“Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.”
OUR muleteers now resumed charge of the litters, and we journeyed quietly on with praiseful hearts. I longed, however, for the time when we should strike the highway, as my fears about the “small” road had not proved so groundless as the men would have had me suppose, after all. We had gone perhaps a mile and a half (some five li), when I saw a band of about twenty men spring from the roadside, where they had been squatting, and make for my wife’s litter, which was now about one hundred yards in advance of mine. At the same time others came running over the fields to join them. My heart sank: mischief was yet before us. I called aloud upon God as I saw my wife and little girl surrounded, unprotected, and I helplessly apart from them. Instinctively I shouted for Chi-fah, who should have been riding close behind me, but there was no voice in reply. I turned in the litter, and with difficulty forced a hole with my finger through the rush matting at my back, when I was troubled to see a crowd in full pursuit, and our attendants nowhere to be seen.
My own litter was now quickly surrounded and taken forcible possession of by the pursuers. It was evident we were prisoners once more, and completely at their mercy. They made us know it too. With rude violence they began to rob as we went, snatching at the loose articles that lay nearest to hand. My distress can be imagined when I saw the crew that held my wife’s litter slash the cords of the light framework, and tear the matting from the poles. The back was shorn clean away, and I could see her supporting little Hope with one hand, and with the other beating off the hands that clutched the goods. To this hour it is a mystery to me how ever she contrived to maintain her balance, for the litter was tilted to a seemingly impossible angle as the men dragged at the very bedding beneath her. Every moment I expected to see her roll heavily to the ground, under the feet of the desperadoes; and I cannot describe what I felt as they turned a bend in the road and were lost to view.
The distance between us had been rapidly increasing, and it seemed as if I should never get to the place where they had disappeared. I covered my face at the thought of what the next sight might reveal, and prayed for grace to bear it; for apart from God’s direct interference I could not reasonably hope to see them alive. The bend was reached at last, and from that point the path led by a steep incline to a dry torrent bed. I looked anxiously forward, but there was no sign of my loved ones. In the meantime the plundering of my litter went on, and the wrecking of the framework, just as in the case of my wife’s. But this was as nothing now. All was swallowed up in the one thought, “Are they yet alive?” Now we were at the foot of the pass. The mules’ heads were turned towards the village at the head of it, when there before me I saw my dear wife’s litter set down on the ground in the middle of the torrent bed. Once more the painfulness of the situation was forgotten in the thanksgiving that went up to God, as I saw that both she and my little girl were still sitting within it. A few more paces, and then my own litter was set down in the same way beside hers, and the animals, led away. To my amazement she was as calm and free from agitation as though she were in her own home.
It was now about 9 a.m., and the sun was getting hot in a cloudless sky. From the time we left I-ch’eng we had seen nothing of our attendants, and had no idea of what had become of them. Hundreds of people hemmed us in, squatting on the slopes of the ravine or pressing around us with something more than the usual curiosity. In the ordinary way they should have been in the fields at work; but it was a prime element of danger to us all along the route, seriously complicating the situation, that the continued drought had brought all agricultural work to a standstill, and turned quiet, inoffensive laborers into a band of idle, mischievous loafers. Again our hearts went up to God in praise as we saw first Chi-fah and then Mrs. Chang making their way towards us. Their animals had been taken, and they were on foot. They told us that we were again to be detained until ransom money was forthcoming, and that we were not to leave the torrent bed until an earnest of it had been paid down. But both price and earnest had to be fixed; and that meant for us six weary hours under a scorching sun, from whose fierce rays our shattered litters afforded us no protection. The gully, indeed, proved a very furnace, all chance of air being excluded first by its natural position, and then by the suffocating pressure of the hundreds that ringed us round. It was indeed a time of proving, and we found our God again to be a very present help as our shield and strength. Grace sufficient for fainting heat and the cravings of hunger and thirst was richly supplied, as well as for a forbearing spirit and courteous manner towards those who thrust themselves rudely upon us, or plied us with a round of contemptuous questions. Nor was our behavior wholly lost upon them. The heart of one old woman was so far touched that, unknown to us, she sent her son home for a kettle of “k’ai shui” (boiling water) for us to drink, repeating this kindness until our need was satisfied; and a draft of cold water was also sent us from a neighboring well.
At length it was decided to require the payment of one hundred ounces of silver. This we absolutely refused, and hours more had to be passed in our painful circumstances as the penalty of refusal. The amount was (to our surprise, I must say) brought down to fifty, and finally thirty ounces, ten of which were to be paid down before we moved from the spot. There was nothing for it but to agree to this; but how to get at the silver without the crowd knowing what I was about? In the providence of God I had weighed out a number of small ingots before leaving Lu-an, to avoid the difficulty of changing on the road, and had taken the precaution to mark each nugget with the exact weight. These I kept in a small packet under my bedding, ready to hand in time of need. Covered now by Chi-fah I felt for it, and managed somehow quickly to open it from beneath. The few nuggets that came up first amounted to just a trifle over the sum needed! Had it not been so, the longer delay within the litter would have aroused a suspicious curiosity, which would doubtless have ended in our being robbed of all.
