The Prayer Of A Missionary In Mexico Answered - Saved From Banditti.

"In the Spring of 1872, I was, with my wife and child, in the city of

Cadereita, Mexico, where we had been laboring as missionaries, but felt

it was our duty to return to the States for a little season, and had

been asking God to open up the way for us. At length, about the middle

of March, the opportunity appeared to be given, the means being

provided; but the country was in a state of revolution (a no uncommon

thing here), and, consequently, there were no stages running out of the

country, so we had to take conveyance in Mexican carts. Therefore, we

engaged two men, with their carts; one in which we might ride and carry

a mattress, which should serve as a bed at night, and the other, to

carry the baggage and provisions for ourselves and the horses, as our

way was mostly through an uncultivated country.



"We knew that General Cortinas, with his troops, was somewhere between

us and Texas, as the State we were in was one of those in rebellion. The

blood-thirsty character of General Cortinas is well known on the

frontier, there being no less than seventeen indictments against him for

murder in the State of Texas. He is regarded as having a special hatred

against Americans, and the Mexicans, themselves, stand in terror of him.



"Our friends and brethren in Cadereita tried hard to deter us from

going, as most likely we would fall into the hands of General Cortinas;

in which event, they said, the very utmost we could expect would be to

escape with our lives, being left destitute of everything, in a

wilderness road; but, as God had seemed to open up the way, providing

the means, we determined to go forward, trusting that He also would

protect us in the way. Therefore, having completed our arrangements, we

started for Matamoras, some three hundred miles distant, on the 19th of

March, the wives of the two men accompanying their husbands, making our

party six adults and one child; the brethren in Cadereita promising to

pray daily for our safety. The third morning, after commending

ourselves, as usual, into the care of our covenant-keeping God, we

started on our journey. Some two hours later, we espied the troops of

General Cortinas, about two miles distant, marching toward us. We again

all looked to God for protection, and prayed that, as he shut the mouths

of the lions, that they should not hurt his servant Daniel, so He would

now restrain the evil passions of men, that they might not hurt nor

injure us--then we went on till we met the advance guard, who commanded

us to halt and wait till the General came up. After nearly half an hour,

General Cortinas, with his escort, rode up to where we were waiting for

him. After the ordinary salutation, he asked: (_?de adonde vienen y

adonde van?_) 'From whence have you come, and where are you going?'--to

which we replied properly; then he asked: 'What is the news from Nueva

Leon?' (the State we left)--to which we replied as faithfully as we

could. Then I asked him, 'Is the road safe between us and Matamoras?' He

replied: 'Perfectly; you can go on without any fear, and as safely as

you would in your own country.' Then, bidding us 'good morning,' he rode

on, not even inquiring about or examining any of our baggage.



"When we arrived in Brownsville, Texas, and told of how gentlemanly

General Cortinas had treated us, all pronounced it wonderful, and said,

'We could not have believed General Cortinas capable of such kindness to

Americans so in his power. It was truly a miracle.' We believed that it

was God who restrained the naturally vicious passions of the man, in

direct answer to prayer."