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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/8576-0.txt b/8576-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..025476a --- /dev/null +++ b/8576-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,9699 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of By Sheer Pluck, by G. A. Henty + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: By Sheer Pluck + A Tale of the Ashanti War + +Author: G. A. Henty + +Release Date: July, 2005 [EBook #8576] +Posting Date: July 24, 2009 +Last Updated: March 11, 2018 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BY SHEER PLUCK *** + + + + +Produced by Martin Robb + + + + + +BY SHEER PLUCK + +A TALE OF THE ASHANTI WAR + + +By G. A. Henty + + + + +CHAPTER I: A FISHING EXCURSION + + +“Now, Hargate, what a fellow you are! I've been looking for you +everywhere. Don't you know it's the House against the Town boys. It's +lucky that the Town have got the first innings; they began a quarter of +an hour ago.” + +“How tiresome!” Frank Hargate said. “I was watching a most interesting +thing here. Don't you see this little chaffinch nest in the bush, with a +newly hatched brood. There was a small black snake threatening the nest, +and the mother was defending it with quivering wings and open beak. I +never saw a prettier thing. I sat quite still and neither of them seemed +to notice me. Of course I should have interfered if I had seen the snake +getting the best of it. When you came running up like a cart horse, the +snake glided away in the grass, and the bird flew off. Oh, dear! I am +sorry. I had forgotten all about the match.” + +“I never saw such a fellow as you are, Hargate. Here's the opening match +of the season, and you, who are one of our best bats, poking about after +birds and snakes. Come along; Thompson sent me and two or three other +fellows off in all directions to find you. We shall be half out before +you're back. Wilson took James's wicket the first ball.” + +Frank Hargate leaped to his feet, and, laying aside for the present all +thoughts of his favorite pursuit, started off at a run to the playing +field. His arrival there was greeted with a mingled chorus of welcome +and indignation. Frank Hargate was, next to Thompson the captain of the +Town eleven, the best bat among the home boarders. He played a steady +rather than a brilliant game, and was noted as a good sturdy sticker. +Had he been there, Thompson would have put him in at first, in order +to break the bowling of the House team. As it was, misfortunes had come +rapidly. Ruthven and Handcock were bowling splendidly, and none of the +Town boys were making any stand against them. Thompson himself had gone +in when the fourth wicket fell, and was still in, although two wickets +had since fallen, for only four runs, and the seventh wicket fell just +as Frank arrived, panting, on the ground. + +“Confound you, Hargate!” Thompson shouted, “where have you been? And not +even in flannels yet.” + +“I'm very sorry,” Frank shouted back cheerfully, “and never mind the +flannels, for once. Shall I come in now?” + +“No,” Thompson said. “You'd better get your wind first. Let Fenner come +in next.” + +Fenner stayed in four overs, adding two singles as his share, while +Thompson put on a three and a two. Then Fenner was caught. Thirty-one +runs for eight wickets! Then Frank took the bat, and walked to the +ground. Thompson came across to him. + +“Look here, Hargate, you have made a nice mess of it, and the game looks +as bad as can be. Whatever you do, play carefully. Don't let out at +anything that comes straight. The great thing is to bother their bowling +a bit. They're so cocky now, that pretty near every ball is straight on +the wickets. Be content with blocking for a bit, and Handcock will soon +go off. He always gets savage if his bowling is collared.” + +Frank obeyed orders. In the next twenty minutes he only scored six runs, +all in singles, while Thompson, who was also playing very carefully, put +on thirteen. The game looked more hopeful for the Town boys. Then there +was a shout from the House, as Thompson's middle wicket was sent flying. +Childers, who was the last of the team, walked out. + +“Now, Childers,” Thompson said, “don't you hit at a ball. You're safe to +be bowled or caught if you do. Just lift your bat, and block them each +time. Now, Frank, it's your turn to score. Put them on as fast as you +can. It's no use playing carefully any longer.” + +Frank set to to hit in earnest. He had now got his eye well in, and the +stand which he and Thompson had made together, had taken the sting out +of the bowling. The ball which had taken Thompson's wicket was the last +of the over. Consequently the next came to him. It was a little wide, +and Frank, stepping out, drove it for four. A loud shout rose from +the Town boys. There had only been one four scored before, during the +innings. Off the next ball Frank scored a couple, blocked the next, +and drove the last of the over past long leg for four. The next over +Childers strictly obeyed orders, blocking each ball. Then it was Frank's +turn again, and seven more went up on the board. They remained together +for just fifteen minutes, but during that time thirty-one had been added +to the score. Frank was caught at cover point, having added twenty-eight +since Thompson left him, the other three being credited to Childers. The +total was eighty-one--not a bad score in a school match. + +“Well, you've redeemed yourself,” Thompson said, as Frank walked to the +tent. “You played splendidly, old fellow, when you did come. If we do as +well next innings we are safe. They're not likely to average eighty. Now +get on your wicket-keeping gloves. Green and I will bowl.” + +The House scored rapidly at first, and fifty runs were put on with the +loss of four wickets. Then misfortune fell upon them, and the remaining +six fell for nineteen. The next innings Frank went in first, but was +caught when the score stood at fifteen. Thompson made fourteen, but the +rest scored but badly, and the whole were out for forty-eight. + +The House had sixty-one to get to win. Six wickets had fallen for +fifty-one runs, when Thompson put Childers on to bowl. The change was a +fortunate one. Ruthven's stumps were lowered at the first ball. Handcock +was caught off the second. The spirits of the Town boys rose. There were +but two wickets more, and still ten runs to get to win. The House played +cautiously now, and overs were sent down without a run. Then off a ball +from Childers a four was scored, but the next ball leveled the outside +stump. Then by singles the score mounted up until a tremendous shout +from the House announced that the game was saved, sixty runs being +marked by the scorers. The next ball, the Town boys replied even more +lustily, for Childers ball removed the bails, and the game ended in +a tie. Both parties were equally well satisfied, and declared that a +better game had never been played at Dr. Parker's. As soon as the game +was over Frank, without waiting to join in the general talk over the +game, put on his coat and waistcoat and started at a run for home. + +Frank Hargate was an only son. His mother lived in a tiny cottage on the +outskirts of Deal. She was a widow, her husband, Captain Hargate, having +died a year before. She had only her pension as an officer's widow, +a pittance that scarce sufficed even for the modest wants of herself, +Frank, and her little daughter Lucy, now six years old. + +“I hope I have not kept tea waiting, mother,” Frank said as he ran in. +“It is not my beetles and butterflies this time. We have been playing a +cricket match, and a first rate one it was. Town boys against the House. +It ended in a tie.” + +“You are only a quarter of an hour late,” his mother said, smiling, +“which is a great deal nearer being punctual than is usually the case +when you are out with your net. We were just going to begin, for I know +your habits too well to give you more than a quarter of an hour's law.” + +“I'm afraid I am horridly unpunctual,” Frank said, “and yet, mother, I +never go out without making up my mind that I will be in sharp to time. +But somehow there is always something which draws me away.” + +“It makes no matter, Frank. If you are happy and amused I am content, +and if the tea is cold it is your loss, not ours. Now, my boy, as soon +as you have washed your hands we will have tea.” + +It was a simple meal, thick slices of bread and butter and tea, for Mrs. +Hargate could only afford to put meat upon the table once a day, and +even for that several times in the week fish was substituted, when the +weather was fine and the fishing boats returned, when well laden. Frank +fortunately cared very little what he ate, and what was good enough for +his mother was good enough for him. In his father's lifetime things had +been different, but Captain Hargate had fallen in battle in New Zealand. +He had nothing besides his pay, and his wife and children had lived with +him in barracks until his regiment was ordered out to New Zealand, when +he had placed his wife in the little cottage she now occupied. He had +fallen in an attack on a Maori pah, a fortnight after landing in New +Zealand. He had always intended Frank to enter the military profession, +and had himself directed his education so long as he was at home. + +The loss of his father had been a terrible blow for the boy, who had +been his constant companion when off duty. Captain Hargate had been +devoted to field sports and was an excellent naturalist. The latter +taste Frank had inherited from him. His father had brought home from +India--where the regiment had been stationed until it returned for its +turn of home service four years before he left New Zealand--a very large +quantity of skins of birds which he had shot there. These he had +stuffed and mounted, and so dexterous was he at the work, so natural +and artistic were the groups of birds, that he was enabled to add +considerably to his income by sending these up to the shop of a London +naturalist. He had instructed Frank in his methods, and had given him +one of the long blowguns used by some of the hill tribes in India. The +boy had attained such dexterity in its use that he was able with his +clay pellets to bring down sitting birds, however small, with almost +unerring accuracy. + +These he stuffed and mounted, arranging them with a taste and skill +which delighted the few visitors at his mother's cottage. + +Frank was ready to join in a game of football or cricket when wanted, +and could hold his own in either. But he vastly preferred to go out for +long walks with his blowgun, his net, and his collecting boxes. At home +every moment not required for the preparation of his lessons was spent +in mounting and arranging his captures. He was quite ready to follow +the course his father proposed for him, and to enter the army. Captain +Hargate had been a very gallant officer, and the despatches had spoken +most highly of the bravery with which he led his company into action in +the fight in which he lost his life. Therefore Mrs. Hargate hoped that +Frank would have little difficulty in obtaining a commission without +purchase when the time for his entering the army arrived. + +Frank's desire for a military life was based chiefly upon the fact that +it would enable him to travel to many parts of the world, and to indulge +his taste for natural history to the fullest. He was but ten years +old when he left India with the regiment, but he had still a vivid +recollection of the lovely butterflies and bright birds of that country. + +His father had been at pains to teach him that a student of natural +history must be more than a mere collector, and that like other sciences +it must be methodically studied. He possessed an excellent library of +books upon the subject, and although Frank might be ignorant of the name +of any bird or insect shown to him he could at once name the family and +species. + +In the year which Frank had been at school at Dr. Parker's he had made +few intimate friends. His habits of solitary wandering and studious +indoor work had hindered his becoming the chum of any of his +schoolfellows, and this absence of intimacy had been increased by the +fact that the straitness of his mother's means prevented his inviting +any of his schoolfellows to his home. He had, indeed, brought one or two +of the boys, whose tastes lay in the direction of his own, to the house, +to show them his collections of birds and insects. But he declined their +invitations to visit them, as he was unable to return their hospitality, +and was too proud to eat and drink at other fellows' houses when he +could not ask them to do the same at his own. It was understood at Dr. +Parker's that Frank Hargate's people were poor, but it was known that +his father had been killed in battle. There are writers who depict +boys as worshipers of wealth, and many pictures have been drawn of the +slights and indignities to which boys, whose means are inferior to those +of their schoolfellows, are subject. I am happy to believe that this is +a libel. There are, it is true, toadies and tuft hunters among boys as +among men. That odious creature, the parasite of the Greek and Latin +plays, exists still, but I do not believe that a boy is one whit the +less liked, or is ever taunted with his poverty, provided he is a good +fellow. Most of the miseries endured by boys whose pocket money is less +abundant than that of their fellows are purely self inflicted. Boys and +men who are always on the lookout for slights will, of course, find what +they seek. But the lad who is not ashamed of what is no fault of his +own, who frankly and manfully says, “I can't afford it,” will not find +that he is in any way looked down upon by those of his schoolfellows +whose good opinion is in the smallest degree worth having. + +Certainly this was so in the case of Frank Hargate. He was never in the +slightest degree ashamed of saying, “I can't afford it;” and the fact +that he was the son of an officer killed in battle gave him a standing +among the best in the school in spite of his want of pocket money. + +Frank was friends with many of the fishermen, and these would often +bring him strange fish and sea creatures brought up in their nets, +instead of throwing them back into the sea. + +During the holidays he would sometimes go out with them for twenty-four +hours in their fishing-boats. His mother made no objection to this, as +she thought that the exercise and sea air were good for his health, and +that the change did him good. Frank himself was so fond of the sea that +he was half disposed to adopt it instead of the army as a profession. +But his mother was strongly opposed to the idea, and won him to her way +of thinking by pointing out that although a sailor visits many ports he +stays long at none of them, and that in the few hours' leave he might +occasionally obtain he would be unable to carry out his favorite +pursuits. + +“Hargate,” Ruthven, who was one of the oldest of the House boys, and +was about Frank's age, that is about fifteen years old, said a few days +after the match, “the Doctor has given Handcock and Jones and myself +leave to take a boat and go out this afternoon. We mean to start soon +after dinner, and shall take some lines and bait with us. We have got +leave till lockup, so we shall have a long afternoon of it. Will you +come with us?” + +“Thank you, Ruthven,” Frank said; “I should like it very much, but you +know I'm short of pocket money, and I can't pay my share of the boat, so +I would rather leave it alone.” + +“Oh, nonsense, Hargate!” Ruthven answered; “we know money is not your +strong point, but we really want you to go with us. You can manage a +boat better than any of us, and you will really oblige us if you will go +with us.” + +“Oh, if you put it in that way,” Frank said, “I shall be glad to go +with you; but I do not think,” he went on, looking at the sky, “that the +weather looks very settled. However, if you do not mind the chance of a +ducking, I don't.” + +“That's agreed then,” Ruthven said; “will you meet us near the pier at +three o'clock?” + +“All right. I'll be punctual.” + +At the appointed hour the four lads met on the beach. Ruthven and his +companions wanted to choose a light rowing boat, but Frank strongly +urged them to take a much larger and heavier one. “In the first place,” + he said, “the wind is blowing off shore, and although it's calm here +it will be rougher farther out; and, unless I'm mistaken, the wind is +getting up fast. Besides this it will be much more comfortable to fish +from a good sized boat.” + +His comrades grumbled at the extra labor which the large boat would +entail in rowing. However, they finally gave in and the boat was +launched. + +“Look out, Master Hargate,” the boatman said as they started; “you'd +best not go out too far, for the wind is freshening fast, and we shall +have, I think, a nasty night.” + +The boys thought little of the warning, for the sky was bright and +blue, broken only by a few gauzy white clouds which streaked it here +and there. They rowed out about a mile, and then laying in their oars, +lowered their grapnel and began to fish. The sport was good. The fish +bit freely and were rapidly hauled on board. Even Frank was so absorbed +in the pursuit that he paid no attention to the changing aspect of the +sky, the increasing roughness of the sea, or the rapidly rising wind. + +Suddenly a heavy drop or two of rain fell in the boat. All looked up. + +“We are in for a squall,” Frank exclaimed, “and no mistake. I told you +you would get a ducking, Ruthven.” + +He had scarcely spoken when the squall was upon them. A deluge of rain +swept down, driven by a strong squall of wind. + +“Sit in the bottom of the boat,” Frank said; “this is a snorter.” + +Not a word was said for ten minutes, long before which all were drenched +to the skin. With the rain a sudden darkness had fallen, and the land +was entirely invisible. Frank looked anxiously towards the shore. The +sea was getting up fast, and the boat tugging and straining at the +cord of the grapnel. He shook his head. “It looks very bad,” he said to +himself. “If this squall does not abate we are going to have a bad time +of it.” + +A quarter of an hour after it commenced the heavy downpour of rain +ceased, or rather changed into a driving sleet. It was still extremely +dark, a thick lead colored cloud overspread the sky. Already the white +horses showed how fast the sea was rising, and the wind showed no signs +of falling with the cessation of the rain storm. The boat was laboring +at her head rope and dipping her nose heavily into the waves. + +“Look here, you fellows,” Frank shouted, “we must take to the oars. If +the rope were a long one we might ride here, but you know it little more +than reached the ground when we threw it out. I believe she's dragging +already, and even if she isn't she would pull her head under water with +so short a rope when the sea gets up. We'd better get out the oars and +row to shore, if we can, before the sea gets worse.” + +The lads got up and looked round, and their faces grew pale and somewhat +anxious as they saw how threatening was the aspect of the sea. They had +four oars on board, and these were soon in the water and the grapnel +hauled up. A few strokes sufficed to show them that with all four rowing +the boat's head could not be kept towards the shore, the wind taking it +and turning the boat broadside on. + +“This will never do,” Frank said. “I will steer and you row, two oars on +one side and one on the other. I will take a spell presently. + +“Row steadily, Ruthven,” he shouted; “don't spurt. We have a long row +before us and must not knock ourselves up at the beginning.” + +For half an hour not a word was spoken beyond an occasional cheery +exhortation from Frank. The shore could be dimly seen at times through +the driving mist, and Frank's heart sank as he recognized the fact that +it was further off than it had been when they first began to row. The +wind was blowing a gale now, and, although but two miles from shore, the +sea was already rough for an open boat. + +“Here, Ruthven, you take a spell now,” he said. + +Although the rowers had from time to time glanced over their shoulders, +they could not, through the mist, form any idea of their position. When +Ruthven took the helm he exclaimed, “Good gracious, Frank! the shore is +hardly visible. We are being blown out to sea.” + +“I am afraid we are,” Frank said; “but there is nothing to do but to +keep on rowing. The wind may lull or it may shift and give us a chance +of making for Ramsgate. The boat is a good sea boat, and may keep afloat +even if we are driven out to sea. Or if we are missed from shore they +may send the lifeboat out after us. That is our best chance.” + +In another quarter of an hour Ruthven was ready to take another spell +at the oar. “I fear,” Frank shouted to him as he climbed over the seat, +“there is no chance whatever of making shore. All we've got to do is to +row steadily and keep her head dead to wind. Two of us will do for that. +You and I will row now, and let Handcock and Jones steer and rest by +turns. Then when we are done up they can take our places.” + +In another hour it was quite dark, save for the gray light from the +foaming water around. The wind was blowing stronger than ever, and it +required the greatest care on the part of the steersman to keep her dead +in the eye of the wind. Handcock was steering now, and Jones lying at +the bottom of the boat, where he was sheltered, at least from the +wind. All the lads were plucky fellows and kept up a semblance of +good spirits, but all in their hearts knew that their position was a +desperate one. + + + +CHAPTER II: A MAD DOG + + +“Don't you think, Hargate,” Ruthven shouted in his ear, “we had +better run before it? It's as much as Handcock can do to keep her head +straight.” + +“Yes,” Frank shouted back, “if it were not for the Goodwins. They lie +right across ahead of us.” + +Ruthven said no more, and for another hour he and Frank rowed their +hardest. Then Handcock and Jones took the oars. Ruthven lay down in +the bottom of the boat and Frank steered. After rowing for another hour +Frank found that he could no longer keep the boat head to wind. Indeed, +he could not have done so for so long had he not shipped the rudder and +steered the boat with an oar, through a notch cut in the stern for the +purpose. Already the boat shipped several heavy seas, and Ruthven was +kept hard at work baling with a tin can in which they had brought out +bait. + +“Ruthven, we must let her run. Put out the other oar, we must watch our +time. Row hard when I give the word.” + +The maneuver was safely accomplished, and in a minute the boat was +flying before the gale. + +“Keep on rowing,” Frank said, “but take it easily. We must try and make +for the tail of the sands. I can see the lightship.” + +Frank soon found that the wind was blowing too directly upon the long +line of sands to enable him to make the lightship. Already, far ahead, +a gray light seemed to gleam up, marking where the sea was breaking over +the dreaded shoal. + +“I am afraid it is no use,” he said. “Now, boys, we had best, each of +us, say our prayers to God, and prepare to die bravely, for I fear that +there is no hope for us.” + +There was silence in the boat for the next five minutes, as the boys sat +with their heads bent down. More than one choking sob might have been +heard, had the wind lulled, as they thought of the dear ones at home. +Suddenly there was a flash of light ahead, and the boom of a gun +directly afterwards came upon their ears. Then a rocket soared up into +the air. + +“There is a vessel on the sands,” Frank exclaimed. “Let us make for her. +If we can get on board we shall have a better chance than here.” + +The boys again bent to their oars, and Frank tried to steer exactly for +the spot whence the rocket had gone up. Presently another gun flashed +out. + +“There she is,” he said. “I can see her now against the line of +breakers. Take the oar again, Ruthven. We must bring up under shelter of +her lee.” + +In another minute or two they were within a hundred yards of the ship. +She was a large vessel, and lay just at the edge of the broken water. +The waves, as they struck her, flew high above her deck. As the boat +neared her a bright light suddenly sprang up. The ship was burning a +blue light. Then a faint cheer was heard. + +“They see us,” Frank said. “They must think we are the lifeboat. What +a disappointment for them! Now, steady, lads, and prepare to pull her +round the instant we are under her stern. I will go as near as I dare.” + +Frank could see the people on deck watching the boat. They must have +seen now that she was not the lifeboat; but even in their own danger +they must have watched with intense interest the efforts of the tiny +boat, adrift in the raging sea, to reach them. Frank steered the boat +within a few yards of the stern. Then Jones and Ruthven, who were both +rowing the same side, exerted themselves to the utmost, while +Frank pushed with the steering oar. A minute later, and they lay in +comparatively still water, under the lee of the ship. Two or three ropes +were thrown them, and they speedily climbed on board. + +“We thought you were the lifeboat at first,” the captain said, as they +reached the deck; “but, of course, they cannot be here for a couple of +hours yet.” + +“We were blown off shore, sir,” Frank said, “and have been rowing +against the wind for hours.” + +“Well, my lads,” the captain said, “you have only prolonged your lives +for a few minutes, for she will not hold together long.” + +The ship, indeed, presented a pitiable appearance. The masts had already +gone, the bulwark to windward had been carried away, and the hull lay +heeled over at a sharp angle, her deck to leeward being level with +the water. The crew were huddled down near the lee bulwarks, sheltered +somewhat by the sharp slope of the deck from the force of the wind. As +each wave broke over the ship, tons of water rushed down upon them. No +more guns were fired, for the lashing had broken and the gun run down to +leeward. Already there were signs that the ship would break up ere long, +and no hope existed that rescue could arrive in time. + +Suddenly there was a great crash, and the vessel parted amidships. + +“A few minutes will settle it now,” the captain said. “God help us all.” + +At this moment there was a shout to leeward, which was answered by a +scream of joy from those on board the wreck, for there, close alongside, +lay the lifeboat, whose approach had been entirely unseen. In a few +minutes the fifteen men who remained of the twenty-two, who had formed +the crew of the wreck, and the four boys, were on board her. A tiny sail +was set and the boat's head laid towards Ramsgate. + +“I am glad to see you, Master Hargate,” the sailor who rowed one of the +stroke oars shouted. He was the man who had lent them the boat. “I was +up in the town looking after my wife, who is sick, and clean forgot you +till it was dark. Then I ran down and found the boat hadn't returned, so +I got the crew together and we came out to look for you, though we had +little hope of finding you. It was lucky for you we did, and for the +rest of them too, for so it chanced that we were but half a mile away +when the ship fired her first gun, just as we had given you up and +determined to go back; so on we came straight here. Another ten minutes +and we should have been too late. We are making for Ramsgate now. We +could never beat back to Deal in this wind. I don't know as I ever saw +it blow much harder.” + +These sentences were not spoken consecutively, but were shouted out in +the intervals between gusts of wind. It took them two hours to beat back +to Ramsgate, a signal having been made as soon as they left the wreck to +inform the lifeboat there and at Broadstairs that they need not put out, +as the rescue had been already effected. The lads were soon put to bed +at the sailors' home, a man being at once despatched on horseback to +Deal, to inform those there of the arrival of the lifeboat, and of the +rescue of the four boys who had been blown to sea. + +Early next morning Frank and Handcock returned to Deal, the other two +lads being so exhausted by their fatigue and exposure that the doctor +said they had better remain in bed for another twenty-four hours. + +It is impossible to describe the thankfulness and relief which Mrs. +Hargate experienced, when, about two in the morning, Dr. Parker himself +brought her news of the safety of her boy. She had long given up all +hope, for when the evening came on and Frank had not returned, she had +gone down to the shore. She learned from the fishermen there that it was +deemed impossible that the boys could reach shore in face of the gale, +and that although the lifeboat had just put out in search of them, the +chances of their being found were, as she herself saw, faint indeed. +She had passed the hours which had intervened, in prayer, and was still +kneeling by her bedside, where little Lucy was unconsciously sleeping, +when Dr. Parker's knock was heard at the door. Fervent, indeed, was her +gratitude to God for the almost miraculous preservation of her son's +life, and then, overcome by the emotions she had experienced, she sought +her couch, and was still asleep when, by the earliest train in the +morning, Frank returned. + +For some time the four boys were the heroes of the school. A +subscription was got up to pay for the lost boat, and close as were Mrs. +Hargate's means, she enabled Frank to subscribe his share towards the +fund. The incident raised Frank to a pinnacle of popularity among his +schoolfellows, for the three others were unanimous in saying that it was +his coolness and skill in the management of the boat, which alone kept +up their spirits, and enabled them to keep her afloat during the gale, +and to make the wreck in safety. + +In the general enthusiasm excited by the event, Frank's pursuits, +which had hitherto found few followers, now became quite popular in the +school. A field club was formed, of which he was elected president, +and long rambles in the country in search of insects and plants were +frequently organized. Frank himself was obliged, in the interests of the +school, to moderate the zeal of the naturalists, and to point out +that cricket must not be given up, as, if so large a number withdrew +themselves from the game, the school would suffer disaster in its +various engagements with other schools in the neighborhood. Consequently +the rule was made that members of the club were bound to be in the +cricket field on at least three days in the week, including one half +holiday, while they were free to ramble in the country on other days. +This wise regulation prevented the “naturalists” from becoming unpopular +in the school, which would assuredly have been the case had they +entirely absented themselves from cricket. + +One Saturday afternoon Frank started with a smaller boy, who was one of +his most devoted followers, for a long country walk. Frank carried his +blowgun, and a butterfly net, Charlie Goodall a net of about a foot in +depth, made of canvas, mounted on a stout brass rim, and strong stick, +for the capture of water beetles. Their pockets bulged with bottles and +tin boxes for the carriage of their captured prey. + +They had passed through Eastry, a village four miles from Deal, when +Frank exclaimed, “There is a green hairstreak. The first I've seen this +year. I have never caught one before.” + +Cautiously approaching the butterfly, who was sunning himself on the +top of a thistle, Frank prepared to strike, when it suddenly mounted and +flitted over a hedge. In a moment the boys had scrambled through the +gap and were in full pursuit. The butterfly flitted here and there, +sometimes allowing the boys to approach within a few feet and then +flitting away again for fifty yards without stopping. Heedless where +they were going, the boys pursued, till they were startled by a sudden +shout close to them. + +“You young rascals, how dare you run over my wheat?” + +The boys stopped, and Frank saw what, in his excitement, he had not +hitherto heeded, that he was now running in a field of wheat, which +reached to his knee. + +“I am very sorry, sir,” he said. “I was so excited than I really did not +see where I was going.” + +“Not see!” shouted the angry farmer. “You young rascal, I'll break every +bone in your body,” and he flourished a heavy stick as he spoke. + +Charlie Goodall began to cry. + +“I have no right to trespass on your wheat, sir,” Frank said firmly; +“but you have no right to strike us. My name is Frank Hargate. I belong +to Dr. Parker's school at Deal, and if you will say what damage I have +caused, I will pay for it.” + +“You shall pay for it now,” shouted the farmer, as he advanced with +uplifted stick. + +Frank slipped three or four of his clay bullets into his mouth. + +“Leave us alone or it will be worse for you,” he said as he raised the +blowgun to his mouth. + +The farmer advanced, and Frank sent a bullet with all his force, and +with so true an aim that he struck the farmer on the knuckles. It was a +sharp blow, and the farmer, with a cry of pain and surprise, dropped the +stick. + +“Don't come a step nearer,” Frank shouted. “If you do, I will aim at +your eye next time,” and he pointed the threatening tube at the enraged +farmer's face. + +“I'll have the law of you, you young villain. I'll make you smart for +this.” + +“You can do as you like about that,” Frank said. “I have only struck you +in self defense, and have let you off easily. Come along, Charlie, let's +get out of this.” + +In a few minutes they were again on the road, the farmer making no +attempt to follow them, but determined in his mind to drive over the +next morning to Deal to take out a summons against them for trespass and +assault. The lads proceeded silently along the road. Frank was greatly +vexed with himself at his carelessness in running over half grown wheat, +and was meditating how he could pay the fine without having to ask his +mother. He determined upon his return to carry some of his cases of +stuffed birds down to a shop in the town, and he felt sure that he +could get enough for these to pay for any damage which could have been +inflicted, with a fine for trespassing, for he had seen stuffed birds +exposed in the windows for sale, which were, he was sure, very inferior +to his own both in execution and lifelike interest. + +After proceeding a few hundred yards along the road they met a pretty +little girl of seven or eight years old walking along alone. Frank +scarcely glanced at her, for at the moment he heard a shouting in +the distance and saw some men running along the road. For a moment he +thought that the farmer had despatched some of his men to stop him, +but instantly dismissed the idea, as they were coming from the opposite +direction and could by no possibility have heard what had happened. They +were lost sight of by a dip in the road, and as they disappeared, an +object was seen on the road on the near side of the dip. + +“It is a dog,” Frank said. “What can they be shouting at?” + +The dog was within fifty yards of them when the men again appeared from +the dip and recommenced shouting. Frank could now hear what they said. + +“Mad dog! mad dog!” + +“Get through the hedge, Charlie, quick,” Frank cried. “Here, I will help +you over, never mind the thorns.” + +The hedge was low and closely kept, and Frank, bundling his comrade over +it, threw himself across and looked round. The dog was within ten yards +of them, and Frank saw that the alarm was well founded. The dog was a +large crossbred animal, between a mastiff and a bulldog. Its hair was +rough and bristling. It came along with its head down and foam churning +from its mouth. Frank looked the other way and gave a cry. Yet twenty +yards off, in the middle of the road, stood the child. She, too, had +heard the shouts, and had paused to see what was the matter. She had +not taken the alarm, but stood unsuspicious of danger, watching, not the +dog, but the men in the distance. + +Frank placed the blowgun to his mouth, and in a moment his pellet struck +the animal smartly on the side of the head. It gave a short yelp and +paused. Another shot struck it, and then Frank, snatching the water net +from Charlie, threw himself over the hedge, and placed himself between +the child and the dog just as the latter, with a savage growl, rushed at +him. + +Frank stood perfectly cool, and as the animal rushed forward, thrust the +net over its head; the ring was but just large enough to allow its head +to enter. Frank at once sprang forward, and placing himself behind the +dog kept a strain upon the stick, so retaining the mouth of the net +tightly on his neck. The animal at first rushed forward dragging Frank +after him. Then he stopped, backed, and tried to withdraw his head from +the encumbrance which blinded him. Frank, however, had no difficulty +in retaining the canvas net in its place, until the men, who were armed +with pitchforks, ran up and speedily despatched the unfortunate animal. + +“That's bravely done, young master,” one of them said; “and you have +saved missy's life surely. The savage brute rushed into the yard and bit +a young colt and a heifer, and then, as we came running out with forks, +he took to the road again. We chased 'um along, not knowing who we +might meet, and it gived us a rare turn when we saw the master's Bessy +standing alone in the road, wi' nout between her and the dog. Where have +you been, Miss Bessy?” + +“I've been to aunt's,” she said, “and she gave me some strawberries and +cream, and it's wicked of you to kill the poor dog.” + +“Her aunt's farm lies next to master's,” the man explained; “and little +miss often goes over there. + +“The dog was mad, missy, and if it hadn't been for young master here, it +would have killed you as safe as eggs. Won't you come back to the farm, +sir? Master and mistress would be main glad to thank you for having +saved missy's life.” + +“No, thank you,” Frank said; “we are late now and must be going on our +way. I am very glad I happened to be here at the time;” so saying Frank +and Charlie proceeded on their way to Deal. + +On reaching home he at once picked out four of his best cases of +stuffed birds. The cases he had constructed himself, for his father had +encouraged him to depend upon himself for his amusements. He had asked +Charlie to come round to help him to carry the cases, and with these he +proceeded to a shop where he had seen such things offered for sale. + +“And you really did these yourself?” the man said in surprise. “They are +beautifully done. Quite pictures, I call them. It is a pity that they +are homely birds. There is no great sale for such things here. I cannot +give you more than five shillings each, but if you had them in London +they would be worth a great deal more.” + +Frank gladly accepted the offer, and feeling sure that the pound would +cover the damage done and the fine, which might be five shillings apiece +for trespassing, went home in good spirits. The next morning the +doctor was called out in the middle of school, and presently returned +accompanied by the farmer with whom they had had the altercation on the +previous day. Frank felt his cheeks flush as he anticipated a severe +reprimand before the whole school. + +“Mr. Gregson,” the doctor said, “tells me that two of my boys were out +near his place at Eastry yesterday. One of them gave him his name, which +he has forgotten.” + +“It was I, sir,” Frank said rising in his place; “I was there with +Goodall. We ran on Mr. Gregson's ground after a butterfly. It was my +fault, sir, for, of course, Goodall went where I did. We ran among his +wheat, and I really did not notice where we were going till he called +to us. I was wrong, of course, and am ready to pay for any damage we may +have caused.” + +“You are welcome,” the farmer said, “to trample on my wheat for the rest +of your born days. I haven't come over here to talk about the wheat, +though I tell you fairly I'd minded to do so. I've come over here, Dr. +Parker, me and my missus who's outside, to thank this young gentleman +for having saved the life of my little daughter Bessy. She was walking +along the road when a mad dog, a big brute of a mastiff, who came, I +hear, from somewhere about Canterbury, and who has bit two boys on the +road, to say nothing of other dogs and horses and such like; he came +along the road, he were close to my Bess, and she stood there all alone. +Some of my men with pitchforks were two hundred yards or so behind; but +law, they could have done nothing! when this young gentleman here jumped +all of a sudden over a hedge and put himself between the dog and my +Bess. The dog, he rushed at him; but what does he do but claps a bag +he'd got at the end of a stick over the brute's head, and there he holds +him tight till the men comes up and kills him with their forks. + +“Young gentleman,” he said, stepping up to Frank and holding out his +hand, “I owe my child's life to you. There are not many men who would +have thrown themselves in the way of a mad dog, for the sake of a child +they knew nothing of. I thank you for it with all my heart. God bless +you, sir. Now, boys, you give three cheers with me for your schoolmate, +for you've got a right to be proud of him.” + +Three such thundering cheers as those which arose had never been heard +within the limits of Dr. Parker's school from the day of its foundation. +Seeing that farther work could not be expected from them after this +excitement, Dr. Parker gave the boys a holiday for the rest of the day, +and they poured out from the schoolroom, shouting and delighted, while +Frank was taken off to the parlor to be thanked by Mrs. Gregson. +The farmer closed his visit by inviting Frank, with as many of his +schoolfellows as he liked--the whole school if they would come, the more +the better--to come over to tea on the following Saturday afternoon, and +he promised them as much strawberries and cream as they could eat. The +invitation was largely accepted, and the boys all agreed that a jollier +meal they never sat down to than that which was spread on tables in +the farmer's garden. The meal was called tea, but it might have been a +dinner, for the tables were laden with huge pies, cold chicken and duck, +hams, and piles of cakes and tarts of all sorts. Before they started for +home, late in the evening, syllabub and cake were handed round, and the +boys tramped back to Deal in the highest of glee at the entertainment +they had received from the hospitable farmer and his wife. + +Great fun had been caused after tea by the farmer giving a humorous +relation of the battle with which his acquaintance with Frank had +commenced, and especially at the threat of Frank to send a bullet +into his eye if he interfered with him. When they left, a most cordial +invitation was given to Frank to come over, with any friend he liked to +bring with him, and have tea at the Oaks Farm whenever he chose to do +so. + + + +CHAPTER III: A TOUGH YARN + + +“You had a close shave the other night,” one of the boatmen remarked to +Frank, as a few days after the adventure he strolled down with Ruthven +and Handcock to talk to the boatman whose boat had been lost, “a very +narrow shave. I had one out there myself when I was just about your +age, nigh forty years ago. I went out for a sail with my father in his +fishing boat, and I didn't come back for three years. That was the only +long voyage I ever went. I've been sticking to fishing ever since.” + +“How was it you were away three years?” Handcock asked, “and what was +the adventure? Tell us about it.” + +“Well, it's rather a long yarn,” the boatman said. + +“Well, your best plan, Jack,” Ruthven said, putting his hand in his +pocket and bringing out sixpence, “will be for you to go across the road +and wet your whistle before you begin.” + +“Thank ye, young gentleman. I will take three o' grog and an ounce of +'bacca.” + +He went across to the public house, and soon returned with a long clay +in his hand. Then he sat down on the shingle with his back against a +boat, and the boys threw themselves down close to him. + +“Now,” he began, when he had filled his pipe with great deliberation and +got it fairly alight, “this here yarn as I'm going to tell you ain't no +gammon. Most of the tales which gets told on the beach to visitors as +comes down here and wants to hear of sea adventures is just lies from +beginning to end. Now, I ain't that sort, leastways, I shouldn't go to +impose upon young gents like you as ha' had a real adventure of your +own, and showed oncommon good pluck and coolness too. I don't say, mind +ye, that every word is just gospel. My mates as ha' known me from a boy +tells me that I've 'bellished the yarn since I first told it, and that +all sorts of things have crept in which wasn't there first. That may +be so. When a man tells a story a great many times, naturally he can't +always tell it just the same, and he gets so mixed up atween what he +told last and what he told first that he don't rightly know which +was which when he wants to tell it just as it really happened. So if +sometimes it appears to you that I'm steering rather wild, just you put +a stopper on and bring me up all standing with a question.” + +There was a quiet humor about the boatman's face, and the boys winked +at each other as much as to say that after such an exordium they must +expect something rather staggering. The boatman took two or three hard +whiffs at his pipe and then began. + +“It was towards the end of September in 1832, that's just forty years +ago now, that I went out with my father and three hands in the smack, +the Flying Dolphin. I'd been at sea with father off and on ever since +I was about nine years old, and a smarter boy wasn't to be found on the +beach. The Dolphin was a good sea boat, but she wasn't, so to say, fast, +and I dunno' as she was much to look at, for the old man wasn't the sort +of chap to chuck away his money in paint or in new sails as long as the +old ones could be pieced and patched so as to hold the wind. We sailed +out pretty nigh over to the French coast, and good sport we had. We'd +been out two days when we turned her head homewards. The wind was +blowing pretty strong, and the old man remarked, he thought we was in +for a gale. There was some talk of our running in to Calais and waiting +till it had blown itself out, but the fish might have spoil before the +Wind dropped, so we made up our minds to run straight into Dover and +send the fish up from there. The night came on wild and squally, and as +dark as pitch. It might be about eight bells, and I and one of the other +hands had turned in, when father gave a sudden shout down the hatch, +'All hands on deck.' I was next to the steps and sprang up 'em. Just as +I got to the top something grazed my face. I caught at it, not knowing +what it was, and the next moment there was a crash, and the Dolphin went +away from under my feet. I clung for bare life, scarce awake yet nor +knowing what had happened. The next moment I was under water. I still +held on to the rope and was soon out again. By this time I was pretty +well awake to what had happened. A ship running down channel had walked +clean over the poor old Dolphin, and I had got hold of the bobstay. It +took me some time to climb up on to the bowsprit, for every time she +pitched I went under water. However, I got up at last and swarmed along +the bowsprit and got on board. There was a chap sitting down fast asleep +there. I walked aft to the helmsman. Two men were pacing up and down in +front of him. 'You're a nice lot, you are,' I said, 'to go running down +Channel at ten knots an hour without any watch, a-walking over ships and +a-drowning of seamen. I'll have the law of ye, see if I don't.' + +“'Jeerusalem!' said one, 'who have we here?' + +“'My name is Jack Perkins,' says I, 'and I'm the sole survivor, as far +as I knows, of the smack, the Flying Dolphin, as has been run down by +this craft and lost with all hands.' + +“'Darn the Flying Dolphin, and you too,' says the man, and he begins +to walk up and down the deck a-puffn' of a long cigar as if nothing had +happened. + +“'Oh, come,' says I, 'this won't do. Here you've been and run down a +smack, drowned father and the other three hands, and your lookout fast +asleep, and you does nothing.' + +“'I suppose,' said the captain, sarcastic, 'you want me to jump over +to look for 'em. You want me to heave the ship to in this gale and +to invite yer father perlitely to come on board. P'raps you'd like a +grapnel put out to see if I couldn't hook the smack and bring her up +again. Perhaps you'd like to be chucked overboard yourself. Nobody asked +you to come on board, nobody wanted your company. I reckon the wisest +thing you can do is to go for'ard and turn in.' There didn't seem much +for me to do else, so I went forward to the forecastle. There most of +the hands were asleep, but two or three were sitting up yarning. I told +'em my story and what this captain had said. + +“'He's a queer hand is the skipper,' one of 'em said, 'and hasn't got a +soft place about him. Well, my lad, I'm sorry for what's happened, but +talking won't do it any good. You've got a long voyage before you, and +you'd best turn in and make yourself comfortable for it.' + +“'I ain't going a long voyage,' says I, beginning to wipe my eye, 'I +wants to be put ashore at the first port.' + +“'Well, my lad, I daresay the skipper will do that, but as we're bound +for the coast of Chili from Hamburg, and ain't likely to be there for +about five months, you've got, as I said, a long voyage before you. If +the weather had been fine the skipper might have spoken some ship in the +Channel, and put you on board, but before the gale's blown out we shall +be hundreds of miles at sea. Even if it had been fine I don't suppose +the skipper would have parted with you, especially if you told him the +watch was asleep. He would not care next time he entered an English port +to have a claim fixed on his ship for the vally of the smack.' + +“I saw what the sailor said was like enough, and blamed myself for +having let out about the watch. However, there was no help for it, and I +turned into an empty bunk and cried myself to sleep. What a voyage that +was, to be sure! The ship was a Yankee and so was the master and mates. +The crew were of all sorts, Dutch, and Swedes, and English, a Yank or +two, and a sprinklin' of niggers. It was one of those ships they call +a hell on earth, and cussing and kicking and driving went on all day. I +hadn't no regular place give me, but helped the black cook, and pulled +at ropes, and swabbed the decks, and got kicked and cuffed all round. +The skipper did not often speak to me, but when his eye lighted on me he +gave an ugly sort of look, as seemed to say, 'You'd better ha' gone down +with the others. You think you're going to report the loss of the smack, +and to get damages against the Potomac, do you? we shall see.' The +crew were a rough lot, but the spirit seemed taken out of 'em by the +treatment they met with. It was a word and a blow with the mates, and +they would think no more of catching up a handspike and stretching a man +senseless on the deck than I should of killing a fly. There was two or +three among 'em of a better sort than the others. The best of 'em was +the carpenter, an old Dutchman. 'Leetle boy,' he used to say to me, +'you keep yourself out of the sight of de skipper. Bad man dat. Me much +surprise if you get to de end of dis voyage all right. You best work +vera hard and give him no excuse to hit you. If he do, by gosh, he kill +you, and put down in de log, Boy killed by accident.' + +“I felt that this was so myself, and I did my work as well as I could. +One day, however, when we were near the line I happened to upset a +bucket with some tar. The captain was standing close by. + +“'You young dog,' he said, 'you've done that a purpose,' and before I +could speak he caught up the bucket by the handle and brought it down on +my head with all his might. The next thing I remember was, I was lying +in a bunk in the forecastle. Everything looked strange to me, and I +couldn't raise my head. After a time I made shift to turn it round, and +saw old Jans sitting on a chest mending a jacket. I called him, but my +voice was so low I hardly seemed to hear it myself. + +“'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'I am glad to hear you speak again. Two +whole weeks you say nothing except talk nonsense.' + +“'Have I been ill?' I asked. + +“'You haf been vera bad,' he said. 'De captain meant to kill you, I haf +no doubt, and he pretty near do it. After he knock you down he said you +dead. He sorry for accident, not mean to hit you so hard, but you dead +and better be tossed overboard at once. De mates they come up and take +your hands and feet. Den I insist dat I feel your wrist. Two or three of +us dey stood by me. Captain he vera angry, say we mutinous dogs. I say +not mutinous, but wasn't going to see a boy who was only stunned thrown +overboard. We say if he did dat we make complaint before consul when we +get to port. De skipper he cuss and swear awful. Howebber we haf our way +and carry you here. You haf fever and near die. Tree days after we +bring you here de captain he swear you shamming and comed to look at you +hisself, but he see that it true and tink you going to die. He go away +wid smile on his face. Every day he ask if you alive, and give grunt +when I say yes. Now you best keep vera quiet. You no talk 'cept when no +one else here but me. Other times lie wid your face to the side and your +eyes shut. Best keep you here as long as we can, de longer de better. He +make you come on deck and work as soon as he think you strong enough to +stand. Best get pretty strong before you go out.' + +“For another three weeks I lay in my bunk. I only ate a little gruel +when others were there, but when the skipper was at dinner Jans would +bring me strong soup and meat from the caboose. The captain came several +times and shook me and swore I was shamming, but I only answered in a +whisper and seemed as faint as a girl. All this time the Potomac was +making good way, and was running fast down the coast of South America. +The air was getting cool and fresh. + +“'I tink,' Jans said one evening to me, 'dat dis not go on much much +longer. De crew getting desperate. Dey talk and mutter among demselves. +Me thinks we have trouble before long.' + +“The next day one of the mates came in with a bucket of water. 'There! +you skulking young hound,' he said as he threw it over me; 'you'd best +get out, or the skipper will come and rouse you up himself.' + +“I staggered on to the floor. I had made up my mind to sham weak, but +I did not need to pretend at first, for having been six weeks in bed, I +felt strange and giddy when I got up. I slipped on my clothes and went +out on deck, staggered to the bulwarks and held on. The fresh air soon +set me straight, and I felt that I was pretty strong again. However, I +pretended to be able to scarce stand, and, holding on by the bulwark, +made my way aft. + +“'You young dog,' the skipper said, 'you've been shamming for the last +six weeks. I reckon I'll sharpen you up now,' and he hit me a heavy blow +with a rattan he held in his hand. There was a cry of 'Shame!' from some +of the men. As quick as thought the skipper pulled a pistol from his +pocket. + +“'Who cried “Shame”?'” he asked looking round. + +“No one answered. Still holding the pistol in his hand he gave me +several more cuts, and then told me to swab the deck. I did it, +pretending all the time I was scarce strong enough to keep my feet. Then +I made my way forward and sat down against the bulwark, as if nigh done +up, till night came. That night as I lay in my bunk I heard the men +talking in whispers together. I judged from what they said that they +intended to wait for another week, when they expected to enter Magellan +Straits, and then to attack and throw the officers overboard. Nothing +seemed settled as to what they would do afterwards. Some were in favor +of continuing the voyage to port, and there giving out that the captain +and officers had been washed overboard in a storm; when, if all stood +true to each other, the truth could never be known, although suspicions +might arise. The others, however, insisted that you never could be sure +of every one, and that some one would be sure to peach. They argued +in favor of sailing west and beaching the ship on one of the Pacific +islands, where they could live comfortably and take wives among the +native women. If they were ever found they could then say that the ship +was blown out of her course and wrecked there, and that the captain and +officers had been drowned or killed by the natives. It seemed to me +that this party were the strongest. For the next week I was thrashed and +kicked every day and had I been as weak as I pretended to be, I'm sure +they would have killed me. However, thanks to the food Jans brought +me, for I was put on bread and water, I held on. At last we entered the +straits. The men were very quiet that day, and the captain in a worse +temper than usual. I did not go to sleep, and turned out at the midnight +watch, for I was made to keep watch although I was on duty all day. +As the watch came in I heard them say to the others, 'In ten minutes' +time.' Presently I saw them come out, and joining the watch on deck they +went aft quietly in a body. They had all got handspikes in their hands. +Then there was a rush. Two pistol shots were fired, and then there was +a splash, and I knew that the officer on watch was done for. Then they +burst into the aft cabins. There were pistol shots and shouts, and for +three or four minutes the fight went on. Then all was quiet. Then they +came up on deck again and I heard three splashes, that accounted for +the captain and the two other mates. I thought it safe now to go aft. I +found that six of the men had been killed. These were thrown overboard, +and then the crew got at the spirit stores and began to drink. I looked +about for Jans, and found him presently sitting on the deck by the +bulwark. + +“'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'you have just come in time. I have been +shot through the body. I was not in de fight, but was standing near when +dey rushed at de officer on watch. De first pistol he fire missed de man +he aim at and hit me. Well, it was shust as well. I am too old to care +for living among de black peoples, and I did not want a black wife at +all. So matters haf not turned out so vera bad. Get me some water.' + +“I got him some, but in five minutes the poor old Dutchman was dead. +There was no one on deck. All were shouting and singing in the captain's +cabin, so I went and turned in forward. Morning was just breaking when +I suddenly woke. There was a great light, and running on deck I saw +the fire pouring out from the cabin aft. I suppose they had all drunk +themselves stupid and had upset a light, and the fire had spread and +suffocated them all. Anyhow, there were none of them to be seen. I got +hold of a water keg and placed it in a boat which luckily hung out on +its davits, as Jans had, the day before, been calking a seam in her side +just above the water's edge. I made a shift to lower it, threw off the +falls, and getting out the oars, rowed off. I lay by for some little +time, but did not see a soul on deck. Then, as I had nowhere particular +to go, I lay down and slept. On getting up I found that I had drifted +two or three miles from the ship, which was now a mere smoking shell, +the greater part being burnt to the Water's edge. Two miles to the +north lay the land, and getting out an oar at the stern I sculled her +to shore. I suppose I had been seen, or that the flames of the ship had +called down the people, for there they were in the bay, and such a lot +of creatures I never set eyes on. Men and women alike was pretty nigh +naked, and dirt is no name for them. Though I was but a boy I was taller +than most. They came round me and jabbered and jabbered till I was nigh +deafened. Over and over again they pointed to the ship. I thought they +wanted to know whether I belonged to it, but it couldn't have been that, +because when I nodded a lot of 'em jumped into some canoes which was +lying ashore, and taking me with them paddled off to the ship. I suppose +they really wanted to know if they could have what they could find. That +wasn't much, but it seemed a treasure to them. There was a lot of burned +beams floating about alongside, and all of these which had iron or +copper bolts or fastenings they took in tow and rowed ashore. We hadn't +been gone many hundred yards from the vessel when she sunk. Well, young +gentlemen, for upwards of two years I lived with them critturs. My +clothes soon wore out, and I got to be as naked and dirty as the rest +of 'em. They were good hands at fishing, and could spear a fish by the +light of a torch wonderful. In other respects they didn't seem to have +much sense. They lived, when I first went there, in holes scratched in +the side of a hill, but I taught 'em to make huts, making a sort of +ax out of the iron saved. In summer they used to live in these, but +in winter, when it was awful cold, we lived in the holes, which were a +sight warmer than the huts. Law, what a time that was! I had no end +of adventures with wild beasts. The way the lions used to roar and the +elephants--” + +“I think, Jack,” Ruthven interrupted, “that this must be one of the +embellishments which have crept in since you first began telling the +tale. I don't think I should keep it in if I were you, because the fact +that there are neither lions or elephants in South America throws a +doubt upon the accuracy of this portion of your story.” + +“It may be, sir,” the sailor said, with a twinkle of his eyes, “that the +elephants and lions may not have been in the first story. Now I think +of it, I can't recall that they were; but, you see, people wants to +know all about it. They ain't satisfied when I tell 'em that I lived two +years among these chaps. They wants to know how I passed my time, and +whether there were any wild beasts, and a lot of such like questions, +and, in course, I must answer them. So then, you see, naturally, +'bellishments creeps in; but I did live there for two years, that's +gospel truth, and I did go pretty nigh naked, and in winter was pretty +near starved to death over and over again. When the ground was too hard +to dig up roots, and the sea was too rough for the canoes to put out, it +went hard with us, and very often we looked more like living skelingtons +than human beings. Every time a ship came in sight they used to hurry me +away into the woods. I suppose they found me useful, and didn't want to +part with me. At last I got desperate, and made up my mind I'd make a +bolt whatever came of it. They didn't watch me when there were no ships +near. I suppose they thought there was nowhere for me to run to, so one +night I steals down to the shore, gets into a canoe, puts in a lot of +roots which I had dug up and hidden away in readiness, and so makes +off. I rowed hard all night, for I knew they would be after me when they +found I had gone. Them straits is sometimes miles and miles across; +at other times not much more than a ship's length, and the tide runs +through 'em like a mill race. I had chosen a time when I had the tide +with me, and soon after morning I came to one of them narrow places. I +should like to have stopped here, because it would have been handy for +any ship as passed; but the tide run so strong, and the rocks were +so steep on both sides, that I couldn't make a landing. Howsomdever, +directly it widened out, I managed to paddle into the back water and +landed there. Well, gents, would you believe me, if there wasn't two +big allygaters sitting there with their mouths open ready to swallow me, +canoe and all, when I came to shore.” + +“No, Jack, I'm afraid we can't believe that. We would if we could, you +know, but alligators are not fond of such cold weather as you'd been +having, nor do they frequent the seashore.” + +“Ah, but this, you see, was a straits, Master Ruthven, just a narrow +straits, and I expect the creatures took it for a river.” + +“No, no, Jack, we can't swallow the alligators, any more than they could +swallow you and your canoe.” + +“Well,” the sailor said with a sigh, “I won't say no more about the +allygaters. I can't rightly recall when they came into the story. +Howsomdever, I landed, you can believe that, you know.” + +“Oh yes, we can quite believe, Jack, that, if you were there, in that +canoe, in that back water, with the land close ahead, you did land.” + +The sailor looked searchingly at Ruthven and then continued: + +“I hauled the canoe up and hid it in some bushes, and it were well I +did, for a short time afterwards a great--” and he paused. “Does the +hippypotybus live in them ere waters, young gents?” + +“He does not, Jack,” Ruthven said. + +“Then it's clear,” the sailor said, “that it wasn't a hippypotybus. It +must have been a seal.” + +“Yes, it might have been a seal,” Ruthven said. “What did he do?” + +“Well he just took a look at me, gents, winked with one eye, as much as +to say, 'I see you,' and went down again. There warn't nothing else as +he could do, was there?” + +“It was the best thing he could do anyhow,” Ruthven said. + +“Well, gents, I lived there for about three weeks, and then a ship +comes along, homeward bound, and I goes out and hails her. At first they +thought as I was a native as had learned to speak English, and it wasn't +till they'd boiled me for three hours in the ship's copper as they got +at the color of my skin, and could believe as I was English. So I came +back here and found the old woman still alive, and took to fishing +again; but it was weeks and weeks before I could get her or any one else +to believe as I was Jack Perkins. And that's all the story, young gents. +Generally I tells it a sight longer to the gents as come down from +London in summer; but, you see, I can't make much out of it when ye +won't let me have 'bellishments.” + +“And how much of it is true altogether, Jack?” Frank asked. “Really how +much?” + +“It's all true as I have told you, young masters,” the boatman said. “It +were every bit true about the running down of the smack, and me being +nearly killed by the skipper, and the mutiny, and the burning of the +vessel, and my living for a long time--no, I won't stick to the two +years, but it might have been three weeks, with the natives before a +ship picked me up. And that's good enough for a yarn, ain't it?” + +“Quite good enough, Jack, and we're much obliged to you; but I should +advise you to drop the embellishments in future.” + +“It ain't no use, Master Hargate, they will have 'bellishments, and if +they will have 'em, Jack Perkins isn't the man to disappint 'em; and, +Lord bless you, sir, the stiffer I pitches it in the more liberal they +is with their tips. Thank ye kindly all round, gentlemen. Yes, I do feel +dry after the yarn.” + + + +CHAPTER IV: A RISING TIDE + + +The half year was drawing to its close, and it was generally agreed +at Dr. Parker's that it had been the jolliest ever known. The boating +episode and that of the tea at Oak Farm had been events which had given +a fillip to existence. The school had been successful in the greater +part of its cricket matches, and generally every one was well satisfied +with himself. On the Saturday preceding the breaking up Frank, with +Ruthven, Charlie Goodall and two of the other naturalists, started along +the seashore to look for anemones and other marine creatures among the +rocks and pools at the foot of the South Foreland. Between Ruthven and +Frank a strong feeling of affection had grown up since the date of their +boating adventure. They were constantly together now; and as Ruthven +was also intended for the army, and would probably obtain his commission +about the same time as Frank, they often talked over their future, +and indulged in hopes that they might often meet, and that in their +campaigns, they might go through adventures together. + +Tide was low when they started. They had nearly three miles to walk. +The pools in front of Deal and Walmer had often been searched, but +they hoped that once round the Foreland they might light upon specimens +differing from any which they had hitherto found. For some hours they +searched the pools, retiring as the tide advanced. Then they went up to +the foot of the cliffs, and sat down to open their cans and compare +the treasures they had collected. The spot which they had unwittingly +selected was a little bay. For a long time they sat comparing their +specimens. Then Frank said, “Come along, it is time to be moving.” + +As he rose to his feet he uttered an exclamation of dismay. Although +the tide was still at some little distance from the spot where they were +sitting, it had already reached the cliffs extending out at either +end of the bay. A brisk wind was blowing on shore, and the waves were +already splashing against the foot of the rocks. + +The whole party leaped to their feet, and seizing their cans ran off at +the top of their speed to the end of the bay. + +“I will see how deep the water is,” Frank exclaimed; “we may yet be able +to wade round.” + +The water soon reached Frank's waist. He waded on until it was up to +his shoulders, and he had to leap as each wave approached him. Then he +returned to his friends. + +“I could see round,” he said, “and I think I could have got round +without getting into deeper water. The worst of it is the bottom is all +rocky, and I stumbled several times, and should have gone under water +if I could not have swam. You can't swim, Ruthven, I know; can you other +fellows?” + +Goodall could swim, as could one of the others. + +“Now, Ruthven,” Frank said, “if you will put your hand on my shoulder +and keep quiet, I think I could carry you around. Goodall and Jackson +can take Childers.” + +But neither of the other boys had much confidence in their swimming. +They could get thirty or forty yards, but felt sure that they would be +able to render but little assistance to Childers, and in fact scarcely +liked to round the point alone. For some time they debated the question, +the sea every minute rising and pushing them farther and farther from +the point. “Look here, Frank,” Ruthven said at last; “you are not sure +you can carry me. The others are quite certain that they cannot take +Childers. We must give up that idea. The best thing, old boy, is for you +three who can swim to start together. Then if either of the others fail +you can help them a bit. Childers and I must take our chance here. When +you get round you must send a boat as soon as possible.” + +“I certainly shall not desert you, Ruthven,” Frank said. “You know as +well as I do that I'm not likely to find a boat on the shore till I get +pretty near Walmer Castle, and long before we could get back it would be +settled here. No, no, old fellow, we will see the matter out together. +Jackson and Goodall can swim round if they like.” + +These lads, however, would not venture to take the risk alone, but said +they would go if Frank would go with them. + +“Chuck off your boots and coats and waistcoats,” Frank said suddenly, +proceeding to strip rapidly to the skin. “I will take them round, +Ruthven, and come back to you. Run round the bay you and Childers, and +see if you can find any sort of ledge or projection that we can take +refuge upon. Now, then, come on you two as quick as you can.” + +The sea had already reached within a few feet of the foot of the cliff +all round the bay. + +“Now, mind,” Frank said sharply, “no struggling and nonsense, you +fellows. I will keep quite close to you and stick to you, so you needn't +be afraid. If you get tired just put one hand on my back and swim with +the other and your legs; and above all things keep your heads as low as +possible in the water so as just to be able to breathe.” + +The three lads soon waded out as far as they could go and then struck +out. Jackson and Goodall were both poor swimmers and would have fared +very badly alone. The confidence, however, which they entertained in +Frank gave them courage, and they were well abreast of the point when +first Jackson and then Goodall put their hands on his shoulders. Thanks +to the instructions he had given them, and to their confidence in him, +they placed no great weight upon him. But every ounce tells heavily on a +swimmer, and Frank gave a gasp of relief as at last his feet touched the +ground. Bidding his companions at once set off at a run he sat down for +two or three minutes to recover his breath. + +“It is lucky,” he said to himself, “that I did not try with Ruthven. +It's a very different thing carrying fellows who can swim and fellows +who can't. What fools we've been to let ourselves he caught here! I had +no idea the tide came so high, or that it was so dangerous, and none of +us have ever been round here before. Now I must go back to Ruthven.” + +Frank found it even harder work to get back than it had been to come out +from the bay, for the tide was against him now. At last he stood beside +Ruthven and Childers. + +“We can only find one place, Frank, where there is any projection a +fellow could stand upon, and that is only large enough for one. See!” he +said, pointing to a projecting block of chalk, whose upper surface, some +eight inches wide, was tolerably flat. “There is a cave here, too, which +may go beyond the tide. It is not deep but it slopes up a bit.” + +“That will never do,” Frank said; “as the waves come in they will rush +up and fill it to the top. Don't you see it is all rounded by the water? +Now, Childers, we will put you on that stone. You will be perfectly safe +there, for you see it is two feet above this greenish line, which shows +where the water generally comes to. The tides are not at spring at +present, so though you may get a splashing there is no fear of your +being washed off.” + +The water was already knee deep at the foot of the rocks, and the waves +took them nearly up to the shoulders. Ruthven did not attempt to dispute +Frank's allotment of the one place of safety to Childers. Frank and he +placed themselves below the block of chalk, which was somewhat over six +feet from the ground. Then Childers scrambled up on to their shoulders, +and from these stepped onto the ledge. + +“I am all right,” he said; “I wish to Heaven that you were too.” + +“We shall do,” Frank said. “Mind you hold tight, Childers! You had +better turn round with your face to the cliff, so as to be able to grip +hold and steady yourself in case the waves come up high. The tide will +turn in three quarters of an hour at the outside. Now, then, Ruthven, +let's make a fight for it, old man.” + +“What are you going to do, Frank?” + +“We will wade along here as far as we can towards the corner, and than +we must swim for it.” + +“Don't you think it's possible to stay here,” Ruthven said, “if the tide +will turn so soon?” + +“Quite impossible!” Frank said. “I have been nearly taken off my feet +twice already, and the water will rise a yard yet, at least. We should +be smashed against the rocks, even if we weren't drowned. It must be +tried, Ruthven. There is no other way for it. The distance is a good +deal farther than it would have been if we had started at first; but it +isn't the distance that makes much matter. We've only got to go out a +little way, and the tide will soon take us around the point. Everything +depends on you. I can take you round the point, and land you safely +enough, if you will lie quiet. If you don't, you will drown both of us. +So it's entirely in your hands. + +“Look out!” + +At this moment a larger wave than usual took both boys off their legs, +and dashed them with considerable force against the cliff. Frank seized +Ruthven, and assisted him to regain his feet. + +“Now, old fellow, let me put you on your back. I will lie on mine and +tow you along. Don't struggle; don't move; above all, don't try and lift +your head, and don't mind if a little water gets in your mouth. Now!” + +For a moment Ruthven felt himself under water, and had to make a great +effort to restrain himself from struggling to come to the surface. Then +he felt himself lying on his back in the water, supported by Frank. The +motion was not unpleasant as he rose and fell on the waves, although now +and then a splash of water came over his face, and made him cough and +splutter for breath. He could see nothing but the blue sky overhead, +could feel nothing except that occasionally he received a blow from +one or other of Frank's knees, as the latter swam beneath him, with +Ruthven's head on his chest. It was a dreamy sensation, and looking +back upon it afterwards Ruthven could never recall anything that he +had thought of. It seemed simply a drowsy pleasant time, except when +occasionally a wave covered his face. His first sensation was that of +surprise when he felt the motion change, and Frank lifted his head +from the water and said, “Stand up, old fellow. Thank God, here we are, +safe!” + +Frank had indeed found the journey easier than that which he had before +undertaken with the others. He had scarcely tried to progress, but had, +after getting sufficiently far out to allow the tide to take him round +the point, drifted quietly. + +“I owe my life to you, Frank. I shall never forget it, old fellow.” + +“It's been a close thing,” Frank answered; “but you owe your life as +much to your own coolness as to me, and above all, Ruthven, don't let us +forget that we both owe our lives to God.” + +“I sha'n't forget it,” Ruthven said quietly, and they stood for a few +minutes without speaking. “Now, what had we better do? Shall we start to +run home?” + +“I can't,” Frank laughed, for he had nothing on but his trousers. These +he had slipped on after the return from his first trip, pushing the rest +of his things into a crevice in the rocks as high up as he could reach. + +“You had better take off your things, Ruthven, and lay them out to dry +in the sun. The boat will be here in half an hour. I wonder how Childers +is getting on!” + +“I think he will be safe,” Ruthven said. “The tide will not rise high +enough for there to be much danger of his being washed off.” + +“I don't think so either,” Frank agreed, “or I would try and swim back +again; but I really don't think I could get round the point against the +tide again.” + +In half an hour a boat rowing four oars was seen approaching. + +“They are laying out well,” Ruthven said. “They couldn't row harder if +they were rowing a race. But had it not been for you, old fellow, they +would have been too late, as far as I am concerned.” + +As the boat approached, the coxswain waved his hat to the boys. Frank +motioned with his arm for them to row on round the point. The boat +swept along at a short distance from the shore. The boys watched them +breathlessly. Presently as it reached the point they saw the coxswain +stand up and say something to the men, who glanced over their shoulders +as they rowed. Then the coxswain gave a loud shout. “Hold on! We'll be +with you directly.” + +“Thank God!” Frank exclaimed, “Childers is all right.” + +It was well, however, that the boat arrived when it did, for Childers +was utterly exhausted when it reached him. The sea had risen so high +that the waves broke against his feet, throwing the spray far above his +head, and often nearly washing him from the ledge on which he stood. +Had it not been, indeed, for the hold which he obtained of the cliff, it +would several times have swept him away. About eighteen inches above +his head he had found a ledge sufficiently wide to give a grip for his +hands, and hanging by these he managed to retain his place when three +times his feet were swept off the rock by the rush of water. The tide +was just on the turn when the boat arrived, and so exhausted was he that +he certainly would not have been able to hold out for the half hour's +buffeting to which he would have been exposed before the water fell +sufficiently to leave him. After helping him into the boat the men +gathered the clothes jammed in fissures of the cliffs. These were, of +course, drenched with water, but had for the most part remained firm in +their places. They now pulled round to the spot where Frank and Ruthven +were awaiting them. + +“Childers must have been pretty nearly done,” Frank said. “He must be +lying in the bottom of the boat.” + +Childers gave a smile of pleasure as his schoolfellows jumped on board. +He had, glancing over his shoulder, seen them drift out of sight round +the point, and had felt certain that they had reached shore. It was, +however, a great pleasure to be assured of the fact. + +“You have made quite a stir upon the beach, young gentlemen,” the +coxswain of the boat said. “When they two came running up without their +shoes or coats and said there were three of you cut off in the bay under +the Foreland, there didn't seem much chance for you. It didn't take us +two minutes to launch the boat, for there were a score of hands helping +to run her down; and my mates bent to it well, I can tell you, though we +didn't think it would be of any use. We were glad when we made you two +out on this side of the point. Look, there's half Deal and Walmer coming +along the shore.” + +It was as the boatman said. Numbers of persons were streaming along the +beach, and loud were the cheers which rose as the coxswain stood up and +shouted in a stentorian voice, “All saved!” + +Frank put on his things as they approached Walmer. His shoes were lost, +as were those of Ruthven, and he had difficulty in getting his arms into +his wet and shrunken jacket. Quite a crowd were gathered near the castle +as the boat rowed to shore, and a hearty cheer arose as it was run up +on the shingle and the boys were helped out. Frank and Ruthven, indeed, +required no assistance. They were in no way the worse for the adventure, +but Childers was so weak that he was unable to stand. He was carried up +and laid on a fly, the others sitting opposite, the driver having first +taken the precaution of removing the cushions. + +There were among the crowd most of the boys from Dr. Parker's. Goodall +and Jackson had arrived nearly an hour and a half before, and the news +had spread like wildfire. Bats and balls had been thrown down and every +one had hurried to the beach. Goodall and his companion had already +related the circumstance of their being cut off by the water and taken +round the point by Frank; and as Ruthven on jumping out had explained +to his comrades who flocked round to shake his hand, “I owe my life to +Hargate,” the enthusiasm reached boiling point, and Frank had difficulty +in taking his place in the fly, so anxious were all to shake his hand +and pat him on the shoulder. Had it not been for his anxiety to get home +as soon as possible, and his urgent entreaties, they would have carried +him on their shoulders in triumph through the town. They drove first to +the school, where Childers was at once carried up to a bed, which had +been prepared with warm blankets in readiness; Ruthven needed only to +change his clothes. + +The moment they had left the fly Frank drove straight home, and was +delighted at finding, from his mother's exclamation of surprise as he +alighted from the cab, that she had not been suffering any anxiety, no +one, in the general excitement, having thought of taking the news to +her. In answer to her anxious inquiries he made light of the affair, +saying only that they had stupidly allowed themselves to be cut off +by the sea and had got a ducking. It was not, indeed, till the next +morning, when the other four boys came around to tell Mrs. Hargate that +they were indebted to Frank for their lives, that she had any notion +that he had been in danger. + +Frank was quite oppressed by what he called the fuss which was made over +the affair. A thrilling description of it appeared in the local papers. +A subscription was got up in the school, and a gold watch with an +inscription was presented to him; and he received letters of heart +felt thanks from the parents of his four schoolfellows, for Childers +maintained that it was entirely to Frank's coolness and thoughtfulness +that his preservation was also due. + +On the following Wednesday the school broke up. Frank had several +invitations from the boys to spend his holidays with them; but he knew +how lonely his mother would feel in his absence, and he declined all the +invitations. Mrs. Hargate was far from strong, and had had several fits +of fainting. These, however, had taken place at times when Frank was at +school, and she had strictly charged her little servant to say nothing +about it. + +One day on returning from a long walk he saw the doctor's carriage +standing at the door. Just as he arrived the door opened and the doctor +came out. Upon seeing Frank he turned. + +“Come in here, my boy,” he said. + +Frank followed him, and seeing that the blinds were down, went to draw +them up. The doctor laid his hand on his arm. + +“Never mind that,” he said gently. + +“My boy,” he said, “do you know that your mother has been for some time +ailing?” + +“No, indeed,” Frank said with a gasp of pain and surprise. + +“It is so, my boy. I have been attending her for some time. She has +been suffering from fainting fits brought on by weakness of the heart's +action. Two hours since I was sent for and found her unconscious. My +poor boy, you must compose yourself. God is good and merciful, though +his decrees are hard to bear. Your mother passed away quietly half an +hour since, without recovering consciousness.” + +Frank gave a short cry, and then sat stunned by the suddenness of the +blow. The doctor drew out a small case from his pocket and poured a +few drops from the phial into a glass, added some water, and held it to +Frank's lips. + +“Drink this, my boy,” he said. + +Frank turned his head from the offered glass. He could not speak. + +“Drink this, my boy,” the doctor said again; “it will do you good. Try +and be strong for the sake of your little sister, who has only you in +the world now.” + +The thought of Lucy touched the right chord in the boy's heart, and he +burst into a passionate fit of crying. The doctor allowed his tears to +flow unchecked. + +“You will be better now,” he said presently. “Now drink this, then lie +down on the sofa. We must not be having you ill, you know.” + +Frank gulped down the contents of the glass, and, passive as a child, +allowed the doctor to place him upon the sofa. + +“God help and strengthen you, my poor boy,” he said; “ask help from +Him.” + +For an hour Frank lay sobbing on the sofa, and then, remembering the +doctor's last words, he knelt beside it and prayed for strength. + +A week had passed. The blinds were up again. Mrs. Hargate had been laid +in her last home, and Frank was sitting alone again in the little parlor +thinking over what had best be done. The outlook was a dark one, enough +to shake the courage of one much older than Frank. His mother's pension, +he knew, died with her. He had, on the doctor's advice, written to +the War Office on the day following his mother's death, to inform the +authorities of the circumstances, and to ask if any pension could +be granted to his sister. The reply had arrived that morning and had +relieved him of the greatest of his cares. It stated that as he was +now just fifteen years old he was not eligible for a pension, but that +twenty-five pounds a year would be paid to his sister until she married +or attained the age of twenty-one. + +He had spoken to the doctor that morning, and the latter said that he +knew a lady who kept a small school, and who would, he doubted not, be +willing to receive Lucy and to board and clothe her for that sum. She +was a very kind and motherly person, and he was sure that Lucy would be +most kindly treated and cared for by her. It was then of his own future +only that Frank had to think. There were but a few pounds in the house, +but the letter from the War Office inclosed a check for twenty pounds, +as his mother's quarterly pension was just due. The furniture of the +little house would fetch but a small sum, not more, Frank thought, than +thirty or forty pounds. There were a few debts to pay, and after all was +settled up there would remain about fifty pounds. Of this he determined +to place half in the doctor's hands for the use of Lucy. + +“She will want,” he said to himself, “a little pocket money. It is hard +on a girl having no money to spend of her own. Then, as she gets on, she +may need lessons in something or other. Besides, half the money rightly +belongs to her, The question is, What am I to do?” + + + +CHAPTER V: ALONE IN THE WORLD + + +“What am I to do?” + +A difficult question indeed, for a boy of fifteen, with but twenty-five +pounds, and without a friend in the world. Was he, indeed, without a +friend? he asked himself. There was Dr. Parker. Should he apply to him? +But the doctor had started for a trip on the Continent the day after +the school had broken up, and would not return for six weeks. It was +possible that, had he been at home, he might have offered to keep Frank +for a while; but the boys seldom stayed at his school past the age +of fifteen, going elsewhere to have their education completed. What +possible claim had he to quarter himself upon the doctor for the next +four years, even were the offer made? No, Frank felt; he could not live +upon the doctor's charity. Then there were the parents of the boys he +had saved from drowning. But even as he sat alone Frank's face flushed +at the thought of trading upon services so rendered. The boy's chief +fault was pride. It was no petty feeling, and he had felt no shame at +being poorer than the rest of his schoolfellows. It was rather a pride +which led him unduly to rely upon himself, and to shrink from accepting +favors from any one. Frank might well, without any derogation, have +written to his friends, telling them of the loss he had suffered and the +necessity there was for him to earn his living, and asking them to beg +their fathers to use their interest to procure him a situation as a boy +clerk, or any other position in which he could earn his livelihood. + +Frank, however, shrunk from making any such appeal, and determined +to fight his battle without asking for help. He knew nothing of his +parents' relations. His father was an only son, who had been left early +an orphan. His mother, too, had, he was aware, lost both her parents, +and he had never heard her speak of other relations. There was no one, +therefore, so far as he knew, to whom he could appeal on the ground of +ties of blood. It must be said for him that he had no idea how hard was +the task which he was undertaking. It seemed to him that it must be easy +for a strong, active lad to find employment of some sort in London. What +the employment might be he cared little for. He had no pride of that +kind, and so that he could earn his bread he cared not much in what +capacity he might do it. + +Already preparations had been made for the sale of the furniture, +which was to take place next day. Everything was to be sold except the +scientific books which had belonged to his father. These had been packed +in a great box until the time when he might place them in a library of +his own, and the doctor kindly offered to keep it for him until such +time should arrive. Frank wrote a long letter to Ruthven, telling him of +his loss, and his reasons for leaving Deal, and promising to write some +day and tell him how he was getting on in London. This letter he did +not intend to post until the last thing before leaving Deal. Lucy had +already gone to her new home, and Frank felt confident that she would be +happy there. His friend, the doctor, who had tried strongly, but without +avail, to dissuade Frank from going up to London to seek his fortune +there, had promised that if the lad referred any inquiries to him he +would answer for his character. + +He went down to the beach the last evening and said goodbye to his +friends among the fishermen, and he walked over in the afternoon and +took his last meal with Farmer Gregson. + +“Look ye here, my lad,” the farmer said as they parted. “I tell ye, from +what I've heerd, this London be a hard nut to crack. There be plenty of +kernel, no doubt, when you can get at it, but it be hard work to open +the shell. Now, if so be as at any time you run short of money, just +drop me a line, and there's ten pound at your service whenever you like. +Don't you think it's an obligation. Quite the other way. It would be a +real pleasure to me to lend you a helping hand.” + +Two days after the sale Frank started for London. On getting out of the +train he felt strange and lonely amid the bustle and confusion which was +going on on the platform. The doctor had advised him to ask one of +the porters, or a policeman, if he could recommend him to a quiet and +respectable lodging, as expenses at an hotel would soon make a deep +hole in his money. He, therefore, as soon as the crowd cleared away, +addressed himself to one of the porters. + +“What sort of lodgings do you want, sir?” the man said, looking at him +rather suspiciously, with, as Frank saw, a strong idea in his mind that +he was a runaway schoolboy. + +“I only want one room,” he said, “and I don't care how small it is, so +that it is clean and quiet. I shall be out all day, and should not give +much trouble.” + +The porter went away and spoke to some of his mates, and presently +returned with one of them. + +“You're wanting a room I hear, sir,” the man said. “I have a little +house down the Old Kent Road, and my missus lets a room or two. It's +quiet and clean, I'll warrant you. We have one room vacant at present.” + +“I'm sure that would suit me very well,” Frank said. “How much do you +charge a week?” + +“Three and sixpence, sir, if you don't want any cooking done.” + +Frank took the address, and leaving his portmanteau in charge of the +porter, who promised, unless he heard to the contrary, that he would +bring it home with him when he had done his work, he set off from the +station. + +Deal is one of the quietest and most dreary places on the coast of +England, and Frank was perfectly astounded at the crowd and bustle which +filled the street, when he issued from the railway approach, at the foot +of London Bridge. The porter had told him that he was to turn to +his left, and keep straight along until he reached the “Elephant and +Castle.” He had, therefore, no trouble about his road, and was able to +give his whole attention to the sights which met his eye. For a time +the stream of omnibuses, cabs, heavy wagons, and light carts, completely +bewildered him, as did the throng of people who hastened along the +footway. He was depressed rather than exhilarated at the sight of this +busy multitude. He seemed such a solitary atom in the midst of this +great moving crowd. Presently, however, the thought that where so +many millions gained their living there must be room for one boy more, +somewhat cheered him. He was a long time making his way to his place of +destination, for he stared into every shop window, and being, although +he was perfectly ignorant of the fact, on the wrong side of the +pavement, he was bumped and bustled continually, and was not long +in arriving at the conclusion that the people of London must be the +roughest and rudest in the world. It was not until he ran against a +gentleman, and was greeted with the angry, “now then, boy. Where are you +going? Why the deuce don't you keep on your own side of the pavement?” + that he perceived that the moving throng was divided into two currents, +that on the inside meeting him, while the outside stream was proceeding +in the same direction as himself. After this he got on better, and +arrived without adventure at the house of the porter, in the Old Kent +Road. + +It was a small house, but was clean and respectable, and Frank found +that the room would suit him well. + +“I do not wait upon the lodgers,” the landlady said, “except to make the +beds and tidy the rooms in the morning. So if you want breakfast and tea +at home you will have to get them yourself. There is a separate place +downstairs for your coals. There are some tea things, plates and +dishes, in this cupboard. You will want to buy a small tea kettle, and a +gridiron, and a frying pan, in case you want a chop or a rasher. Do you +think you can cook them yourself?” + +“Frank, amused at the thought of cooking and catering for himself, said +boldly that he should soon learn. + +“You are a very young gentleman,” the landlady said, eyeing him +doubtfully, “to be setting up on your own hook. I mean,” she said, +seeing Frank look puzzled, “setting up housekeeping on your own account. +You will have to be particular careful with the frying pan, because +if you were to upset the fat in the fire you might have the house in a +blaze in a jiffey.” + +Frank said that he would certainly be careful with the frying pan. + +“Well,” she went on, “as you're a stranger to the place I don't know +as you could do better than get your tea, and sugar, and things at the +grocer's at the next corner. I deals there myself, and he gives every +satisfaction. My baker will be round in a few minutes, and, if you +likes, I can take in your bread for you. The same with milk.” + +These matters being arranged, and Frank agreeing at once to the +proposition that as he was a stranger it would make things more +comfortable were he to pay his rent in advance, found himself alone in +his new apartment. It was a room about ten feet square. The bed occupied +one corner, with the washstand at its foot. There was a small table in +front of the fireplace, and two chairs; a piece of carpet half covered +the floor, and these with the addition of the articles in the cupboard +constituted the furniture of the room. Feeling hungry after his journey +Frank resolved to go out at once and get something to eat, and then +to lay in a stock of provisions. After some hesitation regarding the +character of the meal he decided upon two Bath buns, determining to make +a substantial tea. He laid in a supply of tea, sugar, butter, and salt, +bought a little kettle, a frying pan, and a gridiron. Then he hesitated +as to whether he should venture upon a mutton chop or some bacon, +deciding finally in favor of the latter, upon the reflection that any +fellow could see whether bacon were properly frizzled up, while as to +a chop there was no seeing anything about it till one cut it. He, +therefore, invested in a pound of prime streaky Wiltshire bacon, +the very best, as the shopman informed him, that could be bought. He +returned carrying all his purchases, with the exception of the hardware. +Then he inquired of his landlady where he could get coal. + +“The green grocer's round the corner,” the landlady said. “Tell him to +send in a hundredweight of the best, that's a shilling, and you'll want +some firewood too.” + +The coal arrived in the course of the afternoon, and at half past six +the porter came in with Frank's trunk. He had by this time lit a fire, +and while the water was boiling got some of his things out of the box, +and by hanging some clothes on the pegs on the back of the door, and by +putting the two or three favorite books he had brought with him on to +the mantelpiece, he gave the room a more homelike appearance. He enjoyed +his tea all the more from the novelty of having to prepare it himself, +and succeeded very fairly for a first attempt with his bacon. + +When tea was over he first washed up the things and then started for a +ramble. He followed the broad straight road to Waterloo Bridge, stood +for a long time looking at the river, and then crossed into the Strand. +The lamps were now alight and the brightness and bustle of the scene +greatly interested him. At nine o'clock he returned to his lodgings, but +was again obliged to sally out, as he found he had forgotten candles. + +After breakfast next morning he went out and bought a newspaper, and set +himself to work to study the advertisements. He was dismayed to find how +many more applicants there were for places than places requiring to be +filled. All the persons advertising were older than himself, and seemed +to possess various accomplishments in the way of languages; many too +could be strongly recommended from their last situation. The prospect +did not look hopeful. In the first place he had looked to see if any +required boy clerks, but this species of assistant appeared little in +demand; and then, although he hoped that it would not come to that, he +ran his eye down the columns to see if any required errand boys or lads +in manufacturing businesses. He found, however, no such advertisements. +However, as he said to himself, it could not be expected that he should +find a place waiting for him on the very day after his arrival, and that +he ought to be able to live for a year on his five and twenty pounds; at +this reflection his spirits rose and he went out again for a walk. + +For the first week, indeed, of his arrival in London Frank did not set +himself very earnestly to work to look for a situation. In his walks +about the streets he several times observed cards in the window +indicating that an errand boy was wanted. He resolved, however, that +this should be the last resource which he would adopt, as he would much +prefer to go to work as a common lad in a factory to serving in a shop. +After the first week he answered many advertisements, but in no case +received a reply. In one case, in which it was stated that a lad who +could write a good fast hand was required in an office, wages to begin +with eight shillings a week, he called two days after writing. It was +a small office with a solitary clerk sitting in it. The latter, upon +learning Frank's business, replied with some exasperation that his mind +was being worried out by boys. + +“We have had four hundred and thirty letters,” he said; “and I should +think that a hundred boys must have called. We took the first who +applied, and all the other letters were chucked into the fire as soon as +we saw what they were about.” + +Frank returned to the street greatly disheartened. + +“Four hundred and thirty letters!” he said. “Four hundred and thirty +other fellows on the lookout, just as I am, for a place as a boy clerk, +and lots of them, no doubt, with friends and relations to recommend +them! The lookout seems to be a bad one.” + +Two days later, when Frank was walking along the strand he noticed the +placards in front of a theater. + +“Gallery one shilling!” he said to himself; “I will go. I have never +seen a theater yet.” + +The play was The Merchant of Venice, and Frank sat in rapt attention +and interest through it. When the performance was over he walked briskly +homewards. When he had proceeded some distance he saw a glare in the sky +ahead, and presently a steam engine dashed past him at full speed. + +“That must be a house on fire,” he said. “I have never seen a fire;” and +he broke into a run. + +Others were running in the same direction, and as he passed the +“Elephant and Castle” the crowd became thicker, and when within fifty +yards of the house he could no longer advance. He could see the flames +now rising high in the air. A horrible fear seized him. + +“It must be,” he exclaimed to himself, “either our house or the one next +door.” + +It was in vain that he pressed forward to see more nearly. A line of +policemen was drawn up across the road to keep a large space clear for +the firemen. Behind the policemen the crowd were thickly packed. Frank +inquired of many who stood near him if they could tell him the number of +the house which was on fire; but none could inform him. + +Presently the flames began to die away, and the crowd to disperse. At +length Frank reached the first line of spectators. + +“Can you tell me the number of the houses which are burned?” Frank said +to a policeman. + +“There are two of them,” the policeman said “a hundred and four and a +hundred and five. A hundred and four caught first, and they say that a +woman and two children have been burned to death.” + +“That is where I live!” Frank cried. “Oh, please let me pass!” + +“I'll pass you in,” the policeman said good naturedly, and he led him +forward to the spot where the engines were playing upon the burning +houses. “Is it true, mate,” he asked a fireman, “that a woman and two +children have been burned?” + +“It's true enough,” the fireman said. “The landlady and her children. +Her husband was a porter at the railway station, and had been detained +on overtime. He only came back a quarter of an hour ago, and he's been +going on like a madman;” and he pointed to the porter, who was sitting +down on the doorsteps of a house facing his own, with his face hidden in +his hands. + +Frank went and sat down beside him. + +“My poor fellow,” he said, “I am sorry for you.” + +Frank had had many chats with his landlord of an evening, and had become +quite friendly with him and his wife. + +“I can't believe it,” the man said huskily. “Just to think! When I went +out this morning there was Jane and the kids, as well and as happy as +ever, and there, where are they now?” + +“Happier still,” Frank said gently. “I lost my mother just as suddenly +only five weeks ago. I went out for a walk, leaving her as well as +usual, and when I came back she was dead; so I can feel for you with all +my heart.” + +“I would have given my life for them,” the man said, wiping his eyes, +“willing.” + +“I'm sure you would,” Frank answered. + +“There's the home gone,” the man said, “with all the things that it took +ten years' savings of Jane and me to buy; not that that matters one way +or the other now. And your traps are gone, too, I suppose, sir.” + +“Yes,” Frank replied quietly, “I have lost my clothes and twenty-three +pounds in money; every penny I've got in the world except half a crown +in my pocket.” + +“And you don't say nothing about it!” the man said, roused into +animation. “But, there, perhaps you've friends as will make it up to +you.” + +“I have no one in the world,” Frank answered, “whom I could ask to give +me a helping hand.” + +“Well, you are a plucky chap,” the man said. “That would be a knock down +blow to a man, let alone a boy like you. What are you going to do now?” + he asked, forgetting for the moment his own loss, in his interest in his +companion. + +“I don't know,” Frank replied. “Perhaps,” he added, seeing that the +interest in his condition roused the poor fellow from the thought of +his own deep sorrow, “you might give me some advice. I was thinking of +getting a place in an office, but of course I must give that up now, and +should be thankful to get anything by which I can earn my bread.” + +“You come along with me,” the man said rising. “You've done me a heap of +good. It's no use sitting here. I shall go back to the station, and turn +in on some sacks. If you've nothing better to do, and nowhere to go to, +you come along with me. We will talk it all over.” + +Pleased to have some one to talk to, and glad that he should not have to +look for a place to sleep, Frank accompanied the porter to the station. +With a word or two to the nightmen on duty, the porter led the way to a +shed near the station, where a number of sacks were heaped in a corner. + +“Now,” the man said, “I will light a pipe. It's against the regulations, +but that's neither here nor there now. Now, if you're not sleepy, would +you mind talking to me? Tell me something about yourself, and how you +come to be alone here in London. It does me good to talk. It prevents me +from thinking.” + +“There is very little to tell,” Frank said; and he related to him the +circumstances of the deaths of his father and mother, and how it came +that he was alone in London in search of a place. + +“You're in a fix,” the porter said. + +“Yes, I can see that.” + +“You see you're young for most work, and you never had no practice +with horses, or you might have got a place to drive a light cart. Then, +again, your knowing nothing of London is against you as an errand boy; +and what's worse than all this, anyone can see with half an eye that +you're a gentleman, and not accustomed to hard work. However, we will +think it over. The daylight's breaking now, and I has to be at work at +six. But look ye here, young fellow, tomorrow I've got to look for a +room, and when I gets it there's half of it for you, if you're not too +proud to accept it. It will be doing me a real kindness, I can tell you, +for what I am to do alone of an evening without Jane and the kids, God +knows. I can't believe they're gone yet.” + +Then the man threw himself down upon the sacks, and broke into sobs. +Frank listened for half an hour till these gradually died away, and he +knew by the regular breathing that his companion was asleep. It was long +after this before he himself closed his eyes. The position did, indeed, +appear a dark one. Thanks to the offer of his companion, which he at +once resolved to accept for a time, he would have a roof to sleep under. +But this could not last; and what was he to do? Perhaps he had been +wrong in not writing at once to Ruthven and his schoolfellows. He even +felt sure he had been wrong; but it would be ten times as hard to write +now. He would rather starve than do this. How was he to earn his living? +He would, he determined, at any rate try for a few days to procure a +place as an errand boy. If that failed, he would sell his clothes, and +get a rough working suit. He was sure that he should have more chance of +obtaining work in such a dress than in his present attire. + +Musing thus, Frank at last dropped off to sleep. When he woke he found +himself alone, his companion having left without disturbing him. From +the noises around him of trains coming in and out, Frank judged that the +hour was late. + +“I have done one wise thing,” he said, “anyhow, and as far as I can +see it's the only one, in leaving my watch with the doctor to keep. He +pointed out that I might have it stolen if I carried it, and that there +was no use in keeping it shut up in a box. Very possibly it might be +stolen by the dishonesty of a servant. That's safe anyhow, and it is my +only worldly possession, except the books, and I would rather go into +the workhouse than part with either of them.” + +Rising, he made his way into the station, where he found the porter at +his usual work. + +“I would not wake you,” the man said; “you were sleeping so quiet, and I +knew 'twas no use your getting up early. I shall go out and settle for +a room at dinner time. If you will come here at six o'clock we'll go +off together. The mates have all been very kind, and have been making a +collection to bury my poor girl and the kids. They've found 'em, and the +inquest is tomorrow, so I shall be off work. The governor has offered +me a week; but there, I'd rather be here where there's no time for +thinking, than hanging about with nothing to do but to drink.” + + + +CHAPTER VI: THE FIRST STEP + + +All that day Frank tramped the streets. He went into many shops where +he saw notices that an errand boy was required, but everywhere without +success. He perceived at once that his appearance was against him, and +he either received the abrupt answer of, “You're not the sort of chap +for my place,” or an equally decided refusal upon the grounds that +he did not know the neighborhood, or that they preferred one who had +parents who lived close by and could speak for him. + +At six o'clock he rejoined the porter. He brought with him some bread +and butter and a piece of bacon. When, on arriving at the lodging of +his new friend, a neat room with two small beds in it, he produced and +opened his parcel, the porter said angrily, “Don't you do that again, +young fellow, or we shall have words. You're just coming to stop with +me for a bit till you see your way, and I'm not going to have you bring +things in here. My money is good for two months, and your living here +with me won't cost three shillings a week. So don't you hurt my feelings +by bringing things home again. There, don't say no more about it.” + +Frank, seeing that his companion was really in earnest, said no more, +and was the less reluctant to accept the other's kindness as he saw that +his society was really a great relief to him in his trouble. After the +meal they sallied out to a second hand clothes shop. Here Frank disposed +of his things, and received in return a good suit of clothes fit for a +working lad. + +“I don't know how it is,” the porter said as they sat together +afterwards, “but a gentleman looks like a gentleman put him in what +clothes you will. I could have sworn to your being that if I'd never +seen you before. I can't make it out, I don't know what it is, but +there's certainly something in gentle blood, whatever you may say +about it. Some of my mates are forever saying that one man's as good as +another. Now I don't mean to say they ain't as good; but what I say is, +as they ain't the same. One man ain't the same as another any more than +a race horse is the same as a cart horse. They both sprang from the same +stock, at least so they says; but breeding and feeding and care has made +one into a slim boned creature as can run like the wind, while the other +has got big bones and weight and can drag his two ton after him without +turning a hair. Now, I take it, it's the same thing with gentlefolks and +working men. It isn't that one's bigger than the other, for I don't see +much difference that way; but a gentleman's lighter in the bone, and +his hands and his feet are smaller, and he carries himself altogether +different. His voice gets a different tone. Why, Lord bless you, when I +hears two men coming along the platform at night, even when I can't see +'em, and can't hear what they says, only the tone of their voices, I +knows just as well whether it's a first class or a third door as I've +got to open as if I saw 'em in the daylight. Rum, ain't it?” + +Frank had never thought the matter out, and could only give his general +assent to his companion's proposition. + +“Now,” the porter went on, “if you go into a factory or workshop, I'll +bet a crown to a penny that before you've been there a week you'll get +called Gentleman Jack, or some such name. You see if you ain't.” + +“I don't care what they call me,” Frank laughed, “so that they'll take +me into the factory.” + +“All in good time,” the porter said; “don't you hurry yourself. As +long as you can stay here you'll be heartily welcome. Just look what +a comfort it is to have you sitting here sociable and comfortable. You +don't suppose I could have sat here alone in this room if you hadn't +been here? I should have been in a public house making a beast of +myself, and spending as much money as would keep the pair of us.” + +Day after day Frank went out in search of work. In his tramps he visited +scores of workshops and factories, but without success. Either they +did not want boys, or they declined altogether to take one who had no +experience in work, and had no references in the neighborhood. Frank +took his breakfast and tea with the porter, and was glad that the latter +had his dinner at the station, as a penny loaf served his purposes. One +day in his walks Frank entered Covent Garden and stood looking on at the +bustle and flow of business, for it happened to be market day. He leaned +against one of the columns of the piazza, eating the bread he had just +bought. Presently a sharp faced lad, a year or two younger than himself, +came up to him. + +“Give us a hit,” he said, “I ain't tasted nothing today.” + +Frank broke the bread in half and gave a portion to him. + +“What a lot there is going on here!” Frank said. + +“Law!” the boy answered, “that ain't nothing to what it is of a morning. +That's the time, 'special on the mornings of the flower market. It's +hard lines if a chap can't pick up a tanner or even a bob then.” + +“How?” Frank asked eagerly. + +“Why, by holding horses, helping to carry out plants, and such like. You +seems a green 'un, you do. Up from the country, eh? Don't seem like one +of our sort.” + +“Yes,” Frank said, “I'm just up from the country. I thought it would be +easy to get a place in London, but I don't find it so.” + +“A place!” the boy repeated scornfully. “I should like any one to see me +in a place. It's better a hundred times to be your own master.” + +“Even if you do want a piece of bread sometimes?” Frank put in. + +“Yes,” the boy said. “When it ain't market day and ye haven't saved +enough to buy a few papers or boxes of matches it does come hard. In +winter the times is bad, but in summer we gets on fairish, and there +ain't nothing to grumble about. Are you out of work yourself?” + +“Yes,” Frank answered, “I'm on the lookout for a job.” + +“You'd have a chance here in the morning,” said the boy, looking at him. +“You look decent, and might get a job unloading. They won't have us at +no price, if they can help it.” + +“I will come and try anyhow,” Frank said. + +That evening Frank told his friend, the porter, that he thought of going +out early next morning to try and pick up odd jobs at Covent Garden. + +“Don't you think of it,” the porter said. “There's nothing worse for a +lad than taking to odd jobs. It gets him into bad ways and bad company. +Don't you hurry. I have spoken to lots of my mates, and they're all on +the lookout for you. We on the platform can't do much. It ain't in our +line, you see; but in the goods department, where they are constant +with vans and wagons and such like, they are likely enough to hear of +something before long.” + +That night, thinking matters over in bed, Frank determined to go down to +the docks and see if he could get a place as cabin boy. He had had this +idea in his mind ever since he lost his money, and had only put it aside +in order that he might, if possible, get some berth on shore which might +seem likely in the end to afford him a means of making his way up again. +It was not that he was afraid of the roughness of a cabin boy's life; it +was only because he knew that it would be so very long before, working +his way up from boy to able bodied seaman, he could obtain a mate's +certificate, and so make a first step up the ladder. However, he thought +that even this would be better than going as a wagoner's boy, and he +accordingly crossed London Bridge, turned down Eastcheap, and presently +found himself in Ratcliff Highway. He was amused here at the nautical +character of the shops, and presently found himself staring into a +window full of foreign birds, for the most part alive in cages, among +which, however, were a few cases of stuffed birds. + +“How stupid I have been!” he thought to himself. “I wonder I never +thought of it before! I can stuff birds and beasts at any rate a deal +better than those wooden looking things. I might have a chance of +getting work at some naturalist's shop. I will get a directory and take +down all the addresses in London, and then go around.” + +He now became conscious of a conversation going on between a little old +man with a pair of thick horn rimmed spectacles and a sailor who had a +dead parrot and a cat in his hand. + +“I really cannot undertake them,” the old man said. “Since the death of +my daughter I have had but little time to attend to that branch. What +with buying and selling, and feeding and attending to the live ones, I +have no time for stuffing. Besides, if the things were poisoned, they +would not be worth stuffing.” + +“It isn't the question of worth, skipper,” the sailor said; “and I don't +say, mind ye, that these here critturs was pisoned, only if you looks +at it that this was the noisiest bird and the worst tempered thievingest +cat in the neighborhood--though, Lord bless you, my missus wouldn't +allow it for worlds--why, you know, when they were both found stiff and +cold this morning people does have a sort of a suspicion as how they've +been pisoned;” and he winked one eye in a portentous manner, and grinned +hugely. “The missus she's in a nice taking, screeching, and yelling as +you might hear her two cables' length away, and she turns round on me +and will have it as I'd a hand in the matter. Well, just to show my +innocence, I offers to get a glass case for 'em and have 'em stuffed, +if it cost me a couple of pounds. I wouldn't care if they fell all to +pieces a week afterwards, so that it pacified the old woman just at +present. If I can't get 'em done I shall ship at once, for the place +will be too hot to hold me. So you can't do it nohow?” + +The old man shook his head, and the sailor was just turning off when +Frank went up to him: + +“Will you please wait a moment? Can I speak to you, sir, a minute?” he +asked the old man. + +The naturalist went into his shop, and Frank followed him. + +“I can stuff birds and animals, sir,” he said. “I think I really stuff +them well, for some which I did for amusement were sold at ten shillings +a case, and the man who bought them of me told me they would be worth +four times as much in London. I am out of work, sir, and very very +anxious to get my living. You will find me hard working and honest. Do +give me a chance. Let me stuff that cat and parrot for the sailor. If +you are not satisfied then, I will go away and charge nothing for it.” + +The man looked at him keenly. + +“I will at any rate give you a trial,” he said. Then he went to the door +and called in the sailor. “This lad tells me he can stuff birds. I know +nothing about him, but I believe he is speaking truthfully. If you like +to intrust them to him he will do his best. If you're not satisfied he +will make no charge.” + +Much pleased at seeing a way out of his dilemma, the sailor placed the +dead animals on the counter. + +“Now,” the old man said to Frank, “you can take these out into the back +yard and skin them. Then you can go to work in that back room. You will +find arsenical soap, cotton wool, wires, and everything else you require +there. This has been a fine cat,” he said, looking at the animal. + +“Yes, it has been a splendid creature,” Frank answered. “It is a +magnificent macaw also.” + +“Ah! you know it is a macaw!” the old man said. + +“Of course,” Frank said simply; “it has a tail.” + +The old man then furnished Frank with two or three sharp knives and +scissors. Taking the bird and cat, he went out into the yard and in the +course of an hour had skinned them both. Then he returned to the shop +and set to work in the room behind. + +“May I make a group of them?” he asked. + +“Do them just as you like,” the old man said. + +After settling upon his subject, Frank set to work, and, except that +he went out for five minutes to buy and eat a penny loaf, continued his +work till nightfall. The old man came in several times to look at him, +but each time went out again without making a remark. At six o'clock +Frank laid down his tools. + +“I will come again tomorrow, sir,” he said. + +The old man nodded, and Frank went home in high spirits. There was a +prospect at last of getting something to do, and that in a line most +congenial to his own tastes. + +The old man looked up when he entered next morning. + +“I shall not come in today,” he remarked. “I will wait to see them +finished.” + +Working without interruption till the evening, Frank finished them to +his satisfaction, and enveloped them with many wrappings of thread to +keep them in precisely the attitudes in which he had placed them. + +“They are ready for drying now, sir,” he said. “If I might place them in +an oven they would be dried by morning.” + +The old man led the way to the kitchen, where a small fire was burning. + +“I shall put no more coals on the fire,” he said, “and it will be out in +a quarter of an hour. Put them in there and leave the door open. I will +close it in an hour when the oven cools.” + +The next day Frank was again at work. It took him all day to get fur and +feather to lie exactly as he wished them. In the afternoon he asked the +naturalist for a piece of flat board, three feet long, and a perch, but +said that instead of the piece of board he should prefer mounting them +in a case at once. The old man had not one in the shop large enough, +and therefore Frank arranged his group temporarily on the table. On the +board lay the cat. At first sight she seemed asleep, but it was clearly +only seeming. Her eyes were half open, the upper lip was curled up, and +the sharp teeth showed. The hind feet were drawn somewhat under her as +in readiness for an instant spring. Her front paws were before her, the +talons were somewhat stretched, and one paw was curved. Her ears lay +slightly back. She was evidently on the point of springing. The macaw +perch, which had been cut down to a height of two feet, stood behind +her. The bird hung by its feet, and, head downwards, stretched with open +beak towards the tip of the cat's tail, which was slightly uplifted. On +a piece of paper Frank wrote, “Dangerous Play.” + +It was evening before he had finished perfectly to his satisfaction. +Then he called the naturalist in. The old man stopped at the door, +surveying the group. Then he entered and examined it carefully. + +“Wonderful!” he said. “Wonderful! I should have thought them alive. +There is not a shop in the West End where it could have been turned out +better, if so well. + +“Lad, you are a wonder! Tell me now who and what are you? I saw when you +first addressed me that you were not what you seemed to be, a working +lad.” + +“I have been well educated,” Frank said, “and was taught to preserve +and stuff by my father, who was a great naturalist. My parents died +suddenly, and I was left on my own resources, which,” he said, smiling +faintly, “have hitherto proved of very small avail. I am glad you are +pleased. If you will take me into your service I will work hard and make +myself useful in every way. If you require references I can refer you +to the doctor who attended us in the country; but I have not a single +friend in London except a railway porter, who has most kindly and +generously taken me in and sheltered me for the last two months.” + +“I need no references,” the old man said; “your work speaks for itself +as to your skill, and your face for your character. But I can offer +you nothing fit for you. With such a genius as you have for setting up +animals, you ought to be able to earn a good income. Not one man in a +thousand can make a dead animal look like a live one. You have the knack +or the art.” + +“I shall be very content with anything you can give me,” Frank said; +“for the present I only ask to earn my living. If later on I can, as you +say, do more, all the better.” + +The old man stood for some time thinking, and presently said, “I do but +little except in live stock. When I had my daughter with me I did a +good deal of stuffing, for there is a considerable trade hereabout. The +sailors bring home skins of foreign birds, and want them stuffed and put +in cases, as presents for their wives and sweethearts. You work fast as +well as skillfully. I have known men who would take a fortnight to do +such a group as that, and then it would be a failure. It will be quite a +new branch for my trade. I do not know how it will act yet, but to begin +with I will give you twelve shillings a week, and a room upstairs. If +it succeeds we will make other arrangements. I am an old man, and a very +lonely one. I shall be glad to have such a companion.” + +Frank joyfully embraced the offer, and ran all the way home to tell his +friend, the porter, of the engagement. + +“I am very glad,” the man said; “heartily glad. I shall miss you sorely. +I do not know what I should have done without you when I first lost poor +Jane and the kids. But now I can go back to my old ways again.” + +“Perhaps,” Frank suggested, “you might arrange to have a room also in +the house. It would not be a very long walk, not above twenty or five +and twenty minutes, and I should be so glad to have you with me.” + +The man sat silent for a time. “No,” he said at last, “I thank you all +the same. I should like it too, but I don't think it would be best in +the end. Here all my mates live near, and I shall get on in time. The +Christmas holiday season will soon be coming on and we shall be up +working late. If you were always going to stop at the place you are +going to, it would be different; but you will rise, never fear. I shall +be seeing you in gentleman's clothes again some of these days. I've +heard you say you were longing to get your books and to be studying +again, and you'll soon fall into your own ways; but if you will let me, +I'll come over sometimes and have a cup of tea and a chat with you. Now, +look here, I'm going out with you now, and I'm going to buy you a suit +of clothes, something like what you had on when I first saw you. They +won't be altogether unsuitable in a shop. This is a loan, mind, and you +may pay me off as you get flush.” + +Frank saw he should hurt the good fellow's feelings by refusing, and +accordingly went out with him, and next morning presented himself at the +shop in a quiet suit of dark gray tweed, and with his other clothes in a +bundle. + +“Aha!” said the old man; “you look more as you ought to do now, though +you're a cut above an assistant in a naturalist's shop in Ratcliff +Highway. Now, let me tell you the names of some of these birds. They +are, every one of them, foreigners; some of them I don't know myself.” + +“I can tell all the family names,” Frank said quietly, “and the species, +but I do not know the varieties.” + +“Can you!” the old man said in surprise. “What is this now?” + +“That is a mockingbird, the great black capped mockingbird, I think. The +one next to it is a golden lory.” + +So Frank went round all the cages and perches in the shop. + +“Right in every case,” the old man said enthusiastically; “I shall have +nothing to teach you. The sailor has been here this morning. I offered +him two pounds for the cat and bird to put in my front window, but he +would not take it, and has paid me that sum for your work. Here it is. +This is yours, you know. You were not in my employment then, and you +will want some things to start with, no doubt. Now come upstairs, I will +show you your room. I had intended at first to give you the one at the +back, but I have decided now on giving you my daughter's. I think you +will like it.” + +Frank did like it greatly. It was the front room on the second +floor. The old man's daughter had evidently been a woman of taste and +refinement. The room was prettily papered, a quiet carpet covered the +floor, and the furniture was neat and in good keeping. Two pairs of +spotless muslin curtains hung across the windows. + +“I put them up this morning,” the old man said, nodding. “I have got the +sheets and bedding airing in the kitchen. They have not been out of the +press for the last three years. You can cook in the kitchen. There is +always a fire there. + +“Now, the first thing to do,” he went on when they returned to the shop, +“will be for you to mount a dozen cases for the windows. These drawers +are full of skins of birds and small animals. I get them for next +to nothing from the sailors, and sell them to furriers and feather +preparers, who supply ladies' hat and bonnet makers. In future, I +propose that you shall mount them and sell them direct. We shall get far +higher prices than we do now. I seem to be putting most of the work on +your shoulders, but do not want you to help me in the shop. I will look +after the birds and buy and sell as I used to do; you will have the back +room private to yourself for stuffing and mounting.” + +Frank was delighted at this allotment of labor, and was soon at work +rummaging the drawers and picking out specimens for mounting, and made +a selection sufficient to keep him employed for weeks. That evening he +sallied out and expended his two pounds in underlinen, of which he was +sorely in need. As he required them his employer ordered showcases for +the window, of various sizes, getting the backgrounds painted and fitted +up as Frank suggested. + +Frank did not get on so fast with his work as he had hoped, for the fame +of the sailor's cat and macaw spread rapidly in the neighborhood, and +there was a perfect rush of sailors and their wives anxious to have +birds and skins, which had been brought from abroad, mounted. The sailor +himself looked in one day. + +“If you like another two pounds for that 'ere cat, governor, I'm game +to pay you. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. Every one's +wanting to see 'em, and there's the old woman dressed up in her Sunday +clothes a-sitting in the parlor as proud as a peacock a showing of 'em +off. The house ain't been so quiet since I married. Them animals would +be cheap to me at a ten pound note. They'll get you no end of orders, I +can tell you.” + +The orders, indeed, came in much faster than Frank could fulfill them, +although he worked twelve hours a day; laying aside all other work, +however, for three hours in order to devote himself to the shop cases, +which were to be chef d'oeuvres. + + + +CHAPTER VII: AN OLD FRIEND + + +For three months Frank passed a quiet and not unpleasant life with the +old naturalist in Ratcliff Highway. The latter took a great liking to +him, and treated him like a son rather than an assistant. The two took +their meals together now, and Frank's salary had been raised from twelve +to eighteen shillings a week. So attractive had the cases in the windows +proved that quite a little crowd was generally collected round them, and +the business had greatly augmented. The old naturalist was less pleased +at this change than most men would have been in his position. He had got +into a groove and did not care to get out of it. He had no relatives or +any one dependent on him, and he had been well content to go on in a jog +trot way, just paying his expenses of shop and living. The extra bustle +and push worried rather than pleased him. + +“I am an old man,” he said to Frank one day, as after the shop was +closed they sat over their tea. “I have no motive in laying by money, +and had enough for my wants. I was influenced more by my liking for +your face and my appreciation of your talent, than by any desire of +increasing my business. I am taking now three times as much as I did +before. Now I should not mind, indeed, I should be glad, if I thought +that you would succeed me here as a son would do. I would gladly take +you into partnership with me, and you would have the whole business +after my death. But I know, my boy, that it wouldn't do. I know that the +time will come when you will not be content with so dull a life here. +You will either get an offer from some West End house which would open +higher prospects to you, or you will be wandering away as a collector. +In any case you would not stop here, of that I am quite sure, and +therefore do not care, as I should have done, had you been my son, for +the increase of the business. As it is, lad, I could not even wish to +see you waste your life here.” + +Frank, after he was once fairly settled at his new work, had written +to his friend the doctor, at Deal, telling him of the position he had +taken, and that he was in a fair way to make at least a comfortable +living, and that at a pursuit of which he was passionately fond. He +asked him, however, while writing to him from time to time to give him +news of his sister, not to tell any one his address, as although he was +not ashamed of his berth, still he would rather that, until he had made +another step up in life, his old schoolfellows should not know of his +whereabouts. He had also written to his friend Ruthven a bright chatty +letter, telling him somewhat of his adventures in London and the loss of +his money, and saying that he had now got employment at a naturalist's, +with every chance of making his way. + +“When I mount a bit higher,” he concluded, “I shall be awfully glad to +see you again, and will let you know what my address may then be. +For the present I had rather keep it dark. If you will write to me, +addressed to the General Post Office, telling me all about yourself and +the fellows at school, I shall be very, very glad to get your letter. I +suppose you will be breaking up for Christmas in a few days.” + +Christmas came and went. It was signalized to Frank only by the despatch +of a pretty present to Lucy, and the receipt of a letter from her +written in a round childish hand. A week afterwards he heard somebody +come into the shop. His employer was out, and he therefore went into the +shop. + +“I knew it was!” shouted a voice. “My dear old Frank, how are you?” and +his hand was warmly clasped in that of Ruthven. + +“My dear Ruthven,” was all Frank could say. + +“I had intended,” Ruthven exclaimed, “to punch your head directly I +found you; but I am too glad to do it, though you deserve it fifty times +over. What a fellow you are! I wouldn't have believed it of you, running +away in that secret sort of way and letting none of us know anything +about you. Wasn't I angry, and sorry too, when I got the letter you +wrote me from Deal! When I went back to school and found that not even +Dr. Parker, not even your sister, knew where you were, I was mad. So +were all the other fellows. However, I said I would find you wherever +you had hidden yourself.” + +“But how did you find me?” Frank asked greatly moved at the warmth of +his schoolfellow's greeting. + +“Oh! it wasn't so very difficult to find you when once I got your letter +saying what you were doing. The very day I came up to town I began +to hunt about. I found from the Directory there were not such a great +number of shops where they stuffed birds and that sort of thing. I tried +the places in Bond Street, and Piccadilly, and Wigmore Street, and so on +to begin with. Then I began to work east, and directly I saw the things +in the window here I felt sure I had found you at last. You tiresome +fellow! Here I have wasted nearly half my holidays looking for you.” + +“I am so sorry, Ruthven.” + +“Sorry! you ought to be more than sorry. You ought to be ashamed of +yourself, downright ashamed. But, there, I won't say any more now. Now, +can't you come out with me?” + +“No, I can't come out now, Ruthven; but come into this room with me.” + +There for the next hour they chatted, Frank giving a full account of all +he had gone through since he came up to town, while Ruthven gave him the +gossip of the half year at school. + +“Well,” Ruthven said at last, “this old Horton of yours must be a brick. +Still, you know, you can't stop here all your life. You must come and +talk it over with my governor.” + +“Oh, no, indeed, Ruthven! I am getting on very well here, and am very +contented with my lot, and I could not think of troubling your father in +the matter.” + +“Well, you will trouble him a great deal,” Ruthven said, “if you don't +come, for you will trouble him to come all the way down here. He was +quite worried when he first heard of your disappearance, and has been +almost as excited as I have over the search for you. + +“You are really a foolish fellow, Frank,” he went on more seriously; “I +really didn't think it of you. Here you save the lives of four or five +fellows and put all their friends under a tremendous obligation, and +then you run away and hide yourself as if you were ashamed. I tell you +you can't do it. A fellow has no more right to get rid of obligations +than he has to run away without paying his debts. It would be a burden +on your mind if you had a heavy debt you couldn't pay, and you would +have a right to be angry if, when you were perfectly able to pay, your +creditor refused to take the money. That's just the position in which +you've placed my father. Well, anyhow, you've got to come and see him, +or he's got to come and see you. I know he has something in his mind's +eye which will just suit you, though he did not tell me what it was. For +the last day or two he has been particularly anxious about finding you. +Only yesterday when I came back and reported that I had been to half a +dozen places without success, he said, 'Confound the young rascal, where +can he be hiding? Here are the days slipping by and it will be too late. +If you don't find him in a day or two, Dick, I will set the police after +him--say he has committed a murder or broken into a bank and offer a +reward for his apprehension.' So you must either come home with me this +afternoon, or you will be having my father down here tonight.” + +“Of course, Ruthven,” Frank said, “I would not put your father to such +trouble. He is very kind to have taken so much interest in me, only I +hate--” + +“Oh, nonsense! I hate to see such beastly stuck up pride, putting your +own dignity above the affection of your friends; for that's really what +it comes to, old boy, if you look it fairly in the face.” + +Frank flushed a little and was silent for a minute or two. + +“I suppose you are right, Ruthven; but it is a little hard for a +fellow--” + +“Oh, no, it isn't,” Ruthven said. “If you'd got into a scrape from some +fault of your own one could understand it, although even then there +would be no reason for you to cut your old friends till they cut you. +Young Goodall, who lives over at Bayswater, has been over four or five +times to ask me if I have succeeded in finding you, and I have had +letters from Handcock, and Childers, and Jackson. Just as if a fellow +had got nothing to do but to write letters. How long will you be before +you can come out?” + +“There is Mr. Horton just come in,” Frank said. “I have no doubt he will +let me go at once.” + +The old naturalist at once assented upon Frank's telling him that a +friend had come who wished him to go out. + +“Certainly, my dear boy. Why, working the hours and hours of overtime +that you do, of course you can take a holiday whenever you're disposed.” + +“He will not be back till late,” Ruthven said as they went out. “I shall +keep him all the evening.” + +“Oh, indeed, Ruthven, I have no clothes!” + +“Clothes be bothered,” Ruthven said. “I certainly shall end by punching +your head, Frank, before the day's out.” + +Frank remonstrated no more, but committed himself entirely to his +friend's guidance. At the Mansion House they mounted on the roof of an +omnibus going west, and at Knightsbridge got off and walked to Eaton +Square, where Ruthven's father resided. The latter was out, so Frank +accompanied his friend to what he called his sanctum, a small room +littered up with books, bats, insect boxes, and a great variety of +rubbish of all kinds. Here they chatted until the servant came up and +said that Sir James had returned. + +“Come on, Frank,” Ruthven said, running downstairs. “There's nothing of +the ogre about the governor.” + +They entered the study, and Ruthven introduced his friend. + +“I've caught him, father, at last. This is the culprit.” + +Sir James Ruthven was a pleasant looking man, with a kindly face. + +“Well, you troublesome boy,” he said, holding out his hand, “where have +you been hiding all this time?” + +“I don't know that I've been hiding, sir,” Frank said. + +“Not exactly hiding,” Sir James smiled, “only keeping away from those +who wanted to find you. Well, and how are you getting on?” + +“I am getting on very well, sir. I am earning eighteen shillings a week +and my board and lodging, and my employer says he will take me into +partnership as soon as I come of age.” + +“Ah, indeed!” Sir James said. “I am glad to hear that, as it shows you +must be clever and industrious.” + +“Yes, father, and the place was full of the most lovely cases of things +Frank had stuffed. There was quite a crowd looking in at the window.” + +“That is very satisfactory. Now, Frank, do you sit down and write a +note to your employer, asking him to send down half a dozen of the best +cases. I want to show them to a gentleman who will dine with me here +today, and who is greatly interested in such matters. When you have +written the note I will send a servant off at once in a cab to fetch +them.” + +“And, father,” Dick continued, “if you don't mind, might Frank and I +have our dinner quietly together in my room? You've got a dinner party +on, and Frank won't enjoy it half as much as he would dining quietly +with me.” + +“By all means,” Sir James said. “But mind he is not to run away without +seeing me. + +“You are a foolish lad,” he went on in a kind voice to Frank; “and it +was wrong as well as foolish to hide yourself from your friends. However +independent we may be in this world, all must, to a certain extent, rely +upon others. There is scarcely a man who can stand aloof from the rest +and say, 'I want nothing of you.' I can understand your feeling in +shrinking from asking a favor of me, or of the fathers of the other boys +who are, like myself, deeply indebted to you for the great service you +have rendered their sons. I can admire the feeling if not carried too +far; but you should have let your schoolfellows know exactly how you +were placed, and so have given us the opportunity of repaying the +obligation if we were disposed, not to have run away and hidden yourself +from us.” + +“I am sorry, sir,” Frank said simply. “I did not like to seem to trade +upon the slight service I rendered some of my schoolfellows. Dr. Bateman +told me I was wrong, but I did not see it then. Now I think, perhaps he +was right, although I am afraid that if it happened again I should do +the same.” + +Sir James smiled. + +“I fear you are a stiff necked one, Master Frank. However, I will not +scold you any further. Now, what will you do with yourselves till dinner +time?” + +“Oh, we'll just sit and chat, father. We have got lots more things to +tell each other.” + +The afternoon passed in pleasant talk. Frank learned that Ruthven had +now left Dr. Parker's for good, and that he was going down after the +holidays to a clergyman who prepared six or eight boys for the army. +Before dinner the footman returned with half a dozen of the best cases +from the shop, which were brought up to Dick's room, and the latter was +delighted with them. They greatly enjoyed their dinner together. At nine +o'clock a servant came up and took down the cases. Five minutes later he +returned again with a message, saying that Sir James wished Mr. Richard +and his friend to go down into the dining room. Frank was not shy, but +he felt it rather a trial when he entered the room, where seven or +eight gentlemen were sitting round the table, the ladies having already +withdrawn. The gentlemen were engaged in examining and admiring the +cases of stuffed birds and animals. + +“This is my young friend,” Sir James said, “of whom I have been speaking +to you, and whose work you are all admiring. This, Frank, is Mr. +Goodenough, the traveler and naturalist, of whom you may have heard.” + +“Yes, indeed,” Frank said, looking at the gentleman indicated. “I have +Mr. Goodenough's book on The Passerine Family at home.” + +“It is rather an expensive book too,” the gentleman said. + +“Yes, sir. My father bought it, not I. He was very fond of natural +history and taught me all I know. He had a capital library of books on +the subject, which Dr. Bateman is keeping for me, at Deal, till I have +some place where I can put them. I was thinking of getting them up +soon.” + +Mr. Goodenough asked him a few questions as to the books in the library, +and then put him through what Frank felt was a sort of examination, as +to his knowledge of their contents. + +“Very good indeed!” Mr. Goodenough said. “I can see from your work here +that you are not only a very clever preparer, but a close student of +the habits and ways of wild creatures. But I was hardly prepared to +find your scientific knowledge so accurate and extensive. I was at first +rather inclined to hesitate when Sir James Ruthven made me a proposal +just now. I do so no longer. I am on the point of starting on an +expedition into the center of Africa in search of specimens of natural +history. He has proposed that you should accompany me, and has offered +to defray the cost of your outfit, and of your passage out and home. I +may be away for two years. Of course you would act as my assistant, and +have every opportunity of acquiring such knowledge as I possess. It +will be no pleasure trip, you know, but hard work, with all sorts of +hardships and, perhaps, some dangers. At the same time it would be a +fine opening in a career as a naturalist. Well, what do you say?” + +“Oh, sir!” Frank exclaimed, clasping his hands, “it is of all things in +the world what I should like most. How can I thank you enough? And you, +Sir James, it is indeed kind and thoughtful of you.” + +“We are not quits yet by any means, Frank,” Sir James said kindly. “I +am glad indeed to be able to forward your wishes; and now you must go +upstairs and be introduced to my wife. She is most anxious to see you. +She only returned home just before dinner.” + +Frank was taken upstairs, where he and his cases of birds were made +much of by Lady Ruthven and the ladies assembled in the drawing room. +He himself was so filled with delight at the prospect opened to him that +all thought of his dark tweed suit being out of place among the evening +dresses of the ladies and gentlemen, which had troubled him while he was +awaiting the summons to the dining room, quite passed out of his mind, +and he was able to do the honors of his cases naturally and without +embarrassment. At eleven o'clock he took his leave, promising to call +upon Mr. Goodenough, who was in lodgings in Jermyn Street, upon +the following morning, that gentleman having at Sir James' request +undertaken to procure all the necessary outfit. + +“I feel really obliged to you, Sir James,” Mr. Goodenough said when +Frank had left. “The lad has a genius for natural history, and he is +modest and self possessed. From what you tell me he has done rather +than apply for assistance to anyone, he must have plenty of pluck and +resolution, and will make a capital traveling companion. I feel quite +relieved, for it is so difficult to procure a companion who will exactly +suit. Clever naturalists are rare, and one can never tell how one will +get on with a man when you are thrown together. He may want to have his +own way, may be irritable and bad tempered, may in many respects be a +disagreeable companion. With that lad I feel sure of my ground. We shall +get on capitally together.” + +On his return to the shop Frank told his employer, whom he found sitting +up for him, the change which had taken place in his life, and the +opening which presented itself. + +Mr. Horton expressed himself as sincerely glad. + +“I shall miss you sadly,” he said, “shall feel very dull for a time in +my solitary house here; but it is better for you that you should go, and +I never expected to keep you long. You were made for better things than +this shop, and I have no doubt that a brilliant career will be open +before you. You may not become a rich man, for natural history is +scarcely a lucrative profession, but you may become a famous one. Now, +my lad, go off to bed and dream of your future.” + +The next morning Frank went over, the first thing after breakfast, to +see his friend the porter. He, too, was very pleased to hear of Frank's +good fortune, but he was too busy to talk much to him, and promised that +he would come over that evening and hear all about it. Then Frank took +his way to Jermyn Street, and went with Mr. Goodenough to Silver's, +where an outfit suited for the climate of Central Africa was +ordered. The clothes were simple. Shirts made of thin soft flannel, +knickerbockers and Norfolk jackets of tough New Zealand flax, with +gaiters of the same material. + +“There is nothing like it,” Mr. Goodenough said; “it is the only stuff +which has a chance with the thorns of an African forest. Now you will +want a revolver, a Winchester repeating carbine, and a shotgun. My +outfit of boxes and cases is ready, so beyond two or three extra nets +and collecting boxes there is nothing farther to do in that way. For +your head you'd better have a very soft felt hat with a wide brim; with +a leaf or two inside they are as cool as anything, and are far lighter +and more comfortable than the helmets which many people use in the +tropics.” + +“As far as shooting goes,” Frank said, “I think that I shall do much +better with my blowgun than with a regular one. I can hit a small bird +sitting nineteen times out of twenty.” + +“That is a good thing,” Mr. Goodenough answered. “For shooting sitting +there is nothing better than a blowgun in skillful hands. They have +the advantage too of not breaking the skin; but for flying a shotgun is +infinitely more accurate. You will have little difficulty in learning to +shoot well, as your eye is already trained by the use of your blowpipe. +Will you want any knives for skinning?” + +“No, sir. I have a plentiful stock of them.” + +“Are you going back to Eaton Square? I heard Sir James ask you to stop +there until we start.” + +“No,” Frank replied; “I asked his permission to stay where I am till +tomorrow. I did not like to seem in a hurry to run away from Mr. Horton, +who has been extremely kind to me.” + +“Mind, you must come here in three days to have your things tried on,” + Mr. Goodenough said. “I particularly ordered that they are to be made +easy and comfortable, larger, indeed, than you absolutely require, but +we must allow for growing, and two years may make a difference of some +inches to you. Now, we have only to go to a bootmaker's and then we have +done.” + +When the orders were completed they separated, as Mr. Goodenough was +going down that afternoon to the country, and was not to return until +the day preceding that on which they were to sail. That evening Frank +had a long chat with his two friends, and was much pleased when the old +naturalist, who had taken a great fancy to the honest porter, offered +him the use of a room at his house, saying that he should be more +than paid by the pleasure of his company of an evening. The offer was +accepted, and Frank was glad to think that his two friends would be +sitting smoking their pipes together of an evening instead of being in +their solitary rooms. The next day he took up his residence in Eaton +square. + + + +CHAPTER VIII: TO THE DARK CONTINENT + + +After spending two or three days going about London and enjoying himself +with his friend Dick, Frank started for Deal, where he was pleased to +find his sister well and happy. He bade goodbye to her, to the doctor, +and such of his schoolfellows as lived in Deal, to whom his start for +Central Africa was quite an event. Dr. Bateman handed over to him his +watch and chain and his blowgun, which he had taken care of for him, +also his skinning knives and instruments. The same evening he returned +to town, and spent the days very pleasantly until the afternoon came +when he was to depart. Then he bade farewell to his kind friends Sir +James and Lady Ruthven. Dick accompanied him in the cab to Euston +station, where a minute or two later Mr. Goodenough arrived. The luggage +was placed in a carriage, and Frank stood chatting with Dick at the +door, until the guard's cry, “Take your places!” caused him to jump into +the carriage. There was one more hearty handshake with his friend, and +then the train steamed out of the station. + +It was midnight when they arrived at Liverpool, and at once went to bed +at the Station Hotel. On coming down in the morning Frank was astonished +at the huge heap of baggage piled up in the hall, but he was told that +this was of daily occurrence, as six or eight large steamers went +out from Liverpool every week for America alone, and that the great +proportion of the passengers came down, as they had done, on the +previous night, and slept at the Station hotel. Their own share of +the baggage was not large, consisting only of a portmanteau each, Mr. +Goodenough having sent down all his boxes two days previously. At +twelve o'clock they went on board the Niger, bound for the west coast +of Africa. This would carry them as far as Sierra Leone, whence Mr. +Goodenough intended to take passage in a sailing ship to his starting +point for the interior. + +Frank enjoyed the voyage out intensely, and three days after sailing +they had left winter behind; four days later they were lying in the +harbor of Funchal. + +“What a glorious place that would be to ramble about!” he said to Mr. +Goodenough. + +“Yes, indeed. It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast than +between this mountainous island of Madeira and the country which we are +about to penetrate. This is one of the most delightful climates in +the world, the west coast of Africa one of the worst. Once well in +the interior, the swamp fevers, which are the curse of the shores, +disappear, but African travelers are seldom long free from attacks of +fever of one kind or the other. However, quinine does wonders, and we +shall be far in the interior before the bad season comes on.” + +“You have been there before, you said, Mr. Goodenough?” + +“Yes, I have been there twice, and have made excursions for short +distances from the coast. But this time we are going into a country +which may be said to be altogether unknown. One or two explorers have +made their way there, but these have done little towards examining +the natural productions of the country, and have been rather led by +inducements of sport than by those of research.” + +“Did you have fever, sir?” + +“Two or three little attacks. A touch of African fever, during what is +called the good season, is of little more importance than a feverish +cold at home. It lasts two or three days, and then there is an end +of it. In the bad season the attacks are extremely violent, sometimes +carrying men off in a few hours. I consider, however, that dysentery is +a more formidable enemy than fever. However, even that, when properly +treated, should be combated successfully.” + +“Do you mean to hire the men to go with you at Sierra Leone?” + +“Certainly not, Frank. The negroes of Sierra Leone are the most +indolent, the most worthless, and the most insolent in all Africa. It is +the last place in the world at which to hire followers. We must get them +at the Gaboon itself, and at each place we arrive at afterwards we take +on others, merely retaining one of the old lot to act as interpreter. +The natives, although they may allow white men to pass safely, are +exceedingly jealous of men of other tribes. I shall, however, take with +me, if possible, a body of, say six Houssas, who are the best fighting +negroes on the coast. These I shall take as a bodyguard; the carriers we +shall obtain from the different tribes we visit. The Kroomen, whom you +will see at Cape Palmas, are a magnificent set of men. They furnish +sailors and boatmen to all the ships trading on these shores. They are +strong, willing, and faithful, but they do not like going up into the +interior. Now we will land here and get a few hours' run on shore. There +are one or two peculiarities about Madeira which distinguish it from +other places. To begin with we will go for a ride in a bullock cart +without wheels.” + +“But surely it must jolt about terribly,” Frank said. + +“Not at all. The roads are paved with round, knubbly stones, such as +you see sometimes in narrow lanes and courts in seaside places at home. +These would not make smooth roads for wheeled vehicles; but here, as you +will see, the carts are placed on long runners like those of sledges. +These are greased, and the driver always has a pound of candles or so +hanging to the cart. When he thinks that the runners want greasing he +takes a candle, lays it down on the road in front of one of the runners, +and lets this pass over it. This greases it sufficiently, and it glides +along over the stones almost as smoothly as if passing over ice.” + +Frank thoroughly enjoyed his run on shore, but was surprised at the air +of listlessness which pervaded the inhabitants. Every one moved about in +the most dawdling fashion. The shopkeepers looked out from their doors +as if it were a matter of perfect indifference to them whether customers +called or not. The few soldiers in Portuguese uniform looked as if they +had never done a day's drill since they left home. Groups sat in chairs +under the trees and sipped cooling drinks or coffee. The very bullocks +which drew the gliding wagons seemed to move more slowly than bullocks +in other places. Frank and his friend drove in a wagon to the monastery, +high up on the mountain, and then took their places on a little hand +sledge, which was drawn by two men with ropes, who took them down the +sharp descent at a run, dashing round corners at a pace which made Frank +hold his breath. It took them but a quarter of an hour to regain the +town, while an hour and a half had been occupied in the journey out. + +“I shall buy a couple of hammocks here,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They are +made of knotted string, and are lighter and more comfortable than those +to be met with on the coast. I will get a couple of their cane chairs, +too, they are very light and comfortable.” + +In the afternoon they again embarked, and then steamed away for Sierra +Leone. After several days' passage, they arrived there at daylight, and +Frank was soon on deck. + +“What a beautiful place!” he exclaimed. “It is not a bit what I +expected.” + +“No,” Mr. Goodenough said; “no one looking at it could suppose that +bright pretty town had earned for itself the name of the white man's +grave.” + +Sierra Leone is built on a somewhat steep ascent about a mile up the +river. Freetown, as the capital is properly called, stands some fifty +feet or so above the sea, and the barracks upon a green hill three +hundred feet above it, a quarter of a mile back. The town, as seen +from the sea, consists entirely of the houses of the merchants and +shopkeepers, the government buildings, churches, and other public and +European buildings. The houses are all large and bright with yellow +tinged whitewash, and the place is completely embowered in palms and +other tropical trees. The native town lies hidden from sight among trees +on low ground to the left of the town. Everywhere around the town the +hills rise steep and high, wooded to the summit. Altogether there are +few more prettily situated towns than the capital of Sierra Leone. + +“It is wonderful,” Mr. Goodenough said, “that generations and +generations of Europeans have been content to live and die in that +wretchedly unhealthy place, when they might have established themselves +on those lofty hills but a mile away. There they would be far above the +malarious mists which rise from the low ground. The walk up and down to +their warehouses and offices here would be good for them, and there +is no reason why Sierra Leone should be an unhealthy residence. +Unfortunately the European in Africa speedily loses his vigor and +enterprise. When he first lands he exclaims, 'I certainly shall have a +bungalow built upon those hills;' but in a short time his energy leaves +him. He falls into the ways of the place, drinks a great deal more +spirits than is good for him, stops down near the water, and at the end +of a year or so, if he lives so long, is obliged to go back to Europe to +recruit. + +“Look at the boats coming out.” + +A score of boats, each containing from ten to twelve men, approached the +ship. They remained at a short distance until the harbor master came on +board and pronounced the ship free from quarantine. Then the boats made +a rush to the side, and with shouts, yells, and screams of laughter +scrambled on board. Frank was at once astonished and amused at the noise +and confusion. + +“What on earth do they all want?” he asked Mr. Goodenough. + +“The great proportion of them don't want anything at all,” Mr. +Goodenough answered, “but have merely come off for amusement. Some of +them come to be hired, some to carry luggage, others to tout for the +boatmen below. Look at those respectable negresses coming up the gangway +now. They are washerwomen, and will take our clothes ashore and bring +them on board again this afternoon before we start.” + +“It seems running rather a risk,” Frank said. + +“No, you will see they all have testimonials, and I believe it is +perfectly safe to intrust things to them.” + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank now prepared to go on shore, but this was not +easily accomplished, for there was a battle royal among the boatmen +whose craft thronged at the foot of the ladder. Each boat had about four +hands, three of whom remained on board her, while the fourth stood +upon the ladder and hauled at the painter to keep the boat to which he +belonged alongside. As out of the twenty boats lying there not more +than two could be at the foot of the ladder together, the conflict was a +desperate one. All the boatmen shouted, “Here, sar. This good boat, sar. +You come wid me, sar,” at the top of their voices, while at the same +time they were hard at work pulling each other's boats back and pushing +their own forward. So great was the struggle as Frank and Mr. Goodenough +approached the gangway, so great the crowd upon the ladder, that one +side of the iron bar from which the ladder chains depend broke in two, +causing the ladder to drop some inches and giving a ducking to those +on the lower step, causing shouts of laughter and confusion. These rose +into perfect yells of amusement when one of the sailors suddenly loosed +the ladder rope, letting five or six of the negroes into the water up to +their necks. So intense was the appreciation by the sable mind of this +joke that the boatmen rolled about with laughter, and even the victims, +when they had once scrambled into their boats, yelled like people +possessed. + +“They are just like children,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They are always +either laughing or quarreling. They are good natured and passionate, +indolent, but will work hard for a time; clever up to a certain point, +densely stupid beyond. The intelligence of an average negro is about +equal to that of a European child of ten years old. A few, a very few, +go beyond this, but these are exceptions, just as Shakespeare was an +exception to the ordinary intellect of an Englishman. They are fluent +talkers, but their ideas are borrowed. They are absolutely without +originality, absolutely without inventive power. Living among white men, +their imitative faculties enable them to attain a considerable amount +of civilization. Left alone to their own devices they retrograde into a +state little above their native savagery.” + +This was said as, after having fixed upon a boat and literally fought +their way into it, they were rowed towards the shore. On landing Frank +was delighted with the greenness of everything. The trees were heavy +with luxuriant foliage, the streets were green with grass as long and +bright as that in a country lane in England. The hill on which the +barracks stand was as bright a green as you would see on English slopes +after a wet April, while down the streets clear streams were running. +The town was alive with a chattering, laughing, good natured, excitable +population, all black, but with some slight variation in the dinginess +of the hue. + +Never was there such a place for fun as Sierra Leone. Every one was +brimful of it. Every one laughed when he or she spoke, and every one +standing near joined freely in the conversation and laughed too. Frank +was delighted with the display of fruit in the market, which is probably +unequaled in the world. Great piles there were of delicious big oranges, +green but perfectly sweet, and of equally refreshing little green limes; +pineapples and bananas, green, yellow, and red, guava, and custard +apples, alligator pears, melons, and sour sops, and many other native +fruits. + +Mr. Goodenough purchased a large basket of fruit, which they took with +them on board the ship. The next morning they started down the coast. +They passed Liberia, the republic formed of liberated slaves, and of +negroes from America, and brought up a mile or two off Monrovia, its +capital. The next day they anchored off Cape Palmas, the headquarters of +the Kroomen. A number of these men came off in their canoes, and caused +great amusement to Frank and the other passengers by their fun and +dexterity in the management of their little craft. These boats +are extremely light, being hollowed out until little thicker than +pasteboard, and even with two Kroomen paddling it is difficult for a +European to sit in them, so extremely crank are they. Light as they are +the Krooboy can stand up and dive from his boat without upsetting it +if he take time; but in the hurry and excitement of diving for coppers, +when half a dozen men would leap overboard together, the canoes were +frequently capsized. The divers, however, thought nothing of these +mishaps, righting the boats and getting in again without difficulty. +Splendidly muscular fellows they were. Indeed, except among the Turkish +hamals it is doubtful whether such powerful figures could be found +elsewhere. + +“They would be grand fellows to take with us, Mr. Goodenough,” Frank +said. + +“Yes, if they were as plucky as they are strong, one could wish for +nothing better; but they are notorious cowards, and no offer would tempt +them to penetrate into such a country as that into which we are going.” + +Stopping a few hours at Cape Coast Castle, Accra, and other ports they +at last arrived at Bonny. + +“It is not tempting in appearance,” Frank said, “certainly.” + +“No,” Mr. Goodenough replied, “this is one of the most horribly +unhealthy spots in Africa. As you see, the white traders do not dare to +live on shore, but take up their residence in those old floating hulks +which are thatched over, and serve as residences and storehouses. I have +a letter from one of the African merchants in London, and we shall take +up our abode on board his hulk until we get one of the coasting steamers +to carry us down. I hope it will not be many days.” + +The very bulky luggage was soon transferred to the hulk, where Frank +and Mr. Goodenough took up their residence. The agent in charge was very +glad to receive them, as any break in the terrible monotony of such a +life is eagerly welcomed. He was a pale, unhealthy looking man, and had +just recovered from an unusually bad attack of fever. Like most of the +traders on the coast he had an immense faith in the power of spirits. + +“It is the ruin of them,” Mr. Goodenough said to Frank when they were +alone. “Five out of six of the men here ruin their constitutions with +spirits, and then fall an easy prey to the fever.” + +“But you have brought spirits with you, Mr. Goodenough. I saw some of +the cases were labeled Brandy.'” + +“Brandy is useful when taken as a medicine, and in moderation. A little +mixed with water at the end of a long day of exhausting work acts as a +restorative, and frequently enables a worn out man to sleep. But I have +brought the brandy you see for the use of others rather than myself. +One case is of the very best spirits for our own use. The rest is +common stuff and is intended as presents. Our main drink will be tea and +chocolate. These are invaluable for the traveler. I have, besides, large +quantities of calico, brass stair rods, beads, and powder. These are the +money of Africa, and pass current everywhere. With these we shall pay +our carriers and boatmen, with these purchase the right of way through +the various tribes we shall meet. Moreover it is almost necessary in +Africa to pass as traders. The people perfectly understand that white +men come here to trade; but if we said that our object was to shoot +birds and beasts, and to catch butterflies and insects, they would not +believe us in the slightest degree, but would suspect us of all sorts of +hidden designs. Now we will go ashore and pay our respects to the king.” + +“Do you mean to say that there is a king in that wretched looking +village?” Frank asked in surprise. + +“Kings are as plentiful as peas in Africa,” Mr. Goodenough said, “but +you will not see much royal state.” + +Frank was disappointed indeed upon landing. Sierra Leone had given him +an exalted idea of African civilization, but this was at once dispelled +by the appearance of Bonny. The houses were constructed entirely of +black mud, and the streets were narrow and filthy beyond description. +The palace was composed of two or three hovels, surrounded by a mud +wall. In one of these huts the king was seated. Mr. Goodenough and Frank +were introduced by the agent, who had gone ashore with them, and His +Majesty, who was an almost naked negro, at once invited them to join +him in the meal of which he was partaking. As a matter of courtesy +they consented, and plates were placed before them, heaped with a stew +consisting of meat, vegetables, and hot peppers. While the meal went on +the king asked Mr. Goodenough what he had come to the coast for, and +was disappointed to find that he was not going to set up as a trader at +Bonny, as it was the custom for each newcomer to make a handsome present +to him. When the meal was over they took their leave. + +“Do you know what you have been eating?” the agent asked Frank. + +“Not in the least,” Frank said. “It was not bad; what was it?” + +“It was dog flesh,” the agent answered. + +“Not really!” Frank exclaimed with an uncomfortable sensation of +sickness. + +“Yes, indeed,” the agent replied. “Dog's meat is considered a luxury in +Bonny, and dogs are bred specially for the table.” + +“You'll eat stranger things than that before you've done, Frank,” Mr. +Goodenough continued, “and will find them just as good, and in many +cases better, than those to which you are accustomed. It is a strange +thing why in Europe certain animals should be considered fit to eat +and certain animals altogether rejected, and this without the slightest +reason. Horses and donkeys are as clean feeders as oxen and sheep. Dogs, +cats, and rats are far cleaner than pigs and ducks. The flesh of the +one set is every bit as good as that of the other, and yet the poorest +peasant would turn up his nose at them. Here sheep and oxen, horses and +donkeys, will not live, and the natives very wisely make the most of the +animals which can do so.” + +Frank was soon tired of Bonny, and was glad to hear that they would +start the next day for Fernando Po in a little steamer called the +Retriever. The island of Fernando Po is a very beautiful one, the peak +rising ten thousand feet above the sea, and wooded to the very summit. +Were the trees to some extent cleared away the island might be very +healthy. As it is, it is little better than the mainland. + +There was not much to see in the town of Clarence, whose population +consists entirely of traders from Sierra Leone, Kroomen, etc. The +natives, whose tribal name is Adiza, live in little villages in the +interior. They are an extremely primitive people, and for the most part +dispense altogether with clothing. The island belongs to Spain, and is +used as a prison, the convicts being kept in guard ships in the harbor. +After a stay of three days there Mr. Goodenough and Frank took passage +in a sailing ship for the Gaboon. + + + +CHAPTER IX: THE START INLAND + + +After the comforts of a fine steamer the accommodation on board the +little trader was poor indeed. The vessel smelt horribly of palm oil +and was alive with cockroaches. These, however, Mr. Goodenough and Frank +cared little for, as they brought up their mattresses and slept on deck. +Upon their voyage out from England Frank, as well as several of the +other passengers, had amused himself by practicing with his rifle at +empty bottles thrown overboard, and other objects, and having nothing +else to do now, he resumed the practice, accustoming himself also to the +use of his revolver, the mark being a small log of wood swung from the +end of a yard. + +“I told you,” Mr. Goodenough said, “that your skill with the blowgun +would prove useful to you in shooting. You are as good a shot as I +am, and I am considered a fair one. I have no doubt that with a little +practice you will succeed as well with your double barrel. The shooting +of birds on the wing is a knack which seems to come naturally to some +people, while others, practice as they will, never become good shots.” + +The ship touched twice upon its way down to the Gaboon. Once at +the Malimba river, the second time at Botauga, the latter being the +principal ivory port in equatorial Africa. + +“Shall we meet with any elephants, do you think?” Frank asked his +friend. + +“In all probability,” Mr. Goodenough said. “Elephant shooting, of +course, does not come within our line of action, and I should not go at +all out of my way for them. Still, if we meet them we will shoot them. +The ivory is valuable and will help to pay our expenses, while the +meat is much prized by the natives, who will gladly assist us in +consideration of the flesh.” + +On the sixteenth day after leaving Fernando Po they entered the Gaboon. +On the right hand bank were the fort and dwellings of the French. A +little farther up stood the English factories; and upon a green hill +behind, the church, school, and houses of an American mission. On the +left bank was the wattle town of King William, the sable monarch of the +Gaboon. Mr. Goodenough at once landed and made inquiries for a house. He +succeeded in finding one, consisting of three rooms, built on piles, an +important point in a country in which disease rises from the soil. At +Bonny Mr. Goodenough had, with the assistance of the agent, enlisted six +Houssas. These people live much higher up on the coast, but they wander +a good deal and may be met with in most of the ports. The men had formed +a guard in one of the hulks, but trade having been bad the agent had +gone home, and they were glad to take service with Mr. Goodenough. They +spoke a few words of English, and, like the Kroomen, rejoiced in names +which had been given them by sailors. They were called Moses, Firewater, +Ugly Tom, Bacon, Tatters, and King John. They were now for the first +time set to work, and the goods were soon transported from the brig to +the house. + +“Is anything the matter with you, Frank?” Mr. Goodenough asked that +evening. + +“I don't know, sir. My head feels heavy, somehow, and I am giddy.” + +Mr. Goodenough felt his pulse. + +“You have got your first touch of fever,” he said. “I wonder you've been +so long without it. You had better lie down at once.” + +A quarter of an hour afterwards Frank was seized with an overpowering +heat, every vein appearing to be filled with liquid fire; but his skin, +instead of being, as usual, in a state of perspiration, was dry and +hard. + +“Now, Frank, sit up and drink this. It's only some mustard and salt and +water. I have immense faith in an emetic.” + +The draught soon took its effect. Frank was violently sick, and the +perspiration broke in streams from him. + +“Here is a cup of tea,” Mr. Goodenough said; “drink that and you will +find that there will be little the matter with you in the morning.” + +Frank awoke feeling weak, but otherwise perfectly well. Mr. Goodenough +administered a strong dose of quinine, and after he had had his +breakfast he felt quite himself again. + +“Now,” Mr. Goodenough said, “we will go up to the factories and mission +and try and find a really good servant. Everything depends upon that.” + +In a short time an engagement was made with a negro of the name of +Ostik. He was a Mpongwe man, that being the name of the tribe on the +coast. He spoke English fairly, as well as two or three of the native +languages. He had before made a journey some distance into the interior +with a white traveler. He was a tall and powerfully built negro, very +ugly, but with a pleasant and honest face. Frank felt at once that he +should like him. + +“You quite understand,” Mr. Goodenough explained, “we are going through +the Fan country, far into the interior. We may be away from the coast +for many months.” + +“Me ready, sar,” the man answered with a grin. “Mak no odds to Ostik. He +got no wife, no piccanniny. Ostik very good cook. Master find good grub; +he catch plenty of beasts.” + +“You're not afraid, Ostik, because it is possible we may have trouble on +the way?” + +“Me not very much afraid, massa. You good massa to Ostik he no run away +if fightee come; but no good fight whole tribe.” + +“I hope not to have any fighting at all, Ostik; but as I have got six +Houssas with me who will all carry breech loading guns, I think we +should be a match for a good sized tribe, if necessary.” + +Ostik looked thoughtful. “More easy, massa, go without Houssas,” he +said. “Black man not often touch white traveler.” + +“No, Ostik, that is true; but I must take with me trade goods for paying +my way and hiring carriers, and if alone I should be at the mercy of +every petty chief who chose to plunder and delay me. I am going as a +peaceful traveler, ready to pay my way, and to make presents to the +different kings through whose territories I may pass. But I do not +choose to put myself at the mercy of any of them. I do not say that +eight men armed with breech loaders could defeat a whole tribe; but they +would be so formidable, that any of these negro kings would probably +prefer taking presents and letting us pass peacefully to trying to rob +us. The first thing to do, will be to hire one large canoe, or two if +necessary. The men must agree to take us up into the Fan country, as far +as the rapids on the Gaboon. Then we shall take carriers there, and the +boat can return by itself. These are the things which will have to go.” + +The baggage consisted of ten large tin cases, each weighing about eighty +pounds. These contained cotton cloths, powder, beads, tea, chocolate, +sugar, and biscuits. There were in addition three bundles of stair rods, +each about the same weight as the boxes. These were done up in canvas. +There was also a tent made of double canvas weighing fifty pounds, and +two light folding tressel beds weighing fifteen pounds apiece. Thus +fourteen men would be required as carriers, besides some for plantains +and other provisions, together with the portmanteaus, rugs, and +waterproof sheets of the travelers. There were besides six great chests +made of light iron. Four of these were fitted with trays with cork +bottoms, for insects. The other two were for the skins of birds. All the +boxes and cases had strips of India rubber where the lids fitted down, +in order to keep out both damp and the tiny ants which are the plague of +naturalists in Africa. + +Four or five days were occupied in getting together a crew, for the +natives had an abject fear of entering the country of the cannibal +Fans. Mr. Goodenough promised that they should not be obliged to proceed +unless a safe conduct for their return was obtained from the King of the +Fans. A large canoe was procured, sufficient to convey the whole party. +Twelve paddlers were hired, and the goods taken down and arranged in the +boat. The Houssas had been, on landing, furnished with their guns, +which were Snider rifles, had been instructed in the breech loading +arrangement, and had been set to work to practice at a mark at a hundred +and fifty yards distance--the stump of an old tree, some five feet +in height, serving for the purpose. The men were delighted with the +accuracy of their pieces and the rapidity at which they could be +fired. Mr. Goodenough impressed upon them that unless attacked at close +quarters, and specially ordered to fire fast, they must aim just as +slowly and deliberately as if using their old guns, for that in so +long a journey ammunition would be precious, and must, therefore, on no +account whatever, be wasted. In the boxes were six thousand rounds of +ammunition, a thousand for each gun, besides the ammunition for the +rifles and fowling pieces of Mr. Goodenough and Frank. + +In order to render the appearance of his followers as imposing as +possible, Mr. Goodenough furnished each of the Houssas with a pair of +trousers made of New Zealand flax, reaching to their knees. These he had +brought from England with him. They were all found to be too large, but +the men soon set to work with rough needles and thread and took them in. +In addition to these, each man was furnished with a red sash, which went +several times round the waist, and served to keep the trousers up and to +give a gay aspect to the dress. The Houssas were much pleased with their +appearance. All of them carried swords in addition to the guns, as in +their own country they are accustomed to fight with these weapons. + +They started early in the morning, and after four hours' paddling passed +Konig Island, an abandoned Dutch settlement. Here they stopped for an +hour or two, and then the sea breeze sprang up, a sail was hoisted, and +late at night they passed a French guardship placed to mark the boundary +of that settlement at a point where a large tributary called the Boqui +runs into it. Here is a little island called Nenge Nenge, formerly a +missionary station, where the natives are still Christians. At this +place the canoe was hauled ashore. The Houssas had already been +instructed in the method of pitching the tent, and in a very few minutes +this was erected. It was a double poled tent, some ten feet square, +and there was a waterproof sheet large enough to cover the whole of the +interior, thus preventing the miasma from arising from the ground within +it. The beds were soon opened and fixed, two of the large cases formed +a table and two smaller ones did service as chairs. A lamp was lit, and +Frank was charmed with the comfort and snugness of the abode. + +The men's weapons were fastened round one of the poles to keep them from +the damp night air. Ostik had at once set to work on landing, leaving +the Houssas to pitch the tent. A fire was soon blazing and a kettle and +saucepans suspended over it. Rice was served out to the men, with the +addition of some salt meat, of which sufficient had been purchased from +the captain of the brig to last throughout the journey in the canoe. The +men were all in high spirits at this addition to their fare, which was +more than had been bargained for, and their songs rose merrily round the +fire in the night air. + +In the morning, after breakfast, they again took their places in the +canoe. For twelve miles they paddled, the tide at first assisting +them, but after this the water from the mountains ahead overpowered it. +Presently they arrived at the first Fan village, called Olenga, which +they reached six hours after starting. The natives crowded round as the +canoe approached, full of curiosity and excitement, for never but once +had a white man passed up the river. These Fans differed widely from +the coast negroes. Their hair was longer and thicker, their figures were +slight, their complexion coffee colored, and their projecting upper jaws +gave them a rabbit mouthed appearance. They wore coronets on their heads +adorned with the red tail feathers of the common gray parrot. Most of +the men had beards, which were divided in the middle, red and white +beads being strung up the tips. Some wore only a strip of goatskin +hanging from the waist, or the skin of a tigercat, while others had +short petticoats made of cloth woven from the inner bark of a tree. The +travelers were led to the hut of the chief, where they were surrounded +by a mob of the cannibals. The Houssas had been strictly enjoined to +leave their guns in the bottom of the canoe, as Mr. Goodenough desired +to avoid all appearance of armed force. The chief demanded of Ostik what +these two white men wanted here, and whether they had come to trade. +Ostik replied that the white men were going up the river into the +country beyond to shoot elephants and buy ivory, that they did not want +to trade for logwood or oil, but that they would give presents to the +chiefs of the Fan villages. A score of cheap Birmingham muskets had been +brought from England by Mr. Goodenough for this purpose. One of these +was now bestowed upon the chief, together with some powder and ball, +three bright cotton handkerchiefs, some gaudy glass beads, and +two looking glasses for his wives. This was considered perfectly +satisfactory. + +The crowd was very great, and at Mr. Goodenough's dictation Ostik +informed the chief that if the white men were left quiet until the +evening they would show his people many strange things. On the receipt +of this information the crowd dispersed. But when at sunset the two +travelers took a turn through the village, the excitement was again very +great. The men stood their ground and stared at them, but the women and +children ran screaming away to hide themselves. The idea of the people +of Central Africa of the whites is that they are few in number, that +they live at the bottom of the sea, and are possessed of great wealth, +but that they have no palm oil or logwood, and are, therefore, compelled +to come to land to trade for these articles. They believe that the +strange clothes they wear are manufactured from the skins of sea beasts. + +When night fell Mr. Goodenough fastened a sheet against the outside of +the chief's hut, and then placed a magic lantern in position ten paces +from it. The Fans were then invited to gather round and take their seats +upon the ground. A cry of astonishment greeted the appearance of the +bright disk. This was followed by a wilder yell when this was darkened, +and an elephant bearing some men sitting on his back was seen to cross +the house. The men leaped to their feet and seized their spears. The +women screamed, and Ostik, who was himself somewhat alarmed, had great +difficulty in calming their fears and persuading them to sit down +again, assuring them that they would see many wonderful things, but that +nothing would hurt them. + +The next view was at first incomprehensible to many of them. It was a +ship tossing in a stormy sea; but some of those present had been down to +the mouth of the river, and these explained to the others the nature +of the phenomenon. In all there were twenty slides, all of which were +provided with movable figures; the last two being chromatropes, whose +dancing colors elicited screams of delight from the astonished natives. +This concluded the performance, but for hours after it was over the +village rang with a perfect Babel of shouts, screams, and chatter. +The whole thing was to the Fans absolutely incomprehensible, and their +astonishment was equalled by their awe at the powers of the white men. + +The next two days they remained at Olenga, as word was sent up to +Itchongue, the next town, asking the chief there for leave to come +forward. The people had now begun to get over their first timidity, +and when Frank went out for a walk after breakfast he was somewhat +embarrassed by the women and girls crowding round him, feeling his +clothes and touching his hands and face to assure themselves that these +felt like those of human beings. He afforded them huge delight by taking +off his Norfolk jacket and pulling up the sleeves of his shirt to show +them that his arms were the same color as his hands, and so elated were +they with this exhibition that it was with great difficulty that he +withstood their entreaties that he would disrobe entirely. Indeed, Ostik +had at last to come to his rescue and carry him off from the laughing +crowd by which he was surrounded. + +After dinner Mr. Goodenough invited the people to sit down in a vast +circle holding each other's hands. He then told them that he should at +a word make them all jump to their feet. Then taking out a small but +powerful galvanic battery, he arranged it and placed wires into the +hands of the two men nearest to him in the great circle. + +“Now,” he said, “when I clap my hands you will find that you are all +obliged to jump up.” + +He gave the signal. Frank turned on the battery, and in an instant the +two hundred men and women, with a wild shriek, either leapt to their +feet or rolled backward on the ground. In another minute not a native +was to be seen, with the exception of the chief, who had not been +included in the circle. The latter, at Mr. Goodenough's request, shouted +loudly to his subjects to return, for that the white men would do them +no harm; but it was a long time before, slowly and cautiously, they +crept back again. When they had reassembled Mr. Goodenough showed them +several simple but astonishing chemical experiments, which stupefied +them with wonder; and concluded with three or four conjuring tricks, +which completed their amazement. A long day's paddling took them to +Itchongue, where they were as well received as at Olenga. Here they +stopped for two days, and the magic lantern was again brought out, and +the other tricks repeated with a success equal to that which they had +before obtained. As another day's paddling would take them to the rapids +Mr. Goodenough now set up a negotiation for obtaining a sufficient +number of carriers. After great palaver, and the presentation of three +guns to the chief to obtain his assistance, thirty men were engaged. +These were each to receive a yard of calico or one brass stair rod a +day, and were to proceed with the party until such time as they could +procure carriers from another tribe. + +The new recruits were taken up in another canoe. Several villages were +passed on the way. The river became a mere rapid, against which +the canoes with difficulty made their way. They had now entered the +mountains which rose steeply above them, embowered in wood. Two days +of severe work took them to the foot of the falls. Here the canoes were +unloaded. The men hired on the coast received their pay, and turned +the boat's head down stream. The other canoe accompanied it, and the +travelers remained with their bodyguard of Houssas and their carriers. + +“Now,” Mr. Goodenough said, “we are fairly embarked on our journey, and +we will commence operations at once. I have heard the cries of a great +many birds which are strange to me today, and I expect that we shall +have a good harvest. We may remain here for some time. The first thing +to do is to find food for our followers. We have got six sacks of rice, +but it will never do to let our men depend solely upon these. They would +soon come to an end.” + +“But how are we to feed forty people?” Frank asked in astonishment. + +“I pointed out to you today,” Mr. Goodenough said, “the tracks of +hippopotami in various places. One of these beasts will feed the men +for nearly a week. There were, too, numbers of alligators' eggs on the +banks, and these creatures make by no means bad eating. Your rifle will +be of no use against such animals as these. You had better take one of +the Sniders. I have some explosive shells which will fit them. My own +double barrelled rifle is of the same bore.” + +After dinner Mr. Goodenough told two of the Houssas to accompany them +with their rifles, together with three or four of the Fans. He made his +way down the stream to a point where the hills receded, and where he had +observed a great many marks of the river horses. As they approached +the spot they heard several loud snorts, and making their way along as +quietly as possible they saw two of the great beasts standing in the +stream. At this point it widened a good deal and was shallow and quite +near the bank. The Fans had been told to stay behind directly the +snorting was heard, and Mr. Goodenough and Frank, rifle in hand, crept +forward, with the Houssas as still and noiseless as cats close behind +them. + + + +CHAPTER X: LOST IN THE FOREST + + +The hippopotami were playing together, floundering in the shallow water, +and the noise they made prevented their hearing the stealthy approach of +their enemies. + +“You take the one nearest shore, Frank, I will take the other. Aim at +the forehead between the eyes. I will make a slight sound to attract +their attention.” + +Frank knelt on one knee and took steady aim. Mr. Goodenough then gave +a shout, and the two animals turning their heads stood staring at +the foliage, scarce a dozen yards away, in which the travelers were +concealed. The guns flashed at the same moment, and as if struck by +lightning the hippopotami fell in the stream. The explosive balls had +both flown true to the mark, invariably a fatal one in the case of the +river horse. Frank as he fired had taken another rifle which the Houssas +held in readiness for him, but there was no occasion for its use. +The Fans came running up, and on seeing the great beasts lying in the +stream, gave a shout of joy. + +“That will do for this evening,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They are large +beasts, and will give food enough for a week or ten days.” + +They then returned to the camp which, at the news brought by one of the +Fans, had already been deserted. Before the natives retired to sleep +the hippopotami had been cut up and carried to the camp. Portions +were already frizzling over the fires, other parts set aside for the +consumption of the next two days, and the rest cut up in strips to be +dried in the sun. The tongue of one was cut up and fried as a great +luxury for the white men's supper by Ostik. It is not often that the +natives of equatorial Africa are able to indulge in meat, and the joy +of the Fans at this abundant supply, and the prospect afforded them of +further good eating, raised their spirits to the highest extent. + +Next morning at daybreak Mr. Goodenough and Frank set out from the camp. +Each carried a double barreled gun, and was accompanied by one of the +Houssas carrying his rifle and a butterfly net, and when three hours +later they returned to the camp for breakfast and compared their spoils +they found that an excellent beginning had been made. Nearly a score of +birds, of which several were very rare, and five were pronounced by +Mr. Goodenough to be entirely new, had been shot, and many butterflies +captured. Frank had been most successful in this respect, as he had come +across a small clearing in which were several deserted huts. This was +just the place in which butterflies delight, for, although many kinds +prefer the deep shades of the forest, by far the greater portion love +the bright sunlight. + +After breakfast they again set out, Frank this time keeping along the +edge of the stream, where he had observed many butterflies as he came +up, and where many birds of the kingfisher family had also been seen. He +had been very successful, and was walking along by the edge of the water +with his eyes fixed upon the trees above, where he had a minute before +heard the call of a bird, when he was startled by a shout from the +Houssa behind him. He involuntarily sprang back, and it was well he did +so; for on the instant something swept by within an inch or two of his +head. Looking round he saw, at the edge of the stream below him, a huge +alligator. This had struck at him with its tail--the usual manner in +which the alligator supplies itself with food--and had it not been for +the warning cry of the Houssa, would have knocked him into the stream. +Its mouth was open and Frank, as if by instinct, fired the contents of +both barrels into its throat. The animal rolled over on to its back +in the water and then turned as if to struggle to regain the bank. The +Houssa, however, had run up, and, placing the muzzle of his gun within a +foot of its eye, fired, and the creature rolled over dead, and was swept +away by the stream. + +The Houssa gave a loud shout which was answered in the distance. He +then shouted two or three words, and turning to Frank said: “Men get +alligator,” and proceeded on his way without concerning himself further +in the matter. + +On his return to camp in the evening Frank found that the alligator had +been discovered and fished out, and that its steaks were by no means bad +eating. Frank told Mr. Goodenough of the narrow escape he had had, and +the latter pointed out to him the necessity of always keeping his eyes +on the watch. + +“Alligators frequently carry off the native women when engaged in +washing,” he said, “and almost invariably strike them, in the first +place, into the river with a blow of their tails. Once in the water they +are carried off, drowned, and eaten at leisure. Sometimes, indeed, +a woman may escape with the loss of a foot or arm, but this is the +exception.” + +“What is the best thing to do when so attacked?” Frank asked. “I don't +mean to be caught napping again, still it is as well to know what to do +if I am.” + +“Men when so attacked have been known frequently to escape by thrusting +their thumbs or fingers into the creature's eyes. If it can be done the +alligator is sure to lose his hold, but it demands quickness and great +presence of mind. When a reptile is tearing at one's leg, and hurrying +one along under water, you can see that the nerve required to keep +perfectly cool, to feel for the creature's eyes, and to thrust your +finger into them is very great. The best plan, Frank, distinctly is to +keep out of their reach altogether.” + +After remaining for a fortnight at their camp they prepared for a move. +Another hippopotamus was killed, cut up and dried, and the flesh added +to the burdens. Then the tent was struck and they proceeded farther into +the mountains. Two days later they halted again, the site being chosen +beside a little mountain rivulet. They were now very high up in +the hills, Mr. Goodenough expecting to meet with new varieties of +butterflies and insects at this elevation. They had scarcely pitched +their camp when Frank exclaimed: + +“Surely, Mr. Goodenough, I can hear some dogs barking! I did not know +that the native dogs barked.” + +“Nor do they. They may yelp and howl, but they never bark like European +dogs. What you hear is the bark of some sort of monkey or baboon.” + +This opinion was at once confirmed by the Fans. + +“We will sally out with our guns at once,” Mr. Goodenough said. + +“I don't like the thought of shooting monkeys,” Frank muttered, as he +took up his Winchester carbine. + +“They are very excellent eating,” Mr. Goodenough continued, “superior in +my opinion, and, indeed, in that of most travelers, to any other meat. +We shall meet with no other kind of creature fit for food up here. The +birds, indeed, supply us amply, but for the men it is desirable that we +should obtain fresh meat when we have the chance. These baboons are very +mischievous creatures, and are not to be attacked with impunity. Let +four of the Houssas with their guns come with us.” + +Following the direction of the sounds they had heard, the travelers came +upon a troupe of great baboons. It was a curious sight. The males were +as big as large dogs, some were sitting sunning themselves on rocks, +others were being scratched by the females. Many of these had a baby +monkey clinging on their necks, while others were playing about in all +directions. + +“I'd rather not shoot at them, Mr. Goodenough,” Frank said. + +“You will be glad enough to eat them,” Mr. Goodenough answered, and +selecting a big male he fired. The creature fell dead. The others all +sprang to their feet. The females and little ones scampered off. The +males, with angry gestures, rushed upon their assailants, barking, +showing their teeth, and making menacing gestures. Mr. Goodenough fired +again, and Frank now, seeing that they were likely to be attacked, also +opened fire. Six of the baboons were killed before the others abstained +from the attack and went screaming after the females. The dead baboons +were brought down, skinned, and two were at once roasted, the others +hung up to trees. It required a great effort on Frank's part to overcome +his repugnance to tasting these creatures, but, when he did so, he +admitted that the meat was excellent. + +That night they were disturbed by a cry of terror from the men. Seizing +their rifles they ran out. + +“There are two leopards, sar,” Ostik said; “they have smelt the +monkeys.” + +The shouts scared the creatures away, and the natives kept up a great +fire till morning. + +“We must get the skins if we can,” Mr. Goodenough said. “The skins of +the equatorial leopard are rare. If we can get them both they will make +a fine group for you to stuff when you get back, Frank.” + +“Are you thinking of following their trail?” Frank asked. + +“That would be useless,” Mr. Goodenough answered. “In soft swampy ground +we might do so, but up here it would be out of the question. We must set +a bait for them tonight, but be careful while you are out today. They +have probably not gone far from the camp, and they are very formidable +beasts. They not unfrequently attack and kill the natives.” + +The Fans were much alarmed at the neighborhood of the leopards, and none +would leave the camp during the day. Two of the Houssas were left on +guard, although Mr. Goodenough felt sure that the animals would +not attempt to carry off any meat in the daylight, and two Houssas +accompanied each of the travelers while out in search of butterflies. + +Nothing was heard of the leopards during the day. At nightfall a portion +of one of the monkeys was roasted and hung up, so as to swing within +four feet of the ground from the arm of a tree, a hundred yards from the +camp. Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their seats in another tree a short +distance off. The night was fine and the stars clear and bright. The +tree on which the meat hung stood somewhat alone, so that sufficient +light penetrated from above to enable any creatures approaching the +bait to be seen. Instead of his little Winchester, Frank had one of the +Sniders with explosive bullets. The Houssas were told to keep a sharp +watch in camp, in case the leopards, approaching from the other side, +might be attracted by the smell of meat there, rather than by the bait. +The Fans needed no telling to induce them to keep up great fires all +night. + +Soon after dark the watchers heard a roaring in the forest. It came from +the other side of the camp. + +“That is unlucky,” Mr. Goodenough said. “We have pitched on the +wrong side. However, they will probably be deterred by the fire from +approaching the camp, and will wander round and round: so we may hope to +hear of them before long.” + +In answer to the roar of the leopards the natives kept up a continued +shouting. For some hours the roaring continued at intervals, sometimes +close at hand, sometimes at a considerable distance. Frank had some +difficulty in keeping awake, and was beginning to wish that the leopards +would move off altogether. Two or three times he had nearly dozed off, +and his rifle had almost slipped from his hold. All at once he was +aroused by a sharp nudge from his companion. Fixing his eyes on the bait +he made out something immediately below it. Directly afterwards +another creature stole forward. They were far less distinct than he had +expected. + +“You take the one to the left,” Mr. Goodenough whispered; “Now!” + +They fired together. Two tremendous roars were heard. One of the +leopards immediately bounded away. The other rolled over and over, and +then, recovering its feet, followed its companion, Mr. Goodenough firing +his second barrel after him. + +“I'm afraid you missed altogether, Frank,” he said. + +“I don't think so, sir. I fancied I saw the flash of the shell as it +struck him, but where, I have not the remotest idea. I could not make +him out clear enough. It was merely a dim shape, and I fired as well as +I could at the middle of it. + +“Shall we go back to the camp now?” Frank asked. + +“Yes, we can safely do so. You can tell by the sound of the roars that +they are already some distance away. There is little chance of their +returning tonight. In the morning we will follow them. There is sure to +be blood, and the natives will have no difficulty in tracking them.” + +The rest of the night passed quietly, although roars and howling could +be heard from time to time in the distance. + +Early in the morning they started with the Houssas. + +“We must be careful today,” Mr. Goodenough said, “for a wounded leopard +is a really formidable beast.” + +There was no difficulty in taking up the traces. + +“One of them at least must be hard hit,” Mr. Goodenough remarked; “there +are traces of blood every yard.” + +They had gone but a short distance when one of the Houssas gave a sudden +exclamation, and pointed to something lying at the edge of a clump of +bushes. + +“Leopard,” he said. + +“Yes, there is one of them, sure enough. I think it's dead, but we +cannot be too cautious. Advance very carefully, Frank, keeping ready to +fire instantly.” + +They moved forward slowly in a body, but their precaution was +unnecessary. There was no movement in the spotted, tawny skin as they +advanced, and when they came close they could see that the leopard was +really dead. He had been hit by two bullets. The first had struck his +shoulder and exploded there, inflicting so terrible a wound that it was +wonderful he had been able to move afterwards. The other had struck him +on the back, near the tail, and had burst inside him. Frank on seeing +the nature of the wounds was astonished at the tenacity of life shown by +the animal. + +“I wonder whether I hit the other,” he said. + +“I have no doubt at all about it,” Mr. Goodenough answered, “although I +did not think so before. It seemed to me that I only heard the howls of +one animal in the night, and thought it was the one I had hit. But as +this fellow must have died at once, it is clear that the cries were made +by the other.” + +A sharp search was now set up for the tracks of the other leopard, the +Houssas going back to the tree and taking it up anew. They soon found +traces of blood in a line diverging from that followed by the other +animal. For an hour they followed this, great care being required, as +at times no spots of blood could be seen for a considerable distance. At +last they seemed to lose it altogether. Mr. Goodenough and Frank stood +together, while the Houssas, scattered round, were hunting like well +trained dogs for a sign. Suddenly there was a sharp roar, and from +the bough of a tree close by a great body sprang through the air and +alighted within a yard of Frank. The latter, in his surprise, sprang +back, stumbled and fell, but in an instant the report of the two barrels +of Mr. Goodenough's rifle rang out. In a moment Frank was on his feet +again ready to fire. The leopard, however, lay dead, its skull almost +blown off. + +“You have had another narrow escape,” Mr. Goodenough said. “I see that +your ball last night broke one of his hind legs. That spoilt his spring. +Had it not been for that he would undoubtedly have reached you, and a +blow with his paw, given with all his weight and impetus, would probably +have killed you on the spot. We ought not to have stood near a tree +strong enough to bear him when in pursuit of a wounded leopard. They +will always take to trees if they can, and you see this was a very +suitable one for him. This bough on which he was lying starts from the +trunk only about four feet from the ground, so that even with his broken +leg he was able to get upon it without difficulty. Well, thank God, +you've not been hurt, my boy. It will teach us both to be more careful +in future.” + +That afternoon Frank was down with his second attack of fever, a much +more severe one than the first had been. Mr. Goodenough's favorite +remedy had its effect of producing profuse perspiration, but two or +three hours afterwards the hot fit again came on, and for the next four +days Frank lay half delirious, at one time consumed with heat, and the +next shivering as if plunged into ice water. Copious doses of quinine, +however, gradually overcame the fever, and on the fifth day he +was convalescent. It was, nevertheless, another week before he was +sufficiently recovered to be able to resume his hunting expeditions. +They again shifted their camp, and this time traveled for three weeks, +making short journeys, and halting early so as to give half a day from +each camping place for their work. + +Frank was one day out as usual with one of the Houssas. He had killed +several birds when he saw a butterfly, of a species which he had not +before met with, flitting across a gleam of sunshine which streamed in +through a rift in the trees. He told his Houssa to wait where he was +in charge of the two guns and birds, and started off with his net in +pursuit of the butterfly. The creature fluttered away with Frank in +full pursuit. Hither and thither it flitted, seemingly taking an impish +delight in tantalizing Frank, settling on a spot where a gleam of +sunlight streamed upon the bark of a tree, till Frank had stolen up +within a couple of paces of it, and then darting away again at a pace +which defied Frank's best attempts to keep up with it until it chose to +play with him again. Intent only upon his chase Frank thought of nothing +else. At last, with a shout of triumph, he inclosed the creature in his +net, shook it into the wide pickle bottle, containing a sponge soaked +with chloroform, and then, after tightly fitting in the stopper, he +looked around. He uttered an exclamation of dismay as he did so. He saw +by the bands of light the sun was already setting, and knew that he must +have been for upwards of an hour in chase of the butterfly. He had not +the slightest idea of the direction in which he had come. He had, he +knew, run up hill and down, but whether he had been traveling in a +circle or going straight in one direction, he had not the least idea. +He might be within a hundred yards of the spot where he had left the +Houssa. He might be three or four miles away. + +He at once drew out his revolver, which he always carried strapped to +his belt, and discharged the six chambers, waiting for half a minute +between each shot, and listening intently for an answer to his signal. +None came. The stillness of the wood was unbroken, and Frank felt that +he must have wandered far indeed from his starting place, and that he +was completely lost. His first impulse was to start off instantly at the +top of his speed, but a moment's thought convinced him that this would +be useless. He had not an idea of the direction which he should pursue. +Besides the sun was sinking, twilight is short in the tropics, and in +half an hour it would be as dark as midnight in the forest. Remembering +his adventure with the leopard he determined to climb into a tree and +pass the night there. He knew that an active search would be set on +foot by his friends next morning, and that, as every step he took was as +likely to lead him from as towards the camp, it was better to stay where +he was. + +He soon found a tree with a branch which would suit his purpose, and, +climbing up into it, lit his pipe and prepared for an uncomfortable +night. Frank had never smoked until he reached Africa, but he had then +taken to it on the advice of Mr. Goodenough, who told him that smoking +was certainly a preventive, to some extent, of fever in malarious +countries, and, although he had not liked it at first, he had now taken +kindly to his pipe, and smoked from the time when the evening mists +began to rise until he went to bed. + +The time passed very slowly. The cries of wild creatures could be heard +in the woods, and although Frank did not expect to be attacked, it was +impossible to sleep with these calls of leopards, with which the forest +seemed to abound, in his ears. He had reloaded his revolver immediately +after discharging it, and had replaced it in his pouch, and felt +confident that nothing could climb the tree. Besides, he had heard that +leopards seldom attack men unless themselves attacked. Sleep, however, +was out of the question, for when he slept he might have fallen from +his seat in the crotch of the tree. Occasionally, however, he dozed off, +waking up always with an uncomfortable start, and a feeling that he +had just saved himself from falling. With the earliest dawn of morn he +descended, stiff and weary, from the tree. Directly the sun rose he set +off walking. He knew at least that he was to the south of the camp, and +that by keeping the sun on his right hand till it reached the zenith +he must get in time to the little stream on which it was pitched. As +he walked he listened intently for the sound of guns. Once or twice +he fancied that he heard them, but he was quite unable to judge of the +direction. He had been out with the Houssa about six hours before he +strayed from him in the pursuit of the butterfly, and they had for some +time been walking towards the camp, in order to reach it by nightfall. +Thus he thought, that at that time, he could only have been some three +or four miles distant from it. Supposing that he had run due south, he +could still be but eight miles from the stream, and he thought that +in three hours' walking he might arrive there. In point of fact, after +leaving the Houssa the butterfly had led him towards the southeast, and +as the stream took a sharp bend to the north a little distance above the +camp, he was many miles farther from it than he expected. This stream +was one of the upper tributaries of the Gaboon. + +After walking for two hours the character of the forest changed. The +high trees were farther apart, and a thick undergrowth began to make its +appearance, frequently causing him to make long detours and preventing +his following the line he had marked out for himself. This caused him +much uneasiness, for he knew that he had passed across no such country +on his way from the camp, and the thought that he might experience great +difficulties in recovering it, now began to press upon him. + + + +CHAPTER XI: A HOSTILE TRIBE + + +Every step that he went the ground grew softer and more swampy, and +he at length determined to push on no farther in this direction, but +turning to his left to try and gain higher ground, and then to continue +on the line he had marked out for himself. + +His progress was now very slow. The bush was thick and close, thorny +plants and innumerable creepers continually barred his way, and the +necessity for constantly looking up through the trees to catch a glimpse +of the sun, which was his only guide, added to his difficulty. At +length, when his watch told him it was eleven o'clock, he came to a +standstill, the sun being too high overhead to serve him as a reliable +guide. He had now been walking for nearly six hours, and he was utterly +worn out and exhausted, having had no food since his midday meal on +the previous day. He was devoured with thirst, having merely rinsed his +mouth in the black and poisonous water of the swamps he had crossed. His +sleepless night, too, had told on him. He was bathed in perspiration, +and for the last hour had scarcely been able to drag his feet along. + +He now lay down at the foot of a great tree, and for three or four hours +slept heavily. When he awoke he pursued his journey, the sun serving +as a guide again. In two hours' time he had got upon higher ground. The +brushwood was less dense, and he again turned his face to the north, and +stepped forward with renewed hopes. + +It was late in the afternoon when he came upon a native path. Here he +sat down to think. He did not remember having crossed such a path on +the day before. Probably it crossed the stream at some point above the +encampment. Therefore it would serve as a guide, and he might, too, come +upon some native village where he could procure food. By following it +far enough he must arrive somewhere. He sat for a quarter of an hour to +rest himself, and then proceeded along the path, whose direction seemed +to be the northwest. + +For an hour he proceeded and then paused, hearing a sudden outcry ahead. +Scampering along the path came a number of great baboons, and Frank at +once stepped aside into the bush to avoid them, as these are formidable +creatures when disturbed. They were of a very large species, and several +of the females had little ones clinging around their necks. In the +distance Frank could hear the shouts of some natives, and supposed that +the monkeys had been plundering their plantations, and that they were +driving them away. The baboons passed without paying any attention to +him, but Frank observed that the last of the troop was carrying a little +one in one of its forearms. + +Frank glanced at the baby monkey and saw that it had round its waist a +string of blue beads. As a string of beads is the only attire which a +negro child wears until it reaches the age of ten or eleven years old, +the truth at once flashed upon Frank that the baboons were carrying off +a native baby, which had probably been set down by its mother while she +worked in the plantation. Instantly he drew his pistol, leaped into the +road, and fired at the retreating ape. It gave a cry, dropped the baby +and turned to attack its aggressor. + +Frank waited till it was within six feet, and then shot it through the +head. He sprang forward and seized the baby, but in a moment he was +attacked by the whole party of baboons, who, barking like dogs, and +uttering angry cries, rushed at him. Frank stood his ground, and +discharged the four remaining barrels of his revolver at the foremost +animals. Two of these dropped, but the others who were only wounded +sprang upon him. Frank struck out with the butt end of his pistol, but +in a minute he was overpowered. + +One monkey seized him by the leg with his teeth, while another bit his +arm. Others struck and scratched at him, and he was at once thrown down. +He tried to defend his face with his arms, kicking and struggling to +the best of his power. With one hand he drew the long knife for skinning +animals, which he wore at his belt, and struck out fiercely, but a +baboon seized his wrist in its teeth, and Frank felt that all was over, +when suddenly his assailants left him, and the instant afterwards he was +lifted to his feet by some negroes. + +He had, when attacked by the apes, thrown the baby into a clump of ferns +close by, in order to have the use of both his hands, and when he looked +round he found that a negress had already picked it up, and was crying +and fondling it. The negroes appeared intensely astonished at Frank's +color, and he judged by their exclamations of surprise that, not only +had they not seen a white man before, but that they had not heard of one +being in the neighborhood. + +Frank had been too severely bitten and mauled by the baboons to be able +to walk, and the negroes, seeing this, raised him, and four of them +carried him to their village, which was but a quarter of a mile distant. +Here he was taken to the principal hut, and laid on a bed. His wounds +were dressed with poultices formed of bruised leaves of some plant, the +natives evincing the utmost astonishment as Frank removed his clothes to +enable these operations to be performed. + +By pointing to his lips he indicated that he was hungry and thirsty. +Water was brought to him, and cakes made from pounded yams pressed and +baked. Having eaten and drank he closed his eyes and lay back, and the +natives, who had before been all noisily chattering together, now became +suddenly silent, and stealing away left the strange white visitor to +sleep. + +When Frank woke he could see by the light that it was early morning. A +woman with a child in her lap, whom Frank recognized as the negress +who had picked up the baby, was sitting on a low stool by his side. On +seeing him open his eyes she came to the bed, took his hand and put it +to her lips, and then raised the baby triumphantly and turned it round +and round to show that it had escaped without damage. Then when Frank +pointed again to his lips she brought him a pineapple, roughly cut off +the skin, and sliced it. Frank ate the juicy fruit, and felt immensely +refreshed, for the West Coast pineapple is even more delicious than +that found in the West Indies. Then the woman removed the bandages and +applied fresh poultices to his wounds, talking in low soft tones, and, +as Frank had no doubt, expressing sorrow at their cause. + +Frank now endeavored to explain to her that he had a white companion +in the woods, but the woman, not understanding, brought in two or three +other natives, who stood round the couch and endeavored to gather what +he wished to say. + +Frank held up two fingers. Then he pointed to himself and shut down one +finger, keeping the other erect, and then pointed all round to signify +that he had a friend somewhere in the wood. A grin of comprehension +stole over the faces of the negroes, and Frank saw that he was +understood. + +Then he again held up his two fingers, and taking the hands of the +negress raised all her fingers by the side of the white ones to signify +that there were many natives with them. Then he took aim, with an +imaginary gun, up at the roof of the hut, and said “Bang” very loud, +and a chorus of approving laughter from the negroes showed that he was +understood. Then one of them pointed towards the various points of the +compass, and looked interrogatively at Frank. The sun was streaming in +through the doorway, and he was thus able to judge of the direction +in which the camp must lie. He made a sweep with his hand towards the +northwest, signifying that they were somewhere in that direction. + +That afternoon fever set in, and for the two next days Frank was +delirious. When he recovered consciousness he found Mr. Goodenough +sitting beside him. The latter would not suffer him to talk, but gave +him a strong dose of quinine and told him to lie quiet and go to sleep. + +It was not till the next day that Frank learned what had happened in +his absence. The Houssa had not returned until long after nightfall. He +reported that Frank had told him to wait with the guns, and that he had +waited until it grew nearly dark. Then he had fired several times and +had walked about, firing his gun at intervals. Obtaining no responses he +had made his way back to the camp, where his arrival alone caused great +consternation. + +It was impossible to do anything that night, and the next morning Mr. +Goodenough, accompanied by five of the Houssas, one only remaining to +keep guard over the camp, had gone to the place where Frank had last +been seen. Then they scattered in various directions, shouting and +firing their guns. The search had been continued all day without +success, and at nightfall, disheartened and worn out, they had returned +to the camp. The next day the search had been continued with an equal +want of success, and the fears that a leopard had attacked and killed +Frank became stronger and stronger. On the third day the whole of the +carriers were sent out with instructions to search the woods for native +paths, to follow these to villages, and to enlist the natives in the +search. One of these men had met one of the villagers on the search for +the party of the white man. + +It was another ten days before Frank was sufficiently recovered from his +fever and wounds to march back to the camp. After a stay there of two +or three more days, to enable him completely to regain his strength, the +party started again on their journey. + +In another three weeks they had descended the hills, and the Fans +announced their unwillingness to travel farther. Mr. Goodenough, +however, told them quietly that they had promised to go on until he +could obtain other carriers, and that if they deserted him he should pay +them nothing. They might now expect every day to meet people of another +tribe, and as soon as they should do so they would be allowed to depart. +Finding that he was firm, and having no desire to forfeit the wages they +had earned, the Fans agreed to go forward, although they were now in a +country entirely unknown to them, where the people would presumably be +hostile. They had, however, such faith in the arms carried by the white +men and Houssas, that they felt comparatively easy as to the result of +any attack which might be made upon them. + +The very day after this little mutiny, smoke was seen curling up from +the woods. Mr. Goodenough deemed it inexpedient to show himself at once +with so large a number of men. He, therefore, sent forward Ostik with +two of the Fans, each of whom could speak several native dialects, to +announce his coming. They returned in an hour saying that the village +was a very large one, and that the news of the coming of two white men +had created great excitement. The people spoke of sending at once to +their king, whom they called Malembe, whose place, it seemed, was a +day's march off. + +They now prepared to enter the village. Ostik went first carrying +himself with the dignity of a beadle at the head of a school procession. +Two of the Houssas walked next. Mr. Goodenough and Frank followed, their +guns being carried by two Fans behind them. Then came the long line of +bearers, two of the Houssas walking on each side as a baggage guard. +The villagers assembled in great numbers as they entered. The head man +conducted the whites to his hut. No women or children were to be seen, +and the expression of the men was that of fear rather than curiosity. + +“They are afraid of the Fans,” Mr. Goodenough said. “The other tribes +all have a species of terror of these cannibals. We must reassure them +as soon as possible.” + +A long palaver then took place with the chief, with whose language one +of the Fans was sufficiently acquainted to make himself understood. +It was rather a tedious business, as each speech had to be translated +twice, through Ostik and the Fan. + +Mr. Goodenough informed the chief that the white men were friends of his +people, that they had come to see the country and give presents to the +chiefs, that they only wished to pass quietly through and to journey +unmolested, and that they would pay handsomely for food and all that +they required. They wished to obtain bearers for their baggage, and +these they would pay in cloth and brass rods, and as soon as they +procured carriers the Fans would return to their own country. + +The chief answered expressing his gratification at seeing white men in +his village, saying that the king would, no doubt, carry out all their +wishes. One of the boxes was opened and he was presented with five yards +of bright colored calico, a gaudy silk handkerchief, and several strings +of bright beads. In return a large number of plantains were presented to +the white men. These were soon distributed among the Fans. + +“Me no like dat nigger,” Ostik said. “Me think we hab trouble. You see +all women and children gone, dat bad. Wait till see what do when king +come.” + +That day and the next passed quietly. The baggage had been piled in a +circle, as usual, in an open space outside the village; the tent being +pitched in the center, and Ostik advised Mr. Goodenough to sleep here +instead of in the village. The day after their arrival passed but +heavily. The natives showed but little curiosity as to the newcomers, +although these must have been far more strange to them than to +the people nearer the coast. Still no women or children made their +appearance. Towards evening a great drumming was heard in the distance. + +“Here is his majesty at last,” Mr. Goodenough said, “we shall soon see +what is his disposition.” + +In a short time the village was filled with a crowd of men all carrying +spears and bows and arrows. The drumming came nearer and nearer, and +then, carried in a chair on the shoulders of four strong negroes, +while ten others armed with guns marched beside him, the king made his +appearance. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank advanced to meet him. The king was a tall man +with a savage expression of countenance. Behind Mr. Goodenough, Ostik +and the Fan who spoke the language advanced. The king's chair was +lowered under the shade of a tree, and two attendants with palm leaf +fans at once began to fan his majesty. + +“Tell the king,” Mr. Goodenough said, “that we are white men who have +come to see his country, and to pass through to the countries beyond. We +have many presents for him, and wish to buy food and to hire carriers in +place of those who have brought our things thus far.” + +The king listened in silence. + +“Why do the white men bring our enemies into our land?” he asked +angrily. + +“We have come up from the coast,” Mr. Goodenough said; “and as we passed +through the Fan country we hired men there to carry our goods, just as +we wish to hire men here to go on into the country beyond. There were +none of the king's men in that country or we would have hired them.” + +“Let me see the white men's presents,” the king said. + +A box was opened, a bright scarlet shirt and a smoking cap of the same +color, worked with beads, a blue silk handkerchief and twenty yards of +bright calico, were taken out. To these were added twelve stair rods, +five pounds of powder, and two pounds of shot. + +The king's eye sparkled greedily as he looked at the treasures. + +“The white men must be very rich,” he said, pointing to the pile of +baggage. + +“Most of the boxes are empty,” Mr. Goodenough said. “We have brought +them to take home the things of the country and show them to the white +men beyond the sea;” and to prove the truth of his words, Mr. Goodenough +had two of the empty cases opened, as also one already half filled with +bird skins, and another with trays of butterflies and beetles. + +The king looked at them with surprise. + +“And the others?” he asked, pointing to them. + +“The others,” Mr. Goodenough said, “contain, some of them, food such +as white men are accustomed to eat in their own country, the others, +presents for the other kings and chiefs I shall meet when we have passed +on. + +“The fellow is not satisfied,” he said to Ostik, “give him two of the +trade guns and a bottle of brandy.” + +The king appeared mollified by these additional presents, and saying +that he would talk to the white men in the morning, he retired into the +village. + +“I don't like the looks of things,” Mr. Goodenough said. “I fear that +the presents we have given the king will only stimulate his desire for +more. However, we shall see in the morning.” + +When night fell, two of the Houssas were placed on guard. The Fans slept +inside the circle formed by the baggage. Several times in the night the +Houssas challenged bodies of men whom they heard approaching, but these +at once retired. + +In the morning a messenger presented himself from the king, saying that +he required many more presents, that the things which had been given +were only fit for the chief of a village, and not for a great king. +Mr. Goodenough answered, that he had given the best he had, that the +presents were fit for a great king, and that he should give no more. + +“If we are to have trouble,” he said to Frank, “it is far better to have +it at once while the Fans are with us, than when we are alone with no +one but the Houssas and the subjects of this man. The Fans will fight, +and we could hold this encampment against any number of savages.” + +A quarter of an hour later the drums began beating furiously again. Loud +shouts and yells arose in the village, and the natives could be seen +moving excitedly about. Presently these all disappeared. + +“Fight come now,” Ostik said. + +“You'd better lower the tent at once, Ostik. It will only be in our +way.” + +The tent was speedily lowered. The Fans grasped their spears and lay +down behind the circle of boxes and bales, and the six Houssas, the two +white men and Ostik, to whom a trade musket had been entrusted, took +their places at regular intervals round the circle, which was some +eight yards in diameter. Presently the beat of the drums again broke the +silence, and a shower of arrows, coming apparently from all points of +the compass, fell in and around the circle. + +“Open fire steadily and quietly,” Mr. Goodenough said, “among the +bushes, but don't fire fast. We must tempt them to show themselves.” + +A dropping fire commenced against the invisible foe, the fire being no +more frequent than it would have been had they been armed with muzzle +loading weapons. Presently musketry was heard on the enemy's side, the +king's bodyguard having opened fire. This was disastrous to them, for, +whereas the arrows had afforded but slight index as to the position of +those who shot them, the puffs of smoke from the muskets at once showed +the lurking places of those who used them, and Mr. Goodenough and Frank +replied so truly that in a very short time the musketry fire of the +enemy ceased altogether. The rain of arrows continued, the yells of the +natives rose louder and louder, and the drums beat more furiously. + +“They will be out directly,” Mr. Goodenough said. “Fire as quickly as +you can when they show, but be sure and take good aim.” + +Presently the sound of a war horn was heard, and from the wood all round +a crowd of dark figures dashed forward, uttering appalling yells. On +the instant the dropping fire of the defenders changed into an almost +continuous fusillade, as the Sniders of the Houssas, the breech loading +rifle of Mr. Goodenough, and the repeating Winchester of Frank were +brought into play at their full speed. Yells of astonishment broke +from the natives, and a minute later, leaving nearly a score of their +comrades on the ground, the rest dashed back into the forest. + +There was silence for a time and then the war drums began again. + +“Dey try again hard dis time, massa,” Ostik said. “King tell 'em he cut +off deir heads dey not win battle.” + +This time the natives rushed forward with reckless bravery, in spite of +the execution made among them by the rapid fire of the defenders, and +rushed up to the circle of boxes. Then the Fans leaped to their feet, +and, spear in hand, dashed over the defenses and fell upon the enemy. + +The attack was decisive. Uttering yells of terror the natives fled, and +two minutes later not a sound was to be heard in the forest. + +“I tink dey run away for good dis time, sar,” Ostik said. “Dey hav' +'nuf of him. Dey fight very brave, much more brave than people down near +coast. Dere in great battle only three, four men killed. Here as many +men killed as we got altogether.” + +This was so, nearly fifty of the natives having fallen between the trees +and the encampment. When an hour passed and all was still, it became +nearly certain that the enemy had retreated, and the Houssas, who are +splendid scouts, divested themselves of their clothing and crawled away +into the wood to reconnoiter. They returned in half an hour in high +glee, bearing the king's chair. + +“Dey all run away, sar, ebery one, de king an' all, and leab his chair +behind. Dat great disgrace for him.” + +A council was now held. The Fans were so delighted with the victory they +had won, that they expressed their readiness to remain with their white +companions as long as they chose, providing these would guarantee that +they should be sent home on the expiration of their service. This Mr. +Goodenough readily promised. After discussing the question with Frank, +he determined to abstain from pushing farther into the interior, but to +keep along northward, and then turning west with the sweep of the coast +to travel slowly along, keeping at about the same distance as at present +from the sea, and finally to come down either upon Cape Coast or Sierra +Leone. + +This journey would occupy a considerable time. They would cross +countries but little known, and would have an ample opportunity for the +collection of specimens, which they might, from time to time, send down +by the various rivers they would cross, to the trading stations at their +mouths. + +It was felt that after this encounter with the natives it would be +imprudent in the extreme to push further into the interior. They would +have continual battles to fight, large numbers of the natives would +be killed, and their collecting operations would be greatly interfered +with. As a lesson to the natives the village was burnt to the ground; +the presents, which the king in the hurry of his flight had left behind +him, being recovered. + +A liberal allowance of tobacco was served out as a “dash” or present to +the Fans, and a bright silk handkerchief given to each. Then they +turned off at right angles to the line they had before been pursuing and +continued their journey. + +Two days later Mr. Goodenough was prostrated by fever, and for several +days lay between life and death. When he became convalescent he +recovered strength very slowly. The heat was prodigious and the +mosquitos rendered sleep almost impossible at night. The country at this +place was low and swampy, and, weak as he was, Mr. Goodenough determined +to push forward. He was, however, unable to walk, and, for the first +time, a hammock was got out and mounted. + +There is no more comfortable conveyance in the world than a hammock in +Africa. It is slung from a long bamboo pole, overhead a thick awning +keeps the sun from the hammock. Across the ends of the pole boards of +some three feet long are fastened. The natives wrap a piece of cloth +into the shape of a muffin and place it on their heads, and then take +their places, two at each end of the pole, with the ends of the board on +their heads. They can trot along at the rate of six miles an hour, for +great distances, often keeping up a monotonous song. Their action is +perfectly smooth and easy, and the traveler in the hammock, by shutting +his eyes, might imagine himself swinging in a cot on board ship on an +almost waveless sea. + +After two days traveling they got on to higher ground, and here they +camped for some time, Mr. Goodenough slowly recovering strength, and +Frank busy in adding to their collections. In this he was in no slight +degree assisted by the Fans, who, having nothing else to do, had now +come to enter into the occupation of their employers. A good supply of +muslin had been brought, and nets having been made, the Fans captured +large quantities of butterflies, the great difficulty being in +convincing them that only a few of each species were required. They were +still more valuable in grubbing about in the decaying trunks of fallen +trees, under loose bark, and in broken ground, for beetles and larvae, +a task which suited them better than running about after butterflies, +which, moreover, they often spoilt irreparably by their rough handling. +Thus Frank was able to devote himself entirely to the pursuit of birds, +and although all the varieties more usually met with had been obtained, +the collection steadily increased in size. + +Frank himself had severe attacks of fever, but none of these were so +severe as that which he had had on the day of the death of the leopards. + +At the end of a month Mr. Goodenough had recovered his strength, and +they again moved forward. + + + +CHAPTER XII: A NEGRO'S STORY + + +On arriving at a large village one day, they were struck as they +approached by the far greater appearance of comfort and neatness than +generally distinguish African villages. The plots of plantations were +neatly fenced, the street was clean and well kept. As they entered the +village they were met by the principal people, headed by an old white +haired negro. + +“Me berry glad to see you, white men,” he said. “Long time me no see +white men.” + +“And it is a long time,” said Mr. Goodenough, shaking hands with him, +“since I have heard the sound of my own tongue outside my party.” + +“Me berry glad to see you,” repeated the negro. “Me chief of dis +village. Make you berry comfortable, sar. Great honor for dis village +dat you come here. Plenty eberyting for you, fowl, and eggs, and +plantain, and sometime a sheep.” + +“We have, indeed, fallen into the lap of luxury,” Mr. Goodenough said +to Frank; and they followed the negro to his hut. “I suppose the old man +has been employed in one of the factories upon the coast.” + +The interior of the hut was comfortably furnished and very clean. A sort +of divan covered with neatly woven mats extended round three sides. In +the center was an attempt at a table. A doubled barreled gun and a rifle +hung over the hearth. A small looking glass and several colored prints +in cheap frames were suspended from the walls. A great chest stood at +one end of the room, while on a shelf were a number of plates and dishes +of English manufacture. + +The negro begged his guests to be seated, and presently a girl entered, +bringing in a large calabash full of water for them to wash their hands +and faces. In the meantime the old negro had gone to his chest, and, +to the immense surprise of the travelers, brought out a snow white +tablecloth, which he proceeded to lay on the table, and then to place +knives, forks, and plates upon it. + +“You must 'scuse deficiencies, sar,” he said. “We berry long way from +coast, and dese stupid niggers dey break tings most ebery day.” + +“Don't talk about deficiencies,” Mr. Goodenough answered smiling. “All +this is, indeed, astonishing to us here.” + +“You berry good to say dat, sar, but dis chile know how tings ought to +be done. Me libed in good Melican family. He know berry well how tings +ought to be done.” + +“Ah, you have traveled a good deal!” Mr. Goodenough said. + +“Yes, sar, me trabel great deal. Me lib in Cuba long time. Den me lib +slave states, what you call Confederate. Den me lib Northern state, also +Canada under Queen Victoria. Me trabel bery much. Now, sar, dinner come. +Time to eat not to talk. After dinner white gentlemen tell me what they +came here for. Me tell dem if they like about my trabels, but dat berry +long story.” + +The dinner consisted of two fowls cut in half and grilled over a fire, +fried plantains, and, to the astonishment of the travelers, green peas, +followed by cold boiled rice over which honey had been poured. Their +host had placed plates only for two, but they would not sit down until +he had consented to join them. + +Two girls waited, both neatly dressed in cotton, in a fashion which was +a compromise between European and negro notions. + +After dinner the negro presented them with two large and excellent +cigars, made, as he said, from tobacco grown in his own garden, and the +astonishment of the travelers was heightened by the reappearance of one +of the girls bearing a tray with three small cups of excellent black +coffee. + +Their host now asked them for the story of their journey from the coast, +and the object with which they had penetrated Africa. Mr. Goodenough +related their adventures, and said that they were naturalists in search +of objects of natural history. When he had finished Ostik, in obedience +to a whisper from him, brought in a bottle of brandy, at the sight of +which the negro broke into a chuckle. + +“Me tree months widout taste dat. Once ebery year me send down to coast, +get coffee, tea, sugar, calico, beads, and rum. Dis time de rum am +finish too soon. One of de cases get broke and half de bottles smash. +Dat berry bad job. Dis chile calculate dat six dozen last for a year, +dat give him one bottle each week and twenty bottles for presents to +oder chiefs. Eighteen bottles go smash, and as de oder chiefs expec' +deir present all de same, Sam hab ta go widout. De men start three weeks +ago for coast. Me hope dey come back in six weeks more.” + +“Well,” Mr. Goodenough said, “you need not go without it till they +come back, for I can give you eight bottles which will last you for two +months. I have got a good supply, and as I never use it for trade unless +a chief particularly wants it, I can very well spare it.” + +The old negro was greatly pleased, and when he had drank his glass of +brandy and water he responded to Mr. Goodenough's request, and, lighting +a fresh cigar, he began the story of his adventures. + +“I was born in dis berry village somewhere about seventy years ago. I +not know for sure widin two or three year, for when I young man I no +keep account. My fader was de chief of dis village, just as I am now, +but de village was not like dis. It was not so big, and was berry dirty +and berry poor, just like the oder nigger villages. Well, sar, dere am +nothing perticlar to tell about de first years of my life. I jus' dirty +little naked nigger like de rest. Dose were berry bad times. Ebery one +fight against ebery one else. Ebery one take slabes and send dem down de +river, and sell to white men dere to carry ober sea. When I grow up +to seventeen, I s'pose, I take spear and go out wid de people of dis +village and de oder villages of dis part ob country under king, and +fight against oder villages and carry the people away as slabes. All +berry bad business dat. But Sam he tink nothing, and just do the same as +oder people. Sometimes oder tribes come and fight against our villages +and carry our people away. So it happened to Sam. + +“Jus' when he about twenty years old we had come back from a long +'spedition. Dis village got its share ob slabes, and we drink and sing +and make merry wid de palm tree wine and tink ourselves berry grand +fellows. Well, sar, dat night great hullyballoo in de village. De dogs +bark, de men shout and seize deir arms and run out to fight, but it no +good. Anoder tribe fall on us ten times as many as we. We fight hard but +no use. All de ole men and de ole women and de little babies dat no good +to sell dey killed, and de rest of us, de men and de women and de boys +and girls, we tied together and march away wid de people dat had taken +us. + +“Berry bad time dat, sar. De season was dry and de water scarce. We +make long march ebery day, and berry little food given. Dey beat us wid +sticks and prod us wid spear to make us go. A good many ob de weak ones +dey die, but de most ob us arribe at mouth ob riber; me neber know what +riber dat was, but we were berry nigh two months in getting dere. By +dis time Sam arribe at the conclusion berry strong, dat de burning ob +villages and carrying off ob slabes berry bad affair altogether. Sam hab +changed his mind about a great many things, but about dat he am fixed +right up to dis time. + +“Well, at de mouth ob dat riber Sam saw de white man for de first time; +and me tell you fair, sar, Sam not like him no way. Dey were Spanish +men, and de way dey treat us poor niggers was someting awful. We huddle +up night and day in a big shed dey call a barracoon. Dey gabe us berry +little food, berry little water. Dey flog us if we grumble. Dese men +belong to ships, and had bought us from dose who brought us down from +up country. Deir ship not come yet, and for a long time we wait in the +barracoon wishing dat we could die. At last de ship came, and we were +taken on board and huddled down below. Law, what a place dat was to be +sure! Not more than tree feet high, just high enough to sit up, and dere +we chained to deck. De heat, sar, was someting terrible. Some ob us yell +out and scream for air, but dey only come down and beat us wid whips. + +“De day after we got on board de ship set sail. Tree hours after dat we +hear a great running about on deck, and a shouting by the white men. Den +we hear big gun fire ober head, almost make us jump out of skin wid de +noise. Den more guns. Den dere was a crash, and before we knew what was +de matter dere was a big hole in de side, and six niggers was killed +dead. Ebery one yelled berry loud. We tink for sure that de last day +come. For a long time de guns keep firing, and den everyting quiet +again. At de time no one could tink what de matter, but I s'pose dat +British cruiser chase us and dat de slaber sail away. + +“Dat was an awful voyage, sar. At first de sea smoove, and de ship go +along straight. Den de ship begin to toss about jus' as nigger does when +he has taken too much palm wine, and we all feel berry bad. Ebery one +groan and cry and tink dat dey must have been poisoned. For tree days it +was a terrible time. De hatches were shut down and no air could come to +us, and dere we was all alone in de dark, and no one could make out why +de great house on de water roll and tumble so much. We cry and shout +till all breaff gone, and den lie quiet and moan, till jus' when ebery +one tink he dead, dey take off de hatch and come down and undo de +padlocks and tell us to go up on deck. Dat berry easy to say, not at all +easy to do. Most of us too weak to walk, and say dat we dead and cannot +move. Den dey whip all about, and it was astonishing, sar, to see what +life dat whip put into dead nigger. Somehow people feel dat dey could +crawl after all, and when dey get up on deck and see de blessed sun +again and de blue sky dey feel better. But not all. In spite ob de whip +many hab to be carried up on deck, and dere de sailor men lay 'em down +and trow cold water ober dem till dey open dere eyes and come to life. +Some neber come to life. Dere were about six hundred when we start, and +ob dese pretty nigh a hundred die in dose tree days. + +“After dat tings not so bad. De weather was fine and no more English +cruisers seen, so dey let half ob us up on deck at once for tree or four +hours ebery day. Dey give us more food, too, and fatten us up. We talk +dis ober among ourselves, and s'pose dat dey going to eat us when we +get to land again. Some propose not to eat food, but when dey try dat +on they get de whip, and conclude dat if dey must be eaten dey might as +well be eaten fat as lean. + +“At last we come in sight of land. Den we all sent below and stay dere +till night. Den we brought on deck, and find de vessel lying in a little +creek. Den we all land in boats, and march up country all night. In de +morning we halt. Tree or four white men come on horses and look at us. +Dey separate us into parties, and each march away into country again. +Den we separate again, till at last me and twenty oders arribe at a +plantation up in de hills. Here we range along in line before a white +man. He speak in berry fierce tones, and a nigger by his side tell us +dat dis man our master, dat he say if we work well he gib us plenty of +food and treat us well, but dat if we not work wid all our might he whip +us to death. After dis it was ebident that de best ting to do was to +work hard. + +“I was young and berry strong, sar, and soon got de name of a willing +hard working nigger. De massa he keep his word. Dose who work well not +bad treated, plenty ob food and a piece of ground to plant vegetables +and to raise fowls for ourselves. So we passed two or tree year, plenty +ob hard work, but not berry much to grumble at. Den me and a gal of my +own village, who had been bought in de same batch wid me, we go to massa +and say we want to marry. Massa say, berry well. I fine strong nigger +and work well, so he gib de gal four yards ob bright cotton for wedding +dress, and a bottle ob rum to me, and we married. + +“Two or tree years pass, and my wife hab two piccanninies. Den de massa +go home to Spain, and leab overseer in plantation. Berry bad man dat. +Before, if nigger work well he not beaten. Now he beaten wheder he work +or not. For two or tree months we 'tand it, but tings get worse and +worse. De oberseer he always drunk and go on like wild beast. One day he +passed by my wife hoeing de sugarcane and he gib her cut wid whip, jus' +out of 'musement. She turn round and ask, 'What dat for?' He get mad, +cut her wid whip, knock her down wid de handle, and den seizing de chile +dat she had fastened to her back, he catch him by de leg and smash him +skull against a tree. Den, sar, I seize my hoe, I rush at him, and I +chop him down wid all my strength, cut his skull clean in sunder, and he +drop down dead. + +“Den I knew dat dat was no place for Sam, so I take my hoe and I run +away as fast as I could. No one try to stop me. De oder niggers dance +and sing when dey saw de oberseer fall dead. I ran all dat day up among +de hills, skirting round de different plantations till I get quite into +de wild part. Wheneber I came to stream I walk a long way in him till +I get to tree hanging ober. Den pull myself up into de branches, climb +along and drop at de farthest end, and den run again, for I knew dat dey +would set de bloodhounds after me. + +“At last I tink dat it am quite safe, and when de night came on lie down +to sleep for a few hours. Before morning me off again, and by night get +to de center of de wild country. Here I light a fire, and sit down, and, +just as I 'spected, in two or tree hours five or six men come down to +me. Dose were niggers who had run away from plantations. I tell dem my +story, dey agree dat I did berry right in killing oberseer. Dey take me +away to place where dey hab little huts and patches of yams. Two or tree +days pass and no one come, so, we s'pose dat dey hab lost de scent. +Me waited a month and den determined to go down and see about wife. I +journey at night, and reach plantation in two days. Dere I hide till I +see nigger come along close to bush. I call him and he come. I tell him +to tell my wife to steal away when night come, and to meet me dere. He +nod and go away. Dat night my wife come wid de oder chile. We not talk +much but start away for mountains. Me berry much afraid now because +my wife not berry strong, she hurt by de blow and fretting after me. +Howeber, we follow the way I had gone before. I make shift to help her +up into trees from the streams, and dis time after tree days' travel we +got back to hut in the mountain. + +“Dere we lib berry happy for a year. Sometimes some ob us go down to +plantation and take down baskets and oder tings dat we had made and chop +dem for cotton. We had tobacco of our own, and some fowls which we got +from the plantations in de fust place. Altogether we did berry well. +Sometimes band of soldiers come and march trough the country, but we hab +plenty hiding places and dey never find us. More and more runway slabes +come, and at last we hear dat great 'spedition going to start to search +all de mountains. Dey come, two tree thousand ob dem. Dey form long +skirmishing line, five or six mile long, and dey go ober mountain. Ebery +nigger dey find who not surrender when dey call to him dey shoot. When +I heard ob deir coming I had long talk wid wife. We agree that it better +to leave de mountains altogether and go down and live in the bushes +close to the old plantation. Nobody look for us dere. So we make our way +down and lib there quiet. We get the yams out ob de plantations and lib +very comfortable. When we tink all ober in the mountain we go back. + +“Well, sar, when we tink it all safe, and we get widin a mile ob de huts +whar we had libed, all at once we came upon a lot of soldiers in camp. +Dey see us and make shout. I call to my wife to run, when dey fire. A +bullet hit de baby, which she hab at her back, and pass through both +deir bodies. I did not run any more, but jus' stood looking at my wife +and chile as if my senses had gone. Dere I stood till the soldiers came +up. Dey put a cord round my arms and led me away. After a time I was +taken down the country. Dere I was claimed, and when it was known I had +killed a white oberseer I was tried. But de new oberseer did not want me +to be hung, for I was a strong slave and worth money, so he told a story +about how it happen, and after dey had flogged me very hard dey sent me +back to plantation. Dere I work for a long time wid a great log of wood +chained to my ankle to prevent me from running away again. + +“For a time I not care whether I lib or die, but at last I made up my +mind to 'scape again. After six months dey took off de log, tinking dat +I had had enuf of de mountains and would not try to 'scape, and de log +prevented my doing so much work. De bery next night I ran away again but +dis time I determined to make for de town in hopes ob getting on board +an English ship, for I had heard from de oder slabes dat de English did +not keep black men as slabes, but dat, on de contry, dey did what +dey could to stop de Spanish from getting dem away from Africa, and I +understood now dat de dreful noise we had heard on de first day we were +on board ship was an attack upon our vessel by an English cruiser. + +“It was four days' journey down to de town by de sea. Dere was no +difficulty in finding de way, for de road was good, and I s'pose dat dey +only looked for me towards de hills. Anyhow I got dar safe, walking at +night and sleeping in the bushes by day. I got as near de town as I dar, +and could see seberal vessels lying near de shore. I could see dat some +ob dem had de Spanish flag--I knew dat flag--de oders had flags which +I did not know. When it was dark I walked boldly into the town; no one +asked me any question, and I make my way through de streets down to de +shore. Dere I get into a boat and lay quiet till all de town was asleep. +Den I get into water and swim off to a ship--one dat I had noticed had +a flag which was not Spanish. Dere was a boat alongside. I climb into it +and pull myself up by the rope on deck. Den some white men seize me and +say someting in language which I not understand. Den dey take me into +cabin and say someting to captain; me not know what it was, but de +captain laugh, and me not like his laugh at all. Howeber, dey give me +someting to eat, and den take me down into hold of ship and tell me to +go to sleep on some sacks of sugar, and throw some empty sacks ober me +to cover me. Den dey close up hatch and leab me alone. + +“When I come on deck de land was gone and de vessel sailing along. I +speak to no one, for I only understand little Spanish, and dese people +not speak dat. We sail along for some time, and at last we come in sight +of land again. Den dey hoist flag and I see dat it a flag wid lots of +red stars and stripes upon him. I know now dat it was a 'Merican ship. +Den I know noting. We get to port and I want to land, but dey shake deir +heads. + +“De next day de captain he make sign to me to come wid him. I go +along to shore and he take me to a open space in town, where a man was +standing on a raised platform. He had a black woman by de side ob him. +Seberal men come up and look at her. De man he shout bery loud. Oder men +say something short. At last he knock on de table; a man tell de woman +to come after him and she walk away. Den a boy was put up, and den two +more women, and ebery time just de same ting was done. Den de man call +out, and de captain push his way through the crowd wid me, and tell +me to climb up on platform. I get up and look round quite surprised. +Eberybody laugh. Den de man began to holloa again. Den seberal men come +up and feel my arms and my legs. Dey point to de marks which de whip had +left on my back, and dey laugh again. Presently de man who was shouting +bang his hand on the table again, and a white man in the crowd, who had +seberal times called out loud, come up to me, take me by the arm, and +sign to me to go wid him. + +“I begin to understand now; dat rascally captain had sold me for a +slabe, and dat flag I had seen was not de English flag. However, it was +no use to say anyting, and I went along wid my new massa. He was a nice +looking man, and I thought it might not be so bery bad after all. He +took me to a high carriage wid two wheels and a fine horse. A negro, who +was dressed up like a white man, was holding de horse. He showed me to +climb up behind, de oders climb up in front, and we dribe away.” + + + +CHAPTER XIII: A FUGITIVE SLAVE + + +“Well, sar, work bery much de same on plantation in Virginia and Cuba, +but de slabe much merrier in 'Merica, when de master am good. My new +massa bery good man. Slabes all treat bery kind, work not too hard. At +night dance and sing bery much. Den I marry again, dis time to one ob +de girls in de house. She favorite ob missy, and so when we marry, missy +hab me taken off de fields and put to garden. Bery fine garden dat was. +Tree, four of us work dar, Sam jus' as happy as man could be. Sometime, +when der am party, Sam come into the house to help at de table, dat how +Sam know how to do tings proper. De little massas dey bery fond ob me, +and when dey want to go out hunting de coon or fishing in de riber, dey +always cry for Sam. + +“So fifteen years passed by, bery happy years, sar, den do ole massa +die; missy, too, soon after. De young massa not like him father. Me tink +de ole gentleman make mistake wid him when him chile, let him hab too +much his own way. I bery fond ob him because I had been wid him so much, +but I often shake my head when I tink de time come dat he be massa ob de +plantation. It was not dat his nature was bad; he get in rage sometime, +but dat all ober in no time, but he lub pleasure too much; go to de +races and 'top at de town weeks together, and play too much wid de +cards. Dere were two boys and two girls; de second boy, he go to West +Point and become officer in de army. + +“After de death ob de ole people de house change bery much. Before dat +time we keep good company, gib sometimes grand balls, and all de fust +families ob Virginia in dat part visit dar. After dat always people +in de house. De young massa, when he go to Richmond, bring back six or +eight young men wid him, and dey laugh and drink and play cards half de +night. I tink de young missys speak to him about his ways. Anyhow, one +day dere great row, and dey off to lib wid an aunt in de city. After dat +tings get worse. One day missy come back from town and she gib my wife +her papers of freedom. You see, my wife was giben by de ole man to missy +when her war a little girl, and fortunate it was dat he had made out de +papers all right and presented dem to her. When missy gib her de papers +ob freedom, she cry bery much. 