55 Days at Peking Page #8

I got your message, old one.

Your friend thinks

you should leave Peking.

- Which friend, old one?

- General Jung-Lu.

It was not possible before.

We would have been accused

of meddling in

Russian affairs.

And now?

Now...

it makes no difference.

The Boxers will attack.

If you disappear

in the confusion who d be left

to point a finger?

At 5 p. m. the fighting

will have begun.

Youll meet a man at the corner

of the French Legation.

Hell be wearing

a green peasant jacket.

You will be there?

- Go up on the ramp and take a look.

- Yes, sir.

- I dont like this.

- Dont worry.

Tell those men

to get their backs into it.

Whoa there.

- Where are you going?

- Im getting out of Peking.

Those Boxers

out there are angry.

- Not with me.

- We have 200 rounds each.

- That s 20 per man per day.

- Enough for warming up.

They d better start out warm.

Yes, sir.

Ill tell them.

Get out

before I get mad!

Mad Americans inside, mad Boxers

outside, mad Russians there...

Ill risk going out.

I split the men in 2

platoons. 4 hours on, 4 hours off.

The sergeant will take

the first watch.

Right.

I wanted to go to Tientsin

but you prefer to stay.

I wear a uniform.

They pay me for that.

Go on then.

And get out of my way.

Have a nice war, soldier,

a real nice war.

Where do these go?

Where do you think?

Get up on that wall!

Fire!

Fire!

Let s go!

Forward!

Forward!

- Cease firing.

- Cease firing.

We did it!

We beat them!

What if they come back?

Weve used

over half our ammunition.

Are you good

with a slingshot?

A friend of yours?

Soldier.

- Can you open the door?

- You cant go through, ma'am.

That was bad luck.

- Ill be all right.

- Ill be right back.

- What do you make of her?

- This is quite a weapon.

What would you call it?

Across between

an alligator and an ostrich.

We call her Betsy

after the Empress.

It s an old German barrel

with Russian shells

of approximately

the same caliber.

The carriage is Italian,

the wheels French,

and that boy's

fool enough to fire it.

Would it be safer

in front or in back?

The point is where is

Betsy going to be fired?

-Major...

- Please, gentlemen.

- Captain Marshall...

- What's up?

The Chinese

are on top of the wall.

- Now we know where Betsy goes.

- You! Over here!

Come on, bring it along.

Run!

Cone on, Andy, run!

Sergeant, get in.

Take cover.

Damn it!

What happened?

We tried but they re too many.

They keep coming.

Major.

- How many did we lose?

- Turner and Spencer.

5 wounded.

The Germans got it even worse.

Why dont they

rush us right now?

We wouldnt stand a chance.

Maybe they think

Weve got millions of men.

Come morning

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