They now decided to proceed to Tsting-yuan and throw themselves upon the compassionate mercy of its leading merchants and residen' officials. They' were the more meined to do this as a party of Boxers were searching for them and had fired several shots ints the reeds in which they were hiding owly that day. Later, also, this same armed band returned, but fortunately did not succeed in discovering the whereabouts of the missionaries. It was fortunate they decided to go to Ts'ing-yuan rather than take the opposite direction towards a village about 3 miles below that city; for itis, and has been, well-known that: that particular village was inhabited by bloodthirsty and fierce Boxers. Moreover, the Green purty afterwards heard that a French priest had been killed on that very day by those people in the same clamp of reeds in which they had hidden themselves, Accordingly, as they wore proceeding ut dusk toward Tstingyuan they came to hut near the city, and seeing a light thought it best to ask for help there.
A youth who came out professed sympathy and invited them into the house. They aked him if ho could possibly procure a boat to take them to the coast secretly; and promised him a handsome reward if successful, when they should roach the haven where they would be, (Tientsin.)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.