'Me 'fraid bad time coming, Sally,' she +said. 'Me tink dat it better for a time dat you clar out ob dis. Now you +got de paper you free woman, but you wife ob slabe; might be difficulty +about it. Me fear dat broder Dick ruined--de plantation and slabes to be +sole;' and wid dat she bu'st out crying wus dan eber. Ob course my wife +she cry too. + +“'Better you go norf, Sally,' missy say presently. 'I gib you letter +to friends dar, and tell dem you bery good nurse. Den if Sam get good +master you can come back to him again. If not, as you tell me dat when +he slabe before he run away, it jus' possible he do de same again.' + +“'Don't you tink, missy,' de wife said, 'dat de young massa gib freedom +to Sam too. Sam wait on him a great many years, sabe him life when he +tumbled into water.' + +“'I bery much afraid,' missy said, shaking her head, 'dat my broder +not able to do so if he wish. He borrow money on de plantation and de +slabes, and dat prevent him from making any ob dem free. De sale soon +come now. You go tell Sam; tell him not to say word to nobody. Den you +pack up and come right away wid me to de city. It bery much better you +clar out ob dis before dey come down and seize eberybody.' + +“Well, sar, you guess when Sam heard dis he in fine taking. He often +grieve bery much dat he and Sally hab no children. Now he tank de Lord +wid all his heart dat dere no piccanniny, for dey would hab been sold, +one one way and one another, and we should neber hab seen dem again. +Hows'ever, I make great effort, and tell Sally she do jus' what missy +say. I tell her to go norf while she can, and promise dat some day or +oder Sam join her dar. 'Better for to be parted for ten year, Sally, dan +to hab de risk ob you being seize and sold to one master, me to anoder. +You trus' Sam to break out some day. He do bery well here for a time. +He bery good strong nigger, good gardner, good at de horses, good +carpenter. Sam sure to get good place, but, howeber good, when he see a +chance he run away. If no chance, he sabe up his money, and you sabe up +your money, Sally, and buy him freedom.' + +“Well, sar, we bofe cry bery much, and den Sally go away wid de young +missy. A week after dat de bust up come. De officers dey come down and +seize de place, and a little while after dey sell all de slabes. Dat +was a terrible affair, to see de husbands and de wives and de children +separated and sold to different masters. De young massa he not dere +at sale. Dey say he pretty nigh break him heart, but he ought to hab +thought ob dat before. Me sure dat de ole gentleman and de ole missy +pretty nigh turn in deir grabe at de thought ob all de hands they was so +kind to sold away. + +“Dat de curse of slabery, sar. Me trabel a good deal, and me tink dat +no working people in de world are so merry and happy as de slabe in a +plantation wid a good massa and missy. Dey not work so hard as de white +man. Dey have plenty to eat and drink, dey hab deir gardens and deir +fowls. When dey are sick dey are taken care ob, when dey are ole they +are looked after and hab nothing to do. I have heard people talk a lot +of nonsense about de hard life of de plantation slabe. Dat not true, +sar, wid a good massa. De slabe hab no care and he bery happy. If all +massas were good, and dere were a law dat if a plantation were broken up +de slabes must be sold in families together, me tell you dat de life on +a plantation a thousand times happier dan de life ob a black man in +his own country. But all masters are not good. Some neber look after de +slabes, and leabe all to overseers, and dese bery often bad, cruel men. +But worst of all is when a sale comes. Dat terrible, sar. De husban' +sold to Alabama, de wife to Carolina, de children scattered trough de +States. Dis too bad, sar, dis make ob slabery a curse to de black men. + +“Well, sar, we all sold. Me fetch high price and sold to a planter in +Missouri. Sam no like dat. Dat a long way from the frontier. Tree years +Sam work dar in plantation. Den he sold again to a man who hab boats on +de riber at New Orleans. Dar Sam work discharging de ships and working +de barges. Dar he come to learn for sure which de British flag. De times +were slack, and my massa hire me out to be waiter in a saloon. Dat place +dey hab dinners, and after dinner dey gamble. Dat war a bad place, mos' +ebery night quarrels, and sometimes de pistols drawn, and de bullets +flying about. Sam 'top dar six months; de place near de riber, and de +captains ob de ships often come to dine. + +“One young fellow come bery often, and one day Sam saw tree or four men +he knew to be Texas horse dealers talking wid him. Now dis young captain +had been bery friendly wid Sam; always speak cibil and gib him quarter +for himself, and Sam sorry to see dose chaps get hold ob him. Dis went +on for two or tree days, till one ebening de captain, instead of going +away after dinner, stopped talking to dese follows. De play begin at de +table, and dey persuade him to join. He hab de debil's luck. Dey thought +they going to cheat him, and if dey had got him by demselves dey would +have cleaned him out sure. But dere were oder people playing and dey not +able to cheat. + +“Well, sar, he won all de money. Drinks had been flying about, and when +at last de man dat kep' de table said, 'De bank will close for tonight,' +de young fellow could scarce walk steady on his feet. His pockets were +full ob notes. I went up to him and said, 'Will you hab a bed here, sar, +bery good bed?' but he laugh and say, 'No, Sam, I may be a little fresh +in de wind, but I tink I can make de boat.' I saw dose fellows scowl +when I speak to him, and I make up my mind dey after no good. Well, sar, +dey go out fust. Den he go out wid some oder people and stand laughing +and talking at de door. Sam run up to him room, slip on his money belt, +for he had had a good deal giben him while he was dar, and was sabing up +to buy his freedom, and he didn't know what was going to happen. Den Sam +look into de kitchen and caught up a heavy poker and a long knife, den +he run down and turn out de lights ob de saloon and lock de door after +him. + +“He was jus' in time, for he saw at de corner, where de street go down +on to the wharves, de young captain separate from de men who had gone +out wid him and walk away by hisself. Sam kicked off his shoes and ran +as fast as he could to de end ob de street. De wharf was bery badly +lighted, jus' a lamp here and dere. Sam ran along till he got widin +about thirty yards ob de sailor, and den stole quiet along in de shadow +ob de houses. Sudden he see five men run out. Den Sam he leap forward +like tiger and gibs a shout to warn de captain. He turn round jus' in +time. Sam saw an arm lifted and de captain fall, and den at de same +moment almost him poker come down wid a crunch upon de top ob one of +deir head. Den they turn on Sam, but, law bless you, sar! what was de +good ob dat? Bery strong negro wid heavy poker in one hand and long +knife in de oder more dan match for four men. He knock dem ober like +nine pin. Tree of dem, he tink he kill straight, the poker fall on de +top ob deir heads, de oder man give a dig in Sam's left shoulder wid his +knife, and de sudden pain shake Sam's aim a little and de blow fall +on him neck. He gib a shout and tumble down. None ob do oder four +had shouted or made any remark when Sam hit dem. Den Sam caught up de +captain and ran along de wharf. Presently he heard a hail. 'All right,' +Sam said. + +“'Am dat you, captain?' some one say. + +“'Me got a captain here,' Sam say; 'you come and see wheder he yours.' + +“De men came up and look in de captain's face. + +“'Hullo,' dey say; 'de captain am dead.' + +“'Me no tink him dead,' I say. 'He had a fight, and Sam come to him aid +and beat de rascals off. You had better take him straight on board de +ship.' + +“Dey put him in boat and Sam go wid him to ship. Dey examine de wound +and find it not bery serious. De captain was turning round when dey +struck, and de blow had glanced off, but it had made a ugly gash; and +what wid de surprise, and de loss ob blood, and knocking him head on +de wharf, and de liquor, de captain had lost his consciousness. He soon +come round, and Sam tell all about it. De captain shake Sam's hand bery +much and call him his preserver, and ask what he do for him. + +“'You take me out ob dis country,' me said, 'and Sam be grateful.' + +“'Sartain, I will,' he said; 'and now what am de best ting to do?' + +“'Me not stop on board now. Dey come and search de vessel for sure in +de morning. When de four white men found, me hope five, den dere great +rumpus. If five dead no suspicion fall on Sam, but you're sure to be +asked questions. It would be known dat dey were gambling in de saloon, +and it would be known dat you had broken de bank and had gone away wid +your pockets stuffed full ob notes. People would suspec' dat likely +enuff dey had made an attack on you. Dis you couldn't deny, for you will +be bandaged up in de morning, and if you had killed dem no one would +blame you. But it a different ting wid Sam. All dose rascals friends +together, and you be bery sure dat some ob dem pay him off for it. If +five men dead, all well and good. Den you say you knocked down and know +nufing furder. You s'pose some people came up and take your side, and +kill dose men, and carry you to de boat, and gib you ober to de sailors, +and den go away; but dat you know nufing at all about it. If only four +men killed den do oder, who will be sure to go away and say nufing ob +his share in de business, will tell all his mates dat dis nigger intrude +himself into de affair, and dat bad for Sam. So, sar, propose dat I go +ashore, and dat I go down de bank five or six mile, and dere hide in de +bush. When your ship come down you hoist little white flag, so Sam sure +ob de right ship. If Sam tink de coast am clear he swim off. If you no +see Sam when you get fifteen mile down de riber, den you anchor, and at +night send a boat ashore. Sam come down to it for sure.' + +“So de matter was arranged. De captain say he tree more days fill up his +ship, but dat no do for me come on board by daylight because dere would +be a pilot on board. Also he says little white flag no do, pilot tink +him strange, but would tell one ob de men to hang a red shirt, as if to +dry, up in de rigging. At night would show two lights ober de bow for me +to know which was de ship. + +“Fust dey bind up de wound on my shoulder, den dey gib me food for four +days and a bottle of rum, and den row me ashore. Den Sam start, and +before morning he hid in de swampy bush ten miles down de riber. He wait +dere two days, den make him way down anoder four miles and dere stop. +Late dat afternoon he see a ship come down de riber wid a red shirt in +de rigging. He go on and on, and jus' as it got dark he anchor two miles +furder down. Sam make his way along through de bush and at last get +facing de ship. At twelve o'clock boat come along bery quiet. Sam +go down and get in. De men say, 'Hush, make no noise. De pilot am as +watchful as a cat. Dey had tied tings round de oars dat dey should make +no noise, and when dey get to de side ob de ship dey lay dem in very +quiet, hook on de tackle and hoist her up. De hatchway were off, and +de men beckon to Sam, and two ob dem go down wid him, and de hatchways +closed down again. + +“'I tink we hab tricked him,' one ob de sailors said. 'Dere great row at +New Orleans about de four men found dead dar. Dey come off and inquire +ob de captain ober and ober again. Dey know you missing, and dey find de +kitchen poker lying by de men, and tink you must have had a hand in it. +A thousand dollars reward have been offered, and dey searched de ship +high and low, and turn ober all de cargo. A guard stop on board till de +last ting to see no one come off. When de captain say he anchor de pilot +say no, but de captain say he in no hurry and not going to risk his ship +by sailing at night. Me tink pilot smell a rat, for ebery time he hear +a noise on deck he come out of his cabin and look round. We greased de +falls to make dem run quiet, and took off our shoes so as to make no +noise while we were lowering it. De men on deck was told to get de +hatchway open when dey saw us coming, and so we hoped dat de pilot heard +nufing. Now we must head you up in a cask. We hab bored some holes in +it for de air. Den we shall pile oder casks on de top and leabe you. +Dey are as likely as not to search de ship again when she goes past de +forts, for de pilot will suspect dat it am possible dat you have come on +board tonight.' + +“Me take my place in a big sugar cask. Dey give me some water and some +food, and den shut in de head ober me. Dere I remain two days. I heard +some men come below and make a great noise, moving de cargo about near +de hatchway, and dey hammered in all de casks ob de top tier to see if +any ob dem was empty. I felt bery glad when it was all ober, and de hold +was quiet again. I slept a great deal and did not know anything about +time; but at last I heard a noise again, and de moving of casks, and den +de head of de hogshead was taken out, and dere were de sailors and de +captain. Dey shook Sam very hearty by de hand, and told him dat de ship +was safe out at sea, and dat he was a free man. + +“All through dat voyage dey bery kind to Sam. He libed de life ob a +gentleman; ate, and drank, and smoke plenty, and nufing at all to do. At +last we got to Liberpool, and dar de captain take Sam to a vessel bound +to New York, pay him passage across, and gib Sam a present ob fifty +pound. Dis chile had saved fifty beside, so he felt dat he was a rich +man. Nufing happen on passage, except great storm, and Sam thought dat +de steamer go to de bottom, but she got through all right, and Sam land +at New York. Den he journey to Philadelphia, dat the place where missy +give Sam a card wid a name and address written on it, for him to go to +ask where Sally was living. Well, sar, you could have knocked me down +when I find a great bill in de window, saying dat de house were to let. +Sam almost go out ob his mind. He ask a great many people, de servants +at de doors, and de people in de shops and at last find dat de family am +gone to trabel in Europe, and dat dey might be away for years. + +“For two months Sam searched about Philadelphia, and looked at ebery +black woman he saw in de streets. He could see no signs whatsomeber ob +Sally. Den he took a place as waiter at an hotel, and he wrote to missy +at Richmond, to ask if she know Sally's address, but he neber got no +answer to dat letter, and s'posed that missy was either dead or gone +away. After he work dere for some months de idea came to Sam dat first +class hotel wasn't de best place in de world to look for black woman. +Den Sam went to warehouse and bought a lot of books and started to +peddle them trough de country. He walked thousands ob miles, and +altogether saw thousands ob black men, but nothing like Sally. Ebery +black woman he could he spoke to, and asked dem if dey knew her. It was +a curious ting dat no one did. Me did not find Sally, but me made a good +deal of money, and tree more years pass away at dis work. By dis time +me was nigh forty-five years old, as well as me could tell. Ebery few +months me go back to Philadelphia and search dere again. + +“One day a woman, dressed bery plain, came up to me and said, 'I hab +been tole by my nurse dat you have been asking her if she had seen your +wife.' I s'pose I looked hopeful like for she said at once, 'Me know +nothing ob her, but I was interested about you. You are an escaped +slabe, are you not?' + +“'Yes, ma'am,' me said. 'Dere is no law against me here.' + +“'None at all,' she said. 'But I thought that you might, like me, be +interested in freeing slabes.' + +“'Dat I am,' I said, 'dough I had neber thought much about it.' + +“'You hab heard, p'raps,' she said, 'ob de underground railway.' + +“'Yes, ma'am,' said I. 'Dat is de blessed 'stitution which smuggles +slaves across the frontier.' + +“'Dat is it,' she said, 'and I belongs to it.' + +“'Does you, missy?' me says. 'De Lord bless you.' + +“'Now,' she said, 'we want two or three more earnest men, men not afraid +to risk deir libes, or what is worse deir freedom, to help deir follow +creatures. I thought that you, habing suffered so much yourself, might +be inclined to devote yourself to freeing oders from de horrors of +slabery.' + +“'Sam is ready, ma'am,' me says, 'It may be dat de Lord neber intends me +see my Sally again, but if I can be de means ob helping to get oder men +to join deir wives I shall be content.' + +“'Very well,' she said. 'Come into my house now and we will talk about +it.' + +“Den she 'splained the whole business to me. Dere were, principally in +lonely places, in swamps and woods, but sometimes libing in villages and +towns in de south, people who had devoted deir libes to de carrying +out of de purposes ob de underground railway. For de most part dese led +libes differing no way from deir neighbors; dey tilled de land, or kept +stores like oders, and none of dose around dem suspected in de slightest +degree deir mission in de south. To deir houses at night fugitive slabes +would come, guided by dose from de next post. De fugitives would be +concealed for twenty-four hours or more, and den passed on at night +again to de next station. Dose formed the larger portion ob de body. + +“Dere were oders who lived a life in de swamps, scattered trough the +country. Deir place of residence would be known to de slabes ob de +neighborhood, but de masters had no suspicion dat de emissaries ob de +association were so near. To dese any negro, driben to desperation +by harsh treatment, would resort, and from dem instructions would be +received as to de route to be taken, and de places where aid could be +obtained. Dose people held deir life in deir hands. Had any suspicion +fallen upon dem ob belonging to de 'stitution dey would be lynched for +sartin. De lady set before me all de dangers ob de venture. She said it +war a case whar dere were no money to be earned, and only de chances +of martyrdom. My mind quite made up. Me ready to undertake any work dey +like to give me. My life ob no value to no one. De next day me saw some +ob de oder people connected wid de affair, and tree days afterwards I +started for de south.” + + + +CHAPTER XIV: A CHRISTIAN TOWN + + +“My share ob de business was to make my way down south and settle in de +swamps ob Carolina. I war to be taken down by trading schooner, to be +landed on de coast, and to make my way to a place in de center ob a big +swamp whar an ole nigger, named Joe, had been carrying on de work for +four years. He had sent to say dat he war bery ill wid de swamp fever +and like to die, dat he should not leabe de work as long as he libed, +but hoped dat dey would send anoder man out to take on his work after +his death. + +“Well, sar, I was landed, and I made my way to de place. It war no easy +matter. De niggers all say dey know no such person, but I found de next +post, and dere de man guided me to de path which led into de swamp. Dey +told me dey thought de ole man dead, for dat no one had come along to +dem from him for nigh two month. Well, sar, as I 'spected I found him +dead, and I buried him, and took up my place in de hut. Soon it became +known through de plantations round dat de hut was occupied again, and +dey began to come to me to ask for assistance. My 'structions war dat +only to enable a husband to join his wife, or a wife her husband, or in +cases where de masters were uncommon cruel, dat I was to send 'em along +by de underground railway. De risks was too great to be run often. If +we had tried to help ebery one to 'scape we should mighty soon hab been +hunted down. + +“Well, sar, I libed dere for three year. It was a lonesome life. I +planted a few yams round de hut, and de plantation hands would bring me +tings dat dey got hold of. It was my duty when I found dat a case was ob +de proper description to arrange for de flight, de man or de woman would +come to my hut, and I would guide dem through de swamps, twenty-five +mile away, to de house ob a clergyman, which was de next station. I +would jus' knock in a 'ticular way at de door, and when dis was open +leab de party dere and go straight away back to de swamp. More dan once +de planters got up hunts and searched de swamp through and through for +me wid dogs, and my hut was twice burnt to de ground, but de slabes +always brought me notice in time, and I went away into de tickest part +ob de swamp and lay dar till dey had gone away. + +“Well, sar, one time come, I bery busy, passed tree men away in two +week. One night me hear barking of dogs, and jump up jus' in time to see +party ob men coming out from de little path towards de hut. I ran for de +swamp. Dey fire at me and one ball hit me. Den I ran in to de swamp, +de dogs dey follow, but I get farder and farder away, and de swamp get +deeper, and me tink dey lose me altogether. I sit quiet on 'tump when I +hear someting splashing in swamp, and all of a sudden a big hound sprang +on me, and fix him teeth in my shoulder. I had no arms, for in de hurry +I had not time to catch dem up. De beast he growl and bite, and hold +on like death. I saw dere only one ting to do. I tumble forward into de +swamp wid de dog underneath me, and dere I lay, wid my mouf sometimes +above de water sometimes below, till de dog was drowned. + +“Den I start for de next station. I was hit in de hip, and it took me +tree days to crawl dat twenty-five miles. On de tird ebening I knock at +de door ob de house, and when it was open I tumble down in faint inside. +It war a long time before I come to myself, two weeks dey tell me, +and den I tink I dream, for sitting by de side of de bed war dat woman +Sally. Till she spoke, me couldn't believe dat it war true, but she told +me dat it war her, sure enuf, and dat I war to ask no questions but to +go off to sleep. + +“Next day she told me all about it. She had stopped a year at +Philadelphy. Den she heard ob de underground railway, and was tole dat +a clergyman, who war just going down south to work a station, wanted +a black nurse for his children, who would help in de work. Sally she +volunteer, and dar she had been libing eber since, hoping all de +time eider dat I should pass through dere or dat she should hear from +Philadelphy dat I had got dere. She used to act as de guide ob de +runaways to de next station, and ebery man who came along she asked +if they knew me; but, law bless you, sar, de poor woman knew nufing ob +places, or she would hab known dat she war hundreds ob miles south of +Virginia, and though she allowed she had heard I had gone to Missouri, +she s'posed dat de way from der might be by de sea coast. I hab +observed, sar, dat de gography ob women am bery defective. + +“I stopped thar till I was cured. The clergyman knew someting of +surgery, and he managed to substract the ball from my hip. When I war +quite well Sally and me started for the norf, whar we had helped so many +oders to go, and, bress de Lord, we arribed dere safe. Den I told Sally +dat I should like to libe under de British flag, so we went up to Canada +and dere we libed bery comfortable for ten years together. Sally washed +and I kep' a barber's shop, and we made plenty ob money. Den she die, +sar, de tought come into my mind dat I would come back to Africa and +teach dose poor niggers here de ways ob de white men, and sar,” and he +pointed to a Bible standing on the chest, “de ways ob de Lord. So I came +across the Atlantic, and stopped a little while on de coast, for I had +pretty nigh forgotten de language ob de country. When I got it back +again I started up for dis place, wid plenty ob goods and presents. + +“I had hard work at fust to get de people to know me. It war nigh forty +year since I had gone away, but at last some ob de ole people remember +me, dat I was de son ob de chief. As I had plenty goods, and dey did not +like de man dat was here, dey made me chief in my fader's place. I told +dem dat I no accept de place unless dey promise to behave bery well, to +mind what I said to dem, and to listen to my words; but dat if they do +dat I gibe dem plenty goods, I make dem comfortable and happy, and I +teach dem de way ob de Lord. Dey agree to all dis. + +“I find de slave trade now all at an end, and dat de people not fight +often now. Still, de twenty muskets dat I bring make de people of oder +villages respec' us very much. Dey come ober to see de village. Dey see +dat de houses are comfortable, dat de gardens are bery well cultivated, +dat de people are well dressed, not like common nigger, dat dey are +happy and contented. Dey see dat dey no believe in fetish any more, but +dat ebery ebening when de work is ober, dey gadder under de big tree and +listen for half an hour while I read to dem and den sing a hymn. Once +a year I send down to de coast and get up plenty cloth, and hoes for +de gardens, and eberyting dey want. When I land here ten year ago I hab +eight hundred pound. I got five hundred ob him left here still. Dat more +dan enuf to last Sam if he libe to be bery, bery ole man. Dar are some +good men in de village who, when I am gone, will carry on de work ob de +Lord and dat's all, sar, dat I hab to tell you about Sam, and I am sure +dat you must be very tired and want to go to bed.” + +The hour was, indeed, for Africa, extremely late, but the time had +passed unheeded, so interested were the listeners in the narrative of +the fine old negro. They remained at the village for a week, and were +greatly pleased with the industrious habits and happy appearance of the +people, and with the earnestness and fervor in which every evening, and +twice on Sunday, they joined in devotions under the great tree. At the +end of that time they said goodbye to their kind host, giving him a +large amount of cloth for distribution among his people. He was unable +to furnish them with bearers, as a considerable tract of uninhabited +country extended beyond his village, and the people on the other side +were on bad terms with his villagers, on account of an outstanding feud +which had existed long before his return from America, and which he +had in vain attempted to settle since he assumed the headship of the +village. + +On approaching the Niger they again came upon an inhabited country, but +the tribes here being accustomed to trade with the coast were +friendly, and at the first large village they came to no difficulty was +experienced in obtaining a fresh relay of bearers. This was a matter of +great satisfaction, for the Fans were regarded with extreme antipathy by +the natives. As soon as arrangements had been made to supply their place +the Fans were paid the four months' wages which they had earned. A large +“dash” of beads and other presents were bestowed upon them, three of the +remaining sacks of rice were given to them, and, greatly rejoicing, they +started for their own country, which, by making long marches, they would +regain in a fortnight's time. Although it was not probable that they +would meet with any enemies, six trade muskets, with a supply of powder +and ball, were given to them, as, although they would not be able to +do much execution with these weapons, their possession would exercise a +powerful influence over any natives they might meet. + +In crossing the country to the Niger the white men were the objects of +lively curiosity, and the exhibition of the magic lantern, the chemical +experiments, and conjuring tricks created an effect equal to that which +they had produced among the Fans. On reaching the Niger a canoe was +hired with a crew of rowers. In this all the cases, filled with the +objects they had collected, were placed, the whole being put in charge +of the Houssas, Moses and King John, who had been seized with a fit +of homesickness. These were to deliver the cases to the charge of an +English agent at Lagos or Bonny, to both of whom Mr. Goodenough wrote +requesting him to pay the sum agreed to the boatmen on the safe arrival +of the cases, and also to pay the Houssas, who preferred taking their +wages there, as it was not considered advisable to tempt the cupidity of +any of the native princes along the river. Should they be overhauled +the Houssas were told to open the cases and show that these contained +nothing but birds' skins and insects, which would be absolutely +valueless in the eyes of a native. + +When the precious freight had fairly started, the party crossed the +Niger in a canoe, arrangements having already been made with the +potentate of a village on the opposite side for a fresh relay of +carriers, twenty men being now sufficient, owing to the gaps which had +been made in the provisions in the goods, by the payment of the carriers +and presents, and, in the cases, by the despatch of eight of the largest +of these to the coast. They had still, however, ample space for the +collections they might still make. The cases of goods and provisions +were utilized for this purpose as they were emptied. + +For another two months they journeyed on, halting frequently and adding +continually to their stores. The country was fairly populated, and there +was no difficulty in buying plantains and fruit and in obtaining fresh +sets of carriers through the territories of each petty chief. They were +now approaching the Volta, when one day a native, covered with dust and +bathed in perspiration, came up to their camp, and throwing himself on +the ground before Mr. Goodenough poured out a stream of words. + +“What does he say, Ostik?” + +“Me not know, sar. P'r'aps Ugly Tom know. He been down near Volta +country.” + +Ugly Tom was called, and after a conversation with the native, told Mr. +Goodenough that he was a messenger from Abeokuta, that the people there +were threatened by an attack by the King of Dahomey, and that they +implored the white men, who they heard were in the neighborhood, to come +to their aid. + +“What do you say, Frank?” Mr. Goodenough asked. + +“I don't know anything about it, sir,” Frank said. “I have heard of +Dahomey, of course, and its horrible customs, but I don't know anything +about Abeokuta.” + +“Abeokuta is a very singular town,” Mr. Goodenough said. “Its people +were christianized many years ago, and have faithfully retained the +religion. The town lies not very far from Dahomey, and this power, which +has conquered and enslaved all its other neighbors, has been unable to +conquer Abeokuta, although it has several times besieged it. The Dahomey +people have every advantage, being supplied with firearms, and even +cannon, by the rascally white traders at Whydah, the port of Dahomey. +Nevertheless, the Abeokuta people have opposed an heroic resistance, and +so far successfully. Of course they know that every soul would be put to +death did they fall into the hands of the King of Dahomey; but negroes +do not always fight well, even under such circumstances, and every +credit must be given to the people of Abeokuta. What do you say? It +will be a perilous business, mind, for if Abeokuta is taken we shall +assuredly be put to death with the rest of the defenders.” + +“I think we ought to help them, sir,” Frank said. “They must be a noble +people, and with our guns and the four Houssas we might really be of +material assistance. Of course there is a risk in it, but we have risked +our lives from fever, and in other ways, every day since we've been in +the country.” + +“Very well, my lad. I am glad that is your decision. Tell him, Ugly Tom, +that we will at once move towards Abeokuta with all speed, and that they +had better send out a party of carriers to meet us, as you may be sure +that these men will not go far when they hear that the Dahomey people +are on the warpath. Learn from him exactly the road we must move by, as +if our carriers desert us we shall be detained till his people come up. +How far is it to Abeokuta?” + +Ugly Tom learned from the native that it was about forty-five miles. + +“Very well,” Mr. Goodenough said, “we shall march twenty this afternoon. +Where we halt they will most likely have heard the rumors of the war, +and I expect the carriers will go no farther, so they must send out to +that point.” + +The Houssa translated the message, and the native, saying, “I shall be +at Abeokuta tonight,” kissed the hands of the white men and started at a +trot. + +“Wonderful stamina some of these men have,” Mr. Goodenough said. “That +man has come forty-five miles at full speed, and is now going off again +as fresh as when he started.” + +“What speed will he go at?” Frank asked. + +“About six miles an hour. Of course he goes faster when he is running, +but he will sometimes break into a walk. Five miles an hour may be +taken as the ordinary pace of a native runner, but in cases which they +consider of importance, like the present, you may calculate on six.” + +The camp was at once broken up, the carriers loaded, and they started on +their way. It was late in the evening when they reached a village about +twenty miles from their starting place. They found the inhabitants in a +great state of alarm. The news had come that a great army was marching +to attack Abeokuta, and that the King of Dahomey had sworn on his +father's skull that this time the place should be captured, and not a +house or a wall left remaining. As Abeokuta was certain to make a strong +resistance, and to hold out for some time, the villagers feared that the +Dahomey people would be sending out parties to plunder and carry away +captives all over the surrounding country. The panic at once extended +to the bearers, who declared that they would not go a foot farther. As +their fears were natural, and Mr. Goodenough was expecting a fresh relay +from Abeokuta on the following evening, he consented to their demand +to be allowed to leave immediately, and paying them their wages due, he +allowed them to depart at once on the return journey. The tent was +soon pitched and supper prepared, of fried plantains, rice, a tin of +sardines, and tea. Later on they had a cup of chocolate, and turned in +for the night. + +In the morning they were awakened just at daybreak by great talking. + +“Men come for baggage, sar,” Ugly Tom said, putting his head in the tent +door. + +“They have lost no time about it, Frank,” Mr. Goodenough exclaimed. “It +was midday yesterday when the messenger left us. He had forty-five miles +to run, and could not have been in till pretty nearly eight o'clock, and +these men must have started at once.” + +There was no time lost. While the Houssas were pulling down and packing +up the tent Ostik prepared two bowls of chocolate with biscuit soaked +in it. By the time that this was eaten the carriers had taken up their +loads, and two minutes later the whole party started almost at a trot. +Ugly Tom soon explained the cause of the haste. The army of Dahomey was, +the evening before, but eight miles from Abeokuta, and was expected +to appear before the town by midday, although, of course, it might be +later, for the movements of savage troops are uncertain in the extreme, +depending entirely upon the whims of their leader. So anxious were the +bearers to get back to the town in time, that they frequently went at a +trot. They were the better able to keep up the speed as a larger number +than were required had been sent. Many of the cases, too, were light, +consequently the men were able to shift the heavy burdens from time to +time. So great was the speed, that after an hour both Mr. Goodenough and +Frank, weakened by the effect of fever and climate, could no longer keep +up. The various effects carried in the hammocks were hastily taken out +and lifted by men unprovided with loads. The white men entered and were +soon carried along at a brisk trot by the side of the baggage. When they +recovered from their exhaustion sufficiently to observe what was going +on, they could not help admiring the manner in which the negroes, +with perspiration streaming from every pore, hurried along with their +burdens. So fast did they go, that in less than six hours they emerged +from the forest into the clearing, and a shout proclaimed that Abeokuta +was close at hand. + +Ten minutes later the white men were carried through the gate, their +arrival being hailed with shouts of joy by the inhabitants. They were +carried in triumph to the principal building of the town, a large hut +where the general councils of the people were held. Here they were +received by the king and the leading inhabitants, who thanked them +warmly for coming to their assistance in the time of their peril. The +travelers were both struck with the appearance of the people. They were +clad with far more decency and decorum than was usual among the negro +tribes. Their bearing was quiet and dignified. An air of neatness and +order pervaded everything, and it was clear that they were greatly +superior to the people around. + +Mr. Goodenough expressed to the king the willingness with which his +friend and himself took part in the struggle of a brave people against +a cruel and bloodthirsty foe, and he said, that as the four Houssas were +also armed with fast firing guns he hoped that their assistance would be +of avail. He said that he would at once examine the defences of the town +and see if anything could be done to strengthen them. + +Accompanied by the king, Mr. Goodenough and Frank made a detour of the +walls. These were about a mile in circumference, were built of clay, and +were of considerable height and thickness, but they were not calculated +to resist an attack by artillery. As, however, it was not probable +that the Dahomey people possessed much skill in the management of their +cannon, Mr. Goodenough had hopes that they should succeed in repelling +the assault. They learnt that a large store of provisions had been +brought into the town, and that many of the women and children had been +sent far away. + +The spies presently came in and reported that there was no movement +on the part of the enemy, and that it was improbable that they would +advance before the next day. Mr. Goodenough was unable to offer any +suggestions for fresh defenses until they knew upon which side the enemy +would attack. He advised, however, that the whole population should be +set to work throwing up an earthwork just outside each gate, in order +to shelter these as far as possible from the effect of the enemy's +cannonballs. Orders were at once given to this effect, and in an hour +the whole population were at work carrying earth in baskets and piling +it in front of the gates. In order to economize labor, and to make the +sides of the mounds as steep as possible, Mr. Goodenough directed with +brushwood, forming a sort of rough wattle work. Not even when night set +in did the people desist from their labor, and by the following morning +the gates were protected from the effect of cannon shot, by mounds of +earth twenty feet high, which rose before them. The king had, when Mr. +Goodenough first suggested these defenses, pointed out that much less +earth would be required were it piled directly against the gates. +Mr. Goodenough replied, that certainly this was so, but that it was +essential to be able to open the gates to make a sortie if necessary +against the enemy, and although the king shook his head, as if doubting +the ability of his people to take such a desperate step as that of +attacking the enemy outside their walls, he yielded to Mr. Goodenough's +opinion. + + + +CHAPTER XV: THE AMAZONS OF DAHOMET + + +A spacious and comfortable hut was placed at the disposal of the white +men, with a small one adjoining for the Houssas. That evening Frank +asked Mr. Goodenough to tell him what he knew concerning the people of +Dahomey. + +“The word Dahomey, or more properly Da-omi, means Da's belly. Da was, +two hundred and fifty years ago, the king of the city of Abomey. It was +attacked by Tacudona the chief of the Fois. It resisted bravely, and +Tacudona made a vow that if he took it he would sacrifice the king to +the gods. When he captured the town he carried out his vow by ripping +open the king, and then called the place Daomi. Gradually the conquerors +extended their power until the kingdom reached to the very foot of the +Atlas range, obtaining a port by the conquest of Whydah. The King of +Dahomey is a despot, and even his nobility crawl on the ground in his +presence. The taxes are heavy, every article sold in the market paying +about one eighteenth to the royal exchequer. There are besides many +other taxes. Every slave is taxed, every article that enters the +kingdom. If a cock crow it is forfeited, and, as it is the nature of +cocks to crow, every bird in the kingdom is muzzled. The property of +every one who dies goes to the king; and at the Annual Custom, a grand +religious festival, every man has to bring a present in proportion to +his rank and wealth. The royal pomp is kept up by receiving strangers +who visit the country with much state, and by regaling the populace with +spectacles of human sacrifices. The women stand high in Dahomey. +Among other negro nations they till the soil. In Dahomey they fight as +soldiers, and perform all the offices of men. Dahomey is principally +celebrated for its army of women, and its human sacrifices. These last +take place annually, or even more often. Sometimes as many as a thousand +captives are slain on these occasions. In almost all the pagan nations +of Africa human sacrifices are perpetrated, just as they were by the +Druids and Egyptians of old. Nowhere, however, are they carried to such +a terrible extent as in Dahomey. Even Ashanti, where matters are bad +enough, is inferior in this respect. The victims are mostly captives +taken in war, and it is to keep up the supply necessary for these +wholesale sacrifices that Dahomey is constantly at war with her +neighbors.” + +“But are we going to fight against women, then?” Frank asked horrified. + +“Assuredly we are,” Mr. Goodenough answered. “The Amazons, as white men +have christened the force, are the flower of the Dahomey army, and fight +with extraordinary bravery and ferocity.” + +“But it will seem dreadful to fire at women!” Frank said. + +“That is merely an idea of civilization, Frank. In countries where women +are dependent upon men, leaving to them the work of providing for the +family and home, while they employ themselves in domestic duties and in +brightening the lives of the men, they are treated with respect. But as +their work becomes rougher, so does the position which they occupy in +men's esteem fall. Among the middle and upper classes throughout Europe +a man is considered a brute and a coward who lifts his hand against a +woman. Among the lower classes wife and woman beating is by no means +uncommon, nor is such an assault regarded with much more reprobation +than an attack upon a man. When women leave their proper sphere and put +themselves forward to do man's work they must expect man's treatment; +and the foolish women at home who clamor for women's rights, that is +to say, for an equality of work, would, if they had their way, inflict +enormous damage upon their sex.” + +“Still,” Frank said, “I shan't like having to fire at women.” + +“You won't see much difference between women and men when the fight +begins, Frank. These female furies will slay all who fall into their +hands, and therefore in self defense you will have to assist in slaying +them.” + +The following day the sound of beating of drums and firing of guns was +heard, and soon afterwards the head of the army of Dahomey was seen +approaching. It moved with considerable order and regularity. + +“Those must be the Amazons,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They are proud of +their drill and discipline. I do not think that any other African troops +could march so regularly and solidly.” + +The main body of the army now came in view, marching as a loose and +scattered mob. Then twelve objects were seen dragged by oxen. These were +the cannon of the besiegers. + +“How many do you think there are?” Frank asked. + +“It is very difficult to judge accurately,” Mr. Goodenough said. “But +Dahomey is said to be able to put fifty thousand fighting men and women +in the field, that is to say her whole adult population, except +those too old to bear arms. I should think that there are twenty or +twenty-five thousand now in sight.” + +The enemy approached within musket shot of the walls, and numbers of +them running up, discharged their muskets. The Abeokuta people fired +back; but Mr. Goodenough ordered the Houssas on no account to fire, as +he did not wish the enemy to know the power of their rifles. + +The first step of the besiegers was to cut down all the plantations +round the town and to erect great numbers of little huts. A large +central hut with several smaller ones surrounding it was erected for the +king and his principal nobles. The Dahomans spread round the town and +by the gesticulation and pointing at the gates it was clear that the +defenses raised to cover these excited great surprise. + +The wall was thick enough for men to walk along on the top, but being +built of clay it would withstand but little battering. Mr. Goodenough +set a large number of people to work, making sacks from the rough cloth, +of which there was an abundance in the place. These were filled with +earth and piled in the center of the town ready for conveyance to +any point threatened. He likewise had a number of beams, used in +construction of houses, sharpened at one end; stakes of five or six feet +long were also prepared and sharpened at both ends. That day the enemy +attempted nothing against the town. The next morning the twelve cannon +were planted at a distance of about five hundred yards and opened fire +on the walls. The shooting was wild in the extreme; many of the balls +went over the place altogether; others topped the wall and fell in the +town; some hit the wall and buried themselves in the clay. + +“We will give them a lesson,” Mr. Goodenough said, “in the modern rifle. +Frank, you take my double barrel rifle and I will take the heavy, large +bored one. Your Winchester will scarcely make accurate firing at five +hundred yards.” + +The Houssas were already on the wall, anxious to open fire. Mr. +Goodenough saw that their rifles were sighted to five hundred yards. +The cannon offered an easy mark. They were ranged along side by side, +surrounded by a crowd of negroes, who yelled and danced each time a shot +struck the wall. + +“Now,” Mr. Goodenough said to the Houssas, “fire steadily, and, above +all, fire straight. I want every shot to tell.” + +Mr. Goodenough gave the signal, and at once Frank and the Houssas +opened fire. The triumphant yells of the Dahomans at once changed their +character, and a cry of wrath and astonishment broke from them. Steadily +Mr. Goodenough and his party kept up their fire. They could see that +great execution was being done, a large proportion of the shots telling. +Many wounded were carried to the rear, and black forms could be seen +stretched everywhere on the ground. Still the enemy's fire continued +with unabated vigor. + +“They fight very pluckily,” Frank said. + +“They are plucky,” Mr. Goodenough answered; “and as cowardice is +punished with death, and human life has scarcely any value among them, +they will be killed where they stand rather than retreat.” + +For three or four hours the fight continued. Several officers, evidently +of authority, surrounded by groups of attendants, came down to the guns; +but as Frank and Mr. Goodenough always selected these for their mark, +and--firing with their guns resting on the parapet--were able to make +very accurate shooting, most of them were killed within a few minutes of +their arriving on the spot. + +At the end of four hours the firing ceased, and the Dahomans retired +from their guns. The Abeokuta people raised a cry of triumph. + +“I imagine they have only fallen back,” Mr. Goodenough said, “to give +the guns time to cool.” + +While the cannonade had been going on a brisk attack had been kept up on +several other points of the wall, the enemy advancing within fifty yards +of this and firing their muskets, loaded with heavy charges of slugs, at +the defenders, who replied vigorously to them. Their cannonade was +not resumed that afternoon, the Dahomans contenting themselves with +skirmishing round the walls. + +“They are disappointed with the result of their fire,” Mr. Goodenough +said. “No doubt they anticipated they should knock the wall down without +difficulty. You will see some change in their tactics tomorrow.” + +That night Mr. Goodenough had a number of barrels of palm oil carried on +to the wall, with some of the great iron pots used for boiling down the +oil, and a supply of fuel. + +“If they try to storm,” he said, “it will most likely be at the point +which they have been firing at. The parapet is knocked down in several +places, and the defenders there would be more exposed to their fire.” + +It was at this point, therefore, that the provision of oil was placed. +Mr. Goodenough ordered fires to be lighted under the boilers an hour +before daybreak, in order that all should be in readiness in case an +attack should be made the first thing in the morning. The Abeokutans +were in high spirits at the effect of the fire of their white allies, +and at the comparative failure of the cannon, at whose power they had +before been greatly alarmed. Soon after daylight the Dahomans were seen +gathering near the guns. Their drums beat furiously, and presently they +advanced in a solid mass against the wall. + +“They have got ladders,” Mr. Goodenough said. “I can see numbers of them +carrying something.” + +The Houssas at once opened fire, and as the enemy approached closer, +first the Abeokutans who had muskets, then the great mass with bows and +arrows, began to fire upon the enemy, while these answered with their +musketry. The central body, however, advanced without firing a shot, +moving like the rest at a quick run. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank were not firing now, as they were devoting +themselves to superintending the defence. Ostik kept close to them, +carrying Frank's Winchester carbine and a double barreled shotgun. + +“This is hot,” Mr. Goodenough said, as the enemy's slugs and bullets +whizzed in a storm over the edge of the parapet, killing many of the +defenders, and rendering it difficult for the others to take accurate +aim. This, however, the Abeokutans did not try to do. Stooping below +the parapet, they fitted their arrows to the string, or loaded their +muskets, and then, standing up, fired hastily at the approaching throng. + +The walls were about twenty-five feet high inside, but the parapet gave +an additional height of some four feet outside. They were about three +feet thick at the top, and but a limited number of men could take post +there to oppose the storming party. Strong bodies were placed farther +along on the wall to make a rush to sweep the enemy off should they gain +a footing. Others were posted below to attack them should they leap down +into the town, while men with muskets were on the roofs of the houses +near the walls, in readiness to open fire should the enemy get a footing +on the wall. The din was prodigious. + +The Dahomans, having access to the sea coast, were armed entirely with +muskets, these being either cheap Birmingham trade guns or old converted +muskets, bought by traders for a song at the sale of disused government +stores. It is much to be regretted that the various governments of +Europe do not insist that their old guns shall be used only as old iron. +The price obtained for them is so trifling as to be immaterial, and +the great proportion of them find their way to Africa to be used in +the constant wars that are waged there, and to enable rich and powerful +tribes to enslave and destroy their weaker neighbors. The Africans use +very much heavier charges of powder than those in used in civilized +nations, ramming down a handful of slugs, of half a dozen small bullets, +upon the powder. This does not conduce to good shooting, but the noise +made is prodigious. The Abeokutans, on the other hand, were principally +armed with bows and arrows, as, having no direct access to the sea +coast, it was difficult for them to procure guns. + +The Dahomans poured up in a mass to the foot of the wall, and then a +score of rough ladders, constructed of bamboo, and each four feet wide, +were placed against the walls. Directly the point to be attacked was +indicated, Mr. Goodenough had distributed his cauldrons of boiling oil +along the walls, and had set men to work to pierce holes through the +parapet at distances of a couple of feet apart, and at a height of six +inches from the ground. A line of men with long spears were told to lie +down upon the ground, and to thrust through the holes at those climbing +the ladders. Another line of holes was pierced two feet higher, through +which those armed with muskets and bows were to fire, for when the +enemy reached the foot of the walls their fire was so heavy that it was +impossible to return it over the top of the parapet. + +Immediately the ladders were placed, men with ladles began to throw +the boiling oil over the parapet. Shrieks and yells from below at once +testified to its effect, but it was only just where the cauldrons were +placed that the besiegers were prevented by this means from mounting +the ladders, and even here many, in spite of the agony of their burns, +climbed desperately upward. + +When they neared the top the fight began in earnest. Those without were +now obliged to cease firing, and the besieged were able to stand up and +with sword and spear defend their position. The breech loaders of Mr. +Goodenough and the Houssas and Frank's repeating carbine now came into +play. The Dahomans fought with extraordinary bravery, hundreds fell shot +or cut down from above or pierced by the spears and arrows through the +holes in the parapet. Fresh swarms of assailants took their places on +the ladders. The drums kept up a ceaseless rattle, and the yells of +the mass of negroes standing inactive were deafening. Their efforts, +however, were in vain. Never did the Amazons fight with more reckless +bravery; but the position was too strong for them, and at last, after +upwards of a thousand of the assailants had fallen, the attack was given +up, and the Dahomans retired from the wall followed by the exulting +shouts of the men of Abeokuta. + +The loss of the defenders was small. Some ten or twelve had been killed +with slugs. Three or four times that number were more or less severely +wounded about the head or shoulders with the same missiles. Frank had a +nasty cut on the cheek, and Firewater and Bacon were both streaming with +blood. + +There was no chance of a renewal of the attack that day. Sentries were +placed on the walls, and a grand thanksgiving service was held in the +open space in the center of the town which the whole populace attended. + +“What will be their next move, do you think?” Frank asked Mr. +Goodenough. + +“I cannot say,” Mr. Goodenough said; “but these people know something +of warfare, and finding that they cannot carry the place by assault, +I think you will find that they will try some more cautious move next +time.” + +For two days there was no renewal of the attack. At Mr. Goodenough's +suggestion the Abeokutans on the wall shouted out that the Dahomans +might come and carry off their dead, as he feared that a pestilence +might arise from so great a number of decomposing bodies at the foot +of the wall. The Dahomans paid no attention to the request, and, at Mr. +Goodenough's suggestion, on the second day the whole populace set to +work carrying earth in baskets to the top of the wall, and throwing this +over so as to cover the mass of bodies at its foot. As to those lying +farther off nothing could be done. On the third morning it was seen that +during the night a large number of sacks had been piled in a line upon +the ground, two hundred yards away from the wall. The pile was eight +feet in height and some fifty yards long. + +“I thought they were up to something,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They have +been sending back to Dahomey for sacks.” + +In a short time the enemy brought up their cannon, behind the shelter +of the sacks, regardless of the execution done by the rifles of Mr. +Goodenough's party during the movement. The place chosen was two or +three hundred yards to the left of that on which the former attack had +been made. Then a swarm of men set to work removing some of the sacks, +and in a short time twelve rough embrasures were made just wide enough +for the muzzles of the guns, the sacks removed being piled on the +others, raising them to the height of ten feet and sheltering the men +behind completely from the fire from the walls. + +“They will make a breach now,” Mr. Goodenough said. “We must prepare to +receive them inside.” + +The populace were at once set to work digging holes and securely +planting the beams already prepared in a semicircle a hundred feet +across, behind the wall facing the battery. The beams when fixed +projected eight feet above the ground, the spaces between being filled +with bamboos twisted in and out between them. Earth was thrown up behind +to the height of four foot for the defenders to stand upon. The space +between the stockade and the wall was filled with sharp pointed bamboos +and stakes stuck firmly in the ground with their points projecting +outwards. All day the townspeople labored at these defenses, while the +wall crumbled fast under the fire of the Dahomey artillery, every shot +of which, at so short a distance, struck it heavily. By five in the +afternoon a great gap, fifty feet wide, was made in the walls, and the +army of Dahomey again gathered for the assault. Mr. Goodenough with two +of the Houssas took his place on the wall on one side of the gap, Frank +with the other two faced him across the chasm. A large number of the +Abeokuta warriors also lined the walls, while the rest gathered on the +stockade. + +With the usual tumult of drumming and yells the Dahomans rushed to +the assault. The fire from the walls did not check the onset in the +slightest, and with yells of anticipated victory they swarmed over the +breach. A cry of astonishment broke from them as they saw the formidable +defense within, the fire of whose defenders was concentrated upon them. +Then, with scarce a pause, they leaped down and strove to remove the +obstructions. Regardless of the fire poured upon them they hewed away +at the sharp stakes, or strove to pull them up with their hands. The +riflemen on the walls directed their fire now exclusively upon the +leaders of the column, the breech loaders doing immense execution, and +soon the Dahomans in their efforts to advance had to climb over lines of +dead in their front. For half an hour the struggle continued, and then +the Dahomans lost heart and retired, leaving fifteen hundred of their +number piled deep in the space between the breach and the stockade. + +“This is horrible work,” Frank said when he rejoined Mr. Goodenough. + +“Horrible, Frank; but there is at least the consolation that by this +fearful slaughter of their bravest warriors we are crippling the +power of Dahomey as a curse and a scourge to its neighbors. After this +crushing repulse the Abeokutans may hope that many years will elapse +before they are again attacked by their savage neighbors, and the +lessons which they have now learned in defense will enable them to make +as good a stand on another occasion as they have done now.” + +“Do you think the attack will be renewed?” + +“I should hardly think so. The flower of their army must have fallen, +and the Amazon guard must have almost ceased to exist. I told you, +Frank, you would soon get over your repugnance to firing at women.” + +“I did not think anything about women,” Frank said. “We seemed to be +fighting a body of demons with their wild screams and yells. Indeed, I +could scarce distinguish the men from the women.” + +A strong guard was placed at night at the stockade, and Mr. Goodenough +and Frank lay down close at hand in case the assault should be renewed. +At daybreak the sound of a cannon caused them to start to their feet. + +“They are not satisfied yet,” Mr. Goodenough exclaimed, hurrying to the +wall. In the night the Dahomans had either with sacks or earth raised +their cannon some six feet, so that they were able to fire over the +mound caused by the fallen wall at the stockade behind it, at which they +were now directing their fire. + +“Now for the sacks,” Mr. Goodenough said. Running down, he directed the +sacks laden with earth, to whose necks ropes had been attached, to +be brought up. Five hundred willing hands seized them, and they were +lowered in front of the center of the stockade, which was alone exposed +to the enemy's fire, until they hung two deep over the whole face. +As fast as one bag was injured by a shot it was drawn up and another +lowered to its place. In the meantime the rifles from the walls had +again opened fire, and as the gunners were now more exposed their shots +did considerable execution. Seeing the uselessness of their efforts the +Dahomans gradually slackened their fire. + +When night came Mr. Goodenough gathered two hundred of the best troops +of Abeokuta. He caused plugs to be made corresponding to the size of +the various cannonballs which were picked up within the stockade, which +varied from six to eighteen pounders. + +About midnight the gate nearest to the breach was thrown open, and the +party sallied out and made their way towards the enemy's battery. +The Dahomans had placed sentries in front facing the breach, but +anticipating no attack in any other direction had left the flanks +unguarded. Mr. Goodenough had enjoined the strictest silence on his +followers, and their approach was unobserved until they swept round +into the battery. Large numbers of the enemy were lying asleep here, but +these, taken by surprise, could offer no resistance, and were cut down +or driven away instantly by the assailants. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank, with a party who had been told off specially +for the purpose, at once set to work at the cannon. These were filled +nearly to the muzzle with powder, and the plugs were driven with mallets +tight into the muzzles. Slow matches, composed of strips of calico +dipped in saltpetre, were placed in the touch holes. Then the word was +given, and the whole party fell back to the gate just as the Dahomans in +great numbers came running up. In less than a minute after leaving the +battery twelve tremendous reports, following closely one upon another +were heard. The cannon were blown into fragments, killing numbers of the +Dahomey men who had just crowded into the battery. + + + +CHAPTER XVI: CAPTIVES IN COOMASSIE + + +Upon the morning following the successful sortie not an enemy could be +seen from the walls. Swift runners were sent out, and these returned in +two hours with news that the enemy were in full retreat towards their +capital. The people of Abeokuta were half wild with exultation and joy, +and their gratitude to their white allies was unbounded. Mr. Goodenough +begged them not to lose an hour in burying their slain enemies, and +the entire population were engaged for the two following days upon this +necessary but revolting duty. The dead were counted as they were placed +in the great pits dug for their reception, and it was found that no +fewer than three thousand of the enemy had fallen. + +Mr. Goodenough also advised the Abeokutans to erect flanking towers at +short intervals round their walls, to dig a moat twenty feet wide and +eight deep at a few yards from their foot, and to turn into it the water +from the river in order that any future attack might be more easily +repelled. + +The inhabitants were poor, but they would willingly have presented all +their treasures to their white allies. Mr. Goodenough, however, would +accept nothing save a few specimens of native cloth exquisitely woven +from the inner barks of the trees, and some other specimens of choice +native workmanship. He also begged them to send down to the coast by the +first opportunity the cases of specimens which had been collected since +the departure of the Fans. + +A violent attack of fever, brought on by their exertions in the sun, +prostrated both the white travelers a few days after the termination of +the siege, and it was some weeks before they were able to renew their +journey. Their intention was to ascend the river for some distance, +to move westward into upper Ashanti, and then to make their way to +Coomassie, whence they would journey down to Cape Coast and there take +ship for England. As soon as they were able to travel they took leave +of their friends at Abeokuta, who furnished them with carriers for their +cases and hammock bearers for their journey as far as the Volta. This +lasted for a fortnight through an open and fertile country. Then +they crossed the river and entered Ashanti, the great rival empire of +Dahomey. As Ashanti was at peace with England they had now no fear of +molestation on their journey. + +Ashanti consisted of five or six kingdoms, all of which had been +conquered, and were tributary to it. The empire of Ashanti was separated +by the river Prah from the country of the Fantis, who lived under +British protection. The people drew their supplies from various points +on the coast, principally, however, through Elmina, a Dutch settlement, +five miles to the west of Cape Coast. The Ashantis could not be called +peaceable neighbors. They, like the Dahomans, delighted in human +sacrifices upon a grand scale, and to carry these out captives must be +taken. Consequently every four or five years, on some pretext or other, +they cross the Prah, destroyed the villages, dragged away the people to +slavery or death, and carried fire and sword up to the very walls of the +English fort at Cape Coast. Sometimes the English confined themselves +to remonstrance, sometimes fought, not always successfully, as upon one +occasion Sir Charles Macarthy, the governor, with a West Indian regiment +was utterly defeated, the governor himself and all his white officers, +except three, being killed. + +In 1828 we aided the Fantis to defeat the Ashantis in a decisive battle, +the consequence of which was the signature of a treaty, by which the +King of Ashanti recognized the independence of all the Fanti tribes. In +1844, and again in 1852, a regular protectorate was arranged between +the British and the Fantis, the former undertaking to protect them from +enemies beyond the borders, and in turn exercising an authority over +the Fantis, forbidding them to make war with each other, and imposing a +nominal tribute upon them. + +In 1853 the Ashantis again crossed the Prah, but, being met with +firmness, retired again. After ten years' quiet, in 1863 they again +invaded the country, burnt thirty villages, and slaughtered their +inhabitants. Governor Price then urged upon the home authorities the +necessity for the sending out from England of two thousand troops to aid +the native army in striking a heavy blow at the Ashantis, and so putting +a stop to this constant aggression. The English government, however, +refused to entertain the proposal. In order to encourage the natives +some companies of West Indian troops were marched up to the Prah. The +wet season set in, and, after suffering terribly from sickness, the +survivors returned five months later to Cape Coast. + +Up to this period the Dutch trading ports and forts upon the coast were +interspersed with ours, and as the tribes in their neighborhood were +under Dutch protection constant troubles were arising between the Dutch +tribes and our own, and in 1867 an exchange was effected, the Dutch +ceding all their forts and territory east of the Sweet river, a small +stream which falls into the sea midway between Cape Coast and Elmina, +while we gave up all our forts to the west of this stream. Similarly +the protectorate of the tribes inland up to the boundary of the Ashanti +kingdom changed hands. The natives were not consulted as to this treaty, +and some of those formerly under British protection, especially the +natives of Commendah, refused to accept the transfer, and beat off +with loss the Dutch troops who attempted to land. The Dutch men of war +bombarded and destroyed Commendah. + +This step was the commencement of fresh troubles between the Ashantis +and the English. The Commendah people were Fantis, and as such the +implacable enemies of the Elmina people, who had under Dutch protection +been always allies of the Ashantis, and had been mainly instrumental +in supplying them with arms and ammunition. The Fantis, regarding +the Elmina natives and the Dutch as one power, retaliated for the +destruction of Commendah by invading the territory of the Elmina tribe, +destroying their villages and blockading the Dutch in their port. +Another reason for this attack upon the Elminas was that an Ashanti +general, named Atjempon, had marched with several hundred men through +the Fanti country, burning, destroying, and slaying as usual, and had +taken refuge with his men in Elmina. From this time the desultory war +between the Elminas and their Ashanti allies, and the Fantis of the +neighborhood had never ceased. Our influence over our allies was +but small, for we in vain endeavored to persuade them to give up the +invasion of Elmina. We even cut off the supplies of powder and arms to +the Fantis, whose loyalty to our rule was thereby much shaken. + +All these troubles induced the Dutch to come to the decision to +withdraw altogether, and they accordingly offered to transfer all their +possessions to us. The English government determined not to accept the +transfer if it should lead to troubles with the natives, and as a first +step required that the Ashanti force should leave Elmina. In 1870 the +King of Ashanti wrote to us claiming Elmina as his, and protesting +against its being handed over to us. According to native ideas the king +of Ashanti's claim was a just one. The land upon which all the forts, +English, Dutch, Danish, and French, were built had been originally +acquired from the native chiefs at a fixed annual tribute, or as we +regarded it as rent, or as an annual present in return for friendly +relations. By the native customs he who conquers a chief entitled to +such a payment becomes the heir of that payment, and one time the King +of Ashanti upon the strength of his conquest of the Fantis set up a +claim of proprietorship over Cape Coast and the other British forts. + +Of a similar nature was the claim of the Ashantis upon Elmina. The Dutch +had paid eighty pounds a year, as they asserted, as a present, and they +proved conclusively that they had never regarded the King of Ashanti as +having sovereignty over their forts, and that he had never advanced such +a claim. They now arrested Atjempon, and refused to pay a further sum +to the King of Ashanti until he withdrew his claim. In order to settle +matters amicably they sent an envoy to Coomassie with presents for the +king, and obtained from him a repudiation of his former letter, and a +solemn acknowledgment that the money was not paid as a tribute. The +king sent down two ambassadors to Elmina, who solemnly ratified this +declaration. + +The transfer was then effected. We purchased from the Dutch their forts +and stores, but the people of Elmina were told that we should not take +possession of the place except with their consent; but it was pointed +out to them that if they refused to accept our protection they would be +exposed as before to the hostility of the Fantis. They agreed to accept +our offer, and on the 4th of April, 1872, a grand council was hold, the +king and chiefs of Elmina announced the agreement of their people to the +transfer, and we took possession of Elmina, Atjempon and the Ashantis +returning to their own country. + +Upon the transfer taking place, Mr. Pope Hennessey, the governor of +the colony, sent to the King of Ashanti saying that the English desired +peace and friendship with the natives, and would give an annual present, +double that which he had received from the Dutch. At the same time +negotiations were going on with the king for the free passage of Ashanti +traders to the coast, and for the release of four Germans who had been +carried off ten years before by Aboo Boffoo, one of the king's generals, +from their mission station on British territory near the Volta. The king +wrote saying that Aboo Boffoo would not give them up without a ransom +of eighteen hundred ounces of gold, and protracted negotiations went on +concerning the payments of these sums. + +At the time when Mr. Goodenough and Frank had landed on the Gaboon, +early in 1872, nothing was known of any anticipated troubles with +Ashanti. The negotiations between the English and the Dutch were in +progress, but they had heard that the English would not take over Elmina +without the consent of the inhabitants, and that they would be willing +to increase the payment made by the Dutch to the king of Ashanti. It was +known too that efforts would be made to settle all points of difference +with the king; and as at Abeokuta they received news that the +negotiations were going on satisfactorily, and that there was no +prospect whatever of trouble, they did not hesitate to carry out the +plans they had formed. + +Before crossing the Volta, they sent across to inquire of the chief of +the town there whether two English travelers would be allowed to pass +through Ashanti, and were delayed for a fortnight until a messenger was +sent to Coomassie and returned with a letter, saying that the king +would be glad to see white men at his capital. With this assurance they +crossed the stream. They were received in state by the chief, who at +once provided them with the necessary carriers, and with them a guard, +which he said would prevent any trouble on their way. On the following +day they started, and after arriving, at the end of a day's journey, at +a village, prepared to stop as usual for a day or two to add to their +collection. The officer of the guard, however, explained to them through +Bacon, who spoke the Ashanti language, that his instructions were, that +they were to go straight through to Coomassie. In vain Mr. Goodenough +protested that this would entirely defeat the object of his journey. The +officer was firm. His orders were that they were to travel straight +to Coomassie, and if he failed in carrying these out, his head would +assuredly be forfeited. + +“This is serious, Frank,” Mr. Goodenough said. “If this fellow has not +blundered about his orders, it is clear that we are prisoners. However, +it may be that the king merely gave a direction that we should be +escorted to the capital, having no idea that we should want to loiter +upon the way.” + +They now proceeded steadily forward, making long day's marches. The +officer in command of the guard was most civil, obtaining for them an +abundance of provisions at the villages at which they stopped, and +as Frank and his companion were both weakened by fever he enlisted +sufficient hammock bearers for them, taking fresh relays from each +village. He would not hear of their paying either for provisions or +bearers, saying that they were the king's guests, and it would be an +insult to him were they to pay for anything. + +Ten days after starting from the Volta they entered Coomassie. This +town lay on rising ground, surrounded by a deep marsh of from forty to +a hundred yards wide. A messenger had been sent on in front to announce +their coming, and after crossing the marsh they passed under a great +fetish, or spell, consisting of a dead sheep wrapped up in red silk and +suspended from two poles. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their places at the head of the little +procession. On entering the town they were met by a crowd of at least +five thousand people, for the most part warriors, who fired their guns, +shouted, and yelled. Horns, drums, rattles, and gongs added to the +appalling noise. Men with flags performed wild dances, in which the +warriors joined. The dress of the captains consisted of war caps with +gilded rams' horns projecting in front, and immense plumes of eagles' +feathers on each side. Their vest was of red cloth, covered with +fetishes and charms in cases of gold, silver, and embroidery. These were +interspersed with the horns and tails of animals, small brass bells, and +shells. They wore loose cotton trousers, with great boots of dull red +leather coming halfway up to the thigh, and fastened by small chains to +their waist belts, also ornamented with bells, horse tails, strings of +amulets, and strips of colored leather. Long leopards' tails hung down +their backs. + +Through this crowd the party moved forward slowly, the throng thickening +at every step. They were escorted to a house which they were told was +set aside for their use, and that they would be allowed to see the king +on the following day. The houses differed entirely from anything which +they had before seen in Africa. They were built of red clay, plastered +perfectly smooth. There were no windows or openings on the exterior, but +the door led into an open courtyard of some twelve feet in diameter. On +each side of this was a sort of alcove, built up of clay, about three +feet from the ground. This formed a couch or seat, some eight feet long +by three feet high, with a thatched roof projecting so as to prevent the +rain beating into the alcove. Beyond were one or more similar courts +in proportion to the size of the house. A sheep and a quantity of +vegetables and fruits were sent in in the course of the day, but they +were told not to show themselves in the streets until they had seen the +king. + +“We shall be expected to make his majesty a handsome present,” Mr. +Goodenough said, “and, unfortunately, our stores were not intended for +so great a potentate. I will give him my double barreled rifle and your +Winchester, Frank. I do not suppose he has seen such an arm. We had +better get them cleaned up and polished so as to look as handsome as +possible.” + +In the morning one of the captains came and said that the king was in +readiness to receive them, and they made their way through a vast crowd +to the marketplace, an open area, nearly half a mile in extent. The sun +was shining brightly, and the scene was a brilliant one. The king, his +Caboceers or great tributaries, his captains, and officers were seated +under a vast number of huge umbrellas, some of them fifteen feet across. +These were of scarlet, yellow, and other showy colors in silks and +cloths, with fantastically scalloped and fringed valences. They were +surmounted with crescents, birds, elephants, barrels, and swords of +gold, and on some were couched stuffed animals. Innumerable smaller +umbrellas of striped stuff were borne by the crowd, and all these +were waved up and down, while a vast number of flutes, horns and other +musical instruments sounded in the air. All the principal people wore +robes woven of foreign silk, which had been unraveled for working into +native patterns. All had golden necklaces and bracelets, in many cases +so heavy that the arms of the bearers were supported on boys' heads. +The whole crowd, many thousands in number, shone with gold, silver, and +bright colors. + +The king received them with dignity, and expressed his satisfaction at +seeing them, his speech being interpreted by one of his attendants, who +spoke English. Mr. Goodenough replied that they had very great pleasure +in visiting the court of his majesty, that they had already been +traveling for many months in Africa, having started from the Gaboon and +traveled through many tribes, but had they had any idea of visiting so +great a king they would have provided themselves with presents fit for +his acceptance. But they were simple travelers, catching the birds, +beasts, and insects of the country, to take home with them to show to +the people in England. The only things which they could offer him were +a double barreled breech loading rifle of the best English construction, +and a little gun, which would fire sixteen times without loading. + +The king examined the pieces with great attention, and, at his request, +Mr. Goodenough fired off the whole contents of the magazine of the +repeating rifle, whose action caused the greatest astonishment to +the assembled chiefs. The king then intimated his acceptance of the +presents, and said that he would speak farther with them on a future +occasion. He informed them that they were free to move about in the town +where they wished, and that the greatest respect would be shown to them +by the people. There was a fresh outburst of wild music, and they were +then conducted back to their house. + +After the assembly had dispersed the two Englishmen walked about through +the town. It was not of great extent, but the streets were broad and +well kept. Many of the houses were much larger than that allotted to +them, but all were built on the same plan. It was evident that the great +mass of the population they saw about must live in villages scattered +around, the town being wholly insufficient to contain them. + +Three days afterwards they were told that the king wished to see them in +his palace. This was a large building situated at the extremity of the +town. It was constructed of stone, and was evidently built from European +designs. It was square, with a flat roof and embattled parapet. They +were conducted through the gateway into a large courtyard, and then into +a hall where the king sat upon a raised throne. Attendants stood round +fanning him. + +“Why,” he asked abruptly as they took their places before him, “do the +English take my town of Elmina?” + +Mr. Goodenough explained that he had been nine months absent from the +coast, and that having come straight out from England he was altogether +unaware of what had happened at Elmina. + +“Elmina is mine,” the king said. “The Dutch, who were my tributaries, +had no right to hand it over to the English.” + +“But I understood, your majesty, that the English were ready to pay an +annual sum, even larger than that which the Dutch have contributed.” + +“I do not want money,” the king said. “I have gold in plenty. There +are places in my dominions where ten men in a day can wash a thousand +ounces. I want Elmina, I want to trade with the coast.” + +“But the English will give your majesty every facility for trade.” + +“But suppose we quarrel,” the king said, “they can stop powder and guns +from coming up. If Elmina were mine I could bring up guns and powder at +all times.” + +“Your majesty would be no better off,” Mr. Goodenough said; “for the +English in case of war could stop supplies from entering.” + +“My people will drive them into the sea,” the king said. “We have been +troubled with them too long. They can make guns, but they cannot fight. +My people will eat them up. We fought them before; and see,” he said +pointing to a great drum, from the edge of which hung a dozen human +skulls, “the heads of the White men serve to make a fetish for me.” + +He then waved his hand to signify that the audience was terminated. + +“Things look bad, Frank,” Mr. Goodenough said as they walked towards +their home. “I fear that the king is determined upon war, and if so our +lives are not worth a month's purchase.” + +“It can't be helped,” Frank said as cheerfully as he could. “We +must make the best of it. Perhaps something may occur to improve our +position.” + +The next day the four German missionaries, who had so long been kept +captive, called upon them, and they obtained a full insight into the +position. This seemed more hopeful than the king's words had given them +to expect. The missionaries said that negotiations were going on for +their release, and that they expected very shortly to be sent down to +Cape Coast. So far as they knew everything was being done by the English +to satisfy the king, and they looked upon the establishment of peace as +certain. They described the horrible rites and sacrifices which they had +been compelled to witness, and said that at least three thousand persons +were slaughtered annually in Coomassie. + +“You noticed,” one of them said, “the great tree in the marketplace +under which the king sat. That is the great fetish tree. A great +many victims are sacrificed in the palace itself, but the wholesale +slaughters take place there. The high brushwood comes up to within +twenty yards of it, and if you turn in there you will see thousands of +dead bodies or their remains putrefying together.” + +“I thought I felt a horribly offensive smell as I was talking to the +king,” Frank said shuddering. “What monsters these people must be! Who +would have thought that all that show of gold and silver and silks and +bright colors covered such horrible barbarism!” + +After chatting for some time longer, and offering to do anything in +their power to assist the captives, the Germans took their leave. + + + +CHAPTER XVII: THE INVASION OF FANTI LAND + + +The following morning Mr. Goodenough and Frank were called to the door +by the noise of a passing crowd, and to their horror saw a man being +taken to sacrifice. He was preceded by men beating drums, his hands were +pinioned behind him. A sharp thin knife was passed through his cheeks, +to which his lips were noozed like the figure 8. One ear was cut off and +carried before him, the other hung to his head by a small piece of skin. +There were several gashes in his back, and a knife was thrust under each +shoulder blade. He was led by a cord passed through a hole bored in his +nose. Frank ran horror stricken back into the house, and sat for a while +with his hand over his eyes as if to shut out the ghastly spectacle. + +“Mr. Goodenough,” he said presently, “if we are to be killed, at least +let us die fighting to the last, and blow out our own brains with the +last shots we have left. I don't think I'm afraid of being killed, but +to be tortured like that would be horrible.” + +The next day a message was brought them that their retaining private +guards was an insult to the king, and that the Houssas must remove +to another part of the town. Resistance was evidently useless. Mr. +Goodenough called his four men together and told them what had happened. + +“I am sorry I have brought you into this plight, my poor fellows,” + he said. “There are now but two things open to you. You can either +volunteer to join the king's army and then try to make your escape as an +opportunity may offer, or slip away at once. You are accustomed to the +woods, and in native costume might pass without notice. You can all +swim, and it matters not where you strike the Prah. If you travel at +night and lie in the woods by day you should be able to get through. At +any rate you know that if you try to escape and are caught you will be +killed. If you stop here it is possible that no harm may happen to you, +but on the other hand you may at any moment be led out to sacrifice. Do +not tell me your decision; I shall be questioned, and would rather be +able to say that I was ignorant that you intended to escape. There is +one other thing to settle. There is a long arrear of pay due to you for +your good and faithful service. It would be useless for me to pay you +now, as the money might be found on you and taken away, and if you +should be killed it would be lost to your friends. I have written here +four orders on my banker in England, which the agents down at Cape Coast +will readily cash for you. Each order is for twice the sum due to you. +As you have come into such great danger in my service, and have behaved +so faithfully, it is right that you should be well rewarded. Give me the +names of your wives or relatives whom you wish to have the money. Should +any of you fall and escape, I will, on my arrival at Cape Coast, send +money, double the amount I have written here, to them.” + +The men expressed themselves warmly grateful for Mr. Goodenough's +kindness, gave him the names and addresses of their wives, and then, +with tears in their eyes, took their leave. + +“Now, Ostik, what do you say?” Mr. Goodenough asked, turning to him. + +“I stay here, sar,” Ostik said. “Houssas fighting men, creep through +wood, crawl on stomach. Dey get through sure enough. Ostik stay with +massa. If dey kill massa dey kill Ostik. Ostik take chance.” + +“Very well, Ostik, if we get through safe together you shall not have +reason to regret your fidelity. Now, Frank, I think it would be a good +thing if you were to spend some hours every day in trying to pick up as +much of the language here as you can. You are quick at it, and were able +to make yourself understood by our bearers far better than I could do. +You already know a great many words in four or five of these dialects. +They are all related to each other, and with what you know you would in +a couple of months be able to get along very well in Ashanti. It +will help to pass your time and to occupy your mind. There will be no +difficulty in finding men here who have worked down on the coast and +know a little English. If we get away safely you will not regret that +your time has been employed. If we have trouble your knowledge of the +language may in some way or other be of real use to you. We can go round +to the Germans, who will, no doubt, be able to put you in the way of +getting a man.” + +The next day they were again sent for to the king, who was in a high +state of anger at having heard that the Houssas had escaped. + +“I know nothing about it,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They were contented +when they were with me, and had no wish to go. Your soldiers took them +away yesterday afternoon, and I suppose they were frightened. It was +foolish of them. They should have known that a great king does not +injure travelers who come peacefully into his country. They should have +known better. They were poor, ignorant men, who did not know that the +hospitality of a king is sacred, and that when a king invites travelers +to enter his country they are his guests, and under his protection.” + +When the interpreter translated this speech the king was silent for two +or three minutes. Then he said, “My white friend is right, they were +foolish men. They could not know these things. If my warriors overtake +them no harm shall come to them.” + +Pleased with the impression that his words had evidently made Mr. +Goodenough returned to Frank, who had not been ordered to accompany him +to the palace. In the afternoon the king sent a sheep and a present +of five ounces of gold, and a message that he did not wish his white +friends to remain always in the town, but that they might walk to any +of the villages within a circle of three or four miles, and that four +of his guards would always accompany them to see that no one interfered +with or insulted them. They were much pleased with this permission, as +they were now enabled to renew their work of collecting. It took them, +too, away from the sight of the horrible human sacrifices which went +on daily. Through the German missionaries they obtained a man who had +worked for three years down at Cape Coast. He accompanied them on their +walks, and in the evening sat and talked with Frank, who, from the +knowledge of native words which he had picked up in his nine months' +residence in Africa, was able to make rapid progress in Ashanti. He +had one or two slight attacks of fever, but the constant use of quinine +enabled him to resist their effect, and he was now to some degree +acclimatized, and thought no more of the attacks of fever than he would +have done at home of a violent bilious attack. + +This was not the case with Mr. Goodenough. Frank observed with concern +that he lost strength rapidly, and was soon unable to accompany him in +his walks. One morning he appeared very ill. + +“Have you a touch of fever, sir?” + +“No, Frank, it is worse than fever, it is dysentery. I had an attack +last time I was on the coast, and know what to do with it. Get the +medicine chest and bring me the bottle of ipecacuanha. Now, you must +give me doses of this just strong enough not to act as an emetic, every +three hours.” + +Frank nursed his friend assiduously, and for the next three days hoped +that he was obtaining a mastery over the illness. On the fourth day an +attack of fever set in. + +“You must stop the ipecacuanha, now,” Mr. Goodenough said, “and Frank, +send Ostik round to the Germans, and say I wish them to come here at +once.” + +When these arrived Mr. Goodenough asked Frank to leave him alone with +them. A quarter of an hour later they went out, and Frank, returning, +found two sealed envelopes on the table beside him. + +“My boy,” he said, “I have been making my will. I fear that it is all +over with me. Fever and dysentery together are in nine cases out of ten +fatal. Don't cry, Frank,” he said, as the lad burst into tears. “I would +gladly have lived, but if it is God's will that it should be otherwise, +so be it. I have no wife or near relatives to regret my loss--none, my +poor boy, who will mourn for me as sincerely as I know that you will do. +In the year that we have been together I have come to look upon you as +my son, and you will find that I have not forgotten you in my will. I +have written it in duplicate. If you have an opportunity send one of +these letters down to the coast. Keep the other yourself, and I trust +that you will live to carry it to its destination. Should it not be so, +should the worst come to the worst, it will be a consolation to you to +know that I have not forgotten the little sister of whom you have spoken +to me so often, and that in case of your death she will be provided +for.” + +An hour later Mr. Goodenough was in a state of delirium, in which he +remained all night, falling towards morning into a dull coma, gradually +breathing his last, without any return of sensibility, at eight in the +morning. + +Frank was utterly prostrated with grief, from which he roused himself to +send to the king to ask permission to bury his friend. + +The king sent down to say how grieved he was to hear of the white man's +death. He had ordered many of his warriors to attend his funeral. Frank +had a grave dug on a rising spot of ground beyond the marsh. In the +evening a great number of the warriors gathered round the house, and +upon the shoulders of four of them Mr. Goodenough was conveyed to his +last resting place, Frank and the German missionaries following with +a great crowd of warriors. The missionaries read the service over the +grave, and Frank returned heart broken to his house, with Ostik, who +also felt terribly the loss of his master. + +Two days later a wooden cross was erected over the grave. Upon this +Frank carved the name of his friend. Hearing a week afterwards that the +king was sending down a messenger to Cape Coast, Frank asked permission +to send Mr. Goodenough's letter by him. The king sent for him. + +“I do not wish any more troubles,” he said, “or that letters should be +sent to the governor. You are my guest. When the troubles are settled I +will send you down to the coast; but we have many things to write about, +and I do not want more subjects for talk.” + +Frank showed the letter and read the address, and told the king that it +was only a letter to the man of business of Mr. Goodenough in England, +giving directions for the disposal of his property there. + +The king then consented that his messenger should take the letter. + +At the end of December, when Frank had been nearly three months at +Coomassie, one of the Germans said to him: + +“The king speaks fairly, and seems intent upon his negotiations; but he +is preparing secretly for war. An army is collecting on the Prah. I hear +that twelve thousand men are ordered to assemble there.” + +“I have noticed,” Frank said, “that there have been fewer men about than +usual during the last few days. What will happen to us, do you think?” + +The missionary shook his head. + +“No one can say,” he said. “It all depends upon the king's humor. I +think, however, that he is more likely to keep us as hostages, and to +obtain money for us at the end of the war, than to kill us. If all goes +well with his army we are probably safe; but if the news comes of any +defeat, he may in his rage order us to be executed.” + +“What do you think are the chances of defeat?” Frank asked. + +“We know not,” the missionary said; “but it seems probable that the +Ashantis will turn the English out of the coast. The Fantis are of +no use. They were a brave people once, and united might have made a +successful resistance to the Ashantis; but you English have made women +of them. You have forbidden them to fight among themselves, you have +discouraged them in any attempts to raise armies, you have reduced +the power of the chiefs, you have tried to turn them into a race of +cultivators and traders instead of warriors, and you can expect no +material aid from them now. They will melt away like snow before the +Ashantis. The king's spies tell him that there are only a hundred +and fifty black troops at Cape Coast. These are trained and led by +Englishmen, but, after all, they are only negroes, no braver than the +Ashantis. What chance have they of resisting an army nearly a hundred to +one stronger than themselves?” + +“Is the fort at Cape Coast strong?” Frank asked. + +“Yes, against savages without cannon. Besides, the guns of the ships of +war would cover it.” + +“Well,” Frank said, “if we can hold that, they will send out troops from +England.” + +“They may do so,” the missionary asserted; “but what could white troops +do in the fever haunted forests, which extend from Coomassie to the +coast?” + +“They will manage somehow,” Frank replied confidently. “Besides, after +all, as I hear that the great portion of Ashanti lying beyond this is +plain and open country, the Ashantis themselves cannot be all accustomed +to bush fighting, and will suffer from fever in the low, swamp land.” + +Three days later the king sent for Frank. + +“The English are not true,” he said angrily. “They promised the people +of Elmina that they should be allowed to retain all their customs as +under the Dutch. They have broken their word. They have forbidden the +customs. The people of Elmina have written to me to ask me to deliver +them. I am going to do so.” + +Frank afterwards learned that the king's words were true. Colonel +Harley, the military commandant, having, with almost incredible fatuity, +and in spite of the agreement which had been made with the Elminas, +summoned their king and chiefs to a council, and abruptly told them that +they would not be allowed henceforth to celebrate their customs, +which consisted of firing of guns, waving of flags, dancing, and other +harmless rites. The chiefs, greatly indignant at this breach of the +agreement, solemnly entered into with them, at once, on leaving the +council, wrote to the King of Ashanti, begging him to cross the Prah and +attack the English. Frank could only say that he knew nothing of what +was going on at the coast, and could only think that his majesty must +have been misinformed, as the English wished to be friendly with the +Ashantis. + +“They do not wish it,” the king said furiously; “they are liars.” + +A buzz of approval sounded among the cabooceers and captains standing +round. Frank thought that he was about to be ordered to instant +execution, and grasped a revolver, which he held in his pocket, +resolving to shoot the king first, and then to blow out his own brains, +rather than to be put to the horrible tortures which in Ashanti always +precede death. + +Presently the king said suddenly to him: + +“My people tell me that you can talk to them in their own tongue.” + +“I have learnt a little Ashanti,” Frank said in that language. “I cannot +talk well, but I can make myself understood.” + +“Very well,” the king said. “Then I shall send you down with my general. +You know the ways of English fighting, and will tell him what is best +to do against them. When the war is over and I have driven the English +away, I will send you away also. You are my guest, and I do not wish to +harm you. Tomorrow you will start. Your goods will be of no more use to +you. I have ordered my treasurer to count the cloth, and the powder, and +the other things which you have, and to pay you for them in gold. You +may go.” + +Frank retired, vowing in his heart that no information as to the best +way of attacking the English should be obtained from him. Upon the whole +he was much pleased at the order, for he thought that some way of making +his escape might present itself. Such was also the opinion of Ostik when +Frank told him what had taken place at the palace. + +An hour later the king's treasurer arrived. The whole of the trade goods +were appraised at fair prices, and even the cases were paid for, as the +treasurer said that these would be good for keeping the king's state +robes. Frank only retained his own portmanteau with clothes, his bed and +rugs, and the journals of the expedition, a supply of ammunition for his +revolver, his medicine chest, tent, and a case with chocolate, preserved +milk, tea, biscuits, rice, and a couple of bottles of brandy. + +In the morning there was a great beating of drums. + +Four carriers had been told off for Frank's service, and these came in, +took up his baggage, and joined the line. Frank waited till the general, +Ammon Quatia, whom he had several times met at the palace, came along, +carried in a hammock, with a paraphernalia of attendants bearing chairs, +umbrellas, and flags. Frank fell in behind these accompanied by +Ostik. The whole population of Coomassie turned out and shouted their +farewells. + +There was a pause in the marketplace while a hundred victims were +sacrificed to the success of the expedition. Frank kept in the thick of +the warriors so as to avoid witnessing the horrible spectacle. + +As they passed the king he said to the general, “Bring me back the +head of the governor. I will place it on my drum by the side of that of +Macarthy.” + +Then the army passed the swamp knee deep in water, and started on their +way down to the Prah. Three miles further they crossed the river Dah at +Agogo, where the water was up to their necks. The road was little +more than a track through the forest, and many small streams had to be +crossed. + +It was well that Frank had not had an attack of fever for some time, +for they marched without a stop to Fomanse, a distance of nearly thirty +miles. Fomanse was a large town. Many of the houses were built in the +same style as those at Coomassie, and the king's palace was a stone +building. That night Frank slept in a native house which the general +allotted to him close to the palace. The army slept on the ground. + +The next morning they crossed a lofty hill, and then descending again +kept along through the forest until, late in the afternoon, they arrived +on the Prah. This river was about sixty yards wide, and here, in roughly +made huts of boughs, were encamped the main army, who had preceded them. +Here there was a pause for a week while large numbers of carriers came +down with provisions. Then on the 22d of January the army crossed the +Prah in great canoes of cottonwood tree, which the troops who first +arrived had prepared. + +Had the Ashanti army now pushed forward at full speed, Cape Coast and +Elmina must have fallen into their hands, for there were no preparations +whatever for their defence. The Assims, whose territory was first +invaded, sent down for assistance, but Mr. Hennessey refused to believe +that there was any invasion at all, and when the King of Akim, the +most powerful of the Fanti potentates, sent down to ask for arms and +ammunition, Mr. Hennessey refused so curtly that the King of Akim was +grievously offended, and sent at once to the Ashantis to say that he +should remain neutral in the war. + +About this time Mr. Hennessey, whose repeated blunders had in no slight +degree contributed to the invasion, was relieved by Mr. Keate, who at +once wholly alienated the Fantis by telling them that they must defend +themselves, as the English had nothing more to do with the affair +than to defend their forts. Considering that the English had taken the +natives under their protection, and that the war was caused entirely by +the taking over of Elmina by the English and by their breach of faith to +the natives there, this treatment of the Fantis was as unjust as it was +impolitic. + +Ammon Quatia, however, seemed to be impressed with a spirit of prudence +as soon as he crossed the river. Parties were sent out, indeed, who +attacked and plundered the Assim villages near the Prah, but the main +body moved forward with the greatest caution, sometimes halting for +weeks. + +The Ashanti general directed Frank always to pitch his tent next to the +hut occupied by himself. Four guards were appointed, nominally to do him +honor, but really, as Frank saw, to prevent him from making his escape. +These men kept guard, two at a time, night and day over the tent, and if +he moved out all followed him. He never attempted to leave the camp. +The forest was extremely dense with thick underwood and innumerable +creepers, through which it would be almost impossible to make a way. +The majority of the trees were of only moderate height, but above them +towered the cotton trees and other giants, rising with straight stems to +from two hundred and fifty to three hundred feet high. Many of the trees +had shed their foliage, and some of these were completely covered with +brilliant flowers of different colors. The woods resounded with the +cries of various birds, but butterflies, except in the clearings, were +scarce. + +The army depended for food partly upon the cultivated patches around +the Assim villages, partly on supplies brought up from the rear. In the +forest, too, they found many edible roots and fruits. In spite of the +efforts to supply them with food, Frank saw ere many weeks had passed +that the Ashantis were suffering much from hunger. They fell away in +flesh. Many were shaking with fever, and the enthusiasm, which was +manifest at the passage of the Prah, had entirely evaporated. + +The first morning after crossing the river Frank sent Ostik into the +hut of the general with a cup of hot chocolate, with which Ammon Quatia +expressed himself so much gratified that henceforth Frank sent in a +cup every morning, having still a large supply of tins of preserved +chocolate and milk, the very best food which a traveler can take with +him. In return the Ashanti general showed Frank many little kindnesses, +sending him in birds or animals when any were shot by his men, and +keeping him as well provided with food as was possible under the +circumstances. + +It was not until the 8th of April that any absolute hostilities took +place. Then the Fantis, supported by fifty Houssas under Lieutenant +Hopkins, barred the road outside the village of Dunquah. The Ashantis +attacked, but the Fantis fought bravely, having great confidence in the +Houssa contingent. The battle was one of the native fashion, neither +side attempting any vigorous action, but contenting themselves with a +heavy fire at a distance of a hundred yards. All the combatants took +shelter behind trees, and the consequence was that at the end of the day +a great quantity of powder and slugs had been fired away, and a very few +men hit on either side. At nightfall both parties drew off. + +“Is that the way your English soldiers fight?” the general asked Frank +that night. + +“Yes,” Frank said vaguely; “they fire away at each other.” + +“And then I suppose,” the general said, “when one party has exhausted +its ammunition it retires.” + +“Certainly it would retire,” Frank said. “It could not resist without +ammunition you know.” + +Frank carefully abstained from mentioning that one side or the other +would advance even before the ammunition of its opponents was expended, +for he did not wish the Ashantis to adopt tactics which, from their +greatly superior numbers, must at once give them a victory. The Ashantis +were not dissatisfied with the day's work, as they considered that they +had proved themselves equal to the English troops. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII: THE ATTACK ON ELMINA + + +On the 14th the Fantis took the initiative, and attacked the Ashantis. +The fight was a mere repetition of that of a week before, and about +midday the Fantis, having used up all their ammunition, fell back again +to Cape Coast. + +“Now,” the general said to Frank, “that we have beaten the Fantis we +shall march down to Elmina.” + +Leaving the main road at Dunquah the army moved slowly through the bush +towards Elmina, thirty miles distant, halting in the woods some eight +miles from the town, and twelve from Cape Coast. + +“I am going,” the general said, “to look at the English forts. My white +friend will go with me.” + +With fifty of his warriors Ammon Quatia left the camp, and crossing a +stream came down upon the sea coast, a short distance west of Elmina. +With them were several of the Elmina tribe, who had come up to the camp +to welcome the Ashantis. They approached to within three or four hundred +yards of the fort, which was separated from them by a river. + +The forts on the west coast of Africa, not being built to resist +artillery, are merely barracks surrounded by high walls sufficiently +thick to allow men to walk in single file along the top, to fire over +the parapet. The tops of the walls being castellated, the buildings have +an appearance of much strength. The fort of Elmina is of considerable +size, with a barrack and officers' quarters within it. One side faces +the river, and another the sea. + +“It is a wonderful fort,” the Ashanti general said, much impressed by +its appearance. + +“Yes,” Frank replied. “And there are cannon on the top, those great +black things you see sticking out. Those are guns, and each carries +balls enough to kill a hundred men with each shot.” + +The general looked for some time attentively. “But you have castles in +the white men's country, how do you take them?” + +“We bring a great many cannon throwing balls of iron as big as my head,” + Frank answered, “and so knock a great hole in the wall and then rush +in.” + +“But if there are no cannon?” the general urged. + +“We never attack a castle without cannon,” Frank said. “But if we had +no cannon we might try to starve the people out; but you cannot do that +here, because they would land food from the sea.” + +The general looked puzzled. “Why do the white men come here? + +“They come to trade,” he said presently. + +“Yes, they come to trade,” Frank replied. + +“And they have no other reason?” + +“No,” Frank said. “They do not want to take land, because the white man +cannot work in so hot a climate.” + +“Then if he could not trade he would go away?” the general asked. + +“Yes,” Frank agreed, “if he could do no trade it would be no use +remaining here.” + +“We will let him do no trade,” the general said, brightening up. “If we +cannot take the forts we will surround them closely, and no trade can +come in and out. Then the white man will have to go away. As to the +Fantis we will destroy them, and the white men will have no one to fight +for them.” + +“But there are white troops,” Frank said. + +“White soldiers?” the Ashanti asked surprised. “I thought it was only +black soldiers that fought for the whites. The whites are few, they are +traders.” + +“The English are many,” Frank said earnestly. “For every man that the +King of Ashanti could send to fight, England could send ten. There are +white soldiers, numbers of them, but they are not sent here. They are +kept at home to fight other white nations, the French and the Dutch and +the Danes, and many others, just as the kings of Africa fight against +each other. They are not sent here because the climate kills the whites, +so to guard the white traders here we hire black soldiers; but, when +it is known in England that the King of Ashanti is fighting against our +forts, they will send white troops.” + +Ammon Quatia was thoughtful for some time. “If they come,” he said at +length, “the fevers will kill them. The white man cannot live in the +swamps. Your friend, the white guest of the king, died at Coomassie.” + +“Yes,” Frank asserted, “but he had been nearly a year in the country +before he died. Three weeks will be enough for an English army to march +from Cape Coast to Coomassie. A few might die, but most of them would +get there.” + +“Coomassie!” the general exclaimed in surprise. “The white men would be +mad to think of marching against the city of the great king. We should +make great fetish, and they would all die when they had crossed the +river.” + +“I don't think, General,” Frank said dryly, “that the fetishes of the +black man have any effect upon the white men. A fetish has power when it +is believed in. A man who knows that his enemy has made a fetish against +him is afraid. His blood becomes like water and he dies. But the whites +do not believe in fetishes. They laugh at them, and then the fetishes +cannot hurt them.” + +The general said no more, but turned thoughtfully and retired to his +camp. It was tantalizing to Frank to see the Union Jack waving within +sight, and to know that friends were so near and yet to be unable to +stretch out his hand to them. + +He was now dressed in all respects like a native, the king having, soon +after his arrival at Coomassie, sent a present of clothes such as were +worn by his nobles, saying that the people would not notice them so much +if they were dressed like themselves. Consequently, had the party been +seen from the castle walls the appearance of an Englishman among them +would have been unobserved. + +Three days later the general with a similar party crossed the Sweet +river at night, and proceeded along the sea coast to within a few +hundred yards of Cape Coast Castle, whose appearance pleased him no more +than that of Elmina had done. + +The Ashantis were now better supplied with food, as they were able to +depend upon the Elmina tribes who cultivated a considerable extent of +ground, and to add to the stock, the Ashanti soldiers were set to work +to aid in planting a larger extent of ground than usual, a proof in +Frank's mind that the general contemplated making a long stay, and +blockading Elmina and Cape Coast into surrender if he could not carry +them by assault. + +The natives of Africa are capable of great exertion for a time, but +their habitual attitude is that of extreme laziness. One week's work in +the year suffices to plant a sufficient amount of ground to supply the +wants of a family. The seed only requires casting into the earth, and +soon the ground will be covered with melons and pumpkins. Sweet potatoes +and yams demand no greater cultivation, and the bananas and plantains +require simply to be cut. For fifty-one weeks in the year the negro +simply sits down and watches his crops grow. To people like these time +is of absolutely no value. Their wants are few. Their garden furnishes +them with tobacco. They make drink from the palm or by fermenting the +juice of the cocoanut. The fowls that wander about in the clearings +suffice when carried down occasionally to the port, to pay for the few +yards of calico and strings of beads which are all that is necessary for +the clothing and decoration of a family. + +Such people are never in a hurry. To wait means to do nothing. To +do nothing is their highest joy. Their tomorrow means a month hence, +directly, a week. If, then, the Ashanti army had been detained for one +year or five before the English settlements, it would have been a matter +of indifference to them, so long as they could obtain food. Their women +were with them, for the wife and daughters of each warrior had carried +on head, with the army, his household goods, a tiny stool, a few +calabashes for cooking, a mat to sleep on, and baskets high piled with +provisions. They were there to collect sticks, to cook food, draw water, +bring fire for his pipe, minister to his pleasures. He could have no +more if he were at home, and was contented to wait as long as the king +ordered, were that time years distant. + +Frank was often filled with disgust at seeing these noble savages lying +indolently from morn till night while their wives went miles in the +forest searching for pineapples and fruits, bent down and prematurely +aged by toil and hardship. Many of the young girls among the negroes are +pretty, with their soft eyes and skin like velvet, their merry laugh and +graceful figures. But in a very few years all this disappears, and by +middle age they are bent, and wrinkled, and old. All loads are carried +by women, with the exception only of hammocks, which are exclusively +carried by men. + +Thus, then, the Ashantis settled down to what appeared to Frank to be an +interminable business, and what rendered it more tantalizing was, that +the morning and evening guns at the English forts could be plainly +heard. + +It was on the 7th of June that Ammon Quatia reconnoitered Elmina, and +the news came next day that a hundred and ten white men in red coats had +landed from a ship which had arrived that morning off the coast. Frank +judged from the description that these must be marines from a ship of +war. In this he was correct, as they consisted of marines and marine +artillerymen under Lieutenant Colonel Festing, who had just arrived from +England. Three days later the Ashanti general, with a portion of his +force, moved down close to Elmina; Frank was told to accompany them. +Shortly afterwards the news came that the Elminas were all ordered +to lay down their arms. They replied by going over in a body to the +Ashantis. Ammon Quatia determined at once to attack the town, but as he +was advancing, the guns of the ships of war opened fire upon the native +town of Elmina, which lay to the west of the European quarter. + +The sound of such heavy cannon, differing widely from anything they had +ever heard before, caused the Ashantis to pause in astonishment. Then +came the howl of the shells, which exploded in rapid succession in +the village, from which flames began immediately to rise. After a +few minutes' hesitation the Ashantis and Elminas again advanced. The +general, who was carried in a chair upon the shoulders of four men, took +his post on rising ground near the burning village. + +“There,” he said, “the English soldiers are coming out of the fort. Now +you will see.” + +The little body of marines and the blue jackets of the Barraconta +deployed in line as they sallied from the fort. The Ashantis opened fire +upon them, but they were out of range of the slugs. As soon as the line +was formed the English opened fire, and the Ashantis were perfectly +astonished at the incessant rattle of musketry from so small a body of +men. But it was not all noise, for the Snider bullets swept among the +crowded body of blacks, mowing them down in considerable numbers. In two +minutes the Ashantis turned and ran. The general's bearers, in spite of +his shouts, hurried away with him with the others, and Frank would have +taken this opportunity to escape had not two of his guards seized him by +the arms and hauled him along, while the other two kept close behind. + +As soon as they had passed over the crest of the rise, and the British +fire had ceased, Ammon Quatia leaped from his chair and threw himself +among his flying troops, striking them right and left with his staff, +and hurling imprecations upon them. + +“If you do not stop and return against the whites,” he said, “I will +send every one of you back to Coomassie, and there you will be put to +death as cowards.” + +The threat sufficed. The fugitives rallied, and in a few minutes were +ready to march back again. It was the surprise created by the wonderful +sustained fire of the breech loaders, rather than the actual loss they +inflicted, which caused the panic. + +In the meantime, believing that the Ashantis had retired, the naval +contingent went back to their boats, when the Dutch vice consul, having +ascended a hill to look round, saw that Ammon Quatia had made a detour +with his troops, and was marching against the town from the east, where +he would not be exposed to the fire of the fort. He instantly ran back +with the news. + +The marines and the thirty West Indian soldiers in the fort at once +marched out, and met the Ashantis just as they were entering the town. +The fight was a severe one, and for a time neither side appeared to have +the advantage, and Frank, who, under the care of his guards, was a few +hundred yards in the rear, was filled with dismay at observing that the +Ashantis, in spite of the heavy loss they were suffering, were gaining +ground and pressing forward bravely. Suddenly he gave a shout of joy, +for on a rise on the flank of the Ashantis appeared the sailors of the +Barraconta, who had been led round from the boats by Lieutenant Wells, +R. N., who was in command. The instant these took up their position they +opened a heavy fire upon the flank of the Ashantis, who, dismayed by +this attack by fresh foes, lost heart and at once fled hastily. In the +two engagements they had lost nearly four hundred men. Frank, of course, +retired with the beaten Ashantis, and that evening Ammon Quatia told +him that the arms of the white men were too good, and that he should not +attack them again in the open. + +“Their guns shoot farther, as well as quicker, than ours,” he said. “Our +slugs are no use against the heavy bullets, at a distance; but in the +woods, where you cannot see twenty feet among the trees, it will be +different. If I do not attack them they must attack me, or their trade +will be starved out. When they come into the woods you will see that we +shall eat them up.” + +Several weeks now passed quietly. There was news that there was +great sickness among the white soldiers, and, indeed, with scarce an +exception, the marines first sent out were invalided home; but a hundred +and fifty more arrived to take their place. Some detachments of the 2d +West Indian regiment came down to join their comrades from Sierra Leone, +and the situation remained unchanged. + +One night towards the end of August a messenger arrived and there was an +immediate stir. + +“Now,” the general said to Frank, “you are going to see us fight the +white men. Some of the big ships have gone to the mouth of the Prah, +and we believe that they are going to land in boats. You will see. The +Elmina tribes are going to attack, but I shall take some of my men to +help.” + +Taking fifty picked warriors Ammon Quatia started at once. They marched +all night towards the west, and at daybreak joined the Elminas. These +took post in the brushwood lining the river. The general with a dozen +men, taking Frank, went down near the mouth of the river to reconnoiter. +The ships lay more than a mile off the shore. Presently a half dozen +boats were lowered, filled with men, and taken in tow by a steam launch. +It was seen that they were making for the mouth of the river. + +“Now let us go back,” Ammon Quatia said. “You will see what we shall +do.” + +Frank felt full of excitement. He saw the English running into an +ambuscade, and he determined, even if it should cost him his life, to +warn them. Presently they heard the sharp puffs of the steam launch. The +boats were within three hundred yards. + +Frank stepped forward and was about to give a warning shout when Ammon +Quatia's eye fell upon him. The expression of his face revealed his +intention to the Ashanti, who in an instant sprang upon him and hurled +him to the ground. Instantly a dozen hands seized him, and, in obedience +to the general's order, fastened a bandage tightly across his mouth, and +then bound him, standing against a tree, where he could observe what was +going on. The incident had occupied but a minute, and Frank heard the +pant of the steam launch coming nearer and nearer. Presently through +the bushes he caught a glimpse of it, and then, as it came along, of the +boats towing behind. The Elminas and Ashantis were lying upon the ground +with their guns in front of them. + +The boats were but fifteen yards from the bank. When they were abreast +Ammon Quatia shouted the word of command, and a stream of fire shot out +from the bushes. In the boats all was confusion. Several were killed and +many wounded by the deadly volley, among the latter Commodore Commerell +himself, and two or three of his officers. The launch now attempted +to turn round, and the marines in the boats opened fire upon their +invisible foes, who replied steadily. In five minutes from the first +shot being fired all was over, the launch was steaming down with the +boats in tow towards the mouth of the river, the exulting shouts of the +natives ringing in the ears of those on board. + +The position of Frank had not been a pleasant one while the fight +had lasted, for the English rifle bullets sang close to him in quick +succession, one striking the tree only a few inches above his head. He +was doubtful, too, as to what his fate would be at the termination of +the fight. + +Fortunately Ammon Quatia was in the highest spirits at his victory. He +ordered Frank to be at once unbound. + +“There, you see,” he said, “the whites are of no use. They cannot fight. +They run with their eyes shut into danger. So it will be if they attack +us on the land. You were foolish. Why did you wish to call out? Are you +not well treated? Are you not the king's guest? Am I not your friend?” + +“I am well treated, and you are my friend,” Frank said, “but the English +are my countrymen. I am sure that were you in the hands of the English, +and you saw a party of your countrymen marching into danger, you would +call out and warn them, even if you knew that you would be killed for +doing so.” + +“I do not know,” the Ashanti said candidly. “I cannot say what I should +do, but you were brave to run the risk, and I'm not angry with you. +Only, in future when we go to attack the English, I must gag you to +prevent your giving the alarm.” + +“That is fair enough,” Frank said, pleased that the matter had passed +off so well, “only another time do not stick me upright against a tree +where I may be killed by English bullets. I had a narrow escape of it +this time, you see,” and he pointed to the hole in the trunk of the +tree. + +“I am sorry,” the Ashanti general said, with an air of real concern. “I +did not think of your being in danger, I only wished you to have a good +sight of the battle; next time I will put you in a safer place.” + +They then returned to the camp. + +The next day a distant cannonade was heard, and at nightfall the news +came that the English fleet had bombarded and burnt several Elmina +villages at the mouth of the Prah. + +“Ah,” the general said, “the English have great ships and great guns. +They can fight on the seaside and round their forts, but they cannot +drag their guns through the forests and swamps.” + +“No,” Frank agreed. “It would not be possible to drag heavy artillery.” + +“No,” Ammon Quatia repeated exultingly. “When they are beyond the +shelter of their ships they are no good whatever. We will kill them +all.” + +The wet season had now set in, in earnest, and the suffering of the +Ashantis were very great. Accustomed as many of them were to high lying +lands free of trees, the miasma from the swamps was well nigh as fatal +to them as it would be to Europeans. Thousands died, and many of the +rest were worn by fever to mere shadows. + +“Do you think,” Ammon Quatia said to Frank one day, “that it is possible +to blow up a whole town with powder?” + +“It would be possible if there were powder enough,” Frank said, +wondering what could be the motive of the question. + +“They say that the English have put powder in holes all over Cape Coast, +and my people are afraid to go. The guns of the fort could not shoot +over the whole town, and there are few white soldiers there; but my men +fear to be blown up in the air.” + +“Yes,” Frank said gravely. “The danger might be great. It is better that +the Ashantis should keep away from the town. But if the fever goes on as +at present the army will melt away.” + +“Ten thousand more men are coming down when the rains are over. The king +says that something must be done. There is talk in the English forts +that more white troops are coming out from England. If this is so I +shall not attack the towns, but shall wait for them to come into the +woods for me. Then you will see.” + +“Do they say there are many troops?” Frank asked anxiously. + +“No; they say only some white officers, but this is foolishness. What +could white officers do without soldiers? As for the Fantis they are +cowards, they are only good to carry burdens and to hoe the ground. They +are women and not men.” + +During this time, when the damp rose so thick and steaming that +everything was saturated with it, Frank had a very sharp attack of +fever, and was for a fortnight, just after the repulse of the attack on +Elmina, completely prostrated. Such an attack would at his first landing +have carried him off, but he was now getting acclimatized, and his +supply of quinine was abundant. With its aid he saved a great many lives +among the Ashantis, and many little presents in the way of fruit and +birds did he receive from his patients. + +“I wish I could let you go,” the general said to him one day. “You are +a good white man, and my soldiers love you for the pains you take going +amongst them when they are sick, and giving them the medicine of the +whites. But I dare not do it. As you know when the king is wroth the +greatest tremble, and I dare not tell the king that I have let you +go. Were it otherwise I would gladly do so. I have written to the king +telling him that you have saved the lives of many here. It may be that +he will order you to be released.” + + + +CHAPTER XIX: THE TIDE TURNED + + +From many of the points in the forest held by the Ashantis the sea could +be seen, and on the morning of the 2d of October a steamer which had not +been there on the previous evening was perceived lying off the town. The +Ashantis were soon informed by spies in Elmina and Cape Coast that the +ship had brought an English general with about thirty officers. The news +that thirty men had come out to help to drive back twenty thousand was +received with derision by the Ashantis. + +“They will do more than you think,” Frank said when Ammon Quatia was +scoffing over the new arrival. “You will see a change in the tactics of +the whites. Hitherto they have done nothing. They have simply waited. +Now you will see they will begin to move. The officers will drill the +natives, and even a Fanti, drilled and commanded by white officers, will +learn how to fight. You acknowledge that the black troops in red coats +can fight. What are these? Some of them are Fantis, some of them +are black men from the West Indian Islands, where they are even more +peaceful than the Fantis, for they have no enemies. Perhaps alone the +Fantis would not fight, but they will have the soldiers and sailors from +on board ship with them, and you saw at Elmina how they can fight.” + +The ship was the Ambriz, one of the African company's steamers, bringing +with it thirty-five officers, of whom ten belonged to the Commissariat +and Medical staff. Among the fighting men were Sir Garnet Wolseley, +Colonel M'Neil, chief of his staff, Major T. D. Baker, 18th Regiment, +Captain Huyshe, Rifle Brigade, Captain Buller, 60th Rifles, all of the +staff; Captain Brackenbury, military secretary, and Lieutenant Maurice, +R. A., private secretary, Major Home, R. E., Lieutenant Saunders, R. +A., and Lieutenant Wilmot, R. A.. Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn Wood, 90th +Regiment, and Major B. C. Russell, 13th Hussars, were each to form and +command a native regiment, having the remainder of the officers as their +assistants. + +The Ambriz had left England on the 12th of September, and had touched +at Madeira and at the various towns on the coast on her way down, and +at the former place had received the news of the disaster to the naval +expedition up the Prah. + +The English government had been loath to embark upon such an expedition, +but a petition which had been sent home by the English and native +traders at Sierra Leone and Elmina had shown how great was the peril +which threatened the colony, and it had been felt that unless an effort +was made the British would be driven altogether from their hold of the +coast. When the expedition was at last determined upon, the military +authorities were flooded with recommendations and warnings of all kinds +from persons who knew the coast. Unfortunately these gentlemen differed +so widely from each other, that but little good was gained from their +counsels. Some pronounced the climate to be deadly. Others said that +it was really not bad. Some warmly advocated a moderate use of spirits. +Others declared that stimulants were poison. One advised that all +exercise should be taken between five and seven in the morning. Another +insisted that on no account should anyone stir out until the sun had +been up for an hour, which meant that no one should go out till half +past seven. One said take exercise and excite perspiration. Another +urged that any bodily exercise should be avoided. One consistent +gentleman, after having written some letters to the papers strongly +advocating the use of white troops upon the coast instead of West Indian +regiments, when written to by Sir Garnet Wolseley for his advice as +to articles of outfit, replied that the only article which he could +strongly commend would be that each officer should take out his coffin. + +Ten days passed after the landing. It was known in the Ashanti camp that +the Fanti kings had been ordered to raise contingents, and that a +white officer had been alloted to each to assist him in this work. +The Ashantis, however, had no fear whatever on this score. The twenty +thousand natives who occupied the country south of the Prah had all been +driven from their homes by the invaders, and had scattered among the +towns and villages on the seacoast, where vast numbers had died from the +ravages of smallpox. The kings had little or no authority over them, +and it was certain that no native force, capable in any way of competing +with the army of the assailants, could be raised. + +The small number of men of the 2d West Indian regiment at Elmina had +been reinforced by a hundred and twenty Houssas brought down the coast. +The Ashanti advanced parties remained close up to Elmina. + +On the 13th of October Frank accompanied the Ashanti general to the +neighborhood of this town. The Ashanti force here was not a large one, +the main body being nearly twenty miles away in the neighborhood of +Dunquah, which was held by a small body of Houssas and natives under +Captain Gordon. At six in the morning a messenger ran in with the news +that two of the English war steamers from Cape Coast were lying off +Elmina, and that a number of troops had been landed in boats. The +Ashanti general was furious, and poured out threats against his spies in +Cape Coast for not having warned him of the movement, but in fact these +were not to blame. So quietly had the arrangements been made that, until +late in the previous afternoon, no one, with the exception of three or +four of the principal officers, knew that an expedition was intended. +Even then it was given out that the expedition was going down the coast, +and it was not until the ships anchored off Elmina at three in the +morning that the officers and troops were aware of their destination. +All the West Indian troops at Cape Coast had been taken, Captain Peel of +the Simoon landing fifty sailors to hold the fort in case the Ashantis +should attack it in their absence. The expedition consisted of the +Houssas, two hundred men of the 2d West India regiment, fifty sailors, +and two companies of marines and marine artillery, each fifty strong, +and a large number of natives carrying a small Armstrong gun, two rocket +tubes, rockets, spare ammunition, and hammocks for wounded. + +The few Ashantis in the village next to Elmina retired at once when the +column was seen marching from the castle. Ammon Quatia had taken up his +quarters at the village of Essarman, and now advanced with his troops +and took post in the bush behind a small village about three miles from +the town. The Houssas were skirmishing in front of the column. These +entered the village which had been deserted by the Ashantis, and set it +on fire, blowing up several kegs of powder which had been left there +in the hurry of the flight. Then as they advanced farther the Ashantis +opened fire. To their surprise the British, instead of falling +back, opened fire in return, the Houssas, West Indians, and natives +discharging their rifles at random in all directions. Captain Freemantle +with the sailors, the gun, and rockets made for the upper corner of the +wood facing them to their left. Captain Crease with a company of marine +artillery took the wood on the right. The Houssas and a company of West +Indians moved along the path in the center. The remainder of the force +remained with the baggage in reserve. The Ashantis kept up a tremendous +fire, but the marines and sailors pushed their way steadily through the +wood on either side. Captain Freemantle at length gained a point where +his gun and rockets could play on Essarman, which lay in the heart of +the wood, and opened fire, but not until he had been struck by a slug +which passed through his arm. Colonel M'Neil, who was with the Houssas, +also received a severe wound in the arm, and thirty-two marines and +Houssas were wounded. The Ashantis were gradually driven out of the +village and wood, a great many being killed by the English fire. + +Having accomplished this, the British force rested for an hour and +then moved on, first setting fire to Essarman, which was a very large +village. A great quantity of the Ashanti powder was stored there, and +each explosion excited yells of rage among the Ashantis. Their general +was especially angry that two large war drums had been lost. So great +was the effect produced upon the Ashantis by the tremendous fire which +the British had poured into every bush and thicket as they advanced, +that their general thought it expedient to draw them off in the +direction of his main body instead of further disputing the way. + +The English now turned off towards the coast, marching part of the +way through open country, part through a bush so dense that it was +impossible to make a flank attack upon them here. In such cases as this, +when the Ashantis know that an enemy is going to approach through a +dense and impassable forest, they cut paths through it parallel to that +by which he must advance and at a few yards' distance. Then, lying in +ambush there, they suddenly open fire upon him as he comes along. As +no idea of the coming of the English had been entertained they passed +through the dense thickets in single file unmolested. These native paths +are very difficult and unpleasant walking. The natives always walk in +single file, and the action of their feet, aided by that of the rain, +often wears the paths into a deep V-shaped rut, two feet in depth. +Burning two or three villages by the way the column reached the coast at +a spot five miles from Elmina, having marched nine miles. + +As the Ashantis were known to be in force at the villages of Akimfoo and +Ampene, four miles farther, a party was taken on to this point. Akimfoo +was occupied without resistance, but the Ashantis fought hard in Ampene, +but were driven out of the town into the bush, from which the British +force was too small to drive them, and therefore returned to Elmina, +having marched twenty-two miles, a prodigious journey in such a climate +for heavily armed Europeans. The effect produced among the Ashantis by +the day's fighting was immense. All their theories that the white men +could not fight in the bush were roughly upset, and they found that his +superiority was as great there as it had been in the open. His heavy +bullets, even at the distance of some hundred yards, crashed through the +brush wood with deadly effect, while the slugs of the Ashantis would not +penetrate at a distance much exceeding fifty yards. + +Ammon Quatia was profoundly depressed in spirits that evening. + +“The white men who come to fight us,” he said, “are not like those who +come to trade. Who ever heard of their making long marches? Why, if they +go the shortest distances they are carried in hammocks. These men march +as well as my warriors. They have guns which shoot ten times as far +as ours, and never stop firing. They carry cannon with them, and have +things which fly through the air and scream, and set villages on fire +and kill men. I have never heard of such things before. What do you call +them?” + +“They are called rockets,” Frank said. + +“What are they made of?” + +“They are made of coarse powder mixed with other things, and rammed into +an iron case.” + +“Could we not make some too?” the Ashanti general asked. + +“No,” Frank replied. “At least, not without a knowledge of the things +you should mix with the powder, and of that I am ignorant. Besides, the +rockets require great skill in firing, otherwise they will sometimes +come back and kill the men who fire them.” + +“Why did you not tell me that the white men could fight in the bush?” + +“I told you that there would be a change when the new general came, and +that they would not any longer remain in their forts, but would come out +and attack you.” + +A few days after this fight the Ashantis broke up their camp at Mampon, +twelve miles from Elmina, and moved eastward to join the body who were +encamped in the forest near Dunquah. + +“I am going,” Ammon Quatia said to Frank, “to eat up Dunquah and Abra +Crampa. We shall do better this time. We know what the English guns can +do and shall not be surprised.” + +With ten thousand men Ammon Quatia halted at the little village of +Asianchi, where there was a large clearing, which was speedily covered +with the little leafy bowers which the Ashantis run up at each halting +place. + +Two days later Sir Garnet Wolseley with a strong force marched out from +Cape Coast to Abra Crampa, halting on the way for a night at Assaiboo, +ten miles from the town. On the same day the general sent orders to +Colonel Festing of the Marine Artillery, who commanded at Dunquah, to +make a reconnaissance into the forest from that place. In accordance +with this order Colonel Festing marched out with a gun and rocket +apparatus under Captain Rait, the Annamaboe contingent of a hundred and +twenty men under their king, directed by Captain Godwin, four hundred +other Fantis under Captain Broomhead, and a hundred men of the 2d West +India regiment. After a three mile march in perfect silence they came +upon an Ashanti cutting wood, and compelled him to act as guide. The +path divided into three, and the Annamaboes, who led the advance, when +within a few yards of the camp, gave a sudden cheer and rushed in. + +The Ashantis, panic stricken at the sudden attack, fled instantly from +the camp into the bush. Sudden as was the scare Frank's guards did not +forget their duty, but seizing him dragged him off with them in their +flight, by the side of Ammon Quatia. The latter ordered the war drums to +begin to beat, and Frank was surprised at the quickness with which the +Ashantis recovered from their panic. In five minutes a tremendous fire +was opened from the whole circle of bush upon the camp. This stood +on rising ground, and the British force returned the fire with great +rapidity and effect. The Annamaboe men stood their ground gallantly, and +the West Indians fought with great coolness, keeping up a constant and +heavy fire with their Sniders. The Houssas, who had been trained as +artillerymen, worked their gun and rocket tube with great energy, +yelling and whooping as each round of grape or canister was fired into +the bush, or each rocket whizzed out. + +Notwithstanding the heavy loss which they were suffering, the Ashantis +stood their ground most bravely. Their wild yells and the beating of +their drums never ceased, and only rose the louder as each volley of +grape was poured into them. They did not, however, advance beyond the +shelter of their bush, and, as the British were not strong enough to +attack them there, the duel of artillery and musketry was continued +without cessation for an hour and a half, and then Colonel Festing fell +back unmolested to Dunquah. + +The Ashantis were delighted at the result of the fighting, heavy as +their loss had been. They had held their ground, and the British had not +ventured to attack them in the bush. + +“You see,” Ammon Quatia said exultingly to Frank, “what I told you was +true. The white men cannot fight us in the bush. At Essarman the wood +was thin and gave but a poor cover. Here, you see, they dared not follow +us.” + +On the British side five officers and the King of Annamaboe were +wounded, and fifty-two of the men. None were killed, the distance from +the bush to the ground held by the English being too far for the Ashanti +slugs to inflict mortal wounds. + +Ammon Quatia now began to meditate falling back upon the Prah--the sick +and wounded were already sent back--but he determined before retiring to +attack Abra Crampa, whose king had sided with us, and where an English +garrison had been posted. + +On the 2d of November, however, Colonel Festing again marched out from +Dunquah with a hundred men of the 2d West India regiment, nine hundred +native allies, and some Houssas with rockets, under Lieutenant Wilmot, +towards the Ashanti camp. This time Ammon Quatia was not taken by +surprise. His scouts informed him of the approach of the column, and +moving out to meet them, he attacked them in the bush before they +reached the camp. Crouching among the trees the Ashantis opened a +tremendous fire. All the native allies, with the exception of a hundred, +bolted at once, but the remainder, with the Houssas and West Indians, +behaved with great steadiness and gallantry, and for two hours kept up a +heavy Snider fire upon their invisible foes. + +Early in the fight Lieutenant Wilmot, while directing the rocket tube, +received a severe wound in the shoulder. He, however, continued at his +work till, just as the fight was ended, he was shot through the heart +with a bullet. Four officers were wounded as were thirteen men of the +2d West India regiment. One of the natives was killed, fifty severely +wounded, and a great many slightly. After two hours' fighting Colonel +Festing found the Ashantis were working round to cut off his retreat, +and therefore fell back again on Dunquah. The conduct of the native +levies here and in two or three smaller reconnaisances was so bad that +it was found that no further dependence could be placed upon them, and, +with the exception of the two partly disciplined regiments under Colonel +Wood and Major Russell, they were in future treated as merely fit to act +as carriers for the provisions. + +Although the second reconnaissance from Dunquah had, like the first, +been unsuccessful, its effect upon the Ashantis was very great. They +had themselves suffered great loss, while they could not see that any +of their enemies had been killed, for Lieutenant Wilmot's body had been +carried off. The rockets especially appalled them, one rocket having +killed six, four of whom were chiefs who were talking together. It was +true that the English had not succeeded in forcing their way through the +bush, but if every time they came out they were to kill large numbers +without suffering any loss themselves, they must clearly in the long run +be victorious. + +What the Ashantis did not see, and what Frank carefully abstained from +hinting to Ammon Quatia, was that if, instead of stopping and firing at +a distance beyond that which at their slugs were effective, they were +to charge down upon the English and fire their pieces when they reached +within a few yards of them, they would overpower them at once by their +enormous superiority of numbers. At ten paces distant a volley of slugs +is as effective as a Snider bullet, and the whole of the native troops +would have bolted the instant such a charge was made. In the open such +tactics might not be possible, as the Sniders could be discharged twenty +times before the English line was reached, but in the woods, where the +two lines were not more than forty or fifty yards apart, the Sniders +could be fired but once or at the utmost twice, while the assailants +rushed across the short intervening space. + +Had the Ashantis adopted these tactics they could have crushed with +ease the little bands with which the English attacked them. But it is +characteristic of all savages that they can never be got to rush down +upon a foe who is prepared and well armed. A half dozen white men have +been known to keep a whole tribe of Red Indians at a distance on the +prairie. This, however, can be accounted for by the fact that the power +of the chiefs is limited, and that each Indian values his own life +highly and does not care to throw it away on a desperate enterprise. +Among the Ashantis, however, where the power of the chiefs is very great +and where human life is held of little account, it is singular that such +tactics should not have been adopted. + +The Ashantis were now becoming thoroughly dispirited. Their sufferings +had been immense. Fever and hunger had made great ravages among them, +and, although now the wet season was over a large quantity of food could +be obtained in the forest, the losses which the white men's bullets, +rockets, and guns had inflicted upon them had broken their courage. The +longing for home became greater than ever, and had it not been that they +knew that troops stationed at the Prah would prevent any fugitives from +crossing, they would have deserted in large numbers. Already one of the +divisions had fallen back. + +Ammon Quatia spent hours sitting at the door of his hut smoking and +talking to the other chiefs. Frank was often called into council, as +Ammon Quatia had conceived a high opinion of his judgment, which had +proved invariably correct so far. + +“We are going,” he said one day, “to take Abra Crampa and to kill its +king, and then to fall back across the Prah.” + +“I think you had better fall back at once,” Frank answered. “When +you took me with you to the edge of the clearing yesterday I saw that +preparations had been made for the defense, and that there were white +troops there. You will never carry the village. The English have thrown +up breastworks of earth, and they will lie behind these and shoot down +your men as they come out of the forest.” + +“I must have one victory to report to the king if I can,” Ammon Quatia +said. “Then he can make peace if he chooses. The white men will not wish +to go on fighting. The Fantis are eager for peace and to return to their +villages. What do you think?” + +“If it be true that white troops are coming out from England, as the +Fanti prisoners say,” Frank answered, “you will see that the English +will not make peace till they have crossed the Prah and marched to +Coomassie. Your king is always making trouble. You will see that this +time the English will not be content with your retiring, but will in +turn invade Ashanti.” + +Ammon Quatia and the chiefs laughed incredulously. + +“They will not dare to cross the Prah,” Ammon Quatia said. “If they +enter Ashanti they will be eaten up.” + +“They are not so easy to eat up,” Frank answered. “You have seen how a +hundred or two can fight against your whole army. What will it be when +they are in thousands? Your king has not been wise. It would be better +for him to send down at once and to make peace at any price.” + + + +CHAPTER XX: THE WHITE TROOPS + + +Two days later Frank was awoke by a sudden yell. He leaped from his +bed of boughs, seized his revolver, and rushing to the door, saw that +a party of some twenty men were attacking Ammon Quatia's hut. The two +guards stationed there had already been cut down. Frank shouted to +his four guards and Ostik to follow him. The guards had been standing +irresolute, not knowing what side to take, but the example of the young +Englishman decided them. They fired their muskets into the knot of +natives, and then charged sword in hand. Ostik drew the sword which he +always carried and followed close to his master's heels. Frank did not +fire until within two yards of the Ashantis. Then his revolver spoke out +and six shots were discharged, each with deadly effect. Then, catching +up a musket which had fallen from the hands of one of the men he had +shot, he clubbed it and fell upon the surprised and already hesitating +conspirators. + +These, fortunately for Frank, had not loaded their muskets. They had +intended to kill Ammon Quatia and then to disperse instantly before aid +could arrive, believing that with his death the order for retreat across +the Prah would at once be given. Several of them had been killed by the +slugs from the muskets of Frank's guard, and his pistol had completed +their confusion. The reports of the guns called up other troops, and +these came rushing in on all sides. Scarcely did Frank and his followers +fall upon the conspirators than they took to their heels and fled into +the wood. + +Ammon Quatia himself, sword in hand, had just sprung to the door of +the hut prepared to sell his life dearly, when Frank's guard fired. +The affair was so momentary that he had hardly time to realize what had +happened before his assailants were in full flight. + +“You have saved my life,” he said to Frank. “Had it not been for you +I must have been killed. You shall not find me ungrateful. When I have +taken Abra Crampa I will manage that you shall return to your friends. +I dare not let you go openly, for the king would not forgive me, and I +shall have enough to do already to pacify him when he hears how great +have been our losses. But rest content. I will manage it somehow.” + +An hour afterwards Ammon Quatia gave orders that the army should move to +the attack of Abra Crampa. The place was held by a body of marines and +sailors, a hundred West Indians, and the native troops of the king. +Major Russell was in command. The village stood on rising ground, +and was surrounded for a distance of a hundred and fifty yards by a +clearing. Part of this consisted of patches of cultivated ground, the +rest had been hastily cleared by the defenders. At the upper end stood a +church, and this was converted into a stronghold. The windows were high +up in the walls, and a platform had been erected inside for the sailors +to fire from the windows, which were partially blocked with sandbags. +The houses on the outside of the village had all been loopholed, and had +been connected by breastworks of earth. Other defenses had been thrown +up further back in case the outworks should be carried. The mission +house in the main street and the huts which surrounded it formed, with +the church, the last strongholds. For two or three days the bush round +the town had swarmed with Ashantis, whose tomtoms could be heard by the +garrison night and day. + +Frank accompanied Ammon Quatia, and was therefore in the front, and had +an opportunity of seeing how the Ashantis commence an attack. The war +drums gave the signal, and when they ceased, ten thousand voices raised +the war song in measured cadence. The effect was very fine, rising as +it did from all parts of the forest. By this time the Ashantis had lined +the whole circle of wood round the clearing. Then three regular volleys +were fired, making, from the heavy charges used, a tremendous roar. + +Scarcely had these ceased when the King of Abra, a splendid looking +negro standing nearly six feet four in height, stepped out from behind +the breastwork and shouted a taunting challenge to the Ashantis to come +on. They replied with a loud yell, and with the opening of a continuous +fire round the edge of the wood. On wall and roof of the village the +slugs pattered thickly; but the defenders were all in shelter, and in +reply, from breastwork and loophole, from the windows and roof of the +church, the answering Snider bullets flew out straight and deadly. +Several times Ammon Quatia tried to get his men to make a rush. The war +drums beat, the great horns sounded, and the men shouted, but each time +the English bullets flew so thick and deadly into the wood wherever the +sound rose loudest that the Ashantis' heart failed them, and they could +not be got to make the rush across the hundred yards of cleared ground. + +At five o'clock the fire slackened, but shortly after dark the attack +recommenced. The moon was up and full. Frank feared that the Ashantis +would try and crawl a part of the distance across the clearing and +then make a sudden rush; but they appeared to have no idea of a silent +attack. Several times, indeed, they gathered and rushed forward in +large bodies, but each time their shouting and drums gave warning to +the besieged, and so tremendous a fire was opened upon them when they +emerged from the shadow of the trees into the moonlight, that each time +they fell back leaving the ground strewn with dead. Till midnight the +attack was continued, then the Ashantis fell back to their camp. + +At Accroful, a village on the main road some four miles distant, the +attack had been heard, and a messenger sent off to Cape Coast to inform +Sir Garnet Wolseley. + +In the morning fifty men of the 2d West India regiment marched from +Accroful into Abra Crampa without molestation. Later on some Abra scouts +approached the Ashanti camp and shouted tauntingly to know when the +Ashantis were coming into Abra Crampa. + +They shouted in return, “After breakfast,” and soon afterwards, a rocket +fired from the roof of the church falling into the camp, they again +sallied out and attacked. It was a repetition of the fight of the day +before. Several times Major Russell withheld his fire altogether, but +the Ashantis could not be tempted to show in force beyond the edge of +the wood. So inspirited were the defenders that they now made several +sorties and penetrated some distance into the wood. + +At eight in the morning Sir Garnet Wolseley had marched from Cape +Coast with three hundred marines and blue jackets to the relief of the +position, but so tremendous was the heat that nearly half the men fell +exhausted by the way, and were ordered when they recovered to march back +to Cape Coast. The remainder, when they arrived at Assaibo, five +miles from Abra Crampa, were so utterly exhausted that a long halt was +necessary, although a faint but continuous fire could be heard from the +besieged place. + +Chocolate and cold preserved meat were served out to the men, and in the +course of another three hours a large number of the stragglers came in. +At three o'clock, a hundred of the most exhausted men being left to hold +the village, the rest of the force with the fifty West Indians stationed +there marched forward to Buteana, where they were joined by fifty more +men from Accroful. Just as they started from this place they met the +King of Abra, who had come out with a small body of warriors; from him +Sir Garnet learned that this road, which wound round and came in at the +back of Abra Crampa, was still open. + +The Ashantis were too busy with their own operations to watch the path, +and the relieving force entered the place without firing a shot. The +firing round the town continued, but Ammon Quatia, when he saw the +reinforcements enter, at once began to fall back with the main body +of his troops, and although the firing was kept up all night, when the +besieged in the morning advanced to attack the Ashanti camp they found +it altogether deserted. + +“It is of no use,” the Ashanti general said to Frank. “My men cannot +fight in the open against the English guns. Besides, they do not know +what they are fighting for here; but if your general should ever cross +the Prah you will find it different. There are forests all the way to +Coomassie, as you know, and the men will be fighting in defense of their +own country, you will see what we shall do then. And now I will keep +my promise to you. Tonight your guards will go to sleep. I shall have +medicine given them which will make them sleep hard. One of the Fanti +prisoners will come to your hut and will guide you through the woods to +Assaiboo. Goodbye, my friend. Ammon Quatia has learnt that some of the +white men are good and honest, and he will never forget that he owes his +life to you. Take this in remembrance of Ammon Quatia.” + +And he presented Frank with a necklace composed of nuggets of gold as +big as walnuts and weighing nearly twenty pounds. + +Frank in return gave the general the only article of value which he now +possessed, his revolver and tin box of cartridges, telling him that he +hoped he would never use it against the English, but that it might be of +value to him should he ever again have trouble with his own men. Frank +made a parcel of the necklace and of the gold he had received from the +king for his goods, and warned Ostik to hold himself in readiness for +flight. The camp was silent although the roar of musketry a few hundred +yards off round Abra Crampa continued unbroken. For some time Frank +heard his guards pacing outside, and occasionally speaking to each +other. Then these sounds ceased and all was quiet. Presently the front +of the tent was opened and a voice said, “Come, all is ready.” + +Frank came out and looked round. The Ashanti camp was deserted. Ammon +Quatia had moved away with the main body of his troops, although the +musketry fire round the village was kept up. A Fanti stood at the +door of the hut with Ostik. The four guards were sleeping quietly. +Noiselessly the little party stole away. A quarter of an hour later they +struck the path, and an hour's walking brought them to Assaiboo. Not an +Ashanti was met with along the path, but Frank hardly felt that he was +safe until he heard the challenge of “Who goes there?” from an English +sentry. A few minutes later he was taken before Captain Bradshaw, R. +N., who commanded the sailors and marines who had been left there. Very +hearty was the greeting which the young Englishman received from the +genial sailor, and a bowl of soup and a glass of grog were soon set +before him. + +His arrival created quite a sensation, and for some hours he sat talking +with the officers, while Ostik was an equal subject of curiosity among +the sailors. The news that the Ashanti army was in full retreat relieved +the garrison of the place from all further fear of attack, and Frank +went to sleep before morning, and was only roused at noon when a +messenger arrived with the news that the Ashanti camp had been found +deserted, and that the road in its rear was found to be strewn +with chairs, clothes, pillows, muskets, and odds and ends of every +description. Few Ashanti prisoners had been taken, but a considerable +number of Fantis, who had been prisoners among them, had come in, having +escaped in the confusion of the retreat. Among these were many women, +several of whom had been captured when the Ashantis had first crossed +the Prah ten months before. In the afternoon Sir Garnet Wolseley, with +the greater portion of the force from Abra Crampa, marched in, and Frank +was introduced by Captain Bradshaw to the general. As the latter was +anxious to press on at once to Cape Coast, in order that the sailors +and marines might sleep on board ship that night, he asked Frank to +accompany him, and on the road heard the story of his adventures. He +invited him to sleep for the night at Government House, an invitation +which Frank accepted; but he slept worse than he had done for a long +time. It was now nearly two years since he had landed in Africa, and +during all that time he had slept, covered with a rug, on the canvas of +his little camp bed. The complete change, the stillness and security, +and, above all, the novelty of a bed with sheets, completely banished +sleep, and it was not until morning was dawning that, wrapping himself +in a rug, and lying on the ground, he was able to get a sleep. In the +morning at breakfast Sir Garnet asked him what he intended to do, and +said that if he were in no extreme hurry to return to England he could +render great services as guide to the expedition, which would start for +Coomassie as soon as the white troops arrived. Frank had already thought +the matter over. He had had more than enough of Africa, but two or three +months longer would make no difference, and he felt that his knowledge +of the Ashanti methods of war, of the country to be traversed, the +streams to be crossed, and the points at which the Ashantis would +probably make a stand, would enable him to render really valuable +assistance to the army. He therefore told Sir Garnet Wolseley that he +had no particular business which called him urgently back, and that he +was willing to guide the army to Coomassie. He at once had quarters as +an officer assigned to him in the town, with rations for himself and +servant. + +His first step was to procure English garments, for although he had +before starting laid aside his Ashanti costume, and put on that he +had before worn, his clothes were now so travel worn as to be scarce +wearable. He had no difficulty in doing this. Many of the officers were +already invalided home, and one who was just sailing was glad to dispose +of his uniform, which consisted of a light brown Norfolk shooting +jacket, knickerbockers, and helmet, as these would be of no use to him +in England. + +Frank's next step was to go to the agent of Messrs. Swanzy, the +principal African merchants of the coast. This gentleman readily cashed +one of the orders on the African bank which Mr. Goodenough had, before +his death, handed over to Frank, and the latter proceeded to discharge +the long arrears of wages owing to Ostik, adding, besides, a handsome +present. He offered to allow his faithful servant to depart to join +his family on the Gaboon at once, should he wish to do so, but Ostik +declared that he would remain with him as long as he stopped in Africa. +On Frank's advice, however, he deposited his money, for safe keeping, +with Messrs. Swanzy's agent, with orders to transmit it to his family +should anything happen to him during the expedition. + +Three days later Frank was attacked by fever, the result of the reaction +after so many dangers. He was at once sent on board the Simoon, which +had been established as a hospital ship; but the attack was a mild one, +and in a few days, thanks to the sea air, and the attention and nursing +which he received, he was convalescent. As soon as the fever passed +away, and he was able to sit on deck and enjoy the sea breezes, he had +many visits from the officers of the ships of war. Among these was the +captain of the Decoy gunboat. + +After chatting with Frank for some time the officer said: “I am going +down the coast as far as the mouth of the Volta, where Captain Glover is +organizing another expedition. You will not be wanted on shore just at +present, and a week's rest will do you good; what do you say to coming +down with me--it will give you a little change and variety?” + +Frank accepted the invitation with pleasure. An hour later the Decoy's +boat came alongside, and Frank took his place on board it, Ostik +following with his clothes. An hour later the Decoy got up her anchor +and steamed down the coast. It was delightful to Frank, sitting in a +large wicker work chair in the shade of the awning, watching the distant +shore and chatting with the officers. He had much to hear of what +had taken place in England since he left, and they on their part were +equally eager to learn about the road along which they would have to +march--at least those of them who were fortunate enough to be appointed +to the naval brigade--and the wonders of the barbarian capital. The +Decoy was not fast, about six knots being her average pace of steaming; +however, no one was in a hurry; there would be nothing to do until the +troops arrived from England; and to all, a trip down the coast was a +pleasant change after the long monotony of rolling at anchor. For some +distance from Cape Coast the shore was flat, but further on the country +became hilly. Some of the undulations reached a considerable height, the +highest, Mamquady, being over two thousand feet. + +“That ought to be a very healthy place,” Frank said. “I should think +that a sanatorium established there would be an immense boon to the +whites all along the coasts.” + +“One would think so,” an officer replied “but I'm told that those hills +are particularly unhealthy. That fellow you see jutting out is said to +be extremely rich in gold. Over and over again parties have been formed +to dig there, but they have always suffered so terribly from fever that +they have had to relinquish the attempt. The natives suffer as well +as the whites. I believe that the formation is granite, the surface of +which is much decomposed; and it is always found here that the turning +up of ground that has not been disturbed for many years is extremely +unhealthy, and decomposing granite possesses some element particularly +obnoxious to health. The natives, of course, look upon the mountain as +a fetish, and believe that an evil spirit guards it. The superstition +of the negroes is wonderful, and at Accra they are, if possible, more +superstitious than anywhere else. Every one believes that every malady +under the sun is produced by fetish, and that some enemy is casting +spells upon them.” + +“There is more in it than you think,” the doctor joined in; “although it +is not spells, but poison, which they use against each other. The use of +poison is carried to an incredible extent here. I have not been much on +shore; but the medical men, both civilian and military, who have been +here any time are convinced that a vast number of the deaths that take +place are due to poison. The fetish men and women who are the vendors of +these drugs keep as a profound secret their origin and nature, but it is +certain that many of them are in point of secrecy and celerity equal to +those of the middle ages.” + +“I wonder that the doctors have never discovered what plants they get +them from,” Frank said. + +“Some of them have tried to do so,” the doctor replied; “but have +invariably died shortly after commencing their experiments; it is +believed they have been poisoned by the fetish men in order to prevent +their secrets being discovered.” + +The hours passed pleasurably. The beautiful neatness and order +prevailing on board a man of war were specially delightful to Frank +after the rough life he had so long led, and the silence and discipline +of the men presented an equally strong contrast to the incessant +chattering and noise kept up by the niggers. + +The next morning the ship was off Accra. Here the scenery had entirely +changed. The hills had receded, and a wide and slightly undulating plain +extended to their feet, some twelve miles back. The captain was going to +land, as he had some despatches for the colony, and he invited Frank to +accompany him. They did not, as Frank expected, land in a man of war's +boat, but in a surf boat, which, upon their hoisting a signal, came out +to them. These surf boats are large and very wide and flat. They are +paddled by ten or twelve negroes, who sit upon the gunwale. These men +work vigorously, and the boats travel at a considerable pace. Each boat +has a stroke peculiar to itself. Some paddle hard for six strokes and +then easy for an equal number. Some will take two or three hard and then +one easy. The steersman stands in the stern and steers with an oar. He +or one of the crew keeps up a monotonous song, to which the crew reply +in chorus, always in time with their paddling. + +The surf is heavy at Accra and Frank held his breath, as, after waiting +for a favorable moment, the steersman gave the sign and the boat darted +in at lightning speed on the top of a great wave, and ran up on the +beach in the midst of a whirl of white foam. + +While the captain went up to Government House, Frank, accompanied by one +of the young officers who had also come ashore, took a stroll through +the town. The first thing that struck him was the extraordinary number +of pigs. These animals pervaded the whole place. They fed in threes and +fours in the middle of the streets. They lay everywhere in the road, +across the doors, and against the walls. They quarreled energetically +inside lanes and courtyards, and when worsted in their disputes galloped +away grunting, careless whom they might upset. The principal street of +Accra was an amusing sight. Some effort had been made to keep it free +of the filth and rubbish which everywhere else abounded. Both sides were +lined by salesmen and women sitting on little mats upon the low wooden +stools used as seats in Africa. The goods were contained in wooden +trays. Here were dozens of women offering beads for sale of an unlimited +variety of form and hue. They varied from the tiny opaque beads of all +colors used by English children for their dolls, to great cylindrical +beads of variegated hues as long and as thick as the joint of a finger. +The love of the Africans for beads is surprising. The women wear them +round the wrists, the neck, and the ankles. The occupation of threading +the little beads is one of their greatest pleasures. The threads used +are narrow fibers of palm leaves, which are very strong. The beads, +however, are of unequal sizes, and no African girl who has any respect +for her personal appearance will put on a string of beads until she has, +with great pains and a good deal of skill, rubbed them with sand and +water until all the projecting beads are ground down, and the whole are +perfectly smooth and even. + +Next in number to the dealers in beads were those who sold calico, or, +as it is called in Africa, cloth, and gaudily colored kerchiefs for +the head. These three articles--beads, cotton cloth, and colored +handkerchiefs--complete the list of articles required for the attire and +adornment of males and females in Africa. Besides these goods, tobacco, +in dried leaves, short clay pipes, knives, small looking glasses, and +matches were offered for sale. The majority of the saleswomen, however, +were dealers in eatables, dried fish, smoked fish, canki--which is a +preparation of ground corn wrapped up in palm leaves in the shape of +paste--eggs, fowls, kids, cooked meats in various forms, stews, boiled +pork, fried knobs of meat, and other native delicacies, besides an +abundance of seeds, nuts, and other vegetable productions. + +After walking for some time through the streets Frank and his companions +returned to the boat, where, half an hour later, the captain joined +them, and, putting off to the Decoy, they continued the voyage down the +coast. + +The next morning they weighed anchor off Addah, a village at the mouth +of the Volta. They whistled for a surf boat, but it was some time before +one put out. When she was launched it was doubtful whether she would +be able to make her way through the breaking water. The surf was much +heavier here than it had been at Accra, and each wave threw the boat +almost perpendicularly into the air, so that only a few feet of the end +of the keel touched the water. Still she struggled on, although so long +was she in getting through the surf that those on board the ship thought +several times that she must give it up as impracticable. At last, +however, she got through; the paddlers waited for a minute to recover +from their exertions, and then made out to the Decoy. None of the +officers had ever landed here, and several of them obtained leave to +accompany the captain on shore. Frank was one of the party. After what +they had seen of the difficulty which the boat had in getting out, all +looked somewhat anxiously at the surf as they approached the line where +the great smooth waves rolled over and broke into boiling foam. The +steersman stood upon the seat in the stern, in one hand holding his oar, +in the other his cap. For some time he stood half turned round, looking +attentively seaward, while the boat lay at rest just outside the line of +breakers. Suddenly he waved his cap and gave a shout. It was answered by +the crew. Every man dashed his paddle into the water. Desperately they +rowed, the steersman encouraging them by wild yells. A gigantic wave +rolled in behind the boat, and looked for a moment as if she would break +into it, but she rose on it just as it turned over, and for an instant +was swept along amidst a cataract of white foam, with the speed of an +arrow. The next wave was a small one, and ere a third reached it the +boat grounded on the sand. A dozen men rushed out into the water. The +passengers threw themselves anyhow on to their backs, and in a minute +were standing perfectly dry upon the beach. + +They learned that Captain Glover's camp was half a mile distant, and at +once set out for it. Upon the way up to the camp they passed hundreds of +negroes, who had arrived in the last day or two, and had just received +their arms. Some were squatted on the ground cooking and resting +themselves. Others were examining their new weapons, oiling and removing +every spot of rust, and occasionally loading and firing them off. The +balls whizzed through the air in all directions. The most stringent +orders had been given forbidding this dangerous nuisance; but nothing +can repress the love of negroes for firing off guns. There were large +numbers of women among them; these had acted as carriers on their +journey to the camp; for among the coast tribes, as among the Ashantis, +it is the proper thing when the warriors go out on the warpath, that the +women should not permit them to carry anything except their guns until +they approach the neighborhood of the enemy. + +The party soon arrived at the camp, which consisted of some bell tents +and the little huts of a few hundred natives. This, indeed, was only the +place where the latter were first received and armed, and they were then +sent up the river in the steamboat belonging to the expedition, to the +great camp some thirty miles higher. + +The expedition consisted only of some seven or eight English officers. +Captain Glover of the royal navy was in command, with Mr. Goldsworthy +and Captain Sartorius as his assistants. There were four other officers, +two doctors, and an officer of commissariat. This little body had the +whole work of drilling and keeping in order some eight or ten +thousand men. They were generals, colonels, sergeants, quartermasters, +storekeepers, and diplomatists, all at once, and from daybreak until +late at night were incessantly at work. There were at least a dozen +petty kings in camp, all of whom had to be kept in a good temper, and +this was by no means the smallest of Captain Glover's difficulties, as +upon the slightest ground for discontent each of these was ready at once +to march away with his followers. The most reliable portion of Captain +Glover's force were some 250 Houssas, and as many Yorabas. In addition +to all their work with the native allies, the officers of the expedition +had succeeded in drilling both these bodies until they had obtained a +very fair amount of discipline. + +After strolling through the camp the visitors went to look on at the +distribution of arms and accouterments to a hundred freshly arrived +natives. They were served out with blue smocks, made of serge, and blue +nightcaps, which had the result of transforming a fine looking body of +natives, upright in carriage, and graceful in their toga-like attire, +into a set of awkward looking, clumsy negroes. A haversack, water +bottle, belts, cap pouch, and ammunition pouch, were also handed to each +to their utter bewilderment, and it was easy to foresee that at the end +of the first day's march the whole of these, to them utterly useless +articles, would be thrown aside. They brightened up, however, when the +guns were delivered to them. The first impulse of each was to examine +his piece carefully, to try its balance by taking aim at distant +objects, then to carefully rub off any little spot of rust that could be +detected, lastly to take out the ramrod and let it fall into the barrel, +to judge by the ring whether it was clean inside. + +Thence the visitors strolled away to watch a number of Houssas in hot +pursuit of some bullocks, which were to be put on board the steamers +and taken up the river to the great camp. These had broken loose in the +night, and the chase was an exciting one. Although some fifty or sixty +men were engaged in the hunt it took no less than four hours to capture +the requisite number, and seven Houssas were more or less injured by +the charges of the desperate little animals, which possessed wonderful +strength and endurance, although no larger than moderate sized donkeys. +They were only captured at last by hoops being thrown over their horns, +and even when thrown down required the efforts of five or six men to tie +them. They were finally got to the wharf by two men each: one went ahead +with the rope attached to the animal's horn, the other kept behind, +holding a rope fastened to one of the hind legs. Every bull made the +most determined efforts to get at the man in front, who kept on at a +run, the animal being checked when it got too close by the man behind +pulling at its hind leg. When it turned to attack him the man in front +again pulled at his rope. So most of them were brought down to the +landing place, and there with great difficulty again thrown down, tied, +and carried bodily on board. Some of them were so unmanageable that +they had to be carried all the way down to the landing place. If +English cattle possessed the strength and obstinate fury of these little +animals, Copenhagen Fields would have to be removed farther from London, +or the entrance swept by machine guns, for a charge of the cattle would +clear the streets of London. + +After spending an amusing day on shore, the party returned on board +ship. Captain Glover's expedition, although composed of only seven or +eight English officers and costing the country comparatively nothing, +accomplished great things, but its doings were almost ignored by +England. Crossing the river they completely defeated the native tribes +there, who were in alliance with the Ashantis, after some hard fighting, +and thus prevented an invasion of our territory on that side. In +addition to this they pushed forward into the interior and absolutely +arrived at Coomassie two days after Sir Garnet Wolseley. + +It is true that the attention of the Ashantis was so much occupied by +the advance of the white force that they paid but little attention to +that advancing from the Volta; but none the less is the credit due to +the indomitable perseverance and the immensity of the work accomplished +by Captain Glover and his officers. Alone and single handed, they +overcame all the enormous difficulties raised by the apathy, indolence, +and self importance of the numerous petty chiefs whose followers +constituted the army, infused something of their own spirit among their +followers, and persuaded them to march without white allies against the +hitherto invincible army of the Ashantis. Not a tithe of the credit due +to them has been given to the officers of this little force. + +Captain Glover invited his visitors to pass the night on shore, offering +to place a tent at their disposal; but the mosquitoes are so numerous +and troublesome along the swampy shore of the Volta that the invitations +were declined, and the whole party returned on board the Decoy. Next day +the anchor was hove and the ship's head turned to the west; and two days +later, after a pleasant and uneventful voyage, she was again off Cape +Coast, and Frank, taking leave of his kind entertainers, returned on +shore and reported himself as ready to perform any duty that might be +assigned to him. + +Until the force advanced, he had nothing to do, and spent a good deal +of his time watching the carriers starting with provisions for the Prah, +and the doings of the negroes. + +The order had now been passed by the chiefs at a meeting called by Sir +Garnet, that every able bodied man should work as a carrier, and while +parties of men were sent to the villages round to fetch in people +thence, hunts took place in Cape Coast itself. Every negro found in +the streets was seized by the police; protestation, indignation, and +resistance, were equally in vain. An arm or the loin cloth was firmly +griped, and the victim was run into the castle yard, amid the laughter +of the lookers on, who consisted, after the first quarter of an hour, of +women only. Then the search began in the houses, the chiefs indicating +the localities in which men were likely to be found. Some police were +set to watch outside while others went in to search. The women would at +once deny that anyone was there, but a door was pretty sure to be found +locked, and upon this being broken open the fugitive would be found +hiding under a pile of clothes or mats. Sometimes he would leap through +the windows, sometimes take to the flat roof, and as the houses join +together in the most confused way the roofs offered immense facilities +for escape, and most lively chases took place. + +No excuses or pretences availed. A man seen limping painfully along the +street would, after a brief examination of his leg to see if there was +any external mark which would account for the lameness, be sent at a +round trot down the road, amid peals of laughter from the women and +girls looking on. + +The indignation of some of the men thus seized, loaded and sent up +country under a strong escort, was very funny, and their astonishment +in some cases altogether unfeigned. Small shopkeepers who had never +supposed that they would be called upon to labor for the defense of +their freedom and country, found themselves with a barrel of pork +upon their heads and a policeman with a loaded musket by their side +proceeding up country for an indefinite period. A school teacher was +missing, and was found to have gone up with a case of ammunition. Casual +visitors from down the coast had their stay prolonged. + +Lazy Sierra Leone men, discharged by their masters for incurable +idleness, and living doing nothing, earning nothing, kept by the +kindness of friends and the aid of an occasional petty theft, found +themselves, in spite of the European cut of their clothes, groaning +under the weight of cases of preserved provisions. + +Everywhere the town was busy and animated, but it was in the castle +courtyard Frank found most amusement. Here of a morning a thousand +negroes would be gathered, most of them men sent down from Dunquah, +forming part of our native allied army. Their costumes were various but +scant, their colors all shades of brown up to the deepest black. Their +faces were all in a grin of amusement. The noise of talking and laughing +was immense. All were squatted upon the ground, in front of each was a +large keg labelled “pork.” Among them moved two or three commissariat +officers in gray uniforms. At the order, “Now then, off with you,” the +negroes would rise, take off their cloths, wrap them into pads, lift +the barrels on to their heads, and go off at a brisk pace; the officer +perhaps smartening up the last to leave with a cut with his stick, which +would call forth a scream of laughter from all the others. + +When all the men had gone, the turn of the women came, and of these two +or three hundred, who had been seated chattering and laughing against +the walls, would now come forward and stoop to pick up the bags of +biscuit laid out for them. Their appearance was most comical when they +stooped to their work, their prodigious bustles forming an apex. At +least two out of every three had babies seated on these bustles, kept +firm against their backs by the cloth tightly wrapped round the mother's +body. But from the attitudes of the mothers the position was now +reversed, the little black heads hanging downwards upon the dark brown +backs of the women. These were always in the highest state of good +temper, often indulging when not at work in a general dance, and +continually singing, and clapping their hands. + +After the women had been got off three or four hundred boys and girls, +of from eleven to fourteen years old, would start with small kegs of +rice or meat weighing from twenty-five to thirty-five pounds. +These small kegs had upon their first arrival been a cause of great +bewilderment and annoyance to the commissariat officers, for no man or +woman, unless by profession a juggler, could balance two long narrow +barrels on the head. At last the happy idea struck an officer of the +department that the children of the place might be utilized for the +purpose. No sooner was it known that boys and girls could get half men's +wages for carrying up light loads, than there was a perfect rush of +the juvenile population. Three hundred applied the first morning, four +hundred the next. The glee of the youngsters was quite exuberant. +All were accustomed to carry weights, such as great jars of water and +baskets of yams, far heavier than those they were now called to take up +the country; and the novel pleasure of earning money and of enjoying an +expedition up the country delighted them immensely. + +Bullocks were now arriving from other parts of the coast, and although +these would not live for any time at Cape Coast, it was thought they +would do so long enough to afford the expedition a certain quantity of +fresh meat; Australian meat, and salt pork, though valuable in their +way, being poor food to men whose appetites are enfeebled by heat and +exhaustion. + +It was not till upwards of six weeks after the fight at Abra Crampa that +the last of the Ashanti army crossed the Prah. When arriving within a +short distance of that river they had been met by seven thousand fresh +troops, who had been sent by the king with orders that they were not to +return until they had driven the English into the sea. Ammon Quatia's +army, however, although still, from the many reinforcements it had +received, nearly twenty thousand strong, positively refused to do any +more fighting until they had been home and rested, and their tales +of the prowess of the white troops so checked the enthusiasm of the +newcomers, that these decided to return with the rest. + + + +CHAPTER XXI: THE ADVANCE TO THE PRAH + + +A large body of natives were now kept at work on the road up to the +Prah. The swamps were made passable by bundles of brushwood thrown into +them, the streams were bridged and huts erected for the reception of the +white troops. These huts were constructed of bamboo, the beds being made +of lattice work of the same material, and were light and cool. + +On the 9th of December the Himalaya and Tamar arrived, having on +board the 23d Regiment, a battalion of the Rifle Brigade, a battery +of artillery, and a company of engineers. On the 18th, the Surmatian +arrived with the 42d. All these ships were sent off for a cruise, with +orders to return on the 1st of January, when the troops were to be +landed. A large number of officers arrived a few days later to assist in +the organization of the transport corps. + +Colonel Wood and Major Russell were by this time on the Prah with their +native regiments. These were formed principally of Houssas, Cossoos, +and men of other fighting Mahomedan tribes who had been brought down the +coast, together with companies from Bonny and some of the best of +the Fantis. The rest of the Fanti forces had been disbanded, as +being utterly useless for fighting purposes, and had been turned into +carriers. + +On the 26th of December Frank started with the General's staff for the +front. The journey to the Prah was a pleasant one. The stations had been +arranged at easy marches from each other. At each of these, six huts +for the troops, each capable of holding seventy men, had been built, +together with some smaller huts for officers. Great filters formed +of iron tanks with sand and charcoal at the bottom, the invention of +Captain Crease, R.M.A., stood before the huts, with tubs at which the +native bearers could quench their thirst. Along by the side of the road +a single telegraph wire was supported on bamboos fifteen feet long. + +Passing through Assaiboo they entered the thick bush. The giant cotton +trees had now shed their light feathery foliage, resembling that of an +acacia, and the straight, round, even trunks looked like the skeletons +of some giant or primeval vegetation rising above the sea of foliage +below. White lilies, pink flowers of a bulbous plant, clusters of yellow +acacia blossoms, occasionally brightened the roadside, and some of the +old village clearings were covered with a low bush bearing a yellow +blossom, and convolvuli white, buff, and pink. The second night the +party slept at Accroful, and the next day marched through Dunquah. This +was a great store station, but the white troops were not to halt there. +It had been a large town, but the Ashantis had entirely destroyed it, as +well as every other village between the Prah and the coast. Every fruit +tree in the clearing had also been destroyed, and at Dunquah they had +even cut down a great cotton tree which was looked upon as a fetish by +the Fantis. It had taken them seven days' incessant work to overthrow +this giant of the forest. + +The next halting place was Yancoomassie. When approaching Mansue the +character of the forest changed. The undergrowth disappeared and the +high trees grew thick and close. The plantain, which furnishes an +abundant supply of fruit to the natives and had sustained the Ashanti +army during its stay south of the Prah, before abundant, extended no +further. Mansue stood, like other native villages, on rising ground, but +the heavy rains which still fell every day and the deep swamps around +rendered it a most unhealthy station. + +Beyond Mansue the forest was thick and gloomy. There was little +undergrowth, but a perfect wilderness of climbers clustered round the +trees, twisting in a thousand fantastic windings, and finally running +down to the ground, where they took fresh root and formed props to the +dead tree their embrace had killed. Not a flower was to be seen, but +ferns grew by the roadside in luxuriance. Butterflies were scarce, but +dragonflies darted along like sparks of fire. The road had the advantage +of being shady and cool, but the heavy rain and traffic had made it +everywhere slippery, and in many places inches deep in mud, while all +the efforts of the engineers and working parties had failed to overcome +the swamps. + +It was a relief to the party when they emerged from the forests into the +little clearings where villages had once stood, for the gloom and quiet +of the great forest weighed upon the spirits. The monotonous too too of +the doves--not a slow dreamy cooing like that of the English variety, +but a sharp quick note repeated in endless succession--alone broke the +hush. The silence, the apparently never ending forest, the monotony of +rank vegetation, the absence of a breath of wind to rustle a leaf, were +most oppressive, and the feeling was not lessened by the dampness and +heaviness of the air, and the malarious exhalation and smell of decaying +vegetation arising from the swamps. + +Sootah was the station beyond Mansue, beyond this Assin and Barracoo. +Beyond Sootah the odors of the forest became much more unpleasant, for +at Fazoo they passed the scene of the conflict between Colonel Wood's +regiment and the retiring Ashantis. In the forest beyond this were the +remains of a great camp of the enemy's, which extended for miles, and +hence to the Prah large numbers of Ashantis had dropped by the way or +had crawled into the forest to die, smitten by disease or rifle balls. + +There was a general feeling of pleasure as the party emerged from the +forest into the large open camp at Prahsue. This clearing was twenty +acres in extent, and occupied an isthmus formed by a loop of the river. +The 2d West Indians were encamped here, and huts had been erected under +the shade of some lofty trees for the naval brigade. In the center was a +great square. On one side were the range of huts for the general and +his staff. Two sides of the square were formed by the huts for the white +troops. On the fourth was the hospital, the huts for the brigadier and +his staff, and the post office. Upon the river bank beyond the square +were the tents of the engineers and Rait's battery of artillery, and the +camps of Wood's and Russell's regiments. The river, some seventy yards +wide, ran round three sides of the camp thirty feet below its level. + +The work which the engineers had accomplished was little less than +marvelous. Eighty miles of road had been cut and cleared, every stream, +however insignificant, had been bridged, and attempts made to corduroy +every swamp. This would have been no great feat through a soft wood +forest with the aid of good workmen. Here, however, the trees were for +the most part of extremely hard wood, teak and mahogany forming the +majority. The natives had no idea of using an axe. Their only notion of +felling a tree was to squat down beside it and give it little hacking +chops with a large knife or a sabre. + +With such means and such men as these the mere work of cutting and +making the roads and bridging the streams was enormous. But not only was +this done but the stations were all stockaded, and huts erected for +the reception of four hundred and fifty men and officers, and immense +quantities of stores, at each post. Major Home, commanding the +engineers, was the life and soul of the work, and to him more than any +other man was the expedition indebted for its success. He was nobly +seconded by Buckle, Bell, Mann, Cotton, Skinner, Bates and Jeykyll, +officers of his own corps, and by Hearle of the marines, and Hare of the +22d, attached to them. Long before daylight his men were off to their +work, long after nightfall they returned utterly exhausted to camp. + +Upon the 1st of January, 1874, Sir Garnet Wolseley, with his staff, +among whom Frank was now reckoned, reached the Prah. During the eight +days which elapsed before the white troops came up Frank found much to +amuse him. The engineers were at work, aided by the sailors of the naval +brigade, which arrived two days after the general, in erecting a bridge +across the Prah. The sailors worked, stripped to the waist, in the muddy +water of the river, which was about seven feet deep in the middle. When +tired of watching these he would wander into the camp of the native +regiments, and chat with the men, whose astonishment at finding a young +Englishman able to converse in their language, for the Fanti and Ashanti +dialects differ but little, was unbounded. Sometimes he would be sent +for to headquarters to translate to Captain Buller, the head of the +intelligence department, the statements of prisoners brought in by the +scouts, who, under Lord Gifford, had penetrated many miles beyond the +Prah. + +Everywhere these found dead bodies by the side of the road, showing +the state to which the Ashanti army was reduced in its retreat. The +prisoners brought in were unanimous in saying that great uneasiness had +been produced at Coomassie by the news of the advance of the British to +the Prah. The king had written to Ammon Quatia, severely blaming him for +his conduct of the campaign, and for the great loss of life among his +army. + +All sorts of portents were happening at Coomassie, to the great +disturbance of the mind of the people. Some of those related singularly +resembled those said to have occurred before the capture of Rome by +the Goths. An aerolite had fallen in the marketplace of Coomassie, and, +still more strange, a child was born which was at once able to converse +fluently. This youthful prodigy was placed in a room by itself, with +guards around it to prevent anyone having converse with the supernatural +visitant. In the morning, however, it was gone, and in its place was +found a bundle of dead leaves. The fetish men having been consulted +declared that this signified that Coomassie itself would disappear, +and would become nothing but a bundle of dead leaves. This had greatly +exercised the credulous there. + +Two days after his arrival Frank went down at sunset to bathe in the +river. He had just reached the bank when he heard a cry among some white +soldiers bathing there, and was just in time to see one of them pulled +under water by an alligator, which had seized him by the leg. Frank had +so often heard what was the best thing to do that he at once threw off +his Norfolk jacket, plunged into the stream, and swam to the spot where +the eddy on the surface showed that a struggle was going on beneath. The +water was too muddy to see far through it, but Frank speedily came upon +the alligator, and finding its eyes, shoved his thumbs into them. In +an instant the creature relaxed his hold of his prey and made off, and +Frank, seizing the wounded man, swam with him to shore amid the loud +cheers of the sailors. The soldier, who proved to be a marine, was +insensible, and his leg was nearly severed above the ankle. He soon +recovered consciousness, and, being carried to the camp, his leg was +amputated below the knee, and he was soon afterwards taken down to the +coast. + +It had been known that there were alligators in the river, a young one +about a yard long having been captured and tied up like a dog in the +camp, with a string round its neck. But it was thought that the noise +of building the bridge, and the movement on the banks, would have driven +them away. After this incident bathing was for the most part abandoned. + +The affair made Frank a great favorite in the naval brigade, and of a +night he would, after dinner, generally repair there, and sit by +the great bonfires, which the tars kept up, and listen to the jovial +choruses which they raised around them. + +Two days after the arrival of Sir Garnet, an ambassador came down +from the king with a letter, inquiring indignantly why the English had +attacked the Ashanti troops, and why they had advanced to the Prah. +An opportunity was taken to impress him with the nature of the English +arms. A Gatling gun was placed on the river bank, and its fire directed +upon the surface, and the fountain of water which rose as the steady +stream of bullets struck its surface astonished, and evidently filled +with awe, the Ashanti ambassador. On the following day this emissary +took his departure for Coomassie with a letter to the king. + +On the 12th the messengers returned with an unsatisfactory answer to +Sir Garnet's letter; they brought with them Mr. Kuhne, one of the German +missionaries. He said that it was reported in Coomassie that twenty +thousand out of the forty thousand Ashantis who had crossed the Prah +had died. It is probable that this was exaggerated, but Mr. Kuhne had +counted two hundred and seventy-six men carrying boxes containing the +bones of chiefs and leading men. As these would have fared better than +the common herd they would have suffered less from famine and dysentery. +The army had for the most part broken up into small parties and gone to +their villages. The wrath of the king was great, and all the chiefs who +accompanied the army had been fined and otherwise punished. Mr. Kuhne +said that when Sir Garnet's letter arrived, the question of peace or war +had been hotly contested at a council. The chiefs who had been in the +late expedition were unanimous in deprecating any further attempt to +contend with the white man. Those who had remained at home, and who +knew nothing of the white man's arms, or white man's valor, were for war +rather than surrender. + +Mr. Kuhne was unable to form any opinion what the final determination +would be. The German missionary had no doubt been restored as a sort of +peace offering. He was in a bad state of health, and as his brother +and his brother's wife were among the captives, the Ashanti monarch +calculated that anxiety for the fate of his relatives would induce him +to argue as strongly as possible in favor of peace. + +Frank left the camp on the Prah some days before the arrival of the +white troops, having moved forward with the scouts under Lord Gifford, +to whom his knowledge of the country and language proved very valuable. +The scouts did their work well. The Ashantis were in considerable +numbers, but fell back gradually without fighting. Russell's regiment +were in support, and they pressed forward until they neared the foot of +the Adansee Hills. On the 16th Rait's artillery and Wood's regiment +were to advance with two hundred men of the 2d West Indians. The Naval +Brigade, the Rifle Brigade, the 42d, and a hundred men of the 23d would +be up on the Prah on the 17th. + +News came down that fresh portents had happened at Coomassie. The word +signifies the town under the tree, the town being so called because its +founder sat under a broad tree, surrounded by his warriors, while he +laid out the plan of the future town. The marketplace was situated round +the tree, which became the great fetish tree of the town, under which +human sacrifices were offered. On the 6th, the day upon which Sir Garnet +sent his ultimatum to the king, a bird of ill omen was seen to perch +upon it, and half an hour afterwards a tornado sprang up and the fetish +tree was levelled to the ground. This caused an immense sensation in +Coomassie, which was heightened when Sir Garnet's letter arrived, and +proved to be dated upon the day upon which the fetish tree had fallen. + +The Adansee Hills are very steep and covered with trees, but without +undergrowth. It had been supposed that the Ashantis would make their +first stand here. Lord Gifford led the way up with the scouts, Russell's +regiment following behind. Frank accompanied Major Russell. When Gifford +neared the crest a priest came forward with five or six supporters and +shouted to him to go back, for that five thousand men were waiting there +to destroy them. Gifford paused for a moment to allow Russell with his +regiment to come within supporting distance, and then made a rush with +his scouts for the crest. It was found deserted, the priest and his +followers having fled hastily, when they found that neither curses nor +the imaginary force availed to prevent the British from advancing. + +The Adansee Hills are about six hundred feet high. Between them and the +Prah the country was once thick with towns and villages inhabited by +the Assins. These people, however, were so harassed by the Ashantis +that they were forced to abandon their country and settle in the British +protectorate south of the Prah. + +Had the Adansee Hills been held by European troops the position would +have been extremely strong. A hill if clear of trees is of immense +advantage to men armed with rifles and supported by artillery, but to +men armed only with guns carrying slugs a distance of fifty yards, +the advantage is not marked, especially when, as is the case with the +Ashantis, they always fire high. The crest of the hill was very narrow, +indeed a mere saddle, with some eight or ten yards only of level ground +between the steep descents on either side. From this point the scouts +perceived the first town in the territory of the King of Adansee, one +of the five great kings of Ashanti. The scouts and Russell's regiment +halted on the top of the hill, and the next morning the scouts went out +skirmishing towards Queesa. The war drum could be heard beating in the +town, but no opposition was offered. It was not, however, considered +prudent to push beyond the foot of the hill until more troops came up. +The scouts therefore contented themselves with keeping guard, while for +the next four days Russell's men and the engineers labored incessantly, +as they had done all the way from the Prah, in making the road over the +hill practicable. + +During this time the scouts often pushed up close to Queesa, and +reported that the soldiers and population were fast deserting the town. +On the fifth day it was found to be totally deserted, and Major Russell +moved the headquarters of his regiment down into it. The white officers +were much surprised with the structure of the huts of this place, which +was exactly similar to that of those of Coomassie, with their red clay, +their alcoved bed places, and their little courts one behind the other. +Major Russell established himself in the chief's palace, which was +exactly like the other houses except that the alcoves were very lofty, +and their roofs supported by pillars. These, with their red paint, their +arabesque adornments, and their quaint character, gave the courtyard the +precise appearance of an Egyptian temple. + +The question whether the Ashantis would or would not fight was still +eagerly debated. Upon the one hand it was urged that if the Ashantis had +meant to attack us they would have disputed every foot of the passage +through the woods after we had once crossed the Prah. Had they done +so it may be confidently affirmed that we could never have got to +Coomassie. Their policy should have been to avoid any pitched battle, +but to throng the woods on either side, continually harassing the troops +on their march, preventing the men working on the roads, and rendering +it impossible for the carriers to go along unless protected on either +side by lines of troops. Even when unopposed it was difficult enough +to keep the carriers, who were constantly deserting, but had they been +exposed to continuous attacks there would have been no possibility of +keeping them together. + +It was then a strong argument in favor of peace that we had been +permitted to advance thirty miles into their country without a shot +being fired. Upon the other hand no messengers had been sent down to +meet us, no ambassadors had brought messages from the king. This silence +was ominous; nor were other signs wanting. At one place a fetish, +consisting of a wooden gun and several wooden daggers all pointing +towards us, was placed in the middle of the road. Several kids had been +found buried in calabashes in the path pierced through and through with +stakes; while a short distance outside Queesa the dead body of a slave +killed and mutilated but a few hours before we entered it was hanging +from a tree. Other fetishes of a more common sort were to be met at +every step, lines of worsted and cotton stretched across the road, rags +hung upon bushes, and other negro trumperies of the same kind. + +Five days later the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment and Rait's +battery, marched into Queesa, and the same afternoon the whole marched +forward to Fomana, the capital of Adansee, situated half a mile only +from Queesa. This was a large town capable of containing some seven +or eight thousand inhabitants. The architecture was similar to that +of Queesa, but the king's palace was a large structure covering a +considerable extent of ground. Here were the apartments of the king +himself, of his wives, the fetish room, and the room for execution, +still smelling horribly of the blood with which the floor and walls +were sprinkled. The first and largest court of the palace had really +an imposing effect. It was some thirty feet square with an apartment +or alcove on each side. The roofs of these alcoves were supported by +columns about twenty-five feet high. As in all the buildings the lower +parts were of red clay, the upper of white, all being covered with deep +arabesque patterns. + +Fomana was one of the most pleasant stations which the troops had +reached since leaving the coast. It lay high above the sea, and the +temperature was considerably lower than that of the stations south of +the hills. A nice breeze sprung up each day about noon. The nights +were comparatively free from fog, and the town itself stood upon rising +ground resembling in form an inverted saucer. The streets were very +wide, with large trees at intervals every twenty or thirty yards along +the middle of the road. + + + +CHAPTER XXII: THE BATTLE OF AMOAFUL + + +Two days after the arrival at Fomana the remaining members of the German +mission, two males, a female, and two children, were sent in by the king +with a letter containing many assurances of his desire for peace, but +making no mention of the stipulations which Sir Garnet Wolseley had laid +down. The advance was therefore to continue. The rest of the troops came +up, and on the 25th Russell's regiment advanced to Dompiassee, Wood's +regiment and Rait's battery joining him the next day. That afternoon the +first blood north of the Prah was shed. It being known that a body of +the enemy were collecting at a village a little off the road the force +moved against them. Lord Gifford led the way, as usual, with his scouts. +The enemy opened fire as soon as the scouts appeared; but these, with +the Houssa company of Russell's regiment, rushed impetuously into the +village, and the Ashantis at once bolted. Two of them were killed and +five taken prisoners. + +The next halting places of the advance troops were Kiang Bossu and +Ditchiassie. It was known now that Ammon Quatia was lying with the +Ashanti army at Amoaful, but five miles away, and ambassadors arrived +from the king finally declining to accept the terms of peace. Russell's +and Wood's regiments marched forward to Quarman, within half a mile of +the enemy's outposts. The white troops came on to Insafoo, three miles +behind. Quarman was stockaded to resist an attack. Gordon with the +Houssa company lay a quarter of a mile in advance of the village, +Gifford with his scouts close to the edge of the wood. Major Home with +the engineers cut a wide path for the advance of the troops to within a +hundred yards of the village which the enemy held. + +Every one knew that the great battle of the war would be fought next +morning. About half past seven on the morning of the 81st of January the +42d Regiment entered the village of Quarman, and marched through without +a halt. Then came Rait's artillery, followed by the company of the 23d +and by the Naval Brigade. The plan of operations was as follows. The +42d Regiment would form the main attacking force. They were to drive the +enemy's scouts out of Agamassie, the village in front, and were then +to move straight on, extending to the right and left, and, if possible, +advance in a skirmishing line through the bush. Rait's two little +guns were to be in their center moving upon the road itself. The right +column, consisting of half the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment, now +reduced by leaving garrisons at various posts along the road to three +companies, was to cut a path out to the right and then to turn parallel +with the main road, so that the head of the column should touch the +right of the skirmishing line of the 42d. The left column, consisting of +the other half of the Naval Brigade with the four companies of Russell's +regiment, was to proceed in similar fashion on the left. These columns +would therefore form two sides of a hollow square, protecting the 42d +from any of those flanking movements of which the Ashantis are so fond. +The company of the 23d was to proceed with the headquarter staff. The +Rifle Brigade were held in reserve. + +Early in the morning Major Home cut the road to within thirty yards of +the village of Agamassie, and ascertained by listening to the voices +that there were not more than a score or so of men in the village. +Gifford had made a circuit in the woods, and had ascertained that the +Ashanti army was encamped on rising ground across a stream behind the +village. + +Frank had been requested by Sir Garnet Wolseley to accompany the 42d, as +his knowledge of Ashanti tactics might be of value, and he might be able +by the shouts of the Ashantis to understand the orders issued to them. +The head of the 42d Regiment experienced no opposition whatever until +they issued from the bush into the little clearing surrounding the +village, which consisted only of four or five houses. The Ashantis +discharged their muskets hastily as the first white men showed +themselves, but the fire of the leading files of the column quickly +cleared them away. The 42d pushed on through the village, and then +forming in skirmishing line, advanced. For the first two or three +hundred yards they encountered no serious opposition, and they were +then received by a tremendous fire from an unseen foe in front. The left +column had not gone a hundred yards before they too came under fire. +Captain Buckle of the Engineers, who was with the Engineer laborers +occupied in cutting the path ahead of the advancing column, was shot +through the heart. A similar opposition was experienced by the right. + +The roar of the fire was tremendous, so heavy indeed that all sound of +individual reports was lost, and the noise was one hoarse hissing roar. +Even the crack of Rait's guns was lost in the general uproar, but the +occasional rush of a rocket, of which two troughs with parties of Rait's +men accompanied each wing, was distinctly audible. + +The 42d could for a time make scarcely any way, and the flanking columns +were also brought to a stand. Owing to the extreme thickness of the +wood and their ignorance of the nature of the ground these columns were +unable to keep in their proper position, and diverged considerably. The +Ashantis, however, made no effort to penetrate between them and the +42d. For an hour this state of things continued. The company of the +23d advanced along the main road to help to clear the bush, where the +Ashantis still fought stubbornly not two hundred yards from the village, +while two companies of the Rifle Brigade were sent up the left hand road +to keep touch with the rear of Russell's regiment. + +When the fight commenced in earnest, and the 42d were brought to a stand +by the enemy, Frank lay down with the soldiers. Not a foe could be seen, +but the fire of the enemy broke out incessantly from the bushes some +twenty yards ahead. The air above was literally alive with slugs and +a perfect shower of leaves continued to fall upon the path. So +bewilderingly dense was the bush that the men soon lost all idea of the +points of the compass, and fired in any direction from which the enemy's +shots came. Thus it happened that the sailors sent in complaints to the +general that the 23d and 42d were firing at them, while the 42d and 23d +made the same complaint against the Naval Brigade. Sir Garnet, who had +taken up his headquarters at the village, sent out repeated instructions +to the commanding officers to warn their men to avoid this error. + +For two hours the fight went on. Then the column to the left found +that the Ashantis in front of them had fallen back; they had, however, +altogether lost touch of the 42d. They were accordingly ordered to cut a +road to the northeast until they came in contact with them. In doing +so they came upon a partial clearing, where a sharp opposition was +experienced. The Houssas carried the open ground at a rush, but the +enemy, as usual, opened a heavy fire from the edge of the bush. The +Houssas were recalled, and fire was opened with the rockets, which soon +drove the Ashantis back, and the cutting of the path was proceeded with. + +In the meantime the 42d was having a hard time of it. They had fought +their way to the edge of the swamp, beyond which lay an immense Ashanti +camp, and here the fire was so tremendously heavy that the advance was +again completely arrested. Not an enemy was to be seen, but from every +bush of the opposite side puffs of smoke came thick and fast, and a +perfect rain of slugs swept over the ground on which they were lying. +Here Rait's gun, for he was only able from the narrowness of the path to +bring one into position, did splendid service. Advancing boldly in front +of the line of the 42d, ably assisted by Lieutenant Saunders, he poured +round after round of grape into the enemy until their fire slackened a +little, and the 42d, leaping to their feet, struggled across the swamp, +which was over knee deep. Step by step they won their way through +the camp and up the hill. Everywhere the dead Ashantis lay in heaps, +attesting the terrible effect of the Snider fire and the determination +with which they had fought. + +Beyond the camp, upon the hills the bush was thicker than ever, and +here, where it was impossible for the white soldiers to skirmish through +the bush, the Ashantis made a last desperate stand. The narrow lane up +which alone the troops could pass was torn as if by hail with the shower +of slugs, while a large tree which stood nearly in the center of the +path and caused it slightly to swerve, afforded some shelter to them +from the storm of bullets which the 42d sent back in return. Here Rait +brought his gun up again to the front and cleared the lane. The bush was +too thick even for the Ashantis. The gun stopped firing and with a rush +the regiment went up the narrow path and out into the open clearing +beyond. For a short time the Ashantis kept up a fire from the houses, +but the 42d soon drove them out, and a single shot from the gun down the +wide street which divided the town into two portions, bursting in the +midst of a group at the further end, killed eight and drove all further +idea of resistance in that direction from their minds. + +It was now about twelve o'clock; but although the Ashantis had lost +their camp and village, and had suffered terribly, they were not yet +finally beaten. They had moved the principal part of the forces which +had been engaged upon our left round to the right, were pressing hard +upon the column there and the 23d, and were cutting in between the +latter and the 42d, when a fortunate accident enabled us to meet this +attack more effectively. The left column had cut its path rather too +much to the east, and came into the road between the 42d and 23d, +forming a connecting link between them; while the right column, having +at last cut away the whole of the brush wood in which the Ashantis had +so long wedged themselves between them and the road, were now in direct +communication with the 23d. They had been reinforced by a company of the +Rifle Brigade. Our front, therefore, was now entirely changed, and faced +east instead of north. The Ashantis in vain tried to break the line, but +desisted from their efforts. + +The firing died away, and it was thought that the battle was over, when +at about a quarter to one a tremendous fire broke out from the rear of +the column, showing that the Ashantis were making a last and desperate +effort to turn our flank, and to retake the village from which we had +driven them at eight in the morning. So near was the rear of the column +to the village that the slugs fell fast into the reserve who were +stationed there. Three companies of the Rifles were sent up to +strengthen the line, and for three quarters of an hour the roar of the +musketry was as heavy and continuous as it had been at any time during +the day. Then, as the enemy's fire slackened, Sir Garnet gave the word +for the line to advance, sweeping round from the rear so as to drive the +enemy northwards before them. + +The movement was admirably executed. The Bonny men of Wood's regiment, +who had fought silently and steadily all the time that they had been +on the defensive, now raised their shrill war cry, and slinging their +rifles and drawing their swords--their favorite weapons--dashed forward +like so many panthers let loose. By their side, skirmishing as quietly +and steadily as if on parade, the men of the Rifle Brigade searched +every bush with their bullets, and in five minutes from the commencement +of the advance the Ashantis were in full and final retreat. The battle +ended at about half past one, having lasted five hours and a half. + +The Ashantis were supposed to have had from fifteen to twenty +thousand men in the field. What their loss was could not accurately be +calculated, as they carry off their dead as fast as they fall; but where +rushes were made by our troops, as they had not time to do this, they +lay everywhere thick on the ground. By the most moderate computation +they must have lost over two thousand. Ammon Quatia himself was killed, +as well as Aboo, one of the six great tributary kings. The body of the +king's chief executioner was also pointed out by some of the prisoners. +They fought with extraordinary pluck and resolution, as was shown by +the fact that although wretchedly armed, for upwards of five hours they +resisted the attack of troops armed with breech loaders, and supported +by guns and rockets. Their position was a good one, and they had, no +doubt, calculated upon coming down upon us from the rising ground, +either on the flank or rear, with advantage, should we succeed in +pushing forward. + +Upon our side the loss in killed was very slight, not exceeding eight or +ten. The 42d out of a total of four hundred and fifty had a hundred and +four wounded, of whom eight were officers. In the right hand column, +Colonel Wood, six naval officers, and twenty men of the Naval Brigade, +with many of the native regiment, were wounded. Of the sixty engineer +laborers twenty were wounded; while of their five officers Captain +Buckle was killed, Major Home and Lieutenant Hare wounded, together with +several of their white soldiers. Altogether our casualties exceeded two +hundred and fifty. Fortunately but a small proportion of the wounds were +serious. + +While the battle was raging at one o'clock Quarman was attacked by a +strong body of Ashantis coming from the west, probably forming part of +Essarman Quatia's force. Captain Burnett, who was in command, having +under him Lieutenant Jones of the 2d West Indian regiment, and +thirty-five men of that corps and a few natives, conducted the defense, +and was well seconded by his men. Although the attacking force was very +greatly superior, and took the little garrison by surprise--for they did +not expect, while a great battle was raging within a distance of a mile, +that the Ashantis would be able to spare a force to attack a detached +party--the garrison defended itself with great gallantry and complete +success, not only beating off the enemy whenever they attacked, but +sallying out and assisting to bring in a convoy of stores which was +close at hand when the attack began. + +Amoaful was a town capable of containing two or three thousand +inhabitants. Great quantities of grain and coarse flour were found here. +These were done up in bundles of dried plantain leaves, each bundle +weighing from five to fifteen pounds. This capture was of great service +to the commissariat, as it afforded an abundant supply of excellent food +for the carriers. The troops were in high spirits that night. They had +won a battle fought under extreme difficulty, and that with a minimum +of loss in killed. There were therefore no sad recollections to damp the +pleasure of victory. + +Frank had been twice struck with slugs, but in neither case had these +penetrated deeply, and he was able to sit round the camp fire and to +enjoy his glass of rum and water. Two kegs of rum were the only stores +which that night came up from the rear, thanks to the consideration of +a commissariat officer, to whom the soldiers felt extremely grateful for +providing them with an invigorating drink after their long and fatiguing +labors of the day. + +At about a mile and a quarter from Amoaful lay the town of Bequah, +the capital of one of the most powerful of the Ashanti kings. Here a +considerable force was known to be collected before the battle, and here +many of the fugitives were believed to have rallied. It would have been +impossible to advance and leave this hostile camp so close to a +station in our rear. Lord Gifford was therefore sent out at daybreak +to reconnoiter it. He approached it closely, when twenty men sprang out +from the bush and fired at him, fortunately without hitting him. When he +returned and made his report the general determined to attack and burn +the place, and orders were issued for a column, consisting of Russell's +regiment, Rait's battery, and the Naval Brigade, supported by the 42d +and commanded by Colonel M'Leod, to start at one o'clock. + +The march was not opposed through the bush, but as the scouts entered +the clearing a heavy fire was opened upon them. Lord Gifford and almost +the whole of his party were more or less severely wounded when the +sailors rushed in to their support. For a short time the enemy kept up a +heavy fire from the houses, and then fled, leaving about forty of their +number dead on the ground. The town, which was about twice the size of +Fomana, was burned, and the column returned to the camp. + +A great portion of the town was destroyed and the place stockaded, and +then all was in readiness for the advance upon Coomassie. Amoaful was to +be left in charge of the 2d West Indians, who had now come up. Each man +received four days' rations and each regiment was to take charge of its +own provision and baggage. The advance started at seven in the morning, +Russell's regiment, Rait's battery, and the Rifle Brigade. Then came the +headquarter staff followed by the 42d and Naval Brigade. The hammocks +and rations went on with the troops. The rest of the baggage remained +behind. The road differed in nothing from that which had so long +been followed. It bore everywhere marks of the retreating enemy, in +provisions and other articles scattered about, in occasional dark +stains, and in its plants and grass trampled into the ground, six feet +in breadth, showing that the usual negro way of walking in single file +had been abandoned. The rate of progression was slow, as the country had +to be thoroughly searched by the advance. There were, too, many streams +to be crossed, each causing a delay. + +At one of the villages there was a large camp, where about a thousand +men were assembled to make a stand. The defense was, however, feeble in +the extreme, and it was evident that they were greatly demoralized by +their defeat on the 1st. Russell's regiment carried the place at a rush, +the enemy firing wildly altogether beyond the range of their weapons. +Several were killed and the rest took precipitately to the bush. A few +shots were fired at other places, but no real resistance took place. +On reaching the village of Agamemmu, after having taken six hours in +getting over as many miles, the column halted, and orders were sent for +the baggage to come on from Amoaful. The troops were set to work to cut +the bush round the village, which was a very small one, and a breastwork +was thrown up round it. The troops were in their little tentes d'abri +packed as closely together as possible outside the houses, but within +the stockade. The carriers slept in the street of the village, where so +thickly did they lie that it was impossible for anyone to make his way +along without treading upon them. + +News came in that night that Captain Butler with the Western Akims +had arrived within two days' march of Amoaful, but that without the +slightest reason the king and the whole of his army had left Captain +Butler and retired suddenly to the Prah. At the same time they heard +that the army of the Wassaws under Captain Dalrymple had also broken +up without having come in contact with the enemy. From the rear also +unpleasant news came up. The attack upon Quarman had been no isolated +event. Fomana had also been attacked, but the garrison there had, after +some hours' fighting, repulsed the enemy. Several convoys had been +assaulted, and the whole road down to the Prah was unsafe. The next +morning, after waiting till a large convoy came safely in, the column +marched at nine o'clock, Gifford's scouts, Russell's regiment, and +Rait's battery being as usual in front. The resistance increased with +every step, and the head of the column was constantly engaged. Several +villages were taken by Russell's regiment, who, full of confidence +in themselves and their officers, carried them with a rush in capital +style. It was but six miles to the Dab, but the ground was swampy and +the road intersected by many streams. Consequently it was not until +after being eight hours on the road that the head of the column reached +the river, three hours later before the whole of the troops and their +baggage were encamped there. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII: THE CAPTURE OF COOMASSIE + + +Upon the afternoon of the arrival of the English column upon the Dah the +king made another attempt to arrest their progress, with a view no doubt +of bringing up fresh reinforcements. A flag of truce came in with a +letter to the effect that our rapid advance had much disconcerted +him, which was no doubt true, and that he had not been able to make +arrangements for the payments claimed; that he would send in hostages, +but that most of those whom the general had asked for were away, and +that he could not agree to give the queen mother or the heir apparent. +These were, of course, the principal hostages, indeed the only ones who +would be of any real value. The answer was accordingly sent back, that +unless these personages arrived before daybreak the next morning we +should force our way into Coomassie. + +The Dah is a river about fifteen yards wide and three feet deep at the +deepest place. The Engineers set to work to bridge it directly they +arrived, Russell's regiment at once crossing the river and bivouacking +on the opposite bank. + +It was unfortunate that this, the first night upon which the troops had +been unprovided with tents, should have turned out tremendously wet. +The thunder roared, the lightning flashed, and the rain came down +incessantly. Tired as the troops were there were few who slept, and +there was a general feeling of satisfaction when the morning broke and +the last day of the march began. + +The rain held up a little before daybreak, and the sky was clear when +at six o'clock Wood's Bonny men, who had come up by a forced march the +evening before, led the advance. Lieutenant Saunders with one of Rait's +guns came next. The Rifles followed in support. + +Before the Bonny men had gone half a mile they were hotly engaged, and +the combat was for two hours a repetition of that of Amoaful. Saunders +advanced again and again to the front with his gun, and with a few +rounds of grape cleared the sides of the path of the enemy. At last, +however, the Bonny men would advance no farther, and Lieutenant Byre, +the adjutant of Wood's regiment, was mortally wounded. + +Lieutenant Saunders sent back to say it was impossible for him to get +on farther unless supported by white troops. The Rifles were then sent +forward to take the Bonny men's place, and slowly, very slowly, the +advance was continued until the clearing round a village could be seen +fifty yards away. Then the Rifles gave a cheer and with a sudden rush +swept through to the open and carried the village without a check. In +the meantime the whole column had been following in the rear as the +Rifles advanced, and were hotly engaged in repelling a series of +flank attacks on the part of the enemy. These attacks were gallantly +persevered in by the Ashantis, who at times approached in such masses +that the whole bush swayed and moved as they pushed forward. + +Their loss must have been extremely large, for our men lined the road +and kept up a tremendous Snider fire upon them at a short distance. Our +casualties were slight. The road, like almost all roads in the country, +was sunk two feet in the center below the level of the surrounding +ground, consequently the men were lying in shelter as behind a +breastwork, while they kept up their tremendous fire upon the foe. + +The village once gained, the leading troops were thrown out in a circle +round it, and the order was given to pass the baggage from the rear to +the village. The operation was carried out in safety, the path being +protected by the troops lying in a line along it. The baggage once in, +the troops closed up to the village, the disappointed foe continuing a +series of desperate attacks upon their rear. These assaults were kept up +even after all had reached the cleared space of the village, the enemy's +war horn sounding and the men making the woods re-echo with their wild +war cry. The Naval Brigade at one time inflicted great slaughter upon +the enemy by remaining perfectly quiet until the Ashantis, thinking they +had retired, advanced full of confidence, cheering, when a tremendous +fire almost swept them away. + +It was six hours from the time at which the advance began before the +rear guard entered the village, and as but a mile and a half had been +traversed and Coomassie was still six miles away, it was evident that +if the Ashantis continued to fight with the same desperation, and if the +baggage had to be carried on step by step from village to village, the +force would not get halfway on to Coomassie by nightfall. + +The instant the baggage was all in, preparations were made for a fresh +advance. Rait's guns, as usual, opened to clear the way, and the 42d +this time led the advance. The enemy's fire was very heavy and the +Highlanders at first advanced but slowly, their wounded straggling +back in quick succession into the village. After twenty minutes' work, +however, they had pushed back the enemy beyond the brow of the hill, and +from this point they advanced with great rapidity, dashing forward at +times at the double, until the foe, scared by the sudden onslaught, gave +way altogether and literally fled at the top of their speed. + +War drums and horns, chiefs' stools and umbrellas, littered the next +village and told how sudden and complete had been the stampede. As the +42d advanced troops were from time to time sent forward until a despatch +came in from Sir A. Alison saying that all the villages save the last +were taken, that opposition had ceased, and that the enemy were in +complete rout. Up to this time the attack of the enemy upon the rear +of the village had continued with unabated vigor, and shot and slug +continually fell in the place itself. The news from the front was soon +known and was hailed with a cheer which went right round the line of +defense, and, whether scared by its note of triumph or because they +too had received the news, the efforts of the enemy ceased at once, and +scarcely another shot was fired. + +At half past three the baggage was sent forward and the headquarter +staff and Rifle Brigade followed it. There was no further check. The +42d and several companies of the Rifle Brigade entered Coomassie without +another shot being fired in its defense. Sir Garnet Wolseley soon after +arrived, and taking off his hat called for three cheers for the Queen, +which was responded to with a heartiness and vigor which must have +astonished the Ashantis. These were still in considerable numbers in the +town, having been told by the king that peace was or would be made. +They seemed in no way alarmed, but watched, as amused and interested +spectators, the proceedings of the white troops. + +The first thing to be done was to disarm those who had guns, and this +seemed to scare the others, for in a short time the town was almost +entirely deserted. It was now fast getting dark, and the troops +bivouacked in the marketplace, which had so often been the scene of +human sacrifices on a large scale. + +Their day's work had, indeed, been a heavy one. They had been twelve +hours on the road without rest or time to cook food. Water was very +scarce, no really drinkable water having been met with during the day. +In addition to this they had undergone the excitement of a long and +obstinate fight with an enemy concealed in the bush, after work of +almost equal severity upon the day before, and had passed a sleepless +night in a tropical rainstorm, yet with the exception of a few fever +stricken men not a single soldier fell out from his place in the ranks. + +Nor was the first night in Coomassie destined to be a quiet one. +Soon after two o'clock a fire broke out in one of the largest of the +collections of huts, which was soon in a blaze from end to end. The +engineers pulled down the huts on either side and with great difficulty +prevented the flames from spreading. These fires were the result of +carriers and others plundering, and one man, a policeman, caught with +loot upon him, was forthwith hung from a tree. Several others were +flogged, and after some hours' excitement the place quieted down. Sir +Garnet was greatly vexed at the occurrence, as he had the evening before +sent a messenger to the king asking him to come in and make peace, and +promising to spare the town if he did so. + +Although Coomassie was well known to Frank he was still ignorant of the +character of the interior of the chiefs' houses, and the next day he +wandered about with almost as much curiosity as the soldiers themselves. +The interiors even of the palaces of the chiefs showed that the Ashantis +can have no idea of what we call comfort. The houses were filled with +dust and litter, and this could not be accounted for solely by the +bustle and hurry of picking out the things worth carrying away prior +to the hurried evacuation of the place. From the roofs hung masses +of spiders' web, thick with dust, while sweeping a place out before +occupying it brought down an accumulation of dust which must have been +the result of years of neglect. The principal apartments were lumbered +up with drums, great umbrellas, and other paraphernalia of processions, +such as horns, state chairs, wooden maces, etc. Before the door of +each house stood a tree, at the foot of which were placed little idols, +calabashes, bits of china, bones, and an extraordinary jumble of strange +odds and ends of every kind, all of which were looked upon as fetish. +Over the doors and alcoves were suspended a variety of charms, old stone +axes and arrow tips, nuts, gourds, amulets, beads, and other trumpery +articles. + +The palace was in all respects exactly as the king had left it. The +royal bed and couch were in their places, the royal chairs occupied +their usual raised position. Only, curiously enough, all had been turned +round and over. The storerooms upstairs were untouched, and here was +found an infinite variety of articles, for the most part mere rubbish, +but many interesting and valuable: silver plate, gold masks, gold cups, +clocks, glass, china, pillows, guns, cloth, caskets, and cabinets; an +olla podrida, which resembled the contents of a sale room. + +In many of the native apartments of the palace were signs that human +sacrifice had been carried on to the last minute. Several stools were +found covered with thick coatings of recently shed blood, and a horrible +smell of gore pervaded the whole palace, and, indeed, the whole town. +The palace was full of fetish objects just as trumpery and meaningless +as those in the humblest cottages. The king's private sitting room was, +like the rest, an open court with a tree growing in it. This tree was +covered with fetish objects, and thickly hung with spiders' webs. At +each end was a small but deep alcove with a royal chair, so that the +monarch could always sit on the shady side. + +Along each side of the little court ran a sort of verandah, beneath +which was an immense assortment of little idols and fetishes of all +kinds. + +From one of the verandahs a door opened into the king's bedroom, which +was about ten feet by eight. It was very dark, being lighted only by a +small window about a foot square, opening into the women's apartments. +At one end was the royal couch, a raised bedstead with curtains, and +upon a ledge by the near side (that is to say the king had to step over +the ledge to get into bed) were a number of pistols and other weapons, +among them an English general's sword, bearing the inscription, “From +Queen Victoria to the King of Ashanti.” This sword was presented to the +predecessor of King Coffee. Upon the floor at the end opposite the +bed was a couch upon which the king could sit and talk with his wives +through the little window. + +In the women's apartments all sorts of stuffs, some of European, some of +native manufacture, were found scattered about in the wildest confusion. +The terror and horror of the four or five hundred ladies, when they +found that their husband was about to abandon his palace and that +they would have no time to remove their treasured finery, can be well +imagined. + +In almost every apartment and yard of the palace were very slightly +raised mounds, some no larger than a plate, others two or even three +feet long. These were whitewashed and presented a strong contrast to +the general red of the ground and lower walls. These patches marked +the places of graves. The whole palace, in fact, appeared to be little +better than a cemetery and a slaughterhouse in one. A guard was placed +over the palace, and here, as elsewhere through the town, looting was +strictly forbidden. + +All day the general expected the arrival of the king, who had sent +a messenger to say he would be in early. At two o'clock a tremendous +rainstorm broke over the town, lasting for three hours. In the evening +it became evident that he was again deceiving us, and orders were issued +that the troops, in the morning, should push on another three miles +to the tombs of the kings, where he was said to be staying. Later +on, however, the news came that the king had gone right away into the +interior, and as another storm was coming up it became evident that the +rainy season was setting in in earnest. The determination was therefore +come to, to burn the town and to start for the coast next morning. + +All night Major Home with a party of Engineers was at work mining the +palace and preparing it for explosion, while a prize committee were +engaged in selecting and packing everything which they considered worth +taking down to the coast. The news of the change of plan, however, had +not got abroad, and the troops paraded next morning under the belief +that they were about to march still farther up the country. When it +became known that they were bound for the coast there was a general +brightening of faces, and a buzz of satisfaction ran down the ranks. +It was true that it was believed that a large amount of treasure was +collected at the kings' tombs, and the prize money would not have been +unwelcome, still the men felt that their powers were rapidly becoming +exhausted. The hope of a fight with the foe and of the capture of +Coomassie had kept them up upon the march, but now that this had been +done the usual collapse after great exertion followed. Every hour added +to the number of fever stricken men who would have to be carried down to +the coast, and each man, as he saw his comrades fall out from the ranks, +felt that his own turn might come next. + +At six o'clock in the morning the advanced guard of the baggage began to +move out of the town. The main body was off by seven. The 42d remained +as rearguard to cover the Engineers and burning party. + +Frank stayed behind to see the destruction of the town. A hundred +engineer laborers were supplied with palm leaf torches, and in spite of +the outer coats of thatch being saturated by the tremendous rains, the +flames soon spread. Volumes of black smoke poured up, and soon a huge +pile of smoke resting over the town told the Ashantis of the destruction +of their blood stained capital. The palace was blown up, and when the +Engineers and 42d marched out from the town scarce a house remained +untouched by the flames. + +The troops had proceeded but a short distance before they had reason +to congratulate themselves on their retreat before the rains began in +earnest, and to rejoice over the fact that the thunderstorms did not +set in three days earlier than they did. The marsh round the town had +increased a foot in depth, while the next stream, before a rivulet two +feet and a half deep, had now swollen its banks for a hundred and fifty +yards on either side, with over five feet and a half of water in the old +channel. + +Across this channel the Engineers had with much difficulty thrown a +tree, over which the white troops passed, while the native carriers had +to wade across. It was laughable to see only the eyes of the taller men +above the water, while the shorter disappeared altogether, nothing being +seen but the boxes they carried. Fortunately the deep part was only +three or four yards wide. Thus the carriers by taking a long breath +on arriving at the edge of the original channel were able to struggle +across. + +This caused a terrible delay, and a still greater one occurred at the +Dah. Here the water was more than two feet above the bridge which the +Engineers had made on the passage up. The river was as deep as the +previous one had been, and the carriers therefore waded as before; but +the deep part was wider, so wide, indeed, that it was impossible for +the shorter men to keep under water long enough to carry their burdens +across. The tall men therefore crossed and recrossed with the burdens, +the short men swimming over. + +The passage across the bridge too was slow and tedious in the extreme. +Some of the cross planks had been swept away, and each man had to feel +every step of his way over. So tedious was the work that at five in +the afternoon it became evident that it would be impossible for all the +white troops to get across--a process at once slow and dangerous--before +nightfall. The river was still rising, and it was a matter of importance +that none should be left upon the other side at night, as the Ashantis +might, for anything they could tell, be gathering in force in the rear. +Consequently Sir Archibald Alison gave the order for the white troops to +strip and to wade across taking only their helmets and guns. The clothes +were made up in bundles and carried over by natives swimming, while +others took their places below in case any of the men should be carried +off their feet by the stream. All passed over without any accident. + +One result, however, was a laughable incident next morning, an incident +which, it may be safely asserted, never before occurred in the British +army. It was quite dark before the last party were over, and the natives +collecting the clothes did not notice those of one of the men who had +undressed at the foot of a tree. Consequently he had to pass the night, +a very wet one, in a blanket, and absolutely paraded with his regiment +in the morning in nothing but a helmet and rifle. The incident caused +immense laughter, and a native swimming across the river found and +brought back his clothes. + +As the journeys were necessarily slow and tedious, owing to the quantity +of baggage and sick being carried down, Frank now determined to push +straight down to the coast, and, bidding goodbye to Sir Garnet and the +many friends he had made during the expedition, he took his place for +the first time in the hammock, which with its bearers had accompanied +him from Cape Coast, and started for the sea. There was some risk as far +as the Prah, for straggling bodies of the enemy frequently intercepted +the convoys. Frank, however, met with no obstacle, and in ten days after +leaving the army reached Cape Coast. + +Ostik implored his master to take him with him across the sea; but Frank +pointed out to him that he would not be happy long in England, where +the customs were so different from his own, and where in winter he +would feel the cold terribly. Ostik yielded to the arguments, and having +earned enough to purchase for years the small comforts and luxuries dear +to the negro heart, he agreed to start for the Gaboon immediately Frank +left for England. + +On his first arrival at Cape Coast he had to his great satisfaction +found that the Houssas who had escaped from Coomassie had succeeded in +reaching the coast in safety, and that having obtained their pay from +the agent they had sailed for their homes. + +Three days after Frank's arrival at Cape Coast the mail steamer came +along, and he took passage for England. Very strange indeed did it feel +to him when he set foot in Liverpool. Nearly two years and a half +had elapsed since he had sailed, and he had gone through adventures +sufficient for a lifetime. He was but eighteen years old now, but he had +been so long accustomed to do man's work that he felt far older than +he was. The next day on arriving in town he put up at the Charing Cross +Hotel and then sallied out to see his friends. + +He determined to go first of all to visit the porter who had been the +earliest friend he had made in London, and then to drive to Ruthven's, +where he was sure of a hearty welcome. He had written several times, +since it had been possible for him to send letters, to his various +friends, first of all to his sister, and the doctor, to Ruthven, to the +porter, and to the old naturalist. He drove to London Bridge Station, +and there learned that the porter had been for a week absent from duty, +having strained his back in lifting a heavy trunk. He therefore drove +to Ratcliff Highway. The shop was closed, but his knock brought the +naturalist to the door. + +“What can I do for you, sir?” he asked civilly. + +“Well, in the first place, you can shake me by the hand.” + +The old man started at the voice. + +“Why, 'tis Frank!” he exclaimed, “grown and sunburnt out of all +recollection. My dear boy, I am glad indeed to see you. Come in, come +in; John is inside.” + +Frank received another hearty greeting, and sat for a couple of hours +chatting over his adventures. He found that had he arrived a fortnight +later he would not have found either of his friends. The porter was in a +week about to be married again to a widow who kept a small shop and was +in comfortable circumstances. The naturalist had sold the business, and +was going down into the country to live with a sister there. + +After leaving them Frank drove to the residence of Sir James Ruthven +in Eaton Square. Frank sent in his name and was shown up to the +drawing room. A minute later the door opened with a crash and his old +schoolfellow rushed in. + +“My dear, dear, old boy,” he said wringing Frank's hand, “I am glad to +see you; but, bless me, how you have changed! How thin you are, and how +black! I should have passed you in the street without knowing you; and +you look years older than I do. But that is no wonder after all you've +gone through. Well, when did you arrive, and where are your things? Why +have you not brought them here?” + +Frank said that he had left them at the hotel, as he was going down +early the next morning to Deal. He stayed, however, and dined with +his friend, whose father received him with the greatest cordiality and +kindness. + +On leaving the hotel next morning he directed his portmanteau to be sent +in the course of the day to Sir James Ruthven's. He had bought a few +things at Cape Coast, and had obtained a couple of suits of clothes for +immediate use at Liverpool. + +On arriving at Deal he found his sister much grown and very well and +happy. She was almost out of her mind with delight at seeing him. He +stayed two or three days with her and then returned to town and took up +his abode in Eaton Square. + +“Well, my dear boy, what are you thinking of doing?” Sir James Ruthven +asked next morning at breakfast. “You have had almost enough of travel, +I should think.” + +“Quite enough, sir,” Frank said. “I have made up my mind that I shall be +a doctor. The gold necklace which I showed you, which Ammon Quatia gave +me, weighs over twenty pounds, and as it is of the purest gold it is +worth about a thousand pounds, a sum amply sufficient to keep me and pay +my expenses till I have passed. Besides, Mr. Goodenough has, I believe, +left me something in his will. I sent home one copy to his lawyer and +have brought the other with me. I must call on the firm this morning. +I have also some thirty pounds' weight in gold which was paid me by +the king for the goods he took, but this, of course, belongs to Mr. +Goodenough's estate.” + +Upon calling upon the firm of lawyers, and sending in his name, he was +at once shown in to the principal. + +“I congratulate you on your safe return, sir,” the gentleman said. +“You have called, of course, in reference to the will of the late Mr. +Goodenough.” + +“Yes,” Frank replied. “I sent home one copy from Coomassie and have +brought another with me.” + +“We received the first in due course,” the gentleman said, taking the +document Frank held out to him. “You are, of course, acquainted with its +contents.” + +“No,” Frank answered, “beyond the fact that Mr. Goodenough told me he +had left me a legacy.” + +“Then I have pleasant news to give you,” the lawyer said. “Mr. +Goodenough died possessed of about sixty thousand pounds. He left +fifteen thousand each to his only surviving nephew and niece. Fifteen +thousand pounds he has divided among several charitable and scientific +institutions. Fifteen thousand pounds he has left to you.” + +Frank gave a little cry of surprise. + +“The will is an eminently just and satisfactory one,” the lawyer said, +“for Mr. Goodenough has had but little intercourse with his relations, +who live in Scotland, and they had no reason to expect to inherit +any portion of his property. They are, therefore, delighted with the +handsome legacy they have received. I may mention that Mr. Goodenough +ordered that in the event of your not living to return to England, five +thousand pounds of the portion which would have come to you was to be +paid to trustees for the use of your sister, the remaining ten thousand +to be added to the sum to be divided among the hospitals.” + +“This is indeed a surprise,” Frank said; “and I shall be obliged, sir, +if you will at once draw out a paper for me to sign settling the five +thousand pounds upon my sister. Whatever may happen then she will be +provided for.” + +The accession of this snug and most unexpected fortune in no way altered +Frank's views as to his future profession. He worked hard and steadily +and passed with high honors. He spent another three years in hospital +work, and then purchased a partnership in an excellent West End +practice. He is now considered one of the most rising young physicians +of the day. His sister keeps house for him in Harley Street; but it is +doubtful whether she will long continue to do so. The last time Dick +Ruthven was at home on leave he persuaded her that it was her bounden +duty to endeavor to make civilian life bearable to him when he should +attain captain's rank, and, in accordance with his father's wish, retire +from the army, events which are expected to take place in a few months' +time. + +Ruthven often laughs and tells Frank that he is a good soldier spoiled, +and that it is a pity a man should settle down as a doctor who had made +his way in life “by sheer pluck.” + +THE END + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of By Sheer Pluck, by G. A. Henty + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BY SHEER PLUCK *** + +***** This file should be named 8576-0.txt or 8576-0.