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ON TO PEKIN

"The watch tower!" yelled Gilbert, in order to make himself heard above the noise and confusion. "The watch tower, boys! We must root 'em out."

"We will!" came in a wild cry. "Down with the Chinks! Come on! All together!"

And away went what was left of the company, up to the very top of the wall, and then around to the entrance of the watch tower. The sharpshooters saw them come, and felt that they must soon be surrounded and cut off from support. Down they dropped from floor to floor of the tower with the agility of acrobats, and started to run down the slope leading into the Chinese City.

"Company halt!" commanded Gilbert. "Take aim! Fire!" And a solid volley was poured into the fleeing Celestials, bringing fully one-half of them to earth. The others were speedily swallowed up in the street below.

From his commanding position on the top of the wall, Gilbert could now see a sight the like of which he had never before witnessed, and which, he felt, he should never see again. As far as eye could reach, the streets below, crooked, narrow, and filthy, were filled with Chinese soldiers and citizens, women and