Page:On to Pekin.djvu/174

150 scarcely settled down when a staff officer dashed up on a horse covered with foam.

"Is that Major Morris's command?" came to the picket from out of the gloom and the rain.

"Yes."

"Tell him I have a message from the colonel."

Word was passed, and the major went out to meet the messenger.

"You must proceed to Tien-Tsin without delay, Major Morris," said the staff officer. "The foreign section is suffering an extra heavy bombardment. A force of Japanese and French will soon be along this way, and orders are for you to attach yourself to that body."

"I will do all I can, Captain Drake," answered the major. And, knowing the staff officer well, he continued, "What does this mean, anyway?"

"It means that the Old Harry is to pay at TienTsin. All told, the Allies have but twelve thousand men there; while the attacking force is said to number twenty to thirty thousand, and is being constantly increased. The Chinese regulars have joined the Boxers."

"And how many men have we on the road?"