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/8/5/7/8576/ + +Produced by Martin Robb + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. 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Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/8576-0.zip b/8576-0.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..05a2916 --- /dev/null +++ b/8576-0.zip diff --git a/8576-h.zip b/8576-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a76ade0 --- /dev/null +++ b/8576-h.zip diff --git a/8576-h/8576-h.htm b/8576-h/8576-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..89e50e8 --- /dev/null +++ b/8576-h/8576-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,10961 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> + +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> + <head> + <title> + Sheer Pluck, by G. A. Henty + </title> + <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + + body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } + hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} + .foot { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; text-indent: -3em; font-size: 90%; } + blockquote {font-size: 97%; font-style: italic; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;} + .mynote {background-color: #DDE; color: #000; padding: .5em; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 95%;} + .toc { margin-left: 10%; margin-bottom: .75em;} + .toc2 { margin-left: 20%;} + div.fig { display:block; margin:0 auto; text-align:center; } + div.middle { margin-left: 20%; margin-right: 20%; text-align: justify; } + .figleft {float: left; margin-left: 0%; margin-right: 1%;} + .figright {float: right; margin-right: 0%; margin-left: 1%;} + .pagenum {display:inline; font-size: 70%; font-style:normal; + margin: 0; padding: 0; position: absolute; right: 1%; + text-align: right;} + pre { font-style: italic; font-size: 90%; margin-left: 10%;} + +</style> + </head> + <body> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of By Sheer Pluck, by G. A. Henty + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: By Sheer Pluck + A Tale of the Ashanti War + +Author: G. A. Henty + +Release Date: July 24, 2009 [EBook #8576] +Last Updated: March 11, 2018 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BY SHEER PLUCK *** + + + + +Produced by Martin Robb, and David Widger + + + + + + +</pre> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h1> + BY SHEER PLUCK + </h1> + <h2> + A TALE OF THE ASHANTI WAR + </h2> + <p> + <br /><br /> + </p> + <h2> + By G. A. Henty + </h2> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <blockquote> + <p class="toc"> + <big><b>CONTENTS</b></big> + </p> + <p> + <br /> <a href="#link2HCH0001"> CHAPTER I. </a> A FISHING + EXCURSION <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0002"> CHAPTER II. </a> A + MAD DOG <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0003"> CHAPTER III. </a> A + TOUGH YARN <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0004"> CHAPTER IV. </a> A + RISING TIDE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0005"> CHAPTER V. </a> ALONE + IN THE WORLD <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0006"> CHAPTER VI. </a> THE + FIRST STEP <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0007"> CHAPTER VII. </a> AN + OLD FRIEND <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0008"> CHAPTER VIII. </a> TO + THE DARK CONTINENT <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0009"> CHAPTER IX. </a> THE + START INLAND <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0010"> CHAPTER X. </a> LOST + IN THE FOREST <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0011"> CHAPTER XI. </a> A + HOSTILE TRIBE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0012"> CHAPTER XII. </a> A + NEGRO'S STORY <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0013"> CHAPTER XIII. </a> A + FUGITIVE SLAVE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0014"> CHAPTER XIV. </a> A + CHRISTIAN TOWN <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0015"> CHAPTER XV. </a> THE + AMAZONS OF DAHOMET <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0016"> CHAPTER XVI. </a> CAPTIVES + IN COOMASSIE <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0017"> CHAPTER XVII. </a> THE + INVASION OF FANTI LAND <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0018"> CHAPTER + XVIII. </a> THE ATTACK ON ELMINA <br /><br /> <a + href="#link2HCH0019"> CHAPTER XIX. </a> THE TIDE TURNED <br /><br /> + <a href="#link2HCH0020"> CHAPTER XX. </a> THE WHITE TROOPS + <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0021"> CHAPTER XXI. </a> THE + ADVANCE TO THE PRAH <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0022"> CHAPTER XXII. + </a> THE BATTLE OF AMOAFUL <br /><br /> <a href="#link2HCH0023"> + CHAPTER XXIII. </a> THE CAPTURE OF COOMASSIE + <br /><br /> + </p> + </blockquote> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> <a name="link2HCH0001" id="link2HCH0001"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <h2> + CHAPTER I: A FISHING EXCURSION + </h2> + <p> + “Now, Hargate, what a fellow you are! I've been looking for you + everywhere. Don't you know it's the House against the Town boys. It's + lucky that the Town have got the first innings; they began a quarter of an + hour ago.” + </p> + <p> + “How tiresome!” Frank Hargate said. “I was watching a most interesting + thing here. Don't you see this little chaffinch nest in the bush, with a + newly hatched brood. There was a small black snake threatening the nest, + and the mother was defending it with quivering wings and open beak. I + never saw a prettier thing. I sat quite still and neither of them seemed + to notice me. Of course I should have interfered if I had seen the snake + getting the best of it. When you came running up like a cart horse, the + snake glided away in the grass, and the bird flew off. Oh, dear! I am + sorry. I had forgotten all about the match.” + </p> + <p> + “I never saw such a fellow as you are, Hargate. Here's the opening match + of the season, and you, who are one of our best bats, poking about after + birds and snakes. Come along; Thompson sent me and two or three other + fellows off in all directions to find you. We shall be half out before + you're back. Wilson took James's wicket the first ball.” + </p> + <p> + Frank Hargate leaped to his feet, and, laying aside for the present all + thoughts of his favorite pursuit, started off at a run to the playing + field. His arrival there was greeted with a mingled chorus of welcome and + indignation. Frank Hargate was, next to Thompson the captain of the Town + eleven, the best bat among the home boarders. He played a steady rather + than a brilliant game, and was noted as a good sturdy sticker. Had he been + there, Thompson would have put him in at first, in order to break the + bowling of the House team. As it was, misfortunes had come rapidly. + Ruthven and Handcock were bowling splendidly, and none of the Town boys + were making any stand against them. Thompson himself had gone in when the + fourth wicket fell, and was still in, although two wickets had since + fallen, for only four runs, and the seventh wicket fell just as Frank + arrived, panting, on the ground. + </p> + <p> + “Confound you, Hargate!” Thompson shouted, “where have you been? And not + even in flannels yet.” + </p> + <p> + “I'm very sorry,” Frank shouted back cheerfully, “and never mind the + flannels, for once. Shall I come in now?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” Thompson said. “You'd better get your wind first. Let Fenner come in + next.” + </p> + <p> + Fenner stayed in four overs, adding two singles as his share, while + Thompson put on a three and a two. Then Fenner was caught. Thirty-one runs + for eight wickets! Then Frank took the bat, and walked to the ground. + Thompson came across to him. + </p> + <p> + “Look here, Hargate, you have made a nice mess of it, and the game looks + as bad as can be. Whatever you do, play carefully. Don't let out at + anything that comes straight. The great thing is to bother their bowling a + bit. They're so cocky now, that pretty near every ball is straight on the + wickets. Be content with blocking for a bit, and Handcock will soon go + off. He always gets savage if his bowling is collared.” + </p> + <p> + Frank obeyed orders. In the next twenty minutes he only scored six runs, + all in singles, while Thompson, who was also playing very carefully, put + on thirteen. The game looked more hopeful for the Town boys. Then there + was a shout from the House, as Thompson's middle wicket was sent flying. + Childers, who was the last of the team, walked out. + </p> + <p> + “Now, Childers,” Thompson said, “don't you hit at a ball. You're safe to + be bowled or caught if you do. Just lift your bat, and block them each + time. Now, Frank, it's your turn to score. Put them on as fast as you can. + It's no use playing carefully any longer.” + </p> + <p> + Frank set to to hit in earnest. He had now got his eye well in, and the + stand which he and Thompson had made together, had taken the sting out of + the bowling. The ball which had taken Thompson's wicket was the last of + the over. Consequently the next came to him. It was a little wide, and + Frank, stepping out, drove it for four. A loud shout rose from the Town + boys. There had only been one four scored before, during the innings. Off + the next ball Frank scored a couple, blocked the next, and drove the last + of the over past long leg for four. The next over Childers strictly obeyed + orders, blocking each ball. Then it was Frank's turn again, and seven more + went up on the board. They remained together for just fifteen minutes, but + during that time thirty-one had been added to the score. Frank was caught + at cover point, having added twenty-eight since Thompson left him, the + other three being credited to Childers. The total was eighty-one—not + a bad score in a school match. + </p> + <p> + “Well, you've redeemed yourself,” Thompson said, as Frank walked to the + tent. “You played splendidly, old fellow, when you did come. If we do as + well next innings we are safe. They're not likely to average eighty. Now + get on your wicket-keeping gloves. Green and I will bowl.” + </p> + <p> + The House scored rapidly at first, and fifty runs were put on with the + loss of four wickets. Then misfortune fell upon them, and the remaining + six fell for nineteen. The next innings Frank went in first, but was + caught when the score stood at fifteen. Thompson made fourteen, but the + rest scored but badly, and the whole were out for forty-eight. + </p> + <p> + The House had sixty-one to get to win. Six wickets had fallen for + fifty-one runs, when Thompson put Childers on to bowl. The change was a + fortunate one. Ruthven's stumps were lowered at the first ball. Handcock + was caught off the second. The spirits of the Town boys rose. There were + but two wickets more, and still ten runs to get to win. The House played + cautiously now, and overs were sent down without a run. Then off a ball + from Childers a four was scored, but the next ball leveled the outside + stump. Then by singles the score mounted up until a tremendous shout from + the House announced that the game was saved, sixty runs being marked by + the scorers. The next ball, the Town boys replied even more lustily, for + Childers ball removed the bails, and the game ended in a tie. Both parties + were equally well satisfied, and declared that a better game had never + been played at Dr. Parker's. As soon as the game was over Frank, without + waiting to join in the general talk over the game, put on his coat and + waistcoat and started at a run for home. + </p> + <p> + Frank Hargate was an only son. His mother lived in a tiny cottage on the + outskirts of Deal. She was a widow, her husband, Captain Hargate, having + died a year before. She had only her pension as an officer's widow, a + pittance that scarce sufficed even for the modest wants of herself, Frank, + and her little daughter Lucy, now six years old. + </p> + <p> + “I hope I have not kept tea waiting, mother,” Frank said as he ran in. “It + is not my beetles and butterflies this time. We have been playing a + cricket match, and a first rate one it was. Town boys against the House. + It ended in a tie.” + </p> + <p> + “You are only a quarter of an hour late,” his mother said, smiling, “which + is a great deal nearer being punctual than is usually the case when you + are out with your net. We were just going to begin, for I know your habits + too well to give you more than a quarter of an hour's law.” + </p> + <p> + “I'm afraid I am horridly unpunctual,” Frank said, “and yet, mother, I + never go out without making up my mind that I will be in sharp to time. + But somehow there is always something which draws me away.” + </p> + <p> + “It makes no matter, Frank. If you are happy and amused I am content, and + if the tea is cold it is your loss, not ours. Now, my boy, as soon as you + have washed your hands we will have tea.” + </p> + <p> + It was a simple meal, thick slices of bread and butter and tea, for Mrs. + Hargate could only afford to put meat upon the table once a day, and even + for that several times in the week fish was substituted, when the weather + was fine and the fishing boats returned, when well laden. Frank + fortunately cared very little what he ate, and what was good enough for + his mother was good enough for him. In his father's lifetime things had + been different, but Captain Hargate had fallen in battle in New Zealand. + He had nothing besides his pay, and his wife and children had lived with + him in barracks until his regiment was ordered out to New Zealand, when he + had placed his wife in the little cottage she now occupied. He had fallen + in an attack on a Maori pah, a fortnight after landing in New Zealand. He + had always intended Frank to enter the military profession, and had + himself directed his education so long as he was at home. + </p> + <p> + The loss of his father had been a terrible blow for the boy, who had been + his constant companion when off duty. Captain Hargate had been devoted to + field sports and was an excellent naturalist. The latter taste Frank had + inherited from him. His father had brought home from India—where the + regiment had been stationed until it returned for its turn of home service + four years before he left New Zealand—a very large quantity of skins + of birds which he had shot there. These he had stuffed and mounted, and so + dexterous was he at the work, so natural and artistic were the groups of + birds, that he was enabled to add considerably to his income by sending + these up to the shop of a London naturalist. He had instructed Frank in + his methods, and had given him one of the long blowguns used by some of + the hill tribes in India. The boy had attained such dexterity in its use + that he was able with his clay pellets to bring down sitting birds, + however small, with almost unerring accuracy. + </p> + <p> + These he stuffed and mounted, arranging them with a taste and skill which + delighted the few visitors at his mother's cottage. + </p> + <p> + Frank was ready to join in a game of football or cricket when wanted, and + could hold his own in either. But he vastly preferred to go out for long + walks with his blowgun, his net, and his collecting boxes. At home every + moment not required for the preparation of his lessons was spent in + mounting and arranging his captures. He was quite ready to follow the + course his father proposed for him, and to enter the army. Captain Hargate + had been a very gallant officer, and the despatches had spoken most highly + of the bravery with which he led his company into action in the fight in + which he lost his life. Therefore Mrs. Hargate hoped that Frank would have + little difficulty in obtaining a commission without purchase when the time + for his entering the army arrived. + </p> + <p> + Frank's desire for a military life was based chiefly upon the fact that it + would enable him to travel to many parts of the world, and to indulge his + taste for natural history to the fullest. He was but ten years old when he + left India with the regiment, but he had still a vivid recollection of the + lovely butterflies and bright birds of that country. + </p> + <p> + His father had been at pains to teach him that a student of natural + history must be more than a mere collector, and that like other sciences + it must be methodically studied. He possessed an excellent library of + books upon the subject, and although Frank might be ignorant of the name + of any bird or insect shown to him he could at once name the family and + species. + </p> + <p> + In the year which Frank had been at school at Dr. Parker's he had made few + intimate friends. His habits of solitary wandering and studious indoor + work had hindered his becoming the chum of any of his schoolfellows, and + this absence of intimacy had been increased by the fact that the + straitness of his mother's means prevented his inviting any of his + schoolfellows to his home. He had, indeed, brought one or two of the boys, + whose tastes lay in the direction of his own, to the house, to show them + his collections of birds and insects. But he declined their invitations to + visit them, as he was unable to return their hospitality, and was too + proud to eat and drink at other fellows' houses when he could not ask them + to do the same at his own. It was understood at Dr. Parker's that Frank + Hargate's people were poor, but it was known that his father had been + killed in battle. There are writers who depict boys as worshipers of + wealth, and many pictures have been drawn of the slights and indignities + to which boys, whose means are inferior to those of their schoolfellows, + are subject. I am happy to believe that this is a libel. There are, it is + true, toadies and tuft hunters among boys as among men. That odious + creature, the parasite of the Greek and Latin plays, exists still, but I + do not believe that a boy is one whit the less liked, or is ever taunted + with his poverty, provided he is a good fellow. Most of the miseries + endured by boys whose pocket money is less abundant than that of their + fellows are purely self inflicted. Boys and men who are always on the + lookout for slights will, of course, find what they seek. But the lad who + is not ashamed of what is no fault of his own, who frankly and manfully + says, “I can't afford it,” will not find that he is in any way looked down + upon by those of his schoolfellows whose good opinion is in the smallest + degree worth having. + </p> + <p> + Certainly this was so in the case of Frank Hargate. He was never in the + slightest degree ashamed of saying, “I can't afford it;” and the fact that + he was the son of an officer killed in battle gave him a standing among + the best in the school in spite of his want of pocket money. + </p> + <p> + Frank was friends with many of the fishermen, and these would often bring + him strange fish and sea creatures brought up in their nets, instead of + throwing them back into the sea. + </p> + <p> + During the holidays he would sometimes go out with them for twenty-four + hours in their fishing-boats. His mother made no objection to this, as she + thought that the exercise and sea air were good for his health, and that + the change did him good. Frank himself was so fond of the sea that he was + half disposed to adopt it instead of the army as a profession. But his + mother was strongly opposed to the idea, and won him to her way of + thinking by pointing out that although a sailor visits many ports he stays + long at none of them, and that in the few hours' leave he might + occasionally obtain he would be unable to carry out his favorite pursuits. + </p> + <p> + “Hargate,” Ruthven, who was one of the oldest of the House boys, and was + about Frank's age, that is about fifteen years old, said a few days after + the match, “the Doctor has given Handcock and Jones and myself leave to + take a boat and go out this afternoon. We mean to start soon after dinner, + and shall take some lines and bait with us. We have got leave till lockup, + so we shall have a long afternoon of it. Will you come with us?” + </p> + <p> + “Thank you, Ruthven,” Frank said; “I should like it very much, but you + know I'm short of pocket money, and I can't pay my share of the boat, so I + would rather leave it alone.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, nonsense, Hargate!” Ruthven answered; “we know money is not your + strong point, but we really want you to go with us. You can manage a boat + better than any of us, and you will really oblige us if you will go with + us.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, if you put it in that way,” Frank said, “I shall be glad to go with + you; but I do not think,” he went on, looking at the sky, “that the + weather looks very settled. However, if you do not mind the chance of a + ducking, I don't.” + </p> + <p> + “That's agreed then,” Ruthven said; “will you meet us near the pier at + three o'clock?” + </p> + <p> + “All right. I'll be punctual.” + </p> + <p> + At the appointed hour the four lads met on the beach. Ruthven and his + companions wanted to choose a light rowing boat, but Frank strongly urged + them to take a much larger and heavier one. “In the first place,” he said, + “the wind is blowing off shore, and although it's calm here it will be + rougher farther out; and, unless I'm mistaken, the wind is getting up + fast. Besides this it will be much more comfortable to fish from a good + sized boat.” + </p> + <p> + His comrades grumbled at the extra labor which the large boat would entail + in rowing. However, they finally gave in and the boat was launched. + </p> + <p> + “Look out, Master Hargate,” the boatman said as they started; “you'd best + not go out too far, for the wind is freshening fast, and we shall have, I + think, a nasty night.” + </p> + <p> + The boys thought little of the warning, for the sky was bright and blue, + broken only by a few gauzy white clouds which streaked it here and there. + They rowed out about a mile, and then laying in their oars, lowered their + grapnel and began to fish. The sport was good. The fish bit freely and + were rapidly hauled on board. Even Frank was so absorbed in the pursuit + that he paid no attention to the changing aspect of the sky, the + increasing roughness of the sea, or the rapidly rising wind. + </p> + <p> + Suddenly a heavy drop or two of rain fell in the boat. All looked up. + </p> + <p> + “We are in for a squall,” Frank exclaimed, “and no mistake. I told you you + would get a ducking, Ruthven.” + </p> + <p> + He had scarcely spoken when the squall was upon them. A deluge of rain + swept down, driven by a strong squall of wind. + </p> + <p> + “Sit in the bottom of the boat,” Frank said; “this is a snorter.” + </p> + <p> + Not a word was said for ten minutes, long before which all were drenched + to the skin. With the rain a sudden darkness had fallen, and the land was + entirely invisible. Frank looked anxiously towards the shore. The sea was + getting up fast, and the boat tugging and straining at the cord of the + grapnel. He shook his head. “It looks very bad,” he said to himself. “If + this squall does not abate we are going to have a bad time of it.” + </p> + <p> + A quarter of an hour after it commenced the heavy downpour of rain ceased, + or rather changed into a driving sleet. It was still extremely dark, a + thick lead colored cloud overspread the sky. Already the white horses + showed how fast the sea was rising, and the wind showed no signs of + falling with the cessation of the rain storm. The boat was laboring at her + head rope and dipping her nose heavily into the waves. + </p> + <p> + “Look here, you fellows,” Frank shouted, “we must take to the oars. If the + rope were a long one we might ride here, but you know it little more than + reached the ground when we threw it out. I believe she's dragging already, + and even if she isn't she would pull her head under water with so short a + rope when the sea gets up. We'd better get out the oars and row to shore, + if we can, before the sea gets worse.” + </p> + <p> + The lads got up and looked round, and their faces grew pale and somewhat + anxious as they saw how threatening was the aspect of the sea. They had + four oars on board, and these were soon in the water and the grapnel + hauled up. A few strokes sufficed to show them that with all four rowing + the boat's head could not be kept towards the shore, the wind taking it + and turning the boat broadside on. + </p> + <p> + “This will never do,” Frank said. “I will steer and you row, two oars on + one side and one on the other. I will take a spell presently. + </p> + <p> + “Row steadily, Ruthven,” he shouted; “don't spurt. We have a long row + before us and must not knock ourselves up at the beginning.” + </p> + <p> + For half an hour not a word was spoken beyond an occasional cheery + exhortation from Frank. The shore could be dimly seen at times through the + driving mist, and Frank's heart sank as he recognized the fact that it was + further off than it had been when they first began to row. The wind was + blowing a gale now, and, although but two miles from shore, the sea was + already rough for an open boat. + </p> + <p> + “Here, Ruthven, you take a spell now,” he said. + </p> + <p> + Although the rowers had from time to time glanced over their shoulders, + they could not, through the mist, form any idea of their position. When + Ruthven took the helm he exclaimed, “Good gracious, Frank! the shore is + hardly visible. We are being blown out to sea.” + </p> + <p> + “I am afraid we are,” Frank said; “but there is nothing to do but to keep + on rowing. The wind may lull or it may shift and give us a chance of + making for Ramsgate. The boat is a good sea boat, and may keep afloat even + if we are driven out to sea. Or if we are missed from shore they may send + the lifeboat out after us. That is our best chance.” + </p> + <p> + In another quarter of an hour Ruthven was ready to take another spell at + the oar. “I fear,” Frank shouted to him as he climbed over the seat, + “there is no chance whatever of making shore. All we've got to do is to + row steadily and keep her head dead to wind. Two of us will do for that. + You and I will row now, and let Handcock and Jones steer and rest by + turns. Then when we are done up they can take our places.” + </p> + <p> + In another hour it was quite dark, save for the gray light from the + foaming water around. The wind was blowing stronger than ever, and it + required the greatest care on the part of the steersman to keep her dead + in the eye of the wind. Handcock was steering now, and Jones lying at the + bottom of the boat, where he was sheltered, at least from the wind. All + the lads were plucky fellows and kept up a semblance of good spirits, but + all in their hearts knew that their position was a desperate one. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0002" id="link2HCH0002"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER II: A MAD DOG + </h2> + <p> + “Don't you think, Hargate,” Ruthven shouted in his ear, “we had better run + before it? It's as much as Handcock can do to keep her head straight.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank shouted back, “if it were not for the Goodwins. They lie + right across ahead of us.” + </p> + <p> + Ruthven said no more, and for another hour he and Frank rowed their + hardest. Then Handcock and Jones took the oars. Ruthven lay down in the + bottom of the boat and Frank steered. After rowing for another hour Frank + found that he could no longer keep the boat head to wind. Indeed, he could + not have done so for so long had he not shipped the rudder and steered the + boat with an oar, through a notch cut in the stern for the purpose. + Already the boat shipped several heavy seas, and Ruthven was kept hard at + work baling with a tin can in which they had brought out bait. + </p> + <p> + “Ruthven, we must let her run. Put out the other oar, we must watch our + time. Row hard when I give the word.” + </p> + <p> + The maneuver was safely accomplished, and in a minute the boat was flying + before the gale. + </p> + <p> + “Keep on rowing,” Frank said, “but take it easily. We must try and make + for the tail of the sands. I can see the lightship.” + </p> + <p> + Frank soon found that the wind was blowing too directly upon the long line + of sands to enable him to make the lightship. Already, far ahead, a gray + light seemed to gleam up, marking where the sea was breaking over the + dreaded shoal. + </p> + <p> + “I am afraid it is no use,” he said. “Now, boys, we had best, each of us, + say our prayers to God, and prepare to die bravely, for I fear that there + is no hope for us.” + </p> + <p> + There was silence in the boat for the next five minutes, as the boys sat + with their heads bent down. More than one choking sob might have been + heard, had the wind lulled, as they thought of the dear ones at home. + Suddenly there was a flash of light ahead, and the boom of a gun directly + afterwards came upon their ears. Then a rocket soared up into the air. + </p> + <p> + “There is a vessel on the sands,” Frank exclaimed. “Let us make for her. + If we can get on board we shall have a better chance than here.” + </p> + <p> + The boys again bent to their oars, and Frank tried to steer exactly for + the spot whence the rocket had gone up. Presently another gun flashed out. + </p> + <p> + “There she is,” he said. “I can see her now against the line of breakers. + Take the oar again, Ruthven. We must bring up under shelter of her lee.” + </p> + <p> + In another minute or two they were within a hundred yards of the ship. She + was a large vessel, and lay just at the edge of the broken water. The + waves, as they struck her, flew high above her deck. As the boat neared + her a bright light suddenly sprang up. The ship was burning a blue light. + Then a faint cheer was heard. + </p> + <p> + “They see us,” Frank said. “They must think we are the lifeboat. What a + disappointment for them! Now, steady, lads, and prepare to pull her round + the instant we are under her stern. I will go as near as I dare.” + </p> + <p> + Frank could see the people on deck watching the boat. They must have seen + now that she was not the lifeboat; but even in their own danger they must + have watched with intense interest the efforts of the tiny boat, adrift in + the raging sea, to reach them. Frank steered the boat within a few yards + of the stern. Then Jones and Ruthven, who were both rowing the same side, + exerted themselves to the utmost, while Frank pushed with the steering + oar. A minute later, and they lay in comparatively still water, under the + lee of the ship. Two or three ropes were thrown them, and they speedily + climbed on board. + </p> + <p> + “We thought you were the lifeboat at first,” the captain said, as they + reached the deck; “but, of course, they cannot be here for a couple of + hours yet.” + </p> + <p> + “We were blown off shore, sir,” Frank said, “and have been rowing against + the wind for hours.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, my lads,” the captain said, “you have only prolonged your lives for + a few minutes, for she will not hold together long.” + </p> + <p> + The ship, indeed, presented a pitiable appearance. The masts had already + gone, the bulwark to windward had been carried away, and the hull lay + heeled over at a sharp angle, her deck to leeward being level with the + water. The crew were huddled down near the lee bulwarks, sheltered + somewhat by the sharp slope of the deck from the force of the wind. As + each wave broke over the ship, tons of water rushed down upon them. No + more guns were fired, for the lashing had broken and the gun run down to + leeward. Already there were signs that the ship would break up ere long, + and no hope existed that rescue could arrive in time. + </p> + <p> + Suddenly there was a great crash, and the vessel parted amidships. + </p> + <p> + “A few minutes will settle it now,” the captain said. “God help us all.” + </p> + <p> + At this moment there was a shout to leeward, which was answered by a + scream of joy from those on board the wreck, for there, close alongside, + lay the lifeboat, whose approach had been entirely unseen. In a few + minutes the fifteen men who remained of the twenty-two, who had formed the + crew of the wreck, and the four boys, were on board her. A tiny sail was + set and the boat's head laid towards Ramsgate. + </p> + <p> + “I am glad to see you, Master Hargate,” the sailor who rowed one of the + stroke oars shouted. He was the man who had lent them the boat. “I was up + in the town looking after my wife, who is sick, and clean forgot you till + it was dark. Then I ran down and found the boat hadn't returned, so I got + the crew together and we came out to look for you, though we had little + hope of finding you. It was lucky for you we did, and for the rest of them + too, for so it chanced that we were but half a mile away when the ship + fired her first gun, just as we had given you up and determined to go + back; so on we came straight here. Another ten minutes and we should have + been too late. We are making for Ramsgate now. We could never beat back to + Deal in this wind. I don't know as I ever saw it blow much harder.” + </p> + <p> + These sentences were not spoken consecutively, but were shouted out in the + intervals between gusts of wind. It took them two hours to beat back to + Ramsgate, a signal having been made as soon as they left the wreck to + inform the lifeboat there and at Broadstairs that they need not put out, + as the rescue had been already effected. The lads were soon put to bed at + the sailors' home, a man being at once despatched on horseback to Deal, to + inform those there of the arrival of the lifeboat, and of the rescue of + the four boys who had been blown to sea. + </p> + <p> + Early next morning Frank and Handcock returned to Deal, the other two lads + being so exhausted by their fatigue and exposure that the doctor said they + had better remain in bed for another twenty-four hours. + </p> + <p> + It is impossible to describe the thankfulness and relief which Mrs. + Hargate experienced, when, about two in the morning, Dr. Parker himself + brought her news of the safety of her boy. She had long given up all hope, + for when the evening came on and Frank had not returned, she had gone down + to the shore. She learned from the fishermen there that it was deemed + impossible that the boys could reach shore in face of the gale, and that + although the lifeboat had just put out in search of them, the chances of + their being found were, as she herself saw, faint indeed. She had passed + the hours which had intervened, in prayer, and was still kneeling by her + bedside, where little Lucy was unconsciously sleeping, when Dr. Parker's + knock was heard at the door. Fervent, indeed, was her gratitude to God for + the almost miraculous preservation of her son's life, and then, overcome + by the emotions she had experienced, she sought her couch, and was still + asleep when, by the earliest train in the morning, Frank returned. + </p> + <p> + For some time the four boys were the heroes of the school. A subscription + was got up to pay for the lost boat, and close as were Mrs. Hargate's + means, she enabled Frank to subscribe his share towards the fund. The + incident raised Frank to a pinnacle of popularity among his schoolfellows, + for the three others were unanimous in saying that it was his coolness and + skill in the management of the boat, which alone kept up their spirits, + and enabled them to keep her afloat during the gale, and to make the wreck + in safety. + </p> + <p> + In the general enthusiasm excited by the event, Frank's pursuits, which + had hitherto found few followers, now became quite popular in the school. + A field club was formed, of which he was elected president, and long + rambles in the country in search of insects and plants were frequently + organized. Frank himself was obliged, in the interests of the school, to + moderate the zeal of the naturalists, and to point out that cricket must + not be given up, as, if so large a number withdrew themselves from the + game, the school would suffer disaster in its various engagements with + other schools in the neighborhood. Consequently the rule was made that + members of the club were bound to be in the cricket field on at least + three days in the week, including one half holiday, while they were free + to ramble in the country on other days. This wise regulation prevented the + “naturalists” from becoming unpopular in the school, which would assuredly + have been the case had they entirely absented themselves from cricket. + </p> + <p> + One Saturday afternoon Frank started with a smaller boy, who was one of + his most devoted followers, for a long country walk. Frank carried his + blowgun, and a butterfly net, Charlie Goodall a net of about a foot in + depth, made of canvas, mounted on a stout brass rim, and strong stick, for + the capture of water beetles. Their pockets bulged with bottles and tin + boxes for the carriage of their captured prey. + </p> + <p> + They had passed through Eastry, a village four miles from Deal, when Frank + exclaimed, “There is a green hairstreak. The first I've seen this year. I + have never caught one before.” + </p> + <p> + Cautiously approaching the butterfly, who was sunning himself on the top + of a thistle, Frank prepared to strike, when it suddenly mounted and + flitted over a hedge. In a moment the boys had scrambled through the gap + and were in full pursuit. The butterfly flitted here and there, sometimes + allowing the boys to approach within a few feet and then flitting away + again for fifty yards without stopping. Heedless where they were going, + the boys pursued, till they were startled by a sudden shout close to them. + </p> + <p> + “You young rascals, how dare you run over my wheat?” + </p> + <p> + The boys stopped, and Frank saw what, in his excitement, he had not + hitherto heeded, that he was now running in a field of wheat, which + reached to his knee. + </p> + <p> + “I am very sorry, sir,” he said. “I was so excited than I really did not + see where I was going.” + </p> + <p> + “Not see!” shouted the angry farmer. “You young rascal, I'll break every + bone in your body,” and he flourished a heavy stick as he spoke. + </p> + <p> + Charlie Goodall began to cry. + </p> + <p> + “I have no right to trespass on your wheat, sir,” Frank said firmly; “but + you have no right to strike us. My name is Frank Hargate. I belong to Dr. + Parker's school at Deal, and if you will say what damage I have caused, I + will pay for it.” + </p> + <p> + “You shall pay for it now,” shouted the farmer, as he advanced with + uplifted stick. + </p> + <p> + Frank slipped three or four of his clay bullets into his mouth. + </p> + <p> + “Leave us alone or it will be worse for you,” he said as he raised the + blowgun to his mouth. + </p> + <p> + The farmer advanced, and Frank sent a bullet with all his force, and with + so true an aim that he struck the farmer on the knuckles. It was a sharp + blow, and the farmer, with a cry of pain and surprise, dropped the stick. + </p> + <p> + “Don't come a step nearer,” Frank shouted. “If you do, I will aim at your + eye next time,” and he pointed the threatening tube at the enraged + farmer's face. + </p> + <p> + “I'll have the law of you, you young villain. I'll make you smart for + this.” + </p> + <p> + “You can do as you like about that,” Frank said. “I have only struck you + in self defense, and have let you off easily. Come along, Charlie, let's + get out of this.” + </p> + <p> + In a few minutes they were again on the road, the farmer making no attempt + to follow them, but determined in his mind to drive over the next morning + to Deal to take out a summons against them for trespass and assault. The + lads proceeded silently along the road. Frank was greatly vexed with + himself at his carelessness in running over half grown wheat, and was + meditating how he could pay the fine without having to ask his mother. He + determined upon his return to carry some of his cases of stuffed birds + down to a shop in the town, and he felt sure that he could get enough for + these to pay for any damage which could have been inflicted, with a fine + for trespassing, for he had seen stuffed birds exposed in the windows for + sale, which were, he was sure, very inferior to his own both in execution + and lifelike interest. + </p> + <p> + After proceeding a few hundred yards along the road they met a pretty + little girl of seven or eight years old walking along alone. Frank + scarcely glanced at her, for at the moment he heard a shouting in the + distance and saw some men running along the road. For a moment he thought + that the farmer had despatched some of his men to stop him, but instantly + dismissed the idea, as they were coming from the opposite direction and + could by no possibility have heard what had happened. They were lost sight + of by a dip in the road, and as they disappeared, an object was seen on + the road on the near side of the dip. + </p> + <p> + “It is a dog,” Frank said. “What can they be shouting at?” + </p> + <p> + The dog was within fifty yards of them when the men again appeared from + the dip and recommenced shouting. Frank could now hear what they said. + </p> + <p> + “Mad dog! mad dog!” + </p> + <p> + “Get through the hedge, Charlie, quick,” Frank cried. “Here, I will help + you over, never mind the thorns.” + </p> + <p> + The hedge was low and closely kept, and Frank, bundling his comrade over + it, threw himself across and looked round. The dog was within ten yards of + them, and Frank saw that the alarm was well founded. The dog was a large + crossbred animal, between a mastiff and a bulldog. Its hair was rough and + bristling. It came along with its head down and foam churning from its + mouth. Frank looked the other way and gave a cry. Yet twenty yards off, in + the middle of the road, stood the child. She, too, had heard the shouts, + and had paused to see what was the matter. She had not taken the alarm, + but stood unsuspicious of danger, watching, not the dog, but the men in + the distance. + </p> + <p> + Frank placed the blowgun to his mouth, and in a moment his pellet struck + the animal smartly on the side of the head. It gave a short yelp and + paused. Another shot struck it, and then Frank, snatching the water net + from Charlie, threw himself over the hedge, and placed himself between the + child and the dog just as the latter, with a savage growl, rushed at him. + </p> + <p> + Frank stood perfectly cool, and as the animal rushed forward, thrust the + net over its head; the ring was but just large enough to allow its head to + enter. Frank at once sprang forward, and placing himself behind the dog + kept a strain upon the stick, so retaining the mouth of the net tightly on + his neck. The animal at first rushed forward dragging Frank after him. + Then he stopped, backed, and tried to withdraw his head from the + encumbrance which blinded him. Frank, however, had no difficulty in + retaining the canvas net in its place, until the men, who were armed with + pitchforks, ran up and speedily despatched the unfortunate animal. + </p> + <p> + “That's bravely done, young master,” one of them said; “and you have saved + missy's life surely. The savage brute rushed into the yard and bit a young + colt and a heifer, and then, as we came running out with forks, he took to + the road again. We chased 'um along, not knowing who we might meet, and it + gived us a rare turn when we saw the master's Bessy standing alone in the + road, wi' nout between her and the dog. Where have you been, Miss Bessy?” + </p> + <p> + “I've been to aunt's,” she said, “and she gave me some strawberries and + cream, and it's wicked of you to kill the poor dog.” + </p> + <p> + “Her aunt's farm lies next to master's,” the man explained; “and little + miss often goes over there. + </p> + <p> + “The dog was mad, missy, and if it hadn't been for young master here, it + would have killed you as safe as eggs. Won't you come back to the farm, + sir? Master and mistress would be main glad to thank you for having saved + missy's life.” + </p> + <p> + “No, thank you,” Frank said; “we are late now and must be going on our + way. I am very glad I happened to be here at the time;” so saying Frank + and Charlie proceeded on their way to Deal. + </p> + <p> + On reaching home he at once picked out four of his best cases of stuffed + birds. The cases he had constructed himself, for his father had encouraged + him to depend upon himself for his amusements. He had asked Charlie to + come round to help him to carry the cases, and with these he proceeded to + a shop where he had seen such things offered for sale. + </p> + <p> + “And you really did these yourself?” the man said in surprise. “They are + beautifully done. Quite pictures, I call them. It is a pity that they are + homely birds. There is no great sale for such things here. I cannot give + you more than five shillings each, but if you had them in London they + would be worth a great deal more.” + </p> + <p> + Frank gladly accepted the offer, and feeling sure that the pound would + cover the damage done and the fine, which might be five shillings apiece + for trespassing, went home in good spirits. The next morning the doctor + was called out in the middle of school, and presently returned accompanied + by the farmer with whom they had had the altercation on the previous day. + Frank felt his cheeks flush as he anticipated a severe reprimand before + the whole school. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Gregson,” the doctor said, “tells me that two of my boys were out + near his place at Eastry yesterday. One of them gave him his name, which + he has forgotten.” + </p> + <p> + “It was I, sir,” Frank said rising in his place; “I was there with + Goodall. We ran on Mr. Gregson's ground after a butterfly. It was my + fault, sir, for, of course, Goodall went where I did. We ran among his + wheat, and I really did not notice where we were going till he called to + us. I was wrong, of course, and am ready to pay for any damage we may have + caused.” + </p> + <p> + “You are welcome,” the farmer said, “to trample on my wheat for the rest + of your born days. I haven't come over here to talk about the wheat, + though I tell you fairly I'd minded to do so. I've come over here, Dr. + Parker, me and my missus who's outside, to thank this young gentleman for + having saved the life of my little daughter Bessy. She was walking along + the road when a mad dog, a big brute of a mastiff, who came, I hear, from + somewhere about Canterbury, and who has bit two boys on the road, to say + nothing of other dogs and horses and such like; he came along the road, he + were close to my Bess, and she stood there all alone. Some of my men with + pitchforks were two hundred yards or so behind; but law, they could have + done nothing! when this young gentleman here jumped all of a sudden over a + hedge and put himself between the dog and my Bess. The dog, he rushed at + him; but what does he do but claps a bag he'd got at the end of a stick + over the brute's head, and there he holds him tight till the men comes up + and kills him with their forks. + </p> + <p> + “Young gentleman,” he said, stepping up to Frank and holding out his hand, + “I owe my child's life to you. There are not many men who would have + thrown themselves in the way of a mad dog, for the sake of a child they + knew nothing of. I thank you for it with all my heart. God bless you, sir. + Now, boys, you give three cheers with me for your schoolmate, for you've + got a right to be proud of him.” + </p> + <p> + Three such thundering cheers as those which arose had never been heard + within the limits of Dr. Parker's school from the day of its foundation. + Seeing that farther work could not be expected from them after this + excitement, Dr. Parker gave the boys a holiday for the rest of the day, + and they poured out from the schoolroom, shouting and delighted, while + Frank was taken off to the parlor to be thanked by Mrs. Gregson. The + farmer closed his visit by inviting Frank, with as many of his + schoolfellows as he liked—the whole school if they would come, the + more the better—to come over to tea on the following Saturday + afternoon, and he promised them as much strawberries and cream as they + could eat. The invitation was largely accepted, and the boys all agreed + that a jollier meal they never sat down to than that which was spread on + tables in the farmer's garden. The meal was called tea, but it might have + been a dinner, for the tables were laden with huge pies, cold chicken and + duck, hams, and piles of cakes and tarts of all sorts. Before they started + for home, late in the evening, syllabub and cake were handed round, and + the boys tramped back to Deal in the highest of glee at the entertainment + they had received from the hospitable farmer and his wife. + </p> + <p> + Great fun had been caused after tea by the farmer giving a humorous + relation of the battle with which his acquaintance with Frank had + commenced, and especially at the threat of Frank to send a bullet into his + eye if he interfered with him. When they left, a most cordial invitation + was given to Frank to come over, with any friend he liked to bring with + him, and have tea at the Oaks Farm whenever he chose to do so. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0003" id="link2HCH0003"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER III: A TOUGH YARN + </h2> + <p> + “You had a close shave the other night,” one of the boatmen remarked to + Frank, as a few days after the adventure he strolled down with Ruthven and + Handcock to talk to the boatman whose boat had been lost, “a very narrow + shave. I had one out there myself when I was just about your age, nigh + forty years ago. I went out for a sail with my father in his fishing boat, + and I didn't come back for three years. That was the only long voyage I + ever went. I've been sticking to fishing ever since.” + </p> + <p> + “How was it you were away three years?” Handcock asked, “and what was the + adventure? Tell us about it.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, it's rather a long yarn,” the boatman said. + </p> + <p> + “Well, your best plan, Jack,” Ruthven said, putting his hand in his pocket + and bringing out sixpence, “will be for you to go across the road and wet + your whistle before you begin.” + </p> + <p> + “Thank ye, young gentleman. I will take three o' grog and an ounce of + 'bacca.” + </p> + <p> + He went across to the public house, and soon returned with a long clay in + his hand. Then he sat down on the shingle with his back against a boat, + and the boys threw themselves down close to him. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” he began, when he had filled his pipe with great deliberation and + got it fairly alight, “this here yarn as I'm going to tell you ain't no + gammon. Most of the tales which gets told on the beach to visitors as + comes down here and wants to hear of sea adventures is just lies from + beginning to end. Now, I ain't that sort, leastways, I shouldn't go to + impose upon young gents like you as ha' had a real adventure of your own, + and showed oncommon good pluck and coolness too. I don't say, mind ye, + that every word is just gospel. My mates as ha' known me from a boy tells + me that I've 'bellished the yarn since I first told it, and that all sorts + of things have crept in which wasn't there first. That may be so. When a + man tells a story a great many times, naturally he can't always tell it + just the same, and he gets so mixed up atween what he told last and what + he told first that he don't rightly know which was which when he wants to + tell it just as it really happened. So if sometimes it appears to you that + I'm steering rather wild, just you put a stopper on and bring me up all + standing with a question.” + </p> + <p> + There was a quiet humor about the boatman's face, and the boys winked at + each other as much as to say that after such an exordium they must expect + something rather staggering. The boatman took two or three hard whiffs at + his pipe and then began. + </p> + <p> + “It was towards the end of September in 1832, that's just forty years ago + now, that I went out with my father and three hands in the smack, the + Flying Dolphin. I'd been at sea with father off and on ever since I was + about nine years old, and a smarter boy wasn't to be found on the beach. + The Dolphin was a good sea boat, but she wasn't, so to say, fast, and I + dunno' as she was much to look at, for the old man wasn't the sort of chap + to chuck away his money in paint or in new sails as long as the old ones + could be pieced and patched so as to hold the wind. We sailed out pretty + nigh over to the French coast, and good sport we had. We'd been out two + days when we turned her head homewards. The wind was blowing pretty + strong, and the old man remarked, he thought we was in for a gale. There + was some talk of our running in to Calais and waiting till it had blown + itself out, but the fish might have spoil before the Wind dropped, so we + made up our minds to run straight into Dover and send the fish up from + there. The night came on wild and squally, and as dark as pitch. It might + be about eight bells, and I and one of the other hands had turned in, when + father gave a sudden shout down the hatch, 'All hands on deck.' I was next + to the steps and sprang up 'em. Just as I got to the top something grazed + my face. I caught at it, not knowing what it was, and the next moment + there was a crash, and the Dolphin went away from under my feet. I clung + for bare life, scarce awake yet nor knowing what had happened. The next + moment I was under water. I still held on to the rope and was soon out + again. By this time I was pretty well awake to what had happened. A ship + running down channel had walked clean over the poor old Dolphin, and I had + got hold of the bobstay. It took me some time to climb up on to the + bowsprit, for every time she pitched I went under water. However, I got up + at last and swarmed along the bowsprit and got on board. There was a chap + sitting down fast asleep there. I walked aft to the helmsman. Two men were + pacing up and down in front of him. 'You're a nice lot, you are,' I said, + 'to go running down Channel at ten knots an hour without any watch, + a-walking over ships and a-drowning of seamen. I'll have the law of ye, + see if I don't.' + </p> + <p> + “'Jeerusalem!' said one, 'who have we here?' + </p> + <p> + “'My name is Jack Perkins,' says I, 'and I'm the sole survivor, as far as + I knows, of the smack, the Flying Dolphin, as has been run down by this + craft and lost with all hands.' + </p> + <p> + “'Darn the Flying Dolphin, and you too,' says the man, and he begins to + walk up and down the deck a-puffn' of a long cigar as if nothing had + happened. + </p> + <p> + “'Oh, come,' says I, 'this won't do. Here you've been and run down a + smack, drowned father and the other three hands, and your lookout fast + asleep, and you does nothing.' + </p> + <p> + “'I suppose,' said the captain, sarcastic, 'you want me to jump over to + look for 'em. You want me to heave the ship to in this gale and to invite + yer father perlitely to come on board. P'raps you'd like a grapnel put out + to see if I couldn't hook the smack and bring her up again. Perhaps you'd + like to be chucked overboard yourself. Nobody asked you to come on board, + nobody wanted your company. I reckon the wisest thing you can do is to go + for'ard and turn in.' There didn't seem much for me to do else, so I went + forward to the forecastle. There most of the hands were asleep, but two or + three were sitting up yarning. I told 'em my story and what this captain + had said. + </p> + <p> + “'He's a queer hand is the skipper,' one of 'em said, 'and hasn't got a + soft place about him. Well, my lad, I'm sorry for what's happened, but + talking won't do it any good. You've got a long voyage before you, and + you'd best turn in and make yourself comfortable for it.' + </p> + <p> + “'I ain't going a long voyage,' says I, beginning to wipe my eye, 'I wants + to be put ashore at the first port.' + </p> + <p> + “'Well, my lad, I daresay the skipper will do that, but as we're bound for + the coast of Chili from Hamburg, and ain't likely to be there for about + five months, you've got, as I said, a long voyage before you. If the + weather had been fine the skipper might have spoken some ship in the + Channel, and put you on board, but before the gale's blown out we shall be + hundreds of miles at sea. Even if it had been fine I don't suppose the + skipper would have parted with you, especially if you told him the watch + was asleep. He would not care next time he entered an English port to have + a claim fixed on his ship for the vally of the smack.' + </p> + <p> + “I saw what the sailor said was like enough, and blamed myself for having + let out about the watch. However, there was no help for it, and I turned + into an empty bunk and cried myself to sleep. What a voyage that was, to + be sure! The ship was a Yankee and so was the master and mates. The crew + were of all sorts, Dutch, and Swedes, and English, a Yank or two, and a + sprinklin' of niggers. It was one of those ships they call a hell on + earth, and cussing and kicking and driving went on all day. I hadn't no + regular place give me, but helped the black cook, and pulled at ropes, and + swabbed the decks, and got kicked and cuffed all round. The skipper did + not often speak to me, but when his eye lighted on me he gave an ugly sort + of look, as seemed to say, 'You'd better ha' gone down with the others. + You think you're going to report the loss of the smack, and to get damages + against the Potomac, do you? we shall see.' The crew were a rough lot, but + the spirit seemed taken out of 'em by the treatment they met with. It was + a word and a blow with the mates, and they would think no more of catching + up a handspike and stretching a man senseless on the deck than I should of + killing a fly. There was two or three among 'em of a better sort than the + others. The best of 'em was the carpenter, an old Dutchman. 'Leetle boy,' + he used to say to me, 'you keep yourself out of the sight of de skipper. + Bad man dat. Me much surprise if you get to de end of dis voyage all + right. You best work vera hard and give him no excuse to hit you. If he + do, by gosh, he kill you, and put down in de log, Boy killed by accident.' + </p> + <p> + “I felt that this was so myself, and I did my work as well as I could. One + day, however, when we were near the line I happened to upset a bucket with + some tar. The captain was standing close by. + </p> + <p> + “'You young dog,' he said, 'you've done that a purpose,' and before I + could speak he caught up the bucket by the handle and brought it down on + my head with all his might. The next thing I remember was, I was lying in + a bunk in the forecastle. Everything looked strange to me, and I couldn't + raise my head. After a time I made shift to turn it round, and saw old + Jans sitting on a chest mending a jacket. I called him, but my voice was + so low I hardly seemed to hear it myself. + </p> + <p> + “'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'I am glad to hear you speak again. Two + whole weeks you say nothing except talk nonsense.' + </p> + <p> + “'Have I been ill?' I asked. + </p> + <p> + “'You haf been vera bad,' he said. 'De captain meant to kill you, I haf no + doubt, and he pretty near do it. After he knock you down he said you dead. + He sorry for accident, not mean to hit you so hard, but you dead and + better be tossed overboard at once. De mates they come up and take your + hands and feet. Den I insist dat I feel your wrist. Two or three of us dey + stood by me. Captain he vera angry, say we mutinous dogs. I say not + mutinous, but wasn't going to see a boy who was only stunned thrown + overboard. We say if he did dat we make complaint before consul when we + get to port. De skipper he cuss and swear awful. Howebber we haf our way + and carry you here. You haf fever and near die. Tree days after we bring + you here de captain he swear you shamming and comed to look at you + hisself, but he see that it true and tink you going to die. He go away wid + smile on his face. Every day he ask if you alive, and give grunt when I + say yes. Now you best keep vera quiet. You no talk 'cept when no one else + here but me. Other times lie wid your face to the side and your eyes shut. + Best keep you here as long as we can, de longer de better. He make you + come on deck and work as soon as he think you strong enough to stand. Best + get pretty strong before you go out.' + </p> + <p> + “For another three weeks I lay in my bunk. I only ate a little gruel when + others were there, but when the skipper was at dinner Jans would bring me + strong soup and meat from the caboose. The captain came several times and + shook me and swore I was shamming, but I only answered in a whisper and + seemed as faint as a girl. All this time the Potomac was making good way, + and was running fast down the coast of South America. The air was getting + cool and fresh. + </p> + <p> + “'I tink,' Jans said one evening to me, 'dat dis not go on much much + longer. De crew getting desperate. Dey talk and mutter among demselves. Me + thinks we have trouble before long.' + </p> + <p> + “The next day one of the mates came in with a bucket of water. 'There! you + skulking young hound,' he said as he threw it over me; 'you'd best get + out, or the skipper will come and rouse you up himself.' + </p> + <p> + “I staggered on to the floor. I had made up my mind to sham weak, but I + did not need to pretend at first, for having been six weeks in bed, I felt + strange and giddy when I got up. I slipped on my clothes and went out on + deck, staggered to the bulwarks and held on. The fresh air soon set me + straight, and I felt that I was pretty strong again. However, I pretended + to be able to scarce stand, and, holding on by the bulwark, made my way + aft. + </p> + <p> + “'You young dog,' the skipper said, 'you've been shamming for the last six + weeks. I reckon I'll sharpen you up now,' and he hit me a heavy blow with + a rattan he held in his hand. There was a cry of 'Shame!' from some of the + men. As quick as thought the skipper pulled a pistol from his pocket. + </p> + <p> + “'Who cried “Shame”?'” he asked looking round. + </p> + <p> + “No one answered. Still holding the pistol in his hand he gave me several + more cuts, and then told me to swab the deck. I did it, pretending all the + time I was scarce strong enough to keep my feet. Then I made my way + forward and sat down against the bulwark, as if nigh done up, till night + came. That night as I lay in my bunk I heard the men talking in whispers + together. I judged from what they said that they intended to wait for + another week, when they expected to enter Magellan Straits, and then to + attack and throw the officers overboard. Nothing seemed settled as to what + they would do afterwards. Some were in favor of continuing the voyage to + port, and there giving out that the captain and officers had been washed + overboard in a storm; when, if all stood true to each other, the truth + could never be known, although suspicions might arise. The others, + however, insisted that you never could be sure of every one, and that some + one would be sure to peach. They argued in favor of sailing west and + beaching the ship on one of the Pacific islands, where they could live + comfortably and take wives among the native women. If they were ever found + they could then say that the ship was blown out of her course and wrecked + there, and that the captain and officers had been drowned or killed by the + natives. It seemed to me that this party were the strongest. For the next + week I was thrashed and kicked every day and had I been as weak as I + pretended to be, I'm sure they would have killed me. However, thanks to + the food Jans brought me, for I was put on bread and water, I held on. At + last we entered the straits. The men were very quiet that day, and the + captain in a worse temper than usual. I did not go to sleep, and turned + out at the midnight watch, for I was made to keep watch although I was on + duty all day. As the watch came in I heard them say to the others, 'In ten + minutes' time.' Presently I saw them come out, and joining the watch on + deck they went aft quietly in a body. They had all got handspikes in their + hands. Then there was a rush. Two pistol shots were fired, and then there + was a splash, and I knew that the officer on watch was done for. Then they + burst into the aft cabins. There were pistol shots and shouts, and for + three or four minutes the fight went on. Then all was quiet. Then they + came up on deck again and I heard three splashes, that accounted for the + captain and the two other mates. I thought it safe now to go aft. I found + that six of the men had been killed. These were thrown overboard, and then + the crew got at the spirit stores and began to drink. I looked about for + Jans, and found him presently sitting on the deck by the bulwark. + </p> + <p> + “'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'you have just come in time. I have been + shot through the body. I was not in de fight, but was standing near when + dey rushed at de officer on watch. De first pistol he fire missed de man + he aim at and hit me. Well, it was shust as well. I am too old to care for + living among de black peoples, and I did not want a black wife at all. So + matters haf not turned out so vera bad. Get me some water.' + </p> + <p> + “I got him some, but in five minutes the poor old Dutchman was dead. There + was no one on deck. All were shouting and singing in the captain's cabin, + so I went and turned in forward. Morning was just breaking when I suddenly + woke. There was a great light, and running on deck I saw the fire pouring + out from the cabin aft. I suppose they had all drunk themselves stupid and + had upset a light, and the fire had spread and suffocated them all. + Anyhow, there were none of them to be seen. I got hold of a water keg and + placed it in a boat which luckily hung out on its davits, as Jans had, the + day before, been calking a seam in her side just above the water's edge. I + made a shift to lower it, threw off the falls, and getting out the oars, + rowed off. I lay by for some little time, but did not see a soul on deck. + Then, as I had nowhere particular to go, I lay down and slept. On getting + up I found that I had drifted two or three miles from the ship, which was + now a mere smoking shell, the greater part being burnt to the Water's + edge. Two miles to the north lay the land, and getting out an oar at the + stern I sculled her to shore. I suppose I had been seen, or that the + flames of the ship had called down the people, for there they were in the + bay, and such a lot of creatures I never set eyes on. Men and women alike + was pretty nigh naked, and dirt is no name for them. Though I was but a + boy I was taller than most. They came round me and jabbered and jabbered + till I was nigh deafened. Over and over again they pointed to the ship. I + thought they wanted to know whether I belonged to it, but it couldn't have + been that, because when I nodded a lot of 'em jumped into some canoes + which was lying ashore, and taking me with them paddled off to the ship. I + suppose they really wanted to know if they could have what they could + find. That wasn't much, but it seemed a treasure to them. There was a lot + of burned beams floating about alongside, and all of these which had iron + or copper bolts or fastenings they took in tow and rowed ashore. We hadn't + been gone many hundred yards from the vessel when she sunk. Well, young + gentlemen, for upwards of two years I lived with them critturs. My clothes + soon wore out, and I got to be as naked and dirty as the rest of 'em. They + were good hands at fishing, and could spear a fish by the light of a torch + wonderful. In other respects they didn't seem to have much sense. They + lived, when I first went there, in holes scratched in the side of a hill, + but I taught 'em to make huts, making a sort of ax out of the iron saved. + In summer they used to live in these, but in winter, when it was awful + cold, we lived in the holes, which were a sight warmer than the huts. Law, + what a time that was! I had no end of adventures with wild beasts. The way + the lions used to roar and the elephants—” + </p> + <p> + “I think, Jack,” Ruthven interrupted, “that this must be one of the + embellishments which have crept in since you first began telling the tale. + I don't think I should keep it in if I were you, because the fact that + there are neither lions or elephants in South America throws a doubt upon + the accuracy of this portion of your story.” + </p> + <p> + “It may be, sir,” the sailor said, with a twinkle of his eyes, “that the + elephants and lions may not have been in the first story. Now I think of + it, I can't recall that they were; but, you see, people wants to know all + about it. They ain't satisfied when I tell 'em that I lived two years + among these chaps. They wants to know how I passed my time, and whether + there were any wild beasts, and a lot of such like questions, and, in + course, I must answer them. So then, you see, naturally, 'bellishments + creeps in; but I did live there for two years, that's gospel truth, and I + did go pretty nigh naked, and in winter was pretty near starved to death + over and over again. When the ground was too hard to dig up roots, and the + sea was too rough for the canoes to put out, it went hard with us, and + very often we looked more like living skelingtons than human beings. Every + time a ship came in sight they used to hurry me away into the woods. I + suppose they found me useful, and didn't want to part with me. At last I + got desperate, and made up my mind I'd make a bolt whatever came of it. + They didn't watch me when there were no ships near. I suppose they thought + there was nowhere for me to run to, so one night I steals down to the + shore, gets into a canoe, puts in a lot of roots which I had dug up and + hidden away in readiness, and so makes off. I rowed hard all night, for I + knew they would be after me when they found I had gone. Them straits is + sometimes miles and miles across; at other times not much more than a + ship's length, and the tide runs through 'em like a mill race. I had + chosen a time when I had the tide with me, and soon after morning I came + to one of them narrow places. I should like to have stopped here, because + it would have been handy for any ship as passed; but the tide run so + strong, and the rocks were so steep on both sides, that I couldn't make a + landing. Howsomdever, directly it widened out, I managed to paddle into + the back water and landed there. Well, gents, would you believe me, if + there wasn't two big allygaters sitting there with their mouths open ready + to swallow me, canoe and all, when I came to shore.” + </p> + <p> + “No, Jack, I'm afraid we can't believe that. We would if we could, you + know, but alligators are not fond of such cold weather as you'd been + having, nor do they frequent the seashore.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah, but this, you see, was a straits, Master Ruthven, just a narrow + straits, and I expect the creatures took it for a river.” + </p> + <p> + “No, no, Jack, we can't swallow the alligators, any more than they could + swallow you and your canoe.” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” the sailor said with a sigh, “I won't say no more about the + allygaters. I can't rightly recall when they came into the story. + Howsomdever, I landed, you can believe that, you know.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh yes, we can quite believe, Jack, that, if you were there, in that + canoe, in that back water, with the land close ahead, you did land.” + </p> + <p> + The sailor looked searchingly at Ruthven and then continued: + </p> + <p> + “I hauled the canoe up and hid it in some bushes, and it were well I did, + for a short time afterwards a great—” and he paused. “Does the + hippypotybus live in them ere waters, young gents?” + </p> + <p> + “He does not, Jack,” Ruthven said. + </p> + <p> + “Then it's clear,” the sailor said, “that it wasn't a hippypotybus. It + must have been a seal.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, it might have been a seal,” Ruthven said. “What did he do?” + </p> + <p> + “Well he just took a look at me, gents, winked with one eye, as much as to + say, 'I see you,' and went down again. There warn't nothing else as he + could do, was there?” + </p> + <p> + “It was the best thing he could do anyhow,” Ruthven said. + </p> + <p> + “Well, gents, I lived there for about three weeks, and then a ship comes + along, homeward bound, and I goes out and hails her. At first they thought + as I was a native as had learned to speak English, and it wasn't till + they'd boiled me for three hours in the ship's copper as they got at the + color of my skin, and could believe as I was English. So I came back here + and found the old woman still alive, and took to fishing again; but it was + weeks and weeks before I could get her or any one else to believe as I was + Jack Perkins. And that's all the story, young gents. Generally I tells it + a sight longer to the gents as come down from London in summer; but, you + see, I can't make much out of it when ye won't let me have 'bellishments.” + </p> + <p> + “And how much of it is true altogether, Jack?” Frank asked. “Really how + much?” + </p> + <p> + “It's all true as I have told you, young masters,” the boatman said. “It + were every bit true about the running down of the smack, and me being + nearly killed by the skipper, and the mutiny, and the burning of the + vessel, and my living for a long time—no, I won't stick to the two + years, but it might have been three weeks, with the natives before a ship + picked me up. And that's good enough for a yarn, ain't it?” + </p> + <p> + “Quite good enough, Jack, and we're much obliged to you; but I should + advise you to drop the embellishments in future.” + </p> + <p> + “It ain't no use, Master Hargate, they will have 'bellishments, and if + they will have 'em, Jack Perkins isn't the man to disappint 'em; and, Lord + bless you, sir, the stiffer I pitches it in the more liberal they is with + their tips. Thank ye kindly all round, gentlemen. Yes, I do feel dry after + the yarn.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0004" id="link2HCH0004"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IV: A RISING TIDE + </h2> + <p> + The half year was drawing to its close, and it was generally agreed at Dr. + Parker's that it had been the jolliest ever known. The boating episode and + that of the tea at Oak Farm had been events which had given a fillip to + existence. The school had been successful in the greater part of its + cricket matches, and generally every one was well satisfied with himself. + On the Saturday preceding the breaking up Frank, with Ruthven, Charlie + Goodall and two of the other naturalists, started along the seashore to + look for anemones and other marine creatures among the rocks and pools at + the foot of the South Foreland. Between Ruthven and Frank a strong feeling + of affection had grown up since the date of their boating adventure. They + were constantly together now; and as Ruthven was also intended for the + army, and would probably obtain his commission about the same time as + Frank, they often talked over their future, and indulged in hopes that + they might often meet, and that in their campaigns, they might go through + adventures together. + </p> + <p> + Tide was low when they started. They had nearly three miles to walk. The + pools in front of Deal and Walmer had often been searched, but they hoped + that once round the Foreland they might light upon specimens differing + from any which they had hitherto found. For some hours they searched the + pools, retiring as the tide advanced. Then they went up to the foot of the + cliffs, and sat down to open their cans and compare the treasures they had + collected. The spot which they had unwittingly selected was a little bay. + For a long time they sat comparing their specimens. Then Frank said, “Come + along, it is time to be moving.” + </p> + <p> + As he rose to his feet he uttered an exclamation of dismay. Although the + tide was still at some little distance from the spot where they were + sitting, it had already reached the cliffs extending out at either end of + the bay. A brisk wind was blowing on shore, and the waves were already + splashing against the foot of the rocks. + </p> + <p> + The whole party leaped to their feet, and seizing their cans ran off at + the top of their speed to the end of the bay. + </p> + <p> + “I will see how deep the water is,” Frank exclaimed; “we may yet be able + to wade round.” + </p> + <p> + The water soon reached Frank's waist. He waded on until it was up to his + shoulders, and he had to leap as each wave approached him. Then he + returned to his friends. + </p> + <p> + “I could see round,” he said, “and I think I could have got round without + getting into deeper water. The worst of it is the bottom is all rocky, and + I stumbled several times, and should have gone under water if I could not + have swam. You can't swim, Ruthven, I know; can you other fellows?” + </p> + <p> + Goodall could swim, as could one of the others. + </p> + <p> + “Now, Ruthven,” Frank said, “if you will put your hand on my shoulder and + keep quiet, I think I could carry you around. Goodall and Jackson can take + Childers.” + </p> + <p> + But neither of the other boys had much confidence in their swimming. They + could get thirty or forty yards, but felt sure that they would be able to + render but little assistance to Childers, and in fact scarcely liked to + round the point alone. For some time they debated the question, the sea + every minute rising and pushing them farther and farther from the point. + “Look here, Frank,” Ruthven said at last; “you are not sure you can carry + me. The others are quite certain that they cannot take Childers. We must + give up that idea. The best thing, old boy, is for you three who can swim + to start together. Then if either of the others fail you can help them a + bit. Childers and I must take our chance here. When you get round you must + send a boat as soon as possible.” + </p> + <p> + “I certainly shall not desert you, Ruthven,” Frank said. “You know as well + as I do that I'm not likely to find a boat on the shore till I get pretty + near Walmer Castle, and long before we could get back it would be settled + here. No, no, old fellow, we will see the matter out together. Jackson and + Goodall can swim round if they like.” + </p> + <p> + These lads, however, would not venture to take the risk alone, but said + they would go if Frank would go with them. + </p> + <p> + “Chuck off your boots and coats and waistcoats,” Frank said suddenly, + proceeding to strip rapidly to the skin. “I will take them round, Ruthven, + and come back to you. Run round the bay you and Childers, and see if you + can find any sort of ledge or projection that we can take refuge upon. + Now, then, come on you two as quick as you can.” + </p> + <p> + The sea had already reached within a few feet of the foot of the cliff all + round the bay. + </p> + <p> + “Now, mind,” Frank said sharply, “no struggling and nonsense, you fellows. + I will keep quite close to you and stick to you, so you needn't be afraid. + If you get tired just put one hand on my back and swim with the other and + your legs; and above all things keep your heads as low as possible in the + water so as just to be able to breathe.” + </p> + <p> + The three lads soon waded out as far as they could go and then struck out. + Jackson and Goodall were both poor swimmers and would have fared very + badly alone. The confidence, however, which they entertained in Frank gave + them courage, and they were well abreast of the point when first Jackson + and then Goodall put their hands on his shoulders. Thanks to the + instructions he had given them, and to their confidence in him, they + placed no great weight upon him. But every ounce tells heavily on a + swimmer, and Frank gave a gasp of relief as at last his feet touched the + ground. Bidding his companions at once set off at a run he sat down for + two or three minutes to recover his breath. + </p> + <p> + “It is lucky,” he said to himself, “that I did not try with Ruthven. It's + a very different thing carrying fellows who can swim and fellows who + can't. What fools we've been to let ourselves he caught here! I had no + idea the tide came so high, or that it was so dangerous, and none of us + have ever been round here before. Now I must go back to Ruthven.” + </p> + <p> + Frank found it even harder work to get back than it had been to come out + from the bay, for the tide was against him now. At last he stood beside + Ruthven and Childers. + </p> + <p> + “We can only find one place, Frank, where there is any projection a fellow + could stand upon, and that is only large enough for one. See!” he said, + pointing to a projecting block of chalk, whose upper surface, some eight + inches wide, was tolerably flat. “There is a cave here, too, which may go + beyond the tide. It is not deep but it slopes up a bit.” + </p> + <p> + “That will never do,” Frank said; “as the waves come in they will rush up + and fill it to the top. Don't you see it is all rounded by the water? Now, + Childers, we will put you on that stone. You will be perfectly safe there, + for you see it is two feet above this greenish line, which shows where the + water generally comes to. The tides are not at spring at present, so + though you may get a splashing there is no fear of your being washed off.” + </p> + <p> + The water was already knee deep at the foot of the rocks, and the waves + took them nearly up to the shoulders. Ruthven did not attempt to dispute + Frank's allotment of the one place of safety to Childers. Frank and he + placed themselves below the block of chalk, which was somewhat over six + feet from the ground. Then Childers scrambled up on to their shoulders, + and from these stepped onto the ledge. + </p> + <p> + “I am all right,” he said; “I wish to Heaven that you were too.” + </p> + <p> + “We shall do,” Frank said. “Mind you hold tight, Childers! You had better + turn round with your face to the cliff, so as to be able to grip hold and + steady yourself in case the waves come up high. The tide will turn in + three quarters of an hour at the outside. Now, then, Ruthven, let's make a + fight for it, old man.” + </p> + <p> + “What are you going to do, Frank?” + </p> + <p> + “We will wade along here as far as we can towards the corner, and than we + must swim for it.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't you think it's possible to stay here,” Ruthven said, “if the tide + will turn so soon?” + </p> + <p> + “Quite impossible!” Frank said. “I have been nearly taken off my feet + twice already, and the water will rise a yard yet, at least. We should be + smashed against the rocks, even if we weren't drowned. It must be tried, + Ruthven. There is no other way for it. The distance is a good deal farther + than it would have been if we had started at first; but it isn't the + distance that makes much matter. We've only got to go out a little way, + and the tide will soon take us around the point. Everything depends on + you. I can take you round the point, and land you safely enough, if you + will lie quiet. If you don't, you will drown both of us. So it's entirely + in your hands. + </p> + <p> + “Look out!” + </p> + <p> + At this moment a larger wave than usual took both boys off their legs, and + dashed them with considerable force against the cliff. Frank seized + Ruthven, and assisted him to regain his feet. + </p> + <p> + “Now, old fellow, let me put you on your back. I will lie on mine and tow + you along. Don't struggle; don't move; above all, don't try and lift your + head, and don't mind if a little water gets in your mouth. Now!” + </p> + <p> + For a moment Ruthven felt himself under water, and had to make a great + effort to restrain himself from struggling to come to the surface. Then he + felt himself lying on his back in the water, supported by Frank. The + motion was not unpleasant as he rose and fell on the waves, although now + and then a splash of water came over his face, and made him cough and + splutter for breath. He could see nothing but the blue sky overhead, could + feel nothing except that occasionally he received a blow from one or other + of Frank's knees, as the latter swam beneath him, with Ruthven's head on + his chest. It was a dreamy sensation, and looking back upon it afterwards + Ruthven could never recall anything that he had thought of. It seemed + simply a drowsy pleasant time, except when occasionally a wave covered his + face. His first sensation was that of surprise when he felt the motion + change, and Frank lifted his head from the water and said, “Stand up, old + fellow. Thank God, here we are, safe!” + </p> + <p> + Frank had indeed found the journey easier than that which he had before + undertaken with the others. He had scarcely tried to progress, but had, + after getting sufficiently far out to allow the tide to take him round the + point, drifted quietly. + </p> + <p> + “I owe my life to you, Frank. I shall never forget it, old fellow.” + </p> + <p> + “It's been a close thing,” Frank answered; “but you owe your life as much + to your own coolness as to me, and above all, Ruthven, don't let us forget + that we both owe our lives to God.” + </p> + <p> + “I sha'n't forget it,” Ruthven said quietly, and they stood for a few + minutes without speaking. “Now, what had we better do? Shall we start to + run home?” + </p> + <p> + “I can't,” Frank laughed, for he had nothing on but his trousers. These he + had slipped on after the return from his first trip, pushing the rest of + his things into a crevice in the rocks as high up as he could reach. + </p> + <p> + “You had better take off your things, Ruthven, and lay them out to dry in + the sun. The boat will be here in half an hour. I wonder how Childers is + getting on!” + </p> + <p> + “I think he will be safe,” Ruthven said. “The tide will not rise high + enough for there to be much danger of his being washed off.” + </p> + <p> + “I don't think so either,” Frank agreed, “or I would try and swim back + again; but I really don't think I could get round the point against the + tide again.” + </p> + <p> + In half an hour a boat rowing four oars was seen approaching. + </p> + <p> + “They are laying out well,” Ruthven said. “They couldn't row harder if + they were rowing a race. But had it not been for you, old fellow, they + would have been too late, as far as I am concerned.” + </p> + <p> + As the boat approached, the coxswain waved his hat to the boys. Frank + motioned with his arm for them to row on round the point. The boat swept + along at a short distance from the shore. The boys watched them + breathlessly. Presently as it reached the point they saw the coxswain + stand up and say something to the men, who glanced over their shoulders as + they rowed. Then the coxswain gave a loud shout. “Hold on! We'll be with + you directly.” + </p> + <p> + “Thank God!” Frank exclaimed, “Childers is all right.” + </p> + <p> + It was well, however, that the boat arrived when it did, for Childers was + utterly exhausted when it reached him. The sea had risen so high that the + waves broke against his feet, throwing the spray far above his head, and + often nearly washing him from the ledge on which he stood. Had it not + been, indeed, for the hold which he obtained of the cliff, it would + several times have swept him away. About eighteen inches above his head he + had found a ledge sufficiently wide to give a grip for his hands, and + hanging by these he managed to retain his place when three times his feet + were swept off the rock by the rush of water. The tide was just on the + turn when the boat arrived, and so exhausted was he that he certainly + would not have been able to hold out for the half hour's buffeting to + which he would have been exposed before the water fell sufficiently to + leave him. After helping him into the boat the men gathered the clothes + jammed in fissures of the cliffs. These were, of course, drenched with + water, but had for the most part remained firm in their places. They now + pulled round to the spot where Frank and Ruthven were awaiting them. + </p> + <p> + “Childers must have been pretty nearly done,” Frank said. “He must be + lying in the bottom of the boat.” + </p> + <p> + Childers gave a smile of pleasure as his schoolfellows jumped on board. He + had, glancing over his shoulder, seen them drift out of sight round the + point, and had felt certain that they had reached shore. It was, however, + a great pleasure to be assured of the fact. + </p> + <p> + “You have made quite a stir upon the beach, young gentlemen,” the coxswain + of the boat said. “When they two came running up without their shoes or + coats and said there were three of you cut off in the bay under the + Foreland, there didn't seem much chance for you. It didn't take us two + minutes to launch the boat, for there were a score of hands helping to run + her down; and my mates bent to it well, I can tell you, though we didn't + think it would be of any use. We were glad when we made you two out on + this side of the point. Look, there's half Deal and Walmer coming along + the shore.” + </p> + <p> + It was as the boatman said. Numbers of persons were streaming along the + beach, and loud were the cheers which rose as the coxswain stood up and + shouted in a stentorian voice, “All saved!” + </p> + <p> + Frank put on his things as they approached Walmer. His shoes were lost, as + were those of Ruthven, and he had difficulty in getting his arms into his + wet and shrunken jacket. Quite a crowd were gathered near the castle as + the boat rowed to shore, and a hearty cheer arose as it was run up on the + shingle and the boys were helped out. Frank and Ruthven, indeed, required + no assistance. They were in no way the worse for the adventure, but + Childers was so weak that he was unable to stand. He was carried up and + laid on a fly, the others sitting opposite, the driver having first taken + the precaution of removing the cushions. + </p> + <p> + There were among the crowd most of the boys from Dr. Parker's. Goodall and + Jackson had arrived nearly an hour and a half before, and the news had + spread like wildfire. Bats and balls had been thrown down and every one + had hurried to the beach. Goodall and his companion had already related + the circumstance of their being cut off by the water and taken round the + point by Frank; and as Ruthven on jumping out had explained to his + comrades who flocked round to shake his hand, “I owe my life to Hargate,” + the enthusiasm reached boiling point, and Frank had difficulty in taking + his place in the fly, so anxious were all to shake his hand and pat him on + the shoulder. Had it not been for his anxiety to get home as soon as + possible, and his urgent entreaties, they would have carried him on their + shoulders in triumph through the town. They drove first to the school, + where Childers was at once carried up to a bed, which had been prepared + with warm blankets in readiness; Ruthven needed only to change his + clothes. + </p> + <p> + The moment they had left the fly Frank drove straight home, and was + delighted at finding, from his mother's exclamation of surprise as he + alighted from the cab, that she had not been suffering any anxiety, no + one, in the general excitement, having thought of taking the news to her. + In answer to her anxious inquiries he made light of the affair, saying + only that they had stupidly allowed themselves to be cut off by the sea + and had got a ducking. It was not, indeed, till the next morning, when the + other four boys came around to tell Mrs. Hargate that they were indebted + to Frank for their lives, that she had any notion that he had been in + danger. + </p> + <p> + Frank was quite oppressed by what he called the fuss which was made over + the affair. A thrilling description of it appeared in the local papers. A + subscription was got up in the school, and a gold watch with an + inscription was presented to him; and he received letters of heart felt + thanks from the parents of his four schoolfellows, for Childers maintained + that it was entirely to Frank's coolness and thoughtfulness that his + preservation was also due. + </p> + <p> + On the following Wednesday the school broke up. Frank had several + invitations from the boys to spend his holidays with them; but he knew how + lonely his mother would feel in his absence, and he declined all the + invitations. Mrs. Hargate was far from strong, and had had several fits of + fainting. These, however, had taken place at times when Frank was at + school, and she had strictly charged her little servant to say nothing + about it. + </p> + <p> + One day on returning from a long walk he saw the doctor's carriage + standing at the door. Just as he arrived the door opened and the doctor + came out. Upon seeing Frank he turned. + </p> + <p> + “Come in here, my boy,” he said. + </p> + <p> + Frank followed him, and seeing that the blinds were down, went to draw + them up. The doctor laid his hand on his arm. + </p> + <p> + “Never mind that,” he said gently. + </p> + <p> + “My boy,” he said, “do you know that your mother has been for some time + ailing?” + </p> + <p> + “No, indeed,” Frank said with a gasp of pain and surprise. + </p> + <p> + “It is so, my boy. I have been attending her for some time. She has been + suffering from fainting fits brought on by weakness of the heart's action. + Two hours since I was sent for and found her unconscious. My poor boy, you + must compose yourself. God is good and merciful, though his decrees are + hard to bear. Your mother passed away quietly half an hour since, without + recovering consciousness.” + </p> + <p> + Frank gave a short cry, and then sat stunned by the suddenness of the + blow. The doctor drew out a small case from his pocket and poured a few + drops from the phial into a glass, added some water, and held it to + Frank's lips. + </p> + <p> + “Drink this, my boy,” he said. + </p> + <p> + Frank turned his head from the offered glass. He could not speak. + </p> + <p> + “Drink this, my boy,” the doctor said again; “it will do you good. Try and + be strong for the sake of your little sister, who has only you in the + world now.” + </p> + <p> + The thought of Lucy touched the right chord in the boy's heart, and he + burst into a passionate fit of crying. The doctor allowed his tears to + flow unchecked. + </p> + <p> + “You will be better now,” he said presently. “Now drink this, then lie + down on the sofa. We must not be having you ill, you know.” + </p> + <p> + Frank gulped down the contents of the glass, and, passive as a child, + allowed the doctor to place him upon the sofa. + </p> + <p> + “God help and strengthen you, my poor boy,” he said; “ask help from Him.” + </p> + <p> + For an hour Frank lay sobbing on the sofa, and then, remembering the + doctor's last words, he knelt beside it and prayed for strength. + </p> + <p> + A week had passed. The blinds were up again. Mrs. Hargate had been laid in + her last home, and Frank was sitting alone again in the little parlor + thinking over what had best be done. The outlook was a dark one, enough to + shake the courage of one much older than Frank. His mother's pension, he + knew, died with her. He had, on the doctor's advice, written to the War + Office on the day following his mother's death, to inform the authorities + of the circumstances, and to ask if any pension could be granted to his + sister. The reply had arrived that morning and had relieved him of the + greatest of his cares. It stated that as he was now just fifteen years old + he was not eligible for a pension, but that twenty-five pounds a year + would be paid to his sister until she married or attained the age of + twenty-one. + </p> + <p> + He had spoken to the doctor that morning, and the latter said that he knew + a lady who kept a small school, and who would, he doubted not, be willing + to receive Lucy and to board and clothe her for that sum. She was a very + kind and motherly person, and he was sure that Lucy would be most kindly + treated and cared for by her. It was then of his own future only that + Frank had to think. There were but a few pounds in the house, but the + letter from the War Office inclosed a check for twenty pounds, as his + mother's quarterly pension was just due. The furniture of the little house + would fetch but a small sum, not more, Frank thought, than thirty or forty + pounds. There were a few debts to pay, and after all was settled up there + would remain about fifty pounds. Of this he determined to place half in + the doctor's hands for the use of Lucy. + </p> + <p> + “She will want,” he said to himself, “a little pocket money. It is hard on + a girl having no money to spend of her own. Then, as she gets on, she may + need lessons in something or other. Besides, half the money rightly + belongs to her, The question is, What am I to do?” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0005" id="link2HCH0005"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER V: ALONE IN THE WORLD + </h2> + <p> + “What am I to do?” + </p> + <p> + A difficult question indeed, for a boy of fifteen, with but twenty-five + pounds, and without a friend in the world. Was he, indeed, without a + friend? he asked himself. There was Dr. Parker. Should he apply to him? + But the doctor had started for a trip on the Continent the day after the + school had broken up, and would not return for six weeks. It was possible + that, had he been at home, he might have offered to keep Frank for a + while; but the boys seldom stayed at his school past the age of fifteen, + going elsewhere to have their education completed. What possible claim had + he to quarter himself upon the doctor for the next four years, even were + the offer made? No, Frank felt; he could not live upon the doctor's + charity. Then there were the parents of the boys he had saved from + drowning. But even as he sat alone Frank's face flushed at the thought of + trading upon services so rendered. The boy's chief fault was pride. It was + no petty feeling, and he had felt no shame at being poorer than the rest + of his schoolfellows. It was rather a pride which led him unduly to rely + upon himself, and to shrink from accepting favors from any one. Frank + might well, without any derogation, have written to his friends, telling + them of the loss he had suffered and the necessity there was for him to + earn his living, and asking them to beg their fathers to use their + interest to procure him a situation as a boy clerk, or any other position + in which he could earn his livelihood. + </p> + <p> + Frank, however, shrunk from making any such appeal, and determined to + fight his battle without asking for help. He knew nothing of his parents' + relations. His father was an only son, who had been left early an orphan. + His mother, too, had, he was aware, lost both her parents, and he had + never heard her speak of other relations. There was no one, therefore, so + far as he knew, to whom he could appeal on the ground of ties of blood. It + must be said for him that he had no idea how hard was the task which he + was undertaking. It seemed to him that it must be easy for a strong, + active lad to find employment of some sort in London. What the employment + might be he cared little for. He had no pride of that kind, and so that he + could earn his bread he cared not much in what capacity he might do it. + </p> + <p> + Already preparations had been made for the sale of the furniture, which + was to take place next day. Everything was to be sold except the + scientific books which had belonged to his father. These had been packed + in a great box until the time when he might place them in a library of his + own, and the doctor kindly offered to keep it for him until such time + should arrive. Frank wrote a long letter to Ruthven, telling him of his + loss, and his reasons for leaving Deal, and promising to write some day + and tell him how he was getting on in London. This letter he did not + intend to post until the last thing before leaving Deal. Lucy had already + gone to her new home, and Frank felt confident that she would be happy + there. His friend, the doctor, who had tried strongly, but without avail, + to dissuade Frank from going up to London to seek his fortune there, had + promised that if the lad referred any inquiries to him he would answer for + his character. + </p> + <p> + He went down to the beach the last evening and said goodbye to his friends + among the fishermen, and he walked over in the afternoon and took his last + meal with Farmer Gregson. + </p> + <p> + “Look ye here, my lad,” the farmer said as they parted. “I tell ye, from + what I've heerd, this London be a hard nut to crack. There be plenty of + kernel, no doubt, when you can get at it, but it be hard work to open the + shell. Now, if so be as at any time you run short of money, just drop me a + line, and there's ten pound at your service whenever you like. Don't you + think it's an obligation. Quite the other way. It would be a real pleasure + to me to lend you a helping hand.” + </p> + <p> + Two days after the sale Frank started for London. On getting out of the + train he felt strange and lonely amid the bustle and confusion which was + going on on the platform. The doctor had advised him to ask one of the + porters, or a policeman, if he could recommend him to a quiet and + respectable lodging, as expenses at an hotel would soon make a deep hole + in his money. He, therefore, as soon as the crowd cleared away, addressed + himself to one of the porters. + </p> + <p> + “What sort of lodgings do you want, sir?” the man said, looking at him + rather suspiciously, with, as Frank saw, a strong idea in his mind that he + was a runaway schoolboy. + </p> + <p> + “I only want one room,” he said, “and I don't care how small it is, so + that it is clean and quiet. I shall be out all day, and should not give + much trouble.” + </p> + <p> + The porter went away and spoke to some of his mates, and presently + returned with one of them. + </p> + <p> + “You're wanting a room I hear, sir,” the man said. “I have a little house + down the Old Kent Road, and my missus lets a room or two. It's quiet and + clean, I'll warrant you. We have one room vacant at present.” + </p> + <p> + “I'm sure that would suit me very well,” Frank said. “How much do you + charge a week?” + </p> + <p> + “Three and sixpence, sir, if you don't want any cooking done.” + </p> + <p> + Frank took the address, and leaving his portmanteau in charge of the + porter, who promised, unless he heard to the contrary, that he would bring + it home with him when he had done his work, he set off from the station. + </p> + <p> + Deal is one of the quietest and most dreary places on the coast of + England, and Frank was perfectly astounded at the crowd and bustle which + filled the street, when he issued from the railway approach, at the foot + of London Bridge. The porter had told him that he was to turn to his left, + and keep straight along until he reached the “Elephant and Castle.” He + had, therefore, no trouble about his road, and was able to give his whole + attention to the sights which met his eye. For a time the stream of + omnibuses, cabs, heavy wagons, and light carts, completely bewildered him, + as did the throng of people who hastened along the footway. He was + depressed rather than exhilarated at the sight of this busy multitude. He + seemed such a solitary atom in the midst of this great moving crowd. + Presently, however, the thought that where so many millions gained their + living there must be room for one boy more, somewhat cheered him. He was a + long time making his way to his place of destination, for he stared into + every shop window, and being, although he was perfectly ignorant of the + fact, on the wrong side of the pavement, he was bumped and bustled + continually, and was not long in arriving at the conclusion that the + people of London must be the roughest and rudest in the world. It was not + until he ran against a gentleman, and was greeted with the angry, “now + then, boy. Where are you going? Why the deuce don't you keep on your own + side of the pavement?” that he perceived that the moving throng was + divided into two currents, that on the inside meeting him, while the + outside stream was proceeding in the same direction as himself. After this + he got on better, and arrived without adventure at the house of the + porter, in the Old Kent Road. + </p> + <p> + It was a small house, but was clean and respectable, and Frank found that + the room would suit him well. + </p> + <p> + “I do not wait upon the lodgers,” the landlady said, “except to make the + beds and tidy the rooms in the morning. So if you want breakfast and tea + at home you will have to get them yourself. There is a separate place + downstairs for your coals. There are some tea things, plates and dishes, + in this cupboard. You will want to buy a small tea kettle, and a gridiron, + and a frying pan, in case you want a chop or a rasher. Do you think you + can cook them yourself?” + </p> + <p> + “Frank, amused at the thought of cooking and catering for himself, said + boldly that he should soon learn. + </p> + <p> + “You are a very young gentleman,” the landlady said, eyeing him + doubtfully, “to be setting up on your own hook. I mean,” she said, seeing + Frank look puzzled, “setting up housekeeping on your own account. You will + have to be particular careful with the frying pan, because if you were to + upset the fat in the fire you might have the house in a blaze in a + jiffey.” + </p> + <p> + Frank said that he would certainly be careful with the frying pan. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” she went on, “as you're a stranger to the place I don't know as + you could do better than get your tea, and sugar, and things at the + grocer's at the next corner. I deals there myself, and he gives every + satisfaction. My baker will be round in a few minutes, and, if you likes, + I can take in your bread for you. The same with milk.” + </p> + <p> + These matters being arranged, and Frank agreeing at once to the + proposition that as he was a stranger it would make things more + comfortable were he to pay his rent in advance, found himself alone in his + new apartment. It was a room about ten feet square. The bed occupied one + corner, with the washstand at its foot. There was a small table in front + of the fireplace, and two chairs; a piece of carpet half covered the + floor, and these with the addition of the articles in the cupboard + constituted the furniture of the room. Feeling hungry after his journey + Frank resolved to go out at once and get something to eat, and then to lay + in a stock of provisions. After some hesitation regarding the character of + the meal he decided upon two Bath buns, determining to make a substantial + tea. He laid in a supply of tea, sugar, butter, and salt, bought a little + kettle, a frying pan, and a gridiron. Then he hesitated as to whether he + should venture upon a mutton chop or some bacon, deciding finally in favor + of the latter, upon the reflection that any fellow could see whether bacon + were properly frizzled up, while as to a chop there was no seeing anything + about it till one cut it. He, therefore, invested in a pound of prime + streaky Wiltshire bacon, the very best, as the shopman informed him, that + could be bought. He returned carrying all his purchases, with the + exception of the hardware. Then he inquired of his landlady where he could + get coal. + </p> + <p> + “The green grocer's round the corner,” the landlady said. “Tell him to + send in a hundredweight of the best, that's a shilling, and you'll want + some firewood too.” + </p> + <p> + The coal arrived in the course of the afternoon, and at half past six the + porter came in with Frank's trunk. He had by this time lit a fire, and + while the water was boiling got some of his things out of the box, and by + hanging some clothes on the pegs on the back of the door, and by putting + the two or three favorite books he had brought with him on to the + mantelpiece, he gave the room a more homelike appearance. He enjoyed his + tea all the more from the novelty of having to prepare it himself, and + succeeded very fairly for a first attempt with his bacon. + </p> + <p> + When tea was over he first washed up the things and then started for a + ramble. He followed the broad straight road to Waterloo Bridge, stood for + a long time looking at the river, and then crossed into the Strand. The + lamps were now alight and the brightness and bustle of the scene greatly + interested him. At nine o'clock he returned to his lodgings, but was again + obliged to sally out, as he found he had forgotten candles. + </p> + <p> + After breakfast next morning he went out and bought a newspaper, and set + himself to work to study the advertisements. He was dismayed to find how + many more applicants there were for places than places requiring to be + filled. All the persons advertising were older than himself, and seemed to + possess various accomplishments in the way of languages; many too could be + strongly recommended from their last situation. The prospect did not look + hopeful. In the first place he had looked to see if any required boy + clerks, but this species of assistant appeared little in demand; and then, + although he hoped that it would not come to that, he ran his eye down the + columns to see if any required errand boys or lads in manufacturing + businesses. He found, however, no such advertisements. However, as he said + to himself, it could not be expected that he should find a place waiting + for him on the very day after his arrival, and that he ought to be able to + live for a year on his five and twenty pounds; at this reflection his + spirits rose and he went out again for a walk. + </p> + <p> + For the first week, indeed, of his arrival in London Frank did not set + himself very earnestly to work to look for a situation. In his walks about + the streets he several times observed cards in the window indicating that + an errand boy was wanted. He resolved, however, that this should be the + last resource which he would adopt, as he would much prefer to go to work + as a common lad in a factory to serving in a shop. After the first week he + answered many advertisements, but in no case received a reply. In one + case, in which it was stated that a lad who could write a good fast hand + was required in an office, wages to begin with eight shillings a week, he + called two days after writing. It was a small office with a solitary clerk + sitting in it. The latter, upon learning Frank's business, replied with + some exasperation that his mind was being worried out by boys. + </p> + <p> + “We have had four hundred and thirty letters,” he said; “and I should + think that a hundred boys must have called. We took the first who applied, + and all the other letters were chucked into the fire as soon as we saw + what they were about.” + </p> + <p> + Frank returned to the street greatly disheartened. + </p> + <p> + “Four hundred and thirty letters!” he said. “Four hundred and thirty other + fellows on the lookout, just as I am, for a place as a boy clerk, and lots + of them, no doubt, with friends and relations to recommend them! The + lookout seems to be a bad one.” + </p> + <p> + Two days later, when Frank was walking along the strand he noticed the + placards in front of a theater. + </p> + <p> + “Gallery one shilling!” he said to himself; “I will go. I have never seen + a theater yet.” + </p> + <p> + The play was The Merchant of Venice, and Frank sat in rapt attention and + interest through it. When the performance was over he walked briskly + homewards. When he had proceeded some distance he saw a glare in the sky + ahead, and presently a steam engine dashed past him at full speed. + </p> + <p> + “That must be a house on fire,” he said. “I have never seen a fire;” and + he broke into a run. + </p> + <p> + Others were running in the same direction, and as he passed the “Elephant + and Castle” the crowd became thicker, and when within fifty yards of the + house he could no longer advance. He could see the flames now rising high + in the air. A horrible fear seized him. + </p> + <p> + “It must be,” he exclaimed to himself, “either our house or the one next + door.” + </p> + <p> + It was in vain that he pressed forward to see more nearly. A line of + policemen was drawn up across the road to keep a large space clear for the + firemen. Behind the policemen the crowd were thickly packed. Frank + inquired of many who stood near him if they could tell him the number of + the house which was on fire; but none could inform him. + </p> + <p> + Presently the flames began to die away, and the crowd to disperse. At + length Frank reached the first line of spectators. + </p> + <p> + “Can you tell me the number of the houses which are burned?” Frank said to + a policeman. + </p> + <p> + “There are two of them,” the policeman said “a hundred and four and a + hundred and five. A hundred and four caught first, and they say that a + woman and two children have been burned to death.” + </p> + <p> + “That is where I live!” Frank cried. “Oh, please let me pass!” + </p> + <p> + “I'll pass you in,” the policeman said good naturedly, and he led him + forward to the spot where the engines were playing upon the burning + houses. “Is it true, mate,” he asked a fireman, “that a woman and two + children have been burned?” + </p> + <p> + “It's true enough,” the fireman said. “The landlady and her children. Her + husband was a porter at the railway station, and had been detained on + overtime. He only came back a quarter of an hour ago, and he's been going + on like a madman;” and he pointed to the porter, who was sitting down on + the doorsteps of a house facing his own, with his face hidden in his + hands. + </p> + <p> + Frank went and sat down beside him. + </p> + <p> + “My poor fellow,” he said, “I am sorry for you.” + </p> + <p> + Frank had had many chats with his landlord of an evening, and had become + quite friendly with him and his wife. + </p> + <p> + “I can't believe it,” the man said huskily. “Just to think! When I went + out this morning there was Jane and the kids, as well and as happy as + ever, and there, where are they now?” + </p> + <p> + “Happier still,” Frank said gently. “I lost my mother just as suddenly + only five weeks ago. I went out for a walk, leaving her as well as usual, + and when I came back she was dead; so I can feel for you with all my + heart.” + </p> + <p> + “I would have given my life for them,” the man said, wiping his eyes, + “willing.” + </p> + <p> + “I'm sure you would,” Frank answered. + </p> + <p> + “There's the home gone,” the man said, “with all the things that it took + ten years' savings of Jane and me to buy; not that that matters one way or + the other now. And your traps are gone, too, I suppose, sir.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank replied quietly, “I have lost my clothes and twenty-three + pounds in money; every penny I've got in the world except half a crown in + my pocket.” + </p> + <p> + “And you don't say nothing about it!” the man said, roused into animation. + “But, there, perhaps you've friends as will make it up to you.” + </p> + <p> + “I have no one in the world,” Frank answered, “whom I could ask to give me + a helping hand.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, you are a plucky chap,” the man said. “That would be a knock down + blow to a man, let alone a boy like you. What are you going to do now?” he + asked, forgetting for the moment his own loss, in his interest in his + companion. + </p> + <p> + “I don't know,” Frank replied. “Perhaps,” he added, seeing that the + interest in his condition roused the poor fellow from the thought of his + own deep sorrow, “you might give me some advice. I was thinking of getting + a place in an office, but of course I must give that up now, and should be + thankful to get anything by which I can earn my bread.” + </p> + <p> + “You come along with me,” the man said rising. “You've done me a heap of + good. It's no use sitting here. I shall go back to the station, and turn + in on some sacks. If you've nothing better to do, and nowhere to go to, + you come along with me. We will talk it all over.” + </p> + <p> + Pleased to have some one to talk to, and glad that he should not have to + look for a place to sleep, Frank accompanied the porter to the station. + With a word or two to the nightmen on duty, the porter led the way to a + shed near the station, where a number of sacks were heaped in a corner. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” the man said, “I will light a pipe. It's against the regulations, + but that's neither here nor there now. Now, if you're not sleepy, would + you mind talking to me? Tell me something about yourself, and how you come + to be alone here in London. It does me good to talk. It prevents me from + thinking.” + </p> + <p> + “There is very little to tell,” Frank said; and he related to him the + circumstances of the deaths of his father and mother, and how it came that + he was alone in London in search of a place. + </p> + <p> + “You're in a fix,” the porter said. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, I can see that.” + </p> + <p> + “You see you're young for most work, and you never had no practice with + horses, or you might have got a place to drive a light cart. Then, again, + your knowing nothing of London is against you as an errand boy; and what's + worse than all this, anyone can see with half an eye that you're a + gentleman, and not accustomed to hard work. However, we will think it + over. The daylight's breaking now, and I has to be at work at six. But + look ye here, young fellow, tomorrow I've got to look for a room, and when + I gets it there's half of it for you, if you're not too proud to accept + it. It will be doing me a real kindness, I can tell you, for what I am to + do alone of an evening without Jane and the kids, God knows. I can't + believe they're gone yet.” + </p> + <p> + Then the man threw himself down upon the sacks, and broke into sobs. Frank + listened for half an hour till these gradually died away, and he knew by + the regular breathing that his companion was asleep. It was long after + this before he himself closed his eyes. The position did, indeed, appear a + dark one. Thanks to the offer of his companion, which he at once resolved + to accept for a time, he would have a roof to sleep under. But this could + not last; and what was he to do? Perhaps he had been wrong in not writing + at once to Ruthven and his schoolfellows. He even felt sure he had been + wrong; but it would be ten times as hard to write now. He would rather + starve than do this. How was he to earn his living? He would, he + determined, at any rate try for a few days to procure a place as an errand + boy. If that failed, he would sell his clothes, and get a rough working + suit. He was sure that he should have more chance of obtaining work in + such a dress than in his present attire. + </p> + <p> + Musing thus, Frank at last dropped off to sleep. When he woke he found + himself alone, his companion having left without disturbing him. From the + noises around him of trains coming in and out, Frank judged that the hour + was late. + </p> + <p> + “I have done one wise thing,” he said, “anyhow, and as far as I can see + it's the only one, in leaving my watch with the doctor to keep. He pointed + out that I might have it stolen if I carried it, and that there was no use + in keeping it shut up in a box. Very possibly it might be stolen by the + dishonesty of a servant. That's safe anyhow, and it is my only worldly + possession, except the books, and I would rather go into the workhouse + than part with either of them.” + </p> + <p> + Rising, he made his way into the station, where he found the porter at his + usual work. + </p> + <p> + “I would not wake you,” the man said; “you were sleeping so quiet, and I + knew 'twas no use your getting up early. I shall go out and settle for a + room at dinner time. If you will come here at six o'clock we'll go off + together. The mates have all been very kind, and have been making a + collection to bury my poor girl and the kids. They've found 'em, and the + inquest is tomorrow, so I shall be off work. The governor has offered me a + week; but there, I'd rather be here where there's no time for thinking, + than hanging about with nothing to do but to drink.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0006" id="link2HCH0006"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VI: THE FIRST STEP + </h2> + <p> + All that day Frank tramped the streets. He went into many shops where he + saw notices that an errand boy was required, but everywhere without + success. He perceived at once that his appearance was against him, and he + either received the abrupt answer of, “You're not the sort of chap for my + place,” or an equally decided refusal upon the grounds that he did not + know the neighborhood, or that they preferred one who had parents who + lived close by and could speak for him. + </p> + <p> + At six o'clock he rejoined the porter. He brought with him some bread and + butter and a piece of bacon. When, on arriving at the lodging of his new + friend, a neat room with two small beds in it, he produced and opened his + parcel, the porter said angrily, “Don't you do that again, young fellow, + or we shall have words. You're just coming to stop with me for a bit till + you see your way, and I'm not going to have you bring things in here. My + money is good for two months, and your living here with me won't cost + three shillings a week. So don't you hurt my feelings by bringing things + home again. There, don't say no more about it.” + </p> + <p> + Frank, seeing that his companion was really in earnest, said no more, and + was the less reluctant to accept the other's kindness as he saw that his + society was really a great relief to him in his trouble. After the meal + they sallied out to a second hand clothes shop. Here Frank disposed of his + things, and received in return a good suit of clothes fit for a working + lad. + </p> + <p> + “I don't know how it is,” the porter said as they sat together afterwards, + “but a gentleman looks like a gentleman put him in what clothes you will. + I could have sworn to your being that if I'd never seen you before. I + can't make it out, I don't know what it is, but there's certainly + something in gentle blood, whatever you may say about it. Some of my mates + are forever saying that one man's as good as another. Now I don't mean to + say they ain't as good; but what I say is, as they ain't the same. One man + ain't the same as another any more than a race horse is the same as a cart + horse. They both sprang from the same stock, at least so they says; but + breeding and feeding and care has made one into a slim boned creature as + can run like the wind, while the other has got big bones and weight and + can drag his two ton after him without turning a hair. Now, I take it, + it's the same thing with gentlefolks and working men. It isn't that one's + bigger than the other, for I don't see much difference that way; but a + gentleman's lighter in the bone, and his hands and his feet are smaller, + and he carries himself altogether different. His voice gets a different + tone. Why, Lord bless you, when I hears two men coming along the platform + at night, even when I can't see 'em, and can't hear what they says, only + the tone of their voices, I knows just as well whether it's a first class + or a third door as I've got to open as if I saw 'em in the daylight. Rum, + ain't it?” + </p> + <p> + Frank had never thought the matter out, and could only give his general + assent to his companion's proposition. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” the porter went on, “if you go into a factory or workshop, I'll bet + a crown to a penny that before you've been there a week you'll get called + Gentleman Jack, or some such name. You see if you ain't.” + </p> + <p> + “I don't care what they call me,” Frank laughed, “so that they'll take me + into the factory.” + </p> + <p> + “All in good time,” the porter said; “don't you hurry yourself. As long as + you can stay here you'll be heartily welcome. Just look what a comfort it + is to have you sitting here sociable and comfortable. You don't suppose I + could have sat here alone in this room if you hadn't been here? I should + have been in a public house making a beast of myself, and spending as much + money as would keep the pair of us.” + </p> + <p> + Day after day Frank went out in search of work. In his tramps he visited + scores of workshops and factories, but without success. Either they did + not want boys, or they declined altogether to take one who had no + experience in work, and had no references in the neighborhood. Frank took + his breakfast and tea with the porter, and was glad that the latter had + his dinner at the station, as a penny loaf served his purposes. One day in + his walks Frank entered Covent Garden and stood looking on at the bustle + and flow of business, for it happened to be market day. He leaned against + one of the columns of the piazza, eating the bread he had just bought. + Presently a sharp faced lad, a year or two younger than himself, came up + to him. + </p> + <p> + “Give us a hit,” he said, “I ain't tasted nothing today.” + </p> + <p> + Frank broke the bread in half and gave a portion to him. + </p> + <p> + “What a lot there is going on here!” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “Law!” the boy answered, “that ain't nothing to what it is of a morning. + That's the time, 'special on the mornings of the flower market. It's hard + lines if a chap can't pick up a tanner or even a bob then.” + </p> + <p> + “How?” Frank asked eagerly. + </p> + <p> + “Why, by holding horses, helping to carry out plants, and such like. You + seems a green 'un, you do. Up from the country, eh? Don't seem like one of + our sort.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank said, “I'm just up from the country. I thought it would be + easy to get a place in London, but I don't find it so.” + </p> + <p> + “A place!” the boy repeated scornfully. “I should like any one to see me + in a place. It's better a hundred times to be your own master.” + </p> + <p> + “Even if you do want a piece of bread sometimes?” Frank put in. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” the boy said. “When it ain't market day and ye haven't saved enough + to buy a few papers or boxes of matches it does come hard. In winter the + times is bad, but in summer we gets on fairish, and there ain't nothing to + grumble about. Are you out of work yourself?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank answered, “I'm on the lookout for a job.” + </p> + <p> + “You'd have a chance here in the morning,” said the boy, looking at him. + “You look decent, and might get a job unloading. They won't have us at no + price, if they can help it.” + </p> + <p> + “I will come and try anyhow,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + That evening Frank told his friend, the porter, that he thought of going + out early next morning to try and pick up odd jobs at Covent Garden. + </p> + <p> + “Don't you think of it,” the porter said. “There's nothing worse for a lad + than taking to odd jobs. It gets him into bad ways and bad company. Don't + you hurry. I have spoken to lots of my mates, and they're all on the + lookout for you. We on the platform can't do much. It ain't in our line, + you see; but in the goods department, where they are constant with vans + and wagons and such like, they are likely enough to hear of something + before long.” + </p> + <p> + That night, thinking matters over in bed, Frank determined to go down to + the docks and see if he could get a place as cabin boy. He had had this + idea in his mind ever since he lost his money, and had only put it aside + in order that he might, if possible, get some berth on shore which might + seem likely in the end to afford him a means of making his way up again. + It was not that he was afraid of the roughness of a cabin boy's life; it + was only because he knew that it would be so very long before, working his + way up from boy to able bodied seaman, he could obtain a mate's + certificate, and so make a first step up the ladder. However, he thought + that even this would be better than going as a wagoner's boy, and he + accordingly crossed London Bridge, turned down Eastcheap, and presently + found himself in Ratcliff Highway. He was amused here at the nautical + character of the shops, and presently found himself staring into a window + full of foreign birds, for the most part alive in cages, among which, + however, were a few cases of stuffed birds. + </p> + <p> + “How stupid I have been!” he thought to himself. “I wonder I never thought + of it before! I can stuff birds and beasts at any rate a deal better than + those wooden looking things. I might have a chance of getting work at some + naturalist's shop. I will get a directory and take down all the addresses + in London, and then go around.” + </p> + <p> + He now became conscious of a conversation going on between a little old + man with a pair of thick horn rimmed spectacles and a sailor who had a + dead parrot and a cat in his hand. + </p> + <p> + “I really cannot undertake them,” the old man said. “Since the death of my + daughter I have had but little time to attend to that branch. What with + buying and selling, and feeding and attending to the live ones, I have no + time for stuffing. Besides, if the things were poisoned, they would not be + worth stuffing.” + </p> + <p> + “It isn't the question of worth, skipper,” the sailor said; “and I don't + say, mind ye, that these here critturs was pisoned, only if you looks at + it that this was the noisiest bird and the worst tempered thievingest cat + in the neighborhood—though, Lord bless you, my missus wouldn't allow + it for worlds—why, you know, when they were both found stiff and + cold this morning people does have a sort of a suspicion as how they've + been pisoned;” and he winked one eye in a portentous manner, and grinned + hugely. “The missus she's in a nice taking, screeching, and yelling as you + might hear her two cables' length away, and she turns round on me and will + have it as I'd a hand in the matter. Well, just to show my innocence, I + offers to get a glass case for 'em and have 'em stuffed, if it cost me a + couple of pounds. I wouldn't care if they fell all to pieces a week + afterwards, so that it pacified the old woman just at present. If I can't + get 'em done I shall ship at once, for the place will be too hot to hold + me. So you can't do it nohow?” + </p> + <p> + The old man shook his head, and the sailor was just turning off when Frank + went up to him: + </p> + <p> + “Will you please wait a moment? Can I speak to you, sir, a minute?” he + asked the old man. + </p> + <p> + The naturalist went into his shop, and Frank followed him. + </p> + <p> + “I can stuff birds and animals, sir,” he said. “I think I really stuff + them well, for some which I did for amusement were sold at ten shillings a + case, and the man who bought them of me told me they would be worth four + times as much in London. I am out of work, sir, and very very anxious to + get my living. You will find me hard working and honest. Do give me a + chance. Let me stuff that cat and parrot for the sailor. If you are not + satisfied then, I will go away and charge nothing for it.” + </p> + <p> + The man looked at him keenly. + </p> + <p> + “I will at any rate give you a trial,” he said. Then he went to the door + and called in the sailor. “This lad tells me he can stuff birds. I know + nothing about him, but I believe he is speaking truthfully. If you like to + intrust them to him he will do his best. If you're not satisfied he will + make no charge.” + </p> + <p> + Much pleased at seeing a way out of his dilemma, the sailor placed the + dead animals on the counter. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” the old man said to Frank, “you can take these out into the back + yard and skin them. Then you can go to work in that back room. You will + find arsenical soap, cotton wool, wires, and everything else you require + there. This has been a fine cat,” he said, looking at the animal. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, it has been a splendid creature,” Frank answered. “It is a + magnificent macaw also.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah! you know it is a macaw!” the old man said. + </p> + <p> + “Of course,” Frank said simply; “it has a tail.” + </p> + <p> + The old man then furnished Frank with two or three sharp knives and + scissors. Taking the bird and cat, he went out into the yard and in the + course of an hour had skinned them both. Then he returned to the shop and + set to work in the room behind. + </p> + <p> + “May I make a group of them?” he asked. + </p> + <p> + “Do them just as you like,” the old man said. + </p> + <p> + After settling upon his subject, Frank set to work, and, except that he + went out for five minutes to buy and eat a penny loaf, continued his work + till nightfall. The old man came in several times to look at him, but each + time went out again without making a remark. At six o'clock Frank laid + down his tools. + </p> + <p> + “I will come again tomorrow, sir,” he said. + </p> + <p> + The old man nodded, and Frank went home in high spirits. There was a + prospect at last of getting something to do, and that in a line most + congenial to his own tastes. + </p> + <p> + The old man looked up when he entered next morning. + </p> + <p> + “I shall not come in today,” he remarked. “I will wait to see them + finished.” + </p> + <p> + Working without interruption till the evening, Frank finished them to his + satisfaction, and enveloped them with many wrappings of thread to keep + them in precisely the attitudes in which he had placed them. + </p> + <p> + “They are ready for drying now, sir,” he said. “If I might place them in + an oven they would be dried by morning.” + </p> + <p> + The old man led the way to the kitchen, where a small fire was burning. + </p> + <p> + “I shall put no more coals on the fire,” he said, “and it will be out in a + quarter of an hour. Put them in there and leave the door open. I will + close it in an hour when the oven cools.” + </p> + <p> + The next day Frank was again at work. It took him all day to get fur and + feather to lie exactly as he wished them. In the afternoon he asked the + naturalist for a piece of flat board, three feet long, and a perch, but + said that instead of the piece of board he should prefer mounting them in + a case at once. The old man had not one in the shop large enough, and + therefore Frank arranged his group temporarily on the table. On the board + lay the cat. At first sight she seemed asleep, but it was clearly only + seeming. Her eyes were half open, the upper lip was curled up, and the + sharp teeth showed. The hind feet were drawn somewhat under her as in + readiness for an instant spring. Her front paws were before her, the + talons were somewhat stretched, and one paw was curved. Her ears lay + slightly back. She was evidently on the point of springing. The macaw + perch, which had been cut down to a height of two feet, stood behind her. + The bird hung by its feet, and, head downwards, stretched with open beak + towards the tip of the cat's tail, which was slightly uplifted. On a piece + of paper Frank wrote, “Dangerous Play.” + </p> + <p> + It was evening before he had finished perfectly to his satisfaction. Then + he called the naturalist in. The old man stopped at the door, surveying + the group. Then he entered and examined it carefully. + </p> + <p> + “Wonderful!” he said. “Wonderful! I should have thought them alive. There + is not a shop in the West End where it could have been turned out better, + if so well. + </p> + <p> + “Lad, you are a wonder! Tell me now who and what are you? I saw when you + first addressed me that you were not what you seemed to be, a working + lad.” + </p> + <p> + “I have been well educated,” Frank said, “and was taught to preserve and + stuff by my father, who was a great naturalist. My parents died suddenly, + and I was left on my own resources, which,” he said, smiling faintly, + “have hitherto proved of very small avail. I am glad you are pleased. If + you will take me into your service I will work hard and make myself useful + in every way. If you require references I can refer you to the doctor who + attended us in the country; but I have not a single friend in London + except a railway porter, who has most kindly and generously taken me in + and sheltered me for the last two months.” + </p> + <p> + “I need no references,” the old man said; “your work speaks for itself as + to your skill, and your face for your character. But I can offer you + nothing fit for you. With such a genius as you have for setting up + animals, you ought to be able to earn a good income. Not one man in a + thousand can make a dead animal look like a live one. You have the knack + or the art.” + </p> + <p> + “I shall be very content with anything you can give me,” Frank said; “for + the present I only ask to earn my living. If later on I can, as you say, + do more, all the better.” + </p> + <p> + The old man stood for some time thinking, and presently said, “I do but + little except in live stock. When I had my daughter with me I did a good + deal of stuffing, for there is a considerable trade hereabout. The sailors + bring home skins of foreign birds, and want them stuffed and put in cases, + as presents for their wives and sweethearts. You work fast as well as + skillfully. I have known men who would take a fortnight to do such a group + as that, and then it would be a failure. It will be quite a new branch for + my trade. I do not know how it will act yet, but to begin with I will give + you twelve shillings a week, and a room upstairs. If it succeeds we will + make other arrangements. I am an old man, and a very lonely one. I shall + be glad to have such a companion.” + </p> + <p> + Frank joyfully embraced the offer, and ran all the way home to tell his + friend, the porter, of the engagement. + </p> + <p> + “I am very glad,” the man said; “heartily glad. I shall miss you sorely. I + do not know what I should have done without you when I first lost poor + Jane and the kids. But now I can go back to my old ways again.” + </p> + <p> + “Perhaps,” Frank suggested, “you might arrange to have a room also in the + house. It would not be a very long walk, not above twenty or five and + twenty minutes, and I should be so glad to have you with me.” + </p> + <p> + The man sat silent for a time. “No,” he said at last, “I thank you all the + same. I should like it too, but I don't think it would be best in the end. + Here all my mates live near, and I shall get on in time. The Christmas + holiday season will soon be coming on and we shall be up working late. If + you were always going to stop at the place you are going to, it would be + different; but you will rise, never fear. I shall be seeing you in + gentleman's clothes again some of these days. I've heard you say you were + longing to get your books and to be studying again, and you'll soon fall + into your own ways; but if you will let me, I'll come over sometimes and + have a cup of tea and a chat with you. Now, look here, I'm going out with + you now, and I'm going to buy you a suit of clothes, something like what + you had on when I first saw you. They won't be altogether unsuitable in a + shop. This is a loan, mind, and you may pay me off as you get flush.” + </p> + <p> + Frank saw he should hurt the good fellow's feelings by refusing, and + accordingly went out with him, and next morning presented himself at the + shop in a quiet suit of dark gray tweed, and with his other clothes in a + bundle. + </p> + <p> + “Aha!” said the old man; “you look more as you ought to do now, though + you're a cut above an assistant in a naturalist's shop in Ratcliff + Highway. Now, let me tell you the names of some of these birds. They are, + every one of them, foreigners; some of them I don't know myself.” + </p> + <p> + “I can tell all the family names,” Frank said quietly, “and the species, + but I do not know the varieties.” + </p> + <p> + “Can you!” the old man said in surprise. “What is this now?” + </p> + <p> + “That is a mockingbird, the great black capped mockingbird, I think. The + one next to it is a golden lory.” + </p> + <p> + So Frank went round all the cages and perches in the shop. + </p> + <p> + “Right in every case,” the old man said enthusiastically; “I shall have + nothing to teach you. The sailor has been here this morning. I offered him + two pounds for the cat and bird to put in my front window, but he would + not take it, and has paid me that sum for your work. Here it is. This is + yours, you know. You were not in my employment then, and you will want + some things to start with, no doubt. Now come upstairs, I will show you + your room. I had intended at first to give you the one at the back, but I + have decided now on giving you my daughter's. I think you will like it.” + </p> + <p> + Frank did like it greatly. It was the front room on the second floor. The + old man's daughter had evidently been a woman of taste and refinement. The + room was prettily papered, a quiet carpet covered the floor, and the + furniture was neat and in good keeping. Two pairs of spotless muslin + curtains hung across the windows. + </p> + <p> + “I put them up this morning,” the old man said, nodding. “I have got the + sheets and bedding airing in the kitchen. They have not been out of the + press for the last three years. You can cook in the kitchen. There is + always a fire there. + </p> + <p> + “Now, the first thing to do,” he went on when they returned to the shop, + “will be for you to mount a dozen cases for the windows. These drawers are + full of skins of birds and small animals. I get them for next to nothing + from the sailors, and sell them to furriers and feather preparers, who + supply ladies' hat and bonnet makers. In future, I propose that you shall + mount them and sell them direct. We shall get far higher prices than we do + now. I seem to be putting most of the work on your shoulders, but do not + want you to help me in the shop. I will look after the birds and buy and + sell as I used to do; you will have the back room private to yourself for + stuffing and mounting.” + </p> + <p> + Frank was delighted at this allotment of labor, and was soon at work + rummaging the drawers and picking out specimens for mounting, and made a + selection sufficient to keep him employed for weeks. That evening he + sallied out and expended his two pounds in underlinen, of which he was + sorely in need. As he required them his employer ordered showcases for the + window, of various sizes, getting the backgrounds painted and fitted up as + Frank suggested. + </p> + <p> + Frank did not get on so fast with his work as he had hoped, for the fame + of the sailor's cat and macaw spread rapidly in the neighborhood, and + there was a perfect rush of sailors and their wives anxious to have birds + and skins, which had been brought from abroad, mounted. The sailor himself + looked in one day. + </p> + <p> + “If you like another two pounds for that 'ere cat, governor, I'm game to + pay you. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. Every one's wanting + to see 'em, and there's the old woman dressed up in her Sunday clothes + a-sitting in the parlor as proud as a peacock a showing of 'em off. The + house ain't been so quiet since I married. Them animals would be cheap to + me at a ten pound note. They'll get you no end of orders, I can tell you.” + </p> + <p> + The orders, indeed, came in much faster than Frank could fulfill them, + although he worked twelve hours a day; laying aside all other work, + however, for three hours in order to devote himself to the shop cases, + which were to be chef d'oeuvres. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0007" id="link2HCH0007"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VII: AN OLD FRIEND + </h2> + <p> + For three months Frank passed a quiet and not unpleasant life with the old + naturalist in Ratcliff Highway. The latter took a great liking to him, and + treated him like a son rather than an assistant. The two took their meals + together now, and Frank's salary had been raised from twelve to eighteen + shillings a week. So attractive had the cases in the windows proved that + quite a little crowd was generally collected round them, and the business + had greatly augmented. The old naturalist was less pleased at this change + than most men would have been in his position. He had got into a groove + and did not care to get out of it. He had no relatives or any one + dependent on him, and he had been well content to go on in a jog trot way, + just paying his expenses of shop and living. The extra bustle and push + worried rather than pleased him. + </p> + <p> + “I am an old man,” he said to Frank one day, as after the shop was closed + they sat over their tea. “I have no motive in laying by money, and had + enough for my wants. I was influenced more by my liking for your face and + my appreciation of your talent, than by any desire of increasing my + business. I am taking now three times as much as I did before. Now I + should not mind, indeed, I should be glad, if I thought that you would + succeed me here as a son would do. I would gladly take you into + partnership with me, and you would have the whole business after my death. + But I know, my boy, that it wouldn't do. I know that the time will come + when you will not be content with so dull a life here. You will either get + an offer from some West End house which would open higher prospects to + you, or you will be wandering away as a collector. In any case you would + not stop here, of that I am quite sure, and therefore do not care, as I + should have done, had you been my son, for the increase of the business. + As it is, lad, I could not even wish to see you waste your life here.” + </p> + <p> + Frank, after he was once fairly settled at his new work, had written to + his friend the doctor, at Deal, telling him of the position he had taken, + and that he was in a fair way to make at least a comfortable living, and + that at a pursuit of which he was passionately fond. He asked him, + however, while writing to him from time to time to give him news of his + sister, not to tell any one his address, as although he was not ashamed of + his berth, still he would rather that, until he had made another step up + in life, his old schoolfellows should not know of his whereabouts. He had + also written to his friend Ruthven a bright chatty letter, telling him + somewhat of his adventures in London and the loss of his money, and saying + that he had now got employment at a naturalist's, with every chance of + making his way. + </p> + <p> + “When I mount a bit higher,” he concluded, “I shall be awfully glad to see + you again, and will let you know what my address may then be. For the + present I had rather keep it dark. If you will write to me, addressed to + the General Post Office, telling me all about yourself and the fellows at + school, I shall be very, very glad to get your letter. I suppose you will + be breaking up for Christmas in a few days.” + </p> + <p> + Christmas came and went. It was signalized to Frank only by the despatch + of a pretty present to Lucy, and the receipt of a letter from her written + in a round childish hand. A week afterwards he heard somebody come into + the shop. His employer was out, and he therefore went into the shop. + </p> + <p> + “I knew it was!” shouted a voice. “My dear old Frank, how are you?” and + his hand was warmly clasped in that of Ruthven. + </p> + <p> + “My dear Ruthven,” was all Frank could say. + </p> + <p> + “I had intended,” Ruthven exclaimed, “to punch your head directly I found + you; but I am too glad to do it, though you deserve it fifty times over. + What a fellow you are! I wouldn't have believed it of you, running away in + that secret sort of way and letting none of us know anything about you. + Wasn't I angry, and sorry too, when I got the letter you wrote me from + Deal! When I went back to school and found that not even Dr. Parker, not + even your sister, knew where you were, I was mad. So were all the other + fellows. However, I said I would find you wherever you had hidden + yourself.” + </p> + <p> + “But how did you find me?” Frank asked greatly moved at the warmth of his + schoolfellow's greeting. + </p> + <p> + “Oh! it wasn't so very difficult to find you when once I got your letter + saying what you were doing. The very day I came up to town I began to hunt + about. I found from the Directory there were not such a great number of + shops where they stuffed birds and that sort of thing. I tried the places + in Bond Street, and Piccadilly, and Wigmore Street, and so on to begin + with. Then I began to work east, and directly I saw the things in the + window here I felt sure I had found you at last. You tiresome fellow! Here + I have wasted nearly half my holidays looking for you.” + </p> + <p> + “I am so sorry, Ruthven.” + </p> + <p> + “Sorry! you ought to be more than sorry. You ought to be ashamed of + yourself, downright ashamed. But, there, I won't say any more now. Now, + can't you come out with me?” + </p> + <p> + “No, I can't come out now, Ruthven; but come into this room with me.” + </p> + <p> + There for the next hour they chatted, Frank giving a full account of all + he had gone through since he came up to town, while Ruthven gave him the + gossip of the half year at school. + </p> + <p> + “Well,” Ruthven said at last, “this old Horton of yours must be a brick. + Still, you know, you can't stop here all your life. You must come and talk + it over with my governor.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, no, indeed, Ruthven! I am getting on very well here, and am very + contented with my lot, and I could not think of troubling your father in + the matter.” + </p> + <p> + “Well, you will trouble him a great deal,” Ruthven said, “if you don't + come, for you will trouble him to come all the way down here. He was quite + worried when he first heard of your disappearance, and has been almost as + excited as I have over the search for you. + </p> + <p> + “You are really a foolish fellow, Frank,” he went on more seriously; “I + really didn't think it of you. Here you save the lives of four or five + fellows and put all their friends under a tremendous obligation, and then + you run away and hide yourself as if you were ashamed. I tell you you + can't do it. A fellow has no more right to get rid of obligations than he + has to run away without paying his debts. It would be a burden on your + mind if you had a heavy debt you couldn't pay, and you would have a right + to be angry if, when you were perfectly able to pay, your creditor refused + to take the money. That's just the position in which you've placed my + father. Well, anyhow, you've got to come and see him, or he's got to come + and see you. I know he has something in his mind's eye which will just + suit you, though he did not tell me what it was. For the last day or two + he has been particularly anxious about finding you. Only yesterday when I + came back and reported that I had been to half a dozen places without + success, he said, 'Confound the young rascal, where can he be hiding? Here + are the days slipping by and it will be too late. If you don't find him in + a day or two, Dick, I will set the police after him—say he has + committed a murder or broken into a bank and offer a reward for his + apprehension.' So you must either come home with me this afternoon, or you + will be having my father down here tonight.” + </p> + <p> + “Of course, Ruthven,” Frank said, “I would not put your father to such + trouble. He is very kind to have taken so much interest in me, only I hate—” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, nonsense! I hate to see such beastly stuck up pride, putting your own + dignity above the affection of your friends; for that's really what it + comes to, old boy, if you look it fairly in the face.” + </p> + <p> + Frank flushed a little and was silent for a minute or two. + </p> + <p> + “I suppose you are right, Ruthven; but it is a little hard for a fellow—” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, no, it isn't,” Ruthven said. “If you'd got into a scrape from some + fault of your own one could understand it, although even then there would + be no reason for you to cut your old friends till they cut you. Young + Goodall, who lives over at Bayswater, has been over four or five times to + ask me if I have succeeded in finding you, and I have had letters from + Handcock, and Childers, and Jackson. Just as if a fellow had got nothing + to do but to write letters. How long will you be before you can come out?” + </p> + <p> + “There is Mr. Horton just come in,” Frank said. “I have no doubt he will + let me go at once.” + </p> + <p> + The old naturalist at once assented upon Frank's telling him that a friend + had come who wished him to go out. + </p> + <p> + “Certainly, my dear boy. Why, working the hours and hours of overtime that + you do, of course you can take a holiday whenever you're disposed.” + </p> + <p> + “He will not be back till late,” Ruthven said as they went out. “I shall + keep him all the evening.” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, indeed, Ruthven, I have no clothes!” + </p> + <p> + “Clothes be bothered,” Ruthven said. “I certainly shall end by punching + your head, Frank, before the day's out.” + </p> + <p> + Frank remonstrated no more, but committed himself entirely to his friend's + guidance. At the Mansion House they mounted on the roof of an omnibus + going west, and at Knightsbridge got off and walked to Eaton Square, where + Ruthven's father resided. The latter was out, so Frank accompanied his + friend to what he called his sanctum, a small room littered up with books, + bats, insect boxes, and a great variety of rubbish of all kinds. Here they + chatted until the servant came up and said that Sir James had returned. + </p> + <p> + “Come on, Frank,” Ruthven said, running downstairs. “There's nothing of + the ogre about the governor.” + </p> + <p> + They entered the study, and Ruthven introduced his friend. + </p> + <p> + “I've caught him, father, at last. This is the culprit.” + </p> + <p> + Sir James Ruthven was a pleasant looking man, with a kindly face. + </p> + <p> + “Well, you troublesome boy,” he said, holding out his hand, “where have + you been hiding all this time?” + </p> + <p> + “I don't know that I've been hiding, sir,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “Not exactly hiding,” Sir James smiled, “only keeping away from those who + wanted to find you. Well, and how are you getting on?” + </p> + <p> + “I am getting on very well, sir. I am earning eighteen shillings a week + and my board and lodging, and my employer says he will take me into + partnership as soon as I come of age.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah, indeed!” Sir James said. “I am glad to hear that, as it shows you + must be clever and industrious.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, father, and the place was full of the most lovely cases of things + Frank had stuffed. There was quite a crowd looking in at the window.” + </p> + <p> + “That is very satisfactory. Now, Frank, do you sit down and write a note + to your employer, asking him to send down half a dozen of the best cases. + I want to show them to a gentleman who will dine with me here today, and + who is greatly interested in such matters. When you have written the note + I will send a servant off at once in a cab to fetch them.” + </p> + <p> + “And, father,” Dick continued, “if you don't mind, might Frank and I have + our dinner quietly together in my room? You've got a dinner party on, and + Frank won't enjoy it half as much as he would dining quietly with me.” + </p> + <p> + “By all means,” Sir James said. “But mind he is not to run away without + seeing me. + </p> + <p> + “You are a foolish lad,” he went on in a kind voice to Frank; “and it was + wrong as well as foolish to hide yourself from your friends. However + independent we may be in this world, all must, to a certain extent, rely + upon others. There is scarcely a man who can stand aloof from the rest and + say, 'I want nothing of you.' I can understand your feeling in shrinking + from asking a favor of me, or of the fathers of the other boys who are, + like myself, deeply indebted to you for the great service you have + rendered their sons. I can admire the feeling if not carried too far; but + you should have let your schoolfellows know exactly how you were placed, + and so have given us the opportunity of repaying the obligation if we were + disposed, not to have run away and hidden yourself from us.” + </p> + <p> + “I am sorry, sir,” Frank said simply. “I did not like to seem to trade + upon the slight service I rendered some of my schoolfellows. Dr. Bateman + told me I was wrong, but I did not see it then. Now I think, perhaps he + was right, although I am afraid that if it happened again I should do the + same.” + </p> + <p> + Sir James smiled. + </p> + <p> + “I fear you are a stiff necked one, Master Frank. However, I will not + scold you any further. Now, what will you do with yourselves till dinner + time?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, we'll just sit and chat, father. We have got lots more things to tell + each other.” + </p> + <p> + The afternoon passed in pleasant talk. Frank learned that Ruthven had now + left Dr. Parker's for good, and that he was going down after the holidays + to a clergyman who prepared six or eight boys for the army. Before dinner + the footman returned with half a dozen of the best cases from the shop, + which were brought up to Dick's room, and the latter was delighted with + them. They greatly enjoyed their dinner together. At nine o'clock a + servant came up and took down the cases. Five minutes later he returned + again with a message, saying that Sir James wished Mr. Richard and his + friend to go down into the dining room. Frank was not shy, but he felt it + rather a trial when he entered the room, where seven or eight gentlemen + were sitting round the table, the ladies having already withdrawn. The + gentlemen were engaged in examining and admiring the cases of stuffed + birds and animals. + </p> + <p> + “This is my young friend,” Sir James said, “of whom I have been speaking + to you, and whose work you are all admiring. This, Frank, is Mr. + Goodenough, the traveler and naturalist, of whom you may have heard.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, indeed,” Frank said, looking at the gentleman indicated. “I have Mr. + Goodenough's book on The Passerine Family at home.” + </p> + <p> + “It is rather an expensive book too,” the gentleman said. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sir. My father bought it, not I. He was very fond of natural history + and taught me all I know. He had a capital library of books on the + subject, which Dr. Bateman is keeping for me, at Deal, till I have some + place where I can put them. I was thinking of getting them up soon.” + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough asked him a few questions as to the books in the library, + and then put him through what Frank felt was a sort of examination, as to + his knowledge of their contents. + </p> + <p> + “Very good indeed!” Mr. Goodenough said. “I can see from your work here + that you are not only a very clever preparer, but a close student of the + habits and ways of wild creatures. But I was hardly prepared to find your + scientific knowledge so accurate and extensive. I was at first rather + inclined to hesitate when Sir James Ruthven made me a proposal just now. I + do so no longer. I am on the point of starting on an expedition into the + center of Africa in search of specimens of natural history. He has + proposed that you should accompany me, and has offered to defray the cost + of your outfit, and of your passage out and home. I may be away for two + years. Of course you would act as my assistant, and have every opportunity + of acquiring such knowledge as I possess. It will be no pleasure trip, you + know, but hard work, with all sorts of hardships and, perhaps, some + dangers. At the same time it would be a fine opening in a career as a + naturalist. Well, what do you say?” + </p> + <p> + “Oh, sir!” Frank exclaimed, clasping his hands, “it is of all things in + the world what I should like most. How can I thank you enough? And you, + Sir James, it is indeed kind and thoughtful of you.” + </p> + <p> + “We are not quits yet by any means, Frank,” Sir James said kindly. “I am + glad indeed to be able to forward your wishes; and now you must go + upstairs and be introduced to my wife. She is most anxious to see you. She + only returned home just before dinner.” + </p> + <p> + Frank was taken upstairs, where he and his cases of birds were made much + of by Lady Ruthven and the ladies assembled in the drawing room. He + himself was so filled with delight at the prospect opened to him that all + thought of his dark tweed suit being out of place among the evening + dresses of the ladies and gentlemen, which had troubled him while he was + awaiting the summons to the dining room, quite passed out of his mind, and + he was able to do the honors of his cases naturally and without + embarrassment. At eleven o'clock he took his leave, promising to call upon + Mr. Goodenough, who was in lodgings in Jermyn Street, upon the following + morning, that gentleman having at Sir James' request undertaken to procure + all the necessary outfit. + </p> + <p> + “I feel really obliged to you, Sir James,” Mr. Goodenough said when Frank + had left. “The lad has a genius for natural history, and he is modest and + self possessed. From what you tell me he has done rather than apply for + assistance to anyone, he must have plenty of pluck and resolution, and + will make a capital traveling companion. I feel quite relieved, for it is + so difficult to procure a companion who will exactly suit. Clever + naturalists are rare, and one can never tell how one will get on with a + man when you are thrown together. He may want to have his own way, may be + irritable and bad tempered, may in many respects be a disagreeable + companion. With that lad I feel sure of my ground. We shall get on + capitally together.” + </p> + <p> + On his return to the shop Frank told his employer, whom he found sitting + up for him, the change which had taken place in his life, and the opening + which presented itself. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Horton expressed himself as sincerely glad. + </p> + <p> + “I shall miss you sadly,” he said, “shall feel very dull for a time in my + solitary house here; but it is better for you that you should go, and I + never expected to keep you long. You were made for better things than this + shop, and I have no doubt that a brilliant career will be open before you. + You may not become a rich man, for natural history is scarcely a lucrative + profession, but you may become a famous one. Now, my lad, go off to bed + and dream of your future.” + </p> + <p> + The next morning Frank went over, the first thing after breakfast, to see + his friend the porter. He, too, was very pleased to hear of Frank's good + fortune, but he was too busy to talk much to him, and promised that he + would come over that evening and hear all about it. Then Frank took his + way to Jermyn Street, and went with Mr. Goodenough to Silver's, where an + outfit suited for the climate of Central Africa was ordered. The clothes + were simple. Shirts made of thin soft flannel, knickerbockers and Norfolk + jackets of tough New Zealand flax, with gaiters of the same material. + </p> + <p> + “There is nothing like it,” Mr. Goodenough said; “it is the only stuff + which has a chance with the thorns of an African forest. Now you will want + a revolver, a Winchester repeating carbine, and a shotgun. My outfit of + boxes and cases is ready, so beyond two or three extra nets and collecting + boxes there is nothing farther to do in that way. For your head you'd + better have a very soft felt hat with a wide brim; with a leaf or two + inside they are as cool as anything, and are far lighter and more + comfortable than the helmets which many people use in the tropics.” + </p> + <p> + “As far as shooting goes,” Frank said, “I think that I shall do much + better with my blowgun than with a regular one. I can hit a small bird + sitting nineteen times out of twenty.” + </p> + <p> + “That is a good thing,” Mr. Goodenough answered. “For shooting sitting + there is nothing better than a blowgun in skillful hands. They have the + advantage too of not breaking the skin; but for flying a shotgun is + infinitely more accurate. You will have little difficulty in learning to + shoot well, as your eye is already trained by the use of your blowpipe. + Will you want any knives for skinning?” + </p> + <p> + “No, sir. I have a plentiful stock of them.” + </p> + <p> + “Are you going back to Eaton Square? I heard Sir James ask you to stop + there until we start.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” Frank replied; “I asked his permission to stay where I am till + tomorrow. I did not like to seem in a hurry to run away from Mr. Horton, + who has been extremely kind to me.” + </p> + <p> + “Mind, you must come here in three days to have your things tried on,” Mr. + Goodenough said. “I particularly ordered that they are to be made easy and + comfortable, larger, indeed, than you absolutely require, but we must + allow for growing, and two years may make a difference of some inches to + you. Now, we have only to go to a bootmaker's and then we have done.” + </p> + <p> + When the orders were completed they separated, as Mr. Goodenough was going + down that afternoon to the country, and was not to return until the day + preceding that on which they were to sail. That evening Frank had a long + chat with his two friends, and was much pleased when the old naturalist, + who had taken a great fancy to the honest porter, offered him the use of a + room at his house, saying that he should be more than paid by the pleasure + of his company of an evening. The offer was accepted, and Frank was glad + to think that his two friends would be sitting smoking their pipes + together of an evening instead of being in their solitary rooms. The next + day he took up his residence in Eaton square. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0008" id="link2HCH0008"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER VIII: TO THE DARK CONTINENT + </h2> + <p> + After spending two or three days going about London and enjoying himself + with his friend Dick, Frank started for Deal, where he was pleased to find + his sister well and happy. He bade goodbye to her, to the doctor, and such + of his schoolfellows as lived in Deal, to whom his start for Central + Africa was quite an event. Dr. Bateman handed over to him his watch and + chain and his blowgun, which he had taken care of for him, also his + skinning knives and instruments. The same evening he returned to town, and + spent the days very pleasantly until the afternoon came when he was to + depart. Then he bade farewell to his kind friends Sir James and Lady + Ruthven. Dick accompanied him in the cab to Euston station, where a minute + or two later Mr. Goodenough arrived. The luggage was placed in a carriage, + and Frank stood chatting with Dick at the door, until the guard's cry, + “Take your places!” caused him to jump into the carriage. There was one + more hearty handshake with his friend, and then the train steamed out of + the station. + </p> + <p> + It was midnight when they arrived at Liverpool, and at once went to bed at + the Station Hotel. On coming down in the morning Frank was astonished at + the huge heap of baggage piled up in the hall, but he was told that this + was of daily occurrence, as six or eight large steamers went out from + Liverpool every week for America alone, and that the great proportion of + the passengers came down, as they had done, on the previous night, and + slept at the Station hotel. Their own share of the baggage was not large, + consisting only of a portmanteau each, Mr. Goodenough having sent down all + his boxes two days previously. At twelve o'clock they went on board the + Niger, bound for the west coast of Africa. This would carry them as far as + Sierra Leone, whence Mr. Goodenough intended to take passage in a sailing + ship to his starting point for the interior. + </p> + <p> + Frank enjoyed the voyage out intensely, and three days after sailing they + had left winter behind; four days later they were lying in the harbor of + Funchal. + </p> + <p> + “What a glorious place that would be to ramble about!” he said to Mr. + Goodenough. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, indeed. It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast than + between this mountainous island of Madeira and the country which we are + about to penetrate. This is one of the most delightful climates in the + world, the west coast of Africa one of the worst. Once well in the + interior, the swamp fevers, which are the curse of the shores, disappear, + but African travelers are seldom long free from attacks of fever of one + kind or the other. However, quinine does wonders, and we shall be far in + the interior before the bad season comes on.” + </p> + <p> + “You have been there before, you said, Mr. Goodenough?” + </p> + <p> + “Yes, I have been there twice, and have made excursions for short + distances from the coast. But this time we are going into a country which + may be said to be altogether unknown. One or two explorers have made their + way there, but these have done little towards examining the natural + productions of the country, and have been rather led by inducements of + sport than by those of research.” + </p> + <p> + “Did you have fever, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “Two or three little attacks. A touch of African fever, during what is + called the good season, is of little more importance than a feverish cold + at home. It lasts two or three days, and then there is an end of it. In + the bad season the attacks are extremely violent, sometimes carrying men + off in a few hours. I consider, however, that dysentery is a more + formidable enemy than fever. However, even that, when properly treated, + should be combated successfully.” + </p> + <p> + “Do you mean to hire the men to go with you at Sierra Leone?” + </p> + <p> + “Certainly not, Frank. The negroes of Sierra Leone are the most indolent, + the most worthless, and the most insolent in all Africa. It is the last + place in the world at which to hire followers. We must get them at the + Gaboon itself, and at each place we arrive at afterwards we take on + others, merely retaining one of the old lot to act as interpreter. The + natives, although they may allow white men to pass safely, are exceedingly + jealous of men of other tribes. I shall, however, take with me, if + possible, a body of, say six Houssas, who are the best fighting negroes on + the coast. These I shall take as a bodyguard; the carriers we shall obtain + from the different tribes we visit. The Kroomen, whom you will see at Cape + Palmas, are a magnificent set of men. They furnish sailors and boatmen to + all the ships trading on these shores. They are strong, willing, and + faithful, but they do not like going up into the interior. Now we will + land here and get a few hours' run on shore. There are one or two + peculiarities about Madeira which distinguish it from other places. To + begin with we will go for a ride in a bullock cart without wheels.” + </p> + <p> + “But surely it must jolt about terribly,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “Not at all. The roads are paved with round, knubbly stones, such as you + see sometimes in narrow lanes and courts in seaside places at home. These + would not make smooth roads for wheeled vehicles; but here, as you will + see, the carts are placed on long runners like those of sledges. These are + greased, and the driver always has a pound of candles or so hanging to the + cart. When he thinks that the runners want greasing he takes a candle, + lays it down on the road in front of one of the runners, and lets this + pass over it. This greases it sufficiently, and it glides along over the + stones almost as smoothly as if passing over ice.” + </p> + <p> + Frank thoroughly enjoyed his run on shore, but was surprised at the air of + listlessness which pervaded the inhabitants. Every one moved about in the + most dawdling fashion. The shopkeepers looked out from their doors as if + it were a matter of perfect indifference to them whether customers called + or not. The few soldiers in Portuguese uniform looked as if they had never + done a day's drill since they left home. Groups sat in chairs under the + trees and sipped cooling drinks or coffee. The very bullocks which drew + the gliding wagons seemed to move more slowly than bullocks in other + places. Frank and his friend drove in a wagon to the monastery, high up on + the mountain, and then took their places on a little hand sledge, which + was drawn by two men with ropes, who took them down the sharp descent at a + run, dashing round corners at a pace which made Frank hold his breath. It + took them but a quarter of an hour to regain the town, while an hour and a + half had been occupied in the journey out. + </p> + <p> + “I shall buy a couple of hammocks here,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They are + made of knotted string, and are lighter and more comfortable than those to + be met with on the coast. I will get a couple of their cane chairs, too, + they are very light and comfortable.” + </p> + <p> + In the afternoon they again embarked, and then steamed away for Sierra + Leone. After several days' passage, they arrived there at daylight, and + Frank was soon on deck. + </p> + <p> + “What a beautiful place!” he exclaimed. “It is not a bit what I expected.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” Mr. Goodenough said; “no one looking at it could suppose that bright + pretty town had earned for itself the name of the white man's grave.” + </p> + <p> + Sierra Leone is built on a somewhat steep ascent about a mile up the + river. Freetown, as the capital is properly called, stands some fifty feet + or so above the sea, and the barracks upon a green hill three hundred feet + above it, a quarter of a mile back. The town, as seen from the sea, + consists entirely of the houses of the merchants and shopkeepers, the + government buildings, churches, and other public and European buildings. + The houses are all large and bright with yellow tinged whitewash, and the + place is completely embowered in palms and other tropical trees. The + native town lies hidden from sight among trees on low ground to the left + of the town. Everywhere around the town the hills rise steep and high, + wooded to the summit. Altogether there are few more prettily situated + towns than the capital of Sierra Leone. + </p> + <p> + “It is wonderful,” Mr. Goodenough said, “that generations and generations + of Europeans have been content to live and die in that wretchedly + unhealthy place, when they might have established themselves on those + lofty hills but a mile away. There they would be far above the malarious + mists which rise from the low ground. The walk up and down to their + warehouses and offices here would be good for them, and there is no reason + why Sierra Leone should be an unhealthy residence. Unfortunately the + European in Africa speedily loses his vigor and enterprise. When he first + lands he exclaims, 'I certainly shall have a bungalow built upon those + hills;' but in a short time his energy leaves him. He falls into the ways + of the place, drinks a great deal more spirits than is good for him, stops + down near the water, and at the end of a year or so, if he lives so long, + is obliged to go back to Europe to recruit. + </p> + <p> + “Look at the boats coming out.” + </p> + <p> + A score of boats, each containing from ten to twelve men, approached the + ship. They remained at a short distance until the harbor master came on + board and pronounced the ship free from quarantine. Then the boats made a + rush to the side, and with shouts, yells, and screams of laughter + scrambled on board. Frank was at once astonished and amused at the noise + and confusion. + </p> + <p> + “What on earth do they all want?” he asked Mr. Goodenough. + </p> + <p> + “The great proportion of them don't want anything at all,” Mr. Goodenough + answered, “but have merely come off for amusement. Some of them come to be + hired, some to carry luggage, others to tout for the boatmen below. Look + at those respectable negresses coming up the gangway now. They are + washerwomen, and will take our clothes ashore and bring them on board + again this afternoon before we start.” + </p> + <p> + “It seems running rather a risk,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “No, you will see they all have testimonials, and I believe it is + perfectly safe to intrust things to them.” + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough and Frank now prepared to go on shore, but this was not + easily accomplished, for there was a battle royal among the boatmen whose + craft thronged at the foot of the ladder. Each boat had about four hands, + three of whom remained on board her, while the fourth stood upon the + ladder and hauled at the painter to keep the boat to which he belonged + alongside. As out of the twenty boats lying there not more than two could + be at the foot of the ladder together, the conflict was a desperate one. + All the boatmen shouted, “Here, sar. This good boat, sar. You come wid me, + sar,” at the top of their voices, while at the same time they were hard at + work pulling each other's boats back and pushing their own forward. So + great was the struggle as Frank and Mr. Goodenough approached the gangway, + so great the crowd upon the ladder, that one side of the iron bar from + which the ladder chains depend broke in two, causing the ladder to drop + some inches and giving a ducking to those on the lower step, causing + shouts of laughter and confusion. These rose into perfect yells of + amusement when one of the sailors suddenly loosed the ladder rope, letting + five or six of the negroes into the water up to their necks. So intense + was the appreciation by the sable mind of this joke that the boatmen + rolled about with laughter, and even the victims, when they had once + scrambled into their boats, yelled like people possessed. + </p> + <p> + “They are just like children,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They are always + either laughing or quarreling. They are good natured and passionate, + indolent, but will work hard for a time; clever up to a certain point, + densely stupid beyond. The intelligence of an average negro is about equal + to that of a European child of ten years old. A few, a very few, go beyond + this, but these are exceptions, just as Shakespeare was an exception to + the ordinary intellect of an Englishman. They are fluent talkers, but + their ideas are borrowed. They are absolutely without originality, + absolutely without inventive power. Living among white men, their + imitative faculties enable them to attain a considerable amount of + civilization. Left alone to their own devices they retrograde into a state + little above their native savagery.” + </p> + <p> + This was said as, after having fixed upon a boat and literally fought + their way into it, they were rowed towards the shore. On landing Frank was + delighted with the greenness of everything. The trees were heavy with + luxuriant foliage, the streets were green with grass as long and bright as + that in a country lane in England. The hill on which the barracks stand + was as bright a green as you would see on English slopes after a wet + April, while down the streets clear streams were running. The town was + alive with a chattering, laughing, good natured, excitable population, all + black, but with some slight variation in the dinginess of the hue. + </p> + <p> + Never was there such a place for fun as Sierra Leone. Every one was + brimful of it. Every one laughed when he or she spoke, and every one + standing near joined freely in the conversation and laughed too. Frank was + delighted with the display of fruit in the market, which is probably + unequaled in the world. Great piles there were of delicious big oranges, + green but perfectly sweet, and of equally refreshing little green limes; + pineapples and bananas, green, yellow, and red, guava, and custard apples, + alligator pears, melons, and sour sops, and many other native fruits. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough purchased a large basket of fruit, which they took with + them on board the ship. The next morning they started down the coast. They + passed Liberia, the republic formed of liberated slaves, and of negroes + from America, and brought up a mile or two off Monrovia, its capital. The + next day they anchored off Cape Palmas, the headquarters of the Kroomen. A + number of these men came off in their canoes, and caused great amusement + to Frank and the other passengers by their fun and dexterity in the + management of their little craft. These boats are extremely light, being + hollowed out until little thicker than pasteboard, and even with two + Kroomen paddling it is difficult for a European to sit in them, so + extremely crank are they. Light as they are the Krooboy can stand up and + dive from his boat without upsetting it if he take time; but in the hurry + and excitement of diving for coppers, when half a dozen men would leap + overboard together, the canoes were frequently capsized. The divers, + however, thought nothing of these mishaps, righting the boats and getting + in again without difficulty. Splendidly muscular fellows they were. + Indeed, except among the Turkish hamals it is doubtful whether such + powerful figures could be found elsewhere. + </p> + <p> + “They would be grand fellows to take with us, Mr. Goodenough,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, if they were as plucky as they are strong, one could wish for + nothing better; but they are notorious cowards, and no offer would tempt + them to penetrate into such a country as that into which we are going.” + </p> + <p> + Stopping a few hours at Cape Coast Castle, Accra, and other ports they at + last arrived at Bonny. + </p> + <p> + “It is not tempting in appearance,” Frank said, “certainly.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” Mr. Goodenough replied, “this is one of the most horribly unhealthy + spots in Africa. As you see, the white traders do not dare to live on + shore, but take up their residence in those old floating hulks which are + thatched over, and serve as residences and storehouses. I have a letter + from one of the African merchants in London, and we shall take up our + abode on board his hulk until we get one of the coasting steamers to carry + us down. I hope it will not be many days.” + </p> + <p> + The very bulky luggage was soon transferred to the hulk, where Frank and + Mr. Goodenough took up their residence. The agent in charge was very glad + to receive them, as any break in the terrible monotony of such a life is + eagerly welcomed. He was a pale, unhealthy looking man, and had just + recovered from an unusually bad attack of fever. Like most of the traders + on the coast he had an immense faith in the power of spirits. + </p> + <p> + “It is the ruin of them,” Mr. Goodenough said to Frank when they were + alone. “Five out of six of the men here ruin their constitutions with + spirits, and then fall an easy prey to the fever.” + </p> + <p> + “But you have brought spirits with you, Mr. Goodenough. I saw some of the + cases were labeled Brandy.'” + </p> + <p> + “Brandy is useful when taken as a medicine, and in moderation. A little + mixed with water at the end of a long day of exhausting work acts as a + restorative, and frequently enables a worn out man to sleep. But I have + brought the brandy you see for the use of others rather than myself. One + case is of the very best spirits for our own use. The rest is common stuff + and is intended as presents. Our main drink will be tea and chocolate. + These are invaluable for the traveler. I have, besides, large quantities + of calico, brass stair rods, beads, and powder. These are the money of + Africa, and pass current everywhere. With these we shall pay our carriers + and boatmen, with these purchase the right of way through the various + tribes we shall meet. Moreover it is almost necessary in Africa to pass as + traders. The people perfectly understand that white men come here to + trade; but if we said that our object was to shoot birds and beasts, and + to catch butterflies and insects, they would not believe us in the + slightest degree, but would suspect us of all sorts of hidden designs. Now + we will go ashore and pay our respects to the king.” + </p> + <p> + “Do you mean to say that there is a king in that wretched looking + village?” Frank asked in surprise. + </p> + <p> + “Kings are as plentiful as peas in Africa,” Mr. Goodenough said, “but you + will not see much royal state.” + </p> + <p> + Frank was disappointed indeed upon landing. Sierra Leone had given him an + exalted idea of African civilization, but this was at once dispelled by + the appearance of Bonny. The houses were constructed entirely of black + mud, and the streets were narrow and filthy beyond description. The palace + was composed of two or three hovels, surrounded by a mud wall. In one of + these huts the king was seated. Mr. Goodenough and Frank were introduced + by the agent, who had gone ashore with them, and His Majesty, who was an + almost naked negro, at once invited them to join him in the meal of which + he was partaking. As a matter of courtesy they consented, and plates were + placed before them, heaped with a stew consisting of meat, vegetables, and + hot peppers. While the meal went on the king asked Mr. Goodenough what he + had come to the coast for, and was disappointed to find that he was not + going to set up as a trader at Bonny, as it was the custom for each + newcomer to make a handsome present to him. When the meal was over they + took their leave. + </p> + <p> + “Do you know what you have been eating?” the agent asked Frank. + </p> + <p> + “Not in the least,” Frank said. “It was not bad; what was it?” + </p> + <p> + “It was dog flesh,” the agent answered. + </p> + <p> + “Not really!” Frank exclaimed with an uncomfortable sensation of sickness. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, indeed,” the agent replied. “Dog's meat is considered a luxury in + Bonny, and dogs are bred specially for the table.” + </p> + <p> + “You'll eat stranger things than that before you've done, Frank,” Mr. + Goodenough continued, “and will find them just as good, and in many cases + better, than those to which you are accustomed. It is a strange thing why + in Europe certain animals should be considered fit to eat and certain + animals altogether rejected, and this without the slightest reason. Horses + and donkeys are as clean feeders as oxen and sheep. Dogs, cats, and rats + are far cleaner than pigs and ducks. The flesh of the one set is every bit + as good as that of the other, and yet the poorest peasant would turn up + his nose at them. Here sheep and oxen, horses and donkeys, will not live, + and the natives very wisely make the most of the animals which can do so.” + </p> + <p> + Frank was soon tired of Bonny, and was glad to hear that they would start + the next day for Fernando Po in a little steamer called the Retriever. The + island of Fernando Po is a very beautiful one, the peak rising ten + thousand feet above the sea, and wooded to the very summit. Were the trees + to some extent cleared away the island might be very healthy. As it is, it + is little better than the mainland. + </p> + <p> + There was not much to see in the town of Clarence, whose population + consists entirely of traders from Sierra Leone, Kroomen, etc. The natives, + whose tribal name is Adiza, live in little villages in the interior. They + are an extremely primitive people, and for the most part dispense + altogether with clothing. The island belongs to Spain, and is used as a + prison, the convicts being kept in guard ships in the harbor. After a stay + of three days there Mr. Goodenough and Frank took passage in a sailing + ship for the Gaboon. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0009" id="link2HCH0009"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER IX: THE START INLAND + </h2> + <p> + After the comforts of a fine steamer the accommodation on board the little + trader was poor indeed. The vessel smelt horribly of palm oil and was + alive with cockroaches. These, however, Mr. Goodenough and Frank cared + little for, as they brought up their mattresses and slept on deck. Upon + their voyage out from England Frank, as well as several of the other + passengers, had amused himself by practicing with his rifle at empty + bottles thrown overboard, and other objects, and having nothing else to do + now, he resumed the practice, accustoming himself also to the use of his + revolver, the mark being a small log of wood swung from the end of a yard. + </p> + <p> + “I told you,” Mr. Goodenough said, “that your skill with the blowgun would + prove useful to you in shooting. You are as good a shot as I am, and I am + considered a fair one. I have no doubt that with a little practice you + will succeed as well with your double barrel. The shooting of birds on the + wing is a knack which seems to come naturally to some people, while + others, practice as they will, never become good shots.” + </p> + <p> + The ship touched twice upon its way down to the Gaboon. Once at the + Malimba river, the second time at Botauga, the latter being the principal + ivory port in equatorial Africa. + </p> + <p> + “Shall we meet with any elephants, do you think?” Frank asked his friend. + </p> + <p> + “In all probability,” Mr. Goodenough said. “Elephant shooting, of course, + does not come within our line of action, and I should not go at all out of + my way for them. Still, if we meet them we will shoot them. The ivory is + valuable and will help to pay our expenses, while the meat is much prized + by the natives, who will gladly assist us in consideration of the flesh.” + </p> + <p> + On the sixteenth day after leaving Fernando Po they entered the Gaboon. On + the right hand bank were the fort and dwellings of the French. A little + farther up stood the English factories; and upon a green hill behind, the + church, school, and houses of an American mission. On the left bank was + the wattle town of King William, the sable monarch of the Gaboon. Mr. + Goodenough at once landed and made inquiries for a house. He succeeded in + finding one, consisting of three rooms, built on piles, an important point + in a country in which disease rises from the soil. At Bonny Mr. Goodenough + had, with the assistance of the agent, enlisted six Houssas. These people + live much higher up on the coast, but they wander a good deal and may be + met with in most of the ports. The men had formed a guard in one of the + hulks, but trade having been bad the agent had gone home, and they were + glad to take service with Mr. Goodenough. They spoke a few words of + English, and, like the Kroomen, rejoiced in names which had been given + them by sailors. They were called Moses, Firewater, Ugly Tom, Bacon, + Tatters, and King John. They were now for the first time set to work, and + the goods were soon transported from the brig to the house. + </p> + <p> + “Is anything the matter with you, Frank?” Mr. Goodenough asked that + evening. + </p> + <p> + “I don't know, sir. My head feels heavy, somehow, and I am giddy.” + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough felt his pulse. + </p> + <p> + “You have got your first touch of fever,” he said. “I wonder you've been + so long without it. You had better lie down at once.” + </p> + <p> + A quarter of an hour afterwards Frank was seized with an overpowering + heat, every vein appearing to be filled with liquid fire; but his skin, + instead of being, as usual, in a state of perspiration, was dry and hard. + </p> + <p> + “Now, Frank, sit up and drink this. It's only some mustard and salt and + water. I have immense faith in an emetic.” + </p> + <p> + The draught soon took its effect. Frank was violently sick, and the + perspiration broke in streams from him. + </p> + <p> + “Here is a cup of tea,” Mr. Goodenough said; “drink that and you will find + that there will be little the matter with you in the morning.” + </p> + <p> + Frank awoke feeling weak, but otherwise perfectly well. Mr. Goodenough + administered a strong dose of quinine, and after he had had his breakfast + he felt quite himself again. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” Mr. Goodenough said, “we will go up to the factories and mission + and try and find a really good servant. Everything depends upon that.” + </p> + <p> + In a short time an engagement was made with a negro of the name of Ostik. + He was a Mpongwe man, that being the name of the tribe on the coast. He + spoke English fairly, as well as two or three of the native languages. He + had before made a journey some distance into the interior with a white + traveler. He was a tall and powerfully built negro, very ugly, but with a + pleasant and honest face. Frank felt at once that he should like him. + </p> + <p> + “You quite understand,” Mr. Goodenough explained, “we are going through + the Fan country, far into the interior. We may be away from the coast for + many months.” + </p> + <p> + “Me ready, sar,” the man answered with a grin. “Mak no odds to Ostik. He + got no wife, no piccanniny. Ostik very good cook. Master find good grub; + he catch plenty of beasts.” + </p> + <p> + “You're not afraid, Ostik, because it is possible we may have trouble on + the way?” + </p> + <p> + “Me not very much afraid, massa. You good massa to Ostik he no run away if + fightee come; but no good fight whole tribe.” + </p> + <p> + “I hope not to have any fighting at all, Ostik; but as I have got six + Houssas with me who will all carry breech loading guns, I think we should + be a match for a good sized tribe, if necessary.” + </p> + <p> + Ostik looked thoughtful. “More easy, massa, go without Houssas,” he said. + “Black man not often touch white traveler.” + </p> + <p> + “No, Ostik, that is true; but I must take with me trade goods for paying + my way and hiring carriers, and if alone I should be at the mercy of every + petty chief who chose to plunder and delay me. I am going as a peaceful + traveler, ready to pay my way, and to make presents to the different kings + through whose territories I may pass. But I do not choose to put myself at + the mercy of any of them. I do not say that eight men armed with breech + loaders could defeat a whole tribe; but they would be so formidable, that + any of these negro kings would probably prefer taking presents and letting + us pass peacefully to trying to rob us. The first thing to do, will be to + hire one large canoe, or two if necessary. The men must agree to take us + up into the Fan country, as far as the rapids on the Gaboon. Then we shall + take carriers there, and the boat can return by itself. These are the + things which will have to go.” + </p> + <p> + The baggage consisted of ten large tin cases, each weighing about eighty + pounds. These contained cotton cloths, powder, beads, tea, chocolate, + sugar, and biscuits. There were in addition three bundles of stair rods, + each about the same weight as the boxes. These were done up in canvas. + There was also a tent made of double canvas weighing fifty pounds, and two + light folding tressel beds weighing fifteen pounds apiece. Thus fourteen + men would be required as carriers, besides some for plantains and other + provisions, together with the portmanteaus, rugs, and waterproof sheets of + the travelers. There were besides six great chests made of light iron. + Four of these were fitted with trays with cork bottoms, for insects. The + other two were for the skins of birds. All the boxes and cases had strips + of India rubber where the lids fitted down, in order to keep out both damp + and the tiny ants which are the plague of naturalists in Africa. + </p> + <p> + Four or five days were occupied in getting together a crew, for the + natives had an abject fear of entering the country of the cannibal Fans. + Mr. Goodenough promised that they should not be obliged to proceed unless + a safe conduct for their return was obtained from the King of the Fans. A + large canoe was procured, sufficient to convey the whole party. Twelve + paddlers were hired, and the goods taken down and arranged in the boat. + The Houssas had been, on landing, furnished with their guns, which were + Snider rifles, had been instructed in the breech loading arrangement, and + had been set to work to practice at a mark at a hundred and fifty yards + distance—the stump of an old tree, some five feet in height, serving + for the purpose. The men were delighted with the accuracy of their pieces + and the rapidity at which they could be fired. Mr. Goodenough impressed + upon them that unless attacked at close quarters, and specially ordered to + fire fast, they must aim just as slowly and deliberately as if using their + old guns, for that in so long a journey ammunition would be precious, and + must, therefore, on no account whatever, be wasted. In the boxes were six + thousand rounds of ammunition, a thousand for each gun, besides the + ammunition for the rifles and fowling pieces of Mr. Goodenough and Frank. + </p> + <p> + In order to render the appearance of his followers as imposing as + possible, Mr. Goodenough furnished each of the Houssas with a pair of + trousers made of New Zealand flax, reaching to their knees. These he had + brought from England with him. They were all found to be too large, but + the men soon set to work with rough needles and thread and took them in. + In addition to these, each man was furnished with a red sash, which went + several times round the waist, and served to keep the trousers up and to + give a gay aspect to the dress. The Houssas were much pleased with their + appearance. All of them carried swords in addition to the guns, as in + their own country they are accustomed to fight with these weapons. + </p> + <p> + They started early in the morning, and after four hours' paddling passed + Konig Island, an abandoned Dutch settlement. Here they stopped for an hour + or two, and then the sea breeze sprang up, a sail was hoisted, and late at + night they passed a French guardship placed to mark the boundary of that + settlement at a point where a large tributary called the Boqui runs into + it. Here is a little island called Nenge Nenge, formerly a missionary + station, where the natives are still Christians. At this place the canoe + was hauled ashore. The Houssas had already been instructed in the method + of pitching the tent, and in a very few minutes this was erected. It was a + double poled tent, some ten feet square, and there was a waterproof sheet + large enough to cover the whole of the interior, thus preventing the + miasma from arising from the ground within it. The beds were soon opened + and fixed, two of the large cases formed a table and two smaller ones did + service as chairs. A lamp was lit, and Frank was charmed with the comfort + and snugness of the abode. + </p> + <p> + The men's weapons were fastened round one of the poles to keep them from + the damp night air. Ostik had at once set to work on landing, leaving the + Houssas to pitch the tent. A fire was soon blazing and a kettle and + saucepans suspended over it. Rice was served out to the men, with the + addition of some salt meat, of which sufficient had been purchased from + the captain of the brig to last throughout the journey in the canoe. The + men were all in high spirits at this addition to their fare, which was + more than had been bargained for, and their songs rose merrily round the + fire in the night air. + </p> + <p> + In the morning, after breakfast, they again took their places in the + canoe. For twelve miles they paddled, the tide at first assisting them, + but after this the water from the mountains ahead overpowered it. + Presently they arrived at the first Fan village, called Olenga, which they + reached six hours after starting. The natives crowded round as the canoe + approached, full of curiosity and excitement, for never but once had a + white man passed up the river. These Fans differed widely from the coast + negroes. Their hair was longer and thicker, their figures were slight, + their complexion coffee colored, and their projecting upper jaws gave them + a rabbit mouthed appearance. They wore coronets on their heads adorned + with the red tail feathers of the common gray parrot. Most of the men had + beards, which were divided in the middle, red and white beads being strung + up the tips. Some wore only a strip of goatskin hanging from the waist, or + the skin of a tigercat, while others had short petticoats made of cloth + woven from the inner bark of a tree. The travelers were led to the hut of + the chief, where they were surrounded by a mob of the cannibals. The + Houssas had been strictly enjoined to leave their guns in the bottom of + the canoe, as Mr. Goodenough desired to avoid all appearance of armed + force. The chief demanded of Ostik what these two white men wanted here, + and whether they had come to trade. Ostik replied that the white men were + going up the river into the country beyond to shoot elephants and buy + ivory, that they did not want to trade for logwood or oil, but that they + would give presents to the chiefs of the Fan villages. A score of cheap + Birmingham muskets had been brought from England by Mr. Goodenough for + this purpose. One of these was now bestowed upon the chief, together with + some powder and ball, three bright cotton handkerchiefs, some gaudy glass + beads, and two looking glasses for his wives. This was considered + perfectly satisfactory. + </p> + <p> + The crowd was very great, and at Mr. Goodenough's dictation Ostik informed + the chief that if the white men were left quiet until the evening they + would show his people many strange things. On the receipt of this + information the crowd dispersed. But when at sunset the two travelers took + a turn through the village, the excitement was again very great. The men + stood their ground and stared at them, but the women and children ran + screaming away to hide themselves. The idea of the people of Central + Africa of the whites is that they are few in number, that they live at the + bottom of the sea, and are possessed of great wealth, but that they have + no palm oil or logwood, and are, therefore, compelled to come to land to + trade for these articles. They believe that the strange clothes they wear + are manufactured from the skins of sea beasts. + </p> + <p> + When night fell Mr. Goodenough fastened a sheet against the outside of the + chief's hut, and then placed a magic lantern in position ten paces from + it. The Fans were then invited to gather round and take their seats upon + the ground. A cry of astonishment greeted the appearance of the bright + disk. This was followed by a wilder yell when this was darkened, and an + elephant bearing some men sitting on his back was seen to cross the house. + The men leaped to their feet and seized their spears. The women screamed, + and Ostik, who was himself somewhat alarmed, had great difficulty in + calming their fears and persuading them to sit down again, assuring them + that they would see many wonderful things, but that nothing would hurt + them. + </p> + <p> + The next view was at first incomprehensible to many of them. It was a ship + tossing in a stormy sea; but some of those present had been down to the + mouth of the river, and these explained to the others the nature of the + phenomenon. In all there were twenty slides, all of which were provided + with movable figures; the last two being chromatropes, whose dancing + colors elicited screams of delight from the astonished natives. This + concluded the performance, but for hours after it was over the village + rang with a perfect Babel of shouts, screams, and chatter. The whole thing + was to the Fans absolutely incomprehensible, and their astonishment was + equalled by their awe at the powers of the white men. + </p> + <p> + The next two days they remained at Olenga, as word was sent up to + Itchongue, the next town, asking the chief there for leave to come + forward. The people had now begun to get over their first timidity, and + when Frank went out for a walk after breakfast he was somewhat embarrassed + by the women and girls crowding round him, feeling his clothes and + touching his hands and face to assure themselves that these felt like + those of human beings. He afforded them huge delight by taking off his + Norfolk jacket and pulling up the sleeves of his shirt to show them that + his arms were the same color as his hands, and so elated were they with + this exhibition that it was with great difficulty that he withstood their + entreaties that he would disrobe entirely. Indeed, Ostik had at last to + come to his rescue and carry him off from the laughing crowd by which he + was surrounded. + </p> + <p> + After dinner Mr. Goodenough invited the people to sit down in a vast + circle holding each other's hands. He then told them that he should at a + word make them all jump to their feet. Then taking out a small but + powerful galvanic battery, he arranged it and placed wires into the hands + of the two men nearest to him in the great circle. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” he said, “when I clap my hands you will find that you are all + obliged to jump up.” + </p> + <p> + He gave the signal. Frank turned on the battery, and in an instant the two + hundred men and women, with a wild shriek, either leapt to their feet or + rolled backward on the ground. In another minute not a native was to be + seen, with the exception of the chief, who had not been included in the + circle. The latter, at Mr. Goodenough's request, shouted loudly to his + subjects to return, for that the white men would do them no harm; but it + was a long time before, slowly and cautiously, they crept back again. When + they had reassembled Mr. Goodenough showed them several simple but + astonishing chemical experiments, which stupefied them with wonder; and + concluded with three or four conjuring tricks, which completed their + amazement. A long day's paddling took them to Itchongue, where they were + as well received as at Olenga. Here they stopped for two days, and the + magic lantern was again brought out, and the other tricks repeated with a + success equal to that which they had before obtained. As another day's + paddling would take them to the rapids Mr. Goodenough now set up a + negotiation for obtaining a sufficient number of carriers. After great + palaver, and the presentation of three guns to the chief to obtain his + assistance, thirty men were engaged. These were each to receive a yard of + calico or one brass stair rod a day, and were to proceed with the party + until such time as they could procure carriers from another tribe. + </p> + <p> + The new recruits were taken up in another canoe. Several villages were + passed on the way. The river became a mere rapid, against which the canoes + with difficulty made their way. They had now entered the mountains which + rose steeply above them, embowered in wood. Two days of severe work took + them to the foot of the falls. Here the canoes were unloaded. The men + hired on the coast received their pay, and turned the boat's head down + stream. The other canoe accompanied it, and the travelers remained with + their bodyguard of Houssas and their carriers. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” Mr. Goodenough said, “we are fairly embarked on our journey, and we + will commence operations at once. I have heard the cries of a great many + birds which are strange to me today, and I expect that we shall have a + good harvest. We may remain here for some time. The first thing to do is + to find food for our followers. We have got six sacks of rice, but it will + never do to let our men depend solely upon these. They would soon come to + an end.” + </p> + <p> + “But how are we to feed forty people?” Frank asked in astonishment. + </p> + <p> + “I pointed out to you today,” Mr. Goodenough said, “the tracks of + hippopotami in various places. One of these beasts will feed the men for + nearly a week. There were, too, numbers of alligators' eggs on the banks, + and these creatures make by no means bad eating. Your rifle will be of no + use against such animals as these. You had better take one of the Sniders. + I have some explosive shells which will fit them. My own double barrelled + rifle is of the same bore.” + </p> + <p> + After dinner Mr. Goodenough told two of the Houssas to accompany them with + their rifles, together with three or four of the Fans. He made his way + down the stream to a point where the hills receded, and where he had + observed a great many marks of the river horses. As they approached the + spot they heard several loud snorts, and making their way along as quietly + as possible they saw two of the great beasts standing in the stream. At + this point it widened a good deal and was shallow and quite near the bank. + The Fans had been told to stay behind directly the snorting was heard, and + Mr. Goodenough and Frank, rifle in hand, crept forward, with the Houssas + as still and noiseless as cats close behind them. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0010" id="link2HCH0010"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER X: LOST IN THE FOREST + </h2> + <p> + The hippopotami were playing together, floundering in the shallow water, + and the noise they made prevented their hearing the stealthy approach of + their enemies. + </p> + <p> + “You take the one nearest shore, Frank, I will take the other. Aim at the + forehead between the eyes. I will make a slight sound to attract their + attention.” + </p> + <p> + Frank knelt on one knee and took steady aim. Mr. Goodenough then gave a + shout, and the two animals turning their heads stood staring at the + foliage, scarce a dozen yards away, in which the travelers were concealed. + The guns flashed at the same moment, and as if struck by lightning the + hippopotami fell in the stream. The explosive balls had both flown true to + the mark, invariably a fatal one in the case of the river horse. Frank as + he fired had taken another rifle which the Houssas held in readiness for + him, but there was no occasion for its use. The Fans came running up, and + on seeing the great beasts lying in the stream, gave a shout of joy. + </p> + <p> + “That will do for this evening,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They are large + beasts, and will give food enough for a week or ten days.” + </p> + <p> + They then returned to the camp which, at the news brought by one of the + Fans, had already been deserted. Before the natives retired to sleep the + hippopotami had been cut up and carried to the camp. Portions were already + frizzling over the fires, other parts set aside for the consumption of the + next two days, and the rest cut up in strips to be dried in the sun. The + tongue of one was cut up and fried as a great luxury for the white men's + supper by Ostik. It is not often that the natives of equatorial Africa are + able to indulge in meat, and the joy of the Fans at this abundant supply, + and the prospect afforded them of further good eating, raised their + spirits to the highest extent. + </p> + <p> + Next morning at daybreak Mr. Goodenough and Frank set out from the camp. + Each carried a double barreled gun, and was accompanied by one of the + Houssas carrying his rifle and a butterfly net, and when three hours later + they returned to the camp for breakfast and compared their spoils they + found that an excellent beginning had been made. Nearly a score of birds, + of which several were very rare, and five were pronounced by Mr. + Goodenough to be entirely new, had been shot, and many butterflies + captured. Frank had been most successful in this respect, as he had come + across a small clearing in which were several deserted huts. This was just + the place in which butterflies delight, for, although many kinds prefer + the deep shades of the forest, by far the greater portion love the bright + sunlight. + </p> + <p> + After breakfast they again set out, Frank this time keeping along the edge + of the stream, where he had observed many butterflies as he came up, and + where many birds of the kingfisher family had also been seen. He had been + very successful, and was walking along by the edge of the water with his + eyes fixed upon the trees above, where he had a minute before heard the + call of a bird, when he was startled by a shout from the Houssa behind + him. He involuntarily sprang back, and it was well he did so; for on the + instant something swept by within an inch or two of his head. Looking + round he saw, at the edge of the stream below him, a huge alligator. This + had struck at him with its tail—the usual manner in which the + alligator supplies itself with food—and had it not been for the + warning cry of the Houssa, would have knocked him into the stream. Its + mouth was open and Frank, as if by instinct, fired the contents of both + barrels into its throat. The animal rolled over on to its back in the + water and then turned as if to struggle to regain the bank. The Houssa, + however, had run up, and, placing the muzzle of his gun within a foot of + its eye, fired, and the creature rolled over dead, and was swept away by + the stream. + </p> + <p> + The Houssa gave a loud shout which was answered in the distance. He then + shouted two or three words, and turning to Frank said: “Men get + alligator,” and proceeded on his way without concerning himself further in + the matter. + </p> + <p> + On his return to camp in the evening Frank found that the alligator had + been discovered and fished out, and that its steaks were by no means bad + eating. Frank told Mr. Goodenough of the narrow escape he had had, and the + latter pointed out to him the necessity of always keeping his eyes on the + watch. + </p> + <p> + “Alligators frequently carry off the native women when engaged in + washing,” he said, “and almost invariably strike them, in the first place, + into the river with a blow of their tails. Once in the water they are + carried off, drowned, and eaten at leisure. Sometimes, indeed, a woman may + escape with the loss of a foot or arm, but this is the exception.” + </p> + <p> + “What is the best thing to do when so attacked?” Frank asked. “I don't + mean to be caught napping again, still it is as well to know what to do if + I am.” + </p> + <p> + “Men when so attacked have been known frequently to escape by thrusting + their thumbs or fingers into the creature's eyes. If it can be done the + alligator is sure to lose his hold, but it demands quickness and great + presence of mind. When a reptile is tearing at one's leg, and hurrying one + along under water, you can see that the nerve required to keep perfectly + cool, to feel for the creature's eyes, and to thrust your finger into them + is very great. The best plan, Frank, distinctly is to keep out of their + reach altogether.” + </p> + <p> + After remaining for a fortnight at their camp they prepared for a move. + Another hippopotamus was killed, cut up and dried, and the flesh added to + the burdens. Then the tent was struck and they proceeded farther into the + mountains. Two days later they halted again, the site being chosen beside + a little mountain rivulet. They were now very high up in the hills, Mr. + Goodenough expecting to meet with new varieties of butterflies and insects + at this elevation. They had scarcely pitched their camp when Frank + exclaimed: + </p> + <p> + “Surely, Mr. Goodenough, I can hear some dogs barking! I did not know that + the native dogs barked.” + </p> + <p> + “Nor do they. They may yelp and howl, but they never bark like European + dogs. What you hear is the bark of some sort of monkey or baboon.” + </p> + <p> + This opinion was at once confirmed by the Fans. + </p> + <p> + “We will sally out with our guns at once,” Mr. Goodenough said. + </p> + <p> + “I don't like the thought of shooting monkeys,” Frank muttered, as he took + up his Winchester carbine. + </p> + <p> + “They are very excellent eating,” Mr. Goodenough continued, “superior in + my opinion, and, indeed, in that of most travelers, to any other meat. We + shall meet with no other kind of creature fit for food up here. The birds, + indeed, supply us amply, but for the men it is desirable that we should + obtain fresh meat when we have the chance. These baboons are very + mischievous creatures, and are not to be attacked with impunity. Let four + of the Houssas with their guns come with us.” + </p> + <p> + Following the direction of the sounds they had heard, the travelers came + upon a troupe of great baboons. It was a curious sight. The males were as + big as large dogs, some were sitting sunning themselves on rocks, others + were being scratched by the females. Many of these had a baby monkey + clinging on their necks, while others were playing about in all + directions. + </p> + <p> + “I'd rather not shoot at them, Mr. Goodenough,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “You will be glad enough to eat them,” Mr. Goodenough answered, and + selecting a big male he fired. The creature fell dead. The others all + sprang to their feet. The females and little ones scampered off. The + males, with angry gestures, rushed upon their assailants, barking, showing + their teeth, and making menacing gestures. Mr. Goodenough fired again, and + Frank now, seeing that they were likely to be attacked, also opened fire. + Six of the baboons were killed before the others abstained from the attack + and went screaming after the females. The dead baboons were brought down, + skinned, and two were at once roasted, the others hung up to trees. It + required a great effort on Frank's part to overcome his repugnance to + tasting these creatures, but, when he did so, he admitted that the meat + was excellent. + </p> + <p> + That night they were disturbed by a cry of terror from the men. Seizing + their rifles they ran out. + </p> + <p> + “There are two leopards, sar,” Ostik said; “they have smelt the monkeys.” + </p> + <p> + The shouts scared the creatures away, and the natives kept up a great fire + till morning. + </p> + <p> + “We must get the skins if we can,” Mr. Goodenough said. “The skins of the + equatorial leopard are rare. If we can get them both they will make a fine + group for you to stuff when you get back, Frank.” + </p> + <p> + “Are you thinking of following their trail?” Frank asked. + </p> + <p> + “That would be useless,” Mr. Goodenough answered. “In soft swampy ground + we might do so, but up here it would be out of the question. We must set a + bait for them tonight, but be careful while you are out today. They have + probably not gone far from the camp, and they are very formidable beasts. + They not unfrequently attack and kill the natives.” + </p> + <p> + The Fans were much alarmed at the neighborhood of the leopards, and none + would leave the camp during the day. Two of the Houssas were left on + guard, although Mr. Goodenough felt sure that the animals would not + attempt to carry off any meat in the daylight, and two Houssas accompanied + each of the travelers while out in search of butterflies. + </p> + <p> + Nothing was heard of the leopards during the day. At nightfall a portion + of one of the monkeys was roasted and hung up, so as to swing within four + feet of the ground from the arm of a tree, a hundred yards from the camp. + Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their seats in another tree a short distance + off. The night was fine and the stars clear and bright. The tree on which + the meat hung stood somewhat alone, so that sufficient light penetrated + from above to enable any creatures approaching the bait to be seen. + Instead of his little Winchester, Frank had one of the Sniders with + explosive bullets. The Houssas were told to keep a sharp watch in camp, in + case the leopards, approaching from the other side, might be attracted by + the smell of meat there, rather than by the bait. The Fans needed no + telling to induce them to keep up great fires all night. + </p> + <p> + Soon after dark the watchers heard a roaring in the forest. It came from + the other side of the camp. + </p> + <p> + “That is unlucky,” Mr. Goodenough said. “We have pitched on the wrong + side. However, they will probably be deterred by the fire from approaching + the camp, and will wander round and round: so we may hope to hear of them + before long.” + </p> + <p> + In answer to the roar of the leopards the natives kept up a continued + shouting. For some hours the roaring continued at intervals, sometimes + close at hand, sometimes at a considerable distance. Frank had some + difficulty in keeping awake, and was beginning to wish that the leopards + would move off altogether. Two or three times he had nearly dozed off, and + his rifle had almost slipped from his hold. All at once he was aroused by + a sharp nudge from his companion. Fixing his eyes on the bait he made out + something immediately below it. Directly afterwards another creature stole + forward. They were far less distinct than he had expected. + </p> + <p> + “You take the one to the left,” Mr. Goodenough whispered; “Now!” + </p> + <p> + They fired together. Two tremendous roars were heard. One of the leopards + immediately bounded away. The other rolled over and over, and then, + recovering its feet, followed its companion, Mr. Goodenough firing his + second barrel after him. + </p> + <p> + “I'm afraid you missed altogether, Frank,” he said. + </p> + <p> + “I don't think so, sir. I fancied I saw the flash of the shell as it + struck him, but where, I have not the remotest idea. I could not make him + out clear enough. It was merely a dim shape, and I fired as well as I + could at the middle of it. + </p> + <p> + “Shall we go back to the camp now?” Frank asked. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, we can safely do so. You can tell by the sound of the roars that + they are already some distance away. There is little chance of their + returning tonight. In the morning we will follow them. There is sure to be + blood, and the natives will have no difficulty in tracking them.” + </p> + <p> + The rest of the night passed quietly, although roars and howling could be + heard from time to time in the distance. + </p> + <p> + Early in the morning they started with the Houssas. + </p> + <p> + “We must be careful today,” Mr. Goodenough said, “for a wounded leopard is + a really formidable beast.” + </p> + <p> + There was no difficulty in taking up the traces. + </p> + <p> + “One of them at least must be hard hit,” Mr. Goodenough remarked; “there + are traces of blood every yard.” + </p> + <p> + They had gone but a short distance when one of the Houssas gave a sudden + exclamation, and pointed to something lying at the edge of a clump of + bushes. + </p> + <p> + “Leopard,” he said. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, there is one of them, sure enough. I think it's dead, but we cannot + be too cautious. Advance very carefully, Frank, keeping ready to fire + instantly.” + </p> + <p> + They moved forward slowly in a body, but their precaution was unnecessary. + There was no movement in the spotted, tawny skin as they advanced, and + when they came close they could see that the leopard was really dead. He + had been hit by two bullets. The first had struck his shoulder and + exploded there, inflicting so terrible a wound that it was wonderful he + had been able to move afterwards. The other had struck him on the back, + near the tail, and had burst inside him. Frank on seeing the nature of the + wounds was astonished at the tenacity of life shown by the animal. + </p> + <p> + “I wonder whether I hit the other,” he said. + </p> + <p> + “I have no doubt at all about it,” Mr. Goodenough answered, “although I + did not think so before. It seemed to me that I only heard the howls of + one animal in the night, and thought it was the one I had hit. But as this + fellow must have died at once, it is clear that the cries were made by the + other.” + </p> + <p> + A sharp search was now set up for the tracks of the other leopard, the + Houssas going back to the tree and taking it up anew. They soon found + traces of blood in a line diverging from that followed by the other + animal. For an hour they followed this, great care being required, as at + times no spots of blood could be seen for a considerable distance. At last + they seemed to lose it altogether. Mr. Goodenough and Frank stood + together, while the Houssas, scattered round, were hunting like well + trained dogs for a sign. Suddenly there was a sharp roar, and from the + bough of a tree close by a great body sprang through the air and alighted + within a yard of Frank. The latter, in his surprise, sprang back, stumbled + and fell, but in an instant the report of the two barrels of Mr. + Goodenough's rifle rang out. In a moment Frank was on his feet again ready + to fire. The leopard, however, lay dead, its skull almost blown off. + </p> + <p> + “You have had another narrow escape,” Mr. Goodenough said. “I see that + your ball last night broke one of his hind legs. That spoilt his spring. + Had it not been for that he would undoubtedly have reached you, and a blow + with his paw, given with all his weight and impetus, would probably have + killed you on the spot. We ought not to have stood near a tree strong + enough to bear him when in pursuit of a wounded leopard. They will always + take to trees if they can, and you see this was a very suitable one for + him. This bough on which he was lying starts from the trunk only about + four feet from the ground, so that even with his broken leg he was able to + get upon it without difficulty. Well, thank God, you've not been hurt, my + boy. It will teach us both to be more careful in future.” + </p> + <p> + That afternoon Frank was down with his second attack of fever, a much more + severe one than the first had been. Mr. Goodenough's favorite remedy had + its effect of producing profuse perspiration, but two or three hours + afterwards the hot fit again came on, and for the next four days Frank lay + half delirious, at one time consumed with heat, and the next shivering as + if plunged into ice water. Copious doses of quinine, however, gradually + overcame the fever, and on the fifth day he was convalescent. It was, + nevertheless, another week before he was sufficiently recovered to be able + to resume his hunting expeditions. They again shifted their camp, and this + time traveled for three weeks, making short journeys, and halting early so + as to give half a day from each camping place for their work. + </p> + <p> + Frank was one day out as usual with one of the Houssas. He had killed + several birds when he saw a butterfly, of a species which he had not + before met with, flitting across a gleam of sunshine which streamed in + through a rift in the trees. He told his Houssa to wait where he was in + charge of the two guns and birds, and started off with his net in pursuit + of the butterfly. The creature fluttered away with Frank in full pursuit. + Hither and thither it flitted, seemingly taking an impish delight in + tantalizing Frank, settling on a spot where a gleam of sunlight streamed + upon the bark of a tree, till Frank had stolen up within a couple of paces + of it, and then darting away again at a pace which defied Frank's best + attempts to keep up with it until it chose to play with him again. Intent + only upon his chase Frank thought of nothing else. At last, with a shout + of triumph, he inclosed the creature in his net, shook it into the wide + pickle bottle, containing a sponge soaked with chloroform, and then, after + tightly fitting in the stopper, he looked around. He uttered an + exclamation of dismay as he did so. He saw by the bands of light the sun + was already setting, and knew that he must have been for upwards of an + hour in chase of the butterfly. He had not the slightest idea of the + direction in which he had come. He had, he knew, run up hill and down, but + whether he had been traveling in a circle or going straight in one + direction, he had not the least idea. He might be within a hundred yards + of the spot where he had left the Houssa. He might be three or four miles + away. + </p> + <p> + He at once drew out his revolver, which he always carried strapped to his + belt, and discharged the six chambers, waiting for half a minute between + each shot, and listening intently for an answer to his signal. None came. + The stillness of the wood was unbroken, and Frank felt that he must have + wandered far indeed from his starting place, and that he was completely + lost. His first impulse was to start off instantly at the top of his + speed, but a moment's thought convinced him that this would be useless. He + had not an idea of the direction which he should pursue. Besides the sun + was sinking, twilight is short in the tropics, and in half an hour it + would be as dark as midnight in the forest. Remembering his adventure with + the leopard he determined to climb into a tree and pass the night there. + He knew that an active search would be set on foot by his friends next + morning, and that, as every step he took was as likely to lead him from as + towards the camp, it was better to stay where he was. + </p> + <p> + He soon found a tree with a branch which would suit his purpose, and, + climbing up into it, lit his pipe and prepared for an uncomfortable night. + Frank had never smoked until he reached Africa, but he had then taken to + it on the advice of Mr. Goodenough, who told him that smoking was + certainly a preventive, to some extent, of fever in malarious countries, + and, although he had not liked it at first, he had now taken kindly to his + pipe, and smoked from the time when the evening mists began to rise until + he went to bed. + </p> + <p> + The time passed very slowly. The cries of wild creatures could be heard in + the woods, and although Frank did not expect to be attacked, it was + impossible to sleep with these calls of leopards, with which the forest + seemed to abound, in his ears. He had reloaded his revolver immediately + after discharging it, and had replaced it in his pouch, and felt confident + that nothing could climb the tree. Besides, he had heard that leopards + seldom attack men unless themselves attacked. Sleep, however, was out of + the question, for when he slept he might have fallen from his seat in the + crotch of the tree. Occasionally, however, he dozed off, waking up always + with an uncomfortable start, and a feeling that he had just saved himself + from falling. With the earliest dawn of morn he descended, stiff and + weary, from the tree. Directly the sun rose he set off walking. He knew at + least that he was to the south of the camp, and that by keeping the sun on + his right hand till it reached the zenith he must get in time to the + little stream on which it was pitched. As he walked he listened intently + for the sound of guns. Once or twice he fancied that he heard them, but he + was quite unable to judge of the direction. He had been out with the + Houssa about six hours before he strayed from him in the pursuit of the + butterfly, and they had for some time been walking towards the camp, in + order to reach it by nightfall. Thus he thought, that at that time, he + could only have been some three or four miles distant from it. Supposing + that he had run due south, he could still be but eight miles from the + stream, and he thought that in three hours' walking he might arrive there. + In point of fact, after leaving the Houssa the butterfly had led him + towards the southeast, and as the stream took a sharp bend to the north a + little distance above the camp, he was many miles farther from it than he + expected. This stream was one of the upper tributaries of the Gaboon. + </p> + <p> + After walking for two hours the character of the forest changed. The high + trees were farther apart, and a thick undergrowth began to make its + appearance, frequently causing him to make long detours and preventing his + following the line he had marked out for himself. This caused him much + uneasiness, for he knew that he had passed across no such country on his + way from the camp, and the thought that he might experience great + difficulties in recovering it, now began to press upon him. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0011" id="link2HCH0011"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XI: A HOSTILE TRIBE + </h2> + <p> + Every step that he went the ground grew softer and more swampy, and he at + length determined to push on no farther in this direction, but turning to + his left to try and gain higher ground, and then to continue on the line + he had marked out for himself. + </p> + <p> + His progress was now very slow. The bush was thick and close, thorny + plants and innumerable creepers continually barred his way, and the + necessity for constantly looking up through the trees to catch a glimpse + of the sun, which was his only guide, added to his difficulty. At length, + when his watch told him it was eleven o'clock, he came to a standstill, + the sun being too high overhead to serve him as a reliable guide. He had + now been walking for nearly six hours, and he was utterly worn out and + exhausted, having had no food since his midday meal on the previous day. + He was devoured with thirst, having merely rinsed his mouth in the black + and poisonous water of the swamps he had crossed. His sleepless night, + too, had told on him. He was bathed in perspiration, and for the last hour + had scarcely been able to drag his feet along. + </p> + <p> + He now lay down at the foot of a great tree, and for three or four hours + slept heavily. When he awoke he pursued his journey, the sun serving as a + guide again. In two hours' time he had got upon higher ground. The + brushwood was less dense, and he again turned his face to the north, and + stepped forward with renewed hopes. + </p> + <p> + It was late in the afternoon when he came upon a native path. Here he sat + down to think. He did not remember having crossed such a path on the day + before. Probably it crossed the stream at some point above the encampment. + Therefore it would serve as a guide, and he might, too, come upon some + native village where he could procure food. By following it far enough he + must arrive somewhere. He sat for a quarter of an hour to rest himself, + and then proceeded along the path, whose direction seemed to be the + northwest. + </p> + <p> + For an hour he proceeded and then paused, hearing a sudden outcry ahead. + Scampering along the path came a number of great baboons, and Frank at + once stepped aside into the bush to avoid them, as these are formidable + creatures when disturbed. They were of a very large species, and several + of the females had little ones clinging around their necks. In the + distance Frank could hear the shouts of some natives, and supposed that + the monkeys had been plundering their plantations, and that they were + driving them away. The baboons passed without paying any attention to him, + but Frank observed that the last of the troop was carrying a little one in + one of its forearms. + </p> + <p> + Frank glanced at the baby monkey and saw that it had round its waist a + string of blue beads. As a string of beads is the only attire which a + negro child wears until it reaches the age of ten or eleven years old, the + truth at once flashed upon Frank that the baboons were carrying off a + native baby, which had probably been set down by its mother while she + worked in the plantation. Instantly he drew his pistol, leaped into the + road, and fired at the retreating ape. It gave a cry, dropped the baby and + turned to attack its aggressor. + </p> + <p> + Frank waited till it was within six feet, and then shot it through the + head. He sprang forward and seized the baby, but in a moment he was + attacked by the whole party of baboons, who, barking like dogs, and + uttering angry cries, rushed at him. Frank stood his ground, and + discharged the four remaining barrels of his revolver at the foremost + animals. Two of these dropped, but the others who were only wounded sprang + upon him. Frank struck out with the butt end of his pistol, but in a + minute he was overpowered. + </p> + <p> + One monkey seized him by the leg with his teeth, while another bit his + arm. Others struck and scratched at him, and he was at once thrown down. + He tried to defend his face with his arms, kicking and struggling to the + best of his power. With one hand he drew the long knife for skinning + animals, which he wore at his belt, and struck out fiercely, but a baboon + seized his wrist in its teeth, and Frank felt that all was over, when + suddenly his assailants left him, and the instant afterwards he was lifted + to his feet by some negroes. + </p> + <p> + He had, when attacked by the apes, thrown the baby into a clump of ferns + close by, in order to have the use of both his hands, and when he looked + round he found that a negress had already picked it up, and was crying and + fondling it. The negroes appeared intensely astonished at Frank's color, + and he judged by their exclamations of surprise that, not only had they + not seen a white man before, but that they had not heard of one being in + the neighborhood. + </p> + <p> + Frank had been too severely bitten and mauled by the baboons to be able to + walk, and the negroes, seeing this, raised him, and four of them carried + him to their village, which was but a quarter of a mile distant. Here he + was taken to the principal hut, and laid on a bed. His wounds were dressed + with poultices formed of bruised leaves of some plant, the natives + evincing the utmost astonishment as Frank removed his clothes to enable + these operations to be performed. + </p> + <p> + By pointing to his lips he indicated that he was hungry and thirsty. Water + was brought to him, and cakes made from pounded yams pressed and baked. + Having eaten and drank he closed his eyes and lay back, and the natives, + who had before been all noisily chattering together, now became suddenly + silent, and stealing away left the strange white visitor to sleep. + </p> + <p> + When Frank woke he could see by the light that it was early morning. A + woman with a child in her lap, whom Frank recognized as the negress who + had picked up the baby, was sitting on a low stool by his side. On seeing + him open his eyes she came to the bed, took his hand and put it to her + lips, and then raised the baby triumphantly and turned it round and round + to show that it had escaped without damage. Then when Frank pointed again + to his lips she brought him a pineapple, roughly cut off the skin, and + sliced it. Frank ate the juicy fruit, and felt immensely refreshed, for + the West Coast pineapple is even more delicious than that found in the + West Indies. Then the woman removed the bandages and applied fresh + poultices to his wounds, talking in low soft tones, and, as Frank had no + doubt, expressing sorrow at their cause. + </p> + <p> + Frank now endeavored to explain to her that he had a white companion in + the woods, but the woman, not understanding, brought in two or three other + natives, who stood round the couch and endeavored to gather what he wished + to say. + </p> + <p> + Frank held up two fingers. Then he pointed to himself and shut down one + finger, keeping the other erect, and then pointed all round to signify + that he had a friend somewhere in the wood. A grin of comprehension stole + over the faces of the negroes, and Frank saw that he was understood. + </p> + <p> + Then he again held up his two fingers, and taking the hands of the negress + raised all her fingers by the side of the white ones to signify that there + were many natives with them. Then he took aim, with an imaginary gun, up + at the roof of the hut, and said “Bang” very loud, and a chorus of + approving laughter from the negroes showed that he was understood. Then + one of them pointed towards the various points of the compass, and looked + interrogatively at Frank. The sun was streaming in through the doorway, + and he was thus able to judge of the direction in which the camp must lie. + He made a sweep with his hand towards the northwest, signifying that they + were somewhere in that direction. + </p> + <p> + That afternoon fever set in, and for the two next days Frank was + delirious. When he recovered consciousness he found Mr. Goodenough sitting + beside him. The latter would not suffer him to talk, but gave him a strong + dose of quinine and told him to lie quiet and go to sleep. + </p> + <p> + It was not till the next day that Frank learned what had happened in his + absence. The Houssa had not returned until long after nightfall. He + reported that Frank had told him to wait with the guns, and that he had + waited until it grew nearly dark. Then he had fired several times and had + walked about, firing his gun at intervals. Obtaining no responses he had + made his way back to the camp, where his arrival alone caused great + consternation. + </p> + <p> + It was impossible to do anything that night, and the next morning Mr. + Goodenough, accompanied by five of the Houssas, one only remaining to keep + guard over the camp, had gone to the place where Frank had last been seen. + Then they scattered in various directions, shouting and firing their guns. + The search had been continued all day without success, and at nightfall, + disheartened and worn out, they had returned to the camp. The next day the + search had been continued with an equal want of success, and the fears + that a leopard had attacked and killed Frank became stronger and stronger. + On the third day the whole of the carriers were sent out with instructions + to search the woods for native paths, to follow these to villages, and to + enlist the natives in the search. One of these men had met one of the + villagers on the search for the party of the white man. + </p> + <p> + It was another ten days before Frank was sufficiently recovered from his + fever and wounds to march back to the camp. After a stay there of two or + three more days, to enable him completely to regain his strength, the + party started again on their journey. + </p> + <p> + In another three weeks they had descended the hills, and the Fans + announced their unwillingness to travel farther. Mr. Goodenough, however, + told them quietly that they had promised to go on until he could obtain + other carriers, and that if they deserted him he should pay them nothing. + They might now expect every day to meet people of another tribe, and as + soon as they should do so they would be allowed to depart. Finding that he + was firm, and having no desire to forfeit the wages they had earned, the + Fans agreed to go forward, although they were now in a country entirely + unknown to them, where the people would presumably be hostile. They had, + however, such faith in the arms carried by the white men and Houssas, that + they felt comparatively easy as to the result of any attack which might be + made upon them. + </p> + <p> + The very day after this little mutiny, smoke was seen curling up from the + woods. Mr. Goodenough deemed it inexpedient to show himself at once with + so large a number of men. He, therefore, sent forward Ostik with two of + the Fans, each of whom could speak several native dialects, to announce + his coming. They returned in an hour saying that the village was a very + large one, and that the news of the coming of two white men had created + great excitement. The people spoke of sending at once to their king, whom + they called Malembe, whose place, it seemed, was a day's march off. + </p> + <p> + They now prepared to enter the village. Ostik went first carrying himself + with the dignity of a beadle at the head of a school procession. Two of + the Houssas walked next. Mr. Goodenough and Frank followed, their guns + being carried by two Fans behind them. Then came the long line of bearers, + two of the Houssas walking on each side as a baggage guard. The villagers + assembled in great numbers as they entered. The head man conducted the + whites to his hut. No women or children were to be seen, and the + expression of the men was that of fear rather than curiosity. + </p> + <p> + “They are afraid of the Fans,” Mr. Goodenough said. “The other tribes all + have a species of terror of these cannibals. We must reassure them as soon + as possible.” + </p> + <p> + A long palaver then took place with the chief, with whose language one of + the Fans was sufficiently acquainted to make himself understood. It was + rather a tedious business, as each speech had to be translated twice, + through Ostik and the Fan. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough informed the chief that the white men were friends of his + people, that they had come to see the country and give presents to the + chiefs, that they only wished to pass quietly through and to journey + unmolested, and that they would pay handsomely for food and all that they + required. They wished to obtain bearers for their baggage, and these they + would pay in cloth and brass rods, and as soon as they procured carriers + the Fans would return to their own country. + </p> + <p> + The chief answered expressing his gratification at seeing white men in his + village, saying that the king would, no doubt, carry out all their wishes. + One of the boxes was opened and he was presented with five yards of bright + colored calico, a gaudy silk handkerchief, and several strings of bright + beads. In return a large number of plantains were presented to the white + men. These were soon distributed among the Fans. + </p> + <p> + “Me no like dat nigger,” Ostik said. “Me think we hab trouble. You see all + women and children gone, dat bad. Wait till see what do when king come.” + </p> + <p> + That day and the next passed quietly. The baggage had been piled in a + circle, as usual, in an open space outside the village; the tent being + pitched in the center, and Ostik advised Mr. Goodenough to sleep here + instead of in the village. The day after their arrival passed but heavily. + The natives showed but little curiosity as to the newcomers, although + these must have been far more strange to them than to the people nearer + the coast. Still no women or children made their appearance. Towards + evening a great drumming was heard in the distance. + </p> + <p> + “Here is his majesty at last,” Mr. Goodenough said, “we shall soon see + what is his disposition.” + </p> + <p> + In a short time the village was filled with a crowd of men all carrying + spears and bows and arrows. The drumming came nearer and nearer, and then, + carried in a chair on the shoulders of four strong negroes, while ten + others armed with guns marched beside him, the king made his appearance. