lia. Abject terror was on
every face. The whole village was under its spell.

"We must push on," said Withers, "we must hasten." The shroff was very
fearful, but as he was to be compradore now, to do the work of a
European, he could not show fear. But the mafu and the coolies were
too frightened to continue the journey, so they were left behind, and
Withers and the shroff went off by themselves. It was very foolhardy,
he told himself, it was sheer madness. But he was ruined anyhow, so it
did not much matter. Only, he must somehow reach the village three
days' journey beyond Jehol--if only he could arrive in time.

Very laborious was the travelling, and they walked in the wake of
fear. They now passed through many deserted villages, one after
another, locked and barred, that the murderous band from Mongolia had
ridden through. Only, they had gone ahead, the bandits--perhaps they
would not he riding back that way again. Perhaps they would be going
on, into the north again, after they had finished----

Finished? Yes, it was a very rich man they were after,--they had asked
for him all along the road. They were trailing him to his home,
following with great ease the description of the great mandarin, with
the great yellow mule with jade-set harness, who had gone by with his
retinue just before.

So Withers and the shroff continued their desolate journey, day by
day, across the plains, over such roads as are not, save in North
China. Passing through villages shut and empty, through fields in
which there were no workers, following in the train of terror that had
been spread over the land by the bandits from the north. And the
terror reached into Withers' heart, making it cold. They do not want
_us_, he said to himself, over and over. We are quite safe. But the
old man---- The little shroff, however, who was also filled with
terror, did not think they were safe at all. Only he must appear as
brave as a European, so he could only tremble inwardly. Besides all
that, the big mule was very difficult to manage, and they had to drag
the cart from the deep ruts many times a day, and each evening when
they were most tired, they had to calm the suspicions of those within,
and make long explanations before the inn gates, before they could be
admitted into the compounds.

They arrived at their destination at dusk one evening, after three
weeks' weary travel. Trembling fingers pointed out the house--trembling,
but in a manner, reassu