to make out the soldiery that is attacking us. Sometimes dozens of men
scuttle across from position to position, and for a moment a vision of
dark, sunburned faces and brightly coloured uniforms waves in front of
us; but in the main, so well has the enemy learned the art of taking
cover, and of utilising every fold in the ground, that many, have not
even seen a Boxer or a soldier or know what they look like, although
their fire has been so assiduously pelting us. But some sharp-eyed men
of the Legations have learned two things--that the Manchu Banners and
Tung Fu-hsiang's Kansu soldiery now divide the honour of the attack.
Tung Fu-hsiang fortunately has mostly cavalry, and a strong force of
his dismounted men armed with Mannlicher carbines are on the northeast
of the Japanese position, for two have been shot and dragged into our
lines. These cavalrymen are not much to be feared.

Farther to the south the German position has become exceedingly
curious. While from the American marines on the Tartar Wall round in a
vast sweep on to the French Legation, each hour sees more defences go
up, the Germans have to content themselves with what practically
amounts to fighting in the open. There has been no time to give them
enough coolies, and so they have only lookout men, with the main body
entrenched in the centre of their position. But yesterday they
surprised some Boxers, who had daringly pushed their way into a
Chinese house a few yards from one outwork, and who were about to set
fire to it, preparatory to calling forward their regular troops. The
Germans charged with a tremendous rush, killed everyone of the
marauders, and flung the dead bodies far out so that the enemy might
see the reward for daring. Being certain that the Chinese commanders
would attempt to revenge this blow, what driblets of men could be
spared have been lent to make the German chain more continuous. It is
almost impossible now to follow the ebb and flow of reinforcements