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough and Frank advanced to meet him. The king was a tall man + with a savage expression of countenance. Behind Mr. Goodenough, Ostik and + the Fan who spoke the language advanced. The king's chair was lowered + under the shade of a tree, and two attendants with palm leaf fans at once + began to fan his majesty. + </p> + <p> + “Tell the king,” Mr. Goodenough said, “that we are white men who have come + to see his country, and to pass through to the countries beyond. We have + many presents for him, and wish to buy food and to hire carriers in place + of those who have brought our things thus far.” + </p> + <p> + The king listened in silence. + </p> + <p> + “Why do the white men bring our enemies into our land?” he asked angrily. + </p> + <p> + “We have come up from the coast,” Mr. Goodenough said; “and as we passed + through the Fan country we hired men there to carry our goods, just as we + wish to hire men here to go on into the country beyond. There were none of + the king's men in that country or we would have hired them.” + </p> + <p> + “Let me see the white men's presents,” the king said. + </p> + <p> + A box was opened, a bright scarlet shirt and a smoking cap of the same + color, worked with beads, a blue silk handkerchief and twenty yards of + bright calico, were taken out. To these were added twelve stair rods, five + pounds of powder, and two pounds of shot. + </p> + <p> + The king's eye sparkled greedily as he looked at the treasures. + </p> + <p> + “The white men must be very rich,” he said, pointing to the pile of + baggage. + </p> + <p> + “Most of the boxes are empty,” Mr. Goodenough said. “We have brought them + to take home the things of the country and show them to the white men + beyond the sea;” and to prove the truth of his words, Mr. Goodenough had + two of the empty cases opened, as also one already half filled with bird + skins, and another with trays of butterflies and beetles. + </p> + <p> + The king looked at them with surprise. + </p> + <p> + “And the others?” he asked, pointing to them. + </p> + <p> + “The others,” Mr. Goodenough said, “contain, some of them, food such as + white men are accustomed to eat in their own country, the others, presents + for the other kings and chiefs I shall meet when we have passed on. + </p> + <p> + “The fellow is not satisfied,” he said to Ostik, “give him two of the + trade guns and a bottle of brandy.” + </p> + <p> + The king appeared mollified by these additional presents, and saying that + he would talk to the white men in the morning, he retired into the + village. + </p> + <p> + “I don't like the looks of things,” Mr. Goodenough said. “I fear that the + presents we have given the king will only stimulate his desire for more. + However, we shall see in the morning.” + </p> + <p> + When night fell, two of the Houssas were placed on guard. The Fans slept + inside the circle formed by the baggage. Several times in the night the + Houssas challenged bodies of men whom they heard approaching, but these at + once retired. + </p> + <p> + In the morning a messenger presented himself from the king, saying that he + required many more presents, that the things which had been given were + only fit for the chief of a village, and not for a great king. Mr. + Goodenough answered, that he had given the best he had, that the presents + were fit for a great king, and that he should give no more. + </p> + <p> + “If we are to have trouble,” he said to Frank, “it is far better to have + it at once while the Fans are with us, than when we are alone with no one + but the Houssas and the subjects of this man. The Fans will fight, and we + could hold this encampment against any number of savages.” + </p> + <p> + A quarter of an hour later the drums began beating furiously again. Loud + shouts and yells arose in the village, and the natives could be seen + moving excitedly about. Presently these all disappeared. + </p> + <p> + “Fight come now,” Ostik said. + </p> + <p> + “You'd better lower the tent at once, Ostik. It will only be in our way.” + </p> + <p> + The tent was speedily lowered. The Fans grasped their spears and lay down + behind the circle of boxes and bales, and the six Houssas, the two white + men and Ostik, to whom a trade musket had been entrusted, took their + places at regular intervals round the circle, which was some eight yards + in diameter. Presently the beat of the drums again broke the silence, and + a shower of arrows, coming apparently from all points of the compass, fell + in and around the circle. + </p> + <p> + “Open fire steadily and quietly,” Mr. Goodenough said, “among the bushes, + but don't fire fast. We must tempt them to show themselves.” + </p> + <p> + A dropping fire commenced against the invisible foe, the fire being no + more frequent than it would have been had they been armed with muzzle + loading weapons. Presently musketry was heard on the enemy's side, the + king's bodyguard having opened fire. This was disastrous to them, for, + whereas the arrows had afforded but slight index as to the position of + those who shot them, the puffs of smoke from the muskets at once showed + the lurking places of those who used them, and Mr. Goodenough and Frank + replied so truly that in a very short time the musketry fire of the enemy + ceased altogether. The rain of arrows continued, the yells of the natives + rose louder and louder, and the drums beat more furiously. + </p> + <p> + “They will be out directly,” Mr. Goodenough said. “Fire as quickly as you + can when they show, but be sure and take good aim.” + </p> + <p> + Presently the sound of a war horn was heard, and from the wood all round a + crowd of dark figures dashed forward, uttering appalling yells. On the + instant the dropping fire of the defenders changed into an almost + continuous fusillade, as the Sniders of the Houssas, the breech loading + rifle of Mr. Goodenough, and the repeating Winchester of Frank were + brought into play at their full speed. Yells of astonishment broke from + the natives, and a minute later, leaving nearly a score of their comrades + on the ground, the rest dashed back into the forest. + </p> + <p> + There was silence for a time and then the war drums began again. + </p> + <p> + “Dey try again hard dis time, massa,” Ostik said. “King tell 'em he cut + off deir heads dey not win battle.” + </p> + <p> + This time the natives rushed forward with reckless bravery, in spite of + the execution made among them by the rapid fire of the defenders, and + rushed up to the circle of boxes. Then the Fans leaped to their feet, and, + spear in hand, dashed over the defenses and fell upon the enemy. + </p> + <p> + The attack was decisive. Uttering yells of terror the natives fled, and + two minutes later not a sound was to be heard in the forest. + </p> + <p> + “I tink dey run away for good dis time, sar,” Ostik said. “Dey hav' 'nuf + of him. Dey fight very brave, much more brave than people down near coast. + Dere in great battle only three, four men killed. Here as many men killed + as we got altogether.” + </p> + <p> + This was so, nearly fifty of the natives having fallen between the trees + and the encampment. When an hour passed and all was still, it became + nearly certain that the enemy had retreated, and the Houssas, who are + splendid scouts, divested themselves of their clothing and crawled away + into the wood to reconnoiter. They returned in half an hour in high glee, + bearing the king's chair. + </p> + <p> + “Dey all run away, sar, ebery one, de king an' all, and leab his chair + behind. Dat great disgrace for him.” + </p> + <p> + A council was now held. The Fans were so delighted with the victory they + had won, that they expressed their readiness to remain with their white + companions as long as they chose, providing these would guarantee that + they should be sent home on the expiration of their service. This Mr. + Goodenough readily promised. After discussing the question with Frank, he + determined to abstain from pushing farther into the interior, but to keep + along northward, and then turning west with the sweep of the coast to + travel slowly along, keeping at about the same distance as at present from + the sea, and finally to come down either upon Cape Coast or Sierra Leone. + </p> + <p> + This journey would occupy a considerable time. They would cross countries + but little known, and would have an ample opportunity for the collection + of specimens, which they might, from time to time, send down by the + various rivers they would cross, to the trading stations at their mouths. + </p> + <p> + It was felt that after this encounter with the natives it would be + imprudent in the extreme to push further into the interior. They would + have continual battles to fight, large numbers of the natives would be + killed, and their collecting operations would be greatly interfered with. + As a lesson to the natives the village was burnt to the ground; the + presents, which the king in the hurry of his flight had left behind him, + being recovered. + </p> + <p> + A liberal allowance of tobacco was served out as a “dash” or present to + the Fans, and a bright silk handkerchief given to each. Then they turned + off at right angles to the line they had before been pursuing and + continued their journey. + </p> + <p> + Two days later Mr. Goodenough was prostrated by fever, and for several + days lay between life and death. When he became convalescent he recovered + strength very slowly. The heat was prodigious and the mosquitos rendered + sleep almost impossible at night. The country at this place was low and + swampy, and, weak as he was, Mr. Goodenough determined to push forward. He + was, however, unable to walk, and, for the first time, a hammock was got + out and mounted. + </p> + <p> + There is no more comfortable conveyance in the world than a hammock in + Africa. It is slung from a long bamboo pole, overhead a thick awning keeps + the sun from the hammock. Across the ends of the pole boards of some three + feet long are fastened. The natives wrap a piece of cloth into the shape + of a muffin and place it on their heads, and then take their places, two + at each end of the pole, with the ends of the board on their heads. They + can trot along at the rate of six miles an hour, for great distances, + often keeping up a monotonous song. Their action is perfectly smooth and + easy, and the traveler in the hammock, by shutting his eyes, might imagine + himself swinging in a cot on board ship on an almost waveless sea. + </p> + <p> + After two days traveling they got on to higher ground, and here they + camped for some time, Mr. Goodenough slowly recovering strength, and Frank + busy in adding to their collections. In this he was in no slight degree + assisted by the Fans, who, having nothing else to do, had now come to + enter into the occupation of their employers. A good supply of muslin had + been brought, and nets having been made, the Fans captured large + quantities of butterflies, the great difficulty being in convincing them + that only a few of each species were required. They were still more + valuable in grubbing about in the decaying trunks of fallen trees, under + loose bark, and in broken ground, for beetles and larvae, a task which + suited them better than running about after butterflies, which, moreover, + they often spoilt irreparably by their rough handling. Thus Frank was able + to devote himself entirely to the pursuit of birds, and although all the + varieties more usually met with had been obtained, the collection steadily + increased in size. + </p> + <p> + Frank himself had severe attacks of fever, but none of these were so + severe as that which he had had on the day of the death of the leopards. + </p> + <p> + At the end of a month Mr. Goodenough had recovered his strength, and they + again moved forward. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0012" id="link2HCH0012"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XII: A NEGRO'S STORY + </h2> + <p> + On arriving at a large village one day, they were struck as they + approached by the far greater appearance of comfort and neatness than + generally distinguish African villages. The plots of plantations were + neatly fenced, the street was clean and well kept. As they entered the + village they were met by the principal people, headed by an old white + haired negro. + </p> + <p> + “Me berry glad to see you, white men,” he said. “Long time me no see white + men.” + </p> + <p> + “And it is a long time,” said Mr. Goodenough, shaking hands with him, + “since I have heard the sound of my own tongue outside my party.” + </p> + <p> + “Me berry glad to see you,” repeated the negro. “Me chief of dis village. + Make you berry comfortable, sar. Great honor for dis village dat you come + here. Plenty eberyting for you, fowl, and eggs, and plantain, and sometime + a sheep.” + </p> + <p> + “We have, indeed, fallen into the lap of luxury,” Mr. Goodenough said to + Frank; and they followed the negro to his hut. “I suppose the old man has + been employed in one of the factories upon the coast.” + </p> + <p> + The interior of the hut was comfortably furnished and very clean. A sort + of divan covered with neatly woven mats extended round three sides. In the + center was an attempt at a table. A doubled barreled gun and a rifle hung + over the hearth. A small looking glass and several colored prints in cheap + frames were suspended from the walls. A great chest stood at one end of + the room, while on a shelf were a number of plates and dishes of English + manufacture. + </p> + <p> + The negro begged his guests to be seated, and presently a girl entered, + bringing in a large calabash full of water for them to wash their hands + and faces. In the meantime the old negro had gone to his chest, and, to + the immense surprise of the travelers, brought out a snow white + tablecloth, which he proceeded to lay on the table, and then to place + knives, forks, and plates upon it. + </p> + <p> + “You must 'scuse deficiencies, sar,” he said. “We berry long way from + coast, and dese stupid niggers dey break tings most ebery day.” + </p> + <p> + “Don't talk about deficiencies,” Mr. Goodenough answered smiling. “All + this is, indeed, astonishing to us here.” + </p> + <p> + “You berry good to say dat, sar, but dis chile know how tings ought to be + done. Me libed in good Melican family. He know berry well how tings ought + to be done.” + </p> + <p> + “Ah, you have traveled a good deal!” Mr. Goodenough said. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, sar, me trabel great deal. Me lib in Cuba long time. Den me lib + slave states, what you call Confederate. Den me lib Northern state, also + Canada under Queen Victoria. Me trabel bery much. Now, sar, dinner come. + Time to eat not to talk. After dinner white gentlemen tell me what they + came here for. Me tell dem if they like about my trabels, but dat berry + long story.” + </p> + <p> + The dinner consisted of two fowls cut in half and grilled over a fire, + fried plantains, and, to the astonishment of the travelers, green peas, + followed by cold boiled rice over which honey had been poured. Their host + had placed plates only for two, but they would not sit down until he had + consented to join them. + </p> + <p> + Two girls waited, both neatly dressed in cotton, in a fashion which was a + compromise between European and negro notions. + </p> + <p> + After dinner the negro presented them with two large and excellent cigars, + made, as he said, from tobacco grown in his own garden, and the + astonishment of the travelers was heightened by the reappearance of one of + the girls bearing a tray with three small cups of excellent black coffee. + </p> + <p> + Their host now asked them for the story of their journey from the coast, + and the object with which they had penetrated Africa. Mr. Goodenough + related their adventures, and said that they were naturalists in search of + objects of natural history. When he had finished Ostik, in obedience to a + whisper from him, brought in a bottle of brandy, at the sight of which the + negro broke into a chuckle. + </p> + <p> + “Me tree months widout taste dat. Once ebery year me send down to coast, + get coffee, tea, sugar, calico, beads, and rum. Dis time de rum am finish + too soon. One of de cases get broke and half de bottles smash. Dat berry + bad job. Dis chile calculate dat six dozen last for a year, dat give him + one bottle each week and twenty bottles for presents to oder chiefs. + Eighteen bottles go smash, and as de oder chiefs expec' deir present all + de same, Sam hab ta go widout. De men start three weeks ago for coast. Me + hope dey come back in six weeks more.” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” Mr. Goodenough said, “you need not go without it till they come + back, for I can give you eight bottles which will last you for two months. + I have got a good supply, and as I never use it for trade unless a chief + particularly wants it, I can very well spare it.” + </p> + <p> + The old negro was greatly pleased, and when he had drank his glass of + brandy and water he responded to Mr. Goodenough's request, and, lighting a + fresh cigar, he began the story of his adventures. + </p> + <p> + “I was born in dis berry village somewhere about seventy years ago. I not + know for sure widin two or three year, for when I young man I no keep + account. My fader was de chief of dis village, just as I am now, but de + village was not like dis. It was not so big, and was berry dirty and berry + poor, just like the oder nigger villages. Well, sar, dere am nothing + perticlar to tell about de first years of my life. I jus' dirty little + naked nigger like de rest. Dose were berry bad times. Ebery one fight + against ebery one else. Ebery one take slabes and send dem down de river, + and sell to white men dere to carry ober sea. When I grow up to seventeen, + I s'pose, I take spear and go out wid de people of dis village and de oder + villages of dis part ob country under king, and fight against oder + villages and carry the people away as slabes. All berry bad business dat. + But Sam he tink nothing, and just do the same as oder people. Sometimes + oder tribes come and fight against our villages and carry our people away. + So it happened to Sam. + </p> + <p> + “Jus' when he about twenty years old we had come back from a long + 'spedition. Dis village got its share ob slabes, and we drink and sing and + make merry wid de palm tree wine and tink ourselves berry grand fellows. + Well, sar, dat night great hullyballoo in de village. De dogs bark, de men + shout and seize deir arms and run out to fight, but it no good. Anoder + tribe fall on us ten times as many as we. We fight hard but no use. All de + ole men and de ole women and de little babies dat no good to sell dey + killed, and de rest of us, de men and de women and de boys and girls, we + tied together and march away wid de people dat had taken us. + </p> + <p> + “Berry bad time dat, sar. De season was dry and de water scarce. We make + long march ebery day, and berry little food given. Dey beat us wid sticks + and prod us wid spear to make us go. A good many ob de weak ones dey die, + but de most ob us arribe at mouth ob riber; me neber know what riber dat + was, but we were berry nigh two months in getting dere. By dis time Sam + arribe at the conclusion berry strong, dat de burning ob villages and + carrying off ob slabes berry bad affair altogether. Sam hab changed his + mind about a great many things, but about dat he am fixed right up to dis + time. + </p> + <p> + “Well, at de mouth ob dat riber Sam saw de white man for de first time; + and me tell you fair, sar, Sam not like him no way. Dey were Spanish men, + and de way dey treat us poor niggers was someting awful. We huddle up + night and day in a big shed dey call a barracoon. Dey gabe us berry little + food, berry little water. Dey flog us if we grumble. Dese men belong to + ships, and had bought us from dose who brought us down from up country. + Deir ship not come yet, and for a long time we wait in the barracoon + wishing dat we could die. At last de ship came, and we were taken on board + and huddled down below. Law, what a place dat was to be sure! Not more + than tree feet high, just high enough to sit up, and dere we chained to + deck. De heat, sar, was someting terrible. Some ob us yell out and scream + for air, but dey only come down and beat us wid whips. + </p> + <p> + “De day after we got on board de ship set sail. Tree hours after dat we + hear a great running about on deck, and a shouting by the white men. Den + we hear big gun fire ober head, almost make us jump out of skin wid de + noise. Den more guns. Den dere was a crash, and before we knew what was de + matter dere was a big hole in de side, and six niggers was killed dead. + Ebery one yelled berry loud. We tink for sure that de last day come. For a + long time de guns keep firing, and den everyting quiet again. At de time + no one could tink what de matter, but I s'pose dat British cruiser chase + us and dat de slaber sail away. + </p> + <p> + “Dat was an awful voyage, sar. At first de sea smoove, and de ship go + along straight. Den de ship begin to toss about jus' as nigger does when + he has taken too much palm wine, and we all feel berry bad. Ebery one + groan and cry and tink dat dey must have been poisoned. For tree days it + was a terrible time. De hatches were shut down and no air could come to + us, and dere we was all alone in de dark, and no one could make out why de + great house on de water roll and tumble so much. We cry and shout till all + breaff gone, and den lie quiet and moan, till jus' when ebery one tink he + dead, dey take off de hatch and come down and undo de padlocks and tell us + to go up on deck. Dat berry easy to say, not at all easy to do. Most of us + too weak to walk, and say dat we dead and cannot move. Den dey whip all + about, and it was astonishing, sar, to see what life dat whip put into + dead nigger. Somehow people feel dat dey could crawl after all, and when + dey get up on deck and see de blessed sun again and de blue sky dey feel + better. But not all. In spite ob de whip many hab to be carried up on + deck, and dere de sailor men lay 'em down and trow cold water ober dem + till dey open dere eyes and come to life. Some neber come to life. Dere + were about six hundred when we start, and ob dese pretty nigh a hundred + die in dose tree days. + </p> + <p> + “After dat tings not so bad. De weather was fine and no more English + cruisers seen, so dey let half ob us up on deck at once for tree or four + hours ebery day. Dey give us more food, too, and fatten us up. We talk dis + ober among ourselves, and s'pose dat dey going to eat us when we get to + land again. Some propose not to eat food, but when dey try dat on they get + de whip, and conclude dat if dey must be eaten dey might as well be eaten + fat as lean. + </p> + <p> + “At last we come in sight of land. Den we all sent below and stay dere + till night. Den we brought on deck, and find de vessel lying in a little + creek. Den we all land in boats, and march up country all night. In de + morning we halt. Tree or four white men come on horses and look at us. Dey + separate us into parties, and each march away into country again. Den we + separate again, till at last me and twenty oders arribe at a plantation up + in de hills. Here we range along in line before a white man. He speak in + berry fierce tones, and a nigger by his side tell us dat dis man our + master, dat he say if we work well he gib us plenty of food and treat us + well, but dat if we not work wid all our might he whip us to death. After + dis it was ebident that de best ting to do was to work hard. + </p> + <p> + “I was young and berry strong, sar, and soon got de name of a willing hard + working nigger. De massa he keep his word. Dose who work well not bad + treated, plenty ob food and a piece of ground to plant vegetables and to + raise fowls for ourselves. So we passed two or tree year, plenty ob hard + work, but not berry much to grumble at. Den me and a gal of my own + village, who had been bought in de same batch wid me, we go to massa and + say we want to marry. Massa say, berry well. I fine strong nigger and work + well, so he gib de gal four yards ob bright cotton for wedding dress, and + a bottle ob rum to me, and we married. + </p> + <p> + “Two or tree years pass, and my wife hab two piccanninies. Den de massa go + home to Spain, and leab overseer in plantation. Berry bad man dat. Before, + if nigger work well he not beaten. Now he beaten wheder he work or not. + For two or tree months we 'tand it, but tings get worse and worse. De + oberseer he always drunk and go on like wild beast. One day he passed by + my wife hoeing de sugarcane and he gib her cut wid whip, jus' out of + 'musement. She turn round and ask, 'What dat for?' He get mad, cut her wid + whip, knock her down wid de handle, and den seizing de chile dat she had + fastened to her back, he catch him by de leg and smash him skull against a + tree. Den, sar, I seize my hoe, I rush at him, and I chop him down wid all + my strength, cut his skull clean in sunder, and he drop down dead. + </p> + <p> + “Den I knew dat dat was no place for Sam, so I take my hoe and I run away + as fast as I could. No one try to stop me. De oder niggers dance and sing + when dey saw de oberseer fall dead. I ran all dat day up among de hills, + skirting round de different plantations till I get quite into de wild + part. Wheneber I came to stream I walk a long way in him till I get to + tree hanging ober. Den pull myself up into de branches, climb along and + drop at de farthest end, and den run again, for I knew dat dey would set + de bloodhounds after me. + </p> + <p> + “At last I tink dat it am quite safe, and when de night came on lie down + to sleep for a few hours. Before morning me off again, and by night get to + de center of de wild country. Here I light a fire, and sit down, and, just + as I 'spected, in two or tree hours five or six men come down to me. Dose + were niggers who had run away from plantations. I tell dem my story, dey + agree dat I did berry right in killing oberseer. Dey take me away to place + where dey hab little huts and patches of yams. Two or tree days pass and + no one come, so, we s'pose dat dey hab lost de scent. Me waited a month + and den determined to go down and see about wife. I journey at night, and + reach plantation in two days. Dere I hide till I see nigger come along + close to bush. I call him and he come. I tell him to tell my wife to steal + away when night come, and to meet me dere. He nod and go away. Dat night + my wife come wid de oder chile. We not talk much but start away for + mountains. Me berry much afraid now because my wife not berry strong, she + hurt by de blow and fretting after me. Howeber, we follow the way I had + gone before. I make shift to help her up into trees from the streams, and + dis time after tree days' travel we got back to hut in the mountain. + </p> + <p> + “Dere we lib berry happy for a year. Sometimes some ob us go down to + plantation and take down baskets and oder tings dat we had made and chop + dem for cotton. We had tobacco of our own, and some fowls which we got + from the plantations in de fust place. Altogether we did berry well. + Sometimes band of soldiers come and march trough the country, but we hab + plenty hiding places and dey never find us. More and more runway slabes + come, and at last we hear dat great 'spedition going to start to search + all de mountains. Dey come, two tree thousand ob dem. Dey form long + skirmishing line, five or six mile long, and dey go ober mountain. Ebery + nigger dey find who not surrender when dey call to him dey shoot. When I + heard ob deir coming I had long talk wid wife. We agree that it better to + leave de mountains altogether and go down and live in the bushes close to + the old plantation. Nobody look for us dere. So we make our way down and + lib there quiet. We get the yams out ob de plantations and lib very + comfortable. When we tink all ober in the mountain we go back. + </p> + <p> + “Well, sar, when we tink it all safe, and we get widin a mile ob de huts + whar we had libed, all at once we came upon a lot of soldiers in camp. Dey + see us and make shout. I call to my wife to run, when dey fire. A bullet + hit de baby, which she hab at her back, and pass through both deir bodies. + I did not run any more, but jus' stood looking at my wife and chile as if + my senses had gone. Dere I stood till the soldiers came up. Dey put a cord + round my arms and led me away. After a time I was taken down the country. + Dere I was claimed, and when it was known I had killed a white oberseer I + was tried. But de new oberseer did not want me to be hung, for I was a + strong slave and worth money, so he told a story about how it happen, and + after dey had flogged me very hard dey sent me back to plantation. Dere I + work for a long time wid a great log of wood chained to my ankle to + prevent me from running away again. + </p> + <p> + “For a time I not care whether I lib or die, but at last I made up my mind + to 'scape again. After six months dey took off de log, tinking dat I had + had enuf of de mountains and would not try to 'scape, and de log prevented + my doing so much work. De bery next night I ran away again but dis time I + determined to make for de town in hopes ob getting on board an English + ship, for I had heard from de oder slabes dat de English did not keep + black men as slabes, but dat, on de contry, dey did what dey could to stop + de Spanish from getting dem away from Africa, and I understood now dat de + dreful noise we had heard on de first day we were on board ship was an + attack upon our vessel by an English cruiser. + </p> + <p> + “It was four days' journey down to de town by de sea. Dere was no + difficulty in finding de way, for de road was good, and I s'pose dat dey + only looked for me towards de hills. Anyhow I got dar safe, walking at + night and sleeping in the bushes by day. I got as near de town as I dar, + and could see seberal vessels lying near de shore. I could see dat some ob + dem had de Spanish flag—I knew dat flag—de oders had flags + which I did not know. When it was dark I walked boldly into the town; no + one asked me any question, and I make my way through de streets down to de + shore. Dere I get into a boat and lay quiet till all de town was asleep. + Den I get into water and swim off to a ship—one dat I had noticed + had a flag which was not Spanish. Dere was a boat alongside. I climb into + it and pull myself up by the rope on deck. Den some white men seize me and + say someting in language which I not understand. Den dey take me into + cabin and say someting to captain; me not know what it was, but de captain + laugh, and me not like his laugh at all. Howeber, dey give me someting to + eat, and den take me down into hold of ship and tell me to go to sleep on + some sacks of sugar, and throw some empty sacks ober me to cover me. Den + dey close up hatch and leab me alone. + </p> + <p> + “When I come on deck de land was gone and de vessel sailing along. I speak + to no one, for I only understand little Spanish, and dese people not speak + dat. We sail along for some time, and at last we come in sight of land + again. Den dey hoist flag and I see dat it a flag wid lots of red stars + and stripes upon him. I know now dat it was a 'Merican ship. Den I know + noting. We get to port and I want to land, but dey shake deir heads. + </p> + <p> + “De next day de captain he make sign to me to come wid him. I go along to + shore and he take me to a open space in town, where a man was standing on + a raised platform. He had a black woman by de side ob him. Seberal men + come up and look at her. De man he shout bery loud. Oder men say something + short. At last he knock on de table; a man tell de woman to come after him + and she walk away. Den a boy was put up, and den two more women, and ebery + time just de same ting was done. Den de man call out, and de captain push + his way through the crowd wid me, and tell me to climb up on platform. I + get up and look round quite surprised. Eberybody laugh. Den de man began + to holloa again. Den seberal men come up and feel my arms and my legs. Dey + point to de marks which de whip had left on my back, and dey laugh again. + Presently de man who was shouting bang his hand on the table again, and a + white man in the crowd, who had seberal times called out loud, come up to + me, take me by the arm, and sign to me to go wid him. + </p> + <p> + “I begin to understand now; dat rascally captain had sold me for a slabe, + and dat flag I had seen was not de English flag. However, it was no use to + say anyting, and I went along wid my new massa. He was a nice looking man, + and I thought it might not be so bery bad after all. He took me to a high + carriage wid two wheels and a fine horse. A negro, who was dressed up like + a white man, was holding de horse. He showed me to climb up behind, de + oders climb up in front, and we dribe away.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0013" id="link2HCH0013"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIII: A FUGITIVE SLAVE + </h2> + <p> + “Well, sar, work bery much de same on plantation in Virginia and Cuba, but + de slabe much merrier in 'Merica, when de master am good. My new massa + bery good man. Slabes all treat bery kind, work not too hard. At night + dance and sing bery much. Den I marry again, dis time to one ob de girls + in de house. She favorite ob missy, and so when we marry, missy hab me + taken off de fields and put to garden. Bery fine garden dat was. Tree, + four of us work dar, Sam jus' as happy as man could be. Sometime, when der + am party, Sam come into the house to help at de table, dat how Sam know + how to do tings proper. De little massas dey bery fond ob me, and when dey + want to go out hunting de coon or fishing in de riber, dey always cry for + Sam. + </p> + <p> + “So fifteen years passed by, bery happy years, sar, den do ole massa die; + missy, too, soon after. De young massa not like him father. Me tink de ole + gentleman make mistake wid him when him chile, let him hab too much his + own way. I bery fond ob him because I had been wid him so much, but I + often shake my head when I tink de time come dat he be massa ob de + plantation. It was not dat his nature was bad; he get in rage sometime, + but dat all ober in no time, but he lub pleasure too much; go to de races + and 'top at de town weeks together, and play too much wid de cards. Dere + were two boys and two girls; de second boy, he go to West Point and become + officer in de army. + </p> + <p> + “After de death ob de ole people de house change bery much. Before dat + time we keep good company, gib sometimes grand balls, and all de fust + families ob Virginia in dat part visit dar. After dat always people in de + house. De young massa, when he go to Richmond, bring back six or eight + young men wid him, and dey laugh and drink and play cards half de night. I + tink de young missys speak to him about his ways. Anyhow, one day dere + great row, and dey off to lib wid an aunt in de city. After dat tings get + worse. One day missy come back from town and she gib my wife her papers of + freedom. You see, my wife was giben by de ole man to missy when her war a + little girl, and fortunate it was dat he had made out de papers all right + and presented dem to her. When missy gib her de papers ob freedom, she cry + bery much. 'Me 'fraid bad time coming, Sally,' she said. 'Me tink dat it + better for a time dat you clar out ob dis. Now you got de paper you free + woman, but you wife ob slabe; might be difficulty about it. Me fear dat + broder Dick ruined—de plantation and slabes to be sole;' and wid dat + she bu'st out crying wus dan eber. Ob course my wife she cry too. + </p> + <p> + “'Better you go norf, Sally,' missy say presently. 'I gib you letter to + friends dar, and tell dem you bery good nurse. Den if Sam get good master + you can come back to him again. If not, as you tell me dat when he slabe + before he run away, it jus' possible he do de same again.' + </p> + <p> + “'Don't you tink, missy,' de wife said, 'dat de young massa gib freedom to + Sam too. Sam wait on him a great many years, sabe him life when he tumbled + into water.' + </p> + <p> + “'I bery much afraid,' missy said, shaking her head, 'dat my broder not + able to do so if he wish. He borrow money on de plantation and de slabes, + and dat prevent him from making any ob dem free. De sale soon come now. + You go tell Sam; tell him not to say word to nobody. Den you pack up and + come right away wid me to de city. It bery much better you clar out ob dis + before dey come down and seize eberybody.' + </p> + <p> + “Well, sar, you guess when Sam heard dis he in fine taking. He often + grieve bery much dat he and Sally hab no children. Now he tank de Lord wid + all his heart dat dere no piccanniny, for dey would hab been sold, one one + way and one another, and we should neber hab seen dem again. Hows'ever, I + make great effort, and tell Sally she do jus' what missy say. I tell her + to go norf while she can, and promise dat some day or oder Sam join her + dar. 'Better for to be parted for ten year, Sally, dan to hab de risk ob + you being seize and sold to one master, me to anoder. You trus' Sam to + break out some day. He do bery well here for a time. He bery good strong + nigger, good gardner, good at de horses, good carpenter. Sam sure to get + good place, but, howeber good, when he see a chance he run away. If no + chance, he sabe up his money, and you sabe up your money, Sally, and buy + him freedom.' + </p> + <p> + “Well, sar, we bofe cry bery much, and den Sally go away wid de young + missy. A week after dat de bust up come. De officers dey come down and + seize de place, and a little while after dey sell all de slabes. Dat was a + terrible affair, to see de husbands and de wives and de children separated + and sold to different masters. De young massa he not dere at sale. Dey say + he pretty nigh break him heart, but he ought to hab thought ob dat before. + Me sure dat de ole gentleman and de ole missy pretty nigh turn in deir + grabe at de thought ob all de hands they was so kind to sold away. + </p> + <p> + “Dat de curse of slabery, sar. Me trabel a good deal, and me tink dat no + working people in de world are so merry and happy as de slabe in a + plantation wid a good massa and missy. Dey not work so hard as de white + man. Dey have plenty to eat and drink, dey hab deir gardens and deir + fowls. When dey are sick dey are taken care ob, when dey are ole they are + looked after and hab nothing to do. I have heard people talk a lot of + nonsense about de hard life of de plantation slabe. Dat not true, sar, wid + a good massa. De slabe hab no care and he bery happy. If all massas were + good, and dere were a law dat if a plantation were broken up de slabes + must be sold in families together, me tell you dat de life on a plantation + a thousand times happier dan de life ob a black man in his own country. + But all masters are not good. Some neber look after de slabes, and leabe + all to overseers, and dese bery often bad, cruel men. But worst of all is + when a sale comes. Dat terrible, sar. De husban' sold to Alabama, de wife + to Carolina, de children scattered trough de States. Dis too bad, sar, dis + make ob slabery a curse to de black men. + </p> + <p> + “Well, sar, we all sold. Me fetch high price and sold to a planter in + Missouri. Sam no like dat. Dat a long way from the frontier. Tree years + Sam work dar in plantation. Den he sold again to a man who hab boats on de + riber at New Orleans. Dar Sam work discharging de ships and working de + barges. Dar he come to learn for sure which de British flag. De times were + slack, and my massa hire me out to be waiter in a saloon. Dat place dey + hab dinners, and after dinner dey gamble. Dat war a bad place, mos' ebery + night quarrels, and sometimes de pistols drawn, and de bullets flying + about. Sam 'top dar six months; de place near de riber, and de captains ob + de ships often come to dine. + </p> + <p> + “One young fellow come bery often, and one day Sam saw tree or four men he + knew to be Texas horse dealers talking wid him. Now dis young captain had + been bery friendly wid Sam; always speak cibil and gib him quarter for + himself, and Sam sorry to see dose chaps get hold ob him. Dis went on for + two or tree days, till one ebening de captain, instead of going away after + dinner, stopped talking to dese follows. De play begin at de table, and + dey persuade him to join. He hab de debil's luck. Dey thought they going + to cheat him, and if dey had got him by demselves dey would have cleaned + him out sure. But dere were oder people playing and dey not able to cheat. + </p> + <p> + “Well, sar, he won all de money. Drinks had been flying about, and when at + last de man dat kep' de table said, 'De bank will close for tonight,' de + young fellow could scarce walk steady on his feet. His pockets were full + ob notes. I went up to him and said, 'Will you hab a bed here, sar, bery + good bed?' but he laugh and say, 'No, Sam, I may be a little fresh in de + wind, but I tink I can make de boat.' I saw dose fellows scowl when I + speak to him, and I make up my mind dey after no good. Well, sar, dey go + out fust. Den he go out wid some oder people and stand laughing and + talking at de door. Sam run up to him room, slip on his money belt, for he + had had a good deal giben him while he was dar, and was sabing up to buy + his freedom, and he didn't know what was going to happen. Den Sam look + into de kitchen and caught up a heavy poker and a long knife, den he run + down and turn out de lights ob de saloon and lock de door after him. + </p> + <p> + “He was jus' in time, for he saw at de corner, where de street go down on + to the wharves, de young captain separate from de men who had gone out wid + him and walk away by hisself. Sam kicked off his shoes and ran as fast as + he could to de end ob de street. De wharf was bery badly lighted, jus' a + lamp here and dere. Sam ran along till he got widin about thirty yards ob + de sailor, and den stole quiet along in de shadow ob de houses. Sudden he + see five men run out. Den Sam he leap forward like tiger and gibs a shout + to warn de captain. He turn round jus' in time. Sam saw an arm lifted and + de captain fall, and den at de same moment almost him poker come down wid + a crunch upon de top ob one of deir head. Den they turn on Sam, but, law + bless you, sar! what was de good ob dat? Bery strong negro wid heavy poker + in one hand and long knife in de oder more dan match for four men. He + knock dem ober like nine pin. Tree of dem, he tink he kill straight, the + poker fall on de top ob deir heads, de oder man give a dig in Sam's left + shoulder wid his knife, and de sudden pain shake Sam's aim a little and de + blow fall on him neck. He gib a shout and tumble down. None ob do oder + four had shouted or made any remark when Sam hit dem. Den Sam caught up de + captain and ran along de wharf. Presently he heard a hail. 'All right,' + Sam said. + </p> + <p> + “'Am dat you, captain?' some one say. + </p> + <p> + “'Me got a captain here,' Sam say; 'you come and see wheder he yours.' + </p> + <p> + “De men came up and look in de captain's face. + </p> + <p> + “'Hullo,' dey say; 'de captain am dead.' + </p> + <p> + “'Me no tink him dead,' I say. 'He had a fight, and Sam come to him aid + and beat de rascals off. You had better take him straight on board de + ship.' + </p> + <p> + “Dey put him in boat and Sam go wid him to ship. Dey examine de wound and + find it not bery serious. De captain was turning round when dey struck, + and de blow had glanced off, but it had made a ugly gash; and what wid de + surprise, and de loss ob blood, and knocking him head on de wharf, and de + liquor, de captain had lost his consciousness. He soon come round, and Sam + tell all about it. De captain shake Sam's hand bery much and call him his + preserver, and ask what he do for him. + </p> + <p> + “'You take me out ob dis country,' me said, 'and Sam be grateful.' + </p> + <p> + “'Sartain, I will,' he said; 'and now what am de best ting to do?' + </p> + <p> + “'Me not stop on board now. Dey come and search de vessel for sure in de + morning. When de four white men found, me hope five, den dere great + rumpus. If five dead no suspicion fall on Sam, but you're sure to be asked + questions. It would be known dat dey were gambling in de saloon, and it + would be known dat you had broken de bank and had gone away wid your + pockets stuffed full ob notes. People would suspec' dat likely enuff dey + had made an attack on you. Dis you couldn't deny, for you will be bandaged + up in de morning, and if you had killed dem no one would blame you. But it + a different ting wid Sam. All dose rascals friends together, and you be + bery sure dat some ob dem pay him off for it. If five men dead, all well + and good. Den you say you knocked down and know nufing furder. You s'pose + some people came up and take your side, and kill dose men, and carry you + to de boat, and gib you ober to de sailors, and den go away; but dat you + know nufing at all about it. If only four men killed den do oder, who will + be sure to go away and say nufing ob his share in de business, will tell + all his mates dat dis nigger intrude himself into de affair, and dat bad + for Sam. So, sar, propose dat I go ashore, and dat I go down de bank five + or six mile, and dere hide in de bush. When your ship come down you hoist + little white flag, so Sam sure ob de right ship. If Sam tink de coast am + clear he swim off. If you no see Sam when you get fifteen mile down de + riber, den you anchor, and at night send a boat ashore. Sam come down to + it for sure.' + </p> + <p> + “So de matter was arranged. De captain say he tree more days fill up his + ship, but dat no do for me come on board by daylight because dere would be + a pilot on board. Also he says little white flag no do, pilot tink him + strange, but would tell one ob de men to hang a red shirt, as if to dry, + up in de rigging. At night would show two lights ober de bow for me to + know which was de ship. + </p> + <p> + “Fust dey bind up de wound on my shoulder, den dey gib me food for four + days and a bottle of rum, and den row me ashore. Den Sam start, and before + morning he hid in de swampy bush ten miles down de riber. He wait dere two + days, den make him way down anoder four miles and dere stop. Late dat + afternoon he see a ship come down de riber wid a red shirt in de rigging. + He go on and on, and jus' as it got dark he anchor two miles furder down. + Sam make his way along through de bush and at last get facing de ship. At + twelve o'clock boat come along bery quiet. Sam go down and get in. De men + say, 'Hush, make no noise. De pilot am as watchful as a cat. Dey had tied + tings round de oars dat dey should make no noise, and when dey get to de + side ob de ship dey lay dem in very quiet, hook on de tackle and hoist her + up. De hatchway were off, and de men beckon to Sam, and two ob dem go down + wid him, and de hatchways closed down again. + </p> + <p> + “'I tink we hab tricked him,' one ob de sailors said. 'Dere great row at + New Orleans about de four men found dead dar. Dey come off and inquire ob + de captain ober and ober again. Dey know you missing, and dey find de + kitchen poker lying by de men, and tink you must have had a hand in it. A + thousand dollars reward have been offered, and dey searched de ship high + and low, and turn ober all de cargo. A guard stop on board till de last + ting to see no one come off. When de captain say he anchor de pilot say + no, but de captain say he in no hurry and not going to risk his ship by + sailing at night. Me tink pilot smell a rat, for ebery time he hear a + noise on deck he come out of his cabin and look round. We greased de falls + to make dem run quiet, and took off our shoes so as to make no noise while + we were lowering it. De men on deck was told to get de hatchway open when + dey saw us coming, and so we hoped dat de pilot heard nufing. Now we must + head you up in a cask. We hab bored some holes in it for de air. Den we + shall pile oder casks on de top and leabe you. Dey are as likely as not to + search de ship again when she goes past de forts, for de pilot will + suspect dat it am possible dat you have come on board tonight.' + </p> + <p> + “Me take my place in a big sugar cask. Dey give me some water and some + food, and den shut in de head ober me. Dere I remain two days. I heard + some men come below and make a great noise, moving de cargo about near de + hatchway, and dey hammered in all de casks ob de top tier to see if any ob + dem was empty. I felt bery glad when it was all ober, and de hold was + quiet again. I slept a great deal and did not know anything about time; + but at last I heard a noise again, and de moving of casks, and den de head + of de hogshead was taken out, and dere were de sailors and de captain. Dey + shook Sam very hearty by de hand, and told him dat de ship was safe out at + sea, and dat he was a free man. + </p> + <p> + “All through dat voyage dey bery kind to Sam. He libed de life ob a + gentleman; ate, and drank, and smoke plenty, and nufing at all to do. At + last we got to Liberpool, and dar de captain take Sam to a vessel bound to + New York, pay him passage across, and gib Sam a present ob fifty pound. + Dis chile had saved fifty beside, so he felt dat he was a rich man. Nufing + happen on passage, except great storm, and Sam thought dat de steamer go + to de bottom, but she got through all right, and Sam land at New York. Den + he journey to Philadelphia, dat the place where missy give Sam a card wid + a name and address written on it, for him to go to ask where Sally was + living. Well, sar, you could have knocked me down when I find a great bill + in de window, saying dat de house were to let. Sam almost go out ob his + mind. He ask a great many people, de servants at de doors, and de people + in de shops and at last find dat de family am gone to trabel in Europe, + and dat dey might be away for years. + </p> + <p> + “For two months Sam searched about Philadelphia, and looked at ebery black + woman he saw in de streets. He could see no signs whatsomeber ob Sally. + Den he took a place as waiter at an hotel, and he wrote to missy at + Richmond, to ask if she know Sally's address, but he neber got no answer + to dat letter, and s'posed that missy was either dead or gone away. After + he work dere for some months de idea came to Sam dat first class hotel + wasn't de best place in de world to look for black woman. Den Sam went to + warehouse and bought a lot of books and started to peddle them trough de + country. He walked thousands ob miles, and altogether saw thousands ob + black men, but nothing like Sally. Ebery black woman he could he spoke to, + and asked dem if dey knew her. It was a curious ting dat no one did. Me + did not find Sally, but me made a good deal of money, and tree more years + pass away at dis work. By dis time me was nigh forty-five years old, as + well as me could tell. Ebery few months me go back to Philadelphia and + search dere again. + </p> + <p> + “One day a woman, dressed bery plain, came up to me and said, 'I hab been + tole by my nurse dat you have been asking her if she had seen your wife.' + I s'pose I looked hopeful like for she said at once, 'Me know nothing ob + her, but I was interested about you. You are an escaped slabe, are you + not?' + </p> + <p> + “'Yes, ma'am,' me said. 'Dere is no law against me here.' + </p> + <p> + “'None at all,' she said. 'But I thought that you might, like me, be + interested in freeing slabes.' + </p> + <p> + “'Dat I am,' I said, 'dough I had neber thought much about it.' + </p> + <p> + “'You hab heard, p'raps,' she said, 'ob de underground railway.' + </p> + <p> + “'Yes, ma'am,' said I. 'Dat is de blessed 'stitution which smuggles slaves + across the frontier.' + </p> + <p> + “'Dat is it,' she said, 'and I belongs to it.' + </p> + <p> + “'Does you, missy?' me says. 'De Lord bless you.' + </p> + <p> + “'Now,' she said, 'we want two or three more earnest men, men not afraid + to risk deir libes, or what is worse deir freedom, to help deir follow + creatures. I thought that you, habing suffered so much yourself, might be + inclined to devote yourself to freeing oders from de horrors of slabery.' + </p> + <p> + “'Sam is ready, ma'am,' me says, 'It may be dat de Lord neber intends me + see my Sally again, but if I can be de means ob helping to get oder men to + join deir wives I shall be content.' + </p> + <p> + “'Very well,' she said. 'Come into my house now and we will talk about + it.' + </p> + <p> + “Den she 'splained the whole business to me. Dere were, principally in + lonely places, in swamps and woods, but sometimes libing in villages and + towns in de south, people who had devoted deir libes to de carrying out of + de purposes ob de underground railway. For de most part dese led libes + differing no way from deir neighbors; dey tilled de land, or kept stores + like oders, and none of dose around dem suspected in de slightest degree + deir mission in de south. To deir houses at night fugitive slabes would + come, guided by dose from de next post. De fugitives would be concealed + for twenty-four hours or more, and den passed on at night again to de next + station. Dose formed the larger portion ob de body. + </p> + <p> + “Dere were oders who lived a life in de swamps, scattered trough the + country. Deir place of residence would be known to de slabes ob de + neighborhood, but de masters had no suspicion dat de emissaries ob de + association were so near. To dese any negro, driben to desperation by + harsh treatment, would resort, and from dem instructions would be received + as to de route to be taken, and de places where aid could be obtained. + Dose people held deir life in deir hands. Had any suspicion fallen upon + dem ob belonging to de 'stitution dey would be lynched for sartin. De lady + set before me all de dangers ob de venture. She said it war a case whar + dere were no money to be earned, and only de chances of martyrdom. My mind + quite made up. Me ready to undertake any work dey like to give me. My life + ob no value to no one. De next day me saw some ob de oder people connected + wid de affair, and tree days afterwards I started for de south.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0014" id="link2HCH0014"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIV: A CHRISTIAN TOWN + </h2> + <p> + “My share ob de business was to make my way down south and settle in de + swamps ob Carolina. I war to be taken down by trading schooner, to be + landed on de coast, and to make my way to a place in de center ob a big + swamp whar an ole nigger, named Joe, had been carrying on de work for four + years. He had sent to say dat he war bery ill wid de swamp fever and like + to die, dat he should not leabe de work as long as he libed, but hoped dat + dey would send anoder man out to take on his work after his death. + </p> + <p> + “Well, sar, I was landed, and I made my way to de place. It war no easy + matter. De niggers all say dey know no such person, but I found de next + post, and dere de man guided me to de path which led into de swamp. Dey + told me dey thought de ole man dead, for dat no one had come along to dem + from him for nigh two month. Well, sar, as I 'spected I found him dead, + and I buried him, and took up my place in de hut. Soon it became known + through de plantations round dat de hut was occupied again, and dey began + to come to me to ask for assistance. My 'structions war dat only to enable + a husband to join his wife, or a wife her husband, or in cases where de + masters were uncommon cruel, dat I was to send 'em along by de underground + railway. De risks was too great to be run often. If we had tried to help + ebery one to 'scape we should mighty soon hab been hunted down. + </p> + <p> + “Well, sar, I libed dere for three year. It was a lonesome life. I planted + a few yams round de hut, and de plantation hands would bring me tings dat + dey got hold of. It was my duty when I found dat a case was ob de proper + description to arrange for de flight, de man or de woman would come to my + hut, and I would guide dem through de swamps, twenty-five mile away, to de + house ob a clergyman, which was de next station. I would jus' knock in a + 'ticular way at de door, and when dis was open leab de party dere and go + straight away back to de swamp. More dan once de planters got up hunts and + searched de swamp through and through for me wid dogs, and my hut was + twice burnt to de ground, but de slabes always brought me notice in time, + and I went away into de tickest part ob de swamp and lay dar till dey had + gone away. + </p> + <p> + “Well, sar, one time come, I bery busy, passed tree men away in two week. + One night me hear barking of dogs, and jump up jus' in time to see party + ob men coming out from de little path towards de hut. I ran for de swamp. + Dey fire at me and one ball hit me. Den I ran in to de swamp, de dogs dey + follow, but I get farder and farder away, and de swamp get deeper, and me + tink dey lose me altogether. I sit quiet on 'tump when I hear someting + splashing in swamp, and all of a sudden a big hound sprang on me, and fix + him teeth in my shoulder. I had no arms, for in de hurry I had not time to + catch dem up. De beast he growl and bite, and hold on like death. I saw + dere only one ting to do. I tumble forward into de swamp wid de dog + underneath me, and dere I lay, wid my mouf sometimes above de water + sometimes below, till de dog was drowned. + </p> + <p> + “Den I start for de next station. I was hit in de hip, and it took me tree + days to crawl dat twenty-five miles. On de tird ebening I knock at de door + ob de house, and when it was open I tumble down in faint inside. It war a + long time before I come to myself, two weeks dey tell me, and den I tink I + dream, for sitting by de side of de bed war dat woman Sally. Till she + spoke, me couldn't believe dat it war true, but she told me dat it war + her, sure enuf, and dat I war to ask no questions but to go off to sleep. + </p> + <p> + “Next day she told me all about it. She had stopped a year at Philadelphy. + Den she heard ob de underground railway, and was tole dat a clergyman, who + war just going down south to work a station, wanted a black nurse for his + children, who would help in de work. Sally she volunteer, and dar she had + been libing eber since, hoping all de time eider dat I should pass through + dere or dat she should hear from Philadelphy dat I had got dere. She used + to act as de guide ob de runaways to de next station, and ebery man who + came along she asked if they knew me; but, law bless you, sar, de poor + woman knew nufing ob places, or she would hab known dat she war hundreds + ob miles south of Virginia, and though she allowed she had heard I had + gone to Missouri, she s'posed dat de way from der might be by de sea + coast. I hab observed, sar, dat de gography ob women am bery defective. + </p> + <p> + “I stopped thar till I was cured. The clergyman knew someting of surgery, + and he managed to substract the ball from my hip. When I war quite well + Sally and me started for the norf, whar we had helped so many oders to go, + and, bress de Lord, we arribed dere safe. Den I told Sally dat I should + like to libe under de British flag, so we went up to Canada and dere we + libed bery comfortable for ten years together. Sally washed and I kep' a + barber's shop, and we made plenty ob money. Den she die, sar, de tought + come into my mind dat I would come back to Africa and teach dose poor + niggers here de ways ob de white men, and sar,” and he pointed to a Bible + standing on the chest, “de ways ob de Lord. So I came across the Atlantic, + and stopped a little while on de coast, for I had pretty nigh forgotten de + language ob de country. When I got it back again I started up for dis + place, wid plenty ob goods and presents. + </p> + <p> + “I had hard work at fust to get de people to know me. It war nigh forty + year since I had gone away, but at last some ob de ole people remember me, + dat I was de son ob de chief. As I had plenty goods, and dey did not like + de man dat was here, dey made me chief in my fader's place. I told dem dat + I no accept de place unless dey promise to behave bery well, to mind what + I said to dem, and to listen to my words; but dat if they do dat I gibe + dem plenty goods, I make dem comfortable and happy, and I teach dem de way + ob de Lord. Dey agree to all dis. + </p> + <p> + “I find de slave trade now all at an end, and dat de people not fight + often now. Still, de twenty muskets dat I bring make de people of oder + villages respec' us very much. Dey come ober to see de village. Dey see + dat de houses are comfortable, dat de gardens are bery well cultivated, + dat de people are well dressed, not like common nigger, dat dey are happy + and contented. Dey see dat dey no believe in fetish any more, but dat + ebery ebening when de work is ober, dey gadder under de big tree and + listen for half an hour while I read to dem and den sing a hymn. Once a + year I send down to de coast and get up plenty cloth, and hoes for de + gardens, and eberyting dey want. When I land here ten year ago I hab eight + hundred pound. I got five hundred ob him left here still. Dat more dan + enuf to last Sam if he libe to be bery, bery ole man. Dar are some good + men in de village who, when I am gone, will carry on de work ob de Lord + and dat's all, sar, dat I hab to tell you about Sam, and I am sure dat you + must be very tired and want to go to bed.” + </p> + <p> + The hour was, indeed, for Africa, extremely late, but the time had passed + unheeded, so interested were the listeners in the narrative of the fine + old negro. They remained at the village for a week, and were greatly + pleased with the industrious habits and happy appearance of the people, + and with the earnestness and fervor in which every evening, and twice on + Sunday, they joined in devotions under the great tree. At the end of that + time they said goodbye to their kind host, giving him a large amount of + cloth for distribution among his people. He was unable to furnish them + with bearers, as a considerable tract of uninhabited country extended + beyond his village, and the people on the other side were on bad terms + with his villagers, on account of an outstanding feud which had existed + long before his return from America, and which he had in vain attempted to + settle since he assumed the headship of the village. + </p> + <p> + On approaching the Niger they again came upon an inhabited country, but + the tribes here being accustomed to trade with the coast were friendly, + and at the first large village they came to no difficulty was experienced + in obtaining a fresh relay of bearers. This was a matter of great + satisfaction, for the Fans were regarded with extreme antipathy by the + natives. As soon as arrangements had been made to supply their place the + Fans were paid the four months' wages which they had earned. A large + “dash” of beads and other presents were bestowed upon them, three of the + remaining sacks of rice were given to them, and, greatly rejoicing, they + started for their own country, which, by making long marches, they would + regain in a fortnight's time. Although it was not probable that they would + meet with any enemies, six trade muskets, with a supply of powder and + ball, were given to them, as, although they would not be able to do much + execution with these weapons, their possession would exercise a powerful + influence over any natives they might meet. + </p> + <p> + In crossing the country to the Niger the white men were the objects of + lively curiosity, and the exhibition of the magic lantern, the chemical + experiments, and conjuring tricks created an effect equal to that which + they had produced among the Fans. On reaching the Niger a canoe was hired + with a crew of rowers. In this all the cases, filled with the objects they + had collected, were placed, the whole being put in charge of the Houssas, + Moses and King John, who had been seized with a fit of homesickness. These + were to deliver the cases to the charge of an English agent at Lagos or + Bonny, to both of whom Mr. Goodenough wrote requesting him to pay the sum + agreed to the boatmen on the safe arrival of the cases, and also to pay + the Houssas, who preferred taking their wages there, as it was not + considered advisable to tempt the cupidity of any of the native princes + along the river. Should they be overhauled the Houssas were told to open + the cases and show that these contained nothing but birds' skins and + insects, which would be absolutely valueless in the eyes of a native. + </p> + <p> + When the precious freight had fairly started, the party crossed the Niger + in a canoe, arrangements having already been made with the potentate of a + village on the opposite side for a fresh relay of carriers, twenty men + being now sufficient, owing to the gaps which had been made in the + provisions in the goods, by the payment of the carriers and presents, and, + in the cases, by the despatch of eight of the largest of these to the + coast. They had still, however, ample space for the collections they might + still make. The cases of goods and provisions were utilized for this + purpose as they were emptied. + </p> + <p> + For another two months they journeyed on, halting frequently and adding + continually to their stores. The country was fairly populated, and there + was no difficulty in buying plantains and fruit and in obtaining fresh + sets of carriers through the territories of each petty chief. They were + now approaching the Volta, when one day a native, covered with dust and + bathed in perspiration, came up to their camp, and throwing himself on the + ground before Mr. Goodenough poured out a stream of words. + </p> + <p> + “What does he say, Ostik?” + </p> + <p> + “Me not know, sar. P'r'aps Ugly Tom know. He been down near Volta + country.” + </p> + <p> + Ugly Tom was called, and after a conversation with the native, told Mr. + Goodenough that he was a messenger from Abeokuta, that the people there + were threatened by an attack by the King of Dahomey, and that they + implored the white men, who they heard were in the neighborhood, to come + to their aid. + </p> + <p> + “What do you say, Frank?” Mr. Goodenough asked. + </p> + <p> + “I don't know anything about it, sir,” Frank said. “I have heard of + Dahomey, of course, and its horrible customs, but I don't know anything + about Abeokuta.” + </p> + <p> + “Abeokuta is a very singular town,” Mr. Goodenough said. “Its people were + christianized many years ago, and have faithfully retained the religion. + The town lies not very far from Dahomey, and this power, which has + conquered and enslaved all its other neighbors, has been unable to conquer + Abeokuta, although it has several times besieged it. The Dahomey people + have every advantage, being supplied with firearms, and even cannon, by + the rascally white traders at Whydah, the port of Dahomey. Nevertheless, + the Abeokuta people have opposed an heroic resistance, and so far + successfully. Of course they know that every soul would be put to death + did they fall into the hands of the King of Dahomey; but negroes do not + always fight well, even under such circumstances, and every credit must be + given to the people of Abeokuta. What do you say? It will be a perilous + business, mind, for if Abeokuta is taken we shall assuredly be put to + death with the rest of the defenders.” + </p> + <p> + “I think we ought to help them, sir,” Frank said. “They must be a noble + people, and with our guns and the four Houssas we might really be of + material assistance. Of course there is a risk in it, but we have risked + our lives from fever, and in other ways, every day since we've been in the + country.” + </p> + <p> + “Very well, my lad. I am glad that is your decision. Tell him, Ugly Tom, + that we will at once move towards Abeokuta with all speed, and that they + had better send out a party of carriers to meet us, as you may be sure + that these men will not go far when they hear that the Dahomey people are + on the warpath. Learn from him exactly the road we must move by, as if our + carriers desert us we shall be detained till his people come up. How far + is it to Abeokuta?” + </p> + <p> + Ugly Tom learned from the native that it was about forty-five miles. + </p> + <p> + “Very well,” Mr. Goodenough said, “we shall march twenty this afternoon. + Where we halt they will most likely have heard the rumors of the war, and + I expect the carriers will go no farther, so they must send out to that + point.” + </p> + <p> + The Houssa translated the message, and the native, saying, “I shall be at + Abeokuta tonight,” kissed the hands of the white men and started at a + trot. + </p> + <p> + “Wonderful stamina some of these men have,” Mr. Goodenough said. “That man + has come forty-five miles at full speed, and is now going off again as + fresh as when he started.” + </p> + <p> + “What speed will he go at?” Frank asked. + </p> + <p> + “About six miles an hour. Of course he goes faster when he is running, but + he will sometimes break into a walk. Five miles an hour may be taken as + the ordinary pace of a native runner, but in cases which they consider of + importance, like the present, you may calculate on six.” + </p> + <p> + The camp was at once broken up, the carriers loaded, and they started on + their way. It was late in the evening when they reached a village about + twenty miles from their starting place. They found the inhabitants in a + great state of alarm. The news had come that a great army was marching to + attack Abeokuta, and that the King of Dahomey had sworn on his father's + skull that this time the place should be captured, and not a house or a + wall left remaining. As Abeokuta was certain to make a strong resistance, + and to hold out for some time, the villagers feared that the Dahomey + people would be sending out parties to plunder and carry away captives all + over the surrounding country. The panic at once extended to the bearers, + who declared that they would not go a foot farther. As their fears were + natural, and Mr. Goodenough was expecting a fresh relay from Abeokuta on + the following evening, he consented to their demand to be allowed to leave + immediately, and paying them their wages due, he allowed them to depart at + once on the return journey. The tent was soon pitched and supper prepared, + of fried plantains, rice, a tin of sardines, and tea. Later on they had a + cup of chocolate, and turned in for the night. + </p> + <p> + In the morning they were awakened just at daybreak by great talking. + </p> + <p> + “Men come for baggage, sar,” Ugly Tom said, putting his head in the tent + door. + </p> + <p> + “They have lost no time about it, Frank,” Mr. Goodenough exclaimed. “It + was midday yesterday when the messenger left us. He had forty-five miles + to run, and could not have been in till pretty nearly eight o'clock, and + these men must have started at once.” + </p> + <p> + There was no time lost. While the Houssas were pulling down and packing up + the tent Ostik prepared two bowls of chocolate with biscuit soaked in it. + By the time that this was eaten the carriers had taken up their loads, and + two minutes later the whole party started almost at a trot. Ugly Tom soon + explained the cause of the haste. The army of Dahomey was, the evening + before, but eight miles from Abeokuta, and was expected to appear before + the town by midday, although, of course, it might be later, for the + movements of savage troops are uncertain in the extreme, depending + entirely upon the whims of their leader. So anxious were the bearers to + get back to the town in time, that they frequently went at a trot. They + were the better able to keep up the speed as a larger number than were + required had been sent. Many of the cases, too, were light, consequently + the men were able to shift the heavy burdens from time to time. So great + was the speed, that after an hour both Mr. Goodenough and Frank, weakened + by the effect of fever and climate, could no longer keep up. The various + effects carried in the hammocks were hastily taken out and lifted by men + unprovided with loads. The white men entered and were soon carried along + at a brisk trot by the side of the baggage. When they recovered from their + exhaustion sufficiently to observe what was going on, they could not help + admiring the manner in which the negroes, with perspiration streaming from + every pore, hurried along with their burdens. So fast did they go, that in + less than six hours they emerged from the forest into the clearing, and a + shout proclaimed that Abeokuta was close at hand. + </p> + <p> + Ten minutes later the white men were carried through the gate, their + arrival being hailed with shouts of joy by the inhabitants. They were + carried in triumph to the principal building of the town, a large hut + where the general councils of the people were held. Here they were + received by the king and the leading inhabitants, who thanked them warmly + for coming to their assistance in the time of their peril. The travelers + were both struck with the appearance of the people. They were clad with + far more decency and decorum than was usual among the negro tribes. Their + bearing was quiet and dignified. An air of neatness and order pervaded + everything, and it was clear that they were greatly superior to the people + around. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough expressed to the king the willingness with which his friend + and himself took part in the struggle of a brave people against a cruel + and bloodthirsty foe, and he said, that as the four Houssas were also + armed with fast firing guns he hoped that their assistance would be of + avail. He said that he would at once examine the defences of the town and + see if anything could be done to strengthen them. + </p> + <p> + Accompanied by the king, Mr. Goodenough and Frank made a detour of the + walls. These were about a mile in circumference, were built of clay, and + were of considerable height and thickness, but they were not calculated to + resist an attack by artillery. As, however, it was not probable that the + Dahomey people possessed much skill in the management of their cannon, Mr. + Goodenough had hopes that they should succeed in repelling the assault. + They learnt that a large store of provisions had been brought into the + town, and that many of the women and children had been sent far away. + </p> + <p> + The spies presently came in and reported that there was no movement on the + part of the enemy, and that it was improbable that they would advance + before the next day. Mr. Goodenough was unable to offer any suggestions + for fresh defenses until they knew upon which side the enemy would attack. + He advised, however, that the whole population should be set to work + throwing up an earthwork just outside each gate, in order to shelter these + as far as possible from the effect of the enemy's cannonballs. Orders were + at once given to this effect, and in an hour the whole population were at + work carrying earth in baskets and piling it in front of the gates. In + order to economize labor, and to make the sides of the mounds as steep as + possible, Mr. Goodenough directed with brushwood, forming a sort of rough + wattle work. Not even when night set in did the people desist from their + labor, and by the following morning the gates were protected from the + effect of cannon shot, by mounds of earth twenty feet high, which rose + before them. The king had, when Mr. Goodenough first suggested these + defenses, pointed out that much less earth would be required were it piled + directly against the gates. Mr. Goodenough replied, that certainly this + was so, but that it was essential to be able to open the gates to make a + sortie if necessary against the enemy, and although the king shook his + head, as if doubting the ability of his people to take such a desperate + step as that of attacking the enemy outside their walls, he yielded to Mr. + Goodenough's opinion. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0015" id="link2HCH0015"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XV: THE AMAZONS OF DAHOMET + </h2> + <p> + A spacious and comfortable hut was placed at the disposal of the white + men, with a small one adjoining for the Houssas. That evening Frank asked + Mr. Goodenough to tell him what he knew concerning the people of Dahomey. + </p> + <p> + “The word Dahomey, or more properly Da-omi, means Da's belly. Da was, two + hundred and fifty years ago, the king of the city of Abomey. It was + attacked by Tacudona the chief of the Fois. It resisted bravely, and + Tacudona made a vow that if he took it he would sacrifice the king to the + gods. When he captured the town he carried out his vow by ripping open the + king, and then called the place Daomi. Gradually the conquerors extended + their power until the kingdom reached to the very foot of the Atlas range, + obtaining a port by the conquest of Whydah. The King of Dahomey is a + despot, and even his nobility crawl on the ground in his presence. The + taxes are heavy, every article sold in the market paying about one + eighteenth to the royal exchequer. There are besides many other taxes. + Every slave is taxed, every article that enters the kingdom. If a cock + crow it is forfeited, and, as it is the nature of cocks to crow, every + bird in the kingdom is muzzled. The property of every one who dies goes to + the king; and at the Annual Custom, a grand religious festival, every man + has to bring a present in proportion to his rank and wealth. The royal + pomp is kept up by receiving strangers who visit the country with much + state, and by regaling the populace with spectacles of human sacrifices. + The women stand high in Dahomey. Among other negro nations they till the + soil. In Dahomey they fight as soldiers, and perform all the offices of + men. Dahomey is principally celebrated for its army of women, and its + human sacrifices. These last take place annually, or even more often. + Sometimes as many as a thousand captives are slain on these occasions. In + almost all the pagan nations of Africa human sacrifices are perpetrated, + just as they were by the Druids and Egyptians of old. Nowhere, however, + are they carried to such a terrible extent as in Dahomey. Even Ashanti, + where matters are bad enough, is inferior in this respect. The victims are + mostly captives taken in war, and it is to keep up the supply necessary + for these wholesale sacrifices that Dahomey is constantly at war with her + neighbors.” + </p> + <p> + “But are we going to fight against women, then?” Frank asked horrified. + </p> + <p> + “Assuredly we are,” Mr. Goodenough answered. “The Amazons, as white men + have christened the force, are the flower of the Dahomey army, and fight + with extraordinary bravery and ferocity.” + </p> + <p> + “But it will seem dreadful to fire at women!” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “That is merely an idea of civilization, Frank. In countries where women + are dependent upon men, leaving to them the work of providing for the + family and home, while they employ themselves in domestic duties and in + brightening the lives of the men, they are treated with respect. But as + their work becomes rougher, so does the position which they occupy in + men's esteem fall. Among the middle and upper classes throughout Europe a + man is considered a brute and a coward who lifts his hand against a woman. + Among the lower classes wife and woman beating is by no means uncommon, + nor is such an assault regarded with much more reprobation than an attack + upon a man. When women leave their proper sphere and put themselves + forward to do man's work they must expect man's treatment; and the foolish + women at home who clamor for women's rights, that is to say, for an + equality of work, would, if they had their way, inflict enormous damage + upon their sex.” + </p> + <p> + “Still,” Frank said, “I shan't like having to fire at women.” + </p> + <p> + “You won't see much difference between women and men when the fight + begins, Frank. These female furies will slay all who fall into their + hands, and therefore in self defense you will have to assist in slaying + them.” + </p> + <p> + The following day the sound of beating of drums and firing of guns was + heard, and soon afterwards the head of the army of Dahomey was seen + approaching. It moved with considerable order and regularity. + </p> + <p> + “Those must be the Amazons,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They are proud of their + drill and discipline. I do not think that any other African troops could + march so regularly and solidly.” + </p> + <p> + The main body of the army now came in view, marching as a loose and + scattered mob. Then twelve objects were seen dragged by oxen. These were + the cannon of the besiegers. + </p> + <p> + “How many do you think there are?” Frank asked. + </p> + <p> + “It is very difficult to judge accurately,” Mr. Goodenough said. “But + Dahomey is said to be able to put fifty thousand fighting men and women in + the field, that is to say her whole adult population, except those too old + to bear arms. I should think that there are twenty or twenty-five thousand + now in sight.” + </p> + <p> + The enemy approached within musket shot of the walls, and numbers of them + running up, discharged their muskets. The Abeokuta people fired back; but + Mr. Goodenough ordered the Houssas on no account to fire, as he did not + wish the enemy to know the power of their rifles. + </p> + <p> + The first step of the besiegers was to cut down all the plantations round + the town and to erect great numbers of little huts. A large central hut + with several smaller ones surrounding it was erected for the king and his + principal nobles. The Dahomans spread round the town and by the + gesticulation and pointing at the gates it was clear that the defenses + raised to cover these excited great surprise. + </p> + <p> + The wall was thick enough for men to walk along on the top, but being + built of clay it would withstand but little battering. Mr. Goodenough set + a large number of people to work, making sacks from the rough cloth, of + which there was an abundance in the place. These were filled with earth + and piled in the center of the town ready for conveyance to any point + threatened. He likewise had a number of beams, used in construction of + houses, sharpened at one end; stakes of five or six feet long were also + prepared and sharpened at both ends. That day the enemy attempted nothing + against the town. The next morning the twelve cannon were planted at a + distance of about five hundred yards and opened fire on the walls. The + shooting was wild in the extreme; many of the balls went over the place + altogether; others topped the wall and fell in the town; some hit the wall + and buried themselves in the clay. + </p> + <p> + “We will give them a lesson,” Mr. Goodenough said, “in the modern rifle. + Frank, you take my double barrel rifle and I will take the heavy, large + bored one. Your Winchester will scarcely make accurate firing at five + hundred yards.” + </p> + <p> + The Houssas were already on the wall, anxious to open fire. Mr. Goodenough + saw that their rifles were sighted to five hundred yards. The cannon + offered an easy mark. They were ranged along side by side, surrounded by a + crowd of negroes, who yelled and danced each time a shot struck the wall. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” Mr. Goodenough said to the Houssas, “fire steadily, and, above all, + fire straight. I want every shot to tell.” + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough gave the signal, and at once Frank and the Houssas opened + fire. The triumphant yells of the Dahomans at once changed their + character, and a cry of wrath and astonishment broke from them. Steadily + Mr. Goodenough and his party kept up their fire. They could see that great + execution was being done, a large proportion of the shots telling. Many + wounded were carried to the rear, and black forms could be seen stretched + everywhere on the ground. Still the enemy's fire continued with unabated + vigor. + </p> + <p> + “They fight very pluckily,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “They are plucky,” Mr. Goodenough answered; “and as cowardice is punished + with death, and human life has scarcely any value among them, they will be + killed where they stand rather than retreat.” + </p> + <p> + For three or four hours the fight continued. Several officers, evidently + of authority, surrounded by groups of attendants, came down to the guns; + but as Frank and Mr. Goodenough always selected these for their mark, and—firing + with their guns resting on the parapet—were able to make very + accurate shooting, most of them were killed within a few minutes of their + arriving on the spot. + </p> + <p> + At the end of four hours the firing ceased, and the Dahomans retired from + their guns. The Abeokuta people raised a cry of triumph. + </p> + <p> + “I imagine they have only fallen back,” Mr. Goodenough said, “to give the + guns time to cool.” + </p> + <p> + While the cannonade had been going on a brisk attack had been kept up on + several other points of the wall, the enemy advancing within fifty yards + of this and firing their muskets, loaded with heavy charges of slugs, at + the defenders, who replied vigorously to them. Their cannonade was not + resumed that afternoon, the Dahomans contenting themselves with + skirmishing round the walls. + </p> + <p> + “They are disappointed with the result of their fire,” Mr. Goodenough + said. “No doubt they anticipated they should knock the wall down without + difficulty. You will see some change in their tactics tomorrow.” + </p> + <p> + That night Mr. Goodenough had a number of barrels of palm oil carried on + to the wall, with some of the great iron pots used for boiling down the + oil, and a supply of fuel. + </p> + <p> + “If they try to storm,” he said, “it will most likely be at the point + which they have been firing at. The parapet is knocked down in several + places, and the defenders there would be more exposed to their fire.” + </p> + <p> + It was at this point, therefore, that the provision of oil was placed. Mr. + Goodenough ordered fires to be lighted under the boilers an hour before + daybreak, in order that all should be in readiness in case an attack + should be made the first thing in the morning. The Abeokutans were in high + spirits at the effect of the fire of their white allies, and at the + comparative failure of the cannon, at whose power they had before been + greatly alarmed. Soon after daylight the Dahomans were seen gathering near + the guns. Their drums beat furiously, and presently they advanced in a + solid mass against the wall. + </p> + <p> + “They have got ladders,” Mr. Goodenough said. “I can see numbers of them + carrying something.” + </p> + <p> + The Houssas at once opened fire, and as the enemy approached closer, first + the Abeokutans who had muskets, then the great mass with bows and arrows, + began to fire upon the enemy, while these answered with their musketry. + The central body, however, advanced without firing a shot, moving like the + rest at a quick run. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough and Frank were not firing now, as they were devoting + themselves to superintending the defence. Ostik kept close to them, + carrying Frank's Winchester carbine and a double barreled shotgun. + </p> + <p> + “This is hot,” Mr. Goodenough said, as the enemy's slugs and bullets + whizzed in a storm over the edge of the parapet, killing many of the + defenders, and rendering it difficult for the others to take accurate aim. + This, however, the Abeokutans did not try to do. Stooping below the + parapet, they fitted their arrows to the string, or loaded their muskets, + and then, standing up, fired hastily at the approaching throng. + </p> + <p> + The walls were about twenty-five feet high inside, but the parapet gave an + additional height of some four feet outside. They were about three feet + thick at the top, and but a limited number of men could take post there to + oppose the storming party. Strong bodies were placed farther along on the + wall to make a rush to sweep the enemy off should they gain a footing. + Others were posted below to attack them should they leap down into the + town, while men with muskets were on the roofs of the houses near the + walls, in readiness to open fire should the enemy get a footing on the + wall. The din was prodigious. + </p> + <p> + The Dahomans, having access to the sea coast, were armed entirely with + muskets, these being either cheap Birmingham trade guns or old converted + muskets, bought by traders for a song at the sale of disused government + stores. It is much to be regretted that the various governments of Europe + do not insist that their old guns shall be used only as old iron. The + price obtained for them is so trifling as to be immaterial, and the great + proportion of them find their way to Africa to be used in the constant + wars that are waged there, and to enable rich and powerful tribes to + enslave and destroy their weaker neighbors. The Africans use very much + heavier charges of powder than those in used in civilized nations, ramming + down a handful of slugs, of half a dozen small bullets, upon the powder. + This does not conduce to good shooting, but the noise made is prodigious. + The Abeokutans, on the other hand, were principally armed with bows and + arrows, as, having no direct access to the sea coast, it was difficult for + them to procure guns. + </p> + <p> + The Dahomans poured up in a mass to the foot of the wall, and then a score + of rough ladders, constructed of bamboo, and each four feet wide, were + placed against the walls. Directly the point to be attacked was indicated, + Mr. Goodenough had distributed his cauldrons of boiling oil along the + walls, and had set men to work to pierce holes through the parapet at + distances of a couple of feet apart, and at a height of six inches from + the ground. A line of men with long spears were told to lie down upon the + ground, and to thrust through the holes at those climbing the ladders. + Another line of holes was pierced two feet higher, through which those + armed with muskets and bows were to fire, for when the enemy reached the + foot of the walls their fire was so heavy that it was impossible to return + it over the top of the parapet. + </p> + <p> + Immediately the ladders were placed, men with ladles began to throw the + boiling oil over the parapet. Shrieks and yells from below at once + testified to its effect, but it was only just where the cauldrons were + placed that the besiegers were prevented by this means from mounting the + ladders, and even here many, in spite of the agony of their burns, climbed + desperately upward. + </p> + <p> + When they neared the top the fight began in earnest. Those without were + now obliged to cease firing, and the besieged were able to stand up and + with sword and spear defend their position. The breech loaders of Mr. + Goodenough and the Houssas and Frank's repeating carbine now came into + play. The Dahomans fought with extraordinary bravery, hundreds fell shot + or cut down from above or pierced by the spears and arrows through the + holes in the parapet. Fresh swarms of assailants took their places on the + ladders. The drums kept up a ceaseless rattle, and the yells of the mass + of negroes standing inactive were deafening. Their efforts, however, were + in vain. Never did the Amazons fight with more reckless bravery; but the + position was too strong for them, and at last, after upwards of a thousand + of the assailants had fallen, the attack was given up, and the Dahomans + retired from the wall followed by the exulting shouts of the men of + Abeokuta. + </p> + <p> + The loss of the defenders was small. Some ten or twelve had been killed + with slugs. Three or four times that number were more or less severely + wounded about the head or shoulders with the same missiles. Frank had a + nasty cut on the cheek, and Firewater and Bacon were both streaming with + blood. + </p> + <p> + There was no chance of a renewal of the attack that day. Sentries were + placed on the walls, and a grand thanksgiving service was held in the open + space in the center of the town which the whole populace attended. + </p> + <p> + “What will be their next move, do you think?” Frank asked Mr. Goodenough. + </p> + <p> + “I cannot say,” Mr. Goodenough said; “but these people know something of + warfare, and finding that they cannot carry the place by assault, I think + you will find that they will try some more cautious move next time.” + </p> + <p> + For two days there was no renewal of the attack. At Mr. Goodenough's + suggestion the Abeokutans on the wall shouted out that the Dahomans might + come and carry off their dead, as he feared that a pestilence might arise + from so great a number of decomposing bodies at the foot of the wall. The + Dahomans paid no attention to the request, and, at Mr. Goodenough's + suggestion, on the second day the whole populace set to work carrying + earth in baskets to the top of the wall, and throwing this over so as to + cover the mass of bodies at its foot. As to those lying farther off + nothing could be done. On the third morning it was seen that during the + night a large number of sacks had been piled in a line upon the ground, + two hundred yards away from the wall. The pile was eight feet in height + and some fifty yards long. + </p> + <p> + “I thought they were up to something,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They have + been sending back to Dahomey for sacks.” + </p> + <p> + In a short time the enemy brought up their cannon, behind the shelter of + the sacks, regardless of the execution done by the rifles of Mr. + Goodenough's party during the movement. The place chosen was two or three + hundred yards to the left of that on which the former attack had been + made. Then a swarm of men set to work removing some of the sacks, and in a + short time twelve rough embrasures were made just wide enough for the + muzzles of the guns, the sacks removed being piled on the others, raising + them to the height of ten feet and sheltering the men behind completely + from the fire from the walls. + </p> + <p> + “They will make a breach now,” Mr. Goodenough said. “We must prepare to + receive them inside.” + </p> + <p> + The populace were at once set to work digging holes and securely planting + the beams already prepared in a semicircle a hundred feet across, behind + the wall facing the battery. The beams when fixed projected eight feet + above the ground, the spaces between being filled with bamboos twisted in + and out between them. Earth was thrown up behind to the height of four + foot for the defenders to stand upon. The space between the stockade and + the wall was filled with sharp pointed bamboos and stakes stuck firmly in + the ground with their points projecting outwards. All day the townspeople + labored at these defenses, while the wall crumbled fast under the fire of + the Dahomey artillery, every shot of which, at so short a distance, struck + it heavily. By five in the afternoon a great gap, fifty feet wide, was + made in the walls, and the army of Dahomey again gathered for the assault. + Mr. Goodenough with two of the Houssas took his place on the wall on one + side of the gap, Frank with the other two faced him across the chasm. A + large number of the Abeokuta warriors also lined the walls, while the rest + gathered on the stockade. + </p> + <p> + With the usual tumult of drumming and yells the Dahomans rushed to the + assault. The fire from the walls did not check the onset in the slightest, + and with yells of anticipated victory they swarmed over the breach. A cry + of astonishment broke from them as they saw the formidable defense within, + the fire of whose defenders was concentrated upon them. Then, with scarce + a pause, they leaped down and strove to remove the obstructions. + Regardless of the fire poured upon them they hewed away at the sharp + stakes, or strove to pull them up with their hands. The riflemen on the + walls directed their fire now exclusively upon the leaders of the column, + the breech loaders doing immense execution, and soon the Dahomans in their + efforts to advance had to climb over lines of dead in their front. For + half an hour the struggle continued, and then the Dahomans lost heart and + retired, leaving fifteen hundred of their number piled deep in the space + between the breach and the stockade. + </p> + <p> + “This is horrible work,” Frank said when he rejoined Mr. Goodenough. + </p> + <p> + “Horrible, Frank; but there is at least the consolation that by this + fearful slaughter of their bravest warriors we are crippling the power of + Dahomey as a curse and a scourge to its neighbors. After this crushing + repulse the Abeokutans may hope that many years will elapse before they + are again attacked by their savage neighbors, and the lessons which they + have now learned in defense will enable them to make as good a stand on + another occasion as they have done now.” + </p> + <p> + “Do you think the attack will be renewed?” + </p> + <p> + “I should hardly think so. The flower of their army must have fallen, and + the Amazon guard must have almost ceased to exist. I told you, Frank, you + would soon get over your repugnance to firing at women.” + </p> + <p> + “I did not think anything about women,” Frank said. “We seemed to be + fighting a body of demons with their wild screams and yells. Indeed, I + could scarce distinguish the men from the women.” + </p> + <p> + A strong guard was placed at night at the stockade, and Mr. Goodenough and + Frank lay down close at hand in case the assault should be renewed. At + daybreak the sound of a cannon caused them to start to their feet. + </p> + <p> + “They are not satisfied yet,” Mr. Goodenough exclaimed, hurrying to the + wall. In the night the Dahomans had either with sacks or earth raised + their cannon some six feet, so that they were able to fire over the mound + caused by the fallen wall at the stockade behind it, at which they were + now directing their fire. + </p> + <p> + “Now for the sacks,” Mr. Goodenough said. Running down, he directed the + sacks laden with earth, to whose necks ropes had been attached, to be + brought up. Five hundred willing hands seized them, and they were lowered + in front of the center of the stockade, which was alone exposed to the + enemy's fire, until they hung two deep over the whole face. As fast as one + bag was injured by a shot it was drawn up and another lowered to its + place. In the meantime the rifles from the walls had again opened fire, + and as the gunners were now more exposed their shots did considerable + execution. Seeing the uselessness of their efforts the Dahomans gradually + slackened their fire. + </p> + <p> + When night came Mr. Goodenough gathered two hundred of the best troops of + Abeokuta. He caused plugs to be made corresponding to the size of the + various cannonballs which were picked up within the stockade, which varied + from six to eighteen pounders. + </p> + <p> + About midnight the gate nearest to the breach was thrown open, and the + party sallied out and made their way towards the enemy's battery. The + Dahomans had placed sentries in front facing the breach, but anticipating + no attack in any other direction had left the flanks unguarded. Mr. + Goodenough had enjoined the strictest silence on his followers, and their + approach was unobserved until they swept round into the battery. Large + numbers of the enemy were lying asleep here, but these, taken by surprise, + could offer no resistance, and were cut down or driven away instantly by + the assailants. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough and Frank, with a party who had been told off specially for + the purpose, at once set to work at the cannon. These were filled nearly + to the muzzle with powder, and the plugs were driven with mallets tight + into the muzzles. Slow matches, composed of strips of calico dipped in + saltpetre, were placed in the touch holes. Then the word was given, and + the whole party fell back to the gate just as the Dahomans in great + numbers came running up. In less than a minute after leaving the battery + twelve tremendous reports, following closely one upon another were heard. + The cannon were blown into fragments, killing numbers of the Dahomey men + who had just crowded into the battery. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0016" id="link2HCH0016"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVI: CAPTIVES IN COOMASSIE + </h2> + <p> + Upon the morning following the successful sortie not an enemy could be + seen from the walls. Swift runners were sent out, and these returned in + two hours with news that the enemy were in full retreat towards their + capital. The people of Abeokuta were half wild with exultation and joy, + and their gratitude to their white allies was unbounded. Mr. Goodenough + begged them not to lose an hour in burying their slain enemies, and the + entire population were engaged for the two following days upon this + necessary but revolting duty. The dead were counted as they were placed in + the great pits dug for their reception, and it was found that no fewer + than three thousand of the enemy had fallen. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough also advised the Abeokutans to erect flanking towers at + short intervals round their walls, to dig a moat twenty feet wide and + eight deep at a few yards from their foot, and to turn into it the water + from the river in order that any future attack might be more easily + repelled. + </p> + <p> + The inhabitants were poor, but they would willingly have presented all + their treasures to their white allies. Mr. Goodenough, however, would + accept nothing save a few specimens of native cloth exquisitely woven from + the inner barks of the trees, and some other specimens of choice native + workmanship. He also begged them to send down to the coast by the first + opportunity the cases of specimens which had been collected since the + departure of the Fans. + </p> + <p> + A violent attack of fever, brought on by their exertions in the sun, + prostrated both the white travelers a few days after the termination of + the siege, and it was some weeks before they were able to renew their + journey. Their intention was to ascend the river for some distance, to + move westward into upper Ashanti, and then to make their way to Coomassie, + whence they would journey down to Cape Coast and there take ship for + England. As soon as they were able to travel they took leave of their + friends at Abeokuta, who furnished them with carriers for their cases and + hammock bearers for their journey as far as the Volta. This lasted for a + fortnight through an open and fertile country. Then they crossed the river + and entered Ashanti, the great rival empire of Dahomey. As Ashanti was at + peace with England they had now no fear of molestation on their journey. + </p> + <p> + Ashanti consisted of five or six kingdoms, all of which had been + conquered, and were tributary to it. The empire of Ashanti was separated + by the river Prah from the country of the Fantis, who lived under British + protection. The people drew their supplies from various points on the + coast, principally, however, through Elmina, a Dutch settlement, five + miles to the west of Cape Coast. The Ashantis could not be called + peaceable neighbors. They, like the Dahomans, delighted in human + sacrifices upon a grand scale, and to carry these out captives must be + taken. Consequently every four or five years, on some pretext or other, + they cross the Prah, destroyed the villages, dragged away the people to + slavery or death, and carried fire and sword up to the very walls of the + English fort at Cape Coast. Sometimes the English confined themselves to + remonstrance, sometimes fought, not always successfully, as upon one + occasion Sir Charles Macarthy, the governor, with a West Indian regiment + was utterly defeated, the governor himself and all his white officers, + except three, being killed. + </p> + <p> + In 1828 we aided the Fantis to defeat the Ashantis in a decisive battle, + the consequence of which was the signature of a treaty, by which the King + of Ashanti recognized the independence of all the Fanti tribes. In 1844, + and again in 1852, a regular protectorate was arranged between the British + and the Fantis, the former undertaking to protect them from enemies beyond + the borders, and in turn exercising an authority over the Fantis, + forbidding them to make war with each other, and imposing a nominal + tribute upon them. + </p> + <p> + In 1853 the Ashantis again crossed the Prah, but, being met with firmness, + retired again. After ten years' quiet, in 1863 they again invaded the + country, burnt thirty villages, and slaughtered their inhabitants. + Governor Price then urged upon the home authorities the necessity for the + sending out from England of two thousand troops to aid the native army in + striking a heavy blow at the Ashantis, and so putting a stop to this + constant aggression. The English government, however, refused to entertain + the proposal. In order to encourage the natives some companies of West + Indian troops were marched up to the Prah. The wet season set in, and, + after suffering terribly from sickness, the survivors returned five months + later to Cape Coast. + </p> + <p> + Up to this period the Dutch trading ports and forts upon the coast were + interspersed with ours, and as the tribes in their neighborhood were under + Dutch protection constant troubles were arising between the Dutch tribes + and our own, and in 1867 an exchange was effected, the Dutch ceding all + their forts and territory east of the Sweet river, a small stream which + falls into the sea midway between Cape Coast and Elmina, while we gave up + all our forts to the west of this stream. Similarly the protectorate of + the tribes inland up to the boundary of the Ashanti kingdom changed hands. + The natives were not consulted as to this treaty, and some of those + formerly under British protection, especially the natives of Commendah, + refused to accept the transfer, and beat off with loss the Dutch troops + who attempted to land. The Dutch men of war bombarded and destroyed + Commendah. + </p> + <p> + This step was the commencement of fresh troubles between the Ashantis and + the English. The Commendah people were Fantis, and as such the implacable + enemies of the Elmina people, who had under Dutch protection been always + allies of the Ashantis, and had been mainly instrumental in supplying them + with arms and ammunition. The Fantis, regarding the Elmina natives and the + Dutch as one power, retaliated for the destruction of Commendah by + invading the territory of the Elmina tribe, destroying their villages and + blockading the Dutch in their port. Another reason for this attack upon + the Elminas was that an Ashanti general, named Atjempon, had marched with + several hundred men through the Fanti country, burning, destroying, and + slaying as usual, and had taken refuge with his men in Elmina. From this + time the desultory war between the Elminas and their Ashanti allies, and + the Fantis of the neighborhood had never ceased. Our influence over our + allies was but small, for we in vain endeavored to persuade them to give + up the invasion of Elmina. We even cut off the supplies of powder and arms + to the Fantis, whose loyalty to our rule was thereby much shaken. + </p> + <p> + All these troubles induced the Dutch to come to the decision to withdraw + altogether, and they accordingly offered to transfer all their possessions + to us. The English government determined not to accept the transfer if it + should lead to troubles with the natives, and as a first step required + that the Ashanti force should leave Elmina. In 1870 the King of Ashanti + wrote to us claiming Elmina as his, and protesting against its being + handed over to us. According to native ideas the king of Ashanti's claim + was a just one. The land upon which all the forts, English, Dutch, Danish, + and French, were built had been originally acquired from the native chiefs + at a fixed annual tribute, or as we regarded it as rent, or as an annual + present in return for friendly relations. By the native customs he who + conquers a chief entitled to such a payment becomes the heir of that + payment, and one time the King of Ashanti upon the strength of his + conquest of the Fantis set up a claim of proprietorship over Cape Coast + and the other British forts. + </p> + <p> + Of a similar nature was the claim of the Ashantis upon Elmina. The Dutch + had paid eighty pounds a year, as they asserted, as a present, and they + proved conclusively that they had never regarded the King of Ashanti as + having sovereignty over their forts, and that he had never advanced such a + claim. They now arrested Atjempon, and refused to pay a further sum to the + King of Ashanti until he withdrew his claim. In order to settle matters + amicably they sent an envoy to Coomassie with presents for the king, and + obtained from him a repudiation of his former letter, and a solemn + acknowledgment that the money was not paid as a tribute. The king sent + down two ambassadors to Elmina, who solemnly ratified this declaration. + </p> + <p> + The transfer was then effected. We purchased from the Dutch their forts + and stores, but the people of Elmina were told that we should not take + possession of the place except with their consent; but it was pointed out + to them that if they refused to accept our protection they would be + exposed as before to the hostility of the Fantis. They agreed to accept + our offer, and on the 4th of April, 1872, a grand council was hold, the + king and chiefs of Elmina announced the agreement of their people to the + transfer, and we took possession of Elmina, Atjempon and the Ashantis + returning to their own country. + </p> + <p> + Upon the transfer taking place, Mr. Pope Hennessey, the governor of the + colony, sent to the King of Ashanti saying that the English desired peace + and friendship with the natives, and would give an annual present, double + that which he had received from the Dutch. At the same time negotiations + were going on with the king for the free passage of Ashanti traders to the + coast, and for the release of four Germans who had been carried off ten + years before by Aboo Boffoo, one of the king's generals, from their + mission station on British territory near the Volta. The king wrote saying + that Aboo Boffoo would not give them up without a ransom of eighteen + hundred ounces of gold, and protracted negotiations went on concerning the + payments of these sums. + </p> + <p> + At the time when Mr. Goodenough and Frank had landed on the Gaboon, early + in 1872, nothing was known of any anticipated troubles with Ashanti. The + negotiations between the English and the Dutch were in progress, but they + had heard that the English would not take over Elmina without the consent + of the inhabitants, and that they would be willing to increase the payment + made by the Dutch to the king of Ashanti. It was known too that efforts + would be made to settle all points of difference with the king; and as at + Abeokuta they received news that the negotiations were going on + satisfactorily, and that there was no prospect whatever of trouble, they + did not hesitate to carry out the plans they had formed. + </p> + <p> + Before crossing the Volta, they sent across to inquire of the chief of the + town there whether two English travelers would be allowed to pass through + Ashanti, and were delayed for a fortnight until a messenger was sent to + Coomassie and returned with a letter, saying that the king would be glad + to see white men at his capital. With this assurance they crossed the + stream. They were received in state by the chief, who at once provided + them with the necessary carriers, and with them a guard, which he said + would prevent any trouble on their way. On the following day they started, + and after arriving, at the end of a day's journey, at a village, prepared + to stop as usual for a day or two to add to their collection. The officer + of the guard, however, explained to them through Bacon, who spoke the + Ashanti language, that his instructions were, that they were to go + straight through to Coomassie. In vain Mr. Goodenough protested that this + would entirely defeat the object of his journey. The officer was firm. His + orders were that they were to travel straight to Coomassie, and if he + failed in carrying these out, his head would assuredly be forfeited. + </p> + <p> + “This is serious, Frank,” Mr. Goodenough said. “If this fellow has not + blundered about his orders, it is clear that we are prisoners. However, it + may be that the king merely gave a direction that we should be escorted to + the capital, having no idea that we should want to loiter upon the way.” + </p> + <p> + They now proceeded steadily forward, making long day's marches. The + officer in command of the guard was most civil, obtaining for them an + abundance of provisions at the villages at which they stopped, and as + Frank and his companion were both weakened by fever he enlisted sufficient + hammock bearers for them, taking fresh relays from each village. He would + not hear of their paying either for provisions or bearers, saying that + they were the king's guests, and it would be an insult to him were they to + pay for anything. + </p> + <p> + Ten days after starting from the Volta they entered Coomassie. This town + lay on rising ground, surrounded by a deep marsh of from forty to a + hundred yards wide. A messenger had been sent on in front to announce + their coming, and after crossing the marsh they passed under a great + fetish, or spell, consisting of a dead sheep wrapped up in red silk and + suspended from two poles. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their places at the head of the little + procession. On entering the town they were met by a crowd of at least five + thousand people, for the most part warriors, who fired their guns, + shouted, and yelled. Horns, drums, rattles, and gongs added to the + appalling noise. Men with flags performed wild dances, in which the + warriors joined. The dress of the captains consisted of war caps with + gilded rams' horns projecting in front, and immense plumes of eagles' + feathers on each side. Their vest was of red cloth, covered with fetishes + and charms in cases of gold, silver, and embroidery. These were + interspersed with the horns and tails of animals, small brass bells, and + shells. They wore loose cotton trousers, with great boots of dull red + leather coming halfway up to the thigh, and fastened by small chains to + their waist belts, also ornamented with bells, horse tails, strings of + amulets, and strips of colored leather. Long leopards' tails hung down + their backs. + </p> + <p> + Through this crowd the party moved forward slowly, the throng thickening + at every step. They were escorted to a house which they were told was set + aside for their use, and that they would be allowed to see the king on the + following day. The houses differed entirely from anything which they had + before seen in Africa. They were built of red clay, plastered perfectly + smooth. There were no windows or openings on the exterior, but the door + led into an open courtyard of some twelve feet in diameter. On each side + of this was a sort of alcove, built up of clay, about three feet from the + ground. This formed a couch or seat, some eight feet long by three feet + high, with a thatched roof projecting so as to prevent the rain beating + into the alcove. Beyond were one or more similar courts in proportion to + the size of the house. A sheep and a quantity of vegetables and fruits + were sent in in the course of the day, but they were told not to show + themselves in the streets until they had seen the king. + </p> + <p> + “We shall be expected to make his majesty a handsome present,” Mr. + Goodenough said, “and, unfortunately, our stores were not intended for so + great a potentate. I will give him my double barreled rifle and your + Winchester, Frank. I do not suppose he has seen such an arm. We had better + get them cleaned up and polished so as to look as handsome as possible.” + </p> + <p> + In the morning one of the captains came and said that the king was in + readiness to receive them, and they made their way through a vast crowd to + the marketplace, an open area, nearly half a mile in extent. The sun was + shining brightly, and the scene was a brilliant one. The king, his + Caboceers or great tributaries, his captains, and officers were seated + under a vast number of huge umbrellas, some of them fifteen feet across. + These were of scarlet, yellow, and other showy colors in silks and cloths, + with fantastically scalloped and fringed valences. They were surmounted + with crescents, birds, elephants, barrels, and swords of gold, and on some + were couched stuffed animals. Innumerable smaller umbrellas of striped + stuff were borne by the crowd, and all these were waved up and down, while + a vast number of flutes, horns and other musical instruments sounded in + the air. All the principal people wore robes woven of foreign silk, which + had been unraveled for working into native patterns. All had golden + necklaces and bracelets, in many cases so heavy that the arms of the + bearers were supported on boys' heads. The whole crowd, many thousands in + number, shone with gold, silver, and bright colors. + </p> + <p> + The king received them with dignity, and expressed his satisfaction at + seeing them, his speech being interpreted by one of his attendants, who + spoke English. Mr. Goodenough replied that they had very great pleasure in + visiting the court of his majesty, that they had already been traveling + for many months in Africa, having started from the Gaboon and traveled + through many tribes, but had they had any idea of visiting so great a king + they would have provided themselves with presents fit for his acceptance. + But they were simple travelers, catching the birds, beasts, and insects of + the country, to take home with them to show to the people in England. The + only things which they could offer him were a double barreled breech + loading rifle of the best English construction, and a little gun, which + would fire sixteen times without loading. + </p> + <p> + The king examined the pieces with great attention, and, at his request, + Mr. Goodenough fired off the whole contents of the magazine of the + repeating rifle, whose action caused the greatest astonishment to the + assembled chiefs. The king then intimated his acceptance of the presents, + and said that he would speak farther with them on a future occasion. He + informed them that they were free to move about in the town where they + wished, and that the greatest respect would be shown to them by the + people. There was a fresh outburst of wild music, and they were then + conducted back to their house. + </p> + <p> + After the assembly had dispersed the two Englishmen walked about through + the town. It was not of great extent, but the streets were broad and well + kept. Many of the houses were much larger than that allotted to them, but + all were built on the same plan. It was evident that the great mass of the + population they saw about must live in villages scattered around, the town + being wholly insufficient to contain them. + </p> + <p> + Three days afterwards they were told that the king wished to see them in + his palace. This was a large building situated at the extremity of the + town. It was constructed of stone, and was evidently built from European + designs. It was square, with a flat roof and embattled parapet. They were + conducted through the gateway into a large courtyard, and then into a hall + where the king sat upon a raised throne. Attendants stood round fanning + him. + </p> + <p> + “Why,” he asked abruptly as they took their places before him, “do the + English take my town of Elmina?” + </p> + <p> + Mr. Goodenough explained that he had been nine months absent from the + coast, and that having come straight out from England he was altogether + unaware of what had happened at Elmina. + </p> + <p> + “Elmina is mine,” the king said. “The Dutch, who were my tributaries, had + no right to hand it over to the English.” + </p> + <p> + “But I understood, your majesty, that the English were ready to pay an + annual sum, even larger than that which the Dutch have contributed.” + </p> + <p> + “I do not want money,” the king said. “I have gold in plenty. There are + places in my dominions where ten men in a day can wash a thousand ounces. + I want Elmina, I want to trade with the coast.” + </p> + <p> + “But the English will give your majesty every facility for trade.” + </p> + <p> + “But suppose we quarrel,” the king said, “they can stop powder and guns + from coming up. If Elmina were mine I could bring up guns and powder at + all times.” + </p> + <p> + “Your majesty would be no better off,” Mr. Goodenough said; “for the + English in case of war could stop supplies from entering.” + </p> + <p> + “My people will drive them into the sea,” the king said. “We have been + troubled with them too long. They can make guns, but they cannot fight. My + people will eat them up. We fought them before; and see,” he said pointing + to a great drum, from the edge of which hung a dozen human skulls, “the + heads of the White men serve to make a fetish for me.” + </p> + <p> + He then waved his hand to signify that the audience was terminated. + </p> + <p> + “Things look bad, Frank,” Mr. Goodenough said as they walked towards their + home. “I fear that the king is determined upon war, and if so our lives + are not worth a month's purchase.” + </p> + <p> + “It can't be helped,” Frank said as cheerfully as he could. “We must make + the best of it. Perhaps something may occur to improve our position.” + </p> + <p> + The next day the four German missionaries, who had so long been kept + captive, called upon them, and they obtained a full insight into the + position. This seemed more hopeful than the king's words had given them to + expect. The missionaries said that negotiations were going on for their + release, and that they expected very shortly to be sent down to Cape + Coast. So far as they knew everything was being done by the English to + satisfy the king, and they looked upon the establishment of peace as + certain. They described the horrible rites and sacrifices which they had + been compelled to witness, and said that at least three thousand persons + were slaughtered annually in Coomassie. + </p> + <p> + “You noticed,” one of them said, “the great tree in the marketplace under + which the king sat. That is the great fetish tree. A great many victims + are sacrificed in the palace itself, but the wholesale slaughters take + place there. The high brushwood comes up to within twenty yards of it, and + if you turn in there you will see thousands of dead bodies or their + remains putrefying together.” + </p> + <p> + “I thought I felt a horribly offensive smell as I was talking to the + king,” Frank said shuddering. “What monsters these people must be! Who + would have thought that all that show of gold and silver and silks and + bright colors covered such horrible barbarism!” + </p> + <p> + After chatting for some time longer, and offering to do anything in their + power to assist the captives, the Germans took their leave. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0017" id="link2HCH0017"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVII: THE INVASION OF FANTI LAND + </h2> + <p> + The following morning Mr. Goodenough and Frank were called to the door by + the noise of a passing crowd, and to their horror saw a man being taken to + sacrifice. He was preceded by men beating drums, his hands were pinioned + behind him. A sharp thin knife was passed through his cheeks, to which his + lips were noozed like the figure 8. One ear was cut off and carried before + him, the other hung to his head by a small piece of skin. There were + several gashes in his back, and a knife was thrust under each shoulder + blade. He was led by a cord passed through a hole bored in his nose. Frank + ran horror stricken back into the house, and sat for a while with his hand + over his eyes as if to shut out the ghastly spectacle. + </p> + <p> + “Mr. Goodenough,” he said presently, “if we are to be killed, at least let + us die fighting to the last, and blow out our own brains with the last + shots we have left. I don't think I'm afraid of being killed, but to be + tortured like that would be horrible.” + </p> + <p> + The next day a message was brought them that their retaining private + guards was an insult to the king, and that the Houssas must remove to + another part of the town. Resistance was evidently useless. Mr. Goodenough + called his four men together and told them what had happened. + </p> + <p> + “I am sorry I have brought you into this plight, my poor fellows,” he + said. “There are now but two things open to you. You can either volunteer + to join the king's army and then try to make your escape as an opportunity + may offer, or slip away at once. You are accustomed to the woods, and in + native costume might pass without notice. You can all swim, and it matters + not where you strike the Prah. If you travel at night and lie in the woods + by day you should be able to get through. At any rate you know that if you + try to escape and are caught you will be killed. If you stop here it is + possible that no harm may happen to you, but on the other hand you may at + any moment be led out to sacrifice. Do not tell me your decision; I shall + be questioned, and would rather be able to say that I was ignorant that + you intended to escape. There is one other thing to settle. There is a + long arrear of pay due to you for your good and faithful service. It would + be useless for me to pay you now, as the money might be found on you and + taken away, and if you should be killed it would be lost to your friends. + I have written here four orders on my banker in England, which the agents + down at Cape Coast will readily cash for you. Each order is for twice the + sum due to you. As you have come into such great danger in my service, and + have behaved so faithfully, it is right that you should be well rewarded. + Give me the names of your wives or relatives whom you wish to have the + money. Should any of you fall and escape, I will, on my arrival at Cape + Coast, send money, double the amount I have written here, to them.” + </p> + <p> + The men expressed themselves warmly grateful for Mr. Goodenough's + kindness, gave him the names and addresses of their wives, and then, with + tears in their eyes, took their leave. + </p> + <p> + “Now, Ostik, what do you say?” Mr. Goodenough asked, turning to him. + </p> + <p> + “I stay here, sar,” Ostik said. “Houssas fighting men, creep through wood, + crawl on stomach. Dey get through sure enough. Ostik stay with massa. If + dey kill massa dey kill Ostik. Ostik take chance.” + </p> + <p> + “Very well, Ostik, if we get through safe together you shall not have + reason to regret your fidelity. Now, Frank, I think it would be a good + thing if you were to spend some hours every day in trying to pick up as + much of the language here as you can. You are quick at it, and were able + to make yourself understood by our bearers far better than I could do. You + already know a great many words in four or five of these dialects. They + are all related to each other, and with what you know you would in a + couple of months be able to get along very well in Ashanti. It will help + to pass your time and to occupy your mind. There will be no difficulty in + finding men here who have worked down on the coast and know a little + English. If we get away safely you will not regret that your time has been + employed. If we have trouble your knowledge of the language may in some + way or other be of real use to you. We can go round to the Germans, who + will, no doubt, be able to put you in the way of getting a man.” + </p> + <p> + The next day they were again sent for to the king, who was in a high state + of anger at having heard that the Houssas had escaped. + </p> + <p> + “I know nothing about it,” Mr. Goodenough said. “They were contented when + they were with me, and had no wish to go. Your soldiers took them away + yesterday afternoon, and I suppose they were frightened. It was foolish of + them. They should have known that a great king does not injure travelers + who come peacefully into his country. They should have known better. They + were poor, ignorant men, who did not know that the hospitality of a king + is sacred, and that when a king invites travelers to enter his country + they are his guests, and under his protection.” + </p> + <p> + When the interpreter translated this speech the king was silent for two or + three minutes. Then he said, “My white friend is right, they were foolish + men. They could not know these things. If my warriors overtake them no + harm shall come to them.” + </p> + <p> + Pleased with the impression that his words had evidently made Mr. + Goodenough returned to Frank, who had not been ordered to accompany him to + the palace. In the afternoon the king sent a sheep and a present of five + ounces of gold, and a message that he did not wish his white friends to + remain always in the town, but that they might walk to any of the villages + within a circle of three or four miles, and that four of his guards would + always accompany them to see that no one interfered with or insulted them. + They were much pleased with this permission, as they were now enabled to + renew their work of collecting. It took them, too, away from the sight of + the horrible human sacrifices which went on daily. Through the German + missionaries they obtained a man who had worked for three years down at + Cape Coast. He accompanied them on their walks, and in the evening sat and + talked with Frank, who, from the knowledge of native words which he had + picked up in his nine months' residence in Africa, was able to make rapid + progress in Ashanti. He had one or two slight attacks of fever, but the + constant use of quinine enabled him to resist their effect, and he was now + to some degree acclimatized, and thought no more of the attacks of fever + than he would have done at home of a violent bilious attack. + </p> + <p> + This was not the case with Mr. Goodenough. Frank observed with concern + that he lost strength rapidly, and was soon unable to accompany him in his + walks. One morning he appeared very ill. + </p> + <p> + “Have you a touch of fever, sir?” + </p> + <p> + “No, Frank, it is worse than fever, it is dysentery. I had an attack last + time I was on the coast, and know what to do with it. Get the medicine + chest and bring me the bottle of ipecacuanha. Now, you must give me doses + of this just strong enough not to act as an emetic, every three hours.” + </p> + <p> + Frank nursed his friend assiduously, and for the next three days hoped + that he was obtaining a mastery over the illness. On the fourth day an + attack of fever set in. + </p> + <p> + “You must stop the ipecacuanha, now,” Mr. Goodenough said, “and Frank, + send Ostik round to the Germans, and say I wish them to come here at + once.” + </p> + <p> + When these arrived Mr. Goodenough asked Frank to leave him alone with + them. A quarter of an hour later they went out, and Frank, returning, + found two sealed envelopes on the table beside him. + </p> + <p> + “My boy,” he said, “I have been making my will. I fear that it is all over + with me. Fever and dysentery together are in nine cases out of ten fatal. + Don't cry, Frank,” he said, as the lad burst into tears. “I would gladly + have lived, but if it is God's will that it should be otherwise, so be it. + I have no wife or near relatives to regret my loss—none, my poor + boy, who will mourn for me as sincerely as I know that you will do. In the + year that we have been together I have come to look upon you as my son, + and you will find that I have not forgotten you in my will. I have written + it in duplicate. If you have an opportunity send one of these letters down + to the coast. Keep the other yourself, and I trust that you will live to + carry it to its destination. Should it not be so, should the worst come to + the worst, it will be a consolation to you to know that I have not + forgotten the little sister of whom you have spoken to me so often, and + that in case of your death she will be provided for.” + </p> + <p> + An hour later Mr. Goodenough was in a state of delirium, in which he + remained all night, falling towards morning into a dull coma, gradually + breathing his last, without any return of sensibility, at eight in the + morning. + </p> + <p> + Frank was utterly prostrated with grief, from which he roused himself to + send to the king to ask permission to bury his friend. + </p> + <p> + The king sent down to say how grieved he was to hear of the white man's + death. He had ordered many of his warriors to attend his funeral. Frank + had a grave dug on a rising spot of ground beyond the marsh. In the + evening a great number of the warriors gathered round the house, and upon + the shoulders of four of them Mr. Goodenough was conveyed to his last + resting place, Frank and the German missionaries following with a great + crowd of warriors. The missionaries read the service over the grave, and + Frank returned heart broken to his house, with Ostik, who also felt + terribly the loss of his master. + </p> + <p> + Two days later a wooden cross was erected over the grave. Upon this Frank + carved the name of his friend. Hearing a week afterwards that the king was + sending down a messenger to Cape Coast, Frank asked permission to send Mr. + Goodenough's letter by him. The king sent for him. + </p> + <p> + “I do not wish any more troubles,” he said, “or that letters should be + sent to the governor. You are my guest. When the troubles are settled I + will send you down to the coast; but we have many things to write about, + and I do not want more subjects for talk.” + </p> + <p> + Frank showed the letter and read the address, and told the king that it + was only a letter to the man of business of Mr. Goodenough in England, + giving directions for the disposal of his property there. + </p> + <p> + The king then consented that his messenger should take the letter. + </p> + <p> + At the end of December, when Frank had been nearly three months at + Coomassie, one of the Germans said to him: + </p> + <p> + “The king speaks fairly, and seems intent upon his negotiations; but he is + preparing secretly for war. An army is collecting on the Prah. I hear that + twelve thousand men are ordered to assemble there.” + </p> + <p> + “I have noticed,” Frank said, “that there have been fewer men about than + usual during the last few days. What will happen to us, do you think?” + </p> + <p> + The missionary shook his head. + </p> + <p> + “No one can say,” he said. “It all depends upon the king's humor. I think, + however, that he is more likely to keep us as hostages, and to obtain + money for us at the end of the war, than to kill us. If all goes well with + his army we are probably safe; but if the news comes of any defeat, he may + in his rage order us to be executed.” + </p> + <p> + “What do you think are the chances of defeat?” Frank asked. + </p> + <p> + “We know not,” the missionary said; “but it seems probable that the + Ashantis will turn the English out of the coast. The Fantis are of no use. + They were a brave people once, and united might have made a successful + resistance to the Ashantis; but you English have made women of them. You + have forbidden them to fight among themselves, you have discouraged them + in any attempts to raise armies, you have reduced the power of the chiefs, + you have tried to turn them into a race of cultivators and traders instead + of warriors, and you can expect no material aid from them now. They will + melt away like snow before the Ashantis. The king's spies tell him that + there are only a hundred and fifty black troops at Cape Coast. These are + trained and led by Englishmen, but, after all, they are only negroes, no + braver than the Ashantis. What chance have they of resisting an army + nearly a hundred to one stronger than themselves?” + </p> + <p> + “Is the fort at Cape Coast strong?” Frank asked. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, against savages without cannon. Besides, the guns of the ships of + war would cover it.” + </p> + <p> + “Well,” Frank said, “if we can hold that, they will send out troops from + England.” + </p> + <p> + “They may do so,” the missionary asserted; “but what could white troops do + in the fever haunted forests, which extend from Coomassie to the coast?” + </p> + <p> + “They will manage somehow,” Frank replied confidently. “Besides, after + all, as I hear that the great portion of Ashanti lying beyond this is + plain and open country, the Ashantis themselves cannot be all accustomed + to bush fighting, and will suffer from fever in the low, swamp land.” + </p> + <p> + Three days later the king sent for Frank. + </p> + <p> + “The English are not true,” he said angrily. “They promised the people of + Elmina that they should be allowed to retain all their customs as under + the Dutch. They have broken their word. They have forbidden the customs. + The people of Elmina have written to me to ask me to deliver them. I am + going to do so.” + </p> + <p> + Frank afterwards learned that the king's words were true. Colonel Harley, + the military commandant, having, with almost incredible fatuity, and in + spite of the agreement which had been made with the Elminas, summoned + their king and chiefs to a council, and abruptly told them that they would + not be allowed henceforth to celebrate their customs, which consisted of + firing of guns, waving of flags, dancing, and other harmless rites. The + chiefs, greatly indignant at this breach of the agreement, solemnly + entered into with them, at once, on leaving the council, wrote to the King + of Ashanti, begging him to cross the Prah and attack the English. Frank + could only say that he knew nothing of what was going on at the coast, and + could only think that his majesty must have been misinformed, as the + English wished to be friendly with the Ashantis. + </p> + <p> + “They do not wish it,” the king said furiously; “they are liars.” + </p> + <p> + A buzz of approval sounded among the cabooceers and captains standing + round. Frank thought that he was about to be ordered to instant execution, + and grasped a revolver, which he held in his pocket, resolving to shoot + the king first, and then to blow out his own brains, rather than to be put + to the horrible tortures which in Ashanti always precede death. + </p> + <p> + Presently the king said suddenly to him: + </p> + <p> + “My people tell me that you can talk to them in their own tongue.” + </p> + <p> + “I have learnt a little Ashanti,” Frank said in that language. “I cannot + talk well, but I can make myself understood.” + </p> + <p> + “Very well,” the king said. “Then I shall send you down with my general. + You know the ways of English fighting, and will tell him what is best to + do against them. When the war is over and I have driven the English away, + I will send you away also. You are my guest, and I do not wish to harm + you. Tomorrow you will start. Your goods will be of no more use to you. I + have ordered my treasurer to count the cloth, and the powder, and the + other things which you have, and to pay you for them in gold. You may go.” + </p> + <p> + Frank retired, vowing in his heart that no information as to the best way + of attacking the English should be obtained from him. Upon the whole he + was much pleased at the order, for he thought that some way of making his + escape might present itself. Such was also the opinion of Ostik when Frank + told him what had taken place at the palace. + </p> + <p> + An hour later the king's treasurer arrived. The whole of the trade goods + were appraised at fair prices, and even the cases were paid for, as the + treasurer said that these would be good for keeping the king's state + robes. Frank only retained his own portmanteau with clothes, his bed and + rugs, and the journals of the expedition, a supply of ammunition for his + revolver, his medicine chest, tent, and a case with chocolate, preserved + milk, tea, biscuits, rice, and a couple of bottles of brandy. + </p> + <p> + In the morning there was a great beating of drums. + </p> + <p> + Four carriers had been told off for Frank's service, and these came in, + took up his baggage, and joined the line. Frank waited till the general, + Ammon Quatia, whom he had several times met at the palace, came along, + carried in a hammock, with a paraphernalia of attendants bearing chairs, + umbrellas, and flags. Frank fell in behind these accompanied by Ostik. The + whole population of Coomassie turned out and shouted their farewells. + </p> + <p> + There was a pause in the marketplace while a hundred victims were + sacrificed to the success of the expedition. Frank kept in the thick of + the warriors so as to avoid witnessing the horrible spectacle. + </p> + <p> + As they passed the king he said to the general, “Bring me back the head of + the governor. I will place it on my drum by the side of that of Macarthy.” + </p> + <p> + Then the army passed the swamp knee deep in water, and started on their + way down to the Prah. Three miles further they crossed the river Dah at + Agogo, where the water was up to their necks. The road was little more + than a track through the forest, and many small streams had to be crossed. + </p> + <p> + It was well that Frank had not had an attack of fever for some time, for + they marched without a stop to Fomanse, a distance of nearly thirty miles. + Fomanse was a large town. Many of the houses were built in the same style + as those at Coomassie, and the king's palace was a stone building. That + night Frank slept in a native house which the general allotted to him + close to the palace. The army slept on the ground. + </p> + <p> + The next morning they crossed a lofty hill, and then descending again kept + along through the forest until, late in the afternoon, they arrived on the + Prah. This river was about sixty yards wide, and here, in roughly made + huts of boughs, were encamped the main army, who had preceded them. Here + there was a pause for a week while large numbers of carriers came down + with provisions. Then on the 22d of January the army crossed the Prah in + great canoes of cottonwood tree, which the troops who first arrived had + prepared. + </p> + <p> + Had the Ashanti army now pushed forward at full speed, Cape Coast and + Elmina must have fallen into their hands, for there were no preparations + whatever for their defence. The Assims, whose territory was first invaded, + sent down for assistance, but Mr. Hennessey refused to believe that there + was any invasion at all, and when the King of Akim, the most powerful of + the Fanti potentates, sent down to ask for arms and ammunition, Mr. + Hennessey refused so curtly that the King of Akim was grievously offended, + and sent at once to the Ashantis to say that he should remain neutral in + the war. + </p> + <p> + About this time Mr. Hennessey, whose repeated blunders had in no slight + degree contributed to the invasion, was relieved by Mr. Keate, who at once + wholly alienated the Fantis by telling them that they must defend + themselves, as the English had nothing more to do with the affair than to + defend their forts. Considering that the English had taken the natives + under their protection, and that the war was caused entirely by the taking + over of Elmina by the English and by their breach of faith to the natives + there, this treatment of the Fantis was as unjust as it was impolitic. + </p> + <p> + Ammon Quatia, however, seemed to be impressed with a spirit of prudence as + soon as he crossed the river. Parties were sent out, indeed, who attacked + and plundered the Assim villages near the Prah, but the main body moved + forward with the greatest caution, sometimes halting for weeks. + </p> + <p> + The Ashanti general directed Frank always to pitch his tent next to the + hut occupied by himself. Four guards were appointed, nominally to do him + honor, but really, as Frank saw, to prevent him from making his escape. + These men kept guard, two at a time, night and day over the tent, and if + he moved out all followed him. He never attempted to leave the camp. The + forest was extremely dense with thick underwood and innumerable creepers, + through which it would be almost impossible to make a way. The majority of + the trees were of only moderate height, but above them towered the cotton + trees and other giants, rising with straight stems to from two hundred and + fifty to three hundred feet high. Many of the trees had shed their + foliage, and some of these were completely covered with brilliant flowers + of different colors. The woods resounded with the cries of various birds, + but butterflies, except in the clearings, were scarce. + </p> + <p> + The army depended for food partly upon the cultivated patches around the + Assim villages, partly on supplies brought up from the rear. In the + forest, too, they found many edible roots and fruits. In spite of the + efforts to supply them with food, Frank saw ere many weeks had passed that + the Ashantis were suffering much from hunger. They fell away in flesh. + Many were shaking with fever, and the enthusiasm, which was manifest at + the passage of the Prah, had entirely evaporated. + </p> + <p> + The first morning after crossing the river Frank sent Ostik into the hut + of the general with a cup of hot chocolate, with which Ammon Quatia + expressed himself so much gratified that henceforth Frank sent in a cup + every morning, having still a large supply of tins of preserved chocolate + and milk, the very best food which a traveler can take with him. In return + the Ashanti general showed Frank many little kindnesses, sending him in + birds or animals when any were shot by his men, and keeping him as well + provided with food as was possible under the circumstances. + </p> + <p> + It was not until the 8th of April that any absolute hostilities took + place. Then the Fantis, supported by fifty Houssas under Lieutenant + Hopkins, barred the road outside the village of Dunquah. The Ashantis + attacked, but the Fantis fought bravely, having great confidence in the + Houssa contingent. The battle was one of the native fashion, neither side + attempting any vigorous action, but contenting themselves with a heavy + fire at a distance of a hundred yards. All the combatants took shelter + behind trees, and the consequence was that at the end of the day a great + quantity of powder and slugs had been fired away, and a very few men hit + on either side. At nightfall both parties drew off. + </p> + <p> + “Is that the way your English soldiers fight?” the general asked Frank + that night. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank said vaguely; “they fire away at each other.” + </p> + <p> + “And then I suppose,” the general said, “when one party has exhausted its + ammunition it retires.” + </p> + <p> + “Certainly it would retire,” Frank said. “It could not resist without + ammunition you know.” + </p> + <p> + Frank carefully abstained from mentioning that one side or the other would + advance even before the ammunition of its opponents was expended, for he + did not wish the Ashantis to adopt tactics which, from their greatly + superior numbers, must at once give them a victory. The Ashantis were not + dissatisfied with the day's work, as they considered that they had proved + themselves equal to the English troops. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0018" id="link2HCH0018"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XVIII: THE ATTACK ON ELMINA + </h2> + <p> + On the 14th the Fantis took the initiative, and attacked the Ashantis. The + fight was a mere repetition of that of a week before, and about midday the + Fantis, having used up all their ammunition, fell back again to Cape + Coast. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” the general said to Frank, “that we have beaten the Fantis we shall + march down to Elmina.” + </p> + <p> + Leaving the main road at Dunquah the army moved slowly through the bush + towards Elmina, thirty miles distant, halting in the woods some eight + miles from the town, and twelve from Cape Coast. + </p> + <p> + “I am going,” the general said, “to look at the English forts. My white + friend will go with me.” + </p> + <p> + With fifty of his warriors Ammon Quatia left the camp, and crossing a + stream came down upon the sea coast, a short distance west of Elmina. With + them were several of the Elmina tribe, who had come up to the camp to + welcome the Ashantis. They approached to within three or four hundred + yards of the fort, which was separated from them by a river. + </p> + <p> + The forts on the west coast of Africa, not being built to resist + artillery, are merely barracks surrounded by high walls sufficiently thick + to allow men to walk in single file along the top, to fire over the + parapet. The tops of the walls being castellated, the buildings have an + appearance of much strength. The fort of Elmina is of considerable size, + with a barrack and officers' quarters within it. One side faces the river, + and another the sea. + </p> + <p> + “It is a wonderful fort,” the Ashanti general said, much impressed by its + appearance. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank replied. “And there are cannon on the top, those great black + things you see sticking out. Those are guns, and each carries balls enough + to kill a hundred men with each shot.” + </p> + <p> + The general looked for some time attentively. “But you have castles in the + white men's country, how do you take them?” + </p> + <p> + “We bring a great many cannon throwing balls of iron as big as my head,” + Frank answered, “and so knock a great hole in the wall and then rush in.” + </p> + <p> + “But if there are no cannon?” the general urged. + </p> + <p> + “We never attack a castle without cannon,” Frank said. “But if we had no + cannon we might try to starve the people out; but you cannot do that here, + because they would land food from the sea.” + </p> + <p> + The general looked puzzled. “Why do the white men come here? + </p> + <p> + “They come to trade,” he said presently. + </p> + <p> + “Yes, they come to trade,” Frank replied. + </p> + <p> + “And they have no other reason?” + </p> + <p> + “No,” Frank said. “They do not want to take land, because the white man + cannot work in so hot a climate.” + </p> + <p> + “Then if he could not trade he would go away?” the general asked. + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank agreed, “if he could do no trade it would be no use remaining + here.” + </p> + <p> + “We will let him do no trade,” the general said, brightening up. “If we + cannot take the forts we will surround them closely, and no trade can come + in and out. Then the white man will have to go away. As to the Fantis we + will destroy them, and the white men will have no one to fight for them.” + </p> + <p> + “But there are white troops,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “White soldiers?” the Ashanti asked surprised. “I thought it was only + black soldiers that fought for the whites. The whites are few, they are + traders.” + </p> + <p> + “The English are many,” Frank said earnestly. “For every man that the King + of Ashanti could send to fight, England could send ten. There are white + soldiers, numbers of them, but they are not sent here. They are kept at + home to fight other white nations, the French and the Dutch and the Danes, + and many others, just as the kings of Africa fight against each other. + They are not sent here because the climate kills the whites, so to guard + the white traders here we hire black soldiers; but, when it is known in + England that the King of Ashanti is fighting against our forts, they will + send white troops.” + </p> + <p> + Ammon Quatia was thoughtful for some time. “If they come,” he said at + length, “the fevers will kill them. The white man cannot live in the + swamps. Your friend, the white guest of the king, died at Coomassie.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank asserted, “but he had been nearly a year in the country + before he died. Three weeks will be enough for an English army to march + from Cape Coast to Coomassie. A few might die, but most of them would get + there.” + </p> + <p> + “Coomassie!” the general exclaimed in surprise. “The white men would be + mad to think of marching against the city of the great king. We should + make great fetish, and they would all die when they had crossed the + river.” + </p> + <p> + “I don't think, General,” Frank said dryly, “that the fetishes of the + black man have any effect upon the white men. A fetish has power when it + is believed in. A man who knows that his enemy has made a fetish against + him is afraid. His blood becomes like water and he dies. But the whites do + not believe in fetishes. They laugh at them, and then the fetishes cannot + hurt them.” + </p> + <p> + The general said no more, but turned thoughtfully and retired to his camp. + It was tantalizing to Frank to see the Union Jack waving within sight, and + to know that friends were so near and yet to be unable to stretch out his + hand to them. + </p> + <p> + He was now dressed in all respects like a native, the king having, soon + after his arrival at Coomassie, sent a present of clothes such as were + worn by his nobles, saying that the people would not notice them so much + if they were dressed like themselves. Consequently, had the party been + seen from the castle walls the appearance of an Englishman among them + would have been unobserved. + </p> + <p> + Three days later the general with a similar party crossed the Sweet river + at night, and proceeded along the sea coast to within a few hundred yards + of Cape Coast Castle, whose appearance pleased him no more than that of + Elmina had done. + </p> + <p> + The Ashantis were now better supplied with food, as they were able to + depend upon the Elmina tribes who cultivated a considerable extent of + ground, and to add to the stock, the Ashanti soldiers were set to work to + aid in planting a larger extent of ground than usual, a proof in Frank's + mind that the general contemplated making a long stay, and blockading + Elmina and Cape Coast into surrender if he could not carry them by + assault. + </p> + <p> + The natives of Africa are capable of great exertion for a time, but their + habitual attitude is that of extreme laziness. One week's work in the year + suffices to plant a sufficient amount of ground to supply the wants of a + family. The seed only requires casting into the earth, and soon the ground + will be covered with melons and pumpkins. Sweet potatoes and yams demand + no greater cultivation, and the bananas and plantains require simply to be + cut. For fifty-one weeks in the year the negro simply sits down and + watches his crops grow. To people like these time is of absolutely no + value. Their wants are few. Their garden furnishes them with tobacco. They + make drink from the palm or by fermenting the juice of the cocoanut. The + fowls that wander about in the clearings suffice when carried down + occasionally to the port, to pay for the few yards of calico and strings + of beads which are all that is necessary for the clothing and decoration + of a family. + </p> + <p> + Such people are never in a hurry. To wait means to do nothing. To do + nothing is their highest joy. Their tomorrow means a month hence, + directly, a week. If, then, the Ashanti army had been detained for one + year or five before the English settlements, it would have been a matter + of indifference to them, so long as they could obtain food. Their women + were with them, for the wife and daughters of each warrior had carried on + head, with the army, his household goods, a tiny stool, a few calabashes + for cooking, a mat to sleep on, and baskets high piled with provisions. + They were there to collect sticks, to cook food, draw water, bring fire + for his pipe, minister to his pleasures. He could have no more if he were + at home, and was contented to wait as long as the king ordered, were that + time years distant. + </p> + <p> + Frank was often filled with disgust at seeing these noble savages lying + indolently from morn till night while their wives went miles in the forest + searching for pineapples and fruits, bent down and prematurely aged by + toil and hardship. Many of the young girls among the negroes are pretty, + with their soft eyes and skin like velvet, their merry laugh and graceful + figures. But in a very few years all this disappears, and by middle age + they are bent, and wrinkled, and old. All loads are carried by women, with + the exception only of hammocks, which are exclusively carried by men. + </p> + <p> + Thus, then, the Ashantis settled down to what appeared to Frank to be an + interminable business, and what rendered it more tantalizing was, that the + morning and evening guns at the English forts could be plainly heard. + </p> + <p> + It was on the 7th of June that Ammon Quatia reconnoitered Elmina, and the + news came next day that a hundred and ten white men in red coats had + landed from a ship which had arrived that morning off the coast. Frank + judged from the description that these must be marines from a ship of war. + In this he was correct, as they consisted of marines and marine + artillerymen under Lieutenant Colonel Festing, who had just arrived from + England. Three days later the Ashanti general, with a portion of his + force, moved down close to Elmina; Frank was told to accompany them. + Shortly afterwards the news came that the Elminas were all ordered to lay + down their arms. They replied by going over in a body to the Ashantis. + Ammon Quatia determined at once to attack the town, but as he was + advancing, the guns of the ships of war opened fire upon the native town + of Elmina, which lay to the west of the European quarter. + </p> + <p> + The sound of such heavy cannon, differing widely from anything they had + ever heard before, caused the Ashantis to pause in astonishment. Then came + the howl of the shells, which exploded in rapid succession in the village, + from which flames began immediately to rise. After a few minutes' + hesitation the Ashantis and Elminas again advanced. The general, who was + carried in a chair upon the shoulders of four men, took his post on rising + ground near the burning village. + </p> + <p> + “There,” he said, “the English soldiers are coming out of the fort. Now + you will see.” + </p> + <p> + The little body of marines and the blue jackets of the Barraconta deployed + in line as they sallied from the fort. The Ashantis opened fire upon them, + but they were out of range of the slugs. As soon as the line was formed + the English opened fire, and the Ashantis were perfectly astonished at the + incessant rattle of musketry from so small a body of men. But it was not + all noise, for the Snider bullets swept among the crowded body of blacks, + mowing them down in considerable numbers. In two minutes the Ashantis + turned and ran. The general's bearers, in spite of his shouts, hurried + away with him with the others, and Frank would have taken this opportunity + to escape had not two of his guards seized him by the arms and hauled him + along, while the other two kept close behind. + </p> + <p> + As soon as they had passed over the crest of the rise, and the British + fire had ceased, Ammon Quatia leaped from his chair and threw himself + among his flying troops, striking them right and left with his staff, and + hurling imprecations upon them. + </p> + <p> + “If you do not stop and return against the whites,” he said, “I will send + every one of you back to Coomassie, and there you will be put to death as + cowards.” + </p> + <p> + The threat sufficed. The fugitives rallied, and in a few minutes were + ready to march back again. It was the surprise created by the wonderful + sustained fire of the breech loaders, rather than the actual loss they + inflicted, which caused the panic. + </p> + <p> + In the meantime, believing that the Ashantis had retired, the naval + contingent went back to their boats, when the Dutch vice consul, having + ascended a hill to look round, saw that Ammon Quatia had made a detour + with his troops, and was marching against the town from the east, where he + would not be exposed to the fire of the fort. He instantly ran back with + the news. + </p> + <p> + The marines and the thirty West Indian soldiers in the fort at once + marched out, and met the Ashantis just as they were entering the town. The + fight was a severe one, and for a time neither side appeared to have the + advantage, and Frank, who, under the care of his guards, was a few hundred + yards in the rear, was filled with dismay at observing that the Ashantis, + in spite of the heavy loss they were suffering, were gaining ground and + pressing forward bravely. Suddenly he gave a shout of joy, for on a rise + on the flank of the Ashantis appeared the sailors of the Barraconta, who + had been led round from the boats by Lieutenant Wells, R. N., who was in + command. The instant these took up their position they opened a heavy fire + upon the flank of the Ashantis, who, dismayed by this attack by fresh + foes, lost heart and at once fled hastily. In the two engagements they had + lost nearly four hundred men. Frank, of course, retired with the beaten + Ashantis, and that evening Ammon Quatia told him that the arms of the + white men were too good, and that he should not attack them again in the + open. + </p> + <p> + “Their guns shoot farther, as well as quicker, than ours,” he said. “Our + slugs are no use against the heavy bullets, at a distance; but in the + woods, where you cannot see twenty feet among the trees, it will be + different. If I do not attack them they must attack me, or their trade + will be starved out. When they come into the woods you will see that we + shall eat them up.” + </p> + <p> + Several weeks now passed quietly. There was news that there was great + sickness among the white soldiers, and, indeed, with scarce an exception, + the marines first sent out were invalided home; but a hundred and fifty + more arrived to take their place. Some detachments of the 2d West Indian + regiment came down to join their comrades from Sierra Leone, and the + situation remained unchanged. + </p> + <p> + One night towards the end of August a messenger arrived and there was an + immediate stir. + </p> + <p> + “Now,” the general said to Frank, “you are going to see us fight the white + men. Some of the big ships have gone to the mouth of the Prah, and we + believe that they are going to land in boats. You will see. The Elmina + tribes are going to attack, but I shall take some of my men to help.” + </p> + <p> + Taking fifty picked warriors Ammon Quatia started at once. They marched + all night towards the west, and at daybreak joined the Elminas. These took + post in the brushwood lining the river. The general with a dozen men, + taking Frank, went down near the mouth of the river to reconnoiter. The + ships lay more than a mile off the shore. Presently a half dozen boats + were lowered, filled with men, and taken in tow by a steam launch. It was + seen that they were making for the mouth of the river. + </p> + <p> + “Now let us go back,” Ammon Quatia said. “You will see what we shall do.” + </p> + <p> + Frank felt full of excitement. He saw the English running into an + ambuscade, and he determined, even if it should cost him his life, to warn + them. Presently they heard the sharp puffs of the steam launch. The boats + were within three hundred yards. + </p> + <p> + Frank stepped forward and was about to give a warning shout when Ammon + Quatia's eye fell upon him. The expression of his face revealed his + intention to the Ashanti, who in an instant sprang upon him and hurled him + to the ground. Instantly a dozen hands seized him, and, in obedience to + the general's order, fastened a bandage tightly across his mouth, and then + bound him, standing against a tree, where he could observe what was going + on. The incident had occupied but a minute, and Frank heard the pant of + the steam launch coming nearer and nearer. Presently through the bushes he + caught a glimpse of it, and then, as it came along, of the boats towing + behind. The Elminas and Ashantis were lying upon the ground with their + guns in front of them. + </p> + <p> + The boats were but fifteen yards from the bank. When they were abreast + Ammon Quatia shouted the word of command, and a stream of fire shot out + from the bushes. In the boats all was confusion. Several were killed and + many wounded by the deadly volley, among the latter Commodore Commerell + himself, and two or three of his officers. The launch now attempted to + turn round, and the marines in the boats opened fire upon their invisible + foes, who replied steadily. In five minutes from the first shot being + fired all was over, the launch was steaming down with the boats in tow + towards the mouth of the river, the exulting shouts of the natives ringing + in the ears of those on board. + </p> + <p> + The position of Frank had not been a pleasant one while the fight had + lasted, for the English rifle bullets sang close to him in quick + succession, one striking the tree only a few inches above his head. He was + doubtful, too, as to what his fate would be at the termination of the + fight. + </p> + <p> + Fortunately Ammon Quatia was in the highest spirits at his victory. He + ordered Frank to be at once unbound. + </p> + <p> + “There, you see,” he said, “the whites are of no use. They cannot fight. + They run with their eyes shut into danger. So it will be if they attack us + on the land. You were foolish. Why did you wish to call out? Are you not + well treated? Are you not the king's guest? Am I not your friend?” + </p> + <p> + “I am well treated, and you are my friend,” Frank said, “but the English + are my countrymen. I am sure that were you in the hands of the English, + and you saw a party of your countrymen marching into danger, you would + call out and warn them, even if you knew that you would be killed for + doing so.” + </p> + <p> + “I do not know,” the Ashanti said candidly. “I cannot say what I should + do, but you were brave to run the risk, and I'm not angry with you. Only, + in future when we go to attack the English, I must gag you to prevent your + giving the alarm.” + </p> + <p> + “That is fair enough,” Frank said, pleased that the matter had passed off + so well, “only another time do not stick me upright against a tree where I + may be killed by English bullets. I had a narrow escape of it this time, + you see,” and he pointed to the hole in the trunk of the tree. + </p> + <p> + “I am sorry,” the Ashanti general said, with an air of real concern. “I + did not think of your being in danger, I only wished you to have a good + sight of the battle; next time I will put you in a safer place.” + </p> + <p> + They then returned to the camp. + </p> + <p> + The next day a distant cannonade was heard, and at nightfall the news came + that the English fleet had bombarded and burnt several Elmina villages at + the mouth of the Prah. + </p> + <p> + “Ah,” the general said, “the English have great ships and great guns. They + can fight on the seaside and round their forts, but they cannot drag their + guns through the forests and swamps.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” Frank agreed. “It would not be possible to drag heavy artillery.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” Ammon Quatia repeated exultingly. “When they are beyond the shelter + of their ships they are no good whatever. We will kill them all.” + </p> + <p> + The wet season had now set in, in earnest, and the suffering of the + Ashantis were very great. Accustomed as many of them were to high lying + lands free of trees, the miasma from the swamps was well nigh as fatal to + them as it would be to Europeans. Thousands died, and many of the rest + were worn by fever to mere shadows. + </p> + <p> + “Do you think,” Ammon Quatia said to Frank one day, “that it is possible + to blow up a whole town with powder?” + </p> + <p> + “It would be possible if there were powder enough,” Frank said, wondering + what could be the motive of the question. + </p> + <p> + “They say that the English have put powder in holes all over Cape Coast, + and my people are afraid to go. The guns of the fort could not shoot over + the whole town, and there are few white soldiers there; but my men fear to + be blown up in the air.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank said gravely. “The danger might be great. It is better that + the Ashantis should keep away from the town. But if the fever goes on as + at present the army will melt away.” + </p> + <p> + “Ten thousand more men are coming down when the rains are over. The king + says that something must be done. There is talk in the English forts that + more white troops are coming out from England. If this is so I shall not + attack the towns, but shall wait for them to come into the woods for me. + Then you will see.” + </p> + <p> + “Do they say there are many troops?” Frank asked anxiously. + </p> + <p> + “No; they say only some white officers, but this is foolishness. What + could white officers do without soldiers? As for the Fantis they are + cowards, they are only good to carry burdens and to hoe the ground. They + are women and not men.” + </p> + <p> + During this time, when the damp rose so thick and steaming that everything + was saturated with it, Frank had a very sharp attack of fever, and was for + a fortnight, just after the repulse of the attack on Elmina, completely + prostrated. Such an attack would at his first landing have carried him + off, but he was now getting acclimatized, and his supply of quinine was + abundant. With its aid he saved a great many lives among the Ashantis, and + many little presents in the way of fruit and birds did he receive from his + patients. + </p> + <p> + “I wish I could let you go,” the general said to him one day. “You are a + good white man, and my soldiers love you for the pains you take going + amongst them when they are sick, and giving them the medicine of the + whites. But I dare not do it. As you know when the king is wroth the + greatest tremble, and I dare not tell the king that I have let you go. + Were it otherwise I would gladly do so. I have written to the king telling + him that you have saved the lives of many here. It may be that he will + order you to be released.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0019" id="link2HCH0019"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XIX: THE TIDE TURNED + </h2> + <p> + From many of the points in the forest held by the Ashantis the sea could + be seen, and on the morning of the 2d of October a steamer which had not + been there on the previous evening was perceived lying off the town. The + Ashantis were soon informed by spies in Elmina and Cape Coast that the + ship had brought an English general with about thirty officers. The news + that thirty men had come out to help to drive back twenty thousand was + received with derision by the Ashantis. + </p> + <p> + “They will do more than you think,” Frank said when Ammon Quatia was + scoffing over the new arrival. “You will see a change in the tactics of + the whites. Hitherto they have done nothing. They have simply waited. Now + you will see they will begin to move. The officers will drill the natives, + and even a Fanti, drilled and commanded by white officers, will learn how + to fight. You acknowledge that the black troops in red coats can fight. + What are these? Some of them are Fantis, some of them are black men from + the West Indian Islands, where they are even more peaceful than the + Fantis, for they have no enemies. Perhaps alone the Fantis would not + fight, but they will have the soldiers and sailors from on board ship with + them, and you saw at Elmina how they can fight.” + </p> + <p> + The ship was the Ambriz, one of the African company's steamers, bringing + with it thirty-five officers, of whom ten belonged to the Commissariat and + Medical staff. Among the fighting men were Sir Garnet Wolseley, Colonel + M'Neil, chief of his staff, Major T. D. Baker, 18th Regiment, Captain + Huyshe, Rifle Brigade, Captain Buller, 60th Rifles, all of the staff; + Captain Brackenbury, military secretary, and Lieutenant Maurice, R. A., + private secretary, Major Home, R. E., Lieutenant Saunders, R. A., and + Lieutenant Wilmot, R. A.. Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn Wood, 90th Regiment, + and Major B. C. Russell, 13th Hussars, were each to form and command a + native regiment, having the remainder of the officers as their assistants. + </p> + <p> + The Ambriz had left England on the 12th of September, and had touched at + Madeira and at the various towns on the coast on her way down, and at the + former place had received the news of the disaster to the naval expedition + up the Prah. + </p> + <p> + The English government had been loath to embark upon such an expedition, + but a petition which had been sent home by the English and native traders + at Sierra Leone and Elmina had shown how great was the peril which + threatened the colony, and it had been felt that unless an effort was made + the British would be driven altogether from their hold of the coast. When + the expedition was at last determined upon, the military authorities were + flooded with recommendations and warnings of all kinds from persons who + knew the coast. Unfortunately these gentlemen differed so widely from each + other, that but little good was gained from their counsels. Some + pronounced the climate to be deadly. Others said that it was really not + bad. Some warmly advocated a moderate use of spirits. Others declared that + stimulants were poison. One advised that all exercise should be taken + between five and seven in the morning. Another insisted that on no account + should anyone stir out until the sun had been up for an hour, which meant + that no one should go out till half past seven. One said take exercise and + excite perspiration. Another urged that any bodily exercise should be + avoided. One consistent gentleman, after having written some letters to + the papers strongly advocating the use of white troops upon the coast + instead of West Indian regiments, when written to by Sir Garnet Wolseley + for his advice as to articles of outfit, replied that the only article + which he could strongly commend would be that each officer should take out + his coffin. + </p> + <p> + Ten days passed after the landing. It was known in the Ashanti camp that + the Fanti kings had been ordered to raise contingents, and that a white + officer had been alloted to each to assist him in this work. The Ashantis, + however, had no fear whatever on this score. The twenty thousand natives + who occupied the country south of the Prah had all been driven from their + homes by the invaders, and had scattered among the towns and villages on + the seacoast, where vast numbers had died from the ravages of smallpox. + The kings had little or no authority over them, and it was certain that no + native force, capable in any way of competing with the army of the + assailants, could be raised. + </p> + <p> + The small number of men of the 2d West Indian regiment at Elmina had been + reinforced by a hundred and twenty Houssas brought down the coast. The + Ashanti advanced parties remained close up to Elmina. + </p> + <p> + On the 13th of October Frank accompanied the Ashanti general to the + neighborhood of this town. The Ashanti force here was not a large one, the + main body being nearly twenty miles away in the neighborhood of Dunquah, + which was held by a small body of Houssas and natives under Captain + Gordon. At six in the morning a messenger ran in with the news that two of + the English war steamers from Cape Coast were lying off Elmina, and that a + number of troops had been landed in boats. The Ashanti general was + furious, and poured out threats against his spies in Cape Coast for not + having warned him of the movement, but in fact these were not to blame. So + quietly had the arrangements been made that, until late in the previous + afternoon, no one, with the exception of three or four of the principal + officers, knew that an expedition was intended. Even then it was given out + that the expedition was going down the coast, and it was not until the + ships anchored off Elmina at three in the morning that the officers and + troops were aware of their destination. All the West Indian troops at Cape + Coast had been taken, Captain Peel of the Simoon landing fifty sailors to + hold the fort in case the Ashantis should attack it in their absence. The + expedition consisted of the Houssas, two hundred men of the 2d West India + regiment, fifty sailors, and two companies of marines and marine + artillery, each fifty strong, and a large number of natives carrying a + small Armstrong gun, two rocket tubes, rockets, spare ammunition, and + hammocks for wounded. + </p> + <p> + The few Ashantis in the village next to Elmina retired at once when the + column was seen marching from the castle. Ammon Quatia had taken up his + quarters at the village of Essarman, and now advanced with his troops and + took post in the bush behind a small village about three miles from the + town. The Houssas were skirmishing in front of the column. These entered + the village which had been deserted by the Ashantis, and set it on fire, + blowing up several kegs of powder which had been left there in the hurry + of the flight. Then as they advanced farther the Ashantis opened fire. To + their surprise the British, instead of falling back, opened fire in + return, the Houssas, West Indians, and natives discharging their rifles at + random in all directions. Captain Freemantle with the sailors, the gun, + and rockets made for the upper corner of the wood facing them to their + left. Captain Crease with a company of marine artillery took the wood on + the right. The Houssas and a company of West Indians moved along the path + in the center. The remainder of the force remained with the baggage in + reserve. The Ashantis kept up a tremendous fire, but the marines and + sailors pushed their way steadily through the wood on either side. Captain + Freemantle at length gained a point where his gun and rockets could play + on Essarman, which lay in the heart of the wood, and opened fire, but not + until he had been struck by a slug which passed through his arm. Colonel + M'Neil, who was with the Houssas, also received a severe wound in the arm, + and thirty-two marines and Houssas were wounded. The Ashantis were + gradually driven out of the village and wood, a great many being killed by + the English fire. + </p> + <p> + Having accomplished this, the British force rested for an hour and then + moved on, first setting fire to Essarman, which was a very large village. + A great quantity of the Ashanti powder was stored there, and each + explosion excited yells of rage among the Ashantis. Their general was + especially angry that two large war drums had been lost. So great was the + effect produced upon the Ashantis by the tremendous fire which the British + had poured into every bush and thicket as they advanced, that their + general thought it expedient to draw them off in the direction of his main + body instead of further disputing the way. + </p> + <p> + The English now turned off towards the coast, marching part of the way + through open country, part through a bush so dense that it was impossible + to make a flank attack upon them here. In such cases as this, when the + Ashantis know that an enemy is going to approach through a dense and + impassable forest, they cut paths through it parallel to that by which he + must advance and at a few yards' distance. Then, lying in ambush there, + they suddenly open fire upon him as he comes along. As no idea of the + coming of the English had been entertained they passed through the dense + thickets in single file unmolested. These native paths are very difficult + and unpleasant walking. The natives always walk in single file, and the + action of their feet, aided by that of the rain, often wears the paths + into a deep V-shaped rut, two feet in depth. Burning two or three villages + by the way the column reached the coast at a spot five miles from Elmina, + having marched nine miles. + </p> + <p> + As the Ashantis were known to be in force at the villages of Akimfoo and + Ampene, four miles farther, a party was taken on to this point. Akimfoo + was occupied without resistance, but the Ashantis fought hard in Ampene, + but were driven out of the town into the bush, from which the British + force was too small to drive them, and therefore returned to Elmina, + having marched twenty-two miles, a prodigious journey in such a climate + for heavily armed Europeans. The effect produced among the Ashantis by the + day's fighting was immense. All their theories that the white men could + not fight in the bush were roughly upset, and they found that his + superiority was as great there as it had been in the open. His heavy + bullets, even at the distance of some hundred yards, crashed through the + brush wood with deadly effect, while the slugs of the Ashantis would not + penetrate at a distance much exceeding fifty yards. + </p> + <p> + Ammon Quatia was profoundly depressed in spirits that evening. + </p> + <p> + “The white men who come to fight us,” he said, “are not like those who + come to trade. Who ever heard of their making long marches? Why, if they + go the shortest distances they are carried in hammocks. These men march as + well as my warriors. They have guns which shoot ten times as far as ours, + and never stop firing. They carry cannon with them, and have things which + fly through the air and scream, and set villages on fire and kill men. I + have never heard of such things before. What do you call them?” + </p> + <p> + “They are called rockets,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “What are they made of?” + </p> + <p> + “They are made of coarse powder mixed with other things, and rammed into + an iron case.” + </p> + <p> + “Could we not make some too?” the Ashanti general asked. + </p> + <p> + “No,” Frank replied. “At least, not without a knowledge of the things you + should mix with the powder, and of that I am ignorant. Besides, the + rockets require great skill in firing, otherwise they will sometimes come + back and kill the men who fire them.” + </p> + <p> + “Why did you not tell me that the white men could fight in the bush?” + </p> + <p> + “I told you that there would be a change when the new general came, and + that they would not any longer remain in their forts, but would come out + and attack you.” + </p> + <p> + A few days after this fight the Ashantis broke up their camp at Mampon, + twelve miles from Elmina, and moved eastward to join the body who were + encamped in the forest near Dunquah. + </p> + <p> + “I am going,” Ammon Quatia said to Frank, “to eat up Dunquah and Abra + Crampa. We shall do better this time. We know what the English guns can do + and shall not be surprised.” + </p> + <p> + With ten thousand men Ammon Quatia halted at the little village of + Asianchi, where there was a large clearing, which was speedily covered + with the little leafy bowers which the Ashantis run up at each halting + place. + </p> + <p> + Two days later Sir Garnet Wolseley with a strong force marched out from + Cape Coast to Abra Crampa, halting on the way for a night at Assaiboo, ten + miles from the town. On the same day the general sent orders to Colonel + Festing of the Marine Artillery, who commanded at Dunquah, to make a + reconnaissance into the forest from that place. In accordance with this + order Colonel Festing marched out with a gun and rocket apparatus under + Captain Rait, the Annamaboe contingent of a hundred and twenty men under + their king, directed by Captain Godwin, four hundred other Fantis under + Captain Broomhead, and a hundred men of the 2d West India regiment. After + a three mile march in perfect silence they came upon an Ashanti cutting + wood, and compelled him to act as guide. The path divided into three, and + the Annamaboes, who led the advance, when within a few yards of the camp, + gave a sudden cheer and rushed in. + </p> + <p> + The Ashantis, panic stricken at the sudden attack, fled instantly from the + camp into the bush. Sudden as was the scare Frank's guards did not forget + their duty, but seizing him dragged him off with them in their flight, by + the side of Ammon Quatia. The latter ordered the war drums to begin to + beat, and Frank was surprised at the quickness with which the Ashantis + recovered from their panic. In five minutes a tremendous fire was opened + from the whole circle of bush upon the camp. This stood on rising ground, + and the British force returned the fire with great rapidity and effect. + The Annamaboe men stood their ground gallantly, and the West Indians + fought with great coolness, keeping up a constant and heavy fire with + their Sniders. The Houssas, who had been trained as artillerymen, worked + their gun and rocket tube with great energy, yelling and whooping as each + round of grape or canister was fired into the bush, or each rocket whizzed + out. + </p> + <p> + Notwithstanding the heavy loss which they were suffering, the Ashantis + stood their ground most bravely. Their wild yells and the beating of their + drums never ceased, and only rose the louder as each volley of grape was + poured into them. They did not, however, advance beyond the shelter of + their bush, and, as the British were not strong enough to attack them + there, the duel of artillery and musketry was continued without cessation + for an hour and a half, and then Colonel Festing fell back unmolested to + Dunquah. + </p> + <p> + The Ashantis were delighted at the result of the fighting, heavy as their + loss had been. They had held their ground, and the British had not + ventured to attack them in the bush. + </p> + <p> + “You see,” Ammon Quatia said exultingly to Frank, “what I told you was + true. The white men cannot fight us in the bush. At Essarman the wood was + thin and gave but a poor cover. Here, you see, they dared not follow us.” + </p> + <p> + On the British side five officers and the King of Annamaboe were wounded, + and fifty-two of the men. None were killed, the distance from the bush to + the ground held by the English being too far for the Ashanti slugs to + inflict mortal wounds. + </p> + <p> + Ammon Quatia now began to meditate falling back upon the Prah—the + sick and wounded were already sent back—but he determined before + retiring to attack Abra Crampa, whose king had sided with us, and where an + English garrison had been posted. + </p> + <p> + On the 2d of November, however, Colonel Festing again marched out from + Dunquah with a hundred men of the 2d West India regiment, nine hundred + native allies, and some Houssas with rockets, under Lieutenant Wilmot, + towards the Ashanti camp. This time Ammon Quatia was not taken by + surprise. His scouts informed him of the approach of the column, and + moving out to meet them, he attacked them in the bush before they reached + the camp. Crouching among the trees the Ashantis opened a tremendous fire. + All the native allies, with the exception of a hundred, bolted at once, + but the remainder, with the Houssas and West Indians, behaved with great + steadiness and gallantry, and for two hours kept up a heavy Snider fire + upon their invisible foes. + </p> + <p> + Early in the fight Lieutenant Wilmot, while directing the rocket tube, + received a severe wound in the shoulder. He, however, continued at his + work till, just as the fight was ended, he was shot through the heart with + a bullet. Four officers were wounded as were thirteen men of the 2d West + India regiment. One of the natives was killed, fifty severely wounded, and + a great many slightly. After two hours' fighting Colonel Festing found the + Ashantis were working round to cut off his retreat, and therefore fell + back again on Dunquah. The conduct of the native levies here and in two or + three smaller reconnaisances was so bad that it was found that no further + dependence could be placed upon them, and, with the exception of the two + partly disciplined regiments under Colonel Wood and Major Russell, they + were in future treated as merely fit to act as carriers for the + provisions. + </p> + <p> + Although the second reconnaissance from Dunquah had, like the first, been + unsuccessful, its effect upon the Ashantis was very great. They had + themselves suffered great loss, while they could not see that any of their + enemies had been killed, for Lieutenant Wilmot's body had been carried + off. The rockets especially appalled them, one rocket having killed six, + four of whom were chiefs who were talking together. It was true that the + English had not succeeded in forcing their way through the bush, but if + every time they came out they were to kill large numbers without suffering + any loss themselves, they must clearly in the long run be victorious. + </p> + <p> + What the Ashantis did not see, and what Frank carefully abstained from + hinting to Ammon Quatia, was that if, instead of stopping and firing at a + distance beyond that which at their slugs were effective, they were to + charge down upon the English and fire their pieces when they reached + within a few yards of them, they would overpower them at once by their + enormous superiority of numbers. At ten paces distant a volley of slugs is + as effective as a Snider bullet, and the whole of the native troops would + have bolted the instant such a charge was made. In the open such tactics + might not be possible, as the Sniders could be discharged twenty times + before the English line was reached, but in the woods, where the two lines + were not more than forty or fifty yards apart, the Sniders could be fired + but once or at the utmost twice, while the assailants rushed across the + short intervening space. + </p> + <p> + Had the Ashantis adopted these tactics they could have crushed with ease + the little bands with which the English attacked them. But it is + characteristic of all savages that they can never be got to rush down upon + a foe who is prepared and well armed. A half dozen white men have been + known to keep a whole tribe of Red Indians at a distance on the prairie. + This, however, can be accounted for by the fact that the power of the + chiefs is limited, and that each Indian values his own life highly and + does not care to throw it away on a desperate enterprise. Among the + Ashantis, however, where the power of the chiefs is very great and where + human life is held of little account, it is singular that such tactics + should not have been adopted. + </p> + <p> + The Ashantis were now becoming thoroughly dispirited. Their sufferings had + been immense. Fever and hunger had made great ravages among them, and, + although now the wet season was over a large quantity of food could be + obtained in the forest, the losses which the white men's bullets, rockets, + and guns had inflicted upon them had broken their courage. The longing for + home became greater than ever, and had it not been that they knew that + troops stationed at the Prah would prevent any fugitives from crossing, + they would have deserted in large numbers. Already one of the divisions + had fallen back. + </p> + <p> + Ammon Quatia spent hours sitting at the door of his hut smoking and + talking to the other chiefs. Frank was often called into council, as Ammon + Quatia had conceived a high opinion of his judgment, which had proved + invariably correct so far. + </p> + <p> + “We are going,” he said one day, “to take Abra Crampa and to kill its + king, and then to fall back across the Prah.” + </p> + <p> + “I think you had better fall back at once,” Frank answered. “When you took + me with you to the edge of the clearing yesterday I saw that preparations + had been made for the defense, and that there were white troops there. You + will never carry the village. The English have thrown up breastworks of + earth, and they will lie behind these and shoot down your men as they come + out of the forest.” + </p> + <p> + “I must have one victory to report to the king if I can,” Ammon Quatia + said. “Then he can make peace if he chooses. The white men will not wish + to go on fighting. The Fantis are eager for peace and to return to their + villages. What do you think?” + </p> + <p> + “If it be true that white troops are coming out from England, as the Fanti + prisoners say,” Frank answered, “you will see that the English will not + make peace till they have crossed the Prah and marched to Coomassie. Your + king is always making trouble. You will see that this time the English + will not be content with your retiring, but will in turn invade Ashanti.” + </p> + <p> + Ammon Quatia and the chiefs laughed incredulously. + </p> + <p> + “They will not dare to cross the Prah,” Ammon Quatia said. “If they enter + Ashanti they will be eaten up.” + </p> + <p> + “They are not so easy to eat up,” Frank answered. “You have seen how a + hundred or two can fight against your whole army. What will it be when + they are in thousands? Your king has not been wise. It would be better for + him to send down at once and to make peace at any price.” + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0020" id="link2HCH0020"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XX: THE WHITE TROOPS + </h2> + <p> + Two days later Frank was awoke by a sudden yell. He leaped from his bed of + boughs, seized his revolver, and rushing to the door, saw that a party of + some twenty men were attacking Ammon Quatia's hut. The two guards + stationed there had already been cut down. Frank shouted to his four + guards and Ostik to follow him. The guards had been standing irresolute, + not knowing what side to take, but the example of the young Englishman + decided them. They fired their muskets into the knot of natives, and then + charged sword in hand. Ostik drew the sword which he always carried and + followed close to his master's heels. Frank did not fire until within two + yards of the Ashantis. Then his revolver spoke out and six shots were + discharged, each with deadly effect. Then, catching up a musket which had + fallen from the hands of one of the men he had shot, he clubbed it and + fell upon the surprised and already hesitating conspirators. + </p> + <p> + These, fortunately for Frank, had not loaded their muskets. They had + intended to kill Ammon Quatia and then to disperse instantly before aid + could arrive, believing that with his death the order for retreat across + the Prah would at once be given. Several of them had been killed by the + slugs from the muskets of Frank's guard, and his pistol had completed + their confusion. The reports of the guns called up other troops, and these + came rushing in on all sides. Scarcely did Frank and his followers fall + upon the conspirators than they took to their heels and fled into the + wood. + </p> + <p> + Ammon Quatia himself, sword in hand, had just sprung to the door of the + hut prepared to sell his life dearly, when Frank's guard fired. The affair + was so momentary that he had hardly time to realize what had happened + before his assailants were in full flight. + </p> + <p> + “You have saved my life,” he said to Frank. “Had it not been for you I + must have been killed. You shall not find me ungrateful. When I have taken + Abra Crampa I will manage that you shall return to your friends. I dare + not let you go openly, for the king would not forgive me, and I shall have + enough to do already to pacify him when he hears how great have been our + losses. But rest content. I will manage it somehow.” + </p> + <p> + An hour afterwards Ammon Quatia gave orders that the army should move to + the attack of Abra Crampa. The place was held by a body of marines and + sailors, a hundred West Indians, and the native troops of the king. Major + Russell was in command. The village stood on rising ground, and was + surrounded for a distance of a hundred and fifty yards by a clearing. Part + of this consisted of patches of cultivated ground, the rest had been + hastily cleared by the defenders. At the upper end stood a church, and + this was converted into a stronghold. The windows were high up in the + walls, and a platform had been erected inside for the sailors to fire from + the windows, which were partially blocked with sandbags. The houses on the + outside of the village had all been loopholed, and had been connected by + breastworks of earth. Other defenses had been thrown up further back in + case the outworks should be carried. The mission house in the main street + and the huts which surrounded it formed, with the church, the last + strongholds. For two or three days the bush round the town had swarmed + with Ashantis, whose tomtoms could be heard by the garrison night and day. + </p> + <p> + Frank accompanied Ammon Quatia, and was therefore in the front, and had an + opportunity of seeing how the Ashantis commence an attack. The war drums + gave the signal, and when they ceased, ten thousand voices raised the war + song in measured cadence. The effect was very fine, rising as it did from + all parts of the forest. By this time the Ashantis had lined the whole + circle of wood round the clearing. Then three regular volleys were fired, + making, from the heavy charges used, a tremendous roar. + </p> + <p> + Scarcely had these ceased when the King of Abra, a splendid looking negro + standing nearly six feet four in height, stepped out from behind the + breastwork and shouted a taunting challenge to the Ashantis to come on. + They replied with a loud yell, and with the opening of a continuous fire + round the edge of the wood. On wall and roof of the village the slugs + pattered thickly; but the defenders were all in shelter, and in reply, + from breastwork and loophole, from the windows and roof of the church, the + answering Snider bullets flew out straight and deadly. Several times Ammon + Quatia tried to get his men to make a rush. The war drums beat, the great + horns sounded, and the men shouted, but each time the English bullets flew + so thick and deadly into the wood wherever the sound rose loudest that the + Ashantis' heart failed them, and they could not be got to make the rush + across the hundred yards of cleared ground. + </p> + <p> + At five o'clock the fire slackened, but shortly after dark the attack + recommenced. The moon was up and full. Frank feared that the Ashantis + would try and crawl a part of the distance across the clearing and then + make a sudden rush; but they appeared to have no idea of a silent attack. + Several times, indeed, they gathered and rushed forward in large bodies, + but each time their shouting and drums gave warning to the besieged, and + so tremendous a fire was opened upon them when they emerged from the + shadow of the trees into the moonlight, that each time they fell back + leaving the ground strewn with dead. Till midnight the attack was + continued, then the Ashantis fell back to their camp. + </p> + <p> + At Accroful, a village on the main road some four miles distant, the + attack had been heard, and a messenger sent off to Cape Coast to inform + Sir Garnet Wolseley. + </p> + <p> + In the morning fifty men of the 2d West India regiment marched from + Accroful into Abra Crampa without molestation. Later on some Abra scouts + approached the Ashanti camp and shouted tauntingly to know when the + Ashantis were coming into Abra Crampa. + </p> + <p> + They shouted in return, “After breakfast,” and soon afterwards, a rocket + fired from the roof of the church falling into the camp, they again + sallied out and attacked. It was a repetition of the fight of the day + before. Several times Major Russell withheld his fire altogether, but the + Ashantis could not be tempted to show in force beyond the edge of the + wood. So inspirited were the defenders that they now made several sorties + and penetrated some distance into the wood. + </p> + <p> + At eight in the morning Sir Garnet Wolseley had marched from Cape Coast + with three hundred marines and blue jackets to the relief of the position, + but so tremendous was the heat that nearly half the men fell exhausted by + the way, and were ordered when they recovered to march back to Cape Coast. + The remainder, when they arrived at Assaibo, five miles from Abra Crampa, + were so utterly exhausted that a long halt was necessary, although a faint + but continuous fire could be heard from the besieged place. + </p> + <p> + Chocolate and cold preserved meat were served out to the men, and in the + course of another three hours a large number of the stragglers came in. At + three o'clock, a hundred of the most exhausted men being left to hold the + village, the rest of the force with the fifty West Indians stationed there + marched forward to Buteana, where they were joined by fifty more men from + Accroful. Just as they started from this place they met the King of Abra, + who had come out with a small body of warriors; from him Sir Garnet + learned that this road, which wound round and came in at the back of Abra + Crampa, was still open. + </p> + <p> + The Ashantis were too busy with their own operations to watch the path, + and the relieving force entered the place without firing a shot. The + firing round the town continued, but Ammon Quatia, when he saw the + reinforcements enter, at once began to fall back with the main body of his + troops, and although the firing was kept up all night, when the besieged + in the morning advanced to attack the Ashanti camp they found it + altogether deserted. + </p> + <p> + “It is of no use,” the Ashanti general said to Frank. “My men cannot fight + in the open against the English guns. Besides, they do not know what they + are fighting for here; but if your general should ever cross the Prah you + will find it different. There are forests all the way to Coomassie, as you + know, and the men will be fighting in defense of their own country, you + will see what we shall do then. And now I will keep my promise to you. + Tonight your guards will go to sleep. I shall have medicine given them + which will make them sleep hard. One of the Fanti prisoners will come to + your hut and will guide you through the woods to Assaiboo. Goodbye, my + friend. Ammon Quatia has learnt that some of the white men are good and + honest, and he will never forget that he owes his life to you. Take this + in remembrance of Ammon Quatia.” + </p> + <p> + And he presented Frank with a necklace composed of nuggets of gold as big + as walnuts and weighing nearly twenty pounds. + </p> + <p> + Frank in return gave the general the only article of value which he now + possessed, his revolver and tin box of cartridges, telling him that he + hoped he would never use it against the English, but that it might be of + value to him should he ever again have trouble with his own men. Frank + made a parcel of the necklace and of the gold he had received from the + king for his goods, and warned Ostik to hold himself in readiness for + flight. The camp was silent although the roar of musketry a few hundred + yards off round Abra Crampa continued unbroken. For some time Frank heard + his guards pacing outside, and occasionally speaking to each other. Then + these sounds ceased and all was quiet. Presently the front of the tent was + opened and a voice said, “Come, all is ready.” + </p> + <p> + Frank came out and looked round. The Ashanti camp was deserted. Ammon + Quatia had moved away with the main body of his troops, although the + musketry fire round the village was kept up. A Fanti stood at the door of + the hut with Ostik. The four guards were sleeping quietly. Noiselessly the + little party stole away. A quarter of an hour later they struck the path, + and an hour's walking brought them to Assaiboo. Not an Ashanti was met + with along the path, but Frank hardly felt that he was safe until he heard + the challenge of “Who goes there?” from an English sentry. A few minutes + later he was taken before Captain Bradshaw, R. N., who commanded the + sailors and marines who had been left there. Very hearty was the greeting + which the young Englishman received from the genial sailor, and a bowl of + soup and a glass of grog were soon set before him. + </p> + <p> + His arrival created quite a sensation, and for some hours he sat talking + with the officers, while Ostik was an equal subject of curiosity among the + sailors. The news that the Ashanti army was in full retreat relieved the + garrison of the place from all further fear of attack, and Frank went to + sleep before morning, and was only roused at noon when a messenger arrived + with the news that the Ashanti camp had been found deserted, and that the + road in its rear was found to be strewn with chairs, clothes, pillows, + muskets, and odds and ends of every description. Few Ashanti prisoners had + been taken, but a considerable number of Fantis, who had been prisoners + among them, had come in, having escaped in the confusion of the retreat. + Among these were many women, several of whom had been captured when the + Ashantis had first crossed the Prah ten months before. In the afternoon + Sir Garnet Wolseley, with the greater portion of the force from Abra + Crampa, marched in, and Frank was introduced by Captain Bradshaw to the + general. As the latter was anxious to press on at once to Cape Coast, in + order that the sailors and marines might sleep on board ship that night, + he asked Frank to accompany him, and on the road heard the story of his + adventures. He invited him to sleep for the night at Government House, an + invitation which Frank accepted; but he slept worse than he had done for a + long time. It was now nearly two years since he had landed in Africa, and + during all that time he had slept, covered with a rug, on the canvas of + his little camp bed. The complete change, the stillness and security, and, + above all, the novelty of a bed with sheets, completely banished sleep, + and it was not until morning was dawning that, wrapping himself in a rug, + and lying on the ground, he was able to get a sleep. In the morning at + breakfast Sir Garnet asked him what he intended to do, and said that if he + were in no extreme hurry to return to England he could render great + services as guide to the expedition, which would start for Coomassie as + soon as the white troops arrived. Frank had already thought the matter + over. He had had more than enough of Africa, but two or three months + longer would make no difference, and he felt that his knowledge of the + Ashanti methods of war, of the country to be traversed, the streams to be + crossed, and the points at which the Ashantis would probably make a stand, + would enable him to render really valuable assistance to the army. He + therefore told Sir Garnet Wolseley that he had no particular business + which called him urgently back, and that he was willing to guide the army + to Coomassie. He at once had quarters as an officer assigned to him in the + town, with rations for himself and servant. + </p> + <p> + His first step was to procure English garments, for although he had before + starting laid aside his Ashanti costume, and put on that he had before + worn, his clothes were now so travel worn as to be scarce wearable. He had + no difficulty in doing this. Many of the officers were already invalided + home, and one who was just sailing was glad to dispose of his uniform, + which consisted of a light brown Norfolk shooting jacket, knickerbockers, + and helmet, as these would be of no use to him in England. + </p> + <p> + Frank's next step was to go to the agent of Messrs. Swanzy, the principal + African merchants of the coast. This gentleman readily cashed one of the + orders on the African bank which Mr. Goodenough had, before his death, + handed over to Frank, and the latter proceeded to discharge the long + arrears of wages owing to Ostik, adding, besides, a handsome present. He + offered to allow his faithful servant to depart to join his family on the + Gaboon at once, should he wish to do so, but Ostik declared that he would + remain with him as long as he stopped in Africa. On Frank's advice, + however, he deposited his money, for safe keeping, with Messrs. Swanzy's + agent, with orders to transmit it to his family should anything happen to + him during the expedition. + </p> + <p> + Three days later Frank was attacked by fever, the result of the reaction + after so many dangers. He was at once sent on board the Simoon, which had + been established as a hospital ship; but the attack was a mild one, and in + a few days, thanks to the sea air, and the attention and nursing which he + received, he was convalescent. As soon as the fever passed away, and he + was able to sit on deck and enjoy the sea breezes, he had many visits from + the officers of the ships of war. Among these was the captain of the Decoy + gunboat. + </p> + <p> + After chatting with Frank for some time the officer said: “I am going down + the coast as far as the mouth of the Volta, where Captain Glover is + organizing another expedition. You will not be wanted on shore just at + present, and a week's rest will do you good; what do you say to coming + down with me—it will give you a little change and variety?” + </p> + <p> + Frank accepted the invitation with pleasure. An hour later the Decoy's + boat came alongside, and Frank took his place on board it, Ostik following + with his clothes. An hour later the Decoy got up her anchor and steamed + down the coast. It was delightful to Frank, sitting in a large wicker work + chair in the shade of the awning, watching the distant shore and chatting + with the officers. He had much to hear of what had taken place in England + since he left, and they on their part were equally eager to learn about + the road along which they would have to march—at least those of them + who were fortunate enough to be appointed to the naval brigade—and + the wonders of the barbarian capital. The Decoy was not fast, about six + knots being her average pace of steaming; however, no one was in a hurry; + there would be nothing to do until the troops arrived from England; and to + all, a trip down the coast was a pleasant change after the long monotony + of rolling at anchor. For some distance from Cape Coast the shore was + flat, but further on the country became hilly. Some of the undulations + reached a considerable height, the highest, Mamquady, being over two + thousand feet. + </p> + <p> + “That ought to be a very healthy place,” Frank said. “I should think that + a sanatorium established there would be an immense boon to the whites all + along the coasts.” + </p> + <p> + “One would think so,” an officer replied “but I'm told that those hills + are particularly unhealthy. That fellow you see jutting out is said to be + extremely rich in gold. Over and over again parties have been formed to + dig there, but they have always suffered so terribly from fever that they + have had to relinquish the attempt. The natives suffer as well as the + whites. I believe that the formation is granite, the surface of which is + much decomposed; and it is always found here that the turning up of ground + that has not been disturbed for many years is extremely unhealthy, and + decomposing granite possesses some element particularly obnoxious to + health. The natives, of course, look upon the mountain as a fetish, and + believe that an evil spirit guards it. The superstition of the negroes is + wonderful, and at Accra they are, if possible, more superstitious than + anywhere else. Every one believes that every malady under the sun is + produced by fetish, and that some enemy is casting spells upon them.” + </p> + <p> + “There is more in it than you think,” the doctor joined in; “although it + is not spells, but poison, which they use against each other. The use of + poison is carried to an incredible extent here. I have not been much on + shore; but the medical men, both civilian and military, who have been here + any time are convinced that a vast number of the deaths that take place + are due to poison. The fetish men and women who are the vendors of these + drugs keep as a profound secret their origin and nature, but it is certain + that many of them are in point of secrecy and celerity equal to those of + the middle ages.” + </p> + <p> + “I wonder that the doctors have never discovered what plants they get them + from,” Frank said. + </p> + <p> + “Some of them have tried to do so,” the doctor replied; “but have + invariably died shortly after commencing their experiments; it is believed + they have been poisoned by the fetish men in order to prevent their + secrets being discovered.” + </p> + <p> + The hours passed pleasurably. The beautiful neatness and order prevailing + on board a man of war were specially delightful to Frank after the rough + life he had so long led, and the silence and discipline of the men + presented an equally strong contrast to the incessant chattering and noise + kept up by the niggers. + </p> + <p> + The next morning the ship was off Accra. Here the scenery had entirely + changed. The hills had receded, and a wide and slightly undulating plain + extended to their feet, some twelve miles back. The captain was going to + land, as he had some despatches for the colony, and he invited Frank to + accompany him. They did not, as Frank expected, land in a man of war's + boat, but in a surf boat, which, upon their hoisting a signal, came out to + them. These surf boats are large and very wide and flat. They are paddled + by ten or twelve negroes, who sit upon the gunwale. These men work + vigorously, and the boats travel at a considerable pace. Each boat has a + stroke peculiar to itself. Some paddle hard for six strokes and then easy + for an equal number. Some will take two or three hard and then one easy. + The steersman stands in the stern and steers with an oar. He or one of the + crew keeps up a monotonous song, to which the crew reply in chorus, always + in time with their paddling. + </p> + <p> + The surf is heavy at Accra and Frank held his breath, as, after waiting + for a favorable moment, the steersman gave the sign and the boat darted in + at lightning speed on the top of a great wave, and ran up on the beach in + the midst of a whirl of white foam. + </p> + <p> + While the captain went up to Government House, Frank, accompanied by one + of the young officers who had also come ashore, took a stroll through the + town. The first thing that struck him was the extraordinary number of + pigs. These animals pervaded the whole place. They fed in threes and fours + in the middle of the streets. They lay everywhere in the road, across the + doors, and against the walls. They quarreled energetically inside lanes + and courtyards, and when worsted in their disputes galloped away grunting, + careless whom they might upset. The principal street of Accra was an + amusing sight. Some effort had been made to keep it free of the filth and + rubbish which everywhere else abounded. Both sides were lined by salesmen + and women sitting on little mats upon the low wooden stools used as seats + in Africa. The goods were contained in wooden trays. Here were dozens of + women offering beads for sale of an unlimited variety of form and hue. + They varied from the tiny opaque beads of all colors used by English + children for their dolls, to great cylindrical beads of variegated hues as + long and as thick as the joint of a finger. The love of the Africans for + beads is surprising. The women wear them round the wrists, the neck, and + the ankles. The occupation of threading the little beads is one of their + greatest pleasures. The threads used are narrow fibers of palm leaves, + which are very strong. The beads, however, are of unequal sizes, and no + African girl who has any respect for her personal appearance will put on a + string of beads until she has, with great pains and a good deal of skill, + rubbed them with sand and water until all the projecting beads are ground + down, and the whole are perfectly smooth and even. + </p> + <p> + Next in number to the dealers in beads were those who sold calico, or, as + it is called in Africa, cloth, and gaudily colored kerchiefs for the head. + These three articles—beads, cotton cloth, and colored handkerchiefs—complete + the list of articles required for the attire and adornment of males and + females in Africa. Besides these goods, tobacco, in dried leaves, short + clay pipes, knives, small looking glasses, and matches were offered for + sale. The majority of the saleswomen, however, were dealers in eatables, + dried fish, smoked fish, canki—which is a preparation of ground corn + wrapped up in palm leaves in the shape of paste—eggs, fowls, kids, + cooked meats in various forms, stews, boiled pork, fried knobs of meat, + and other native delicacies, besides an abundance of seeds, nuts, and + other vegetable productions. + </p> + <p> + After walking for some time through the streets Frank and his companions + returned to the boat, where, half an hour later, the captain joined them, + and, putting off to the Decoy, they continued the voyage down the coast. + </p> + <p> + The next morning they weighed anchor off Addah, a village at the mouth of + the Volta. They whistled for a surf boat, but it was some time before one + put out. When she was launched it was doubtful whether she would be able + to make her way through the breaking water. The surf was much heavier here + than it had been at Accra, and each wave threw the boat almost + perpendicularly into the air, so that only a few feet of the end of the + keel touched the water. Still she struggled on, although so long was she + in getting through the surf that those on board the ship thought several + times that she must give it up as impracticable. At last, however, she got + through; the paddlers waited for a minute to recover from their exertions, + and then made out to the Decoy. None of the officers had ever landed here, + and several of them obtained leave to accompany the captain on shore. + Frank was one of the party. After what they had seen of the difficulty + which the boat had in getting out, all looked somewhat anxiously at the + surf as they approached the line where the great smooth waves rolled over + and broke into boiling foam. The steersman stood upon the seat in the + stern, in one hand holding his oar, in the other his cap. For some time he + stood half turned round, looking attentively seaward, while the boat lay + at rest just outside the line of breakers. Suddenly he waved his cap and + gave a shout. It was answered by the crew. Every man dashed his paddle + into the water. Desperately they rowed, the steersman encouraging them by + wild yells. A gigantic wave rolled in behind the boat, and looked for a + moment as if she would break into it, but she rose on it just as it turned + over, and for an instant was swept along amidst a cataract of white foam, + with the speed of an arrow. The next wave was a small one, and ere a third + reached it the boat grounded on the sand. A dozen men rushed out into the + water. The passengers threw themselves anyhow on to their backs, and in a + minute were standing perfectly dry upon the beach. + </p> + <p> + They learned that Captain Glover's camp was half a mile distant, and at + once set out for it. Upon the way up to the camp they passed hundreds of + negroes, who had arrived in the last day or two, and had just received + their arms. Some were squatted on the ground cooking and resting + themselves. Others were examining their new weapons, oiling and removing + every spot of rust, and occasionally loading and firing them off. The + balls whizzed through the air in all directions. The most stringent orders + had been given forbidding this dangerous nuisance; but nothing can repress + the love of negroes for firing off guns. There were large numbers of women + among them; these had acted as carriers on their journey to the camp; for + among the coast tribes, as among the Ashantis, it is the proper thing when + the warriors go out on the warpath, that the women should not permit them + to carry anything except their guns until they approach the neighborhood + of the enemy. + </p> + <p> + The party soon arrived at the camp, which consisted of some bell tents and + the little huts of a few hundred natives. This, indeed, was only the place + where the latter were first received and armed, and they were then sent up + the river in the steamboat belonging to the expedition, to the great camp + some thirty miles higher. + </p> + <p> + The expedition consisted only of some seven or eight English officers. + Captain Glover of the royal navy was in command, with Mr. Goldsworthy and + Captain Sartorius as his assistants. There were four other officers, two + doctors, and an officer of commissariat. This little body had the whole + work of drilling and keeping in order some eight or ten thousand men. They + were generals, colonels, sergeants, quartermasters, storekeepers, and + diplomatists, all at once, and from daybreak until late at night were + incessantly at work. There were at least a dozen petty kings in camp, all + of whom had to be kept in a good temper, and this was by no means the + smallest of Captain Glover's difficulties, as upon the slightest ground + for discontent each of these was ready at once to march away with his + followers. The most reliable portion of Captain Glover's force were some + 250 Houssas, and as many Yorabas. In addition to all their work with the + native allies, the officers of the expedition had succeeded in drilling + both these bodies until they had obtained a very fair amount of + discipline. + </p> + <p> + After strolling through the camp the visitors went to look on at the + distribution of arms and accouterments to a hundred freshly arrived + natives. They were served out with blue smocks, made of serge, and blue + nightcaps, which had the result of transforming a fine looking body of + natives, upright in carriage, and graceful in their toga-like attire, into + a set of awkward looking, clumsy negroes. A haversack, water bottle, + belts, cap pouch, and ammunition pouch, were also handed to each to their + utter bewilderment, and it was easy to foresee that at the end of the + first day's march the whole of these, to them utterly useless articles, + would be thrown aside. They brightened up, however, when the guns were + delivered to them. The first impulse of each was to examine his piece + carefully, to try its balance by taking aim at distant objects, then to + carefully rub off any little spot of rust that could be detected, lastly + to take out the ramrod and let it fall into the barrel, to judge by the + ring whether it was clean inside. + </p> + <p> + Thence the visitors strolled away to watch a number of Houssas in hot + pursuit of some bullocks, which were to be put on board the steamers and + taken up the river to the great camp. These had broken loose in the night, + and the chase was an exciting one. Although some fifty or sixty men were + engaged in the hunt it took no less than four hours to capture the + requisite number, and seven Houssas were more or less injured by the + charges of the desperate little animals, which possessed wonderful + strength and endurance, although no larger than moderate sized donkeys. + They were only captured at last by hoops being thrown over their horns, + and even when thrown down required the efforts of five or six men to tie + them. They were finally got to the wharf by two men each: one went ahead + with the rope attached to the animal's horn, the other kept behind, + holding a rope fastened to one of the hind legs. Every bull made the most + determined efforts to get at the man in front, who kept on at a run, the + animal being checked when it got too close by the man behind pulling at + its hind leg. When it turned to attack him the man in front again pulled + at his rope. So most of them were brought down to the landing place, and + there with great difficulty again thrown down, tied, and carried bodily on + board. Some of them were so unmanageable that they had to be carried all + the way down to the landing place. If English cattle possessed the + strength and obstinate fury of these little animals, Copenhagen Fields + would have to be removed farther from London, or the entrance swept by + machine guns, for a charge of the cattle would clear the streets of + London. + </p> + <p> + After spending an amusing day on shore, the party returned on board ship. + Captain Glover's expedition, although composed of only seven or eight + English officers and costing the country comparatively nothing, + accomplished great things, but its doings were almost ignored by England. + Crossing the river they completely defeated the native tribes there, who + were in alliance with the Ashantis, after some hard fighting, and thus + prevented an invasion of our territory on that side. In addition to this + they pushed forward into the interior and absolutely arrived at Coomassie + two days after Sir Garnet Wolseley. + </p> + <p> + It is true that the attention of the Ashantis was so much occupied by the + advance of the white force that they paid but little attention to that + advancing from the Volta; but none the less is the credit due to the + indomitable perseverance and the immensity of the work accomplished by + Captain Glover and his officers. Alone and single handed, they overcame + all the enormous difficulties raised by the apathy, indolence, and self + importance of the numerous petty chiefs whose followers constituted the + army, infused something of their own spirit among their followers, and + persuaded them to march without white allies against the hitherto + invincible army of the Ashantis. Not a tithe of the credit due to them has + been given to the officers of this little force. + </p> + <p> + Captain Glover invited his visitors to pass the night on shore, offering + to place a tent at their disposal; but the mosquitoes are so numerous and + troublesome along the swampy shore of the Volta that the invitations were + declined, and the whole party returned on board the Decoy. Next day the + anchor was hove and the ship's head turned to the west; and two days + later, after a pleasant and uneventful voyage, she was again off Cape + Coast, and Frank, taking leave of his kind entertainers, returned on shore + and reported himself as ready to perform any duty that might be assigned + to him. + </p> + <p> + Until the force advanced, he had nothing to do, and spent a good deal of + his time watching the carriers starting with provisions for the Prah, and + the doings of the negroes. + </p> + <p> + The order had now been passed by the chiefs at a meeting called by Sir + Garnet, that every able bodied man should work as a carrier, and while + parties of men were sent to the villages round to fetch in people thence, + hunts took place in Cape Coast itself. Every negro found in the streets + was seized by the police; protestation, indignation, and resistance, were + equally in vain. An arm or the loin cloth was firmly griped, and the + victim was run into the castle yard, amid the laughter of the lookers on, + who consisted, after the first quarter of an hour, of women only. Then the + search began in the houses, the chiefs indicating the localities in which + men were likely to be found. Some police were set to watch outside while + others went in to search. The women would at once deny that anyone was + there, but a door was pretty sure to be found locked, and upon this being + broken open the fugitive would be found hiding under a pile of clothes or + mats. Sometimes he would leap through the windows, sometimes take to the + flat roof, and as the houses join together in the most confused way the + roofs offered immense facilities for escape, and most lively chases took + place. + </p> + <p> + No excuses or pretences availed. A man seen limping painfully along the + street would, after a brief examination of his leg to see if there was any + external mark which would account for the lameness, be sent at a round + trot down the road, amid peals of laughter from the women and girls + looking on. + </p> + <p> + The indignation of some of the men thus seized, loaded and sent up country + under a strong escort, was very funny, and their astonishment in some + cases altogether unfeigned. Small shopkeepers who had never supposed that + they would be called upon to labor for the defense of their freedom and + country, found themselves with a barrel of pork upon their heads and a + policeman with a loaded musket by their side proceeding up country for an + indefinite period. A school teacher was missing, and was found to have + gone up with a case of ammunition. Casual visitors from down the coast had + their stay prolonged. + </p> + <p> + Lazy Sierra Leone men, discharged by their masters for incurable idleness, + and living doing nothing, earning nothing, kept by the kindness of friends + and the aid of an occasional petty theft, found themselves, in spite of + the European cut of their clothes, groaning under the weight of cases of + preserved provisions. + </p> + <p> + Everywhere the town was busy and animated, but it was in the castle + courtyard Frank found most amusement. Here of a morning a thousand negroes + would be gathered, most of them men sent down from Dunquah, forming part + of our native allied army. Their costumes were various but scant, their + colors all shades of brown up to the deepest black. Their faces were all + in a grin of amusement. The noise of talking and laughing was immense. All + were squatted upon the ground, in front of each was a large keg labelled + “pork.” Among them moved two or three commissariat officers in gray + uniforms. At the order, “Now then, off with you,” the negroes would rise, + take off their cloths, wrap them into pads, lift the barrels on to their + heads, and go off at a brisk pace; the officer perhaps smartening up the + last to leave with a cut with his stick, which would call forth a scream + of laughter from all the others. + </p> + <p> + When all the men had gone, the turn of the women came, and of these two or + three hundred, who had been seated chattering and laughing against the + walls, would now come forward and stoop to pick up the bags of biscuit + laid out for them. Their appearance was most comical when they stooped to + their work, their prodigious bustles forming an apex. At least two out of + every three had babies seated on these bustles, kept firm against their + backs by the cloth tightly wrapped round the mother's body. But from the + attitudes of the mothers the position was now reversed, the little black + heads hanging downwards upon the dark brown backs of the women. These were + always in the highest state of good temper, often indulging when not at + work in a general dance, and continually singing, and clapping their + hands. + </p> + <p> + After the women had been got off three or four hundred boys and girls, of + from eleven to fourteen years old, would start with small kegs of rice or + meat weighing from twenty-five to thirty-five pounds. These small kegs had + upon their first arrival been a cause of great bewilderment and annoyance + to the commissariat officers, for no man or woman, unless by profession a + juggler, could balance two long narrow barrels on the head. At last the + happy idea struck an officer of the department that the children of the + place might be utilized for the purpose. No sooner was it known that boys + and girls could get half men's wages for carrying up light loads, than + there was a perfect rush of the juvenile population. Three hundred applied + the first morning, four hundred the next. The glee of the youngsters was + quite exuberant. All were accustomed to carry weights, such as great jars + of water and baskets of yams, far heavier than those they were now called + to take up the country; and the novel pleasure of earning money and of + enjoying an expedition up the country delighted them immensely. + </p> + <p> + Bullocks were now arriving from other parts of the coast, and although + these would not live for any time at Cape Coast, it was thought they would + do so long enough to afford the expedition a certain quantity of fresh + meat; Australian meat, and salt pork, though valuable in their way, being + poor food to men whose appetites are enfeebled by heat and exhaustion. + </p> + <p> + It was not till upwards of six weeks after the fight at Abra Crampa that + the last of the Ashanti army crossed the Prah. When arriving within a + short distance of that river they had been met by seven thousand fresh + troops, who had been sent by the king with orders that they were not to + return until they had driven the English into the sea. Ammon Quatia's + army, however, although still, from the many reinforcements it had + received, nearly twenty thousand strong, positively refused to do any more + fighting until they had been home and rested, and their tales of the + prowess of the white troops so checked the enthusiasm of the newcomers, + that these decided to return with the rest. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0021" id="link2HCH0021"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXI: THE ADVANCE TO THE PRAH + </h2> + <p> + A large body of natives were now kept at work on the road up to the Prah. + The swamps were made passable by bundles of brushwood thrown into them, + the streams were bridged and huts erected for the reception of the white + troops. These huts were constructed of bamboo, the beds being made of + lattice work of the same material, and were light and cool. + </p> + <p> + On the 9th of December the Himalaya and Tamar arrived, having on board the + 23d Regiment, a battalion of the Rifle Brigade, a battery of artillery, + and a company of engineers. On the 18th, the Surmatian arrived with the + 42d. All these ships were sent off for a cruise, with orders to return on + the 1st of January, when the troops were to be landed. A large number of + officers arrived a few days later to assist in the organization of the + transport corps. + </p> + <p> + Colonel Wood and Major Russell were by this time on the Prah with their + native regiments. These were formed principally of Houssas, Cossoos, and + men of other fighting Mahomedan tribes who had been brought down the + coast, together with companies from Bonny and some of the best of the + Fantis. The rest of the Fanti forces had been disbanded, as being utterly + useless for fighting purposes, and had been turned into carriers. + </p> + <p> + On the 26th of December Frank started with the General's staff for the + front. The journey to the Prah was a pleasant one. The stations had been + arranged at easy marches from each other. At each of these, six huts for + the troops, each capable of holding seventy men, had been built, together + with some smaller huts for officers. Great filters formed of iron tanks + with sand and charcoal at the bottom, the invention of Captain Crease, + R.M.A., stood before the huts, with tubs at which the native bearers could + quench their thirst. Along by the side of the road a single telegraph wire + was supported on bamboos fifteen feet long. + </p> + <p> + Passing through Assaiboo they entered the thick bush. The giant cotton + trees had now shed their light feathery foliage, resembling that of an + acacia, and the straight, round, even trunks looked like the skeletons of + some giant or primeval vegetation rising above the sea of foliage below. + White lilies, pink flowers of a bulbous plant, clusters of yellow acacia + blossoms, occasionally brightened the roadside, and some of the old + village clearings were covered with a low bush bearing a yellow blossom, + and convolvuli white, buff, and pink. The second night the party slept at + Accroful, and the next day marched through Dunquah. This was a great store + station, but the white troops were not to halt there. It had been a large + town, but the Ashantis had entirely destroyed it, as well as every other + village between the Prah and the coast. Every fruit tree in the clearing + had also been destroyed, and at Dunquah they had even cut down a great + cotton tree which was looked upon as a fetish by the Fantis. It had taken + them seven days' incessant work to overthrow this giant of the forest. + </p> + <p> + The next halting place was Yancoomassie. When approaching Mansue the + character of the forest changed. The undergrowth disappeared and the high + trees grew thick and close. The plantain, which furnishes an abundant + supply of fruit to the natives and had sustained the Ashanti army during + its stay south of the Prah, before abundant, extended no further. Mansue + stood, like other native villages, on rising ground, but the heavy rains + which still fell every day and the deep swamps around rendered it a most + unhealthy station. + </p> + <p> + Beyond Mansue the forest was thick and gloomy. There was little + undergrowth, but a perfect wilderness of climbers clustered round the + trees, twisting in a thousand fantastic windings, and finally running down + to the ground, where they took fresh root and formed props to the dead + tree their embrace had killed. Not a flower was to be seen, but ferns grew + by the roadside in luxuriance. Butterflies were scarce, but dragonflies + darted along like sparks of fire. The road had the advantage of being + shady and cool, but the heavy rain and traffic had made it everywhere + slippery, and in many places inches deep in mud, while all the efforts of + the engineers and working parties had failed to overcome the swamps. + </p> + <p> + It was a relief to the party when they emerged from the forests into the + little clearings where villages had once stood, for the gloom and quiet of + the great forest weighed upon the spirits. The monotonous too too of the + doves—not a slow dreamy cooing like that of the English variety, but + a sharp quick note repeated in endless succession—alone broke the + hush. The silence, the apparently never ending forest, the monotony of + rank vegetation, the absence of a breath of wind to rustle a leaf, were + most oppressive, and the feeling was not lessened by the dampness and + heaviness of the air, and the malarious exhalation and smell of decaying + vegetation arising from the swamps. + </p> + <p> + Sootah was the station beyond Mansue, beyond this Assin and Barracoo. + Beyond Sootah the odors of the forest became much more unpleasant, for at + Fazoo they passed the scene of the conflict between Colonel Wood's + regiment and the retiring Ashantis. In the forest beyond this were the + remains of a great camp of the enemy's, which extended for miles, and + hence to the Prah large numbers of Ashantis had dropped by the way or had + crawled into the forest to die, smitten by disease or rifle balls. + </p> + <p> + There was a general feeling of pleasure as the party emerged from the + forest into the large open camp at Prahsue. This clearing was twenty acres + in extent, and occupied an isthmus formed by a loop of the river. The 2d + West Indians were encamped here, and huts had been erected under the shade + of some lofty trees for the naval brigade. In the center was a great + square. On one side were the range of huts for the general and his staff. + Two sides of the square were formed by the huts for the white troops. On + the fourth was the hospital, the huts for the brigadier and his staff, and + the post office. Upon the river bank beyond the square were the tents of + the engineers and Rait's battery of artillery, and the camps of Wood's and + Russell's regiments. The river, some seventy yards wide, ran round three + sides of the camp thirty feet below its level. + </p> + <p> + The work which the engineers had accomplished was little less than + marvelous. Eighty miles of road had been cut and cleared, every stream, + however insignificant, had been bridged, and attempts made to corduroy + every swamp. This would have been no great feat through a soft wood forest + with the aid of good workmen. Here, however, the trees were for the most + part of extremely hard wood, teak and mahogany forming the majority. The + natives had no idea of using an axe. Their only notion of felling a tree + was to squat down beside it and give it little hacking chops with a large + knife or a sabre. + </p> + <p> + With such means and such men as these the mere work of cutting and making + the roads and bridging the streams was enormous. But not only was this + done but the stations were all stockaded, and huts erected for the + reception of four hundred and fifty men and officers, and immense + quantities of stores, at each post. Major Home, commanding the engineers, + was the life and soul of the work, and to him more than any other man was + the expedition indebted for its success. He was nobly seconded by Buckle, + Bell, Mann, Cotton, Skinner, Bates and Jeykyll, officers of his own corps, + and by Hearle of the marines, and Hare of the 22d, attached to them. Long + before daylight his men were off to their work, long after nightfall they + returned utterly exhausted to camp. + </p> + <p> + Upon the 1st of January, 1874, Sir Garnet Wolseley, with his staff, among + whom Frank was now reckoned, reached the Prah. During the eight days which + elapsed before the white troops came up Frank found much to amuse him. The + engineers were at work, aided by the sailors of the naval brigade, which + arrived two days after the general, in erecting a bridge across the Prah. + The sailors worked, stripped to the waist, in the muddy water of the + river, which was about seven feet deep in the middle. When tired of + watching these he would wander into the camp of the native regiments, and + chat with the men, whose astonishment at finding a young Englishman able + to converse in their language, for the Fanti and Ashanti dialects differ + but little, was unbounded. Sometimes he would be sent for to headquarters + to translate to Captain Buller, the head of the intelligence department, + the statements of prisoners brought in by the scouts, who, under Lord + Gifford, had penetrated many miles beyond the Prah. + </p> + <p> + Everywhere these found dead bodies by the side of the road, showing the + state to which the Ashanti army was reduced in its retreat. The prisoners + brought in were unanimous in saying that great uneasiness had been + produced at Coomassie by the news of the advance of the British to the + Prah. The king had written to Ammon Quatia, severely blaming him for his + conduct of the campaign, and for the great loss of life among his army. + </p> + <p> + All sorts of portents were happening at Coomassie, to the great + disturbance of the mind of the people. Some of those related singularly + resembled those said to have occurred before the capture of Rome by the + Goths. An aerolite had fallen in the marketplace of Coomassie, and, still + more strange, a child was born which was at once able to converse + fluently. This youthful prodigy was placed in a room by itself, with + guards around it to prevent anyone having converse with the supernatural + visitant. In the morning, however, it was gone, and in its place was found + a bundle of dead leaves. The fetish men having been consulted declared + that this signified that Coomassie itself would disappear, and would + become nothing but a bundle of dead leaves. This had greatly exercised the + credulous there. + </p> + <p> + Two days after his arrival Frank went down at sunset to bathe in the + river. He had just reached the bank when he heard a cry among some white + soldiers bathing there, and was just in time to see one of them pulled + under water by an alligator, which had seized him by the leg. Frank had so + often heard what was the best thing to do that he at once threw off his + Norfolk jacket, plunged into the stream, and swam to the spot where the + eddy on the surface showed that a struggle was going on beneath. The water + was too muddy to see far through it, but Frank speedily came upon the + alligator, and finding its eyes, shoved his thumbs into them. In an + instant the creature relaxed his hold of his prey and made off, and Frank, + seizing the wounded man, swam with him to shore amid the loud cheers of + the sailors. The soldier, who proved to be a marine, was insensible, and + his leg was nearly severed above the ankle. He soon recovered + consciousness, and, being carried to the camp, his leg was amputated below + the knee, and he was soon afterwards taken down to the coast. + </p> + <p> + It had been known that there were alligators in the river, a young one + about a yard long having been captured and tied up like a dog in the camp, + with a string round its neck. But it was thought that the noise of + building the bridge, and the movement on the banks, would have driven them + away. After this incident bathing was for the most part abandoned. + </p> + <p> + The affair made Frank a great favorite in the naval brigade, and of a + night he would, after dinner, generally repair there, and sit by the great + bonfires, which the tars kept up, and listen to the jovial choruses which + they raised around them. + </p> + <p> + Two days after the arrival of Sir Garnet, an ambassador came down from the + king with a letter, inquiring indignantly why the English had attacked the + Ashanti troops, and why they had advanced to the Prah. An opportunity was + taken to impress him with the nature of the English arms. A Gatling gun + was placed on the river bank, and its fire directed upon the surface, and + the fountain of water which rose as the steady stream of bullets struck + its surface astonished, and evidently filled with awe, the Ashanti + ambassador. On the following day this emissary took his departure for + Coomassie with a letter to the king. + </p> + <p> + On the 12th the messengers returned with an unsatisfactory answer to Sir + Garnet's letter; they brought with them Mr. Kuhne, one of the German + missionaries. He said that it was reported in Coomassie that twenty + thousand out of the forty thousand Ashantis who had crossed the Prah had + died. It is probable that this was exaggerated, but Mr. Kuhne had counted + two hundred and seventy-six men carrying boxes containing the bones of + chiefs and leading men. As these would have fared better than the common + herd they would have suffered less from famine and dysentery. The army had + for the most part broken up into small parties and gone to their villages. + The wrath of the king was great, and all the chiefs who accompanied the + army had been fined and otherwise punished. Mr. Kuhne said that when Sir + Garnet's letter arrived, the question of peace or war had been hotly + contested at a council. The chiefs who had been in the late expedition + were unanimous in deprecating any further attempt to contend with the + white man. Those who had remained at home, and who knew nothing of the + white man's arms, or white man's valor, were for war rather than + surrender. + </p> + <p> + Mr. Kuhne was unable to form any opinion what the final determination + would be. The German missionary had no doubt been restored as a sort of + peace offering. He was in a bad state of health, and as his brother and + his brother's wife were among the captives, the Ashanti monarch calculated + that anxiety for the fate of his relatives would induce him to argue as + strongly as possible in favor of peace. + </p> + <p> + Frank left the camp on the Prah some days before the arrival of the white + troops, having moved forward with the scouts under Lord Gifford, to whom + his knowledge of the country and language proved very valuable. The scouts + did their work well. The Ashantis were in considerable numbers, but fell + back gradually without fighting. Russell's regiment were in support, and + they pressed forward until they neared the foot of the Adansee Hills. On + the 16th Rait's artillery and Wood's regiment were to advance with two + hundred men of the 2d West Indians. The Naval Brigade, the Rifle Brigade, + the 42d, and a hundred men of the 23d would be up on the Prah on the 17th. + </p> + <p> + News came down that fresh portents had happened at Coomassie. The word + signifies the town under the tree, the town being so called because its + founder sat under a broad tree, surrounded by his warriors, while he laid + out the plan of the future town. The marketplace was situated round the + tree, which became the great fetish tree of the town, under which human + sacrifices were offered. On the 6th, the day upon which Sir Garnet sent + his ultimatum to the king, a bird of ill omen was seen to perch upon it, + and half an hour afterwards a tornado sprang up and the fetish tree was + levelled to the ground. This caused an immense sensation in Coomassie, + which was heightened when Sir Garnet's letter arrived, and proved to be + dated upon the day upon which the fetish tree had fallen. + </p> + <p> + The Adansee Hills are very steep and covered with trees, but without + undergrowth. It had been supposed that the Ashantis would make their first + stand here. Lord Gifford led the way up with the scouts, Russell's + regiment following behind. Frank accompanied Major Russell. When Gifford + neared the crest a priest came forward with five or six supporters and + shouted to him to go back, for that five thousand men were waiting there + to destroy them. Gifford paused for a moment to allow Russell with his + regiment to come within supporting distance, and then made a rush with his + scouts for the crest. It was found deserted, the priest and his followers + having fled hastily, when they found that neither curses nor the imaginary + force availed to prevent the British from advancing. + </p> + <p> + The Adansee Hills are about six hundred feet high. Between them and the + Prah the country was once thick with towns and villages inhabited by the + Assins. These people, however, were so harassed by the Ashantis that they + were forced to abandon their country and settle in the British + protectorate south of the Prah. + </p> + <p> + Had the Adansee Hills been held by European troops the position would have + been extremely strong. A hill if clear of trees is of immense advantage to + men armed with rifles and supported by artillery, but to men armed only + with guns carrying slugs a distance of fifty yards, the advantage is not + marked, especially when, as is the case with the Ashantis, they always + fire high. The crest of the hill was very narrow, indeed a mere saddle, + with some eight or ten yards only of level ground between the steep + descents on either side. From this point the scouts perceived the first + town in the territory of the King of Adansee, one of the five great kings + of Ashanti. The scouts and Russell's regiment halted on the top of the + hill, and the next morning the scouts went out skirmishing towards Queesa. + The war drum could be heard beating in the town, but no opposition was + offered. It was not, however, considered prudent to push beyond the foot + of the hill until more troops came up. The scouts therefore contented + themselves with keeping guard, while for the next four days Russell's men + and the engineers labored incessantly, as they had done all the way from + the Prah, in making the road over the hill practicable. + </p> + <p> + During this time the scouts often pushed up close to Queesa, and reported + that the soldiers and population were fast deserting the town. On the + fifth day it was found to be totally deserted, and Major Russell moved the + headquarters of his regiment down into it. The white officers were much + surprised with the structure of the huts of this place, which was exactly + similar to that of those of Coomassie, with their red clay, their alcoved + bed places, and their little courts one behind the other. Major Russell + established himself in the chief's palace, which was exactly like the + other houses except that the alcoves were very lofty, and their roofs + supported by pillars. These, with their red paint, their arabesque + adornments, and their quaint character, gave the courtyard the precise + appearance of an Egyptian temple. + </p> + <p> + The question whether the Ashantis would or would not fight was still + eagerly debated. Upon the one hand it was urged that if the Ashantis had + meant to attack us they would have disputed every foot of the passage + through the woods after we had once crossed the Prah. Had they done so it + may be confidently affirmed that we could never have got to Coomassie. + Their policy should have been to avoid any pitched battle, but to throng + the woods on either side, continually harassing the troops on their march, + preventing the men working on the roads, and rendering it impossible for + the carriers to go along unless protected on either side by lines of + troops. Even when unopposed it was difficult enough to keep the carriers, + who were constantly deserting, but had they been exposed to continuous + attacks there would have been no possibility of keeping them together. + </p> + <p> + It was then a strong argument in favor of peace that we had been permitted + to advance thirty miles into their country without a shot being fired. + Upon the other hand no messengers had been sent down to meet us, no + ambassadors had brought messages from the king. This silence was ominous; + nor were other signs wanting. At one place a fetish, consisting of a + wooden gun and several wooden daggers all pointing towards us, was placed + in the middle of the road. Several kids had been found buried in + calabashes in the path pierced through and through with stakes; while a + short distance outside Queesa the dead body of a slave killed and + mutilated but a few hours before we entered it was hanging from a tree. + Other fetishes of a more common sort were to be met at every step, lines + of worsted and cotton stretched across the road, rags hung upon bushes, + and other negro trumperies of the same kind. + </p> + <p> + Five days later the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment and Rait's + battery, marched into Queesa, and the same afternoon the whole marched + forward to Fomana, the capital of Adansee, situated half a mile only from + Queesa. This was a large town capable of containing some seven or eight + thousand inhabitants. The architecture was similar to that of Queesa, but + the king's palace was a large structure covering a considerable extent of + ground. Here were the apartments of the king himself, of his wives, the + fetish room, and the room for execution, still smelling horribly of the + blood with which the floor and walls were sprinkled. The first and largest + court of the palace had really an imposing effect. It was some thirty feet + square with an apartment or alcove on each side. The roofs of these + alcoves were supported by columns about twenty-five feet high. As in all + the buildings the lower parts were of red clay, the upper of white, all + being covered with deep arabesque patterns. + </p> + <p> + Fomana was one of the most pleasant stations which the troops had reached + since leaving the coast. It lay high above the sea, and the temperature + was considerably lower than that of the stations south of the hills. A + nice breeze sprung up each day about noon. The nights were comparatively + free from fog, and the town itself stood upon rising ground resembling in + form an inverted saucer. The streets were very wide, with large trees at + intervals every twenty or thirty yards along the middle of the road. