CHAPTER XXVIII
THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
After the fruitless effort to escape from Port Arthur harbor the Russianwarships "bottled up" there remained where they were for a long time tocome. Occasionally one or another attempted to run the blockade, butresults were usually disastrous, and at last the risk became so greatnothing more was done in that direction. The Japanese continued to putdown mines and sank several boats loaded with stone in or near thewinding channel, and this made getting in as hard as getting out--thusputting a stop to the arrival of more supply boats, such as brought Bento the seaport.
In the meantime the campaign on land was pushed forward with increasedactivity. The headquarters of the Japanese army investing Port Arthurwas not far from the railroad, but the lines stretched many miles to theeast and the west. Troops were hurried both from Japan and from thedivisions near Liao-Yang, and heavy siege guns were mounted on everyavailable hilltop. The Japanese were, at the start, at a greatdisadvantage--they could not see the enemy at which they were firing.Hills and mountains cut them off from every view of the port. But theykept hammering away, day after day, week after week, and month aftermonth, gaining steadily, throwing up new intrenchments, digging newtunnels, and hauling their heavy guns forward to more advantageouspositions. The labor was body racking and the sacrifice of lifeenormous. But the Mikado's soldiers did not appear to care. They had setout to capture Port Arthur and they were going to do it.
For the foot-soldiers and for the cavalry there was at the start butlittle to do in the way of fighting. Most of the time was spent indigging trenches and tunnels, and in keeping out of the way of shellsthat whistled and screamed in all directions--shells weighing hundredsof pounds, which, when they struck, tore up the ground for yards aroundand smashed the rocks as if the latter were passing through a quartzcrusher. Such is war of modern times, when carried on at a distance ofmiles.
But as the months went by, and Japanese and Russians came closer to eachother, hand-to-hand conflicts became numerous. The Russians contestedevery foot of the ground, fighting with a courage that was truly heroic,and sacrificing themselves freely for the Czar and the country theyloved. The hand-to-hand conflicts became bloody in the extreme,thousands upon thousands being slaughtered between the rising and thesetting of the sun.
From the seacoast the command to which Gilbert was attached moved to asmall place called Fugi Klan. Here they went into camp for several weeksand while there were joined by a number of other commands, includingthat containing those old soldiers of fortune, Dan Casey and CarlStummer, who had served with Gilbert and Ben in Cuba and in thePhilippines.
"Py chiminy, of it ton't done mine heart goot to see you, cabtain!"exclaimed Carl Stummer, rushing up and giving Gilbert a handshake. "Howyou peen, annavay?"
"First rate, Stummer. And how are you, Casey?"
"Sure an' it's meself is as foine as a fiddle," answered the Irishman,with a broad grin on his freckled face. "It's a great war, ain't it now?Both soides is fightin' like a pair o' Kilkenny cats, so they are! An'where is me ould friend, Captain Russell?"
"He was captured by Chunchuses."
"No!" came from both Stummer and Casey, and then they poured in a volleyof questions which were bewildering. Gilbert answered them as best hecould.
"Dot's der vorst ding vot I hear yet alretty!" said Carl Stummer, with asad shake of his head. "I vish I got dem Chunchusers--or vot you calldem--here. I fix 'em, eh, Tan?"
Dan Casey nodded vigorously. "Sure an' we'd be after puttin' a ballthrough ivery mother's son of 'em, so we would! Poor Ben Russell! Iloiked him loike a brother!" And the honest Irish sharp-shooter heaved along sigh.
Both Casey and Stummer had been having easy times of it for severalweeks, but now they were called upon to go forth with pick and shovel,to do their share of work in digging intrenchments. This was not sonice, but they went at the labor without a murmur.
"Sure an' we might as well git into practice," observed Casey, as hestarted in with vigor. "Whin the war's over an' we git back to theStates, it may be ourselves as will be workin' fer the corporation inNew York or ilsewhere!"
