CHAPTER XXI. SOME REMARKABLE ESCAPES FROM THE BOXERS. I lean upon His mighty arm, It shields me well from every harm, All evil shall avert; If by His precepts still I live, And naught shall do me hurt. Although it may be somewhat of a digression it is nevertheless fitting that the following somewhat extended but thrilling account of the experiences of various missionaries with the riotous Boxers should appear in this connection, inasmuch as it throws much light on the troubled times through which Miss Leffingwell passed, and out of which she was so marvelously delivered. Some of these missionaries the author had the privilege of meeting and hearing from them some of these recitals. A very remarkable escape was that of Rev. A. Argento, of the province of Honan. In an article, entitled, "In Perils of the Heathen," he describes at length his experience, from which we quote some parts as follows: During the evening services in the chapel, all of a sudden, one of the ringleaders, coiling up his queue on his head, and pulling up his sleeves, grasped hold of my queue, and tried to smite me on the breast. Some others took hold of my gown, and striking at me on every side, tried to pull me outside on to the street. Suddenly, some one gave a blow to the lamp, which fell and broke, and we were left in darkness. I got my queue out of their grasp by a sudden pull and by loosing my gown, which I left with them. I threw myself on the ground to be out of reach of their hands, and crouched down into as little space as possible. They thought I had run away, and began to smash the door, screens and benches, and all they could find in the guest hall. One of the screens falling under their blows partly covered me. From under the table where I was, I could see the work of destruction going on. After having looted or destroyed everything to be found there, and in my study, they wanted a light to hunt after valuables. Finding some straw, they dipped it in kerosene and made a torch of it. As soon as they had the light, they began dividing the spoils, and when they could find no more, they spoke of setting the house on fire. So they got together a pile of wood and poured kerosene on it. As the torch was burning out, one man lifted it up from the ground and brought it towards the pile of wood. The light discovered me, and with a rush some of them got hold of me and dragged me from under the table.. Others took up the benches and knocked me with them. Some of the neighbors, fearing that if they burnt the house their own would be caught on fire, stopped them, saying, "The house is only rented, and does not belong to him." Then the rioters said, "Well, never mind, we will not burn the house, we will only burn him," and saying this they poured kerosene on my clothes and set them on fire. Friendly neighbors, however, quenched the flames, tearing off all the burning part of the garments, whilst others were dragging me away by the queue to save me. I was lying with my face to the ground. The rioters seeing that these neighbors wanted to save me, got hold of a pole and began to strike me on the head and all over my body. I tried to protect my head with my hands, but had not reached the doorstep when a very heavy blow was inflicted on my head. I committed my soul into God's keeping, and knew nothing further. Mr. Argento remained unconscious for two days. The Christians told him that some of the rioters, as they dragged him on to the street wanted to cut off his head, but others opposed this, saying, "That is no use, he is dead already." They finally got him back into the chapel, where the Christian natives watched him for two days. After I became conscious, I was terribly thirsty and feverish. The Christians brought me food, but I could eat nothing; I only drank all the water they brought me. Some of the gentry, discovering that I had regained consciousness, spread it abroad, wanting the rioters to come back and cut off my head. When the mandarin knew this, fearing that I should die in Kuang-cheo and he be held responsible for all that had happened, he decided to send me away to Cheo-Kai-k'eo, one hundred and forty miles north. He thought that I should certainly die on the road and so he would be freed from blame, and would be reported as having helped me escape. The gentry having heard this, presented him with a petition, and threatened to kill him if he allowed me to leave Kuang-cheo. In the evening the mandarin visited me, and suggested as a safe plan to get outside the city that I should be carried out in a coffin. But I, fearing that I should die for want of sufficient air or that the soldiers and bearers would bury me alive or throw the coffin in the river, would not consent; although the mandarin promised to put breathing holes in the coffin. I said I would rather die in the chapel. About midnight eight bearers brought a covered bamboo stretcher, and the mandarin came himself with an escort. He led the way on horseback, and through the west gate. and accompanied the party for twelve miles. Next day we traveled twenty-five miles. When we passed through any market-place, people would come out and examine the stretcher. They were very much excited and unfriendly, calling out to kill the foreigner; but the soldiers kept them in check and ordered the bearers to go quickly. Next day, Saturday, about 11 o'clock, we reached the magistrate where the escort had to be changed again. A great crowd of people ran excitedly into the Yamen yard, and in spite of the soldiers pulled away the awning and tried to smash the stretcher itself. Soon after, the mandarin gave orders to take me into a room and not allow the people in. After an hour's wait there, the new escort was ready and the awning repaired, and on we went towards another city, distant thirty-seven miles. In getting out of the Yamen, the people tried once more to smash the stretcher and took away my shoes and socks; and then whilst we were going, men and women crowded round stopping the bearers to look at the foreign devil. I was a little better that day, and for the first time could take a little rice gruel, which they gave me. After we had traveled ten miles, a sudden thunder-storm broke upon us; the rain pelted down, quickly soaking through the awning, and wetting us all through and through, and the wind blew like a hurricane. The bearers cursed furiously. Soon after we reached an inn where we stopped for the night. Next day, Sunday, July 15, we arrived at Hsiangch'en Hsien, about half past five in the afternoon, and the bearers left me outside the door of the Yamen at the discretion of thousands of enemies who crowded round from every direction. They thought I was dead, for I did not move or make a sound, although they pinched me, pulled my hair, and knocked me about, an ordeal lasting about an hour, after which the mandarin ordered some underlings to take me into a room and close the door. The next day early in the morning he sent around a chair and a few soldiers to take me back to Kuang-cheo. In the afternoon we arrived at my station from which I had been carried ten days before. I was left in the courtyard of the Yamen for hours, all the time being at the mercy of large crowds of enemies who abused me and mocked me, saying, "God has brought you safely back, has He? Your God can not save you. Jesus is dead; He is not in this world. He cannot give real help. Our god of war is much stronger; he protects us and he has sent the Boxers to pull down your house and to kill you." And thus saying, they spat on my face and threw mud and melon peel at me, and did what they liked. Some pinched me, others pulled my queue and others expressed themselves in the most vile way. All the time I did not answer a word. Some of the Christians came to see me but had to flee for their lives. Next morning I got into the chair and they carried me for half a mile, and then they asked me to dismount and let them tighten up the chair. No sooner had I left it than they took up the poles and away they went back to Kuang-cheo. One of the mandarin's servants still remained and told me they had no official letter, so were unable to escort me any farther, and that now I was free to do what I thought best. I talked to him and asked him if the mandarin had not left him any money for me. He said he had not, but afterwards produced four hundred cash, and then left me in the darkness. There on the spot I prayed for guidance and waited till the sun rose. Then I walked on to the town of To-san, intending to go to Si-'ang, where I had heard that there were some foreigners prospecting a railway. At To-san the people called out, "The bewitcher," and wanted to kill me, but others said, "He is only a Canton man." On the morrow, Monday, the mandarin furnished a stretcher and an escort. As I was being carried out into the yard I heard them speak of going southward. I asked the soldiers and underlings what that meant, and told them that unless I saw the mandarin I would not start. The mandarin would not let me go on, and gave orders to send me back again to Kuang-cheo where I had been rioted. Late that evening Mr. Argento reached Sin-ts'ai again, where the mandarin having heard that the |