It is not dimeult to understand how the would-be rescuers could miss the bandits' lair, when one studies te contour map of that district. Hills of 3,000 11. or more, rising steeply. from the banks of mountain streams, fare well clothed with virgin forests, which afford remarkably. effective cover, The use of vehicles has necessarily been limited as heavy snowfalls rendered the few roads unusable, That the troops have been pressing the bandits hard is shown by the fact that 23 days had elapsed since Father Burns and his Chinese companions were taken, before the bandits considered themselves well enough hhiden to risk despatching a messenger.
Father Burns' friends were relieved to hear that the bandits had removed his bonds very early in the captivity, and that he had been treated well and was in good Health.
Of the twelve foreigners who had been keldeapped in South Manchuria singe the Inauguration of the nev regime, only two have been mission. farles, and it is worthy of note that both' of these men were answering} urgent appeals for help when they were taken. A doctor was called for an urgent operation, and a priest was sent fo administer the last Saerament, Tu both cases the messages wore false, When itis considered how greatly missionaries in the in-{erlor towns outnumber foreigners in other walks of life it can hardly be claimed that the missionaries have taken undue risks dr caused unusual} alMeulties for the authorities, in view] of tke relatively small proportion of missionaries in the list of bandit vie~ tims.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.