These eight were hurriedly decapitated by order of Li Hung-chang, and Gordon immediately resigned, after having searched that same night, so the story goes, revolver in hand, for Li Hung-chang, whose brains he had determined to blow out on the spot.

The Emperor sent him a medal and a present of about L3,000, both of which he declined; and Imperial affairs would again have been in a bad way, but that Gordon, yielding to a sense of duty, agreed to resume command.

Foreign interests had begun to suffer badly; trade was paralysed; and something had to be done.

Further successes under Gordon's leadership reduced the T`ai-p`ings to their last extremity.

Only Nanking remained to be captured, and that was already fully invested by Tseng Kuo-fan.