no money. She
begged him to have pity on them, and to spare her at least her baby's
things. Her appeal was not entirely wasted, for while they were
helping themselves to their things the leader handed her, on the point
of his sword, _one_ of the baby's shirts.

Having taken everything that they fancied, the robbers now looked
threateningly at the prisoners. Their leader began whetting his sword,
shouting as he did so, 'Kill, kill!' Again Mrs. Ogren pleaded for
mercy, and finally they relented, and departed without injuring them.

The fugitives now came to the conclusion that it would be certain death
if they remained in the province, and as soon as possible they crossed
the river in the ferry. It was a dark, wet night when they reached the
other side, and it was only after much entreaty and promises of reward
that the ferrymen allowed them to take shelter in the dirty smoky caves
where they lived. Mr. Ogren at once despatched a message to their old
Chinese friend asking for help, and four days later the man returned
with some money, nearly the whole of which the ferrymen claimed, and
obtained by means of threats. With little money in their pockets, the
Ogrens started off on foot towards the promised place of refuge. It
was a trying journey, for the heat was intense, and aroused a thirst
which could not be quenched. Once Mrs. Ogren fell exhausted to the
ground; but after a rest they continued their tramp, and on the second
day reached their destination, there to experience a bitter
disappointment. The people whom they expected would be friendly proved
hostile. They refused to give them food, and only after much entreaty
did they permit them to take shelter in a cave near by. This, however,
proved to be a very insecure hiding-place, and twice they were robbed
by gangs of men.

Leaving this place, the Ogrens tramped further into the hills, and
found another cave, where they could have remained in safety until the
rising was quelled, had they been able to obtain food. Mrs. Ogren and
her husband would have endured the agony of long-continued hunger, but
they could not see their little baby starve. For some time he was fed
on cold water and raw rice, but when their small stock of the latter
ran out, they tramped back to make another appeal to the people who had
so recently refused to help them. Their reception was even worse than
on the previous occasion. One of the men had heard of the Boxers'
offer of Tls