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0022" id="link2HCH0022"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXII: THE BATTLE OF AMOAFUL + </h2> + <p> + Two days after the arrival at Fomana the remaining members of the German + mission, two males, a female, and two children, were sent in by the king + with a letter containing many assurances of his desire for peace, but + making no mention of the stipulations which Sir Garnet Wolseley had laid + down. The advance was therefore to continue. The rest of the troops came + up, and on the 25th Russell's regiment advanced to Dompiassee, Wood's + regiment and Rait's battery joining him the next day. That afternoon the + first blood north of the Prah was shed. It being known that a body of the + enemy were collecting at a village a little off the road the force moved + against them. Lord Gifford led the way, as usual, with his scouts. The + enemy opened fire as soon as the scouts appeared; but these, with the + Houssa company of Russell's regiment, rushed impetuously into the village, + and the Ashantis at once bolted. Two of them were killed and five taken + prisoners. + </p> + <p> + The next halting places of the advance troops were Kiang Bossu and + Ditchiassie. It was known now that Ammon Quatia was lying with the Ashanti + army at Amoaful, but five miles away, and ambassadors arrived from the + king finally declining to accept the terms of peace. Russell's and Wood's + regiments marched forward to Quarman, within half a mile of the enemy's + outposts. The white troops came on to Insafoo, three miles behind. Quarman + was stockaded to resist an attack. Gordon with the Houssa company lay a + quarter of a mile in advance of the village, Gifford with his scouts close + to the edge of the wood. Major Home with the engineers cut a wide path for + the advance of the troops to within a hundred yards of the village which + the enemy held. + </p> + <p> + Every one knew that the great battle of the war would be fought next + morning. About half past seven on the morning of the 81st of January the + 42d Regiment entered the village of Quarman, and marched through without a + halt. Then came Rait's artillery, followed by the company of the 23d and + by the Naval Brigade. The plan of operations was as follows. The 42d + Regiment would form the main attacking force. They were to drive the + enemy's scouts out of Agamassie, the village in front, and were then to + move straight on, extending to the right and left, and, if possible, + advance in a skirmishing line through the bush. Rait's two little guns + were to be in their center moving upon the road itself. The right column, + consisting of half the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment, now reduced by + leaving garrisons at various posts along the road to three companies, was + to cut a path out to the right and then to turn parallel with the main + road, so that the head of the column should touch the right of the + skirmishing line of the 42d. The left column, consisting of the other half + of the Naval Brigade with the four companies of Russell's regiment, was to + proceed in similar fashion on the left. These columns would therefore form + two sides of a hollow square, protecting the 42d from any of those + flanking movements of which the Ashantis are so fond. The company of the + 23d was to proceed with the headquarter staff. The Rifle Brigade were held + in reserve. + </p> + <p> + Early in the morning Major Home cut the road to within thirty yards of the + village of Agamassie, and ascertained by listening to the voices that + there were not more than a score or so of men in the village. Gifford had + made a circuit in the woods, and had ascertained that the Ashanti army was + encamped on rising ground across a stream behind the village. + </p> + <p> + Frank had been requested by Sir Garnet Wolseley to accompany the 42d, as + his knowledge of Ashanti tactics might be of value, and he might be able + by the shouts of the Ashantis to understand the orders issued to them. The + head of the 42d Regiment experienced no opposition whatever until they + issued from the bush into the little clearing surrounding the village, + which consisted only of four or five houses. The Ashantis discharged their + muskets hastily as the first white men showed themselves, but the fire of + the leading files of the column quickly cleared them away. The 42d pushed + on through the village, and then forming in skirmishing line, advanced. + For the first two or three hundred yards they encountered no serious + opposition, and they were then received by a tremendous fire from an + unseen foe in front. The left column had not gone a hundred yards before + they too came under fire. Captain Buckle of the Engineers, who was with + the Engineer laborers occupied in cutting the path ahead of the advancing + column, was shot through the heart. A similar opposition was experienced + by the right. + </p> + <p> + The roar of the fire was tremendous, so heavy indeed that all sound of + individual reports was lost, and the noise was one hoarse hissing roar. + Even the crack of Rait's guns was lost in the general uproar, but the + occasional rush of a rocket, of which two troughs with parties of Rait's + men accompanied each wing, was distinctly audible. + </p> + <p> + The 42d could for a time make scarcely any way, and the flanking columns + were also brought to a stand. Owing to the extreme thickness of the wood + and their ignorance of the nature of the ground these columns were unable + to keep in their proper position, and diverged considerably. The Ashantis, + however, made no effort to penetrate between them and the 42d. For an hour + this state of things continued. The company of the 23d advanced along the + main road to help to clear the bush, where the Ashantis still fought + stubbornly not two hundred yards from the village, while two companies of + the Rifle Brigade were sent up the left hand road to keep touch with the + rear of Russell's regiment. + </p> + <p> + When the fight commenced in earnest, and the 42d were brought to a stand + by the enemy, Frank lay down with the soldiers. Not a foe could be seen, + but the fire of the enemy broke out incessantly from the bushes some + twenty yards ahead. The air above was literally alive with slugs and a + perfect shower of leaves continued to fall upon the path. So bewilderingly + dense was the bush that the men soon lost all idea of the points of the + compass, and fired in any direction from which the enemy's shots came. + Thus it happened that the sailors sent in complaints to the general that + the 23d and 42d were firing at them, while the 42d and 23d made the same + complaint against the Naval Brigade. Sir Garnet, who had taken up his + headquarters at the village, sent out repeated instructions to the + commanding officers to warn their men to avoid this error. + </p> + <p> + For two hours the fight went on. Then the column to the left found that + the Ashantis in front of them had fallen back; they had, however, + altogether lost touch of the 42d. They were accordingly ordered to cut a + road to the northeast until they came in contact with them. In doing so + they came upon a partial clearing, where a sharp opposition was + experienced. The Houssas carried the open ground at a rush, but the enemy, + as usual, opened a heavy fire from the edge of the bush. The Houssas were + recalled, and fire was opened with the rockets, which soon drove the + Ashantis back, and the cutting of the path was proceeded with. + </p> + <p> + In the meantime the 42d was having a hard time of it. They had fought + their way to the edge of the swamp, beyond which lay an immense Ashanti + camp, and here the fire was so tremendously heavy that the advance was + again completely arrested. Not an enemy was to be seen, but from every + bush of the opposite side puffs of smoke came thick and fast, and a + perfect rain of slugs swept over the ground on which they were lying. Here + Rait's gun, for he was only able from the narrowness of the path to bring + one into position, did splendid service. Advancing boldly in front of the + line of the 42d, ably assisted by Lieutenant Saunders, he poured round + after round of grape into the enemy until their fire slackened a little, + and the 42d, leaping to their feet, struggled across the swamp, which was + over knee deep. Step by step they won their way through the camp and up + the hill. Everywhere the dead Ashantis lay in heaps, attesting the + terrible effect of the Snider fire and the determination with which they + had fought. + </p> + <p> + Beyond the camp, upon the hills the bush was thicker than ever, and here, + where it was impossible for the white soldiers to skirmish through the + bush, the Ashantis made a last desperate stand. The narrow lane up which + alone the troops could pass was torn as if by hail with the shower of + slugs, while a large tree which stood nearly in the center of the path and + caused it slightly to swerve, afforded some shelter to them from the storm + of bullets which the 42d sent back in return. Here Rait brought his gun up + again to the front and cleared the lane. The bush was too thick even for + the Ashantis. The gun stopped firing and with a rush the regiment went up + the narrow path and out into the open clearing beyond. For a short time + the Ashantis kept up a fire from the houses, but the 42d soon drove them + out, and a single shot from the gun down the wide street which divided the + town into two portions, bursting in the midst of a group at the further + end, killed eight and drove all further idea of resistance in that + direction from their minds. + </p> + <p> + It was now about twelve o'clock; but although the Ashantis had lost their + camp and village, and had suffered terribly, they were not yet finally + beaten. They had moved the principal part of the forces which had been + engaged upon our left round to the right, were pressing hard upon the + column there and the 23d, and were cutting in between the latter and the + 42d, when a fortunate accident enabled us to meet this attack more + effectively. The left column had cut its path rather too much to the east, + and came into the road between the 42d and 23d, forming a connecting link + between them; while the right column, having at last cut away the whole of + the brush wood in which the Ashantis had so long wedged themselves between + them and the road, were now in direct communication with the 23d. They had + been reinforced by a company of the Rifle Brigade. Our front, therefore, + was now entirely changed, and faced east instead of north. The Ashantis in + vain tried to break the line, but desisted from their efforts. + </p> + <p> + The firing died away, and it was thought that the battle was over, when at + about a quarter to one a tremendous fire broke out from the rear of the + column, showing that the Ashantis were making a last and desperate effort + to turn our flank, and to retake the village from which we had driven them + at eight in the morning. So near was the rear of the column to the village + that the slugs fell fast into the reserve who were stationed there. Three + companies of the Rifles were sent up to strengthen the line, and for three + quarters of an hour the roar of the musketry was as heavy and continuous + as it had been at any time during the day. Then, as the enemy's fire + slackened, Sir Garnet gave the word for the line to advance, sweeping + round from the rear so as to drive the enemy northwards before them. + </p> + <p> + The movement was admirably executed. The Bonny men of Wood's regiment, who + had fought silently and steadily all the time that they had been on the + defensive, now raised their shrill war cry, and slinging their rifles and + drawing their swords—their favorite weapons—dashed forward + like so many panthers let loose. By their side, skirmishing as quietly and + steadily as if on parade, the men of the Rifle Brigade searched every bush + with their bullets, and in five minutes from the commencement of the + advance the Ashantis were in full and final retreat. The battle ended at + about half past one, having lasted five hours and a half. + </p> + <p> + The Ashantis were supposed to have had from fifteen to twenty thousand men + in the field. What their loss was could not accurately be calculated, as + they carry off their dead as fast as they fall; but where rushes were made + by our troops, as they had not time to do this, they lay everywhere thick + on the ground. By the most moderate computation they must have lost over + two thousand. Ammon Quatia himself was killed, as well as Aboo, one of the + six great tributary kings. The body of the king's chief executioner was + also pointed out by some of the prisoners. They fought with extraordinary + pluck and resolution, as was shown by the fact that although wretchedly + armed, for upwards of five hours they resisted the attack of troops armed + with breech loaders, and supported by guns and rockets. Their position was + a good one, and they had, no doubt, calculated upon coming down upon us + from the rising ground, either on the flank or rear, with advantage, + should we succeed in pushing forward. + </p> + <p> + Upon our side the loss in killed was very slight, not exceeding eight or + ten. The 42d out of a total of four hundred and fifty had a hundred and + four wounded, of whom eight were officers. In the right hand column, + Colonel Wood, six naval officers, and twenty men of the Naval Brigade, + with many of the native regiment, were wounded. Of the sixty engineer + laborers twenty were wounded; while of their five officers Captain Buckle + was killed, Major Home and Lieutenant Hare wounded, together with several + of their white soldiers. Altogether our casualties exceeded two hundred + and fifty. Fortunately but a small proportion of the wounds were serious. + </p> + <p> + While the battle was raging at one o'clock Quarman was attacked by a + strong body of Ashantis coming from the west, probably forming part of + Essarman Quatia's force. Captain Burnett, who was in command, having under + him Lieutenant Jones of the 2d West Indian regiment, and thirty-five men + of that corps and a few natives, conducted the defense, and was well + seconded by his men. Although the attacking force was very greatly + superior, and took the little garrison by surprise—for they did not + expect, while a great battle was raging within a distance of a mile, that + the Ashantis would be able to spare a force to attack a detached party—the + garrison defended itself with great gallantry and complete success, not + only beating off the enemy whenever they attacked, but sallying out and + assisting to bring in a convoy of stores which was close at hand when the + attack began. + </p> + <p> + Amoaful was a town capable of containing two or three thousand + inhabitants. Great quantities of grain and coarse flour were found here. + These were done up in bundles of dried plantain leaves, each bundle + weighing from five to fifteen pounds. This capture was of great service to + the commissariat, as it afforded an abundant supply of excellent food for + the carriers. The troops were in high spirits that night. They had won a + battle fought under extreme difficulty, and that with a minimum of loss in + killed. There were therefore no sad recollections to damp the pleasure of + victory. + </p> + <p> + Frank had been twice struck with slugs, but in neither case had these + penetrated deeply, and he was able to sit round the camp fire and to enjoy + his glass of rum and water. Two kegs of rum were the only stores which + that night came up from the rear, thanks to the consideration of a + commissariat officer, to whom the soldiers felt extremely grateful for + providing them with an invigorating drink after their long and fatiguing + labors of the day. + </p> + <p> + At about a mile and a quarter from Amoaful lay the town of Bequah, the + capital of one of the most powerful of the Ashanti kings. Here a + considerable force was known to be collected before the battle, and here + many of the fugitives were believed to have rallied. It would have been + impossible to advance and leave this hostile camp so close to a station in + our rear. Lord Gifford was therefore sent out at daybreak to reconnoiter + it. He approached it closely, when twenty men sprang out from the bush and + fired at him, fortunately without hitting him. When he returned and made + his report the general determined to attack and burn the place, and orders + were issued for a column, consisting of Russell's regiment, Rait's + battery, and the Naval Brigade, supported by the 42d and commanded by + Colonel M'Leod, to start at one o'clock. + </p> + <p> + The march was not opposed through the bush, but as the scouts entered the + clearing a heavy fire was opened upon them. Lord Gifford and almost the + whole of his party were more or less severely wounded when the sailors + rushed in to their support. For a short time the enemy kept up a heavy + fire from the houses, and then fled, leaving about forty of their number + dead on the ground. The town, which was about twice the size of Fomana, + was burned, and the column returned to the camp. + </p> + <p> + A great portion of the town was destroyed and the place stockaded, and + then all was in readiness for the advance upon Coomassie. Amoaful was to + be left in charge of the 2d West Indians, who had now come up. Each man + received four days' rations and each regiment was to take charge of its + own provision and baggage. The advance started at seven in the morning, + Russell's regiment, Rait's battery, and the Rifle Brigade. Then came the + headquarter staff followed by the 42d and Naval Brigade. The hammocks and + rations went on with the troops. The rest of the baggage remained behind. + The road differed in nothing from that which had so long been followed. It + bore everywhere marks of the retreating enemy, in provisions and other + articles scattered about, in occasional dark stains, and in its plants and + grass trampled into the ground, six feet in breadth, showing that the + usual negro way of walking in single file had been abandoned. The rate of + progression was slow, as the country had to be thoroughly searched by the + advance. There were, too, many streams to be crossed, each causing a + delay. + </p> + <p> + At one of the villages there was a large camp, where about a thousand men + were assembled to make a stand. The defense was, however, feeble in the + extreme, and it was evident that they were greatly demoralized by their + defeat on the 1st. Russell's regiment carried the place at a rush, the + enemy firing wildly altogether beyond the range of their weapons. Several + were killed and the rest took precipitately to the bush. A few shots were + fired at other places, but no real resistance took place. On reaching the + village of Agamemmu, after having taken six hours in getting over as many + miles, the column halted, and orders were sent for the baggage to come on + from Amoaful. The troops were set to work to cut the bush round the + village, which was a very small one, and a breastwork was thrown up round + it. The troops were in their little tentes d'abri packed as closely + together as possible outside the houses, but within the stockade. The + carriers slept in the street of the village, where so thickly did they lie + that it was impossible for anyone to make his way along without treading + upon them. + </p> + <p> + News came in that night that Captain Butler with the Western Akims had + arrived within two days' march of Amoaful, but that without the slightest + reason the king and the whole of his army had left Captain Butler and + retired suddenly to the Prah. At the same time they heard that the army of + the Wassaws under Captain Dalrymple had also broken up without having come + in contact with the enemy. From the rear also unpleasant news came up. The + attack upon Quarman had been no isolated event. Fomana had also been + attacked, but the garrison there had, after some hours' fighting, repulsed + the enemy. Several convoys had been assaulted, and the whole road down to + the Prah was unsafe. The next morning, after waiting till a large convoy + came safely in, the column marched at nine o'clock, Gifford's scouts, + Russell's regiment, and Rait's battery being as usual in front. The + resistance increased with every step, and the head of the column was + constantly engaged. Several villages were taken by Russell's regiment, + who, full of confidence in themselves and their officers, carried them + with a rush in capital style. It was but six miles to the Dab, but the + ground was swampy and the road intersected by many streams. Consequently + it was not until after being eight hours on the road that the head of the + column reached the river, three hours later before the whole of the troops + and their baggage were encamped there. + </p> + <p> + <a name="link2HCH0023" id="link2HCH0023"> + <!-- H2 anchor --> </a> + </p> + <div style="height: 4em;"> + <br /><br /><br /><br /> + </div> + <h2> + CHAPTER XXIII: THE CAPTURE OF COOMASSIE + </h2> + <p> + Upon the afternoon of the arrival of the English column upon the Dah the + king made another attempt to arrest their progress, with a view no doubt + of bringing up fresh reinforcements. A flag of truce came in with a letter + to the effect that our rapid advance had much disconcerted him, which was + no doubt true, and that he had not been able to make arrangements for the + payments claimed; that he would send in hostages, but that most of those + whom the general had asked for were away, and that he could not agree to + give the queen mother or the heir apparent. These were, of course, the + principal hostages, indeed the only ones who would be of any real value. + The answer was accordingly sent back, that unless these personages arrived + before daybreak the next morning we should force our way into Coomassie. + </p> + <p> + The Dah is a river about fifteen yards wide and three feet deep at the + deepest place. The Engineers set to work to bridge it directly they + arrived, Russell's regiment at once crossing the river and bivouacking on + the opposite bank. + </p> + <p> + It was unfortunate that this, the first night upon which the troops had + been unprovided with tents, should have turned out tremendously wet. The + thunder roared, the lightning flashed, and the rain came down incessantly. + Tired as the troops were there were few who slept, and there was a general + feeling of satisfaction when the morning broke and the last day of the + march began. + </p> + <p> + The rain held up a little before daybreak, and the sky was clear when at + six o'clock Wood's Bonny men, who had come up by a forced march the + evening before, led the advance. Lieutenant Saunders with one of Rait's + guns came next. The Rifles followed in support. + </p> + <p> + Before the Bonny men had gone half a mile they were hotly engaged, and the + combat was for two hours a repetition of that of Amoaful. Saunders + advanced again and again to the front with his gun, and with a few rounds + of grape cleared the sides of the path of the enemy. At last, however, the + Bonny men would advance no farther, and Lieutenant Byre, the adjutant of + Wood's regiment, was mortally wounded. + </p> + <p> + Lieutenant Saunders sent back to say it was impossible for him to get on + farther unless supported by white troops. The Rifles were then sent + forward to take the Bonny men's place, and slowly, very slowly, the + advance was continued until the clearing round a village could be seen + fifty yards away. Then the Rifles gave a cheer and with a sudden rush + swept through to the open and carried the village without a check. In the + meantime the whole column had been following in the rear as the Rifles + advanced, and were hotly engaged in repelling a series of flank attacks on + the part of the enemy. These attacks were gallantly persevered in by the + Ashantis, who at times approached in such masses that the whole bush + swayed and moved as they pushed forward. + </p> + <p> + Their loss must have been extremely large, for our men lined the road and + kept up a tremendous Snider fire upon them at a short distance. Our + casualties were slight. The road, like almost all roads in the country, + was sunk two feet in the center below the level of the surrounding ground, + consequently the men were lying in shelter as behind a breastwork, while + they kept up their tremendous fire upon the foe. + </p> + <p> + The village once gained, the leading troops were thrown out in a circle + round it, and the order was given to pass the baggage from the rear to the + village. The operation was carried out in safety, the path being protected + by the troops lying in a line along it. The baggage once in, the troops + closed up to the village, the disappointed foe continuing a series of + desperate attacks upon their rear. These assaults were kept up even after + all had reached the cleared space of the village, the enemy's war horn + sounding and the men making the woods re-echo with their wild war cry. The + Naval Brigade at one time inflicted great slaughter upon the enemy by + remaining perfectly quiet until the Ashantis, thinking they had retired, + advanced full of confidence, cheering, when a tremendous fire almost swept + them away. + </p> + <p> + It was six hours from the time at which the advance began before the rear + guard entered the village, and as but a mile and a half had been traversed + and Coomassie was still six miles away, it was evident that if the + Ashantis continued to fight with the same desperation, and if the baggage + had to be carried on step by step from village to village, the force would + not get halfway on to Coomassie by nightfall. + </p> + <p> + The instant the baggage was all in, preparations were made for a fresh + advance. Rait's guns, as usual, opened to clear the way, and the 42d this + time led the advance. The enemy's fire was very heavy and the Highlanders + at first advanced but slowly, their wounded straggling back in quick + succession into the village. After twenty minutes' work, however, they had + pushed back the enemy beyond the brow of the hill, and from this point + they advanced with great rapidity, dashing forward at times at the double, + until the foe, scared by the sudden onslaught, gave way altogether and + literally fled at the top of their speed. + </p> + <p> + War drums and horns, chiefs' stools and umbrellas, littered the next + village and told how sudden and complete had been the stampede. As the 42d + advanced troops were from time to time sent forward until a despatch came + in from Sir A. Alison saying that all the villages save the last were + taken, that opposition had ceased, and that the enemy were in complete + rout. Up to this time the attack of the enemy upon the rear of the village + had continued with unabated vigor, and shot and slug continually fell in + the place itself. The news from the front was soon known and was hailed + with a cheer which went right round the line of defense, and, whether + scared by its note of triumph or because they too had received the news, + the efforts of the enemy ceased at once, and scarcely another shot was + fired. + </p> + <p> + At half past three the baggage was sent forward and the headquarter staff + and Rifle Brigade followed it. There was no further check. The 42d and + several companies of the Rifle Brigade entered Coomassie without another + shot being fired in its defense. Sir Garnet Wolseley soon after arrived, + and taking off his hat called for three cheers for the Queen, which was + responded to with a heartiness and vigor which must have astonished the + Ashantis. These were still in considerable numbers in the town, having + been told by the king that peace was or would be made. They seemed in no + way alarmed, but watched, as amused and interested spectators, the + proceedings of the white troops. + </p> + <p> + The first thing to be done was to disarm those who had guns, and this + seemed to scare the others, for in a short time the town was almost + entirely deserted. It was now fast getting dark, and the troops bivouacked + in the marketplace, which had so often been the scene of human sacrifices + on a large scale. + </p> + <p> + Their day's work had, indeed, been a heavy one. They had been twelve hours + on the road without rest or time to cook food. Water was very scarce, no + really drinkable water having been met with during the day. In addition to + this they had undergone the excitement of a long and obstinate fight with + an enemy concealed in the bush, after work of almost equal severity upon + the day before, and had passed a sleepless night in a tropical rainstorm, + yet with the exception of a few fever stricken men not a single soldier + fell out from his place in the ranks. + </p> + <p> + Nor was the first night in Coomassie destined to be a quiet one. Soon + after two o'clock a fire broke out in one of the largest of the + collections of huts, which was soon in a blaze from end to end. The + engineers pulled down the huts on either side and with great difficulty + prevented the flames from spreading. These fires were the result of + carriers and others plundering, and one man, a policeman, caught with loot + upon him, was forthwith hung from a tree. Several others were flogged, and + after some hours' excitement the place quieted down. Sir Garnet was + greatly vexed at the occurrence, as he had the evening before sent a + messenger to the king asking him to come in and make peace, and promising + to spare the town if he did so. + </p> + <p> + Although Coomassie was well known to Frank he was still ignorant of the + character of the interior of the chiefs' houses, and the next day he + wandered about with almost as much curiosity as the soldiers themselves. + The interiors even of the palaces of the chiefs showed that the Ashantis + can have no idea of what we call comfort. The houses were filled with dust + and litter, and this could not be accounted for solely by the bustle and + hurry of picking out the things worth carrying away prior to the hurried + evacuation of the place. From the roofs hung masses of spiders' web, thick + with dust, while sweeping a place out before occupying it brought down an + accumulation of dust which must have been the result of years of neglect. + The principal apartments were lumbered up with drums, great umbrellas, and + other paraphernalia of processions, such as horns, state chairs, wooden + maces, etc. Before the door of each house stood a tree, at the foot of + which were placed little idols, calabashes, bits of china, bones, and an + extraordinary jumble of strange odds and ends of every kind, all of which + were looked upon as fetish. Over the doors and alcoves were suspended a + variety of charms, old stone axes and arrow tips, nuts, gourds, amulets, + beads, and other trumpery articles. + </p> + <p> + The palace was in all respects exactly as the king had left it. The royal + bed and couch were in their places, the royal chairs occupied their usual + raised position. Only, curiously enough, all had been turned round and + over. The storerooms upstairs were untouched, and here was found an + infinite variety of articles, for the most part mere rubbish, but many + interesting and valuable: silver plate, gold masks, gold cups, clocks, + glass, china, pillows, guns, cloth, caskets, and cabinets; an olla + podrida, which resembled the contents of a sale room. + </p> + <p> + In many of the native apartments of the palace were signs that human + sacrifice had been carried on to the last minute. Several stools were + found covered with thick coatings of recently shed blood, and a horrible + smell of gore pervaded the whole palace, and, indeed, the whole town. The + palace was full of fetish objects just as trumpery and meaningless as + those in the humblest cottages. The king's private sitting room was, like + the rest, an open court with a tree growing in it. This tree was covered + with fetish objects, and thickly hung with spiders' webs. At each end was + a small but deep alcove with a royal chair, so that the monarch could + always sit on the shady side. + </p> + <p> + Along each side of the little court ran a sort of verandah, beneath which + was an immense assortment of little idols and fetishes of all kinds. + </p> + <p> + From one of the verandahs a door opened into the king's bedroom, which was + about ten feet by eight. It was very dark, being lighted only by a small + window about a foot square, opening into the women's apartments. At one + end was the royal couch, a raised bedstead with curtains, and upon a ledge + by the near side (that is to say the king had to step over the ledge to + get into bed) were a number of pistols and other weapons, among them an + English general's sword, bearing the inscription, “From Queen Victoria to + the King of Ashanti.” This sword was presented to the predecessor of King + Coffee. Upon the floor at the end opposite the bed was a couch upon which + the king could sit and talk with his wives through the little window. + </p> + <p> + In the women's apartments all sorts of stuffs, some of European, some of + native manufacture, were found scattered about in the wildest confusion. + The terror and horror of the four or five hundred ladies, when they found + that their husband was about to abandon his palace and that they would + have no time to remove their treasured finery, can be well imagined. + </p> + <p> + In almost every apartment and yard of the palace were very slightly raised + mounds, some no larger than a plate, others two or even three feet long. + These were whitewashed and presented a strong contrast to the general red + of the ground and lower walls. These patches marked the places of graves. + The whole palace, in fact, appeared to be little better than a cemetery + and a slaughterhouse in one. A guard was placed over the palace, and here, + as elsewhere through the town, looting was strictly forbidden. + </p> + <p> + All day the general expected the arrival of the king, who had sent a + messenger to say he would be in early. At two o'clock a tremendous + rainstorm broke over the town, lasting for three hours. In the evening it + became evident that he was again deceiving us, and orders were issued that + the troops, in the morning, should push on another three miles to the + tombs of the kings, where he was said to be staying. Later on, however, + the news came that the king had gone right away into the interior, and as + another storm was coming up it became evident that the rainy season was + setting in in earnest. The determination was therefore come to, to burn + the town and to start for the coast next morning. + </p> + <p> + All night Major Home with a party of Engineers was at work mining the + palace and preparing it for explosion, while a prize committee were + engaged in selecting and packing everything which they considered worth + taking down to the coast. The news of the change of plan, however, had not + got abroad, and the troops paraded next morning under the belief that they + were about to march still farther up the country. When it became known + that they were bound for the coast there was a general brightening of + faces, and a buzz of satisfaction ran down the ranks. It was true that it + was believed that a large amount of treasure was collected at the kings' + tombs, and the prize money would not have been unwelcome, still the men + felt that their powers were rapidly becoming exhausted. The hope of a + fight with the foe and of the capture of Coomassie had kept them up upon + the march, but now that this had been done the usual collapse after great + exertion followed. Every hour added to the number of fever stricken men + who would have to be carried down to the coast, and each man, as he saw + his comrades fall out from the ranks, felt that his own turn might come + next. + </p> + <p> + At six o'clock in the morning the advanced guard of the baggage began to + move out of the town. The main body was off by seven. The 42d remained as + rearguard to cover the Engineers and burning party. + </p> + <p> + Frank stayed behind to see the destruction of the town. A hundred engineer + laborers were supplied with palm leaf torches, and in spite of the outer + coats of thatch being saturated by the tremendous rains, the flames soon + spread. Volumes of black smoke poured up, and soon a huge pile of smoke + resting over the town told the Ashantis of the destruction of their blood + stained capital. The palace was blown up, and when the Engineers and 42d + marched out from the town scarce a house remained untouched by the flames. + </p> + <p> + The troops had proceeded but a short distance before they had reason to + congratulate themselves on their retreat before the rains began in + earnest, and to rejoice over the fact that the thunderstorms did not set + in three days earlier than they did. The marsh round the town had + increased a foot in depth, while the next stream, before a rivulet two + feet and a half deep, had now swollen its banks for a hundred and fifty + yards on either side, with over five feet and a half of water in the old + channel. + </p> + <p> + Across this channel the Engineers had with much difficulty thrown a tree, + over which the white troops passed, while the native carriers had to wade + across. It was laughable to see only the eyes of the taller men above the + water, while the shorter disappeared altogether, nothing being seen but + the boxes they carried. Fortunately the deep part was only three or four + yards wide. Thus the carriers by taking a long breath on arriving at the + edge of the original channel were able to struggle across. + </p> + <p> + This caused a terrible delay, and a still greater one occurred at the Dah. + Here the water was more than two feet above the bridge which the Engineers + had made on the passage up. The river was as deep as the previous one had + been, and the carriers therefore waded as before; but the deep part was + wider, so wide, indeed, that it was impossible for the shorter men to keep + under water long enough to carry their burdens across. The tall men + therefore crossed and recrossed with the burdens, the short men swimming + over. + </p> + <p> + The passage across the bridge too was slow and tedious in the extreme. + Some of the cross planks had been swept away, and each man had to feel + every step of his way over. So tedious was the work that at five in the + afternoon it became evident that it would be impossible for all the white + troops to get across—a process at once slow and dangerous—before + nightfall. The river was still rising, and it was a matter of importance + that none should be left upon the other side at night, as the Ashantis + might, for anything they could tell, be gathering in force in the rear. + Consequently Sir Archibald Alison gave the order for the white troops to + strip and to wade across taking only their helmets and guns. The clothes + were made up in bundles and carried over by natives swimming, while others + took their places below in case any of the men should be carried off their + feet by the stream. All passed over without any accident. + </p> + <p> + One result, however, was a laughable incident next morning, an incident + which, it may be safely asserted, never before occurred in the British + army. It was quite dark before the last party were over, and the natives + collecting the clothes did not notice those of one of the men who had + undressed at the foot of a tree. Consequently he had to pass the night, a + very wet one, in a blanket, and absolutely paraded with his regiment in + the morning in nothing but a helmet and rifle. The incident caused immense + laughter, and a native swimming across the river found and brought back + his clothes. + </p> + <p> + As the journeys were necessarily slow and tedious, owing to the quantity + of baggage and sick being carried down, Frank now determined to push + straight down to the coast, and, bidding goodbye to Sir Garnet and the + many friends he had made during the expedition, he took his place for the + first time in the hammock, which with its bearers had accompanied him from + Cape Coast, and started for the sea. There was some risk as far as the + Prah, for straggling bodies of the enemy frequently intercepted the + convoys. Frank, however, met with no obstacle, and in ten days after + leaving the army reached Cape Coast. + </p> + <p> + Ostik implored his master to take him with him across the sea; but Frank + pointed out to him that he would not be happy long in England, where the + customs were so different from his own, and where in winter he would feel + the cold terribly. Ostik yielded to the arguments, and having earned + enough to purchase for years the small comforts and luxuries dear to the + negro heart, he agreed to start for the Gaboon immediately Frank left for + England. + </p> + <p> + On his first arrival at Cape Coast he had to his great satisfaction found + that the Houssas who had escaped from Coomassie had succeeded in reaching + the coast in safety, and that having obtained their pay from the agent + they had sailed for their homes. + </p> + <p> + Three days after Frank's arrival at Cape Coast the mail steamer came + along, and he took passage for England. Very strange indeed did it feel to + him when he set foot in Liverpool. Nearly two years and a half had elapsed + since he had sailed, and he had gone through adventures sufficient for a + lifetime. He was but eighteen years old now, but he had been so long + accustomed to do man's work that he felt far older than he was. The next + day on arriving in town he put up at the Charing Cross Hotel and then + sallied out to see his friends. + </p> + <p> + He determined to go first of all to visit the porter who had been the + earliest friend he had made in London, and then to drive to Ruthven's, + where he was sure of a hearty welcome. He had written several times, since + it had been possible for him to send letters, to his various friends, + first of all to his sister, and the doctor, to Ruthven, to the porter, and + to the old naturalist. He drove to London Bridge Station, and there + learned that the porter had been for a week absent from duty, having + strained his back in lifting a heavy trunk. He therefore drove to Ratcliff + Highway. The shop was closed, but his knock brought the naturalist to the + door. + </p> + <p> + “What can I do for you, sir?” he asked civilly. + </p> + <p> + “Well, in the first place, you can shake me by the hand.” + </p> + <p> + The old man started at the voice. + </p> + <p> + “Why, 'tis Frank!” he exclaimed, “grown and sunburnt out of all + recollection. My dear boy, I am glad indeed to see you. Come in, come in; + John is inside.” + </p> + <p> + Frank received another hearty greeting, and sat for a couple of hours + chatting over his adventures. He found that had he arrived a fortnight + later he would not have found either of his friends. The porter was in a + week about to be married again to a widow who kept a small shop and was in + comfortable circumstances. The naturalist had sold the business, and was + going down into the country to live with a sister there. + </p> + <p> + After leaving them Frank drove to the residence of Sir James Ruthven in + Eaton Square. Frank sent in his name and was shown up to the drawing room. + A minute later the door opened with a crash and his old schoolfellow + rushed in. + </p> + <p> + “My dear, dear, old boy,” he said wringing Frank's hand, “I am glad to see + you; but, bless me, how you have changed! How thin you are, and how black! + I should have passed you in the street without knowing you; and you look + years older than I do. But that is no wonder after all you've gone + through. Well, when did you arrive, and where are your things? Why have + you not brought them here?” + </p> + <p> + Frank said that he had left them at the hotel, as he was going down early + the next morning to Deal. He stayed, however, and dined with his friend, + whose father received him with the greatest cordiality and kindness. + </p> + <p> + On leaving the hotel next morning he directed his portmanteau to be sent + in the course of the day to Sir James Ruthven's. He had bought a few + things at Cape Coast, and had obtained a couple of suits of clothes for + immediate use at Liverpool. + </p> + <p> + On arriving at Deal he found his sister much grown and very well and + happy. She was almost out of her mind with delight at seeing him. He + stayed two or three days with her and then returned to town and took up + his abode in Eaton Square. + </p> + <p> + “Well, my dear boy, what are you thinking of doing?” Sir James Ruthven + asked next morning at breakfast. “You have had almost enough of travel, I + should think.” + </p> + <p> + “Quite enough, sir,” Frank said. “I have made up my mind that I shall be a + doctor. The gold necklace which I showed you, which Ammon Quatia gave me, + weighs over twenty pounds, and as it is of the purest gold it is worth + about a thousand pounds, a sum amply sufficient to keep me and pay my + expenses till I have passed. Besides, Mr. Goodenough has, I believe, left + me something in his will. I sent home one copy to his lawyer and have + brought the other with me. I must call on the firm this morning. I have + also some thirty pounds' weight in gold which was paid me by the king for + the goods he took, but this, of course, belongs to Mr. Goodenough's + estate.” + </p> + <p> + Upon calling upon the firm of lawyers, and sending in his name, he was at + once shown in to the principal. + </p> + <p> + “I congratulate you on your safe return, sir,” the gentleman said. “You + have called, of course, in reference to the will of the late Mr. + Goodenough.” + </p> + <p> + “Yes,” Frank replied. “I sent home one copy from Coomassie and have + brought another with me.” + </p> + <p> + “We received the first in due course,” the gentleman said, taking the + document Frank held out to him. “You are, of course, acquainted with its + contents.” + </p> + <p> + “No,” Frank answered, “beyond the fact that Mr. Goodenough told me he had + left me a legacy.” + </p> + <p> + “Then I have pleasant news to give you,” the lawyer said. “Mr. Goodenough + died possessed of about sixty thousand pounds. He left fifteen thousand + each to his only surviving nephew and niece. Fifteen thousand pounds he + has divided among several charitable and scientific institutions. Fifteen + thousand pounds he has left to you.” + </p> + <p> + Frank gave a little cry of surprise. + </p> + <p> + “The will is an eminently just and satisfactory one,” the lawyer said, + “for Mr. Goodenough has had but little intercourse with his relations, who + live in Scotland, and they had no reason to expect to inherit any portion + of his property. They are, therefore, delighted with the handsome legacy + they have received. I may mention that Mr. Goodenough ordered that in the + event of your not living to return to England, five thousand pounds of the + portion which would have come to you was to be paid to trustees for the + use of your sister, the remaining ten thousand to be added to the sum to + be divided among the hospitals.” + </p> + <p> + “This is indeed a surprise,” Frank said; “and I shall be obliged, sir, if + you will at once draw out a paper for me to sign settling the five + thousand pounds upon my sister. Whatever may happen then she will be + provided for.” + </p> + <p> + The accession of this snug and most unexpected fortune in no way altered + Frank's views as to his future profession. He worked hard and steadily and + passed with high honors. He spent another three years in hospital work, + and then purchased a partnership in an excellent West End practice. He is + now considered one of the most rising young physicians of the day. His + sister keeps house for him in Harley Street; but it is doubtful whether + she will long continue to do so. The last time Dick Ruthven was at home on + leave he persuaded her that it was her bounden duty to endeavor to make + civilian life bearable to him when he should attain captain's rank, and, + in accordance with his father's wish, retire from the army, events which + are expected to take place in a few months' time. + </p> + <p> + Ruthven often laughs and tells Frank that he is a good soldier spoiled, + and that it is a pity a man should settle down as a doctor who had made + his way in life “by sheer pluck.” + </p> + <p> + THE END <br /> <br /> + </p> + <hr /> + <p> + <br /> <br /> + </p> +<pre xml:space="preserve"> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of By Sheer Pluck, by G. A. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: By Sheer Pluck + A Tale of the Ashanti War + +Author: G. A. Henty + +Release Date: July, 2005 [EBook #8576] +Posting Date: July 24, 2009 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BY SHEER PLUCK *** + + + + +Produced by Martin Robb + + + + + +BY SHEER PLUCK + +A TALE OF THE ASHANTI WAR + + +By G. A. Henty + + + + +CHAPTER I: A FISHING EXCURSION + + +"Now, Hargate, what a fellow you are! I've been looking for you +everywhere. Don't you know it's the House against the Town boys. It's +lucky that the Town have got the first innings; they began a quarter of +an hour ago." + +"How tiresome!" Frank Hargate said. "I was watching a most interesting +thing here. Don't you see this little chaffinch nest in the bush, with a +newly hatched brood. There was a small black snake threatening the nest, +and the mother was defending it with quivering wings and open beak. I +never saw a prettier thing. I sat quite still and neither of them seemed +to notice me. Of course I should have interfered if I had seen the snake +getting the best of it. When you came running up like a cart horse, the +snake glided away in the grass, and the bird flew off. Oh, dear! I am +sorry. I had forgotten all about the match." + +"I never saw such a fellow as you are, Hargate. Here's the opening match +of the season, and you, who are one of our best bats, poking about after +birds and snakes. Come along; Thompson sent me and two or three other +fellows off in all directions to find you. We shall be half out before +you're back. Wilson took James's wicket the first ball." + +Frank Hargate leaped to his feet, and, laying aside for the present all +thoughts of his favorite pursuit, started off at a run to the playing +field. His arrival there was greeted with a mingled chorus of welcome +and indignation. Frank Hargate was, next to Thompson the captain of the +Town eleven, the best bat among the home boarders. He played a steady +rather than a brilliant game, and was noted as a good sturdy sticker. +Had he been there, Thompson would have put him in at first, in order +to break the bowling of the House team. As it was, misfortunes had come +rapidly. Ruthven and Handcock were bowling splendidly, and none of the +Town boys were making any stand against them. Thompson himself had gone +in when the fourth wicket fell, and was still in, although two wickets +had since fallen, for only four runs, and the seventh wicket fell just +as Frank arrived, panting, on the ground. + +"Confound you, Hargate!" Thompson shouted, "where have you been? And not +even in flannels yet." + +"I'm very sorry," Frank shouted back cheerfully, "and never mind the +flannels, for once. Shall I come in now?" + +"No," Thompson said. "You'd better get your wind first. Let Fenner come +in next." + +Fenner stayed in four overs, adding two singles as his share, while +Thompson put on a three and a two. Then Fenner was caught. Thirty-one +runs for eight wickets! Then Frank took the bat, and walked to the +ground. Thompson came across to him. + +"Look here, Hargate, you have made a nice mess of it, and the game looks +as bad as can be. Whatever you do, play carefully. Don't let out at +anything that comes straight. The great thing is to bother their bowling +a bit. They're so cocky now, that pretty near every ball is straight on +the wickets. Be content with blocking for a bit, and Handcock will soon +go off. He always gets savage if his bowling is collared." + +Frank obeyed orders. In the next twenty minutes he only scored six runs, +all in singles, while Thompson, who was also playing very carefully, put +on thirteen. The game looked more hopeful for the Town boys. Then there +was a shout from the House, as Thompson's middle wicket was sent flying. +Childers, who was the last of the team, walked out. + +"Now, Childers," Thompson said, "don't you hit at a ball. You're safe to +be bowled or caught if you do. Just lift your bat, and block them each +time. Now, Frank, it's your turn to score. Put them on as fast as you +can. It's no use playing carefully any longer." + +Frank set to to hit in earnest. He had now got his eye well in, and the +stand which he and Thompson had made together, had taken the sting out +of the bowling. The ball which had taken Thompson's wicket was the last +of the over. Consequently the next came to him. It was a little wide, +and Frank, stepping out, drove it for four. A loud shout rose from +the Town boys. There had only been one four scored before, during the +innings. Off the next ball Frank scored a couple, blocked the next, +and drove the last of the over past long leg for four. The next over +Childers strictly obeyed orders, blocking each ball. Then it was Frank's +turn again, and seven more went up on the board. They remained together +for just fifteen minutes, but during that time thirty-one had been added +to the score. Frank was caught at cover point, having added twenty-eight +since Thompson left him, the other three being credited to Childers. The +total was eighty-one--not a bad score in a school match. + +"Well, you've redeemed yourself," Thompson said, as Frank walked to the +tent. "You played splendidly, old fellow, when you did come. If we do as +well next innings we are safe. They're not likely to average eighty. Now +get on your wicket-keeping gloves. Green and I will bowl." + +The House scored rapidly at first, and fifty runs were put on with the +loss of four wickets. Then misfortune fell upon them, and the remaining +six fell for nineteen. The next innings Frank went in first, but was +caught when the score stood at fifteen. Thompson made fourteen, but the +rest scored but badly, and the whole were out for forty-eight. + +The House had sixty-one to get to win. Six wickets had fallen for +fifty-one runs, when Thompson put Childers on to bowl. The change was a +fortunate one. Ruthven's stumps were lowered at the first ball. Handcock +was caught off the second. The spirits of the Town boys rose. There were +but two wickets more, and still ten runs to get to win. The House played +cautiously now, and overs were sent down without a run. Then off a ball +from Childers a four was scored, but the next ball leveled the outside +stump. Then by singles the score mounted up until a tremendous shout +from the House announced that the game was saved, sixty runs being +marked by the scorers. The next ball, the Town boys replied even more +lustily, for Childers ball removed the bails, and the game ended in +a tie. Both parties were equally well satisfied, and declared that a +better game had never been played at Dr. Parker's. As soon as the game +was over Frank, without waiting to join in the general talk over the +game, put on his coat and waistcoat and started at a run for home. + +Frank Hargate was an only son. His mother lived in a tiny cottage on the +outskirts of Deal. She was a widow, her husband, Captain Hargate, having +died a year before. She had only her pension as an officer's widow, +a pittance that scarce sufficed even for the modest wants of herself, +Frank, and her little daughter Lucy, now six years old. + +"I hope I have not kept tea waiting, mother," Frank said as he ran in. +"It is not my beetles and butterflies this time. We have been playing a +cricket match, and a first rate one it was. Town boys against the House. +It ended in a tie." + +"You are only a quarter of an hour late," his mother said, smiling, +"which is a great deal nearer being punctual than is usually the case +when you are out with your net. We were just going to begin, for I know +your habits too well to give you more than a quarter of an hour's law." + +"I'm afraid I am horridly unpunctual," Frank said, "and yet, mother, I +never go out without making up my mind that I will be in sharp to time. +But somehow there is always something which draws me away." + +"It makes no matter, Frank. If you are happy and amused I am content, +and if the tea is cold it is your loss, not ours. Now, my boy, as soon +as you have washed your hands we will have tea." + +It was a simple meal, thick slices of bread and butter and tea, for Mrs. +Hargate could only afford to put meat upon the table once a day, and +even for that several times in the week fish was substituted, when the +weather was fine and the fishing boats returned, when well laden. Frank +fortunately cared very little what he ate, and what was good enough for +his mother was good enough for him. In his father's lifetime things had +been different, but Captain Hargate had fallen in battle in New Zealand. +He had nothing besides his pay, and his wife and children had lived with +him in barracks until his regiment was ordered out to New Zealand, when +he had placed his wife in the little cottage she now occupied. He had +fallen in an attack on a Maori pah, a fortnight after landing in New +Zealand. He had always intended Frank to enter the military profession, +and had himself directed his education so long as he was at home. + +The loss of his father had been a terrible blow for the boy, who had +been his constant companion when off duty. Captain Hargate had been +devoted to field sports and was an excellent naturalist. The latter +taste Frank had inherited from him. His father had brought home from +India--where the regiment had been stationed until it returned for its +turn of home service four years before he left New Zealand--a very large +quantity of skins of birds which he had shot there. These he had +stuffed and mounted, and so dexterous was he at the work, so natural +and artistic were the groups of birds, that he was enabled to add +considerably to his income by sending these up to the shop of a London +naturalist. He had instructed Frank in his methods, and had given him +one of the long blowguns used by some of the hill tribes in India. The +boy had attained such dexterity in its use that he was able with his +clay pellets to bring down sitting birds, however small, with almost +unerring accuracy. + +These he stuffed and mounted, arranging them with a taste and skill +which delighted the few visitors at his mother's cottage. + +Frank was ready to join in a game of football or cricket when wanted, +and could hold his own in either. But he vastly preferred to go out for +long walks with his blowgun, his net, and his collecting boxes. At home +every moment not required for the preparation of his lessons was spent +in mounting and arranging his captures. He was quite ready to follow +the course his father proposed for him, and to enter the army. Captain +Hargate had been a very gallant officer, and the despatches had spoken +most highly of the bravery with which he led his company into action in +the fight in which he lost his life. Therefore Mrs. Hargate hoped that +Frank would have little difficulty in obtaining a commission without +purchase when the time for his entering the army arrived. + +Frank's desire for a military life was based chiefly upon the fact that +it would enable him to travel to many parts of the world, and to indulge +his taste for natural history to the fullest. He was but ten years +old when he left India with the regiment, but he had still a vivid +recollection of the lovely butterflies and bright birds of that country. + +His father had been at pains to teach him that a student of natural +history must be more than a mere collector, and that like other sciences +it must be methodically studied. He possessed an excellent library of +books upon the subject, and although Frank might be ignorant of the name +of any bird or insect shown to him he could at once name the family and +species. + +In the year which Frank had been at school at Dr. Parker's he had made +few intimate friends. His habits of solitary wandering and studious +indoor work had hindered his becoming the chum of any of his +schoolfellows, and this absence of intimacy had been increased by the +fact that the straitness of his mother's means prevented his inviting +any of his schoolfellows to his home. He had, indeed, brought one or two +of the boys, whose tastes lay in the direction of his own, to the house, +to show them his collections of birds and insects. But he declined their +invitations to visit them, as he was unable to return their hospitality, +and was too proud to eat and drink at other fellows' houses when he +could not ask them to do the same at his own. It was understood at Dr. +Parker's that Frank Hargate's people were poor, but it was known that +his father had been killed in battle. There are writers who depict +boys as worshipers of wealth, and many pictures have been drawn of the +slights and indignities to which boys, whose means are inferior to those +of their schoolfellows, are subject. I am happy to believe that this is +a libel. There are, it is true, toadies and tuft hunters among boys as +among men. That odious creature, the parasite of the Greek and Latin +plays, exists still, but I do not believe that a boy is one whit the +less liked, or is ever taunted with his poverty, provided he is a good +fellow. Most of the miseries endured by boys whose pocket money is less +abundant than that of their fellows are purely self inflicted. Boys and +men who are always on the lookout for slights will, of course, find what +they seek. But the lad who is not ashamed of what is no fault of his +own, who frankly and manfully says, "I can't afford it," will not find +that he is in any way looked down upon by those of his schoolfellows +whose good opinion is in the smallest degree worth having. + +Certainly this was so in the case of Frank Hargate. He was never in the +slightest degree ashamed of saying, "I can't afford it;" and the fact +that he was the son of an officer killed in battle gave him a standing +among the best in the school in spite of his want of pocket money. + +Frank was friends with many of the fishermen, and these would often +bring him strange fish and sea creatures brought up in their nets, +instead of throwing them back into the sea. + +During the holidays he would sometimes go out with them for twenty-four +hours in their fishing-boats. His mother made no objection to this, as +she thought that the exercise and sea air were good for his health, and +that the change did him good. Frank himself was so fond of the sea that +he was half disposed to adopt it instead of the army as a profession. +But his mother was strongly opposed to the idea, and won him to her way +of thinking by pointing out that although a sailor visits many ports he +stays long at none of them, and that in the few hours' leave he might +occasionally obtain he would be unable to carry out his favorite +pursuits. + +"Hargate," Ruthven, who was one of the oldest of the House boys, and +was about Frank's age, that is about fifteen years old, said a few days +after the match, "the Doctor has given Handcock and Jones and myself +leave to take a boat and go out this afternoon. We mean to start soon +after dinner, and shall take some lines and bait with us. We have got +leave till lockup, so we shall have a long afternoon of it. Will you +come with us?" + +"Thank you, Ruthven," Frank said; "I should like it very much, but you +know I'm short of pocket money, and I can't pay my share of the boat, so +I would rather leave it alone." + +"Oh, nonsense, Hargate!" Ruthven answered; "we know money is not your +strong point, but we really want you to go with us. You can manage a +boat better than any of us, and you will really oblige us if you will go +with us." + +"Oh, if you put it in that way," Frank said, "I shall be glad to go +with you; but I do not think," he went on, looking at the sky, "that the +weather looks very settled. However, if you do not mind the chance of a +ducking, I don't." + +"That's agreed then," Ruthven said; "will you meet us near the pier at +three o'clock?" + +"All right. I'll be punctual." + +At the appointed hour the four lads met on the beach. Ruthven and his +companions wanted to choose a light rowing boat, but Frank strongly +urged them to take a much larger and heavier one. "In the first place," +he said, "the wind is blowing off shore, and although it's calm here +it will be rougher farther out; and, unless I'm mistaken, the wind is +getting up fast. Besides this it will be much more comfortable to fish +from a good sized boat." + +His comrades grumbled at the extra labor which the large boat would +entail in rowing. However, they finally gave in and the boat was +launched. + +"Look out, Master Hargate," the boatman said as they started; "you'd +best not go out too far, for the wind is freshening fast, and we shall +have, I think, a nasty night." + +The boys thought little of the warning, for the sky was bright and +blue, broken only by a few gauzy white clouds which streaked it here +and there. They rowed out about a mile, and then laying in their oars, +lowered their grapnel and began to fish. The sport was good. The fish +bit freely and were rapidly hauled on board. Even Frank was so absorbed +in the pursuit that he paid no attention to the changing aspect of the +sky, the increasing roughness of the sea, or the rapidly rising wind. + +Suddenly a heavy drop or two of rain fell in the boat. All looked up. + +"We are in for a squall," Frank exclaimed, "and no mistake. I told you +you would get a ducking, Ruthven." + +He had scarcely spoken when the squall was upon them. A deluge of rain +swept down, driven by a strong squall of wind. + +"Sit in the bottom of the boat," Frank said; "this is a snorter." + +Not a word was said for ten minutes, long before which all were drenched +to the skin. With the rain a sudden darkness had fallen, and the land +was entirely invisible. Frank looked anxiously towards the shore. The +sea was getting up fast, and the boat tugging and straining at the +cord of the grapnel. He shook his head. "It looks very bad," he said to +himself. "If this squall does not abate we are going to have a bad time +of it." + +A quarter of an hour after it commenced the heavy downpour of rain +ceased, or rather changed into a driving sleet. It was still extremely +dark, a thick lead colored cloud overspread the sky. Already the white +horses showed how fast the sea was rising, and the wind showed no signs +of falling with the cessation of the rain storm. The boat was laboring +at her head rope and dipping her nose heavily into the waves. + +"Look here, you fellows," Frank shouted, "we must take to the oars. If +the rope were a long one we might ride here, but you know it little more +than reached the ground when we threw it out. I believe she's dragging +already, and even if she isn't she would pull her head under water with +so short a rope when the sea gets up. We'd better get out the oars and +row to shore, if we can, before the sea gets worse." + +The lads got up and looked round, and their faces grew pale and somewhat +anxious as they saw how threatening was the aspect of the sea. They had +four oars on board, and these were soon in the water and the grapnel +hauled up. A few strokes sufficed to show them that with all four rowing +the boat's head could not be kept towards the shore, the wind taking it +and turning the boat broadside on. + +"This will never do," Frank said. "I will steer and you row, two oars on +one side and one on the other. I will take a spell presently. + +"Row steadily, Ruthven," he shouted; "don't spurt. We have a long row +before us and must not knock ourselves up at the beginning." + +For half an hour not a word was spoken beyond an occasional cheery +exhortation from Frank. The shore could be dimly seen at times through +the driving mist, and Frank's heart sank as he recognized the fact that +it was further off than it had been when they first began to row. The +wind was blowing a gale now, and, although but two miles from shore, the +sea was already rough for an open boat. + +"Here, Ruthven, you take a spell now," he said. + +Although the rowers had from time to time glanced over their shoulders, +they could not, through the mist, form any idea of their position. When +Ruthven took the helm he exclaimed, "Good gracious, Frank! the shore is +hardly visible. We are being blown out to sea." + +"I am afraid we are," Frank said; "but there is nothing to do but to +keep on rowing. The wind may lull or it may shift and give us a chance +of making for Ramsgate. The boat is a good sea boat, and may keep afloat +even if we are driven out to sea. Or if we are missed from shore they +may send the lifeboat out after us. That is our best chance." + +In another quarter of an hour Ruthven was ready to take another spell +at the oar. "I fear," Frank shouted to him as he climbed over the seat, +"there is no chance whatever of making shore. All we've got to do is to +row steadily and keep her head dead to wind. Two of us will do for that. +You and I will row now, and let Handcock and Jones steer and rest by +turns. Then when we are done up they can take our places." + +In another hour it was quite dark, save for the gray light from the +foaming water around. The wind was blowing stronger than ever, and it +required the greatest care on the part of the steersman to keep her dead +in the eye of the wind. Handcock was steering now, and Jones lying at +the bottom of the boat, where he was sheltered, at least from the +wind. All the lads were plucky fellows and kept up a semblance of +good spirits, but all in their hearts knew that their position was a +desperate one. + + + +CHAPTER II: A MAD DOG + + +"Don't you think, Hargate," Ruthven shouted in his ear, "we had +better run before it? It's as much as Handcock can do to keep her head +straight." + +"Yes," Frank shouted back, "if it were not for the Goodwins. They lie +right across ahead of us." + +Ruthven said no more, and for another hour he and Frank rowed their +hardest. Then Handcock and Jones took the oars. Ruthven lay down in +the bottom of the boat and Frank steered. After rowing for another hour +Frank found that he could no longer keep the boat head to wind. Indeed, +he could not have done so for so long had he not shipped the rudder and +steered the boat with an oar, through a notch cut in the stern for the +purpose. Already the boat shipped several heavy seas, and Ruthven was +kept hard at work baling with a tin can in which they had brought out +bait. + +"Ruthven, we must let her run. Put out the other oar, we must watch our +time. Row hard when I give the word." + +The maneuver was safely accomplished, and in a minute the boat was +flying before the gale. + +"Keep on rowing," Frank said, "but take it easily. We must try and make +for the tail of the sands. I can see the lightship." + +Frank soon found that the wind was blowing too directly upon the long +line of sands to enable him to make the lightship. Already, far ahead, +a gray light seemed to gleam up, marking where the sea was breaking over +the dreaded shoal. + +"I am afraid it is no use," he said. "Now, boys, we had best, each of +us, say our prayers to God, and prepare to die bravely, for I fear that +there is no hope for us." + +There was silence in the boat for the next five minutes, as the boys sat +with their heads bent down. More than one choking sob might have been +heard, had the wind lulled, as they thought of the dear ones at home. +Suddenly there was a flash of light ahead, and the boom of a gun +directly afterwards came upon their ears. Then a rocket soared up into +the air. + +"There is a vessel on the sands," Frank exclaimed. "Let us make for her. +If we can get on board we shall have a better chance than here." + +The boys again bent to their oars, and Frank tried to steer exactly for +the spot whence the rocket had gone up. Presently another gun flashed +out. + +"There she is," he said. "I can see her now against the line of +breakers. Take the oar again, Ruthven. We must bring up under shelter of +her lee." + +In another minute or two they were within a hundred yards of the ship. +She was a large vessel, and lay just at the edge of the broken water. +The waves, as they struck her, flew high above her deck. As the boat +neared her a bright light suddenly sprang up. The ship was burning a +blue light. Then a faint cheer was heard. + +"They see us," Frank said. "They must think we are the lifeboat. What +a disappointment for them! Now, steady, lads, and prepare to pull her +round the instant we are under her stern. I will go as near as I dare." + +Frank could see the people on deck watching the boat. They must have +seen now that she was not the lifeboat; but even in their own danger +they must have watched with intense interest the efforts of the tiny +boat, adrift in the raging sea, to reach them. Frank steered the boat +within a few yards of the stern. Then Jones and Ruthven, who were both +rowing the same side, exerted themselves to the utmost, while +Frank pushed with the steering oar. A minute later, and they lay in +comparatively still water, under the lee of the ship. Two or three ropes +were thrown them, and they speedily climbed on board. + +"We thought you were the lifeboat at first," the captain said, as they +reached the deck; "but, of course, they cannot be here for a couple of +hours yet." + +"We were blown off shore, sir," Frank said, "and have been rowing +against the wind for hours." + +"Well, my lads," the captain said, "you have only prolonged your lives +for a few minutes, for she will not hold together long." + +The ship, indeed, presented a pitiable appearance. The masts had already +gone, the bulwark to windward had been carried away, and the hull lay +heeled over at a sharp angle, her deck to leeward being level with +the water. The crew were huddled down near the lee bulwarks, sheltered +somewhat by the sharp slope of the deck from the force of the wind. As +each wave broke over the ship, tons of water rushed down upon them. No +more guns were fired, for the lashing had broken and the gun run down to +leeward. Already there were signs that the ship would break up ere long, +and no hope existed that rescue could arrive in time. + +Suddenly there was a great crash, and the vessel parted amidships. + +"A few minutes will settle it now," the captain said. "God help us all." + +At this moment there was a shout to leeward, which was answered by a +scream of joy from those on board the wreck, for there, close alongside, +lay the lifeboat, whose approach had been entirely unseen. In a few +minutes the fifteen men who remained of the twenty-two, who had formed +the crew of the wreck, and the four boys, were on board her. A tiny sail +was set and the boat's head laid towards Ramsgate. + +"I am glad to see you, Master Hargate," the sailor who rowed one of the +stroke oars shouted. He was the man who had lent them the boat. "I was +up in the town looking after my wife, who is sick, and clean forgot you +till it was dark. Then I ran down and found the boat hadn't returned, so +I got the crew together and we came out to look for you, though we had +little hope of finding you. It was lucky for you we did, and for the +rest of them too, for so it chanced that we were but half a mile away +when the ship fired her first gun, just as we had given you up and +determined to go back; so on we came straight here. Another ten minutes +and we should have been too late. We are making for Ramsgate now. We +could never beat back to Deal in this wind. I don't know as I ever saw +it blow much harder." + +These sentences were not spoken consecutively, but were shouted out in +the intervals between gusts of wind. It took them two hours to beat back +to Ramsgate, a signal having been made as soon as they left the wreck to +inform the lifeboat there and at Broadstairs that they need not put out, +as the rescue had been already effected. The lads were soon put to bed +at the sailors' home, a man being at once despatched on horseback to +Deal, to inform those there of the arrival of the lifeboat, and of the +rescue of the four boys who had been blown to sea. + +Early next morning Frank and Handcock returned to Deal, the other two +lads being so exhausted by their fatigue and exposure that the doctor +said they had better remain in bed for another twenty-four hours. + +It is impossible to describe the thankfulness and relief which Mrs. +Hargate experienced, when, about two in the morning, Dr. Parker himself +brought her news of the safety of her boy. She had long given up all +hope, for when the evening came on and Frank had not returned, she had +gone down to the shore. She learned from the fishermen there that it was +deemed impossible that the boys could reach shore in face of the gale, +and that although the lifeboat had just put out in search of them, the +chances of their being found were, as she herself saw, faint indeed. +She had passed the hours which had intervened, in prayer, and was still +kneeling by her bedside, where little Lucy was unconsciously sleeping, +when Dr. Parker's knock was heard at the door. Fervent, indeed, was her +gratitude to God for the almost miraculous preservation of her son's +life, and then, overcome by the emotions she had experienced, she sought +her couch, and was still asleep when, by the earliest train in the +morning, Frank returned. + +For some time the four boys were the heroes of the school. A +subscription was got up to pay for the lost boat, and close as were Mrs. +Hargate's means, she enabled Frank to subscribe his share towards the +fund. The incident raised Frank to a pinnacle of popularity among his +schoolfellows, for the three others were unanimous in saying that it was +his coolness and skill in the management of the boat, which alone kept +up their spirits, and enabled them to keep her afloat during the gale, +and to make the wreck in safety. + +In the general enthusiasm excited by the event, Frank's pursuits, +which had hitherto found few followers, now became quite popular in the +school. A field club was formed, of which he was elected president, +and long rambles in the country in search of insects and plants were +frequently organized. Frank himself was obliged, in the interests of the +school, to moderate the zeal of the naturalists, and to point out +that cricket must not be given up, as, if so large a number withdrew +themselves from the game, the school would suffer disaster in its +various engagements with other schools in the neighborhood. Consequently +the rule was made that members of the club were bound to be in the +cricket field on at least three days in the week, including one half +holiday, while they were free to ramble in the country on other days. +This wise regulation prevented the "naturalists" from becoming unpopular +in the school, which would assuredly have been the case had they +entirely absented themselves from cricket. + +One Saturday afternoon Frank started with a smaller boy, who was one of +his most devoted followers, for a long country walk. Frank carried his +blowgun, and a butterfly net, Charlie Goodall a net of about a foot in +depth, made of canvas, mounted on a stout brass rim, and strong stick, +for the capture of water beetles. Their pockets bulged with bottles and +tin boxes for the carriage of their captured prey. + +They had passed through Eastry, a village four miles from Deal, when +Frank exclaimed, "There is a green hairstreak. The first I've seen this +year. I have never caught one before." + +Cautiously approaching the butterfly, who was sunning himself on the +top of a thistle, Frank prepared to strike, when it suddenly mounted and +flitted over a hedge. In a moment the boys had scrambled through the +gap and were in full pursuit. The butterfly flitted here and there, +sometimes allowing the boys to approach within a few feet and then +flitting away again for fifty yards without stopping. Heedless where +they were going, the boys pursued, till they were startled by a sudden +shout close to them. + +"You young rascals, how dare you run over my wheat?" + +The boys stopped, and Frank saw what, in his excitement, he had not +hitherto heeded, that he was now running in a field of wheat, which +reached to his knee. + +"I am very sorry, sir," he said. "I was so excited than I really did not +see where I was going." + +"Not see!" shouted the angry farmer. "You young rascal, I'll break every +bone in your body," and he flourished a heavy stick as he spoke. + +Charlie Goodall began to cry. + +"I have no right to trespass on your wheat, sir," Frank said firmly; +"but you have no right to strike us. My name is Frank Hargate. I belong +to Dr. Parker's school at Deal, and if you will say what damage I have +caused, I will pay for it." + +"You shall pay for it now," shouted the farmer, as he advanced with +uplifted stick. + +Frank slipped three or four of his clay bullets into his mouth. + +"Leave us alone or it will be worse for you," he said as he raised the +blowgun to his mouth. + +The farmer advanced, and Frank sent a bullet with all his force, and +with so true an aim that he struck the farmer on the knuckles. It was a +sharp blow, and the farmer, with a cry of pain and surprise, dropped the +stick. + +"Don't come a step nearer," Frank shouted. "If you do, I will aim at +your eye next time," and he pointed the threatening tube at the enraged +farmer's face. + +"I'll have the law of you, you young villain. I'll make you smart for +this." + +"You can do as you like about that," Frank said. "I have only struck you +in self defense, and have let you off easily. Come along, Charlie, let's +get out of this." + +In a few minutes they were again on the road, the farmer making no +attempt to follow them, but determined in his mind to drive over the +next morning to Deal to take out a summons against them for trespass and +assault. The lads proceeded silently along the road. Frank was greatly +vexed with himself at his carelessness in running over half grown wheat, +and was meditating how he could pay the fine without having to ask his +mother. He determined upon his return to carry some of his cases of +stuffed birds down to a shop in the town, and he felt sure that he +could get enough for these to pay for any damage which could have been +inflicted, with a fine for trespassing, for he had seen stuffed birds +exposed in the windows for sale, which were, he was sure, very inferior +to his own both in execution and lifelike interest. + +After proceeding a few hundred yards along the road they met a pretty +little girl of seven or eight years old walking along alone. Frank +scarcely glanced at her, for at the moment he heard a shouting in +the distance and saw some men running along the road. For a moment he +thought that the farmer had despatched some of his men to stop him, +but instantly dismissed the idea, as they were coming from the opposite +direction and could by no possibility have heard what had happened. They +were lost sight of by a dip in the road, and as they disappeared, an +object was seen on the road on the near side of the dip. + +"It is a dog," Frank said. "What can they be shouting at?" + +The dog was within fifty yards of them when the men again appeared from +the dip and recommenced shouting. Frank could now hear what they said. + +"Mad dog! mad dog!" + +"Get through the hedge, Charlie, quick," Frank cried. "Here, I will help +you over, never mind the thorns." + +The hedge was low and closely kept, and Frank, bundling his comrade over +it, threw himself across and looked round. The dog was within ten yards +of them, and Frank saw that the alarm was well founded. The dog was a +large crossbred animal, between a mastiff and a bulldog. Its hair was +rough and bristling. It came along with its head down and foam churning +from its mouth. Frank looked the other way and gave a cry. Yet twenty +yards off, in the middle of the road, stood the child. She, too, had +heard the shouts, and had paused to see what was the matter. She had +not taken the alarm, but stood unsuspicious of danger, watching, not the +dog, but the men in the distance. + +Frank placed the blowgun to his mouth, and in a moment his pellet struck +the animal smartly on the side of the head. It gave a short yelp and +paused. Another shot struck it, and then Frank, snatching the water net +from Charlie, threw himself over the hedge, and placed himself between +the child and the dog just as the latter, with a savage growl, rushed at +him. + +Frank stood perfectly cool, and as the animal rushed forward, thrust the +net over its head; the ring was but just large enough to allow its head +to enter. Frank at once sprang forward, and placing himself behind the +dog kept a strain upon the stick, so retaining the mouth of the net +tightly on his neck. The animal at first rushed forward dragging Frank +after him. Then he stopped, backed, and tried to withdraw his head from +the encumbrance which blinded him. Frank, however, had no difficulty +in retaining the canvas net in its place, until the men, who were armed +with pitchforks, ran up and speedily despatched the unfortunate animal. + +"That's bravely done, young master," one of them said; "and you have +saved missy's life surely. The savage brute rushed into the yard and bit +a young colt and a heifer, and then, as we came running out with forks, +he took to the road again. We chased 'um along, not knowing who we +might meet, and it gived us a rare turn when we saw the master's Bessy +standing alone in the road, wi' nout between her and the dog. Where have +you been, Miss Bessy?" + +"I've been to aunt's," she said, "and she gave me some strawberries and +cream, and it's wicked of you to kill the poor dog." + +"Her aunt's farm lies next to master's," the man explained; "and little +miss often goes over there. + +"The dog was mad, missy, and if it hadn't been for young master here, it +would have killed you as safe as eggs. Won't you come back to the farm, +sir? Master and mistress would be main glad to thank you for having +saved missy's life." + +"No, thank you," Frank said; "we are late now and must be going on our +way. I am very glad I happened to be here at the time;" so saying Frank +and Charlie proceeded on their way to Deal. + +On reaching home he at once picked out four of his best cases of +stuffed birds. The cases he had constructed himself, for his father had +encouraged him to depend upon himself for his amusements. He had asked +Charlie to come round to help him to carry the cases, and with these he +proceeded to a shop where he had seen such things offered for sale. + +"And you really did these yourself?" the man said in surprise. "They are +beautifully done. Quite pictures, I call them. It is a pity that they +are homely birds. There is no great sale for such things here. I cannot +give you more than five shillings each, but if you had them in London +they would be worth a great deal more." + +Frank gladly accepted the offer, and feeling sure that the pound would +cover the damage done and the fine, which might be five shillings apiece +for trespassing, went home in good spirits. The next morning the +doctor was called out in the middle of school, and presently returned +accompanied by the farmer with whom they had had the altercation on the +previous day. Frank felt his cheeks flush as he anticipated a severe +reprimand before the whole school. + +"Mr. Gregson," the doctor said, "tells me that two of my boys were out +near his place at Eastry yesterday. One of them gave him his name, which +he has forgotten." + +"It was I, sir," Frank said rising in his place; "I was there with +Goodall. We ran on Mr. Gregson's ground after a butterfly. It was my +fault, sir, for, of course, Goodall went where I did. We ran among his +wheat, and I really did not notice where we were going till he called +to us. I was wrong, of course, and am ready to pay for any damage we may +have caused." + +"You are welcome," the farmer said, "to trample on my wheat for the rest +of your born days. I haven't come over here to talk about the wheat, +though I tell you fairly I'd minded to do so. I've come over here, Dr. +Parker, me and my missus who's outside, to thank this young gentleman +for having saved the life of my little daughter Bessy. She was walking +along the road when a mad dog, a big brute of a mastiff, who came, I +hear, from somewhere about Canterbury, and who has bit two boys on the +road, to say nothing of other dogs and horses and such like; he came +along the road, he were close to my Bess, and she stood there all alone. +Some of my men with pitchforks were two hundred yards or so behind; but +law, they could have done nothing! when this young gentleman here jumped +all of a sudden over a hedge and put himself between the dog and my +Bess. The dog, he rushed at him; but what does he do but claps a bag +he'd got at the end of a stick over the brute's head, and there he holds +him tight till the men comes up and kills him with their forks. + +"Young gentleman," he said, stepping up to Frank and holding out his +hand, "I owe my child's life to you. There are not many men who would +have thrown themselves in the way of a mad dog, for the sake of a child +they knew nothing of. I thank you for it with all my heart. God bless +you, sir. Now, boys, you give three cheers with me for your schoolmate, +for you've got a right to be proud of him." + +Three such thundering cheers as those which arose had never been heard +within the limits of Dr. Parker's school from the day of its foundation. +Seeing that farther work could not be expected from them after this +excitement, Dr. Parker gave the boys a holiday for the rest of the day, +and they poured out from the schoolroom, shouting and delighted, while +Frank was taken off to the parlor to be thanked by Mrs. Gregson. +The farmer closed his visit by inviting Frank, with as many of his +schoolfellows as he liked--the whole school if they would come, the more +the better--to come over to tea on the following Saturday afternoon, and +he promised them as much strawberries and cream as they could eat. The +invitation was largely accepted, and the boys all agreed that a jollier +meal they never sat down to than that which was spread on tables in +the farmer's garden. The meal was called tea, but it might have been a +dinner, for the tables were laden with huge pies, cold chicken and duck, +hams, and piles of cakes and tarts of all sorts. Before they started for +home, late in the evening, syllabub and cake were handed round, and the +boys tramped back to Deal in the highest of glee at the entertainment +they had received from the hospitable farmer and his wife. + +Great fun had been caused after tea by the farmer giving a humorous +relation of the battle with which his acquaintance with Frank had +commenced, and especially at the threat of Frank to send a bullet +into his eye if he interfered with him. When they left, a most cordial +invitation was given to Frank to come over, with any friend he liked to +bring with him, and have tea at the Oaks Farm whenever he chose to do +so. + + + +CHAPTER III: A TOUGH YARN + + +"You had a close shave the other night," one of the boatmen remarked to +Frank, as a few days after the adventure he strolled down with Ruthven +and Handcock to talk to the boatman whose boat had been lost, "a very +narrow shave. I had one out there myself when I was just about your +age, nigh forty years ago. I went out for a sail with my father in his +fishing boat, and I didn't come back for three years. That was the only +long voyage I ever went. I've been sticking to fishing ever since." + +"How was it you were away three years?" Handcock asked, "and what was +the adventure? Tell us about it." + +"Well, it's rather a long yarn," the boatman said. + +"Well, your best plan, Jack," Ruthven said, putting his hand in his +pocket and bringing out sixpence, "will be for you to go across the road +and wet your whistle before you begin." + +"Thank ye, young gentleman. I will take three o' grog and an ounce of +'bacca." + +He went across to the public house, and soon returned with a long clay +in his hand. Then he sat down on the shingle with his back against a +boat, and the boys threw themselves down close to him. + +"Now," he began, when he had filled his pipe with great deliberation and +got it fairly alight, "this here yarn as I'm going to tell you ain't no +gammon. Most of the tales which gets told on the beach to visitors as +comes down here and wants to hear of sea adventures is just lies from +beginning to end. Now, I ain't that sort, leastways, I shouldn't go to +impose upon young gents like you as ha' had a real adventure of your +own, and showed oncommon good pluck and coolness too. I don't say, mind +ye, that every word is just gospel. My mates as ha' known me from a boy +tells me that I've 'bellished the yarn since I first told it, and that +all sorts of things have crept in which wasn't there first. That may +be so. When a man tells a story a great many times, naturally he can't +always tell it just the same, and he gets so mixed up atween what he +told last and what he told first that he don't rightly know which +was which when he wants to tell it just as it really happened. So if +sometimes it appears to you that I'm steering rather wild, just you put +a stopper on and bring me up all standing with a question." + +There was a quiet humor about the boatman's face, and the boys winked +at each other as much as to say that after such an exordium they must +expect something rather staggering. The boatman took two or three hard +whiffs at his pipe and then began. + +"It was towards the end of September in 1832, that's just forty years +ago now, that I went out with my father and three hands in the smack, +the Flying Dolphin. I'd been at sea with father off and on ever since +I was about nine years old, and a smarter boy wasn't to be found on the +beach. The Dolphin was a good sea boat, but she wasn't, so to say, fast, +and I dunno' as she was much to look at, for the old man wasn't the sort +of chap to chuck away his money in paint or in new sails as long as the +old ones could be pieced and patched so as to hold the wind. We sailed +out pretty nigh over to the French coast, and good sport we had. We'd +been out two days when we turned her head homewards. The wind was +blowing pretty strong, and the old man remarked, he thought we was in +for a gale. There was some talk of our running in to Calais and waiting +till it had blown itself out, but the fish might have spoil before the +Wind dropped, so we made up our minds to run straight into Dover and +send the fish up from there. The night came on wild and squally, and as +dark as pitch. It might be about eight bells, and I and one of the other +hands had turned in, when father gave a sudden shout down the hatch, +'All hands on deck.' I was next to the steps and sprang up 'em. Just as +I got to the top something grazed my face. I caught at it, not knowing +what it was, and the next moment there was a crash, and the Dolphin went +away from under my feet. I clung for bare life, scarce awake yet nor +knowing what had happened. The next moment I was under water. I still +held on to the rope and was soon out again. By this time I was pretty +well awake to what had happened. A ship running down channel had walked +clean over the poor old Dolphin, and I had got hold of the bobstay. It +took me some time to climb up on to the bowsprit, for every time she +pitched I went under water. However, I got up at last and swarmed along +the bowsprit and got on board. There was a chap sitting down fast asleep +there. I walked aft to the helmsman. Two men were pacing up and down in +front of him. 'You're a nice lot, you are,' I said, 'to go running down +Channel at ten knots an hour without any watch, a-walking over ships and +a-drowning of seamen. I'll have the law of ye, see if I don't.' + +"'Jeerusalem!' said one, 'who have we here?' + +"'My name is Jack Perkins,' says I, 'and I'm the sole survivor, as far +as I knows, of the smack, the Flying Dolphin, as has been run down by +this craft and lost with all hands.' + +"'Darn the Flying Dolphin, and you too,' says the man, and he begins +to walk up and down the deck a-puffn' of a long cigar as if nothing had +happened. + +"'Oh, come,' says I, 'this won't do. Here you've been and run down a +smack, drowned father and the other three hands, and your lookout fast +asleep, and you does nothing.' + +"'I suppose,' said the captain, sarcastic, 'you want me to jump over +to look for 'em. You want me to heave the ship to in this gale and +to invite yer father perlitely to come on board. P'raps you'd like a +grapnel put out to see if I couldn't hook the smack and bring her up +again. Perhaps you'd like to be chucked overboard yourself. Nobody asked +you to come on board, nobody wanted your company. I reckon the wisest +thing you can do is to go for'ard and turn in.' There didn't seem much +for me to do else, so I went forward to the forecastle. There most of +the hands were asleep, but two or three were sitting up yarning. I told +'em my story and what this captain had said. + +"'He's a queer hand is the skipper,' one of 'em said, 'and hasn't got a +soft place about him. Well, my lad, I'm sorry for what's happened, but +talking won't do it any good. You've got a long voyage before you, and +you'd best turn in and make yourself comfortable for it.' + +"'I ain't going a long voyage,' says I, beginning to wipe my eye, 'I +wants to be put ashore at the first port.' + +"'Well, my lad, I daresay the skipper will do that, but as we're bound +for the coast of Chili from Hamburg, and ain't likely to be there for +about five months, you've got, as I said, a long voyage before you. If +the weather had been fine the skipper might have spoken some ship in the +Channel, and put you on board, but before the gale's blown out we shall +be hundreds of miles at sea. Even if it had been fine I don't suppose +the skipper would have parted with you, especially if you told him the +watch was asleep. He would not care next time he entered an English port +to have a claim fixed on his ship for the vally of the smack.' + +"I saw what the sailor said was like enough, and blamed myself for +having let out about the watch. However, there was no help for it, and I +turned into an empty bunk and cried myself to sleep. What a voyage that +was, to be sure! The ship was a Yankee and so was the master and mates. +The crew were of all sorts, Dutch, and Swedes, and English, a Yank or +two, and a sprinklin' of niggers. It was one of those ships they call +a hell on earth, and cussing and kicking and driving went on all day. I +hadn't no regular place give me, but helped the black cook, and pulled +at ropes, and swabbed the decks, and got kicked and cuffed all round. +The skipper did not often speak to me, but when his eye lighted on me he +gave an ugly sort of look, as seemed to say, 'You'd better ha' gone down +with the others. You think you're going to report the loss of the smack, +and to get damages against the Potomac, do you? we shall see.' The +crew were a rough lot, but the spirit seemed taken out of 'em by the +treatment they met with. It was a word and a blow with the mates, and +they would think no more of catching up a handspike and stretching a man +senseless on the deck than I should of killing a fly. There was two or +three among 'em of a better sort than the others. The best of 'em was +the carpenter, an old Dutchman. 'Leetle boy,' he used to say to me, +'you keep yourself out of the sight of de skipper. Bad man dat. Me much +surprise if you get to de end of dis voyage all right. You best work +vera hard and give him no excuse to hit you. If he do, by gosh, he kill +you, and put down in de log, Boy killed by accident.' + +"I felt that this was so myself, and I did my work as well as I could. +One day, however, when we were near the line I happened to upset a +bucket with some tar. The captain was standing close by. + +"'You young dog,' he said, 'you've done that a purpose,' and before I +could speak he caught up the bucket by the handle and brought it down on +my head with all his might. The next thing I remember was, I was lying +in a bunk in the forecastle. Everything looked strange to me, and I +couldn't raise my head. After a time I made shift to turn it round, and +saw old Jans sitting on a chest mending a jacket. I called him, but my +voice was so low I hardly seemed to hear it myself. + +"'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'I am glad to hear you speak again. Two +whole weeks you say nothing except talk nonsense.' + +"'Have I been ill?' I asked. + +"'You haf been vera bad,' he said. 'De captain meant to kill you, I haf +no doubt, and he pretty near do it. After he knock you down he said you +dead. He sorry for accident, not mean to hit you so hard, but you dead +and better be tossed overboard at once. De mates they come up and take +your hands and feet. Den I insist dat I feel your wrist. Two or three of +us dey stood by me. Captain he vera angry, say we mutinous dogs. I say +not mutinous, but wasn't going to see a boy who was only stunned thrown +overboard. We say if he did dat we make complaint before consul when we +get to port. De skipper he cuss and swear awful. Howebber we haf our way +and carry you here. You haf fever and near die. Tree days after we +bring you here de captain he swear you shamming and comed to look at you +hisself, but he see that it true and tink you going to die. He go away +wid smile on his face. Every day he ask if you alive, and give grunt +when I say yes. Now you best keep vera quiet. You no talk 'cept when no +one else here but me. Other times lie wid your face to the side and your +eyes shut. Best keep you here as long as we can, de longer de better. He +make you come on deck and work as soon as he think you strong enough to +stand. Best get pretty strong before you go out.' + +"For another three weeks I lay in my bunk. I only ate a little gruel +when others were there, but when the skipper was at dinner Jans would +bring me strong soup and meat from the caboose. The captain came several +times and shook me and swore I was shamming, but I only answered in a +whisper and seemed as faint as a girl. All this time the Potomac was +making good way, and was running fast down the coast of South America. +The air was getting cool and fresh. + +"'I tink,' Jans said one evening to me, 'dat dis not go on much much +longer. De crew getting desperate. Dey talk and mutter among demselves. +Me thinks we have trouble before long.' + +"The next day one of the mates came in with a bucket of water. 'There! +you skulking young hound,' he said as he threw it over me; 'you'd best +get out, or the skipper will come and rouse you up himself.' + +"I staggered on to the floor. I had made up my mind to sham weak, but +I did not need to pretend at first, for having been six weeks in bed, I +felt strange and giddy when I got up. I slipped on my clothes and went +out on deck, staggered to the bulwarks and held on. The fresh air soon +set me straight, and I felt that I was pretty strong again. However, I +pretended to be able to scarce stand, and, holding on by the bulwark, +made my way aft. + +"'You young dog,' the skipper said, 'you've been shamming for the last +six weeks. I reckon I'll sharpen you up now,' and he hit me a heavy blow +with a rattan he held in his hand. There was a cry of 'Shame!' from some +of the men. As quick as thought the skipper pulled a pistol from his +pocket. + +"'Who cried "Shame"?'" he asked looking round. + +"No one answered. Still holding the pistol in his hand he gave me +several more cuts, and then told me to swab the deck. I did it, +pretending all the time I was scarce strong enough to keep my feet. Then +I made my way forward and sat down against the bulwark, as if nigh done +up, till night came. That night as I lay in my bunk I heard the men +talking in whispers together. I judged from what they said that they +intended to wait for another week, when they expected to enter Magellan +Straits, and then to attack and throw the officers overboard. Nothing +seemed settled as to what they would do afterwards. Some were in favor +of continuing the voyage to port, and there giving out that the captain +and officers had been washed overboard in a storm; when, if all stood +true to each other, the truth could never be known, although suspicions +might arise. The others, however, insisted that you never could be sure +of every one, and that some one would be sure to peach. They argued +in favor of sailing west and beaching the ship on one of the Pacific +islands, where they could live comfortably and take wives among the +native women. If they were ever found they could then say that the ship +was blown out of her course and wrecked there, and that the captain and +officers had been drowned or killed by the natives. It seemed to me +that this party were the strongest. For the next week I was thrashed and +kicked every day and had I been as weak as I pretended to be, I'm sure +they would have killed me. However, thanks to the food Jans brought +me, for I was put on bread and water, I held on. At last we entered the +straits. The men were very quiet that day, and the captain in a worse +temper than usual. I did not go to sleep, and turned out at the midnight +watch, for I was made to keep watch although I was on duty all day. +As the watch came in I heard them say to the others, 'In ten minutes' +time.' Presently I saw them come out, and joining the watch on deck they +went aft quietly in a body. They had all got handspikes in their hands. +Then there was a rush. Two pistol shots were fired, and then there was +a splash, and I knew that the officer on watch was done for. Then they +burst into the aft cabins. There were pistol shots and shouts, and for +three or four minutes the fight went on. Then all was quiet. Then they +came up on deck again and I heard three splashes, that accounted for +the captain and the two other mates. I thought it safe now to go aft. I +found that six of the men had been killed. These were thrown overboard, +and then the crew got at the spirit stores and began to drink. I looked +about for Jans, and found him presently sitting on the deck by the +bulwark. + +"'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'you have just come in time. I have been +shot through the body. I was not in de fight, but was standing near when +dey rushed at de officer on watch. De first pistol he fire missed de man +he aim at and hit me. Well, it was shust as well. I am too old to care +for living among de black peoples, and I did not want a black wife at +all. So matters haf not turned out so vera bad. Get me some water.' + +"I got him some, but in five minutes the poor old Dutchman was dead. +There was no one on deck. All were shouting and singing in the captain's +cabin, so I went and turned in forward. Morning was just breaking when +I suddenly woke. There was a great light, and running on deck I saw +the fire pouring out from the cabin aft. I suppose they had all drunk +themselves stupid and had upset a light, and the fire had spread and +suffocated them all. Anyhow, there were none of them to be seen. I got +hold of a water keg and placed it in a boat which luckily hung out on +its davits, as Jans had, the day before, been calking a seam in her side +just above the water's edge. I made a shift to lower it, threw off the +falls, and getting out the oars, rowed off. I lay by for some little +time, but did not see a soul on deck. Then, as I had nowhere particular +to go, I lay down and slept. On getting up I found that I had drifted +two or three miles from the ship, which was now a mere smoking shell, +the greater part being burnt to the Water's edge. Two miles to the +north lay the land, and getting out an oar at the stern I sculled her +to shore. I suppose I had been seen, or that the flames of the ship had +called down the people, for there they were in the bay, and such a lot +of creatures I never set eyes on. Men and women alike was pretty nigh +naked, and dirt is no name for them. Though I was but a boy I was taller +than most. They came round me and jabbered and jabbered till I was nigh +deafened. Over and over again they pointed to the ship. I thought they +wanted to know whether I belonged to it, but it couldn't have been that, +because when I nodded a lot of 'em jumped into some canoes which was +lying ashore, and taking me with them paddled off to the ship. I suppose +they really wanted to know if they could have what they could find. That +wasn't much, but it seemed a treasure to them. There was a lot of burned +beams floating about alongside, and all of these which had iron or +copper bolts or fastenings they took in tow and rowed ashore. We hadn't +been gone many hundred yards from the vessel when she sunk. Well, young +gentlemen, for upwards of two years I lived with them critturs. My +clothes soon wore out, and I got to be as naked and dirty as the rest +of 'em. They were good hands at fishing, and could spear a fish by the +light of a torch wonderful. In other respects they didn't seem to have +much sense. They lived, when I first went there, in holes scratched in +the side of a hill, but I taught 'em to make huts, making a sort of +ax out of the iron saved. In summer they used to live in these, but +in winter, when it was awful cold, we lived in the holes, which were a +sight warmer than the huts. Law, what a time that was! I had no end +of adventures with wild beasts. The way the lions used to roar and the +elephants--" + +"I think, Jack," Ruthven interrupted, "that this must be one of the +embellishments which have crept in since you first began telling the +tale. I don't think I should keep it in if I were you, because the fact +that there are neither lions or elephants in South America throws a +doubt upon the accuracy of this portion of your story." + +"It may be, sir," the sailor said, with a twinkle of his eyes, "that the +elephants and lions may not have been in the first story. Now I think +of it, I can't recall that they were; but, you see, people wants to +know all about it. They ain't satisfied when I tell 'em that I lived two +years among these chaps. They wants to know how I passed my time, and +whether there were any wild beasts, and a lot of such like questions, +and, in course, I must answer them. So then, you see, naturally, +'bellishments creeps in; but I did live there for two years, that's +gospel truth, and I did go pretty nigh naked, and in winter was pretty +near starved to death over and over again. When the ground was too hard +to dig up roots, and the sea was too rough for the canoes to put out, it +went hard with us, and very often we looked more like living skelingtons +than human beings. Every time a ship came in sight they used to hurry me +away into the woods. I suppose they found me useful, and didn't want to +part with me. At last I got desperate, and made up my mind I'd make a +bolt whatever came of it. They didn't watch me when there were no ships +near. I suppose they thought there was nowhere for me to run to, so one +night I steals down to the shore, gets into a canoe, puts in a lot of +roots which I had dug up and hidden away in readiness, and so makes +off. I rowed hard all night, for I knew they would be after me when they +found I had gone. Them straits is sometimes miles and miles across; +at other times not much more than a ship's length, and the tide runs +through 'em like a mill race. I had chosen a time when I had the tide +with me, and soon after morning I came to one of them narrow places. I +should like to have stopped here, because it would have been handy for +any ship as passed; but the tide run so strong, and the rocks were +so steep on both sides, that I couldn't make a landing. Howsomdever, +directly it widened out, I managed to paddle into the back water and +landed there. Well, gents, would you believe me, if there wasn't two +big allygaters sitting there with their mouths open ready to swallow me, +canoe and all, when I came to shore." + +"No, Jack, I'm afraid we can't believe that. We would if we could, you +know, but alligators are not fond of such cold weather as you'd been +having, nor do they frequent the seashore." + +"Ah, but this, you see, was a straits, Master Ruthven, just a narrow +straits, and I expect the creatures took it for a river." + +"No, no, Jack, we can't swallow the alligators, any more than they could +swallow you and your canoe." + +"Well," the sailor said with a sigh, "I won't say no more about the +allygaters. I can't rightly recall when they came into the story. +Howsomdever, I landed, you can believe that, you know." + +"Oh yes, we can quite believe, Jack, that, if you were there, in that +canoe, in that back water, with the land close ahead, you did land." + +The sailor looked searchingly at Ruthven and then continued: + +"I hauled the canoe up and hid it in some bushes, and it were well I +did, for a short time afterwards a great--" and he paused. "Does the +hippypotybus live in them ere waters, young gents?" + +"He does not, Jack," Ruthven said. + +"Then it's clear," the sailor said, "that it wasn't a hippypotybus. It +must have been a seal." + +"Yes, it might have been a seal," Ruthven said. "What did he do?" + +"Well he just took a look at me, gents, winked with one eye, as much as +to say, 'I see you,' and went down again. There warn't nothing else as +he could do, was there?" + +"It was the best thing he could do anyhow," Ruthven said. + +"Well, gents, I lived there for about three weeks, and then a ship +comes along, homeward bound, and I goes out and hails her. At first they +thought as I was a native as had learned to speak English, and it wasn't +till they'd boiled me for three hours in the ship's copper as they got +at the color of my skin, and could believe as I was English. So I came +back here and found the old woman still alive, and took to fishing +again; but it was weeks and weeks before I could get her or any one else +to believe as I was Jack Perkins. And that's all the story, young gents. +Generally I tells it a sight longer to the gents as come down from +London in summer; but, you see, I can't make much out of it when ye +won't let me have 'bellishments." + +"And how much of it is true altogether, Jack?" Frank asked. "Really how +much?" + +"It's all true as I have told you, young masters," the boatman said. "It +were every bit true about the running down of the smack, and me being +nearly killed by the skipper, and the mutiny, and the burning of the +vessel, and my living for a long time--no, I won't stick to the two +years, but it might have been three weeks, with the natives before a +ship picked me up. And that's good enough for a yarn, ain't it?" + +"Quite good enough, Jack, and we're much obliged to you; but I should +advise you to drop the embellishments in future." + +"It ain't no use, Master Hargate, they will have 'bellishments, and if +they will have 'em, Jack Perkins isn't the man to disappint 'em; and, +Lord bless you, sir, the stiffer I pitches it in the more liberal they +is with their tips. Thank ye kindly all round, gentlemen. Yes, I do feel +dry after the yarn." + + + +CHAPTER IV: A RISING TIDE + + +The half year was drawing to its close, and it was generally agreed +at Dr. Parker's that it had been the jolliest ever known. The boating +episode and that of the tea at Oak Farm had been events which had given +a fillip to existence. The school had been successful in the greater +part of its cricket matches, and generally every one was well satisfied +with himself. On the Saturday preceding the breaking up Frank, with +Ruthven, Charlie Goodall and two of the other naturalists, started along +the seashore to look for anemones and other marine creatures among the +rocks and pools at the foot of the South Foreland. Between Ruthven and +Frank a strong feeling of affection had grown up since the date of their +boating adventure. They were constantly together now; and as Ruthven +was also intended for the army, and would probably obtain his commission +about the same time as Frank, they often talked over their future, +and indulged in hopes that they might often meet, and that in their +campaigns, they might go through adventures together. + +Tide was low when they started. They had nearly three miles to walk. +The pools in front of Deal and Walmer had often been searched, but +they hoped that once round the Foreland they might light upon specimens +differing from any which they had hitherto found. For some hours they +searched the pools, retiring as the tide advanced. Then they went up to +the foot of the cliffs, and sat down to open their cans and compare +the treasures they had collected. The spot which they had unwittingly +selected was a little bay. For a long time they sat comparing their +specimens. Then Frank said, "Come along, it is time to be moving." + +As he rose to his feet he uttered an exclamation of dismay. Although +the tide was still at some little distance from the spot where they were +sitting, it had already reached the cliffs extending out at either +end of the bay. A brisk wind was blowing on shore, and the waves were +already splashing against the foot of the rocks. + +The whole party leaped to their feet, and seizing their cans ran off at +the top of their speed to the end of the bay. + +"I will see how deep the water is," Frank exclaimed; "we may yet be able +to wade round." + +The water soon reached Frank's waist. He waded on until it was up to +his shoulders, and he had to leap as each wave approached him. Then he +returned to his friends. + +"I could see round," he said, "and I think I could have got round +without getting into deeper water. The worst of it is the bottom is all +rocky, and I stumbled several times, and should have gone under water +if I could not have swam. You can't swim, Ruthven, I know; can you other +fellows?" + +Goodall could swim, as could one of the others. + +"Now, Ruthven," Frank said, "if you will put your hand on my shoulder +and keep quiet, I think I could carry you around. Goodall and Jackson +can take Childers." + +But neither of the other boys had much confidence in their swimming. +They could get thirty or forty yards, but felt sure that they would be +able to render but little assistance to Childers, and in fact scarcely +liked to round the point alone. For some time they debated the question, +the sea every minute rising and pushing them farther and farther from +the point. "Look here, Frank," Ruthven said at last; "you are not sure +you can carry me. The others are quite certain that they cannot take +Childers. We must give up that idea. The best thing, old boy, is for you +three who can swim to start together. Then if either of the others fail +you can help them a bit. Childers and I must take our chance here. When +you get round you must send a boat as soon as possible." + +"I certainly shall not desert you, Ruthven," Frank said. "You know as +well as I do that I'm not likely to find a boat on the shore till I get +pretty near Walmer Castle, and long before we could get back it would be +settled here. No, no, old fellow, we will see the matter out together. +Jackson and Goodall can swim round if they like." + +These lads, however, would not venture to take the risk alone, but said +they would go if Frank would go with them. + +"Chuck off your boots and coats and waistcoats," Frank said suddenly, +proceeding to strip rapidly to the skin. "I will take them round, +Ruthven, and come back to you. Run round the bay you and Childers, and +see if you can find any sort of ledge or projection that we can take +refuge upon. Now, then, come on you two as quick as you can." + +The sea had already reached within a few feet of the foot of the cliff +all round the bay. + +"Now, mind," Frank said sharply, "no struggling and nonsense, you +fellows. I will keep quite close to you and stick to you, so you needn't +be afraid. If you get tired just put one hand on my back and swim with +the other and your legs; and above all things keep your heads as low as +possible in the water so as just to be able to breathe." + +The three lads soon waded out as far as they could go and then struck +out. Jackson and Goodall were both poor swimmers and would have fared +very badly alone. The confidence, however, which they entertained in +Frank gave them courage, and they were well abreast of the point when +first Jackson and then Goodall put their hands on his shoulders. Thanks +to the instructions he had given them, and to their confidence in him, +they placed no great weight upon him. But every ounce tells heavily on a +swimmer, and Frank gave a gasp of relief as at last his feet touched the +ground. Bidding his companions at once set off at a run he sat down for +two or three minutes to recover his breath. + +"It is lucky," he said to himself, "that I did not try with Ruthven. +It's a very different thing carrying fellows who can swim and fellows +who can't. What fools we've been to let ourselves he caught here! I had +no idea the tide came so high, or that it was so dangerous, and none of +us have ever been round here before. Now I must go back to Ruthven." + +Frank found it even harder work to get back than it had been to come out +from the bay, for the tide was against him now. At last he stood beside +Ruthven and Childers. + +"We can only find one place, Frank, where there is any projection a +fellow could stand upon, and that is only large enough for one. See!" he +said, pointing to a projecting block of chalk, whose upper surface, some +eight inches wide, was tolerably flat. "There is a cave here, too, which +may go beyond the tide. It is not deep but it slopes up a bit." + +"That will never do," Frank said; "as the waves come in they will rush +up and fill it to the top. Don't you see it is all rounded by the water? +Now, Childers, we will put you on that stone. You will be perfectly safe +there, for you see it is two feet above this greenish line, which shows +where the water generally comes to. The tides are not at spring at +present, so though you may get a splashing there is no fear of your +being washed off." + +The water was already knee deep at the foot of the rocks, and the waves +took them nearly up to the shoulders. Ruthven did not attempt to dispute +Frank's allotment of the one place of safety to Childers. Frank and he +placed themselves below the block of chalk, which was somewhat over six +feet from the ground. Then Childers scrambled up on to their shoulders, +and from these stepped onto the ledge. + +"I am all right," he said; "I wish to Heaven that you were too." + +"We shall do," Frank said. "Mind you hold tight, Childers! You had +better turn round with your face to the cliff, so as to be able to grip +hold and steady yourself in case the waves come up high. The tide will +turn in three quarters of an hour at the outside. Now, then, Ruthven, +let's make a fight for it, old man." + +"What are you going to do, Frank?" + +"We will wade along here as far as we can towards the corner, and than +we must swim for it." + +"Don't you think it's possible to stay here," Ruthven said, "if the tide +will turn so soon?" + +"Quite impossible!" Frank said. "I have been nearly taken off my feet +twice already, and the water will rise a yard yet, at least. We should +be smashed against the rocks, even if we weren't drowned. It must be +tried, Ruthven. There is no other way for it. The distance is a good +deal farther than it would have been if we had started at first; but it +isn't the distance that makes much matter. We've only got to go out a +little way, and the tide will soon take us around the point. Everything +depends on you. I can take you round the point, and land you safely +enough, if you will lie quiet. If you don't, you will drown both of us. +So it's entirely in your hands. + +"Look out!" + +At this moment a larger wave than usual took both boys off their legs, +and dashed them with considerable force against the cliff. Frank seized +Ruthven, and assisted him to regain his feet. + +"Now, old fellow, let me put you on your back. I will lie on mine and +tow you along. Don't struggle; don't move; above all, don't try and lift +your head, and don't mind if a little water gets in your mouth. Now!" + +For a moment Ruthven felt himself under water, and had to make a great +effort to restrain himself from struggling to come to the surface. Then +he felt himself lying on his back in the water, supported by Frank. The +motion was not unpleasant as he rose and fell on the waves, although now +and then a splash of water came over his face, and made him cough and +splutter for breath. He could see nothing but the blue sky overhead, +could feel nothing except that occasionally he received a blow from +one or other of Frank's knees, as the latter swam beneath him, with +Ruthven's head on his chest. It was a dreamy sensation, and looking +back upon it afterwards Ruthven could never recall anything that he +had thought of. It seemed simply a drowsy pleasant time, except when +occasionally a wave covered his face. His first sensation was that of +surprise when he felt the motion change, and Frank lifted his head +from the water and said, "Stand up, old fellow. Thank God, here we are, +safe!" + +Frank had indeed found the journey easier than that which he had before +undertaken with the others. He had scarcely tried to progress, but had, +after getting sufficiently far out to allow the tide to take him round +the point, drifted quietly. + +"I owe my life to you, Frank. I shall never forget it, old fellow." + +"It's been a close thing," Frank answered; "but you owe your life as +much to your own coolness as to me, and above all, Ruthven, don't let us +forget that we both owe our lives to God." + +"I sha'n't forget it," Ruthven said quietly, and they stood for a few +minutes without speaking. "Now, what had we better do? Shall we start to +run home?" + +"I can't," Frank laughed, for he had nothing on but his trousers. These +he had slipped on after the return from his first trip, pushing the rest +of his things into a crevice in the rocks as high up as he could reach. + +"You had better take off your things, Ruthven, and lay them out to dry +in the sun. The boat will be here in half an hour. I wonder how Childers +is getting on!" + +"I think he will be safe," Ruthven said. "The tide will not rise high +enough for there to be much danger of his being washed off." + +"I don't think so either," Frank agreed, "or I would try and swim back +again; but I really don't think I could get round the point against the +tide again." + +In half an hour a boat rowing four oars was seen approaching. + +"They are laying out well," Ruthven said. "They couldn't row harder if +they were rowing a race. But had it not been for you, old fellow, they +would have been too late, as far as I am concerned." + +As the boat approached, the coxswain waved his hat to the boys. Frank +motioned with his arm for them to row on round the point. The boat +swept along at a short distance from the shore. The boys watched them +breathlessly. Presently as it reached the point they saw the coxswain +stand up and say something to the men, who glanced over their shoulders +as they rowed. Then the coxswain gave a loud shout. "Hold on! We'll be +with you directly." + +"Thank God!" Frank exclaimed, "Childers is all right." + +It was well, however, that the boat arrived when it did, for Childers +was utterly exhausted when it reached him. The sea had risen so high +that the waves broke against his feet, throwing the spray far above his +head, and often nearly washing him from the ledge on which he stood. +Had it not been, indeed, for the hold which he obtained of the cliff, it +would several times have swept him away. About eighteen inches above +his head he had found a ledge sufficiently wide to give a grip for his +hands, and hanging by these he managed to retain his place when three +times his feet were swept off the rock by the rush of water. The tide +was just on the turn when the boat arrived, and so exhausted was he that +he certainly would not have been able to hold out for the half hour's +buffeting to which he would have been exposed before the water fell +sufficiently to leave him. After helping him into the boat the men +gathered the clothes jammed in fissures of the cliffs. These were, of +course, drenched with water, but had for the most part remained firm in +their places. They now pulled round to the spot where Frank and Ruthven +were awaiting them. + +"Childers must have been pretty nearly done," Frank said. "He must be +lying in the bottom of the boat." + +Childers gave a smile of pleasure as his schoolfellows jumped on board. +He had, glancing over his shoulder, seen them drift out of sight round +the point, and had felt certain that they had reached shore. It was, +however, a great pleasure to be assured of the fact. + +"You have made quite a stir upon the beach, young gentlemen," the +coxswain of the boat said. "When they two came running up without their +shoes or coats and said there were three of you cut off in the bay under +the Foreland, there didn't seem much chance for you. It didn't take us +two minutes to launch the boat, for there were a score of hands helping +to run her down; and my mates bent to it well, I can tell you, though we +didn't think it would be of any use. We were glad when we made you two +out on this side of the point. Look, there's half Deal and Walmer coming +along the shore." + +It was as the boatman said. Numbers of persons were streaming along the +beach, and loud were the cheers which rose as the coxswain stood up and +shouted in a stentorian voice, "All saved!" + +Frank put on his things as they approached Walmer. His shoes were lost, +as were those of Ruthven, and he had difficulty in getting his arms into +his wet and shrunken jacket. Quite a crowd were gathered near the castle +as the boat rowed to shore, and a hearty cheer arose as it was run up +on the shingle and the boys were helped out. Frank and Ruthven, indeed, +required no assistance. They were in no way the worse for the adventure, +but Childers was so weak that he was unable to stand. He was carried up +and laid on a fly, the others sitting opposite, the driver having first +taken the precaution of removing the cushions. + +There were among the crowd most of the boys from Dr. Parker's. Goodall +and Jackson had arrived nearly an hour and a half before, and the news +had spread like wildfire. Bats and balls had been thrown down and every +one had hurried to the beach. Goodall and his companion had already +related the circumstance of their being cut off by the water and taken +round the point by Frank; and as Ruthven on jumping out had explained +to his comrades who flocked round to shake his hand, "I owe my life to +Hargate," the enthusiasm reached boiling point, and Frank had difficulty +in taking his place in the fly, so anxious were all to shake his hand +and pat him on the shoulder. Had it not been for his anxiety to get home +as soon as possible, and his urgent entreaties, they would have carried +him on their shoulders in triumph through the town. They drove first to +the school, where Childers was at once carried up to a bed, which had +been prepared with warm blankets in readiness; Ruthven needed only to +change his clothes. + +The moment they had left the fly Frank drove straight home, and was +delighted at finding, from his mother's exclamation of surprise as he +alighted from the cab, that she had not been suffering any anxiety, no +one, in the general excitement, having thought of taking the news to +her. In answer to her anxious inquiries he made light of the affair, +saying only that they had stupidly allowed themselves to be cut off +by the sea and had got a ducking. It was not, indeed, till the next +morning, when the other four boys came around to tell Mrs. Hargate that +they were indebted to Frank for their lives, that she had any notion +that he had been in danger. + +Frank was quite oppressed by what he called the fuss which was made over +the affair. A thrilling description of it appeared in the local papers. +A subscription was got up in the school, and a gold watch with an +inscription was presented to him; and he received letters of heart +felt thanks from the parents of his four schoolfellows, for Childers +maintained that it was entirely to Frank's coolness and thoughtfulness +that his preservation was also due. + +On the following Wednesday the school broke up. Frank had several +invitations from the boys to spend his holidays with them; but he knew +how lonely his mother would feel in his absence, and he declined all the +invitations. Mrs. Hargate was far from strong, and had had several fits +of fainting. These, however, had taken place at times when Frank was at +school, and she had strictly charged her little servant to say nothing +about it. + +One day on returning from a long walk he saw the doctor's carriage +standing at the door. Just as he arrived the door opened and the doctor +came out. Upon seeing Frank he turned. + +"Come in here, my boy," he said. + +Frank followed him, and seeing that the blinds were down, went to draw +them up. The doctor laid his hand on his arm. + +"Never mind that," he said gently. + +"My boy," he said, "do you know that your mother has been for some time +ailing?" + +"No, indeed," Frank said with a gasp of pain and surprise. + +"It is so, my boy. I have been attending her for some time. She has +been suffering from fainting fits brought on by weakness of the heart's +action. Two hours since I was sent for and found her unconscious. My +poor boy, you must compose yourself. God is good and merciful, though +his decrees are hard to bear. Your mother passed away quietly half an +hour since, without recovering consciousness." + +Frank gave a short cry, and then sat stunned by the suddenness of the +blow. The doctor drew out a small case from his pocket and poured a +few drops from the phial into a glass, added some water, and held it to +Frank's lips. + +"Drink this, my boy," he said. + +Frank turned his head from the offered glass. He could not speak. + +"Drink this, my boy," the doctor said again; "it will do you good. Try +and be strong for the sake of your little sister, who has only you in +the world now." + +The thought of Lucy touched the right chord in the boy's heart, and he +burst into a passionate fit of crying. The doctor allowed his tears to +flow unchecked. + +"You will be better now," he said presently. "Now drink this, then lie +down on the sofa. We must not be having you ill, you know." + +Frank gulped down the contents of the glass, and, passive as a child, +allowed the doctor to place him upon the sofa. + +"God help and strengthen you, my poor boy," he said; "ask help from +Him." + +For an hour Frank lay sobbing on the sofa, and then, remembering the +doctor's last words, he knelt beside it and prayed for strength. + +A week had passed. The blinds were up again. Mrs. Hargate had been laid +in her last home, and Frank was sitting alone again in the little parlor +thinking over what had best be done. The outlook was a dark one, enough +to shake the courage of one much older than Frank. His mother's pension, +he knew, died with her. He had, on the doctor's advice, written to +the War Office on the day following his mother's death, to inform the +authorities of the circumstances, and to ask if any pension could +be granted to his sister. The reply had arrived that morning and had +relieved him of the greatest of his cares. It stated that as he was +now just fifteen years old he was not eligible for a pension, but that +twenty-five pounds a year would be paid to his sister until she married +or attained the age of twenty-one. + +He had spoken to the doctor that morning, and the latter said that he +knew a lady who kept a small school, and who would, he doubted not, be +willing to receive Lucy and to board and clothe her for that sum. She +was a very kind and motherly person, and he was sure that Lucy would be +most kindly treated and cared for by her. It was then of his own future +only that Frank had to think. There were but a few pounds in the house, +but the letter from the War Office inclosed a check for twenty pounds, +as his mother's quarterly pension was just due. The furniture of the +little house would fetch but a small sum, not more, Frank thought, than +thirty or forty pounds. There were a few debts to pay, and after all was +settled up there would remain about fifty pounds. Of this he determined +to place half in the doctor's hands for the use of Lucy. + +"She will want," he said to himself, "a little pocket money. It is hard +on a girl having no money to spend of her own. Then, as she gets on, she +may need lessons in something or other. Besides, half the money rightly +belongs to her, The question is, What am I to do?" + + + +CHAPTER V: ALONE IN THE WORLD + + +"What am I to do?" + +A difficult question indeed, for a boy of fifteen, with but twenty-five +pounds, and without a friend in the world. Was he, indeed, without a +friend? he asked himself. There was Dr. Parker. Should he apply to him? +But the doctor had started for a trip on the Continent the day after +the school had broken up, and would not return for six weeks. It was +possible that, had he been at home, he might have offered to keep Frank +for a while; but the boys seldom stayed at his school past the age +of fifteen, going elsewhere to have their education completed. What +possible claim had he to quarter himself upon the doctor for the next +four years, even were the offer made? No, Frank felt; he could not live +upon the doctor's charity. Then there were the parents of the boys he +had saved from drowning. But even as he sat alone Frank's face flushed +at the thought of trading upon services so rendered. The boy's chief +fault was pride. It was no petty feeling, and he had felt no shame at +being poorer than the rest of his schoolfellows. It was rather a pride +which led him unduly to rely upon himself, and to shrink from accepting +favors from any one. Frank might well, without any derogation, have +written to his friends, telling them of the loss he had suffered and the +necessity there was for him to earn his living, and asking them to beg +their fathers to use their interest to procure him a situation as a boy +clerk, or any other position in which he could earn his livelihood. + +Frank, however, shrunk from making any such appeal, and determined +to fight his battle without asking for help. He knew nothing of his +parents' relations. His father was an only son, who had been left early +an orphan. His mother, too, had, he was aware, lost both her parents, +and he had never heard her speak of other relations. There was no one, +therefore, so far as he knew, to whom he could appeal on the ground of +ties of blood. It must be said for him that he had no idea how hard was +the task which he was undertaking. It seemed to him that it must be easy +for a strong, active lad to find employment of some sort in London. What +the employment might be he cared little for. He had no pride of that +kind, and so that he could earn his bread he cared not much in what +capacity he might do it. + +Already preparations had been made for the sale of the furniture, +which was to take place next day. Everything was to be sold except the +scientific books which had belonged to his father. These had been packed +in a great box until the time when he might place them in a library of +his own, and the doctor kindly offered to keep it for him until such +time should arrive. Frank wrote a long letter to Ruthven, telling him of +his loss, and his reasons for leaving Deal, and promising to write some +day and tell him how he was getting on in London. This letter he did +not intend to post until the last thing before leaving Deal. Lucy had +already gone to her new home, and Frank felt confident that she would be +happy there. His friend, the doctor, who had tried strongly, but without +avail, to dissuade Frank from going up to London to seek his fortune +there, had promised that if the lad referred any inquiries to him he +would answer for his character. + +He went down to the beach the last evening and said goodbye to his +friends among the fishermen, and he walked over in the afternoon and +took his last meal with Farmer Gregson. + +"Look ye here, my lad," the farmer said as they parted. "I tell ye, from +what I've heerd, this London be a hard nut to crack. There be plenty of +kernel, no doubt, when you can get at it, but it be hard work to open +the shell. Now, if so be as at any time you run short of money, just +drop me a line, and there's ten pound at your service whenever you like. +Don't you think it's an obligation. Quite the other way. It would be a +real pleasure to me to lend you a helping hand." + +Two days after the sale Frank started for London. On getting out of the +train he felt strange and lonely amid the bustle and confusion which was +going on on the platform. The doctor had advised him to ask one of +the porters, or a policeman, if he could recommend him to a quiet and +respectable lodging, as expenses at an hotel would soon make a deep +hole in his money. He, therefore, as soon as the crowd cleared away, +addressed himself to one of the porters. + +"What sort of lodgings do you want, sir?" the man said, looking at him +rather suspiciously, with, as Frank saw, a strong idea in his mind that +he was a runaway schoolboy. + +"I only want one room," he said, "and I don't care how small it is, so +that it is clean and quiet. I shall be out all day, and should not give +much trouble." + +The porter went away and spoke to some of his mates, and presently +returned with one of them. + +"You're wanting a room I hear, sir," the man said. "I have a little +house down the Old Kent Road, and my missus lets a room or two. It's +quiet and clean, I'll warrant you. We have one room vacant at present." + +"I'm sure that would suit me very well," Frank said. "How much do you +charge a week?" + +"Three and sixpence, sir, if you don't want any cooking done." + +Frank took the address, and leaving his portmanteau in charge of the +porter, who promised, unless he heard to the contrary, that he would +bring it home with him when he had done his work, he set off from the +station. + +Deal is one of the quietest and most dreary places on the coast of +England, and Frank was perfectly astounded at the crowd and bustle which +filled the street, when he issued from the railway approach, at the foot +of London Bridge. The porter had told him that he was to turn to +his left, and keep straight along until he reached the "Elephant and +Castle." He had, therefore, no trouble about his road, and was able to +give his whole attention to the sights which met his eye. For a time +the stream of omnibuses, cabs, heavy wagons, and light carts, completely +bewildered him, as did the throng of people who hastened along the +footway. He was depressed rather than exhilarated at the sight of this +busy multitude. He seemed such a solitary atom in the midst of this +great moving crowd. Presently, however, the thought that where so +many millions gained their living there must be room for one boy more, +somewhat cheered him. He was a long time making his way to his place of +destination, for he stared into every shop window, and being, although +he was perfectly ignorant of the fact, on the wrong side of the +pavement, he was bumped and bustled continually, and was not long +in arriving at the conclusion that the people of London must be the +roughest and rudest in the world. It was not until he ran against a +gentleman, and was greeted with the angry, "now then, boy. Where are you +going? Why the deuce don't you keep on your own side of the pavement?" +that he perceived that the moving throng was divided into two currents, +that on the inside meeting him, while the outside stream was proceeding +in the same direction as himself. After this he got on better, and +arrived without adventure at the house of the porter, in the Old Kent +Road. + +It was a small house, but was clean and respectable, and Frank found +that the room would suit him well. + +"I do not wait upon the lodgers," the landlady said, "except to make the +beds and tidy the rooms in the morning. So if you want breakfast and tea +at home you will have to get them yourself. There is a separate place +downstairs for your coals. There are some tea things, plates and +dishes, in this cupboard. You will want to buy a small tea kettle, and a +gridiron, and a frying pan, in case you want a chop or a rasher. Do you +think you can cook them yourself?" + +"Frank, amused at the thought of cooking and catering for himself, said +boldly that he should soon learn. + +"You are a very young gentleman," the landlady said, eyeing him +doubtfully, "to be setting up on your own hook. I mean," she said, +seeing Frank look puzzled, "setting up housekeeping on your own account. +You will have to be particular careful with the frying pan, because +if you were to upset the fat in the fire you might have the house in a +blaze in a jiffey." + +Frank said that he would certainly be careful with the frying pan. + +"Well," she went on, "as you're a stranger to the place I don't know +as you could do better than get your tea, and sugar, and things at the +grocer's at the next corner. I deals there myself, and he gives every +satisfaction. My baker will be round in a few minutes, and, if you +likes, I can take in your bread for you. The same with milk." + +These matters being arranged, and Frank agreeing at once to the +proposition that as he was a stranger it would make things more +comfortable were he to pay his rent in advance, found himself alone in +his new apartment. It was a room about ten feet square. The bed occupied +one corner, with the washstand at its foot. There was a small table in +front of the fireplace, and two chairs; a piece of carpet half covered +the floor, and these with the addition of the articles in the cupboard +constituted the furniture of the room. Feeling hungry after his journey +Frank resolved to go out at once and get something to eat, and then +to lay in a stock of provisions. After some hesitation regarding the +character of the meal he decided upon two Bath buns, determining to make +a substantial tea. He laid in a supply of tea, sugar, butter, and salt, +bought a little kettle, a frying pan, and a gridiron. Then he hesitated +as to whether he should venture upon a mutton chop or some bacon, +deciding finally in favor of the latter, upon the reflection that any +fellow could see whether bacon were properly frizzled up, while as to +a chop there was no seeing anything about it till one cut it. He, +therefore, invested in a pound of prime streaky Wiltshire bacon, +the very best, as the shopman informed him, that could be bought. He +returned carrying all his purchases, with the exception of the hardware. +Then he inquired of his landlady where he could get coal. + +"The green grocer's round the corner," the landlady said. "Tell him to +send in a hundredweight of the best, that's a shilling, and you'll want +some firewood too." + +The coal arrived in the course of the afternoon, and at half past six +the porter came in with Frank's trunk. He had by this time lit a fire, +and while the water was boiling got some of his things out of the box, +and by hanging some clothes on the pegs on the back of the door, and by +putting the two or three favorite books he had brought with him on to +the mantelpiece, he gave the room a more homelike appearance. He enjoyed +his tea all the more from the novelty of having to prepare it himself, +and succeeded very fairly for a first attempt with his bacon. + +When tea was over he first washed up the things and then started for a +ramble. He followed the broad straight road to Waterloo Bridge, stood +for a long time looking at the river, and then crossed into the Strand. +The lamps were now alight and the brightness and bustle of the scene +greatly interested him. At nine o'clock he returned to his lodgings, but +was again obliged to sally out, as he found he had forgotten candles. + +After breakfast next morning he went out and bought a newspaper, and set +himself to work to study the advertisements. He was dismayed to find how +many more applicants there were for places than places requiring to be +filled. All the persons advertising were older than himself, and seemed +to possess various accomplishments in the way of languages; many too +could be strongly recommended from their last situation. The prospect +did not look hopeful. In the first place he had looked to see if any +required boy clerks, but this species of assistant appeared little in +demand; and then, although he hoped that it would not come to that, he +ran his eye down the columns to see if any required errand boys or lads +in manufacturing businesses. He found, however, no such advertisements. +However, as he said to himself, it could not be expected that he should +find a place waiting for him on the very day after his arrival, and that +he ought to be able to live for a year on his five and twenty pounds; at +this reflection his spirits rose and he went out again for a walk. + +For the first week, indeed, of his arrival in London Frank did not set +himself very earnestly to work to look for a situation. In his walks +about the streets he several times observed cards in the window +indicating that an errand boy was wanted. He resolved, however, that +this should be the last resource which he would adopt, as he would much +prefer to go to work as a common lad in a factory to serving in a shop. +After the first week he answered many advertisements, but in no case +received a reply. In one case, in which it was stated that a lad who +could write a good fast hand was required in an office, wages to begin +with eight shillings a week, he called two days after writing. It was +a small office with a solitary clerk sitting in it. The latter, upon +learning Frank's business, replied with some exasperation that his mind +was being worried out by boys. + +"We have had four hundred and thirty letters," he said; "and I should +think that a hundred boys must have called. We took the first who +applied, and all the other letters were chucked into the fire as soon as +we saw what they were about." + +Frank returned to the street greatly disheartened. + +"Four hundred and thirty letters!" he said. "Four hundred and thirty +other fellows on the lookout, just as I am, for a place as a boy clerk, +and lots of them, no doubt, with friends and relations to recommend +them! The lookout seems to be a bad one." + +Two days later, when Frank was walking along the strand he noticed the +placards in front of a theater. + +"Gallery one shilling!" he said to himself; "I will go. I have never +seen a theater yet." + +The play was The Merchant of Venice, and Frank sat in rapt attention +and interest through it. When the performance was over he walked briskly +homewards. When he had proceeded some distance he saw a glare in the sky +ahead, and presently a steam engine dashed past him at full speed. + +"That must be a house on fire," he said. "I have never seen a fire;" and +he broke into a run. + +Others were running in the same direction, and as he passed the +"Elephant and Castle" the crowd became thicker, and when within fifty +yards of the house he could no longer advance. He could see the flames +now rising high in the air. A horrible fear seized him. + +"It must be," he exclaimed to himself, "either our house or the one next +door." + +It was in vain that he pressed forward to see more nearly. A line of +policemen was drawn up across the road to keep a large space clear for +the firemen. Behind the policemen the crowd were thickly packed. Frank +inquired of many who stood near him if they could tell him the number of +the house which was on fire; but none could inform him. + +Presently the flames began to die away, and the crowd to disperse. At +length Frank reached the first line of spectators. + +"Can you tell me the number of the houses which are burned?" Frank said +to a policeman. + +"There are two of them," the policeman said "a hundred and four and a +hundred and five. A hundred and four caught first, and they say that a +woman and two children have been burned to death." + +"That is where I live!" Frank cried. "Oh, please let me pass!" + +"I'll pass you in," the policeman said good naturedly, and he led him +forward to the spot where the engines were playing upon the burning +houses. "Is it true, mate," he asked a fireman, "that a woman and two +children have been burned?" + +"It's true enough," the fireman said. "The landlady and her children. +Her husband was a porter at the railway station, and had been detained +on overtime. He only came back a quarter of an hour ago, and he's been +going on like a madman;" and he pointed to the porter, who was sitting +down on the doorsteps of a house facing his own, with his face hidden in +his hands. + +Frank went and sat down beside him. + +"My poor fellow," he said, "I am sorry for you." + +Frank had had many chats with his landlord of an evening, and had become +quite friendly with him and his wife. + +"I can't believe it," the man said huskily. "Just to think! When I went +out this morning there was Jane and the kids, as well and as happy as +ever, and there, where are they now?" + +"Happier still," Frank said gently. "I lost my mother just as suddenly +only five weeks ago. I went out for a walk, leaving her as well as +usual, and when I came back she was dead; so I can feel for you with all +my heart." + +"I would have given my life for them," the man said, wiping his eyes, +"willing." + +"I'm sure you would," Frank answered. + +"There's the home gone," the man said, "with all the things that it took +ten years' savings of Jane and me to buy; not that that matters one way +or the other now. And your traps are gone, too, I suppose, sir." + +"Yes," Frank replied quietly, "I have lost my clothes and twenty-three +pounds in money; every penny I've got in the world except half a crown +in my pocket." + +"And you don't say nothing about it!" the man said, roused into +animation. "But, there, perhaps you've friends as will make it up to +you." + +"I have no one in the world," Frank answered, "whom I could ask to give +me a helping hand." + +"Well, you are a plucky chap," the man said. "That would be a knock down +blow to a man, let alone a boy like you. What are you going to do now?" +he asked, forgetting for the moment his own loss, in his interest in his +companion. + +"I don't know," Frank replied. "Perhaps," he added, seeing that the +interest in his condition roused the poor fellow from the thought of +his own deep sorrow, "you might give me some advice. I was thinking of +getting a place in an office, but of course I must give that up now, and +should be thankful to get anything by which I can earn my bread." + +"You come along with me," the man said rising. "You've done me a heap of +good. It's no use sitting here. I shall go back to the station, and turn +in on some sacks. If you've nothing better to do, and nowhere to go to, +you come along with me. We will talk it all over." + +Pleased to have some one to talk to, and glad that he should not have to +look for a place to sleep, Frank accompanied the porter to the station. +With a word or two to the nightmen on duty, the porter led the way to a +shed near the station, where a number of sacks were heaped in a corner. + +"Now," the man said, "I will light a pipe. It's against the regulations, +but that's neither here nor there now. Now, if you're not sleepy, would +you mind talking to me? Tell me something about yourself, and how you +come to be alone here in London. It does me good to talk. It prevents me +from thinking." + +"There is very little to tell," Frank said; and he related to him the +circumstances of the deaths of his father and mother, and how it came +that he was alone in London in search of a place. + +"You're in a fix," the porter said. + +"Yes, I can see that." + +"You see you're young for most work, and you never had no practice +with horses, or you might have got a place to drive a light cart. Then, +again, your knowing nothing of London is against you as an errand boy; +and what's worse than all this, anyone can see with half an eye that +you're a gentleman, and not accustomed to hard work. However, we will +think it over. The daylight's breaking now, and I has to be at work at +six. But look ye here, young fellow, tomorrow I've got to look for a +room, and when I gets it there's half of it for you, if you're not too +proud to accept it. It will be doing me a real kindness, I can tell you, +for what I am to do alone of an evening without Jane and the kids, God +knows. I can't believe they're gone yet." + +Then the man threw himself down upon the sacks, and broke into sobs. +Frank listened for half an hour till these gradually died away, and he +knew by the regular breathing that his companion was asleep. It was long +after this before he himself closed his eyes. The position did, indeed, +appear a dark one. Thanks to the offer of his companion, which he at +once resolved to accept for a time, he would have a roof to sleep under. +But this could not last; and what was he to do? Perhaps he had been +wrong in not writing at once to Ruthven and his schoolfellows. He even +felt sure he had been wrong; but it would be ten times as hard to write +now. He would rather starve than do this. How was he to earn his living? +He would, he determined, at any rate try for a few days to procure a +place as an errand boy. If that failed, he would sell his clothes, and +get a rough working suit. He was sure that he should have more chance of +obtaining work in such a dress than in his present attire. + +Musing thus, Frank at last dropped off to sleep. When he woke he found +himself alone, his companion having left without disturbing him. From +the noises around him of trains coming in and out, Frank judged that the +hour was late. + +"I have done one wise thing," he said, "anyhow, and as far as I can +see it's the only one, in leaving my watch with the doctor to keep. He +pointed out that I might have it stolen if I carried it, and that there +was no use in keeping it shut up in a box. Very possibly it might be +stolen by the dishonesty of a servant. That's safe anyhow, and it is my +only worldly possession, except the books, and I would rather go into +the workhouse than part with either of them." + +Rising, he made his way into the station, where he found the porter at +his usual work. + +"I would not wake you," the man said; "you were sleeping so quiet, and I +knew 'twas no use your getting up early. I shall go out and settle for +a room at dinner time. If you will come here at six o'clock we'll go +off together. The mates have all been very kind, and have been making a +collection to bury my poor girl and the kids. They've found 'em, and the +inquest is tomorrow, so I shall be off work. The governor has offered +me a week; but there, I'd rather be here where there's no time for +thinking, than hanging about with nothing to do but to drink." + + + +CHAPTER VI: THE FIRST STEP + + +All that day Frank tramped the streets. He went into many shops where +he saw notices that an errand boy was required, but everywhere without +success. He perceived at once that his appearance was against him, and +he either received the abrupt answer of, "You're not the sort of chap +for my place," or an equally decided refusal upon the grounds that +he did not know the neighborhood, or that they preferred one who had +parents who lived close by and could speak for him. + +At six o'clock he rejoined the porter. He brought with him some bread +and butter and a piece of bacon. When, on arriving at the lodging of +his new friend, a neat room with two small beds in it, he produced and +opened his parcel, the porter said angrily, "Don't you do that again, +young fellow, or we shall have words. You're just coming to stop with +me for a bit till you see your way, and I'm not going to have you bring +things in here. My money is good for two months, and your living here +with me won't cost three shillings a week. So don't you hurt my feelings +by bringing things home again. There, don't say no more about it." + +Frank, seeing that his companion was really in earnest, said no more, +and was the less reluctant to accept the other's kindness as he saw that +his society was really a great relief to him in his trouble. After the +meal they sallied out to a second hand clothes shop. Here Frank disposed +of his things, and received in return a good suit of clothes fit for a +working lad. + +"I don't know how it is," the porter said as they sat together +afterwards, "but a gentleman looks like a gentleman put him in what +clothes you will. I could have sworn to your being that if I'd never +seen you before. I can't make it out, I don't know what it is, but +there's certainly something in gentle blood, whatever you may say +about it. Some of my mates are forever saying that one man's as good as +another. Now I don't mean to say they ain't as good; but what I say is, +as they ain't the same. One man ain't the same as another any more than +a race horse is the same as a cart horse. They both sprang from the same +stock, at least so they says; but breeding and feeding and care has made +one into a slim boned creature as can run like the wind, while the other +has got big bones and weight and can drag his two ton after him without +turning a hair. Now, I take it, it's the same thing with gentlefolks and +working men. It isn't that one's bigger than the other, for I don't see +much difference that way; but a gentleman's lighter in the bone, and +his hands and his feet are smaller, and he carries himself altogether +different. His voice gets a different tone. Why, Lord bless you, when I +hears two men coming along the platform at night, even when I can't see +'em, and can't hear what they says, only the tone of their voices, I +knows just as well whether it's a first class or a third door as I've +got to open as if I saw 'em in the daylight. Rum, ain't it?" + +Frank had never thought the matter out, and could only give his general +assent to his companion's proposition. + +"Now," the porter went on, "if you go into a factory or workshop, I'll +bet a crown to a penny that before you've been there a week you'll get +called Gentleman Jack, or some such name. You see if you ain't." + +"I don't care what they call me," Frank laughed, "so that they'll take +me into the factory." + +"All in good time," the porter said; "don't you hurry yourself. As +long as you can stay here you'll be heartily welcome. Just look what +a comfort it is to have you sitting here sociable and comfortable. You +don't suppose I could have sat here alone in this room if you hadn't +been here? I should have been in a public house making a beast of +myself, and spending as much money as would keep the pair of us." + +Day after day Frank went out in search of work. In his tramps he visited +scores of workshops and factories, but without success. Either they +did not want boys, or they declined altogether to take one who had no +experience in work, and had no references in the neighborhood. Frank +took his breakfast and tea with the porter, and was glad that the latter +had his dinner at the station, as a penny loaf served his purposes. One +day in his walks Frank entered Covent Garden and stood looking on at the +bustle and flow of business, for it happened to be market day. He leaned +against one of the columns of the piazza, eating the bread he had just +bought. Presently a sharp faced lad, a year or two younger than himself, +came up to him. + +"Give us a hit," he said, "I ain't tasted nothing today." + +Frank broke the bread in half and gave a portion to him. + +"What a lot there is going on here!" Frank said. + +"Law!" the boy answered, "that ain't nothing to what it is of a morning. +That's the time, 'special on the mornings of the flower market. It's +hard lines if a chap can't pick up a tanner or even a bob then." + +"How?" Frank asked eagerly. + +"Why, by holding horses, helping to carry out plants, and such like. You +seems a green 'un, you do. Up from the country, eh? Don't seem like one +of our sort." + +"Yes," Frank said, "I'm just up from the country. I thought it would be +easy to get a place in London, but I don't find it so." + +"A place!" the boy repeated scornfully. "I should like any one to see me +in a place. It's better a hundred times to be your own master." + +"Even if you do want a piece of bread sometimes?" Frank put in. + +"Yes," the boy said. "When it ain't market day and ye haven't saved +enough to buy a few papers or boxes of matches it does come hard. In +winter the times is bad, but in summer we gets on fairish, and there +ain't nothing to grumble about. Are you out of work yourself?" + +"Yes," Frank answered, "I'm on the lookout for a job." + +"You'd have a chance here in the morning," said the boy, looking at him. +"You look decent, and might get a job unloading. They won't have us at +no price, if they can help it." + +"I will come and try anyhow," Frank said. + +That evening Frank told his friend, the porter, that he thought of going +out early next morning to try and pick up odd jobs at Covent Garden. + +"Don't you think of it," the porter said. "There's nothing worse for a +lad than taking to odd jobs. It gets him into bad ways and bad company. +Don't you hurry. I have spoken to lots of my mates, and they're all on +the lookout for you. We on the platform can't do much. It ain't in our +line, you see; but in the goods department, where they are constant +with vans and wagons and such like, they are likely enough to hear of +something before long." + +That night, thinking matters over in bed, Frank determined to go down to +the docks and see if he could get a place as cabin boy. He had had this +idea in his mind ever since he lost his money, and had only put it aside +in order that he might, if possible, get some berth on shore which might +seem likely in the end to afford him a means of making his way up again. +It was not that he was afraid of the roughness of a cabin boy's life; it +was only because he knew that it would be so very long before, working +his way up from boy to able bodied seaman, he could obtain a mate's +certificate, and so make a first step up the ladder. However, he thought +that even this would be better than going as a wagoner's boy, and he +accordingly crossed London Bridge, turned down Eastcheap, and presently +found himself in Ratcliff Highway. He was amused here at the nautical +character of the shops, and presently found himself staring into a +window full of foreign birds, for the most part alive in cages, among +which, however, were a few cases of stuffed birds. + +"How stupid I have been!" he thought to himself. "I wonder I never +thought of it before! I can stuff birds and beasts at any rate a deal +better than those wooden looking things. I might have a chance of +getting work at some naturalist's shop. I will get a directory and take +down all the addresses in London, and then go around." + +He now became conscious of a conversation going on between a little old +man with a pair of thick horn rimmed spectacles and a sailor who had a +dead parrot and a cat in his hand. + +"I really cannot undertake them," the old man said. "Since the death of +my daughter I have had but little time to attend to that branch. What +with buying and selling, and feeding and attending to the live ones, I +have no time for stuffing. Besides, if the things were poisoned, they +would not be worth stuffing." + +"It isn't the question of worth, skipper," the sailor said; "and I don't +say, mind ye, that these here critturs was pisoned, only if you looks +at it that this was the noisiest bird and the worst tempered thievingest +cat in the neighborhood--though, Lord bless you, my missus wouldn't +allow it for worlds--why, you know, when they were both found stiff and +cold this morning people does have a sort of a suspicion as how they've +been pisoned;" and he winked one eye in a portentous manner, and grinned +hugely. "The missus she's in a nice taking, screeching, and yelling as +you might hear her two cables' length away, and she turns round on me +and will have it as I'd a hand in the matter. Well, just to show my +innocence, I offers to get a glass case for 'em and have 'em stuffed, +if it cost me a couple of pounds. I wouldn't care if they fell all to +pieces a week afterwards, so that it pacified the old woman just at +present. If I can't get 'em done I shall ship at once, for the place +will be too hot to hold me. So you can't do it nohow?" + +The old man shook his head, and the sailor was just turning off when +Frank went up to him: + +"Will you please wait a moment? Can I speak to you, sir, a minute?" he +asked the old man. + +The naturalist went into his shop, and Frank followed him. + +"I can stuff birds and animals, sir," he said. "I think I really stuff +them well, for some which I did for amusement were sold at ten shillings +a case, and the man who bought them of me told me they would be worth +four times as much in London. I am out of work, sir, and very very +anxious to get my living. You will find me hard working and honest. Do +give me a chance. Let me stuff that cat and parrot for the sailor. If +you are not satisfied then, I will go away and charge nothing for it." + +The man looked at him keenly. + +"I will at any rate give you a trial," he said. Then he went to the door +and called in the sailor. "This lad tells me he can stuff birds. I know +nothing about him, but I believe he is speaking truthfully. If you like +to intrust them to him he will do his best. If you're not satisfied he +will make no charge." + +Much pleased at seeing a way out of his dilemma, the sailor placed the +dead animals on the counter. + +"Now," the old man said to Frank, "you can take these out into the back +yard and skin them. Then you can go to work in that back room. You will +find arsenical soap, cotton wool, wires, and everything else you require +there. This has been a fine cat," he said, looking at the animal. + +"Yes, it has been a splendid creature," Frank answered. "It is a +magnificent macaw also." + +"Ah! you know it is a macaw!" the old man said. + +"Of course," Frank said simply; "it has a tail." + +The old man then furnished Frank with two or three sharp knives and +scissors. Taking the bird and cat, he went out into the yard and in the +course of an hour had skinned them both. Then he returned to the shop +and set to work in the room behind. + +"May I make a group of them?" he asked. + +"Do them just as you like," the old man said. + +After settling upon his subject, Frank set to work, and, except that +he went out for five minutes to buy and eat a penny loaf, continued his +work till nightfall. The old man came in several times to look at him, +but each time went out again without making a remark. At six o'clock +Frank laid down his tools. + +"I will come again tomorrow, sir," he said. + +The old man nodded, and Frank went home in high spirits. There was a +prospect at last of getting something to do, and that in a line most +congenial to his own tastes. + +The old man looked up when he entered next morning. + +"I shall not come in today," he remarked. "I will wait to see them +finished." + +Working without interruption till the evening, Frank finished them to +his satisfaction, and enveloped them with many wrappings of thread to +keep them in precisely the attitudes in which he had placed them. + +"They are ready for drying now, sir," he said. "If I might place them in +an oven they would be dried by morning." + +The old man led the way to the kitchen, where a small fire was burning. + +"I shall put no more coals on the fire," he said, "and it will be out in +a quarter of an hour. Put them in there and leave the door open. I will +close it in an hour when the oven cools." + +The next day Frank was again at work. It took him all day to get fur and +feather to lie exactly as he wished them. In the afternoon he asked the +naturalist for a piece of flat board, three feet long, and a perch, but +said that instead of the piece of board he should prefer mounting them +in a case at once. The old man had not one in the shop large enough, +and therefore Frank arranged his group temporarily on the table. On the +board lay the cat. At first sight she seemed asleep, but it was clearly +only seeming. Her eyes were half open, the upper lip was curled up, and +the sharp teeth showed. The hind feet were drawn somewhat under her as +in readiness for an instant spring. Her front paws were before her, the +talons were somewhat stretched, and one paw was curved. Her ears lay +slightly back. She was evidently on the point of springing. The macaw +perch, which had been cut down to a height of two feet, stood behind +her. The bird hung by its feet, and, head downwards, stretched with open +beak towards the tip of the cat's tail, which was slightly uplifted. On +a piece of paper Frank wrote, "Dangerous Play." + +It was evening before he had finished perfectly to his satisfaction. +Then he called the naturalist in. The old man stopped at the door, +surveying the group. Then he entered and examined it carefully. + +"Wonderful!" he said. "Wonderful! I should have thought them alive. +There is not a shop in the West End where it could have been turned out +better, if so well. + +"Lad, you are a wonder! Tell me now who and what are you? I saw when you +first addressed me that you were not what you seemed to be, a working +lad." + +"I have been well educated," Frank said, "and was taught to preserve +and stuff by my father, who was a great naturalist. My parents died +suddenly, and I was left on my own resources, which," he said, smiling +faintly, "have hitherto proved of very small avail. I am glad you are +pleased. If you will take me into your service I will work hard and make +myself useful in every way. If you require references I can refer you +to the doctor who attended us in the country; but I have not a single +friend in London except a railway porter, who has most kindly and +generously taken me in and sheltered me for the last two months." + +"I need no references," the old man said; "your work speaks for itself +as to your skill, and your face for your character. But I can offer +you nothing fit for you. With such a genius as you have for setting up +animals, you ought to be able to earn a good income. Not one man in a +thousand can make a dead animal look like a live one. You have the knack +or the art." + +"I shall be very content with anything you can give me," Frank said; +"for the present I only ask to earn my living. If later on I can, as you +say, do more, all the better." + +The old man stood for some time thinking, and presently said, "I do but +little except in live stock. When I had my daughter with me I did a +good deal of stuffing, for there is a considerable trade hereabout. The +sailors bring home skins of foreign birds, and want them stuffed and put +in cases, as presents for their wives and sweethearts. You work fast as +well as skillfully. I have known men who would take a fortnight to do +such a group as that, and then it would be a failure. It will be quite a +new branch for my trade. I do not know how it will act yet, but to begin +with I will give you twelve shillings a week, and a room upstairs. If +it succeeds we will make other arrangements. I am an old man, and a very +lonely one. I shall be glad to have such a companion." + +Frank joyfully embraced the offer, and ran all the way home to tell his +friend, the porter, of the engagement. + +"I am very glad," the man said; "heartily glad. I shall miss you sorely. +I do not know what I should have done without you when I first lost poor +Jane and the kids. But now I can go back to my old ways again." + +"Perhaps," Frank suggested, "you might arrange to have a room also in +the house. It would not be a very long walk, not above twenty or five +and twenty minutes, and I should be so glad to have you with me." + +The man sat silent for a time. "No," he said at last, "I thank you all +the same. I should like it too, but I don't think it would be best in +the end. Here all my mates live near, and I shall get on in time. The +Christmas holiday season will soon be coming on and we shall be up +working late. If you were always going to stop at the place you are +going to, it would be different; but you will rise, never fear. I shall +be seeing you in gentleman's clothes again some of these days. I've +heard you say you were longing to get your books and to be studying +again, and you'll soon fall into your own ways; but if you will let me, +I'll come over sometimes and have a cup of tea and a chat with you. Now, +look here, I'm going out with you now, and I'm going to buy you a suit +of clothes, something like what you had on when I first saw you. They +won't be altogether unsuitable in a shop. This is a loan, mind, and you +may pay me off as you get flush." + +Frank saw he should hurt the good fellow's feelings by refusing, and +accordingly went out with him, and next morning presented himself at the +shop in a quiet suit of dark gray tweed, and with his other clothes in a +bundle. + +"Aha!" said the old man; "you look more as you ought to do now, though +you're a cut above an assistant in a naturalist's shop in Ratcliff +Highway. Now, let me tell you the names of some of these birds. They +are, every one of them, foreigners; some of them I don't know myself." + +"I can tell all the family names," Frank said quietly, "and the species, +but I do not know the varieties." + +"Can you!" the old man said in surprise. "What is this now?" + +"That is a mockingbird, the great black capped mockingbird, I think. The +one next to it is a golden lory." + +So Frank went round all the cages and perches in the shop. + +"Right in every case," the old man said enthusiastically; "I shall have +nothing to teach you. The sailor has been here this morning. I offered +him two pounds for the cat and bird to put in my front window, but he +would not take it, and has paid me that sum for your work. Here it is. +This is yours, you know. You were not in my employment then, and you +will want some things to start with, no doubt. Now come upstairs, I will +show you your room. I had intended at first to give you the one at the +back, but I have decided now on giving you my daughter's. I think you +will like it." + +Frank did like it greatly. It was the front room on the second +floor. The old man's daughter had evidently been a woman of taste and +refinement. The room was prettily papered, a quiet carpet covered the +floor, and the furniture was neat and in good keeping. Two pairs of +spotless muslin curtains hung across the windows. + +"I put them up this morning," the old man said, nodding. "I have got the +sheets and bedding airing in the kitchen. They have not been out of the +press for the last three years. You can cook in the kitchen. There is +always a fire there. + +"Now, the first thing to do," he went on when they returned to the shop, +"will be for you to mount a dozen cases for the windows. These drawers +are full of skins of birds and small animals. I get them for next +to nothing from the sailors, and sell them to furriers and feather +preparers, who supply ladies' hat and bonnet makers. In future, I +propose that you shall mount them and sell them direct. We shall get far +higher prices than we do now. I seem to be putting most of the work on +your shoulders, but do not want you to help me in the shop. I will look +after the birds and buy and sell as I used to do; you will have the back +room private to yourself for stuffing and mounting." + +Frank was delighted at this allotment of labor, and was soon at work +rummaging the drawers and picking out specimens for mounting, and made +a selection sufficient to keep him employed for weeks. That evening he +sallied out and expended his two pounds in underlinen, of which he was +sorely in need. As he required them his employer ordered showcases for +the window, of various sizes, getting the backgrounds painted and fitted +up as Frank suggested. + +Frank did not get on so fast with his work as he had hoped, for the fame +of the sailor's cat and macaw spread rapidly in the neighborhood, and +there was a perfect rush of sailors and their wives anxious to have +birds and skins, which had been brought from abroad, mounted. The sailor +himself looked in one day. + +"If you like another two pounds for that 'ere cat, governor, I'm game +to pay you. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. Every one's +wanting to see 'em, and there's the old woman dressed up in her Sunday +clothes a-sitting in the parlor as proud as a peacock a showing of 'em +off. The house ain't been so quiet since I married. Them animals would +be cheap to me at a ten pound note. They'll get you no end of orders, I +can tell you." + +The orders, indeed, came in much faster than Frank could fulfill them, +although he worked twelve hours a day; laying aside all other work, +however, for three hours in order to devote himself to the shop cases, +which were to be chef d'oeuvres. + + + +CHAPTER VII: AN OLD FRIEND + + +For three months Frank passed a quiet and not unpleasant life with the +old naturalist in Ratcliff Highway. The latter took a great liking to +him, and treated him like a son rather than an assistant. The two took +their meals together now, and Frank's salary had been raised from twelve +to eighteen shillings a week. So attractive had the cases in the windows +proved that quite a little crowd was generally collected round them, and +the business had greatly augmented. The old naturalist was less pleased +at this change than most men would have been in his position. He had got +into a groove and did not care to get out of it. He had no relatives or +any one dependent on him, and he had been well content to go on in a jog +trot way, just paying his expenses of shop and living. The extra bustle +and push worried rather than pleased him. + +"I am an old man," he said to Frank one day, as after the shop was +closed they sat over their tea. "I have no motive in laying by money, +and had enough for my wants. I was influenced more by my liking for +your face and my appreciation of your talent, than by any desire of +increasing my business. I am taking now three times as much as I did +before. Now I should not mind, indeed, I should be glad, if I thought +that you would succeed me here as a son would do. I would gladly take +you into partnership with me, and you would have the whole business +after my death. But I know, my boy, that it wouldn't do. I know that the +time will come when you will not be content with so dull a life here. +You will either get an offer from some West End house which would open +higher prospects to you, or you will be wandering away as a collector. +In any case you would not stop here, of that I am quite sure, and +therefore do not care, as I should have done, had you been my son, for +the increase of the business. As it is, lad, I could not even wish to +see you waste your life here." + +Frank, after he was once fairly settled at his new work, had written +to his friend the doctor, at Deal, telling him of the position he had +taken, and that he was in a fair way to make at least a comfortable +living, and that at a pursuit of which he was passionately fond. He +asked him, however, while writing to him from time to time to give him +news of his sister, not to tell any one his address, as although he was +not ashamed of his berth, still he would rather that, until he had made +another step up in life, his old schoolfellows should not know of his +whereabouts. He had also written to his friend Ruthven a bright chatty +letter, telling him somewhat of his adventures in London and the loss of +his money, and saying that he had now got employment at a naturalist's, +with every chance of making his way. + +"When I mount a bit higher," he concluded, "I shall be awfully glad to +see you again, and will let you know what my address may then be. +For the present I had rather keep it dark. If you will write to me, +addressed to the General Post Office, telling me all about yourself and +the fellows at school, I shall be very, very glad to get your letter. I +suppose you will be breaking up for Christmas in a few days." + +Christmas came and went. It was signalized to Frank only by the despatch +of a pretty present to Lucy, and the receipt of a letter from her +written in a round childish hand. A week afterwards he heard somebody +come into the shop. His employer was out, and he therefore went into the +shop. + +"I knew it was!" shouted a voice. "My dear old Frank, how are you?" and +his hand was warmly clasped in that of Ruthven. + +"My dear Ruthven," was all Frank could say. + +"I had intended," Ruthven exclaimed, "to punch your head directly I +found you; but I am too glad to do it, though you deserve it fifty times +over. What a fellow you are! I wouldn't have believed it of you, running +away in that secret sort of way and letting none of us know anything +about you. Wasn't I angry, and sorry too, when I got the letter you +wrote me from Deal! When I went back to school and found that not even +Dr. Parker, not even your sister, knew where you were, I was mad. So +were all the other fellows. However, I said I would find you wherever +you had hidden yourself." + +"But how did you find me?" Frank asked greatly moved at the warmth of +his schoolfellow's greeting. + +"Oh! it wasn't so very difficult to find you when once I got your letter +saying what you were doing. The very day I came up to town I began +to hunt about. I found from the Directory there were not such a great +number of shops where they stuffed birds and that sort of thing. I tried +the places in Bond Street, and Piccadilly, and Wigmore Street, and so on +to begin with. Then I began to work east, and directly I saw the things +in the window here I felt sure I had found you at last. You tiresome +fellow! Here I have wasted nearly half my holidays looking for you." + +"I am so sorry, Ruthven." + +"Sorry! you ought to be more than sorry. You ought to be ashamed of +yourself, downright ashamed. But, there, I won't say any more now. Now, +can't you come out with me?" + +"No, I can't come out now, Ruthven; but come into this room with me." + +There for the next hour they chatted, Frank giving a full account of all +he had gone through since he came up to town, while Ruthven gave him the +gossip of the half year at school. + +"Well," Ruthven said at last, "this old Horton of yours must be a brick. +Still, you know, you can't stop here all your life. You must come and +talk it over with my governor." + +"Oh, no, indeed, Ruthven! I am getting on very well here, and am very +contented with my lot, and I could not think of troubling your father in +the matter." + +"Well, you will trouble him a great deal," Ruthven said, "if you don't +come, for you will trouble him to come all the way down here. He was +quite worried when he first heard of your disappearance, and has been +almost as excited as I have over the search for you. + +"You are really a foolish fellow, Frank," he went on more seriously; "I +really didn't think it of you. Here you save the lives of four or five +fellows and put all their friends under a tremendous obligation, and +then you run away and hide yourself as if you were ashamed. I tell you +you can't do it. A fellow has no more right to get rid of obligations +than he has to run away without paying his debts. It would be a burden +on your mind if you had a heavy debt you couldn't pay, and you would +have a right to be angry if, when you were perfectly able to pay, your +creditor refused to take the money. That's just the position in which +you've placed my father. Well, anyhow, you've got to come and see him, +or he's got to come and see you. I know he has something in his mind's +eye which will just suit you, though he did not tell me what it was. For +the last day or two he has been particularly anxious about finding you. +Only yesterday when I came back and reported that I had been to half a +dozen places without success, he said, 'Confound the young rascal, where +can he be hiding? Here are the days slipping by and it will be too late. +If you don't find him in a day or two, Dick, I will set the police after +him--say he has committed a murder or broken into a bank and offer a +reward for his apprehension.' So you must either come home with me this +afternoon, or you will be having my father down here tonight." + +"Of course, Ruthven," Frank said, "I would not put your father to such +trouble. He is very kind to have taken so much interest in me, only I +hate--" + +"Oh, nonsense! I hate to see such beastly stuck up pride, putting your +own dignity above the affection of your friends; for that's really what +it comes to, old boy, if you look it fairly in the face." + +Frank flushed a little and was silent for a minute or two. + +"I suppose you are right, Ruthven; but it is a little hard for a +fellow--" + +"Oh, no, it isn't," Ruthven said. "If you'd got into a scrape from some +fault of your own one could understand it, although even then there +would be no reason for you to cut your old friends till they cut you. +Young Goodall, who lives over at Bayswater, has been over four or five +times to ask me if I have succeeded in finding you, and I have had +letters from Handcock, and Childers, and Jackson. Just as if a fellow +had got nothing to do but to write letters. How long will you be before +you can come out?" + +"There is Mr. Horton just come in," Frank said. "I have no doubt he will +let me go at once." + +The old naturalist at once assented upon Frank's telling him that a +friend had come who wished him to go out. + +"Certainly, my dear boy. Why, working the hours and hours of overtime +that you do, of course you can take a holiday whenever you're disposed." + +"He will not be back till late," Ruthven said as they went out. "I shall +keep him all the evening." + +"Oh, indeed, Ruthven, I have no clothes!" + +"Clothes be bothered," Ruthven said. "I certainly shall end by punching +your head, Frank, before the day's out." + +Frank remonstrated no more, but committed himself entirely to his +friend's guidance. At the Mansion House they mounted on the roof of an +omnibus going west, and at Knightsbridge got off and walked to Eaton +Square, where Ruthven's father resided. The latter was out, so Frank +accompanied his friend to what he called his sanctum, a small room +littered up with books, bats, insect boxes, and a great variety of +rubbish of all kinds. Here they chatted until the servant came up and +said that Sir James had returned. + +"Come on, Frank," Ruthven said, running downstairs. "There's nothing of +the ogre about the governor." + +They entered the study, and Ruthven introduced his friend. + +"I've caught him, father, at last. This is the culprit." + +Sir James Ruthven was a pleasant looking man, with a kindly face. + +"Well, you troublesome boy," he said, holding out his hand, "where have +you been hiding all this time?" + +"I don't know that I've been hiding, sir," Frank said. + +"Not exactly hiding," Sir James smiled, "only keeping away from those +who wanted to find you. Well, and how are you getting on?" + +"I am getting on very well, sir. I am earning eighteen shillings a week +and my board and lodging, and my employer says he will take me into +partnership as soon as I come of age." + +"Ah, indeed!" Sir James said. "I am glad to hear that, as it shows you +must be clever and industrious." + +"Yes, father, and the place was full of the most lovely cases of things +Frank had stuffed. There was quite a crowd looking in at the window." + +"That is very satisfactory. Now, Frank, do you sit down and write a +note to your employer, asking him to send down half a dozen of the best +cases. I want to show them to a gentleman who will dine with me here +today, and who is greatly interested in such matters. When you have +written the note I will send a servant off at once in a cab to fetch +them." + +"And, father," Dick continued, "if you don't mind, might Frank and I +have our dinner quietly together in my room? You've got a dinner party +on, and Frank won't enjoy it half as much as he would dining quietly +with me." + +"By all means," Sir James said. "But mind he is not to run away without +seeing me. + +"You are a foolish lad," he went on in a kind voice to Frank; "and it +was wrong as well as foolish to hide yourself from your friends. However +independent we may be in this world, all must, to a certain extent, rely +upon others. There is scarcely a man who can stand aloof from the rest +and say, 'I want nothing of you.' I can understand your feeling in +shrinking from asking a favor of me, or of the fathers of the other boys +who are, like myself, deeply indebted to you for the great service you +have rendered their sons. I can admire the feeling if not carried too +far; but you should have let your schoolfellows know exactly how you +were placed, and so have given us the opportunity of repaying the +obligation if we were disposed, not to have run away and hidden yourself +from us." + +"I am sorry, sir," Frank said simply. "I did not like to seem to trade +upon the slight service I rendered some of my schoolfellows. Dr. Bateman +told me I was wrong, but I did not see it then. Now I think, perhaps he +was right, although I am afraid that if it happened again I should do +the same." + +Sir James smiled. + +"I fear you are a stiff necked one, Master Frank. However, I will not +scold you any further. Now, what will you do with yourselves till dinner +time?" + +"Oh, we'll just sit and chat, father. We have got lots more things to +tell each other." + +The afternoon passed in pleasant talk. Frank learned that Ruthven had +now left Dr. Parker's for good, and that he was going down after the +holidays to a clergyman who prepared six or eight boys for the army. +Before dinner the footman returned with half a dozen of the best cases +from the shop, which were brought up to Dick's room, and the latter was +delighted with them. They greatly enjoyed their dinner together. At nine +o'clock a servant came up and took down the cases. Five minutes later he +returned again with a message, saying that Sir James wished Mr. Richard +and his friend to go down into the dining room. Frank was not shy, but +he felt it rather a trial when he entered the room, where seven or +eight gentlemen were sitting round the table, the ladies having already +withdrawn. The gentlemen were engaged in examining and admiring the +cases of stuffed birds and animals. + +"This is my young friend," Sir James said, "of whom I have been speaking +to you, and whose work you are all admiring. This, Frank, is Mr. +Goodenough, the traveler and naturalist, of whom you may have heard." + +"Yes, indeed," Frank said, looking at the gentleman indicated. "I have +Mr. Goodenough's book on The Passerine Family at home." + +"It is rather an expensive book too," the gentleman said. + +"Yes, sir. My father bought it, not I. He was very fond of natural +history and taught me all I know. He had a capital library of books on +the subject, which Dr. Bateman is keeping for me, at Deal, till I have +some place where I can put them. I was thinking of getting them up +soon." + +Mr. Goodenough asked him a few questions as to the books in the library, +and then put him through what Frank felt was a sort of examination, as +to his knowledge of their contents. + +"Very good indeed!" Mr. Goodenough said. "I can see from your work here +that you are not only a very clever preparer, but a close student of +the habits and ways of wild creatures. But I was hardly prepared to +find your scientific knowledge so accurate and extensive. I was at first +rather inclined to hesitate when Sir James Ruthven made me a proposal +just now. I do so no longer. I am on the point of starting on an +expedition into the center of Africa in search of specimens of natural +history. He has proposed that you should accompany me, and has offered +to defray the cost of your outfit, and of your passage out and home. I +may be away for two years. Of course you would act as my assistant, and +have every opportunity of acquiring such knowledge as I possess. It +will be no pleasure trip, you know, but hard work, with all sorts of +hardships and, perhaps, some dangers. At the same time it would be a +fine opening in a career as a naturalist. Well, what do you say?" + +"Oh, sir!" Frank exclaimed, clasping his hands, "it is of all things in +the world what I should like most. How can I thank you enough? And you, +Sir James, it is indeed kind and thoughtful of you." + +"We are not quits yet by any means, Frank," Sir James said kindly. "I +am glad indeed to be able to forward your wishes; and now you must go +upstairs and be introduced to my wife. She is most anxious to see you. +She only returned home just before dinner." + +Frank was taken upstairs, where he and his cases of birds were made +much of by Lady Ruthven and the ladies assembled in the drawing room. +He himself was so filled with delight at the prospect opened to him that +all thought of his dark tweed suit being out of place among the evening +dresses of the ladies and gentlemen, which had troubled him while he was +awaiting the summons to the dining room, quite passed out of his mind, +and he was able to do the honors of his cases naturally and without +embarrassment. At eleven o'clock he took his leave, promising to call +upon Mr. Goodenough, who was in lodgings in Jermyn Street, upon +the following morning, that gentleman having at Sir James' request +undertaken to procure all the necessary outfit. + +"I feel really obliged to you, Sir James," Mr. Goodenough said when +Frank had left. "The lad has a genius for natural history, and he is +modest and self possessed. From what you tell me he has done rather +than apply for assistance to anyone, he must have plenty of pluck and +resolution, and will make a capital traveling companion. I feel quite +relieved, for it is so difficult to procure a companion who will exactly +suit. Clever naturalists are rare, and one can never tell how one will +get on with a man when you are thrown together. He may want to have his +own way, may be irritable and bad tempered, may in many respects be a +disagreeable companion. With that lad I feel sure of my ground. We shall +get on capitally together." + +On his return to the shop Frank told his employer, whom he found sitting +up for him, the change which had taken place in his life, and the +opening which presented itself. + +Mr. Horton expressed himself as sincerely glad. + +"I shall miss you sadly," he said, "shall feel very dull for a time in +my solitary house here; but it is better for you that you should go, and +I never expected to keep you long. You were made for better things than +this shop, and I have no doubt that a brilliant career will be open +before you. You may not become a rich man, for natural history is +scarcely a lucrative profession, but you may become a famous one. Now, +my lad, go off to bed and dream of your future." + +The next morning Frank went over, the first thing after breakfast, to +see his friend the porter. He, too, was very pleased to hear of Frank's +good fortune, but he was too busy to talk much to him, and promised that +he would come over that evening and hear all about it. Then Frank took +his way to Jermyn Street, and went with Mr. Goodenough to Silver's, +where an outfit suited for the climate of Central Africa was +ordered. The clothes were simple. Shirts made of thin soft flannel, +knickerbockers and Norfolk jackets of tough New Zealand flax, with +gaiters of the same material. + +"There is nothing like it," Mr. Goodenough said; "it is the only stuff +which has a chance with the thorns of an African forest. Now you will +want a revolver, a Winchester repeating carbine, and a shotgun. My +outfit of boxes and cases is ready, so beyond two or three extra nets +and collecting boxes there is nothing farther to do in that way. For +your head you'd better have a very soft felt hat with a wide brim; with +a leaf or two inside they are as cool as anything, and are far lighter +and more comfortable than the helmets which many people use in the +tropics." + +"As far as shooting goes," Frank said, "I think that I shall do much +better with my blowgun than with a regular one. I can hit a small bird +sitting nineteen times out of twenty." + +"That is a good thing," Mr. Goodenough answered. "For shooting sitting +there is nothing better than a blowgun in skillful hands. They have +the advantage too of not breaking the skin; but for flying a shotgun is +infinitely more accurate. You will have little difficulty in learning to +shoot well, as your eye is already trained by the use of your blowpipe. +Will you want any knives for skinning?" + +"No, sir. I have a plentiful stock of them." + +"Are you going back to Eaton Square? I heard Sir James ask you to stop +there until we start." + +"No," Frank replied; "I asked his permission to stay where I am till +tomorrow. I did not like to seem in a hurry to run away from Mr. Horton, +who has been extremely kind to me." + +"Mind, you must come here in three days to have your things tried on," +Mr. Goodenough said. "I particularly ordered that they are to be made +easy and comfortable, larger, indeed, than you absolutely require, but +we must allow for growing, and two years may make a difference of some +inches to you. Now, we have only to go to a bootmaker's and then we have +done." + +When the orders were completed they separated, as Mr. Goodenough was +going down that afternoon to the country, and was not to return until +the day preceding that on which they were to sail. That evening Frank +had a long chat with his two friends, and was much pleased when the old +naturalist, who had taken a great fancy to the honest porter, offered +him the use of a room at his house, saying that he should be more +than paid by the pleasure of his company of an evening. The offer was +accepted, and Frank was glad to think that his two friends would be +sitting smoking their pipes together of an evening instead of being in +their solitary rooms. The next day he took up his residence in Eaton +square. + + + +CHAPTER VIII: TO THE DARK CONTINENT + + +After spending two or three days going about London and enjoying himself +with his friend Dick, Frank started for Deal, where he was pleased to +find his sister well and happy. He bade goodbye to her, to the doctor, +and such of his schoolfellows as lived in Deal, to whom his start for +Central Africa was quite an event. Dr. Bateman handed over to him his +watch and chain and his blowgun, which he had taken care of for him, +also his skinning knives and instruments. The same evening he returned +to town, and spent the days very pleasantly until the afternoon came +when he was to depart. Then he bade farewell to his kind friends Sir +James and Lady Ruthven. Dick accompanied him in the cab to Euston +station, where a minute or two later Mr. Goodenough arrived. The luggage +was placed in a carriage, and Frank stood chatting with Dick at the +door, until the guard's cry, "Take your places!" caused him to jump into +the carriage. There was one more hearty handshake with his friend, and +then the train steamed out of the station. + +It was midnight when they arrived at Liverpool, and at once went to bed +at the Station Hotel. On coming down in the morning Frank was astonished +at the huge heap of baggage piled up in the hall, but he was told that +this was of daily occurrence, as six or eight large steamers went +out from Liverpool every week for America alone, and that the great +proportion of the passengers came down, as they had done, on the +previous night, and slept at the Station hotel. Their own share of +the baggage was not large, consisting only of a portmanteau each, Mr. +Goodenough having sent down all his boxes two days previously. At +twelve o'clock they went on board the Niger, bound for the west coast +of Africa. This would carry them as far as Sierra Leone, whence Mr. +Goodenough intended to take passage in a sailing ship to his starting +point for the interior. + +Frank enjoyed the voyage out intensely, and three days after sailing +they had left winter behind; four days later they were lying in the +harbor of Funchal. + +"What a glorious place that would be to ramble about!" he said to Mr. +Goodenough. + +"Yes, indeed. It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast than +between this mountainous island of Madeira and the country which we are +about to penetrate. This is one of the most delightful climates in +the world, the west coast of Africa one of the worst. Once well in +the interior, the swamp fevers, which are the curse of the shores, +disappear, but African travelers are seldom long free from attacks of +fever of one kind or the other. However, quinine does wonders, and we +shall be far in the interior before the bad season comes on." + +"You have been there before, you said, Mr. Goodenough?" + +"Yes, I have been there twice, and have made excursions for short +distances from the coast. But this time we are going into a country +which may be said to be altogether unknown. One or two explorers have +made their way there, but these have done little towards examining +the natural productions of the country, and have been rather led by +inducements of sport than by those of research." + +"Did you have fever, sir?" + +"Two or three little attacks. A touch of African fever, during what is +called the good season, is of little more importance than a feverish +cold at home. It lasts two or three days, and then there is an end +of it. In the bad season the attacks are extremely violent, sometimes +carrying men off in a few hours. I consider, however, that dysentery is +a more formidable enemy than fever. However, even that, when properly +treated, should be combated successfully." + +"Do you mean to hire the men to go with you at Sierra Leone?" + +"Certainly not, Frank. The negroes of Sierra Leone are the most +indolent, the most worthless, and the most insolent in all Africa. It is +the last place in the world at which to hire followers. We must get them +at the Gaboon itself, and at each place we arrive at afterwards we take +on others, merely retaining one of the old lot to act as interpreter. +The natives, although they may allow white men to pass safely, are +exceedingly jealous of men of other tribes. I shall, however, take with +me, if possible, a body of, say six Houssas, who are the best fighting +negroes on the coast. These I shall take as a bodyguard; the carriers we +shall obtain from the different tribes we visit. The Kroomen, whom you +will see at Cape Palmas, are a magnificent set of men. They furnish +sailors and boatmen to all the ships trading on these shores. They are +strong, willing, and faithful, but they do not like going up into the +interior. Now we will land here and get a few hours' run on shore. There +are one or two peculiarities about Madeira which distinguish it from +other places. To begin with we will go for a ride in a bullock cart +without wheels." + +"But surely it must jolt about terribly," Frank said. + +"Not at all. The roads are paved with round, knubbly stones, such as +you see sometimes in narrow lanes and courts in seaside places at home. +These would not make smooth roads for wheeled vehicles; but here, as you +will see, the carts are placed on long runners like those of sledges. +These are greased, and the driver always has a pound of candles or so +hanging to the cart. When he thinks that the runners want greasing he +takes a candle, lays it down on the road in front of one of the runners, +and lets this pass over it. This greases it sufficiently, and it glides +along over the stones almost as smoothly as if passing over ice." + +Frank thoroughly enjoyed his run on shore, but was surprised at the air +of listlessness which pervaded the inhabitants. Every one moved about in +the most dawdling fashion. The shopkeepers looked out from their doors +as if it were a matter of perfect indifference to them whether customers +called or not. The few soldiers in Portuguese uniform looked as if they +had never done a day's drill since they left home. Groups sat in chairs +under the trees and sipped cooling drinks or coffee. The very bullocks +which drew the gliding wagons seemed to move more slowly than bullocks +in other places. Frank and his friend drove in a wagon to the monastery, +high up on the mountain, and then took their places on a little hand +sledge, which was drawn by two men with ropes, who took them down the +sharp descent at a run, dashing round corners at a pace which made Frank +hold his breath. It took them but a quarter of an hour to regain the +town, while an hour and a half had been occupied in the journey out. + +"I shall buy a couple of hammocks here," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are +made of knotted string, and are lighter and more comfortable than those +to be met with on the coast. I will get a couple of their cane chairs, +too, they are very light and comfortable." + +In the afternoon they again embarked, and then steamed away for Sierra +Leone. After several days' passage, they arrived there at daylight, and +Frank was soon on deck. + +"What a beautiful place!" he exclaimed. "It is not a bit what I +expected." + +"No," Mr. Goodenough said; "no one looking at it could suppose that +bright pretty town had earned for itself the name of the white man's +grave." + +Sierra Leone is built on a somewhat steep ascent about a mile up the +river. Freetown, as the capital is properly called, stands some fifty +feet or so above the sea, and the barracks upon a green hill three +hundred feet above it, a quarter of a mile back. The town, as seen +from the sea, consists entirely of the houses of the merchants and +shopkeepers, the government buildings, churches, and other public and +European buildings. The houses are all large and bright with yellow +tinged whitewash, and the place is completely embowered in palms and +other tropical trees. The native town lies hidden from sight among trees +on low ground to the left of the town. Everywhere around the town the +hills rise steep and high, wooded to the summit. Altogether there are +few more prettily situated towns than the capital of Sierra Leone. + +"It is wonderful," Mr. Goodenough said, "that generations and +generations of Europeans have been content to live and die in that +wretchedly unhealthy place, when they might have established themselves +on those lofty hills but a mile away. There they would be far above the +malarious mists which rise from the low ground. The walk up and down to +their warehouses and offices here would be good for them, and there +is no reason why Sierra Leone should be an unhealthy residence. +Unfortunately the European in Africa speedily loses his vigor and +enterprise. When he first lands he exclaims, 'I certainly shall have a +bungalow built upon those hills;' but in a short time his energy leaves +him. He falls into the ways of the place, drinks a great deal more +spirits than is good for him, stops down near the water, and at the end +of a year or so, if he lives so long, is obliged to go back to Europe to +recruit. + +"Look at the boats coming out." + +A score of boats, each containing from ten to twelve men, approached the +ship. They remained at a short distance until the harbor master came on +board and pronounced the ship free from quarantine. Then the boats made +a rush to the side, and with shouts, yells, and screams of laughter +scrambled on board. Frank was at once astonished and amused at the noise +and confusion. + +"What on earth do they all want?" he asked Mr. Goodenough. + +"The great proportion of them don't want anything at all," Mr. +Goodenough answered, "but have merely come off for amusement. Some of +them come to be hired, some to carry luggage, others to tout for the +boatmen below. Look at those respectable negresses coming up the gangway +now. They are washerwomen, and will take our clothes ashore and bring +them on board again this afternoon before we start." + +"It seems running rather a risk," Frank said. + +"No, you will see they all have testimonials, and I believe it is +perfectly safe to intrust things to them." + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank now prepared to go on shore, but this was not +easily accomplished, for there was a battle royal among the boatmen +whose craft thronged at the foot of the ladder. Each boat had about four +hands, three of whom remained on board her, while the fourth stood +upon the ladder and hauled at the painter to keep the boat to which he +belonged alongside. As out of the twenty boats lying there not more +than two could be at the foot of the ladder together, the conflict was a +desperate one. All the boatmen shouted, "Here, sar. This good boat, sar. +You come wid me, sar," at the top of their voices, while at the same +time they were hard at work pulling each other's boats back and pushing +their own forward. So great was the struggle as Frank and Mr. Goodenough +approached the gangway, so great the crowd upon the ladder, that one +side of the iron bar from which the ladder chains depend broke in two, +causing the ladder to drop some inches and giving a ducking to those +on the lower step, causing shouts of laughter and confusion. These rose +into perfect yells of amusement when one of the sailors suddenly loosed +the ladder rope, letting five or six of the negroes into the water up to +their necks. So intense was the appreciation by the sable mind of this +joke that the boatmen rolled about with laughter, and even the victims, +when they had once scrambled into their boats, yelled like people +possessed. + +"They are just like children," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are always +either laughing or quarreling. They are good natured and passionate, +indolent, but will work hard for a time; clever up to a certain point, +densely stupid beyond. The intelligence of an average negro is about +equal to that of a European child of ten years old. A few, a very few, +go beyond this, but these are exceptions, just as Shakespeare was an +exception to the ordinary intellect of an Englishman. They are fluent +talkers, but their ideas are borrowed. They are absolutely without +originality, absolutely without inventive power. Living among white men, +their imitative faculties enable them to attain a considerable amount +of civilization. Left alone to their own devices they retrograde into a +state little above their native savagery." + +This was said as, after having fixed upon a boat and literally fought +their way into it, they were rowed towards the shore. On landing Frank +was delighted with the greenness of everything. The trees were heavy +with luxuriant foliage, the streets were green with grass as long and +bright as that in a country lane in England. The hill on which the +barracks stand was as bright a green as you would see on English slopes +after a wet April, while down the streets clear streams were running. +The town was alive with a chattering, laughing, good natured, excitable +population, all black, but with some slight variation in the dinginess +of the hue. + +Never was there such a place for fun as Sierra Leone. Every one was +brimful of it. Every one laughed when he or she spoke, and every one +standing near joined freely in the conversation and laughed too. Frank +was delighted with the display of fruit in the market, which is probably +unequaled in the world. Great piles there were of delicious big oranges, +green but perfectly sweet, and of equally refreshing little green limes; +pineapples and bananas, green, yellow, and red, guava, and custard +apples, alligator pears, melons, and sour sops, and many other native +fruits. + +Mr. Goodenough purchased a large basket of fruit, which they took with +them on board the ship. The next morning they started down the coast. +They passed Liberia, the republic formed of liberated slaves, and of +negroes from America, and brought up a mile or two off Monrovia, its +capital. The next day they anchored off Cape Palmas, the headquarters of +the Kroomen. A number of these men came off in their canoes, and caused +great amusement to Frank and the other passengers by their fun and +dexterity in the management of their little craft. These boats +are extremely light, being hollowed out until little thicker than +pasteboard, and even with two Kroomen paddling it is difficult for a +European to sit in them, so extremely crank are they. Light as they are +the Krooboy can stand up and dive from his boat without upsetting it +if he take time; but in the hurry and excitement of diving for coppers, +when half a dozen men would leap overboard together, the canoes were +frequently capsized. The divers, however, thought nothing of these +mishaps, righting the boats and getting in again without difficulty. +Splendidly muscular fellows they were. Indeed, except among the Turkish +hamals it is doubtful whether such powerful figures could be found +elsewhere. + +"They would be grand fellows to take with us, Mr. Goodenough," Frank +said. + +"Yes, if they were as plucky as they are strong, one could wish for +nothing better; but they are notorious cowards, and no offer would tempt +them to penetrate into such a country as that into which we are going." + +Stopping a few hours at Cape Coast Castle, Accra, and other ports they +at last arrived at Bonny. + +"It is not tempting in appearance," Frank said, "certainly." + +"No," Mr. Goodenough replied, "this is one of the most horribly +unhealthy spots in Africa. As you see, the white traders do not dare to +live on shore, but take up their residence in those old floating hulks +which are thatched over, and serve as residences and storehouses. I have +a letter from one of the African merchants in London, and we shall take +up our abode on board his hulk until we get one of the coasting steamers +to carry us down. I hope it will not be many days." + +The very bulky luggage was soon transferred to the hulk, where Frank +and Mr. Goodenough took up their residence. The agent in charge was very +glad to receive them, as any break in the terrible monotony of such a +life is eagerly welcomed. He was a pale, unhealthy looking man, and had +just recovered from an unusually bad attack of fever. Like most of the +traders on the coast he had an immense faith in the power of spirits. + +"It is the ruin of them," Mr. Goodenough said to Frank when they were +alone. "Five out of six of the men here ruin their constitutions with +spirits, and then fall an easy prey to the fever." + +"But you have brought spirits with you, Mr. Goodenough. I saw some of +the cases were labeled Brandy.'" + +"Brandy is useful when taken as a medicine, and in moderation. A little +mixed with water at the end of a long day of exhausting work acts as a +restorative, and frequently enables a worn out man to sleep. But I have +brought the brandy you see for the use of others rather than myself. +One case is of the very best spirits for our own use. The rest is +common stuff and is intended as presents. Our main drink will be tea and +chocolate. These are invaluable for the traveler. I have, besides, large +quantities of calico, brass stair rods, beads, and powder. These are the +money of Africa, and pass current everywhere. With these we shall pay +our carriers and boatmen, with these purchase the right of way through +the various tribes we shall meet. Moreover it is almost necessary in +Africa to pass as traders. The people perfectly understand that white +men come here to trade; but if we said that our object was to shoot +birds and beasts, and to catch butterflies and insects, they would not +believe us in the slightest degree, but would suspect us of all sorts of +hidden designs. Now we will go ashore and pay our respects to the king." + +"Do you mean to say that there is a king in that wretched looking +village?" Frank asked in surprise. + +"Kings are as plentiful as peas in Africa," Mr. Goodenough said, "but +you will not see much royal state." + +Frank was disappointed indeed upon landing. Sierra Leone had given him +an exalted idea of African civilization, but this was at once dispelled +by the appearance of Bonny. The houses were constructed entirely of +black mud, and the streets were narrow and filthy beyond description. +The palace was composed of two or three hovels, surrounded by a mud +wall. In one of these huts the king was seated. Mr. Goodenough and Frank +were introduced by the agent, who had gone ashore with them, and His +Majesty, who was an almost naked negro, at once invited them to join +him in the meal of which he was partaking. As a matter of courtesy +they consented, and plates were placed before them, heaped with a stew +consisting of meat, vegetables, and hot peppers. While the meal went on +the king asked Mr. Goodenough what he had come to the coast for, and +was disappointed to find that he was not going to set up as a trader at +Bonny, as it was the custom for each newcomer to make a handsome present +to him. When the meal was over they took their leave. + +"Do you know what you have been eating?" the agent asked Frank. + +"Not in the least," Frank said. "It was not bad; what was it?" + +"It was dog flesh," the agent answered. + +"Not really!" Frank exclaimed with an uncomfortable sensation of +sickness. + +"Yes, indeed," the agent replied. "Dog's meat is considered a luxury in +Bonny, and dogs are bred specially for the table." + +"You'll eat stranger things than that before you've done, Frank," Mr. +Goodenough continued, "and will find them just as good, and in many +cases better, than those to which you are accustomed. It is a strange +thing why in Europe certain animals should be considered fit to eat +and certain animals altogether rejected, and this without the slightest +reason. Horses and donkeys are as clean feeders as oxen and sheep. Dogs, +cats, and rats are far cleaner than pigs and ducks. The flesh of the +one set is every bit as good as that of the other, and yet the poorest +peasant would turn up his nose at them. Here sheep and oxen, horses and +donkeys, will not live, and the natives very wisely make the most of the +animals which can do so." + +Frank was soon tired of Bonny, and was glad to hear that they would +start the next day for Fernando Po in a little steamer called the +Retriever. The island of Fernando Po is a very beautiful one, the peak +rising ten thousand feet above the sea, and wooded to the very summit. +Were the trees to some extent cleared away the island might be very +healthy. As it is, it is little better than the mainland. + +There was not much to see in the town of Clarence, whose population +consists entirely of traders from Sierra Leone, Kroomen, etc. The +natives, whose tribal name is Adiza, live in little villages in the +interior. They are an extremely primitive people, and for the most part +dispense altogether with clothing. The island belongs to Spain, and is +used as a prison, the convicts being kept in guard ships in the harbor. +After a stay of three days there Mr. Goodenough and Frank took passage +in a sailing ship for the Gaboon. + + + +CHAPTER IX: THE START INLAND + + +After the comforts of a fine steamer the accommodation on board the +little trader was poor indeed. The vessel smelt horribly of palm oil +and was alive with cockroaches. These, however, Mr. Goodenough and Frank +cared little for, as they brought up their mattresses and slept on deck. +Upon their voyage out from England Frank, as well as several of the +other passengers, had amused himself by practicing with his rifle at +empty bottles thrown overboard, and other objects, and having nothing +else to do now, he resumed the practice, accustoming himself also to the +use of his revolver, the mark being a small log of wood swung from the +end of a yard. + +"I told you," Mr. Goodenough said, "that your skill with the blowgun +would prove useful to you in shooting. You are as good a shot as I +am, and I am considered a fair one. I have no doubt that with a little +practice you will succeed as well with your double barrel. The shooting +of birds on the wing is a knack which seems to come naturally to some +people, while others, practice as they will, never become good shots." + +The ship touched twice upon its way down to the Gaboon. Once at +the Malimba river, the second time at Botauga, the latter being the +principal ivory port in equatorial Africa. + +"Shall we meet with any elephants, do you think?" Frank asked his +friend. + +"In all probability," Mr. Goodenough said. "Elephant shooting, of +course, does not come within our line of action, and I should not go at +all out of my way for them. Still, if we meet them we will shoot them. +The ivory is valuable and will help to pay our expenses, while the +meat is much prized by the natives, who will gladly assist us in +consideration of the flesh." + +On the sixteenth day after leaving Fernando Po they entered the Gaboon. +On the right hand bank were the fort and dwellings of the French. A +little farther up stood the English factories; and upon a green hill +behind, the church, school, and houses of an American mission. On the +left bank was the wattle town of King William, the sable monarch of the +Gaboon. Mr. Goodenough at once landed and made inquiries for a house. He +succeeded in finding one, consisting of three rooms, built on piles, an +important point in a country in which disease rises from the soil. At +Bonny Mr. Goodenough had, with the assistance of the agent, enlisted six +Houssas. These people live much higher up on the coast, but they wander +a good deal and may be met with in most of the ports. The men had formed +a guard in one of the hulks, but trade having been bad the agent had +gone home, and they were glad to take service with Mr. Goodenough. They +spoke a few words of English, and, like the Kroomen, rejoiced in names +which had been given them by sailors. They were called Moses, Firewater, +Ugly Tom, Bacon, Tatters, and King John. They were now for the first +time set to work, and the goods were soon transported from the brig to +the house. + +"Is anything the matter with you, Frank?" Mr. Goodenough asked that +evening. + +"I don't know, sir. My head feels heavy, somehow, and I am giddy." + +Mr. Goodenough felt his pulse. + +"You have got your first touch of fever," he said. "I wonder you've been +so long without it. You had better lie down at once." + +A quarter of an hour afterwards Frank was seized with an overpowering +heat, every vein appearing to be filled with liquid fire; but his skin, +instead of being, as usual, in a state of perspiration, was dry and +hard. + +"Now, Frank, sit up and drink this. It's only some mustard and salt and +water. I have immense faith in an emetic." + +The draught soon took its effect. Frank was violently sick, and the +perspiration broke in streams from him. + +"Here is a cup of tea," Mr. Goodenough said; "drink that and you will +find that there will be little the matter with you in the morning." + +Frank awoke feeling weak, but otherwise perfectly well. Mr. Goodenough +administered a strong dose of quinine, and after he had had his +breakfast he felt quite himself again. + +"Now," Mr. Goodenough said, "we will go up to the factories and mission +and try and find a really good servant. Everything depends upon that." + +In a short time an engagement was made with a negro of the name of +Ostik. He was a Mpongwe man, that being the name of the tribe on the +coast. He spoke English fairly, as well as two or three of the native +languages. He had before made a journey some distance into the interior +with a white traveler. He was a tall and powerfully built negro, very +ugly, but with a pleasant and honest face. Frank felt at once that he +should like him. + +"You quite understand," Mr. Goodenough explained, "we are going through +the Fan country, far into the interior. We may be away from the coast +for many months." + +"Me ready, sar," the man answered with a grin. "Mak no odds to Ostik. He +got no wife, no piccanniny. Ostik very good cook. Master find good grub; +he catch plenty of beasts." + +"You're not afraid, Ostik, because it is possible we may have trouble on +the way?" + +"Me not very much afraid, massa. You good massa to Ostik he no run away +if fightee come; but no good fight whole tribe." + +"I hope not to have any fighting at all, Ostik; but as I have got six +Houssas with me who will all carry breech loading guns, I think we +should be a match for a good sized tribe, if necessary." + +Ostik looked thoughtful. "More easy, massa, go without Houssas," he +said. "Black man not often touch white traveler." + +"No, Ostik, that is true; but I must take with me trade goods for paying +my way and hiring carriers, and if alone I should be at the mercy of +every petty chief who chose to plunder and delay me. I am going as a +peaceful traveler, ready to pay my way, and to make presents to the +different kings through whose territories I may pass. But I do not +choose to put myself at the mercy of any of them. I do not say that +eight men armed with breech loaders could defeat a whole tribe; but they +would be so formidable, that any of these negro kings would probably +prefer taking presents and letting us pass peacefully to trying to rob +us. The first thing to do, will be to hire one large canoe, or two if +necessary. The men must agree to take us up into the Fan country, as far +as the rapids on the Gaboon. Then we shall take carriers there, and the +boat can return by itself. These are the things which will have to go." + +The baggage consisted of ten large tin cases, each weighing about eighty +pounds. These contained cotton cloths, powder, beads, tea, chocolate, +sugar, and biscuits. There were in addition three bundles of stair rods, +each about the same weight as the boxes. These were done up in canvas. +There was also a tent made of double canvas weighing fifty pounds, and +two light folding tressel beds weighing fifteen pounds apiece. Thus +fourteen men would be required as carriers, besides some for plantains +and other provisions, together with the portmanteaus, rugs, and +waterproof sheets of the travelers. There were besides six great chests +made of light iron. Four of these were fitted with trays with cork +bottoms, for insects. The other two were for the skins of birds. All the +boxes and cases had strips of India rubber where the lids fitted down, +in order to keep out both damp and the tiny ants which are the plague of +naturalists in Africa. + +Four or five days were occupied in getting together a crew, for the +natives had an abject fear of entering the country of the cannibal +Fans. Mr. Goodenough promised that they should not be obliged to proceed +unless a safe conduct for their return was obtained from the King of the +Fans. A large canoe was procured, sufficient to convey the whole party. +Twelve paddlers were hired, and the goods taken down and arranged in the +boat. The Houssas had been, on landing, furnished with their guns, +which were Snider rifles, had been instructed in the breech loading +arrangement, and had been set to work to practice at a mark at a hundred +and fifty yards distance--the stump of an old tree, some five feet +in height, serving for the purpose. The men were delighted with the +accuracy of their pieces and the rapidity at which they could be +fired. Mr. Goodenough impressed upon them that unless attacked at close +quarters, and specially ordered to fire fast, they must aim just as +slowly and deliberately as if using their old guns, for that in so +long a journey ammunition would be precious, and must, therefore, on no +account whatever, be wasted. In the boxes were six thousand rounds of +ammunition, a thousand for each gun, besides the ammunition for the +rifles and fowling pieces of Mr. Goodenough and Frank. + +In order to render the appearance of his followers as imposing as +possible, Mr. Goodenough furnished each of the Houssas with a pair of +trousers made of New Zealand flax, reaching to their knees. These he had +brought from England with him. They were all found to be too large, but +the men soon set to work with rough needles and thread and took them in. +In addition to these, each man was furnished with a red sash, which went +several times round the waist, and served to keep the trousers up and to +give a gay aspect to the dress. The Houssas were much pleased with their +appearance. All of them carried swords in addition to the guns, as in +their own country they are accustomed to fight with these weapons. + +They started early in the morning, and after four hours' paddling passed +Konig Island, an abandoned Dutch settlement. Here they stopped for an +hour or two, and then the sea breeze sprang up, a sail was hoisted, and +late at night they passed a French guardship placed to mark the boundary +of that settlement at a point where a large tributary called the Boqui +runs into it. Here is a little island called Nenge Nenge, formerly a +missionary station, where the natives are still Christians. At this +place the canoe was hauled ashore. The Houssas had already been +instructed in the method of pitching the tent, and in a very few minutes +this was erected. It was a double poled tent, some ten feet square, +and there was a waterproof sheet large enough to cover the whole of the +interior, thus preventing the miasma from arising from the ground within +it. The beds were soon opened and fixed, two of the large cases formed +a table and two smaller ones did service as chairs. A lamp was lit, and +Frank was charmed with the comfort and snugness of the abode. + +The men's weapons were fastened round one of the poles to keep them from +the damp night air. Ostik had at once set to work on landing, leaving +the Houssas to pitch the tent. A fire was soon blazing and a kettle and +saucepans suspended over it. Rice was served out to the men, with the +addition of some salt meat, of which sufficient had been purchased from +the captain of the brig to last throughout the journey in the canoe. The +men were all in high spirits at this addition to their fare, which was +more than had been bargained for, and their songs rose merrily round the +fire in the night air. + +In the morning, after breakfast, they again took their places in the +canoe. For twelve miles they paddled, the tide at first assisting +them, but after this the water from the mountains ahead overpowered it. +Presently they arrived at the first Fan village, called Olenga, which +they reached six hours after starting. The natives crowded round as the +canoe approached, full of curiosity and excitement, for never but once +had a white man passed up the river. These Fans differed widely from +the coast negroes. Their hair was longer and thicker, their figures were +slight, their complexion coffee colored, and their projecting upper jaws +gave them a rabbit mouthed appearance. They wore coronets on their heads +adorned with the red tail feathers of the common gray parrot. Most of +the men had beards, which were divided in the middle, red and white +beads being strung up the tips. Some wore only a strip of goatskin +hanging from the waist, or the skin of a tigercat, while others had +short petticoats made of cloth woven from the inner bark of a tree. The +travelers were led to the hut of the chief, where they were surrounded +by a mob of the cannibals. The Houssas had been strictly enjoined to +leave their guns in the bottom of the canoe, as Mr. Goodenough desired +to avoid all appearance of armed force. The chief demanded of Ostik what +these two white men wanted here, and whether they had come to trade. +Ostik replied that the white men were going up the river into the +country beyond to shoot elephants and buy ivory, that they did not want +to trade for logwood or oil, but that they would give presents to the +chiefs of the Fan villages. A score of cheap Birmingham muskets had been +brought from England by Mr. Goodenough for this purpose. One of these +was now bestowed upon the chief, together with some powder and ball, +three bright cotton handkerchiefs, some gaudy glass beads, and +two looking glasses for his wives. This was considered perfectly +satisfactory. + +The crowd was very great, and at Mr. Goodenough's dictation Ostik +informed the chief that if the white men were left quiet until the +evening they would show his people many strange things. On the receipt +of this information the crowd dispersed. But when at sunset the two +travelers took a turn through the village, the excitement was again very +great. The men stood their ground and stared at them, but the women and +children ran screaming away to hide themselves. The idea of the people +of Central Africa of the whites is that they are few in number, that +they live at the bottom of the sea, and are possessed of great wealth, +but that they have no palm oil or logwood, and are, therefore, compelled +to come to land to trade for these articles. They believe that the +strange clothes they wear are manufactured from the skins of sea beasts. + +When night fell Mr. Goodenough fastened a sheet against the outside of +the chief's hut, and then placed a magic lantern in position ten paces +from it. The Fans were then invited to gather round and take their seats +upon the ground. A cry of astonishment greeted the appearance of the +bright disk. This was followed by a wilder yell when this was darkened, +and an elephant bearing some men sitting on his back was seen to cross +the house. The men leaped to their feet and seized their spears. The +women screamed, and Ostik, who was himself somewhat alarmed, had great +difficulty in calming their fears and persuading them to sit down +again, assuring them that they would see many wonderful things, but that +nothing would hurt them. + +The next view was at first incomprehensible to many of them. It was a +ship tossing in a stormy sea; but some of those present had been down to +the mouth of the river, and these explained to the others the nature +of the phenomenon. In all there were twenty slides, all of which were +provided with movable figures; the last two being chromatropes, whose +dancing colors elicited screams of delight from the astonished natives. +This concluded the performance, but for hours after it was over the +village rang with a perfect Babel of shouts, screams, and chatter. +The whole thing was to the Fans absolutely incomprehensible, and their +astonishment was equalled by their awe at the powers of the white men. + +The next two days they remained at Olenga, as word was sent up to +Itchongue, the next town, asking the chief there for leave to come +forward. The people had now begun to get over their first timidity, +and when Frank went out for a walk after breakfast he was somewhat +embarrassed by the women and girls crowding round him, feeling his +clothes and touching his hands and face to assure themselves that these +felt like those of human beings. He afforded them huge delight by taking +off his Norfolk jacket and pulling up the sleeves of his shirt to show +them that his arms were the same color as his hands, and so elated were +they with this exhibition that it was with great difficulty that he +withstood their entreaties that he would disrobe entirely. Indeed, Ostik +had at last to come to his rescue and carry him off from the laughing +crowd by which he was surrounded. + +After dinner Mr. Goodenough invited the people to sit down in a vast +circle holding each other's hands. He then told them that he should at +a word make them all jump to their feet. Then taking out a small but +powerful galvanic battery, he arranged it and placed wires into the +hands of the two men nearest to him in the great circle. + +"Now," he said, "when I clap my hands you will find that you are all +obliged to jump up." + +He gave the signal. Frank turned on the battery, and in an instant the +two hundred men and women, with a wild shriek, either leapt to their +feet or rolled backward on the ground. In another minute not a native +was to be seen, with the exception of the chief, who had not been +included in the circle. The latter, at Mr. Goodenough's request, shouted +loudly to his subjects to return, for that the white men would do them +no harm; but it was a long time before, slowly and cautiously, they +crept back again. When they had reassembled Mr. Goodenough showed them +several simple but astonishing chemical experiments, which stupefied +them with wonder; and concluded with three or four conjuring tricks, +which completed their amazement. A long day's paddling took them to +Itchongue, where they were as well received as at Olenga. Here they +stopped for two days, and the magic lantern was again brought out, and +the other tricks repeated with a success equal to that which they had +before obtained. As another day's paddling would take them to the rapids +Mr. Goodenough now set up a negotiation for obtaining a sufficient +number of carriers. After great palaver, and the presentation of three +guns to the chief to obtain his assistance, thirty men were engaged. +These were each to receive a yard of calico or one brass stair rod a +day, and were to proceed with the party until such time as they could +procure carriers from another tribe. + +The new recruits were taken up in another canoe. Several villages were +passed on the way. The river became a mere rapid, against which +the canoes with difficulty made their way. They had now entered the +mountains which rose steeply above them, embowered in wood. Two days +of severe work took them to the foot of the falls. Here the canoes were +unloaded. The men hired on the coast received their pay, and turned +the boat's head down stream. The other canoe accompanied it, and the +travelers remained with their bodyguard of Houssas and their carriers. + +"Now," Mr. Goodenough said, "we are fairly embarked on our journey, and +we will commence operations at once. I have heard the cries of a great +many birds which are strange to me today, and I expect that we shall +have a good harvest. We may remain here for some time. The first thing +to do is to find food for our followers. We have got six sacks of rice, +but it will never do to let our men depend solely upon these. They would +soon come to an end." + +"But how are we to feed forty people?" Frank asked in astonishment. + +"I pointed out to you today," Mr. Goodenough said, "the tracks of +hippopotami in various places. One of these beasts will feed the men +for nearly a week. There were, too, numbers of alligators' eggs on the +banks, and these creatures make by no means bad eating. Your rifle will +be of no use against such animals as these. You had better take one of +the Sniders. I have some explosive shells which will fit them. My own +double barrelled rifle is of the same bore." + +After dinner Mr. Goodenough told two of the Houssas to accompany them +with their rifles, together with three or four of the Fans. He made his +way down the stream to a point where the hills receded, and where he had +observed a great many marks of the river horses. As they approached +the spot they heard several loud snorts, and making their way along as +quietly as possible they saw two of the great beasts standing in the +stream. At this point it widened a good deal and was shallow and quite +near the bank. The Fans had been told to stay behind directly the +snorting was heard, and Mr. Goodenough and Frank, rifle in hand, crept +forward, with the Houssas as still and noiseless as cats close behind +them. + + + +CHAPTER X: LOST IN THE FOREST + + +The hippopotami were playing together, floundering in the shallow water, +and the noise they made prevented their hearing the stealthy approach of +their enemies. + +"You take the one nearest shore, Frank, I will take the other. Aim at +the forehead between the eyes. I will make a slight sound to attract +their attention." + +Frank knelt on one knee and took steady aim. Mr. Goodenough then gave +a shout, and the two animals turning their heads stood staring at +the foliage, scarce a dozen yards away, in which the travelers were +concealed. The guns flashed at the same moment, and as if struck by +lightning the hippopotami fell in the stream. The explosive balls had +both flown true to the mark, invariably a fatal one in the case of the +river horse. Frank as he fired had taken another rifle which the Houssas +held in readiness for him, but there was no occasion for its use. +The Fans came running up, and on seeing the great beasts lying in the +stream, gave a shout of joy. + +"That will do for this evening," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are large +beasts, and will give food enough for a week or ten days." + +They then returned to the camp which, at the news brought by one of the +Fans, had already been deserted. Before the natives retired to sleep +the hippopotami had been cut up and carried to the camp. Portions +were already frizzling over the fires, other parts set aside for the +consumption of the next two days, and the rest cut up in strips to be +dried in the sun. The tongue of one was cut up and fried as a great +luxury for the white men's supper by Ostik. It is not often that the +natives of equatorial Africa are able to indulge in meat, and the joy +of the Fans at this abundant supply, and the prospect afforded them of +further good eating, raised their spirits to the highest extent. + +Next morning at daybreak Mr. Goodenough and Frank set out from the camp. +Each carried a double barreled gun, and was accompanied by one of the +Houssas carrying his rifle and a butterfly net, and when three hours +later they returned to the camp for breakfast and compared their spoils +they found that an excellent beginning had been made. Nearly a score of +birds, of which several were very rare, and five were pronounced by +Mr. Goodenough to be entirely new, had been shot, and many butterflies +captured. Frank had been most successful in this respect, as he had come +across a small clearing in which were several deserted huts. This was +just the place in which butterflies delight, for, although many kinds +prefer the deep shades of the forest, by far the greater portion love +the bright sunlight. + +After breakfast they again set out, Frank this time keeping along the +edge of the stream, where he had observed many butterflies as he came +up, and where many birds of the kingfisher family had also been seen. He +had been very successful, and was walking along by the edge of the water +with his eyes fixed upon the trees above, where he had a minute before +heard the call of a bird, when he was startled by a shout from the +Houssa behind him. He involuntarily sprang back, and it was well he did +so; for on the instant something swept by within an inch or two of his +head. Looking round he saw, at the edge of the stream below him, a huge +alligator. This had struck at him with its tail--the usual manner in +which the alligator supplies itself with food--and had it not been for +the warning cry of the Houssa, would have knocked him into the stream. +Its mouth was open and Frank, as if by instinct, fired the contents of +both barrels into its throat. The animal rolled over on to its back +in the water and then turned as if to struggle to regain the bank. The +Houssa, however, had run up, and, placing the muzzle of his gun within a +foot of its eye, fired, and the creature rolled over dead, and was swept +away by the stream. + +The Houssa gave a loud shout which was answered in the distance. He +then shouted two or three words, and turning to Frank said: "Men get +alligator," and proceeded on his way without concerning himself further +in the matter. + +On his return to camp in the evening Frank found that the alligator had +been discovered and fished out, and that its steaks were by no means bad +eating. Frank told Mr. Goodenough of the narrow escape he had had, and +the latter pointed out to him the necessity of always keeping his eyes +on the watch. + +"Alligators frequently carry off the native women when engaged in +washing," he said, "and almost invariably strike them, in the first +place, into the river with a blow of their tails. Once in the water they +are carried off, drowned, and eaten at leisure. Sometimes, indeed, +a woman may escape with the loss of a foot or arm, but this is the +exception." + +"What is the best thing to do when so attacked?" Frank asked. "I don't +mean to be caught napping again, still it is as well to know what to do +if I am." + +"Men when so attacked have been known frequently to escape by thrusting +their thumbs or fingers into the creature's eyes. If it can be done the +alligator is sure to lose his hold, but it demands quickness and great +presence of mind. When a reptile is tearing at one's leg, and hurrying +one along under water, you can see that the nerve required to keep +perfectly cool, to feel for the creature's eyes, and to thrust your +finger into them is very great. The best plan, Frank, distinctly is to +keep out of their reach altogether." + +After remaining for a fortnight at their camp they prepared for a move. +Another hippopotamus was killed, cut up and dried, and the flesh added +to the burdens. Then the tent was struck and they proceeded farther into +the mountains. Two days later they halted again, the site being chosen +beside a little mountain rivulet. They were now very high up in +the hills, Mr. Goodenough expecting to meet with new varieties of +butterflies and insects at this elevation. They had scarcely pitched +their camp when Frank exclaimed: + +"Surely, Mr. Goodenough, I can hear some dogs barking! I did not know +that the native dogs barked." + +"Nor do they. They may yelp and howl, but they never bark like European +dogs. What you hear is the bark of some sort of monkey or baboon." + +This opinion was at once confirmed by the Fans. + +"We will sally out with our guns at once," Mr. Goodenough said. + +"I don't like the thought of shooting monkeys," Frank muttered, as he +took up his Winchester carbine. + +"They are very excellent eating," Mr. Goodenough continued, "superior in +my opinion, and, indeed, in that of most travelers, to any other meat. +We shall meet with no other kind of creature fit for food up here. The +birds, indeed, supply us amply, but for the men it is desirable that we +should obtain fresh meat when we have the chance. These baboons are very +mischievous creatures, and are not to be attacked with impunity. Let +four of the Houssas with their guns come with us." + +Following the direction of the sounds they had heard, the travelers came +upon a troupe of great baboons. It was a curious sight. The males were +as big as large dogs, some were sitting sunning themselves on rocks, +others were being scratched by the females. Many of these had a baby +monkey clinging on their necks, while others were playing about in all +directions. + +"I'd rather not shoot at them, Mr. Goodenough," Frank said. + +"You will be glad enough to eat them," Mr. Goodenough answered, and +selecting a big male he fired. The creature fell dead. The others all +sprang to their feet. The females and little ones scampered off. The +males, with angry gestures, rushed upon their assailants, barking, +showing their teeth, and making menacing gestures. Mr. Goodenough fired +again, and Frank now, seeing that they were likely to be attacked, also +opened fire. Six of the baboons were killed before the others abstained +from the attack and went screaming after the females. The dead baboons +were brought down, skinned, and two were at once roasted, the others +hung up to trees. It required a great effort on Frank's part to overcome +his repugnance to tasting these creatures, but, when he did so, he +admitted that the meat was excellent. + +That night they were disturbed by a cry of terror from the men. Seizing +their rifles they ran out. + +"There are two leopards, sar," Ostik said; "they have smelt the +monkeys." + +The shouts scared the creatures away, and the natives kept up a great +fire till morning. + +"We must get the skins if we can," Mr. Goodenough said. "The skins of +the equatorial leopard are rare. If we can get them both they will make +a fine group for you to stuff when you get back, Frank." + +"Are you thinking of following their trail?" Frank asked. + +"That would be useless," Mr. Goodenough answered. "In soft swampy ground +we might do so, but up here it would be out of the question. We must set +a bait for them tonight, but be careful while you are out today. They +have probably not gone far from the camp, and they are very formidable +beasts. They not unfrequently attack and kill the natives." + +The Fans were much alarmed at the neighborhood of the leopards, and none +would leave the camp during the day. Two of the Houssas were left on +guard, although Mr. Goodenough felt sure that the animals would +not attempt to carry off any meat in the daylight, and two Houssas +accompanied each of the travelers while out in search of butterflies. + +Nothing was heard of the leopards during the day. At nightfall a portion +of one of the monkeys was roasted and hung up, so as to swing within +four feet of the ground from the arm of a tree, a hundred yards from the +camp. Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their seats in another tree a short +distance off. The night was fine and the stars clear and bright. The +tree on which the meat hung stood somewhat alone, so that sufficient +light penetrated from above to enable any creatures approaching the +bait to be seen. Instead of his little Winchester, Frank had one of the +Sniders with explosive bullets. The Houssas were told to keep a sharp +watch in camp, in case the leopards, approaching from the other side, +might be attracted by the smell of meat there, rather than by the bait. +The Fans needed no telling to induce them to keep up great fires all +night. + +Soon after dark the watchers heard a roaring in the forest. It came from +the other side of the camp. + +"That is unlucky," Mr. Goodenough said. "We have pitched on the +wrong side. However, they will probably be deterred by the fire from +approaching the camp, and will wander round and round: so we may hope to +hear of them before long." + +In answer to the roar of the leopards the natives kept up a continued +shouting. For some hours the roaring continued at intervals, sometimes +close at hand, sometimes at a considerable distance. Frank had some +difficulty in keeping awake, and was beginning to wish that the leopards +would move off altogether. Two or three times he had nearly dozed off, +and his rifle had almost slipped from his hold. All at once he was +aroused by a sharp nudge from his companion. Fixing his eyes on the bait +he made out something immediately below it. Directly afterwards +another creature stole forward. They were far less distinct than he had +expected. + +"You take the one to the left," Mr. Goodenough whispered; "Now!" + +They fired together. Two tremendous roars were heard. One of the +leopards immediately bounded away. The other rolled over and over, and +then, recovering its feet, followed its companion, Mr. Goodenough firing +his second barrel after him. + +"I'm afraid you missed altogether, Frank," he said. + +"I don't think so, sir. I fancied I saw the flash of the shell as it +struck him, but where, I have not the remotest idea. I could not make +him out clear enough. It was merely a dim shape, and I fired as well as +I could at the middle of it. + +"Shall we go back to the camp now?" Frank asked. + +"Yes, we can safely do so. You can tell by the sound of the roars that +they are already some distance away. There is little chance of their +returning tonight. In the morning we will follow them. There is sure to +be blood, and the natives will have no difficulty in tracking them." + +The rest of the night passed quietly, although roars and howling could +be heard from time to time in the distance. + +Early in the morning they started with the Houssas. + +"We must be careful today," Mr. Goodenough said, "for a wounded leopard +is a really formidable beast." + +There was no difficulty in taking up the traces. + +"One of them at least must be hard hit," Mr. Goodenough remarked; "there +are traces of blood every yard." + +They had gone but a short distance when one of the Houssas gave a sudden +exclamation, and pointed to something lying at the edge of a clump of +bushes. + +"Leopard," he said. + +"Yes, there is one of them, sure enough. I think it's dead, but we +cannot be too cautious. Advance very carefully, Frank, keeping ready to +fire instantly." + +They moved forward slowly in a body, but their precaution was +unnecessary. There was no movement in the spotted, tawny skin as they +advanced, and when they came close they could see that the leopard was +really dead. He had been hit by two bullets. The first had struck his +shoulder and exploded there, inflicting so terrible a wound that it was +wonderful he had been able to move afterwards. The other had struck him +on the back, near the tail, and had burst inside him. Frank on seeing +the nature of the wounds was astonished at the tenacity of life shown by +the animal. + +"I wonder whether I hit the other," he said. + +"I have no doubt at all about it," Mr. Goodenough answered, "although I +did not think so before. It seemed to me that I only heard the howls of +one animal in the night, and thought it was the one I had hit. But as +this fellow must have died at once, it is clear that the cries were made +by the other." + +A sharp search was now set up for the tracks of the other leopard, the +Houssas going back to the tree and taking it up anew. They soon found +traces of blood in a line diverging from that followed by the other +animal. For an hour they followed this, great care being required, as +at times no spots of blood could be seen for a considerable distance. At +last they seemed to lose it altogether. Mr. Goodenough and Frank stood +together, while the Houssas, scattered round, were hunting like well +trained dogs for a sign. Suddenly there was a sharp roar, and from +the bough of a tree close by a great body sprang through the air and +alighted within a yard of Frank. The latter, in his surprise, sprang +back, stumbled and fell, but in an instant the report of the two barrels +of Mr. Goodenough's rifle rang out. In a moment Frank was on his feet +again ready to fire. The leopard, however, lay dead, its skull almost +blown off. + +"You have had another narrow escape," Mr. Goodenough said. "I see that +your ball last night broke one of his hind legs. That spoilt his spring. +Had it not been for that he would undoubtedly have reached you, and a +blow with his paw, given with all his weight and impetus, would probably +have killed you on the spot. We ought not to have stood near a tree +strong enough to bear him when in pursuit of a wounded leopard. They +will always take to trees if they can, and you see this was a very +suitable one for him. This bough on which he was lying starts from the +trunk only about four feet from the ground, so that even with his broken +leg he was able to get upon it without difficulty. Well, thank God, +you've not been hurt, my boy. It will teach us both to be more careful +in future." + +That afternoon Frank was down with his second attack of fever, a much +more severe one than the first had been. Mr. Goodenough's favorite +remedy had its effect of producing profuse perspiration, but two or +three hours afterwards the hot fit again came on, and for the next four +days Frank lay half delirious, at one time consumed with heat, and the +next shivering as if plunged into ice water. Copious doses of quinine, +however, gradually overcame the fever, and on the fifth day he +was convalescent. It was, nevertheless, another week before he was +sufficiently recovered to be able to resume his hunting expeditions. +They again shifted their camp, and this time traveled for three weeks, +making short journeys, and halting early so as to give half a day from +each camping place for their work. + +Frank was one day out as usual with one of the Houssas. He had killed +several birds when he saw a butterfly, of a species which he had not +before met with, flitting across a gleam of sunshine which streamed in +through a rift in the trees. He told his Houssa to wait where he was +in charge of the two guns and birds, and started off with his net in +pursuit of the butterfly. The creature fluttered away with Frank in +full pursuit. Hither and thither it flitted, seemingly taking an impish +delight in tantalizing Frank, settling on a spot where a gleam of +sunlight streamed upon the bark of a tree, till Frank had stolen up +within a couple of paces of it, and then darting away again at a pace +which defied Frank's best attempts to keep up with it until it chose to +play with him again. Intent only upon his chase Frank thought of nothing +else. At last, with a shout of triumph, he inclosed the creature in his +net, shook it into the wide pickle bottle, containing a sponge soaked +with chloroform, and then, after tightly fitting in the stopper, he +looked around. He uttered an exclamation of dismay as he did so. He saw +by the bands of light the sun was already setting, and knew that he must +have been for upwards of an hour in chase of the butterfly. He had not +the slightest idea of the direction in which he had come. He had, he +knew, run up hill and down, but whether he had been traveling in a +circle or going straight in one direction, he had not the least idea. +He might be within a hundred yards of the spot where he had left the +Houssa. He might be three or four miles away. + +He at once drew out his revolver, which he always carried strapped to +his belt, and discharged the six chambers, waiting for half a minute +between each shot, and listening intently for an answer to his signal. +None came. The stillness of the wood was unbroken, and Frank felt that +he must have wandered far indeed from his starting place, and that he +was completely lost. His first impulse was to start off instantly at the +top of his speed, but a moment's thought convinced him that this would +be useless. He had not an idea of the direction which he should pursue. +Besides the sun was sinking, twilight is short in the tropics, and in +half an hour it would be as dark as midnight in the forest. Remembering +his adventure with the leopard he determined to climb into a tree and +pass the night there. He knew that an active search would be set on +foot by his friends next morning, and that, as every step he took was as +likely to lead him from as towards the camp, it was better to stay where +he was. + +He soon found a tree with a branch which would suit his purpose, and, +climbing up into it, lit his pipe and prepared for an uncomfortable +night. Frank had never smoked until he reached Africa, but he had then +taken to it on the advice of Mr. Goodenough, who told him that smoking +was certainly a preventive, to some extent, of fever in malarious +countries, and, although he had not liked it at first, he had now taken +kindly to his pipe, and smoked from the time when the evening mists +began to rise until he went to bed. + +The time passed very slowly. The cries of wild creatures could be heard +in the woods, and although Frank did not expect to be attacked, it was +impossible to sleep with these calls of leopards, with which the forest +seemed to abound, in his ears. He had reloaded his revolver immediately +after discharging it, and had replaced it in his pouch, and felt +confident that nothing could climb the tree. Besides, he had heard that +leopards seldom attack men unless themselves attacked. Sleep, however, +was out of the question, for when he slept he might have fallen from +his seat in the crotch of the tree. Occasionally, however, he dozed off, +waking up always with an uncomfortable start, and a feeling that he +had just saved himself from falling. With the earliest dawn of morn he +descended, stiff and weary, from the tree. Directly the sun rose he set +off walking. He knew at least that he was to the south of the camp, and +that by keeping the sun on his right hand till it reached the zenith +he must get in time to the little stream on which it was pitched. As +he walked he listened intently for the sound of guns. Once or twice +he fancied that he heard them, but he was quite unable to judge of the +direction. He had been out with the Houssa about six hours before he +strayed from him in the pursuit of the butterfly, and they had for some +time been walking towards the camp, in order to reach it by nightfall. +Thus he thought, that at that time, he could only have been some three +or four miles distant from it. Supposing that he had run due south, he +could still be but eight miles from the stream, and he thought that +in three hours' walking he might arrive there. In point of fact, after +leaving the Houssa the butterfly had led him towards the southeast, and +as the stream took a sharp bend to the north a little distance above the +camp, he was many miles farther from it than he expected. This stream +was one of the upper tributaries of the Gaboon. + +After walking for two hours the character of the forest changed. The +high trees were farther apart, and a thick undergrowth began to make its +appearance, frequently causing him to make long detours and preventing +his following the line he had marked out for himself. This caused him +much uneasiness, for he knew that he had passed across no such country +on his way from the camp, and the thought that he might experience great +difficulties in recovering it, now began to press upon him. + + + +CHAPTER XI: A HOSTILE TRIBE + + +Every step that he went the ground grew softer and more swampy, and +he at length determined to push on no farther in this direction, but +turning to his left to try and gain higher ground, and then to continue +on the line he had marked out for himself. + +His progress was now very slow. The bush was thick and close, thorny +plants and innumerable creepers continually barred his way, and the +necessity for constantly looking up through the trees to catch a glimpse +of the sun, which was his only guide, added to his difficulty. At +length, when his watch told him it was eleven o'clock, he came to a +standstill, the sun being too high overhead to serve him as a reliable +guide. He had now been walking for nearly six hours, and he was utterly +worn out and exhausted, having had no food since his midday meal on +the previous day. He was devoured with thirst, having merely rinsed his +mouth in the black and poisonous water of the swamps he had crossed. His +sleepless night, too, had told on him. He was bathed in perspiration, +and for the last hour had scarcely been able to drag his feet along. + +He now lay down at the foot of a great tree, and for three or four hours +slept heavily. When he awoke he pursued his journey, the sun serving +as a guide again. In two hours' time he had got upon higher ground. The +brushwood was less dense, and he again turned his face to the north, and +stepped forward with renewed hopes. + +It was late in the afternoon when he came upon a native path. Here he +sat down to think. He did not remember having crossed such a path on +the day before. Probably it crossed the stream at some point above the +encampment. Therefore it would serve as a guide, and he might, too, come +upon some native village where he could procure food. By following it +far enough he must arrive somewhere. He sat for a quarter of an hour to +rest himself, and then proceeded along the path, whose direction seemed +to be the northwest. + +For an hour he proceeded and then paused, hearing a sudden outcry ahead. +Scampering along the path came a number of great baboons, and Frank at +once stepped aside into the bush to avoid them, as these are formidable +creatures when disturbed. They were of a very large species, and several +of the females had little ones clinging around their necks. In the +distance Frank could hear the shouts of some natives, and supposed that +the monkeys had been plundering their plantations, and that they were +driving them away. The baboons passed without paying any attention to +him, but Frank observed that the last of the troop was carrying a little +one in one of its forearms. + +Frank glanced at the baby monkey and saw that it had round its waist a +string of blue beads. As a string of beads is the only attire which a +negro child wears until it reaches the age of ten or eleven years old, +the truth at once flashed upon Frank that the baboons were carrying off +a native baby, which had probably been set down by its mother while she +worked in the plantation. Instantly he drew his pistol, leaped into the +road, and fired at the retreating ape. It gave a cry, dropped the baby +and turned to attack its aggressor. + +Frank waited till it was within six feet, and then shot it through the +head. He sprang forward and seized the baby, but in a moment he was +attacked by the whole party of baboons, who, barking like dogs, and +uttering angry cries, rushed at him. Frank stood his ground, and +discharged the four remaining barrels of his revolver at the foremost +animals. Two of these dropped, but the others who were only wounded +sprang upon him. Frank struck out with the butt end of his pistol, but +in a minute he was overpowered. + +One monkey seized him by the leg with his teeth, while another bit his +arm. Others struck and scratched at him, and he was at once thrown down. +He tried to defend his face with his arms, kicking and struggling to +the best of his power. With one hand he drew the long knife for skinning +animals, which he wore at his belt, and struck out fiercely, but a +baboon seized his wrist in its teeth, and Frank felt that all was over, +when suddenly his assailants left him, and the instant afterwards he was +lifted to his feet by some negroes. + +He had, when attacked by the apes, thrown the baby into a clump of ferns +close by, in order to have the use of both his hands, and when he looked +round he found that a negress had already picked it up, and was crying +and fondling it. The negroes appeared intensely astonished at Frank's +color, and he judged by their exclamations of surprise that, not only +had they not seen a white man before, but that they had not heard of one +being in the neighborhood. + +Frank had been too severely bitten and mauled by the baboons to be able +to walk, and the negroes, seeing this, raised him, and four of them +carried him to their village, which was but a quarter of a mile distant. +Here he was taken to the principal hut, and laid on a bed. His wounds +were dressed with poultices formed of bruised leaves of some plant, the +natives evincing the utmost astonishment as Frank removed his clothes to +enable these operations to be performed. + +By pointing to his lips he indicated that he was hungry and thirsty. +Water was brought to him, and cakes made from pounded yams pressed and +baked. Having eaten and drank he closed his eyes and lay back, and the +natives, who had before been all noisily chattering together, now became +suddenly silent, and stealing away left the strange white visitor to +sleep. + +When Frank woke he could see by the light that it was early morning. A +woman with a child in her lap, whom Frank recognized as the negress +who had picked up the baby, was sitting on a low stool by his side. On +seeing him open his eyes she came to the bed, took his hand and put it +to her lips, and then raised the baby triumphantly and turned it round +and round to show that it had escaped without damage. Then when Frank +pointed again to his lips she brought him a pineapple, roughly cut off +the skin, and sliced it. Frank ate the juicy fruit, and felt immensely +refreshed, for the West Coast pineapple is even more delicious than +that found in the West Indies. Then the woman removed the bandages and +applied fresh poultices to his wounds, talking in low soft tones, and, +as Frank had no doubt, expressing sorrow at their cause. + +Frank now endeavored to explain to her that he had a white companion +in the woods, but the woman, not understanding, brought in two or three +other natives, who stood round the couch and endeavored to gather what +he wished to say. + +Frank held up two fingers. Then he pointed to himself and shut down one +finger, keeping the other erect, and then pointed all round to signify +that he had a friend somewhere in the wood. A grin of comprehension +stole over the faces of the negroes, and Frank saw that he was +understood. + +Then he again held up his two fingers, and taking the hands of the +negress raised all her fingers by the side of the white ones to signify +that there were many natives with them. Then he took aim, with an +imaginary gun, up at the roof of the hut, and said "Bang" very loud, +and a chorus of approving laughter from the negroes showed that he was +understood. Then one of them pointed towards the various points of the +compass, and looked interrogatively at Frank. The sun was streaming in +through the doorway, and he was thus able to judge of the direction +in which the camp must lie. He made a sweep with his hand towards the +northwest, signifying that they were somewhere in that direction. + +That afternoon fever set in, and for the two next days Frank was +delirious. When he recovered consciousness he found Mr. Goodenough +sitting beside him. The latter would not suffer him to talk, but gave +him a strong dose of quinine and told him to lie quiet and go to sleep. + +It was not till the next day that Frank learned what had happened in +his absence. The Houssa had not returned until long after nightfall. He +reported that Frank had told him to wait with the guns, and that he had +waited until it grew nearly dark. Then he had fired several times and +had walked about, firing his gun at intervals. Obtaining no responses he +had made his way back to the camp, where his arrival alone caused great +consternation. + +It was impossible to do anything that night, and the next morning Mr. +Goodenough, accompanied by five of the Houssas, one only remaining to +keep guard over the camp, had gone to the place where Frank had last +been seen. Then they scattered in various directions, shouting and +firing their guns. The search had been continued all day without +success, and at nightfall, disheartened and worn out, they had returned +to the camp. The next day the search had been continued with an equal +want of success, and the fears that a leopard had attacked and killed +Frank became stronger and stronger. On the third day the whole of the +carriers were sent out with instructions to search the woods for native +paths, to follow these to villages, and to enlist the natives in the +search. One of these men had met one of the villagers on the search for +the party of the white man. + +It was another ten days before Frank was sufficiently recovered from his +fever and wounds to march back to the camp. After a stay there of two +or three more days, to enable him completely to regain his strength, the +party started again on their journey. + +In another three weeks they had descended the hills, and the Fans +announced their unwillingness to travel farther. Mr. Goodenough, +however, told them quietly that they had promised to go on until he +could obtain other carriers, and that if they deserted him he should pay +them nothing. They might now expect every day to meet people of another +tribe, and as soon as they should do so they would be allowed to depart. +Finding that he was firm, and having no desire to forfeit the wages they +had earned, the Fans agreed to go forward, although they were now in a +country entirely unknown to them, where the people would presumably be +hostile. They had, however, such faith in the arms carried by the white +men and Houssas, that they felt comparatively easy as to the result of +any attack which might be made upon them. + +The very day after this little mutiny, smoke was seen curling up from +the woods. Mr. Goodenough deemed it inexpedient to show himself at once +with so large a number of men. He, therefore, sent forward Ostik with +two of the Fans, each of whom could speak several native dialects, to +announce his coming. They returned in an hour saying that the village +was a very large one, and that the news of the coming of two white men +had created great excitement. The people spoke of sending at once to +their king, whom they called Malembe, whose place, it seemed, was a +day's march off. + +They now prepared to enter the village. Ostik went first carrying +himself with the dignity of a beadle at the head of a school procession. +Two of the Houssas walked next. Mr. Goodenough and Frank followed, their +guns being carried by two Fans behind them. Then came the long line of +bearers, two of the Houssas walking on each side as a baggage guard. +The villagers assembled in great numbers as they entered. The head man +conducted the whites to his hut. No women or children were to be seen, +and the expression of the men was that of fear rather than curiosity. + +"They are afraid of the Fans," Mr. Goodenough said. "The other tribes +all have a species of terror of these cannibals. We must reassure them +as soon as possible." + +A long palaver then took place with the chief, with whose language one +of the Fans was sufficiently acquainted to make himself understood. +It was rather a tedious business, as each speech had to be translated +twice, through Ostik and the Fan. + +Mr. Goodenough informed the chief that the white men were friends of his +people, that they had come to see the country and give presents to the +chiefs, that they only wished to pass quietly through and to journey +unmolested, and that they would pay handsomely for food and all that +they required. They wished to obtain bearers for their baggage, and +these they would pay in cloth and brass rods, and as soon as they +procured carriers the Fans would return to their own country. + +The chief answered expressing his gratification at seeing white men in +his village, saying that the king would, no doubt, carry out all their +wishes. One of the boxes was opened and he was presented with five yards +of bright colored calico, a gaudy silk handkerchief, and several strings +of bright beads. In return a large number of plantains were presented to +the white men. These were soon distributed among the Fans. + +"Me no like dat nigger," Ostik said. "Me think we hab trouble. You see +all women and children gone, dat bad. Wait till see what do when king +come." + +That day and the next passed quietly. The baggage had been piled in a +circle, as usual, in an open space outside the village; the tent being +pitched in the center, and Ostik advised Mr. Goodenough to sleep here +instead of in the village. The day after their arrival passed but +heavily. The natives showed but little curiosity as to the newcomers, +although these must have been far more strange to them than to +the people nearer the coast. Still no women or children made their +appearance. Towards evening a great drumming was heard in the distance. + +"Here is his majesty at last," Mr. Goodenough said, "we shall soon see +what is his disposition." + +In a short time the village was filled with a crowd of men all carrying +spears and bows and arrows. The drumming came nearer and nearer, and +then, carried in a chair on the shoulders of four strong negroes, +while ten others armed with guns marched beside him, the king made his +appearance. