Alarmed by this they fled, and the men took the building without a shot being fired on either side. At this time the Chinese at other points started up a brisk fire, lasting about ten minutes. July 16, 7 A.M. While on a tour of inspection in the Su Wang Fu, in company with Dr. Morrison and Colonel Shiba, Captain B. M. Strouts, R. M. L. I., was shot and mortally wounded by a sniper. Dr. Morrison was shot in the leg, though not seriously. Captain Strouts died at 11 A.M. and was buried at 6 P.M. yesterday. One of the United States marines, Private Fisher, was killed the same day. It is indeed a pitiable plight that we are in now. Neither the Americans nor the British have any leader. Captain Meyers is disabled by the spear wound he received in the sortie of July 3. Captain Strouts is dead; Captain Halliday, the only other able British captain, is crippled by a wound received three weeks ago. Sir Claude MacDonald, though he assumes charge, is no man for the situation, and the French and Germans deny his authority. [Illustration: GENERAL SUNG CHING Commander-in-Chief, who fought the battle of Tientsin against the allied international armies.] Same date, 5 P.M. The messenger sent yesterday returned with four others, who waited for him at the bridge. He brought a letter from Jung Lu to Sir Claude MacDonald, and a telegram from Washington to Mr. Conger. The letter to Sir Claude contained nothing of any importance. The telegram, Mr. Conger recognized as being in the State Department cipher, but could not determine its meaning, as it had evidently been tampered with in some way by the Chinese. So the messenger was sent back with a request that the full original telegram be sent. July 17. The messenger returned again bringing a telegram from Wu Ting Fang, the Chinese minister at Washington, enclosing one from the Secretary of State. This read: “Communicate tidings to bearer.” To this the minister sent in reply: “One month in the British legation under shot and shell. Will all be massacred unless help comes soon.” One of Jung Lu’s soldiers came in the morning and gave himself up at the German legation, and asked for some medicine for a wound in the ear. He said that Jung Lu had ordered the soldiers to stop firing, but to hold their positions, and that he was very desirous that the foreigners should be protected. Not a shot has been fired since early morning. This is probably due to a fear that the foreign troops are near, and the government wishes to protect itself by saying they were unable to control the Boxers and the Kansu soldiers. Several other Chinese soldiers gave themselves up as prisoners at the different legations, though with what purpose no one can say. [Illustration: GENERAL MA YU KUN Major-General under Sung Ching; also engaged in the battle of Tientsin with the allied international armies.]