French and Austrian sailors that we had been _trahis_, in order to
make them swear louder. I know that it was becoming funny, because it
was so absurd when ... bang-ping, bang-ping, came three or four
scattered shots from far down the street beyond the Austrian Legation.
It was just where Tung Fu-hsiang's men had passed. That stopped us
talking, and as I took a wad of waste out of the end of my rifle I
looked at my watch--3.49 exactly, or eleven minutes too soon. I ran
forward, pushing home the top cartridge on my clip, but I was too
late. "_A quatre-cents metres_," L----, the French commander, called,
and then a volley was loosed off down that long dusty street--our
first volley of the siege.

Our barricades were full of men here, and it was no use trying to push
in. I postponed my own shooting, for after a brisk fusillade here,
urgent summons came from other quarters, and I had to rush away....
The siege had begun in earnest. I record these things just as they
seemed to happen. We are so tired, my account cannot seem very
sensible. Yet it is the truth.




PART II--THE SIEGE

I

CHAOS


21st June, 1900.