I turned in disgust, and went slowly back the way I had come, only to find all unchanged....  Everything had obviously been stopped by explicit orders; there was no doubt about that now; diplomacy, afraid to allow any one to enter the inner Palaces for fear of what would follow, and how much one Power might triumph over another, had called an absolute halt.  But no one was taking any chances, or placing too much confidence in the assurances of the dear Allies.  That was plain!  For, even as I had almost finished trotting up to the Dynastic Gate, I came on a large body of Italian sailors, who had evidently just entered Peking, and who, marching with the quick step of the Bersaglieri, were being led by C——­, the lank Secretary of Legation, right up to the last line of gates.  They were in an enormous hurry, and looked about them with eager eyes.  C——­ and some others called out to me as I passed, and wanted to know whether it was true that the Americans and the French had already got in, and had sacked half the place, and whether fire had been set to the buildings.  I answered with no compunction that it appeared to be so, and that the Russians and the Japanese had burst in also through the north, and had actually fired on the others coming from the south, thinking they were Manchu soldiery....  I told them that they were too late; that every point of importance had already been seized.  That set them moving faster than ever.  It was truly comical and ridiculous.  Beyond this there were more troops of other nationalities that had just arrived, and were now looking about them in bewilderment.  No wonder.  With no orders and no maps, and surrounded by these immense ruins, and still more immense squares, they could not understand it at all.  What confusion!

As I paused, debating what I should do, once again something else speedily attracted my attention.  This time big groups of American soldiery, whom I had not observed before, were gathering like swarms of flies at the door of one of the Chinese guard-houses, which line the enclosing walls of the Palace.  They were evidently much excited by some discovery.  Wishing to learn what it was, I dismounted and pushed in.  Grovelling on the ground lay an elderly Chinese, whose peculiar aspect and general demeanour made it clear what he was.  He was a Palace eunuch, left here by some strange luck.  The man was in a paroxysm of fear, and, pointing into the guard-house behind him, he was beseeching the soldiery with words and gestures not to treat him as those inside had been handled.  Through the open door I could see a confused mass of dead bodies—­men who had been bayonetted to death in the early morning—­and from a rafter hung a miserable wretch, who had destroyed himself in his agony to escape the terror of cold steel.  As the details became clear, the scene was hideous.  Never, indeed, shall I forget that horrid little vignette of war—­those dozens upon dozens of curious soldier faces framed in slouch hats only half understanding;