THE K I N G ’S BUS I NES S
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again for th ree years, so he w anted him to get a glimpse of th e work before he left. He asked me to go to see the work, as I shall no doubt work among th e tribes people, and I would be helped by seeing th e people and getting used to th e ir customs. We were ju st a little late in getting started , so we did not reach th e village where we were to spend the n igh t a t all th a t night. It was a beautiful, b rig h t moonlight night. We were traveling down a little valley abou t 150 feet wide a t th e bottom . A little stream ra n down th e m iddle of the rice fields, like a th read of silver in the moonlight. The hills on eith er side were covered w ith trees, altogeth er it made a beau tifu l picture. Everything was peaceful and quiet except for th e bells on one of our horses and th e occa sional b ark ing of a dog. “We had seven Miaos w ith us but they were all probably th ink ing of the meal aw aiting us a t th e village. We were almost there, when a little boy came runn ing along th e road from the village w ith some empty boxes, crying as he went. As he passed us he said something to one of th e men in Chinese, th e men stopped our horses, and asked us to get off. When we had dismounted he took th e bells off th e horses and w rapped them up, th en they tu rn ed around and ran back up th e road over a little rise, beckoning us to follow. Then we all scrambled up th e side of th e hill in a little ravine. It ju s t hap pened th a t th e re were no trees in the ravine and it was almost as ligh t as day, so we had to climb up some distance un til we found a little clump of bushes where we could hide. When they had found a place to tie th e horses where they were hidden, they told us th ere were robbers ahead, they thought. They sen t two men to spy and see if th e re p o rt were tru e. They were gone for abou t an hou r although it seemed an age. During th is tim e we h ard ly dared to b reathe, although the Lord gave me
a wonderful calmness. I h ad no more fear th an I would have had a t home in bed. When th e men retu rned , they told us th ere was a large band of rob bers rig h t in th e village, and th a t th e people were all crying and th e dogs were barking. The only th ing to do was to spend th e n igh t on the hill. The men spent ano th er hour trying to find a level spot for our camp, bu t failed to find one. Mr. G raham found a little gully ju st wide enough for the th ree of us to lie down com fortably. We spread our pukais and made one bed for the th ree of us. We managed to keep fairly warm , although th e re was fro st on the ground in the morning. The chief diffi culty was to keep from sliding ou t of bed. Mr. G raham dreamed he was on
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