Now ensued a fierce and bloody hand-to-hand combat, in which the utmost heroism was displayed on both sides. Closer and closer pressed the Japanese till the opposing forces were almost looking into one another's eyes, and rifle-fire was abandoned for cold steel. Again and again the Japanese desperately dashed themselves upon the serried ranks opposed to them, and again and again, in spite of the fearful execution wrought by each charge, they were hurled back. But bayonet charge followed bayonet charge, and at last the devoted band of Russians could hold out no more. In some quarters of the field the white flag was hoisted and numbers of men surrendered. But the main body, shattered as it was and a mere shadow of its former strength, fought its way through. A broken remnant of the 12th Regiment cut its way through and carried off the colors in safety, torn and riddled indeed, but not disgraced. The same fate befell the 11th Regiment, a small body of which, after several hours' fighting, forced a passage out of the melee and retreated to Hoh-mu-tang with its colors preserved. But the losses of this regiment were enormous. Colonel Laming, the Colonel Commandant, Lieutenant-Colonels Dometti and Raievsky, and forty subordinate officers were left dead upon the field, and 5,000 non-commissioned officers and men were killed or wounded. More than 30 officers and 400 men surrendered. The casualties sustained by the Japanese were nearly 1,000 killed and wounded. CHAPTER VII. Russian Demoralization--On the Heels of the Enemy--Remarkable Japanese Strategy--The Paper Army--The Thin Black Line of Reinforcements--Position of the Russian Army--Kuropatkin Tied to his Railway--The Second Scheme of Attack--A Model of Organization--Perfect Secrecy of Plans--Cutting off Port Arthur--Alexeieff's Command of Language--And the Sober Truth--Third Blocking Attempt--Lurid Flashing of Searchlights--On the Bones of their Predecessors--Half the Passage Blocked--Honored but Unarmed--Russian Acknowledgements--Terrific Casualties--Togo for Liao-tung--The Japanese Landings--Escape of Alexeieff--Port Arthur Isolated. [Sidenote: Russian Demoralization]