COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 279 



told me if they raised my hands, which when bound 

 behind the back has the effect of throwing the head 

 forward, and ran me forward at the same time, they 

 would behead me at the outer gate — that this was 

 their mode of beheading their criminals. We had 

 time but for a few words and to bid each other 

 good-bye, when my arms were seized in the manner 

 described by Parkes and I was rushed out towards the 

 outer gate, a man running by my side with a drawn 

 sword. While passing through the last courtyard I 

 observed a man running as fast as he could to meet 

 us. We arrived at the gate at the same moment ; 

 he threw his arms round the fellow who had the 

 sword, being too blown to speak, and then hurried 

 me forward to a cart, into which I was pitched, and 

 Parkes, the old Sikh, and the two Frenchmen were 

 put in also. These three last we had not seen for 

 some time. The cart immediately drove off at a 

 rapid rate, recrossed the bridge, and along the paved 

 road leading to Peking. 



"The agony of that drive I can never forget — 

 the jolting on the paved road, bound and helpless 

 to save ourselves from the fearful jolts that seemed 

 to threaten each moment to drive life out of our 

 bodies, not for one instant still, thrown backwards 

 and forwards, with the great pain our wrists gave 

 us from being so tightly bound. It seemed im- 

 possible that we could hold out long. With our 

 teeth clenched and our feet pressing against each 

 other's bodies, we tried to steady ourselves ; but had 

 it not been that the cart had occasionally to go on 



