The peak of Makura-yama was seized at five o’clock and at ten minutes to eight the ridge was occupied. Meanwhile the guns on both sides had opened at a range of between two and three thousand mètres. Little damage was done, the enemy failing to locate our batteries and firing in all directions. No sooner, however, did the Japanese infantry appear on the sky line above Makura-yama than the Russian artillery turned their attention to that quarter, and at a range of fifteen hundred mètres kept up a steady cannonade. Our right flank was powerless and could do nothing more than entrench and await developments. But they were not long idle. At ten o’clock the enemy appeared on the North-west of the ridge with the object of taking it from the rear. To meet this counter attack two companies were despatched from the reserves at Hoachapaozu--a village between Chaotoa and Yu-shu-ling--together with a detachment from the rear guard. Fording the river they moved under cover of the zigzag range of hills and coming into the open were under the fire of the Russian guns. The officer in command of the reserves had his horse killed under him and was slightly wounded. While delivering the counter attack the Russians renewed their effort to assail the front with artillery and rifle, but the arrival of reinforcements appeared to damp their ardour, and after a short though sharp fight the Japanese were left in possession of Makura-yama. During this long interval the centre and the left were not idle. A regiment advanced along the main road to Am-ping and drove the enemy from the Northern extremity of the ridge immediately in front of the Russian position south of the Tai-tsu. The resistance was feeble, but beyond that point the Japanese were unable to proceed. Below stretched a wide open plain dominated by the sheer precipice that guarded the enemy’s front. To scale the cliff would require wings. Our centre accordingly determined to await developments elsewhere, and contented itself with containing the Russian front.