The earnest money was no sooner paid than the leading headman of the village ordered the mules to be put in, and himself took charge of my litter. We were led up the stony steep of the straggling street, till we came to a large doorway. The folded leaves parted, and we entered a spacious courtyard from which we saw at a glance that it was the house of no ordinary man. Here our litters were set down, and we were directed to pass on within the next enclosure, the door of which was promptly closed behind us. An old lady, who afterward proved to be the headman’s mother, together with his wife, received us with a show of cordiality which was as cheering as it was surprising. Meantime we were shown into one of the dwelling-rooms—small enough, but comfortable—and told to rest ourselves and not be afraid. Bowls of millet and a kettle of boiling water were quickly at our disposal, and also a hand-basin for washing purposes.
In all this we found abundant cause for thanksgiving. The mere fact of privacy and quiet was a blessing of no mean order. For we were worn out with long fasting and watching, and with the strain of a situation which had brought us into the continuous apprehension of a violent death. The long hours of detention under the noontide heat of a scorching day, never certain for a moment of the attitude of those who watched us by hundreds, had told upon us. And now we had at last found a shelter from the heat, a refuge (however temporary) from the storm that had beaten so fiercely upon us, and the supply of our present needs. The unexpected kindness, too, of our hostess quite overcame us, and we saw in it all the tender compassions of our Father in heaven.
The situation was, however, sufficiently critical. There was no disguising the fact that in, spite of the outward show of kindness, we were prisoners, and more or less objects of contempt. Moreover, as the hours went by, and Chi-fah had had an opportunity of gauging the temper and purpose of our captors, it became evident that we were in an evil case. Two courses only were possible to us—either to acquaint Mr. Griffith by letter of our peril, and through him secure the interference of the Prefect of Shuen-teh; or to apply to the Hsien at Wu-an for the help he was bound by Treaty rights to give us as the magistrate immediately responsible for our safety. But who would venture to take a letter to the foreigner for us? Or who was there that could be trusted to inform the Hsien at Wu-an? For Chi-fah was himself a marked man; and all else were against us.
How often we were brought to the cry, “We have no might, neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon Thee!” We had no paper at hand to write on, and besides, if we had, no one must suspect that we were writing, or it would bring us into even greater peril. In the mercy of God, I found a tiny bit of crumpled rice paper in my pocket; and, dividing it between us, we watched our opportunity. Not long after we learned that an extra muleteer, who had for some reason come with us thus far, was returning to his home near the city that night, and was willing for a consideration to take the letter in. About midnight, when all was quiet, he started off with the precious missive hidden in his sock.
The note I sent to Mr. Griffith was, as nearly as I can remember, to the following effect:
DEAR MARTIN,
The day after we left you we were stoned, imprisoned and held to ransom at I-ch’eng. We were let go by the miraculous intervention of God; but have again been seized, and are detained in this place, a village about ten li away. We are in sore straits. Our only hope of escape seems to lie in your being able to get us help from the Prefect. The situation is most critical and urgent; but our hearts are being kept in the peace of God. May He guide you and us. Yours affectionately in Christ,
ARCHIE GLOVER.
What the message my dear wife sent to Mrs. Griffith said. I do not know. But a year later, when in England, I learned that God had used it in a remarkable way. Mrs. Griffith told me herself that all through their subsequent flight and long confinement at Cheng-ting, Fu, she kept the tiny fragment—the only writing she had in her possession—until the pencil marks were faded out and the paper worn to tatters. She said that she could never thank God enough for having sent her that little word to lighten the darkness of her weary night of suffering, and to revive her fainting spirit in distress.
The next day (Friday, June 29) passed quietly, a grateful contrast to what had been, even though our way out was hidden from us. Chi-fah was scarcely visible all day. He was anxious above everything to let the Wu-an mandarin know how we were situated, and he was watching for any opportunity that might offer. None, however, presented itself. Every thought was baffled, and we were brought to our wits’ end. As we waited upon our God, we learned how good it is to trust in Him at all times, and to pour out our heart before Him.
It must have been about ten that night when Chi-fah came to us with the exclamation, “Kan-sie Chu tih ngen” — “Thanks be to the Lord’s grace!” The headman in whose house we were was, he said, connected with the yamen, An opium sot and a thoroughly bad man, he wanted to make something for himself out of the situation, and so had agreed to let Chi-fah go to Wu-an in company with his old mother at daybreak, provided we paid him fifteen ounces of silver down. It seemed almost incredible. Even Chi-fah had hardly dared to believe that such a thing could be, and even up to the last feared that some excuse would be found for its not being carried through. More than once threats to this effect were thrown out. But the money was paid down (how thankfully!), and the bargain struck; and, furnished with my passport and visiting card, they stole out ere it was yet light, and were gone. Thus both the plans which had seemed so hopeless were fulfilled. Our letter had been dispatched to Shuen-teh, and our attendant to Wu-an.
