“I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord; and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee ... . because thou hast put thy trust in Me, saith the Lord.”
AMID this outburst of diabolical fury God kept our hearts in perfect peace. The consciousness of the divine Presence and covering was never more real to us all, I think, than now. In the mere fact that we were on the cart at all we had a tangible evidence that He was with us; and we read in it the guarantee of the promise, “Behold I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest.” Every fresh instance afforded us of His delivering grace and power became a fresh ground of trust, as it became also a fresh plea with Him in prayer, that He Who had delivered us from so great a death, would yet deliver us.
I have already had reason more than once to remark the experience of the quietness and confidence which such assurance is able to beget in the heart under the most disturbing circumstances; and with every recurring instance, I rejoice to put it upon record, as proving it to be a truth which holds good, not for this or that particular form of trial, but for all trials under all conceivable circumstances.
Thus we were cursed out of Uang-fang. The Boxer mob pressed us to the village bounds, and then, with the exception of a mere handful, who also soon disappeared, left us to pursue the journey unmolested to Yin-ch’eng. The sweet silence that now prevailed helped us to realize by contrast what the fury of the storm had been. When I recall the murderous looks and gestures of our pursuers as they ran alongside the cart, I marvel again at the power of the Hand that held them back and then dispersed them.
The temper of our escort made itself felt in the pace at which we were jolted along. But the sense of the protection of God, and the consciousness that every step was bringing us nearer the goal, kept us from giving the fact an undue place in our thoughts. In spite of their attempted treachery I clung to the hope inspired by their official character, and believed that, with the orders they had received, they would not dare to fall foul of their superiors. So reasonably unreasoning are we glad to become under pressure.
It must have been about 6 p.m., when we rattled into Yin-ch’eng. As a busy center of the coal and iron industries of those parts, it was a town of some size and importance; a place, too, not unknown to us in our preaching itinerations. Not three months since I had visited it with Dr. Hewett on the way to Kao-p’ing, when we spent many hours preaching and distributing Christian literature on the streets. And now how different my circumstances and appearance! Worn with suffering, unshaven, unshorn, with matted queue and clothed in beggar’s rags, a prisoner under arrest and on the way to execution.
Apparently the escort were anxious to keep the fact of our arrival dark. At any rate, we were not taken into the thoroughfares; but, entering by a quiet street, where scarcely a soul was about, we were almost immediately halted before some large closed gates. I noticed, too, that the officer did not adopt the usual noisy method of knocking up the chang-kuei-tih, but found some private way of communicating with him. We had not many moments to wait before the gates opened, and we were driven into the fair-sized courtyard of a comfortable inn.
I was relieved to find that we were the innkeeper’s only customers, and it was a further relief to hear the gates close behind us, and to know that we were to have the premises to ourselves and the sorely-needed boon of a quiet night’s rest. At the same time the sound of the Uang-fang Boxers’ parting shout still rang in my ears “Wait till they get to Yin-ch’eng, and then see what will become of them.” There was nothing, however, to indicate trouble, or the approach of it; and as it seemed the officer’s wish that we should be treated civilly, my confidence in his reliability was largely restored. A nice room was allotted us, and hot water brought us to drink. And thus in rest and quietness we lay down on the k’ang with hearts lifted in thankfulness to God.
We had not been reclining ten minutes before we heard shouting and battering at the gate. There was nothing for it but for the chang-kuei-tih to open, and some dozen or more pushed their way in to “have a look at the foreign devil.” They were quickly succeeded by larger accessions, until we saw that there was no hope of our being left to a night of peace. The room was soon full to overflowing, and the crowd that had to stand without tore the paper panes from the window frames, clambering on back and shoulder to get their stare. The escort then forced their way through, and ordered us to sit outside on a form placed by the doorway, where all could see us.
On coming out into the open I was concerned to see that the large majority of men and lads who faced us were stripped to the waist, their heads wreathed with green fillets, and in every hand a stout cudgel like the Irish shillelagh. The significance of this was only too apparent. We knew at once that they were rain-processionists. Humanly speaking, nothing could have been more inopportune than our arrival at such a time, when the always excitable temper of the people is worked up to a highly inflammatory pitch. Even under ordinary circumstances it would have been dangerous to fall in with a rain-procession. How much more so now, when public feeling everywhere was running high against us?
Here, then, we sat for some little time, patiently giving them the opportunity they sought, and courteously answering the insolent questions they put to us it was plain, however, that they had not come for the mere gratification of an idle curiosity. As they grew holder, their insolence passed from words to deeds, and they began to thrust themselves upon us where we sat against the wall in a malicious horseplay, which would soon become open violence. Seeing the trend of things, the officer came and ordered us to a room on the other side of the courtyard, when he produced a padlock and proceeded to lock us in. This was too much. The Uang-fang experience was not to be repeated; once locked in we knew we should never get out alive. The escort would decamp with the cart, and we should be left to the mercy of this fanatical mob. Remonstrance, however, was worse than useless. It only infuriated him; and seeing that there was nothing for it, we found it best to accept his statement that he was doing it for our protection, and gave him to understand that we implicitly trusted him to bring us in safety to Kao-p’ing. So the door was shut upon us and made fast with bolt and look.
