Page:Christianity in China, Tartary, and Thibet Volume I.djvu/162

150 150 CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA, ETC. one night the Tartars had murdered the inhabitants of all the surrounding villages. Nevertheless, as the princes had received orders to return to Tartary, we began to move away with the herds of cattle, and horses, and waggons, laden with booty. The army retired slowly, and when it had quitted Hungary to enter Coumania, it was no longer allowed that any cattle should be killed for the use of the captives. The Tartars gave us only the intestines, heads, and hoofs of the animals they had eaten, and we heard from the in- terpreters that it was intended to kill us very soon. I began to consider, therefore, how I should escape from them, and, contriving to get away from the road they were following, I plunged into the forest followed by my servant. I crept into a grotto, and covered myself over with the branches of trees, and my servant hid himself also not far off. We remained thus, as in a tomb, for two days, not daring to lift our heads, and listening to the horrible voices of the Tartars, who were seeking their cattle in the woods. At length, being tormented by hunger, we issued from our retreat, but soon catch- ing sight of a man, we took to flight again. He ran away too, however, and as we now saw that he was without arms, we made signs to each other that we should meet. We then both related our sad adventures, and deliberated as to what was best to be done. Being strengthened by our trust in God, we reached the extremity of the forest, and there mounted on a high tree to look about us. " Oh, what a sorrow ! The country was entirely deso- lated, and it was a desert that we should have to cross, with nothing but the steeples of the churches to direct our steps; and happy did we think ourselves, if we