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank advanced to meet him. The king was a tall man +with a savage expression of countenance. Behind Mr. Goodenough, Ostik +and the Fan who spoke the language advanced. The king's chair was +lowered under the shade of a tree, and two attendants with palm leaf +fans at once began to fan his majesty. + +"Tell the king," Mr. Goodenough said, "that we are white men who have +come to see his country, and to pass through to the countries beyond. We +have many presents for him, and wish to buy food and to hire carriers in +place of those who have brought our things thus far." + +The king listened in silence. + +"Why do the white men bring our enemies into our land?" he asked +angrily. + +"We have come up from the coast," Mr. Goodenough said; "and as we passed +through the Fan country we hired men there to carry our goods, just as +we wish to hire men here to go on into the country beyond. There were +none of the king's men in that country or we would have hired them." + +"Let me see the white men's presents," the king said. + +A box was opened, a bright scarlet shirt and a smoking cap of the same +color, worked with beads, a blue silk handkerchief and twenty yards of +bright calico, were taken out. To these were added twelve stair rods, +five pounds of powder, and two pounds of shot. + +The king's eye sparkled greedily as he looked at the treasures. + +"The white men must be very rich," he said, pointing to the pile of +baggage. + +"Most of the boxes are empty," Mr. Goodenough said. "We have brought +them to take home the things of the country and show them to the white +men beyond the sea;" and to prove the truth of his words, Mr. Goodenough +had two of the empty cases opened, as also one already half filled with +bird skins, and another with trays of butterflies and beetles. + +The king looked at them with surprise. + +"And the others?" he asked, pointing to them. + +"The others," Mr. Goodenough said, "contain, some of them, food such +as white men are accustomed to eat in their own country, the others, +presents for the other kings and chiefs I shall meet when we have passed +on. + +"The fellow is not satisfied," he said to Ostik, "give him two of the +trade guns and a bottle of brandy." + +The king appeared mollified by these additional presents, and saying +that he would talk to the white men in the morning, he retired into the +village. + +"I don't like the looks of things," Mr. Goodenough said. "I fear that +the presents we have given the king will only stimulate his desire for +more. However, we shall see in the morning." + +When night fell, two of the Houssas were placed on guard. The Fans slept +inside the circle formed by the baggage. Several times in the night the +Houssas challenged bodies of men whom they heard approaching, but these +at once retired. + +In the morning a messenger presented himself from the king, saying that +he required many more presents, that the things which had been given +were only fit for the chief of a village, and not for a great king. +Mr. Goodenough answered, that he had given the best he had, that the +presents were fit for a great king, and that he should give no more. + +"If we are to have trouble," he said to Frank, "it is far better to have +it at once while the Fans are with us, than when we are alone with no +one but the Houssas and the subjects of this man. The Fans will fight, +and we could hold this encampment against any number of savages." + +A quarter of an hour later the drums began beating furiously again. Loud +shouts and yells arose in the village, and the natives could be seen +moving excitedly about. Presently these all disappeared. + +"Fight come now," Ostik said. + +"You'd better lower the tent at once, Ostik. It will only be in our +way." + +The tent was speedily lowered. The Fans grasped their spears and lay +down behind the circle of boxes and bales, and the six Houssas, the two +white men and Ostik, to whom a trade musket had been entrusted, took +their places at regular intervals round the circle, which was some +eight yards in diameter. Presently the beat of the drums again broke the +silence, and a shower of arrows, coming apparently from all points of +the compass, fell in and around the circle. + +"Open fire steadily and quietly," Mr. Goodenough said, "among the +bushes, but don't fire fast. We must tempt them to show themselves." + +A dropping fire commenced against the invisible foe, the fire being no +more frequent than it would have been had they been armed with muzzle +loading weapons. Presently musketry was heard on the enemy's side, the +king's bodyguard having opened fire. This was disastrous to them, for, +whereas the arrows had afforded but slight index as to the position of +those who shot them, the puffs of smoke from the muskets at once showed +the lurking places of those who used them, and Mr. Goodenough and Frank +replied so truly that in a very short time the musketry fire of the +enemy ceased altogether. The rain of arrows continued, the yells of the +natives rose louder and louder, and the drums beat more furiously. + +"They will be out directly," Mr. Goodenough said. "Fire as quickly as +you can when they show, but be sure and take good aim." + +Presently the sound of a war horn was heard, and from the wood all round +a crowd of dark figures dashed forward, uttering appalling yells. On +the instant the dropping fire of the defenders changed into an almost +continuous fusillade, as the Sniders of the Houssas, the breech loading +rifle of Mr. Goodenough, and the repeating Winchester of Frank were +brought into play at their full speed. Yells of astonishment broke +from the natives, and a minute later, leaving nearly a score of their +comrades on the ground, the rest dashed back into the forest. + +There was silence for a time and then the war drums began again. + +"Dey try again hard dis time, massa," Ostik said. "King tell 'em he cut +off deir heads dey not win battle." + +This time the natives rushed forward with reckless bravery, in spite of +the execution made among them by the rapid fire of the defenders, and +rushed up to the circle of boxes. Then the Fans leaped to their feet, +and, spear in hand, dashed over the defenses and fell upon the enemy. + +The attack was decisive. Uttering yells of terror the natives fled, and +two minutes later not a sound was to be heard in the forest. + +"I tink dey run away for good dis time, sar," Ostik said. "Dey hav' +'nuf of him. Dey fight very brave, much more brave than people down near +coast. Dere in great battle only three, four men killed. Here as many +men killed as we got altogether." + +This was so, nearly fifty of the natives having fallen between the trees +and the encampment. When an hour passed and all was still, it became +nearly certain that the enemy had retreated, and the Houssas, who are +splendid scouts, divested themselves of their clothing and crawled away +into the wood to reconnoiter. They returned in half an hour in high +glee, bearing the king's chair. + +"Dey all run away, sar, ebery one, de king an' all, and leab his chair +behind. Dat great disgrace for him." + +A council was now held. The Fans were so delighted with the victory they +had won, that they expressed their readiness to remain with their white +companions as long as they chose, providing these would guarantee that +they should be sent home on the expiration of their service. This Mr. +Goodenough readily promised. After discussing the question with Frank, +he determined to abstain from pushing farther into the interior, but to +keep along northward, and then turning west with the sweep of the coast +to travel slowly along, keeping at about the same distance as at present +from the sea, and finally to come down either upon Cape Coast or Sierra +Leone. + +This journey would occupy a considerable time. They would cross +countries but little known, and would have an ample opportunity for the +collection of specimens, which they might, from time to time, send down +by the various rivers they would cross, to the trading stations at their +mouths. + +It was felt that after this encounter with the natives it would be +imprudent in the extreme to push further into the interior. They would +have continual battles to fight, large numbers of the natives would +be killed, and their collecting operations would be greatly interfered +with. As a lesson to the natives the village was burnt to the ground; +the presents, which the king in the hurry of his flight had left behind +him, being recovered. + +A liberal allowance of tobacco was served out as a "dash" or present to +the Fans, and a bright silk handkerchief given to each. Then they +turned off at right angles to the line they had before been pursuing and +continued their journey. + +Two days later Mr. Goodenough was prostrated by fever, and for several +days lay between life and death. When he became convalescent he +recovered strength very slowly. The heat was prodigious and the +mosquitos rendered sleep almost impossible at night. The country at this +place was low and swampy, and, weak as he was, Mr. Goodenough determined +to push forward. He was, however, unable to walk, and, for the first +time, a hammock was got out and mounted. + +There is no more comfortable conveyance in the world than a hammock in +Africa. It is slung from a long bamboo pole, overhead a thick awning +keeps the sun from the hammock. Across the ends of the pole boards of +some three feet long are fastened. The natives wrap a piece of cloth +into the shape of a muffin and place it on their heads, and then take +their places, two at each end of the pole, with the ends of the board on +their heads. They can trot along at the rate of six miles an hour, for +great distances, often keeping up a monotonous song. Their action is +perfectly smooth and easy, and the traveler in the hammock, by shutting +his eyes, might imagine himself swinging in a cot on board ship on an +almost waveless sea. + +After two days traveling they got on to higher ground, and here they +camped for some time, Mr. Goodenough slowly recovering strength, and +Frank busy in adding to their collections. In this he was in no slight +degree assisted by the Fans, who, having nothing else to do, had now +come to enter into the occupation of their employers. A good supply of +muslin had been brought, and nets having been made, the Fans captured +large quantities of butterflies, the great difficulty being in +convincing them that only a few of each species were required. They were +still more valuable in grubbing about in the decaying trunks of fallen +trees, under loose bark, and in broken ground, for beetles and larvae, +a task which suited them better than running about after butterflies, +which, moreover, they often spoilt irreparably by their rough handling. +Thus Frank was able to devote himself entirely to the pursuit of birds, +and although all the varieties more usually met with had been obtained, +the collection steadily increased in size. + +Frank himself had severe attacks of fever, but none of these were so +severe as that which he had had on the day of the death of the leopards. + +At the end of a month Mr. Goodenough had recovered his strength, and +they again moved forward. + + + +CHAPTER XII: A NEGRO'S STORY + + +On arriving at a large village one day, they were struck as they +approached by the far greater appearance of comfort and neatness than +generally distinguish African villages. The plots of plantations were +neatly fenced, the street was clean and well kept. As they entered the +village they were met by the principal people, headed by an old white +haired negro. + +"Me berry glad to see you, white men," he said. "Long time me no see +white men." + +"And it is a long time," said Mr. Goodenough, shaking hands with him, +"since I have heard the sound of my own tongue outside my party." + +"Me berry glad to see you," repeated the negro. "Me chief of dis +village. Make you berry comfortable, sar. Great honor for dis village +dat you come here. Plenty eberyting for you, fowl, and eggs, and +plantain, and sometime a sheep." + +"We have, indeed, fallen into the lap of luxury," Mr. Goodenough said +to Frank; and they followed the negro to his hut. "I suppose the old man +has been employed in one of the factories upon the coast." + +The interior of the hut was comfortably furnished and very clean. A sort +of divan covered with neatly woven mats extended round three sides. In +the center was an attempt at a table. A doubled barreled gun and a rifle +hung over the hearth. A small looking glass and several colored prints +in cheap frames were suspended from the walls. A great chest stood at +one end of the room, while on a shelf were a number of plates and dishes +of English manufacture. + +The negro begged his guests to be seated, and presently a girl entered, +bringing in a large calabash full of water for them to wash their hands +and faces. In the meantime the old negro had gone to his chest, and, +to the immense surprise of the travelers, brought out a snow white +tablecloth, which he proceeded to lay on the table, and then to place +knives, forks, and plates upon it. + +"You must 'scuse deficiencies, sar," he said. "We berry long way from +coast, and dese stupid niggers dey break tings most ebery day." + +"Don't talk about deficiencies," Mr. Goodenough answered smiling. "All +this is, indeed, astonishing to us here." + +"You berry good to say dat, sar, but dis chile know how tings ought to +be done. Me libed in good Melican family. He know berry well how tings +ought to be done." + +"Ah, you have traveled a good deal!" Mr. Goodenough said. + +"Yes, sar, me trabel great deal. Me lib in Cuba long time. Den me lib +slave states, what you call Confederate. Den me lib Northern state, also +Canada under Queen Victoria. Me trabel bery much. Now, sar, dinner come. +Time to eat not to talk. After dinner white gentlemen tell me what they +came here for. Me tell dem if they like about my trabels, but dat berry +long story." + +The dinner consisted of two fowls cut in half and grilled over a fire, +fried plantains, and, to the astonishment of the travelers, green peas, +followed by cold boiled rice over which honey had been poured. Their +host had placed plates only for two, but they would not sit down until +he had consented to join them. + +Two girls waited, both neatly dressed in cotton, in a fashion which was +a compromise between European and negro notions. + +After dinner the negro presented them with two large and excellent +cigars, made, as he said, from tobacco grown in his own garden, and the +astonishment of the travelers was heightened by the reappearance of one +of the girls bearing a tray with three small cups of excellent black +coffee. + +Their host now asked them for the story of their journey from the coast, +and the object with which they had penetrated Africa. Mr. Goodenough +related their adventures, and said that they were naturalists in search +of objects of natural history. When he had finished Ostik, in obedience +to a whisper from him, brought in a bottle of brandy, at the sight of +which the negro broke into a chuckle. + +"Me tree months widout taste dat. Once ebery year me send down to coast, +get coffee, tea, sugar, calico, beads, and rum. Dis time de rum am +finish too soon. One of de cases get broke and half de bottles smash. +Dat berry bad job. Dis chile calculate dat six dozen last for a year, +dat give him one bottle each week and twenty bottles for presents to +oder chiefs. Eighteen bottles go smash, and as de oder chiefs expec' +deir present all de same, Sam hab ta go widout. De men start three weeks +ago for coast. Me hope dey come back in six weeks more." + +"Well," Mr. Goodenough said, "you need not go without it till they +come back, for I can give you eight bottles which will last you for two +months. I have got a good supply, and as I never use it for trade unless +a chief particularly wants it, I can very well spare it." + +The old negro was greatly pleased, and when he had drank his glass of +brandy and water he responded to Mr. Goodenough's request, and, lighting +a fresh cigar, he began the story of his adventures. + +"I was born in dis berry village somewhere about seventy years ago. I +not know for sure widin two or three year, for when I young man I no +keep account. My fader was de chief of dis village, just as I am now, +but de village was not like dis. It was not so big, and was berry dirty +and berry poor, just like the oder nigger villages. Well, sar, dere am +nothing perticlar to tell about de first years of my life. I jus' dirty +little naked nigger like de rest. Dose were berry bad times. Ebery one +fight against ebery one else. Ebery one take slabes and send dem down de +river, and sell to white men dere to carry ober sea. When I grow up +to seventeen, I s'pose, I take spear and go out wid de people of dis +village and de oder villages of dis part ob country under king, and +fight against oder villages and carry the people away as slabes. All +berry bad business dat. But Sam he tink nothing, and just do the same as +oder people. Sometimes oder tribes come and fight against our villages +and carry our people away. So it happened to Sam. + +"Jus' when he about twenty years old we had come back from a long +'spedition. Dis village got its share ob slabes, and we drink and sing +and make merry wid de palm tree wine and tink ourselves berry grand +fellows. Well, sar, dat night great hullyballoo in de village. De dogs +bark, de men shout and seize deir arms and run out to fight, but it no +good. Anoder tribe fall on us ten times as many as we. We fight hard but +no use. All de ole men and de ole women and de little babies dat no good +to sell dey killed, and de rest of us, de men and de women and de boys +and girls, we tied together and march away wid de people dat had taken +us. + +"Berry bad time dat, sar. De season was dry and de water scarce. We +make long march ebery day, and berry little food given. Dey beat us wid +sticks and prod us wid spear to make us go. A good many ob de weak ones +dey die, but de most ob us arribe at mouth ob riber; me neber know what +riber dat was, but we were berry nigh two months in getting dere. By +dis time Sam arribe at the conclusion berry strong, dat de burning ob +villages and carrying off ob slabes berry bad affair altogether. Sam hab +changed his mind about a great many things, but about dat he am fixed +right up to dis time. + +"Well, at de mouth ob dat riber Sam saw de white man for de first time; +and me tell you fair, sar, Sam not like him no way. Dey were Spanish +men, and de way dey treat us poor niggers was someting awful. We huddle +up night and day in a big shed dey call a barracoon. Dey gabe us berry +little food, berry little water. Dey flog us if we grumble. Dese men +belong to ships, and had bought us from dose who brought us down from +up country. Deir ship not come yet, and for a long time we wait in the +barracoon wishing dat we could die. At last de ship came, and we were +taken on board and huddled down below. Law, what a place dat was to be +sure! Not more than tree feet high, just high enough to sit up, and dere +we chained to deck. De heat, sar, was someting terrible. Some ob us yell +out and scream for air, but dey only come down and beat us wid whips. + +"De day after we got on board de ship set sail. Tree hours after dat we +hear a great running about on deck, and a shouting by the white men. Den +we hear big gun fire ober head, almost make us jump out of skin wid de +noise. Den more guns. Den dere was a crash, and before we knew what was +de matter dere was a big hole in de side, and six niggers was killed +dead. Ebery one yelled berry loud. We tink for sure that de last day +come. For a long time de guns keep firing, and den everyting quiet +again. At de time no one could tink what de matter, but I s'pose dat +British cruiser chase us and dat de slaber sail away. + +"Dat was an awful voyage, sar. At first de sea smoove, and de ship go +along straight. Den de ship begin to toss about jus' as nigger does when +he has taken too much palm wine, and we all feel berry bad. Ebery one +groan and cry and tink dat dey must have been poisoned. For tree days it +was a terrible time. De hatches were shut down and no air could come to +us, and dere we was all alone in de dark, and no one could make out why +de great house on de water roll and tumble so much. We cry and shout +till all breaff gone, and den lie quiet and moan, till jus' when ebery +one tink he dead, dey take off de hatch and come down and undo de +padlocks and tell us to go up on deck. Dat berry easy to say, not at all +easy to do. Most of us too weak to walk, and say dat we dead and cannot +move. Den dey whip all about, and it was astonishing, sar, to see what +life dat whip put into dead nigger. Somehow people feel dat dey could +crawl after all, and when dey get up on deck and see de blessed sun +again and de blue sky dey feel better. But not all. In spite ob de whip +many hab to be carried up on deck, and dere de sailor men lay 'em down +and trow cold water ober dem till dey open dere eyes and come to life. +Some neber come to life. Dere were about six hundred when we start, and +ob dese pretty nigh a hundred die in dose tree days. + +"After dat tings not so bad. De weather was fine and no more English +cruisers seen, so dey let half ob us up on deck at once for tree or four +hours ebery day. Dey give us more food, too, and fatten us up. We talk +dis ober among ourselves, and s'pose dat dey going to eat us when we +get to land again. Some propose not to eat food, but when dey try dat +on they get de whip, and conclude dat if dey must be eaten dey might as +well be eaten fat as lean. + +"At last we come in sight of land. Den we all sent below and stay dere +till night. Den we brought on deck, and find de vessel lying in a little +creek. Den we all land in boats, and march up country all night. In de +morning we halt. Tree or four white men come on horses and look at us. +Dey separate us into parties, and each march away into country again. +Den we separate again, till at last me and twenty oders arribe at a +plantation up in de hills. Here we range along in line before a white +man. He speak in berry fierce tones, and a nigger by his side tell us +dat dis man our master, dat he say if we work well he gib us plenty of +food and treat us well, but dat if we not work wid all our might he whip +us to death. After dis it was ebident that de best ting to do was to +work hard. + +"I was young and berry strong, sar, and soon got de name of a willing +hard working nigger. De massa he keep his word. Dose who work well not +bad treated, plenty ob food and a piece of ground to plant vegetables +and to raise fowls for ourselves. So we passed two or tree year, plenty +ob hard work, but not berry much to grumble at. Den me and a gal of my +own village, who had been bought in de same batch wid me, we go to massa +and say we want to marry. Massa say, berry well. I fine strong nigger +and work well, so he gib de gal four yards ob bright cotton for wedding +dress, and a bottle ob rum to me, and we married. + +"Two or tree years pass, and my wife hab two piccanninies. Den de massa +go home to Spain, and leab overseer in plantation. Berry bad man dat. +Before, if nigger work well he not beaten. Now he beaten wheder he work +or not. For two or tree months we 'tand it, but tings get worse and +worse. De oberseer he always drunk and go on like wild beast. One day he +passed by my wife hoeing de sugarcane and he gib her cut wid whip, jus' +out of 'musement. She turn round and ask, 'What dat for?' He get mad, +cut her wid whip, knock her down wid de handle, and den seizing de chile +dat she had fastened to her back, he catch him by de leg and smash him +skull against a tree. Den, sar, I seize my hoe, I rush at him, and I +chop him down wid all my strength, cut his skull clean in sunder, and he +drop down dead. + +"Den I knew dat dat was no place for Sam, so I take my hoe and I run +away as fast as I could. No one try to stop me. De oder niggers dance +and sing when dey saw de oberseer fall dead. I ran all dat day up among +de hills, skirting round de different plantations till I get quite into +de wild part. Wheneber I came to stream I walk a long way in him till +I get to tree hanging ober. Den pull myself up into de branches, climb +along and drop at de farthest end, and den run again, for I knew dat dey +would set de bloodhounds after me. + +"At last I tink dat it am quite safe, and when de night came on lie down +to sleep for a few hours. Before morning me off again, and by night get +to de center of de wild country. Here I light a fire, and sit down, and, +just as I 'spected, in two or tree hours five or six men come down to +me. Dose were niggers who had run away from plantations. I tell dem my +story, dey agree dat I did berry right in killing oberseer. Dey take me +away to place where dey hab little huts and patches of yams. Two or tree +days pass and no one come, so, we s'pose dat dey hab lost de scent. +Me waited a month and den determined to go down and see about wife. I +journey at night, and reach plantation in two days. Dere I hide till I +see nigger come along close to bush. I call him and he come. I tell him +to tell my wife to steal away when night come, and to meet me dere. He +nod and go away. Dat night my wife come wid de oder chile. We not talk +much but start away for mountains. Me berry much afraid now because +my wife not berry strong, she hurt by de blow and fretting after me. +Howeber, we follow the way I had gone before. I make shift to help her +up into trees from the streams, and dis time after tree days' travel we +got back to hut in the mountain. + +"Dere we lib berry happy for a year. Sometimes some ob us go down to +plantation and take down baskets and oder tings dat we had made and chop +dem for cotton. We had tobacco of our own, and some fowls which we got +from the plantations in de fust place. Altogether we did berry well. +Sometimes band of soldiers come and march trough the country, but we hab +plenty hiding places and dey never find us. More and more runway slabes +come, and at last we hear dat great 'spedition going to start to search +all de mountains. Dey come, two tree thousand ob dem. Dey form long +skirmishing line, five or six mile long, and dey go ober mountain. Ebery +nigger dey find who not surrender when dey call to him dey shoot. When +I heard ob deir coming I had long talk wid wife. We agree that it better +to leave de mountains altogether and go down and live in the bushes +close to the old plantation. Nobody look for us dere. So we make our way +down and lib there quiet. We get the yams out ob de plantations and lib +very comfortable. When we tink all ober in the mountain we go back. + +"Well, sar, when we tink it all safe, and we get widin a mile ob de huts +whar we had libed, all at once we came upon a lot of soldiers in camp. +Dey see us and make shout. I call to my wife to run, when dey fire. A +bullet hit de baby, which she hab at her back, and pass through both +deir bodies. I did not run any more, but jus' stood looking at my wife +and chile as if my senses had gone. Dere I stood till the soldiers came +up. Dey put a cord round my arms and led me away. After a time I was +taken down the country. Dere I was claimed, and when it was known I had +killed a white oberseer I was tried. But de new oberseer did not want me +to be hung, for I was a strong slave and worth money, so he told a story +about how it happen, and after dey had flogged me very hard dey sent me +back to plantation. Dere I work for a long time wid a great log of wood +chained to my ankle to prevent me from running away again. + +"For a time I not care whether I lib or die, but at last I made up my +mind to 'scape again. After six months dey took off de log, tinking dat +I had had enuf of de mountains and would not try to 'scape, and de log +prevented my doing so much work. De bery next night I ran away again but +dis time I determined to make for de town in hopes ob getting on board +an English ship, for I had heard from de oder slabes dat de English did +not keep black men as slabes, but dat, on de contry, dey did what +dey could to stop de Spanish from getting dem away from Africa, and I +understood now dat de dreful noise we had heard on de first day we were +on board ship was an attack upon our vessel by an English cruiser. + +"It was four days' journey down to de town by de sea. Dere was no +difficulty in finding de way, for de road was good, and I s'pose dat dey +only looked for me towards de hills. Anyhow I got dar safe, walking at +night and sleeping in the bushes by day. I got as near de town as I dar, +and could see seberal vessels lying near de shore. I could see dat some +ob dem had de Spanish flag--I knew dat flag--de oders had flags which +I did not know. When it was dark I walked boldly into the town; no one +asked me any question, and I make my way through de streets down to de +shore. Dere I get into a boat and lay quiet till all de town was asleep. +Den I get into water and swim off to a ship--one dat I had noticed had +a flag which was not Spanish. Dere was a boat alongside. I climb into it +and pull myself up by the rope on deck. Den some white men seize me and +say someting in language which I not understand. Den dey take me into +cabin and say someting to captain; me not know what it was, but de +captain laugh, and me not like his laugh at all. Howeber, dey give me +someting to eat, and den take me down into hold of ship and tell me to +go to sleep on some sacks of sugar, and throw some empty sacks ober me +to cover me. Den dey close up hatch and leab me alone. + +"When I come on deck de land was gone and de vessel sailing along. I +speak to no one, for I only understand little Spanish, and dese people +not speak dat. We sail along for some time, and at last we come in sight +of land again. Den dey hoist flag and I see dat it a flag wid lots of +red stars and stripes upon him. I know now dat it was a 'Merican ship. +Den I know noting. We get to port and I want to land, but dey shake deir +heads. + +"De next day de captain he make sign to me to come wid him. I go +along to shore and he take me to a open space in town, where a man was +standing on a raised platform. He had a black woman by de side ob him. +Seberal men come up and look at her. De man he shout bery loud. Oder men +say something short. At last he knock on de table; a man tell de woman +to come after him and she walk away. Den a boy was put up, and den two +more women, and ebery time just de same ting was done. Den de man call +out, and de captain push his way through the crowd wid me, and tell +me to climb up on platform. I get up and look round quite surprised. +Eberybody laugh. Den de man began to holloa again. Den seberal men come +up and feel my arms and my legs. Dey point to de marks which de whip had +left on my back, and dey laugh again. Presently de man who was shouting +bang his hand on the table again, and a white man in the crowd, who had +seberal times called out loud, come up to me, take me by the arm, and +sign to me to go wid him. + +"I begin to understand now; dat rascally captain had sold me for a +slabe, and dat flag I had seen was not de English flag. However, it was +no use to say anyting, and I went along wid my new massa. He was a nice +looking man, and I thought it might not be so bery bad after all. He +took me to a high carriage wid two wheels and a fine horse. A negro, who +was dressed up like a white man, was holding de horse. He showed me to +climb up behind, de oders climb up in front, and we dribe away." + + + +CHAPTER XIII: A FUGITIVE SLAVE + + +"Well, sar, work bery much de same on plantation in Virginia and Cuba, +but de slabe much merrier in 'Merica, when de master am good. My new +massa bery good man. Slabes all treat bery kind, work not too hard. At +night dance and sing bery much. Den I marry again, dis time to one ob +de girls in de house. She favorite ob missy, and so when we marry, missy +hab me taken off de fields and put to garden. Bery fine garden dat was. +Tree, four of us work dar, Sam jus' as happy as man could be. Sometime, +when der am party, Sam come into the house to help at de table, dat how +Sam know how to do tings proper. De little massas dey bery fond ob me, +and when dey want to go out hunting de coon or fishing in de riber, dey +always cry for Sam. + +"So fifteen years passed by, bery happy years, sar, den do ole massa +die; missy, too, soon after. De young massa not like him father. Me tink +de ole gentleman make mistake wid him when him chile, let him hab too +much his own way. I bery fond ob him because I had been wid him so much, +but I often shake my head when I tink de time come dat he be massa ob de +plantation. It was not dat his nature was bad; he get in rage sometime, +but dat all ober in no time, but he lub pleasure too much; go to de +races and 'top at de town weeks together, and play too much wid de +cards. Dere were two boys and two girls; de second boy, he go to West +Point and become officer in de army. + +"After de death ob de ole people de house change bery much. Before dat +time we keep good company, gib sometimes grand balls, and all de fust +families ob Virginia in dat part visit dar. After dat always people +in de house. De young massa, when he go to Richmond, bring back six or +eight young men wid him, and dey laugh and drink and play cards half de +night. I tink de young missys speak to him about his ways. Anyhow, one +day dere great row, and dey off to lib wid an aunt in de city. After dat +tings get worse. One day missy come back from town and she gib my wife +her papers of freedom. You see, my wife was giben by de ole man to missy +when her war a little girl, and fortunate it was dat he had made out de +papers all right and presented dem to her. When missy gib her de papers +ob freedom, she cry bery much. 'Me 'fraid bad time coming, Sally,' she +said. 'Me tink dat it better for a time dat you clar out ob dis. Now you +got de paper you free woman, but you wife ob slabe; might be difficulty +about it. Me fear dat broder Dick ruined--de plantation and slabes to be +sole;' and wid dat she bu'st out crying wus dan eber. Ob course my wife +she cry too. + +"'Better you go norf, Sally,' missy say presently. 'I gib you letter +to friends dar, and tell dem you bery good nurse. Den if Sam get good +master you can come back to him again. If not, as you tell me dat when +he slabe before he run away, it jus' possible he do de same again.' + +"'Don't you tink, missy,' de wife said, 'dat de young massa gib freedom +to Sam too. Sam wait on him a great many years, sabe him life when he +tumbled into water.' + +"'I bery much afraid,' missy said, shaking her head, 'dat my broder +not able to do so if he wish. He borrow money on de plantation and de +slabes, and dat prevent him from making any ob dem free. De sale soon +come now. You go tell Sam; tell him not to say word to nobody. Den you +pack up and come right away wid me to de city. It bery much better you +clar out ob dis before dey come down and seize eberybody.' + +"Well, sar, you guess when Sam heard dis he in fine taking. He often +grieve bery much dat he and Sally hab no children. Now he tank de Lord +wid all his heart dat dere no piccanniny, for dey would hab been sold, +one one way and one another, and we should neber hab seen dem again. +Hows'ever, I make great effort, and tell Sally she do jus' what missy +say. I tell her to go norf while she can, and promise dat some day or +oder Sam join her dar. 'Better for to be parted for ten year, Sally, dan +to hab de risk ob you being seize and sold to one master, me to anoder. +You trus' Sam to break out some day. He do bery well here for a time. +He bery good strong nigger, good gardner, good at de horses, good +carpenter. Sam sure to get good place, but, howeber good, when he see a +chance he run away. If no chance, he sabe up his money, and you sabe up +your money, Sally, and buy him freedom.' + +"Well, sar, we bofe cry bery much, and den Sally go away wid de young +missy. A week after dat de bust up come. De officers dey come down and +seize de place, and a little while after dey sell all de slabes. Dat +was a terrible affair, to see de husbands and de wives and de children +separated and sold to different masters. De young massa he not dere +at sale. Dey say he pretty nigh break him heart, but he ought to hab +thought ob dat before. Me sure dat de ole gentleman and de ole missy +pretty nigh turn in deir grabe at de thought ob all de hands they was so +kind to sold away. + +"Dat de curse of slabery, sar. Me trabel a good deal, and me tink dat +no working people in de world are so merry and happy as de slabe in a +plantation wid a good massa and missy. Dey not work so hard as de white +man. Dey have plenty to eat and drink, dey hab deir gardens and deir +fowls. When dey are sick dey are taken care ob, when dey are ole they +are looked after and hab nothing to do. I have heard people talk a lot +of nonsense about de hard life of de plantation slabe. Dat not true, +sar, wid a good massa. De slabe hab no care and he bery happy. If all +massas were good, and dere were a law dat if a plantation were broken up +de slabes must be sold in families together, me tell you dat de life on +a plantation a thousand times happier dan de life ob a black man in +his own country. But all masters are not good. Some neber look after de +slabes, and leabe all to overseers, and dese bery often bad, cruel men. +But worst of all is when a sale comes. Dat terrible, sar. De husban' +sold to Alabama, de wife to Carolina, de children scattered trough de +States. Dis too bad, sar, dis make ob slabery a curse to de black men. + +"Well, sar, we all sold. Me fetch high price and sold to a planter in +Missouri. Sam no like dat. Dat a long way from the frontier. Tree years +Sam work dar in plantation. Den he sold again to a man who hab boats on +de riber at New Orleans. Dar Sam work discharging de ships and working +de barges. Dar he come to learn for sure which de British flag. De times +were slack, and my massa hire me out to be waiter in a saloon. Dat place +dey hab dinners, and after dinner dey gamble. Dat war a bad place, mos' +ebery night quarrels, and sometimes de pistols drawn, and de bullets +flying about. Sam 'top dar six months; de place near de riber, and de +captains ob de ships often come to dine. + +"One young fellow come bery often, and one day Sam saw tree or four men +he knew to be Texas horse dealers talking wid him. Now dis young captain +had been bery friendly wid Sam; always speak cibil and gib him quarter +for himself, and Sam sorry to see dose chaps get hold ob him. Dis went +on for two or tree days, till one ebening de captain, instead of going +away after dinner, stopped talking to dese follows. De play begin at de +table, and dey persuade him to join. He hab de debil's luck. Dey thought +they going to cheat him, and if dey had got him by demselves dey would +have cleaned him out sure. But dere were oder people playing and dey not +able to cheat. + +"Well, sar, he won all de money. Drinks had been flying about, and when +at last de man dat kep' de table said, 'De bank will close for tonight,' +de young fellow could scarce walk steady on his feet. His pockets were +full ob notes. I went up to him and said, 'Will you hab a bed here, sar, +bery good bed?' but he laugh and say, 'No, Sam, I may be a little fresh +in de wind, but I tink I can make de boat.' I saw dose fellows scowl +when I speak to him, and I make up my mind dey after no good. Well, sar, +dey go out fust. Den he go out wid some oder people and stand laughing +and talking at de door. Sam run up to him room, slip on his money belt, +for he had had a good deal giben him while he was dar, and was sabing up +to buy his freedom, and he didn't know what was going to happen. Den Sam +look into de kitchen and caught up a heavy poker and a long knife, den +he run down and turn out de lights ob de saloon and lock de door after +him. + +"He was jus' in time, for he saw at de corner, where de street go down +on to the wharves, de young captain separate from de men who had gone +out wid him and walk away by hisself. Sam kicked off his shoes and ran +as fast as he could to de end ob de street. De wharf was bery badly +lighted, jus' a lamp here and dere. Sam ran along till he got widin +about thirty yards ob de sailor, and den stole quiet along in de shadow +ob de houses. Sudden he see five men run out. Den Sam he leap forward +like tiger and gibs a shout to warn de captain. He turn round jus' in +time. Sam saw an arm lifted and de captain fall, and den at de same +moment almost him poker come down wid a crunch upon de top ob one of +deir head. Den they turn on Sam, but, law bless you, sar! what was de +good ob dat? Bery strong negro wid heavy poker in one hand and long +knife in de oder more dan match for four men. He knock dem ober like +nine pin. Tree of dem, he tink he kill straight, the poker fall on de +top ob deir heads, de oder man give a dig in Sam's left shoulder wid his +knife, and de sudden pain shake Sam's aim a little and de blow fall +on him neck. He gib a shout and tumble down. None ob do oder four +had shouted or made any remark when Sam hit dem. Den Sam caught up de +captain and ran along de wharf. Presently he heard a hail. 'All right,' +Sam said. + +"'Am dat you, captain?' some one say. + +"'Me got a captain here,' Sam say; 'you come and see wheder he yours.' + +"De men came up and look in de captain's face. + +"'Hullo,' dey say; 'de captain am dead.' + +"'Me no tink him dead,' I say. 'He had a fight, and Sam come to him aid +and beat de rascals off. You had better take him straight on board de +ship.' + +"Dey put him in boat and Sam go wid him to ship. Dey examine de wound +and find it not bery serious. De captain was turning round when dey +struck, and de blow had glanced off, but it had made a ugly gash; and +what wid de surprise, and de loss ob blood, and knocking him head on +de wharf, and de liquor, de captain had lost his consciousness. He soon +come round, and Sam tell all about it. De captain shake Sam's hand bery +much and call him his preserver, and ask what he do for him. + +"'You take me out ob dis country,' me said, 'and Sam be grateful.' + +"'Sartain, I will,' he said; 'and now what am de best ting to do?' + +"'Me not stop on board now. Dey come and search de vessel for sure in +de morning. When de four white men found, me hope five, den dere great +rumpus. If five dead no suspicion fall on Sam, but you're sure to be +asked questions. It would be known dat dey were gambling in de saloon, +and it would be known dat you had broken de bank and had gone away wid +your pockets stuffed full ob notes. People would suspec' dat likely +enuff dey had made an attack on you. Dis you couldn't deny, for you will +be bandaged up in de morning, and if you had killed dem no one would +blame you. But it a different ting wid Sam. All dose rascals friends +together, and you be bery sure dat some ob dem pay him off for it. If +five men dead, all well and good. Den you say you knocked down and know +nufing furder. You s'pose some people came up and take your side, and +kill dose men, and carry you to de boat, and gib you ober to de sailors, +and den go away; but dat you know nufing at all about it. If only four +men killed den do oder, who will be sure to go away and say nufing ob +his share in de business, will tell all his mates dat dis nigger intrude +himself into de affair, and dat bad for Sam. So, sar, propose dat I go +ashore, and dat I go down de bank five or six mile, and dere hide in de +bush. When your ship come down you hoist little white flag, so Sam sure +ob de right ship. If Sam tink de coast am clear he swim off. If you no +see Sam when you get fifteen mile down de riber, den you anchor, and at +night send a boat ashore. Sam come down to it for sure.' + +"So de matter was arranged. De captain say he tree more days fill up his +ship, but dat no do for me come on board by daylight because dere would +be a pilot on board. Also he says little white flag no do, pilot tink +him strange, but would tell one ob de men to hang a red shirt, as if to +dry, up in de rigging. At night would show two lights ober de bow for me +to know which was de ship. + +"Fust dey bind up de wound on my shoulder, den dey gib me food for four +days and a bottle of rum, and den row me ashore. Den Sam start, and +before morning he hid in de swampy bush ten miles down de riber. He wait +dere two days, den make him way down anoder four miles and dere stop. +Late dat afternoon he see a ship come down de riber wid a red shirt in +de rigging. He go on and on, and jus' as it got dark he anchor two miles +furder down. Sam make his way along through de bush and at last get +facing de ship. At twelve o'clock boat come along bery quiet. Sam +go down and get in. De men say, 'Hush, make no noise. De pilot am as +watchful as a cat. Dey had tied tings round de oars dat dey should make +no noise, and when dey get to de side ob de ship dey lay dem in very +quiet, hook on de tackle and hoist her up. De hatchway were off, and +de men beckon to Sam, and two ob dem go down wid him, and de hatchways +closed down again. + +"'I tink we hab tricked him,' one ob de sailors said. 'Dere great row at +New Orleans about de four men found dead dar. Dey come off and inquire +ob de captain ober and ober again. Dey know you missing, and dey find de +kitchen poker lying by de men, and tink you must have had a hand in it. +A thousand dollars reward have been offered, and dey searched de ship +high and low, and turn ober all de cargo. A guard stop on board till de +last ting to see no one come off. When de captain say he anchor de pilot +say no, but de captain say he in no hurry and not going to risk his ship +by sailing at night. Me tink pilot smell a rat, for ebery time he hear +a noise on deck he come out of his cabin and look round. We greased de +falls to make dem run quiet, and took off our shoes so as to make no +noise while we were lowering it. De men on deck was told to get de +hatchway open when dey saw us coming, and so we hoped dat de pilot heard +nufing. Now we must head you up in a cask. We hab bored some holes in +it for de air. Den we shall pile oder casks on de top and leabe you. +Dey are as likely as not to search de ship again when she goes past de +forts, for de pilot will suspect dat it am possible dat you have come on +board tonight.' + +"Me take my place in a big sugar cask. Dey give me some water and some +food, and den shut in de head ober me. Dere I remain two days. I heard +some men come below and make a great noise, moving de cargo about near +de hatchway, and dey hammered in all de casks ob de top tier to see if +any ob dem was empty. I felt bery glad when it was all ober, and de hold +was quiet again. I slept a great deal and did not know anything about +time; but at last I heard a noise again, and de moving of casks, and den +de head of de hogshead was taken out, and dere were de sailors and de +captain. Dey shook Sam very hearty by de hand, and told him dat de ship +was safe out at sea, and dat he was a free man. + +"All through dat voyage dey bery kind to Sam. He libed de life ob a +gentleman; ate, and drank, and smoke plenty, and nufing at all to do. At +last we got to Liberpool, and dar de captain take Sam to a vessel bound +to New York, pay him passage across, and gib Sam a present ob fifty +pound. Dis chile had saved fifty beside, so he felt dat he was a rich +man. Nufing happen on passage, except great storm, and Sam thought dat +de steamer go to de bottom, but she got through all right, and Sam land +at New York. Den he journey to Philadelphia, dat the place where missy +give Sam a card wid a name and address written on it, for him to go to +ask where Sally was living. Well, sar, you could have knocked me down +when I find a great bill in de window, saying dat de house were to let. +Sam almost go out ob his mind. He ask a great many people, de servants +at de doors, and de people in de shops and at last find dat de family am +gone to trabel in Europe, and dat dey might be away for years. + +"For two months Sam searched about Philadelphia, and looked at ebery +black woman he saw in de streets. He could see no signs whatsomeber ob +Sally. Den he took a place as waiter at an hotel, and he wrote to missy +at Richmond, to ask if she know Sally's address, but he neber got no +answer to dat letter, and s'posed that missy was either dead or gone +away. After he work dere for some months de idea came to Sam dat first +class hotel wasn't de best place in de world to look for black woman. +Den Sam went to warehouse and bought a lot of books and started to +peddle them trough de country. He walked thousands ob miles, and +altogether saw thousands ob black men, but nothing like Sally. Ebery +black woman he could he spoke to, and asked dem if dey knew her. It was +a curious ting dat no one did. Me did not find Sally, but me made a good +deal of money, and tree more years pass away at dis work. By dis time +me was nigh forty-five years old, as well as me could tell. Ebery few +months me go back to Philadelphia and search dere again. + +"One day a woman, dressed bery plain, came up to me and said, 'I hab +been tole by my nurse dat you have been asking her if she had seen your +wife.' I s'pose I looked hopeful like for she said at once, 'Me know +nothing ob her, but I was interested about you. You are an escaped +slabe, are you not?' + +"'Yes, ma'am,' me said. 'Dere is no law against me here.' + +"'None at all,' she said. 'But I thought that you might, like me, be +interested in freeing slabes.' + +"'Dat I am,' I said, 'dough I had neber thought much about it.' + +"'You hab heard, p'raps,' she said, 'ob de underground railway.' + +"'Yes, ma'am,' said I. 'Dat is de blessed 'stitution which smuggles +slaves across the frontier.' + +"'Dat is it,' she said, 'and I belongs to it.' + +"'Does you, missy?' me says. 'De Lord bless you.' + +"'Now,' she said, 'we want two or three more earnest men, men not afraid +to risk deir libes, or what is worse deir freedom, to help deir follow +creatures. I thought that you, habing suffered so much yourself, might +be inclined to devote yourself to freeing oders from de horrors of +slabery.' + +"'Sam is ready, ma'am,' me says, 'It may be dat de Lord neber intends me +see my Sally again, but if I can be de means ob helping to get oder men +to join deir wives I shall be content.' + +"'Very well,' she said. 'Come into my house now and we will talk about +it.' + +"Den she 'splained the whole business to me. Dere were, principally in +lonely places, in swamps and woods, but sometimes libing in villages and +towns in de south, people who had devoted deir libes to de carrying +out of de purposes ob de underground railway. For de most part dese led +libes differing no way from deir neighbors; dey tilled de land, or kept +stores like oders, and none of dose around dem suspected in de slightest +degree deir mission in de south. To deir houses at night fugitive slabes +would come, guided by dose from de next post. De fugitives would be +concealed for twenty-four hours or more, and den passed on at night +again to de next station. Dose formed the larger portion ob de body. + +"Dere were oders who lived a life in de swamps, scattered trough the +country. Deir place of residence would be known to de slabes ob de +neighborhood, but de masters had no suspicion dat de emissaries ob de +association were so near. To dese any negro, driben to desperation +by harsh treatment, would resort, and from dem instructions would be +received as to de route to be taken, and de places where aid could be +obtained. Dose people held deir life in deir hands. Had any suspicion +fallen upon dem ob belonging to de 'stitution dey would be lynched for +sartin. De lady set before me all de dangers ob de venture. She said it +war a case whar dere were no money to be earned, and only de chances +of martyrdom. My mind quite made up. Me ready to undertake any work dey +like to give me. My life ob no value to no one. De next day me saw some +ob de oder people connected wid de affair, and tree days afterwards I +started for de south." + + + +CHAPTER XIV: A CHRISTIAN TOWN + + +"My share ob de business was to make my way down south and settle in de +swamps ob Carolina. I war to be taken down by trading schooner, to be +landed on de coast, and to make my way to a place in de center ob a big +swamp whar an ole nigger, named Joe, had been carrying on de work for +four years. He had sent to say dat he war bery ill wid de swamp fever +and like to die, dat he should not leabe de work as long as he libed, +but hoped dat dey would send anoder man out to take on his work after +his death. + +"Well, sar, I was landed, and I made my way to de place. It war no easy +matter. De niggers all say dey know no such person, but I found de next +post, and dere de man guided me to de path which led into de swamp. Dey +told me dey thought de ole man dead, for dat no one had come along to +dem from him for nigh two month. Well, sar, as I 'spected I found him +dead, and I buried him, and took up my place in de hut. Soon it became +known through de plantations round dat de hut was occupied again, and +dey began to come to me to ask for assistance. My 'structions war dat +only to enable a husband to join his wife, or a wife her husband, or in +cases where de masters were uncommon cruel, dat I was to send 'em along +by de underground railway. De risks was too great to be run often. If +we had tried to help ebery one to 'scape we should mighty soon hab been +hunted down. + +"Well, sar, I libed dere for three year. It was a lonesome life. I +planted a few yams round de hut, and de plantation hands would bring me +tings dat dey got hold of. It was my duty when I found dat a case was ob +de proper description to arrange for de flight, de man or de woman would +come to my hut, and I would guide dem through de swamps, twenty-five +mile away, to de house ob a clergyman, which was de next station. I +would jus' knock in a 'ticular way at de door, and when dis was open +leab de party dere and go straight away back to de swamp. More dan once +de planters got up hunts and searched de swamp through and through for +me wid dogs, and my hut was twice burnt to de ground, but de slabes +always brought me notice in time, and I went away into de tickest part +ob de swamp and lay dar till dey had gone away. + +"Well, sar, one time come, I bery busy, passed tree men away in two +week. One night me hear barking of dogs, and jump up jus' in time to see +party ob men coming out from de little path towards de hut. I ran for de +swamp. Dey fire at me and one ball hit me. Den I ran in to de swamp, +de dogs dey follow, but I get farder and farder away, and de swamp get +deeper, and me tink dey lose me altogether. I sit quiet on 'tump when I +hear someting splashing in swamp, and all of a sudden a big hound sprang +on me, and fix him teeth in my shoulder. I had no arms, for in de hurry +I had not time to catch dem up. De beast he growl and bite, and hold +on like death. I saw dere only one ting to do. I tumble forward into de +swamp wid de dog underneath me, and dere I lay, wid my mouf sometimes +above de water sometimes below, till de dog was drowned. + +"Den I start for de next station. I was hit in de hip, and it took me +tree days to crawl dat twenty-five miles. On de tird ebening I knock at +de door ob de house, and when it was open I tumble down in faint inside. +It war a long time before I come to myself, two weeks dey tell me, +and den I tink I dream, for sitting by de side of de bed war dat woman +Sally. Till she spoke, me couldn't believe dat it war true, but she told +me dat it war her, sure enuf, and dat I war to ask no questions but to +go off to sleep. + +"Next day she told me all about it. She had stopped a year at +Philadelphy. Den she heard ob de underground railway, and was tole dat +a clergyman, who war just going down south to work a station, wanted +a black nurse for his children, who would help in de work. Sally she +volunteer, and dar she had been libing eber since, hoping all de +time eider dat I should pass through dere or dat she should hear from +Philadelphy dat I had got dere. She used to act as de guide ob de +runaways to de next station, and ebery man who came along she asked +if they knew me; but, law bless you, sar, de poor woman knew nufing ob +places, or she would hab known dat she war hundreds ob miles south of +Virginia, and though she allowed she had heard I had gone to Missouri, +she s'posed dat de way from der might be by de sea coast. I hab +observed, sar, dat de gography ob women am bery defective. + +"I stopped thar till I was cured. The clergyman knew someting of +surgery, and he managed to substract the ball from my hip. When I war +quite well Sally and me started for the norf, whar we had helped so many +oders to go, and, bress de Lord, we arribed dere safe. Den I told Sally +dat I should like to libe under de British flag, so we went up to Canada +and dere we libed bery comfortable for ten years together. Sally washed +and I kep' a barber's shop, and we made plenty ob money. Den she die, +sar, de tought come into my mind dat I would come back to Africa and +teach dose poor niggers here de ways ob de white men, and sar," and he +pointed to a Bible standing on the chest, "de ways ob de Lord. So I came +across the Atlantic, and stopped a little while on de coast, for I had +pretty nigh forgotten de language ob de country. When I got it back +again I started up for dis place, wid plenty ob goods and presents. + +"I had hard work at fust to get de people to know me. It war nigh forty +year since I had gone away, but at last some ob de ole people remember +me, dat I was de son ob de chief. As I had plenty goods, and dey did not +like de man dat was here, dey made me chief in my fader's place. I told +dem dat I no accept de place unless dey promise to behave bery well, to +mind what I said to dem, and to listen to my words; but dat if they do +dat I gibe dem plenty goods, I make dem comfortable and happy, and I +teach dem de way ob de Lord. Dey agree to all dis. + +"I find de slave trade now all at an end, and dat de people not fight +often now. Still, de twenty muskets dat I bring make de people of oder +villages respec' us very much. Dey come ober to see de village. Dey see +dat de houses are comfortable, dat de gardens are bery well cultivated, +dat de people are well dressed, not like common nigger, dat dey are +happy and contented. Dey see dat dey no believe in fetish any more, but +dat ebery ebening when de work is ober, dey gadder under de big tree and +listen for half an hour while I read to dem and den sing a hymn. Once +a year I send down to de coast and get up plenty cloth, and hoes for +de gardens, and eberyting dey want. When I land here ten year ago I hab +eight hundred pound. I got five hundred ob him left here still. Dat more +dan enuf to last Sam if he libe to be bery, bery ole man. Dar are some +good men in de village who, when I am gone, will carry on de work ob de +Lord and dat's all, sar, dat I hab to tell you about Sam, and I am sure +dat you must be very tired and want to go to bed." + +The hour was, indeed, for Africa, extremely late, but the time had +passed unheeded, so interested were the listeners in the narrative of +the fine old negro. They remained at the village for a week, and were +greatly pleased with the industrious habits and happy appearance of the +people, and with the earnestness and fervor in which every evening, and +twice on Sunday, they joined in devotions under the great tree. At the +end of that time they said goodbye to their kind host, giving him a +large amount of cloth for distribution among his people. He was unable +to furnish them with bearers, as a considerable tract of uninhabited +country extended beyond his village, and the people on the other side +were on bad terms with his villagers, on account of an outstanding feud +which had existed long before his return from America, and which he +had in vain attempted to settle since he assumed the headship of the +village. + +On approaching the Niger they again came upon an inhabited country, but +the tribes here being accustomed to trade with the coast were +friendly, and at the first large village they came to no difficulty was +experienced in obtaining a fresh relay of bearers. This was a matter of +great satisfaction, for the Fans were regarded with extreme antipathy by +the natives. As soon as arrangements had been made to supply their place +the Fans were paid the four months' wages which they had earned. A large +"dash" of beads and other presents were bestowed upon them, three of the +remaining sacks of rice were given to them, and, greatly rejoicing, they +started for their own country, which, by making long marches, they would +regain in a fortnight's time. Although it was not probable that they +would meet with any enemies, six trade muskets, with a supply of powder +and ball, were given to them, as, although they would not be able to +do much execution with these weapons, their possession would exercise a +powerful influence over any natives they might meet. + +In crossing the country to the Niger the white men were the objects of +lively curiosity, and the exhibition of the magic lantern, the chemical +experiments, and conjuring tricks created an effect equal to that which +they had produced among the Fans. On reaching the Niger a canoe was +hired with a crew of rowers. In this all the cases, filled with the +objects they had collected, were placed, the whole being put in charge +of the Houssas, Moses and King John, who had been seized with a fit +of homesickness. These were to deliver the cases to the charge of an +English agent at Lagos or Bonny, to both of whom Mr. Goodenough wrote +requesting him to pay the sum agreed to the boatmen on the safe arrival +of the cases, and also to pay the Houssas, who preferred taking their +wages there, as it was not considered advisable to tempt the cupidity of +any of the native princes along the river. Should they be overhauled +the Houssas were told to open the cases and show that these contained +nothing but birds' skins and insects, which would be absolutely +valueless in the eyes of a native. + +When the precious freight had fairly started, the party crossed the +Niger in a canoe, arrangements having already been made with the +potentate of a village on the opposite side for a fresh relay of +carriers, twenty men being now sufficient, owing to the gaps which had +been made in the provisions in the goods, by the payment of the carriers +and presents, and, in the cases, by the despatch of eight of the largest +of these to the coast. They had still, however, ample space for the +collections they might still make. The cases of goods and provisions +were utilized for this purpose as they were emptied. + +For another two months they journeyed on, halting frequently and adding +continually to their stores. The country was fairly populated, and there +was no difficulty in buying plantains and fruit and in obtaining fresh +sets of carriers through the territories of each petty chief. They were +now approaching the Volta, when one day a native, covered with dust and +bathed in perspiration, came up to their camp, and throwing himself on +the ground before Mr. Goodenough poured out a stream of words. + +"What does he say, Ostik?" + +"Me not know, sar. P'r'aps Ugly Tom know. He been down near Volta +country." + +Ugly Tom was called, and after a conversation with the native, told Mr. +Goodenough that he was a messenger from Abeokuta, that the people there +were threatened by an attack by the King of Dahomey, and that they +implored the white men, who they heard were in the neighborhood, to come +to their aid. + +"What do you say, Frank?" Mr. Goodenough asked. + +"I don't know anything about it, sir," Frank said. "I have heard of +Dahomey, of course, and its horrible customs, but I don't know anything +about Abeokuta." + +"Abeokuta is a very singular town," Mr. Goodenough said. "Its people +were christianized many years ago, and have faithfully retained the +religion. The town lies not very far from Dahomey, and this power, which +has conquered and enslaved all its other neighbors, has been unable to +conquer Abeokuta, although it has several times besieged it. The Dahomey +people have every advantage, being supplied with firearms, and even +cannon, by the rascally white traders at Whydah, the port of Dahomey. +Nevertheless, the Abeokuta people have opposed an heroic resistance, and +so far successfully. Of course they know that every soul would be put to +death did they fall into the hands of the King of Dahomey; but negroes +do not always fight well, even under such circumstances, and every +credit must be given to the people of Abeokuta. What do you say? It +will be a perilous business, mind, for if Abeokuta is taken we shall +assuredly be put to death with the rest of the defenders." + +"I think we ought to help them, sir," Frank said. "They must be a noble +people, and with our guns and the four Houssas we might really be of +material assistance. Of course there is a risk in it, but we have risked +our lives from fever, and in other ways, every day since we've been in +the country." + +"Very well, my lad. I am glad that is your decision. Tell him, Ugly Tom, +that we will at once move towards Abeokuta with all speed, and that they +had better send out a party of carriers to meet us, as you may be sure +that these men will not go far when they hear that the Dahomey people +are on the warpath. Learn from him exactly the road we must move by, as +if our carriers desert us we shall be detained till his people come up. +How far is it to Abeokuta?" + +Ugly Tom learned from the native that it was about forty-five miles. + +"Very well," Mr. Goodenough said, "we shall march twenty this afternoon. +Where we halt they will most likely have heard the rumors of the war, +and I expect the carriers will go no farther, so they must send out to +that point." + +The Houssa translated the message, and the native, saying, "I shall be +at Abeokuta tonight," kissed the hands of the white men and started at a +trot. + +"Wonderful stamina some of these men have," Mr. Goodenough said. "That +man has come forty-five miles at full speed, and is now going off again +as fresh as when he started." + +"What speed will he go at?" Frank asked. + +"About six miles an hour. Of course he goes faster when he is running, +but he will sometimes break into a walk. Five miles an hour may be +taken as the ordinary pace of a native runner, but in cases which they +consider of importance, like the present, you may calculate on six." + +The camp was at once broken up, the carriers loaded, and they started on +their way. It was late in the evening when they reached a village about +twenty miles from their starting place. They found the inhabitants in a +great state of alarm. The news had come that a great army was marching +to attack Abeokuta, and that the King of Dahomey had sworn on his +father's skull that this time the place should be captured, and not a +house or a wall left remaining. As Abeokuta was certain to make a strong +resistance, and to hold out for some time, the villagers feared that the +Dahomey people would be sending out parties to plunder and carry away +captives all over the surrounding country. The panic at once extended +to the bearers, who declared that they would not go a foot farther. As +their fears were natural, and Mr. Goodenough was expecting a fresh relay +from Abeokuta on the following evening, he consented to their demand +to be allowed to leave immediately, and paying them their wages due, he +allowed them to depart at once on the return journey. The tent was +soon pitched and supper prepared, of fried plantains, rice, a tin of +sardines, and tea. Later on they had a cup of chocolate, and turned in +for the night. + +In the morning they were awakened just at daybreak by great talking. + +"Men come for baggage, sar," Ugly Tom said, putting his head in the tent +door. + +"They have lost no time about it, Frank," Mr. Goodenough exclaimed. "It +was midday yesterday when the messenger left us. He had forty-five miles +to run, and could not have been in till pretty nearly eight o'clock, and +these men must have started at once." + +There was no time lost. While the Houssas were pulling down and packing +up the tent Ostik prepared two bowls of chocolate with biscuit soaked +in it. By the time that this was eaten the carriers had taken up their +loads, and two minutes later the whole party started almost at a trot. +Ugly Tom soon explained the cause of the haste. The army of Dahomey was, +the evening before, but eight miles from Abeokuta, and was expected +to appear before the town by midday, although, of course, it might be +later, for the movements of savage troops are uncertain in the extreme, +depending entirely upon the whims of their leader. So anxious were the +bearers to get back to the town in time, that they frequently went at a +trot. They were the better able to keep up the speed as a larger number +than were required had been sent. Many of the cases, too, were light, +consequently the men were able to shift the heavy burdens from time to +time. So great was the speed, that after an hour both Mr. Goodenough and +Frank, weakened by the effect of fever and climate, could no longer keep +up. The various effects carried in the hammocks were hastily taken out +and lifted by men unprovided with loads. The white men entered and were +soon carried along at a brisk trot by the side of the baggage. When they +recovered from their exhaustion sufficiently to observe what was going +on, they could not help admiring the manner in which the negroes, +with perspiration streaming from every pore, hurried along with their +burdens. So fast did they go, that in less than six hours they emerged +from the forest into the clearing, and a shout proclaimed that Abeokuta +was close at hand. + +Ten minutes later the white men were carried through the gate, their +arrival being hailed with shouts of joy by the inhabitants. They were +carried in triumph to the principal building of the town, a large hut +where the general councils of the people were held. Here they were +received by the king and the leading inhabitants, who thanked them +warmly for coming to their assistance in the time of their peril. The +travelers were both struck with the appearance of the people. They were +clad with far more decency and decorum than was usual among the negro +tribes. Their bearing was quiet and dignified. An air of neatness and +order pervaded everything, and it was clear that they were greatly +superior to the people around. + +Mr. Goodenough expressed to the king the willingness with which his +friend and himself took part in the struggle of a brave people against +a cruel and bloodthirsty foe, and he said, that as the four Houssas were +also armed with fast firing guns he hoped that their assistance would be +of avail. He said that he would at once examine the defences of the town +and see if anything could be done to strengthen them. + +Accompanied by the king, Mr. Goodenough and Frank made a detour of the +walls. These were about a mile in circumference, were built of clay, and +were of considerable height and thickness, but they were not calculated +to resist an attack by artillery. As, however, it was not probable +that the Dahomey people possessed much skill in the management of their +cannon, Mr. Goodenough had hopes that they should succeed in repelling +the assault. They learnt that a large store of provisions had been +brought into the town, and that many of the women and children had been +sent far away. + +The spies presently came in and reported that there was no movement +on the part of the enemy, and that it was improbable that they would +advance before the next day. Mr. Goodenough was unable to offer any +suggestions for fresh defenses until they knew upon which side the enemy +would attack. He advised, however, that the whole population should be +set to work throwing up an earthwork just outside each gate, in order +to shelter these as far as possible from the effect of the enemy's +cannonballs. Orders were at once given to this effect, and in an hour +the whole population were at work carrying earth in baskets and piling +it in front of the gates. In order to economize labor, and to make the +sides of the mounds as steep as possible, Mr. Goodenough directed with +brushwood, forming a sort of rough wattle work. Not even when night set +in did the people desist from their labor, and by the following morning +the gates were protected from the effect of cannon shot, by mounds of +earth twenty feet high, which rose before them. The king had, when Mr. +Goodenough first suggested these defenses, pointed out that much less +earth would be required were it piled directly against the gates. +Mr. Goodenough replied, that certainly this was so, but that it was +essential to be able to open the gates to make a sortie if necessary +against the enemy, and although the king shook his head, as if doubting +the ability of his people to take such a desperate step as that of +attacking the enemy outside their walls, he yielded to Mr. Goodenough's +opinion. + + + +CHAPTER XV: THE AMAZONS OF DAHOMET + + +A spacious and comfortable hut was placed at the disposal of the white +men, with a small one adjoining for the Houssas. That evening Frank +asked Mr. Goodenough to tell him what he knew concerning the people of +Dahomey. + +"The word Dahomey, or more properly Da-omi, means Da's belly. Da was, +two hundred and fifty years ago, the king of the city of Abomey. It was +attacked by Tacudona the chief of the Fois. It resisted bravely, and +Tacudona made a vow that if he took it he would sacrifice the king to +the gods. When he captured the town he carried out his vow by ripping +open the king, and then called the place Daomi. Gradually the conquerors +extended their power until the kingdom reached to the very foot of the +Atlas range, obtaining a port by the conquest of Whydah. The King of +Dahomey is a despot, and even his nobility crawl on the ground in his +presence. The taxes are heavy, every article sold in the market paying +about one eighteenth to the royal exchequer. There are besides many +other taxes. Every slave is taxed, every article that enters the +kingdom. If a cock crow it is forfeited, and, as it is the nature of +cocks to crow, every bird in the kingdom is muzzled. The property of +every one who dies goes to the king; and at the Annual Custom, a grand +religious festival, every man has to bring a present in proportion to +his rank and wealth. The royal pomp is kept up by receiving strangers +who visit the country with much state, and by regaling the populace with +spectacles of human sacrifices. The women stand high in Dahomey. +Among other negro nations they till the soil. In Dahomey they fight as +soldiers, and perform all the offices of men. Dahomey is principally +celebrated for its army of women, and its human sacrifices. These last +take place annually, or even more often. Sometimes as many as a thousand +captives are slain on these occasions. In almost all the pagan nations +of Africa human sacrifices are perpetrated, just as they were by the +Druids and Egyptians of old. Nowhere, however, are they carried to such +a terrible extent as in Dahomey. Even Ashanti, where matters are bad +enough, is inferior in this respect. The victims are mostly captives +taken in war, and it is to keep up the supply necessary for these +wholesale sacrifices that Dahomey is constantly at war with her +neighbors." + +"But are we going to fight against women, then?" Frank asked horrified. + +"Assuredly we are," Mr. Goodenough answered. "The Amazons, as white men +have christened the force, are the flower of the Dahomey army, and fight +with extraordinary bravery and ferocity." + +"But it will seem dreadful to fire at women!" Frank said. + +"That is merely an idea of civilization, Frank. In countries where women +are dependent upon men, leaving to them the work of providing for the +family and home, while they employ themselves in domestic duties and in +brightening the lives of the men, they are treated with respect. But as +their work becomes rougher, so does the position which they occupy in +men's esteem fall. Among the middle and upper classes throughout Europe +a man is considered a brute and a coward who lifts his hand against a +woman. Among the lower classes wife and woman beating is by no means +uncommon, nor is such an assault regarded with much more reprobation +than an attack upon a man. When women leave their proper sphere and put +themselves forward to do man's work they must expect man's treatment; +and the foolish women at home who clamor for women's rights, that is +to say, for an equality of work, would, if they had their way, inflict +enormous damage upon their sex." + +"Still," Frank said, "I shan't like having to fire at women." + +"You won't see much difference between women and men when the fight +begins, Frank. These female furies will slay all who fall into their +hands, and therefore in self defense you will have to assist in slaying +them." + +The following day the sound of beating of drums and firing of guns was +heard, and soon afterwards the head of the army of Dahomey was seen +approaching. It moved with considerable order and regularity. + +"Those must be the Amazons," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are proud of +their drill and discipline. I do not think that any other African troops +could march so regularly and solidly." + +The main body of the army now came in view, marching as a loose and +scattered mob. Then twelve objects were seen dragged by oxen. These were +the cannon of the besiegers. + +"How many do you think there are?" Frank asked. + +"It is very difficult to judge accurately," Mr. Goodenough said. "But +Dahomey is said to be able to put fifty thousand fighting men and women +in the field, that is to say her whole adult population, except +those too old to bear arms. I should think that there are twenty or +twenty-five thousand now in sight." + +The enemy approached within musket shot of the walls, and numbers of +them running up, discharged their muskets. The Abeokuta people fired +back; but Mr. Goodenough ordered the Houssas on no account to fire, as +he did not wish the enemy to know the power of their rifles. + +The first step of the besiegers was to cut down all the plantations +round the town and to erect great numbers of little huts. A large +central hut with several smaller ones surrounding it was erected for the +king and his principal nobles. The Dahomans spread round the town and +by the gesticulation and pointing at the gates it was clear that the +defenses raised to cover these excited great surprise. + +The wall was thick enough for men to walk along on the top, but being +built of clay it would withstand but little battering. Mr. Goodenough +set a large number of people to work, making sacks from the rough cloth, +of which there was an abundance in the place. These were filled with +earth and piled in the center of the town ready for conveyance to +any point threatened. He likewise had a number of beams, used in +construction of houses, sharpened at one end; stakes of five or six feet +long were also prepared and sharpened at both ends. That day the enemy +attempted nothing against the town. The next morning the twelve cannon +were planted at a distance of about five hundred yards and opened fire +on the walls. The shooting was wild in the extreme; many of the balls +went over the place altogether; others topped the wall and fell in the +town; some hit the wall and buried themselves in the clay. + +"We will give them a lesson," Mr. Goodenough said, "in the modern rifle. +Frank, you take my double barrel rifle and I will take the heavy, large +bored one. Your Winchester will scarcely make accurate firing at five +hundred yards." + +The Houssas were already on the wall, anxious to open fire. Mr. +Goodenough saw that their rifles were sighted to five hundred yards. +The cannon offered an easy mark. They were ranged along side by side, +surrounded by a crowd of negroes, who yelled and danced each time a shot +struck the wall. + +"Now," Mr. Goodenough said to the Houssas, "fire steadily, and, above +all, fire straight. I want every shot to tell." + +Mr. Goodenough gave the signal, and at once Frank and the Houssas +opened fire. The triumphant yells of the Dahomans at once changed their +character, and a cry of wrath and astonishment broke from them. Steadily +Mr. Goodenough and his party kept up their fire. They could see that +great execution was being done, a large proportion of the shots telling. +Many wounded were carried to the rear, and black forms could be seen +stretched everywhere on the ground. Still the enemy's fire continued +with unabated vigor. + +"They fight very pluckily," Frank said. + +"They are plucky," Mr. Goodenough answered; "and as cowardice is +punished with death, and human life has scarcely any value among them, +they will be killed where they stand rather than retreat." + +For three or four hours the fight continued. Several officers, evidently +of authority, surrounded by groups of attendants, came down to the guns; +but as Frank and Mr. Goodenough always selected these for their mark, +and--firing with their guns resting on the parapet--were able to make +very accurate shooting, most of them were killed within a few minutes of +their arriving on the spot. + +At the end of four hours the firing ceased, and the Dahomans retired +from their guns. The Abeokuta people raised a cry of triumph. + +"I imagine they have only fallen back," Mr. Goodenough said, "to give +the guns time to cool." + +While the cannonade had been going on a brisk attack had been kept up on +several other points of the wall, the enemy advancing within fifty yards +of this and firing their muskets, loaded with heavy charges of slugs, at +the defenders, who replied vigorously to them. Their cannonade was +not resumed that afternoon, the Dahomans contenting themselves with +skirmishing round the walls. + +"They are disappointed with the result of their fire," Mr. Goodenough +said. "No doubt they anticipated they should knock the wall down without +difficulty. You will see some change in their tactics tomorrow." + +That night Mr. Goodenough had a number of barrels of palm oil carried on +to the wall, with some of the great iron pots used for boiling down the +oil, and a supply of fuel. + +"If they try to storm," he said, "it will most likely be at the point +which they have been firing at. The parapet is knocked down in several +places, and the defenders there would be more exposed to their fire." + +It was at this point, therefore, that the provision of oil was placed. +Mr. Goodenough ordered fires to be lighted under the boilers an hour +before daybreak, in order that all should be in readiness in case an +attack should be made the first thing in the morning. The Abeokutans +were in high spirits at the effect of the fire of their white allies, +and at the comparative failure of the cannon, at whose power they had +before been greatly alarmed. Soon after daylight the Dahomans were seen +gathering near the guns. Their drums beat furiously, and presently they +advanced in a solid mass against the wall. + +"They have got ladders," Mr. Goodenough said. "I can see numbers of them +carrying something." + +The Houssas at once opened fire, and as the enemy approached closer, +first the Abeokutans who had muskets, then the great mass with bows and +arrows, began to fire upon the enemy, while these answered with their +musketry. The central body, however, advanced without firing a shot, +moving like the rest at a quick run. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank were not firing now, as they were devoting +themselves to superintending the defence. Ostik kept close to them, +carrying Frank's Winchester carbine and a double barreled shotgun. + +"This is hot," Mr. Goodenough said, as the enemy's slugs and bullets +whizzed in a storm over the edge of the parapet, killing many of the +defenders, and rendering it difficult for the others to take accurate +aim. This, however, the Abeokutans did not try to do. Stooping below +the parapet, they fitted their arrows to the string, or loaded their +muskets, and then, standing up, fired hastily at the approaching throng. + +The walls were about twenty-five feet high inside, but the parapet gave +an additional height of some four feet outside. They were about three +feet thick at the top, and but a limited number of men could take post +there to oppose the storming party. Strong bodies were placed farther +along on the wall to make a rush to sweep the enemy off should they gain +a footing. Others were posted below to attack them should they leap down +into the town, while men with muskets were on the roofs of the houses +near the walls, in readiness to open fire should the enemy get a footing +on the wall. The din was prodigious. + +The Dahomans, having access to the sea coast, were armed entirely with +muskets, these being either cheap Birmingham trade guns or old converted +muskets, bought by traders for a song at the sale of disused government +stores. It is much to be regretted that the various governments of +Europe do not insist that their old guns shall be used only as old iron. +The price obtained for them is so trifling as to be immaterial, and +the great proportion of them find their way to Africa to be used in +the constant wars that are waged there, and to enable rich and powerful +tribes to enslave and destroy their weaker neighbors. The Africans use +very much heavier charges of powder than those in used in civilized +nations, ramming down a handful of slugs, of half a dozen small bullets, +upon the powder. This does not conduce to good shooting, but the noise +made is prodigious. The Abeokutans, on the other hand, were principally +armed with bows and arrows, as, having no direct access to the sea +coast, it was difficult for them to procure guns. + +The Dahomans poured up in a mass to the foot of the wall, and then a +score of rough ladders, constructed of bamboo, and each four feet wide, +were placed against the walls. Directly the point to be attacked was +indicated, Mr. Goodenough had distributed his cauldrons of boiling oil +along the walls, and had set men to work to pierce holes through the +parapet at distances of a couple of feet apart, and at a height of six +inches from the ground. A line of men with long spears wore told to lie +down upon the ground, and to thrust through the holes at those climbing +the ladders. Another line of holes was pierced two feet higher, through +which those armed with muskets and bows were to fire, for when the +enemy reached the foot of the walls their fire was so heavy that it was +impossible to return it over the top of the parapet. + +Immediately the ladders were placed, men with ladles began to throw +the boiling oil over the parapet. Shrieks and yells from below at once +testified to its effect, but it was only just where the cauldrons were +placed that the besiegers were prevented by this means from mounting +the ladders, and even here many, in spite of the agony of their burns, +climbed desperately upward. + +When they neared the top the fight began in earnest. Those without were +now obliged to cease firing, and the besieged were able to stand up and +with sword and spear defend their position. The breech loaders of Mr. +Goodenough and the Houssas and Frank's repeating carbine now came into +play. The Dahomans fought with extraordinary bravery, hundreds fell shot +or cut down from above or pierced by the spears and arrows through the +holes in the parapet. Fresh swarms of assailants took their places on +the ladders. The drums kept up a ceaseless rattle, and the yells of +the mass of negroes standing inactive were deafening. Their efforts, +however, were in vain. Never did the Amazons fight with more reckless +bravery; but the position was too strong for them, and at last, after +upwards of a thousand of the assailants had fallen, the attack was given +up, and the Dahomans retired from the wall followed by the exulting +shouts of the men of Abeokuta. + +The loss of the defenders was small. Some ten or twelve had been killed +with slugs. Three or four times that number were more or less severely +wounded about the head or shoulders with the same missiles. Frank had a +nasty cut on the cheek, and Firewater and Bacon were both streaming with +blood. + +There was no chance of a renewal of the attack that day. Sentries were +placed on the walls, and a grand thanksgiving service was held in the +open space in the center of the town which the whole populace attended. + +"What will be their next move, do you think?" Frank asked Mr. +Goodenough. + +"I cannot say," Mr. Goodenough said; "but these people know something +of warfare, and finding that they cannot carry the place by assault, +I think you will find that they will try some more cautious move next +time." + +For two days there was no renewal of the attack. At Mr. Goodenough's +suggestion the Abeokutans on the wall shouted out that the Dahomans +might come and carry off their dead, as he feared that a pestilence +might arise from so great a number of decomposing bodies at the foot +of the wall. The Dahomans paid no attention to the request, and, at Mr. +Goodenough's suggestion, on the second day the whole populace set to +work carrying earth in baskets to the top of the wall, and throwing this +over so as to cover the mass of bodies at its foot. As to those lying +farther off nothing could be done. On the third morning it was seen that +during the night a large number of sacks had been piled in a line upon +the ground, two hundred yards away from the wall. The pile was eight +feet in height and some fifty yards long. + +"I thought they were up to something," Mr. Goodenough said. "They have +been sending back to Dahomey for sacks." + +In a short time the enemy brought up their cannon, behind the shelter +of the sacks, regardless of the execution done by the rifles of Mr. +Goodenough's party during the movement. The place chosen was two or +three hundred yards to the left of that on which the former attack had +been made. Then a swarm of men set to work removing some of the sacks, +and in a short time twelve rough embrasures were made just wide enough +for the muzzles of the guns, the sacks removed being piled on the +others, raising them to the height of ten feet and sheltering the men +behind completely from the fire from the walls. + +"They will make a breach now," Mr. Goodenough said. "We must prepare to +receive them inside." + +The populace were at once set to work digging holes and securely +planting the beams already prepared in a semicircle a hundred feet +across, behind the wall facing the battery. The beams when fixed +projected eight feet above the ground, the spaces between being filled +with bamboos twisted in and out between them. Earth was thrown up behind +to the height of four foot for the defenders to stand upon. The space +between the stockade and the wall was filled with sharp pointed bamboos +and stakes stuck firmly in the ground with their points projecting +outwards. All day the townspeople labored at these defenses, while the +wall crumbled fast under the fire of the Dahomey artillery, every shot +of which, at so short a distance, struck it heavily. By five in the +afternoon a great gap, fifty feet wide, was made in the walls, and the +army of Dahomey again gathered for the assault. Mr. Goodenough with two +of the Houssas took his place on the wall on one side of the gap, Frank +with the other two faced him across the chasm. A large number of the +Abeokuta warriors also lined the walls, while the rest gathered on the +stockade. + +With the usual tumult of drumming and yells the Dahomans rushed to +the assault. The fire from the walls did not check the onset in the +slightest, and with yells of anticipated victory they swarmed over the +breach. A cry of astonishment broke from them as they saw the formidable +defense within, the fire of whose defenders was concentrated upon them. +Then, with scarce a pause, they leaped down and strove to remove the +obstructions. Regardless of the fire poured upon them they hewed away +at the sharp stakes, or strove to pull them up with their hands. The +riflemen on the walls directed their fire now exclusively upon the +leaders of the column, the breech loaders doing immense execution, and +soon the Dahomans in their efforts to advance had to climb over lines of +dead in their front. For half an hour the struggle continued, and then +the Dahomans lost heart and retired, leaving fifteen hundred of their +number piled deep in the space between the breach and the stockade. + +"This is horrible work," Frank said when he rejoined Mr. Goodenough. + +"Horrible, Frank; but there is at least the consolation that by this +fearful slaughter of their bravest warriors we are crippling the +power of Dahomey as a curse and a scourge to its neighbors. After this +crushing repulse the Abeokutans may hope that many years will elapse +before they are again attacked by their savage neighbors, and the +lessons which they have now learned in defense will enable them to make +as good a stand on another occasion as they have done now." + +"Do you think the attack will be renewed?" + +"I should hardly think so. The flower of their army must have fallen, +and the Amazon guard must have almost ceased to exist. I told you, +Frank, you would soon get over your repugnance to firing at women." + +"I did not think anything about women," Frank said. "We seemed to be +fighting a body of demons with their wild screams and yells. Indeed, I +could scarce distinguish the men from the women." + +A strong guard was placed at night at the stockade, and Mr. Goodenough +and Frank lay down close at hand in case the assault should be renewed. +At daybreak the sound of a cannon caused them to start to their feet. + +"They are not satisfied yet," Mr. Goodenough exclaimed, hurrying to the +wall. In the night the Dahomans had either with sacks or earth raised +their cannon some six feet, so that they were able to fire over the +mound caused by the fallen wall at the stockade behind it, at which they +were now directing their fire. + +"Now for the sacks," Mr. Goodenough said. Running down, he directed the +sacks laden with earth, to whose necks ropes had been attached, to +be brought up. Five hundred willing hands seized them, and they were +lowered in front of the center of the stockade, which was alone exposed +to the enemy's fire, until they hung two deep over the whole face. +As fast as one bag was injured by a shot it was drawn up and another +lowered to its place. In the meantime the rifles from the walls had +again opened fire, and as the gunners were now more exposed their shots +did considerable execution. Seeing the uselessness of their efforts the +Dahomans gradually slackened their fire. + +When night came Mr. Goodenough gathered two hundred of the best troops +of Abeokuta. He caused plugs to be made corresponding to the size of +the various cannonballs which were picked up within the stockade, which +varied from six to eighteen pounders. + +About midnight the gate nearest to the breach was thrown open, and the +party sallied out and made their way towards the enemy's battery. +The Dahomans had placed sentries in front facing the breach, but +anticipating no attack in any other direction had left the flanks +unguarded. Mr. Goodenough had enjoined the strictest silence on his +followers, and their approach was unobserved until they swept round +into the battery. Large numbers of the enemy were lying asleep here, but +these, taken by surprise, could offer no resistance, and were cut down +or driven away instantly by the assailants. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank, with a party who had been told off specially +for the purpose, at once set to work at the cannon. These were filled +nearly to the muzzle with powder, and the plugs were driven with mallets +tight into the muzzles. Slow matches, composed of strips of calico +dipped in saltpetre, were placed in the touch holes. Then the word was +given, and the whole party fell back to the gate just as the Dahomans in +great numbers came running up. In less than a minute after leaving the +battery twelve tremendous reports, following closely one upon another +were heard. The cannon were blown into fragments, killing numbers of the +Dahomey men who had just crowded into the battery. + + + +CHAPTER XVI: CAPTIVES IN COOMASSIE + + +Upon the morning following the successful sortie not an enemy could be +seen from the walls. Swift runners were sent out, and these returned in +two hours with news that the enemy were in full retreat towards their +capital. The people of Abeokuta were half wild with exultation and joy, +and their gratitude to their white allies was unbounded. Mr. Goodenough +begged them not to lose an hour in burying their slain enemies, and +the entire population were engaged for the two following days upon this +necessary but revolting duty. The dead were counted as they were placed +in the great pits dug for their reception, and it was found that no +fewer than three thousand of the enemy had fallen. + +Mr. Goodenough also advised the Abeokutans to erect flanking towers at +short intervals round their walls, to dig a moat twenty feet wide and +eight deep at a few yards from their foot, and to turn into it the water +from the river in order that any future attack might be more easily +repelled. + +The inhabitants were poor, but they would willingly have presented all +their treasures to their white allies. Mr. Goodenough, however, would +accept nothing save a few specimens of native cloth exquisitely woven +from the inner barks of the trees, and some other specimens of choice +native workmanship. He also begged them to send down to the coast by the +first opportunity the cases of specimens which had been collected since +the departure of the Fans. + +A violent attack of fever, brought on by their exertions in the sun, +prostrated both the white travelers a few days after the termination of +the siege, and it was some weeks before they were able to renew their +journey. Their intention was to ascend the river for some distance, +to move westward into upper Ashanti, and then to make their way to +Coomassie, whence they would journey down to Cape Coast and there take +ship for England. As soon as they were able to travel they took leave +of their friends at Abeokuta, who furnished them with carriers for their +cases and hammock bearers for their journey as far as the Volta. This +lasted for a fortnight through an open and fertile country. Then +they crossed the river and entered Ashanti, the great rival empire of +Dahomey. As Ashanti was at peace with England they had now no fear of +molestation on their journey. + +Ashanti consisted of five or six kingdoms, all of which had been +conquered, and were tributary to it. The empire of Ashanti was separated +by the river Prah from the country of the Fantis, who lived under +British protection. The people drew their supplies from various points +on the coast, principally, however, through Elmina, a Dutch settlement, +five miles to the west of Cape Coast. The Ashantis could not be called +peaceable neighbors. They, like the Dahomans, delighted in human +sacrifices upon a grand scale, and to carry these out captives must be +taken. Consequently every four or five years, on some pretext or other, +they cross the Prah, destroyed the villages, dragged away the people to +slavery or death, and carried fire and sword up to the very walls of the +English fort at Cape Coast. Sometimes the English confined themselves +to remonstrance, sometimes fought, not always successfully, as upon one +occasion Sir Charles Macarthy, the governor, with a West Indian regiment +was utterly defeated, the governor himself and all his white officers, +except three, being killed. + +In 1828 we aided the Fantis to defeat the Ashantis in a decisive battle, +the consequence of which was the signature of a treaty, by which the +King of Ashanti recognized the independence of all the Fanti tribes. In +1844, and again in 1852, a regular protectorate was arranged between +the British and the Fantis, the former undertaking to protect them from +enemies beyond the borders, and in turn exercising an authority over +the Fantis, forbidding them to make war with each other, and imposing a +nominal tribute upon them. + +In 1853 the Ashantis again crossed the Prah, but, being met with +firmness, retired again. After ten years' quiet, in 1863 they again +invaded the country, burnt thirty villages, and slaughtered their +inhabitants. Governor Price then urged upon the home authorities the +necessity for the sending out from England of two thousand troops to aid +the native army in striking a heavy blow at the Ashantis, and so putting +a stop to this constant aggression. The English government, however, +refused to entertain the proposal. In order to encourage the natives +some companies of West Indian troops were marched up to the Prah. The +wet season set in, and, after suffering terribly from sickness, the +survivors returned five months later to Cape Coast. + +Up to this period the Dutch trading ports and forts upon the coast were +interspersed with ours, and as the tribes in their neighborhood were +under Dutch protection constant troubles were arising between the Dutch +tribes and our own, and in 1867 an exchange was effected, the Dutch +ceding all their forts and territory east of the Sweet river, a small +stream which falls into the sea midway between Cape Coast and Elmina, +while we gave up all our forts to the west of this stream. Similarly +the protectorate of the tribes inland up to the boundary of the Ashanti +kingdom changed hands. The natives were not consulted as to this treaty, +and some of those formerly under British protection, especially the +natives of Commendah, refused to accept the transfer, and beat off +with loss the Dutch troops who attempted to land. The Dutch men of war +bombarded and destroyed Commendah. + +This step was the commencement of fresh troubles between the Ashantis +and the English. The Commendah people were Fantis, and as such the +implacable enemies of the Elmina people, who had under Dutch protection +been always allies of the Ashantis, and had been mainly instrumental +in supplying them with arms and ammunition. The Fantis, regarding +the Elmina natives and the Dutch as one power, retaliated for the +destruction of Commendah by invading the territory of the Elmina tribe, +destroying their villages and blockading the Dutch in their port. +Another reason for this attack upon the Elminas was that an Ashanti +general, named Atjempon, had marched with several hundred men through +the Fanti country, burning, destroying, and slaying as usual, and had +taken refuge with his men in Elmina. From this time the desultory war +between the Elminas and their Ashanti allies, and the Fantis of the +neighborhood had never ceased. Our influence over our allies was +but small, for we in vain endeavored to persuade them to give up the +invasion of Elmina. We even cut off the supplies of powder and arms to +the Fantis, whose loyalty to our rule was thereby much shaken. + +All these troubles induced the Dutch to come to the decision to +withdraw altogether, and they accordingly offered to transfer all their +possessions to us. The English government determined not to accept the +transfer if it should lead to troubles with the natives, and as a first +step required that the Ashanti force should leave Elmina. In 1870 the +King of Ashanti wrote to us claiming Elmina as his, and protesting +against its being handed over to us. According to native ideas the king +of Ashanti's claim was a just one. The land upon which all the forts, +English, Dutch, Danish, and French, were built had been originally +acquired from the native chiefs at a fixed annual tribute, or as we +regarded it as rent, or as an annual present in return for friendly +relations. By the native customs he who conquers a chief entitled to +such a payment becomes the heir of that payment, and one time the King +of Ashanti upon the strength of his conquest of the Fantis set up a +claim of proprietorship over Cape Coast and the other British forts. + +Of a similar nature was the claim of the Ashantis upon Elmina. The Dutch +had paid eighty pounds a year, as they asserted, as a present, and they +proved conclusively that they had never regarded the King of Ashanti as +having sovereignty over their forts, and that he had never advanced such +a claim. They now arrested Atjempon, and refused to pay a further sum +to the King of Ashanti until he withdrew his claim. In order to settle +matters amicably they sent an envoy to Coomassie with presents for the +king, and obtained from him a repudiation of his former letter, and a +solemn acknowledgment that the money was not paid as a tribute. The +king sent down two ambassadors to Elmina, who solemnly ratified this +declaration. + +The transfer was then effected. We purchased from the Dutch their forts +and stores, but the people of Elmina were told that we should not take +possession of the place except with their consent; but it was pointed +out to them that if they refused to accept our protection they would be +exposed as before to the hostility of the Fantis. They agreed to accept +our offer, and on the 4th of April, 1872, a grand council was hold, the +king and chiefs of Elmina announced the agreement of their people to the +transfer, and we took possession of Elmina, Atjempon and the Ashantis +returning to their own country. + +Upon the transfer taking place, Mr. Pope Hennessey, the governor of +the colony, sent to the King of Ashanti saying that the English desired +peace and friendship with the natives, and would give an annual present, +double that which he had received from the Dutch. At the same time +negotiations were going on with the king for the free passage of Ashanti +traders to the coast, and for the release of four Germans who had been +carried off ten years before by Aboo Boffoo, one of the king's generals, +from their mission station on British territory near the Volta. The king +wrote saying that Aboo Boffoo would not give them up without a ransom +of eighteen hundred ounces of gold, and protracted negotiations went on +concerning the payments of these sums. + +At the time when Mr. Goodenough and Frank had landed on the Gaboon, +early in 1872, nothing was known of any anticipated troubles with +Ashanti. The negotiations between the English and the Dutch were in +progress, but they had heard that the English would not take over Elmina +without the consent of the inhabitants, and that they would be willing +to increase the payment made by the Dutch to the king of Ashanti. It was +known too that efforts would be made to settle all points of difference +with the king; and as at Abeokuta they received news that the +negotiations were going on satisfactorily, and that there was no +prospect whatever of trouble, they did not hesitate to carry out the +plans they had formed. + +Before crossing the Volta, they sent across to inquire of the chief of +the town there whether two English travelers would be allowed to pass +through Ashanti, and were delayed for a fortnight until a messenger was +sent to Coomassie and returned with a letter, saying that the king +would be glad to see white men at his capital. With this assurance they +crossed the stream. They were received in state by the chief, who at +once provided them with the necessary carriers, and with them a guard, +which he said would prevent any trouble on their way. On the following +day they started, and after arriving, at the end of a day's journey, at +a village, prepared to stop as usual for a day or two to add to their +collection. The officer of the guard, however, explained to them through +Bacon, who spoke the Ashanti language, that his instructions were, that +they were to go straight through to Coomassie. In vain Mr. Goodenough +protested that this would entirely defeat the object of his journey. The +officer was firm. His orders were that they were to travel straight +to Coomassie, and if he failed in carrying these out, his head would +assuredly be forfeited. + +"This is serious, Frank," Mr. Goodenough said. "If this fellow has not +blundered about his orders, it is clear that we are prisoners. However, +it may be that the king merely gave a direction that we should be +escorted to the capital, having no idea that we should want to loiter +upon the way." + +They now proceeded steadily forward, making long day's marches. The +officer in command of the guard was most civil, obtaining for them an +abundance of provisions at the villages at which they stopped, and +as Frank and his companion were both weakened by fever he enlisted +sufficient hammock bearers for them, taking fresh relays from each +village. He would not hear of their paying either for provisions or +bearers, saying that they were the king's guests, and it would be an +insult to him were they to pay for anything. + +Ten days after starting from the Volta they entered Coomassie. This +town lay on rising ground, surrounded by a deep marsh of from forty to +a hundred yards wide. A messenger had been sent on in front to announce +their coming, and after crossing the marsh they passed under a great +fetish, or spell, consisting of a dead sheep wrapped up in red silk and +suspended from two poles. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their places at the head of the little +procession. On entering the town they were met by a crowd of at least +five thousand people, for the most part warriors, who fired their guns, +shouted, and yelled. Horns, drums, rattles, and gongs added to the +appalling noise. Men with flags performed wild dances, in which the +warriors joined. The dress of the captains consisted of war caps with +gilded rams' horns projecting in front, and immense plumes of eagles' +feathers on each side. Their vest was of red cloth, covered with +fetishes and charms in cases of gold, silver, and embroidery. These were +interspersed with the horns and tails of animals, small brass bells, and +shells. They wore loose cotton trousers, with great boots of dull red +leather coming halfway up to the thigh, and fastened by small chains to +their waist belts, also ornamented with bells, horse tails, strings of +amulets, and strips of colored leather. Long leopards' tails hung down +their backs. + +Through this crowd the party moved forward slowly, the throng thickening +at every step. They were escorted to a house which they were told was +set aside for their use, and that they would be allowed to see the king +on the following day. The houses differed entirely from anything which +they had before seen in Africa. They were built of red clay, plastered +perfectly smooth. There were no windows or openings on the exterior, but +the door led into an open courtyard of some twelve feet in diameter. On +each side of this was a sort of alcove, built up of clay, about three +feet from the ground. This formed a couch or seat, some eight feet long +by three feet high, with a thatched roof projecting so as to prevent the +rain beating into the alcove. Beyond were one or more similar courts +in proportion to the size of the house. A sheep and a quantity of +vegetables and fruits were sent in in the course of the day, but they +were told not to show themselves in the streets until they had seen the +king. + +"We shall be expected to make his majesty a handsome present," Mr. +Goodenough said, "and, unfortunately, our stores were not intended for +so great a potentate. I will give him my double barreled rifle and your +Winchester, Frank. I do not suppose he has seen such an arm. We had +better get them cleaned up and polished so as to look as handsome as +possible." + +In the morning one of the captains came and said that the king was in +readiness to receive them, and they made their way through a vast crowd +to the marketplace, an open area, nearly half a mile in extent. The sun +was shining brightly, and the scene was a brilliant one. The king, his +Caboceers or great tributaries, his captains, and officers were seated +under a vast number of huge umbrellas, some of them fifteen feet across. +These were of scarlet, yellow, and other showy colors in silks and +cloths, with fantastically scalloped and fringed valences. They were +surmounted with crescents, birds, elephants, barrels, and swords of +gold, and on some were couched stuffed animals. Innumerable smaller +umbrellas of striped stuff were borne by the crowd, and all these +were waved up and down, while a vast number of flutes, horns and other +musical instruments sounded in the air. All the principal people wore +robes woven of foreign silk, which had been unraveled for working into +native patterns. All had golden necklaces and bracelets, in many cases +so heavy that the arms of the bearers were supported on boys' heads. +The whole crowd, many thousands in number, shone with gold, silver, and +bright colors. + +The king received them with dignity, and expressed his satisfaction at +seeing them, his speech being interpreted by one of his attendants, who +spoke English. Mr. Goodenough replied that they had very great pleasure +in visiting the court of his majesty, that they had already been +traveling for many months in Africa, having started from the Gaboon and +traveled through many tribes, but had they had any idea of visiting so +great a king they would have provided themselves with presents fit for +his acceptance. But they were simple travelers, catching the birds, +beasts, and insects of the country, to take home with them to show to +the people in England. The only things which they could offer him were +a double barreled breech loading rifle of the best English construction, +and a little gun, which would fire sixteen times without loading. + +The king examined the pieces with great attention, and, at his request, +Mr. Goodenough fired off the whole contents of the magazine of the +repeating rifle, whose action caused the greatest astonishment to +the assembled chiefs. The king then intimated his acceptance of the +presents, and said that he would speak farther with them on a future +occasion. He informed them that they were free to move about in the town +where they wished, and that the greatest respect would be shown to them +by the people. There was a fresh outburst of wild music, and they were +then conducted back to their house. + +After the assembly had dispersed the two Englishmen walked about through +the town. It was not of great extent, but the streets were broad and +well kept. Many of the houses were much larger than that allotted to +them, but all were built on the same plan. It was evident that the great +mass of the population they saw about must live in villages scattered +around, the town being wholly insufficient to contain them. + +Three days afterwards they were told that the king wished to see them in +his palace. This was a large building situated at the extremity of the +town. It was constructed of stone, and was evidently built from European +designs. It was square, with a flat roof and embattled parapet. They +were conducted through the gateway into a large courtyard, and then into +a hall where the king sat upon a raised throne. Attendants stood round +fanning him. + +"Why," he asked abruptly as they took their places before him, "do the +English take my town of Elmina?" + +Mr. Goodenough explained that he had been nine months absent from the +coast, and that having come straight out from England he was altogether +unaware of what had happened at Elmina. + +"Elmina is mine," the king said. "The Dutch, who were my tributaries, +had no right to hand it over to the English." + +"But I understood, your majesty, that the English were ready to pay an +annual sum, even larger than that which the Dutch have contributed." + +"I do not want money," the king said. "I have gold in plenty. There +are places in my dominions where ten men in a day can wash a thousand +ounces. I want Elmina, I want to trade with the coast." + +"But the English will give your majesty every facility for trade." + +"But suppose we quarrel," the king said, "they can stop powder and guns +from coming up. If Elmina were mine I could bring up guns and powder at +all times." + +"Your majesty would be no better off," Mr. Goodenough said; "for the +English in case of war could stop supplies from entering." + +"My people will drive them into the sea," the king said. "We have been +troubled with them too long. They can make guns, but they cannot fight. +My people will eat them up. We fought them before; and see," he said +pointing to a great drum, from the edge of which hung a dozen human +skulls, "the heads of the White men serve to make a fetish for me." + +He then waved his hand to signify that the audience was terminated. + +"Things look bad, Frank," Mr. Goodenough said as they walked towards +their home. "I fear that the king is determined upon war, and if so our +lives are not worth a month's purchase." + +"It can't be helped," Frank said as cheerfully as he could. "We +must make the best of it. Perhaps something may occur to improve our +position." + +The next day the four German missionaries, who had so long been kept +captive, called upon them, and they obtained a full insight into the +position. This seemed more hopeful than the king's words had given them +to expect. The missionaries said that negotiations were going on for +their release, and that they expected very shortly to be sent down to +Cape Coast. So far as they knew everything was being done by the English +to satisfy the king, and they looked upon the establishment of peace as +certain. They described the horrible rites and sacrifices which they had +been compelled to witness, and said that at least three thousand persons +were slaughtered annually in Coomassie. + +"You noticed," one of them said, "the great tree in the marketplace +under which the king sat. That is the great fetish tree. A great +many victims are sacrificed in the palace itself, but the wholesale +slaughters take place there. The high brushwood comes up to within +twenty yards of it, and if you turn in there you will see thousands of +dead bodies or their remains putrefying together." + +"I thought I felt a horribly offensive smell as I was talking to the +king," Frank said shuddering. "What monsters these people must be! Who +would have thought that all that show of gold and silver and silks and +bright colors covered such horrible barbarism!" + +After chatting for some time longer, and offering to do anything in +their power to assist the captives, the Germans took their leave. + + + +CHAPTER XVII: THE INVASION OF FANTI LAND + + +The following morning Mr. Goodenough and Frank were called to the door +by the noise of a passing crowd, and to their horror saw a man being +taken to sacrifice. He was preceded by men beating drums, his hands were +pinioned behind him. A sharp thin knife was passed through his cheeks, +to which his lips were noozed like the figure 8. One ear was cut off and +carried before him, the other hung to his head by a small piece of skin. +There were several gashes in his back, and a knife was thrust under each +shoulder blade. He was led by a cord passed through a hole bored in his +nose. Frank ran horror stricken back into the house, and sat for a while +with his hand over his eyes as if to shut out the ghastly spectacle. + +"Mr. Goodenough," he said presently, "if we are to be killed, at least +let us die fighting to the last, and blow out our own brains with the +last shots we have left. I don't think I'm afraid of being killed, but +to be tortured like that would be horrible." + +The next day a message was brought them that their retaining private +guards was an insult to the king, and that the Houssas must remove +to another part of the town. Resistance was evidently useless. Mr. +Goodenough called his four men together and told them what had happened. + +"I am sorry I have brought you into this plight, my poor fellows," +he said. "There are now but two things open to you. You can either +volunteer to join the king's army and then try to make your escape as an +opportunity may offer, or slip away at once. You are accustomed to the +woods, and in native costume might pass without notice. You can all +swim, and it matters not where you strike the Prah. If you travel at +night and lie in the woods by day you should be able to get through. At +any rate you know that if you try to escape and are caught you will be +killed. If you stop here it is possible that no harm may happen to you, +but on the other hand you may at any moment be led out to sacrifice. Do +not tell me your decision; I shall be questioned, and would rather be +able to say that I was ignorant that you intended to escape. There is +one other thing to settle. There is a long arrear of pay due to you for +your good and faithful service. It would be useless for me to pay you +now, as the money might be found on you and taken away, and if you +should be killed it would be lost to your friends. I have written here +four orders on my banker in England, which the agents down at Cape Coast +will readily cash for you. Each order is for twice the sum due to you. +As you have come into such great danger in my service, and have behaved +so faithfully, it is right that you should be well rewarded. Give me the +names of your wives or relatives whom you wish to have the money. Should +any of you fall and escape, I will, on my arrival at Cape Coast, send +money, double the amount I have written here, to them." + +The men expressed themselves warmly grateful for Mr. Goodenough's +kindness, gave him the names and addresses of their wives, and then, +with tears in their eyes, took their leave. + +"Now, Ostik, what do you say?" Mr. Goodenough asked, turning to him. + +"I stay here, sar," Ostik said. "Houssas fighting men, creep through +wood, crawl on stomach. Dey get through sure enough. Ostik stay with +massa. If dey kill massa dey kill Ostik. Ostik take chance." + +"Very well, Ostik, if we get through safe together you shall not have +reason to regret your fidelity. Now, Frank, I think it would be a good +thing if you were to spend some hours every day in trying to pick up as +much of the language here as you can. You are quick at it, and were able +to make yourself understood by our bearers far better than I could do. +You already know a great many words in four or five of these dialects. +They are all related to each other, and with what you know you would in +a couple of months be able to get along very well in Ashanti. It +will help to pass your time and to occupy your mind. There will be no +difficulty in finding men here who have worked down on the coast and +know a little English. If we get away safely you will not regret that +your time has been employed. If we have trouble your knowledge of the +language may in some way or other be of real use to you. We can go round +to the Germans, who will, no doubt, be able to put you in the way of +getting a man." + +The next day they were again sent for to the king, who was in a high +state of anger at having heard that the Houssas had escaped. + +"I know nothing about it," Mr. Goodenough said. "They were contented +when they were with me, and had no wish to go. Your soldiers took them +away yesterday afternoon, and I suppose they were frightened. It was +foolish of them. They should have known that a great king does not +injure travelers who come peacefully into his country. They should have +known better. They were poor, ignorant men, who did not know that the +hospitality of a king is sacred, and that when a king invites travelers +to enter his country they are his guests, and under his protection." + +When the interpreter translated this speech the king was silent for two +or three minutes. Then he said, "My white friend is right, They were +foolish men. They could not know these things. If my warriors overtake +them no harm shall come to them." + +Pleased with the impression that his words had evidently made Mr. +Goodenough returned to Frank, who had not been ordered to accompany him +to the palace. In the afternoon the king sent a sheep and a present +of five ounces of gold, and a message that he did not wish his white +friends to remain always in the town, but that they might walk to any +of the villages within a circle of three or four miles, and that four +of his guards would always accompany them to see that no one interfered +with or insulted them. They were much pleased with this permission, as +they were now enabled to renew their work of collecting. It took them, +too, away from the sight of the horrible human sacrifices which went +on daily. Through the German missionaries they obtained a man who had +worked for three years down at Cape Coast. He accompanied them on their +walks, and in the evening sat and talked with Frank, who, from the +knowledge of native words which he had picked up in his nine months' +residence in Africa, was able to make rapid progress in Ashanti. He +had one or two slight attacks of fever, but the constant use of quinine +enabled him to resist their effect, and he was now to some degree +acclimatized, and thought no more of the attacks of fever than he would +have done at home of a violent bilious attack. + +This was not the case with Mr. Goodenough. Frank observed with concern +that he lost strength rapidly, and was soon unable to accompany him in +his walks. One morning he appeared very ill. + +"Have you a touch of fever, sir?" + +"No, Frank, it is worse than fever, it is dysentery. I had an attack +last time I was on the coast, and know what to do with it. Get the +medicine chest and bring me the bottle of ipecacuanha. Now, you must +give me doses of this just strong enough not to act as an emetic, every +three hours." + +Frank nursed his friend assiduously, and for the next three days hoped +that he was obtaining a mastery over the illness. On the fourth day an +attack of fever set in. + +"You must stop the ipecacuanha, now," Mr. Goodenough said, "and Frank, +send Ostik round to the Germans, and say I wish them to come here at +once." + +When these arrived Mr. Goodenough asked Frank to leave him alone with +them. A quarter of an hour later they went out, and Frank, returning, +found two sealed envelopes on the table beside him. + +"My boy," he said, "I have been making my will. I fear that it is all +over with me. Fever and dysentery together are in nine cases out of ten +fatal. Don't cry, Frank," he said, as the lad burst into tears. "I would +gladly have lived, but if it is God's will that it should be otherwise, +so be it. I have no wife or near relatives to regret my loss--none, my +poor boy, who will mourn for me as sincerely as I know that you will do. +In the year that we have been together I have come to look upon you as +my son, and you will find that I have not forgotten you in my will. I +have written it in duplicate. If you have an opportunity send one of +these letters down to the coast. Keep the other yourself, and I trust +that you will live to carry it to its destination. Should it not be so, +should the worst come to the worst, it will be a consolation to you to +know that I have not forgotten the little sister of whom you have spoken +to me so often, and that in case of your death she will be provided +for." + +An hour later Mr. Goodenough was in a state of delirium, in which he +remained all night, falling towards morning into a dull coma, gradually +breathing his last, without any return of sensibility, at eight in the +morning. + +Frank was utterly prostrated with grief, from which he roused himself to +send to the king to ask permission to bury his friend. + +The king sent down to say how grieved he was to hear of the white man's +death. He had ordered many of his warriors to attend his funeral. Frank +had a grave dug on a rising spot of ground beyond the marsh. In the +evening a great number of the warriors gathered round the house, and +upon the shoulders of four of them Mr. Goodenough was conveyed to his +last resting place, Frank and the German missionaries following with +a great crowd of warriors. The missionaries read the service over the +grave, and Frank returned heart broken to his house, with Ostik, who +also felt terribly the loss of his master. + +Two days later a wooden cross was erected over the grave. Upon this +Frank carved the name of his friend. Hearing a week afterwards that the +king was sending down a messenger to Cape Coast, Frank asked permission +to send Mr. Goodenough's letter by him. The king sent for him. + +"I do not wish any more troubles," he said, "or that letters should be +sent to the governor. You are my guest. When the troubles are settled I +will send you down to the coast; but we have many things to write about, +and I do not want more subjects for talk." + +Frank showed the letter and read the address, and told the king that it +was only a letter to the man of business of Mr. Goodenough in England, +giving directions for the disposal of his property there. + +The king then consented that his messenger should take the letter. + +At the end of December, when Frank had been nearly three months at +Coomassie, one of the Germans said to him: + +"The king speaks fairly, and seems intent upon his negotiations; but he +is preparing secretly for war. An army is collecting on the Prah. I hear +that twelve thousand men are ordered to assemble there." + +"I have noticed," Frank said, "that there have been fewer men about than +usual during the last few days. What will happen to us, do you think?" + +The missionary shook his head. + +"No one can say," he said. "It all depends upon the king's humor. I +think, however, that he is more likely to keep us as hostages, and to +obtain money for us at the end of the war, than to kill us. If all goes +well with his army we are probably safe; but if the news comes of any +defeat, he may in his rage order us to be executed." + +"What do you think are the chances of defeat?" Frank asked. + +"We know not," the missionary said; "but it seems probable that the +Ashantis will turn the English out of the coast. The Fantis are of +no use. They were a brave people once, and united might have made a +successful resistance to the Ashantis; but you English have made women +of them. You have forbidden them to fight among themselves, you have +discouraged them in any attempts to raise armies, you have reduced +the power of the chiefs, you have tried to turn them into a race of +cultivators and traders instead of warriors, and you can expect no +material aid from them now. They will melt away like snow before the +Ashantis. The king's spies tell him that there are only a hundred +and fifty black troops at Cape Coast. These are trained and led by +Englishmen, but, after all, they are only negroes, no braver than the +Ashantis. What chance have they of resisting an army nearly a hundred to +one stronger than themselves?" + +"Is the fort at Cape Coast strong?" Frank asked. + +"Yes, against savages without cannon. Besides, the guns of the ships of +war would cover it." + +"Well," Frank said, "if we can hold that, they will send out troops from +England." + +"They may do so," the missionary asserted; "but what could white troops +do in the fever haunted forests, which extend from Coomassie to the +coast?" + +"They will manage somehow," Frank replied confidently. "Besides, after +all, as I hear that the great portion of Ashanti lying beyond this is +plain and open country, the Ashantis themselves cannot be all accustomed +to bush fighting, and will suffer from fever in the low, swamp land." + +Three days later the king sent for Frank. + +"The English are not true," he said angrily. "They promised the people +of Elmina that they should be allowed to retain all their customs as +under the Dutch. They have broken their word. They have forbidden the +customs. The people of Elmina have written to me to ask me to deliver +them. I am going to do so." + +Frank afterwards learned that the king's words were true. Colonel +Harley, the military commandant, having, with almost incredible fatuity, +and in spite of the agreement which had been made with the Elminas, +summoned their king and chiefs to a council, and abruptly told them that +they would not be allowed henceforth to celebrate their customs, +which consisted of firing of guns, waving of flags, dancing, and other +harmless rites. The chiefs, greatly indignant at this breach of the +agreement, solemnly entered into with them, at once, on leaving the +council, wrote to the King of Ashanti, begging him to cross the Prah and +attack the English. Frank could only say that he knew nothing of what +was going on at the coast, and could only think that his majesty must +have been misinformed, as the English wished to be friendly with the +Ashantis. + +"They do not wish it," the king said furiously; "they are liars." + +A buzz of approval sounded among the cabooceers and captains standing +round. Frank thought that he was about to be ordered to instant +execution, and grasped a revolver, which he held in his pocket, +resolving to shoot the king first, and then to blow out his own brains, +rather than to be put to the horrible tortures which in Ashanti always +precede death. + +Presently the king said suddenly to him: + +"My people tell me that you can talk to them in their own tongue." + +"I have learnt a little Ashanti," Frank said in that language. "I cannot +talk well, but I can make myself understood." + +"Very well," the king said. "Then I shall send you down with my general. +You know the ways of English fighting, and will tell him what is best +to do against them. When the war is over and I have driven the English +away, I will send you away also. You are my guest, and I do not wish to +harm you. Tomorrow you will start. Your goods will be of no more use to +you. I have ordered my treasurer to count the cloth, and the powder, and +the other things which you have, and to pay you for them in gold. You +may go." + +Frank retired, vowing in his heart that no information as to the best +way of attacking the English should be obtained from him. Upon the whole +he was much pleased at the order, for he thought that some way of making +his escape might present itself. Such was also the opinion of Ostik when +Frank told him what had taken place at the palace. + +An hour later the king's treasurer arrived. The whole of the trade goods +were appraised at fair prices, and even the cases were paid for, as the +treasurer said that these would be good for keeping the king's state +robes. Frank only retained his own portmanteau with clothes, his bed and +rugs, and the journals of the expedition, a supply of ammunition for his +revolver, his medicine chest, tent, and a case with chocolate, preserved +milk, tea, biscuits, rice, and a couple of bottles of brandy. + +In the morning there was a great beating of drums. + +Four carriers had been told off for Frank's service, and these came in, +took up his baggage, and joined the line. Frank waited till the general, +Ammon Quatia, whom he had several times met at the palace, came along, +carried in a hammock, with a paraphernalia of attendants bearing chairs, +umbrellas, and flags. Frank fell in behind these accompanied by +Ostik. The whole population of Coomassie turned out and shouted their +farewells. + +There was a pause in the marketplace while a hundred victims were +sacrificed to the success of the expedition. Frank kept in the thick of +the warriors so as to avoid witnessing the horrible spectacle. + +As they passed the king he said to the general, "Bring me back the +head of the governor. I will place it on my drum by the side of that of +Macarthy." + +Then the army passed the swamp knee deep in water, and started on their +way down to the Prah. Three miles further they crossed the river Dah at +Agogo, where the water was up to their necks. The road was little +more than a track through the forest, and many small streams had to be +crossed. + +It was well that Frank had not had an attack of fever for some time, +for they marched without a stop to Fomanse, a distance of nearly thirty +miles. Fomanse was a large town. Many of the houses were built in the +same style as those at Coomassie, and the king's palace was a stone +building. That night Frank slept in a native house which the general +allotted to him close to the palace. The army slept on the ground. + +The next morning they crossed a lofty hill, and then descending again +kept along through the forest until, late in the afternoon, they arrived +on the Prah. This river was about sixty yards wide, and here, in roughly +made huts of boughs, were encamped the main army, who had preceded them. +Here there was a pause for a week while large numbers of carriers came +down with provisions. Then on the 22d of January the army crossed the +Prah in great canoes of cottonwood tree, which the troops who first +arrived had prepared. + +Had the Ashanti army now pushed forward at full speed, Cape Coast and +Elmina must have fallen into their hands, for there were no preparations +whatever for their defence. The Assims, whose territory was first +invaded, sent down for assistance, but Mr. Hennessey refused to believe +that there was any invasion at all, and when the King of Akim, the +most powerful of the Fanti potentates, sent down to ask for arms and +ammunition, Mr. Hennessey refused so curtly that the King of Akim was +grievously offended, and sent at once to the Ashantis to say that he +should remain neutral in the war. + +About this time Mr. Hennessey, whose repeated blunders had in no slight +degree contributed to the invasion, was relieved by Mr. Keate, who at +once wholly alienated the Fantis by telling them that they must defend +themselves, as the English had nothing more to do with the affair +than to defend their forts. Considering that the English had taken the +natives under their protection, and that the war was caused entirely by +the taking over of Elmina by the English and by their breach of faith to +the natives there, this treatment of the Fantis was as unjust as it was +impolitic. + +Ammon Quatia, however, seemed to be impressed with a spirit of prudence +as soon as he crossed the river. Parties were sent out, indeed, who +attacked and plundered the Assim villages near the Prah, but the main +body moved forward with the greatest caution, sometimes halting for +weeks. + +The Ashanti general directed Frank always to pitch his tent next to the +hut occupied by himself. Four guards were appointed, nominally to do him +honor, but really, as Frank saw, to prevent him from making his escape. +These men kept guard, two at a time, night and day over the tent, and if +he moved out all followed him. He never attempted to leave the camp. +The forest was extremely dense with thick underwood and innumerable +creepers, through which it would be almost impossible to make a way. +The majority of the trees were of only moderate height, but above them +towered the cotton trees and other giants, rising with straight stems to +from two hundred and fifty to three hundred feet high. Many of the trees +had shed their foliage, and some of these were completely covered with +brilliant flowers of different colors. The woods resounded with the +cries of various birds, but butterflies, except in the clearings, were +scarce. + +The army depended for food partly upon the cultivated patches around +the Assim villages, partly on supplies brought up from the rear. In the +forest, too, they found many edible roots and fruits. In spite of the +efforts to supply them with food, Frank saw ere many weeks had passed +that the Ashantis were suffering much from hunger. They fell away in +flesh. Many were shaking with fever, and the enthusiasm, which was +manifest at the passage of the Prah, had entirely evaporated. + +The first morning after crossing the river Frank sent Ostik into the +hut of the general with a cup of hot chocolate, with which Ammon Quatia +expressed himself so much gratified that henceforth Frank sent in a +cup every morning, having still a large supply of tins of preserved +chocolate and milk, the very best food which a traveler can take with +him. In return the Ashanti general showed Frank many little kindnesses, +sending him in birds or animals when any were shot by his men, and +keeping him as well provided with food as was possible under the +circumstances. + +It was not until the 8th of April that any absolute hostilities took +place. Then the Fantis, supported by fifty Houssas under Lieutenant +Hopkins, barred the road outside the village of Dunquah. The Ashantis +attacked, but the Fantis fought bravely, having great confidence in the +Houssa contingent. The battle was one of the native fashion, neither +side attempting any vigorous action, but contenting themselves with a +heavy fire at a distance of a hundred yards. All the combatants took +shelter behind trees, and the consequence was that at the end of the day +a great quantity of powder and slugs had been fired away, and a very few +men hit on either side. At nightfall both parties drew off. + +"Is that the way your English soldiers fight?" the general asked Frank +that night. + +"Yes," Frank said vaguely; "they fire away at each other." + +"And then I suppose," the general said, "when one party has exhausted +its ammunition it retires." + +"Certainly it would retire," Frank said. "It could not resist without +ammunition you know." + +Frank carefully abstained from mentioning that one side or the other +would advance even before the ammunition of its opponents was expended, +for he did not wish the Ashantis to adopt tactics which, from their +greatly superior numbers, must at once give them a victory. The Ashantis +were not dissatisfied with the day's work, as they considered that they +had proved themselves equal to the English troops. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII: THE ATTACK ON ELMINA + + +On the 14th the Fantis took the initiative, and attacked the Ashantis. +The fight was a mere repetition of that of a week before, and about +midday the Fantis, having used up all their ammunition, fell back again +to Cape Coast. + +"Now," the general said to Frank, "that we have beaten the Fantis we +shall march down to Elmina." + +Leaving the main road at Dunquah the army moved slowly through the bush +towards Elmina, thirty miles distant, halting in the woods some eight +miles from the town, and twelve from Cape Coast. + +"I am going," the general said, "to look at the English forts. My white +friend will go with me." + +With fifty of his warriors Ammon Quatia left the camp, and crossing a +stream came down upon the sea coast, a short distance west of Elmina. +With them were several of the Elmina tribe, who had come up to the camp +to welcome the Ashantis. They approached to within three or four hundred +yards of the fort, which was separated from them by a river. + +The forts on the west coast of Africa, not being built to resist +artillery, are merely barracks surrounded by high walls sufficiently +thick to allow men to walk in single file along the top, to fire over +the parapet. The tops of the walls being castellated, the buildings have +an appearance of much strength. The fort of Elmina is of considerable +size, with a barrack and officers' quarters within it. One side faces +the river, and another the sea. + +"It is a wonderful fort," the Ashanti general said, much impressed by +its appearance. + +"Yes," Frank replied. "And there are cannon on the top, those great +black things you see sticking out. Those are guns, and each carries +balls enough to kill a hundred men with each shot." + +The general looked for some time attentively. "But you have castles in +the white men's country, how do you take them?" + +"We bring a great many cannon throwing balls of iron as big as my head," +Frank answered, "and so knock a great hole in the wall and then rush +in." + +"But if there are no cannon?" the general urged. + +"We never attack a castle without cannon," Frank said. "But if we had +no cannon we might try to starve the people out; but you cannot do that +here, because they would land food from the sea." + +The general looked puzzled. "Why do the white men come here? + +"They come to trade," he said presently. + +"Yes, they come to trade," Frank replied. + +"And they have no other reason?" + +"No," Frank said. "They do not want to take land, because the white man +cannot work in so hot a climate." + +"Then if he could not trade he would go away?" the general asked. + +"Yes," Frank agreed, "if he could do no trade it would be no use +remaining here." + +"We will let him do no trade," the general said, brightening up. "If we +cannot take the forts we will surround them closely, and no trade can +come in and out. Then the white man will have to go away. As to the +Fantis we will destroy them, and the white men will have no one to fight +for them." + +"But there are white troops," Frank said. + +"White soldiers?" the Ashanti asked surprised. "I thought it was only +black soldiers that fought for the whites. The whites are few, they are +traders." + +"The English are many," Frank said earnestly. "For every man that the +King of Ashanti could send to fight, England could send ten. There are +white soldiers, numbers of them, but they are not sent here. They are +kept at home to fight other white nations, the French and the Dutch and +the Danes, and many others, just as the kings of Africa fight against +each other. They are not sent here because the climate kills the whites, +so to guard the white traders here we hire black soldiers; but, when +it is known in England that the King of Ashanti is fighting against our +forts, they will send white troops." + +Ammon Quatia was thoughtful for some time. "If they come," he said at +length, "the fevers will kill them, The white man cannot live in the +swamps. Your friend, the white guest of the king, died at Coomassie." + +"Yes," Frank asserted, "but he had been nearly a year in the country +before he died. Three weeks will be enough for an English army to march +from Cape Coast to Coomassie. A few might die, but most of them would +get there." + +"Coomassie!" the general exclaimed in surprise. "The white men would be +mad to think of marching against the city of the great king. We should +make great fetish, and they would all die when they had crossed the +river." + +"I don't think, General," Frank said dryly, "that the fetishes of the +black man have any effect upon the white men. A fetish has power when it +is believed in. A man who knows that his enemy has made a fetish against +him is afraid. His blood becomes like water and he dies. But the whites +do not believe in fetishes. They laugh at them, and then the fetishes +cannot hurt them." + +The general said no more, but turned thoughtfully and retired to his +camp. It was tantalizing to Frank to see the Union Jack waving within +sight, and to know that friends were so near and yet to be unable to +stretch out his hand to them. + +He was now dressed in all respects like a native, the king having, soon +after his arrival at Coomassie, sent a present of clothes such as were +worn by his nobles, saying that the people would not notice them so much +if they were dressed like themselves. Consequently, had the party been +seen from the castle walls the appearance of an Englishman among them +would have been unobserved. + +Three days later the general with a similar party crossed the Sweet +river at night, and proceeded along the sea coast to within a few +hundred yards of Cape Coast Castle, whose appearance pleased him no more +than that of Elmina had done. + +The Ashantis were now better supplied with food, as they were able to +depend upon the Elmina tribes who cultivated a considerable extent of +ground, and to add to the stock, the Ashanti soldiers were set to work +to aid in planting a larger extent of ground than usual, a proof in +Frank's mind that the general contemplated making a long stay, and +blockading Elmina and Cape Coast into surrender if he could not carry +them by assault. + +The natives of Africa are capable of great exertion for a time, but +their habitual attitude is that of extreme laziness. One week's work in +the year suffices to plant a sufficient amount of ground to supply the +wants of a family. The seed only requires casting into the earth, and +soon the ground will be covered with melons and pumpkins. Sweet potatoes +and yams demand no greater cultivation, and the bananas and plantains +require simply to be cut. For fifty-one weeks in the year the negro +simply sits down and watches his crops grow. To people like these time +is of absolutely no value. Their wants are few. Their garden furnishes +them with tobacco. They make drink from the palm or by fermenting the +juice of the cocoanut. The fowls that wander about in the clearings +suffice when carried down occasionally to the port, to pay for the few +yards of calico and strings of beads which are all that is necessary for +the clothing and decoration of a family. + +Such people are never in a hurry. To wait means to do nothing. To +do nothing is their highest joy. Their tomorrow means a month hence, +directly, a week. If, then, the Ashanti army had been detained for one +year or five before the English settlements, it would have been a matter +of indifference to them, so long as they could obtain food. Their women +were with them, for the wife and daughters of each warrior had carried +on head, with the army, his household goods, a tiny stool, a few +calabashes for cooking, a mat to sleep on, and baskets high piled with +provisions. They were there to collect sticks, to cook food, draw water, +bring fire for his pipe, minister to his pleasures. He could have no +more if he were at home, and was contented to wait as long as the king +ordered, were that time years distant. + +Frank was often filled with disgust at seeing these noble savages lying +indolently from morn till night while their wives went miles in the +forest searching for pineapples and fruits, bent down and prematurely +aged by toil and hardship. Many of the young girls among the negroes are +pretty, with their soft eyes and skin like velvet, their merry laugh and +graceful figures. But in a very few years all this disappears, and by +middle age they are bent, and wrinkled, and old. All loads are carried +by women, with the exception only of hammocks, which are exclusively +carried by men. + +Thus, then, the Ashantis settled down to what appeared to Frank to be an +interminable business, and what rendered it more tantalizing was, that +the morning and evening guns at the English forts could be plainly +heard. + +It was on the 7th of June that Ammon Quatia reconnoitered Elmina, and +the news came next day that a hundred and ten white men in red coats had +landed from a ship which had arrived that morning off the coast. Frank +judged from the description that these must be marines from a ship of +war. In this he was correct, as they consisted of marines and marine +artillerymen under Lieutenant Colonel Festing, who had just arrived from +England. Three days later the Ashanti general, with a portion of his +force, moved down close to Elmina; Frank was told to accompany them. +Shortly afterwards the news came that the Elminas were all ordered +to lay down their arms. They replied by going over in a body to the +Ashantis. Ammon Quatia determined at once to attack the town, but as he +was advancing, the guns of the ships of war opened fire upon the native +town of Elmina, which lay to the west of the European quarter. + +The sound of such heavy cannon, differing widely from anything they had +ever heard before, caused the Ashantis to pause in astonishment. Then +came the howl of the shells, which exploded in rapid succession in +the village, from which flames began immediately to rise. After a +few minutes' hesitation the Ashantis and Elminas again advanced. The +general, who was carried in a chair upon the shoulders of four men, took +his post on rising ground near the burning village. + +"There," he said, "the English soldiers are coming out of the fort. Now +you will see." + +The little body of marines and the blue jackets of the Barraconta +deployed in line as they sallied from the fort. The Ashantis opened fire +upon them, but they were out of range of the slugs. As soon as the line +was formed the English opened fire, and the Ashantis were perfectly +astonished at the incessant rattle of musketry from so small a body of +men. But it was not all noise, for the Snider bullets swept among the +crowded body of blacks, mowing them down in considerable numbers. In two +minutes the Ashantis turned and ran. The general's bearers, in spite of +his shouts, hurried away with him with the others, and Frank would have +taken this opportunity to escape had not two of his guards seized him by +the arms and hauled him along, while the other two kept close behind. + +As soon as they had passed over the crest of the rise, and the British +fire had ceased, Ammon Quatia leaped from his chair and threw himself +among his flying troops, striking them right and left with his staff, +and hurling imprecations upon them. + +"If you do not stop and return against the whites," he said, "I will +send every one of you back to Coomassie, and there you will be put to +death as cowards." + +The threat sufficed. The fugitives rallied, and in a few minutes were +ready to march back again. It was the surprise created by the wonderful +sustained fire of the breech loaders, rather than the actual loss they +inflicted, which caused the panic. + +In the meantime, believing that the Ashantis had retired, the naval +contingent went back to their boats, when the Dutch vice consul, having +ascended a hill to look round, saw that Ammon Quatia had made a detour +with his troops, and was marching against the town from the east, where +he would not be exposed to the fire of the fort. He instantly ran back +with the news. + +The marines and the thirty West Indian soldiers in the fort at once +marched out, and met the Ashantis just as they were entering the town. +The fight was a severe one, and for a time neither side appeared to have +the advantage, and Frank, who, under the care of his guards, was a few +hundred yards in the rear, was filled with dismay at observing that the +Ashantis, in spite of the heavy loss they were suffering, were gaining +ground and pressing forward bravely. Suddenly he gave a shout of joy, +for on a rise on the flank of the Ashantis appeared the sailors of the +Barraconta, who had been led round from the boats by Lieutenant Wells, +R. N., who was in command. The instant these took up their position they +opened a heavy fire upon the flank of the Ashantis, who, dismayed by +this attack by fresh foes, lost heart and at once fled hastily. In the +two engagements they had lost nearly four hundred men. Frank, of course, +retired with the beaten Ashantis, and that evening Ammon Quatia told +him that the arms of the white men were too good, and that he should not +attack them again in the open. + +"Their guns shoot farther, as well as quicker, than ours," he said. "Our +slugs are no use against the heavy bullets, at a distance; but in the +woods, where you cannot see twenty feet among the trees, it will be +different. If I do not attack them they must attack me, or their trade +will be starved out. When they come into the woods you will see that we +shall eat them up." + +Several weeks now passed quietly. There was news that there was +great sickness among the white soldiers, and, indeed, with scarce an +exception, the marines first sent out were invalided home; but a hundred +and fifty more arrived to take their place. Some detachments of the 2d +West Indian regiment came down to join their comrades from Sierra Leone, +and the situation remained unchanged. + +One night towards the end of August a messenger arrived and there was an +immediate stir. + +"Now," the general said to Frank, "you are going to see us fight the +white men. Some of the big ships have gone to the mouth of the Prah, +and we believe that they are going to land in boats. You will see. The +Elmina tribes are going to attack, but I shall take some of my men to +help." + +Taking fifty picked warriors Ammon Quatia started at once. They marched +all night towards the west, and at daybreak joined the Elminas. These +took post in the brushwood lining the river. The general with a dozen +men, taking Frank, went down near the mouth of the river to reconnoiter. +The ships lay more than a mile off the shore. Presently a half dozen +boats were lowered, filled with men, and taken in tow by a steam launch. +It was seen that they were making for the mouth of the river. + +"Now let us go back," Ammon Quatia said. "You will see what we shall +do." + +Frank felt full of excitement. He saw the English running into an +ambuscade, and he determined, even if it should cost him his life, to +warn them. Presently they heard the sharp puffs of the steam launch. The +boats were within three hundred yards. + +Frank stepped forward and was about to give a warning shout when Ammon +Quatia's eye fell upon him. The expression of his face revealed his +intention to the Ashanti, who in an instant sprang upon him and hurled +him to the ground. Instantly a dozen hands seized him, and, in obedience +to the general's order, fastened a bandage tightly across his mouth, and +then bound him, standing against a tree, where he could observe what was +going on. The incident had occupied but a minute, and Frank heard the +pant of the steam launch coming nearer and nearer. Presently through +the bushes he caught a glimpse of it, and then, as it came along, of the +boats towing behind. The Elminas and Ashantis were lying upon the ground +with their guns in front of them. + +The boats were but fifteen yards from the bank. When they were abreast +Ammon Quatia shouted the word of command, and a stream of fire shot out +from the bushes. In the boats all was confusion. Several were killed and +many wounded by the deadly volley, among the latter Commodore Commerell +himself, and two or three of his officers. The launch now attempted +to turn round, and the marines in the boats opened fire upon their +invisible foes, who replied steadily. In five minutes from the first +shot being fired all was over, the launch was steaming down with the +boats in tow towards the mouth of the river, the exulting shouts of the +natives ringing in the ears of those on board. + +The position of Frank had not been a pleasant one while the fight +had lasted, for the English rifle bullets sang close to him in quick +succession, one striking the tree only a few inches above his head. He +was doubtful, too, as to what his fate would be at the termination of +the fight. + +Fortunately Ammon Quatia was in the highest spirits at his victory. He +ordered Frank to be at once unbound. + +"There, you see," he said, "the whites are of no use. They cannot fight. +They run with their eyes shut into danger. So it will be if they attack +us on the land. You were foolish. Why did you wish to call out? Are you +not well treated? Are you not the king's guest? Am I not your friend?" + +"I am well treated, and you are my friend," Frank said, "but the English +are my countrymen. I am sure that were you in the hands of the English, +and you saw a party of your countrymen marching into danger, you would +call out and warn them, even if you knew that you would be killed for +doing so." + +"I do not know," the Ashanti said candidly. "I cannot say what I should +do, but you were brave to run the risk, and I'm not angry with you. +Only, in future when we go to attack the English, I must gag you to +prevent your giving the alarm." + +"That is fair enough," Frank said, pleased that the matter had passed +off so well, "only another time do not stick me upright against a tree +where I may be killed by English bullets. I had a narrow escape of it +this time, you see," and he pointed to the hole in the trunk of the +tree. + +"I am sorry," the Ashanti general said, with an air of real concern. "I +did not think of your being in danger, I only wished you to have a good +sight of the battle; next time I will put you in a safer place." + +They then returned to the camp. + +The next day a distant cannonade was heard, and at nightfall the news +came that the English fleet had bombarded and burnt several Elmina +villages at the mouth of the Prah. + +"Ah," the general said, "the English have great ships and great guns. +They can fight on the seaside and round their forts, but they cannot +drag their guns through the forests and swamps." + +"No," Frank agreed. "It would not be possible to drag heavy artillery." + +"No," Ammon Quatia repeated exultingly. "When they are beyond the +shelter of their ships they are no good whatever. We will kill them +all." + +The wet season had now set in, in earnest, and the suffering of the +Ashantis were very great. Accustomed as many of them were to high lying +lands free of trees, the miasma from the swamps was well nigh as fatal +to them as it would be to Europeans. Thousands died, and many of the +rest were worn by fever to mere shadows. + +"Do you think," Ammon Quatia said to Frank one day, "that it is possible +to blow up a whole town with powder?" + +"It would be possible if there were powder enough," Frank said, +wondering what could be the motive of the question. + +"They say that the English have put powder in holes all over Cape Coast, +and my people are afraid to go. The guns of the fort could not shoot +over the whole town, and there are few white soldiers there; but my men +fear to be blown up in the air." + +"Yes," Frank said gravely. "The danger might be great. It is better that +the Ashantis should keep away from the town. But if the fever goes on as +at present the army will melt away." + +"Ten thousand more men are coming down when the rains are over. The king +says that something must be done. There is talk in the English forts +that more white troops are coming out from England. If this is so I +shall not attack the towns, but shall wait for them to come into the +woods for me. Then you will see." + +"Do they say there are many troops?" Frank asked anxiously. + +"No; they say only some white officers, but this is foolishness. What +could white officers do without soldiers? As for the Fantis they are +cowards, they are only good to carry burdens and to hoe the ground. They +are women and not men." + +During this time, when the damp rose so thick and steaming that +everything was saturated with it, Frank had a very sharp attack of +fever, and was for a fortnight, just after the repulse of the attack on +Elmina, completely prostrated. Such an attack would at his first landing +have carried him off, but he was now getting acclimatized, and his +supply of quinine was abundant. With its aid he saved a great many lives +among the Ashantis, and many little presents in the way of fruit and +birds did he receive from his patients. + +"I wish I could let you go," the general said to him one day. "You are +a good white man, and my soldiers love you for the pains you take going +amongst them when they are sick, and giving them the medicine of the +whites. But I dare not do it. As you know when the king is wroth the +greatest tremble, and I dare not tell the king that I have let you +go. Were it otherwise I would gladly do so. I have written to the king +telling him that you have saved the lives of many here. It may be that +he will order you to be released." + + + +CHAPTER XIX: THE TIDE TURNED + + +From many of the points in the forest held by the Ashantis the sea could +be seen, and on the morning of the 2d of October a steamer which had not +been there on the previous evening was perceived lying off the town. The +Ashantis were soon informed by spies in Elmina and Cape Coast that the +ship had brought an English general with about thirty officers. The news +that thirty men had come out to help to drive back twenty thousand was +received with derision by the Ashantis. + +"They will do more than you think," Frank said when Ammon Quatia was +scoffing over the new arrival. "You will see a change in the tactics of +the whites. Hitherto they have done nothing. They have simply waited. +Now you will see they will begin to move. The officers will drill the +natives, and even a Fanti, drilled and commanded by white officers, will +learn how to fight. You acknowledge that the black troops in red coats +can fight. What are these? Some of them are Fantis, some of them +are black men from the West Indian Islands, where they are even more +peaceful than the Fantis, for they have no enemies. Perhaps alone the +Fantis would not fight, but they will have the soldiers and sailors from +on board ship with them, and you saw at Elmina how they can fight." + +The ship was the Ambriz, one of the African company's steamers, bringing +with it thirty-five officers, of whom ten belonged to the Commissariat +and Medical staff. Among the fighting men were Sir Garnet Wolseley, +Colonel M'Neil, chief of his staff, Major T. D. Baker, 18th Regiment, +Captain Huyshe, Rifle Brigade, Captain Buller, 60th Rifles, all of the +staff; Captain Brackenbury, military secretary, and Lieutenant Maurice, +R. A., private secretary, Major Home, R. E., Lieutenant Saunders, R. +A., and Lieutenant Wilmot, R. A.. Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn Wood, 90th +Regiment, and Major B. C. Russell, 13th Hussars, were each to form and +command a native regiment, having the remainder of the officers as their +assistants. + +The Ambriz had left England on the 12th of September, and had touched +at Madeira and at the various towns on the coast on her way down, and +at the former place had received the news of the disaster to the naval +expedition up the Prah. + +The English government had been loath to embark upon such an expedition, +but a petition which had been sent home by the English and native +traders at Sierra Leone and Elmina had shown how great was the peril +which threatened the colony, and it had been felt that unless an effort +was made the British would be driven altogether from their hold of the +coast. When the expedition was at last determined upon, the military +authorities were flooded with recommendations and warnings of all kinds +from persons who knew the coast. Unfortunately these gentlemen differed +so widely from each other, that but little good was gained from their +counsels. Some pronounced the climate to be deadly. Others said that +it was really not bad. Some warmly advocated a moderate use of spirits. +Others declared that stimulants were poison. One advised that all +exercise should be taken between five and seven in the morning. Another +insisted that on no account should anyone stir out until the sun had +been up for an hour, which meant that no one should go out till half +past seven. One said take exercise and excite perspiration. Another +urged that any bodily exercise should be avoided. One consistent +gentleman, after having written some letters to the papers strongly +advocating the use of white troops upon the coast instead of West Indian +regiments, when written to by Sir Garnet Wolseley for his advice as +to articles of outfit, replied that the only article which he could +strongly commend would be that each officer should take out his coffin. + +Ten days passed after the landing. It was known in the Ashanti camp that +the Fanti kings had been ordered to raise contingents, and that a +white officer had been alloted to each to assist him in this work. +The Ashantis, however, had no fear whatever on this score. The twenty +thousand natives who occupied the country south of the Prah had all been +driven from their homes by the invaders, and had scattered among the +towns and villages on the seacoast, where vast numbers had died from the +ravages of smallpox. The kings had little or no authority over them, +and it was certain that no native force, capable in any way of competing +with the army of the assailants, could be raised. + +The small number of men of the 2d West Indian regiment at Elmina had +been reinforced by a hundred and twenty Houssas brought down the coast. +The Ashanti advanced parties remained close up to Elmina. + +On the 13th of October Frank accompanied the Ashanti general to the +neighborhood of this town. The Ashanti force here was not a large one, +the main body being nearly twenty miles away in the neighborhood of +Dunquah, which was held by a small body of Houssas and natives under +Captain Gordon. At six in the morning a messenger ran in with the news +that two of the English war steamers from Cape Coast were lying off +Elmina, and that a number of troops had been landed in boats. The +Ashanti general was furious, and poured out threats against his spies in +Cape Coast for not having warned him of the movement, but in fact these +were not to blame. So quietly had the arrangements been made that, until +late in the previous afternoon, no one, with the exception of three or +four of the principal officers, knew that an expedition was intended. +Even then it was given out that the expedition was going down the coast, +and it was not until the ships anchored off Elmina at three in the +morning that the officers and troops were aware of their destination. +All the West Indian troops at Cape Coast had been taken, Captain Peel of +the Simoon landing fifty sailors to hold the fort in case the Ashantis +should attack it in their absence. The expedition consisted of the +Houssas, two hundred men of the 2d West India regiment, fifty sailors, +and two companies of marines and marine artillery, each fifty strong, +and a large number of natives carrying a small Armstrong gun, two rocket +tubes, rockets, spare ammunition, and hammocks for wounded. + +The few Ashantis in the village next to Elmina retired at once when the +column was seen marching from the castle. Ammon Quatia had taken up his +quarters at the village of Essarman, and now advanced with his troops +and took post in the bush behind a small village about three miles from +the town. The Houssas were skirmishing in front of the column. These +entered the village which had been deserted by the Ashantis, and set it +on fire, blowing up several kegs of powder which had been left there +in the hurry of the flight. Then as they advanced farther the Ashantis +opened fire. To their surprise the British, instead of falling +back, opened fire in return, the Houssas, West Indians, and natives +discharging their rifles at random in all directions. Captain Freemantle +with the sailors, the gun, and rockets made for the upper corner of the +wood facing them to their left. Captain Crease with a company of marine +artillery took the wood on the right. The Houssas and a company of West +Indians moved along the path in the center. The remainder of the force +remained with the baggage in reserve. The Ashantis kept up a tremendous +fire, but the marines and sailors pushed their way steadily through the +wood on either side. Captain Freemantle at length gained a point where +his gun and rockets could play on Essarman, which lay in the heart of +the wood, and opened fire, but not until he had been struck by a slug +which passed through his arm. Colonel M'Neil, who was with the Houssas, +also received a severe wound in the arm, and thirty-two marines and +Houssas were wounded. The Ashantis were gradually driven out of the +village and wood, a great many being killed by the English fire. + +Having accomplished this, the British force rested for an hour and +then moved on, first setting fire to Essarman, which was a very large +village. A great quantity of the Ashanti powder was stored there, and +each explosion excited yells of rage among the Ashantis. Their general +was especially angry that two large war drums had been lost. So great +was the effect produced upon the Ashantis by the tremendous fire which +the British had poured into every bush and thicket as they advanced, +that their general thought it expedient to draw them off in the +direction of his main body instead of further disputing the way. + +The English now turned off towards the coast, marching part of the +way through open country, part through a bush so dense that it was +impossible to make a flank attack upon them here. In such cases as this, +when the Ashantis know that an enemy is going to approach through a +dense and impassable forest, they cut paths through it parallel to that +by which he must advance and at a few yards' distance. Then, lying in +ambush there, they suddenly open fire upon him as he comes along. As +no idea of the coming of the English had been entertained they passed +through the dense thickets in single file unmolested. These native paths +are very difficult and unpleasant walking. The natives always walk in +single file, and the action of their feet, aided by that of the rain, +often wears the paths into a deep V-shaped rut, two feet in depth. +Burning two or three villages by the way the column reached the coast at +a spot five miles from Elmina, having marched nine miles. + +As the Ashantis were known to be in force at the villages of Akimfoo and +Ampene, four miles farther, a party was taken on to this point. Akimfoo +was occupied without resistance, but the Ashantis fought hard in Ampene, +but were driven out of the town into the bush, from which the British +force was too small to drive them, and therefore returned to Elmina, +having marched twenty-two miles, a prodigious journey in such a climate +for heavily armed Europeans. The effect produced among the Ashantis by +the day's fighting was immense. All their theories that the white men +could not fight in the bush were roughly upset, and they found that his +superiority was as great there as it had been in the open. His heavy +bullets, even at the distance of some hundred yards, crashed through the +brush wood with deadly effect, while the slugs of the Ashantis would not +penetrate at a distance much exceeding fifty yards. + +Ammon Quatia was profoundly depressed in spirits that evening. + +"The white men who come to fight us," he said, "are not like those who +come to trade. Who ever heard of their making long marches? Why, if they +go the shortest distances they are carried in hammocks. These men march +as well as my warriors. They have guns which shoot ten times as far +as ours, and never stop firing. They carry cannon with them, and have +things which fly through the air and scream, and set villages on fire +and kill men. I have never heard of such things before. What do you call +them?" + +"They are called rockets," Frank said. + +"What are they made of?" + +"They are made of coarse powder mixed with other things, and rammed into +an iron case." + +"Could we not make some too?" the Ashanti general asked. + +"No," Frank replied. "At least, not without a knowledge of the things +you should mix with the powder, and of that I am ignorant. Besides, the +rockets require great skill in firing, otherwise they will sometimes +come back and kill the men who fire them." + +"Why did you not tell me that the white men could fight in the bush?" + +"I told you that there would be a change when the new general came, and +that they would not any longer remain in their forts, but would come out +and attack you." + +A few days after this fight the Ashantis broke up their camp at Mampon, +twelve miles from Elmina, and moved eastward to join the body who were +encamped in the forest near Dunquah. + +"I am going," Ammon Quatia said to Frank, "to eat up Dunquah and Abra +Crampa. We shall do better this time. We know what the English guns can +do and shall not be surprised." + +With ten thousand men Ammon Quatia halted at the little village of +Asianchi, where there was a large clearing, which was speedily covered +with the little leafy bowers which the Ashantis run up at each halting +place. + +Two days later Sir Garnet Wolseley with a strong force marched out from +Cape Coast to Abra Crampa, halting on the way for a night at Assaiboo, +ten miles from the town. On the same day the general sent orders to +Colonel Festing of the Marine Artillery, who commanded at Dunquah, to +make a reconnaissance into the forest from that place. In accordance +with this order Colonel Festing marched out with a gun and rocket +apparatus under Captain Rait, the Annamaboe contingent of a hundred and +twenty men under their king, directed by Captain Godwin, four hundred +other Fantis under Captain Broomhead, and a hundred men of the 2d West +India regiment. After a three mile march in perfect silence they came +upon an Ashanti cutting wood, and compelled him to act as guide. The +path divided into three, and the Annamaboes, who led the advance, when +within a few yards of the camp, gave a sudden cheer and rushed in. + +The Ashantis, panic stricken at the sudden attack, fled instantly from +the camp into the bush. Sudden as was the scare Frank's guards did not +forget their duty, but seizing him dragged him off with them in their +flight, by the side of Ammon Quatia. The latter ordered the war drums to +begin to beat, and Frank was surprised at the quickness with which the +Ashantis recovered from their panic. In five minutes a tremendous fire +was opened from the whole circle of bush upon the camp. This stood +on rising ground, and the British force returned the fire with great +rapidity and effect. The Annamaboe men stood their ground gallantly, and +the West Indians fought with great coolness, keeping up a constant and +heavy fire with their Sniders. The Houssas, who had been trained as +artillerymen, worked their gun and rocket tube with great energy, +yelling and whooping as each round of grape or canister was fired into +the bush, or each rocket whizzed out. + +Notwithstanding the heavy loss which they were suffering, the Ashantis +stood their ground most bravely. Their wild yells and the beating of +their drums never ceased, and only rose the louder as each volley of +grape was poured into them. They did not, however, advance beyond the +shelter of their bush, and, as the British were not strong enough to +attack them there, the duel of artillery and musketry was continued +without cessation for an hour and a half, and then Colonel Festing fell +back unmolested to Dunquah. + +The Ashantis were delighted at the result of the fighting, heavy as +their loss had been. They had held their ground, and the British had not +ventured to attack them in the bush. + +"You see," Ammon Quatia said exultingly to Frank, "what I told you was +true. The white men cannot fight us in the bush. At Essarman the wood +was thin and gave but a poor cover. Here, you see, they dared not follow +us." + +On the British side five officers and the King of Annamaboe were +wounded, and fifty-two of the men. None were killed, the distance from +the bush to the ground held by the English being too far for the Ashanti +slugs to inflict mortal wounds. + +Ammon Quatia now began to meditate falling back upon the Prah--the sick +and wounded were already sent back--but he determined before retiring to +attack Abra Crampa, whose king had sided with us, and where an English +garrison had been posted. + +On the 2d of November, however, Colonel Festing again marched out from +Dunquah with a hundred men of the 2d West India regiment, nine hundred +native allies, and some Houssas with rockets, under Lieutenant Wilmot, +towards the Ashanti camp. This time Ammon Quatia was not taken by +surprise. His scouts informed him of the approach of the column, and +moving out to meet them, he attacked them in the bush before they +reached the camp. Crouching among the trees the Ashantis opened a +tremendous fire. All the native allies, with the exception of a hundred, +bolted at once, but the remainder, with the Houssas and West Indians, +behaved with great steadiness and gallantry, and for two hours kept up a +heavy Snider fire upon their invisible foes. + +Early in the fight Lieutenant Wilmot, while directing the rocket tube, +received a severe wound in the shoulder. He, however, continued at his +work till, just as the fight was ended, he was shot through the heart +with a bullet. Four officers were wounded as were thirteen men of the +2d West India regiment. One of the natives was killed, fifty severely +wounded, and a great many slightly. After two hours' fighting Colonel +Festing found the Ashantis were working round to cut off his retreat, +and therefore fell back again on Dunquah. The conduct of the native +levies here and in two or three smaller reconnaisances was so bad that +it was found that no further dependence could be placed upon them, and, +with the exception of the two partly disciplined regiments under Colonel +Wood and Major Russell, they were in future treated as merely fit to act +as carriers for the provisions. + +Although the second reconnaissance from Dunquah had, like the first, +been unsuccessful, its effect upon the Ashantis was very great. They +had themselves suffered great loss, while they could not see that any +of their enemies had been killed, for Lieutenant Wilmot's body had been +carried off. The rockets especially appalled them, one rocket having +killed six, four of whom were chiefs who were talking together. It was +true that the English had not succeeded in forcing their way through the +bush, but if every time they came out they were to kill large numbers +without suffering any loss themselves, they must clearly in the long run +be victorious. + +What the Ashantis did not see, and what Frank carefully abstained from +hinting to Ammon Quatia, was that if, instead of stopping and firing at +a distance beyond that which at their slugs were effective, they were +to charge down upon the English and fire their pieces when they reached +within a few yards of them, they would overpower them at once by their +enormous superiority of numbers. At ten paces distant a volley of slugs +is as effective as a Snider bullet, and the whole of the native troops +would have bolted the instant such a charge was made. In the open such +tactics might not be possible, as the Sniders could be discharged twenty +times before the English line was reached, but in the woods, where the +two lines were not more than forty or fifty yards apart, the Sniders +could be fired but once or at the utmost twice, while the assailants +rushed across the short intervening space. + +Had the Ashantis adopted these tactics they could have crushed with +ease the little bands with which the English attacked them. But it is +characteristic of all savages that they can never be got to rush down +upon a foe who is prepared and well armed. A half dozen white men have +been known to keep a whole tribe of Red Indians at a distance on the +prairie. This, however, can be accounted for by the fact that the power +of the chiefs is limited, and that each Indian values his own life +highly and does not care to throw it away on a desperate enterprise. +Among the Ashantis, however, where the power of the chiefs is very great +and where human life is held of little account, it is singular that such +tactics should not have been adopted. + +The Ashantis were now becoming thoroughly dispirited. Their sufferings +had been immense. Fever and hunger had made great ravages among them, +and, although now the wet season was over a large quantity of food could +be obtained in the forest, the losses which the white men's bullets, +rockets, and guns had inflicted upon them had broken their courage. The +longing for home became greater than ever, and had it not been that they +knew that troops stationed at the Prah would prevent any fugitives from +crossing, they would have deserted in large numbers. Already one of the +divisions had fallen back. + +Ammon Quatia spent hours sitting at the door of his hut smoking and +talking to the other chiefs. Frank was often called into council, as +Ammon Quatia had conceived a high opinion of his judgment, which had +proved invariably correct so far. + +"We are going," he said one day, "to take Abra Crampa and to kill its +king, and then to fall back across the Prah." + +"I think you had better fall back at once," Frank answered. "When +you took me with you to the edge of the clearing yesterday I saw that +preparations had been made for the defense, and that there were white +troops there. You will never carry the village. The English have thrown +up breastworks of earth, and they will lie behind these and shoot down +your men as they come out of the forest." + +"I must have one victory to report to the king if I can," Ammon Quatia +said. "Then he can make peace if he chooses. The white men will not wish +to go on fighting. The Fantis are eager for peace and to return to their +villages. What do you think?" + +"If it be true that white troops are coming out from England, as the +Fanti prisoners say," Frank answered, "you will see that the English +will not make peace till they have crossed the Prah and marched to +Coomassie. Your king is always making trouble. You will see that this +time the English will not be content with your retiring, but will in +turn invade Ashanti." + +Ammon Quatia and the chiefs laughed incredulously. + +"They will not dare to cross the Prah," Ammon Quatia said. "If they +enter Ashanti they will be eaten up." + +"They are not so easy to eat up," Frank answered. "You have seen how a +hundred or two can fight against your whole army. What will it be when +they are in thousands? Your king has not been wise. It would be better +for him to send down at once and to make peace at any price." + + + +CHAPTER XX: THE WHITE TROOPS + + +Two days later Frank was awoke by a sudden yell. He leaped from his +bed of boughs, seized his revolver, and rushing to the door, saw that +a party of some twenty men were attacking Ammon Quatia's hut. The two +guards stationed there had already been cut down. Frank shouted to +his four guards and Ostik to follow him. The guards had been standing +irresolute, not knowing what side to take, but the example of the young +Englishman decided them. They fired their muskets into the knot of +natives, and then charged sword in hand. Ostik drew the sword which he +always carried and followed close to his master's heels. Frank did not +fire until within two yards of the Ashantis. Then his revolver spoke out +and six shots were discharged, each with deadly effect. Then, catching +up a musket which had fallen from the hands of one of the men he had +shot, he clubbed it and fell upon the surprised and already hesitating +conspirators. + +These, fortunately for Frank, had not loaded their muskets. They had +intended to kill Ammon Quatia and then to disperse instantly before aid +could arrive, believing that with his death the order for retreat across +the Prah would at once be given. Several of them had been killed by the +slugs from the muskets of Frank's guard, and his pistol had completed +their confusion. The reports of the guns called up other troops, and +these came rushing in on all sides. Scarcely did Frank and his followers +fall upon the conspirators than they took to their heels and fled into +the wood. + +Ammon Quatia himself, sword in hand, had just sprung to the door of +the hut prepared to sell his life dearly, when Frank's guard fired. +The affair was so momentary that he had hardly time to realize what had +happened before his assailants were in full flight. + +"You have saved my life," he said to Frank. "Had it not been for you +I must have been killed. You shall not find me ungrateful. When I have +taken Abra Crampa I will manage that you shall return to your friends. +I dare not let you go openly, for the king would not forgive me, and I +shall have enough to do already to pacify him when he hears how great +have been our losses. But rest content. I will manage it somehow." + +An hour afterwards Ammon Quatia gave orders that the army should move to +the attack of Abra Crampa. The place was held by a body of marines and +sailors, a hundred West Indians, and the native troops of the king. +Major Russell was in command. The village stood on rising ground, +and was surrounded for a distance of a hundred and fifty yards by a +clearing. Part of this consisted of patches of cultivated ground, the +rest had been hastily cleared by the defenders. At the upper end stood a +church, and this was converted into a stronghold. The windows were high +up in the walls, and a platform had been erected inside for the sailors +to fire from the windows, which were partially blocked with sandbags. +The houses on the outside of the village had all been loopholed, and had +been connected by breastworks of earth. Other defenses had been thrown +up further back in case the outworks should be carried. The mission +house in the main street and the huts which surrounded it formed, with +the church, the last strongholds. For two or three days the bush round +the town had swarmed with Ashantis, whose tomtoms could be heard by the +garrison night and day. + +Frank accompanied Ammon Quatia, and was therefore in the front, and had +an opportunity of seeing how the Ashantis commence an attack. The war +drums gave the signal, and when they ceased, ten thousand voices raised +the war song in measured cadence. The effect was very fine, rising as +it did from all parts of the forest. By this time the Ashantis had lined +the whole circle of wood round the clearing. Then three regular volleys +were fired, making, from the heavy charges used, a tremendous roar. + +Scarcely had these ceased when the King of Abra, a splendid looking +negro standing nearly six feet four in height, stepped out from behind +the breastwork and shouted a taunting challenge to the Ashantis to come +on. They replied with a loud yell, and with the opening of a continuous +fire round the edge of the wood. On wall and roof of the village the +slugs pattered thickly; but the defenders were all in shelter, and in +reply, from breastwork and loophole, from the windows and roof of the +church, the answering Snider bullets flew out straight and deadly. +Several times Ammon Quatia tried to get his men to make a rush. The war +drums beat, the great horns sounded, and the men shouted, but each time +the English bullets flew so thick and deadly into the wood wherever the +sound rose loudest that the Ashantis' heart failed them, and they could +not be got to make the rush across the hundred yards of cleared ground. + +At five o'clock the fire slackened, but shortly after dark the attack +recommenced. The moon was up and full. Frank feared that the Ashantis +would try and crawl a part of the distance across the clearing and +then make a sudden rush; but they appeared to have no idea of a silent +attack. Several times, indeed, they gathered and rushed forward in +large bodies, but each time their shouting and drums gave warning to +the besieged, and so tremendous a fire was opened upon them when they +emerged from the shadow of the trees into the moonlight, that each time +they fell back leaving the ground strewn with dead. Till midnight the +attack was continued, then the Ashantis fell back to their camp. + +At Accroful, a village on the main road some four miles distant, the +attack had been heard, and a messenger sent off to Cape Coast to inform +Sir Garnet Wolseley. + +In the morning fifty men of the 2d West India regiment marched from +Accroful into Abra Crampa without molestation. Later on some Abra scouts +approached the Ashanti camp and shouted tauntingly to know when the +Ashantis were coming into Abra Crampa. + +They shouted in return, "After breakfast," and soon afterwards, a rocket +fired from the roof of the church falling into the camp, they again +sallied out and attacked. It was a repetition of the fight of the day +before. Several times Major Russell withheld his fire altogether, but +the Ashantis could not be tempted to show in force beyond the edge of +the wood. So inspirited were the defenders that they now made several +sorties and penetrated some distance into the wood. + +At eight in the morning Sir Garnet Wolseley had marched from Cape +Coast with three hundred marines and blue jackets to the relief of the +position, but so tremendous was the heat that nearly half the men fell +exhausted by the way, and were ordered when they recovered to march back +to Cape Coast. The remainder, when they arrived at Assaibo, five +miles from Abra Crampa, were so utterly exhausted that a long halt was +necessary, although a faint but continuous fire could be heard from the +besieged place. + +Chocolate and cold preserved meat were served out to the men, and in the +course of another three hours a large number of the stragglers came in. +At three o'clock, a hundred of the most exhausted men being left to hold +the village, the rest of the force with the fifty West Indians stationed +there marched forward to Buteana, where they were jointed by fifty more +men from Accroful. Just as they started from this place they met the +King of Abra, who had come out with a small body of warriors; from him +Sir Garnet learned that this road, which wound round and came in at the +back of Abra Crampa, was still open. + +The Ashantis were too busy with their own operations to watch the path, +and the relieving force entered the place without firing a shot. The +firing round the town continued, but Ammon Quatia, when he saw the +reinforcements enter, at once began to fall back with the main body +of his troops, and although the firing was kept up all night, when the +besieged in the morning advanced to attack the Ashanti camp they found +it altogether deserted. + +"It is of no use," the Ashanti general said to Frank. "My men cannot +fight in the open against the English guns. Besides, they do not know +what they are fighting for here; but if your general should ever cross +the Prah you will find it different. There are forests all the way to +Coomassie, as you know, and the men will be fighting in defense of their +own country, you will see what we shall do then. And now I will keep +my promise to you. Tonight your guards will go to sleep. I shall have +medicine given them which will make them sleep hard. One of the Fanti +prisoners will come to your hut and will guide you through the woods to +Assaiboo. Goodbye, my friend. Ammon Quatia has learnt that some of the +white men are good and honest, and he will never forget that he owes his +life to you. Take this in remembrance of Ammon Quatia." + +And he presented Frank with a necklace composed of nuggets of gold as +big as walnuts and weighing nearly twenty pounds. + +Frank in return gave the general the only article of value which he now +possessed, his revolver and tin box of cartridges, telling him that he +hoped he would never use it against the English, but that it might be of +value to him should he ever again have trouble with his own men. Frank +made a parcel of the necklace and of the gold he had received from the +king for his goods, and warned Ostik to hold himself in readiness for +flight. The camp was silent although the roar of musketry a few hundred +yards off round Abra Crampa continued unbroken. For some time Frank +heard his guards pacing outside, and occasionally speaking to each +other. Then these sounds ceased and all was quiet. Presently the front +of the tent was opened and a voice said, "Come, all is ready." + +Frank came out and looked round. The Ashanti camp was deserted. Ammon +Quatia had moved away with the main body of his troops, although the +musketry fire round the village was kept up. A Fanti stood at the +door of the hut with Ostik. The four guards were sleeping quietly. +Noiselessly the little party stole away. A quarter of an hour later they +struck the path, and an hour's walking brought them to Assaiboo. Not an +Ashanti was met with along the path, but Frank hardly felt that he was +safe until he heard the challenge of "Who goes there?" from an English +sentry. A few minutes later he was taken before Captain Bradshaw, R. +N., who commanded the sailors and marines who had been left there. Very +hearty was the greeting which the young Englishman received from the +genial sailor, and a bowl of soup and a glass of grog were soon set +before him. + +His arrival created quite a sensation, and for some hours he sat talking +with the officers, while Ostik was an equal subject of curiosity among +the sailors. The news that the Ashanti army was in full retreat relieved +the garrison of the place from all further fear of attack, and Frank +went to sleep before morning, and was only roused at noon when a +messenger arrived with the news that the Ashanti camp had been found +deserted, and that the road in its rear was found to be strewn +with chairs, clothes, pillows, muskets, and odds and ends of every +description. Few Ashanti prisoners had been taken, but a considerable +number of Fantis, who had been prisoners among them, had come in, having +escaped in the confusion of the retreat. Among these were many women, +several of whom had been captured when the Ashantis had first crossed +the Prah ten months before. In the afternoon Sir Garnet Wolseley, with +the greater portion of the force from Abra Crampa, marched in, and Frank +was introduced by Captain Bradshaw to the general. As the latter was +anxious to press on at once to Cape Coast, in order that the sailors +and marines might sleep on board ship that night, he asked Frank to +accompany him, and on the road heard the story of his adventures. He +invited him to sleep for the night at Government House, an invitation +which Frank accepted; but he slept worse than he had done for a long +time. It was now nearly two years since he had landed in Africa, and +during all that time he had slept, covered with a rug, on the canvas of +his little camp bed. The complete change, the stillness and security, +and, above all, the novelty of a bed with sheets, completely banished +sleep, and it was not until morning was dawning that, wrapping himself +in a rug, and lying on the ground, he was able to get a sleep. In the +morning at breakfast Sir Garnet asked him what he intended to do, and +said that if he were in no extreme hurry to return to England he could +render great services as guide to the expedition, which would start for +Coomassie as soon as the white troops arrived. Frank had already thought +the matter over. He had had more than enough of Africa, but two or three +months longer would make no difference, and he felt that his knowledge +of the Ashanti methods of war, of the country to be traversed, the +streams to be crossed, and the points at which the Ashantis would +probably make a stand, would enable him to tender really valuable +assistance to the army. He therefore told Sir Garnet Wolseley that he +had no particular business which called him urgently back, and that he +was willing to guide the army to Coomassie. He at once had quarters as +an officer assigned to him in the town, with rations for himself and +servant. + +His first step was to procure English garments, for although he had +before starting laid aside his Ashanti costume, and put on that he +had before worn, his clothes were now so travel worn as to be scarce +wearable. He had no difficulty in doing this. Many of the officers were +already invalided home, and one who was just sailing was glad to dispose +of his uniform, which consisted of a light brown Norfolk shooting +jacket, knickerbockers, and helmet, as these would be of no use to him +in England. + +Frank's next step was to go to the agent of Messrs. Swanzy, the +principal African merchants of the coast. This gentleman readily cashed +one of the orders on the African bank which Mr. Goodenough had, before +his death, handed over to Frank, and the latter proceeded to discharge +the long arrears of wages owing to Ostik, adding, besides, a handsome +present. He offered to allow his faithful servant to depart to join +his family on the Gaboon at once, should he wish to do so, but Ostik +declared that he would remain with him as long as he stopped in Africa. +On Frank's advice, however, he deposited his money, for safe keeping, +with Messrs. Swanzy's agent, with orders to transmit it to his family +should anything happen to him during the expedition. + +Three days later Frank was attacked by fever, the result of the reaction +after so many dangers. He was at once sent on board the Simoon, which +had been established as a hospital ship; but the attack was a mild one, +and in a few days, thanks to the sea air, and the attention and nursing +which he received, he was convalescent. As soon as the fever passed +away, and he was able to sit on deck and enjoy the sea breezes, he had +many visits from the officers of the ships of war. Among these was the +captain of the Decoy gunboat. + +After chatting with Frank for some time the officer said: "I am going +down the coast as far as the mouth of the Volta, where Captain Glover is +organizing another expedition. You will not be wanted on shore just at +present, and a week's rest will do you good; what do you say to coming +down with me--it will give you a little change and variety?" + +Frank accepted the invitation with pleasure. An hour later the Decoy's +boat came alongside, and Frank took his place on board it, Ostik +following with his clothes. An hour later the Decoy got up her anchor +and steamed down the coast. It was delightful to Frank, sitting in a +large wicker work chair in the shade of the awning, watching the distant +shore and chatting with the officers. He had much to hear of what +had taken place in England since he left, and they on their part were +equally eager to learn about the road along which they would have to +march--at least those of them who were fortunate enough to be appointed +to the naval brigade--and the wonders of the barbarian capital. The +Decoy was not fast, about six knots being her average pace of steaming; +however, no one was in a hurry; there would be nothing to do until the +troops arrived from England; and to all, a trip down the coast was a +pleasant change after the long monotony of rolling at anchor. For some +distance from Cape Coast the shore was flat, but further on the country +became hilly. Some of the undulations reached a considerable height, the +highest, Mamquady, being over two thousand feet. + +"That ought to be a very healthy place," Frank said. "I should think +that a sanatorium established there would be an immense boon to the +whites all along the coasts." + +"One would think so," an officer replied "but I'm told that those hills +are particularly unhealthy. That fellow you see jutting out is said to +be extremely rich in gold. Over and over again parties have been formed +to dig there, but they have always suffered so terribly from fever that +they have had to relinquish the attempt. The natives suffer as well +as the whites. I believe that the formation is granite, the surface of +which is much decomposed; and it is always found here that the turning +up of ground that has not been disturbed for many years is extremely +unhealthy, and decomposing granite possesses some element particularly +obnoxious to health. The natives, of course, look upon the mountain as +a fetish, and believe that an evil spirit guards it. The superstition +of the negroes is wonderful, and at Accra they are, if possible, more +superstitious than anywhere else. Every one believes that every malady +under the sun is produced by fetish, and that some enemy is casting +spells upon them." + +"There is more in it than you think," the doctor joined in; "although it +is not spells, but poison, which they use against each other. The use of +poison is carried to an incredible extent here. I have not been much on +shore; but the medical men, both civilian and military, who have been +here any time are convinced that a vast number of the deaths that take +place are due to poison. The fetish men and women who are the vendors of +these drugs keep as a profound secret their origin and nature, but it is +certain that many of them are in point of secrecy and celerity equal to +those of the middle ages." + +"I wonder that the doctors have never discovered what plants they get +them from," Frank said. + +"Some of them have tried to do so," the doctor replied; "but have +invariably died shortly after commencing their experiments; it is +believed they have been poisoned by the fetish men in order to prevent +their secrets being discovered." + +The hours passed pleasurably. The beautiful neatness and order +prevailing on board a man of war were specially delightful to Frank +after the rough life he had so long led, and the silence and discipline +of the men presented an equally strong contrast to the incessant +chattering and noise kept up by the niggers. + +The next morning the ship was off Accra. Here the scenery had entirely +changed. The hills had receded, and a wide and slightly undulating plain +extended to their feet, some twelve miles back. The captain was going to +land, as he had some despatches for the colony, and he invited Frank to +accompany him. They did not, as Frank expected, land in a man of war's +boat, but in a surf boat, which, upon their hoisting a signal, came out +to them. These surf boats are large and very wide and flat. They are +paddled by ten or twelve negroes, who sit upon the gunwale. These men +work vigorously, and the boats travel at a considerable pace. Each boat +has a stroke peculiar to itself. Some paddle hard for six strokes and +then easy for an equal number. Some will take two or three hard and then +one easy. The steersman stands in the stern and steers with an oar. He +or one of the crew keeps up a monotonous song, to which the crew reply +in chorus, always in time with their paddling. + +The surf is heavy at Accra and Frank held his breath, as, after waiting +for a favorable moment, the steersman gave the sign and the boat darted +in at lightning speed on the top of a great wave, and ran up on the +beach in the midst of a whirl of white foam. + +While the captain went up to Government House, Frank, accompanied by one +of the young officers who had also come ashore, took a stroll through +the town. The first thing that struck him was the extraordinary number +of pigs. These animals pervaded the whole place. They fed in threes and +fours in the middle of the streets. They lay everywhere in the road, +across the doors, and against the walls. They quarreled energetically +inside lanes and courtyards, and when worsted in their disputes galloped +away grunting, careless whom they might upset. The principal street of +Accra was an amusing sight. Some effort had been made to keep it free +of the filth and rubbish which everywhere else abounded. Both sides were +lined by salesmen and women sitting on little mats upon the low wooden +stools used as seats in Africa. The goods were contained in wooden +trays. Here were dozens of women offering beads for sale of an unlimited +variety of form and hue. They varied from the tiny opaque beads of all +colors used by English children for their dolls, to great cylindrical +beads of variegated hues as long and as thick as the joint of a finger. +The love of the Africans for beads is surprising. The women wear them +round the wrists, the neck, and the ankles. The occupation of threading +the little beads is one of their greatest pleasures. The threads used +are narrow fibers of palm leaves, which are very strong. The beads, +however, are of unequal sizes, and no African girl who has any respect +for her personal appearance will put on a string of beads until she has, +with great pains and a good deal of skill, rubbed them with sand and +water until all the projecting beads are ground down, and the whole are +perfectly smooth and even. + +Next in number to the dealers in beads were those who sold calico, or, +as it is called in Africa, cloth, and gaudily colored kerchiefs for +the head. These three articles--beads, cotton cloth, and colored +handkerchiefs--complete the list of articles required for the attire and +adornment of males and females in Africa. Besides these goods, tobacco, +in dried leaves, short clay pipes, knives, small looking glasses, and +matches were offered for sale. The majority of the saleswomen, however, +were dealers in eatables, dried fish, smoked fish, canki--which is a +preparation of ground corn wrapped up in palm leaves in the shape of +paste--eggs, fowls, kids, cooked meats in various forms, stews, boiled +pork, fried knobs of meat, and other native delicacies, besides an +abundance of seeds, nuts, and other vegetable productions. + +After walking for some time through the streets Frank and his companions +returned to the boat, where, half an hour later, the captain joined +them, and, putting off to the Decoy, they continued the voyage down the +coast. + +The next morning they weighed anchor off Addah, a village at the mouth +of the Volta. They whistled for a surf boat, but it was some time before +one put out. When she was launched it was doubtful whether she would +be able to make her way through the breaking water. The surf was much +heavier here than it had been at Accra, and each wave threw the boat +almost perpendicularly into the air, so that only a few feet of the end +of the keel touched the water. Still she struggled on, although so long +was she in getting through the surf that those on board the ship thought +several times that she must give it up as impracticable. At last, +however, she got through; the paddlers waited for a minute to recover +from their exertions, and then made out to the Decoy. None of the +officers had ever landed here, and several of them obtained leave to +accompany the captain on shore. Frank was one of the party. After what +they had seen of the difficulty which the boat had in getting out, all +looked somewhat anxiously at the surf as they approached the line where +the great smooth waves rolled over and broke into boiling foam. The +steersman stood upon the seat in the stern, in one hand holding his oar, +in the other his cap. For some time he stood half turned round, looking +attentively seaward, while the boat lay at rest just outside the line of +breakers. Suddenly he waved his cap and gave a shout. It was answered by +the crew. Every man dashed his paddle into the water. Desperately they +rowed, the steersman encouraging them by wild yells. A gigantic wave +rolled in behind the boat, and looked for a moment as if she would break +into it, but she rose on it just as it turned over, and for an instant +was swept along amidst a cataract of white foam, with the speed of an +arrow. The next wave was a small one, and ere a third reached it the +boat grounded on the sand. A dozen men rushed out into the water. The +passengers threw themselves anyhow on to their backs, and in a minute +were standing perfectly dry upon the beach. + +They learned that Captain Glover's camp was half a mile distant, and at +once set out for it. Upon the way up to the camp they passed hundreds of +negroes, who had arrived in the last day or two, and had just received +their arms. Some were squatted on the ground cooking and resting +themselves. Others were examining their new weapons, oiling and removing +every spot of rust, and occasionally loading and firing them off. The +balls whizzed through the air in all directions. The most stringent +orders had been given forbidding this dangerous nuisance; but nothing +can repress the love of negroes for firing off guns. There were large +numbers of women among them; these had acted as carriers on their +journey to the camp; for among the coast tribes, as among the Ashantis, +it is the proper thing when the warriors go out on the warpath, that the +women should not permit them to carry anything except their guns until +they approach the neighborhood of the enemy. + +The party soon arrived at the camp, which consisted of some bell tents +and the little huts of a few hundred natives. This, indeed, was only the +place where the latter were first received and armed, and they were then +sent up the river in the steamboat belonging to the expedition, to the +great camp some thirty miles higher. + +The expedition consisted only of some seven or eight English officers. +Captain Glover of the royal navy was in command, with Mr. Goldsworthy +and Captain Sartorius as his assistants. There were four other officers, +two doctors, and an officer of commissariat. This little body had the +whole work of drilling and keeping in order some eight or ten +thousand men. They were generals, colonels, sergeants, quartermasters, +storekeepers, and diplomatists, all at once, and from daybreak until +late at night were incessantly at work. There were at least a dozen +petty kings in camp, all of whom had to be kept in a good temper, and +this was by no means the smallest of Captain Glover's difficulties, as +upon the slightest ground for discontent each of these was ready at once +to march away with his followers. The most reliable portion of Captain +Glover's force were some 250 Houssas, and as many Yorabas. In addition +to all their work with the native allies, the officers of the expedition +had succeeded in drilling both these bodies until they had obtained a +very fair amount of discipline. + +After strolling through the camp the visitors went to look on at the +distribution of arms and accouterments to a hundred freshly arrived +natives. They were served out with blue smocks, made of serge, and blue +nightcaps, which had the result of transforming a fine looking body of +natives, upright in carriage, and graceful in their toga-like attire, +into a set of awkward looking, clumsy negroes. A haversack, water +bottle, belts, cap pouch, and ammunition pouch, were also handed to each +to their utter bewilderment, and it was easy to foresee that at the end +of the first day's march the whole of these, to them utterly useless +articles, would be thrown aside. They brightened up, however, when the +guns were delivered to them. The first impulse of each was to examine +his piece carefully, to try its balance by taking aim at distant +objects, then to carefully rub off any little spot of rust that could be +detected, lastly to take out the ramrod and let it fall into the barrel, +to judge by the ring whether it was clean inside. + +Thence the visitors strolled away to watch a number of Houssas in hot +pursuit of some bullocks, which were to be put on board the steamers +and taken up the river to the great camp. These had broken loose in the +night, and the chase was an exciting one. Although some fifty or sixty +men were engaged in the hunt it took no less than four hours to capture +the requisite number, and seven Houssas were more or less injured by +the charges of the desperate little animals, which possessed wonderful +strength and endurance, although no larger than moderate sized donkeys. +They were only captured at last by hoops being thrown over their horns, +and even when thrown down required the efforts of five or six men to tie +them. They were finally got to the wharf by two men each: one went ahead +with the rope attached to the animal's horn, the other kept behind, +holding a rope fastened to one of the hind legs. Every bull made the +most determined efforts to get at the man in front, who kept on at a +run, the animal being checked when it got too close by the man behind +pulling at its hind leg. When it turned to attack him the man in front +again pulled at his rope. So most of them were brought down to the +landing place, and there with great difficulty again thrown down, tied, +and carried bodily on board. Some of them were so unmanageable that +they had to be carried all the way down to the landing place. If +English cattle possessed the strength and obstinate fury of these little +animals, Copenhagen Fields would have to be removed farther from London, +or the entrance swept by machine guns, for a charge of the cattle would +clear the streets of London. + +After spending an amusing day on shore, the party returned on board +ship. Captain Glover's expedition, although composed of only seven or +eight English officers and costing the country comparatively nothing, +accomplished great things, but its doings were almost ignored by +England. Crossing the river they completely defeated the native tribes +there, who were in alliance with the Ashantis, after some hard fighting, +and thus prevented an invasion of our territory on that side. In +addition to this they pushed forward into the interior and absolutely +arrived at Coomassie two days after Sir Garnet Wolseley. + +It is true that the attention of the Ashantis was so much occupied by +the advance of the white force that they paid but little attention to +that advancing from the Volta; but none the less is the credit due to +the indomitable perseverance and the immensity of the work accomplished +by Captain Glover and his officers. Alone and single handed, they +overcame all the enormous difficulties raised by the apathy, indolence, +and self importance of the numerous petty chiefs whose followers +constituted the army, infused something of their own spirit among their +followers, and persuaded them to march without white allies against the +hitherto invincible army of the Ashantis. Not a tithe of the credit due +to them has been given to the officers of this little force. + +Captain Glover invited his visitors to pass the night on shore, offering +to place a tent at their disposal; but the mosquitoes are so numerous +and troublesome along the swampy shore of the Volta that the invitations +were declined, and the whole party returned on board the Decoy. Next day +the anchor was hove and the ship's head turned to the west; and two days +later, after a pleasant and uneventful voyage, she was again off Cape +Coast, and Frank, taking leave of his kind entertainers, returned on +shore and reported himself as ready to perform any duty that might be +assigned to him. + +Until the force advanced, he had nothing to do, and spent a good deal +of his time watching the carriers starting with provisions for the Prah, +and the doings of the negroes. + +The order had now been passed by the chiefs at a meeting called by Sir +Garnet, that every able bodied man should work as a carrier, and while +parties of men were sent to the villages round to fetch in people +thence, hunts took place in Cape Coast itself. Every negro found in +the streets was seized by the police; protestation, indignation, and +resistance, were equally in vain. An arm or the loin cloth was firmly +griped, and the victim was run into the castle yard, amid the laughter +of the lookers on, who consisted, after the first quarter of an hour, of +women only. Then the search began in the houses, the chiefs indicating +the localities in which men were likely to be found. Some police were +set to watch outside while others went in to search. The women would at +once deny that anyone was there, but a door was pretty sure to be found +locked, and upon this being broken open the fugitive would be found +hiding under a pile of clothes or mats. Sometimes he would leap through +the windows, sometimes take to the flat roof, and as the houses join +together in the most confused way the roofs offered immense facilities +for escape, and most lively chases took place. + +No excuses or pretences availed. A man seen limping painfully along the +street would, after a brief examination of his leg to see if there was +any external mark which would account for the lameness, be sent at a +round trot down the road, amid peals of laughter from the women and +girls looking on. + +The indignation of some of the men thus seized, loaded and sent up +country under a strong escort, was very funny, and their astonishment +in some cases altogether unfeigned. Small shopkeepers who had never +supposed that they would be called upon to labor for the defense of +their freedom and country, found themselves with a barrel of pork +upon their heads and a policeman with a loaded musket by their side +proceeding up country for an indefinite period. A school teacher was +missing, and was found to have gone up with a case of ammunition. Casual +visitors from down the coast had their stay prolonged. + +Lazy Sierra Leone men, discharged by their masters for incurable +idleness, and living doing nothing, earning nothing, kept by the +kindness of friends and the aid of an occasional petty theft, found +themselves, in spite of the European cut of their clothes, groaning +under the weight of cases of preserved provisions. + +Everywhere the town was busy and animated, but it was in the castle +courtyard Frank found most amusement. Here of a morning a thousand +negroes would be gathered, most of them men sent down from Dunquah, +forming part of our native allied army. Their costumes were various but +scant, their colors all shades of brown up to the deepest black. Their +faces were all in a grin of amusement. The noise of talking and laughing +was immense. All were squatted upon the ground, in front of each was a +large keg labelled "pork." Among them moved two or three commissariat +officers in gray uniforms. At the order, "Now then, off with you," the +negroes would rise, take off their cloths, wrap them into pads, lift +the barrels on to their heads, and go off at a brisk pace; the officer +perhaps smartening up the last to leave with a cut with his stick, which +would call forth a scream of laughter from all the others. + +When all the men had gone, the turn of the women came, and of these two +or three hundred, who had been seated chattering and laughing against +the walls, would now come forward and stoop to pick up the bags of +biscuit laid out for them. Their appearance was most comical when they +stooped to their work, their prodigious bustles forming an apex. At +least two out of every three had babies seated on these bustles, kept +firm against their backs by the cloth tightly wrapped round the mother's +body. But from the attitudes of the mothers the position was now +reversed, the little black heads hanging downwards upon the dark brown +backs of the women. These were always in the highest state of good +temper, often indulging when not at work in a general dance, and +continually singing, and clapping their hands. + +After the women had been got off three or four hundred boys and girls, +of from eleven to fourteen years old, would start with small kegs of +rice or meat weighing from twenty-five to thirty-five pounds. +These small kegs had upon their first arrival been a cause of great +bewilderment and annoyance to the commissariat officers, for no man or +woman, unless by profession a juggler, could balance two long narrow +barrels on the head. At last the happy idea struck an officer of the +department that the children of the place might be utilized for the +purpose. No sooner was it known that boys and girls could get half men's +wages for carrying up light loads, than there was a perfect rush of +the juvenile population. Three hundred applied the first morning, four +hundred the next. The glee of the youngsters was quite exuberant. +All were accustomed to carry weights, such as great jars of water and +baskets of yams, far heavier than those they were now called to take up +the country; and the novel pleasure of earning money and of enjoying an +expedition up the country delighted them immensely. + +Bullocks were now arriving from other parts of the coast, and although +these would not live for any time at Cape Coast, it was thought they +would do so long enough to afford the expedition a certain quantity of +fresh meat; Australian meat, and salt pork, though valuable in their +way, being poor food to men whose appetites are enfeebled by heat and +exhaustion. + +It was not till upwards of six weeks after the fight at Abra Crampa that +the last of the Ashanti army crossed the Prah. When arriving within a +short distance of that river they had been met by seven thousand fresh +troops, who had been sent by the king with orders that they were not to +return until they had driven the English into the sea. Ammon Quatia's +army, however, although still, from the many reinforcements it had +received, nearly twenty thousand strong, positively refused to do any +more fighting until they had been home and rested, and their tales +of the prowess of the white troops so checked the enthusiasm of the +newcomers, that these decided to return with the rest. + + + +CHAPTER XXI: THE ADVANCE TO THE PRAH + + +A large body of natives were now kept at work on the road up to the +Prah. The swamps were made passable by bundles of brushwood thrown into +them, the streams were bridged and huts erected for the reception of the +white troops. These huts were constructed of bamboo, the beds being made +of lattice work of the same material, and were light and cool. + +On the 9th of December the Himalaya and Tamar arrived, having on +board the 23d Regiment, a battalion of the Rifle Brigade, a battery +of artillery, and a company of engineers. On the 18th, the Surmatian +arrived with the 42d. All these ships were sent off for a cruise, with +orders to return on the 1st of January, when the troops were to be +landed. A large number of officers arrived a few days later to assist in +the organization of the transport corps. + +Colonel Wood and Major Russell were by this time on the Prah with their +native regiments. These were formed principally of Houssas, Cossoos, +and men of other fighting Mahomedan tribes who had been brought down the +coast, together with companies from Bonny and some of the best of +the Fantis. The rest of the Fanti forces had been disbanded, as +being utterly useless for fighting purposes, and had been turned into +carriers. + +On the 26th of December Frank started with the General's staff for the +front. The journey to the Prah was a pleasant one. The stations had been +arranged at easy marches from each other. At each of these, six huts +for the troops, each capable of holding seventy men, had been built, +together with some smaller huts for officers. Great filters formed +of iron tanks with sand and charcoal at the bottom, the invention of +Captain Crease, R.M.A., stood before the huts, with tubs at which the +native bearers could quench their thirst. Along by the side of the road +a single telegraph wire was supported on bamboos fifteen feet long. + +Passing through Assaiboo they entered the thick bush. The giant cotton +trees had now shed their light feathery foliage, resembling that of an +acacia, and the straight, round, even trunks looked like the skeletons +of some giant or primeval vegetation rising above the sea of foliage +below. White lilies, pink flowers of a bulbous plant, clusters of yellow +acacia blossoms, occasionally brightened the roadside, and some of the +old village clearings were covered with a low bush bearing a yellow +blossom, and convolvuli white, buff, and pink. The second night the +party slept at Accroful, and the next day marched through Dunquah. This +was a great store station, but the white troops were not to halt there. +It had been a large town, but the Ashantis had entirely destroyed it, as +well as every other village between the Prah and the coast. Every fruit +tree in the clearing had also been destroyed, and at Dunquah they had +even cut down a great cotton tree which was looked upon as a fetish by +the Fantis. It had taken them seven days' incessant work to overthrow +this giant of the forest. + +The next halting place was Yancoomassie. When approaching Mansue the +character of the forest changed. The undergrowth disappeared and the +high trees grew thick and close. The plantain, which furnishes an +abundant supply of fruit to the natives and had sustained the Ashanti +army during its stay south of the Prah, before abundant, extended no +further. Mansue stood, like other native villages, on rising ground, but +the heavy rains which still fell every day and the deep swamps around +rendered it a most unhealthy station. + +Beyond Mansue the forest was thick and gloomy. There was little +undergrowth, but a perfect wilderness of climbers clustered round the +trees, twisting in a thousand fantastic windings, and finally running +down to the ground, where they took fresh root and formed props to the +dead tree their embrace had killed. Not a flower was to be seen, but +ferns grew by the roadside in luxuriance. Butterflies were scarce, but +dragonflies darted along like sparks of fire. The road had the advantage +of being shady and cool, but the heavy rain and traffic had made it +everywhere slippery, and in many places inches deep in mud, while all +the efforts of the engineers and working parties had failed to overcome +the swamps. + +It was a relief to the party when they emerged from the forests into the +little clearings where villages had once stood, for the gloom and quiet +of the great forest weighed upon the spirits. The monotonous too too of +the doves--not a slow dreamy cooing like that of the English variety, +but a sharp quick note repeated in endless succession--alone broke the +hush. The silence, the apparently never ending forest, the monotony of +rank vegetation, the absence of a breath of wind to rustle a leaf, were +most oppressive, and the feeling was not lessened by the dampness and +heaviness of the air, and the malarious exhalation and smell of decaying +vegetation arising from the swamps. + +Sootah was the station beyond Mansue, beyond this Assin and Barracoo. +Beyond Sootah the odors of the forest became much more unpleasant, for +at Fazoo they passed the scene of the conflict between Colonel Wood's +regiment and the retiring Ashantis. In the forest beyond this were the +remains of a great camp of the enemy's, which extended for miles, and +hence to the Prah large numbers of Ashantis had dropped by the way or +had crawled into the forest to die, smitten by disease or rifle balls. + +There was a general feeling of pleasure as the party emerged from the +forest into the large open camp at Prahsue. This clearing was twenty +acres in extent, and occupied an isthmus formed by a loop of the river. +The 2d West Indians were encamped here, and huts had been erected under +the shade of some lofty trees for the naval brigade. In the center was a +great square. On one side were the range of huts for the general and +his staff. Two sides of the square were formed by the huts for the white +troops. On the fourth was the hospital, the huts for the brigadier and +his staff, and the post office. Upon the river bank beyond the square +were the tents of the engineers and Rait's battery of artillery, and the +camps of Wood's and Russell's regiments. The river, some seventy yards +wide, ran round three sides of the camp thirty feet below its level. + +The work which the engineers had accomplished was little less than +marvelous. Eighty miles of road had been cut and cleared, every stream, +however insignificant, had been bridged, and attempts made to corduroy +every swamp. This would have been no great feat through a soft wood +forest with the aid of good workmen. Here, however, the trees were for +the most part of extremely hard wood, teak and mahogany forming the +majority. The natives had no idea of using an axe. Their only notion of +felling a tree was to squat down beside it and give it little hacking +chops with a large knife or a sabre. + +With such means and such men as these the mere work of cutting and +making the roads and bridging the streams was enormous. But not only was +this done but the stations were all stockaded, and huts erected for +the reception of four hundred and fifty men and officers, and immense +quantities of stores, at each post. Major Home, commanding the +engineers, was the life and soul of the work, and to him more than any +other man was the expedition indebted for its success. He was nobly +seconded by Buckle, Bell, Mann, Cotton, Skinner, Bates and Jeykyll, +officers of his own corps, and by Hearle of the marines, and Hare of the +22d, attached to them. Long before daylight his men were off to their +work, long after nightfall they returned utterly exhausted to camp. + +Upon the 1st of January, 1874, Sir Garnet Wolseley, with his staff, +among whom Frank was now reckoned, reached the Prah. During the eight +days which elapsed before the white troops came up Frank found much to +amuse him. The engineers were at work, aided by the sailors of the naval +brigade, which arrived two days after the general, in erecting a bridge +across the Prah. The sailors worked, stripped to the waist, in the muddy +water of the river, which was about seven feet deep in the middle. When +tired of watching these he would wander into the camp of the native +regiments, and chat with the men, whose astonishment at finding a young +Englishman able to converse in their language, for the Fanti and Ashanti +dialects differ but little, was unbounded. Sometimes he would be sent +for to headquarters to translate to Captain Buller, the head of the +intelligence department, the statements of prisoners brought in by the +scouts, who, under Lord Gifford, had penetrated many miles beyond the +Prah. + +Everywhere these found dead bodies by the side of the road, showing +the state to which the Ashanti army was reduced in its retreat. The +prisoners brought in were unanimous in saying that great uneasiness had +been produced at Coomassie by the news of the advance of the British to +the Prah. The king had written to Ammon Quatia, severely blaming him for +his conduct of the campaign, and for the great loss of life among his +army. + +All sorts of portents were happening at Coomassie, to the great +disturbance of the mind of the people. Some of those related singularly +resembled those said to have occurred before the capture of Rome by +the Goths. An aerolite had fallen in the marketplace of Coomassie, and, +still more strange, a child was born which was at once able to converse +fluently. This youthful prodigy was placed in a room by itself, with +guards around it to prevent anyone having converse with the supernatural +visitant. In the morning, however, it was gone, and in its place was +found a bundle of dead leaves. The fetish men having been consulted +declared that this signified that Coomassie itself would disappear, +and would become nothing but a bundle of dead leaves. This had greatly +exercised the credulous there. + +Two days after his arrival Frank went down at sunset to bathe in the +river. He had just reached the bank when he heard a cry among some white +soldiers bathing there, and was just in time to see one of them pulled +under water by an alligator, which had seized him by the leg. Frank had +so often heard what was the best thing to do that he at once threw off +his Norfolk jacket, plunged into the stream, and swam to the spot where +the eddy on the surface showed that a struggle was going on beneath. The +water was too muddy to see far through it, but Frank speedily came upon +the alligator, and finding its eyes, shoved his thumbs into them. In +an instant the creature relaxed his hold of his prey and made off, and +Frank, seizing the wounded man, swam with him to shore amid the loud +cheers of the sailors. The soldier, who proved to be a marine, was +insensible, and his leg was nearly severed above the ankle. He soon +recovered consciousness, and, being carried to the camp, his leg was +amputated below the knee, and he was soon afterwards taken down to the +coast. + +It had been known that there were alligators in the river, a young one +about a yard long having been captured and tied up like a dog in the +camp, with a string round its neck. But it was thought that the noise +of building the bridge, and the movement on the banks, would have driven +them away. After this incident bathing was for the most part abandoned. + +The affair made Frank a great favorite in the naval brigade, and of a +night he would, after dinner, generally repair there, and sit by +the great bonfires, which the tars kept up, and listen to the jovial +choruses which they raised around them. + +Two days after the arrival of Sir Garnet, an ambassador came down +from the king with a letter, inquiring indignantly why the English had +attacked the Ashanti troops, and why they had advanced to the Prah. +An opportunity was taken to impress him with the nature of the English +arms. A Gatling gun was placed on the river bank, and its fire directed +upon the surface, and the fountain of water which rose as the steady +stream of bullets struck its surface astonished, and evidently filled +with awe, the Ashanti ambassador. On the following day this emissary +took his departure for Coomassie with a letter to the king. + +On the 12th the messengers returned with an unsatisfactory answer to +Sir Garnet's letter; they brought with them Mr. Kuhne, one of the German +missionaries. He said that it was reported in Coomassie that twenty +thousand out of the forty thousand Ashantis who had crossed the Prah +had died. It is probable that this was exaggerated, but Mr. Kuhne had +counted two hundred and seventy-six men carrying boxes containing the +bones of chiefs and leading men. As these would have fared better than +the common herd they would have suffered less from famine and dysentery. +The army had for the most part broken up into small parties and gone to +their villages. The wrath of the king was great, and all the chiefs who +accompanied the army had been fined and otherwise punished. Mr. Kuhne +said that when Sir Garnet's letter arrived, the question of peace or war +had been hotly contested at a council. The chiefs who had been in the +late expedition were unanimous in deprecating any further attempt to +contend with the white man. Those who had remained at home, and who +knew nothing of the white man's arms, or white man's valor, were for war +rather than surrender. + +Mr. Kuhne was unable to form any opinion what the final determination +would be. The German missionary had no doubt been restored as a sort of +peace offering. He was in a bad state of health, and as his brother +and his brother's wife were among the captives, the Ashanti monarch +calculated that anxiety for the fate of his relatives would induce him +to argue as strongly as possible in favor of peace. + +Frank left the camp on the Prah some days before the arrival of the +white troops, having moved forward with the scouts under Lord Gifford, +to whom his knowledge of the country and language proved very valuable. +The scouts did their work well. The Ashantis were in considerable +numbers, but fell back gradually without fighting. Russell's regiment +were in support, and they pressed forward until they neared the foot of +the Adansee Hills. On the 16th Rait's artillery and Wood's regiment +were to advance with two hundred men of the 2d West Indians. The Naval +Brigade, the Rifle Brigade, the 42d, and a hundred men of the 23d would +be up on the Prah on the 17th. + +News came down that fresh portents had happened at Coomassie. The word +signifies the town under the tree, the town being so called because its +founder sat under a broad tree, surrounded by his warriors, while he +laid out the plan of the future town. The marketplace was situated round +the tree, which became the great fetish tree of the town, under which +human sacrifices were offered. On the 6th, the day upon which Sir Garnet +sent his ultimatum to the king, a bird of ill omen was seen to perch +upon it, and half an hour afterwards a tornado sprang up and the fetish +tree was levelled to the ground. This caused an immense sensation in +Coomassie, which was heightened when Sir Garnet's letter arrived, and +proved to be dated upon the day upon which the fetish tree had fallen. + +The Adansee Hills are very steep and covered with trees, but without +undergrowth. It had been supposed that the Ashantis would make their +first stand here. Lord Gifford led the way up with the scouts, Russell's +regiment following behind. Frank accompanied Major Russell. When Gifford +neared the crest a priest came forward with five or six supporters and +shouted to him to go back, for that five thousand men were waiting there +to destroy them. Gifford paused for a moment to allow Russell with his +regiment to come within supporting distance, and then made a rush with +his scouts for the crest. It was found deserted, the priest and his +followers having fled hastily, when they found that neither curses nor +the imaginary force availed to prevent the British from advancing. + +The Adansee Hills are about six hundred feet high. Between them and the +Prah the country was once thick with towns and villages inhabited by +the Assins. These people, however, were so harassed by the Ashantis +that they were forced to abandon their country and settle in the British +protectorate south of the Prah. + +Had the Adansee Hills been held by European troops the position would +have been extremely strong. A hill if clear of trees is of immense +advantage to men armed with rifles and supported by artillery, but to +men armed only with guns carrying slugs a distance of fifty yards, +the advantage is not marked, especially when, as is the case with the +Ashantis, they always fire high. The crest of the hill was very narrow, +indeed a mere saddle, with some eight or ten yards only of level ground +between the steep descents on either side. From this point the scouts +perceived the first town in the territory of the King of Adansee, one +of the five great kings of Ashanti. The scouts and Russell's regiment +halted on the top of the hill, and the next morning the scouts went out +skirmishing towards Queesa. The war drum could be heard beating in the +town, but no opposition was offered. It was not, however, considered +prudent to push beyond the foot of the hill until more troops came up. +The scouts therefore contented themselves with keeping guard, while for +the next four days Russell's men and the engineers labored incessantly, +as they had done all the way from the Prah, in making the road over the +hill practicable. + +During this time the scouts often pushed up close to Queesa, and +reported that the soldiers and population were fast deserting the town. +On the fifth day it was found to be totally deserted, and Major Russell +moved the headquarters of his regiment down into it. The white officers +were much surprised with the structure of the huts of this place, which +was exactly similar to that of those of Coomassie, with their red clay, +their alcoved bed places, and their little courts one behind the other. +Major Russell established himself in the chief's palace, which was +exactly like the other houses except that the alcoves were very lofty, +and their roofs supported by pillars. These, with their red paint, their +arabesque adornments, and their quaint character, gave the courtyard the +precise appearance of an Egyptian temple. + +The question whether the Ashantis would or would not fight was still +eagerly debated. Upon the one hand it was urged that if the Ashantis had +meant to attack us they would have disputed every foot of the passage +through the woods after we had once crossed the Prah. Had they done +so it may be confidently affirmed that we could never have got to +Coomassie. Their policy should have been to avoid any pitched battle, +but to throng the woods on either side, continually harassing the troops +on their march, preventing the men working on the roads, and rendering +it impossible for the carriers to go along unless protected on either +side by lines of troops. Even when unopposed it was difficult enough +to keep the carriers, who were constantly deserting, but had they been +exposed to continuous attacks there would have been no possibility of +keeping them together. + +It was then a strong argument in favor of peace that we had been +permitted to advance thirty miles into their country without a shot +being fired. Upon the other hand no messengers had been sent down to +meet us, no ambassadors had brought messages from the king. This silence +was ominous; nor were other signs wanting. At one place a fetish, +consisting of a wooden gun and several wooden daggers all pointing +towards us, was placed in the middle of the road. Several kids had been +found buried in calabashes in the path pierced through and through with +stakes; while a short distance outside Queesa the dead body of a slave +killed and mutilated but a few hours before we entered it was hanging +from a tree. Other fetishes of a more common sort were to be met at +every step, lines of worsted and cotton stretched across the road, rags +hung upon bushes, and other negro trumperies of the same kind. + +Five days later the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment and Rait's +battery, marched into Queesa, and the same afternoon the whole marched +forward to Fomana, the capital of Adansee, situated half a mile only +from Queesa. This was a large town capable of containing some seven +or eight thousand inhabitants. The architecture was similar to that +of Queesa, but the king's palace was a large structure covering a +considerable extent of ground. Here were the apartments of the king +himself, of his wives, the fetish room, and the room for execution, +still smelling horribly of the blood with which the floor and walls +were sprinkled. The first and largest court of the palace had really +an imposing effect. It was some thirty feet square with an apartment +or alcove on each side. The roofs of these alcoves were supported by +columns about twenty-five feet high. As in all the buildings the lower +parts were of red clay, the upper of white, all being covered with deep +arabesque patterns. + +Fomana was one of the most pleasant stations which the troops had +reached since leaving the coast. It lay high above the sea, and the +temperature was considerably lower than that of the stations south of +the hills. A nice breeze sprung up each day about noon. The nights +were comparatively free from fog, and the town itself stood upon rising +ground resembling in form an inverted saucer. The streets were very +wide, with large trees at intervals every twenty or thirty yards along +the middle of the road. + + + +CHAPTER XXII: THE BATTLE OF AMOAFUL + + +Two days after the arrival at Fomana the remaining members of the German +mission, two males, a female, and two children, were sent in by the king +with a letter containing many assurances of his desire for peace, but +making no mention of the stipulations which Sir Garnet Wolseley had laid +down. The advance was therefore to continue. The rest of the troops came +up, and on the 25th Russell's regiment advanced to Dompiassee, Wood's +regiment and Rait's battery joining him the next day. That afternoon the +first blood north of the Prah was shed. It being known that a body of +the enemy were collecting at a village a little off the road the force +moved against them. Lord Gifford led the way, as usual, with his scouts. +The enemy opened fire as soon as the scouts appeared; but these, with +the Houssa company of Russell's regiment, rushed impetuously into the +village, and the Ashantis at once bolted. Two of them were killed and +five taken prisoners. + +The next halting places of the advance troops were Kiang Bossu and +Ditchiassie. It was known now that Ammon Quatia was lying with the +Ashanti army at Amoaful, but five miles away, and ambassadors arrived +from the king finally declining to accept the terms of peace. Russell's +and Wood's regiments marched forward to Quarman, within half a mile of +the enemy's outposts. The white troops came on to Insafoo, three miles +behind. Quarman was stockaded to resist an attack. Gordon with the +Houssa company lay a quarter of a mile in advance of the village, +Gifford with his scouts close to the edge of the wood. Major Home with +the engineers cut a wide path for the advance of the troops to within a +hundred yards of the village which the enemy held. + +Every one knew that the great battle of the war would be fought next +morning. About half past seven on the morning of the 81st of January the +42d Regiment entered the village of Quarman, and marched through without +a halt. Then came Rait's artillery, followed by the company of the 23d +and by the Naval Brigade. The plan of operations was as follows. The +42d Regiment would form the main attacking force. They were to drive the +enemy's scouts out of Agamassie, the village in front, and were then +to move straight on, extending to the right and left, and, if possible, +advance in a skirmishing line through the bush. Rait's two little +guns were to be in their center moving upon the road itself. The right +column, consisting of half the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment, now +reduced by leaving garrisons at various posts along the road to three +companies, was to cut a path out to the right and then to turn parallel +with the main road, so that the head of the column should touch the +right of the skirmishing line of the 42d. The left column, consisting of +the other half of the Naval Brigade with the four companies of Russell's +regiment, was to proceed in similar fashion on the left. These columns +would therefore form two sides of a hollow square, protecting the 42d +from any of those flanking movements of which the Ashantis are so fond. +The company of the 23d was to proceed with the headquarter staff. The +Rifle Brigade were held in reserve. + +Early in the morning Major Home cut the road to within thirty yards of +the village of Agamassie, and ascertained by listening to the voices +that there were not more than a score or so of men in the village. +Gifford had made a circuit in the woods, and had ascertained that the +Ashanti army was encamped on rising ground across a stream behind the +village. + +Frank had been requested by Sir Garnet Wolseley to accompany the 42d, as +his knowledge of Ashanti tactics might be of value, and he might be able +by the shouts of the Ashantis to understand the orders issued to them. +The head of the 42d Regiment experienced no opposition whatever until +they issued from the bush into the little clearing surrounding the +village, which consisted only of four or five houses. The Ashantis +discharged their muskets hastily as the first white men showed +themselves, but the fire of the leading files of the column quickly +cleared them away. The 42d pushed on through the village, and then +forming in skirmishing line, advanced. For the first two or three +hundred yards they encountered no serious opposition, and they were +then received by a tremendous fire from an unseen foe in front. The left +column had not gone a hundred yards before they too came under fire. +Captain Buckle of the Engineers, who was with the Engineer laborers +occupied in cutting the path ahead of the advancing column, was shot +through the heart. A similar opposition was experienced by the right. + +The roar of the fire was tremendous, so heavy indeed that all sound of +individual reports was lost, and the noise was one hoarse hissing roar. +Even the crack of Rait's guns was lost in the general uproar, but the +occasional rush of a rocket, of which two troughs with parties of Rait's +men accompanied each wing, was distinctly audible. + +The 42d could for a time make scarcely any way, and the flanking columns +were also brought to a stand. Owing to the extreme thickness of the +wood and their ignorance of the nature of the ground these columns were +unable to keep in their proper position, and diverged considerably. The +Ashantis, however, made no effort to penetrate between them and the +42d. For an hour this state of things continued. The company of the +23d advanced along the main road to help to clear the bush, where the +Ashantis still fought stubbornly not two hundred yards from the village, +while two companies of the Rifle Brigade were sent up the left hand road +to keep touch with the rear of Russell's regiment. + +When the fight commenced in earnest, and the 42d were brought to a stand +by the enemy, Frank lay down with the soldiers. Not a foe could be seen, +but the fire of the enemy broke out incessantly from the bushes some +twenty yards ahead. The air above was literally alive with slugs and +a perfect shower of leaves continued to fall upon the path. So +bewilderingly dense was the bush that the men soon lost all idea of the +points of the compass, and fired in any direction from which the enemy's +shots came. Thus it happened that the sailors sent in complaints to the +general that the 23d and 42d were firing at them, while the 42d and 23d +made the same complaint against the Naval Brigade. Sir Garnet, who had +taken up his headquarters at the village, sent out repeated instructions +to the commanding officers to warn their men to avoid this error. + +For two hours the fight went on. Then the column to the left found +that the Ashantis in front of them had fallen back; they had, however, +altogether lost touch of the 42d. They were accordingly ordered to cut a +road to the northeast until they came in contact with them. In doing +so they came upon a partial clearing, where a sharp opposition was +experienced. The Houssas carried the open ground at a rush, but the +enemy, as usual, opened a heavy fire from the edge of the bush. The +Houssas were recalled, and fire was opened with the rockets, which soon +drove the Ashantis back, and the cutting of the path was proceeded with. + +In the meantime the 42d was having a hard time of it. They had fought +their way to the edge of the swamp, beyond which lay an immense Ashanti +camp, and here the fire was so tremendously heavy that the advance was +again completely arrested. Not an enemy was to be seen, but from every +bush of the opposite side puffs of smoke came thick and fast, and a +perfect rain of slugs swept over the ground on which they were lying. +Here Rait's gun, for he was only able from the narrowness of the path to +bring one into position, did splendid service. Advancing boldly in front +of the line of the 42d, ably assisted by Lieutenant Saunders, he poured +round after round of grape into the enemy until their fire slackened a +little, and the 42d, leaping to their feet, struggled across the swamp, +which was over knee deep. Step by step they won their way through +the camp and up the hill. Everywhere the dead Ashantis lay in heaps, +attesting the terrible effect of the Snider fire and the determination +with which they had fought. + +Beyond the camp, upon the hills the bush was thicker than ever, and +here, where it was impossible for the white soldiers to skirmish through +the bush, the Ashantis made a last desperate stand. The narrow lane up +which alone the troops could pass was torn as if by hail with the shower +of slugs, while a large tree which stood nearly in the center of the +path and caused it slightly to swerve, afforded some shelter to them +from the storm of bullets which the 42d sent back in return. Here Rait +brought his gun up again to the front and cleared the lane. The bush was +too thick even for the Ashantis. The gun stopped firing and with a rush +the regiment went up the narrow path and out into the open clearing +beyond. For a short time the Ashantis kept up a fire from the houses, +but the 42d soon drove them out, and a single shot from the gun down the +wide street which divided the town into two portions, bursting in the +midst of a group at the further end, killed eight and drove all further +idea of resistance in that direction from their minds. + +It was now about twelve o'clock; but although the Ashantis had lost +their camp and village, and had suffered terribly, they were not yet +finally beaten. They had moved the principal part of the forces which +had been engaged upon our left round to the right, were pressing hard +upon the column there and the 23d, and were cutting in between the +latter and the 42d, when a fortunate accident enabled us to meet this +attack more effectively. The left column had cut its path rather too +much to the east, and came into the road between the 42d and 23d, +forming a connecting link between them; while the right column, having +at last cut away the whole of the brush wood in which the Ashantis had +so long wedged themselves between them and the road, were now in direct +communication with the 23d. They had been reinforced by a company of the +Rifle Brigade. Our front, therefore, was now entirely changed, and faced +east instead of north. The Ashantis in vain tried to break the line, but +desisted from their efforts. + +The firing died away, and it was thought that the battle was over, when +at about a quarter to one a tremendous fire broke out from the rear of +the column, showing that the Ashantis were making a last and desperate +effort to turn our flank, and to retake the village from which we had +driven them at eight in the morning. So near was the rear of the column +to the village that the slugs fell fast into the reserve who were +stationed there. Three companies of the Rifles were sent up to +strengthen the line, and for three quarters of an hour the roar of the +musketry was as heavy and continuous as it had been at any time during +the day. Then, as the enemy's fire slackened, Sir Garnet gave the word +for the line to advance, sweeping round from the rear so as to drive the +enemy northwards before them. + +The movement was admirably executed. The Bonny men of Wood's regiment, +who had fought silently and steadily all the time that they had been +on the defensive, now raised their shrill war cry, and slinging their +rifles and drawing their swords--their favorite weapons--dashed forward +like so many panthers let loose. By their side, skirmishing as quietly +and steadily as if on parade, the men of the Rifle Brigade searched +every bush with their bullets, and in five minutes from the commencement +of the advance the Ashantis were in full and final retreat. The battle +ended at about half past one, having lasted five hours and a half. + +The Ashantis were supposed to have had from fifteen to twenty +thousand men in the field. What their loss was could not accurately be +calculated, as they carry off their dead as fast as they fall; but where +rushes were made by our troops, as they had not time to do this, they +lay everywhere thick on the ground. By the most moderate computation +they must have lost over two thousand. Ammon Quatia himself was killed, +as well as Aboo, one of the six great tributary kings. The body of the +king's chief executioner was also pointed out by some of the prisoners. +They fought with extraordinary pluck and resolution, as was shown by +the fact that although wretchedly armed, for upwards of five hours they +resisted the attack of troops armed with breech loaders, and supported +by guns and rockets. Their position was a good one, and they had, no +doubt, calculated upon coming down upon us from the rising ground, +either on the flank or rear, with advantage, should we succeed in +pushing forward. + +Upon our side the loss in killed was very slight, not exceeding eight or +ten. The 42d out of a total of four hundred and fifty had a hundred and +four wounded, of whom eight were officers. In the right hand column, +Colonel Wood, six naval officers, and twenty men of the Naval Brigade, +with many of the native regiment, were wounded. Of the sixty engineer +laborers twenty were wounded; while of their five officers Captain +Buckle was killed, Major Home and Lieutenant Hare wounded, together with +several of their white soldiers. Altogether our casualties exceeded two +hundred and fifty. Fortunately but a small proportion of the wounds were +serious. + +While the battle was raging at one o'clock Quarman was attacked by a +strong body of Ashantis coming from the west, probably forming part of +Essarman Quatia's force. Captain Burnett, who was in command, having +under him Lieutenant Jones of the 2d West Indian regiment, and +thirty-five men of that corps and a few natives, conducted the defense, +and was well seconded by his men. Although the attacking force was very +greatly superior, and took the little garrison by surprise--for they did +not expect, while a great battle was raging within a distance of a mile, +that the Ashantis would be able to spare a force to attack a detached +party--the garrison defended itself with great gallantry and complete +success, not only beating off the enemy whenever they attacked, but +sallying out and assisting to bring in a convoy of stores which was +close at hand when the attack began. + +Amoaful was a town capable of containing two or three thousand +inhabitants. Great quantities of grain and coarse flour were found here. +These were done up in bundles of dried plantain leaves, each bundle +weighing from five to fifteen pounds. This capture was of great service +to the commissariat, as it afforded an abundant supply of excellent food +for the carriers. The troops were in high spirits that night. They had +won a battle fought under extreme difficulty, and that with a minimum +of loss in killed. There were therefore no sad recollections to damp the +pleasure of victory. + +Frank had been twice struck with slugs, but in neither case had these +penetrated deeply, and he was able to sit round the camp fire and to +enjoy his glass of rum and water. Two kegs of rum were the only stores +which that night came up from the rear, thanks to the consideration of +a commissariat officer, to whom the soldiers felt extremely grateful for +providing them with an invigorating drink after their long and fatiguing +labors of the day. + +At about a mile and a quarter from Amoaful lay the town of Bequah, +the capital of one of the most powerful of the Ashanti kings. Here a +considerable force was known to be collected before the battle, and here +many of the fugitives were believed to have rallied. It would have been +impossible to advance and leave this hostile camp so close to a +station in our rear. Lord Gifford was therefore sent out at daybreak +to reconnoiter it. He approached it closely, when twenty men sprang out +from the bush and fired at him, fortunately without hitting him. When he +returned and made his report the general determined to attack and burn +the place, and orders were issued for a column, consisting of Russell's +regiment, Rait's battery, and the Naval Brigade, supported by the 42d +and commanded by Colonel M'Leod, to start at one o'clock. + +The march was not opposed through the bush, but as the scouts entered +the clearing a heavy fire was opened upon them. Lord Gifford and almost +the whole of his party were more or less severely wounded when the +sailors rushed in to their support. For a short time the enemy kept up a +heavy fire from the houses, and then fled, leaving about forty of their +number dead on the ground. The town, which was about twice the size of +Fomana, was burned, and the column returned to the camp. + +A great portion of the town was destroyed and the place stockaded, and +then all was in readiness for the advance upon Coomassie. Amoaful was to +be left in charge of the 2d West Indians, who had now come up. Each man +received four days' rations and each regiment was to take charge of its +own provision and baggage. The advance started at seven in the morning, +Russell's regiment, Rait's battery, and the Rifle Brigade. Then came the +headquarter staff followed by the 42d and Naval Brigade. The hammocks +and rations went on with the troops. The rest of the baggage remained +behind. The road differed in nothing from that which had so long +been followed. It bore everywhere marks of the retreating enemy, in +provisions and other articles scattered about, in occasional dark +stains, and in its plants and grass trampled into the ground, six feet +in breadth, showing that the usual negro way of walking in single file +had been abandoned. The rate of progression was slow, as the country had +to be thoroughly searched by the advance. There were, too, many streams +to be crossed, each causing a delay. + +At one of the villages there was a large camp, where about a thousand +men were assembled to make a stand. The defense was, however, feeble in +the extreme, and it was evident that they were greatly demoralized by +their defeat on the 1st. Russell's regiment carried the place at a rush, +the enemy firing wildly altogether beyond the range of their weapons. +Several were killed and the rest took precipitately to the bush. A few +shots were fired at other places, but no real resistance took place. +On reaching the village of Agamemmu, after having taken six hours in +getting over as many miles, the column halted, and orders were sent for +the baggage to come on from Amoaful. The troops were set to work to cut +the bush round the village, which was a very small one, and a breastwork +was thrown up round it. The troops were in their little tentes d'abri +packed as closely together as possible outside the houses, but within +the stockade. The carriers slept in the street of the village, where so +thickly did they lie that it was impossible for anyone to make his way +along without treading upon them. + +News came in that night that Captain Butler with the Western Akims +had arrived within two days' march of Amoaful, but that without the +slightest reason the king and the whole of his army had left Captain +Butler and retired suddenly to the Prah. At the same time they heard +that the army of the Wassaws under Captain Dalrymple had also broken +up without having come in contact with the enemy. From the rear also +unpleasant news came up. The attack upon Quarman had been no isolated +event. Fomana had also been attacked, but the garrison there had, after +some hours' fighting, repulsed the enemy. Several convoys had been +assaulted, and the whole road down to the Prah was unsafe. The next +morning, after waiting till a large convoy came safely in, the column +marched at nine o'clock, Gifford's scouts, Russell's regiment, and +Rait's battery being as usual in front. The resistance increased with +every step, and the head of the column was constantly engaged. Several +villages were taken by Russell's regiment, who, full of confidence +in themselves and their officers, carried them with a rush in capital +style. It was but six miles to the Dab, but the ground was swampy and +the road intersected by many streams. Consequently it was not until +after being eight hours on the road that the head of the column reached +the river, three hours later before the whole of the troops and their +baggage were encamped there. