Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 May 1901 — CHINESE SIMPLICITY. [ARTICLE]

CHINESE SIMPLICITY.

Am Innocent Private's Reqaeat ot Gen. Chaffee. When Gen. Chaffee and his staff officers went to the sate that had been discovered, passed through It and along tbe Inside of the outer wall, I them. None of the party felt in the mood for levity, and I remember that L for one, was laboring under a very strong realisation of the danger of our position. We eventually discovered that the gat* had but admitted us to an outer court, whloh was apparently between the outer wall and an inner one of equal dimensions. Consequently we had gained nothing In matter of position by dndlng the gate. Before wo had discovered this, however, and as we were still engaged In exploring the court, those in advance oame upon a Chinese, in the uniform ot a soldier, so suddenly as to cause them to wonder if ho had not sprung from the ground. His proximity at the moment of the discovery of his existence, the fact that he was apparently unarmed, and the broad and trustful grin which illumined his countenance wore all partly responsible for his escape from death. Had he been first seen at any distance, or had he attempted to escape, he would certainly have been shot. Under the existing circumstances he very probably owed his life to the presence of the American commander-in-chief. As the Americans advanced ho presented a small wooden tablet, upon which were several Chinese characters. His evident anxiety that we should not overlook this bit of unintelligibly Inscribed wood caused us at once to jump to th* conclusion that he was the bearer of a message from “the city within a elty.” In other words, we thought, "Here is a man with a message from the palace. Perhaps it is from the empress dowager, or oven the emperor himself.” At that moment I saw the interpreter oi the French general approaching. Knowing that he cqjuld speak Chinese, I hastened toward him, and explained the important find we had made. The interpreter had come to ask Gen. Chaffee 11 the French artillery might shell the Imperial city towers from the Tartar city wall, firing over the heads of the American troops. Chaffee refused to entertain such a proposition for a moment, but, ol course, that didn’t stop the French. In fact, Chaffee had to use all his well known bluntness and even employ discourteous and profane language before the French shells ceased bursting within a few yards of the American advanoe. But that is another story. The French interpreter was as eager a* I to see what was en the placard. He, the soldier detailed to guard the Chinese and myrelf formed an anxious knot as the Frenchman scanned the queer hieroglyphics. 1 read disgust on his face before he had finished, but he did not have an opportunity to speak before the Chinese commenced an earnest and -emphatio harangue to the newcomer. Of course, the Mongolian had tried the same thing on all of us, but this was the first time ho was understood. As he finished, ot rather slowed down after the first spurt, Gen. Chaffee came up.

“What about this fellow?” asked the general. <-

“Why, sir,” said the interpreter, with a sickly smile, “this is a Chinese soldier. The board he carries testifies to that fact, and in addition tells who he is and to what body of troops he is attached. He belongs to a sort of imperial guard. He says he was on duty, guarding that gate In the outer wall, and left his post but for a moment, to find on his return that your soldiers had entered in his absence. He is very anxious that I should ask you to go outside the gate at once, for he says no one is allowed In here, and if his commander discovers that he has neglected his duty and left his post and gun he will be severely punished. He also says that if you will allow him to return to the gate he will show you the order which forbids any one to enter it.” Well, we all laughed. One or two of the younger ones fairly howled. We didn’t any of us feel gay, but no one could keep a straight face in the presence of such amazing simplicity. Even the general smil-d and grunted, which is as near as he ever comes to a laugh. There was that Innocent idiot of a Chinese soldier actually asking his enemies, who were even then undecided whether to put an end to him or to send him to the rear as a prisoner, to go out of the Imperial City because his commanding officer would punish him for letting. us in! And when one thinks of the American casualties that were piled up before that day was over, and the Chinese dead that were scattered over that stubbornly contested ground, the gate keeper’s unusual request seems still more ludicrous. The last I saw him he was vainly endeavoring to make up his mind whether to stop and expostulate with the American soldier whose hold on his pigtail was too secure for comfort, or to go on resignedly in the face of the anticipated severity of his punishment when ho should be called to account for his abandonment of his post.—London News.