A young regular army lieutenant transferred from Manila joins the multinational military campaign against the Boxer uprising in northern China. The narrative follows his service through naval bombardments and amphibious landings at Taku and Tongku, the ill-fated Seymour relief attempt, the capture and bombardment of Tien-Tsin, and the final overland dash to the capital to relieve besieged diplomats, missionaries, and foreigners. Episodes combine battle scenes, espionage, narrow escapes, and moments of comradeship, presenting a brisk adventure account of late nineteenth-century military operations and the dangers faced by soldiers and noncombatants amid an international intervention.