Then I thought rather busily for a few seconds. My first reflection of course was, “How will this affect the absent missionaries?” How would it affect Japanese (now distrusted) and through them all foreigners in the interior? Would the people in the country not be likely to wreak the vessels of their wrath upon them, and would they discriminate between them and others wearing similar clothing? I feared not, and that the probabilities were that Dr. Avison and Mr. Underwood might be in considerable danger, as soon as the news of the king’s escape, and the fall of the pro-Japanese party became known. Word must then be sent, and soon, in order if possible to reach them before the news reached the natives. I sent a letter to our very kind friend, the Russian minister, with a message to his majesty, inquiring whether anything could be done for the protection and safe return of the two missionaries. I knew an immediate reply could hardly be expected, such was the rush of business, and the number of visitors and claimants on their time, so, to leave no means untried, I called up one of the copyists, informed him of the necessity for speed, and had the satisfaction of seeing him start that very hour with a letter and warning message to my husband. A short time after, fearing that something might occur to detain one messenger, I sent another by a different road. The second man was stopped by Tonghaks, looking for foreigners, who for some reason suspected him, searched him, ripped open his clothes, where they found my letter (which of course they could not read), and forced him to go back to Seoul. On the day following that on which my messengers had started, a kind letter from the Russian legation came, saying that the king would at once send a guard to Koksan to bring back the two Americans, and at about the same time, a wealthy nobleman in Songdo, a friend of both, and brother-in-law of General Yun, knowing where they were, and fearing for them, also sent a special posse of men to see them safely home. Having done all that I could, the most difficult of all tasks, that of waiting, remained, but I remembered that I had a sister in the same situation, only that she probably was not quite as well informed as myself of the exact state of affairs, and did not know that any word had been sent to our husbands. The street running in front of our house was packed with excited people, but I decided to make my way through them in my chair and go down to Mrs. Avison, where she was living at a long distance from the rest of us, and try to set her mind at rest by telling her what measures had been taken for the safety of the absentees, and of what was happening at our end of the town. I soon passed the crowd in our neighborhood, who were in no way concerned with me, and in a little while reached the great street, which runs toward the palace, and crosses that on which the hospital and Dr. Avison’s home stood.