our faithful Chinese nurse, who had charge of
Ruth, had saved the child at the risk of her own life, lying upon the
child and taking many cruel blows, till greed for loot drew the men off.

We soon joined the rest of the party, and by six o'clock that evening we
reached the large city of Nang Yang Fu. The city wall was black with
people, and as we entered the gate the wild crowds crushed against our
carts. Sometimes the animals staggered, and it seemed as if nothing
could save the carts from being overturned. Every moment or two a brick
or stone would be hurled against the carts, and that cry, "Kill, kill,"
which can never be forgotten when once heard, was shouted by perhaps
hundreds of voices. Yet the Lord brought us through, and "no weapon
prospered."

When we reached the inn a wild mob of over a thousand men filled the inn
yard; and as we alighted from the cart these men literally drove us
before them into one room, which in a few moments was packed to
suffocation. For probably an hour the crowd kept crushing us into one
corner; then those outside became impatient at not being able to get in,
and demanded that we be brought out. We managed to keep some of the
ladies from going out; but the rest of us--men, women, and
children--stood facing that seething multitude until relief came in the
darkness. Why did they not kill us then? Why, indeed? None but an
Almighty God kept that crowd back.

As soon as we had reached the city a servant was sent to the official
demanding protection. It was dark when this man returned, in a state of
great agitation; his story was that as he was waiting for an answer from
the official he overheard a conversation between two soldiers, and
gathered from what they said that the official had sent a party of fifty
soldiers along the road that we would have to take, with the order that
every one of us must be put to death. The official was afraid to have us
killed in the city lest he should afterward be blamed; but by this plan
he could say brigands had done the deed. So sure was this servant that
we were all to be massacred that he would remain with us no longer, but
returned that night to Honan with the report that we were all killed.

A consultation was held, and the question was, should we stay in the
city and again demand protection, or should we go on and trust God to
open our way? The latter course was decided upon. But for a long time
the carters utterly refused to go farther with us.