246 
ATTACK ON BRITISH LEGATION. Chap. XV. 
wounded, and I saw the blood flowing profusely 
from the former, whose left arm was disabled. 
Mr. Russell, Mr. Robertson, and Mr. Lowder fol- 
lowed ; the rest of the Legation were missing. Un- 
certain how many our assailants were, or from how 
many quarters the attack might be effected (since 
a Japanese house is open on all sides, and every 
partition consists entirely of doors and windows 
only, or sliding-panels offering no resistance), a 
brief interval of intense anxiety followed, while I 
stood in momentary expectation of seeing men 
pour in from the passage in pursuit. After a 
short lull, some of the hand were heard outside the 
apartment adjoining my bedroom breaking their 
way through some glazed doors. Exposed to attack 
from every side, with no sign of a yakoneen or 
guard, several minutes were thus passed, two of 
our number disabled, and the rest of us standing 
at bay with such arms as had been hastily seized. 
Our enemies had evidently mistaken their way, 
and the increased distance of the shouts and yells 
gave reason to hope they had at last been come up 
with by the yakoneens, and had sought their safety 
by leaving the house. To escape from a state of 
intolerable suspense I went towards the principal 
entrance for a moment, and to Mr. Macdonalds 
room, to ascertain, if possible, what had become of 
him. While on my way we thought they had 
returned in force, seeing at the further end of the 
passage a number of armed men advancing, who 
would not answer our challenge. A shot was 
