. 100 for the head of every foreigner brought to them, and
was anxious to earn the money. Seizing his sword, he rushed at the
fugitives and would have killed them, had not some of his relatives,
perhaps moved by pity, intervened. They held him fast while the Ogrens
hurried away as quickly as their weakness would permit.

Over the mountains they wended their way, sometimes having to crawl up
the steep hillsides. It was their intention to make their way back to
Yung-ning, and seek protection from the mandarin who had always been
friendly towards them. It must not be forgotten that during the
anti-foreign outbreak there were hundreds of Chinamen, besides the
Christian converts, who, although well aware that a price was placed on
the head of every foreigner, scorned to betray them, and did all in
their power to facilitate their escape to a place of safety. On their
journey over the mountains, Mrs. Ogren and her husband met with many of
these people, who gave them food and sheltered them at night.

Having forded a wide, swiftly-flowing river, the Ogrens came to a
village where the natives treated them so kindly that they remained
there for two days. But on departing from this place their brief
period of comparative happiness came to an end, for, towards night, as
they drew near to a village, hoping to experience a repetition of the
hospitality they had recently received, they found that they were
likely to have a hostile reception.

It was too late to turn back or to attempt to avoid the place, for they
had already been discovered, so they trudged on through the village,
the people laughing and jeering at them. But just as they were
quitting the village, hopeful that they would be permitted to continue
their journey unmolested, they were seized and cast into prison. The
following morning two men were told off to take them out of the
province; but it soon became evident to the prisoners that their escort
intended to hand them over to the Boxers. They were a particularly
heartless pair, and one of them took from Mrs. Ogren her baby's pillow,
which she had managed to retain through all their wanderings, and
emptying out the feathers burned them.

The following day they arrived at the Yellow River, and as they crossed
in the ferry the prisoners saw that the village to which they were
being taken was decorated with red lanterns. This was a sign that the
place was held by the Red Lantern Society, one of the divisions