All Saturday we watched in prayer, and waited for God’s answer. The tiny courtyard where we were lodged was kept very quiet; save for one or two relatives no one was allowed in, and we, for our part, were strictly forbidden to show ourselves at the courtyard gate. Several opportunities were given of speaking the Word of life to the members of the household, including the headman himself. I recall particularly the deep interest which the young woman who first received us evinced, as my wife sat by her side in the doorway, and, holding her hand, told her tenderly the story of the Saviour’s love for her, even unto death. It is one of the pictures of that time that has engraved itself with peculiar distinctness upon my heart. Who shall say that our captivity there was not of God, in His design to set another captive free?
Hour after hour went by, and no message from Shuen-teh. We had expected Chi-fah, too, not later than the early afternoon; for the distance to and from Wu-an would easily admit of that. But the afternoon wore on into evening, and evening into night; and neither the one nor the other appeared.
Just upon midnight there was a noise in the outer courtyard of loud and angry voices. The inner door was flung open, and by the light of lanterns we saw the old mother being led in, supported on either side. She was in a state of devil possession, and chanting the weird incantation peculiar to such condition. They took her to her room; and there, through the remaining hours of the night, we heard the unearthly voice above all the rest, as it rose and fell in cursing cadence.
It was an untold relief to see Chi-fah safely back; for, circumstanced as we were, it was not difficult to believe that he might have fallen a victim to foul play. He told us that after considerable difficulty he had been allowed to see the Hsien, and had been given an escort of ten soldiers, who were accompanied by a petty official and several gentlemen of the yamen and we were to be ready to start at morning light. The noise in the outer courtyard meantime increased, and Chi-fah came back to say that the soldiers were wrangling over the question of pay, and were on the point of making off. The headman, moreover, had suddenly relented of the contract he had entered into, and was now raging against us in a fit of uncontrollable passion (seng ch’i), and swearing that he would not let us go. A moment later, and the man plunged into the room, quivering with blind rage, and cursing us all at the top of his voice. The resonant wail of the mother’s chant blended with the loud tempest of the son’s abuse, in a unison that only devils could create. It made one tremble—the presence of the power of darkness was brought so near.
But now see how marvelously God was working for us. Just when matters were at their worst, and we at our weakest, a messenger from Shuen-teh Fu appeared. I recognized him as a well-to-do businessman of that city, of good standing and repute, and one in whom Mr. Griffith placed much confidence. Addressing himself immediately to the headman, he asked him how it was he dared to molest us, and told him that the news of his conduct had come to the ears of the Prefect, who had forthwith dispatched a band of fifty soldiers to look into matters, and that Mr. Griffith was with them. He had himself been sent on before to tell him that if a hair of our head was touched or one single cash taken from us, he (the headman) would have to answer for it in person to the Prefect himself. Never shall I forget the extraordinary effect produced by his sudden appearance and speech. The terrifying bully, all cursing and bitterness, was instantly transformed into the fawning sycophant, all flattery and consideration. He was in terror at the thought of the fifteen ounces of silver he had demanded, and implored us not to expose him.
We told him that he had treated us kindly while we were under his roof, and that as the silver was promised on our part in return for the service he rendered in securing us an escort from Wu-an, we should certainly not regard it in any other light. His gratitude was profound and genuine enough, I have no doubt; and from that moment he was kindness itself to us. He quickly adjusted the difficulty with the Wu-an escort, and soon all was quiet. The only thing that broke the silence of the last two hours of that troubled night was the haunting cadence of the old witch mother’s chant.
When all were asleep the Shuen-teh messenger returned and handed me a pencil note from Mr. Griffith. It was dated “Friday, 5 a.m.,” and ran much as follows:
“Your letter just received does not come to reassure us. We are preparing for flight ourselves, and have been up all night packing, every moment expecting to be rioted. We deeply grieve to hear of the peril you are in, but are powerless to help you, as we are practically in the same plight as yourselves. The Fu (Prefect) will do nothing for us. Our eyes are upon God alone. We shall sleep tonight at the muleteer’s home, and take cart thence to Lu-eh’eng, if possible.”
I turned to the messenger. “This is a very different story to what you have given out. There is not a word about the Fu giving help, and so far from Mr. Griffith being on his way here with fifty soldiers, you must be aware that he is himself in need of help and about to flee.”
“Hush!” he said, “not a word! It is a ruse of my own to get you out of this net. Mischief is brewing, and if you do not get out now, you never will. All you have to do is to keep quiet and leave matters with me.”
We lay down, but we could not sleep. Our heart was filled with wonder. God, even our God, was with us, mighty in working. He had verily broken gates of brass, and cut bars of iron in sunder; and in the night His song was with us, and our prayer unto the God of our life. We thought much of the dear Griffiths and their kindred peril, and our hope was that we might yet meet them at Lu-ch’eng, only one stage distant from our own destination of Lu-an; but we never even heard of them again, until our two months’ wanderings were over; and we could not but conclude of them (as they were led to conclude of us) that a violent death had overtaken them.