Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-07-25
A Chinese
Umbrella
3. REcNALD D. HAVEN


whose feld was 10 China. and she had
spent most OF her girlhood there. Her
husband bad been 10 China On busi-
ness, met her there and brought her
home with bin as bis wife
Mrs BOnbright. 2 girl al this time
was with bee father at his mis-
sionary station in the province Of
shantung After dinner was taken
to room where a collection Of sOuVe-
Mrs of the Flowery Kingdom was
kept. Among them WIS an umbrella
made Of bamboo wood and paper. GOV
cred with the customary pictures Of
men and women birds and covers.
Across il when expanded were Chinese
characters which. Of course. could
not read. BonDright directed my at
tentiOn 70 the umbrella. and Mrs. Bon
bright said. IF you're going to tell
that story III go elsewhere" She went
out with look Indicating that ! was
about to hear something unpleasant
You know" said BOnbright that
China IS full Of persons who i've by
highway robbery They cut OF their
heads whenever they capture them
but this doesn't seem 10 deter others.
for life is cheap there and only the bet
ter classes care much about their own
or others terrestrial existence. Well.
one day / was travelling on horseback
through the province or ShantUng
had no mind TO be set upon by the
highwaymen and had armed myself
There is not much fight il even the
robbers in China unless they have eF
cry advantage and I didn't feel il
much danger 50 long as could defend
myself
Il was not attacked myself; but. hear
ing a shouting ahead Of me. / pressed
forward and found a Chinaman in
the dress OF a mandarin being set upon
BY gang OF robbers. I fred shots az
them, and they left their prey IN a
sorry plight and took 10 their heels
| picked him up and set him 70 rights.
had come up just in time 70 save
his pOcketbOok. and be offered me
portion OF its contents as a reward
This, Of course. 1 declined, whereupou
he talked his thanks-so I supposed.
for | did not understand a word he
said. Just before I left him he took
a writing stick and wrote those char
acrers you see there on the umbrella
and gave it to me. There was nothing
to do but accept il. and as the day was
hot 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 l wondered #
they mist0ok lie for the governor Of
q province or an execudoner- Singular
IL enough. didn't catch Oh 10 the fact
that 1t was the umbrella that was
dra wing forth such respect.
4 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 Ny wife was then a
girl Of nineteen and the Oldest OF
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
straw. aud this family chung 70 NE
True. was only one man. but was
well armed. and even one man might
be OF some protection. 1 suppose /
would nave remained anyway. but l
could not leave the girl who struck my
fancy. When she looked appealingly
at me with those blue eyes Of hers l
could not resist and said I would re-
main with them till the trouble was
over.
Remembering how easily | had put
to sight the robbers. really thought
that with ny two revOlvers and some
fifty cartridges would be a protec-
ton. but when I heard the shTieks Of
the Christian converts as the crowd ap-
preached. the mission house didn't
ike the prospect. The yeIls OF the
brutes who were numbering them were
equally appalling What could l 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 l fired. and she
nerved herself to do So put my head
out and seeing the mob coming rees-
Ing with blood. my heart sank Wish
ing something TO conceal ne from
them. took up the umbrella the man
DARN had given NE. opened it. fixed it
before me at the window and poked
holes through it SO that I could see
where TO fire.
The mob lad broken into the next
house and killed every one there. then
was ready TO storm the mission. Al
ready an ak had fallen on the door be
low me when I saw a man look at my
umbrella and become much excited.
He ran forward. then back with the
man who welded the ak A knot Of
rioters gathered all looking at the um-
ereua. Not another blow was struck.
[ did not need to fire a single shot
The mob seemed disappointed. but pass