Our Three Guardsmen came to us last night and told these things. One was thick-set, bearded, and a son of Chicago University; one was smooth-shaven, thin-faced--and an authority on international law--both, of course, speaking English. The third carried a small mustache and talked very good French--so said Reggie. After the usual apologies, the bearded one said in partial excuse for shackling us: "Some of our common soldiers, never having seen a foreigner before, are not able to distinguish between you and Russians. We wish to provide against accidents." And he laughed. An incident on the way here, yesterday afternoon, made this sound plausible. I was riding alone, and hearing a noise behind me I turned in my saddle, to see a Japanese slipping upon me with his bayonet half-drawn from his scabbard. I stopped Fuji and said: "Nan desuka?" (What is it?) and he, too, stopped, and turned back. Whether this was a case in point or whether he was drunk and showing off before his companions, or whether my Tokio accent paralyzed him, I don't know, but later, the men who broke away from our guards and got among the soldiers, testified that they received nothing but courtesy, kindness, and childlike curiosity from the Japanese Tommy always. "You saw Nanshan?" asked the bearded one. "No," I said. "We want to see fighting, not battle-fields." He laughed again. "You have had a very hard time, but I think the fight at Liao-Yang will recompense you." "Have you heard anything from Port Arthur?" "Nothing." "We heard the guns as we came by and it was very exasperating." He laughed again. "We do not think much about Port Arthur. That is only a question of time. Liao-Yang will be decisive. The sooner the Russians give up at Port Arthur, the better it will be for them." "But they not only lose their own ships, but free the Japanese fleet for operations elsewhere." "That's true." "And they free the investing army for operations up here." "That's true." He shook his head. "But Liao-Yang will be decisive." They got up to go then and the bearded one simply bowed. The other two shook hands all around, and when they were through, the third said: "Well, I will shake hands, too," and he went the round. Lewis has just come in--his face luminous with joyful news. General Oku has sent us over: 1 doz. bottles of champagne. 4 doz. bottles of beer. 1 package of fly-paper. 1 live sheep. Liao-Yang is only about twenty-nine miles away, and the Three Guardsmen say we are not to be here very long. If the Russians can drop a shell on us here, I wish they would--just one, anyhow. Even one would save the faces of us a little. ... That poor Manchuria lamb of General Oku's died voluntarily this morning before the canteen-man could kill it--but the champagne, the beer, and the fly-paper are all the heart could desire. This day has been interesting. The Three Guardsmen rounded us up this afternoon and took us to see General Oku.