What a position was ours now! “Wait till they get to Yin-ch’eng!” It seemed certain that our doom was fixed. As we sat on the k’ang within, listening to the noise of the tumult and the cries for us to be brought out, we realized as much as ever before the helplessness and hopelessness of our position. And once more we stayed our hearts upon the word, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed. and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”
It is difficult to convey to the ordinary reader any adequate conception of the situation that confronted us. One glance at the windows was enough to terrify, as these half-naked fanatics glared in through the now paperless squares and heaped curses on us. The wreaths bound upon their heads served to intensify the wild savagery of the scene. Perhaps the riot of the Bacchanal might convey the nearest impression of it; only these were not the ravings of a festal crowd, but of a murderous mob.
The head and front of our offense now was not merely that we were responsible for the drought which was causing them such acute distress, but that, this being their day of special intercession for rain, we were there to frustrate the efficacy of their prayers. They had been crying to heaven all day; and now, as if to add insult to injury, the foreign devil to whom all their misery was due in the first instance must needs come along, and by his accursed presence spoil the whole day’s work. As long as he was in the place, the gods would not hear them. For the honor of heaven, therefore, as for their own peace’ sake, they must have us away. And with a riotous rush they forced the door and broke into the room.
What would have happened next I dare not think, had it not been for the concerted action of the officer and the landlord. Apprehensive for his property, the latter declared that he would keep us no longer on his premises, and that we must find a billet elsewhere. Together they forced their way in, and ordered us to get down from the k’ang and come out. Naturally I demurred. What? Deliberately adventure myself and those with me into the midst of a riotous mob of rain-processionists. As well might one think of walking with open eyes into a den of ramping lions. I freely confess that at that moment my heart sickened with fear, and as I turned to my wife and little ones beside me it was with a deep inward groan to God. The next instant I was torn from them, dragged from the k’ang and hurled through the door out into the midst of the seething mass. As I fell forward amongst them every trace of fear vanished. I knew well the end had come, but my only concern now was that I was apart from my dear ones. Not a soul touched me, and as I recovered my footing, I turned to see what had become of them. With admirable courage my wife and Miss Gates had leapt from the k’ang the moment after my seizure, and dragging the children after them were fighting their way through behind me. To my joy they were within reach, and in another moment we had joined hands.
Keeping tight hold of one another, we were borne along as by a resistless current through the courtyard gates. It might truly be said that bulls closed us in on every side. At times, too, the pressure was such that we were lifted off our feet, and my dear wife came near to fainting with the severe buffetings. I know it was nothing but the sustaining power of God that carried her and Miss Gates and the tiny children under it all; for as we swept into the road we were met by a cross current—the main body of processionists who had been unable to find room in the courtyard. As when a rushing stream joins the swollen waters of a torrent, so was it now. Helplessly and tumultuously, RE straws upon the swirl, we were borne on down the narrow street, whither we knew not.
It seemed strange that not a hand had been raised as yet to hurt us. Doubtless some feeling of respect for the landlord had held them back from falling on us in the courtyard. But here we were now in the open, on the street; what was to hinder them from doing all their pleasure? Close beside us, in the providence of God, was the officer in charge of us; and we had come to see so much at least as this, that, anxious as the man was to get rid of us, it must be in such a way as not to implicate himself. I observed that, as we came into the open country beyond the town and the pressure of the great crowd relaxed, he was evidently bent on getting away from our immediate neighborhood, that he was indeed again scheming to give us the slip. I said as much to the ladies; and at my wife’s suggestion we adopted a move which I believe, under God, was our salvation. Taking possession of his right hand and Miss Gates of his left, they two simply hung on. Thus in the eyes of all he was our declared guardian, and he dared not, or at any rate did not (as we judged he would not), repudiate the obligation. However, the unhappy man’s heart was meditating evil. Miss Gates overheard him discussing our death with those about him, and saying, “I will get them to sit down and rest themselves at yonder stony spot, and once down they need not get up again. It will be easy enough there for you to trample them to death.” She told us what she had heard, and urged us, should he or anyone else invite us to sit down, on no account to do so.
We were now able to form a better idea of the proportions of the huge crowd that swarmed about us. Between eight and ten thousand would be a modest computation. On a special occasion such as this, where so much hung upon the due observance of the appointed rites, the whole countryside would pour in to the center. Not only so, but with the continuance of the drought agricultural work was at a standstill, and many who would have otherwise been busy in the fields were simply hanging about with nothing to think of but mischief, and glad of anything that might offer in the way of a little excitement.
