Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 48: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

994 darin of the first button bent all knees in homage to his rule. The Chinese treasury, too, was now behind him and it was no longer a problem of Tah-ke finance. He speedily levied some three thousand na- tives and drilled them incessantly for three months through his trained officer corps. He was waiting for the psychological mo- ment, which soon arrived. The Shanghai authorities had made a fresh convention with the ‘‘Heavenly King” to the effect that his bands should respect a zone of forty miles about the treaty port. He broke this pledge, as he had done all others, but two transcendent outrages turned the scale. Chung Wang had been sanctioned by the British authori- ties in occupying Ning-Po, on the edge of this zone, and he instantly let loose a pande- monium of the most fiendish outrage and brutality. Advancing thence into Kiang Su, he stormed the large city of Hung- Chau and his hordes enacted scenes of massacre and rapine almost unprecedented even in Taiping chronicle. The savage chieftain, drunk with success, now openly proclaimed his purpose of mak- ing Shanghai, where there were only a few hundred blue-jackets and marines, and Sung Kiang his next objectives. In this emergency English eyes were opened to the hopelessness of coping with the situation by diplomacy. General Ward watched grimly from his eagle’s nest, and let his Shanghai enemies fry in their own fat for a while, a prey to suspense and terror. WARD FINDS A ‘‘MAGIC”’ TALISMAN SINGULAR thing happened at this time. At the principal temple of Con- fucius one day he discovered in one of the consecrated niches a scepter-like staff of ebony with a curiously carved head of jade minutely inscribed. The effect on his na- tive valet was remarkable, and he learned that it was one of the great talismans of the Empire. When he appeared with it be- fore his troops the next day they fell to their knees in ranks. Thenceforward he carried no sword, only this magic baton attached to his wrist with a thong. In the eyes of the Chinese, even the Taipings, it made him an invincible leader. Shortly afterward, in- deed, it saved his life. A large detachment from the main force of Chung Wang camped too near his city of Adventure Sung Kiang. Sallying forth with two regi- ments, he struck their position like a thun- derbolt at night, cutting the force to pieces. He pressed the fugitives the same night to the walls of Quanfuling, which he assaulted and captured, and with it seized several hun- dred transports loaded with supplies. aay, THE clock now struck twelve for Ks.o” Frederick Ward. A courier arrived post haste-from the Futai of Shang- hai, ordering him to report there for co- operation with the Anglo-French contin- gent. He obeyed with two picked regi- ments, leaving Sung Kiang strongly gar- risoned under Colonel Forrester. Admiral Sir James Hope had arrived and had in- sisted that General Ward should be fully recognized as the most efficient factor of salvation. The first move was against Kaschiaou, which threatened the supplies of Shanghai. Ward and his Celestials carried the de- fences in the most gallant fashion, leaving Sir James Hope’s contingent but little to do except gather in two thousand prisoners. All the English officers were delighted with the splendid dash and confidence marking Ward’s attack, and when Sir James Michel, the British Commander in Chief, arrived from Hong Kong with Sepoy reinforcements he agreed cordially with Admiral Hope when these two reviewed Ward’s forces at Sung Kiang. They united in recommendations to Sir Frederick Brice, the British Minister at Peking, urging an entire change in policy with reference to the Taipings—that they should be crushed by the most efficient agent for this difficult work. It was advised that Ward be commis- sioned by the Chinese Government to raise from 6,000 to 10,000 men and be invested with a large range of authority; that for his expenses, a portion of the English rev- enues should be devoted conjointly with Imperial financial support; and that this army should be equipped with the best Enfields, six light batteries and a small park of siege artillery. With such a force as this to operate against it, the terrible rebellion which had wrought such woes to the Middle Kingdom would be in a sure way of extirpation and British interests be best assured. This was a different official attitude indeed from that which had shortly before stigmatized Ward as little better than a ruthless outlaw! CO MICLOOKS CO