"Yah, udder puttin' town railroad dracks alretty in der Vest," answeredCarl Stummer. "Dot is," he added, "of I ton't got money enough to puy afarm."
"'Tis a stock farm I'm wantin'," came from Casey. "Wid horses galore.There's money for ye, Carl!" And he went to work with added vigor--as ifhe expected to turn up the stock farm from the soil beneath him.
To Gilbert, even though he occasionally saw Stummer and Casey, the dayswere very lonely. He missed Ben greatly, and each day wondered if hewould ever see his old war chum again. Major Okopa saw this and did whathe could to cheer up the young officer.
"He may turn up before you realize it," said the major. "I don't thinkhe was killed."
"If he is alive, it is very strange that we do not hear from him."
Two days later came a batch of letters into camp, written, or ratherpainted, for the most part, on thin Japanese paper. Among thecommunications were two for Gilbert, one from Captain Ponsberryconcerning the _Columbia_ and her cargo, and the other from a strangerin Pekin, China.
"Who can be writing to me from Pekin, China?" mused the young captain,and began to read the communication with interest. It was from a Chinesemerchant, and ran in part as follows:
"You will be mystified to receive this from an utter stranger, but I deem it my duty, kind sir, to send this word to you.
"Know, then, that one Ken Gow, a servant of my family, was in Port Arthur up to sixteen days ago--first a servant in an American family there, and next a prisoner in the vilest prison man ever saw, guarded by dogs of Russians unworthy to be used as door mats. Ken Gow is a faithful man, the flower of all my help.
"It is needless to explain to you why my servant was thus ill-treated. But you must know that when in prison he met your great friend Captain Benjamin Russell, and it was the captain who saved Ken Gow from many hard blows from the other prisoners, who wanted not a Chinaman amongst them.
"Ken Gow was grateful, even as I am grateful, and he promised to get word to you of this matter if the Russians granted him his liberty. Finding no fault in my servant he was, after a time, liberated, and watching his chance, left Port Arthur and came home.
"Kind sir, he is grateful to Captain Russell and would do much for him if he could. Yet his most is to send this letter to you, telling you that Captain Russell is alive and held in a Port Arthur prison as a spy. One Russian hates him--his name, Captain Barusky,--and it would appear that this Russian is also your enemy, so beware of him.
"I can tell no more. Ken Gow is sick from his treatment at the hands of the Russian dogs. Accept this miserable assurance of my eternal friendship, and esteem for one I know must be high and illustrious."
"CHENG MO."
Gilbert read the letter several times and showed it to Major Okopa. Itwas written in true Chinese style, with a big Chinese seal attached, andwas, beyond all doubt, genuine.
"I can't understand one thing," said the young captain. "How did Ben getto Port Arthur?"
"It may be that this Captain Barusky had him taken there, CaptainPennington."
"I thought Captain Barusky was at Mukden."
"The Russians have been taking in some troops at Port Arthur on the sly.Despite Admiral Togo's efforts, some supply boats and transports havepassed his ships."
"If Barusky is there he will do what he can to make Ben miserable. He isdown on both of us--for he knows we are down on him and Ivan Snokoff."
"Do you think Snokoff could have anything to do with this?"
"I'm sure I don't know. Anything is possible. Snokoff would be glad tomake trouble for Ben--since he helped me to make him settle up atLiao-Yang. Those Chunchuses tried to capture both of us."
The matter was talked over for half an hour, but brought forth nosatisfaction. To Gilbert's mind, being held by the Russ
ians as a spy wasas bad as being in the hands of the Chinese brigands.
"I wish we could get into Port Arthur at once," he said, finally. "Ishouldn't like anything better than to capture this Captain Barusky andliberate Ben."
"We are bound to get into the port sooner or later," answered MajorOkopa. "They are bringing up more siege guns every day. If the Russianswon't give up we'll batter the whole town down over their heads."
"Which will be a bad thing for Ben," rejoined Gilbert. "I don't want himkilled in the attempt to rescue him."