Shouts of “Banzai!” mingled with the rattle of musketry. It was a scene of the wildest excitement. For the enemy below there was no escape: they must run this fiery gauntlet. To attempt any reply with rifles was impossible, for the Japanese were sheltered by the ledge of the cliff. In a few moments the road was strewn with the dead and dying. Ambulance wagons came to pick up the wounded and the Japanese chivalrously suspended fire though no white flag had been raised. Under cover of the Red Cross the Russians carried away their wounded, together with many rifles and great coats. Yet three hundred dead were buried by the Japanese, whose casualties were not a dozen. Among the wounded was Lieut. R. Nishii, who was the first to reach the cliff and to signal to his comrades. At noon the range from which the enemy had retired was occupied by the Japanese, and the battalions from the centre went in pursuit, but were checked by guns stationed at Rihikoku and Kuchazu on the North Road. At three o’clock the Russian right flank had disappeared, leaving the centre undisturbed, and the left flank seriously weakened. Later in the afternoon another attempt was made to drive the Japanese from Makura-yama. A small force again appeared on the North-west of the position, but the counter attack no longer had the full support of the artillery beyond Yu-shu-ling, some of the guns having been withdrawn to Kuchazu. The attack was a half-hearted affair, and was easily repelled. Meanwhile, our left flank made strenuous effort to drive the enemy from their strong position in the centre, and succeeded in capturing two peaks. But the valley was deep and exposed, and the mountain was steep. The assault was accordingly put off till to-morrow, and the victorious Japanese bivouacked in battle array before the last Russian position. At dawn they arose to renew the encounter, and found the enemy retiring. Our left flank was the first to discover the movement, and, hurrying up the heights, saw the Russian infantry streaming along the road through Laokanlei in the direction of Am-ping. In this engagement the Russians had 39 battalions of infantry, 32 guns, 2,000 cavalry, two companies of engineers, and three balloons. Their casualties were over 2,000. 600 bodies were buried on the field, and more than 200 prisoners were taken. Among the spoils were 800 rifles, 20,000 rounds of rifle ammunition, 400 engineers tools, 1,018 tents, three cooking carts, six ammunition wagons, 1,400 sacks of clothing and camp equipment. From the diary of an officer we learned that General Kuropatkin was at Am-ping on the 23rd and 24th July, and was expected on the 31st to direct the operations in front of General Kuroki’s army. The Japanese casualties were 416, of whom fourteen officers were wounded and two killed. [Illustration: LIAO-YANG DRAWN BY A JAPANESE OFFICER.] Chapter XXVI THE BATTLE OF LIAO-YANG.