city of Ping Yang, and there, in a
small village, he lived for over a month, in an inconspicuous way. He
spoke Chinese well, and, with the assistance of his servant, got hold of
a dress such as is worn by the Buddhist pilgrim monks in China, who,
casting aside the things of this World, spend their life in wandering
about from shrine to shrine, living on the alms of the faithful and
preaching the doctrines of their religion as they go. In this dress,
with shaven head and staff in hand, he had arrived, alone, in Ping Yang
one evening at dusk and at once proceeded to the temple, the location of
which I had carefully described to him. Arriving at the door, with an
offering of flowers, he entered, and, prostrating himself before the
shrine, seemed lost in prayer. There were a number of other worshipers
in the temple at the time, and still others came and went as the evening
wore on, but Ashton continued in his place, muttering his prayers and
pretending to be in great agony of spirit. Presently the hour grew late
and one by one the worshipers departed, until only Ashton and the old
temple priest were left. The latter, in some impatience, came up to him,
and informed him that the hour was late and that he had better continue
his devotions upon the morrow. Ashton pretended to be suffering from
some sudden illness, and lay upon the floor moaning pitifully. As the
old monk bent over him to see whether he could hear his muttered words
Ashton suddenly seized him by the throat, and with his powerful hands
choked him into silence. He then gagged him with a piece of cloth which
he had brought for the purpose, and, taking from his girdle the keys of
the small shrine, proceeded to quickly open it and abstract the coveted
emerald Buddha. Escape was easy. The old priest, unable to utter a sound
would be unable to give the alarm until the next morning, and by that
time Ashton, who had left his servant with their horses at a retired
spot outside the town, would be miles away, journeying peaceably toward
Pekin as an English traveler. His escape, however, was not to be so
easily effected. Whether the old priest penetrated his disguise as he
sprang upon him, or whether the uproar into which the town was thrown
reached the house at which the disguise had been assumed, he of course
never knew, but it is certain that, after progressing toward Pekin for
two days, they became aware that they were being followed by a numerous
party of Chinese upon ho