All these men, seated at the tables, were noisily discussing the relief.  I learned how it had been effected and the moves of the few preceding days.  They said that the Russians had attempted to steal a march on the Japanese on the night of the 13th, in order to force the Eastern gates, and reach the Imperial city and the Empress Dowager before any one else.  That had upset the whole plan of attack, and there had then simply been a mad rush, everyone going as hard as possible, and trusting to Providence to pull them through.

Most of the officers at the tables soon became highly elated.  That is the way when your stomach has been fed on hard rations and you have had fourteen days of the sun.  They then all began shouting and singing and not talking so much.  But still they were all devilishly keen to know about the siege, and who had fought best, and who had been killed.

I left them in what remains of a little barricaded and fortified hotel disputing away in rather a foolish fashion, because they were more or less inebriate and the sun had burned them badly.  And speeding to my cache, I drew out my two blankets and my waterproof.  While I had been forgetting other things, I had learned two new things—­how to sleep and how to shoot—­and now since there was no more need to practise the one, I would do the other.

PART III-THE SACK

I

THE PALACE

16th August, 1900.

* * * * *

The next morning (which was only yesterday!) I awoke in much the same strange despondency.  Around me, as the grey light stole softly into my lean-to, everything was absolutely quiet.  It was the same in every way as it had been the morning after the last terrible night; and yet that was already so long ago!  Almost mechanically, I searched the breast pocket of my soil-worn shirt for the previous day’s orders, so as to see about picquet posting; then I remembered suddenly, with a curious heart-sinking, that it was all over, finished, completed....  It was so strange that it should be so—­that everything should have come so suddenly to an end.  After all those experiences, to be lying on the ground like some tramp in Europe, without a thing to one’s name, was to be merely grotesque and incongruous.  Yet it was necessary to become accustomed immediately to the idea that one belonged to the ordinary world, where one would not be distinguished from one’s fellow; where everything was quiet and orderly....  And I was separated from this by such a mighty gulf.  I knew so many things now.  What! was I no longer to experience that supreme delight of shooting and being shot at—­of that unending excitement?  Oh! was it really over?...

I got up, and shook myself disconsolately, retied what remained of a neckcloth, and then looked in disgust at my boots.  My boots!  Two and a half months’ work and sleep in them—­my only pair—­had not improved their appearance.  Yet I had not even suspected that before; the evil fruit of relief had made my nakedness clear....