The thunder on the gates continued, and then with a crash they came open suddenly, and a party of French soldiers, with fixed bayonets and their uniforms in great disorder, rushed in on us.  They did not see me at first, and, charging down on our captured carters, merely yelled violently to them, “Rendez-vous!  Rendez-vous!” Before we could move or disclose ourselves, they had seized some of the carts and were making preparations to drive them off without a second’s delay.  But then I made up my mind in a flash, too, and becoming desperate, I threw down the gauntlet.  The contagion had caught me.  Running at them with my drawn revolver, I, too, shouted, “Rendez-vous!  Rendez-vous!” and with my men following me, we interposed ourselves between the marauders and their only line of retreat.  There was no time for thinking or for explanations; somebody would have to give way or else there would be shooting.  In a second, a fresh desperate situation had arisen.

The marauders, astonished at my sudden appearance and the manner in which their razzia had been interrupted, stood debating in loud voices what they should do, and calling me names.  Twice they turned as if they would shoot me down; then one of them made up the minds of the others by declaring that their object was not to fight, but to pillage—­these few carts did not matter.  With lowering faces they speedily withdrew, cursing me with calm insolence as they reached the gates.  Outside we saw that they had a number of other carts and mules, all loaded up with huge bundles; and reeling round these captured things were other drunken soldiers, whose disordered clothing and leering faces proclaimed that they had given themselves solely up to the wildest orgies.  To-day there would be no quarter....

We waited until the clamour of these men had died away in the distance, and then, with a strange double grin, the big Shantung man turned silently back into an inner courtyard, and pointed me out another building.  I did not understand, for the very stables were empty and deserted here, as if everything had been already looted or carried away into safety.  There appeared to be not a cart, not a piece of harness, not a stick of furniture, nothing left at all.  The big Shantung man still grinned, however, and quickly made for the building he had pointed out.  The door was open, as if there was nothing to conceal, and only enormous bins made of bamboo matting half blocked the entrance.  But with a few rough efforts my men sent these soon flying; then there was a mighty stamping and neighing of alarm, and as I looked in I laughed from sheer surprise.  The house was full of ponies, mules, and even donkeys, which had been driven in and tethered together tightly behind barricades of tables and chairs.  Now seeing us, they stood there all eyes and ears, and with prolonged whinnies and gruntings plainly welcomed this diversion.  With glee we drove them out and counted them up—­ten more animals!