THE TSUNG-LI YAMEN 44 BARRICADE ACROSS THE CANAL TO THE FU 50 SANDBAG BARRICADE IN AMERICAN LEGATION 50 MRS. R. S. HOOKER 68 CAPTAIN JOHN T. MYERS 100 MRS. SQUIERS 110 LOADING THE “INTERNATIONAL” 116 AMERICAN AND RUSSIAN MARINES AT WORK ON THE BARRICADE. 116 BARON VON RAHDEN ON THE RIGHT SIR CLAUDE MACDONALD 120 EDWIN H. CONGER 136 A GATE INTO THE IMPERIAL CITY 154 GENERAL A. R. CHAFFEE 160 GENERAL SIR ALFRED GASELEE 176 THE RESULT OF THE SIEGE: IN THE AMERICAN MINISTER’S 192 HOUSE THE RESULT OF THE SIEGE: FRENCH LEGATION RUINS 192 MRS. HOOKER, MISS ARMSTRONG, LADY MACDONALD’S LITTLE 196 GIRLS, FARGO SQUIERS, AND COLONEL ARTHUR CHURCHILL COAL HILL 202 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: _THE FORBIDDEN (PURPLE) CITY IMPERIAL CITY_ ] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BEHIND THE SCENES IN PEKING _May 26, 1900._ When you were in Peking last year I don’t know whether you got out to the hills or not. They are about fifteen miles from the imperial city, and are the nearest point where foreigners can find relief from the insufferable heat of the capital, which begins with an intensely hot spring, continuing through a long, damp, sizzling summer. Many of the diplomats have cottages and bungalows at Pei-ta-ho, on the seashore, but its distance from Peking is a great drawback to it as a summer residence, and they have been forced to accept the hills, as a nearer and more practical place for their summer colony. A large, commodious house has been built here for the British Minister, as well as one for the officials of the Customs, both within their respective compounds. The greater part of this colony, however, have simply leased temples from Buddhist priests, and converted them into the most attractive and livable summer homes, the American and Russian Legations being the principal of these.