two
p.m.
As we watched our comrades making this forward movement at last , the flood tide filled the turgid stream of the Peiho , flooding the reedy marshes on either side of its banks ; until , presently , a sheet of muddy water stretched up to the base of the forts , lapping their wide earthen escarpments . These made no sign of defiance whatever , not a man being seen on the parapets , nor a gun peeping from their embrasures , which were hidden with mantlets . Every heart beat high with excitement ; and instead of fearing the worst , the worst we feared was a hollow victory ! The gunboats all took up their several positions , anchoring so as to command the forts and support those attacking the booms ; and at two p.m. , when the ebb began to flow and there was no danger of the stream carrying the vessels too close in , the _ Opossum _ was ordered by signal to pull up the first pile , which she did by the aid of tackles and steam power . On the removal of this obstacle , the admiral passed through towards the second barrier , which was immediately under the concentric fire of the batteries on both banks of the river . Here the question would be decided at length whether the Chinese meant fighting or not . We had not long to wait for the decision .