Page:On to Pekin.djvu/304

274 and by ten o'clock the heat was almost unbearable. The march was resumed, the Japanese and Russians having gone on ahead.

"Where to now?" asked Gilbert.

"To Ho-Si-Wu, and from there to Matow," answered Captain Banner.

"And how far is that from Pekin?"

"About twenty-eight miles. But I understand we have still the worst end of the road to travel."

"To move ahead in this heat is well-nigh impossible," went on Gilbert, as he stroked the perspiration from his brow with the side of his finger. "Poor Kelson is knocked out, and Ramsey says his head feels as if it had fireworks inside of it."

"Then Ramsey had better go to the rear, or he'll be knocked out, too. That will leave us with but seventy-nine men. I must say I feel rather queer myself," continued Captain Baimer, "My stomach is very weak."

"You had better take it easy yourself, captain," was Gilbert's sober comment. "I must say you look as if you were fixing for a fever." And in this surmise Gilbert was correct; for Captain Banner was struck with tropical fever on the arrival of the troops