d encounters,
but that the soldier must never flinch.

The "everlasting arms" were around them, for by midnight they reached
Kelung. They were drenched, breathless, and worn out, and they spent the
night in a damp hovel, glad of any shelter from the wind and rain.

But the next morning, young soldier A Hoa had a fiercer battle to fight
than any with robbers or storms. As soon as the city was astir, Mackay
and he went out to find a good place to preach. They passed down the
main thoroughfare, and everywhere they attracted attention. Cries of
"Ugly barbarian!" and oftenest "Black-bearded barbarian" were heard
on all sides. A Hoa was known in Kelung and contempt and ridicule was
heaped upon him by his old college acquaintances. He was consorting
with the barbarian! He was a friend of this foreigner! They poured more
insults upon him than they did upon the barbarian himself. Some took
the stranger as a joke, and laughed and made funny remarks upon his
appearance. Here and there an old woman, peeping through the doorway,
would utter a loud cackling laugh, and pointing a wizened finger at the
missionary would cry: "Eh, eh, look at him! Tee hee! He's got a wash
basin on for a hat!" A Hoa was distressed at these remarks, but Mackay
was highly amused.

"We're drawing a crowd, anyway," he remarked cheerfully, "and that's
what we want."

Soon they came to an open square in front of a heathen temple. The
building had several large stone steps leading up to the door. Mackay
mounted them and stood facing the buzzing crowd, with A Hoa at his side.
They started a hymn.

All people that on earth do dwell Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.

The open square in front of them began to fill rapidly. The people
jostled each other in their endeavors to get a view of the barbarian.
Every one was curious, but every one was angry and indignant, so
sometimes the sound of the singing was lost in the shouts of derision.

When the hymn was finished, Mackay had a sudden inspiration. "They
will surely listen to one of their own people," he said to himself, and
turned to A Hoa.

"Speak to them," he said. "Tell them about the true God."

That was a hard moment for the young convert. He had been a Christian
only a few months and had never yet spoken in public for Christ. He
looked desperately over the sea of mocking faces beneath him. He opened
his mouth, as though to speak, and hesitated. Just then came a rough
and bitter taunt from one of