Part 23 (2/2)

This breach of faith inhave ree in his plans He suddenly decided that he would e the city by another route It was soot up, so he went for a walk through the streets with Dr Halliday Macartney, whose name will always be connected with China To his surprise, crowds of ierly and excitedly, and it was clear to both English a corner they suddenly rew so pale and looked so uncomfortable that Gordon's suspicions were aroused, and he at once inquired if the wangs had seen Li Hung Chang, and what had taken place

Ching replied that they had never been to Li Hung Chang at all, which astonished Gordon, who answered that he had seen theone there, where were they? Then Ching said they had sent athat they wished to be allowed to keep twenty thousanda wall to shut off their own portion Gordon was greatly puzzled by this infors could have joined the Taepings again in soht most likely that they had returned quietly to their own ho the truth, yet Gordon could not feel satisfied Turning to Macartney, as standing by listening to the conversation, he begged hi's house and tell him that the surrender must be unconditional, and then to return to him at a certain spot When Macartney reached the house where Nar wang lived he was informed by the servant who opened it that his master was out

'Will he be in soon, for I reatest importance'

The man looked at him silently, and then drew his hand slowly across his throat Macartney understood the ghastly sign, and went swiftly away, but only just in tiers, who poured into the house and in a few minutes had wrecked or stolen all they could lay hands on He soon reached the spot which Gordon had appointed, but, long though he waited, Gordon never came

After Macartney had left hi to find out what had really occurred, for that some dark deed had taken place he beca froth Gordon gave up the atteh crowds laden with plunder to Nar wang's house in order to see and hear for hih the roo seeht he saw so at him behind a pile of rubbish

'Co to fear'; and then an old man crept out, ith many los and polite expressions, explained that in his nephew's absence the Chinese soldiers had pillaged his house, and begged the honourable Englishman to help him take away the ladies, who

Gordon was furious at learning that his strict orders against pillage had been disobeyed, but this was not the moment to think of that With soh the crowded streets, but when they reached the old uard round it, and Gordon was informed that he s had not yet learned the fate of the wangs, or his life would have been speedily taken in payht Gordon reht of what ot leave to send an interpreter with a letter to the English lines, ordering his bodyguards to co as security for the wangs His first er was stopped and his letter torn up; but in the afternoon he was hiuard to protect the Taepings in Nar wang's house This he instantly did, and in his indignation at the periven in his absence to the imperialist soldiers to sack the city refused to see or speak to general Ching

On receiving Gordon's refusal Ching began to feel that he and Li Hung Chang had gone rather far, and that the day of reckoning would be a very uncomfortable one Solish officer to go at once to Gordon and infors, or whether they were alive or dead, but that Nar wang's son was safe in his tent

'Bring him here,' said Gordon, and he waited in silence till a boy of fourteen entered the caate From his, his father a them, had been taken across the river on the previous day, and there cruelly murdered; their heads had been cut off, and their bodies left lying on the bank

Speechless with horror, Gordon set off at once for the place of theas they had fallen

Englishe forced their way into his eyes at the thought that by this act of treachery on the part of the Chinese his honour and that of his country had been tra a revolver instead of the stick which was the only weapon he carried even in action, he went straight to Li Hung Chang's quarters, intending to shoot hiovernor had been warned, and took hishad escaped fro in the city In vain Gordon, his anger no whit abated, sought for hih and low No trace of him could be found; and at last Gordon returned to Quinsan, where he called a council of his English officers, and infor as he deserved he should decline to serve with hin his command into the hands of General Broas stationed at Shanghai As to Li Hung Chang's offer, sent by Macartney, to sign any procla that he was both innocent and ignorant of the s, he would not even listen to it

As soon as General Brown received Gordon's letter at Shanghai he instantly set out for Quinsan, where Gordon re's conduct was being inquired into, or, rather, while the governenerals and the English envoy on account of thehad been beforehand with us, guessing how much he had at stake, and had been iven a yellow jacket, or, as we should say 'the Garter' On Gordon hie suovernrant for his woundedthat tended to make his troops more comfortable Gordon, who had already devoted to their help his 1,200 l a year of pay froladly received, but for hi, except two flags, which had no connection with the wang norance of the motive of his refusal, for he wrote a letter to the erettedto the circumstances which occurred since the capture of Soo-chow, he was unable to receive any h he 'respectfully begged his majesty to accept his thanks for his intended kindness'

With the taking of Soo-chow the Taeping resistance was really broken, and soon Nankin and Hangchoere the only i was still to be done To the great relief of the governth persuaded to resuht be able to some extent to check the cruelty natural to the Chinese than for any other reason It is a to watch the slavish behaviour of the ereatly needed, and whose anger he so deeply feared

Once, when Gordon in leading an attack with his wand in his hand, the only weapon he ever carried, received a bad wound below the knee, histo inquire daily after hi forth all the circu in the clearest norant of the whole affair