212 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



Fort Tsee, the story had been, " the block-ships are 

 coming in," and the cry was still " they come " ; but 

 there they remained at their old anchorage, pleasantly 

 and leisurely making a target of the fort at a range 

 of 3000 yards. Creeping on to Telegraph Hill, a 

 high mound in advance of the ridge, and mingling 

 with the French riflemen, we look down on the 

 citadel. Its walls were dotted with marks of shot, 

 and some stones had been loosened from the embra- 

 sures by the fire of the ships and the 10-inch gun, 

 the performances of which were afterwards so loudly 

 trumpeted. The French mortars, too, had inflicted 

 much injury ; but the fort was still strong and intact 

 enough to offer a long and obstinate defence. "Within, 

 however, were drooping hearts and unwilling spirits 

 within were men who cared not to prolong an un- 

 availing defence for the sake of making it heroic ; 

 so once more, and for the last time, the white flag 

 was hoisted. The ships had missed their oppor- 

 tunity, and the programme was thus shorn of its 

 catastrophe. 



Now came the closing scene. Hanged beneath the 

 walls of the citadel stood the soldiers of France and 

 England, face to face face to face in amity for the 

 first time during long, long years. Thus they stood 

 to receive as prisoners a common foe, conquered by 

 their united arms. Curiously did they gaze at each 

 other, and strange was the contrast betwixt the 

 strong, burly men, with their calm impassive faces, 



