could not save the gun, the Chinese loaded it to the very muzzle with a triple charge of powder and two shells, intending to blow it up.
"They are going to blow up the gun!" was the cry. And, seeing the movement, the majority of the Americans hurled themselves flat, to avoid the force of the explosion. But, before the gunners could touch off the piece, several sharpshooters picked them off; and the gun was saved.
The Americans on the embankment were confronting at least ten times their own number; and, as the tide of battle swept on, it looked as if they would be wiped out by such a horde. They had been fighting since five o'clock in the morning, and it was now half-past seven. More than two-thirds of their ammunition had been spent.
The gun was the centre of attraction, and soon the whole battalion was massed behind it. Some gunners tried to use the piece, but failed in their efforts to clean it out.
At this juncture a strong force of Japanese were seen to be approaching from the westward,—a force which had succeeded in turning the enemy's right wing. Seeing the Americans in front of the Chinese, they came up in the rear; and thus the Celestials were caught between two fires.
For a few minutes it was as if pandemonium had broken loose; for both the Chinese and the Japanese yelled like madmen, in the mean while firing as rapidly as possible. Banner after banner of the upholders of the Dragon went under, and then the Chinese turned to break through the American ranks.
Major Morris had anticipated the shock; and, when it came, it found our regulars standing shoulder to shoulder, and two deep all along the line. A solid volley was poured into the enemy; and scores of Chinese went down, to rise no more. This terrific slaughter had its desired effect; and the Chinese turned again, and scattered through the Japanese, who cut them down on every side. But the Chinese could not be stopped; and, terror-stricken, they fled through Peitsang toward Yangtsun, still further up the river.
All told, the battle of Peitsang lasted from three o'clock, Sunday morning, the 5th of August, until well toward noon. The principal troops engaged were the Russian and Japanese, and the total loss to the Allies was twelve hundred killed and wounded. How many the Chinese lost will probably never be known, but they certainly numbered into the thousands.
The capture of Peitsang was important, and many supposed that the Allies would rest there. But this was not to be; for that would have given the Chinese time to throw up intrenchments at Yangtsun, seven miles distant.
"We must go right after them!" said more than one soldier. And go after them they did, early on Monday; and by Tuesday Yangtsun had fallen, and the Chinese were retreating in the direction of Ho-Si-Wu and Matow.
The awful heat told fearfully upon Captain Banner's company; and most of the soldiers were glad enough to rest at Yangtsun for half a day, to await rations and some necessary equipments. The only troops who would not rest were the Japanese. Those little fighters were on the go night and day, and did not seem to know what exhaustion meant.
"They beat me," declared Captain Banner. "I have seen Indians keep it up pretty well, but never like these sons of Japan. I believe they'll go right straight through to Pekin without sleeping." And the captain was about right.
At Yangtsun, Gilbert was placed in charge of a detachment stationed not far from the river, where there were a number of large warehouses filled with rice and other produce. These warehouses were owned by Americans, and it was the young lieutenant's duty to see that they were not destroyed.
The night was a gloomy one, as if rain was coming. It was Gilbert's time off, yet he felt too stirred up to sleep. Besides this, the wound over his breast, while it did not hurt outright, itched considerably, adding to his wakefulness.
Unconscious of danger, he walked slowly down the street upon which the warehouses were located. He met a number of Chinese; but all were unarmed, and appeared to be friendly.
At the end of the block was a sort of hotel, which was now almost deserted. But there was one Chinaman standing at the front door; and, as Gilbert passed, this fellow eyed the young lieutenant narrowly.
"It is the same!" he exclaimed in Chinese. "The very same!" And he clenched his fists in rage.
"Did you speak?" asked a second Chinaman, standing within the front room of the hotel.
"I did, Tung," was the answer. "Do you see yonder American officer?" And the man at the doorway pointed with his long bony finger.
"And what of that soldier?"
"It was he who caused my brother Fun's house to be burnt down, and caused Fun and Ching Wo to be killed."
"Ah! You are sure of that?"
"I am positive." Chow Ching grated his yellow teeth. "Would that I could lay him low!"
"Would that we could lay all the foreign devils low!" answered the one called Tung.
"We will do that in time. But this man,—he helped to kill my brother!"
"Then you shall kill him."
"I will. And will you aid me?"
"I will, if we can do the deed under cover of the darkness. But we dare not shoot him. The alarm would bring a hundred soldiers around us with the speed of the wind."
"Let us follow him, and see where he goes. We may be able to get him into a corner."
"You have your dagger?"
"Yes."
"And I have mine; and they are better than firearms, for they raise no alarm."
"The American may have some money on his person."
"If so, we can divide it between us. Come, before he gets out of our sight."
A moment later the two Celestials left the hotel, and, like two shadows, slunk after Gilbert in the fast-gathering darkness.