We were forced on till we came in due course to the whispered “stony spot.” It was a wide, open space, where we were able to move more freely, and where the mob would have room enough to do anything they wanted with us. Here the officer stopped, and, as if by common consent the great procession stopped too. He then addressed himself to us, and under cover of the excuse that we should probably have to wait some considerable time for the cart, casually suggested that we would do well to sit down by the wayside. We thanked him, but replied that we would prefer to keep with him and remain standing. Poor, miserable man! His look of utter bewilderment was almost pathetic. It was evident that he was being torn two ways—between his desire to please the mob and get rid of us on the one hand, and his fear of official censure, if he failed in his appointed duty towards us, on the other. I remember well how the sweat broke out in great drops on his forehead, as after a respectable interval he urged us once more to rest ourselves. I need not say we again refused the delicate attention; but I added sadly to his confusion by asking him, as he was so considerate, to carry my little girl for me; and he actually allowed me to put her into his arms. This, of course, committed him more than ever, as I intended it should; for I was anxious to show him that we were prepared to trust him absolutely in his official capacity, as the one responsible for our safety; and not only that, but to make the fact patent to the wild rabble as well, that we were under the protection of the yamen. I hoped, too, and believed that the sight of a little child lifted up before them might prove a mute appeal that would find its way to the heart where nothing else could. In taking the little one as he did, it seemed to me that the man’s conscience feared lest a refusal might betray its guilt; or else that he hoped a show of kindness might throw us off our guard, as proving the sincerity of his good intentions towards us. However that may have been, I record the simple, the amazing fact. There he stood before the whole vast throng of would-be murderers, himself one with them at heart, with little Hope sitting high above them all on his arm, our confessed ally and protector. There was no possibility of his eluding us, for the ladies had tight hold of his gown, one on this side and the other on that. It really seemed as though, like Balaam of old, he had not power to exercise the bent of his will—God had determined to bless us, and he could not reverse it.
Remarkably, too, was his own impotence reflected in the mob. They hung about us like howling wolves, longing yet fearing to attack. They did all they could to induce us to sit down, and when we refused they threatened to fall on us as we were. Doubtless they would have done so, had the yamen official not been there to cover us. The only thing they could now do was to carry us beyond the radius within which our malign influence was supposed to work against their prayers. Thither we were borne, and once more they came to a standstill, hovering clamorously about us as they discussed what they should do to us.
The cautious irresolution of the officer led him to make another attempt at bolting. He had already given little Hope back to me, and now he was nervously looking this way and that, as though for some loophole of escape from us. It was so obvious that I thought it time to remind him once more of his responsibility, and said, “Your duty is to take us to Kao-’p’ing. If we can’t stay the night at Yin-ch’eng, you must take us elsewhere.” “How do you suppose we are to get elsewhere?” he replied. “Our cart is away yonder at the inn.” “Very well,” I said, “you have to get us somehow to Kao-p’ing, and your business is to send to the inn and have the cart brought to us here.” This little colloquy was almost immediately followed by the appearance of two soldiers in uniform—whether for life or death we did not know, but evidently for decisive action one way or the other. Driving the crowd to right and left with their cudgels, they made their way to the officer and entered into conversation with him. What the gist of their communication war I cannot say. I only know that under cover of talking apart with them he contrived to edge away from us and mingle with the crowd. We were able to frustrate the attempt just in time, much to his chagrin. It was well for us that we did; for the sun had set, and the short twilight would soon be merging into darkness, and who could tell what the rabble might not do then! We had learned enough of hostile Chinese crowds by this time to know that there comes a point at last when their temper will stick at nothing. It was so now with these Boxer processionists. Instinctively one felt that it would not be long ere that point was reached. Marvelous indeed it was that it had been held in check even till now. The event of the soldiers’ appearance had been most timely in the mercy of God; for whatever the duty that brought them, their presence had a restraining effect upon the mob. In the light of after events, I think it not improbable that after conference with the officer they persuaded the people, as they went in and out amongst them, that we were being taken as Imperial prisoners to Kao-p’ing, where we were to be officially executed by order of the Emperor.
All this anxious while we had been lifting our hearts in an unceasing cry to the Rock of our salvation. How deliverance could come to us we knew not. Death was as imminent still as ever it had been, for the officer’s heart was full of treachery, and as yet we had no idea for what purpose the soldiers had come. Any moment a signal might be given for our destruction; and as for our request that the cart might be brought to us where we were, the words which framed it seemed to fall from the lips with a sound that mocked us. For myself, I fear my faith was hardly prepared for the answer God vouchsafed to our prayers. The impossible to us was again proved to be possible with Him, as with inexpressible wonder and thanksgiving we saw the cart speeding towards us at a fast trot, and then pull up parallel with us. No need for the officer now to order us to “shang ch’as.” It was no longer to us the probable vehicle of our destruction, but the evident channel of our salvation, and that of God.
The sullen silence amid which we took our seats broke into a confused roar as we drove off, the dominant note of which— “Death to the foreign devils!”—was so often to resound in our ear. But beyond this no attempt was made to stay us. Not a hand was put forth to touch us, nor a foot to pursue us. In a few minutes the wild hubbub had passed to a distant murmur; and as darkness fell we were alone once more in the heavenly quiet of silent, lonely road.