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Chang's heart was completely won by the boy. For three months he kept him in his home, tenderly providing for every want. Let Ti-to tell the story of those days in his own words: "Of course I could not pray openly. But sometimes when my adopted father was away with the Boxers on their raids, I would shut the door tight and kneel in prayer.
By the twenty-seventh of June it was plain that all who remained in that compound were doomed to fall victims to Boxer hate. Pastor Meng called his oldest boy to his side, and said: "Ti-to, I have asked my friend, Mr. Tien to take you with him and try to find some place of refuge from the Boxers.
I cannot forsake my missionary friends and the Christians, who have no one else to depend upon, but I want you to try to escape." "Father," said the boy, "I want to stay here with you. I am not afraid to die." "No," the father replied. "If we are all killed, who will preach Jesus to these poor people?" So, before the next day dawned, Ti-to said good-by, and started with Mr. Tien on his wanderings.
Ti-to was led by his queue, and soon they were back by the Boxer altar in the village.
But Ti-to had not long to wait for this day of joy In October expeditions of British, German, French, and Italian soldiers from Peking and Tientsin arrived at Pao-ting-fu, and the Boxer hordes scattered at their coming. Soon to the brave boy in the Boxer's home came the glad tidings that his uncle was still living, and had sent for him to come to Pao-ting-fu. Mr.
Ti-to had lived for five days in this retreat when word was brought to him that father, brothers, sisters, aunt, cousins, and all the missionaries belonging to the three missions in Pao-ting-fu, had been cruelly massacred, and that churches, schools, homes, were all masses of charred ruins. After twenty days of cave life, Mr.
But thirteen-year-old Ti-to, the hero of our story, was as brave a lad as ever cheered the hearts of little brothers and sisters. Straight as an arrow, his fine-cut, delicate face flushed with pink, with firm, manly mouth and eyes that showed both strength and gentleness, Ti-to was a boy to win all hearts at sight.
Chang loved the boy so deeply that he could not but rejoice with him, sad though he felt at the thought of parting with him. Fearful of some treachery or of harm coming to Ti-to, he went with him to Pao-ting-fu, then returned to the village home from which the sunshine had departed. Later Ti-to studied in the Congregational Academy in Peking, and then in Japan.
But what of the little one who had left home four days before? Determined that not one member of the family should be left, the Boxers searched for him in all directions. But Mr. Tien had taken Ti-to to the home of a relative only a few miles from Pao-ting-fu, and they escaped detection.
Before this howling horde had overtaken them, a man who was standing near them asked Ti-to, "Are you a Christian?" "Yes," the boy replied. "My father and mother were Christians, and from a little child I have believed in Jesus." "Do not be afraid," the stranger said; "I will protect you." Then the Boxers closed about them. Mr. Tien was securely bound, hand and foot.
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