to carry on this work. His activity in this field continued, with some interruptions, for ten years.
In October 1886 Boyinto of Hara Oso, making a short journey with Mr. Roberts, renewed his confession of faith. He was heart-broken over Gilmour's removal to another field. As Boyinto was never taken into the employ of the missionaries after his conversion, and yet was steadfast in witnessing for Christ for fifteen years, enduring persecution, and befriending the missionaries amid the perils of the year 1900, Mr. Roberts never doubted his sincere conversion, notwithstanding the clouds that gathered about his last days.
In the winter of 1889-90 Mr. Roberts had a Mongol teacher and two Mongol pupils in Kalgan. One of the latter, though under instruction only a few weeks, seemed most favourably impressed with the excellence and claims of the Christian religion. The other, Bayin Delehi, memorised Gilmour's Truth Catechism in Mongolian and twenty-three chapters of Dr. Edkins' translation of the Gospel of Matthew. He was bright intellectually, very polite, clean for a Mongol, and appeared to believe the truth; but he left the station before the end of a year of study, engaged in business, and never showed any marked evidence of living a Christian life.
Boyinto of Shipartai, who had been baptized, was seldom at home when Mr. Roberts called to see him. At last, in 1892-93, he was seen riding away from home on our approach. On inquiry we learned that he had been called before an official, as a traitor to his country and its religion, and had been put to a test that had proved too severe. If the missionaries had known it they would have defended him. He was required to recant, under repeated and increasing threats of losing his official position, his property, his family, and his life. Under this pressure he yielded, discontinued his relations with the Church, subscribed to heathen temples, and, as a solace in his troubles, took to smoking opium. Whether in his heart he retained some real faith in his God and Saviour, no one can tell.
