Almost every wounded soldier has had some thrilling experience which he is eager to relate and very frequently he believes firmly that his escape has been due to supernatural Intervention. These -two tales are typical. On April 4 T happened to have 4 talk with Hsin Chung-hal, a wound-de soldier in the Tenth Base Hospital, The ambulance train on which he wag riding was caught in an air raid at Kanchuang and as many-as could left the train and crowded into a nearby church. Immediately "four bombs were dropped on the mission buildings and much damage was don bhut no one was injured. He. than) Got for saving their lives.
This story also comes from Shens. In going through the, wards of one of the base hospitals my attention was arrested by a soldier so covered with bandages it was hard to dis-
Unguish face or limbs. Surely this comfort and consolation, T went at once to his bed' side. But to my surprise he was in the best of spirits and most of our conversation was taken up with his lation of this story of what he is convinced was a miraculous escape. Briefly it was this: One evening we learned that some enemy trucks were stopping overnight at a nearby town and so set out at once to destroy them. We performed our duty under cover of darkness and with little resistance, but before we had got very far away we were overtaken by th enemy who had been aroused by the explosions and the fires and a hand to hand fight took place. Many on both sides fell and as were badly outnumbered our company fied. had received eighteen wounds on arms, legs, and head and as a result of the profuse bleeding had fallen in a faint among the dead. When I woke it was still dark and there was silence broken only by ecasional moans, weak but agonizing. wag in terrible pain, but most of the bleeding seemed to have stopped. Suddenly a strange figure appeared before me and told me to flee, pointing out the way. I staggered to my fect and managed to reach a village by daybreak where the villagers were very good to me and carried me to our camp. My captain sent me here. My wounds are many, but they are not deep and the doctor says T shall soon recover. "In my childhood my mother told us Bible stories and sured us that whenever we were in danger God could save us. T had not thought much about this for all these years until the strange figure appeared and told me where to £0. T think he must have been an angel whom God sent to save me.'
Overland Wounded All the wounded. from southern Shansi are transported across the Yellow=river at Chaoyi, Hancheng and Tali and"then sent overland to board, some barely large enough for a bench and none of them big enough for a bed. Occasionally one. sees a cotton quilt, but usually the soldier lies on the bare: board, Those. who want one are given a brick as fa pillow... Some. of them fold' their arms or cross their legs, but most of, them have to travel with arms and legs dangling most uncomfortably The journey takes several days, with a scorching summer sun overhead jand the oven-like heat of the dusty road cooking one from below. At certain places drinking water is provided, but there. are no cups or bowls and- all must drink from clumsy wooden buckets. Those who must be given water lying down are half bathed as well before they get enough to quench their thirst. To help these men the Sian Headquarters has stationed a team to work between Tali and. Hoyang."
New Ambulance Train As the war has gone on the medical service has been greatly improved. This letter from Mr. H. P. Chao, describes a trip on the new model ambulance train for" trar wounded from one base hospital to another. Two of. us were sent with the train. After making the necessary contacts with the officers in charge we bid good dye to our fellow team workers who had helped to get the wounded to the train and began our work as soon as the train: pulled out.
This new shodd train. is provided with canvas beds and small. tables and most of the furniture is painted white, as in hospitals. It was not crowded, at least every soldier had ample room for his own comfort. When we distributed refreshments a very cheerful atmosphere developed throughout the train and everyone received his gift with expressions of gratitude. We, of course, had the advantage of having been known to them at the "hospital and some of them even' remembered our names. The good spirit of these wounded: no sign of worry, or sorrow, or tear, or discouragement, certainly gives tone the sense of assurance that the vielory is to be with Chi The evacuation of Hsuchow and Lunghai railway hag resulted in. shifting of our teaing to lines further south. Mr. George Gong, who demanded to be sent to the most dangerous post, refused, with the twenty-three workers with him, to. leave Hsuchow so long as there were wounded there who needed care. In Kaifeng Mr. Tseng Yo-san' and his team of two girl nurses and five men also remained in their city when it fell. "It has been impossible to get word from either of these teams, but it is still hoped' that they*may be safe, Sharing the dangers of war as they do, the workers have had many narrow escapes but only four have been wounded, so far as' is known, and these not seriously.
The Future As the railways fall into enemy hands more of the work will be along rivers and highways and in country where the wounded must be carried long distances by stretcher on mountain and paddy-feld paths. Service under these conditions will be more AiMcult than along the railways. At the same time, it will become increasingly diMecult to secure funds og the areas that have contributed fare evacuated. The only hope of the Council is in the increase of appropriations from foreign sources. Present funds -will carry the: work for another month or two, but if it Is to be continued as the need In. in gold currencies, personal checks or New York or London drafts, bene-At by the latest exchange, It is not wise to buy Chinese currency abroad for money thus remitted brings a rate much lower than available on the spot. Cheques may be sent to, Mr. F, C, Brown, Hon. Treas, Amerlcan Church Mission, Hankow.—a3..
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.