By eleven in the morning we still occupied that village, or, rather, the surrounding country, for the village was just large enough to contain General Mishchenko's staff and no more, and were looking after our wounded and making preparations for our journey north. Before noon, however, the Caucasians advanced to the south-east, covering the artillery, which had been ordered to shell the approaching infantry. The infantry did not approach, however, so that in the afternoon Mishchenko marched due north with great rapidity, as if he intended to retreat the way he came. The Japanese probably expected that, and had made every preparation to give him a warm reception as he crossed the Taitsze and Hun Rivers. But just when it seemed certain that he was heading direct for the trap that had been prepared for him, the wily old Cossack swung suddenly to the left, and was on the west bank of the Liao before the Japanese could properly realise what had happened. Next morning the enemy had also crossed to the other side of the Liao, but Mishchenko made it hot for them from eight o'clock to nine with his artillery. Then he moved on until he reached the main Russian army.
HAPTER V
When Mishchenko made his attack on Yinkow I determined that if it was successful I would cross the river and, from the neutral territory on the other side, send off a telegram to my paper describing our success. I was told that there was a censor at the telegraph office on the right bank, so I offered to take him back alive if they sent a Cossack with me, explaining that the gratification I would thus confer on the correspondents with the Japanese would be almost beyond human conception. The detachment with which I was connected made its attack on the Japanese left wing, however, so that I was a long way from the river, on whose frozen surface I could nevertheless see reflected the light from the blazing house near the railway station.
Seldom in my life did I experience keener vexation than when the Cossacks galloped north without having done anything, and I went with them.
" Here," I said to myself, "is a magnificent opportunity lost! I could have struck west towards that burning building and crossed the river in its glare. But now, alas! it is too late."
So angry with myself did I feel that I kept a continual look-out on our left for the Liao-ho, and if we had come within sight of it again, I should certainly have crossed it, although I now realise that under the circumstances it would have been an excessively dangerous and foolish thing to do. Not to mention the risk I should run from Chinese, Japanese, and Russians, I should almost certainly be drowned if I attempted to cross the river on horseback at this point; for, near Yinkow, it had not been quite frozen over that year, and even where I did cross it much higher up, next day, I had to take the advice of a local resident and to travel under his direction in a very zig-zag manner, otherwise I should have infallibly gone through the ice in several places.
At last I caught the glitter of the moonlight on a great sheet of ice, and without further ado I informed Colonel Bunting that I was going to cross the river.
" But that's not the river," said he, " that's a lake You're a long way from the river now."
These words convinced me that it was hopeless to try to get away that night, but I made up my mind to get off next morning; and, when next morning came, I took advantage of our delay in setting out to tell Colonel Bunting that I was determined to leave him, to cross the Liao-ho, and to send off my telegram from the town of Tenshwantai above Newchwang, but on the Chinese side of the river.
He told me that Mishchenko would cross the Liao-ho himself a little further north, and that I might as well accompany him for some distance; but, having studied the map, I thought it would be better for me to strike due west at once. Besides, the further north I went the greater danger I ran from the Hunghuze,
whom I feared very much more than I feared the Japanese.
Accordingly I induced Colonel Bunting to write me a statement to the effect that I had left the regiment with his permission in order to cross the Liao river, send off a telegram from neutral territory, and afterwards return to the Russian army by way of Tsinmintun. This document proved useful later on, when I did return to the Russians and found them labouring under the delusion that I was a traitor.