Major Morris had already seen the opening, and the battalion was immediately urged onward once more. Once some Chinese troops showed themselves in the long grass to the westward, and the four companies of Americans opened fire on them. Then the embankment was gained, and the troops slipped through the gate mentioned, just as a Chinese field-gun sent a twelve-pound shot after them. The shot took off the top of a near-by flagstaff, but otherwise did no damage.
Once inside of the outer wall of Tien-Tsin, the battahon felt fairly safe for the time being. Still, they were but a short distance from the Chinese quarter; and it was soon learned that the Celestials had from ten to twenty thousand troops on hand, with many more pouring into the neighborhood every day. What the outcome of the fighting at Tien-Tsin would be, no one cared to predict. It was felt that the Allies needed re-enforcements very much.
"What a mixture of troops!" such was Gilbert's comment when first he saw the camp of the Allies. English, French, German, Itahan, Russian, and Japanese were represented; and of these troops there were numerous branches, such as the Chinese-Eng-
