The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-10-10
A Chinese
Umbrella
By D. HAVEN

l was dining the other day with my
friend Alan Bonbright. Mrs. Bon
bright is the daughter of a missionary
whose field was in China, and she had
spent most OF her girlhood there. Her
husband had been to China on bust
ness. met her there and brought her
home with him as his wife.
Mrs. Bonbright. a girl at this time,
was with her father at his mis-
sionary station in the province of
Shantung. After dinner ! was taken
| to a room where a collection Of souve-
Mrs of the Flowery Kingdom was
kept. Among them was an umbrella
made Of bamboo wood and paper, COW
cred with the customary pictures OF
men and women. birds and flowers.
Across it when expanded were Chinese
characters which. Of course. l could
not read. Bonbright directed my at
tention to the umbrella. and Mrs. Bon
bright said. If you're going to tell
that story Ill go elsewhere" She went
out with q look indicating that I was
about to hear something unpleasant
"You know" said Bonbright. that
China is full Of persons who live by
highway robbery. They cut OF their
heads whenever they capture them.
but this doesn't seem to deter others,
for life is cheap there and only the bet
ter classes care much about their W
or others terrestrial existence. Well.
one day I was travelling or horseback
through the province of Shantung. I
had no mind to be set upon by the
highwaymen and had armed myself.
There is not much fight in even the
robbers in China unless they have ev-
cry advantage, and I didn't feel in
much danger so long as I could defend
myself.
II was not attacked myself; but, hear
ing a shouting ahead Of me, l pressed
forward and found a Chinaman in
the dress Of a mandarin being set upon
by q gang of robbers. l fired shots at
them, and they left their prey in a
sorry plight and took to their heels.
I picked him up and set him to rights.
I had come up just in time to save
his pocketbook, and he offered me a
portion Of its contents as q reward.
This, of course, I declined, w%hereupon
he talked his thanks-so l supposed,
for l did not understand q word he
said. Just before l left him he took
a writing stick and wrote those char
acters you see there on the umbrella
and gave it to me-. There was nothing
to do but accept 1t. and as the day was
hot I used it.
every Chinaman I met looked at
the umbrella, then at me. and their
Indifference was at once turned to
reverence. Some Of them stopped and
salaamed as I passed. / wondered If
they mistook me for the governor Of
a province or an executioner. Singular
" enough, l didn't catch on to the fact
that it was the umbrella that was
drawing forth such respect.
81 stopped that night at the mis-
sionary station presided over by my
wife's father and found them in great
trouble. They had got wind through
some of the Christian natives. servants
and others attached to the mission Of
the Boxer movement that was about
to break forth. My wife was then q
girl of nineteen and the Oldest of a
family of seven. The.converts were in
a terrible state of fear, which natural
" communicated itself to the white
family.
"Drowning persons will cling to a
straw. and this family chung to me.
True. I was only one man. but was
we'll armed, and even one man might
be Of some protection. I suppose l
would have remained anyway. but I
could not leave the girl who struck my
fancy. When she looked appealingly
at me with those blue eyes Of hers I
could not resist and said l would re-
main with them till the trouble was
over.
Remembering how easily l had put
to flight the robbers. I really thought
that with my two revolvers and some
ffty cartridges I would be a protec-
ton, but when l heard the shrieks Of
the Christian converts as the crowd ap-
preached the mission house ] didn't
like the prospect. The yells Of the
brutes who were numbering them were
equally appalling. What could I do
against an Infatuated mob?
However. stationed myself at an
upper window. laying my ammunition
and extra pistols beside me. called
upon Ethel to stay beside me and load
them for me as fast as 1 fired. and she
nerved herself to do 80. l put my head
out and. seeing the mob coming reek-
ing with blood. my heart sank. Wish
ing something to conceal me from
them, I took up the umbrella the man.
DARN had given me. opened it, fixed 1t
before me at the window and poked
holes through 1t 70 that I could see
where to Dire.
1.-The mob had broken into the next
house and killed every one there. then
was ready to storm the mission. Al
ready an az had fallen IN the door be-
low me when I saw a ma look at my
umbrella and become much excited.
He ran forward. then back with the
man who welded the az. A knot Of