[Illustration: JAPANESE BUILDING A BATH-HOUSE ON THE SHA-HO ] [Illustration: SENTRY ON DUTY AT OFFICER’S DOOR ] [Illustration: TAKING A HOT BATH—THERMOMETER TWELVE BELOW ] [Illustration: SOLDIERS’ DUGOUTS IN THE SHA-HO WINTER QUARTERS ] WITH THE JAPANESE ARMY IN DECEMBER IN CAMP ON THE SHA-HO [Illustration: JAPANESE REINFORCEMENTS MARCHING THROUGH SHI-LI-HO TOWARD THE FRONT ] [Illustration: WOUNDED RUSSIANS AND JAPANESE AT PALANSANSU ] [Illustration: TRYING TO KEEP WARM AT SHI-LI-HO WITH THE THERMOMETER FIFTEEN BELOW ] [Illustration: JAPANESE WOUNDED GOING FROM YENTAI TO LIAO-YANG BY TRAIN ] BETWEEN BATTLES WITH THE JAPANESE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE SHA-HO [Illustration: DRILLING THE NEWLY ARRIVED RECRUITS IN THE MILITARY STEP ] [Illustration: DRAWING WATER FROM THE WELL IN FREEZING WEATHER ] [Illustration: RECRUITS DRILLING AT THE SHA-HO WITH CAPTURED RUSSIAN RIFLES ] [Illustration: COOLIES DRAWING WATER FROM THE SPRING FOR THE JAPANESE ] WITH THE JAPANESE IN WINTER QUARTERS AT THE SHA-HO [Illustration: CHILDREN PLAYING DUCK-ON-THE-ROCK WITH PIECES OF BROKEN SHELLS ] [Illustration: OFFERING UP THE HOG’S HEAD TO PROPITIATE THE JOSS ] [Illustration: PEASANTS STACKING UP KOWLIANG FOR WINTER USE ] [Illustration: MANCHURIAN WOMEN PREPARING VEGETABLES FOR PICKLING ] TYPICAL VIEWS OF MANCHURIAN PEASANTS AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THE JAPANESE [Illustration: MAJOR YOKURA, FIRST JAPANESE ADMINISTRATOR ] [Illustration: JAPANESE CROSSING THE LIAO AT NEWCHWANG BEFORE IT FROZE OVER ] [Illustration: CHINESE CROSSING THE FROZEN LIAO RIVER ON SLEDS ] SCENES AT NEWCHWANG SHORTLY AFTER THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR [Illustration: JOSSES OF AN ANCIENT CHINESE TEMPLE LOOKING DOWN ON THE WOUNDED INVADERS ] CHAPTER XII THE FALL OF PORT ARTHUR The first day of January, 1905, witnessed the end of the gigantic siege that had furnished a tragic background for eleven of the twelve months of 1904. The first blow struck by the Japanese in the war was aimed at Port Arthur, and during the month that followed they and the defenders employed and endured more terrific forces of destruction than were ever used at any other siege in the history of the world. The fall of this Gibraltar of the East seemed to prove that there can be no such thing as an impregnable fortress. The attack on Port Arthur began with Togo’s dash against the Russian fleet on the night of February 8. Four months later, through the successes of the Japanese on the Liaotung peninsula, the fortress had been cut off from all outside help.