A few days later his mother turoed up safe and sound without the payment of a cent having been made. It appears that the robbers had taken her some little distance off, and planted her in the home of some respectable folk to be guar: ed, with bloody threats as to what' would happen should they let her get away. It happened, however, that a party of soldiers came in that direction, and her guardians learning that if she were found their house it would mean big trouble for them dared keep her no longer and let her go. When the robbers return. the guardians wil have to explain matters to them as best they can.
The place from which this woman: was abducted is only about seven li from Kuditch, but this man and his mother dare not live there now, course. I was asking the schoolmaster of the place a few days ago if all was peaceful there. "Not very," said he "a band of about 40 men came by last night and we had to supply their demands for victuals." There may not be civil war in China, but there soon would be in these parts if the soldiers dared to go out at nights after the marauders. Not much danger of that happening however!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.