130 
WANDERINGS IN CHINA. 
Chap. VIII. 
mined to obstruct my progress. Some laid hold of my 
arms ; one fellow seized my cap, and ran off with it ; 
another did the same with my umbrella ; several hands 
were in my pockets, and others were even attempting to 
get my coat off. I now saw that nothing short of 
getting everything I possessed would satisfy them, as 
each one wanted something, and "their name was 
legion." Collecting all my strength, I threw myself 
upon those who were below me, and sent several of them 
rolling down the side of the hill. This, however, was 
nearly fatal to me, for, owing to the force which I ex- 
erted, and the uneven nature of the ground, 1 stumbled 
and fell ; but fortunately I instantly recovered myself, 
and renewed the unequal struggle, my object being to 
reach the door of the cemetery by which I had entered. 
The Chinese on the hill now called out to their friends 
below to shut the door and thus prevent me from 
reaching the open road. Seeing at once that if this 
were accomplished I should be an easy prey to them, I 
determined if possible to prevent it. Springing out of 
the grasp of those by whom I was surrounded, I made 
for the door, which I reached just as it was closed, but 
fortunately before it was fastened on the other side. 
The force with which I came against it burst it open, and 
threw the Chinamen on their backs who were busily 
fastening it. I was now in the open road, where some 
hundreds of the Chinese were congregated together ; 
some of them apparently respectable, but the greater 
part evidently nothing but thieves and robbers. The 
respectable part would not, or probably durst not, 
render me any assistance. Stones were now flying 