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII: THE CAPTURE OF COOMASSIE + + +Upon the afternoon of the arrival of the English column upon the Dah the +king made another attempt to arrest their progress, with a view no doubt +of bringing up fresh reinforcements. A flag of truce came in with a +letter to the effect that our rapid advance had much disconcerted +him, which was no doubt true, and that he had not been able to make +arrangements for the payments claimed; that he would send in hostages, +but that most of those whom the general had asked for were away, and +that he could not agree to give the queen mother or the heir apparent. +These were, of course, the principal hostages, indeed the only ones who +would be of any real value. The answer was accordingly sent back, that +unless these personages arrived before daybreak the next morning we +should force our way into Coomassie. + +The Dah is a river about fifteen yards wide and three feet deep at the +deepest place. The Engineers set to work to bridge it directly they +arrived, Russell's regiment at once crossing the river and bivouacking +on the opposite bank. + +It was unfortunate that this, the first night upon which the troops had +been unprovided with tents, should have turned out tremendously wet. +The thunder roared, the lightning flashed, and the rain came down +incessantly. Tired as the troops were there were few who slept, and +there was a general feeling of satisfaction when the morning broke and +the last day of the march began. + +The rain held up a little before daybreak, and the sky was clear when +at six o'clock Wood's Bonny men, who had come up by a forced march the +evening before, led the advance. Lieutenant Saunders with one of Rait's +guns came next. The Rifles followed in support. + +Before the Bonny men had gone half a mile they were hotly engaged, and +the combat was for two hours a repetition of that of Amoaful. Saunders +advanced again and again to the front with his gun, and with a few +rounds of grape cleared the sides of the path of the enemy. At last, +however, the Bonny men would advance no farther, and Lieutenant Byre, +the adjutant of Wood's regiment, was mortally wounded. + +Lieutenant Saunders sent back to say it was impossible for him to get +on farther unless supported by white troops. The Rifles were then sent +forward to take the Bonny men's place, and slowly, very slowly, the +advance was continued until the clearing round a village could be seen +fifty yards away. Then the Rifles gave a cheer and with a sudden rush +swept through to the open and carried the village without a check. In +the meantime the whole column had been following in the rear as the +Rifles advanced, and were hotly engaged in repelling a series of +flank attacks on the part of the enemy. These attacks were gallantly +persevered in by the Ashantis, who at times approached in such masses +that the whole bush swayed and moved as they pushed forward. + +Their loss must have been extremely large, for our men lined the road +and kept up a tremendous Snider fire upon them at a short distance. Our +casualties were slight. The road, like almost all roads in the country, +was sunk two feet in the center below the level of the surrounding +ground, consequently the men were lying in shelter as behind a +breastwork, while they kept up their tremendous fire upon the foe. + +The village once gained, the leading troops were thrown out in a circle +round it, and the order was given to pass the baggage from the rear to +the village. The operation was carried out in safety, the path being +protected by the troops lying in a line along it. The baggage once in, +the troops closed up to the village, the disappointed foe continuing a +series of desperate attacks upon their rear. These assaults were kept up +even after all had reached the cleared space of the village, the enemy's +war horn sounding and the men making the woods re-echo with their wild +war cry. The Naval Brigade at one time inflicted great slaughter upon +the enemy by remaining perfectly quiet until the Ashantis, thinking they +had retired, advanced full of confidence, cheering, when a tremendous +fire almost swept them away. + +It was six hours from the time at which the advance began before the +rear guard entered the village, and as but a mile and a half had been +traversed and Coomassie was still six miles away, it was evident that +if the Ashantis continued to fight with the same desperation, and if the +baggage had to be carried on step by step from village to village, the +force would not get halfway on to Coomassie by nightfall. + +The instant the baggage was all in, preparations were made for a fresh +advance. Rait's guns, as usual, opened to clear the way, and the 42d +this time led the advance. The enemy's fire was very heavy and the +Highlanders at first advanced but slowly, their wounded straggling +back in quick succession into the village. After twenty minutes' work, +however, they had pushed back the enemy beyond the brow of the hill, and +from this point they advanced with great rapidity, dashing forward at +times at the double, until the foe, scared by the sudden onslaught, gave +way altogether and literally fled at the top of their speed. + +War drums and horns, chiefs' stools and umbrellas, littered the next +village and told how sudden and complete had been the stampede. As the +42d advanced troops were from time to time sent forward until a despatch +came in from Sir A. Alison saying that all the villages save the last +were taken, that opposition had ceased, and that the enemy were in +complete rout. Up to this time the attack of the enemy upon the rear +of the village had continued with unabated vigor, and shot and slug +continually fell in the place itself. The news from the front was soon +known and was hailed with a cheer which went right round the line of +defense, and, whether scared by its note of triumph or because they +too had received the news, the efforts of the enemy ceased at once, and +scarcely another shot was fired. + +At half past three the baggage was sent forward and the headquarter +staff and Rifle Brigade followed it. There was no further check. The +42d and several companies of the Rifle Brigade entered Coomassie without +another shot being fired in its defense. Sir Garnet Wolseley soon after +arrived, and taking off his hat called for three cheers for the Queen, +which was responded to with a heartiness and vigor which must have +astonished the Ashantis. These were still in considerable numbers in the +town, having been told by the king that peace was or would be made. +They seemed in no way alarmed, but watched, as amused and interested +spectators, the proceedings of the white troops. + +The first thing to be done was to disarm those who had guns, and this +seemed to scare the others, for in a short time the town was almost +entirely deserted. It was now fast getting dark, and the troops +bivouacked in the marketplace, which had so often been the scene of +human sacrifices on a large scale. + +Their day's work had, indeed, been a heavy one. They had been twelve +hours on the road without rest or time to cook food. Water was very +scarce, no really drinkable water having been met with during the day. +In addition to this they had undergone the excitement of a long and +obstinate fight with an enemy concealed in the bush, after work of +almost equal severity upon the day before, and had passed a sleepless +night in a tropical rainstorm, yet with the exception of a few fever +stricken men not a single soldier fell out from his place in the ranks. + +Nor was the first night in Coomassie destined to be a quiet one. +Soon after two o'clock a fire broke out in one of the largest of the +collections of huts, which was soon in a blaze from end to end. The +engineers pulled down the huts on either side and with great difficulty +prevented the flames from spreading. These fires were the result of +carriers and others plundering, and one man, a policeman, caught with +loot upon him, was forthwith hung from a tree. Several others were +flogged, and after some hours' excitement the place quieted down. Sir +Garnet was greatly vexed at the occurrence, as he had the evening before +sent a messenger to the king asking him to come in and make peace, and +promising to spare the town if he did so. + +Although Coomassie was well known to Frank he was still ignorant of the +character of the interior of the chiefs' houses, and the next day he +wandered about with almost as much curiosity as the soldiers themselves. +The interiors even of the palaces of the chiefs showed that the Ashantis +can have no idea of what we call comfort. The houses were filled with +dust and litter, and this could not be accounted for solely by the +bustle and hurry of picking out the things worth carrying away prior +to the hurried evacuation of the place. From the roofs hung masses +of spiders' web, thick with dust, while sweeping a place out before +occupying it brought down an accumulation of dust which must have been +the result of years of neglect. The principal apartments were lumbered +up with drums, great umbrellas, and other paraphernalia of processions, +such as horns, state chairs, wooden maces, etc. Before the door of +each house stood a tree, at the foot of which were placed little idols, +calabashes, bits of china, bones, and an extraordinary jumble of strange +odds and ends of every kind, all of which were looked upon as fetish. +Over the doors and alcoves were suspended a variety of charms, old stone +axes and arrow tips, nuts, gourds, amulets, beads, and other trumpery +articles. + +The palace was in all respects exactly as the king had left it. The +royal bed and couch were in their places, the royal chairs occupied +their usual raised position. Only, curiously enough, all had been turned +round and over. The storerooms upstairs were untouched, and here was +found an infinite variety of articles, for the most part mere rubbish, +but many interesting and valuable: silver plate, gold masks, gold cups, +clocks, glass, china, pillows, guns, cloth, caskets, and cabinets; an +olla podrida, which resembled the contents of a sale room. + +In many of the native apartments of the palace were signs that human +sacrifice had been carried on to the last minute. Several stools were +found covered with thick coatings of recently shed blood, and a horrible +smell of gore pervaded the whole palace, and, indeed, the whole town. +The palace was full of fetish objects just as trumpery and meaningless +as those in the humblest cottages. The king's private sitting room was, +like the rest, an open court with a tree growing in it. This tree was +covered with fetish objects, and thickly hung with spiders' webs. At +each end was a small but deep alcove with a royal chair, so that the +monarch could always sit on the shady side. + +Along each side of the little court ran a sort of verandah, beneath +which was an immense assortment of little idols and fetishes of all +kinds. + +From one of the verandahs a door opened into the king's bedroom, which +was about ten feet by eight. It was very dark, being lighted only by a +small window about a foot square, opening into the women's apartments. +At one end was the royal couch, a raised bedstead with curtains, and +upon a ledge by the near side (that is to say the king had to step over +the ledge to get into bed) were a number of pistols and other weapons, +among them an English general's sword, bearing the inscription, "From +Queen Victoria to the King of Ashanti." This sword was presented to the +predecessor of King Coffee. Upon the floor at the end opposite the +bed was a couch upon which the king could sit and talk with his wives +through the little window. + +In the women's apartments all sorts of stuffs, some of European, some of +native manufacture, were found scattered about in the wildest confusion. +The terror and horror of the four or five hundred ladies, when they +found that their husband was about to abandon his palace and that +they would have no time to remove their treasured finery, can be well +imagined. + +In almost every apartment and yard of the palace were very slightly +raised mounds, some no larger than a plate, others two or even three +feet long. These were whitewashed and presented a strong contrast to +the general red of the ground and lower walls. These patches marked +the places of graves. The whole palace, in fact, appeared to be little +better than a cemetery and a slaughterhouse in one. A guard was placed +over the palace, and here, as elsewhere through the town, looting was +strictly forbidden. + +All day the general expected the arrival of the king, who had sent +a messenger to say he would be in early. At two o'clock a tremendous +rainstorm broke over the town, lasting for three hours. In the evening +it became evident that he was again deceiving us, and orders were issued +that the troops, in the morning, should push on another three miles +to the tombs of the kings, where he was said to be staying. Later +on, however, the news came that the king had gone right away into the +interior, and as another storm was coming up it became evident that the +rainy season was setting in in earnest. The determination was therefore +come to, to burn the town and to start for the coast next morning. + +All night Major Home with a party of Engineers was at work mining the +palace and preparing it for explosion, while a prize committee were +engaged in selecting and packing everything which they considered worth +taking down to the coast. The news of the change of plan, however, had +not got abroad, and the troops paraded next morning under the belief +that they were about to march still farther up the country. When it +became known that they were bound for the coast there was a general +brightening of faces, and a buzz of satisfaction ran down the ranks. +It was true that it was believed that a large amount of treasure was +collected at the kings' tombs, and the prize money would not have been +unwelcome, still the men felt that their powers were rapidly becoming +exhausted. The hope of a fight with the foe and of the capture of +Coomassie had kept them up upon the march, but now that this had been +done the usual collapse after great exertion followed. Every hour added +to the number of fever stricken men who would have to be carried down to +the coast, and each man, as he saw his comrades fall out from the ranks, +felt that his own turn might come next. + +At six o'clock in the morning the advanced guard of the baggage began to +move out of the town. The main body was off by seven. The 42d remained +as rearguard to cover the Engineers and burning party. + +Frank stayed behind to see the destruction of the town. A hundred +engineer laborers were supplied with palm leaf torches, and in spite of +the outer coats of thatch being saturated by the tremendous rains, the +flames soon spread. Volumes of black smoke poured up, and soon a huge +pile of smoke resting over the town told the Ashantis of the destruction +of their blood stained capital. The palace was blown up, and when the +Engineers and 42d marched out from the town scarce a house remained +untouched by the flames. + +The troops had proceeded but a short distance before they had reason +to congratulate themselves on their retreat before the rains began in +earnest, and to rejoice over the fact that the thunderstorms did not +set in three days earlier than they did. The marsh round the town had +increased a foot in depth, while the next stream, before a rivulet two +feet and a half deep, had now swollen its banks for a hundred and fifty +yards on either side, with over five feet and a half of water in the old +channel. + +Across this channel the Engineers had with much difficulty thrown a +tree, over which the white troops passed, while the native carriers had +to wade across. It was laughable to see only the eyes of the taller men +above the water, while the shorter disappeared altogether, nothing being +seen but the boxes they carried. Fortunately the deep part was only +three or four yards wide. Thus the carriers by taking a long breath +on arriving at the edge of the original channel were able to struggle +across. + +This caused a terrible delay, and a still greater one occurred at the +Dah. Here the water was more than two feet above the bridge which the +Engineers had made on the passage up. The river was as deep as the +previous one had been, and the carriers therefore waded as before; but +the deep part was wider, so wide, indeed, that it was impossible for +the shorter men to keep under water long enough to carry their burdens +across. The tall men therefore crossed and recrossed with the burdens, +the short men swimming over. + +The passage across the bridge too was slow and tedious in the extreme. +Some of the cross planks had been swept away, and each man had to feel +every step of his way over. So tedious was the work that at five in +the afternoon it became evident that it would be impossible for all the +white troops to get across--a process at once slow and dangerous--before +nightfall. The river was still rising, and it was a matter of importance +that none should be left upon the other side at night, as the Ashantis +might, for anything they could tell, be gathering in force in the rear. +Consequently Sir Archibald Alison gave the order for the white troops to +strip and to wade across taking only their helmets and guns. The clothes +were made up in bundles and carried over by natives swimming, while +others took their places below in case any of the men should be carried +off their feet by the stream. All passed over without any accident. + +One result, however, was a laughable incident next morning, an incident +which, it may be safely asserted, never before occurred in the British +army. It was quite dark before the last party were over, and the natives +collecting the clothes did not notice those of one of the men who had +undressed at the foot of a tree. Consequently he had to pass the night, +a very wet one, in a blanket, and absolutely paraded with his regiment +in the morning in nothing but a helmet and rifle. The incident caused +immense laughter, and a native swimming across the river found and +brought back his clothes. + +As the journeys were necessarily slow and tedious, owing to the quantity +of baggage and sick being carried down, Frank now determined to push +straight down to the coast, and, bidding goodbye to Sir Garnet and the +many friends he had made during the expedition, he took his place for +the first time in the hammock, which with its bearers had accompanied +him from Cape Coast, and started for the sea. There was some risk as far +as the Prah, for straggling bodies of the enemy frequently intercepted +the convoys. Frank, however, met with no obstacle, and in ten days after +leaving the army reached Cape Coast. + +Ostik implored his master to take him with him across the sea; but Frank +pointed out to him that he would not be happy long in England, where +the customs were so different from his own, and where in winter he +would feel the cold terribly. Ostik yielded to the arguments, and having +earned enough to purchase for years the small comforts and luxuries dear +to the negro heart, he agreed to start for the Gaboon immediately Frank +left for England. + +On his first arrival at Cape Coast he had to his great satisfaction +found that the Houssas who had escaped from Coomassie had succeeded in +reaching the coast in safety, and that having obtained their pay from +the agent they had sailed for their homes. + +Three days after Frank's arrival at Cape Coast the mail steamer came +along, and he took passage for England. Very strange indeed did it feel +to him when he set foot in Liverpool. Nearly two years and a half +had elapsed since he had sailed, and he had gone through adventures +sufficient for a lifetime. He was but eighteen years old now, but he had +been so long accustomed to do man's work that he felt far older than +he was. The next day on arriving in town he put up at the Charing Cross +Hotel and then sallied out to see his friends. + +He determined to go first of all to visit the porter who had been the +earliest friend he had made in London, and then to drive to Ruthven's, +where he was sure of a hearty welcome. He had written several times, +since it had been possible for him to send letters, to his various +friends, first of all to his sister, and the doctor, to Ruthven, to the +porter, and to the old naturalist. He drove to London Bridge Station, +and there learned that the porter had been for a week absent from duty, +having strained his back in lifting a heavy trunk. He therefore drove +to Ratcliff Highway. The shop was closed, but his knock brought the +naturalist to the door. + +"What can I do for you, sir?" he asked civilly. + +"Well, in the first place, you can shake me by the hand." + +The old man started at the voice. + +"Why, 'tis Frank!" he exclaimed, "grown and sunburnt out of all +recollection. My dear boy, I am glad indeed to see you. Come in, come +in; John is inside." + +Frank received another hearty greeting, and sat for a couple of hours +chatting over his adventures. He found that had he arrived a fortnight +later he would not have found either of his friends. The porter was in a +week about to be married again to a widow who kept a small shop and was +in comfortable circumstances. The naturalist had sold the business, and +was going down into the country to live with a sister there. + +After leaving them Frank drove to the residence of Sir James Ruthven +in Eaton Square. Frank sent in his name and was shown up to the +drawing room. A minute later the door opened with a crash and his old +schoolfellow rushed in. + +"My dear, dear, old boy," he said wringing Frank's hand, "I am glad to +see you; but, bless me, how you have changed! How thin you are, and how +black! I should have passed you in the street without knowing you; and +you look years older than I do. But that is no wonder after all you've +gone through. Well, when did you arrive, and where are your things? Why +have you not brought them here?" + +Frank said that he had left them at the hotel, as he was going down +early the next morning to Deal. He stayed, however, and dined with +his friend, whose father received him with the greatest cordiality and +kindness. + +On leaving the hotel next morning he directed his portmanteau to be sent +in the course of the day to Sir James Ruthven's. He had bought a few +things at Cape Coast, and had obtained a couple of suits of clothes for +immediate use at Liverpool. + +On arriving at Deal he found his sister much grown and very well and +happy. She was almost out of her mind with delight at seeing him. He +stayed two or three days with her and then returned to town and took up +his abode in Eaton Square. + +"Well, my dear boy, what are you thinking of doing?" Sir James Ruthven +asked next morning at breakfast. "You have had almost enough of travel, +I should think." + +"Quite enough, sir," Frank said. "I have made up my mind that I shall be +a doctor. The gold necklace which I showed you, which Ammon Quatia gave +me, weighs over twenty pounds, and as it is of the purest gold it is +worth about a thousand pounds, a sum amply sufficient to keep me and pay +my expenses till I have passed. Besides, Mr. Goodenough has, I believe, +left me something in his will. I sent home one copy to his lawyer and +have brought the other with me. I must call on the firm this morning. +I have also some thirty pounds' weight in gold which was paid me by +the king for the goods he took, but this, of course, belongs to Mr. +Goodenough's estate." + +Upon calling upon the firm of lawyers, and sending in his name, he was +at once shown in to the principal. + +"I congratulate you on your safe return, sir," the gentleman said. +"You have called, of course, in reference to the will of the late Mr. +Goodenough." + +"Yes," Frank replied. "I sent home one copy from Coomassie and have +brought another with me." + +"We received the first in due course," the gentleman said, taking the +document Frank held out to him. "You are, of course, acquainted with its +contents." + +"No," Frank answered, "beyond the fact that Mr. Goodenough told me he +had left me a legacy." + +"Then I have pleasant news to give you," the lawyer said. "Mr. +Goodenough died possessed of about sixty thousand pounds. He left +fifteen thousand each to his only surviving nephew and niece. Fifteen +thousand pounds he has divided among several charitable and scientific +institutions. Fifteen thousand pounds he has left to you." + +Frank gave a little cry of surprise. + +"The will is an eminently just and satisfactory one," the lawyer said, +"for Mr. Goodenough has had but little intercourse with his relations, +who live in Scotland, and they had no reason to expect to inherit +any portion of his property. They are, therefore, delighted with the +handsome legacy they have received. I may mention that Mr. Goodenough +ordered that in the event of your not living to return to England, five +thousand pounds of the portion which would have come to you was to be +paid to trustees for the use of your sister, the remaining ten thousand +to be added to the sum to be divided among the hospitals." + +"This is indeed a surprise," Frank said; "and I shall be obliged, sir, +if you will at once draw out a paper for me to sign settling the five +thousand pounds upon my sister. Whatever may happen then she will be +provided for." + +The accession of this snug and most unexpected fortune in no way altered +Frank's views as to his future profession. He worked hard and steadily +and passed with high honors. He spent another three years in hospital +work, and then purchased a partnership in an excellent West End +practice. He is now considered one of the most rising young physicians +of the day. His sister keeps house for him in Harley Street; but it is +doubtful whether she will long continue to do so. The last time Dick +Ruthven was at home on leave he persuaded her that it was her bounden +duty to endeavor to make civilian life bearable to him when he should +attain captain's rank, and, in accordance with his father's wish, retire +from the army, events which are expected to take place in a few months' +time. + +Ruthven often laughs and tells Frank that he is a good soldier spoiled, +and that it is a pity a man should settle down as a doctor who had made +his way in life "by sheer pluck." + +THE END + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of By Sheer Pluck, by G. A. 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Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: By Sheer Pluck + A Tale of the Ashanti War + +Author: G. A. Henty + +Release Date: July, 2005 [EBook #8576] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on July 25, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BY SHEER PLUCK *** + + + + +Produced by Martin Robb + + + + +BY SHEER PLUCK: +A TALE OF THE ASHANTI WAR. +BY G. A. HENTY + + + +CHAPTER I: A FISHING EXCURSION + + +"Now, Hargate, what a fellow you are! I've been looking for you +everywhere. Don't you know it's the House against the Town boys. +It's lucky that the Town have got the first innings; they began a +quarter of an hour ago." + +"How tiresome!" Frank Hargate said. "I was watching a most interesting +thing here. Don't you see this little chaffinch nest in the bush, +with a newly hatched brood. There was a small black snake threatening +the nest, and the mother was defending it with quivering wings +and open beak. I never saw a prettier thing. I sat quite still +and neither of them seemed to notice me. Of course I should have +interfered if I had seen the snake getting the best of it. When +you came running up like a cart horse, the snake glided away in the +grass, and the bird flew off. Oh, dear! I am sorry. I had forgotten +all about the match." + +"I never saw such a fellow as you are, Hargate. Here's the opening +match of the season, and you, who are one of our best bats, poking +about after birds and snakes. Come along; Thompson sent me and two +or three other fellows off in all directions to find you. We shall +be half out before you're back. Wilson took James's wicket the +first ball." + +Frank Hargate leaped to his feet, and, laying aside for the present +all thoughts of his favorite pursuit, started off at a run to the +playing field. His arrival there was greeted with a mingled chorus +of welcome and indignation. Frank Hargate was, next to Thompson the +captain of the Town eleven, the best bat among the home boarders. +He played a steady rather than a brilliant game, and was noted as +a good sturdy sticker. Had he been there, Thompson would have put +him in at first, in order to break the bowling of the House team. +As it was, misfortunes had come rapidly. Ruthven and Handcock were +bowling splendidly, and none of the Town boys were making any stand +against them. Thompson himself had gone in when the fourth wicket +fell, and was still in, although two wickets had since fallen, for +only four runs, and the seventh wicket fell just as Frank arrived, +panting, on the ground. + +"Confound you, Hargate!" Thompson shouted, "where have you been? +And not even in flannels yet." + +"I'm very sorry," Frank shouted back cheerfully, "and never mind +the flannels, for once. Shall I come in now?" + +"No," Thompson said. "You'd better get your wind first. Let Fenner +come in next." + +Fenner stayed in four overs, adding two singles as his share, +while Thompson put on a three and a two. Then Fenner was caught. +Thirty-one runs for eight wickets! Then Frank took the bat, and +walked to the ground. Thompson came across to him. + +"Look here, Hargate, you have made a nice mess of it, and the game +looks as bad as can be. Whatever you do, play carefully. Don't let +out at anything that comes straight. The great thing is to bother +their bowling a bit. They're so cocky now, that pretty near every +ball is straight on the wickets. Be content with blocking for a +bit, and Handcock will soon go off. He always gets savage if his +bowling is collared." + +Frank obeyed orders. In the next twenty minutes he only scored six +runs, all in singles, while Thompson, who was also playing very +carefully, put on thirteen. The game looked more hopeful for the +Town boys. Then there was a shout from the House, as Thompson's +middle wicket was sent flying. Childers, who was the last of the +team, walked out. + +"Now, Childers," Thompson said, "don't you hit at a ball. You're +safe to be bowled or caught if you do. Just lift your bat, and block +them each time. Now, Frank, it's your turn to score. Put them on +as fast as you can. It's no use playing carefully any longer." + +Frank set to to hit in earnest. He had now got his eye well in, +and the stand which he and Thompson had made together, had taken +the sting out of the bowling. The ball which had taken Thompson's +wicket was the last of the over. Consequently the next came to him. +It was a little wide, and Frank, stepping out, drove it for four. +A loud shout rose from the Town boys. There had only been one four +scored before, during the innings. Off the next ball Frank scored +a couple, blocked the next, and drove the last of the over past +long leg for four. The next over Childers strictly obeyed orders, +blocking each ball. Then it was Frank's turn again, and seven +more went up on the board. They remained together for just fifteen +minutes, but during that time thirty-one had been added to the +score. Frank was caught at cover point, having added twenty-eight +since Thompson left him, the other three being credited to Childers. +The total was eighty-one--not a bad score in a school match. + +"Well, you've redeemed yourself," Thompson said, as Frank walked +to the tent. "You played splendidly, old fellow, when you did come. +If we do as well next innings we are safe. They're not likely to +average eighty. Now get on your wicket-keeping gloves. Green and +I will bowl." + +The House scored rapidly at first, and fifty runs were put on with +the loss of four wickets. Then misfortune fell upon them, and the +remaining six fell for nineteen. The next innings Frank went in +first, but was caught when the score stood at fifteen. Thompson +made fourteen, but the rest scored but badly, and the whole were +out for forty-eight. + +The House had sixty-one to get to win. Six wickets had fallen for +fifty-one runs, when Thompson put Childers on to bowl. The change +was a fortunate one. Ruthven's stumps were lowered at the first +ball. Handcock was caught off the second. The spirits of the Town +boys rose. There were but two wickets more, and still ten runs to +get to win. The House played cautiously now, and overs were sent +down without a run. Then off a ball from Childers a four was scored, +but the next ball leveled the outside stump. Then by singles the +score mounted up until a tremendous shout from the House announced +that the game was saved, sixty runs being marked by the scorers. +The next ball, the Town boys replied even more lustily, for Childers +ball removed the bails, and the game ended in a tie. Both parties +were equally well satisfied, and declared that a better game had +never been played at Dr. Parker's. As soon as the game was over +Frank, without waiting to join in the general talk over the game, +put on his coat and waistcoat and started at a run for home. + +Frank Hargate was an only son. His mother lived in a tiny cottage +on the outskirts of Deal. She was a widow, her husband, Captain +Hargate, having died a year before. She had only her pension as +an officer's widow, a pittance that scarce sufficed even for the +modest wants of herself, Frank, and her little daughter Lucy, now +six years old. + +"I hope I have not kept tea waiting, mother," Frank said as he ran +in. "It is not my beetles and butterflies this time. We have been +playing a cricket match, and a first rate one it was. Town boys +against the House. It ended in a tie." + +"You are only a quarter of an hour late," his mother said, smiling, +"which is a great deal nearer being punctual than is usually the +case when you are out with your net. We were just going to begin, +for I know your habits too well to give you more than a quarter of +an hour's law." + +"I'm afraid I am horridly unpunctual," Frank said, "and yet, mother, +I never go out without making up my mind that I will be in sharp +to time. But somehow there is always something which draws me away." + +"It makes no matter, Frank. If you are happy and amused I am content, +and if the tea is cold it is your loss, not ours. Now, my boy, as +soon as you have washed your hands we will have tea." + +It was a simple meal, thick slices of bread and butter and tea, +for Mrs. Hargate could only afford to put meat upon the table once +a day, and even for that several times in the week fish was substituted, +when the weather was fine and the fishing boats returned, when well +laden. Frank fortunately cared very little what he ate, and what +was good enough for his mother was good enough for him. In his +father's lifetime things had been different, but Captain Hargate +had fallen in battle in New Zealand. He had nothing besides his +pay, and his wife and children had lived with him in barracks until +his regiment was ordered out to New Zealand, when he had placed +his wife in the little cottage she now occupied. He had fallen in +an attack on a Maori pah, a fortnight after landing in New Zealand. +He had always intended Frank to enter the military profession, and +had himself directed his education so long as he was at home. + +The loss of his father had been a terrible blow for the boy, who +had been his constant companion when off duty. Captain Hargate had +been devoted to field sports and was an excellent naturalist. The +latter taste Frank had inherited from him. His father had brought +home from India--where the regiment had been stationed until it +returned for its turn of home service four years before he left +New Zealand--a very large quantity of skins of birds which he +had shot there. These he had stuffed and mounted, and so dexterous +was he at the work, so natural and artistic were the groups of +birds, that he was enabled to add considerably to his income by +sending these up to the shop of a London naturalist. He had instructed +Frank in his methods, and had given him one of the long blowguns +used by some of the hill tribes in India. The boy had attained +such dexterity in its use that he was able with his clay pellets +to bring down sitting birds, however small, with almost unerring +accuracy. + +These he stuffed and mounted, arranging them with a taste and skill +which delighted the few visitors at his mother's cottage. + +Frank was ready to join in a game of football or cricket when +wanted, and could hold his own in either. But he vastly preferred +to go out for long walks with his blowgun, his net, and his collecting +boxes. At home every moment not required for the preparation of +his lessons was spent in mounting and arranging his captures. He +was quite ready to follow the course his father proposed for him, +and to enter the army. Captain Hargate had been a very gallant +officer, and the despatches had spoken most highly of the bravery +with which he led his company into action in the fight in which he +lost his life. Therefore Mrs. Hargate hoped that Frank would have +little difficulty in obtaining a commission without purchase when +the time for his entering the army arrived. + +Frank's desire for a military life was based chiefly upon the fact +that it would enable him to travel to many parts of the world, and +to indulge his taste for natural history to the fullest. He was +but ten years old when he left India with the regiment, but he had +still a vivid recollection of the lovely butterflies and bright +birds of that country. + +His father had been at pains to teach him that a student of natural +history must be more than a mere collector, and that like other +sciences it must be methodically studied. He possessed an excellent +library of books upon the subject, and although Frank might be +ignorant of the name of any bird or insect shown to him he could +at once name the family and species. + +In the year which Frank had been at school at Dr. Parker's he had +made few intimate friends. His habits of solitary wandering and +studious indoor work had hindered his becoming the chum of any of +his schoolfellows, and this absence of intimacy had been increased +by the fact that the straitness of his mother's means prevented +his inviting any of his schoolfellows to his home. He had, indeed, +brought one or two of the boys, whose tastes lay in the direction +of his own, to the house, to show them his collections of birds +and insects. But he declined their invitations to visit them, as +he was unable to return their hospitality, and was too proud to +eat and drink at other fellows' houses when he could not ask them +to do the same at his own. It was understood at Dr. Parker's that +Frank Hargate's people were poor, but it was known that his father +had been killed in battle. There are writers who depict boys +as worshipers of wealth, and many pictures have been drawn of the +slights and indignities to which boys, whose means are inferior to +those of their schoolfellows, are subject. I am happy to believe +that this is a libel. There are, it is true, toadies and tuft hunters +among boys as among men. That odious creature, the parasite of the +Greek and Latin plays, exists still, but I do not believe that a +boy is one whit the less liked, or is ever taunted with his poverty, +provided he is a good fellow. Most of the miseries endured by boys +whose pocket money is less abundant than that of their fellows are +purely self inflicted. Boys and men who are always on the lookout +for slights will, of course, find what they seek. But the lad who +is not ashamed of what is no fault of his own, who frankly and +manfully says, "I can't afford it," will not find that he is in +any way looked down upon by those of his schoolfellows whose good +opinion is in the smallest degree worth having. + +Certainly this was so in the case of Frank Hargate. He was never +in the slightest degree ashamed of saying, "I can't afford it;" and +the fact that he was the son of an officer killed in battle gave +him a standing among the best in the school in spite of his want +of pocket money. + +Frank was friends with many of the fishermen, and these would often +bring him strange fish and sea creatures brought up in their nets, +instead of throwing them back into the sea. + +During the holidays he would sometimes go out with them for twenty-four +hours in their fishing-boats. His mother made no objection to +this, as she thought that the exercise and sea air were good for +his health, and that the change did him good. Frank himself was so +fond of the sea that he was half disposed to adopt it instead of +the army as a profession. But his mother was strongly opposed to +the idea, and won him to her way of thinking by pointing out that +although a sailor visits many ports he stays long at none of them, +and that in the few hours' leave he might occasionally obtain he +would be unable to carry out his favorite pursuits. + +"Hargate," Ruthven, who was one of the oldest of the House boys, +and was about Frank's age, that is about fifteen years old, said a +few days after the match, "the Doctor has given Handcock and Jones +and myself leave to take a boat and go out this afternoon. We mean +to start soon after dinner, and shall take some lines and bait +with us. We have got leave till lockup, so we shall have a long +afternoon of it. Will you come with us?" + +"Thank you, Ruthven," Frank said; "I should like it very much, but +you know I'm short of pocket money, and I can't pay my share of +the boat, so I would rather leave it alone." + +"Oh, nonsense, Hargate!" Ruthven answered; "we know money is not +your strong point, but we really want you to go with us. You can +manage a boat better than any of us, and you will really oblige us +if you will go with us." + +"Oh, if you put it in that way," Frank said, "I shall be glad to +go with you; but I do not think," he went on, looking at the sky, +"that the weather looks very settled. However, if you do not mind +the chance of a ducking, I don't." + +"That's agreed then," Ruthven said; "will you meet us near the pier +at three o'clock?" + +"All right. I'll be punctual." + +At the appointed hour the four lads met on the beach. Ruthven and +his companions wanted to choose a light rowing boat, but Frank +strongly urged them to take a much larger and heavier one. "In the +first place," he said, "the wind is blowing off shore, and although +it's calm here it will be rougher farther out; and, unless I'm +mistaken, the wind is getting up fast. Besides this it will be much +more comfortable to fish from a good sized boat." + +His comrades grumbled at the extra labor which the large boat would +entail in rowing. However, they finally gave in and the boat was +launched. + +"Look out, Master Hargate," the boatman said as they started; "you'd +best not go out too far, for the wind is freshening fast, and we +shall have, I think, a nasty night." + +The boys thought little of the warning, for the sky was bright and +blue, broken only by a few gauzy white clouds which streaked it +here and there. They rowed out about a mile, and then laying in +their oars, lowered their grapnel and began to fish. The sport was +good. The fish bit freely and were rapidly hauled on board. Even +Frank was so absorbed in the pursuit that he paid no attention to +the changing aspect of the sky, the increasing roughness of the +sea, or the rapidly rising wind. + +Suddenly a heavy drop or two of rain fell in the boat. All looked +up. + +"We are in for a squall," Frank exclaimed, "and no mistake. I told +you you would get a ducking, Ruthven." + +He had scarcely spoken when the squall was upon them. A deluge of +rain swept down, driven by a strong squall of wind. + +"Sit in the bottom of the boat," Frank said; "this is a snorter." + +Not a word was said for ten minutes, long before which all were +drenched to the skin. With the rain a sudden darkness had fallen, +and the land was entirely invisible. Frank looked anxiously towards +the shore. The sea was getting up fast, and the boat tugging and +straining at the cord of the grapnel. He shook his head. "It looks +very bad," he said to himself. "If this squall does not abate we +are going to have a bad time of it." + +A quarter of an hour after it commenced the heavy downpour of +rain ceased, or rather changed into a driving sleet. It was still +extremely dark, a thick lead colored cloud overspread the sky. +Already the white horses showed how fast the sea was rising, and +the wind showed no signs of falling with the cessation of the rain +storm. The boat was laboring at her head rope and dipping her nose +heavily into the waves. + +"Look here, you fellows," Frank shouted, "we must take to the oars. +If the rope were a long one we might ride here, but you know it +little more than reached the ground when we threw it out. I believe +she's dragging already, and even if she isn't she would pull her +head under water with so short a rope when the sea gets up. We'd +better get out the oars and row to shore, if we can, before the +sea gets worse." + +The lads got up and looked round, and their faces grew pale and +somewhat anxious as they saw how threatening was the aspect of the +sea. They had four oars on board, and these were soon in the water +and the grapnel hauled up. A few strokes sufficed to show them that +with all four rowing the boat's head could not be kept towards the +shore, the wind taking it and turning the boat broadside on. + +"This will never do," Frank said. "I will steer and you row, two +oars on one side and one on the other. I will take a spell presently. + +"Row steadily, Ruthven," he shouted; "don't spurt. We have a long +row before us and must not knock ourselves up at the beginning." + +For half an hour not a word was spoken beyond an occasional cheery +exhortation from Frank. The shore could be dimly seen at times +through the driving mist, and Frank's heart sank as he recognized +the fact that it was further off than it had been when they first +began to row. The wind was blowing a gale now, and, although but +two miles from shore, the sea was already rough for an open boat. + +"Here, Ruthven, you take a spell now," he said. + +Although the rowers had from time to time glanced over their +shoulders, they could not, through the mist, form any idea of their +position. When Ruthven took the helm he exclaimed, "Good gracious, +Frank! the shore is hardly visible. We are being blown out to sea." + +"I am afraid we are," Frank said; "but there is nothing to do but +to keep on rowing. The wind may lull or it may shift and give us +a chance of making for Ramsgate. The boat is a good sea boat, and +may keep afloat even if we are driven out to sea. Or if we are +missed from shore they may send the lifeboat out after us. That is +our best chance." + +In another quarter of an hour Ruthven was ready to take another +spell at the oar. "I fear," Frank shouted to him as he climbed over +the seat, "there is no chance whatever of making shore. All we've +got to do is to row steadily and keep her head dead to wind. Two +of us will do for that. You and I will row now, and let Handcock +and Jones steer and rest by turns. Then when we are done up they +can take our places." + +In another hour it was quite dark, save for the gray light from +the foaming water around. The wind was blowing stronger than ever, +and it required the greatest care on the part of the steersman to +keep her dead in the eye of the wind. Handcock was steering now, +and Jones lying at the bottom of the boat, where he was sheltered, +at least from the wind. All the lads were plucky fellows and kept +up a semblance of good spirits, but all in their hearts knew that +their position was a desperate one. + + + +CHAPTER II: A MAD DOG + + +"Don't you think, Hargate," Ruthven shouted in his ear, "we had +better run before it? It's as much as Handcock can do to keep her +head straight." + +"Yes," Frank shouted back, "if it were not for the Goodwins. They +lie right across ahead of us." + +Ruthven said no more, and for another hour he and Frank rowed +their hardest. Then Handcock and Jones took the oars. Ruthven lay +down in the bottom of the boat and Frank steered. After rowing for +another hour Frank found that he could no longer keep the boat head +to wind. Indeed, he could not have done so for so long had he not +shipped the rudder and steered the boat with an oar, through a +notch cut in the stern for the purpose. Already the boat shipped +several heavy seas, and Ruthven was kept hard at work baling with +a tin can in which they had brought out bait. + +"Ruthven, we must let her run. Put out the other oar, we must watch +our time. Row hard when I give the word." + +The maneuver was safely accomplished, and in a minute the boat was +flying before the gale. + +"Keep on rowing," Frank said, "but take it easily. We must try and +make for the tail of the sands. I can see the lightship." + +Frank soon found that the wind was blowing too directly upon the +long line of sands to enable him to make the lightship. Already, +far ahead, a gray light seemed to gleam up, marking where the sea +was breaking over the dreaded shoal. + +"I am afraid it is no use," he said. "Now, boys, we had best, each +of us, say our prayers to God, and prepare to die bravely, for I +fear that there is no hope for us." + +There was silence in the boat for the next five minutes, as the +boys sat with their heads bent down. More than one choking sob might +have been heard, had the wind lulled, as they thought of the dear +ones at home. Suddenly there was a flash of light ahead, and the +boom of a gun directly afterwards came upon their ears. Then a +rocket soared up into the air. + +"There is a vessel on the sands," Frank exclaimed. "Let us make +for her. If we can get on board we shall have a better chance than +here." + +The boys again bent to their oars, and Frank tried to steer exactly +for the spot whence the rocket had gone up. Presently another gun +flashed out. + +"There she is," he said. "I can see her now against the line +of breakers. Take the oar again, Ruthven. We must bring up under +shelter of her lee." + +In another minute or two they were within a hundred yards of +the ship. She was a large vessel, and lay just at the edge of the +broken water. The waves, as they struck her, flew high above her +deck. As the boat neared her a bright light suddenly sprang up. +The ship was burning a blue light. Then a faint cheer was heard. + +"They see us," Frank said. "They must think we are the lifeboat. +What a disappointment for them! Now, steady, lads, and prepare to +pull her round the instant we are under her stern. I will go as +near as I dare." + +Frank could see the people on deck watching the boat. They must +have seen now that she was not the lifeboat; but even in their own +danger they must have watched with intense interest the efforts +of the tiny boat, adrift in the raging sea, to reach them. Frank +steered the boat within a few yards of the stern. Then Jones and +Ruthven, who were both rowing the same side, exerted themselves +to the utmost, while Frank pushed with the steering oar. A minute +later, and they lay in comparatively still water, under the lee of +the ship. Two or three ropes were thrown them, and they speedily +climbed on board. + +"We thought you were the lifeboat at first," the captain said, as +they reached the deck; "but, of course, they cannot be here for a +couple of hours yet." + +"We were blown off shore, sir," Frank said, "and have been rowing +against the wind for hours." + +"Well, my lads," the captain said, "you have only prolonged your +lives for a few minutes, for she will not hold together long." + +The ship, indeed, presented a pitiable appearance. The masts had +already gone, the bulwark to windward had been carried away, and +the hull lay heeled over at a sharp angle, her deck to leeward +being level with the water. The crew were huddled down near the +lee bulwarks, sheltered somewhat by the sharp slope of the deck +from the force of the wind. As each wave broke over the ship, tons +of water rushed down upon them. No more guns were fired, for the +lashing had broken and the gun run down to leeward. Already there +were signs that the ship would break up ere long, and no hope +existed that rescue could arrive in time. + +Suddenly there was a great crash, and the vessel parted amidships. + +"A few minutes will settle it now," the captain said. "God help us +all." + +At this moment there was a shout to leeward, which was answered +by a scream of joy from those on board the wreck, for there, close +alongside, lay the lifeboat, whose approach had been entirely unseen. +In a few minutes the fifteen men who remained of the twenty-two, +who had formed the crew of the wreck, and the four boys, were on +board her. A tiny sail was set and the boat's head laid towards +Ramsgate. + +"I am glad to see you, Master Hargate," the sailor who rowed one +of the stroke oars shouted. He was the man who had lent them the +boat. "I was up in the town looking after my wife, who is sick, +and clean forgot you till it was dark. Then I ran down and found +the boat hadn't returned, so I got the crew together and we came +out to look for you, though we had little hope of finding you. It +was lucky for you we did, and for the rest of them too, for so it +chanced that we were but half a mile away when the ship fired her +first gun, just as we had given you up and determined to go back; +so on we came straight here. Another ten minutes and we should have +been too late. We are making for Ramsgate now. We could never beat +back to Deal in this wind. I don't know as I ever saw it blow much +harder." + +These sentences were not spoken consecutively, but were shouted out +in the intervals between gusts of wind. It took them two hours to +beat back to Ramsgate, a signal having been made as soon as they +left the wreck to inform the lifeboat there and at Broadstairs that +they need not put out, as the rescue had been already effected. +The lads were soon put to bed at the sailors' home, a man being +at once despatched on horseback to Deal, to inform those there of +the arrival of the lifeboat, and of the rescue of the four boys +who had been blown to sea. + +Early next morning Frank and Handcock returned to Deal, the other +two lads being so exhausted by their fatigue and exposure that the +doctor said they had better remain in bed for another twenty-four +hours. + +It is impossible to describe the thankfulness and relief which Mrs. +Hargate experienced, when, about two in the morning, Dr. Parker +himself brought her news of the safety of her boy. She had long +given up all hope, for when the evening came on and Frank had not +returned, she had gone down to the shore. She learned from the +fishermen there that it was deemed impossible that the boys could +reach shore in face of the gale, and that although the lifeboat had +just put out in search of them, the chances of their being found +were, as she herself saw, faint indeed. She had passed the hours +which had intervened, in prayer, and was still kneeling by her +bedside, where little Lucy was unconsciously sleeping, when Dr. +Parker's knock was heard at the door. Fervent, indeed, was her +gratitude to God for the almost miraculous preservation of her son's +life, and then, overcome by the emotions she had experienced, she +sought her couch, and was still asleep when, by the earliest train +in the morning, Frank returned. + +For some time the four boys were the heroes of the school. +A subscription was got up to pay for the lost boat, and close +as were Mrs. Hargate's means, she enabled Frank to subscribe his +share towards the fund. The incident raised Frank to a pinnacle +of popularity among his schoolfellows, for the three others were +unanimous in saying that it was his coolness and skill in the +management of the boat, which alone kept up their spirits, and +enabled them to keep her afloat during the gale, and to make the +wreck in safety. + +In the general enthusiasm excited by the event, Frank's pursuits, +which had hitherto found few followers, now became quite popular +in the school. A field club was formed, of which he was elected +president, and long rambles in the country in search of insects +and plants were frequently organized. Frank himself was obliged, in +the interests of the school, to moderate the zeal of the naturalists, +and to point out that cricket must not be given up, as, if so large a +number withdrew themselves from the game, the school would suffer +disaster in its various engagements with other schools in the +neighborhood. Consequently the rule was made that members of the +club were bound to be in the cricket field on at least three days +in the week, including one half holiday, while they were free to +ramble in the country on other days. This wise regulation prevented +the "naturalists" from becoming unpopular in the school, which would +assuredly have been the case had they entirely absented themselves +from cricket. + +One Saturday afternoon Frank started with a smaller boy, who was +one of his most devoted followers, for a long country walk. Frank +carried his blowgun, and a butterfly net, Charlie Goodall a net +of about a foot in depth, made of canvas, mounted on a stout brass +rim, and strong stick, for the capture of water beetles. Their +pockets bulged with bottles and tin boxes for the carriage of their +captured prey. + +They had passed through Eastry, a village four miles from Deal, +when Frank exclaimed, "There is a green hairstreak. The first I've +seen this year. I have never caught one before." + +Cautiously approaching the butterfly, who was sunning himself on +the top of a thistle, Frank prepared to strike, when it suddenly +mounted and flitted over a hedge. In a moment the boys had scrambled +through the gap and were in full pursuit. The butterfly flitted +here and there, sometimes allowing the boys to approach within +a few feet and then flitting away again for fifty yards without +stopping. Heedless where they were going, the boys pursued, till +they were startled by a sudden shout close to them. + +"You young rascals, how dare you run over my wheat?" + +The boys stopped, and Frank saw what, in his excitement, he had +not hitherto heeded, that he was now running in a field of wheat, +which reached to his knee. + +"I am very sorry, sir," he said. "I was so excited than I really +did not see where I was going." + +"Not see!" shouted the angry farmer. "You young rascal, I'll break +every bone in your body," and he flourished a heavy stick as he +spoke. + +Charlie Goodall began to cry. + +"I have no right to trespass on your wheat, sir," Frank said firmly; +"but you have no right to strike us. My name is Frank Hargate. +I belong to Dr. Parker's school at Deal, and if you will say what +damage I have caused, I will pay for it." + +"You shall pay for it now," shouted the farmer, as he advanced with +uplifted stick. + +Frank slipped three or four of his clay bullets into his mouth. + +"Leave us alone or it will be worse for you," he said as he raised +the blowgun to his mouth. + +The farmer advanced, and Frank sent a bullet with all his force, +and with so true an aim that he struck the farmer on the knuckles. +It was a sharp blow, and the farmer, with a cry of pain and surprise, +dropped the stick. + +"Don't come a step nearer," Frank shouted. "If you do, I will aim +at your eye next time," and he pointed the threatening tube at the +enraged farmer's face. + +"I'll have the law of you, you young villain. I'll make you smart +for this." + +"You can do as you like about that," Frank said. "I have only +struck you in self defense, and have let you off easily. Come along, +Charlie, let's get out of this." + +In a few minutes they were again on the road, the farmer making no +attempt to follow them, but determined in his mind to drive over +the next morning to Deal to take out a summons against them for +trespass and assault. The lads proceeded silently along the road. +Frank was greatly vexed with himself at his carelessness in running +over half grown wheat, and was meditating how he could pay the fine +without having to ask his mother. He determined upon his return +to carry some of his cases of stuffed birds down to a shop in the +town, and he felt sure that he could get enough for these to pay +for any damage which could have been inflicted, with a fine for +trespassing, for he had seen stuffed birds exposed in the windows +for sale, which were, he was sure, very inferior to his own both +in execution and lifelike interest. + +After proceeding a few hundred yards along the road they met a pretty +little girl of seven or eight years old walking along alone. Frank +scarcely glanced at her, for at the moment he heard a shouting in +the distance and saw some men running along the road. For a moment +he thought that the farmer had despatched some of his men to stop +him, but instantly dismissed the idea, as they were coming from +the opposite direction and could by no possibility have heard what +had happened. They were lost sight of by a dip in the road, and as +they disappeared, an object was seen on the road on the near side +of the dip. + +"It is a dog," Frank said. "What can they be shouting at?" + +The dog was within fifty yards of them when the men again appeared +from the dip and recommenced shouting. Frank could now hear what +they said. + +"Mad dog! mad dog!" + +"Get through the hedge, Charlie, quick," Frank cried. "Here, I will +help you over, never mind the thorns." + +The hedge was low and closely kept, and Frank, bundling his comrade +over it, threw himself across and looked round. The dog was within +ten yards of them, and Frank saw that the alarm was well founded. +The dog was a large crossbred animal, between a mastiff and a +bulldog. Its hair was rough and bristling. It came along with its +head down and foam churning from its mouth. Frank looked the other +way and gave a cry. Yet twenty yards off, in the middle of the road, +stood the child. She, too, had heard the shouts, and had paused +to see what was the matter. She had not taken the alarm, but stood +unsuspicious of danger, watching, not the dog, but the men in the +distance. + +Frank placed the blowgun to his mouth, and in a moment his pellet +struck the animal smartly on the side of the head. It gave a short +yelp and paused. Another shot struck it, and then Frank, snatching +the water net from Charlie, threw himself over the hedge, and placed +himself between the child and the dog just as the latter, with a +savage growl, rushed at him. + +Frank stood perfectly cool, and as the animal rushed forward, +thrust the net over its head; the ring was but just large enough to +allow its head to enter. Frank at once sprang forward, and placing +himself behind the dog kept a strain upon the stick, so retaining +the mouth of the net tightly on his neck. The animal at first +rushed forward dragging Frank after him. Then he stopped, backed, +and tried to withdraw his head from the encumbrance which blinded +him. Frank, however, had no difficulty in retaining the canvas net +in its place, until the men, who were armed with pitchforks, ran +up and speedily despatched the unfortunate animal. + +"That's bravely done, young master," one of them said; "and you +have saved missy's life surely. The savage brute rushed into the +yard and bit a young colt and a heifer, and then, as we came running +out with forks, he took to the road again. We chased 'um along, +not knowing who we might meet, and it gived us a rare turn when we +saw the master's Bessy standing alone in the road, wi' nout between +her and the dog. Where have you been, Miss Bessy?" + +"I've been to aunt's," she said, "and she gave me some strawberries +and cream, and it's wicked of you to kill the poor dog." + +"Her aunt's farm lies next to master's," the man explained; "and +little miss often goes over there. + +"The dog was mad, missy, and if it hadn't been for young master +here, it would have killed you as safe as eggs. Won't you come back +to the farm, sir? Master and mistress would be main glad to thank +you for having saved missy's life." + +"No, thank you," Frank said; "we are late now and must be going +on our way. I am very glad I happened to be here at the time;" so +saying Frank and Charlie proceeded on their way to Deal. + +On reaching home he at once picked out four of his best cases of +stuffed birds. The cases he had constructed himself, for his father +had encouraged him to depend upon himself for his amusements. He +had asked Charlie to come round to help him to carry the cases, +and with these he proceeded to a shop where he had seen such things +offered for sale. + +"And you really did these yourself?" the man said in surprise. +"They are beautifully done. Quite pictures, I call them. It is a +pity that they are homely birds. There is no great sale for such +things here. I cannot give you more than five shillings each, but +if you had them in London they would be worth a great deal more." + +Frank gladly accepted the offer, and feeling sure that the pound +would cover the damage done and the fine, which might be five +shillings apiece for trespassing, went home in good spirits. The +next morning the doctor was called out in the middle of school, +and presently returned accompanied by the farmer with whom they +had had the altercation on the previous day. Frank felt his cheeks +flush as he anticipated a severe reprimand before the whole school. + +"Mr. Gregson," the doctor said, "tells me that two of my boys were +out near his place at Eastry yesterday. One of them gave him his +name, which he has forgotten." + +"It was I, sir," Frank said rising in his place; "I was there with +Goodall. We ran on Mr. Gregson's ground after a butterfly. It was +my fault, sir, for, of course, Goodall went where I did. We ran +among his wheat, and I really did not notice where we were going +till he called to us. I was wrong, of course, and am ready to pay +for any damage we may have caused." + +"You are welcome," the farmer said, "to trample on my wheat for +the rest of your born days. I haven't come over here to talk about +the wheat, though I tell you fairly I'd minded to do so. I've come +over here, Dr. Parker, me and my missus who's outside, to thank +this young gentleman for having saved the life of my little daughter +Bessy. She was walking along the road when a mad dog, a big brute +of a mastiff, who came, I hear, from somewhere about Canterbury, +and who has bit two boys on the road, to say nothing of other dogs +and horses and such like; he came along the road, he were close +to my Bess, and she stood there all alone. Some of my men with +pitchforks were two hundred yards or so behind; but law, they could +have done nothing! when this young gentleman here jumped all of a +sudden over a hedge and put himself between the dog and my Bess. +The dog, he rushed at him; but what does he do but claps a bag he'd +got at the end of a stick over the brute's head, and there he holds +him tight till the men comes up and kills him with their forks. + +"Young gentleman," he said, stepping up to Frank and holding out +his hand, "I owe my child's life to you. There are not many men +who would have thrown themselves in the way of a mad dog, for the +sake of a child they knew nothing of. I thank you for it with all +my heart. God bless you, sir. Now, boys, you give three cheers with +me for your schoolmate, for you've got a right to be proud of him." + +Three such thundering cheers as those which arose had never been +heard within the limits of Dr. Parker's school from the day of its +foundation. Seeing that farther work could not be expected from them +after this excitement, Dr. Parker gave the boys a holiday for the +rest of the day, and they poured out from the schoolroom, shouting +and delighted, while Frank was taken off to the parlor to be thanked +by Mrs. Gregson. The farmer closed his visit by inviting Frank, +with as many of his schoolfellows as he liked--the whole school +if they would come, the more the better--to come over to tea +on the following Saturday afternoon, and he promised them as much +strawberries and cream as they could eat. The invitation was largely +accepted, and the boys all agreed that a jollier meal they never +sat down to than that which was spread on tables in the farmer's +garden. The meal was called tea, but it might have been a dinner, +for the tables were laden with huge pies, cold chicken and duck, +hams, and piles of cakes and tarts of all sorts. Before they started +for home, late in the evening, syllabub and cake were handed round, +and the boys tramped back to Deal in the highest of glee at the +entertainment they had received from the hospitable farmer and his +wife. + +Great fun had been caused after tea by the farmer giving a humorous +relation of the battle with which his acquaintance with Frank had +commenced, and especially at the threat of Frank to send a bullet +into his eye if he interfered with him. When they left, a most +cordial invitation was given to Frank to come over, with any friend +he liked to bring with him, and have tea at the Oaks Farm whenever +he chose to do so. + + + +CHAPTER III: A TOUGH YARN + + +"You had a close shave the other night," one of the boatmen remarked +to Frank, as a few days after the adventure he strolled down with +Ruthven and Handcock to talk to the boatman whose boat had been +lost, "a very narrow shave. I had one out there myself when I was +just about your age, nigh forty years ago. I went out for a sail +with my father in his fishing boat, and I didn't come back for +three years. That was the only long voyage I ever went. I've been +sticking to fishing ever since." + +"How was it you were away three years?" Handcock asked, "and what +was the adventure? Tell us about it." + +"Well, it's rather a long yarn," the boatman said. + +"Well, your best plan, Jack," Ruthven said, putting his hand in +his pocket and bringing out sixpence, "will be for you to go across +the road and wet your whistle before you begin." + +"Thank ye, young gentleman. I will take three o' grog and an ounce +of 'bacca." + +He went across to the public house, and soon returned with a long +clay in his hand. Then he sat down on the shingle with his back +against a boat, and the boys threw themselves down close to him. + +"Now," he began, when he had filled his pipe with great deliberation +and got it fairly alight, "this here yarn as I'm going to tell you +ain't no gammon. Most of the tales which gets told on the beach to +visitors as comes down here and wants to hear of sea adventures is +just lies from beginning to end. Now, I ain't that sort, leastways, +I shouldn't go to impose upon young gents like you as ha' had a real +adventure of your own, and showed oncommon good pluck and coolness +too. I don't say, mind ye, that every word is just gospel. My mates +as ha' known me from a boy tells me that I've 'bellished the yarn +since I first told it, and that all sorts of things have crept in +which wasn't there first. That may be so. When a man tells a story +a great many times, naturally he can't always tell it just the same, +and he gets so mixed up atween what he told last and what he told +first that he don't rightly know which was which when he wants to +tell it just as it really happened. So if sometimes it appears to +you that I'm steering rather wild, just you put a stopper on and +bring me up all standing with a question." + +There was a quiet humor about the boatman's face, and the boys +winked at each other as much as to say that after such an exordium +they must expect something rather staggering. The boatman took two +or three hard whiffs at his pipe and then began. + +"It was towards the end of September in 1832, that's just forty +years ago now, that I went out with my father and three hands in +the smack, the Flying Dolphin. I'd been at sea with father off and +on ever since I was about nine years old, and a smarter boy wasn't +to be found on the beach. The Dolphin was a good sea boat, but she +wasn't, so to say, fast, and I dunno' as she was much to look at, +for the old man wasn't the sort of chap to chuck away his money in +paint or in new sails as long as the old ones could be pieced and +patched so as to hold the wind. We sailed out pretty nigh over to +the French coast, and good sport we had. We'd been out two days when +we turned her head homewards. The wind was blowing pretty strong, +and the old man remarked, he thought we was in for a gale. There +was some talk of our running in to Calais and waiting till it had +blown itself out, but the fish might have spoil before the Wind +dropped, so we made up our minds to run straight into Dover and +send the fish up from there. The night came on wild and squally, +and as dark as pitch. It might be about eight bells, and I and one +of the other hands had turned in, when father gave a sudden shout +down the hatch, 'All hands on deck.' I was next to the steps and +sprang up 'em. Just as I got to the top something grazed my face. +I caught at it, not knowing what it was, and the next moment there +was a crash, and the Dolphin went away from under my feet. I clung +for bare life, scarce awake yet nor knowing what had happened. The +next moment I was under water. I still held on to the rope and was +soon out again. By this time I was pretty well awake to what had +happened. A ship running down channel had walked clean over the +poor old Dolphin, and I had got hold of the bobstay. It took me some +time to climb up on to the bowsprit, for every time she pitched I +went under water. However, I got up at last and swarmed along the +bowsprit and got on board. There was a chap sitting down fast asleep +there. I walked aft to the helmsman. Two men were pacing up and +down in front of him. 'You're a nice lot, you are,' I said, 'to +go running down Channel at ten knots an hour without any watch, +a-walking over ships and a-drowning of seamen. I'll have the law +of ye, see if I don't.' + +"'Jeerusalem!' said one, 'who have we here?' + +"'My name is Jack Perkins,' says I, 'and I'm the sole survivor, as +far as I knows, of the smack, the Flying Dolphin, as has been run +down by this craft and lost with all hands.' + +"'Darn the Flying Dolphin, and you too,' says the man, and he +begins to walk up and down the deck a-puffn' of a long cigar as if +nothing had happened. + +"'Oh, come,' says I, 'this won't do. Here you've been and run down +a smack, drowned father and the other three hands, and your lookout +fast asleep, and you does nothing.' + +"'I suppose,' said the captain, sarcastic, 'you want me to jump +over to look for 'em. You want me to heave the ship to in this gale +and to invite yer father perlitely to come on board. P'raps you'd +like a grapnel put out to see if I couldn't hook the smack and bring +her up again. Perhaps you'd like to be chucked overboard yourself. +Nobody asked you to come on board, nobody wanted your company. I +reckon the wisest thing you can do is to go for'ard and turn in.' +There didn't seem much for me to do else, so I went forward to the +forecastle. There most of the hands were asleep, but two or three +were sitting up yarning. I told 'em my story and what this captain +had said. + +"'He's a queer hand is the skipper,' one of 'em said, 'and hasn't +got a soft place about him. Well, my lad, I'm sorry for what's +happened, but talking won't do it any good. You've got a long voyage +before you, and you'd best turn in and make yourself comfortable +for it.' + +"'I ain't going a long voyage,' says I, beginning to wipe my eye, +'I wants to be put ashore at the first port.' + +"'Well, my lad, I daresay the skipper will do that, but as we're +bound for the coast of Chili from Hamburg, and ain't likely to be +there for about five months, you've got, as I said, a long voyage +before you. If the weather had been fine the skipper might have +spoken some ship in the Channel, and put you on board, but before +the gale's blown out we shall be hundreds of miles at sea. Even +if it had been fine I don't suppose the skipper would have parted +with you, especially if you told him the watch was asleep. He would +not care next time he entered an English port to have a claim fixed +on his ship for the vally of the smack.' + +"I saw what the sailor said was like enough, and blamed myself for +having let out about the watch. However, there was no help for it, +and I turned into an empty bunk and cried myself to sleep. What a +voyage that was, to be sure! The ship was a Yankee and so was the +master and mates. The crew were of all sorts, Dutch, and Swedes, +and English, a Yank or two, and a sprinklin' of niggers. It was one +of those ships they call a hell on earth, and cussing and kicking +and driving went on all day. I hadn't no regular place give me, but +helped the black cook, and pulled at ropes, and swabbed the decks, +and got kicked and cuffed all round. The skipper did not often +speak to me, but when his eye lighted on me he gave an ugly sort +of look, as seemed to say, 'You'd better ha' gone down with the +others. You think you're going to report the loss of the smack, and +to get damages against the Potomac, do you? we shall see.' The crew +were a rough lot, but the spirit seemed taken out of 'em by the +treatment they met with. It was a word and a blow with the mates, +and they would think no more of catching up a handspike and stretching +a man senseless on the deck than I should of killing a fly. There +was two or three among 'em of a better sort than the others. The +best of 'em was the carpenter, an old Dutchman. 'Leetle boy,' he +used to say to me, 'you keep yourself out of the sight of de skipper. +Bad man dat. Me much surprise if you get to de end of dis voyage +all right. You best work vera hard and give him no excuse to hit +you. If he do, by gosh, he kill you, and put down in de log, Boy +killed by accident.' + +"I felt that this was so myself, and I did my work as well as I +could. One day, however, when we were near the line I happened to +upset a bucket with some tar. The captain was standing close by. + +"'You young dog,' he said, 'you've done that a purpose,' and before +I could speak he caught up the bucket by the handle and brought it +down on my head with all his might. The next thing I remember was, +I was lying in a bunk in the forecastle. Everything looked strange +to me, and I couldn't raise my head. After a time I made shift to +turn it round, and saw old Jans sitting on a chest mending a jacket. +I called him, but my voice was so low I hardly seemed to hear it +myself. + +"'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'I am glad to hear you speak again. +Two whole weeks you say nothing except talk nonsense.' + +"'Have I been ill?' I asked. + +"'You haf been vera bad,' he said. 'De captain meant to kill you, +I haf no doubt, and he pretty near do it. After he knock you down +he said you dead. He sorry for accident, not mean to hit you so +hard, but you dead and better be tossed overboard at once. De mates +they come up and take your hands and feet. Den I insist dat I feel +your wrist. Two or three of us dey stood by me. Captain he vera +angry, say we mutinous dogs. I say not mutinous, but wasn't going +to see a boy who was only stunned thrown overboard. We say if he +did dat we make complaint before consul when we get to port. De +skipper he cuss and swear awful. Howebber we haf our way and carry +you here. You haf fever and near die. Tree days after we bring +you here de captain he swear you shamming and comed to look at you +hisself, but he see that it true and tink you going to die. He go +away wid smile on his face. Every day he ask if you alive, and give +grunt when I say yes. Now you best keep vera quiet. You no talk +'cept when no one else here but me. Other times lie wid your face +to the side and your eyes shut. Best keep you here as long as +we can, de longer de better. He make you come on deck and work as +soon as he think you strong enough to stand. Best get pretty strong +before you go out.' + +"For another three weeks I lay in my bunk. I only ate a little +gruel when others were there, but when the skipper was at dinner +Jans would bring me strong soup and meat from the caboose. The +captain came several times and shook me and swore I was shamming, +but I only answered in a whisper and seemed as faint as a girl. +All this time the Potomac was making good way, and was running fast +down the coast of South America. The air was getting cool and fresh. + +"'I tink,' Jans said one evening to me, 'dat dis not go on much +much longer. De crew getting desperate. Dey talk and mutter among +demselves. Me thinks we have trouble before long.' + +"The next day one of the mates came in with a bucket of water. 'There! +you skulking young hound,' he said as he threw it over me; 'you'd +best get out, or the skipper will come and rouse you up himself.' + +"I staggered on to the floor. I had made up my mind to sham weak, +but I did not need to pretend at first, for having been six weeks +in bed, I felt strange and giddy when I got up. I slipped on my +clothes and went out on deck, staggered to the bulwarks and held +on. The fresh air soon set me straight, and I felt that I was pretty +strong again. However, I pretended to be able to scarce stand, and, +holding on by the bulwark, made my way aft. + +"'You young dog,' the skipper said, 'you've been shamming for the +last six weeks. I reckon I'll sharpen you up now,' and he hit me +a heavy blow with a rattan he held in his hand. There was a cry +of 'Shame!' from some of the men. As quick as thought the skipper +pulled a pistol from his pocket. + +"'Who cried "Shame"?' he asked looking round. + +"No one answered. Still holding the pistol in his hand he gave me +several more cuts, and then told me to swab the deck. I did it, +pretending all the time I was scarce strong enough to keep my feet. +Then I made my way forward and sat down against the bulwark, as +if nigh done up, till night came. That night as I lay in my bunk +I heard the men talking in whispers together. I judged from what +they said that they intended to wait for another week, when they +expected to enter Magellan Straits, and then to attack and throw +the officers overboard. Nothing seemed settled as to what they +would do afterwards. Some were in favor of continuing the voyage to +port, and there giving out that the captain and officers had been +washed overboard in a storm; when, if all stood true to each other, +the truth could never be known, although suspicions might arise. +The others, however, insisted that you never could be sure of +every one, and that some one would be sure to peach. They argued in +favor of sailing west and beaching the ship on one of the Pacific +islands, where they could live comfortably and take wives among +the native women. If they were ever found they could then say that +the ship was blown out of her course and wrecked there, and that +the captain and officers had been drowned or killed by the natives. +It seemed to me that this party were the strongest. For the next +week I was thrashed and kicked every day and had I been as weak +as I pretended to be, I'm sure they would have killed me. However, +thanks to the food Jans brought me, for I was put on bread and water, +I held on. At last we entered the straits. The men were very quiet +that day, and the captain in a worse temper than usual. I did not +go to sleep, and turned out at the midnight watch, for I was made +to keep watch although I was on duty all day. As the watch came in +I heard them say to the others, 'In ten minutes' time.' Presently +I saw them come out, and joining the watch on deck they went aft +quietly in a body. They had all got handspikes in their hands. Then +there was a rush. Two pistol shots were fired, and then there was +a splash, and I knew that the officer on watch was done for. Then +they burst into the aft cabins. There were pistol shots and shouts, +and for three or four minutes the fight went on. Then all was quiet. +Then they came up on deck again and I heard three splashes, that +accounted for the captain and the two other mates. I thought it +safe now to go aft. I found that six of the men had been killed. +These were thrown overboard, and then the crew got at the spirit +stores and began to drink. I looked about for Jans, and found him +presently sitting on the deck by the bulwark. + +"'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'you have just come in time. I have +been shot through the body. I was not in de fight, but was standing +near when dey rushed at de officer on watch. De first pistol +he fire missed de man he aim at and hit me. Well, it was shust as +well. I am too old to care for living among de black peoples, and +I did not want a black wife at all. So matters haf not turned out +so vera bad. Get me some water.' + +"I got him some, but in five minutes the poor old Dutchman was +dead. There was no one on deck. All were shouting and singing in +the captain's cabin, so I went and turned in forward. Morning was +just breaking when I suddenly woke. There was a great light, and +running on deck I saw the fire pouring out from the cabin aft. I +suppose they had all drunk themselves stupid and had upset a light, +and the fire had spread and suffocated them all. Anyhow, there were +none of them to be seen. I got hold of a water keg and placed it +in a boat which luckily hung out on its davits, as Jans had, the +day before, been calking a seam in her side just above the water's +edge. I made a shift to lower it, threw off the falls, and getting +out the oars, rowed off. I lay by for some little time, but did +not see a soul on deck. Then, as I had nowhere particular to go, +I lay down and slept. On getting up I found that I had drifted two +or three miles from the ship, which was now a mere smoking shell, +the greater part being burnt to the Water's edge. Two miles to the +north lay the land, and getting out an oar at the stern I sculled +her to shore. I suppose I had been seen, or that the flames of the +ship had called down the people, for there they were in the bay, +and such a lot of creatures I never set eyes on. Men and women +alike was pretty nigh naked, and dirt is no name for them. Though +I was but a boy I was taller than most. They came round me and +jabbered and jabbered till I was nigh deafened. Over and over again +they pointed to the ship. I thought they wanted to know whether +I belonged to it, but it couldn't have been that, because when I +nodded a lot of 'em jumped into some canoes which was lying ashore, +and taking me with them paddled off to the ship. I suppose they +really wanted to know if they could have what they could find. +That wasn't much, but it seemed a treasure to them. There was a lot +of burned beams floating about alongside, and all of these which +had iron or copper bolts or fastenings they took in tow and rowed +ashore. We hadn't been gone many hundred yards from the vessel when +she sunk. Well, young gentlemen, for upwards of two years I lived +with them critturs. My clothes soon wore out, and I got to be as +naked and dirty as the rest of 'em. They were good hands at fishing, +and could spear a fish by the light of a torch wonderful. In other +respects they didn't seem to have much sense. They lived, when I +first went there, in holes scratched in the side of a hill, but I +taught 'em to make huts, making a sort of ax out of the iron saved. +In summer they used to live in these, but in winter, when it was +awful cold, we lived in the holes, which were a sight warmer than +the huts. Law, what a time that was! I had no end of adventures +with wild beasts. The way the lions used to roar and the elephants +--" + +"I think, Jack," Ruthven interrupted, "that this must be one of the +embellishments which have crept in since you first began telling +the tale. I don't think I should keep it in if I were you, because +the fact that there are neither lions or elephants in South America +throws a doubt upon the accuracy of this portion of your story." + +"It may be, sir," the sailor said, with a twinkle of his eyes, "that +the elephants and lions may not have been in the first story. Now +I think of it, I can't recall that they were; but, you see, people +wants to know all about it. They ain't satisfied when I tell 'em +that I lived two years among these chaps. They wants to know how I +passed my time, and whether there were any wild beasts, and a lot +of such like questions, and, in course, I must answer them. So +then, you see, naturally, 'bellishments creeps in; but I did live +there for two years, that's gospel truth, and I did go pretty nigh +naked, and in winter was pretty near starved to death over and +over again. When the ground was too hard to dig up roots, and the +sea was too rough for the canoes to put out, it went hard with us, +and very often we looked more like living skelingtons than human +beings. Every time a ship came in sight they used to hurry me away +into the woods. I suppose they found me useful, and didn't want +to part with me. At last I got desperate, and made up my mind I'd +make a bolt whatever came of it. They didn't watch me when there +were no ships near. I suppose they thought there was nowhere for +me to run to, so one night I steals down to the shore, gets into +a canoe, puts in a lot of roots which I had dug up and hidden away +in readiness, and so makes off. I rowed hard all night, for I knew +they would be after me when they found I had gone. Them straits +is sometimes miles and miles across; at other times not much more +than a ship's length, and the tide runs through 'em like a mill +race. I had chosen a time when I had the tide with me, and soon +after morning I came to one of them narrow places. I should like to +have stopped here, because it would have been handy for any ship +as passed; but the tide run so strong, and the rocks were so steep +on both sides, that I couldn't make a landing. Howsomdever, directly +it widened out, I managed to paddle into the back water and landed +there. Well, gents, would you believe me, if there wasn't two big +allygaters sitting there with their mouths open ready to swallow +me, canoe and all, when I came to shore." + +"No, Jack, I'm afraid we can't believe that. We would if we could, +you know, but alligators are not fond of such cold weather as you'd +been having, nor do they frequent the seashore." + +"Ah, but this, you see, was a straits, Master Ruthven, just a narrow +straits, and I expect the creatures took it for a river." + +"No, no, Jack, we can't swallow the alligators, any more than they +could swallow you and your canoe." + +"Well," the sailor said with a sigh, "I won't say no more about the +allygaters. I can't rightly recall when they came into the story. +Howsomdever, I landed, you can believe that, you know." + +"Oh yes, we can quite believe, Jack, that, if you were there, in +that canoe, in that back water, with the land close ahead, you did +land." + +The sailor looked searchingly at Ruthven and then continued: + +"I hauled the canoe up and hid it in some bushes, and it were well +I did, for a short time afterwards a great--" and he paused. "Does +the hippypotybus live in them ere waters, young gents?" + +"He does not, Jack," Ruthven said. + +"Then it's clear," the sailor said, "that it wasn't a hippypotybus. +It must have been a seal." + +"Yes, it might have been a seal," Ruthven said. "What did he do?" + +"Well he just took a look at me, gents, winked with one eye, as much +as to say, 'I see you,' and went down again. There warn't nothing +else as he could do, was there?" + +"It was the best thing he could do anyhow," Ruthven said. + +"Well, gents, I lived there for about three weeks, and then a ship +comes along, homeward bound, and I goes out and hails her. At first +they thought as I was a native as had learned to speak English, +and it wasn't till they'd boiled me for three hours in the ship's +copper as they got at the color of my skin, and could believe as +I was English. So I came back here and found the old woman still +alive, and took to fishing again; but it was weeks and weeks before +I could get her or any one else to believe as I was Jack Perkins. +And that's all the story, young gents. Generally I tells it a +sight longer to the gents as come down from London in summer; but, +you see, I can't make much out of it when ye won't let me have +'bellishments." + +"And how much of it is true altogether, Jack?" Frank asked. "Really +how much?" + +"It's all true as I have told you, young masters," the boatman +said. "It were every bit true about the running down of the smack, +and me being nearly killed by the skipper, and the mutiny, and +the burning of the vessel, and my living for a long time--no, I +won't stick to the two years, but it might have been three weeks, +with the natives before a ship picked me up. And that's good enough +for a yarn, ain't it?" + +"Quite good enough, Jack, and we're much obliged to you; but I +should advise you to drop the embellishments in future." + +"It ain't no use, Master Hargate, they will have 'bellishments, +and if they will have 'em, Jack Perkins isn't the man to disappint +'em; and, Lord bless you, sir, the stiffer I pitches it in the +more liberal they is with their tips. Thank ye kindly all round, +gentlemen. Yes, I do feel dry after the yarn." + + + +CHAPTER IV: A RISING TIDE + + +The half year was drawing to its close, and it was generally +agreed at Dr. Parker's that it had been the jolliest ever known. +The boating episode and that of the tea at Oak Farm had been +events which had given a fillip to existence. The school had been +successful in the greater part of its cricket matches, and generally +every one was well satisfied with himself. On the Saturday preceding +the breaking up Frank, with Ruthven, Charlie Goodall and two of the +other naturalists, started along the seashore to look for anemones +and other marine creatures among the rocks and pools at the foot +of the South Foreland. Between Ruthven and Frank a strong feeling +of affection had grown up since the date of their boating adventure. +They were constantly together now; and as Ruthven was also intended +for the army, and would probably obtain his commission about the +same time as Frank, they often talked over their future, and indulged +in hopes that they might often meet, and that in their campaigns, +they might go through adventures together. + +Tide was low when they started. They had nearly three miles to +walk. The pools in front of Deal and Walmer had often been searched, +but they hoped that once round the Foreland they might light upon +specimens differing from any which they had hitherto found. For +some hours they searched the pools, retiring as the tide advanced. +Then they went up to the foot of the cliffs, and sat down to open +their cans and compare the treasures they had collected. The spot +which they had unwittingly selected was a little bay. For a long +time they sat comparing their specimens. Then Frank said, "Come +along, it is time to be moving." + +As he rose to his feet he uttered an exclamation of dismay. Although +the tide was still at some little distance from the spot where they +were sitting, it had already reached the cliffs extending out at +either end of the bay. A brisk wind was blowing on shore, and the +waves were already splashing against the foot of the rocks. + +The whole party leaped to their feet, and seizing their cans ran +off at the top of their speed to the end of the bay. + +"I will see how deep the water is," Frank exclaimed; "we may yet +be able to wade round." + +The water soon reached Frank's waist. He waded on until it was up +to his shoulders, and he had to leap as each wave approached him. +Then he returned to his friends. + +"I could see round," he said, "and I think I could have got round +without getting into deeper water. The worst of it is the bottom +is all rocky, and I stumbled several times, and should have gone +under water if I could not have swam. You can't swim, Ruthven, I +know; can you other fellows?" + +Goodall could swim, as could one of the others. + +"Now, Ruthven," Frank said, "if you will put your hand on my +shoulder and keep quiet, I think I could carry you around. Goodall +and Jackson can take Childers." + +But neither of the other boys had much confidence in their swimming. +They could get thirty or forty yards, but felt sure that they +would be able to render but little assistance to Childers, and in +fact scarcely liked to round the point alone. For some time they +debated the question, the sea every minute rising and pushing them +farther and farther from the point. "Look here, Frank," Ruthven said +at last; "you are not sure you can carry me. The others are quite +certain that they cannot take Childers. We must give up that idea. +The best thing, old boy, is for you three who can swim to start +together. Then if either of the others fail you can help them a +bit. Childers and I must take our chance here. When you get round +you must send a boat as soon as possible." + +"I certainly shall not desert you, Ruthven," Frank said. "You know +as well as I do that I'm not likely to find a boat on the shore +till I get pretty near Walmer Castle, and long before we could get +back it would be settled here. No, no, old fellow, we will see the +matter out together. Jackson and Goodall can swim round if they +like." + +These lads, however, would not venture to take the risk alone, but +said they would go if Frank would go with them. + +"Chuck off your boots and coats and waistcoats," Frank said suddenly, +proceeding to strip rapidly to the skin. "I will take them round, +Ruthven, and come back to you. Run round the bay you and Childers, +and see if you can find any sort of ledge or projection that we can +take refuge upon. Now, then, come on you two as quick as you can." + +The sea had already reached within a few feet of the foot of the +cliff all round the bay. + +"Now, mind," Frank said sharply, "no struggling and nonsense, you +fellows. I will keep quite close to you and stick to you, so you +needn't be afraid. If you get tired just put one hand on my back +and swim with the other and your legs; and above all things keep +your heads as low as possible in the water so as just to be able +to breathe." + +The three lads soon waded out as far as they could go and then +struck out. Jackson and Goodall were both poor swimmers and would +have fared very badly alone. The confidence, however, which they +entertained in Frank gave them courage, and they were well abreast +of the point when first Jackson and then Goodall put their hands +on his shoulders. Thanks to the instructions he had given them, and +to their confidence in him, they placed no great weight upon him. +But every ounce tells heavily on a swimmer, and Frank gave a gasp +of relief as at last his feet touched the ground. Bidding his +companions at once set off at a run he sat down for two or three +minutes to recover his breath. + +"It is lucky," he said to himself, "that I did not try with +Ruthven. It's a very different thing carrying fellows who can swim +and fellows who can't. What fools we've been to let ourselves he +caught here! I had no idea the tide came so high, or that it was +so dangerous, and none of us have ever been round here before. Now +I must go back to Ruthven." + +Frank found it even harder work to get back than it had been to +come out from the bay, for the tide was against him now. At last +he stood beside Ruthven and Childers. + +"We can only find one place, Frank, where there is any projection +a fellow could stand upon, and that is only large enough for one. +See!" he said, pointing to a projecting block of chalk, whose upper +surface, some eight inches wide, was tolerably flat. "There is a +cave here, too, which may go beyond the tide. It is not deep but +it slopes up a bit." + +"That will never do," Frank said; "as the waves come in they will +rush up and fill it to the top. Don't you see it is all rounded by +the water? Now, Childers, we will put you on that stone. You will +be perfectly safe there, for you see it is two feet above this +greenish line, which shows where the water generally comes to. +The tides are not at spring at present, so though you may get a +splashing there is no fear of your being washed off." + +The water was already knee deep at the foot of the rocks, and the +waves took them nearly up to the shoulders. Ruthven did not attempt +to dispute Frank's allotment of the one place of safety to Childers. +Frank and he placed themselves below the block of chalk, which was +somewhat over six feet from the ground. Then Childers scrambled up +on to their shoulders, and from these stepped onto the ledge. + +"I am all right," he said; "I wish to Heaven that you were too." + +"We shall do," Frank said. "Mind you hold tight, Childers! You had +better turn round with your face to the cliff, so as to be able to +grip hold and steady yourself in case the waves come up high. The +tide will turn in three quarters of an hour at the outside. Now, +then, Ruthven, let's make a fight for it, old man." + +"What are you going to do, Frank?" + +"We will wade along here as far as we can towards the corner, and +than we must swim for it." + +"Don't you think it's possible to stay here," Ruthven said, "if +the tide will turn so soon?" + +"Quite impossible!" Frank said. "I have been nearly taken off my +feet twice already, and the water will rise a yard yet, at least. +We should be smashed against the rocks, even if we weren't drowned. It +must be tried, Ruthven. There is no other way for it. The distance +is a good deal farther than it would have been if we had started +at first; but it isn't the distance that makes much matter. We've +only got to go out a little way, and the tide will soon take us +around the point. Everything depends on you. I can take you round +the point, and land you safely enough, if you will lie quiet. If you +don't, you will drown both of us. So it's entirely in your hands. + +"Look out!" + +At this moment a larger wave than usual took both boys off their +legs, and dashed them with considerable force against the cliff. +Frank seized Ruthven, and assisted him to regain his feet. + +"Now, old fellow, let me put you on your back. I will lie on mine +and tow you along. Don't struggle; don't move; above all, don't try +and lift your head, and don't mind if a little water gets in your +mouth. Now!" + +For a moment Ruthven felt himself under water, and had to make a great +effort to restrain himself from struggling to come to the surface. +Then he felt himself lying on his back in the water, supported by +Frank. The motion was not unpleasant as he rose and fell on the +waves, although now and then a splash of water came over his face, +and made him cough and splutter for breath. He could see nothing but +the blue sky overhead, could feel nothing except that occasionally he +received a blow from one or other of Frank's knees, as the latter +swam beneath him, with Ruthven's head on his chest. It was a dreamy +sensation, and looking back upon it afterwards Ruthven could never +recall anything that he had thought of. It seemed simply a drowsy +pleasant time, except when occasionally a wave covered his face. +His first sensation was that of surprise when he felt the motion +change, and Frank lifted his head from the water and said, "Stand +up, old fellow. Thank God, here we are, safe!" + +Frank had indeed found the journey easier than that which he had +before undertaken with the others. He had scarcely tried to progress, +but had, after getting sufficiently far out to allow the tide to +take him round the point, drifted quietly. + +"I owe my life to you, Frank. I shall never forget it, old fellow." + +"It's been a close thing," Frank answered; "but you owe your life +as much to your own coolness as to me, and above all, Ruthven, +don't let us forget that we both owe our lives to God." + +"I sha'n't forget it," Ruthven said quietly, and they stood for a +few minutes without speaking. "Now, what had we better do? Shall +we start to run home?" + +"I can't," Frank laughed, for he had nothing on but his trousers. +These he had slipped on after the return from his first trip, +pushing the rest of his things into a crevice in the rocks as high +up as he could reach. + +"You had better take off your things, Ruthven, and lay them out +to dry in the sun. The boat will be here in half an hour. I wonder +how Childers is getting on!" + +"I think he will be safe," Ruthven said. "The tide will not rise +high enough for there to be much danger of his being washed off." + +"I don't think so either," Frank agreed, "or I would try and swim +back again; but I really don't think I could get round the point +against the tide again." + +In half an hour a boat rowing four oars was seen approaching. + +"They are laying out well," Ruthven said. "They couldn't row harder +if they were rowing a race. But had it not been for you, old fellow, +they would have been too late, as far as I am concerned." + +As the boat approached, the coxswain waved his hat to the boys. +Frank motioned with his arm for them to row on round the point. +The boat swept along at a short distance from the shore. The boys +watched them breathlessly. Presently as it reached the point they +saw the coxswain stand up and say something to the men, who glanced +over their shoulders as they rowed. Then the coxswain gave a loud +shout. "Hold on! We'll be with you directly." + +"Thank God!" Frank exclaimed, "Childers is all right." + +It was well, however, that the boat arrived when it did, for Childers +was utterly exhausted when it reached him. The sea had risen so +high that the waves broke against his feet, throwing the spray far +above his head, and often nearly washing him from the ledge on which +he stood. Had it not been, indeed, for the hold which he obtained +of the cliff, it would several times have swept him away. About +eighteen inches above his head he had found a ledge sufficiently +wide to give a grip for his hands, and hanging by these he managed +to retain his place when three times his feet were swept off the +rock by the rush of water. The tide was just on the turn when the +boat arrived, and so exhausted was he that he certainly would not +have been able to hold out for the half hour's buffeting to which +he would have been exposed before the water fell sufficiently to +leave him. After helping him into the boat the men gathered the +clothes jammed in fissures of the cliffs. These were, of course, +drenched with water, but had for the most part remained firm in +their places. They now pulled round to the spot where Frank and +Ruthven were awaiting them. + +"Childers must have been pretty nearly done," Frank said. "He must +be lying in the bottom of the boat." + +Childers gave a smile of pleasure as his schoolfellows jumped on +board. He had, glancing over his shoulder, seen them drift out of +sight round the point, and had felt certain that they had reached +shore. It was, however, a great pleasure to be assured of the fact. + +"You have made quite a stir upon the beach, young gentlemen," the +coxswain of the boat said. "When they two came running up without +their shoes or coats and said there were three of you cut off in +the bay under the Foreland, there didn't seem much chance for you. +It didn't take us two minutes to launch the boat, for there were +a score of hands helping to run her down; and my mates bent to it +well, I can tell you, though we didn't think it would be of any use. +We were glad when we made you two out on this side of the point. +Look, there's half Deal and Walmer coming along the shore." + +It was as the boatman said. Numbers of persons were streaming along +the beach, and loud were the cheers which rose as the coxswain +stood up and shouted in a stentorian voice, "All saved!" + +Frank put on his things as they approached Walmer. His shoes were +lost, as were those of Ruthven, and he had difficulty in getting his +arms into his wet and shrunken jacket. Quite a crowd were gathered +near the castle as the boat rowed to shore, and a hearty cheer arose +as it was run up on the shingle and the boys were helped out. Frank +and Ruthven, indeed, required no assistance. They were in no way +the worse for the adventure, but Childers was so weak that he was +unable to stand. He was carried up and laid on a fly, the others +sitting opposite, the driver having first taken the precaution of +removing the cushions. + +There were among the crowd most of the boys from Dr. Parker's. +Goodall and Jackson had arrived nearly an hour and a half before, +and the news had spread like wildfire. Bats and balls had been +thrown down and every one had hurried to the beach. Goodall and +his companion had already related the circumstance of their being +cut off by the water and taken round the point by Frank; and as +Ruthven on jumping out had explained to his comrades who flocked +round to shake his hand, "I owe my life to Hargate," the enthusiasm +reached boiling point, and Frank had difficulty in taking his place +in the fly, so anxious were all to shake his hand and pat him on +the shoulder. Had it not been for his anxiety to get home as soon +as possible, and his urgent entreaties, they would have carried him +on their shoulders in triumph through the town. They drove first to +the school, where Childers was at once carried up to a bed, which +had been prepared with warm blankets in readiness; Ruthven needed +only to change his clothes. + +The moment they had left the fly Frank drove straight home, and +was delighted at finding, from his mother's exclamation of surprise +as he alighted from the cab, that she had not been suffering any +anxiety, no one, in the general excitement, having thought of taking +the news to her. In answer to her anxious inquiries he made light +of the affair, saying only that they had stupidly allowed themselves +to be cut off by the sea and had got a ducking. It was not, indeed, +till the next morning, when the other four boys came around to tell +Mrs. Hargate that they were indebted to Frank for their lives, that +she had any notion that he had been in danger. + +Frank was quite oppressed by what he called the fuss which was +made over the affair. A thrilling description of it appeared in the +local papers. A subscription was got up in the school, and a gold +watch with an inscription was presented to him; and he received letters +of heart felt thanks from the parents of his four schoolfellows, +for Childers maintained that it was entirely to Frank's coolness +and thoughtfulness that his preservation was also due. + +On the following Wednesday the school broke up. Frank had several +invitations from the boys to spend his holidays with them; but he +knew how lonely his mother would feel in his absence, and he declined +all the invitations. Mrs. Hargate was far from strong, and had had +several fits of fainting. These, however, had taken place at times +when Frank was at school, and she had strictly charged her little +servant to say nothing about it. + +One day on returning from a long walk he saw the doctor's carriage +standing at the door. Just as he arrived the door opened and the +doctor came out. Upon seeing Frank he turned. + +"Come in here, my boy," he said. + +Frank followed him, and seeing that the blinds were down, went to +draw them up. The doctor laid his hand on his arm. + +"Never mind that," he said gently. + +"My boy," he said, "do you know that your mother has been for some +time ailing?" + +"No, indeed," Frank said with a gasp of pain and surprise. + +"It is so, my boy. I have been attending her for some time. She +has been suffering from fainting fits brought on by weakness of +the heart's action. Two hours since I was sent for and found her +unconscious. My poor boy, you must compose yourself. God is good and +merciful, though his decrees are hard to bear. Your mother passed +away quietly half an hour since, without recovering consciousness." + +Frank gave a short cry, and then sat stunned by the suddenness +of the blow. The doctor drew out a small case from his pocket and +poured a few drops from the phial into a glass, added some water, +and held it to Frank's lips. + +"Drink this, my boy," he said. + +Frank turned his head from the offered glass. He could not speak. + +"Drink this, my boy," the doctor said again; "it will do you good. +Try and be strong for the sake of your little sister, who has only +you in the world now." + +The thought of Lucy touched the right chord in the boy's heart, +and he burst into a passionate fit of crying. The doctor allowed +his tears to flow unchecked. + +"You will be better now," he said presently. "Now drink this, then +lie down on the sofa. We must not be having you ill, you know." + +Frank gulped down the contents of the glass, and, passive as a +child, allowed the doctor to place him upon the sofa. + +"God help and strengthen you, my poor boy," he said; "ask help from +Him." + +For an hour Frank lay sobbing on the sofa, and then, remembering +the doctor's last words, he knelt beside it and prayed for strength. + +A week had passed. The blinds were up again. Mrs. Hargate had been +laid in her last home, and Frank was sitting alone again in the +little parlor thinking over what had best be done. The outlook +was a dark one, enough to shake the courage of one much older than +Frank. His mother's pension, he knew, died with her. He had, on +the doctor's advice, written to the War Office on the day following +his mother's death, to inform the authorities of the circumstances, +and to ask if any pension could be granted to his sister. The reply +had arrived that morning and had relieved him of the greatest of +his cares. It stated that as he was now just fifteen years old he +was not eligible for a pension, but that twenty-five pounds a year +would be paid to his sister until she married or attained the age +of twenty-one. + +He had spoken to the doctor that morning, and the latter said that +he knew a lady who kept a small school, and who would, he doubted +not, be willing to receive Lucy and to board and clothe her for +that sum. She was a very kind and motherly person, and he was sure +that Lucy would be most kindly treated and cared for by her. It +was then of his own future only that Frank had to think. There were +but a few pounds in the house, but the letter from the War Office +inclosed a check for twenty pounds, as his mother's quarterly pension +was just due. The furniture of the little house would fetch but a +small sum, not more, Frank thought, than thirty or forty pounds. +There were a few debts to pay, and after all was settled up there +would remain about fifty pounds. Of this he determined to place +half in the doctor's hands for the use of Lucy. + +"She will want," he said to himself, "a little pocket money. It is +hard on a girl having no money to spend of her own. Then, as she +gets on, she may need lessons in something or other. Besides, half +the money rightly belongs to her, The question is, What am I to +do?" + + + +CHAPTER V: ALONE IN THE WORLD + + +"What am I to do?" + +A difficult question indeed, for a boy of fifteen, with but twenty-five +pounds, and without a friend in the world. Was he, indeed, without +a friend? he asked himself. There was Dr. Parker. Should he apply +to him? But the doctor had started for a trip on the Continent the +day after the school had broken up, and would not return for six +weeks. It was possible that, had he been at home, he might have +offered to keep Frank for a while; but the boys seldom stayed at +his school past the age of fifteen, going elsewhere to have their +education completed. What possible claim had he to quarter himself +upon the doctor for the next four years, even were the offer made? +No, Frank felt; he could not live upon the doctor's charity. Then +there were the parents of the boys he had saved from drowning. But +even as he sat alone Frank's face flushed at the thought of trading +upon services so rendered. The boy's chief fault was pride. It was +no petty feeling, and he had felt no shame at being poorer than +the rest of his schoolfellows. It was rather a pride which led him +unduly to rely upon himself, and to shrink from accepting favors +from any one. Frank might well, without any derogation, have written +to his friends, telling them of the loss he had suffered and the +necessity there was for him to earn his living, and asking them to +beg their fathers to use their interest to procure him a situation +as a boy clerk, or any other position in which he could earn his +livelihood. + +Frank, however, shrunk from making any such appeal, and determined +to fight his battle without asking for help. He knew nothing of his +parents' relations. His father was an only son, who had been left +early an orphan. His mother, too, had, he was aware, lost both +her parents, and he had never heard her speak of other relations. +There was no one, therefore, so far as he knew, to whom he could +appeal on the ground of ties of blood. It must be said for him +that he had no idea how hard was the task which he was undertaking. +It seemed to him that it must be easy for a strong, active lad to +find employment of some sort in London. What the employment might +be he cared little for. He had no pride of that kind, and so that +he could earn his bread he cared not much in what capacity he might +do it. + +Already preparations had been made for the sale of the furniture, +which was to take place next day. Everything was to be sold except +the scientific books which had belonged to his father. These had +been packed in a great box until the time when he might place them +in a library of his own, and the doctor kindly offered to keep it +for him until such time should arrive. Frank wrote a long letter +to Ruthven, telling him of his loss, and his reasons for leaving +Deal, and promising to write some day and tell him how he was +getting on in London. This letter he did not intend to post until +the last thing before leaving Deal. Lucy had already gone to her +new home, and Frank felt confident that she would be happy there. +His friend, the doctor, who had tried strongly, but without avail, to +dissuade Frank from going up to London to seek his fortune there, +had promised that if the lad referred any inquiries to him he would +answer for his character. + +He went down to the beach the last evening and said goodbye to his +friends among the fishermen, and he walked over in the afternoon +and took his last meal with Farmer Gregson. + +"Look ye here, my lad," the farmer said as they parted. "I tell ye, +from what I've heerd, this London be a hard nut to crack. There be +plenty of kernel, no doubt, when you can get at it, but it be hard +work to open the shell. Now, if so be as at any time you run short +of money, just drop me a line, and there's ten pound at your service +whenever you like. Don't you think it's an obligation. Quite the +other way. It would be a real pleasure to me to lend you a helping +hand." + +Two days after the sale Frank started for London. On getting out of +the train he felt strange and lonely amid the bustle and confusion +which was going on on the platform. The doctor had advised him to +ask one of the porters, or a policeman, if he could recommend him +to a quiet and respectable lodging, as expenses at an hotel would +soon make a deep hole in his money. He, therefore, as soon as the +crowd cleared away, addressed himself to one of the porters. + +"What sort of lodgings do you want, sir?" the man said, looking at +him rather suspiciously, with, as Frank saw, a strong idea in his +mind that he was a runaway schoolboy. + +"I only want one room," he said, "and I don't care how small it is, +so that it is clean and quiet. I shall be out all day, and should +not give much trouble." + +The porter went away and spoke to some of his mates, and presently +returned with one of them. + +"You're wanting a room I hear, sir," the man said. "I have a little +house down the Old Kent Road, and my missus lets a room or two. +It's quiet and clean, I'll warrant you. We have one room vacant at +present." + +"I'm sure that would suit me very well," Frank said. "How much do +you charge a week?" + +"Three and sixpence, sir, if you don't want any cooking done." + +Frank took the address, and leaving his portmanteau in charge of +the porter, who promised, unless he heard to the contrary, that +he would bring it home with him when he had done his work, he set +off from the station. + +Deal is one of the quietest and most dreary places on the coast of +England, and Frank was perfectly astounded at the crowd and bustle +which filled the street, when he issued from the railway approach, +at the foot of London Bridge. The porter had told him that he was +to turn to his left, and keep straight along until he reached the +"Elephant and Castle." He had, therefore, no trouble about his +road, and was able to give his whole attention to the sights which +met his eye. For a time the stream of omnibuses, cabs, heavy wagons, +and light carts, completely bewildered him, as did the throng of +people who hastened along the footway. He was depressed rather than +exhilarated at the sight of this busy multitude. He seemed such a +solitary atom in the midst of this great moving crowd. Presently, +however, the thought that where so many millions gained their living +there must be room for one boy more, somewhat cheered him. He was +a long time making his way to his place of destination, for he +stared into every shop window, and being, although he was perfectly +ignorant of the fact, on the wrong side of the pavement, he was +bumped and bustled continually, and was not long in arriving at +the conclusion that the people of London must be the roughest and +rudest in the world. It was not until he ran against a gentleman, +and was greeted with the angry, "now then, boy. Where are you going? +Why the deuce don't you keep on your own side of the pavement?" that +he perceived that the moving throng was divided into two currents, +that on the inside meeting him, while the outside stream was +proceeding in the same direction as himself. After this he got on +better, and arrived without adventure at the house of the porter, +in the Old Kent Road. + +It was a small house, but was clean and respectable, and Frank +found that the room would suit him well. + +"I do not wait upon the lodgers," the landlady said, "except to +make the beds and tidy the rooms in the morning. So if you want +breakfast and tea at home you will have to get them yourself. There +is a separate place downstairs for your coals. There are some tea +things, plates and dishes, in this cupboard. You will want to buy +a small tea kettle, and a gridiron, and a frying pan, in case you +want a chop or a rasher. Do you think you can cook them yourself?" + +"Frank, amused at the thought of cooking and catering for himself, +said boldly that he should soon learn. + +"You are a very young gentleman," the landlady said, eyeing him +doubtfully, "to be setting up on your own hook. I mean," she said, +seeing Frank look puzzled, "setting up housekeeping on your own +account. You will have to be particular careful with the frying +pan, because if you were to upset the fat in the fire you might +have the house in a blaze in a jiffey." + +Frank said that he would certainly be careful with the frying pan. + +"Well," she went on, "as you're a stranger to the place I don't +know as you could do better than get your tea, and sugar, and things +at the grocer's at the next corner. I deals there myself, and he +gives every satisfaction. My baker will be round in a few minutes, +and, if you likes, I can take in your bread for you. The same with +milk." + +These matters being arranged, and Frank agreeing at once to the +proposition that as he was a stranger it would make things more +comfortable were he to pay his rent in advance, found himself alone +in his new apartment. It was a room about ten feet square. The bed +occupied one corner, with the washstand at its foot. There was a +small table in front of the fireplace, and two chairs; a piece of +carpet half covered the floor, and these with the addition of the +articles in the cupboard constituted the furniture of the room. +Feeling hungry after his journey Frank resolved to go out at once +and get something to eat, and then to lay in a stock of provisions. +After some hesitation regarding the character of the meal he decided +upon two Bath buns, determining to make a substantial tea. He +laid in a supply of tea, sugar, butter, and salt, bought a little +kettle, a frying pan, and a gridiron. Then he hesitated as to +whether he should venture upon a mutton chop or some bacon, deciding +finally in favor of the latter, upon the reflection that any fellow +could see whether bacon were properly frizzled up, while as to +a chop there was no seeing anything about it till one cut it. He, +therefore, invested in a pound of prime streaky Wiltshire bacon, +the very best, as the shopman informed him, that could be bought. +He returned carrying all his purchases, with the exception of the +hardware. Then he inquired of his landlady where he could get coal. + +"The green grocer's round the corner," the landlady said. "Tell +him to send in a hundredweight of the best, that's a shilling, and +you'll want some firewood too." + +The coal arrived in the course of the afternoon, and at half past +six the porter came in with Frank's trunk. He had by this time lit +a fire, and while the water was boiling got some of his things out +of the box, and by hanging some clothes on the pegs on the back +of the door, and by putting the two or three favorite books he had +brought with him on to the mantelpiece, he gave the room a more +homelike appearance. He enjoyed his tea all the more from the +novelty of having to prepare it himself, and succeeded very fairly +for a first attempt with his bacon. + +When tea was over he first washed up the things and then started for +a ramble. He followed the broad straight road to Waterloo Bridge, +stood for a long time looking at the river, and then crossed into +the Strand. The lamps were now alight and the brightness and bustle +of the scene greatly interested him. At nine o'clock he returned +to his lodgings, but was again obliged to sally out, as he found +he had forgotten candles. + +After breakfast next morning he went out and bought a newspaper, +and set himself to work to study the advertisements. He was dismayed +to find how many more applicants there were for places than places +requiring to be filled. All the persons advertising were older than +himself, and seemed to possess various accomplishments in the way +of languages; many too could be strongly recommended from their +last situation. The prospect did not look hopeful. In the first +place he had looked to see if any required boy clerks, but this +species of assistant appeared little in demand; and then, although +he hoped that it would not come to that, he ran his eye down the +columns to see if any required errand boys or lads in manufacturing +businesses. He found, however, no such advertisements. However, as +he said to himself, it could not be expected that he should find a +place waiting for him on the very day after his arrival, and that +he ought to be able to live for a year on his five and twenty +pounds; at this reflection his spirits rose and he went out again +for a walk. + +For the first week, indeed, of his arrival in London Frank did +not set himself very earnestly to work to look for a situation. +In his walks about the streets he several times observed cards in +the window indicating that an errand boy was wanted. He resolved, +however, that this should be the last resource which he would +adopt, as he would much prefer to go to work as a common lad in a +factory to serving in a shop. After the first week he answered many +advertisements, but in no case received a reply. In one case, in +which it was stated that a lad who could write a good fast hand +was required in an office, wages to begin with eight shillings a +week, he called two days after writing. It was a small office with +a solitary clerk sitting in it. The latter, upon learning Frank's +business, replied with some exasperation that his mind was being +worried out by boys. + +"We have had four hundred and thirty letters," he said; "and I should +think that a hundred boys must have called. We took the first who +applied, and all the other letters were chucked into the fire as +soon as we saw what they were about." + +Frank returned to the street greatly disheartened. + +"Four hundred and thirty letters!" he said. "Four hundred and +thirty other fellows on the lookout, just as I am, for a place as +a boy clerk, and lots of them, no doubt, with friends and relations +to recommend them! The lookout seems to be a bad one." + +Two days later, when Frank was walking along the strand he noticed +the placards in front of a theater. + +"Gallery one shilling!" he said to himself; "I will go. I have +never seen a theater yet." + +The play was The Merchant of Venice, and Frank sat in rapt attention +and interest through it. When the performance was over he walked +briskly homewards. When he had proceeded some distance he saw a +glare in the sky ahead, and presently a steam engine dashed past +him at full speed. + +"That must be a house on fire," he said. "I have never seen a fire;" +and he broke into a run. + +Others were running in the same direction, and as he passed the +"Elephant and Castle" the crowd became thicker, and when within +fifty yards of the house he could no longer advance. He could see +the flames now rising high in the air. A horrible fear seized him. + +"It must be," he exclaimed to himself, "either our house or the +one next door." + +It was in vain that he pressed forward to see more nearly. A line +of policemen was drawn up across the road to keep a large space +clear for the firemen. Behind the policemen the crowd were thickly +packed. Frank inquired of many who stood near him if they could +tell him the number of the house which was on fire; but none could +inform him. + +Presently the flames began to die away, and the crowd to disperse. +At length Frank reached the first line of spectators. + +"Can you tell me the number of the houses which are burned?" Frank +said to a policeman. + +"There are two of them," the policeman said "a hundred and four +and a hundred and five. A hundred and four caught first, and they +say that a woman and two children have been burned to death." + +"That is where I live!" Frank cried. "Oh, please let me pass!" + +"I'll pass you in," the policeman said good naturedly, and he led +him forward to the spot where the engines were playing upon the +burning houses. "Is it true, mate," he asked a fireman, "that a +woman and two children have been burned?" + +"It's true enough," the fireman said. "The landlady and her +children. Her husband was a porter at the railway station, and had +been detained on overtime. He only came back a quarter of an hour +ago, and he's been going on like a madman;" and he pointed to the +porter, who was sitting down on the doorsteps of a house facing +his own, with his face hidden in his hands. + +Frank went and sat down beside him. + +"My poor fellow," he said, "I am sorry for you." + +Frank had had many chats with his landlord of an evening, and had +become quite friendly with him and his wife. + +"I can't believe it," the man said huskily. "Just to think! When I +went out this morning there was Jane and the kids, as well and as +happy as ever, and there, where are they now?" + +"Happier still," Frank said gently. "I lost my mother just as +suddenly only five weeks ago. I went out for a walk, leaving her +as well as usual, and when I came back she was dead; so I can feel +for you with all my heart." + +"I would have given my life for them," the man said, wiping his +eyes, "willing." + +"I'm sure you would," Frank answered. + +"There's the home gone," the man said, "with all the things that +it took ten years' savings of Jane and me to buy; not that that +matters one way or the other now. And your traps are gone, too, I +suppose, sir." + +"Yes," Frank replied quietly, "I have lost my clothes and twenty-three +pounds in money; every penny I've got in the world except half a +crown in my pocket." + +"And you don't say nothing about it!" the man said, roused into +animation. "But, there, perhaps you've friends as will make it up +to you." + +"I have no one in the world," Frank answered, "whom I could ask to +give me a helping hand." + +"Well, you are a plucky chap," the man said. "That would be a knock +down blow to a man, let alone a boy like you. What are you going +to do now?" he asked, forgetting for the moment his own loss, in +his interest in his companion. + +"I don't know," Frank replied. "Perhaps," he added, seeing that the +interest in his condition roused the poor fellow from the thought +of his own deep sorrow, "you might give me some advice. I was thinking +of getting a place in an office, but of course I must give that up +now, and should be thankful to get anything by which I can earn my +bread." + +"You come along with me," the man said rising. "You've done me +a heap of good. It's no use sitting here. I shall go back to the +station, and turn in on some sacks. If you've nothing better to +do, and nowhere to go to, you come along with me. We will talk it +all over." + +Pleased to have some one to talk to, and glad that he should not +have to look for a place to sleep, Frank accompanied the porter to +the station. With a word or two to the nightmen on duty, the porter +led the way to a shed near the station, where a number of sacks +were heaped in a corner. + +"Now," the man said, "I will light a pipe. It's against the +regulations, but that's neither here nor there now. Now, if you're +not sleepy, would you mind talking to me? Tell me something about +yourself, and how you come to be alone here in London. It does me +good to talk. It prevents me from thinking." + +"There is very little to tell," Frank said; and he related to him +the circumstances of the deaths of his father and mother, and how +it came that he was alone in London in search of a place. + +"You're in a fix," the porter said. + +"Yes, I can see that." + +"You see you're young for most work, and you never had no practice +with horses, or you might have got a place to drive a light cart. +Then, again, your knowing nothing of London is against you as an +errand boy; and what's worse than all this, anyone can see with +half an eye that you're a gentleman, and not accustomed to hard +work. However, we will think it over. The daylight's breaking now, +and I has to be at work at six. But look ye here, young fellow, +tomorrow I've got to look for a room, and when I gets it there's +half of it for you, if you're not too proud to accept it. It will +be doing me a real kindness, I can tell you, for what I am to do +alone of an evening without Jane and the kids, God knows. I can't +believe they're gone yet." + +Then the man threw himself down upon the sacks, and broke into +sobs. Frank listened for half an hour till these gradually died +away, and he knew by the regular breathing that his companion was +asleep. It was long after this before be himself closed his eyes. +The position did, indeed, appear a dark one. Thanks to the offer +of his companion, which he at once resolved to accept for a time, +he would have a roof to sleep under. But this could not last; and +what was he to do? Perhaps he had been wrong in not writing at once +to Ruthven and his schoolfellows. He even felt sure he had been +wrong; but it would be ten times as hard to write now. He would +rather starve than do this. How was he to earn his living? He +would, he determined, at any rate try for a few days to procure a +place as an errand boy. If that failed, he would sell his clothes, +and get a rough working suit. He was sure that he should have more +chance of obtaining work in such a dress than in his present attire. + +Musing thus, Frank at last dropped off to sleep. When he woke he +found himself alone, his companion having left without disturbing +him. From the noises around him of trains coming in and out, Frank +judged that the hour was late. + +"I have done one wise thing," he said, "anyhow, and as far as I +can see it's the only one, in leaving my watch with the doctor to +keep. He pointed out that I might have it stolen if I carried it, +and that there was no use in keeping it shut up in a box. Very +possibly it might be stolen by the dishonesty of a servant. That's +safe anyhow, and it is my only worldly possession, except the books, +and I would rather go into the workhouse than part with either of +them." + +Rising, he made his way into the station, where he found the porter +at his usual work. + +"I would not wake you," the man said; "you were sleeping so quiet, +and I knew 'twas no use your getting up early. I shall go out and +settle for a room at dinner time. If you will come here at six +o'clock we'll go off together. The mates have all been very kind, +and have been making a collection to bury my poor girl and the kids. +They've found 'em, and the inquest is tomorrow, so I shall be off +work. The governor has offered me a week; but there, I'd rather be +here where there's no time for thinking, than hanging about with +nothing to do but to drink." + + + +CHAPTER VI: THE FIRST STEP + + +All that day Frank tramped the streets. He went into many shops +where he saw notices that an errand boy was required, but everywhere +without success. He perceived at once that his appearance was +against him, and he either received the abrupt answer of, "You're +not the sort of chap for my place," or an equally decided refusal +upon the grounds that he did not know the neighborhood, or that +they preferred one who had parents who lived close by and could +speak for him. + +At six o'clock he rejoined the porter. He brought with him some +bread and butter and a piece of bacon. When, on arriving at the +lodging of his new friend, a neat room with two small beds in it, +he produced and opened his parcel, the porter said angrily, "Don't +you do that again, young fellow, or we shall have words. You're +just coming to stop with me for a bit till you see your way, and +I'm not going to have you bring things in here. My money is good +for two months, and your living here with me won't cost three +shillings a week. So don't you hurt my feelings by bringing things +home again. There, don't say no more about it." + +Frank, seeing that his companion was really in earnest, said no +more, and was the less reluctant to accept the other's kindness +as he saw that his society was really a great relief to him in his +trouble. After the meal they sallied out to a second hand clothes +shop. Here Frank disposed of his things, and received in return a +good suit of clothes fit for a working lad. + +"I don't know how it is," the porter said as they sat together +afterwards, "but a gentleman looks like a gentleman put him in +what clothes you will. I could have sworn to your being that if +I'd never seen you before. I can't make it out, I don't know what +it is, but there's certainly something in gentle blood, whatever +you may say about it. Some of my mates are forever saying that one +man's as good as another. Now I don't mean to say they ain't as +good; but what I say is, as they ain't the same. One man ain't the +same as another any more than a race horse is the same as a cart +horse. They both sprang from the same stock, at least so they says; +but breeding and feeding and care has made one into a slim boned +creature as can run like the wind, while the other has got big +bones and weight and can drag his two ton after him without turning +a hair. Now, I take it, it's the same thing with gentlefolks +and working men. It isn't that one's bigger than the other, for I +don't see much difference that way; but a gentleman's lighter in +the bone, and his hands and his feet are smaller, and he carries +himself altogether different. His voice gets a different tone. Why, +Lord bless you, when I hears two men coming along the platform at +night, even when I can't see 'em, and can't hear what they says, +only the tone of their voices, I knows just as well whether it's +a first class or a third door as I've got to open as if I saw 'em +in the daylight. Rum, ain't it?" + +Frank had never thought the matter out, and could only give his +general assent to his companion's proposition. + +"Now," the porter went on, "if you go into a factory or workshop, +I'll bet a crown to a penny that before you've been there a week +you'll get called Gentleman Jack, or some such name. You see if +you ain't." + +"I don't care what they call me," Frank laughed, "so that they'll +take me into the factory." + +"All in good time," the porter said; "don't you hurry yourself. As +long as you can stay here you'll be heartily welcome. Just look what +a comfort it is to have you sitting here sociable and comfortable. +You don't suppose I could have sat here alone in this room if you +hadn't been here? I should have been in a public house making a +beast of myself, and spending as much money as would keep the pair +of us." + +Day after day Frank went out in search of work. In his tramps he +visited scores of workshops and factories, but without success. +Either they did not want boys, or they declined altogether to take +one who had no experience in work, and had no references in the +neighborhood. Frank took his breakfast and tea with the porter, +and was glad that the latter had his dinner at the station, as a +penny loaf served his purposes. One day in his walks Frank entered +Covent Garden and stood looking on at the bustle and flow of +business, for it happened to be market day. He leaned against one +of the columns of the piazza, eating the bread he had just bought. +Presently a sharp faced lad, a year or two younger than himself, +came up to him. + +"Give us a hit," he said, "I ain't tasted nothing today." + +Frank broke the bread in half and gave a portion to him. + +"What a lot there is going on here!" Frank said. + +"Law!" the boy answered, "that ain't nothing to what it is of a +morning. That's the time, 'special on the mornings of the flower +market. It's hard lines if a chap can't pick up a tanner or even +a bob then." + +"How?" Frank asked eagerly. + +"Why, by holding horses, helping to carry out plants, and such like. +You seems a green 'un, you do. Up from the country, eh? Don't seem +like one of our sort." + +"Yes," Frank said, "I'm just up from the country. I thought it +would be easy to get a place in London, but I don't find it so." + +"A place!" the boy repeated scornfully. "I should like any one +to see me in a place. It's better a hundred times to be your own +master." + +"Even if you do want a piece of bread sometimes?" Frank put in. + +"Yes," the boy said. "When it ain't market day and ye haven't saved +enough to buy a few papers or boxes of matches it does come hard. +In winter the times is bad, but in summer we gets on fairish, and +there ain't nothing to grumble about. Are you out of work yourself?" + +"Yes," Frank answered, "I'm on the lookout for a job." + +"You'd have a chance here in the morning," said the boy, looking +at him. "You look decent, and might get a job unloading. They won't +have us at no price, if they can help it." + +"I will come and try anyhow," Frank said. + +That evening Frank told his friend, the porter, that he thought of +going out early next morning to try and pick up odd jobs at Covent +Garden. + +"Don't you think of it," the porter said. "There's nothing worse +for a lad than taking to odd jobs. It gets him into bad ways and +bad company. Don't you hurry. I have spoken to lots of my mates, +and they're all on the lookout for you. We on the platform can't do +much. It ain't in our line, you see; but in the goods department, +where they are constant with vans and wagons and such like, they +are likely enough to hear of something before long." + +That night, thinking matters over in bed, Frank determined to go +down to the docks and see if he could get a place as cabin boy. +He had had this idea in his mind ever since he lost his money, and +had only put it aside in order that he might, if possible, get some +berth on shore which might seem likely in the end to afford him a +means of making his way up again. It was not that he was afraid of +the roughness of a cabin boy's life; it was only because he knew +that it would be so very long before, working his way up from boy +to able bodied seaman, he could obtain a mate's certificate, and +so make a first step up the ladder. However, he thought that even +this would be better than going as a wagoner's boy, and he accordingly +crossed London Bridge, turned down Eastcheap, and presently found +himself in Ratcliff Highway. He was amused here at the nautical +character of the shops, and presently found himself staring into +a window full of foreign birds, for the most part alive in cages, +among which, however, were a few cases of stuffed birds. + +"How stupid I have been!" he thought to himself. "I wonder I never +thought of it before! I can stuff birds and beasts at any rate a +deal better than those wooden looking things. I might have a chance +of getting work at some naturalist's shop. I will get a directory +and take down all the addresses in London, and then go around." + +He now became conscious of a conversation going on between a little +old man with a pair of thick horn rimmed spectacles and a sailor +who had a dead parrot and a cat in his hand. + +"I really cannot undertake them," the old man said. "Since the +death of my daughter I have had but little time to attend to that +branch. What with buying and selling, and feeding and attending to +the live ones, I have no time for stuffing. Besides, if the things +were poisoned, they would not be worth stuffing." + +"It isn't the question of worth, skipper," the sailor said; "and +I don't say, mind ye, that these here critturs was pisoned, only +if you looks at it that this was the noisiest bird and the worst +tempered thievingest cat in the neighborhood--though, Lord bless +you, my missus wouldn't allow it for worlds--why, you know, when +they were both found stiff and cold this morning people does have +a sort of a suspicion as how they've been pisoned;" and he winked +one eye in a portentous manner, and grinned hugely. "The missus +she's in a nice taking, screeching, and yelling as you might hear +her two cables' length away, and she turns round on me and will have +it as I'd a hand in the matter. Well, just to show my innocence, +I offers to get a glass case for 'em and have 'em stuffed, if it +cost me a couple of pounds. I wouldn't care if they fell all to +pieces a week afterwards, so that it pacified the old woman just +at present. If I can't get 'em done I shall ship at once, for the +place will be too hot to hold me. So you can't do it nohow?" + +The old man shook his head, and the sailor was just turning off +when Frank went up to him: + +"Will you please wait a moment? Can I speak to you, sir, a minute?" +he asked the old man. + +The naturalist went into his shop, and Frank followed him. + +"I can stuff birds and animals, sir," he said. "I think I really +stuff them well, for some which I did for amusement were sold at +ten shillings a case, and the man who bought them of me told me +they would be worth four times as much in London. I am out of work, +sir, and very very anxious to get my living. You will find me hard +working and honest. Do give me a chance. Let me stuff that cat and +parrot for the sailor. If you are not satisfied then, I will go +away and charge nothing for it." + +The man looked at him keenly. + +"I will at any rate give you a trial," he said. Then he went to +the door and called in the sailor. "This lad tells me he can stuff +birds. I know nothing about him, but I believe he is speaking +truthfully. If you like to intrust them to him he will do his best. +If you're not satisfied he will make no charge." + +Much pleased at seeing a way out of his dilemma, the sailor placed +the dead animals on the counter. + +"Now," the old man said to Frank, "you can take these out into the +back yard and skin them. Then you can go to work in that back room. +You will find arsenical soap, cotton wool, wires, and everything +else you require there. This has been a fine cat," he said, looking +at the animal. + +"Yes, it has been a splendid creature," Frank answered. "It is a +magnificent macaw also." + +"Ah! you know it is a macaw!" the old man said. + +"Of course," Frank said simply; "it has a tail." + +The old man then furnished Frank with two or three sharp knives +and scissors. Taking the bird and cat, he went out into the yard +and in the course of an hour had skinned them both. Then he returned +to the shop and set to work in the room behind. + +"May I make a group of them?" he asked. + +"Do them just as you like," the old man said. + +After settling upon his subject, Frank set to work, and, except +that he went out for five minutes to buy and eat a penny loaf, +continued his work till nightfall. The old man came in several +times to look at him, but each time went out again without making +a remark. At six o'clock Frank laid down his tools. + +"I will come again tomorrow, sir," he said. + +The old man nodded, and Frank went home in high spirits. There was +a prospect at last of getting something to do, and that in a line +most congenial to his own tastes. + +The old man looked up when he entered next morning. + +"I shall not come in today," he remarked. "I will wait to see them +finished." + +Working without interruption till the evening, Frank finished +them to his satisfaction, and enveloped them with many wrappings +of thread to keep them in precisely the attitudes in which he had +placed them. + +"They are ready for drying now, sir," he said. "If I might place +them in an oven they would be dried by morning." + +The old man led the way to the kitchen, where a small fire was +burning. + +"I shall put no more coals on the fire," he said, "and it will be +out in a quarter of an hour. Put them in there and leave the door +open. I will close it in an hour when the oven cools." + +The next day Frank was again at work. It took him all day to get +fur and feather to lie exactly as he wished them. In the afternoon +he asked the naturalist for a piece of flat board, three feet long, +and a perch, but said that instead of the piece of board he should +prefer mounting them in a case at once. The old man had not one +in the shop large enough, and therefore Frank arranged his group +temporarily on the table. On the board lay the cat. At first sight +she seemed asleep, but it was clearly only seeming. Her eyes were +half open, the upper lip was curled up, and the sharp teeth showed. +The hind feet were drawn somewhat under her as in readiness for +an instant spring. Her front paws were before her, the talons were +somewhat stretched, and one paw was curved. Her ears lay slightly +back. She was evidently on the point of springing. The macaw perch, +which had been cut down to a height of two feet, stood behind her. +The bird hung by its feet, and, head downwards, stretched with +open beak towards the tip of the cat's tail, which was slightly +uplifted. On a piece of paper Frank wrote, "Dangerous Play." + +It was evening before he had finished perfectly to his satisfaction. +Then he called the naturalist in. The old man stopped at the door, +surveying the group. Then he entered and examined it carefully. + +"Wonderful!" he said. "Wonderful! I should have thought them alive. +There is not a shop in the West End where it could have been turned +out better, if so well. + +"Lad, you are a wonder! Tell me now who and what are you? I saw +when you first addressed me that you were not what you seemed to +be, a working lad." + +"I have been well educated," Frank said, "and was taught to preserve +and stuff by my father, who was a great naturalist. My parents +died suddenly, and I was left on my own resources, which," he +said, smiling faintly, "have hitherto proved of very small avail. +I am glad you are pleased. If you will take me into your service I +will work hard and make myself useful in every way. If you require +references I can refer you to the doctor who attended us in the +country; but I have not a single friend in London except a railway +porter, who has most kindly and generously taken me in and sheltered +me for the last two months." + +"I need no references," the old man said; "your work speaks for +itself as to your skill, and your face for your character. But I +can offer you nothing fit for you. With such a genius as you have +for setting up animals, you ought to be able to earn a good income. +Not one man in a thousand can make a dead animal look like a live +one. You have the knack or the art." + +"I shall be very content with anything you can give me," Frank said; +"for the present I only ask to earn my living. If later on I can, +as you say, do more, all the better." + +The old man stood for some time thinking, and presently said, "I +do but little except in live stock. When I had my daughter with me +I did a good deal of stuffing, for there is a considerable trade +hereabout. The sailors bring home skins of foreign birds, and want +them stuffed and put in cases, as presents for their wives and +sweethearts. You work fast as well as skillfully. I have known men +who would take a fortnight to do such a group as that, and then it +would be a failure. It will be quite a new branch for my trade. I +do not know how it will act yet, but to begin with I will give you +twelve shillings a week, and a room upstairs. If it succeeds we +will make other arrangements. I am an old man, and a very lonely +one. I shall be glad to have such a companion." + +Frank joyfully embraced the offer, and ran all the way home to tell +his friend, the porter, of the engagement. + +"I am very glad," the man said; "heartily glad. I shall miss you +sorely. I do not know what I should have done without you when I +first lost poor Jane and the kids. But now I can go back to my old +ways again." + +"Perhaps," Frank suggested, "you might arrange to have a room also +in the house. It would not be a very long walk, not above twenty or +five and twenty minutes, and I should be so glad to have you with +me." + +The man sat silent for a time. "No," he said at last, "I thank you +all the same. I should like it too, but I don't think it would be +best in the end. Here all my mates live near, and I shall get on +in time. The Christmas holiday season will soon be coming on and +we shall be up working late. If you were always going to stop at +the place you are going to, it would be different; but you will +rise, never fear. I shall be seeing you in gentleman's clothes +again some of these days. I've heard you say you were longing to +get your books and to be studying again, and you'll soon fall into +your own ways; but if you will let me, I'll come over sometimes and +have a cup of tea and a chat with you. Now, look here, I'm going +out with you now, and I'm going to buy you a suit of clothes, +something like what you had on when I first saw you. They won't +be altogether unsuitable in a shop. This is a loan, mind, and you +may pay me off as you get flush." + +Frank saw he should hurt the good fellow's feelings by refusing, and +accordingly went out with him, and next morning presented himself +at the shop in a quiet suit of dark gray tweed, and with his other +clothes in a bundle. + +"Aha!" said the old man; "you look more as you ought to do now, +though you're a cut above an assistant in a naturalist's shop in +Ratcliff Highway. Now, let me tell you the names of some of these +birds. They are, every one of them, foreigners; some of them I +don't know myself." + +"I can tell all the family names," Frank said quietly, "and the +species, but I do not know the varieties." + +"Can you!" the old man said in surprise. "What is this now?" + +"That is a mockingbird, the great black capped mockingbird, I think. +The one next to it is a golden lory." + +So Frank went round all the cages and perches in the shop. + +"Right in every case," the old man said enthusiastically; "I shall +have nothing to teach you. The sailor has been here this morning. +I offered him two pounds for the cat and bird to put in my front +window, but he would not take it, and has paid me that sum for +your work. Here it is. This is yours, you know. You were not in my +employment then, and you will want some things to start with, no +doubt. Now come upstairs, I will show you your room. I had intended +at first to give you the one at the back, but I have decided now +on giving you my daughter's. I think you will like it." + +Frank did like it greatly. It was the front room on the second +floor. The old man's daughter had evidently been a woman of taste +and refinement. The room was prettily papered, a quiet carpet +covered the floor, and the furniture was neat and in good keeping. +Two pairs of spotless muslin curtains hung across the windows. + +"I put them up this morning," the old man said, nodding. "I have +got the sheets and bedding airing in the kitchen. They have not +been out of the press for the last three years. You can cook in +the kitchen. There is always a fire there. + +"Now, the first thing to do," he went on when they returned to +the shop, "will be for you to mount a dozen cases for the windows. +These drawers are full of skins of birds and small animals. I get +them for next to nothing from the sailors, and sell them to furriers +and feather preparers, who supply ladies' hat and bonnet makers. In +future, I propose that you shall mount them and sell them direct. +We shall get far higher prices than we do now. I seem to be putting +most of the work on your shoulders, but do not want you to help me +in the shop. I will look after the birds and buy and sell as I used +to do; you will have the back room private to yourself for stuffing +and mounting." + +Frank was delighted at this allotment of labor, and was soon at +work rummaging the drawers and picking out specimens for mounting, +and made a selection sufficient to keep him employed for weeks. That +evening he sallied out and expended his two pounds in underlinen, +of which he was sorely in need. As he required them his employer +ordered showcases for the window, of various sizes, getting the +backgrounds painted and fitted up as Frank suggested. + +Frank did not get on so fast with his work as he had hoped, +for the fame of the sailor's cat and macaw spread rapidly in the +neighborhood, and there was a perfect rush of sailors and their +wives anxious to have birds and skins, which had been brought from +abroad, mounted. The sailor himself looked in one day. + +"If you like another two pounds for that 'ere cat, governor, I'm +game to pay you. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. +Every one's wanting to see 'em, and there's the old woman dressed +up in her Sunday clothes a-sitting in the parlor as proud as a +peacock a showing of 'em off. The house ain't been so quiet since +I married. Them animals would be cheap to me at a ten pound note. +They'll get you no end of orders, I can tell you." + +The orders, indeed, came in much faster than Frank could fulfill +them, although he worked twelve hours a day; laying aside all other +work, however, for three hours in order to devote himself to the +shop cases, which were to be chef d'oeuvres. + + + +CHAPTER VII: AN OLD FRIEND + + +For three months Frank passed a quiet and not unpleasant life with +the old naturalist in Ratcliff Highway. The latter took a great +liking to him, and treated him like a son rather than an assistant. +The two took their meals together now, and Frank's salary had been +raised from twelve to eighteen shillings a week. So attractive +had the cases in the windows proved that quite a little crowd +was generally collected round them, and the business had greatly +augmented. The old naturalist was less pleased at this change than +most men would have been in his position. He had got into a groove +and did not care to get out of it. He had no relatives or any one +dependent on him, and he had been well content to go on in a jog +trot way, just paying his expenses of shop and living. The extra +bustle and push worried rather than pleased him. + +"I am an old man," he said to Frank one day, as after the shop was +closed they sat over their tea. "I have no motive in laying by +money, and had enough for my wants. I was influenced more by my +liking for your face and my appreciation of your talent, than by +any desire of increasing my business. I am taking now three times +as much as I did before. Now I should not mind, indeed, I should +be glad, if I thought that you would succeed me here as a son would +do. I would gladly take you into partnership with me, and you would +have the whole business after my death. But I know, my boy, that +it wouldn't do. I know that the time will come when you will not +be content with so dull a life here. You will either get an offer +from some West End house which would open higher prospects to you, +or you will be wandering away as a collector. In any case you would +not stop here, of that I am quite sure, and therefore do not care, +as I should have done, had you been my son, for the increase of +the business. As it is, lad, I could not even wish to see you waste +your life here." + +Frank, after he was once fairly settled at his new work, had written +to his friend the doctor, at Deal, telling him of the position +he had taken, and that he was in a fair way to make at least a +comfortable living, and that at a pursuit of which he was passionately +fond. He asked him, however, while writing to him from time to time +to give him news of his sister, not to tell any one his address, +as although he was not ashamed of his berth, still he would rather +that, until he had made another step up in life, his old schoolfellows +should not know of his whereabouts. He had also written to his +friend Ruthven a bright chatty letter, telling him somewhat of his +adventures in London and the loss of his money, and saying that +he had now got employment at a naturalist's, with every chance of +making his way. + +"When I mount a bit higher," he concluded, "I shall be awfully glad +to see you again, and will let you know what my address may then +be. For the present I had rather keep it dark. If you will write +to me, addressed to the General Post Office, telling me all about +yourself and the fellows at school, I shall be very, very glad to +get your letter. I suppose you will be breaking up for Christmas +in a few days." + +Christmas came and went. It was signalized to Frank only by the +despatch of a pretty present to Lucy, and the receipt of a letter +from her written in a round childish hand. A week afterwards he +heard somebody come into the shop. His employer was out, and he +therefore went into the shop. + +"I knew it was!" shouted a voice. "My dear old Frank, how are you?" +and his hand was warmly clasped in that of Ruthven. + +"My dear Ruthven," was all Frank could say. + +"I had intended," Ruthven exclaimed, "to punch your head directly +I found you; but I am too glad to do it, though you deserve it +fifty times over. What a fellow you are! I wouldn't have believed +it of you, running away in that secret sort of way and letting none +of us know anything about you. Wasn't I angry, and sorry too, when +I got the letter you wrote me from Deal! When I went back to school +and found that not even Dr. Parker, not even your sister, knew +where you were, I was mad. So were all the other fellows. However, +I said I would find you wherever you had hidden yourself." + +"But how did you find me?" Frank asked greatly moved at the warmth +of his schoolfellow's greeting. + +"Oh! it wasn't so very difficult to find you when once I got your +letter saying what you were doing. The very day I came up to town +I began to hunt about. I found from the Directory there were not +such a great number of shops where they stuffed birds and that +sort of thing. I tried the places in Bond Street, and Piccadilly, +and Wigmore Street, and so on to begin with. Then I began to work +east, and directly I saw the things in the window here I felt sure +I had found you at last. You tiresome fellow! Here I have wasted +nearly half my holidays looking for you." + +"I am so sorry, Ruthven." + +"Sorry! you ought to be more than sorry. You ought to be ashamed +of yourself, downright ashamed. But, there, I won't say any more +now. Now, can't you come out with me?" + +"No, I can't come out now, Ruthven; but come into this room with +me." + +There for the next hour they chatted, Frank giving a full account +of all he had gone through since he came up to town, while Ruthven +gave him the gossip of the half year at school. + +"Well," Ruthven said at last, "this old Horton of yours must be a +brick. Still, you know, you can't stop here all your life. You must +come and talk it over with my governor." + +"Oh, no, indeed, Ruthven! I am getting on very well here, and am +very contented with my lot, and I could not think of troubling your +father in the matter." + +"Well, you will trouble him a great deal," Ruthven said, "if you +don't come, for you will trouble him to come all the way down here. +He was quite worried when he first heard of your disappearance, +and has been almost as excited as I have over the search for you. + +"You are really a foolish fellow, Frank," he went on more seriously; "I +really didn't think it of you. Here you save the lives of four or +five fellows and put all their friends under a tremendous obligation, +and then you run away and hide yourself as if you were ashamed. I +tell you you can't do it. A fellow has no more right to get rid of +obligations than he has to run away without paying his debts. It +would be a burden on your mind if you had a heavy debt you couldn't +pay, and you would have a right to be angry if, when you were +perfectly able to pay, your creditor refused to take the money. +That's just the position in which you've placed my father. Well, +anyhow, you've got to come and see him, or he's got to come and +see you. I know he has something in his mind's eye which will just +suit you, though he did not tell me what it was. For the last day +or two he has been particularly anxious about finding you. Only +yesterday when I came back and reported that I had been to half a +dozen places without success, he said, 'Confound the young rascal, +where can he be hiding? Here are the days slipping by and it will +be too late. If you don't find him in a day or two, Dick, I will +set the police after him--say he has committed a murder or broken +into a bank and offer a reward for his apprehension.' So you must +either come home with me this afternoon, or you will be having my +father down here tonight." + +"Of course, Ruthven," Frank said, "I would not put your father to +such trouble. He is very kind to have taken so much interest in +me, only I hate--" + +"Oh, nonsense! I hate to see such beastly stuck up pride, putting +your own dignity above the affection of your friends; for that's +really what it comes to, old boy, if you look it fairly in the +face." + +Frank flushed a little and was silent for a minute or two. + +"I suppose you are right, Ruthven; but it is a little hard for a +fellow--" + +"Oh, no, it isn't," Ruthven said. "If you'd got into a scrape from +some fault of your own one could understand it, although even then +there would be no reason for you to cut your old friends till they +cut you. Young Goodall, who lives over at Bayswater, has been over +four or five times to ask me if I have succeeded in finding you, +and I have had letters from Handcock, and Childers, and Jackson. +Just as if a fellow had got nothing to do but to write letters. +How long will you be before you can come out?" + +"There is Mr. Horton just come in," Frank said. "I have no doubt +he will let me go at once." + +The old naturalist at once assented upon Frank's telling him that +a friend had come who wished him to go out. + +"Certainly, my dear boy. Why, working the hours and hours of +overtime that you do, of course you can take a holiday whenever +you're disposed." + +"He will not be back till late," Ruthven said as they went out. "I +shall keep him all the evening." + +"Oh, indeed, Ruthven, I have no clothes!" + +"Clothes be bothered," Ruthven said. "I certainly shall end by +punching your head, Frank, before the day's out." + +Frank remonstrated no more, but committed himself entirely to his +friend's guidance. At the Mansion House they mounted on the roof +of an omnibus going west, and at Knightsbridge got off and walked +to Eaton Square, where Ruthven's father resided. The latter was +out, so Frank accompanied his friend to what he called his sanctum, +a small room littered up with books, bats, insect boxes, and a +great variety of rubbish of all kinds. Here they chatted until the +servant came up and said that Sir James had returned. + +"Come on, Frank," Ruthven said, running downstairs. "There's nothing +of the ogre about the governor." + +They entered the study, and Ruthven introduced his friend. + +"I've caught him, father, at last. This is the culprit." + +Sir James Ruthven was a pleasant looking man, with a kindly face. + +"Well, you troublesome boy," he said, holding out his hand, "where +have you been hiding all this time?" + +"I don't know that I've been hiding, sir," Frank said. + +"Not exactly hiding," Sir James smiled, "only keeping away from +those who wanted to find you. Well, and how are you getting on?" + +"I am getting on very well, sir. I am earning eighteen shillings +a week and my board and lodging, and my employer says he will take +me into partnership as soon as I come of age." + +"Ah, indeed!" Sir James said. "I am glad to hear that, as it shows +you must be clever and industrious." + +"Yes, father, and the place was full of the most lovely cases of +things Frank had stuffed. There was quite a crowd looking in at +the window." + +"That is very satisfactory. Now, Frank, do you sit down and write +a note to your employer, asking him to send down half a dozen of +the best cases. I want to show them to a gentleman who will dine +with me here today, and who is greatly interested in such matters. +When you have written the note I will send a servant off at once +in a cab to fetch them." + +"And, father," Dick continued, "if you don't mind, might Frank and +I have our dinner quietly together in my room? You've got a dinner +party on, and Frank won't enjoy it half as much as he would dining +quietly with me." + +"By all means," Sir James said. "But mind he is not to run away +without seeing me. + +"You are a foolish lad," he went on in a kind voice to Frank; "and +it was wrong as well as foolish to hide yourself from your friends. +However independent we may be in this world, all must, to a +certain extent, rely upon others. There is scarcely a man who can +stand aloof from the rest and say, 'I want nothing of you.' I can +understand your feeling in shrinking from asking a favor of me, +or of the fathers of the other boys who are, like myself, deeply +indebted to you for the great service you have rendered their sons. +I can admire the feeling if not carried too far; but you should +have let your schoolfellows know exactly how you were placed, and +so have given us the opportunity of repaying the obligation if we +were disposed, not to have run away and hidden yourself from us." + +"I am sorry, sir," Frank said simply. "I did not like to seem to +trade upon the slight service I rendered some of my schoolfellows. +Dr. Bateman told me I was wrong, but I did not see it then. Now I +think, perhaps he was right, although I am afraid that if it happened +again I should do the same." + +Sir James smiled. + +"I fear you are a stiff necked one, Master Frank. However, I will +not scold you any further. Now, what will you do with yourselves +till dinner time?" + +"Oh, we'll just sit and chat, father. We have got lots more things +to tell each other." + +The afternoon passed in pleasant talk. Frank learned that Ruthven +had now left Dr. Parker's for good, and that he was going down +after the holidays to a clergyman who prepared six or eight boys +for the army. Before dinner the footman returned with half a dozen +of the best cases from the shop, which were brought up to Dick's +room, and the latter was delighted with them. They greatly enjoyed +their dinner together. At nine o'clock a servant came up and took +down the cases. Five minutes later he returned again with a message, +saying that Sir James wished Mr. Richard and his friend to go down +into the dining room. Frank was not shy, but he felt it rather +a trial when he entered the room, where seven or eight gentlemen +were sitting round the table, the ladies having already withdrawn. +The gentlemen were engaged in examining and admiring the cases of +stuffed birds and animals. + +"This is my young friend," Sir James said, "of whom I have been +speaking to you, and whose work you are all admiring. This, Frank, +is Mr. Goodenough, the traveler and naturalist, of whom you may +have heard." + +"Yes, indeed," Frank said, looking at the gentleman indicated. "I +have Mr. Goodenough's book on The Passerine Family at home." + +"It is rather an expensive book too," the gentleman said. + +"Yes, sir. My father bought it, not I. He was very fond of natural +history and taught me all I know. He had a capital library of books +on the subject, which Dr. Bateman is keeping for me, at Deal, till +I have some place where I can put them. I was thinking of getting +them up soon." + +Mr. Goodenough asked him a few questions as to the books in the +library, and then put him through what Frank felt was a sort of +examination, as to his knowledge of their contents. + +"Very good indeed!" Mr. Goodenough said. "I can see from your work +here that you are not only a very clever preparer, but a close +student of the habits and ways of wild creatures. But I was hardly +prepared to find your scientific knowledge so accurate and extensive. +I was at first rather inclined to hesitate when Sir James Ruthven +made me a proposal just now. I do so no longer. I am on the point +of starting on an expedition into the center of Africa in search +of specimens of natural history. He has proposed that you should +accompany me, and has offered to defray the cost of your outfit, +and of your passage out and home. I may be away for two years. Of +course you would act as my assistant, and have every opportunity +of acquiring such knowledge as I possess. It will be no pleasure +trip, you know, but hard work, with all sorts of hardships and, +perhaps, some dangers. At the same time it would be a fine opening +in a career as a naturalist. Well, what do you say?" + +"Oh, sir!" Frank exclaimed, clasping his hands, "it is of all things +in the world what I should like most. How can I thank you enough? +And you, Sir James, it is indeed kind and thoughtful of you." + +"We are not quits yet by any means, Frank," Sir James said kindly. +"I am glad indeed to be able to forward your wishes; and now you +must go upstairs and be introduced to my wife. She is most anxious +to see you. She only returned home just before dinner." + +Frank was taken upstairs, where he and his cases of birds were made +much of by Lady Ruthven and the ladies assembled in the drawing +room. He himself was so filled with delight at the prospect opened +to him that all thought of his dark tweed suit being out of place +among the evening dresses of the ladies and gentlemen, which had +troubled him while he was awaiting the summons to the dining room, +quite passed out of his mind, and he was able to do the honors of +his cases naturally and without embarrassment. At eleven o'clock +he took his leave, promising to call upon Mr. Goodenough, who was +in lodgings in Jermyn Street, upon the following morning, that +gentleman having at Sir James' request undertaken to procure all +the necessary outfit. + +"I feel really obliged to you, Sir James," Mr. Goodenough said when +Frank had left. "The lad has a genius for natural history, and he +is modest and self possessed. From what you tell me he has done +rather than apply for assistance to anyone, he must have plenty of +pluck and resolution, and will make a capital traveling companion. I +feel quite relieved, for it is so difficult to procure a companion +who will exactly suit. Clever naturalists are rare, and one can never +tell how one will get on with a man when you are thrown together. +He may want to have his own way, may be irritable and bad tempered, +may in many respects be a disagreeable companion. With that lad I +feel sure of my ground. We shall get on capitally together." + +On his return to the shop Frank told his employer, whom he found +sitting up for him, the change which had taken place in his life, +and the opening which presented itself. + +Mr. Horton expressed himself as sincerely glad. + +"I shall miss you sadly," he said, "shall feel very dull for a +time in my solitary house here; but it is better for you that you +should go, and I never expected to keep you long. You were made for +better things than this shop, and I have no doubt that a brilliant +career will be open before you. You may not become a rich man, for +natural history is scarcely a lucrative profession, but you may +become a famous one. Now, my lad, go off to bed and dream of your +future." + +The next morning Frank went over, the first thing after breakfast, +to see his friend the porter. He, too, was very pleased to hear +of Frank's good fortune, but he was too busy to talk much to him, +and promised that he would come over that evening and hear all +about it. Then Frank took his way to Jermyn Street, and went with +Mr. Goodenough to Silver's, where an outfit suited for the climate +of Central Africa was ordered. The clothes were simple. Shirts made +of thin soft flannel, knickerbockers and Norfolk jackets of tough +New Zealand flax, with gaiters of the same material. + +"There is nothing like it," Mr. Goodenough said; "it is the only +stuff which has a chance with the thorns of an African forest. +Now you will want a revolver, a Winchester repeating carbine, and +a shotgun. My outfit of boxes and cases is ready, so beyond two or +three extra nets and collecting boxes there is nothing farther to +do in that way. For your head you'd better have a very soft felt +hat with a wide brim; with a leaf or two inside they are as cool +as anything, and are far lighter and more comfortable than the +helmets which many people use in the tropics." + +"As far as shooting goes," Frank said, "I think that I shall do +much better with my blowgun than with a regular one. I can hit a +small bird sitting nineteen times out of twenty." + +"That is a good thing," Mr. Goodenough answered. "For shooting +sitting there is nothing better than a blowgun in skillful hands. +They have the advantage too of not breaking the skin; but for +flying a shotgun is infinitely more accurate. You will have little +difficulty in learning to shoot well, as your eye is already trained +by the use of your blowpipe. Will you want any knives for skinning?" + +"No, sir. I have a plentiful stock of them." + +"Are you going back to Eaton Square? I heard Sir James ask you to +stop there until we start." + +"No," Frank replied; "I asked his permission to stay where I am +till tomorrow. I did not like to seem in a hurry to run away from +Mr. Horton, who has been extremely kind to me." + +"Mind, you must come here in three days to have your things tried +on," Mr. Goodenough said. "I particularly ordered that they are to +be made easy and comfortable, larger, indeed, than you absolutely +require, but we must allow for growing, and two years may make +a difference of some inches to you. Now, we have only to go to a +bootmaker's and then we have done." + +When the orders were completed they separated, as Mr. Goodenough +was going down that afternoon to the country, and was not to return +until the day preceding that on which they were to sail. That +evening Frank had a long chat with his two friends, and was much +pleased when the old naturalist, who had taken a great fancy to the +honest porter, offered him the use of a room at his house, saying +that he should be more than paid by the pleasure of his company +of an evening. The offer was accepted, and Frank was glad to think +that his two friends would be sitting smoking their pipes together +of an evening instead of being in their solitary rooms. The next +day he took up his residence in Eaton square. + + + +CHAPTER VIII: TO THE DARK CONTINENT + + +After spending two or three days going about London and enjoying +himself with his friend Dick, Frank started for Deal, where he was +pleased to find his sister well and happy. He bade goodbye to her, +to the doctor, and such of his schoolfellows as lived in Deal, to +whom his start for Central Africa was quite an event. Dr. Bateman +handed over to him his watch and chain and his blowgun, which he +had taken care of for him, also his skinning knives and instruments. +The same evening he returned to town, and spent the days very +pleasantly until the afternoon came when he was to depart. Then he +bade farewell to his kind friends Sir James and Lady Ruthven. Dick +accompanied him in the cab to Euston station, where a minute or two +later Mr. Goodenough arrived. The luggage was placed in a carriage, +and Frank stood chatting with Dick at the door, until the guard's +cry, "Take your places!" caused him to jump into the carriage. +There was one more hearty handshake with his friend, and then the +train steamed out of the station. + +It was midnight when they arrived at Liverpool, and at once went +to bed at the Station Hotel. On coming down in the morning Frank +was astonished at the huge heap of baggage piled up in the hall, +but he was told that this was of daily occurrence, as six or eight +large steamers went out from Liverpool every week for America +alone, and that the great proportion of the passengers came down, +as they had done, on the previous night, and slept at the Station +hotel. Their own share of the baggage was not large, consisting +only of a portmanteau each, Mr. Goodenough having sent down all +his boxes two days previously. At twelve o'clock they went on board +the Niger, bound for the west coast of Africa. This would carry +them as far as Sierra Leone, whence Mr. Goodenough intended to take +passage in a sailing ship to his starting point for the interior. + +Frank enjoyed the voyage out intensely, and three days after sailing +they had left winter behind; four days later they were lying in +the harbor of Funchal. + +"What a glorious place that would be to ramble about!" he said to +Mr. Goodenough. + +"Yes, indeed. It would be difficult to imagine a greater contrast +than between this mountainous island of Madeira and the country +which we are about to penetrate. This is one of the most delightful +climates in the world, the west coast of Africa one of the worst. +Once well in the interior, the swamp fevers, which are the curse of +the shores, disappear, but African travelers are seldom long free +from attacks of fever of one kind or the other. However, quinine +does wonders, and we shall be far in the interior before the bad +season comes on." + +"You have been there before, you said, Mr. Goodenough?" + +"Yes, I have been there twice, and have made excursions for short +distances from the coast. But this time we are going into a country +which may be said to be altogether unknown. One or two explorers +have made their way there, but these have done little towards +examining the natural productions of the country, and have been +rather led by inducements of sport than by those of research." + +"Did you have fever, sir?" + +"Two or three little attacks. A touch of African fever, during +what is called the good season, is of little more importance than a +feverish cold at home. It lasts two or three days, and then there +is an end of it. In the bad season the attacks are extremely violent, +sometimes carrying men off in a few hours. I consider, however, +that dysentery is a more formidable enemy than fever. However, even +that, when properly treated, should be combated successfully." + +"Do you mean to hire the men to go with you at Sierra Leone?" + +"Certainly not, Frank. The negroes of Sierra Leone are the most +indolent, the most worthless, and the most insolent in all Africa. +It is the last place in the world at which to hire followers. We +must get them at the Gaboon itself, and at each place we arrive at +afterwards we take on others, merely retaining one of the old lot +to act as interpreter. The natives, although they may allow white +men to pass safely, are exceedingly jealous of men of other tribes. +I shall, however, take with me, if possible, a body of, say six +Houssas, who are the best fighting negroes on the coast. These I +shall take as a bodyguard; the carriers we shall obtain from the +different tribes we visit. The Kroomen, whom you will see at Cape +Palmas, are a magnificent set of men. They furnish sailors and +boatmen to all the ships trading on these shores. They are strong, +willing, and faithful, but they do not like going up into the +interior. Now we will land here and get a few hours' run on shore. +There are one or two peculiarities about Madeira which distinguish +it from other places. To begin with we will go for a ride in a +bullock cart without wheels." + +"But surely it must jolt about terribly," Frank said. + +"Not at all. The roads are paved with round, knubbly stones, such +as you see sometimes in narrow lanes and courts in seaside places +at home. These would not make smooth roads for wheeled vehicles; +but here, as you will see, the carts are placed on long runners +like those of sledges. These are greased, and the driver always has +a pound of candles or so hanging to the cart. When he thinks that +the runners want greasing he takes a candle, lays it down on the +road in front of one of the runners, and lets this pass over it. +This greases it sufficiently, and it glides along over the stones +almost as smoothly as if passing over ice." + +Frank thoroughly enjoyed his run on shore, but was surprised at +the air of listlessness which pervaded the inhabitants. Every one +moved about in the most dawdling fashion. The shopkeepers looked +out from their doors as if it were a matter of perfect indifference +to them whether customers called or not. The few soldiers in +Portuguese uniform looked as if they had never done a day's drill +since they left home. Groups sat in chairs under the trees and +sipped cooling drinks or coffee. The very bullocks which drew the +gliding wagons seemed to move more slowly than bullocks in other +places. Frank and his friend drove in a wagon to the monastery, +high up on the mountain, and then took their places on a little +hand sledge, which was drawn by two men with ropes, who took them +down the sharp descent at a run, dashing round corners at a pace +which made Frank hold his breath. It took them but a quarter of an +hour to regain the town, while an hour and a half had been occupied +in the journey out. + +"I shall buy a couple of hammocks here," Mr. Goodenough said. "They +are made of knotted string, and are lighter and more comfortable +than those to be met with on the coast. I will get a couple of +their cane chairs, too, they are very light and comfortable." + +In the afternoon they again embarked, and then steamed away for +Sierra Leone. After several days' passage, they arrived there at +daylight, and Frank was soon on deck. + +"What a beautiful place!" he exclaimed. "It is not a bit what I +expected." + +"No," Mr. Goodenough said; "no one looking at it could suppose +that bright pretty town had earned for itself the name of the white +man's grave." + +Sierra Leone is built on a somewhat steep ascent about a mile up +the river. Freetown, as the capital is properly called, stands some +fifty feet or so above the sea, and the barracks upon a green hill +three hundred feet above it, a quarter of a mile back. The town, as +seen from the sea, consists entirely of the houses of the merchants +and shopkeepers, the government buildings, churches, and other +public and European buildings. The houses are all large and bright +with yellow tinged whitewash, and the place is completely embowered +in palms and other tropical trees. The native town lies hidden from +sight among trees on low ground to the left of the town. Everywhere +around the town the hills rise steep and high, wooded to the +summit. Altogether there are few more prettily situated towns than +the capital of Sierra Leone. + +"It is wonderful," Mr. Goodenough said, "that generations +and generations of Europeans have been content to live and die in +that wretchedly unhealthy place, when they might have established +themselves on those lofty hills but a mile away. There they would +be far above the malarious mists which rise from the low ground. +The walk up and down to their warehouses and offices here would +be good for them, and there is no reason why Sierra Leone should +be an unhealthy residence. Unfortunately the European in Africa +speedily loses his vigor and enterprise. When he first lands +he exclaims, 'I certainly shall have a bungalow built upon those +hills;' but in a short time his energy leaves him. He falls into +the ways of the place, drinks a great deal more spirits than is +good for him, stops down near the water, and at the end of a year +or so, if he lives so long, is obliged to go back to Europe to +recruit. + +"Look at the boats coming out." + +A score of boats, each containing from ten to twelve men, approached +the ship. They remained at a short distance until the harbor master +came on board and pronounced the ship free from quarantine. Then +the boats made a rush to the side, and with shouts, yells, and +screams of laughter scrambled on board. Frank was at once astonished +and amused at the noise and confusion. + +"What on earth do they all want?" he asked Mr. Goodenough. + +"The great proportion of them don't want anything at all," Mr. +Goodenough answered, "but have merely come off for amusement. Some +of them come to be hired, some to carry luggage, others to tout +for the boatmen below. Look at those respectable negresses coming +up the gangway now. They are washerwomen, and will take our clothes +ashore and bring them on board again this afternoon before we +start." + +"It seems running rather a risk," Frank said. + +"No, you will see they all have testimonials, and I believe it is +perfectly safe to intrust things to them." + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank now prepared to go on shore, but this was +not easily accomplished, for there was a battle royal among the +boatmen whose craft thronged at the foot of the ladder. Each boat +had about four hands, three of whom remained on board her, while +the fourth stood upon the ladder and hauled at the painter to keep +the boat to which he belonged alongside. As out of the twenty boats +lying there not more than two could be at the foot of the ladder +together, the conflict was a desperate one. All the boatmen shouted, +"Here, sar. This good boat, sar. You come wid me, sar," at the +top of their voices, while at the same time they were hard at work +pulling each other's boats back and pushing their own forward. So +great was the struggle as Frank and Mr. Goodenough approached the +gangway, so great the crowd upon the ladder, that one side of the +iron bar from which the ladder chains depend broke in two, causing +the ladder to drop some inches and giving a ducking to those on the +lower step, causing shouts of laughter and confusion. These rose +into perfect yells of amusement when one of the sailors suddenly +loosed the ladder rope, letting five or six of the negroes into the +water up to their necks. So intense was the appreciation by the +sable mind of this joke that the boatmen rolled about with laughter, +and even the victims, when they had once scrambled into their boats, +yelled like people possessed. + +"They are just like children," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are +always either laughing or quarreling. They are good natured and +passionate, indolent, but will work hard for a time; clever up +to a certain point, densely stupid beyond. The intelligence of an +average negro is about equal to that of a European child of ten years +old. A few, a very few, go beyond this, but these are exceptions, +just as Shakespeare was an exception to the ordinary intellect of +an Englishman. They are fluent talkers, but their ideas are borrowed. +They are absolutely without originality, absolutely without inventive +power. Living among white men, their imitative faculties enable +them to attain a considerable amount of civilization. Left alone to +their own devices they retrograde into a state little above their +native savagery." + +This was said as, after having fixed upon a boat and literally +fought their way into it, they were rowed towards the shore. On +landing Frank was delighted with the greenness of everything. The +trees were heavy with luxuriant foliage, the streets were green +with grass as long and bright as that in a country lane in England. +The hill on which the barracks stand was as bright a green as you +would see on English slopes after a wet April, while down the streets +clear streams were running. The town was alive with a chattering, +laughing, good natured, excitable population, all black, but with +some slight variation in the dinginess of the hue. + +Never was there such a place for fun as Sierra Leone. Every one was +brimful of it. Every one laughed when he or she spoke, and every +one standing near joined freely in the conversation and laughed +too. Frank was delighted with the display of fruit in the market, +which is probably unequaled in the world. Great piles there were +of delicious big oranges, green but perfectly sweet, and of equally +refreshing little green limes; pineapples and bananas, green, yellow, +and red, guava, and custard apples, alligator pears, melons, and +sour sops, and many other native fruits. + +Mr. Goodenough purchased a large basket of fruit, which they took +with them on board the ship. The next morning they started down +the coast. They passed Liberia, the republic formed of liberated +slaves, and of negroes from America, and brought up a mile or two +off Monrovia, its capital. The next day they anchored off Cape +Palmas, the headquarters of the Kroomen. A number of these men +came off in their canoes, and caused great amusement to Frank and +the other passengers by their fun and dexterity in the management +of their little craft. These boats are extremely light, being +hollowed out until little thicker than pasteboard, and even with two +Kroomen paddling it is difficult for a European to sit in them, so +extremely crank are they. Light as they are the Krooboy can stand +up and dive from his boat without upsetting it if he take time; +but in the hurry and excitement of diving for coppers, when half a +dozen men would leap overboard together, the canoes were frequently +capsized. The divers, however, thought nothing of these mishaps, +righting the boats and getting in again without difficulty. +Splendidly muscular fellows they were. Indeed, except among the +Turkish hamals it is doubtful whether such powerful figures could +be found elsewhere. + +"They would be grand fellows to take with us, Mr. Goodenough," +Frank said. + +"Yes, if they were as plucky as they are strong, one could wish +for nothing better; but they are notorious cowards, and no offer +would tempt them to penetrate into such a country as that into +which we are going." + +Stopping a few hours at Cape Coast Castle, Accra, and other ports +they at last arrived at Bonny. + +"It is not tempting in appearance," Frank said, "certainly." + +"No," Mr. Goodenough replied, "this is one of the most horribly +unhealthy spots in Africa. As you see, the white traders do not +dare to live on shore, but take up their residence in those old +floating hulks which are thatched over, and serve as residences and +storehouses. I have a letter from one of the African merchants in +London, and we shall take up our abode on board his hulk until we +get one of the coasting steamers to carry us down. I hope it will +not be many days." + +The very bulky luggage was soon transferred to the hulk, where Frank +and Mr. Goodenough took up their residence. The agent in charge was +very glad to receive them, as any break in the terrible monotony of +such a life is eagerly welcomed. He was a pale, unhealthy looking +man, and had just recovered from an unusually bad attack of fever. +Like most of the traders on the coast he had an immense faith in +the power of spirits. + +"It is the ruin of them," Mr. Goodenough said to Frank when they +were alone. "Five out of six of the men here ruin their constitutions +with spirits, and then fall an easy prey to the fever." + +"But you have brought spirits with you, Mr. Goodenough. I saw some +of the cases were labeled Brandy.'" + +"Brandy is useful when taken as a medicine, and in moderation. +A little mixed with water at the end of a long day of exhausting +work acts as a restorative, and frequently enables a worn out man +to sleep. But I have brought the brandy you see for the use of +others rather than myself. One case is of the very best spirits for +our own use. The rest is common stuff and is intended as presents. +Our main drink will be tea and chocolate. These are invaluable for +the traveler. I have, besides, large quantities of calico, brass +stair rods, beads, and powder. These are the money of Africa, and +pass current everywhere. With these we shall pay our carriers and +boatmen, with these purchase the right of way through the various +tribes we shall meet. Moreover it is almost necessary in Africa +to pass as traders. The people perfectly understand that white men +come here to trade; but if we said that our object was to shoot +birds and beasts, and to catch butterflies and insects, they would +not believe us in the slightest degree, but would suspect us of all +sorts of hidden designs. Now we will go ashore and pay our respects +to the king." + +"Do you mean to say that there is a king in that wretched looking +village?" Frank asked in surprise. + +"Kings are as plentiful as peas in Africa," Mr. Goodenough said, +"but you will not see much royal state." + +Frank was disappointed indeed upon landing. Sierra Leone had given +him an exalted idea of African civilization, but this was at once +dispelled by the appearance of Bonny. The houses were constructed +entirely of black mud, and the streets were narrow and filthy +beyond description. The palace was composed of two or three hovels, +surrounded by a mud wall. In one of these huts the king was seated. +Mr. Goodenough and Frank were introduced by the agent, who had +gone ashore with them, and His Majesty, who was an almost naked +negro, at once invited them to join him in the meal of which he +was partaking. As a matter of courtesy they consented, and plates +were placed before them, heaped with a stew consisting of meat, +vegetables, and hot peppers. While the meal went on the king asked +Mr. Goodenough what he had come to the coast for, and was disappointed +to find that he was not going to set up as a trader at Bonny, as +it was the custom for each newcomer to make a handsome present to +him. When the meal was over they took their leave. + +"Do you know what you have been eating?" the agent asked Frank. + +"Not in the least," Frank said. "It was not bad; what was it?" + +"It was dog flesh," the agent answered. + +"Not really!" Frank exclaimed with an uncomfortable sensation of +sickness. + +"Yes, indeed," the agent replied. "Dog's meat is considered a luxury +in Bonny, and dogs are bred specially for the table." + +"You'll eat stranger things than that before you've done, Frank," +Mr. Goodenough continued, "and will find them just as good, and in +many cases better, than those to which you are accustomed. It is +a strange thing why in Europe certain animals should be considered +fit to eat and certain animals altogether rejected, and this without +the slightest reason. Horses and donkeys are as clean feeders as +oxen and sheep. Dogs, cats, and rats are far cleaner than pigs and +ducks. The flesh of the one set is every bit as good as that of +the other, and yet the poorest peasant would turn up his nose at +them. Here sheep and oxen, horses and donkeys, will not live, and +the natives very wisely make the most of the animals which can do +so." + +Frank was soon tired of Bonny, and was glad to hear that they would +start the next day for Fernando Po in a little steamer called the +Retriever. The island of Fernando Po is a very beautiful one, the +peak rising ten thousand feet above the sea, and wooded to the +very summit. Were the trees to some extent cleared away the island +might be very healthy. As it is, it is little better than the +mainland. + +There was not much to see in the town of Clarence, whose population +consists entirely of traders from Sierra Leone, Kroomen, etc. The +natives, whose tribal name is Adiza, live in little villages in +the interior. They are an extremely primitive people, and for the +most part dispense altogether with clothing. The island belongs to +Spain, and is used as a prison, the convicts being kept in guard +ships in the harbor. After a stay of three days there Mr. Goodenough +and Frank took passage in a sailing ship for the Gaboon. + + + +CHAPTER IX: THE START INLAND + + +After the comforts of a fine steamer the accommodation on board the +little trader was poor indeed. The vessel smelt horribly of palm +oil and was alive with cockroaches. These, however, Mr. Goodenough +and Frank cared little for, as they brought up their mattresses and +slept on deck. Upon their voyage out from England Frank, as well as +several of the other passengers, had amused himself by practicing +with his rifle at empty bottles thrown overboard, and other +objects, and having nothing else to do now, he resumed the practice, +accustoming himself also to the use of his revolver, the mark being +a small log of wood swung from the end of a yard. + +"I told you," Mr. Goodenough said, "that your skill with the blowgun +would prove useful to you in shooting. You are as good a shot as +I am, and I am considered a fair one. I have no doubt that with a +little practice you will succeed as well with your double barrel. +The shooting of birds on the wing is a knack which seems to come +naturally to some people, while others, practice as they will, +never become good shots." + +The ship touched twice upon its way down to the Gaboon. Once at +the Malimba river, the second time at Botauga, the latter being +the principal ivory port in equatorial Africa. + +"Shall we meet with any elephants, do you think?" Frank asked his +friend. + +"In all probability," Mr. Goodenough said. "Elephant shooting, of +course, does not come within our line of action, and I should not +go at all out of my way for them. Still, if we meet them we will +shoot them. The ivory is valuable and will help to pay our expenses, +while the meat is much prized by the natives, who will gladly assist +us in consideration of the flesh." + +On the sixteenth day after leaving Fernando Po they entered the +Gaboon. On the right hand bank were the fort and dwellings of the +French. A little farther up stood the English factories; and upon +a green hill behind, the church, school, and houses of an American +mission. On the left bank was the wattle town of King William, the +sable monarch of the Gaboon. Mr. Goodenough at once landed and made +inquiries for a house. He succeeded in finding one, consisting of +three rooms, built on piles, an important point in a country in +which disease rises from the soil. At Bonny Mr. Goodenough had, +with the assistance of the agent, enlisted six Houssas. These people +live much higher up on the coast, but they wander a good deal and +may be met with in most of the ports. The men had formed a guard +in one of the hulks, but trade having been bad the agent had gone +home, and they were glad to take service with Mr. Goodenough. They +spoke a few words of English, and, like the Kroomen, rejoiced in +names which had been given them by sailors. They were called Moses, +Firewater, Ugly Tom, Bacon, Tatters, and King John. They were now +for the first time set to work, and the goods were soon transported +from the brig to the house. + +"Is anything the matter with you, Frank?" Mr. Goodenough asked that +evening. + +"I don't know, sir. My head feels heavy, somehow, and I am giddy." + +Mr. Goodenough felt his pulse. + +"You have got your first touch of fever," he said. "I wonder you've +been so long without it. You had better lie down at once." + +A quarter of an hour afterwards Frank was seized with an overpowering +heat, every vein appearing to be filled with liquid fire; but his +skin, instead of being, as usual, in a state of perspiration, was +dry and hard. + +"Now, Frank, sit up and drink this. It's only some mustard and salt +and water. I have immense faith in an emetic." + +The draught soon took its effect. Frank was violently sick, and +the perspiration broke in streams from him. + +"Here is a cup of tea," Mr. Goodenough said; "drink that and you +will find that there will be little the matter with you in the +morning." + +Frank awoke feeling weak, but otherwise perfectly well. Mr. +Goodenough administered a strong dose of quinine, and after he had +had his breakfast he felt quite himself again. + +"Now," Mr. Goodenough said, "we will go up to the factories and +mission and try and find a really good servant. Everything depends +upon that." + +In a short time an engagement was made with a negro of the name of +Ostik. He was a Mpongwe man, that being the name of the tribe on +the coast. He spoke English fairly, as well as two or three of the +native languages. He had before made a journey some distance into +the interior with a white traveler. He was a tall and powerfully +built negro, very ugly, but with a pleasant and honest face. Frank +felt at once that he should like him. + +"You quite understand," Mr. Goodenough explained, "we are going +through the Fan country, far into the interior. We may be away from +the coast for many months." + +"Me ready, sar," the man answered with a grin. "Mak no odds to +Ostik. He got no wife, no piccanniny. Ostik very good cook. Master +find good grub; he catch plenty of beasts." + +"You're not afraid, Ostik, because it is possible we may have +trouble on the way?" + +"Me not very much afraid, massa. You good massa to Ostik he no run +away if fightee come; but no good fight whole tribe." + +"I hope not to have any fighting at all, Ostik; but as I have got +six Houssas with me who will all carry breech loading guns, I think +we should be a match for a good sized tribe, if necessary." + +Ostik looked thoughtful. "More easy, massa, go without Houssas," +he said. "Black man not often touch white traveler." + +"No, Ostik, that is true; but I must take with me trade goods for +paying my way and hiring carriers, and if alone I should be at the +mercy of every petty chief who chose to plunder and delay me. I +am going as a peaceful traveler, ready to pay my way, and to make +presents to the different kings through whose territories I may +pass. But I do not choose to put myself at the mercy of any of +them. I do not say that eight men armed with breech loaders could +defeat a whole tribe; but they would be so formidable, that any of +these negro kings would probably prefer taking presents and letting +us pass peacefully to trying to rob us. The first thing to do, +will be to hire one large canoe, or two if necessary. The men must +agree to take us up into the Fan country, as far as the rapids on +the Gaboon. Then we shall take carriers there, and the boat can +return by itself. These are the things which will have to go." + +The baggage consisted of ten large tin cases, each weighing about +eighty pounds. These contained cotton cloths, powder, beads, tea, +chocolate, sugar, and biscuits. There were in addition three bundles +of stair rods, each about the same weight as the boxes. These were +done up in canvas. There was also a tent made of double canvas +weighing fifty pounds, and two light folding tressel beds weighing +fifteen pounds apiece. Thus fourteen men would be required as +carriers, besides some for plantains and other provisions, together +with the portmanteaus, rugs, and waterproof sheets of the travelers. +There were besides six great chests made of light iron. Four of +these were fitted with trays with cork bottoms, for insects. The +other two were for the skins of birds. All the boxes and cases had +strips of India rubber where the lids fitted down, in order to keep +out both damp and the tiny ants which are the plague of naturalists +in Africa. + +Four or five days were occupied in getting together a crew, for the +natives had an abject fear of entering the country of the cannibal +Fans. Mr. Goodenough promised that they should not be obliged to +proceed unless a safe conduct for their return was obtained from +the King of the Fans. A large canoe was procured, sufficient to +convey the whole party. Twelve paddlers were hired, and the goods +taken down and arranged in the boat. The Houssas had been, on +landing, furnished with their guns, which were Snider rifles, had +been instructed in the breech loading arrangement, and had been set +to work to practice at a mark at a hundred and fifty yards distance +--the stump of an old tree, some five feet in height, serving +for the purpose. The men were delighted with the accuracy of their +pieces and the rapidity at which they could be fired. Mr. Goodenough +impressed upon them that unless attacked at close quarters, and +specially ordered to fire fast, they must aim just as slowly and +deliberately as if using their old guns, for that in so long a +journey ammunition would be precious, and must, therefore, on no +account whatever, be wasted. In the boxes were six thousand rounds +of ammunition, a thousand for each gun, besides the ammunition for +the rifles and fowling pieces of Mr. Goodenough and Frank. + +In order to render the appearance of his followers as imposing as +possible, Mr. Goodenough furnished each of the Houssas with a pair +of trousers made of New Zealand flax, reaching to their knees. +These he had brought from England with him. They were all found to +be too large, but the men soon set to work with rough needles and +thread and took them in. In addition to these, each man was furnished +with a red sash, which went several times round the waist, and +served to keep the trousers up and to give a gay aspect to the +dress. The Houssas were much pleased with their appearance. All +of them carried swords in addition to the guns, as in their own +country they are accustomed to fight with these weapons. + +They started early in the morning, and after four hours' paddling +passed Konig Island, an abandoned Dutch settlement. Here they stopped +for an hour or two, and then the sea breeze sprang up, a sail was +hoisted, and late at night they passed a French guardship placed +to mark the boundary of that settlement at a point where a large +tributary called the Boqui runs into it. Here is a little island +called Nenge Nenge, formerly a missionary station, where the natives +are still Christians. At this place the canoe was hauled ashore. +The Houssas had already been instructed in the method of pitching +the tent, and in a very few minutes this was erected. It was a +double poled tent, some ten feet square, and there was a waterproof +sheet large enough to cover the whole of the interior, thus +preventing the miasma from arising from the ground within it. The +beds were soon opened and fixed, two of the large cases formed a +table and two smaller ones did service as chairs. A lamp was lit, +and Frank was charmed with the comfort and snugness of the abode. + +The men's weapons were fastened round one of the poles to keep them +from the damp night air. Ostik had at once set to work on landing, +leaving the Houssas to pitch the tent. A fire was soon blazing and +a kettle and saucepans suspended over it. Rice was served out to +the men, with the addition of some salt meat, of which sufficient +had been purchased from the captain of the brig to last throughout +the journey in the canoe. The men were all in high spirits at this +addition to their fare, which was more than had been bargained for, +and their songs rose merrily round the fire in the night air. + +In the morning, after breakfast, they again took their places in the +canoe. For twelve miles they paddled, the tide at first assisting +them, but after this the water from the mountains ahead overpowered +it. Presently they arrived at the first Fan village, called Olenga, +which they reached six hours after starting. The natives crowded +round as the canoe approached, full of curiosity and excitement, +for never but once had a white man passed up the river. These +Fans differed widely from the coast negroes. Their hair was longer +and thicker, their figures were slight, their complexion coffee +colored, and their projecting upper jaws gave them a rabbit mouthed +appearance. They wore coronets on their heads adorned with the +red tail feathers of the common gray parrot. Most of the men had +beards, which were divided in the middle, red and white beads being +strung up the tips. Some wore only a strip of goatskin hanging +from the waist, or the skin of a tigercat, while others had short +petticoats made of cloth woven from the inner bark of a tree. The +travelers were led to the hut of the chief, where they were surrounded +by a mob of the cannibals. The Houssas had been strictly enjoined +to leave their guns in the bottom of the canoe, as Mr. Goodenough +desired to avoid all appearance of armed force. The chief demanded +of Ostik what these two white men wanted here, and whether they +had come to trade. Ostik replied that the white men were going up +the river into the country beyond to shoot elephants and buy ivory, +that they did not want to trade for logwood or oil, but that they +would give presents to the chiefs of the Fan villages. A score +of cheap Birmingham muskets had been brought from England by Mr. +Goodenough for this purpose. One of these was now bestowed upon +the chief, together with some powder and ball, three bright cotton +handkerchiefs, some gaudy glass beads, and two looking glasses for +his wives. This was considered perfectly satisfactory. + +The crowd was very great, and at Mr. Goodenough's dictation Ostik +informed the chief that if the white men were left quiet until +the evening they would show his people many strange things. On the +receipt of this information the crowd dispersed. But when at sunset +the two travelers took a turn through the village, the excitement +was again very great. The men stood their ground and stared at them, +but the women and children ran screaming away to hide themselves. +The idea of the people of Central Africa of the whites is that +they are few in number, that they live at the bottom of the sea, +and are possessed of great wealth, but that they have no palm oil +or logwood, and are, therefore, compelled to come to land to trade +for these articles. They believe that the strange clothes they wear +are manufactured from the skins of sea beasts. + +When night fell Mr. Goodenough fastened a sheet against the outside +of the chief's hut, and then placed a magic lantern in position +ten paces from it. The Fans were then invited to gather round and +take their seats upon the ground. A cry of astonishment greeted the +appearance of the bright disk. This was followed by a wilder yell +when this was darkened, and an elephant bearing some men sitting +on his back was seen to cross the house. The men leaped to their +feet and seized their spears. The women screamed, and Ostik, who +was himself somewhat alarmed, had great difficulty in calming their +fears and persuading them to sit down again, assuring them that +they would see many wonderful things, but that nothing would hurt +them. + +The next view was at first incomprehensible to many of them. It was +a ship tossing in a stormy sea; but some of those present had been +down to the mouth of the river, and these explained to the others +the nature of the phenomenon. In all there were twenty slides, all +of which were provided with movable figures; the last two being +chromatropes, whose dancing colors elicited screams of delight +from the astonished natives. This concluded the performance, but +for hours after it was over the village rang with a perfect Babel +of shouts, screams, and chatter. The whole thing was to the Fans +absolutely incomprehensible, and their astonishment was equalled +by their awe at the powers of the white men. + +The next two days they remained at Olenga, as word was sent up to +Itchongue, the next town, asking the chief there for leave to come +forward. The people had now begun to get over their first timidity, +and when Frank went out for a walk after breakfast he was somewhat +embarrassed by the women and girls crowding round him, feeling his +clothes and touching his hands and face to assure themselves that +these felt like those of human beings. He afforded them huge delight +by taking off his Norfolk jacket and pulling up the sleeves of his +shirt to show them that his arms were the same color as his hands, +and so elated were they with this exhibition that it was with +great difficulty that he withstood their entreaties that he would +disrobe entirely. Indeed, Ostik had at last to come to his rescue +and carry him off from the laughing crowd by which he was surrounded. + +After dinner Mr. Goodenough invited the people to sit down in a +vast circle holding each other's hands. He then told them that he +should at a word make them all jump to their feet. Then taking out +a small but powerful galvanic battery, he arranged it and placed +wires into the hands of the two men nearest to him in the great +circle. + +"Now," he said, "when I clap my hands you will find that you are +all obliged to jump up." + +He gave the signal. Frank turned on the battery, and in an instant +the two hundred men and women, with a wild shriek, either leapt +to their feet or rolled backward on the ground. In another minute +not a native was to be seen, with the exception of the chief, who +had not been included in the circle. The latter, at Mr. Goodenough's +request, shouted loudly to his subjects to return, for that the white +men would do them no harm; but it was a long time before, slowly +and cautiously, they crept back again. When they had reassembled +Mr. Goodenough showed them several simple but astonishing chemical +experiments, which stupefied them with wonder; and concluded with +three or four conjuring tricks, which completed their amazement. +A long day's paddling took them to Itchongue, where they were as +well received as at Olenga. Here they stopped for two days, and the +magic lantern was again brought out, and the other tricks repeated +with a success equal to that which they had before obtained. As +another day's paddling would take them to the rapids Mr. Goodenough +now set up a negotiation for obtaining a sufficient number of +carriers. After great palaver, and the presentation of three guns +to the chief to obtain his assistance, thirty men were engaged. +These were each to receive a yard of calico or one brass stair rod +a day, and were to proceed with the party until such time as they +could procure carriers from another tribe. + +The new recruits were taken up in another canoe. Several villages +were passed on the way. The river became a mere rapid, against which +the canoes with difficulty made their way. They had now entered +the mountains which rose steeply above them, embowered in wood. +Two days of severe work took them to the foot of the falls. Here +the canoes were unloaded. The men hired on the coast received +their pay, and turned the boat's head down stream. The other canoe +accompanied it, and the travelers remained with their bodyguard of +Houssas and their carriers. + +"Now," Mr. Goodenough said, "we are fairly embarked on our journey, +and we will commence operations at once. I have heard the cries +of a great many birds which are strange to me today, and I expect +that we shall have a good harvest. We may remain here for some +time. The first thing to do is to find food for our followers. We +have got six sacks of rice, but it will never do to let our men +depend solely upon these. They would soon come to an end." + +"But how are we to feed forty people?" Frank asked in astonishment. + +"I pointed out to you today," Mr. Goodenough said, "the tracks of +hippopotami in various places. One of these beasts will feed the +men for nearly a week. There were, too, numbers of alligators' +eggs on the banks, and these creatures make by no means bad eating. +Your rifle will be of no use against such animals as these. You +had better take one of the Sniders. I have some explosive shells +which will fit them. My own double barrelled rifle is of the same +bore." + +After dinner Mr. Goodenough told two of the Houssas to accompany +them with their rifles, together with three or four of the Fans. +He made his way down the stream to a point where the hills receded, +and where he had observed a great many marks of the river horses. As +they approached the spot they heard several loud snorts, and making +their way along as quietly as possible they saw two of the great +beasts standing in the stream. At this point it widened a good deal +and was shallow and quite near the bank. The Fans had been told +to stay behind directly the snorting was heard, and Mr. Goodenough +and Frank, rifle in hand, crept forward, with the Houssas as still +and noiseless as cats close behind them. + + + +CHAPTER X: LOST IN THE FOREST + + +The hippopotami were playing together, floundering in the shallow +water, and the noise they made prevented their hearing the stealthy +approach of their enemies. + +"You take the one nearest shore, Frank, I will take the other. Aim +at the forehead between the eyes. I will make a slight sound to +attract their attention." + +Frank knelt on one knee and took steady aim. Mr. Goodenough then +gave a shout, and the two animals turning their heads stood staring +at the foliage, scarce a dozen yards away, in which the travelers +were concealed. The guns flashed at the same moment, and as if +struck by lightning the hippopotami fell in the stream. The explosive +balls had both flown true to the mark, invariably a fatal one in +the case of the river horse. Frank as he fired had taken another +rifle which the Houssas held in readiness for him, but there was +no occasion for its use. The Fans came running up, and on seeing +the great beasts lying in the stream, gave a shout of joy. + +"That will do for this evening," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are +large beasts, and will give food enough for a week or ten days." + +They then returned to the camp which, at the news brought by one +of the Fans, had already been deserted. Before the natives retired +to sleep the hippopotami had been cut up and carried to the camp. +Portions were already frizzling over the fires, other parts set +aside for the consumption of the next two days, and the rest cut +up in strips to be dried in the sun. The tongue of one was cut up +and fried as a great luxury for the white men's supper by Ostik. +It is not often that the natives of equatorial Africa are able to +indulge in meat, and the joy of the Fans at this abundant supply, +and the prospect afforded them of further good eating, raised their +spirits to the highest extent. + +Next morning at daybreak Mr. Goodenough and Frank set out from +the camp. Each carried a double barreled gun, and was accompanied +by one of the Houssas carrying his rifle and a butterfly net, and +when three hours later they returned to the camp for breakfast and +compared their spoils they found that an excellent beginning had +been made. Nearly a score of birds, of which several were very +rare, and five were pronounced by Mr. Goodenough to be entirely +new, had been shot, and many butterflies captured. Frank had been +most successful in this respect, as he had come across a small +clearing in which were several deserted huts. This was just the +place in which butterflies delight, for, although many kinds prefer +the deep shades of the forest, by far the greater portion love the +bright sunlight. + +After breakfast they again set out, Frank this time keeping along +the edge of the stream, where he had observed many butterflies as +he came up, and where many birds of the kingfisher family had also +been seen. He had been very successful, and was walking along by +the edge of the water with his eyes fixed upon the trees above, +where he had a minute before heard the call of a bird, when he was +startled by a shout from the Houssa behind him. He involuntarily +sprang back, and it was well he did so; for on the instant something +swept by within an inch or two of his head. Looking round he saw, at +the edge of the stream below him, a huge alligator. This had struck +at him with its tail--the usual manner in which the alligator +supplies itself with food--and had it not been for the warning +cry of the Houssa, would have knocked him into the stream. Its mouth +was open and Frank, as if by instinct, fired the contents of both +barrels into its throat. The animal rolled over on to its back in +the water and then turned as if to struggle to regain the bank. +The Houssa, however, had run up, and, placing the muzzle of his +gun within a foot of its eye, fired, and the creature rolled over +dead, and was swept away by the stream. + +The Houssa gave a loud shout which was answered in the distance. He +then shouted two or three words, and turning to Frank said: "Men +get alligator," and proceeded on his way without concerning himself +further in the matter. + +On his return to camp in the evening Frank found that the alligator +had been discovered and fished out, and that its steaks were by no +means bad eating. Frank told Mr. Goodenough of the narrow escape he +had had, and the latter pointed out to him the necessity of always +keeping his eyes on the watch. + +"Alligators frequently carry off the native women when engaged in +washing," he said, "and almost invariably strike them, in the first +place, into the river with a blow of their tails. Once in the water +they are carried off, drowned, and eaten at leisure. Sometimes, +indeed, a woman may escape with the loss of a foot or arm, but this +is the exception." + +"What is the best thing to do when so attacked?" Frank asked. "I +don't mean to be caught napping again, still it is as well to know +what to do if I am." + +"Men when so attacked have been known frequently to escape by +thrusting their thumbs or fingers into the creature's eyes. If it +can be done the alligator is sure to lose his hold, but it demands +quickness and great presence of mind. When a reptile is tearing +at one's leg, and hurrying one along under water, you can see that +the nerve required to keep perfectly cool, to feel for the creature's +eyes, and to thrust your finger into them is very great. The best +plan, Frank, distinctly is to keep out of their reach altogether." + +After remaining for a fortnight at their camp they prepared for +a move. Another hippopotamus was killed, cut up and dried, and +the flesh added to the burdens. Then the tent was struck and they +proceeded farther into the mountains. Two days later they halted +again, the site being chosen beside a little mountain rivulet. +They were now very high up in the hills, Mr. Goodenough expecting +to meet with new varieties of butterflies and insects at this +elevation. They had scarcely pitched their camp when Frank exclaimed: + +"Surely, Mr. Goodenough, I can hear some dogs barking! I did not +know that the native dogs barked." + +"Nor do they. They may yelp and howl, but they never bark like +European dogs. What you hear is the bark of some sort of monkey or +baboon." + +This opinion was at once confirmed by the Fans. + +"We will sally out with our guns at once," Mr. Goodenough said. + +"I don't like the thought of shooting monkeys," Frank muttered, as +he took up his Winchester carbine. + +"They are very excellent eating," Mr. Goodenough continued, "superior +in my opinion, and, indeed, in that of most travelers, to any other +meat. We shall meet with no other kind of creature fit for food +up here. The birds, indeed, supply us amply, but for the men it is +desirable that we should obtain fresh meat when we have the chance. +These baboons are very mischievous creatures, and are not to be +attacked with impunity. Let four of the Houssas with their guns +come with us." + +Following the direction of the sounds they had heard, the travelers +came upon a troupe of great baboons. It was a curious sight. The males +were as big as large dogs, some were sitting sunning themselves on +rocks, others were being scratched by the females. Many of these +had a baby monkey clinging on their necks, while others were playing +about in all directions. + +"I'd rather not shoot at them, Mr. Goodenough," Frank said. + +"You will be glad enough to eat them," Mr. Goodenough answered, and +selecting a big male he fired. The creature fell dead. The others +all sprang to their feet. The females and little ones scampered +off. The males, with angry gestures, rushed upon their assailants, +barking, showing their teeth, and making menacing gestures. Mr. +Goodenough fired again, and Frank now, seeing that they were likely +to be attacked, also opened fire. Six of the baboons were killed +before the others abstained from the attack and went screaming after +the females. The dead baboons were brought down, skinned, and two +were at once roasted, the others hung up to trees. It required a +great effort on Frank's part to overcome his repugnance to tasting +these creatures, but, when he did so, he admitted that the meat +was excellent. + +That night they were disturbed by a cry of terror from the men. +Seizing their rifles they ran out. + +"There are two leopards, sar," Ostik said; "they have smelt the +monkeys." + +The shouts scared the creatures away, and the natives kept up a +great fire till morning. + +"We must get the skins if we can," Mr. Goodenough said. "The skins +of the equatorial leopard are rare. If we can get them both they +will make a fine group for you to stuff when you get back, Frank." + +"Are you thinking of following their trail?" Frank asked. + +"That would be useless," Mr. Goodenough answered. "In soft swampy +ground we might do so, but up here it would be out of the question. +We must set a bait for them tonight, but be careful while you are +out today. They have probably not gone far from the camp, and they +are very formidable beasts. They not unfrequently attack and kill +the natives." + +The Fans were much alarmed at the neighborhood of the leopards, and +none would leave the camp during the day. Two of the Houssas were +left on guard, although Mr. Goodenough felt sure that the animals +would not attempt to carry off any meat in the daylight, and two +Houssas accompanied each of the travelers while out in search of +butterflies. + +Nothing was heard of the leopards during the day. At nightfall +a portion of one of the monkeys was roasted and hung up, so as +to swing within four feet of the ground from the arm of a tree, a +hundred yards from the camp. Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their +seats in another tree a short distance off. The night was fine and +the stars clear and bright. The tree on which the meat hung stood +somewhat alone, so that sufficient light penetrated from above to +enable any creatures approaching the bait to be seen. Instead of +his little Winchester, Frank had one of the Sniders with explosive +bullets. The Houssas were told to keep a sharp watch in camp, in case +the leopards, approaching from the other side, might be attracted +by the smell of meat there, rather than by the bait. The Fans needed +no telling to induce them to keep up great fires all night. + +Soon after dark the watchers heard a roaring in the forest. It came +from the other side of the camp. + +"That is unlucky," Mr. Goodenough said. "We have pitched on the +wrong side. However, they will probably be deterred by the fire +from approaching the camp, and will wander round and round: so we +may hope to hear of them before long." + +In answer to the roar of the leopards the natives kept up a continued +shouting. For some hours the roaring continued at intervals, +sometimes close at hand, sometimes at a considerable distance. Frank +had some difficulty in keeping awake, and was beginning to wish that +the leopards would move off altogether. Two or three times he had +nearly dozed off, and his rifle had almost slipped from his hold. +All at once he was aroused by a sharp nudge from his companion. +Fixing his eyes on the bait he made out something immediately below +it. Directly afterwards another creature stole forward. They were +far less distinct than he had expected. + +"You take the one to the left," Mr. Goodenough whispered; "Now!" + +They fired together. Two tremendous roars were heard. One of the +leopards immediately bounded away. The other rolled over and over, +and then, recovering its feet, followed its companion, Mr. Goodenough +firing his second barrel after him. + +"I'm afraid you missed altogether, Frank," he said. + +"I don't think so, sir. I fancied I saw the flash of the shell as +it struck him, but where, I have not the remotest idea. I could not +make him out clear enough. It was merely a dim shape, and I fired +as well as I could at the middle of it. + +"Shall we go back to the camp now?" Frank asked. + +"Yes, we can safely do so. You can tell by the sound of the roars +that they are already some distance away. There is little chance +of their returning tonight. In the morning we will follow them. +There is sure to be blood, and the natives will have no difficulty +in tracking them." + +The rest of the night passed quietly, although roars and howling +could be heard from time to time in the distance. + +Early in the morning they started with the Houssas. + +"We must be careful today," Mr. Goodenough said, "for a wounded +leopard is a really formidable beast." + +There was no difficulty in taking up the traces. + +"One of them at least must be hard hit," Mr. Goodenough remarked; +"there are traces of blood every yard." + +They had gone but a short distance when one of the Houssas gave a +sudden exclamation, and pointed to something lying at the edge of +a clump of bushes. + +"Leopard," he said. + +"Yes, there is one of them, sure enough. I think it's dead, but +we cannot be too cautious. Advance very carefully, Frank, keeping +ready to fire instantly." + +They moved forward slowly in a body, but their precaution was +unnecessary. There was no movement in the spotted, tawny skin as +they advanced, and when they came close they could see that the +leopard was really dead. He had been hit by two bullets. The first +had struck his shoulder and exploded there, inflicting so terrible +a wound that it was wonderful he had been able to move afterwards. +The other had struck him on the back, near the tail, and had burst +inside him. Frank on seeing the nature of the wounds was astonished +at the tenacity of life shown by the animal. + +"I wonder whether I hit the other," he said. + +"I have no doubt at all about it," Mr. Goodenough answered, "although +I did not think so before. It seemed to me that I only heard the +howls of one animal in the night, and thought it was the one I had +hit. But as this fellow must have died at once, it is clear that +the cries were made by the other." + +A sharp search was now set up for the tracks of the other leopard, +the Houssas going back to the tree and taking it up anew. They +soon found traces of blood in a line diverging from that followed +by the other animal. For an hour they followed this, great care +being required, as at times no spots of blood could be seen for a +considerable distance. At last they seemed to lose it altogether. +Mr. Goodenough and Frank stood together, while the Houssas, scattered +round, were hunting like well trained dogs for a sign. Suddenly +there was a sharp roar, and from the bough of a tree close by +a great body sprang through the air and alighted within a yard of +Frank. The latter, in his surprise, sprang back, stumbled and fell, +but in an instant the report of the two barrels of Mr. Goodenough's +rifle rang out. In a moment Frank was on his feet again ready to +fire. The leopard, however, lay dead, its skull almost blown off. + +"You have had another narrow escape," Mr. Goodenough said. "I see +that your ball last night broke one of his hind legs. That spoilt +his spring. Had it not been for that he would undoubtedly have +reached you, and a blow with his paw, given with all his weight +and impetus, would probably have killed you on the spot. We ought +not to have stood near a tree strong enough to bear him when in +pursuit of a wounded leopard. They will always take to trees if +they can, and you see this was a very suitable one for him. This +bough on which he was lying starts from the trunk only about four +feet from the ground, so that even with his broken leg he was able +to get upon it without difficulty. Well, thank God, you've not been +hurt, my boy. It will teach us both to be more careful in future." + +That afternoon Frank was down with his second attack of fever, +a much more severe one than the first had been. Mr. Goodenough's +favorite remedy had its effect of producing profuse perspiration, +but two or three hours afterwards the hot fit again came on, and for +the next four days Frank lay half delirious, at one time consumed +with heat, and the next shivering as if plunged into ice water. +Copious doses of quinine, however, gradually overcame the fever, +and on the fifth day he was convalescent. It was, nevertheless, +another week before he was sufficiently recovered to be able +to resume his hunting expeditions. They again shifted their camp, +and this time traveled for three weeks, making short journeys, and +halting early so as to give half a day from each camping place for +their work. + +Frank was one day out as usual with one of the Houssas. He had +killed several birds when he saw a butterfly, of a species which +he had not before met with, flitting across a gleam of sunshine +which streamed in through a rift in the trees. He told his Houssa +to wait where he was in charge of the two guns and birds, and +started off with his net in pursuit of the butterfly. The creature +fluttered away with Frank in full pursuit. Hither and thither it +flitted, seemingly taking an impish delight in tantalizing Frank, +settling on a spot where a gleam of sunlight streamed upon the +bark of a tree, till Frank had stolen up within a couple of paces +of it, and then darting away again at a pace which defied Frank's +best attempts to keep up with it until it chose to play with him +again. Intent only upon his chase Frank thought of nothing else. +At last, with a shout of triumph, he inclosed the creature in his +net, shook it into the wide pickle bottle, containing a sponge soaked +with chloroform, and then, after tightly fitting in the stopper, +he looked around. He uttered an exclamation of dismay as he did +so. He saw by the bands of light the sun was already setting, and +knew that he must have been for upwards of an hour in chase of the +butterfly. He had not the slightest idea of the direction in which +he had come. He had, he knew, run up hill and down, but whether he +had been traveling in a circle or going straight in one direction, +he had not the least idea. He might be within a hundred yards of +the spot where he had left the Houssa. He might be three or four +miles away. + +He at once drew out his revolver, which he always carried strapped +to his belt, and discharged the six chambers, waiting for half a +minute between each shot, and listening intently for an answer to +his signal. None came. The stillness of the wood was unbroken, and +Frank felt that he must have wandered far indeed from his starting +place, and that he was completely lost. His first impulse was to +start off instantly at the top of his speed, but a moment's thought +convinced him that this would be useless. He had not an idea of +the direction which he should pursue. Besides the sun was sinking, +twilight is short in the tropics, and in half an hour it would be +as dark as midnight in the forest. Remembering his adventure with +the leopard he determined to climb into a tree and pass the night +there. He knew that an active search would be set on foot by his +friends next morning, and that, as every step he took was as likely +to lead him from as towards the camp, it was better to stay where +he was. + +He soon found a tree with a branch which would suit his purpose, and, +climbing up into it, lit his pipe and prepared for an uncomfortable +night. Frank had never smoked until he reached Africa, but he had +then taken to it on the advice of Mr. Goodenough, who told him +that smoking was certainly a preventive, to some extent, of fever +in malarious countries, and, although he had not liked it at first, +he had now taken kindly to his pipe, and smoked from the time when +the evening mists began to rise until he went to bed. + +The time passed very slowly. The cries of wild creatures could +be heard in the woods, and although Frank did not expect to be +attacked, it was impossible to sleep with these calls of leopards, +with which the forest seemed to abound, in his ears. He had reloaded +his revolver immediately after discharging it, and had replaced +it in his pouch, and felt confident that nothing could climb the +tree. Besides, he had heard that leopards seldom attack men unless +themselves attacked. Sleep, however, was out of the question, for +when he slept he might have fallen from his seat in the crotch of +the tree. Occasionally, however, he dozed off, waking up always +with an uncomfortable start, and a feeling that he had just saved +himself from falling. With the earliest dawn of morn he descended, +stiff and weary, from the tree. Directly the sun rose he set off +walking. He knew at least that he was to the south of the camp, +and that by keeping the sun on his right hand till it reached the +zenith he must get in time to the little stream on which it was +pitched. As he walked he listened intently for the sound of guns. +Once or twice he fancied that he heard them, but he was quite +unable to judge of the direction. He had been out with the Houssa +about six hours before he strayed from him in the pursuit of the +butterfly, and they had for some time been walking towards the +camp, in order to reach it by nightfall. Thus he thought, that at +that time, he could only have been some three or four miles distant +from it. Supposing that he had run due south, he could still be but +eight miles from the stream, and he thought that in three hours' +walking he might arrive there. In point of fact, after leaving the +Houssa the butterfly had led him towards the southeast, and as the +stream took a sharp bend to the north a little distance above the +camp, he was many miles farther from it than he expected. This +stream was one of the upper tributaries of the Gaboon. + +After walking for two hours the character of the forest changed. +The high trees were farther apart, and a thick undergrowth began +to make its appearance, frequently causing him to make long detours +and preventing his following the line he had marked out for himself. +This caused him much uneasiness, for he knew that he had passed +across no such country on his way from the camp, and the thought +that he might experience great difficulties in recovering it, now +began to press upon him. + + + +CHAPTER XI: A HOSTILE TRIBE + + +Every step that he went the ground grew softer and more swampy, and +he at length determined to push on no farther in this direction, +but turning to his left to try and gain higher ground, and then to +continue on the line he had marked out for himself. + +His progress was now very slow. The bush was thick and close, thorny +plants and innumerable creepers continually barred his way, and the +necessity for constantly looking up through the trees to catch a +glimpse of the sun, which was his only guide, added to his difficulty. +At length, when his watch told him it was eleven o'clock, he came +to a standstill, the sun being too high overhead to serve him as a +reliable guide. He had now been walking for nearly six hours, and +he was utterly worn out and exhausted, having had no food since +his midday meal on the previous day. He was devoured with thirst, +having merely rinsed his mouth in the black and poisonous water +of the swamps he had crossed. His sleepless night, too, had told +on him. He was bathed in perspiration, and for the last hour had +scarcely been able to drag his feet along. + +He now lay down at the foot of a great tree, and for three or four +hours slept heavily. When he awoke he pursued his journey, the sun +serving as a guide again. In two hours' time he had got upon higher +ground. The brushwood was less dense, and he again turned his face +to the north, and stepped forward with renewed hopes. + +It was late in the afternoon when he came upon a native path. Here he +sat down to think. He did not remember having crossed such a path +on the day before. Probably it crossed the stream at some point +above the encampment. Therefore it would serve as a guide, and he +might, too, come upon some native village where he could procure +food. By following it far enough he must arrive somewhere. He sat +for a quarter of an hour to rest himself, and then proceeded along +the path, whose direction seemed to be the northwest. + +For an hour he proceeded and then paused, hearing a sudden outcry +ahead. Scampering along the path came a number of great baboons, +and Frank at once stepped aside into the bush to avoid them, as +these are formidable creatures when disturbed. They were of a very +large species, and several of the females had little ones clinging +around their necks. In the distance Frank could hear the shouts +of some natives, and supposed that the monkeys had been plundering +their plantations, and that they were driving them away. The baboons +passed without paying any attention to him, but Frank observed +that the last of the troop was carrying a little one in one of its +forearms. + +Frank glanced at the baby monkey and saw that it had round its waist +a string of blue beads. As a string of beads is the only attire +which a negro child wears until it reaches the age of ten or eleven +years old, the truth at once flashed upon Frank that the baboons +were carrying off a native baby, which had probably been set down +by its mother while she worked in the plantation. Instantly he drew +his pistol, leaped into the road, and fired at the retreating ape. +It gave a cry, dropped the baby and turned to attack its aggressor. + +Frank waited till it was within six feet, and then shot it through +the head. He sprang forward and seized the baby, but in a moment +he was attacked by the whole party of baboons, who, barking like +dogs, and uttering angry cries, rushed at him. Frank stood his +ground, and discharged the four remaining barrels of his revolver +at the foremost animals. Two of these dropped, but the others who +were only wounded sprang upon him. Frank struck out with the butt +end of his pistol, but in a minute he was overpowered. + +One monkey seized him by the leg with his teeth, while another bit +his arm. Others struck and scratched at him, and he was at once +thrown down. He tried to defend his face with his arms, kicking +and struggling to the best of his power. With one hand he drew the +long knife for skinning animals, which he wore at his belt, and +struck out fiercely, but a baboon seized his wrist in its teeth, +and Frank felt that all was over, when suddenly his assailants left +him, and the instant afterwards he was lifted to his feet by some +negroes. + +He had, when attacked by the apes, thrown the baby into a clump +of ferns close by, in order to have the use of both his hands, and +when he looked round he found that a negress had already picked it +up, and was crying and fondling it. The negroes appeared intensely +astonished at Frank's color, and he judged by their exclamations +of surprise that, not only had they not seen a white man before, +but that they had not heard of one being in the neighborhood. + +Frank had been too severely bitten and mauled by the baboons to be +able to walk, and the negroes, seeing this, raised him, and four +of them carried him to their village, which was but a quarter of a +mile distant. Here he was taken to the principal hut, and laid on +a bed. His wounds were dressed with poultices formed of bruised +leaves of some plant, the natives evincing the utmost astonishment as +Frank removed his clothes to enable these operations to be performed. + +By pointing to his lips he indicated that he was hungry and thirsty. +Water was brought to him, and cakes made from pounded yams pressed +and baked. Having eaten and drank he closed his eyes and lay +back, and the natives, who had before been all noisily chattering +together, now became suddenly silent, and stealing away left the +strange white visitor to sleep. + +When Frank woke he could see by the light that it was early +morning. A woman with a child in her lap, whom Frank recognized as +the negress who had picked up the baby, was sitting on a low stool +by his side. On seeing him open his eyes she came to the bed, took +his hand and put it to her lips, and then raised the baby triumphantly +and turned it round and round to show that it had escaped without +damage. Then when Frank pointed again to his lips she brought him +a pineapple, roughly cut off the skin, and sliced it. Frank ate +the juicy fruit, and felt immensely refreshed, for the West Coast +pineapple is even more delicious than that found in the West Indies. +Then the woman removed the bandages and applied fresh poultices to +his wounds, talking in low soft tones, and, as Frank had no doubt, +expressing sorrow at their cause. + +Frank now endeavored to explain to her that he had a white companion +in the woods, but the woman, not understanding, brought in two or +three other natives, who stood round the couch and endeavored to +gather what he wished to say. + +Frank held up two fingers. Then he pointed to himself and shut down +one finger, keeping the other erect, and then pointed all round +to signify that he had a friend somewhere in the wood. A grin of +comprehension stole over the faces of the negroes, and Frank saw +that he was understood. + +Then he again held up his two fingers, and taking the hands of the +negress raised all her fingers by the side of the white ones to +signify that there were many natives with them. Then he took aim, +with an imaginary gun, up at the roof of the hut, and said "Bang" +very loud, and a chorus of approving laughter from the negroes +showed that he was understood. Then one of them pointed towards +the various points of the compass, and looked interrogatively at +Frank. The sun was streaming in through the doorway, and he was +thus able to judge of the direction in which the camp must lie. He +made a sweep with his hand towards the northwest, signifying that +they were somewhere in that direction. + +That afternoon fever set in, and for the two next days Frank was +delirious. When he recovered consciousness he found Mr. Goodenough +sitting beside him. The latter would not suffer him to talk, but +gave him a strong dose of quinine and told him to lie quiet and go +to sleep. + +It was not till the next day that Frank learned what had happened +in his absence. The Houssa had not returned until long after +nightfall. He reported that Frank had told him to wait with the +guns, and that he had waited until it grew nearly dark. Then he +had fired several times and had walked about, firing his gun at +intervals. Obtaining no responses he had made his way back to the +camp, where his arrival alone caused great consternation. + +It was impossible to do anything that night, and the next morning +Mr. Goodenough, accompanied by five of the Houssas, one only +remaining to keep guard over the camp, had gone to the place where +Frank had last been seen. Then they scattered in various directions, +shouting and firing their guns. The search had been continued all +day without success, and at nightfall, disheartened and worn out, +they had returned to the camp. The next day the search had been +continued with an equal want of success, and the fears that a leopard +had attacked and killed Frank became stronger and stronger. On the +third day the whole of the carriers were sent out with instructions +to search the woods for native paths, to follow these to villages, +and to enlist the natives in the search. One of these men had met +one of the villagers on the search for the party of the white man. + +It was another ten days before Frank was sufficiently recovered +from his fever and wounds to march back to the camp. After a stay +there of two or three more days, to enable him completely to regain +his strength, the party started again on their journey. + +In another three weeks they had descended the hills, and the Fans +announced their unwillingness to travel farther. Mr. Goodenough, +however, told them quietly that they had promised to go on until +he could obtain other carriers, and that if they deserted him he +should pay them nothing. They might now expect every day to meet +people of another tribe, and as soon as they should do so they +would be allowed to depart. Finding that he was firm, and having +no desire to forfeit the wages they had earned, the Fans agreed to +go forward, although they were now in a country entirely unknown +to them, where the people would presumably be hostile. They had, +however, such faith in the arms carried by the white men and Houssas, +that they felt comparatively easy as to the result of any attack +which might be made upon them. + +The very day after this little mutiny, smoke was seen curling up +from the woods. Mr. Goodenough deemed it inexpedient to show himself +at once with so large a number of men. He, therefore, sent forward +Ostik with two of the Fans, each of whom could speak several native +dialects, to announce his coming. They returned in an hour saying +that the village was a very large one, and that the news of the +coming of two white men had created great excitement. The people +spoke of sending at once to their king, whom they called Malembe, +whose place, it seemed, was a day's march off. + +They now prepared to enter the village. Ostik went first carrying +himself with the dignity of a beadle at the head of a school +procession. Two of the Houssas walked next. Mr. Goodenough and +Frank followed, their guns being carried by two Fans behind them. +Then came the long line of bearers, two of the Houssas walking +on each side as a baggage guard. The villagers assembled in great +numbers as they entered. The head man conducted the whites to his +hut. No women or children were to be seen, and the expression of +the men was that of fear rather than curiosity. + +"They are afraid of the Fans," Mr. Goodenough said. "The other tribes +all have a species of terror of these cannibals. We must reassure +them as soon as possible." + +A long palaver then took place with the chief, with whose language +one of the Fans was sufficiently acquainted to make himself +understood. It was rather a tedious business, as each speech had +to be translated twice, through Ostik and the Fan. + +Mr. Goodenough informed the chief that the white men were friends +of his people, that they had come to see the country and give presents +to the chiefs, that they only wished to pass quietly through and +to journey unmolested, and that they would pay handsomely for food +and all that they required. They wished to obtain bearers for their +baggage, and these they would pay in cloth and brass rods, and as +soon as they procured carriers the Fans would return to their own +country. + +The chief answered expressing his gratification at seeing white +men in his village, saying that the king would, no doubt, carry out +all their wishes. One of the boxes was opened and he was presented +with five yards of bright colored calico, a gaudy silk handkerchief, +and several strings of bright beads. In return a large number of +plantains were presented to the white men. These were soon distributed +among the Fans. + +"Me no like dat nigger," Ostik said. "Me think we hab trouble. You +see all women and children gone, dat bad. Wait till see what do +when king come." + +That day and the next passed quietly. The baggage had been piled +in a circle, as usual, in an open space outside the village; the +tent being pitched in the center, and Ostik advised Mr. Goodenough +to sleep here instead of in the village. The day after their arrival +passed but heavily. The natives showed but little curiosity as to +the newcomers, although these must have been far more strange to +them than to the people nearer the coast. Still no women or children +made their appearance. Towards evening a great drumming was heard +in the distance. + +"Here is his majesty at last," Mr. Goodenough said, "we shall soon +see what is his disposition." + +In a short time the village was filled with a crowd of men all +carrying spears and bows and arrows. The drumming came nearer and +nearer, and then, carried in a chair on the shoulders of four strong +negroes, while ten others armed with guns marched beside him, the +king made his appearance. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank advanced to meet him. The king was a tall +man with a savage expression of countenance. Behind Mr. Goodenough, +Ostik and the Fan who spoke the language advanced. The king's chair +was lowered under the shade of a tree, and two attendants with palm +leaf fans at once began to fan his majesty. + +"Tell the king," Mr. Goodenough said, "that we are white men who +have come to see his country, and to pass through to the countries +beyond. We have many presents for him, and wish to buy food and to +hire carriers in place of those who have brought our things thus +far." + +The king listened in silence. + +"Why do the white men bring our enemies into our land?" he asked +angrily. + +"We have come up from the coast," Mr. Goodenough said; "and as +we passed through the Fan country we hired men there to carry our +goods, just as we wish to hire men here to go on into the country +beyond. There were none of the king's men in that country or we +would have hired them." + +"Let me see the white men's presents," the king said. + +A box was opened, a bright scarlet shirt and a smoking cap of the +same color, worked with beads, a blue silk handkerchief and twenty +yards of bright calico, were taken out. To these were added twelve +stair rods, five pounds of powder, and two pounds of shot. + +The king's eye sparkled greedily as he looked at the treasures. + +"The white men must be very rich," he said, pointing to the pile +of baggage. + +"Most of the boxes are empty," Mr. Goodenough said. "We have brought +them to take home the things of the country and show them to the +white men beyond the sea;" and to prove the truth of his words, Mr. +Goodenough had two of the empty cases opened, as also one already +half filled with bird skins, and another with trays of butterflies +and beetles. + +The king looked at them with surprise. + +"And the others?" he asked, pointing to them. + +"The others," Mr. Goodenough said, "contain, some of them, food +such as white men are accustomed to eat in their own country, the +others, presents for the other kings and chiefs I shall meet when +we have passed on. + +"The fellow is not satisfied," he said to Ostik, "give him two of +the trade guns and a bottle of brandy." + +The king appeared mollified by these additional presents, and saying +that he would talk to the white men in the morning, he retired into +the village. + +"I don't like the looks of things," Mr. Goodenough said. "I fear +that the presents we have given the king will only stimulate his +desire for more. However, we shall see in the morning." + +When night fell, two of the Houssas were placed on guard. The +Fans slept inside the circle formed by the baggage. Several times +in the night the Houssas challenged bodies of men whom they heard +approaching, but these at once retired. + +In the morning a messenger presented himself from the king, saying +that he required many more presents, that the things which had +been given were only fit for the chief of a village, and not for +a great king. Mr. Goodenough answered, that he had given the best +he had, that the presents were fit for a great king, and that he +should give no more. + +"If we are to have trouble," he said to Frank, "it is far better +to have it at once while the Fans are with us, than when we are +alone with no one but the Houssas and the subjects of this man. +The Fans will fight, and we could hold this encampment against any +number of savages." + +A quarter of an hour later the drums began beating furiously again. +Loud shouts and yells arose in the village, and the natives could +be seen moving excitedly about. Presently these all disappeared. + +"Fight come now," Ostik said. + +"You'd better lower the tent at once, Ostik. It will only he in +our way." + +The tent was speedily lowered. The Fans grasped their spears and +lay down behind the circle of boxes and bales, and the six Houssas, +the two white men and Ostik, to whom a trade musket had been +entrusted, took their places at regular intervals round the circle, +which was some eight yards in diameter. Presently the beat of +the drums again broke the silence, and a shower of arrows, coming +apparently from all points of the compass, fell in and around the +circle. + +"Open fire steadily and quietly," Mr. Goodenough said, "among the +bushes, but don't fire fast. We must tempt them to show themselves." + +A dropping fire commenced against the invisible foe, the fire being +no more frequent than it would have been had they been armed with +muzzle loading weapons. Presently musketry was heard on the enemy's +side, the king's bodyguard having opened fire. This was disastrous +to them, for, whereas the arrows had afforded but slight index as +to the position of those who shot them, the puffs of smoke from the +muskets at once showed the lurking places of those who used them, +and Mr. Goodenough and Frank replied so truly that in a very short +time the musketry fire of the enemy ceased altogether. The rain of +arrows continued, the yells of the natives rose louder and louder, +and the drums beat more furiously. + +"They will be out directly," Mr. Goodenough said. "Fire as quickly +as you can when they show, but be sure and take good aim." + +Presently the sound of a war horn was heard, and from the wood all +round a crowd of dark figures dashed forward, uttering appalling +yells. On the instant the dropping fire of the defenders changed +into an almost continuous fusillade, as the Sniders of the Houssas, +the breech loading rifle of Mr. Goodenough, and the repeating +Winchester of Frank were brought into play at their full speed. +Yells of astonishment broke from the natives, and a minute later, +leaving nearly a score of their comrades on the ground, the rest +dashed back into the forest. + +There was silence for a time and then the war drums began again. + +"Dey try again hard dis time, massa," Ostik said. "King tell 'em +he cut off deir heads dey not win battle." + +This time the natives rushed forward with reckless bravery, in +spite of the execution made among them by the rapid fire of the +defenders, and rushed up to the circle of boxes. Then the Fans +leaped to their feet, and, spear in hand, dashed over the defenses +and fell upon the enemy. + +The attack was decisive. Uttering yells of terror the natives fled, +and two minutes later not a sound was to be heard in the forest. + +"I tink dey run away for good dis time, sar," Ostik said. "Dey hav' +'nuf of him. Dey fight very brave, much more brave than people down +near coast. Dere in great battle only three, four men killed. Here +as many men killed as we got altogether." + +This was so, nearly fifty of the natives having fallen between the +trees and the encampment. When an hour passed and all was still, +it became nearly certain that the enemy had retreated, and the +Houssas, who are splendid scouts, divested themselves of their +clothing and crawled away into the wood to reconnoiter. They returned +in half an hour in high glee, bearing the king's chair. + +"Dey all run away, sar, ebery one, de king an' all, and leab his +chair behind. Dat great disgrace for him." + +A council was now held. The Fans were so delighted with the victory +they had won, that they expressed their readiness to remain with +their white companions as long as they chose, providing these would +guarantee that they should be sent home on the expiration of their +service. This Mr. Goodenough readily promised. After discussing the +question with Frank, he determined to abstain from pushing farther +into the interior, but to keep along northward, and then turning +west with the sweep of the coast to travel slowly along, keeping +at about the same distance as at present from the sea, and finally +to come down either upon Cape Coast or Sierra Leone. + +This journey would occupy a considerable time. They would cross +countries but little known, and would have an ample opportunity for +the collection of specimens, which they might, from time to time, +send down by the various rivers they would cross, to the trading +stations at their mouths. + +It was felt that after this encounter with the natives it would be +imprudent in the extreme to push further into the interior. They +would have continual battles to fight, large numbers of the natives +would be killed, and their collecting operations would be greatly +interfered with. As a lesson to the natives the village was burnt +to the ground; the presents, which the king in the hurry of his +flight had left behind him, being recovered. + +A liberal allowance of tobacco was served out as a "dash" or present +to the Fans, and a bright silk handkerchief given to each. Then +they turned off at right angles to the line they had before been +pursuing and continued their journey. + +Two days later Mr. Goodenough was prostrated by fever, and for +several days lay between life and death. When he became convalescent +he recovered strength very slowly. The heat was prodigious and the +mosquitos rendered sleep almost impossible at night. The country at +this place was low and swampy, and, weak as he was, Mr. Goodenough +determined to push forward. He was, however, unable to walk, and, +for the first time, a hammock was got out and mounted. + +There is no more comfortable conveyance in the world than a hammock +in Africa. It is slung from a long bamboo pole, overhead a thick +awning keeps the sun from the hammock. Across the ends of the +pole boards of some three feet long are fastened. The natives wrap +a piece of cloth into the shape of a muffin and place it on their +heads, and then take their places, two at each end of the pole, +with the ends of the board on their heads. They can trot along at +the rate of six miles an hour, for great distances, often keeping +up a monotonous song. Their action is perfectly smooth and easy, +and the traveler in the hammock, by shutting his eyes, might imagine +himself swinging in a cot on board ship on an almost waveless sea. + +After two days traveling they got on to higher ground, and here they +camped for some time, Mr. Goodenough slowly recovering strength, +and Frank busy in adding to their collections. In this he was in +no slight degree assisted by the Fans, who, having nothing else to +do, had now come to enter into the occupation of their employers. +A good supply of muslin had been brought, and nets having been +made, the Fans captured large quantities of butterflies, the great +difficulty being in convincing them that only a few of each species +were required. They were still more valuable in grubbing about in +the decaying trunks of fallen trees, under loose bark, and in broken +ground, for beetles and larvae, a task which suited them better +than running about after butterflies, which, moreover, they often +spoilt irreparably by their rough handling. Thus Frank was able to +devote himself entirely to the pursuit of birds, and although all +the varieties more usually met with had been obtained, the collection +steadily increased in size. + +Frank himself had severe attacks of fever, but none of these were +so severe as that which he had had on the day of the death of the +leopards. + +At the end of a month Mr. Goodenough had recovered his strength, +and they again moved forward. + + + +CHAPTER XII: A NEGRO'S STORY + + +On arriving at a large village one day, they were struck as they +approached by the far greater appearance of comfort and neatness +than generally distinguish African villages. The plots of plantations +were neatly fenced, the street was clean and well kept. As they +entered the village they were met by the principal people, headed +by an old white haired negro. + +"Me berry glad to see you, white men," he said. "Long time me no +see white men." + +"And it is a long time," said Mr. Goodenough, shaking hands with +him, "since I have heard the sound of my own tongue outside my +party." + +"Me berry glad to see you," repeated the negro. "Me chief of +dis village. Make you berry comfortable, sar. Great honor for dis +village dat you come here. Plenty eberyting for you, fowl, and +eggs, and plantain, and sometime a sheep." + +"We have, indeed, fallen into the lap of luxury," Mr. Goodenough +said to Frank; and they followed the negro to his hut. "I suppose +the old man has been employed in one of the factories upon the +coast." + +The interior of the hut was comfortably furnished and very clean. +A sort of divan covered with neatly woven mats extended round three +sides. In the center was an attempt at a table. A doubled barreled +gun and a rifle hung over the hearth. A small looking glass and +several colored prints in cheap frames were suspended from the walls. +A great chest stood at one end of the room, while on a shelf were +a number of plates and dishes of English manufacture. + +The negro begged his guests to be seated, and presently a girl +entered, bringing in a large calabash full of water for them to wash +their hands and faces. In the meantime the old negro had gone to +his chest, and, to the immense surprise of the travelers, brought +out a snow white tablecloth, which he proceeded to lay on the table, +and then to place knives, forks, and plates upon it. + +"You must 'scuse deficiencies, sar," he said. "We berry long way +from coast, and dese stupid niggers dey break tings most ebery +day." + +"Don't talk about deficiencies," Mr. Goodenough answered smiling. +"All this is, indeed, astonishing to us here." + +"You berry good to say dat, sar, but dis chile know how tings ought +to be done. Me libed in good Melican family. He know berry well +how tings ought to be done." + +"Ah, you have traveled a good deal!" Mr. Goodenough said. + +"Yes, sar, me trabel great deal. Me lib in Cuba long time. Den me +lib slave states, what you call Confederate. Den me lib Northern +state, also Canada under Queen Victoria. Me trabel bery much. +Now, sar, dinner come. Time to eat not to talk. After dinner white +gentlemen tell me what they came here for. Me tell dem if they like +about my trabels, but dat berry long story." + +The dinner consisted of two fowls cut in half and grilled over a +fire, fried plantains, and, to the astonishment of the travelers, +green peas, followed by cold boiled rice over which honey had been +poured. Their host had placed plates only for two, but they would +not sit down until he had consented to join them. + +Two girls waited, both neatly dressed in cotton, in a fashion which +was a compromise between European and negro notions. + +After dinner the negro presented them with two large and excellent +cigars, made, as he said, from tobacco grown in his own garden, and +the astonishment of the travelers was heightened by the reappearance +of one of the girls bearing a tray with three small cups of excellent +black coffee. + +Their host now asked them for the story of their journey from +the coast, and the object with which they had penetrated Africa. +Mr. Goodenough related their adventures, and said that they were +naturalists in search of objects of natural history. When he had +finished Ostik, in obedience to a whisper from him, brought in +a bottle of brandy, at the sight of which the negro broke into a +chuckle. + +"Me tree months widout taste dat. Once ebery year me send down to +coast, get coffee, tea, sugar, calico, beads, and rum. Dis time de +rum am finish too soon. One of de cases get broke and half de bottles +smash. Dat berry bad job. Dis chile calculate dat six dozen last +for a year, dat give him one bottle each week and twenty bottles +for presents to oder chiefs. Eighteen bottles go smash, and as de +oder chiefs expec' deir present all de same, Sam hab ta go widout. +De men start three weeks ago for coast. Me hope dey come back in +six weeks more." + +"Well," Mr. Goodenough said, "you need not go without it till they +come back, for I can give you eight bottles which will last you +for two months. I have got a good supply, and as I never use it for +trade unless a chief particularly wants it, I can very well spare +it." + +The old negro was greatly pleased, and when he had drank his glass +of brandy and water he responded to Mr. Goodenough's request, and, +lighting a fresh cigar, he began the story of his adventures. + +"I was born in dis berry village somewhere about seventy years ago. +I not know for sure widin two or three year, for when I young man +I no keep account. My fader was de chief of dis village, just as +I am now, but de village was not like dis. It was not so big, and +was berry dirty and berry poor, just like the oder nigger villages. +Well, sar, dere am nothing perticlar to tell about de first years +of my life. I jus' dirty little naked nigger like de rest. Dose +were berry bad times. Ebery one fight against ebery one else. Ebery +one take slabes and send dem down de river, and sell to white men +dere to carry ober sea. When I grow up to seventeen, I s'pose, +I take spear and go out wid de people of dis village and de oder +villages of dis part ob country under king, and fight against oder +villages and carry the people away as slabes. All berry bad business +dat. But Sam he tink nothing, and just do the same as oder people. +Sometimes oder tribes come and fight against our villages and carry +our people away. So it happened to Sam. + +"Jus' when he about twenty years old we had come back from a long +'spedition. Dis village got its share ob slabes, and we drink and +sing and make merry wid de palm tree wine and tink ourselves berry +grand fellows. Well, sar, dat night great hullyballoo in de village. +De dogs bark, de men shout and seize deir arms and run out to fight, +but it no good. Anoder tribe fall on us ten times as many as we. +We fight hard but no use. All de ole men and de ole women and de +little babies dat no good to sell dey killed, and de rest of us, +de men and de women and de boys and girls, we tied together and +march away wid de people dat had taken us. + +"Berry bad time dat, sar. De season was dry and de water scarce. +We make long march ebery day, and berry little food given. Dey beat +us wid sticks and prod us wid spear to make us go. A good many ob +de weak ones dey die, but de most ob us arribe at mouth ob riber; +me neber know what riber dat was, but we were berry nigh two months +in getting dere. By dis time Sam arribe at the conclusion berry +strong, dat de burning ob villages and carrying off ob slabes berry +bad affair altogether. Sam hab changed his mind about a great many +things, but about dat he am fixed right up to dis time. + +"Well, at de mouth ob dat riber Sam saw de white man for de first +time; and me tell you fair, sar, Sam not like him no way. Dey were +Spanish men, and de way dey treat us poor niggers was someting awful. +We huddle up night and day in a big shed dey call a barracoon. Dey +gabe us berry little food, berry little water. Dey flog us if we +grumble. Dese men belong to ships, and had bought us from dose who +brought us down from up country. Deir ship not come yet, and for +a long time we wait in the barracoon wishing dat we could die. +At last de ship came, and we were taken on board and huddled down +below. Law, what a place dat was to be sure! Not more than tree feet +high, just high enough to sit up, and dere we chained to deck. De +heat, sar, was someting terrible. Some ob us yell out and scream +for air, but dey only come down and beat us wid whips. + +"De day after we got on board de ship set sail. Tree hours after +dat we hear a great running about on deck, and a shouting by the +white men. Den we hear big gun fire ober head, almost make us jump +out of skin wid de noise. Den more guns. Den dere was a crash, and +before we knew what was de matter dere was a big hole in de side, +and six niggers was killed dead. Ebery one yelled berry loud. We +tink for sure that de last day come. For a long time de guns keep +firing, and den everyting quiet again. At de time no one could tink +what de matter, but I s'pose dat British cruiser chase us and dat +de slaber sail away. + +"Dat was an awful voyage, sar. At first de sea smoove, and de ship +go along straight. Den de ship begin to toss about jus' as nigger +does when he has taken too much palm wine, and we all feel berry bad. +Ebery one groan and cry and tink dat dey must have been poisoned. +For tree days it was a terrible time. De hatches were shut down +and no air could come to us, and dere we was all alone in de dark, +and no one could make out why de great house on de water roll and +tumble so much. We cry and shout till all breaff gone, and den lie +quiet and moan, till jus' when ebery one tink he dead, dey take +off de hatch and come down and undo de padlocks and tell us to go +up on deck. Dat berry easy to say, not at all easy to do. Most of +us too weak to walk, and say dat we dead and cannot move. Den dey +whip all about, and it was astonishing, sar, to see what life dat +whip put into dead nigger. Somehow people feel dat dey could crawl +after all, and when dey get up on deck and see de blessed sun again +and de blue sky dey feel better. But not all. In spite ob de whip +many hab to be carried up on deck, and dere de sailor men lay 'em +down and trow cold water ober dem till dey open dere eyes and come +to life. Some neber come to life. Dere were about six hundred when +we start, and ob dese pretty nigh a hundred die in dose tree days. + +"After dat tings not so bad. De weather was fine and no more English +cruisers seen, so dey let half ob us up on deck at once for tree +or four hours ebery day. Dey give us more food, too, and fatten us +up. We talk dis ober among ourselves, and s'pose dat dey going to +eat us when we get to land again. Some propose not to eat food, +but when dey try dat on they get de whip, and conclude dat if dey +must be eaten dey might as well be eaten fat as lean. + +"At last we come in sight of land. Den we all sent below and stay +dere till night. Den we brought on deck, and find de vessel lying +in a little creek. Den we all land in boats, and march up country +all night. In de morning we halt. Tree or four white men come on +horses and look at us. Dey separate us into parties, and each march +away into country again. Den we separate again, till at last me and +twenty oders arribe at a plantation up in de hills. Here we range +along in line before a white man. He speak in berry fierce tones, +and a nigger by his side tell us dat dis man our master, dat he +say if we work well he gib us plenty of food and treat us well, +but dat if we not work wid all our might he whip us to death. After +dis it was ebident that de best ting to do was to work hard. + +"I was young and berry strong, sar, and soon got de name of a +willing hard working nigger. De massa he keep his word. Dose who +work well not bad treated, plenty ob food and a piece of ground +to plant vegetables and to raise fowls for ourselves. So we passed +two or tree year, plenty ob hard work, but not berry much to grumble +at. Den me and a gal of my own village, who had been bought in de +same batch wid me, we go to massa and say we want to marry. Massa +say, berry well. I fine strong nigger and work well, so he gib de +gal four yards ob bright cotton for wedding dress, and a bottle ob +rum to me, and we married. + +"Two or tree years pass, and my wife hab two piccanninies. Den de +massa go home to Spain, and leab overseer in plantation. Berry bad +man dat. Before, if nigger work well he not beaten. Now he beaten +wheder he work or not. For two or tree months we 'tand it, but +tings get worse and worse. De oberseer he always drunk and go on +like wild beast. One day he passed by my wife hoeing de sugarcane +and he gib her cut wid whip, jus' out of 'musement. She turn round +and ask, 'What dat for?' He get mad, cut her wid whip, knock her +down wid de handle, and den seizing de chile dat she had fastened +to her back, he catch him by de leg and smash him skull against a +tree. Den, sar, I seize my hoe, I rush at him, and I chop him down +wid all my strength, cut his skull clean in sunder, and he drop +down dead. + +"Den I knew dat dat was no place for Sam, so I take my hoe and I +run away as fast as I could. No one try to stop me. De oder niggers +dance and sing when dey saw de oberseer fall dead. I ran all dat +day up among de hills, skirting round de different plantations till +I get quite into de wild part. Wheneber I came to stream I walk a +long way in him till I get to tree hanging ober. Den pull myself +up into de branches, climb along and drop at de farthest end, and +den run again, for I knew dat dey would set de bloodhounds after +me. + +"At last I tink dat it am quite safe, and when de night came on +lie down to sleep for a few hours. Before morning me off again, +and by night get to de center of de wild country. Here I light a +fire, and sit down, and, just as I 'spected, in two or tree hours +five or six men come down to me. Dose were niggers who had run away +from plantations. I tell dem my story, dey agree dat I did berry +right in killing oberseer. Dey take me away to place where dey hab +little huts and patches of yams. Two or tree days pass and no one +come, so, we s'pose dat dey hab lost de scent. Me waited a month and +den determined to go down and see about wife. I journey at night, +and reach plantation in two days. Dere I hide till I see nigger +come along close to bush. I call him and he come. I tell him to +tell my wife to steal away when night come, and to meet me dere. +He nod and go away. Dat night my wife come wid de oder chile. We +not talk much but start away for mountains. Me berry much afraid now +because my wife not berry strong, she hurt by de blow and fretting +after me. Howeber, we follow the way I had gone before. I make shift +to help her up into trees from the streams, and dis time after tree +days' travel we got back to hut in the mountain. + +"Dere we lib berry happy for a year. Sometimes some ob us go down +to plantation and take down baskets and oder tings dat we had made +and chop dem for cotton. We had tobacco of our own, and some fowls +which we got from the plantations in de fust place. Altogether we +did berry well. Sometimes band of soldiers come and march trough +the country, but we hab plenty hiding places and dey never find +us. More and more runway slabes come, and at last we hear dat great +'spedition going to start to search all de mountains. Dey come, +two tree thousand ob dem. Dey form long skirmishing line, five or +six mile long, and dey go ober mountain. Ebery nigger dey find who +not surrender when dey call to him dey shoot. When I heard ob deir +coming I had long talk wid wife. We agree that it better to leave +de mountains altogether and go down and live in the bushes close +to the old plantation. Nobody look for us dere. So we make our way +down and lib there quiet. We get the yams out ob de plantations and +lib very comfortable. When we tink all ober in the mountain we go +back. + +"Well, sar, when we tink it all safe, and we get widin a mile ob de +huts whar we had libed, all at once we came upon a lot of soldiers +in camp. Dey see us and make shout. I call to my wife to run, when +dey fire. A bullet hit de baby, which she hab at her back, and pass +through both deir bodies. I did not run any more, but jus' stood +looking at my wife and chile as if my senses had gone. Dere I stood +till the soldiers came up. Dey put a cord round my arms and led me +away. After a time I was taken down the country. Dere I was claimed, +and when it was known I had killed a white oberseer I was tried. +But de new oberseer did not want me to be hung, for I was a strong +slave and worth money, so he told a story about how it happen, and +after dey had flogged me very hard dey sent me back to plantation. +Dere I work for a long time wid a great log of wood chained to my +ankle to prevent me from running away again. + +"For a time I not care whether I lib or die, but at last I made +up my mind to 'scape again. After six months dey took off de log, +tinking dat I had had enuf of de mountains and would not try to +'scape, and de log prevented my doing so much work. De bery next +night I ran away again but dis time I determined to make for de +town in hopes ob getting on board an English ship, for I had heard +from de oder slabes dat de English did not keep black men as slabes, +but dat, on de contry, dey did what dey could to stop de Spanish +from getting dem away from Africa, and I understood now dat de +dreful noise we had heard on de first day we were on board ship +was an attack upon our vessel by an English cruiser. + +"It was four days' journey down to de town by de sea. Dere was no +difficulty in finding de way, for de road was good, and I s'pose +dat dey only looked for me towards de hills. Anyhow I got dar +safe, walking at night and sleeping in the bushes by day. I got as +near de town as I dar, and could see seberal vessels lying near de +shore. I could see dat some ob dem had de Spanish flag--I knew +dat flag--de oders had flags which I did not know. When it was +dark I walked boldly into the town; no one asked me any question, +and I make my way through de streets down to de shore. Dere I get +into a boat and lay quiet till all de town was asleep. Den I get +into water and swim off to a ship--one dat I had noticed had +a flag which was not Spanish. Dere was a boat alongside. I climb +into it and pull myself up by the rope on deck. Den some white men +seize me and say someting in language which I not understand. Den +dey take me into cabin and say someting to captain; me not know +what it was, but de captain laugh, and me not like his laugh at +all. Howeber, dey give me someting to eat, and den take me down +into hold of ship and tell me to go to sleep on some sacks of sugar, +and throw some empty sacks ober me to cover me. Den dey close up +hatch and leab me alone. + +"When I come on deck de land was gone and de vessel sailing along. +I speak to no one, for I only understand little Spanish, and dese +people not speak dat. We sail along for some time, and at last we +come in sight of land again. Den dey hoist flag and I see dat it +a flag wid lots of red stars and stripes upon him. I know now dat +it was a 'Merican ship. Den I know noting. We get to port and I +want to land, but dey shake deir heads. + +"De next day de captain he make sign to me to come wid him. I go +along to shore and he take me to a open space in town, where a man +was standing on a raised platform. He had a black woman by de side +ob him. Seberal men come up and look at her. De man he shout bery +loud. Oder men say something short. At last he knock on de table; +a man tell de woman to come after him and she walk away. Den a boy +was put up, and den two more women, and ebery time just de same +ting was done. Den de man call out, and de captain push his way +through the crowd wid me, and tell me to climb up on platform. I +get up and look round quite surprised. Eberybody laugh. Den de man +began to holloa again. Den seberal men come up and feel my arms and +my legs. Dey point to de marks which de whip had left on my back, +and dey laugh again. Presently de man who was shouting bang his hand +on the table again, and a white man in the crowd, who had seberal +times called out loud, come up to me, take me by the arm, and sign +to me to go wid him. + +"I begin to understand now; dat rascally captain had sold me for +a slabe, and dat flag I had seen was not de English flag. However, +it was no use to say anyting, and I went along wid my new massa. +He was a nice looking man, and I thought it might not be so bery +bad after all. He took me to a high carriage wid two wheels and +a fine horse. A negro, who was dressed up like a white man, was +holding de horse. He showed me to climb up behind, de oders climb +up in front, and we dribe away." + + + +CHAPTER XIII: A FUGITIVE SLAVE + + +"Well, sar, work bery much de same on plantation in Virginia and +Cuba, but de slabe much merrier in 'Merica, when de master am good. +My new massa bery good man. Slabes all treat bery kind, work not +too hard. At night dance and sing bery much. Den I marry again, dis +time to one ob de girls in de house. She favorite ob missy, and so +when we marry, missy hab me taken off de fields and put to garden. +Bery fine garden dat was. Tree, four of us work dar, Sam jus' as +happy as man could be. Sometime, when der am party, Sam come into +the house to help at de table, dat how Sam know how to do tings +proper. De little massas dey bery fond ob me, and when dey want to +go out hunting de coon or fishing in de riber, dey always cry for +Sam. + +"So fifteen years passed by, bery happy years, sar, den do ole massa +die; missy, too, soon after. De young massa not like him father. +Me tink de ole gentleman make mistake wid him when him chile, let +him hab too much his own way. I bery fond ob him because I had +been wid him so much, but I often shake my head when I tink de time +come dat he be massa ob de plantation. It was not dat his nature +was bad; he get in rage sometime, but dat all ober in no time, but +he lub pleasure too much; go to de races and 'top at de town weeks +together, and play too much wid de cards. Dere were two boys and +two girls; de second boy, he go to West Point and become officer +in de army. + +"After de death ob de ole people de house change bery much. Before +dat time we keep good company, gib sometimes grand balls, and all +de fust families ob Virginia in dat part visit dar. After dat always +people in de house. De young massa, when he go to Richmond, bring +back six or eight young men wid him, and dey laugh and drink and +play cards half de night. I tink de young missys speak to him about +his ways. Anyhow, one day dere great row, and dey off to lib wid +an aunt in de city. After dat tings get worse. One day missy come +back from town and she gib my wife her papers of freedom. You see, +my wife was giben by de ole man to missy when her war a little +girl, and fortunate it was dat he had made out de papers all right +and presented dem to her. When missy gib her de papers ob freedom, +she cry bery much. 'Me 'fraid bad time coming, Sally,' she said. +'Me tink dat it better for a time dat you clar out ob dis. Now +you got de paper you free woman, but you wife ob slabe; might be +difficulty about it. Me fear dat broder Dick ruined--de plantation +and slabes to be sole;' and wid dat she bu'st out crying wus dan +eber. Ob course my wife she cry too. + +"'Better you go norf, Sally,' missy say presently. 'I gib you letter +to friends dar, and tell dem you bery good nurse. Den if Sam get +good master you can come back to him again. If not, as you tell +me dat when he slabe before he run away, it jus' possible he do de +same again.' + +"'Don't you tink, missy,' de wife said, 'dat de young massa gib +freedom to Sam too. Sam wait on him a great many years, sabe him +life when he tumbled into water.' + +"'I bery much afraid,' missy said, shaking her head, 'dat my broder +not able to do so if he wish. He borrow money on de plantation +and de slabes, and dat prevent him from making any ob dem free. De +sale soon come now. You go tell Sam; tell him not to say word to +nobody. Den you pack up and come right away wid me to de city. It +bery much better you clar out ob dis before dey come down and seize +eberybody.' + +"Well, sar, you guess when Sam heard dis he in fine taking. He often +grieve bery much dat he and Sally hab no children. Now he tank de +Lord wid all his heart dat dere no piccanniny, for dey would hab +been sold, one one way and one another, and we should neber hab +seen dem again. Hows'ever, I make great effort, and tell Sally she +do jus' what missy say. I tell her to go norf while she can, and +promise dat some day or oder Sam join her dar. 'Better for to be +parted for ten year, Sally, dan to hab de risk ob you being seize +and sold to one master, me to anoder. You trus' Sam to break out +some day. He do bery well here for a time. He bery good strong +nigger, good gardner, good at de horses, good carpenter. Sam sure +to get good place, but, howeber good, when he see a chance he run +away. If no chance, he sabe up his money, and you sabe up your +money, Sally, and buy him freedom.' + +"Well, sar, we bofe cry bery much, and den Sally go away wid de +young missy. A week after dat de bust up come. De officers dey come +down and seize de place, and a little while after dey sell all de +slabes. Dat was a terrible affair, to see de husbands and de wives +and de children separated and sold to different masters. De young +massa he not dere at sale. Dey say he pretty nigh break him heart, +but he ought to hab thought ob dat before. Me sure dat de ole +gentleman and de ole missy pretty nigh turn in deir grabe at de +thought ob all de hands they was so kind to sold away. + +"Dat de curse of slabery, sar. Me trabel a good deal, and me tink +dat no working people in de world are so merry and happy as de +slabe in a plantation wid a good massa and missy. Dey not work so +hard as de white man. Dey have plenty to eat and drink, dey hab +deir gardens and deir fowls. When dey are sick dey are taken care +ob, when dey are ole they are looked after and hab nothing to do. +I have heard people talk a lot of nonsense about de hard life of +de plantation slabe. Dat not true, sar, wid a good massa. De slabe +hab no care and he bery happy. If all massas were good, and dere +were a law dat if a plantation were broken up de slabes must be +sold in families together, me tell you dat de life on a plantation +a thousand times happier dan de life ob a black man in his own +country. But all masters are not good. Some neber look after de +slabes, and leabe all to overseers, and dese bery often bad, cruel +men. But worst of all is when a sale comes. Dat terrible, sar. De +husban' sold to Alabama, de wife to Carolina, de children scattered +trough de States. Dis too bad, sar, dis make ob slabery a curse to +de black men. + +"Well, sar, we all sold. Me fetch high price and sold to a planter +in Missouri. Sam no like dat. Dat a long way from the frontier. +Tree years Sam work dar in plantation. Den he sold again to a man +who hab boats on de riber at New Orleans. Dar Sam work discharging +de ships and working de barges. Dar he come to learn for sure which +de British flag. De times were slack, and my massa hire me out to +be waiter in a saloon. Dat place dey hab dinners, and after dinner +dey gamble. Dat war a bad place, mos' ebery night quarrels, and +sometimes de pistols drawn, and de bullets flying about. Sam 'top +dar six months; de place near de riber, and de captains ob de ships +often come to dine. + +"One young fellow come bery often, and one day Sam saw tree or +four men he knew to be Texas horse dealers talking wid him. Now dis +young captain had been bery friendly wid Sam; always speak cibil +and gib him quarter for himself, and Sam sorry to see dose chaps +get hold ob him. Dis went on for two or tree days, till one ebening +de captain, instead of going away after dinner, stopped talking to +dese follows. De play begin at de table, and dey persuade him to +join. He hab de debil's luck. Dey thought they going to cheat him, +and if dey had got him by demselves dey would have cleaned him out +sure. But dere were oder people playing and dey not able to cheat. + +"Well, sar, he won all de money. Drinks had been flying about, and +when at last de man dat kep' de table said, 'De bank will close +for tonight,' de young fellow could scarce walk steady on his feet. +His pockets were full ob notes. I went up to him and said, 'Will +you hab a bed here, sar, bery good bed?' but he laugh and say, 'No, +Sam, I may be a little fresh in de wind, but I tink I can make de +boat.' I saw dose fellows scowl when I speak to him, and I make up +my mind dey after no good. Well, sar, dey go out fust. Den he go +out wid some oder people and stand laughing and talking at de door. +Sam run up to him room, slip on his money belt, for he had had a +good deal giben him while he was dar, and was sabing up to buy his +freedom, and he didn't know what was going to happen. Den Sam look +into de kitchen and caught up a heavy poker and a long knife, den +he run down and turn out de lights ob de saloon and lock de door +after him. + +"He was jus' in time, for he saw at de corner, where de street go +down on to the wharves, de young captain separate from de men who +had gone out wid him and walk away by hisself. Sam kicked off his +shoes and ran as fast as he could to de end ob de street. De wharf +was bery badly lighted, jus' a lamp here and dere. Sam ran along +till he got widin about thirty yards ob de sailor, and den stole +quiet along in de shadow ob de houses. Sudden he see five men run +out. Den Sam he leap forward like tiger and gibs a shout to warn +de captain. He turn round jus' in time. Sam saw an arm lifted and +de captain fall, and den at de same moment almost him poker come +down wid a crunch upon de top ob one of deir head. Den they turn on +Sam, but, law bless you, sar! what was de good ob dat? Bery strong +negro wid heavy poker in one hand and long knife in de oder more +dan match for four men. He knock dem ober like nine pin. Tree of +dem, he tink he kill straight, the poker fall on de top ob deir +heads, de oder man give a dig in Sam's left shoulder wid his knife, +and de sudden pain shake Sam's aim a little and de blow fall on +him neck. He gib a shout and tumble down. None ob do oder four had +shouted or made any remark when Sam hit dem. Den Sam caught up de +captain and ran along de wharf. Presently he heard a hail. 'All +right,' Sam said. + +"'Am dat you, captain?' some one say. + +"'Me got a captain here,' Sam say; 'you come and see wheder he +yours.' + +"De men came up and look in de captain's face. + +"'Hullo,' dey say; 'de captain am dead.' + +"'Me no tink him dead,' I say. 'He had a fight, and Sam come to +him aid and beat de rascals off. You had better take him straight +on board de ship.' + +"Dey put him in boat and Sam go wid him to ship. Dey examine de +wound and find it not bery serious. De captain was turning round +when dey struck, and de blow had glanced off, but it had made a ugly +gash; and what wid de surprise, and de loss ob blood, and knocking +him head on de wharf, and de liquor, de captain had lost his +consciousness. He soon come round, and Sam tell all about it. De +captain shake Sam's hand bery much and call him his preserver, and +ask what he do for him. + +"'You take me out ob dis country,' me said, 'and Sam be grateful.' + +"'Sartain, I will,' he said; 'and now what am de best ting to do?' + +"'Me not stop on board now. Dey come and search de vessel for sure +in de morning. When de four white men found, me hope five, den dere +great rumpus. If five dead no suspicion fall on Sam, but you're sure +to be asked questions. It would be known dat dey were gambling in +de saloon, and it would be known dat you had broken de bank and +had gone away wid your pockets stuffed full ob notes. People would +suspec' dat likely enuff dey had made an attack on you. Dis you +couldn't deny, for you will be bandaged up in de morning, and if +you had killed dem no one would blame you. But it a different ting +wid Sam. All dose rascals friends together, and you be bery sure +dat some ob dem pay him off for it. If five men dead, all well +and good. Den you say you knocked down and know nufing furder. You +s'pose some people came up and take your side, and kill dose men, +and carry you to de boat, and gib you ober to de sailors, and den +go away; but dat you know nufing at all about it. If only four men +killed den do oder, who will be sure to go away and say nufing ob +his share in de business, will tell all his mates dat dis nigger +intrude himself into de affair, and dat bad for Sam. So, sar, propose +dat I go ashore, and dat I go down de bank five or six mile, and +dere hide in de bush. When your ship come down you hoist little +white flag, so Sam sure ob de right ship. If Sam tink de coast am +clear he swim off. If you no see Sam when you get fifteen mile down +de riber, den you anchor, and at night send a boat ashore. Sam come +down to it for sure.' + +"So de matter was arranged. De captain say he tree more days fill +up his ship, but dat no do for me come on board by daylight because +dere would be a pilot on board. Also he says little white flag no +do, pilot tink him strange, but would tell one ob de men to hang +a red shirt, as if to dry, up in de rigging. At night would show +two lights ober de bow for me to know which was de ship. + +"Fust dey bind up de wound on my shoulder, den dey gib me food +for four days and a bottle of rum, and den row me ashore. Den Sam +start, and before morning he hid in de swampy bush ten miles down +de riber. He wait dere two days, den make him way down anoder four +miles and dere stop. Late dat afternoon he see a ship come down de +riber wid a red shirt in de rigging. He go on and on, and jus' as +it got dark he anchor two miles furder down. Sam make his way along +through de bush and at last get facing de ship. At twelve o'clock +boat come along bery quiet. Sam go down and get in. De men say, +'Hush, make no noise. De pilot am as watchful as a cat. Dey had +tied tings round de oars dat dey should make no noise, and when +dey get to de side ob de ship dey lay dem in very quiet, hook on +de tackle and hoist her up. De hatchway were off, and de men beckon +to Sam, and two ob dem go down wid him, and de hatchways closed +down again. + +"'I tink we hab tricked him,' one ob de sailors said. 'Dere great +row at New Orleans about de four men found dead dar. Dey come off +and inquire ob de captain ober and ober again. Dey know you missing, +and dey find de kitchen poker lying by de men, and tink you must +have had a hand in it. A thousand dollars reward have been offered, +and dey searched de ship high and low, and turn ober all de cargo. +A guard stop on board till de last ting to see no one come off. +When de captain say he anchor de pilot say no, but de captain say +he in no hurry and not going to risk his ship by sailing at night. +Me tink pilot smell a rat, for ebery time he hear a noise on deck +he come out of his cabin and look round. We greased de falls to +make dem run quiet, and took off our shoes so as to make no noise +while we were lowering it. De men on deck was told to get de +hatchway open when dey saw us coming, and so we hoped dat de pilot +heard nufing. Now we must head you up in a cask. We hab bored some +holes in it for de air. Den we shall pile oder casks on de top and +leabe you. Dey are as likely as not to search de ship again when +she goes past de forts, for de pilot will suspect dat it am possible +dat you have come on board tonight.' + +"Me take my place in a big sugar cask. Dey give me some water and +some food, and den shut in de head ober me. Dere I remain two days. +I heard some men come below and make a great noise, moving de cargo +about near de hatchway, and dey hammered in all de casks ob de top +tier to see if any ob dem was empty. I felt bery glad when it was +all ober, and de hold was quiet again. I slept a great deal and did +not know anything about time; but at last I heard a noise again, +and de moving of casks, and den de head of de hogshead was taken +out, and dere were de sailors and de captain. Dey shook Sam very +hearty by de hand, and told him dat de ship was safe out at sea, +and dat he was a free man. + +"All through dat voyage dey bery kind to Sam. He libed de life ob +a gentleman; ate, and drank, and smoke plenty, and nufing at all +to do. At last we got to Liberpool, and dar de captain take Sam +to a vessel bound to New York, pay him passage across, and gib Sam +a present ob fifty pound. Dis chile had saved fifty beside, so he +felt dat he was a rich man. Nufing happen on passage, except great +storm, and Sam thought dat de steamer go to de bottom, but she +got through all right, and Sam land at New York. Den he journey to +Philadelphia, dat the place where missy give Sam a card wid a name +and address written on it, for him to go to ask where Sally was +living. Well, sar, you could have knocked me down when I find a +great bill in de window, saying dat de house were to let. Sam almost +go out ob his mind. He ask a great many people, de servants at de +doors, and de people in de shops and at last find dat de family am +gone to trabel in Europe, and dat dey might be away for years. + +"For two months Sam searched about Philadelphia, and looked at ebery +black woman he saw in de streets. He could see no signs whatsomeber +ob Sally. Den he took a place as waiter at an hotel, and he wrote +to missy at Richmond, to ask if she know Sally's address, but he +neber got no answer to dat letter, and s'posed that missy was either +dead or gone away. After he work dere for some months de idea came +to Sam dat first class hotel wasn't de best place in de world to +look for black woman. Den Sam went to warehouse and bought a lot +of books and started to peddle them trough de country. He walked +thousands ob miles, and altogether saw thousands ob black men, but +nothing like Sally. Ebery black woman he could he spoke to, and +asked dem if dey knew her. It was a curious ting dat no one did. +Me did not find Sally, but me made a good deal of money, and tree +more years pass away at dis work. By dis time me was nigh forty-five +years old, as well as me could tell. Ebery few months me go back +to Philadelphia and search dere again. + +"One day a woman, dressed bery plain, came up to me and said, 'I +hab been tole by my nurse dat you have been asking her if she had +seen your wife.' I s'pose I looked hopeful like for she said at +once, 'Me know nothing ob her, but I was interested about you. You +are an escaped slabe, are you not?' + +"'Yes, ma'am,' me said. 'Dere is no law against me here.' + +"'None at all,' she said. 'But I thought that you might, like me, +be interested in freeing slabes.' + +"'Dat I am,' I said, 'dough I had neber thought much about it.' + +"'You hab heard, p'raps,' she said, 'ob de underground railway.' + +"'Yes, ma'am,' said I. 'Dat is de blessed 'stitution which smuggles +slaves across the frontier.' + +"'Dat is it,' she said, 'and I belongs to it.' + +"'Does you, missy?' me says. 'De Lord bless you.' + +"'Now,' she said, 'we want two or three more earnest men, men not +afraid to risk deir libes, or what is worse deir freedom, to help +deir follow creatures. I thought that you, habing suffered so much +yourself, might be inclined to devote yourself to freeing oders +from de horrors of slabery.' + +"'Sam is ready, ma'am,' me says, 'It may be dat de Lord neber intends +me see my Sally again, but if I can be de means ob helping to get +oder men to join deir wives I shall be content.' + +"'Very well,' she said. 'Come into my house now and we will talk +about it.' + +"Den she 'splained the whole business to me. Dere were, principally +in lonely places, in swamps and woods, but sometimes libing in +villages and towns in de south, people who had devoted deir libes +to de carrying out of de purposes ob de underground railway. For +de most part dese led libes differing no way from deir neighbors; +dey tilled de land, or kept stores like oders, and none of dose +around dem suspected in de slightest degree deir mission in de +south. To deir houses at night fugitive slabes would come, guided +by dose from de next post. De fugitives would be concealed for +twenty-four hours or more, and den passed on at night again to de +next station. Dose formed the larger portion ob de body. + +"Dere were oders who lived a life in de swamps, scattered trough +the country. Deir place of residence would be known to de slabes ob +de neighborhood, but de masters had no suspicion dat de emissaries +ob de association were so near. To dese any negro, driben to desperation +by harsh treatment, would resort, and from dem instructions would +be received as to de route to be taken, and de places where aid +could be obtained. Dose people held deir life in deir hands. Had +any suspicion fallen upon dem ob belonging to de 'stitution dey +would be lynched for sartin. De lady set before me all de dangers +ob de venture. She said it war a case whar dere were no money to +be earned, and only de chances of martyrdom. My mind quite made up. +Me ready to undertake any work dey like to give me. My life ob no +value to no one. De next day me saw some ob de oder people connected +wid de affair, and tree days afterwards I started for de south." + + + +CHAPTER XIV: A CHRISTIAN TOWN + + +"My share ob de business was to make my way down south and settle in +de swamps ob Carolina. I war to be taken down by trading schooner, +to be landed on de coast, and to make my way to a place in de center +ob a big swamp whar an ole nigger, named Joe, had been carrying +on de work for four years. He had sent to say dat he war bery ill +wid de swamp fever and like to die, dat he should not leabe de +work as long as he libed, but hoped dat dey would send anoder man +out to take on his work after his death. + +"Well, sar, I was landed, and I made my way to de place. It war +no easy matter. De niggers all say dey know no such person, but I +found de next post, and dere de man guided me to de path which led +into de swamp. Dey told me dey thought de ole man dead, for dat no +one had come along to dem from him for nigh two month. Well, sar, +as I 'spected I found him dead, and I buried him, and took up my +place in de hut. Soon it became known through de plantations round +dat de hut was occupied again, and dey began to come to me to ask +for assistance. My 'structions war dat only to enable a husband to +join his wife, or a wife her husband, or in cases where de masters +were uncommon cruel, dat I was to send 'em along by de underground +railway. De risks was too great to be run often. If we had tried +to help ebery one to 'scape we should mighty soon hab been hunted +down. + +"Well, sar, I libed dere for three year. It was a lonesome life. +I planted a few yams round de hut, and de plantation hands would +bring me tings dat dey got hold of. It was my duty when I found +dat a case was ob de proper description to arrange for de flight, +de man or de woman would come to my hut, and I would guide dem +through de swamps, twenty-five mile away, to de house ob a clergyman, +which was de next station. I would jus' knock in a 'ticular way at +de door, and when dis was open leab de party dere and go straight +away back to de swamp. More dan once de planters got up hunts and +searched de swamp through and through for me wid dogs, and my hut +was twice burnt to de ground, but de slabes always brought me notice +in time, and I went away into de tickest part ob de swamp and lay +dar till dey had gone away. + +"Well, sar, one time come, I bery busy, passed tree men away in two +week. One night me hear barking of dogs, and jump up jus' in time +to see party ob men coming out from de little path towards de hut. +I ran for de swamp. Dey fire at me and one ball hit me. Den I ran +in to de swamp, de dogs dey follow, but I get farder and farder +away, and de swamp get deeper, and me tink dey lose me altogether. +I sit quiet on 'tump when I hear someting splashing in swamp, and +all of a sudden a big hound sprang on me, and fix him teeth in my +shoulder. I had no arms, for in de hurry I had not time to catch +dem up. De beast he growl and bite, and hold on like death. I saw +dere only one ting to do. I tumble forward into de swamp wid de +dog underneath me, and dere I lay, wid my mouf sometimes above de +water sometimes below, till de dog was drowned. + +"Den I start for de next station. I was hit in de hip, and it took +me tree days to crawl dat twenty-five miles. On de tird ebening I +knock at de door ob de house, and when it was open I tumble down +in faint inside. It war a long time before I come to myself, two +weeks dey tell me, and den I tink I dream, for sitting by de side +of de bed war dat woman Sally. Till she spoke, me couldn't believe +dat it war true, but she told me dat it war her, sure enuf, and +dat I war to ask no questions but to go off to sleep. + +"Next day she told me all about it. She had stopped a year at +Philadelphy. Den she heard ob de underground railway, and was tole +dat a clergyman, who war just going down south to work a station, +wanted a black nurse for his children, who would help in de work. +Sally she volunteer, and dar she had been libing eber since, hoping +all de time eider dat I should pass through dere or dat she should +hear from Philadelphy dat I had got dere. She used to act as de +guide ob de runaways to de next station, and ebery man who came +along she asked if they knew me; but, law bless you, sar, de poor +woman knew nufing ob places, or she would hab known dat she war +hundreds ob miles south of Virginia, and though she allowed she +had heard I had gone to Missouri, she s'posed dat de way from der +might be by de sea coast. I hab observed, sar, dat de gography ob +women am bery defective. + +"I stopped thar till I was cured. The clergyman knew someting of +surgery, and he managed to substract the ball from my hip. When I +war quite well Sally and me started for the norf, whar we had helped +so many oders to go, and, bress de Lord, we arribed dere safe. Den +I told Sally dat I should like to libe under de British flag, so +we went up to Canada and dere we libed bery comfortable for ten +years together. Sally washed and I kep' a barber's shop, and we made +plenty ob money. Den she die, sar, de tought come into my mind dat +I would come back to Africa and teach dose poor niggers here de +ways ob de white men, and sar," and he pointed to a Bible standing +on the chest, "de ways ob de Lord. So I came across the Atlantic, +and stopped a little while on de coast, for I had pretty nigh +forgotten de language ob de country. When I got it back again I +started up for dis place, wid plenty ob goods and presents. + +"I had hard work at fust to get de people to know me. It war nigh +forty year since I had gone away, but at last some ob de ole people +remember me, dat I was de son ob de chief. As I had plenty goods, +and dey did not like de man dat was here, dey made me chief in +my fader's place. I told dem dat I no accept de place unless dey +promise to behave bery well, to mind what I said to dem, and to +listen to my words; but dat if they do dat I gibe dem plenty goods, +I make dem comfortable and happy, and I teach dem de way ob de +Lord. Dey agree to all dis. + +"I find de slave trade now all at an end, and dat de people not fight +often now. Still, de twenty muskets dat I bring make de people of +oder villages respec' us very much. Dey come ober to see de village. +Dey see dat de houses are comfortable, dat de gardens are bery +well cultivated, dat de people are well dressed, not like common +nigger, dat dey are happy and contented. Dey see dat dey no believe +in fetish any more, but dat ebery ebening when de work is ober, dey +gadder under de big tree and listen for half an hour while I read +to dem and den sing a hymn. Once a year I send down to de coast +and get up plenty cloth, and hoes for de gardens, and eberyting +dey want. When I land here ten year ago I hab eight hundred pound. +I got five hundred ob him left here still. Dat more dan enuf to last +Sam if he libe to be bery, bery ole man. Dar are some good men in +de village who, when I am gone, will carry on de work ob de Lord +and dat's all, sar, dat I hab to tell you about Sam, and I am sure +dat you must be very tired and want to go to bed." + +The hour was, indeed, for Africa, extremely late, but the time had +passed unheeded, so interested were the listeners in the narrative +of the fine old negro. They remained at the village for a week, +and were greatly pleased with the industrious habits and happy +appearance of the people, and with the earnestness and fervor in +which every evening, and twice on Sunday, they joined in devotions +under the great tree. At the end of that time they said goodbye to +their kind host, giving him a large amount of cloth for distribution +among his people. He was unable to furnish them with bearers, as +a considerable tract of uninhabited country extended beyond his +village, and the people on the other side were on bad terms with +his villagers, on account of an outstanding feud which had existed +long before his return from America, and which he had in vain +attempted to settle since he assumed the headship of the village. + +On approaching the Niger they again came upon an inhabited country, +but the tribes here being accustomed to trade with the coast were +friendly, and at the first large village they came to no difficulty +was experienced in obtaining a fresh relay of bearers. This was +a matter of great satisfaction, for the Fans were regarded with +extreme antipathy by the natives. As soon as arrangements had been +made to supply their place the Fans were paid the four months' wages +which they had earned. A large "dash" of beads and other presents +were bestowed upon them, three of the remaining sacks of rice +were given to them, and, greatly rejoicing, they started for their +own country, which, by making long marches, they would regain in +a fortnight's time. Although it was not probable that they would +meet with any enemies, six trade muskets, with a supply of powder +and ball, were given to them, as, although they would not be able +to do much execution with these weapons, their possession would +exercise a powerful influence over any natives they might meet. + +In crossing the country to the Niger the white men were the objects +of lively curiosity, and the exhibition of the magic lantern, the +chemical experiments, and conjuring tricks created an effect equal +to that which they had produced among the Fans. On reaching the +Niger a canoe was hired with a crew of rowers. In this all the +cases, filled with the objects they had collected, were placed, +the whole being put in charge of the Houssas, Moses and King John, +who had been seized with a fit of homesickness. These were to deliver +the cases to the charge of an English agent at Lagos or Bonny, to +both of whom Mr. Goodenough wrote requesting him to pay the sum +agreed to the boatmen on the safe arrival of the cases, and also to +pay the Houssas, who preferred taking their wages there, as it was +not considered advisable to tempt the cupidity of any of the native +princes along the river. Should they be overhauled the Houssas +were told to open the cases and show that these contained nothing +but birds' skins and insects, which would be absolutely valueless +in the eyes of a native. + +When the precious freight had fairly started, the party crossed +the Niger in a canoe, arrangements having already been made with +the potentate of a village on the opposite side for a fresh relay +of carriers, twenty men being now sufficient, owing to the gaps +which had been made in the provisions in the goods, by the payment +of the carriers and presents, and, in the cases, by the despatch +of eight of the largest of these to the coast. They had still, +however, ample space for the collections they might still make. +The cases of goods and provisions were utilized for this purpose +as they were emptied. + +For another two months they journeyed on, halting frequently and +adding continually to their stores. The country was fairly populated, +and there was no difficulty in buying plantains and fruit and in +obtaining fresh sets of carriers through the territories of each +petty chief. They were now approaching the Volta, when one day a +native, covered with dust and bathed in perspiration, came up to +their camp, and throwing himself on the ground before Mr. Goodenough +poured out a stream of words. + +"What does he say, Ostik?" + +"Me not know, sar. P'r'aps Ugly Tom know. He been down near Volta +country." + +Ugly Tom was called, and after a conversation with the native, +told Mr. Goodenough that he was a messenger from Abeokuta, that the +people there were threatened by an attack by the King of Dahomey, +and that they implored the white men, who they heard were in the +neighborhood, to come to their aid. + +"What do you say, Frank?" Mr. Goodenough asked. + +"I don't know anything about it, sir," Frank said. "I have heard +of Dahomey, of course, and its horrible customs, but I don't know +anything about Abeokuta." + +"Abeokuta is a very singular town," Mr. Goodenough said. "Its people +were christianized many years ago, and have faithfully retained the +religion. The town lies not very far from Dahomey, and this power, +which has conquered and enslaved all its other neighbors, has been +unable to conquer Abeokuta, although it has several times besieged +it. The Dahomey people have every advantage, being supplied with +firearms, and even cannon, by the rascally white traders at Whydah, +the port of Dahomey. Nevertheless, the Abeokuta people have opposed +an heroic resistance, and so far successfully. Of course they know +that every soul would be put to death did they fall into the hands +of the King of Dahomey; but negroes do not always fight well, even +under such circumstances, and every credit must be given to the +people of Abeokuta. What do you say? It will be a perilous business, +mind, for if Abeokuta is taken we shall assuredly be put to death +with the rest of the defenders." + +"I think we ought to help them, sir," Frank said. "They must be +a noble people, and with our guns and the four Houssas we might +really be of material assistance. Of course there is a risk in it, +but we have risked our lives from fever, and in other ways, every +day since we've been in the country." + +"Very well, my lad. I am glad that is your decision. Tell him, Ugly +Tom, that we will at once move towards Abeokuta with all speed, +and that they had better send out a party of carriers to meet us, +as you may be sure that these men will not go far when they hear +that the Dahomey people are on the warpath. Learn from him exactly +the road we must move by, as if our carriers desert us we shall be +detained till his people come up. How far is it to Abeokuta?" + +Ugly Tom learned from the native that it was about forty-five miles. + +"Very well," Mr. Goodenough said, "we shall march twenty this +afternoon. Where we halt they will most likely have heard the rumors +of the war, and I expect the carriers will go no farther, so they +must send out to that point." + +The Houssa translated the message, and the native, saying, "I +shall be at Abeokuta tonight," kissed the hands of the white men +and started at a trot. + +"Wonderful stamina some of these men have," Mr. Goodenough said. +"That man has come forty-five miles at full speed, and is now going +off again as fresh as when he started." + +"What speed will he go at?" Frank asked. + +"About six miles an hour. Of course he goes faster when he is +running, but he will sometimes break into a walk. Five miles an +hour may be taken as the ordinary pace of a native runner, but in +cases which they consider of importance, like the present, you may +calculate on six." + +The camp was at once broken up, the carriers loaded, and they +started on their way. It was late in the evening when they reached +a village about twenty miles from their starting place. They found +the inhabitants in a great state of alarm. The news had come that +a great army was marching to attack Abeokuta, and that the King of +Dahomey had sworn on his father's skull that this time the place +should be captured, and not a house or a wall left remaining. As +Abeokuta was certain to make a strong resistance, and to hold out +for some time, the villagers feared that the Dahomey people would +be sending out parties to plunder and carry away captives all over +the surrounding country. The panic at once extended to the bearers, +who declared that they would not go a foot farther. As their fears +were natural, and Mr. Goodenough was expecting a fresh relay from +Abeokuta on the following evening, he consented to their demand to +be allowed to leave immediately, and paying them their wages due, +he allowed them to depart at once on the return journey. The tent +was soon pitched and supper prepared, of fried plantains, rice, +a tin of sardines, and tea. Later on they had a cup of chocolate, +and turned in for the night. + +In the morning they were awakened just at daybreak by great talking. + +"Men come for baggage, sar," Ugly Tom said, putting his head in +the tent door. + +"They have lost no time about it, Frank," Mr. Goodenough exclaimed. +"It was midday yesterday when the messenger left us. He had forty-five +miles to run, and could not have been in till pretty nearly eight +o'clock, and these men must have started at once." + +There was no time lost. While the Houssas were pulling down and +packing up the tent Ostik prepared two bowls of chocolate with +biscuit soaked in it. By the time that this was eaten the carriers +had taken up their loads, and two minutes later the whole party +started almost at a trot. Ugly Tom soon explained the cause of +the haste. The army of Dahomey was, the evening before, but eight +miles from Abeokuta, and was expected to appear before the town by +midday, although, of course, it might be later, for the movements +of savage troops are uncertain in the extreme, depending entirely +upon the whims of their leader. So anxious were the bearers to get +back to the town in time, that they frequently went at a trot. They +were the better able to keep up the speed as a larger number than +were required had been sent. Many of the cases, too, were light, +consequently the men were able to shift the heavy burdens from +time to time. So great was the speed, that after an hour both Mr. +Goodenough and Frank, weakened by the effect of fever and climate, +could no longer keep up. The various effects carried in the hammocks +were hastily taken out and lifted by men unprovided with loads. The +white men entered and were soon carried along at a brisk trot by +the side of the baggage. When they recovered from their exhaustion +sufficiently to observe what was going on, they could not help admiring +the manner in which the negroes, with perspiration streaming from +every pore, hurried along with their burdens. So fast did they go, +that in less than six hours they emerged from the forest into the +clearing, and a shout proclaimed that Abeokuta was close at hand. + +Ten minutes later the white men were carried through the gate, +their arrival being hailed with shouts of joy by the inhabitants. +They were carried in triumph to the principal building of the town, +a large hut where the general councils of the people were held. +Here they were received by the king and the leading inhabitants, +who thanked them warmly for coming to their assistance in the time +of their peril. The travelers were both struck with the appearance +of the people. They were clad with far more decency and decorum +than was usual among the negro tribes. Their bearing was quiet and +dignified. An air of neatness and order pervaded everything, and +it was clear that they were greatly superior to the people around. + +Mr. Goodenough expressed to the king the willingness with which +his friend and himself took part in the struggle of a brave people +against a cruel and bloodthirsty foe, and he said, that as the four +Houssas were also armed with fast firing guns he hoped that their +assistance would be of avail. He said that he would at once examine +the defences of the town and see if anything could be done to +strengthen them. + +Accompanied by the king, Mr. Goodenough and Frank made a detour of +the walls. These were about a mile in circumference, were built of +clay, and were of considerable height and thickness, but they were +not calculated to resist an attack by artillery. As, however, it +was not probable that the Dahomey people possessed much skill in +the management of their cannon, Mr. Goodenough had hopes that they +should succeed in repelling the assault. They learnt that a large +store of provisions had been brought into the town, and that many +of the women and children had been sent far away. + +The spies presently came in and reported that there was no movement +on the part of the enemy, and that it was improbable that they +would advance before the next day. Mr. Goodenough was unable to +offer any suggestions for fresh defenses until they knew upon which +side the enemy would attack. He advised, however, that the whole +population should be set to work throwing up an earthwork just +outside each gate, in order to shelter these as far as possible +from the effect of the enemy's cannonballs. Orders were at once +given to this effect, and in an hour the whole population were at +work carrying earth in baskets and piling it in front of the gates. +In order to economize labor, and to make the sides of the mounds as +steep as possible, Mr. Goodenough directed with brushwood, forming +a sort of rough wattle work. Not even when night set in did the +people desist from their labor, and by the following morning the +gates were protected from the effect of cannon shot, by mounds of +earth twenty feet high, which rose before them. The king had, when +Mr. Goodenough first suggested these defenses, pointed out that +much less earth would be required were it piled directly against +the gates. Mr. Goodenough replied, that certainly this was so, +but that it was essential to be able to open the gates to make a +sortie if necessary against the enemy, and although the king shook +his head, as if doubting the ability of his people to take such a +desperate step as that of attacking the enemy outside their walls, +he yielded to Mr. Goodenough's opinion. + + + +CHAPTER XV: THE AMAZONS OF DAHOMET + + +A spacious and comfortable hut was placed at the disposal of the +white men, with a small one adjoining for the Houssas. That evening +Frank asked Mr. Goodenough to tell him what he knew concerning the +people of Dahomey. + +"The word Dahomey, or more properly Da-omi, means Da's belly. Da was, +two hundred and fifty years ago, the king of the city of Abomey. It +was attacked by Tacudona the chief of the Fois. It resisted bravely, +and Tacudona made a vow that if he took it he would sacrifice the +king to the gods. When he captured the town he carried out his vow +by ripping open the king, and then called the place Daomi. Gradually +the conquerors extended their power until the kingdom reached to +the very foot of the Atlas range, obtaining a port by the conquest +of Whydah. The King of Dahomey is a despot, and even his nobility +crawl on the ground in his presence. The taxes are heavy, every +article sold in the market paying about one eighteenth to the +royal exchequer. There are besides many other taxes. Every slave +is taxed, every article that enters the kingdom. If a cock crow +it is forfeited, and, as it is the nature of cocks to crow, every +bird in the kingdom is muzzled. The property of every one who +dies goes to the king; and at the Annual Custom, a grand religious +festival, every man has to bring a present in proportion to his +rank and wealth. The royal pomp is kept up by receiving strangers +who visit the country with much state, and by regaling the populace +with spectacles of human sacrifices. The women stand high in +Dahomey. Among other negro nations they till the soil. In Dahomey +they fight as soldiers, and perform all the offices of men. Dahomey +is principally celebrated for its army of women, and its human +sacrifices. These last take place annually, or even more often. +Sometimes as many as a thousand captives are slain on these occasions. +In almost all the pagan nations of Africa human sacrifices are +perpetrated, just as they were by the Druids and Egyptians of old. +Nowhere, however, are they carried to such a terrible extent as in +Dahomey. Even Ashanti, where matters are bad enough, is inferior +in this respect. The victims are mostly captives taken in war, and +it is to keep up the supply necessary for these wholesale sacrifices +that Dahomey is constantly at war with her neighbors." + +"But are we going to fight against women, then?" Frank asked +horrified. + +"Assuredly we are," Mr. Goodenough answered. "The Amazons, as white +men have christened the force, are the flower of the Dahomey army, +and fight with extraordinary bravery and ferocity." + +"But it will seem dreadful to fire at women!" Frank said. + +"That is merely an idea of civilization, Frank. In countries where +women are dependent upon men, leaving to them the work of providing +for the family and home, while they employ themselves in domestic +duties and in brightening the lives of the men, they are treated with +respect. But as their work becomes rougher, so does the position +which they occupy in men's esteem fall. Among the middle and upper +classes throughout Europe a man is considered a brute and a coward +who lifts his hand against a woman. Among the lower classes wife +and woman beating is by no means uncommon, nor is such an assault +regarded with much more reprobation than an attack upon a man. When +women leave their proper sphere and put themselves forward to do +man's work they must expect man's treatment; and the foolish women +at home who clamor for women's rights, that is to say, for an +equality of work, would, if they had their way, inflict enormous +damage upon their sex." + +"Still," Frank said, "I shan't like having to fire at women." + +"You won't see much difference between women and men when the fight +begins, Frank. These female furies will slay all who fall into +their hands, and therefore in self defense you will have to assist +in slaying them." + +The following day the sound of beating of drums and firing of guns +was heard, and soon afterwards the head of the army of Dahomey was +seen approaching. It moved with considerable order and regularity. + +"Those must be the Amazons," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are proud +of their drill and discipline. I do not think that any other African +troops could march so regularly and solidly." + +The main body of the army now came in view, marching as a loose +and scattered mob. Then twelve objects were seen dragged by oxen. +These were the cannon of the besiegers. + +"How many do you think there are?" Frank asked. + +"It is very difficult to judge accurately," Mr. Goodenough said. +"But Dahomey is said to be able to put fifty thousand fighting men +and women in the field, that is to say her whole adult population, +except those too old to bear arms. I should think that there are +twenty or twenty-five thousand now in sight." + +The enemy approached within musket shot of the walls, and numbers +of them running up, discharged their muskets. The Abeokuta people +fired back; but Mr. Goodenough ordered the Houssas on no account +to fire, as he did not wish the enemy to know the power of their +rifles. + +The first step of the besiegers was to cut down all the plantations +round the town and to erect great numbers of little huts. A large +central hut with several smaller ones surrounding it was erected +for the king and his principal nobles. The Dahomans spread round +the town and by the gesticulation and pointing at the gates it was +clear that the defenses raised to cover these excited great surprise. + +The wall was thick enough for men to walk along on the top, but +being built of clay it would withstand but little battering. Mr. +Goodenough set a large number of people to work, making sacks from +the rough cloth, of which there was an abundance in the place. +These were filled with earth and piled in the center of the town +ready for conveyance to any point threatened. He likewise had a +number of beams, used in construction of houses, sharpened at one +end; stakes of five or six feet long were also prepared and sharpened +at both ends. That day the enemy attempted nothing against the town. +The next morning the twelve cannon were planted at a distance of +about five hundred yards and opened fire on the walls. The shooting +was wild in the extreme; many of the balls went over the place +altogether; others topped the wall and fell in the town; some hit +the wall and buried themselves in the clay. + +"We will give them a lesson," Mr. Goodenough said, "in the modern +rifle. Frank, you take my double barrel rifle and I will take the +heavy, large bored one. Your Winchester will scarcely make accurate +firing at five hundred yards." + +The Houssas were already on the wall, anxious to open fire. Mr. +Goodenough saw that their rifles were sighted to five hundred yards. +The cannon offered an easy mark. They were ranged along side by +side, surrounded by a crowd of negroes, who yelled and danced each +time a shot struck the wall. + +"Now," Mr. Goodenough said to the Houssas, "fire steadily, and, +above all, fire straight. I want every shot to tell." + +Mr. Goodenough gave the signal, and at once Frank and the Houssas +opened fire. The triumphant yells of the Dahomans at once changed +their character, and a cry of wrath and astonishment broke from +them. Steadily Mr. Goodenough and his party kept up their fire. They +could see that great execution was being done, a large proportion +of the shots telling. Many wounded were carried to the rear, and +black forms could be seen stretched everywhere on the ground. Still +the enemy's fire continued with unabated vigor. + +"They fight very pluckily," Frank said. + +"They are plucky," Mr. Goodenough answered; "and as cowardice is +punished with death, and human life has scarcely any value among +them, they will be killed where they stand rather than retreat." + +For three or four hours the fight continued. Several officers, +evidently of authority, surrounded by groups of attendants, came +down to the guns; but as Frank and Mr. Goodenough always selected +these for their mark, and--firing with their guns resting on the +parapet--were able to make very accurate shooting, most of them +were killed within a few minutes of their arriving on the spot. + +At the end of four hours the firing ceased, and the Dahomans retired +from their guns. The Abeokuta people raised a cry of triumph. + +"I imagine they have only fallen back," Mr. Goodenough said, "to +give the guns time to cool." + +While the cannonade had been going on a brisk attack had been kept +up on several other points of the wall, the enemy advancing within +fifty yards of this and firing their muskets, loaded with heavy +charges of slugs, at the defenders, who replied vigorously to +them. Their cannonade was not resumed that afternoon, the Dahomans +contenting themselves with skirmishing round the walls. + +"They are disappointed with the result of their fire," Mr. Goodenough +said. "No doubt they anticipated they should knock the wall down +without difficulty. You will see some change in their tactics +tomorrow." + +That night Mr. Goodenough had a number of barrels of palm oil +carried on to the wall, with some of the great iron pots used for +boiling down the oil, and a supply of fuel. + +"If they try to storm," he said, "it will most likely be at the +point which they have been firing at. The parapet is knocked down +in several places, and the defenders there would be more exposed +to their fire." + +It was at this point, therefore, that the provision of oil was +placed. Mr. Goodenough ordered fires to be lighted under the boilers +an hour before daybreak, in order that all should be in readiness +in case an attack should be made the first thing in the morning. +The Abeokutans were in high spirits at the effect of the fire of +their white allies, and at the comparative failure of the cannon, +at whose power they had before been greatly alarmed. Soon after +daylight the Dahomans were seen gathering near the guns. Their +drums beat furiously, and presently they advanced in a solid mass +against the wall. + +"They have got ladders," Mr. Goodenough said. "I can see numbers +of them carrying something." + +The Houssas at once opened fire, and as the enemy approached +closer, first the Abeokutans who had muskets, then the great mass +with bows and arrows, began to fire upon the enemy, while these +answered with their musketry. The central body, however, advanced +without firing a shot, moving like the rest at a quick run. + +Mr. Goodenough and. Frank were not firing now, as they were devoting +themselves to superintending the defence. Ostik kept close to them, +carrying Frank's Winchester carbine and a double barreled shotgun. + +"This is hot," Mr. Goodenough said, as the enemy's slugs and bullets +whizzed in a storm over the edge of the parapet, killing many of +the defenders, and rendering it difficult for the others to take +accurate aim. This, however, the Abeokutans did not try to do. +Stooping below the parapet, they fitted their arrows to the string, +or loaded their muskets, and then, standing up, fired hastily at +the approaching throng. + +The walls were about twenty-five feet high inside, but the parapet +gave an additional height of some four feet outside. They were +about three feet thick at the top, and but a limited number of men +could take post there to oppose the storming party. Strong bodies +were placed farther along on the wall to make a rush to sweep the +enemy off should they gain a footing. Others were posted below to +attack them should they leap down into the town, while men with +muskets were on the roofs of the houses near the walls, in readiness +to open fire should the enemy get a footing on the wall. The din +was prodigious. + +The Dahomans, having access to the sea coast, were armed entirely +with muskets, these being either cheap Birmingham trade guns or +old converted muskets, bought by traders for a song at the sale +of disused government stores. It is much to be regretted that the +various governments of Europe do not insist that their old guns +shall be used only as old iron. The price obtained for them is +so trifling as to be immaterial, and the great proportion of them +find their way to Africa to be used in the constant wars that are +waged there, and to enable rich and powerful tribes to enslave and +destroy their weaker neighbors. The Africans use very much heavier +charges of powder than those in used in civilized nations, ramming +down a handful of slugs, of half a dozen small bullets, upon the +powder. This does not conduce to good shooting, but the noise made +is prodigious. The Abeokutans, on the other hand, were principally +armed with bows and arrows, as, having no direct access to the sea +coast, it was difficult for them to procure guns. + +The Dahomans poured up in a mass to the foot of the wall, and then a +score of rough ladders, constructed of bamboo, and each four feet +wide, were placed against the walls. Directly the point to be +attacked was indicated, Mr. Goodenough had distributed his cauldrons +of boiling oil along the walls, and had set men to work to pierce +holes through the parapet at distances of a couple of feet apart, +and at a height of six inches from the ground. A line of men with +long spears wore told to lie down upon the ground, and to thrust +through the holes at those climbing the ladders. Another line of +holes was pierced two feet higher, through which those armed with +muskets and bows were to fire, for when the enemy reached the foot +of the walls their fire was so heavy that it was impossible to +return it over the top of the parapet. + +Immediately the ladders were placed, men with ladles began to throw +the boiling oil over the parapet. Shrieks and yells from below +at once testified to its effect, but it was only just where the +cauldrons were placed that the besiegers were prevented by this +means from mounting the ladders, and even here many, in spite of +the agony of their burns, climbed desperately upward. + +When they neared the top the fight began in earnest. Those without +were now obliged to cease firing, and the besieged were able to +stand up and with sword and spear defend their position. The breech +loaders of Mr. Goodenough and the Houssas and Frank's repeating +carbine now came into play. The Dahomans fought with extraordinary +bravery, hundreds fell shot or cut down from above or pierced by +the spears and arrows through the holes in the parapet. Fresh swarms +of assailants took their places on the ladders. The drums kept up +a ceaseless rattle, and the yells of the mass of negroes standing +inactive were deafening. Their efforts, however, were in vain. Never +did the Amazons fight with more reckless bravery; but the position +was too strong for them, and at last, after upwards of a thousand +of the assailants had fallen, the attack was given up, and the +Dahomans retired from the wall followed by the exulting shouts of +the men of Abeokuta. + +The loss of the defenders was small. Some ten or twelve had been +killed with slugs. Three or four times that number were more or +less severely wounded about the head or shoulders with the same +missiles. Frank had a nasty cut on the cheek, and Firewater and +Bacon were both streaming with blood. + +There was no chance of a renewal of the attack that day. Sentries +were placed on the walls, and a grand thanksgiving service was +held in the open space in the center of the town which the whole +populace attended. + +"What will be their next move, do you think?" Frank asked Mr. +Goodenough. + +"I cannot say," Mr. Goodenough said; "but these people know +something of warfare, and finding that they cannot carry the place +by assault, I think you will find that they will try some more +cautious move next time." + +For two days there was no renewal of the attack. At Mr. Goodenough's +suggestion the Abeokutans on the wall shouted out that the Dahomans +might come and carry off their dead, as he feared that a pestilence +might arise from so great a number of decomposing bodies at the +foot of the wall. The Dahomans paid no attention to the request, +and, at Mr. Goodenough's suggestion, on the second day the whole +populace set to work carrying earth in baskets to the top of the +wall, and throwing this over so as to cover the mass of bodies at +its foot. As to those lying farther off nothing could be done. On +the third morning it was seen that during the night a large number +of sacks had been piled in a line upon the ground, two hundred +yards away from the wall. The pile was eight feet in height and +some fifty yards long. + +"I thought they were up to something," Mr. Goodenough said. "They +have been sending back to Dahomey for sacks." + +In a short time the enemy brought up their cannon, behind the shelter +of the sacks, regardless of the execution done by the rifles of +Mr. Goodenough's party during the movement. The place chosen was +two or three hundred yards to the left of that on which the former +attack had been made. Then a swarm of men set to work removing some +of the sacks, and in a short time twelve rough embrasures were made +just wide enough for the muzzles of the guns, the sacks removed +being piled on the others, raising them to the height of ten feet +and sheltering the men behind completely from the fire from the +walls. + +"They will make a breach now," Mr. Goodenough said. "We must prepare +to receive them inside." + +The populace were at once set to work digging holes and securely +planting the beams already prepared in a semicircle a hundred feet +across, behind the wall facing the battery. The beams when fixed +projected eight feet above the ground, the spaces between being +filled with bamboos twisted in and out between them. Earth was +thrown up behind to the height of four foot for the defenders to +stand upon. The space between the stockade and the wall was filled +with sharp pointed bamboos and stakes stuck firmly in the ground +with their points projecting outwards. All day the townspeople +labored at these defenses, while the wall crumbled fast under the +fire of the Dahomey artillery, every shot of which, at so short a +distance, struck it heavily. By five in the afternoon a great gap, +fifty feet wide, was made in the walls, and the army of Dahomey +again gathered for the assault. Mr. Goodenough with two of the +Houssas took his place on the wall on one side of the gap, Frank +with the other two faced him across the chasm. A large number of +the Abeokuta warriors also lined the walls, while the rest gathered +on the stockade. + +With the usual tumult of drumming and yells the Dahomans rushed +to the assault. The fire from the walls did not check the onset in +the slightest, and with yells of anticipated victory they swarmed +over the breach. A cry of astonishment broke from them as they saw +the formidable defense within, the fire of whose defenders was +concentrated upon them. Then, with scarce a pause, they leaped +down and strove to remove the obstructions. Regardless of the fire +poured upon them they hewed away at the sharp stakes, or strove to +pull them up with their hands. The riflemen on the walls directed +their fire now exclusively upon the leaders of the column, the +breech loaders doing immense execution, and soon the Dahomans in +their efforts to advance had to climb over lines of dead in their +front. For half an hour the struggle continued, and then the +Dahomans lost heart and retired, leaving fifteen hundred of their +number piled deep in the space between the breach and the stockade. + +"This is horrible work," Frank said when he rejoined Mr. Goodenough. + +"Horrible, Frank; but there is at least the consolation that by +this fearful slaughter of their bravest warriors we are crippling +the power of Dahomey as a curse and a scourge to its neighbors. After +this crushing repulse the Abeokutans may hope that many years will +elapse before they are again attacked by their savage neighbors, +and the lessons which they have now learned in defense will enable +them to make as good a stand on another occasion as they have done +now." + +"Do you think the attack will be renewed?" + +"I should hardly think so. The flower of their army must have +fallen, and the Amazon guard must have almost ceased to exist. I +told you, Frank, you would soon get over your repugnance to firing +at women." + +"I did not think anything about women," Frank said. "We seemed to +be fighting a body of demons with their wild screams and yells. +Indeed, I could scarce distinguish the men from the women." + +A strong guard was placed at night at the stockade, and Mr. +Goodenough and Frank lay down close at hand in case the assault +should be renewed. At daybreak the sound of a cannon caused them +to start to their feet. + +"They are not satisfied yet," Mr. Goodenough exclaimed, hurrying +to the wall. In the night the Dahomans had either with sacks or +earth raised their cannon some six feet, so that they were able +to fire over the mound caused by the fallen wall at the stockade +behind it, at which they were now directing their fire. + +"Now for the sacks," Mr. Goodenough said. Running down, he directed +the sacks laden with earth, to whose necks ropes had been attached, +to be brought up. Five hundred willing hands seized them, and they +were lowered in front of the center of the stockade, which was +alone exposed to the enemy's fire, until they hung two deep over +the whole face. As fast as one bag was injured by a shot it was +drawn up and another lowered to its place. In the meantime the rifles +from the walls had again opened fire, and as the gunners were now +more exposed their shots did considerable execution. Seeing the +uselessness of their efforts the Dahomans gradually slackened their +fire. + +When night came Mr. Goodenough gathered two hundred of the best +troops of Abeokuta. He caused plugs to be made corresponding to +the size of the various cannonballs which were picked up within +the stockade, which varied from six to eighteen pounders. + +About midnight the gate nearest to the breach was thrown open, +and the party sallied out and made their way towards the enemy's +battery. The Dahomans had placed sentries in front facing the +breach, but anticipating no attack in any other direction had left +the flanks unguarded. Mr. Goodenough had enjoined the strictest +silence on his followers, and their approach was unobserved until +they swept round into the battery. Large numbers of the enemy +were lying asleep here, but these, taken by surprise, could offer +no resistance, and were cut down or driven away instantly by the +assailants. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank, with a party who had been told off +specially for the purpose, at once set to work at the cannon. These +were filled nearly to the muzzle with powder, and the plugs were +driven with mallets tight into the muzzles. Slow matches, composed +of strips of calico dipped in saltpetre, were placed in the touch +holes. Then the word was given, and the whole party fell back to +the gate just as the Dahomans in great numbers came running up. +In less than a minute after leaving the battery twelve tremendous +reports, following closely one upon another were heard. The cannon +were blown into fragments, killing numbers of the Dahomey men who +had just crowded into the battery. + + + +CHAPTER XVI: CAPTIVES IN COOMASSIE + + +Upon the morning following the successful sortie not an enemy could +be seen from the walls. Swift runners were sent out, and these +returned in two hours with news that the enemy were in full retreat +towards their capital. The people of Abeokuta were half wild with +exultation and joy, and their gratitude to their white allies was +unbounded. Mr. Goodenough begged them not to lose an hour in burying +their slain enemies, and the entire population were engaged for +the two following days upon this necessary but revolting duty. The +dead were counted as they were placed in the great pits dug for +their reception, and it was found that no fewer than three thousand +of the enemy had fallen. + +Mr. Goodenough also advised the Abeokutans to erect flanking towers +at short intervals round their walls, to dig a moat twenty feet +wide and eight deep at a few yards from their foot, and to turn +into it the water from the river in order that any future attack +might be more easily repelled. + +The inhabitants were poor, but they would willingly have presented +all their treasures to their white allies. Mr. Goodenough, however, +would accept nothing save a few specimens of native cloth exquisitely +woven from the inner barks of the trees, and some other specimens +of choice native workmanship. He also begged them to send down to +the coast by the first opportunity the cases of specimens which +had been collected since the departure of the Fans. + +A violent attack of fever, brought on by their exertions in +the sun, prostrated both the white travelers a few days after the +termination of the siege, and it was some weeks before they were +able to renew their journey. Their intention was to ascend the +river for some distance, to move westward into upper Ashanti, and +then to make their way to Coomassie, whence they would journey +down to Cape Coast and there take ship for England. As soon as they +were able to travel they took leave of their friends at Abeokuta, +who furnished them with carriers for their cases and hammock bearers +for their journey as far as the Volta. This lasted for a fortnight +through an open and fertile country. Then they crossed the river +and entered Ashanti, the great rival empire of Dahomey. As Ashanti +was at peace with England they had now no fear of molestation on +their journey. + +Ashanti consisted of five or six kingdoms, all of which had been +conquered, and were tributary to it. The empire of Ashanti was +separated by the river Prah from the country of the Fantis, who +lived under British protection. The people drew their supplies from +various points on the coast, principally, however, through Elmina, +a Dutch settlement, five miles to the west of Cape Coast. The +Ashantis could not be called peaceable neighbors. They, like the +Dahomans, delighted in human sacrifices upon a grand scale, and to +carry these out captives must be taken. Consequently every four or +five years, on some pretext or other, they cross the Prah, destroyed +the villages, dragged away the people to slavery or death, and carried +fire and sword up to the very walls of the English fort at Cape +Coast. Sometimes the English confined themselves to remonstrance, +sometimes fought, not always successfully, as upon one occasion +Sir Charles Macarthy, the governor, with a West Indian regiment was +utterly defeated, the governor himself and all his white officers, +except three, being killed. + +In 1828 we aided the Fantis to defeat the Ashantis in a decisive +battle, the consequence of which was the signature of a treaty, by +which the King of Ashanti recognized the independence of all the +Fanti tribes. In 1844, and again in 1852, a regular protectorate was +arranged between the British and the Fantis, the former undertaking +to protect them from enemies beyond the borders, and in turn +exercising an authority over the Fantis, forbidding them to make +war with each other, and imposing a nominal tribute upon them. + +In 1853 the Ashantis again crossed the Prah, but, being met with +firmness, retired again. After ten years' quiet, in 1863 they again +invaded the country, burnt thirty villages, and slaughtered their +inhabitants. Governor Price then urged upon the home authorities the +necessity for the sending out from England of two thousand troops +to aid the native army in striking a heavy blow at the Ashantis, +and so putting a stop to this constant aggression. The English +government, however, refused to entertain the proposal. In order +to encourage the natives some companies of West Indian troops were +marched up to the Prah. The wet season set in, and, after suffering +terribly from sickness, the survivors returned five months later +to Cape Coast. + +Up to this period the Dutch trading ports and forts upon the coast +were interspersed with ours, and as the tribes in their neighborhood +were under Dutch protection constant troubles were arising between +the Dutch tribes and our own, and in 1867 an exchange was effected, +the Dutch ceding all their forts and territory east of the Sweet +river, a small stream which falls into the sea midway between +Cape Coast and Elmina, while we gave up all our forts to the west +of this stream. Similarly the protectorate of the tribes inland up +to the boundary of the Ashanti kingdom changed hands. The natives +were not consulted as to this treaty, and some of those formerly +under British protection, especially the natives of Commendah, +refused to accept the transfer, and beat off with loss the Dutch +troops who attempted to land. The Dutch men of war bombarded and +destroyed Commendah. + +This step was the commencement of fresh troubles between the +Ashantis and the English. The Commendah people were Fantis, and +as such the implacable enemies of the Elmina people, who had under +Dutch protection been always allies of the Ashantis, and had been +mainly instrumental in supplying them with arms and ammunition. The +Fantis, regarding the Elmina natives and the Dutch as one power, +retaliated for the destruction of Commendah by invading the territory +of the Elmina tribe, destroying their villages and blockading +the Dutch in their port. Another reason for this attack upon the +Elminas was that an Ashanti general, named Atjempon, had marched +with several hundred men through the Fanti country, burning, +destroying, and slaying as usual, and had taken refuge with his +men in Elmina. From this time the desultory war between the Elminas +and their Ashanti allies, and the Fantis of the neighborhood had +never ceased. Our influence over our allies was but small, for we in +vain endeavored to persuade them to give up the invasion of Elmina. +We even cut off the supplies of powder and arms to the Fantis, +whose loyalty to our rule was thereby much shaken. + +All these troubles induced the Dutch to come to the decision to +withdraw altogether, and they accordingly offered to transfer all +their possessions to us. The English government determined not to +accept the transfer if it should lead to troubles with the natives, +and as a first step required that the Ashanti force should leave +Elmina. In 1870 the King of Ashanti wrote to us claiming Elmina as +his, and protesting against its being handed over to us. According +to native ideas the king of Ashanti's claim was a just one. The +land upon which all the forts, English, Dutch, Danish, and French, +were built had been originally acquired from the native chiefs at +a fixed annual tribute, or as we regarded it as rent, or as an annual +present in return for friendly relations. By the native customs he +who conquers a chief entitled to such a payment becomes the heir +of that payment, and one time the King of Ashanti upon the strength +of his conquest of the Fantis set up a claim of proprietorship over +Cape Coast and the other British forts. + +Of a similar nature was the claim of the Ashantis upon Elmina. The +Dutch had paid eighty pounds a year, as they asserted, as a present, +and they proved conclusively that they had never regarded the King +of Ashanti as having sovereignty over their forts, and that he +had never advanced such a claim. They now arrested Atjempon, and +refused to pay a further sum to the King of Ashanti until he withdrew +his claim. In order to settle matters amicably they sent an envoy +to Coomassie with presents for the king, and obtained from him +a repudiation of his former letter, and a solemn acknowledgment +that the money was not paid as a tribute. The king sent down two +ambassadors to Elmina, who solemnly ratified this declaration. + +The transfer was then effected. We purchased from the Dutch their +forts and stores, but the people of Elmina were told that we should +not take possession of the place except with their consent; but it +was pointed out to them that if they refused to accept our protection +they would be exposed as before to the hostility of the Fantis. +They agreed to accept our offer, and on the 4th of April, 1872, +a grand council was hold, the king and chiefs of Elmina announced +the agreement of their people to the transfer, and we took possession +of Elmina, Atjempon and the Ashantis returning to their own country. + +Upon the transfer taking place, Mr. Pope Hennessey, the governor +of the colony, sent to the King of Ashanti saying that the English +desired peace and friendship with the natives, and would give an +annual present, double that which he had received from the Dutch. +At the same time negotiations were going on with the king for the +free passage of Ashanti traders to the coast, and for the release +of four Germans who had been carried off ten years before by Aboo +Boffoo, one of the king's generals, from their mission station on +British territory near the Volta. The king wrote saying that Aboo +Boffoo would not give them up without a ransom of eighteen hundred +ounces of gold, and protracted negotiations went on concerning the +payments of these sums. + +At the time when Mr. Goodenough and Frank had landed on the Gaboon, +early in 1872, nothing was known of any anticipated troubles with +Ashanti. The negotiations between the English and the Dutch were in +progress, but they had heard that the English would not take over +Elmina without the consent of the inhabitants, and that they would +be willing to increase the payment made by the Dutch to the king +of Ashanti. It was known too that efforts would be made to settle +all points of difference with the king; and as at Abeokuta they +received news that the negotiations were going on satisfactorily, +and that there was no prospect whatever of trouble, they did not +hesitate to carry out the plans they had formed. + +Before crossing the Volta, they sent across to inquire of the chief +of the town there whether two English travelers would be allowed +to pass through Ashanti, and were delayed for a fortnight until a +messenger was sent to Coomassie and returned with a letter, saying +that the king would be glad to see white men at his capital. With +this assurance they crossed the stream. They were received in +state by the chief, who at once provided them with the necessary +carriers, and with them a guard, which he said would prevent any +trouble on their way. On the following day they started, and after +arriving, at the end of a day's journey, at a village, prepared +to stop as usual for a day or two to add to their collection. The +officer of the guard, however, explained to them through Bacon, who +spoke the Ashanti language, that his instructions were, that they +were to go straight through to Coomassie. In vain Mr. Goodenough +protested that this would entirely defeat the object of his journey. +The officer was firm. His orders were that they were to travel +straight to Coomassie, and if he failed in carrying these out, his +head would assuredly be forfeited. + +"This is serious, Frank," Mr. Goodenough said. "If this fellow has +not blundered about his orders, it is clear that we are prisoners. +However, it may be that the king merely gave a direction that we +should be escorted to the capital, having no idea that we should +want to loiter upon the way." + +They now proceeded steadily forward, making long day's marches. The +officer in command of the guard was most civil, obtaining for them +an abundance of provisions at the villages at which they stopped, +and as Frank and his companion were both weakened by fever he +enlisted sufficient hammock bearers for them, taking fresh relays +from each village. He would not hear of their paying either for +provisions or bearers, saying that they were the king's guests, +and it would be an insult to him were they to pay for anything. + +Ten days after starting from the Volta they entered Coomassie. +This town lay on rising ground, surrounded by a deep marsh of from +forty to a hundred yards wide. A messenger had been sent on in +front to announce their coming, and after crossing the marsh they +passed under a great fetish, or spell, consisting of a dead sheep +wrapped up in red silk and suspended from two poles. + +Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their places at the head of the +little procession. On entering the town they were met by a crowd +of at least five thousand people, for the most part warriors, who +fired their guns, shouted, and yelled. Horns, drums, rattles, and +gongs added to the appalling noise. Men with flags performed wild +dances, in which the warriors joined. The dress of the captains +consisted of war caps with gilded rams' horns projecting in front, +and immense plumes of eagles' feathers on each side. Their vest was +of red cloth, covered with fetishes and charms in cases of gold, +silver, and embroidery. These were interspersed with the horns and +tails of animals, small brass bells, and shells. They wore loose +cotton trousers, with great boots of dull red leather coming halfway +up to the thigh, and fastened by small chains to their waist belts, +also ornamented with bells, horse tails, strings of amulets, and +strips of colored leather. Long leopards' tails hung down their +backs. + +Through this crowd the party moved forward slowly, the throng thickening +at every step. They were escorted to a house which they were told +was set aside for their use, and that they would be allowed to see +the king on the following day. The houses differed entirely from +anything which they had before seen in Africa. They were built +of red clay, plastered perfectly smooth. There were no windows or +openings on the exterior, but the door led into an open courtyard +of some twelve feet in diameter. On each side of this was a sort +of alcove, built up of clay, about three feet from the ground. This +formed a couch or seat, some eight feet long by three feet high, +with a thatched roof projecting so as to prevent the rain beating +into the alcove. Beyond were one or more similar courts in proportion +to the size of the house. A sheep and a quantity of vegetables and +fruits were sent in in the course of the day, but they were told +not to show themselves in the streets until they had seen the king. + +"We shall be expected to make his majesty a handsome present," Mr. +Goodenough said, "and, unfortunately, our stores were not intended +for so great a potentate. I will give him my double barreled rifle +and your Winchester, Frank. I do not suppose he has seen such an +arm. We had better get them cleaned up and polished so as to look +as handsome as possible." + +In the morning one of the captains came and said that the king +was in readiness to receive them, and they made their way through +a vast crowd to the marketplace, an open area, nearly half a mile +in extent. The sun was shining brightly, and the scene was a brilliant +one. The king, his Caboceers or great tributaries, his captains, +and officers were seated under a vast number of huge umbrellas, +some of them fifteen feet across. These were of scarlet, yellow, +and other showy colors in silks and cloths, with fantastically +scalloped and fringed valences. They were surmounted with crescents, +birds, elephants, barrels, and swords of gold, and on some were +couched stuffed animals. Innumerable smaller umbrellas of striped +stuff were borne by the crowd, and all these were waved up and down, +while a vast number of flutes, horns and other musical instruments +sounded in the air. All the principal people wore robes woven +of foreign silk, which had been unraveled for working into native +patterns. All had golden necklaces and bracelets, in many cases so +heavy that the arms of the bearers were supported on boys' heads. +The whole crowd, many thousands in number, shone with gold, silver, +and bright colors. + +The king received them with dignity, and expressed his satisfaction +at seeing them, his speech being interpreted by one of his attendants, +who spoke English. Mr. Goodenough replied that they had very great +pleasure in visiting the court of his majesty, that they had already +been traveling for many months in Africa, having started from the +Gaboon and traveled through many tribes, but had they had any idea +of visiting so great a king they would have provided themselves with +presents fit for his acceptance. But they were simple travelers, +catching the birds, beasts, and insects of the country, to take +home with them to show to the people in England. The only things +which they could offer him were a double barreled breech loading +rifle of the best English construction, and a little gun, which +would fire sixteen times without loading. + +The king examined the pieces with great attention, and, at his request, +Mr. Goodenough fired off the whole contents of the magazine of the +repeating rifle, whose action caused the greatest astonishment to +the assembled chiefs. The king then intimated his acceptance of +the presents, and said that he would speak farther with them on a +future occasion. He informed them that they were free to move about +in the town where they wished, and that the greatest respect would +be shown to them by the people. There was a fresh outburst of wild +music, and they were then conducted back to their house. + +After the assembly had dispersed the two Englishmen walked about +through the town. It was not of great extent, but the streets +were broad and well kept. Many of the houses were much larger than +that allotted to them, but all were built on the same plan. It was +evident that the great mass of the population they saw about must +live in villages scattered around, the town being wholly insufficient +to contain them. + +Three days afterwards they were told that the king wished to +see them in his palace. This was a large building situated at the +extremity of the town. It was constructed of stone, and was evidently +built from European designs. It was square, with a flat roof and +embattled parapet. They were conducted through the gateway into +a large courtyard, and then into a hall where the king sat upon a +raised throne. Attendants stood round fanning him. + +"Why," he asked abruptly as they took their places before him, "do +the English take my town of Elmina?" + +Mr. Goodenough explained that he had been nine months absent from +the coast, and that having come straight out from England he was +altogether unaware of what had happened at Elmina. + +"Elmina is mine," the king said. "The Dutch, who were my tributaries, +had no right to hand it over to the English." + +"But I understood, your majesty, that the English were ready to pay +an annual sum, even larger than that which the Dutch have contributed." + +"I do not want money," the king said. "I have gold in plenty. +There are places in my dominions where ten men in a day can wash +a thousand ounces. I want Elmina, I want to trade with the coast." + +"But the English will give your majesty every facility for trade." + +"But suppose we quarrel," the king said, "they can stop powder and +guns from coming up. If Elmina were mine I could bring up guns and +powder at all times." + +"Your majesty would be no better off," Mr. Goodenough said; "for +the English in case of war could stop supplies from entering." + +"My people will drive them into the sea," the king said. "We have +been troubled with them too long. They can make guns, but they +cannot fight. My people will eat them up. We fought them before; +and see," he said pointing to a great drum, from the edge of which +hung a dozen human skulls, "the heads of the White men serve to +make a fetish for me." + +He then waved his hand to signify that the audience was terminated. + +"Things look bad, Frank," Mr. Goodenough said as they walked towards +their home. "I fear that the king is determined upon war, and if +so our lives are not worth a month's purchase." + +"It can't be helped," Frank said as cheerfully as he could. "We +must make the best of it. Perhaps something may occur to improve +our position." + +The next day the four German missionaries, who had so long been +kept captive, called upon them, and they obtained a full insight +into the position. This seemed more hopeful than the king's words +had given them to expect. The missionaries said that negotiations +were going on for their release, and that they expected very shortly +to be sent down to Cape Coast. So far as they knew everything was +being done by the English to satisfy the king, and they looked upon +the establishment of peace as certain. They described the horrible +rites and sacrifices which they had been compelled to witness, and +said that at least three thousand persons were slaughtered annually +in Coomassie. + +"You noticed," one of them said, "the great tree in the marketplace +under which the king sat. That is the great fetish tree. A great +many victims are sacrificed in the palace itself, but the wholesale +slaughters take place there. The high brushwood comes up to within +twenty yards of it, and if you turn in there you will see thousands +of dead bodies or their remains putrefying together." + +"I thought I felt a horribly offensive smell as I was talking to +the king," Frank said shuddering. "What monsters these people must +be! Who would have thought that all that show of gold and silver +and silks and bright colors covered such horrible barbarism!" + +After chatting for some time longer, and offering to do anything +in their power to assist the captives, the Germans took their leave. + + + +CHAPTER XVII: THE INVASION OF FANTI LAND + + +The following morning Mr. Goodenough and Frank were called to the +door by the noise of a passing crowd, and to their horror saw a +man being taken to sacrifice. He was preceded by men beating drums, +his hands were pinioned behind him. A sharp thin knife was passed +through his cheeks, to which his lips were noozed like the figure +8. One ear was cut off and carried before him, the other hung to +his head by a small piece of skin. There were several gashes in +his back, and a knife was thrust under each shoulder blade. He was +led by a cord passed through a hole bored in his nose. Frank ran +horror stricken back into the house, and sat for a while with his +hand over his eyes as if to shut out the ghastly spectacle. + +"Mr. Goodenough," he said presently, "if we are to be killed, at +least let us die fighting to the last, and blow out our own brains +with the last shots we have left. I don't think I'm afraid of being +killed, but to be tortured like that would be horrible." + +The next day a message was brought them that their retaining private +guards was an insult to the king, and that the Houssas must remove +to another part of the town. Resistance was evidently useless. +Mr. Goodenough called his four men together and told them what had +happened. + +"I am sorry I have brought you into this plight, my poor fellows," +he said. "There are now but two things open to you. You can either +volunteer to join the king's army and then try to make your escape +as an opportunity may offer, or slip away at once. You are accustomed +to the woods, and in native costume might pass without notice. You +can all swim, and it matters not where you strike the Prah. If you +travel at night and lie in the woods by day you should be able to +get through. At any rate you know that if you try to escape and are +caught you will be killed. If you stop here it is possible that no +harm may happen to you, but on the other hand you may at any moment +be led out to sacrifice. Do not tell me your decision; I shall be +questioned, and would rather be able to say that I was ignorant +that you intended to escape. There is one other thing to settle. +There is a long arrear of pay due to you for your good and faithful +service. It would be useless for me to pay you now, as the money +might be found on you and taken away, and if you should be killed +it would be lost to your friends. I have written here four orders +on my banker in England, which the agents down at Cape Coast will +readily cash for you. Each order is for twice the sum due to you. +As you have come into such great danger in my service, and have +behaved so faithfully, it is right that you should be well rewarded. +Give me the names of your wives or relatives whom you wish to have +the money. Should any of you fall and escape, I will, on my arrival +at Cape Coast, send money, double the amount I have written here, +to them." + +The men expressed themselves warmly grateful for Mr. Goodenough's +kindness, gave him the names and addresses of their wives, and +then, with tears in their eyes, took their leave. + +"Now, Ostik, what do you say?" Mr. Goodenough asked, turning to +him. + +"I stay here, sar," Ostik said. "Houssas fighting men, creep through +wood, crawl on stomach. Dey get through sure enough. Ostik stay +with massa. If dey kill massa dey kill Ostik. Ostik take chance." + +"Very well, Ostik, if we get through safe together you shall not +have reason to regret your fidelity. Now, Frank, I think it would +be a good thing if you were to spend some hours every day in trying +to pick up as much of the language here as you can. You are quick +at it, and were able to make yourself understood by our bearers +far better than I could do. You already know a great many words in +four or five of these dialects. They are all related to each other, +and with what you know you would in a couple of months be able to +get along very well in Ashanti. It will help to pass your time and +to occupy your mind. There will be no difficulty in finding men +here who have worked down on the coast and know a little English. +If we get away safely you will not regret that your time has been +employed. If we have trouble your knowledge of the language may +in some way or other be of real use to you. We can go round to +the Germans, who will, no doubt, be able to put you in the way of +getting a man." + +The next day they were again sent for to the king, who was in a +high state of anger at having heard that the Houssas had escaped. + +"I know nothing about it," Mr. Goodenough said. "They were contented +when they were with me, and had no wish to go. Your soldiers took +them away yesterday afternoon, and I suppose they were frightened. +It was foolish of them. They should have known that a great king +does not injure travelers who come peacefully into his country. +They should have known better. They were poor, ignorant men, who +did not know that the hospitality of a king is sacred, and that +when a king invites travelers to enter his country they are his +guests, and under his protection." + +When the interpreter translated this speech the king was silent +for two or three minutes. Then he said, "My white friend is right, +They were foolish men. They could not know these things. If my +warriors overtake them no harm shall come to them." + +Pleased with the impression that his words had evidently made Mr. +Goodenough returned to Frank, who had not been ordered to accompany +him to the palace. In the afternoon the king sent a sheep and a +present of five ounces of gold, and a message that he did not wish +his white friends to remain always in the town, but that they might +walk to any of the villages within a circle of three or four miles, +and that four of his guards would always accompany them to see that +no one interfered with or insulted them. They were much pleased with +this permission, as they were now enabled to renew their work of +collecting. It took them, too, away from the sight of the horrible +human sacrifices which went on daily. Through the German missionaries +they obtained a man who had worked for three years down at Cape +Coast. He accompanied them on their walks, and in the evening sat +and talked with Frank, who, from the knowledge of native words which +he had picked up in his nine months' residence in Africa, was able +to make rapid progress in Ashanti. He had one or two slight attacks +of fever, but the constant use of quinine enabled him to resist their +effect, and he was now to some degree acclimatized, and thought no +more of the attacks of fever than he would have done at home of a +violent bilious attack. + +This was not the case with Mr. Goodenough. Frank observed with +concern that he lost strength rapidly, and was soon unable to +accompany him in his walks. One morning he appeared very ill. + +"Have you a touch of fever, sir?" + +"No, Frank, it is worse than fever, it is dysentery. I had an +attack last time I was on the coast, and know what to do with it. +Get the medicine chest and bring me the bottle of ipecacuanha. +Now, you must give me doses of this just strong enough not to act +as an emetic, every three hours." + +Frank nursed his friend assiduously, and for the next three days +hoped that he was obtaining a mastery over the illness. On the +fourth day an attack of fever set in. + +"You must stop the ipecacuanha, now," Mr. Goodenough said, "and +Frank, send Ostik round to the Germans, and say I wish them to come +here at once." + +When these arrived Mr. Goodenough asked Frank to leave him alone +with them. A quarter of an hour later they went out, and Frank, +returning, found two sealed envelopes on the table beside him. + +"My boy," he said, "I have been making my will. I fear that it is +all over with me. Fever and dysentery together are in nine cases +out of ten fatal. Don't cry, Frank," he said, as the lad burst into +tears. "I would gladly have lived, but if it is God's will that +it should be otherwise, so be it. I have no wife or near relatives +to regret my loss--none, my poor boy, who will mourn for me as +sincerely as I know that you will do. In the year that we have been +together I have come to look upon you as my son, and you will find +that I have not forgotten you in my will. I have written it in +duplicate. If you have an opportunity send one of these letters +down to the coast. Keep the other yourself, and I trust that you +will live to carry it to its destination. Should it not be so, +should the worst come to the worst, it will be a consolation to +you to know that I have not forgotten the little sister of whom +you have spoken to me so often, and that in case of your death she +will be provided for." + +An hour later Mr. Goodenough was in a state of delirium, in which +he remained all night, falling towards morning into a dull coma, +gradually breathing his last, without any return of sensibility, +at eight in the morning. + +Frank was utterly prostrated with grief, from which he roused +himself to send to the king to ask permission to bury his friend. + +The king sent down to say how grieved he was to hear of the white +man's death. He had ordered many of his warriors to attend his +funeral. Frank had a grave dug on a rising spot of ground beyond +the marsh. In the evening a great number of the warriors gathered +round the house, and upon the shoulders of four of them Mr. +Goodenough was conveyed to his last resting place, Frank and the +German missionaries following with a great crowd of warriors. The +missionaries read the service over the grave, and Frank returned +heart broken to his house, with Ostik, who also felt terribly the +loss of his master. + +Two days later a wooden cross was erected over the grave. Upon this +Frank carved the name of his friend. Hearing a week afterwards that +the king was sending down a messenger to Cape Coast, Frank asked +permission to send Mr. Goodenough's letter by him. The king sent +for him. + +"I do not wish any more troubles," he said, "or that letters should +be sent to the governor. You are my guest. When the troubles are +settled I will send you down to the coast; but we have many things +to write about, and I do not want more subjects for talk." + +Frank showed the letter and read the address, and told the king +that it was only a letter to the man of business of Mr. Goodenough +in England, giving directions for the disposal of his property +there. + +The king then consented that his messenger should take the letter. + +At the end of December, when Frank had been nearly three months at +Coomassie, one of the Germans said to him: + +"The king speaks fairly, and seems intent upon his negotiations; +but he is preparing secretly for war. An army is collecting on +the Prah. I hear that twelve thousand men are ordered to assemble +there." + +"I have noticed," Frank said, "that there have been fewer men about +than usual during the last few days. What will happen to us, do +you think?" + +The missionary shook his head. + +"No one can say," he said. "It all depends upon the king's humor. +I think, however, that he is more likely to keep us as hostages, +and to obtain money for us at the end of the war, than to kill us. +If all goes well with his army we are probably safe; but if the +news comes of any defeat, he may in his rage order us to be executed." + +"What do you think are the chances of defeat?" Frank asked. + +"We know not," the missionary said; "but it seems probable that the +Ashantis will turn the English out of the coast. The Fantis are of +no use. They were a brave people once, and united might have made +a successful resistance to the Ashantis; but you English have made +women of them. You have forbidden them to fight among themselves, +you have discouraged them in any attempts to raise armies, you have +reduced the power of the chiefs, you have tried to turn them into +a race of cultivators and traders instead of warriors, and you can +expect no material aid from them now. They will melt away like snow +before the Ashantis. The king's spies tell him that there are only +a hundred and fifty black troops at Cape Coast. These are trained +and led by Englishmen, but, after all, they are only negroes, no +braver than the Ashantis. What chance have they of resisting an +army nearly a hundred to one stronger than themselves?" + +"Is the fort at Cape Coast strong?" Frank asked. + +"Yes, against savages without cannon. Besides, the guns of the +ships of war would cover it." + +"Well," Frank said, "if we can hold that, they will send out troops +from England." + +"They may do so," the missionary asserted; "but what could white +troops do in the fever haunted forests, which extend from Coomassie +to the coast?" + +"They will manage somehow," Frank replied confidently. "Besides, +after all, as I hear that the great portion of Ashanti lying beyond +this is plain and open country, the Ashantis themselves cannot be +all accustomed to bush fighting, and will suffer from fever in the +low, swamp land." + +Three days later the king sent for Frank. + +"The English are not true," he said angrily. "They promised the +people of Elmina that they should be allowed to retain all their +customs as under the Dutch. They have broken their word. They have +forbidden the customs. The people of Elmina have written to me to +ask me to deliver them. I am going to do so." + +Frank afterwards learned that the king's words were true. Colonel +Harley, the military commandant, having, with almost incredible +fatuity, and in spite of the agreement which had been made with the +Elminas, summoned their king and chiefs to a council, and abruptly +told them that they would not be allowed henceforth to celebrate +their customs, which consisted of firing of guns, waving of flags, +dancing, and other harmless rites. The chiefs, greatly indignant +at this breach of the agreement, solemnly entered into with them, +at once, on leaving the council, wrote to the King of Ashanti, +begging him to cross the Prah and attack the English. Frank could +only say that he knew nothing of what was going on at the coast, +and could only think that his majesty must have been misinformed, +as the English wished to be friendly with the Ashantis. + +"They do not wish it," the king said furiously; "they are liars." + +A buzz of approval sounded among the cabooceers and captains +standing round. Frank thought that he was about to be ordered to +instant execution, and grasped a revolver, which he held in his +pocket, resolving to shoot the king first, and then to blow out his +own brains, rather than to be put to the horrible tortures which +in Ashanti always precede death. + +Presently the king said suddenly to him: + +"My people tell me that you can talk to them in their own tongue." + +"I have learnt a little Ashanti," Frank said in that language. "I +cannot talk well, but I can make myself understood." + +"Very well," the king said. "Then I shall send you down with my +general. You know the ways of English fighting, and will tell him +what is best to do against them. When the war is over and I have +driven the English away, I will send you away also. You are my +guest, and I do not wish to harm you. Tomorrow you will start. Your +goods will be of no more use to you. I have ordered my treasurer +to count the cloth, and the powder, and the other things which you +have, and to pay you for them in gold. You may go." + +Frank retired, vowing in his heart that no information as to the +best way of attacking the English should be obtained from him. Upon +the whole he was much pleased at the order, for he thought that +some way of making his escape might present itself. Such was also +the opinion of Ostik when Frank told him what had taken place at +the palace. + +An hour later the king's treasurer arrived. The whole of the trade +goods were appraised at fair prices, and even the cases were paid +for, as the treasurer said that these would be good for keeping the +king's state robes. Frank only retained his own portmanteau with +clothes, his bed and rugs, and the journals of the expedition, a +supply of ammunition for his revolver, his medicine chest, tent, +and a case with chocolate, preserved milk, tea, biscuits, rice, +and a couple of bottles of brandy. + +In the morning there was a great beating of drums. + +Four carriers had been told off for Frank's service, and these came +in, took up his baggage, and joined the line. Frank waited till +the general, Ammon Quatia, whom he had several times met at the +palace, came along, carried in a hammock, with a paraphernalia +of attendants bearing chairs, umbrellas, and flags. Frank fell in +behind these accompanied by Ostik. The whole population of Coomassie +turned out and shouted their farewells. + +There was a pause in the marketplace while a hundred victims were +sacrificed to the success of the expedition. Frank kept in the thick +of the warriors so as to avoid witnessing the horrible spectacle. + +As they passed the king he said to the general, "Bring me back the +head of the governor. I will place it on my drum by the side of +that of Macarthy." + +Then the army passed the swamp knee deep in water, and started on +their way down to the Prah. Three miles further they crossed the +river Dah at Agogo, where the water was up to their necks. The road +was little more than a track through the forest, and many small +streams had to be crossed. + +It was well that Frank had not had an attack of fever for some time, +for they marched without a stop to Fomanse, a distance of nearly +thirty miles. Fomanse was a large town. Many of the houses were built +in the same style as those at Coomassie, and the king's palace was +a stone building. That night Frank slept in a native house which +the general allotted to him close to the palace. The army slept on +the ground. + +The next morning they crossed a lofty hill, and then descending +again kept along through the forest until, late in the afternoon, +they arrived on the Prah. This river was about sixty yards wide, +and here, in roughly made huts of boughs, were encamped the main +army, who had preceded them. Here there was a pause for a week +while large numbers of carriers came down with provisions. Then +on the 22d of January the army crossed the Prah in great canoes of +cottonwood tree, which the troops who first arrived had prepared. + +Had the Ashanti army now pushed forward at full speed, Cape Coast +and Elmina must have fallen into their hands, for there were no +preparations whatever for their defence. The Assims, whose territory +was first invaded, sent down for assistance, but Mr. Hennessey +refused to believe that there was any invasion at all, and when +the King of Akim, the most powerful of the Fanti potentates, sent +down to ask for arms and ammunition, Mr. Hennessey refused so +curtly that the King of Akim was grievously offended, and sent at +once to the Ashantis to say that he should remain neutral in the +war. + +About this time Mr. Hennessey, whose repeated blunders had in +no slight degree contributed to the invasion, was relieved by Mr. +Keate, who at once wholly alienated the Fantis by telling them +that they must defend themselves, as the English had nothing more +to do with the affair than to defend their forts. Considering that +the English had taken the natives under their protection, and that +the war was caused entirely by the taking over of Elmina by the +English and by their breach of faith to the natives there, this +treatment of the Fantis was as unjust as it was impolitic. + +Ammon Quatia, however, seemed to be impressed with a spirit of +prudence as soon as he crossed the river. Parties were sent out, +indeed, who attacked and plundered the Assim villages near the +Prah, but the main body moved forward with the greatest caution, +sometimes halting for weeks. + +The Ashanti general directed Frank always to pitch his tent next to +the hut occupied by himself. Four guards were appointed, nominally +to do him honor, but really, as Frank saw, to prevent him from +making his escape. These men kept guard, two at a time, night and +day over the tent, and if he moved out all followed him. He never +attempted to leave the camp. The forest was extremely dense with +thick underwood and innumerable creepers, through which it would +be almost impossible to make a way. The majority of the trees were +of only moderate height, but above them towered the cotton trees +and other giants, rising with straight stems to from two hundred +and fifty to three hundred feet high. Many of the trees had shed +their foliage, and some of these were completely covered with +brilliant flowers of different colors. The woods resounded with the +cries of various birds, but butterflies, except in the clearings, +were scarce. + +The army depended for food partly upon the cultivated patches +around the Assim villages, partly on supplies brought up from the +rear. In the forest, too, they found many edible roots and fruits. +In spite of the efforts to supply them with food, Frank saw ere +many weeks had passed that the Ashantis were suffering much from +hunger. They fell away in flesh. Many were shaking with fever, and +the enthusiasm, which was manifest at the passage of the Prah, had +entirely evaporated. + +The first morning after crossing the river Frank sent Ostik into +the hut of the general with a cup of hot chocolate, with which +Ammon Quatia expressed himself so much gratified that henceforth +Frank sent in a cup every morning, having still a large supply of +tins of preserved chocolate and milk, the very best food which a +traveler can take with him. In return the Ashanti general showed +Frank many little kindnesses, sending him in birds or animals when +any were shot by his men, and keeping him as well provided with +food as was possible under the circumstances. + +It was not until the 8th of April that any absolute hostilities took +place. Then the Fantis, supported by fifty Houssas under Lieutenant +Hopkins, barred the road outside the village of Dunquah. The Ashantis +attacked, but the Fantis fought bravely, having great confidence +in the Houssa contingent. The battle was one of the native fashion, +neither side attempting any vigorous action, but contenting +themselves with a heavy fire at a distance of a hundred yards. All +the combatants took shelter behind trees, and the consequence was +that at the end of the day a great quantity of powder and slugs +had been fired away, and a very few men hit on either side. At +nightfall both parties drew off. + +"Is that the way your English soldiers fight?" the general asked +Frank that night. + +"Yes," Frank said vaguely; "they fire away at each other." + +"And then I suppose," the general said, "when one party has exhausted +its ammunition it retires." + +"Certainly it would retire," Frank said. "It could not resist +without ammunition you know." + +Frank carefully abstained from mentioning that one side or the +other would advance even before the ammunition of its opponents was +expended, for he did not wish the Ashantis to adopt tactics which, +from their greatly superior numbers, must at once give them a +victory. The Ashantis were not dissatisfied with the day's work, +as they considered that they had proved themselves equal to the +English troops. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII: THE ATTACK ON ELMINA + + +On the 14th the Fantis took the initiative, and attacked the +Ashantis. The fight was a mere repetition of that of a week before, +and about midday the Fantis, having used up all their ammunition, +fell back again to Cape Coast. + +"Now," the general said to Frank, "that we have beaten the Fantis +we shall march down to Elmina." + +Leaving the main road at Dunquah the army moved slowly through the +bush towards Elmina, thirty miles distant, halting in the woods +some eight miles from the town, and twelve from Cape Coast. + +"I am going," the general said, "to look at the English forts. My +white friend will go with me." + +With fifty of his warriors Ammon Quatia left the camp, and crossing +a stream came down upon the sea coast, a short distance west of +Elmina. With them were several of the Elmina tribe, who had come +up to the camp to welcome the Ashantis. They approached to within +three or four hundred yards of the fort, which was separated from +them by a river. + +The forts on the west coast of Africa, not being built to resist +artillery, are merely barracks surrounded by high walls sufficiently +thick to allow men to walk in single file along the top, to fire +over the parapet. The tops of the walls being castellated, the +buildings have an appearance of much strength. The fort of Elmina +is of considerable size, with a barrack and officers' quarters +within it. One side faces the river, and another the sea. + +"It is a wonderful fort," the Ashanti general said, much impressed +by its appearance. + +"Yes," Frank replied. "And there are cannon on the top, those +great black things you see sticking out. Those are guns, and each +carries balls enough to kill a hundred men with each shot." + +The general looked for some time attentively. "But you have castles +in the white men's country, how do you take them?" + +"We bring a great many cannon throwing balls of iron as big as my +head," Frank answered, "and so knock a great hole in the wall and +then rush in." + +"But if there are no cannon?" the general urged. + +"We never attack a castle without cannon," Frank said. "But if we +had no cannon we might try to starve the people out; but you cannot +do that here, because they would land food from the sea." + +The general looked puzzled. "Why do the white men come here? + +"They come to trade," he said presently. + +"Yes, they come to trade," Frank replied. + +"And they have no other reason?" + +"No," Frank said. "They do not want to take land, because the white +man cannot work in so hot a climate." + +"Then if he could not trade he would go away?" the general asked. + +"Yes," Frank agreed, "if he could do no trade it would be no use +remaining here." + +"We will let him do no trade," the general said, brightening up. +"If we cannot take the forts we will surround them closely, and +no trade can come in and out. Then the white man will have to go +away. As to the Fantis we will destroy them, and the white men will +have no one to fight for them." + +"But there are white troops," Frank said. + +"White soldiers?" the Ashanti asked surprised. "I thought it was +only black soldiers that fought for the whites. The whites are few, +they are traders." + +"The English are many," Frank said earnestly. "For every man that +the King of Ashanti could send to fight, England could send ten. +There are white soldiers, numbers of them, but they are not sent +here. They are kept at home to fight other white nations, the +French and the Dutch and the Danes, and many others, just as the +kings of Africa fight against each other. They are not sent here +because the climate kills the whites, so to guard the white traders +here we hire black soldiers; but, when it is known in England that +the King of Ashanti is fighting against our forts, they will send +white troops." + +Ammon Quatia was thoughtful for some time. "If they come," he said +at length, "the fevers will kill them, The white man cannot live +in the swamps. Your friend, the white guest of the king, died at +Coomassie." + +"Yes," Frank asserted, "but he had been nearly a year in the country +before he died. Three weeks will be enough for an English army to +march from Cape Coast to Coomassie. A few might die, but most of +them would get there." + +"Coomassie!" the general exclaimed in surprise. "The white men +would be mad to think of marching against the city of the great +king. We should make great fetish, and they would all die when they +had crossed the river." + +"I don't think, General," Frank said dryly, "that the fetishes +of the black man have any effect upon the white men. A fetish has +power when it is believed in. A man who knows that his enemy has +made a fetish against him is afraid. His blood becomes like water +and he dies. But the whites do not believe in fetishes. They laugh +at them, and then the fetishes cannot hurt them." + +The general said no more, but turned thoughtfully and retired to +his camp. It was tantalizing to Frank to see the Union Jack waving +within sight, and to know that friends were so near and yet to be +unable to stretch out his hand to them. + +He was now dressed in all respects like a native, the king having, +soon after his arrival at Coomassie, sent a present of clothes +such as were worn by his nobles, saying that the people would not +notice them so much if they were dressed like themselves. Consequently, +had the party been seen from the castle walls the appearance of an +Englishman among them would have been unobserved. + +Three days later the general with a similar party crossed the Sweet +river at night, and proceeded along the sea coast to within a few +hundred yards of Cape Coast Castle, whose appearance pleased him +no more than that of Elmina had done. + +The Ashantis were now better supplied with food, as they were able +to depend upon the Elmina tribes who cultivated a considerable extent +of ground, and to add to the stock, the Ashanti soldiers were set +to work to aid in planting a larger extent of ground than usual, a +proof in Frank's mind that the general contemplated making a long +stay, and blockading Elmina and Cape Coast into surrender if he +could not carry them by assault. + +The natives of Africa are capable of great exertion for a time, +but their habitual attitude is that of extreme laziness. One week's +work in the year suffices to plant a sufficient amount of ground to +supply the wants of a family. The seed only requires casting into +the earth, and soon the ground will be covered with melons and +pumpkins. Sweet potatoes and yams demand no greater cultivation, and +the bananas and plantains require simply to be cut. For fifty-one +weeks in the year the negro simply sits down and watches his crops +grow. To people like these time is of absolutely no value. Their +wants are few. Their garden furnishes them with tobacco. They make +drink from the palm or by fermenting the juice of the cocoanut. +The fowls that wander about in the clearings suffice when carried +down occasionally to the port, to pay for the few yards of calico +and strings of beads which are all that is necessary for the clothing +and decoration of a family. + +Such people are never in a hurry. To wait means to do nothing. To +do nothing is their highest joy. Their tomorrow means a month hence, +directly, a week. If, then, the Ashanti army had been detained +for one year or five before the English settlements, it would have +been a matter of indifference to them, so long as they could obtain +food. Their women were with them, for the wife and daughters of each +warrior had carried on head, with the army, his household goods, a +tiny stool, a few calabashes for cooking, a mat to sleep on, and +baskets high piled with provisions. They were there to collect +sticks, to cook food, draw water, bring fire for his pipe, minister +to his pleasures. He could have no more if he were at home, and +was contented to wait as long as the king ordered, were that time +years distant. + +Frank was often filled with disgust at seeing these noble savages +lying indolently from morn till night while their wives went miles +in the forest searching for pineapples and fruits, bent down and +prematurely aged by toil and hardship. Many of the young girls +among the negroes are pretty, with their soft eyes and skin like +velvet, their merry laugh and graceful figures. But in a very few +years all this disappears, and by middle age they are bent, and +wrinkled, and old. All loads are carried by women, with the exception +only of hammocks, which are exclusively carried by men. + +Thus, then, the Ashantis settled down to what appeared to Frank to +be an interminable business, and what rendered it more tantalizing +was, that the morning and evening guns at the English forts could +be plainly heard. + +It was on the 7th of June that Ammon Quatia reconnoitered Elmina, +and the news came next day that a hundred and ten white men in red +coats had landed from a ship which had arrived that morning off +the coast. Frank judged from the description that these must be +marines from a ship of war. In this he was correct, as they consisted +of marines and marine artillerymen under Lieutenant Colonel Festing, +who had just arrived from England. Three days later the Ashanti +general, with a portion of his force, moved down close to Elmina; +Frank was told to accompany them. Shortly afterwards the news came +that the Elminas were all ordered to lay down their arms. They replied +by going over in a body to the Ashantis. Ammon Quatia determined +at once to attack the town, but as he was advancing, the guns of +the ships of war opened fire upon the native town of Elmina, which +lay to the west of the European quarter. + +The sound of such heavy cannon, differing widely from anything they +had ever heard before, caused the Ashantis to pause in astonishment. +Then came the howl of the shells, which exploded in rapid succession +in the village, from which flames began immediately to rise. After +a few minutes' hesitation the Ashantis and Elminas again advanced. +The general, who was carried in a chair upon the shoulders of four +men, took his post on rising ground near the burning village. + +"There," he said, "the English soldiers are coming out of the fort. +Now you will see." + +The little body of marines and the blue jackets of the Barraconta +deployed in line as they sallied from the fort. The Ashantis opened +fire upon them, but they were out of range of the slugs. As soon +as the line was formed the English opened fire, and the Ashantis +were perfectly astonished at the incessant rattle of musketry from +so small a body of men. But it was not all noise, for the Snider +bullets swept among the crowded body of blacks, mowing them down in +considerable numbers. In two minutes the Ashantis turned and ran. +The general's bearers, in spite of his shouts, hurried away with +him with the others, and Frank would have taken this opportunity to +escape had not two of his guards seized him by the arms and hauled +him along, while the other two kept close behind. + +As soon as they had passed over the crest of the rise, and the +British fire had ceased, Ammon Quatia leaped from his chair and +threw himself among his flying troops, striking them right and left +with his staff, and hurling imprecations upon them. + +"If you do not stop and return against the whites," he said, "I +will send every one of you back to Coomassie, and there you will +be put to death as cowards." + +The threat sufficed. The fugitives rallied, and in a few minutes +were ready to march back again. It was the surprise created by the +wonderful sustained fire of the breech loaders, rather than the +actual loss they inflicted, which caused the panic. + +In the meantime, believing that the Ashantis had retired, the naval +contingent went back to their boats, when the Dutch vice consul, +having ascended a hill to look round, saw that Ammon Quatia had +made a detour with his troops, and was marching against the town +from the east, where he would not be exposed to the fire of the +fort. He instantly ran back with the news. + +The marines and the thirty West Indian soldiers in the fort at +once marched out, and met the Ashantis just as they were entering +the town. The fight was a severe one, and for a time neither side +appeared to have the advantage, and Frank, who, under the care of +his guards, was a few hundred yards in the rear, was filled with +dismay at observing that the Ashantis, in spite of the heavy loss +they were suffering, were gaining ground and pressing forward bravely. +Suddenly he gave a shout of joy, for on a rise on the flank of the +Ashantis appeared the sailors of the Barraconta, who had been led +round from the boats by Lieutenant Wells, R. N., who was in command. +The instant these took up their position they opened a heavy fire +upon the flank of the Ashantis, who, dismayed by this attack by fresh +foes, lost heart and at once fled hastily. In the two engagements +they had lost nearly four hundred men. Frank, of course, retired +with the beaten Ashantis, and that evening Ammon Quatia told him +that the arms of the white men were too good, and that he should +not attack them again in the open. + +"Their guns shoot farther, as well as quicker, than ours," he said. +"Our slugs are no use against the heavy bullets, at a distance; +but in the woods, where you cannot see twenty feet among the trees, +it will be different. If I do not attack them they must attack me, +or their trade will be starved out. When they come into the woods +you will see that we shall eat them up." + +Several weeks now passed quietly. There was news that there was +great sickness among the white soldiers, and, indeed, with scarce +an exception, the marines first sent out were invalided home; but +a hundred and fifty more arrived to take their place. Some detachments +of the 2d West Indian regiment came down to join their comrades +from Sierra Leone, and the situation remained unchanged. + +One night towards the end of August a messenger arrived and there +was an immediate stir. + +"Now," the general said to Frank, "you are going to see us fight +the white men. Some of the big ships have gone to the mouth of the +Prah, and we believe that they are going to land in boats. You will +see. The Elmina tribes are going to attack, but I shall take some +of my men to help." + +Taking fifty picked warriors Ammon Quatia started at once. They +marched all night towards the west, and at daybreak joined the +Elminas. These took post in the brushwood lining the river. The +general with a dozen men, taking Frank, went down near the mouth +of the river to reconnoiter. The ships lay more than a mile off +the shore. Presently a half dozen boats were lowered, filled with +men, and taken in tow by a steam launch. It was seen that they were +making for the mouth of the river. + +"Now let us go back," Ammon Quatia said. "You will see what we +shall do." + +Frank felt full of excitement. He saw the English running into an +ambuscade, and he determined, even if it should cost him his life, +to warn them. Presently they heard the sharp puffs of the steam +launch. The boats were within three hundred yards. + +Frank stepped forward and was about to give a warning shout when +Ammon Quatia's eye fell upon him. The expression of his face revealed +his intention to the Ashanti, who in an instant sprang upon him and +hurled him to the ground. Instantly a dozen hands seized him, and, +in obedience to the general's order, fastened a bandage tightly +across his mouth, and then bound him, standing against a tree, where +he could observe what was going on. The incident had occupied but +a minute, and Frank heard the pant of the steam launch coming nearer +and nearer. Presently through the bushes he caught a glimpse of +it, and then, as it came along, of the boats towing behind. The +Elminas and Ashantis were lying upon the ground with their guns in +front of them. + +The boats were but fifteen yards from the bank. When they were +abreast Ammon Quatia shouted the word of command, and a stream +of fire shot out from the bushes. In the boats all was confusion. +Several were killed and many wounded by the deadly volley, among +the latter Commodore Commerell himself, and two or three of his +officers. The launch now attempted to turn round, and the marines +in the boats opened fire upon their invisible foes, who replied +steadily. In five minutes from the first shot being fired all was +over, the launch was steaming down with the boats in tow towards +the mouth of the river, the exulting shouts of the natives ringing +in the ears of those on board. + +The position of Frank had not been a pleasant one while the fight +had lasted, for the English rifle bullets sang close to him in +quick succession, one striking the tree only a few inches above +his head. He was doubtful, too, as to what his fate would be at +the termination of the fight. + +Fortunately Ammon Quatia was in the highest spirits at his victory. +He ordered Frank to be at once unbound. + +"There, you see," he said, "the whites are of no use. They cannot +fight. They run with their eyes shut into danger. So it will be if +they attack us on the land. You were foolish. Why did you wish to +call out? Are you not well treated? Are you not the king's guest? +Am I not your friend?" + +"I am well treated, and you are my friend," Frank said, "but the +English are my countrymen. I am sure that were you in the hands of +the English, and you saw a party of your countrymen marching into +danger, you would call out and warn them, even if you knew that +you would be killed for doing so." + +"I do not know," the Ashanti said candidly. "I cannot say what I +should do, but you were brave to run the risk, and I'm not angry +with you. Only, in future when we go to attack the English, I must +gag you to prevent your giving the alarm." + +"That is fair enough," Frank said, pleased that the matter had passed +off so well, "only another time do not stick me upright against a +tree where I may be killed by English bullets. I had a narrow escape +of it this time, you see," and he pointed to the hole in the trunk +of the tree. + +"I am sorry," the Ashanti general said, with an air of real concern. +"I did not think of your being in danger, I only wished you to have +a good sight of the battle; next time I will put you in a safer +place." + +They then returned to the camp. + +The next day a distant cannonade was heard, and at nightfall the +news came that the English fleet had bombarded and burnt several +Elmina villages at the mouth of the Prah. + +"Ah," the general said, "the English have great ships and great +guns. They can fight on the seaside and round their forts, but they +cannot drag their guns through the forests and swamps." + +"No," Frank agreed. "It would not be possible to drag heavy +artillery." + +"No," Ammon Quatia repeated exultingly. "When they are beyond the +shelter of their ships they are no good whatever. We will kill them +all." + +The wet season had now set in, in earnest, and the suffering of the +Ashantis were very great. Accustomed as many of them were to high +lying lands free of trees, the miasma from the swamps was well nigh +as fatal to them as it would be to Europeans. Thousands died, and +many of the rest were worn by fever to mere shadows. + +"Do you think," Ammon Quatia said to Frank one day, "that it is +possible to blow up a whole town with powder?" + +"It would be possible if there were powder enough," Frank said, +wondering what could be the motive of the question. + +"They say that the English have put powder in holes all over Cape +Coast, and my people are afraid to go. The guns of the fort could +not shoot over the whole town, and there are few white soldiers +there; but my men fear to be blown up in the air." + +"Yes," Frank said gravely. "The danger might be great. It is better +that the Ashantis should keep away from the town. But if the fever +goes on as at present the army will melt away." + +"Ten thousand more men are coming down when the rains are over. +The king says that something must be done. There is talk in the +English forts that more white troops are coming out from England. +If this is so I shall not attack the towns, but shall wait for them +to come into the woods for me. Then you will see." + +"Do they say there are many troops?" Frank asked anxiously. + +"No; they say only some white officers, but this is foolishness. +What could white officers do without soldiers? As for the Fantis +they are cowards, they are only good to carry burdens and to hoe +the ground. They are women and not men." + +During this time, when the damp rose so thick and steaming that +everything was saturated with it, Frank had a very sharp attack of +fever, and was for a fortnight, just after the repulse of the attack +on Elmina, completely prostrated. Such an attack would at his first +landing have carried him off, but he was now getting acclimatized, +and his supply of quinine was abundant. With its aid he saved a +great many lives among the Ashantis, and many little presents in +the way of fruit and birds did he receive from his patients. + +"I wish I could let you go," the general said to him one day. "You +are a good white man, and my soldiers love you for the pains you +take going amongst them when they are sick, and giving them the +medicine of the whites. But I dare not do it. As you know when the +king is wroth the greatest tremble, and I dare not tell the king +that I have let you go. Were it otherwise I would gladly do so. I +have written to the king telling him that you have saved the lives +of many here. It may be that he will order you to be released." + + + +CHAPTER XIX: THE TIDE TURNED + + +From many of the points in the forest held by the Ashantis the sea +could be seen, and on the morning of the 2d of October a steamer +which had not been there on the previous evening was perceived lying +off the town. The Ashantis were soon informed by spies in Elmina +and Cape Coast that the ship had brought an English general with +about thirty officers. The news that thirty men had come out to +help to drive back twenty thousand was received with derision by +the Ashantis. + +"They will do more than you think," Frank said when Ammon Quatia +was scoffing over the new arrival. "You will see a change in the +tactics of the whites. Hitherto they have done nothing. They have +simply waited. Now you will see they will begin to move. The officers +will drill the natives, and even a Fanti, drilled and commanded by +white officers, will learn how to fight. You acknowledge that the +black troops in red coats can fight. What are these? Some of them +are Fantis, some of them are black men from the West Indian Islands, +where they are even more peaceful than the Fantis, for they have no +enemies. Perhaps alone the Fantis would not fight, but they will +have the soldiers and sailors from on board ship with them, and +you saw at Elmina how they can fight." + +The ship was the Ambriz, one of the African company's steamers, +bringing with it thirty-five officers, of whom ten belonged to +the Commissariat and Medical staff. Among the fighting men were +Sir Garnet Wolseley, Colonel M'Neil, chief of his staff, Major T. +D. Baker, 18th Regiment, Captain Huyshe, Rifle Brigade, Captain +Buller, 60th Rifles, all of the staff; Captain Brackenbury, military +secretary, and Lieutenant Maurice, R. A., private secretary, Major +Home, R. E., Lieutenant Saunders, R. A., and Lieutenant Wilmot, +R. A.. Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn Wood, 90th Regiment, and Major B. +C. Russell, 13th Hussars, were each to form and command a native +regiment, having the remainder of the officers as their assistants. + +The Ambriz had left England on the 12th of September, and had touched +at Madeira and at the various towns on the coast on her way down, +and at the former place had received the news of the disaster to +the naval expedition up the Prah. + +The English government had been loath to embark upon such an +expedition, but a petition which had been sent home by the English +and native traders at Sierra Leone and Elmina had shown how great +was the peril which threatened the colony, and it had been felt that +unless an effort was made the British would be driven altogether from +their hold of the coast. When the expedition was at last determined +upon, the military authorities were flooded with recommendations and +warnings of all kinds from persons who knew the coast. Unfortunately +these gentlemen differed so widely from each other, that but little +good was gained from their counsels. Some pronounced the climate +to be deadly. Others said that it was really not bad. Some warmly +advocated a moderate use of spirits. Others declared that stimulants +were poison. One advised that all exercise should be taken between +five and seven in the morning. Another insisted that on no account +should anyone stir out until the sun had been up for an hour, which +meant that no one should go out till half past seven. One said take +exercise and excite perspiration. Another urged that any bodily +exercise should be avoided. One consistent gentleman, after having +written some letters to the papers strongly advocating the use of +white troops upon the coast instead of West Indian regiments, when +written to by Sir Garnet Wolseley for his advice as to articles +of outfit, replied that the only article which he could strongly +commend would be that each officer should take out his coffin. + +Ten days passed after the landing. It was known in the Ashanti +camp that the Fanti kings had been ordered to raise contingents, +and that a white officer had been alloted to each to assist him +in this work. The Ashantis, however, had no fear whatever on this +score. The twenty thousand natives who occupied the country south +of the Prah had all been driven from their homes by the invaders, +and had scattered among the towns and villages on the seacoast, +where vast numbers had died from the ravages of smallpox. The kings +had little or no authority over them, and it was certain that no +native force, capable in any way of competing with the army of the +assailants, could be raised. + +The small number of men of the 2d West Indian regiment at Elmina +had been reinforced by a hundred and twenty Houssas brought down +the coast. The Ashanti advanced parties remained close up to Elmina. + +On the 13th of October Frank accompanied the Ashanti general to the +neighborhood of this town. The Ashanti force here was not a large +one, the main body being nearly twenty miles away in the neighborhood +of Dunquah, which was held by a small body of Houssas and natives +under Captain Gordon. At six in the morning a messenger ran in +with the news that two of the English war steamers from Cape Coast +were lying off Elmina, and that a number of troops had been landed +in boats. The Ashanti general was furious, and poured out threats +against his spies in Cape Coast for not having warned him of the +movement, but in fact these were not to blame. So quietly had the +arrangements been made that, until late in the previous afternoon, +no one, with the exception of three or four of the principal +officers, knew that an expedition was intended. Even then it was +given out that the expedition was going down the coast, and it was +not until the ships anchored off Elmina at three in the morning +that the officers and troops were aware of their destination. All +the West Indian troops at Cape Coast had been taken, Captain Peel +of the Simoon landing fifty sailors to hold the fort in case the +Ashantis should attack it in their absence. The expedition consisted +of the Houssas, two hundred men of the 2d West India regiment, +fifty sailors, and two companies of marines and marine artillery, +each fifty strong, and a large number of natives carrying a small +Armstrong gun, two rocket tubes, rockets, spare ammunition, and +hammocks for wounded. + +The few Ashantis in the village next to Elmina retired at once +when the column was seen marching from the castle. Ammon Quatia had +taken up his quarters at the village of Essarman, and now advanced +with his troops and took post in the bush behind a small village +about three miles from the town. The Houssas were skirmishing +in front of the column. These entered the village which had been +deserted by the Ashantis, and set it on fire, blowing up several +kegs of powder which had been left there in the hurry of the flight. +Then as they advanced farther the Ashantis opened fire. To their +surprise the British, instead of falling back, opened fire in +return, the Houssas, West Indians, and natives discharging their +rifles at random in all directions. Captain Freemantle with the +sailors, the gun, and rockets made for the upper corner of the wood +facing them to their left. Captain Crease with a company of marine +artillery took the wood on the right. The Houssas and a company of +West Indians moved along the path in the center. The remainder of +the force remained with the baggage in reserve. The Ashantis kept +up a tremendous fire, but the marines and sailors pushed their +way steadily through the wood on either side. Captain Freemantle +at length gained a point where his gun and rockets could play on +Essarman, which lay in the heart of the wood, and opened fire, but +not until he had been struck by a slug which passed through his arm. +Colonel M'Neil, who was with the Houssas, also received a severe +wound in the arm, and thirty-two marines and Houssas were wounded. +The Ashantis were gradually driven out of the village and wood, a +great many being killed by the English fire. + +Having accomplished this, the British force rested for an hour and +then moved on, first setting fire to Essarman, which was a very +large village. A great quantity of the Ashanti powder was stored +there, and each explosion excited yells of rage among the Ashantis. +Their general was especially angry that two large war drums had +been lost. So great was the effect produced upon the Ashantis by +the tremendous fire which the British had poured into every bush and +thicket as they advanced, that their general thought it expedient +to draw them off in the direction of his main body instead of +further disputing the way. + +The English now turned off towards the coast, marching part of the +way through open country, part through a bush so dense that it was +impossible to make a flank attack upon them here. In such cases +as this, when the Ashantis know that an enemy is going to approach +through a dense and impassable forest, they cut paths through +it parallel to that by which he must advance and at a few yards' +distance. Then, lying in ambush there, they suddenly open fire upon +him as he comes along. As no idea of the coming of the English had +been entertained they passed through the dense thickets in single +file unmolested. These native paths are very difficult and unpleasant +walking. The natives always walk in single file, and the action of +their feet, aided by that of the rain, often wears the paths into +a deep V-shaped rut, two feet in depth. Burning two or three villages +by the way the column reached the coast at a spot five miles from +Elmina, having marched nine miles. + +As the Ashantis were known to be in force at the villages of Akimfoo +and Ampene, four miles farther, a party was taken on to this point. +Akimfoo was occupied without resistance, but the Ashantis fought +hard in Ampene, but were driven out of the town into the bush, from +which the British force was too small to drive them, and therefore +returned to Elmina, having marched twenty-two miles, a prodigious +journey in such a climate for heavily armed Europeans. The effect +produced among the Ashantis by the day's fighting was immense. All +their theories that the white men could not fight in the bush were +roughly upset, and they found that his superiority was as great +there as it had been in the open. His heavy bullets, even at the +distance of some hundred yards, crashed through the brush wood with +deadly effect, while the slugs of the Ashantis would not penetrate +at a distance much exceeding fifty yards. + +Ammon Quatia was profoundly depressed in spirits that evening. + +"The white men who come to fight us," he said, "are not like those +who come to trade. Who ever heard of their making long marches? +Why, if they go the shortest distances they are carried in hammocks. +These men march as well as my warriors. They have guns which shoot +ten times as far as ours, and never stop firing. They carry cannon +with them, and have things which fly through the air and scream, +and set villages on fire and kill men. I have never heard of such +things before. What do you call them?" + +"They are called rockets," Frank said. + +"What are they made of?" + +"They are made of coarse powder mixed with other things, and rammed +into an iron case." + +"Could we not make some too?" the Ashanti general asked. + +"No," Frank replied. "At least, not without a knowledge of the +things you should mix with the powder, and of that I am ignorant. +Besides, the rockets require great skill in firing, otherwise they +will sometimes come back and kill the men who fire them." + +"Why did you not tell me that the white men could fight in the +bush?" + +"I told you that there would be a change when the new general came, +and that they would not any longer remain in their forts, but would +come out and attack you." + +A few days after this fight the Ashantis broke up their camp at +Mampon, twelve miles from Elmina, and moved eastward to join the +body who were encamped in the forest near Dunquah. + +"I am going," Ammon Quatia said to Frank, "to eat up Dunquah and +Abra Crampa. We shall do better this time. We know what the English +guns can do and shall not be surprised." + +With ten thousand men Ammon Quatia halted at the little village +of Asianchi, where there was a large clearing, which was speedily +covered with the little leafy bowers which the Ashantis run up at +each halting place. + +Two days later Sir Garnet Wolseley with a strong force marched out +from Cape Coast to Abra Crampa, halting on the way for a night at +Assaiboo, ten miles from the town. On the same day the general sent +orders to Colonel Festing of the Marine Artillery, who commanded at +Dunquah, to make a reconnaissance into the forest from that place. +In accordance with this order Colonel Festing marched out with a gun +and rocket apparatus under Captain Rait, the Annamaboe contingent +of a hundred and twenty men under their king, directed by Captain +Godwin, four hundred other Fantis under Captain Broomhead, and +a hundred men of the 2d West India regiment. After a three mile +march in perfect silence they came upon an Ashanti cutting wood, +and compelled him to act as guide. The path divided into three, +and the Annamaboes, who led the advance, when within a few yards +of the camp, gave a sudden cheer and rushed in. + +The Ashantis, panic stricken at the sudden attack, fled instantly +from the camp into the bush. Sudden as was the scare Frank's +guards did not forget their duty, but seizing him dragged him off +with them in their flight, by the side of Ammon Quatia. The latter +ordered the war drums to begin to beat, and Frank was surprised at +the quickness with which the Ashantis recovered from their panic. +In five minutes a tremendous fire was opened from the whole circle +of bush upon the camp. This stood on rising ground, and the British +force returned the fire with great rapidity and effect. The Annamaboe +men stood their ground gallantly, and the West Indians fought with +great coolness, keeping up a constant and heavy fire with their +Sniders. The Houssas, who had been trained as artillerymen, worked +their gun and rocket tube with great energy, yelling and whooping +as each round of grape or canister was fired into the bush, or each +rocket whizzed out. + +Notwithstanding the heavy loss which they were suffering, the +Ashantis stood their ground most bravely. Their wild yells and the +beating of their drums never ceased, and only rose the louder as +each volley of grape was poured into them. They did not, however, +advance beyond the shelter of their bush, and, as the British were +not strong enough to attack them there, the duel of artillery and +musketry was continued without cessation for an hour and a half, +and then Colonel Festing fell back unmolested to Dunquah. + +The Ashantis were delighted at the result of the fighting, heavy +as their loss had been. They had held their ground, and the British +had not ventured to attack them in the bush. + +"You see," Ammon Quatia said exultingly to Frank, "what I told you +was true. The white men cannot fight us in the bush. At Essarman +the wood was thin and gave but a poor cover. Here, you see, they +dared not follow us." + +On the British side five officers and the King of Annamaboe were +wounded, and fifty-two of the men. None were killed, the distance +from the bush to the ground held by the English being too far for +the Ashanti slugs to inflict mortal wounds. + +Ammon Quatia now began to meditate falling back upon the Prah-- +the sick and wounded were already sent back--but he determined +before retiring to attack Abra Crampa, whose king had sided with +us, and where an English garrison had been posted. + +On the 2d of November, however, Colonel Festing again marched out +from Dunquah with a hundred men of the 2d West India regiment, +nine hundred native allies, and some Houssas with rockets, under +Lieutenant Wilmot, towards the Ashanti camp. This time Ammon Quatia +was not taken by surprise. His scouts informed him of the approach +of the column, and moving out to meet them, he attacked them in +the bush before they reached the camp. Crouching among the trees +the Ashantis opened a tremendous fire. All the native allies, with +the exception of a hundred, bolted at once, but the remainder, +with the Houssas and West Indians, behaved with great steadiness +and gallantry, and for two hours kept up a heavy Snider fire upon +their invisible foes. + +Early in the fight Lieutenant Wilmot, while directing the rocket +tube, received a severe wound in the shoulder. He, however, continued +at his work till, just as the fight was ended, he was shot through +the heart with a bullet. Four officers were wounded as were thirteen +men of the 2d West India regiment. One of the natives was killed, +fifty severely wounded, and a great many slightly. After two hours' +fighting Colonel Festing found the Ashantis were working round +to cut off his retreat, and therefore fell back again on Dunquah. +The conduct of the native levies here and in two or three smaller +reconnaisances was so bad that it was found that no further +dependence could be placed upon them, and, with the exception of +the two partly disciplined regiments under Colonel Wood and Major +Russell, they were in future treated as merely fit to act as carriers +for the provisions. + +Although the second reconnaissance from Dunquah had, like the first, +been unsuccessful, its effect upon the Ashantis was very great. +They had themselves suffered great loss, while they could not see +that any of their enemies had been killed, for Lieutenant Wilmot's +body had been carried off. The rockets especially appalled them, +one rocket having killed six, four of whom were chiefs who were +talking together. It was true that the English had not succeeded +in forcing their way through the bush, but if every time they came +out they were to kill large numbers without suffering any loss +themselves, they must clearly in the long run be victorious. + +What the Ashantis did not see, and what Frank carefully abstained +from hinting to Ammon Quatia, was that if, instead of stopping and +firing at a distance beyond that which at their slugs were effective, +they were to charge down upon the English and fire their pieces +when they reached within a few yards of them, they would overpower +them at once by their enormous superiority of numbers. At ten paces +distant a volley of slugs is as effective as a Snider bullet, and +the whole of the native troops would have bolted the instant such +a charge was made. In the open such tactics might not be possible, +as the Sniders could be discharged twenty times before the English +line was reached, but in the woods, where the two lines were not +more than forty or fifty yards apart, the Sniders could be fired +but once or at the utmost twice, while the assailants rushed across +the short intervening space. + +Had the Ashantis adopted these tactics they could have crushed +with ease the little bands with which the English attacked them. +But it is characteristic of all savages that they can never be got +to rush down upon a foe who is prepared and well armed. A half dozen +white men have been known to keep a whole tribe of Red Indians at +a distance on the prairie. This, however, can be accounted for by +the fact that the power of the chiefs is limited, and that each +Indian values his own life highly and does not care to throw it +away on a desperate enterprise. Among the Ashantis, however, where +the power of the chiefs is very great and where human life is held +of little account, it is singular that such tactics should not have +been adopted. + +The Ashantis were now becoming thoroughly dispirited. Their sufferings +had been immense. Fever and hunger had made great ravages among +them, and, although now the wet season was over a large quantity +of food could be obtained in the forest, the losses which the white +men's bullets, rockets, and guns had inflicted upon them had broken +their courage. The longing for home became greater than ever, and +had it not been that they knew that troops stationed at the Prah +would prevent any fugitives from crossing, they would have deserted +in large numbers. Already one of the divisions had fallen back. + +Ammon Quatia spent hours sitting at the door of his hut smoking and +talking to the other chiefs. Frank was often called into council, +as Ammon Quatia had conceived a high opinion of his judgment, which +had proved invariably correct so far. + +"We are going," he said one day, "to take Abra Crampa and to kill +its king, and then to fall back across the Prah." + +"I think you had better fall back at once," Frank answered. "When +you took me with you to the edge of the clearing yesterday I saw +that preparations had been made for the defense, and that there were +white troops there. You will never carry the village. The English +have thrown up breastworks of earth, and they will lie behind these +and shoot down your men as they come out of the forest." + +"I must have one victory to report to the king if I can," Ammon +Quatia said. "Then he can make peace if he chooses. The white men +will not wish to go on fighting. The Fantis are eager for peace +and to return to their villages. What do you think?" + +"If it be true that white troops are coming out from England, +as the Fanti prisoners say," Frank answered, "you will see that +the English will not make peace till they have crossed the Prah +and marched to Coomassie. Your king is always making trouble. You +will see that this time the English will not be content with your +retiring, but will in turn invade Ashanti." + +Ammon Quatia and the chiefs laughed incredulously. + +"They will not dare to cross the Prah," Ammon Quatia said. "If they +enter Ashanti they will be eaten up." + +"They are not so easy to eat up," Frank answered. "You have seen +how a hundred or two can fight against your whole army. What will +it be when they are in thousands? Your king has not been wise. It +would be better for him to send down at once and to make peace at +any price." + + + +CHAPTER XX: THE WHITE TROOPS + + +Two days later Frank was awoke by a sudden yell. He leaped from +his bed of boughs, seized his revolver, and rushing to the door, +saw that a party of some twenty men were attacking Ammon Quatia's +hut. The two guards stationed there had already been cut down. Frank +shouted to his four guards and Ostik to follow him. The guards had +been standing irresolute, not knowing what side to take, but the +example of the young Englishman decided them. They fired their +muskets into the knot of natives, and then charged sword in hand. +Ostik drew the sword which he always carried and followed close +to his master's heels. Frank did not fire until within two yards +of the Ashantis. Then his revolver spoke out and six shots were +discharged, each with deadly effect. Then, catching up a musket +which had fallen from the hands of one of the men he had shot, +he clubbed it and fell upon the surprised and already hesitating +conspirators. + +These, fortunately for Frank, had not loaded their muskets. They +had intended to kill Ammon Quatia and then to disperse instantly +before aid could arrive, believing that with his death the order +for retreat across the Prah would at once be given. Several of them +had been killed by the slugs from the muskets of Frank's guard, and +his pistol had completed their confusion. The reports of the guns +called up other troops, and these came rushing in on all sides. +Scarcely did Frank and his followers fall upon the conspirators +than they took to their heels and fled into the wood. + +Ammon Quatia himself, sword in hand, had just sprung to the door +of the hut prepared to sell his life dearly, when Frank's guard +fired. The affair was so momentary that he had hardly time to +realize what had happened before his assailants were in full flight. + +"You have saved my life," he said to Frank. "Had it not been for +you I must have been killed. You shall not find me ungrateful. +When I have taken Abra Crampa I will manage that you shall return +to your friends. I dare not let you go openly, for the king would +not forgive me, and I shall have enough to do already to pacify him +when he hears how great have been our losses. But rest content. I +will manage it somehow." + +An hour afterwards Ammon Quatia gave orders that the army should +move to the attack of Abra Crampa. The place was held by a body of +marines and sailors, a hundred West Indians, and the native troops +of the king. Major Russell was in command. The village stood +on rising ground, and was surrounded for a distance of a hundred +and fifty yards by a clearing. Part of this consisted of patches +of cultivated ground, the rest had been hastily cleared by the +defenders. At the upper end stood a church, and this was converted +into a stronghold. The windows were high up in the walls, and a +platform had been erected inside for the sailors to fire from the +windows, which were partially blocked with sandbags. The houses +on the outside of the village had all been loopholed, and had been +connected by breastworks of earth. Other defenses had been thrown +up further back in case the outworks should be carried. The mission +house in the main street and the huts which surrounded it formed, +with the church, the last strongholds. For two or three days the +bush round the town had swarmed with Ashantis, whose tomtoms could +be heard by the garrison night and day. + +Frank accompanied Ammon Quatia, and was therefore in the front, and +had an opportunity of seeing how the Ashantis commence an attack. +The war drums gave the signal, and when they ceased, ten thousand +voices raised the war song in measured cadence. The effect was very +fine, rising as it did from all parts of the forest. By this time +the Ashantis had lined the whole circle of wood round the clearing. +Then three regular volleys were fired, making, from the heavy +charges used, a tremendous roar. + +Scarcely had these ceased when the King of Abra, a splendid looking +negro standing nearly six feet four in height, stepped out from +behind the breastwork and shouted a taunting challenge to the +Ashantis to come on. They replied with a loud yell, and with the +opening of a continuous fire round the edge of the wood. On wall and +roof of the village the slugs pattered thickly; but the defenders +were all in shelter, and in reply, from breastwork and loophole, +from the windows and roof of the church, the answering Snider bullets +flew out straight and deadly. Several times Ammon Quatia tried to +get his men to make a rush. The war drums beat, the great horns +sounded, and the men shouted, but each time the English bullets flew +so thick and deadly into the wood wherever the sound rose loudest +that the Ashantis' heart failed them, and they could not be got to +make the rush across the hundred yards of cleared ground. + +At five o'clock the fire slackened, but shortly after dark the +attack recommenced. The moon was up and full. Frank feared that +the Ashantis would try and crawl a part of the distance across the +clearing and then make a sudden rush; but they appeared to have no +idea of a silent attack. Several times, indeed, they gathered and +rushed forward in large bodies, but each time their shouting and +drums gave warning to the besieged, and so tremendous a fire was +opened upon them when they emerged from the shadow of the trees +into the moonlight, that each time they fell back leaving the ground +strewn with dead. Till midnight the attack was continued, then the +Ashantis fell back to their camp. + +At Accroful, a village on the main road some four miles distant, +the attack had been heard, and a messenger sent off to Cape Coast +to inform Sir Garnet Wolseley. + +In the morning fifty men of the 2d West India regiment marched from +Accroful into Abra Crampa without molestation. Later on some Abra +scouts approached the Ashanti camp and shouted tauntingly to know +when the Ashantis were coming into Abra Crampa. + +They shouted in return, "After breakfast," and soon afterwards, +a rocket fired from the roof of the church falling into the camp, +they again sallied out and attacked. It was a repetition of the +fight of the day before. Several times Major Russell withheld his +fire altogether, but the Ashantis could not be tempted to show in +force beyond the edge of the wood. So inspirited were the defenders +that they now made several sorties and penetrated some distance +into the wood. + +At eight in the morning Sir Garnet Wolseley had marched from Cape +Coast with three hundred marines and blue jackets to the relief of +the position, but so tremendous was the heat that nearly half the +men fell exhausted by the way, and were ordered when they recovered +to march back to Cape Coast. The remainder, when they arrived at +Assaibo, five miles from Abra Crampa, were so utterly exhausted +that a long halt was necessary, although a faint but continuous +fire could be heard from the besieged place. + +Chocolate and cold preserved meat were served out to the men, and +in the course of another three hours a large number of the stragglers +came in. At three o'clock, a hundred of the most exhausted men being +left to hold the village, the rest of the force with the fifty West +Indians stationed there marched forward to Buteana, where they were +jointed by fifty more men from Accroful. Just as they started from +this place they met the King of Abra, who had come out with a small +body of warriors; from him Sir Garnet learned that this road, which +wound round and came in at the back of Abra Crampa, was still open. + +The Ashantis were too busy with their own operations to watch the +path, and the relieving force entered the place without firing a +shot. The firing round the town continued, but Ammon Quatia, when +he saw the reinforcements enter, at once began to fall back with +the main body of his troops, and although the firing was kept up +all night, when the besieged in the morning advanced to attack the +Ashanti camp they found it altogether deserted. + +"It is of no use," the Ashanti general said to Frank. "My men cannot +fight in the open against the English guns. Besides, they do not +know what they are fighting for here; but if your general should +ever cross the Prah you will find it different. There are forests +all the way to Coomassie, as you know, and the men will be fighting +in defense of their own country, you will see what we shall do +then. And now I will keep my promise to you. Tonight your guards +will go to sleep. I shall have medicine given them which will +make them sleep hard. One of the Fanti prisoners will come to your +hut and will guide you through the woods to Assaiboo. Goodbye, my +friend. Ammon Quatia has learnt that some of the white men are good +and honest, and he will never forget that he owes his life to you. +Take this in remembrance of Ammon Quatia." + +And he presented Frank with a necklace composed of nuggets of gold +as big as walnuts and weighing nearly twenty pounds. + +Frank in return gave the general the only article of value which +he now possessed, his revolver and tin box of cartridges, telling +him that he hoped he would never use it against the English, but +that it might be of value to him should he ever again have trouble +with his own men. Frank made a parcel of the necklace and of the +gold he had received from the king for his goods, and warned Ostik to +hold himself in readiness for flight. The camp was silent although +the roar of musketry a few hundred yards off round Abra Crampa +continued unbroken. For some time Frank heard his guards pacing +outside, and occasionally speaking to each other. Then these sounds +ceased and all was quiet. Presently the front of the tent was opened +and a voice said, "Come, all is ready." + +Frank came out and looked round. The Ashanti camp was deserted. +Ammon Quatia had moved away with the main body of his troops, +although the musketry fire round the village was kept up. A Fanti +stood at the door of the hut with Ostik. The four guards were +sleeping quietly. Noiselessly the little party stole away. A quarter +of an hour later they struck the path, and an hour's walking brought +them to Assaiboo. Not an Ashanti was met with along the path, but +Frank hardly felt that he was safe until he heard the challenge of +"Who goes there?" from an English sentry. A few minutes later he +was taken before Captain Bradshaw, R. N., who commanded the sailors +and marines who had been left there. Very hearty was the greeting +which the young Englishman received from the genial sailor, and a +bowl of soup and a glass of grog were soon set before him. + +His arrival created quite a sensation, and for some hours he sat +talking with the officers, while Ostik was an equal subject of +curiosity among the sailors. The news that the Ashanti army was in +full retreat relieved the garrison of the place from all further +fear of attack, and Frank went to sleep before morning, and was +only roused at noon when a messenger arrived with the news that +the Ashanti camp had been found deserted, and that the road in its +rear was found to be strewn with chairs, clothes, pillows, muskets, +and odds and ends of every description. Few Ashanti prisoners +had been taken, but a considerable number of Fantis, who had been +prisoners among them, had come in, having escaped in the confusion +of the retreat. Among these were many women, several of whom had been +captured when the Ashantis had first crossed the Prah ten months +before. In the afternoon Sir Garnet Wolseley, with the greater +portion of the force from Abra Crampa, marched in, and Frank was +introduced by Captain Bradshaw to the general. As the latter was +anxious to press on at once to Cape Coast, in order that the sailors +and marines might sleep on board ship that night, he asked Frank to +accompany him, and on the road heard the story of his adventures. +He invited him to sleep for the night at Government House, an +invitation which Frank accepted; but he slept worse than he had done +for a long time. It was now nearly two years since he had landed +in Africa, and during all that time he had slept, covered with a +rug, on the canvas of his little camp bed. The complete change, the +stillness and security, and, above all, the novelty of a bed with +sheets, completely banished sleep, and it was not until morning was +dawning that, wrapping himself in a rug, and lying on the ground, +he was able to get a sleep. In the morning at breakfast Sir Garnet +asked him what he intended to do, and said that if he were in no +extreme hurry to return to England he could render great services +as guide to the expedition, which would start for Coomassie as soon +as the white troops arrived. Frank had already thought the matter +over. He had had more than enough of Africa, but two or three months +longer would make no difference, and he felt that his knowledge +of the Ashanti methods of war, of the country to be traversed, the +streams to be crossed, and the points at which the Ashantis would +probably make a stand, would enable him to tender really valuable +assistance to the army. He therefore told Sir Garnet Wolseley that +he had no particular business which called him urgently back, and +that he was willing to guide the army to Coomassie. He at once had +quarters as an officer assigned to him in the town, with rations +for himself and servant. + +His first step was to procure English garments, for although he +had before starting laid aside his Ashanti costume, and put on that +he had before worn, his clothes were now so travel worn as to be +scarce wearable. He had no difficulty in doing this. Many of the +officers were already invalided home, and one who was just sailing +was glad to dispose of his uniform, which consisted of a light +brown Norfolk shooting jacket, knickerbockers, and helmet, as these +would be of no use to him in England. + +Frank's next step was to go to the agent of Messrs. Swanzy, the +principal African merchants of the coast. This gentleman readily +cashed one of the orders on the African bank which Mr. Goodenough +had, before his death, handed over to Frank, and the latter +proceeded to discharge the long arrears of wages owing to Ostik, +adding, besides, a handsome present. He offered to allow his faithful +servant to depart to join his family on the Gaboon at once, should +he wish to do so, but Ostik declared that he would remain with him +as long as he stopped in Africa. On Frank's advice, however, he +deposited his money, for safe keeping, with Messrs. Swanzy's agent, +with orders to transmit it to his family should anything happen to +him during the expedition. + +Three days later Frank was attacked by fever, the result of the +reaction after so many dangers. He was at once sent on board the +Simoon, which had been established as a hospital ship; but the attack +was a mild one, and in a few days, thanks to the sea air, and the +attention and nursing which he received, he was convalescent. As +soon as the fever passed away, and he was able to sit on deck and +enjoy the sea breezes, he had many visits from the officers of the +ships of war. Among these was the captain of the Decoy gunboat. + +After chatting with Frank for some time the officer said: "I am +going down the coast as far as the mouth of the Volta, where Captain +Glover is organizing another expedition. You will not be wanted on +shore just at present, and a week's rest will do you good; what do +you say to coming down with me--it will give you a little change +and variety?" + +Frank accepted the invitation with pleasure. An hour later the +Decoy's boat came alongside, and Frank took his place on board it, +Ostik following with his clothes. An hour later the Decoy got up +her anchor and steamed down the coast. It was delightful to Frank, +sitting in a large wicker work chair in the shade of the awning, +watching the distant shore and chatting with the officers. He had +much to hear of what had taken place in England since he left, +and they on their part were equally eager to learn about the road +along which they would have to march--at least those of them who +were fortunate enough to be appointed to the naval brigade--and +the wonders of the barbarian capital. The Decoy was not fast, about +six knots being her average pace of steaming; however, no one was +in a hurry; there would be nothing to do until the troops arrived +from England; and to all, a trip down the coast was a pleasant +change after the long monotony of rolling at anchor. For some +distance from Cape Coast the shore was flat, but further on the +country became hilly. Some of the undulations reached a considerable +height, the highest, Mamquady, being over two thousand feet. + +"That ought to be a very healthy place," Frank said. "I should +think that a sanatorium established there would be an immense boon +to the whites all along the coasts." + +"One would think so," an officer replied "but I'm told that those +hills are particularly unhealthy. That fellow you see jutting out +is said to be extremely rich in gold. Over and over again parties +have been formed to dig there, but they have always suffered so +terribly from fever that they have had to relinquish the attempt. +The natives suffer as well as the whites. I believe that the +formation is granite, the surface of which is much decomposed; and +it is always found here that the turning up of ground that has not +been disturbed for many years is extremely unhealthy, and decomposing +granite possesses some element particularly obnoxious to health. +The natives, of course, look upon the mountain as a fetish, and +believe that an evil spirit guards it. The superstition of the +negroes is wonderful, and at Accra they are, if possible, more +superstitious than anywhere else. Every one believes that every +malady under the sun is produced by fetish, and that some enemy is +casting spells upon them." + +"There is more in it than you think," the doctor joined in; "although +it is not spells, but poison, which they use against each other. +The use of poison is carried to an incredible extent here. I have +not been much on shore; but the medical men, both civilian and +military, who have been here any time are convinced that a vast +number of the deaths that take place are due to poison. The fetish +men and women who are the vendors of these drugs keep as a profound +secret their origin and nature, but it is certain that many of them +are in point of secrecy and celerity equal to those of the middle +ages." + +"I wonder that the doctors have never discovered what plants they +get them from," Frank said. + +"Some of them have tried to do so," the doctor replied; "but have +invariably died shortly after commencing their experiments; it +is believed they have been poisoned by the fetish men in order to +prevent their secrets being discovered." + +The hours passed pleasurably. The beautiful neatness and order +prevailing on board a man of war were specially delightful to +Frank after the rough life he had so long led, and the silence and +discipline of the men presented an equally strong contrast to the +incessant chattering and noise kept up by the niggers. + +The next morning the ship was off Accra. Here the scenery had +entirely changed. The hills had receded, and a wide and slightly +undulating plain extended to their feet, some twelve miles back. +The captain was going to land, as he had some despatches for the +colony, and he invited Frank to accompany him. They did not, as +Frank expected, land in a man of war's boat, but in a surf boat, +which, upon their hoisting a signal, came out to them. These surf +boats are large and very wide and flat. They are paddled by ten or +twelve negroes, who sit upon the gunwale. These men work vigorously, +and the boats travel at a considerable pace. Each boat has a stroke +peculiar to itself. Some paddle hard for six strokes and then easy +for an equal number. Some will take two or three hard and then one +easy. The steersman stands in the stern and steers with an oar. He +or one of the crew keeps up a monotonous song, to which the crew +reply in chorus, always in time with their paddling. + +The surf is heavy at Accra and Frank held his breath, as, after +waiting for a favorable moment, the steersman gave the sign and +the boat darted in at lightning speed on the top of a great wave, +and ran up on the beach in the midst of a whirl of white foam. + +While the captain went up to Government House, Frank, accompanied by +one of the young officers who had also come ashore, took a stroll +through the town. The first thing that struck him was the extraordinary +number of pigs. These animals pervaded the whole place. They fed in +threes and fours in the middle of the streets. They lay everywhere +in the road, across the doors, and against the walls. They quarreled +energetically inside lanes and courtyards, and when worsted in their +disputes galloped away grunting, careless whom they might upset. +The principal street of Accra was an amusing sight. Some effort had +been made to keep it free of the filth and rubbish which everywhere +else abounded. Both sides were lined by salesmen and women sitting +on little mats upon the low wooden stools used as seats in Africa. +The goods were contained in wooden trays. Here were dozens of women +offering beads for sale of an unlimited variety of form and hue. +They varied from the tiny opaque beads of all colors used by English +children for their dolls, to great cylindrical beads of variegated +hues as long and as thick as the joint of a finger. The love of +the Africans for beads is surprising. The women wear them round +the wrists, the neck, and the ankles. The occupation of threading +the little beads is one of their greatest pleasures. The threads +used are narrow fibers of palm leaves, which are very strong. The +beads, however, are of unequal sizes, and no African girl who has +any respect for her personal appearance will put on a string of +beads until she has, with great pains and a good deal of skill, +rubbed them with sand and water until all the projecting beads are +ground down, and the whole are perfectly smooth and even. + +Next in number to the dealers in beads were those who sold calico, +or, as it is called in Africa, cloth, and gaudily colored kerchiefs +for the head. These three articles--beads, cotton cloth, and +colored handkerchiefs--complete the list of articles required for +the attire and adornment of males and females in Africa. Besides +these goods, tobacco, in dried leaves, short clay pipes, knives, +small looking glasses, and matches were offered for sale. The majority +of the saleswomen, however, were dealers in eatables, dried fish, +smoked fish, canki--which is a preparation of ground corn wrapped up +in palm leaves in the shape of paste--eggs, fowls, kids, cooked +meats in various forms, stews, boiled pork, fried knobs of meat, +and other native delicacies, besides an abundance of seeds, nuts, +and other vegetable productions. + +After walking for some time through the streets Frank and his +companions returned to the boat, where, half an hour later, the +captain joined them, and, putting off to the Decoy, they continued +the voyage down the coast. + +The next morning they weighed anchor off Addah, a village at +the mouth of the Volta. They whistled for a surf boat, but it was +some time before one put out. When she was launched it was doubtful +whether she would be able to make her way through the breaking +water. The surf was much heavier here than it had been at Accra, +and each wave threw the boat almost perpendicularly into the air, +so that only a few feet of the end of the keel touched the water. +Still she struggled on, although so long was she in getting through +the surf that those on board the ship thought several times that +she must give it up as impracticable. At last, however, she got +through; the paddlers waited for a minute to recover from their +exertions, and then made out to the Decoy. None of the officers had +ever landed here, and several of them obtained leave to accompany +the captain on shore. Frank was one of the party. After what they +had seen of the difficulty which the boat had in getting out, all +looked somewhat anxiously at the surf as they approached the line +where the great smooth waves rolled over and broke into boiling +foam. The steersman stood upon the seat in the stern, in one hand +holding his oar, in the other his cap. For some time he stood half +turned round, looking attentively seaward, while the boat lay at +rest just outside the line of breakers. Suddenly he waved his cap +and gave a shout. It was answered by the crew. Every man dashed +his paddle into the water. Desperately they rowed, the steersman +encouraging them by wild yells. A gigantic wave rolled in behind +the boat, and looked for a moment as if she would break into it, +but she rose on it just as it turned over, and for an instant was +swept along amidst a cataract of white foam, with the speed of an +arrow. The next wave was a small one, and ere a third reached it the +boat grounded on the sand. A dozen men rushed out into the water. +The passengers threw themselves anyhow on to their backs, and in +a minute were standing perfectly dry upon the beach. + +They learned that Captain Glover's camp was half a mile distant, +and at once set out for it. Upon the way up to the camp they passed +hundreds of negroes, who had arrived in the last day or two, and +had just received their arms. Some were squatted on the ground +cooking and resting themselves. Others were examining their new +weapons, oiling and removing every spot of rust, and occasionally +loading and firing them off. The balls whizzed through the air in +all directions. The most stringent orders had been given forbidding +this dangerous nuisance; but nothing can repress the love of negroes +for firing off guns. There were large numbers of women among them; +these had acted as carriers on their journey to the camp; for among +the coast tribes, as among the Ashantis, it is the proper thing +when the warriors go out on the warpath, that the women should not +permit them to carry anything except their guns until they approach +the neighborhood of the enemy. + +The party soon arrived at the camp, which consisted of some bell +tents and the little huts of a few hundred natives. This, indeed, +was only the place where the latter were first received and armed, +and they were then sent up the river in the steamboat belonging to +the expedition, to the great camp some thirty miles higher. + +The expedition consisted only of some seven or eight English +officers. Captain Glover of the royal navy was in command, with +Mr. Goldsworthy and Captain Sartorius as his assistants. There were +four other officers, two doctors, and an officer of commissariat. +This little body had the whole work of drilling and keeping in +order some eight or ten thousand men. They were generals, colonels, +sergeants, quartermasters, storekeepers, and diplomatists, all at +once, and from daybreak until late at night were incessantly at work. +There were at least a dozen petty kings in camp, all of whom had +to be kept in a good temper, and this was by no means the smallest +of Captain Glover's difficulties, as upon the slightest ground for +discontent each of these was ready at once to march away with his +followers. The most reliable portion of Captain Glover's force were +some 250 Houssas, and as many Yorabas. In addition to all their +work with the native allies, the officers of the expedition had +succeeded in drilling both these bodies until they had obtained a +very fair amount of discipline. + +After strolling through the camp the visitors went to look on at +the distribution of arms and accouterments to a hundred freshly +arrived natives. They were served out with blue smocks, made of +serge, and blue nightcaps, which had the result of transforming +a fine looking body of natives, upright in carriage, and graceful +in their toga-like attire, into a set of awkward looking, clumsy +negroes. A haversack, water bottle, belts, cap pouch, and ammunition +pouch, were also handed to each to their utter bewilderment, and +it was easy to foresee that at the end of the first day's march the +whole of these, to them utterly useless articles, would be thrown +aside. They brightened up, however, when the guns were delivered to +them. The first impulse of each was to examine his piece carefully, +to try its balance by taking aim at distant objects, then to +carefully rub off any little spot of rust that could be detected, +lastly to take out the ramrod and let it fall into the barrel, to +judge by the ring whether it was clean inside. + +Thence the visitors strolled away to watch a number of Houssas in +hot pursuit of some bullocks, which were to be put on board the +steamers and taken up the river to the great camp. These had broken +loose in the night, and the chase was an exciting one. Although +some fifty or sixty men were engaged in the hunt it took no less +than four hours to capture the requisite number, and seven Houssas +were more or less injured by the charges of the desperate little +animals, which possessed wonderful strength and endurance, although +no larger than moderate sized donkeys. They were only captured at +last by hoops being thrown over their horns, and even when thrown +down required the efforts of five or six men to tie them. They were +finally got to the wharf by two men each: one went ahead with the +rope attached to the animal's horn, the other kept behind, holding +a rope fastened to one of the hind legs. Every bull made the most +determined efforts to get at the man in front, who kept on at a run, +the animal being checked when it got too close by the man behind +pulling at its hind leg. When it turned to attack him the man in +front again pulled at his rope. So most of them were brought down +to the landing place, and there with great difficulty again thrown +down, tied, and carried bodily on board. Some of them were so +unmanageable that they had to be carried all the way down to the +landing place. If English cattle possessed the strength and obstinate +fury of these little animals, Copenhagen Fields would have to be +removed farther from London, or the entrance swept by machine guns, +for a charge of the cattle would clear the streets of London. + +After spending an amusing day on shore, the party returned on board +ship. Captain Glover's expedition, although composed of only seven +or eight English officers and costing the country comparatively +nothing, accomplished great things, but its doings were almost +ignored by England. Crossing the river they completely defeated +the native tribes there, who were in alliance with the Ashantis, +after some hard fighting, and thus prevented an invasion of our +territory on that side. In addition to this they pushed forward +into the interior and absolutely arrived at Coomassie two days +after Sir Garnet Wolseley. + +It is true that the attention of the Ashantis was so much occupied +by the advance of the white force that they paid but little attention +to that advancing from the Volta; but none the less is the credit +due to the indomitable perseverance and the immensity of the work +accomplished by Captain Glover and his officers. Alone and single +handed, they overcame all the enormous difficulties raised by +the apathy, indolence, and self importance of the numerous petty +chiefs whose followers constituted the army, infused something of +their own spirit among their followers, and persuaded them to march +without white allies against the hitherto invincible army of the +Ashantis. Not a tithe of the credit due to them has been given to +the officers of this little force. + +Captain Glover invited his visitors to pass the night on shore, +offering to place a tent at their disposal; but the mosquitoes are +so numerous and troublesome along the swampy shore of the Volta +that the invitations were declined, and the whole party returned +on board the Decoy. Next day the anchor was hove and the ship's +head turned to the west; and two days later, after a pleasant and +uneventful voyage, she was again off Cape Coast, and Frank, taking +leave of his kind entertainers, returned on shore and reported +himself as ready to perform any duty that might be assigned to him. + +Until the force advanced, he had nothing to do, and spent a good +deal of his time watching the carriers starting with provisions +for the Prah, and the doings of the negroes. + +The order had now been passed by the chiefs at a meeting called by +Sir Garnet, that every able bodied man should work as a carrier, +and while parties of men were sent to the villages round to fetch +in people thence, hunts took place in Cape Coast itself. Every +negro found in the streets was seized by the police; protestation, +indignation, and resistance, were equally in vain. An arm or +the loin cloth was firmly griped, and the victim was run into the +castle yard, amid the laughter of the lookers on, who consisted, +after the first quarter of an hour, of women only. Then the search +began in the houses, the chiefs indicating the localities in which +men were likely to be found. Some police were set to watch outside +while others went in to search. The women would at once deny that +anyone was there, but a door was pretty sure to be found locked, +and upon this being broken open the fugitive would be found hiding +under a pile of clothes or mats. Sometimes he would leap through +the windows, sometimes take to the flat roof, and as the houses +join together in the most confused way the roofs offered immense +facilities for escape, and most lively chases took place. + +No excuses or pretences availed. A man seen limping painfully along +the street would, after a brief examination of his leg to see if +there was any external mark which would account for the lameness, +be sent at a round trot down the road, amid peals of laughter from +the women and girls looking on. + +The indignation of some of the men thus seized, loaded and sent up +country under a strong escort, was very funny, and their astonishment +in some cases altogether unfeigned. Small shopkeepers who had never +supposed that they would be called upon to labor for the defense of +their freedom and country, found themselves with a barrel of pork +upon their heads and a policeman with a loaded musket by their side +proceeding up country for an indefinite period. A school teacher was +missing, and was found to have gone up with a case of ammunition. +Casual visitors from down the coast had their stay prolonged. + +Lazy Sierra Leone men, discharged by their masters for incurable +idleness, and living doing nothing, earning nothing, kept by the +kindness of friends and the aid of an occasional petty theft, found +themselves, in spite of the European cut of their clothes, groaning +under the weight of cases of preserved provisions. + +Everywhere the town was busy and animated, but it was in the castle +courtyard Frank found most amusement. Here of a morning a thousand +negroes would be gathered, most of them men sent down from Dunquah, +forming part of our native allied army. Their costumes were various +but scant, their colors all shades of brown up to the deepest black. +Their faces were all in a grin of amusement. The noise of talking +and laughing was immense. All were squatted upon the ground, in +front of each was a large keg labelled "pork." Among them moved +two or three commissariat officers in gray uniforms. At the order, +"Now then, off with you," the negroes would rise, take off their +cloths, wrap them into pads, lift the barrels on to their heads, +and go off at a brisk pace; the officer perhaps smartening up the +last to leave with a cut with his stick, which would call forth a +scream of laughter from all the others. + +When all the men had gone, the turn of the women came, and of these +two or three hundred, who had been seated chattering and laughing +against the walls, would now come forward and stoop to pick up +the bags of biscuit laid out for them. Their appearance was most +comical when they stooped to their work, their prodigious bustles +forming an apex. At least two out of every three had babies seated on +these bustles, kept firm against their backs by the cloth tightly +wrapped round the mother's body. But from the attitudes of +the mothers the position was now reversed, the little black heads +hanging downwards upon the dark brown backs of the women. These +were always in the highest state of good temper, often indulging +when not at work in a general dance, and continually singing, and +clapping their hands. + +After the women had been got off three or four hundred boys and girls, +of from eleven to fourteen years old, would start with small kegs +of rice or meat weighing from twenty-five to thirty-five pounds. +These small kegs had upon their first arrival been a cause of great +bewilderment and annoyance to the commissariat officers, for no man +or woman, unless by profession a juggler, could balance two long +narrow barrels on the head. At last the happy idea struck an officer +of the department that the children of the place might be utilized +for the purpose. No sooner was it known that boys and girls could +get half men's wages for carrying up light loads, than there was +a perfect rush of the juvenile population. Three hundred applied +the first morning, four hundred the next. The glee of the youngsters +was quite exuberant. All were accustomed to carry weights, such +as great jars of water and baskets of yams, far heavier than those +they were now called to take up the country; and the novel pleasure +of earning money and of enjoying an expedition up the country +delighted them immensely. + +Bullocks were now arriving from other parts of the coast, and although +these would not live for any time at Cape Coast, it was thought +they would do so long enough to afford the expedition a certain +quantity of fresh meat; Australian meat, and salt pork, though +valuable in their way, being poor food to men whose appetites are +enfeebled by heat and exhaustion. + +It was not till upwards of six weeks after the fight at Abra Crampa +that the last of the Ashanti army crossed the Prah. When arriving +within a short distance of that river they had been met by seven +thousand fresh troops, who had been sent by the king with orders +that they were not to return until they had driven the English +into the sea. Ammon Quatia's army, however, although still, from +the many reinforcements it had received, nearly twenty thousand +strong, positively refused to do any more fighting until they had +been home and rested, and their tales of the prowess of the white +troops so checked the enthusiasm of the newcomers, that these +decided to return with the rest. + + + +CHAPTER XXI: THE ADVANCE TO THE PRAH + + +A large body of natives were now kept at work on the road up to the +Prah. The swamps were made passable by bundles of brushwood thrown +into them, the streams were bridged and huts erected for the reception +of the white troops. These huts were constructed of bamboo, the +beds being made of lattice work of the same material, and were +light and cool. + +On the 9th of December the Himalaya and Tamar arrived, having on +board the 23d Regiment, a battalion of the Rifle Brigade, a battery +of artillery, and a company of engineers. On the 18th, the Surmatian +arrived with the 42d. All these ships were sent off for a cruise, +with orders to return on the 1st of January, when the troops were +to be landed. A large number of officers arrived a few days later +to assist in the organization of the transport corps. + +Colonel Wood and Major Russell were by this time on the Prah with +their native regiments. These were formed principally of Houssas, +Cossoos, and men of other fighting Mahomedan tribes who had been +brought down the coast, together with companies from Bonny and some +of the best of the Fantis. The rest of the Fanti forces had been +disbanded, as being utterly useless for fighting purposes, and had +been turned into carriers. + +On the 26th of December Frank started with the General's staff for +the front. The journey to the Prah was a pleasant one. The stations +had been arranged at easy marches from each other. At each of these, +six huts for the troops, each capable of holding seventy men, had +been built, together with some smaller huts for officers. Great +filters formed of iron tanks with sand and charcoal at the bottom, +the invention of Captain Crease, R.M.A., stood before the huts, +with tubs at which the native bearers could quench their thirst. +Along by the side of the road a single telegraph wire was supported +on bamboos fifteen feet long. + +Passing through Assaiboo they entered the thick bush. The giant +cotton trees had now shed their light feathery foliage, resembling +that of an acacia, and the straight, round, even trunks looked like +the skeletons of some giant or primeval vegetation rising above +the sea of foliage below. White lilies, pink flowers of a bulbous +plant, clusters of yellow acacia blossoms, occasionally brightened +the roadside, and some of the old village clearings were covered +with a low bush bearing a yellow blossom, and convolvuli white, +buff, and pink. The second night the party slept at Accroful, and the +next day marched through Dunquah. This was a great store station, +but the white troops were not to halt there. It had been a large +town, but the Ashantis had entirely destroyed it, as well as every +other village between the Prah and the coast. Every fruit tree in +the clearing had also been destroyed, and at Dunquah they had even +cut down a great cotton tree which was looked upon as a fetish by +the Fantis. It had taken them seven days' incessant work to overthrow +this giant of the forest. + +The next halting place was Yancoomassie. When approaching Mansue +the character of the forest changed. The undergrowth disappeared and +the high trees grew thick and close. The plantain, which furnishes +an abundant supply of fruit to the natives and had sustained the +Ashanti army during its stay south of the Prah, before abundant, +extended no further. Mansue stood, like other native villages, on +rising ground, but the heavy rains which still fell every day and +the deep swamps around rendered it a most unhealthy station. + +Beyond Mansue the forest was thick and gloomy. There was little +undergrowth, but a perfect wilderness of climbers clustered round +the trees, twisting in a thousand fantastic windings, and finally +running down to the ground, where they took fresh root and formed +props to the dead tree their embrace had killed. Not a flower was +to be seen, but ferns grew by the roadside in luxuriance. Butterflies +were scarce, but dragonflies darted along like sparks of fire. The +road had the advantage of being shady and cool, but the heavy rain +and traffic had made it everywhere slippery, and in many places +inches deep in mud, while all the efforts of the engineers and +working parties had failed to overcome the swamps. + +It was a relief to the party when they emerged from the forests +into the little clearings where villages had once stood, for the +gloom and quiet of the great forest weighed upon the spirits. The +monotonous too too of the doves--not a slow dreamy cooing like that +of the English variety, but a sharp quick note repeated in endless +succession--alone broke the hush. The silence, the apparently +never ending forest, the monotony of rank vegetation, the absence +of a breath of wind to rustle a leaf, were most oppressive, and +the feeling was not lessened by the dampness and heaviness of the +air, and the malarious exhalation and smell of decaying vegetation +arising from the swamps. + +Sootah was the station beyond Mansue, beyond this Assin and Barracoo. +Beyond Sootah the odors of the forest became much more unpleasant, +for at Fazoo they passed the scene of the conflict between Colonel +Wood's regiment and the retiring Ashantis. In the forest beyond +this were the remains of a great camp of the enemy's, which extended +for miles, and hence to the Prah large numbers of Ashantis had +dropped by the way or had crawled into the forest to die, smitten +by disease or rifle balls. + +There was a general feeling of pleasure as the party emerged from +the forest into the large open camp at Prahsue. This clearing was +twenty acres in extent, and occupied an isthmus formed by a loop +of the river. The 2d West Indians were encamped here, and huts had +been erected under the shade of some lofty trees for the naval brigade. +In the center was a great square. On one side were the range of +huts for the general and his staff. Two sides of the square were +formed by the huts for the white troops. On the fourth was the +hospital, the huts for the brigadier and his staff, and the post +office. Upon the river bank beyond the square were the tents of the +engineers and Rait's battery of artillery, and the camps of Wood's +and Russell's regiments. The river, some seventy yards wide, ran +round three sides of the camp thirty feet below its level. + +The work which the engineers had accomplished was little less than +marvelous. Eighty miles of road had been cut and cleared, every +stream, however insignificant, had been bridged, and attempts made +to corduroy every swamp. This would have been no great feat through +a soft wood forest with the aid of good workmen. Here, however, +the trees were for the most part of extremely hard wood, teak and +mahogany forming the majority. The natives had no idea of using an +axe. Their only notion of felling a tree was to squat down beside +it and give it little hacking chops with a large knife or a sabre. + +With such means and such men as these the mere work of cutting and +making the roads and bridging the streams was enormous. But not only +was this done but the stations were all stockaded, and huts erected +for the reception of four hundred and fifty men and officers, and +immense quantities of stores, at each post. Major Home, commanding +the engineers, was the life and soul of the work, and to him more +than any other man was the expedition indebted for its success. He +was nobly seconded by Buckle, Bell, Mann, Cotton, Skinner, Bates and +Jeykyll, officers of his own corps, and by Hearle of the marines, +and Hare of the 22d, attached to them. Long before daylight his men +were off to their work, long after nightfall they returned utterly +exhausted to camp. + +Upon the 1st of January, 1874, Sir Garnet Wolseley, with his staff, +among whom Frank was now reckoned, reached the Prah. During the +eight days which elapsed before the white troops came up Frank +found much to amuse him. The engineers were at work, aided by the +sailors of the naval brigade, which arrived two days after the +general, in erecting a bridge across the Prah. The sailors worked, +stripped to the waist, in the muddy water of the river, which was +about seven feet deep in the middle. When tired of watching these +he would wander into the camp of the native regiments, and chat +with the men, whose astonishment at finding a young Englishman able +to converse in their language, for the Fanti and Ashanti dialects +differ but little, was unbounded. Sometimes he would be sent for +to headquarters to translate to Captain Buller, the head of the +intelligence department, the statements of prisoners brought in +by the scouts, who, under Lord Gifford, had penetrated many miles +beyond the Prah. + +Everywhere these found dead bodies by the side of the road, showing +the state to which the Ashanti army was reduced in its retreat. The +prisoners brought in were unanimous in saying that great uneasiness +had been produced at Coomassie by the news of the advance of the +British to the Prah. The king had written to Ammon Quatia, severely +blaming him for his conduct of the campaign, and for the great loss +of life among his army. + +All sorts of portents were happening at Coomassie, to the great +disturbance of the mind of the people. Some of those related +singularly resembled those said to have occurred before the capture +of Rome by the Goths. An aerolite had fallen in the marketplace of +Coomassie, and, still more strange, a child was born which was at +once able to converse fluently. This youthful prodigy was placed +in a room by itself, with guards around it to prevent anyone having +converse with the supernatural visitant. In the morning, however, +it was gone, and in its place was found a bundle of dead leaves. +The fetish men having been consulted declared that this signified +that Coomassie itself would disappear, and would become nothing but +a bundle of dead leaves. This had greatly exercised the credulous +there. + +Two days after his arrival Frank went down at sunset to bathe in +the river. He had just reached the bank when he heard a cry among +some white soldiers bathing there, and was just in time to see one +of them pulled under water by an alligator, which had seized him +by the leg. Frank had so often heard what was the best thing to +do that he at once threw off his Norfolk jacket, plunged into the +stream, and swam to the spot where the eddy on the surface showed +that a struggle was going on beneath. The water was too muddy to +see far through it, but Frank speedily came upon the alligator, +and finding its eyes, shoved his thumbs into them. In an instant +the creature relaxed his hold of his prey and made off, and Frank, +seizing the wounded man, swam with him to shore amid the loud +cheers of the sailors. The soldier, who proved to be a marine, +was insensible, and his leg was nearly severed above the ankle. He +soon recovered consciousness, and, being carried to the camp, his +leg was amputated below the knee, and he was soon afterwards taken +down to the coast. + +It had been known that there were alligators in the river, a young +one about a yard long having been captured and tied up like a dog +in the camp, with a string round its neck. But it was thought that +the noise of building the bridge, and the movement on the banks, +would have driven them away. After this incident bathing was for +the most part abandoned. + +The affair made Frank a great favorite in the naval brigade, and +of a night he would, after dinner, generally repair there, and sit +by the great bonfires, which the tars kept up, and listen to the +jovial choruses which they raised around them. + +Two days after the arrival of Sir Garnet, an ambassador came down +from the king with a letter, inquiring indignantly why the English +had attacked the Ashanti troops, and why they had advanced to the +Prah. An opportunity was taken to impress him with the nature of +the English arms. A Gatling gun was placed on the river bank, and +its fire directed upon the surface, and the fountain of water which +rose as the steady stream of bullets struck its surface astonished, +and evidently filled with awe, the Ashanti ambassador. On the +following day this emissary took his departure for Coomassie with +a letter to the king. + +On the 12th the messengers returned with an unsatisfactory answer +to Sir Garnet's letter; they brought with them Mr. Kuhne, one of +the German missionaries. He said that it was reported in Coomassie +that twenty thousand out of the forty thousand Ashantis who had +crossed the Prah had died. It is probable that this was exaggerated, +but Mr. Kuhne had counted two hundred and seventy-six men carrying +boxes containing the bones of chiefs and leading men. As these would +have fared better than the common herd they would have suffered less +from famine and dysentery. The army had for the most part broken +up into small parties and gone to their villages. The wrath of the +king was great, and all the chiefs who accompanied the army had +been fined and otherwise punished. Mr. Kuhne said that when Sir +Garnet's letter arrived, the question of peace or war had been +hotly contested at a council. The chiefs who had been in the late +expedition were unanimous in deprecating any further attempt to +contend with the white man. Those who had remained at home, and who +knew nothing of the white man's arms, or white man's valor, were +for war rather than surrender. + +Mr. Kuhne was unable to form any opinion what the final determination +would be. The German missionary had no doubt been restored as +a sort of peace offering. He was in a bad state of health, and as +his brother and his brother's wife were among the captives, the +Ashanti monarch calculated that anxiety for the fate of his relatives +would induce him to argue as strongly as possible in favor of peace. + +Frank left the camp on the Prah some days before the arrival of +the white troops, having moved forward with the scouts under Lord +Gifford, to whom his knowledge of the country and language proved +very valuable. The scouts did their work well. The Ashantis were +in considerable numbers, but fell back gradually without fighting. +Russell's regiment were in support, and they pressed forward until +they neared the foot of the Adansee Hills. On the 16th Rait's +artillery and Wood's regiment were to advance with two hundred men +of the 2d West Indians. The Naval Brigade, the Rifle Brigade, the +42d, and a hundred men of the 23d would be up on the Prah on the +17th. + +News came down that fresh portents had happened at Coomassie. The +word signifies the town under the tree, the town being so called +because its founder sat under a broad tree, surrounded by his warriors, +while he laid out the plan of the future town. The marketplace was +situated round the tree, which became the great fetish tree of the +town, under which human sacrifices were offered. On the 6th, the +day upon which Sir Garnet sent his ultimatum to the king, a bird +of ill omen was seen to perch upon it, and half an hour afterwards +a tornado sprang up and the fetish tree was levelled to the ground. +This caused an immense sensation in Coomassie, which was heightened +when Sir Garnet's letter arrived, and proved to be dated upon the +day upon which the fetish tree had fallen. + +The Adansee Hills are very steep and covered with trees, but +without undergrowth. It had been supposed that the Ashantis would +make their first stand here. Lord Gifford led the way up with the +scouts, Russell's regiment following behind. Frank accompanied Major +Russell. When Gifford neared the crest a priest came forward with +five or six supporters and shouted to him to go back, for that five +thousand men were waiting there to destroy them. Gifford paused +for a moment to allow Russell with his regiment to come within +supporting distance, and then made a rush with his scouts for the +crest. It was found deserted, the priest and his followers having +fled hastily, when they found that neither curses nor the imaginary +force availed to prevent the British from advancing. + +The Adansee Hills are about six hundred feet high. Between them +and the Prah the country was once thick with towns and villages +inhabited by the Assins. These people, however, were so harassed +by the Ashantis that they were forced to abandon their country and +settle in the British protectorate south of the Prah. + +Had the Adansee Hills been held by European troops the position +would have been extremely strong. A hill if clear of trees is of +immense advantage to men armed with rifles and supported by artillery, +but to men armed only with guns carrying slugs a distance of fifty +yards, the advantage is not marked, especially when, as is the case +with the Ashantis, they always fire high. The crest of the hill +was very narrow, indeed a mere saddle, with some eight or ten yards +only of level ground between the steep descents on either side. From +this point the scouts perceived the first town in the territory of +the King of Adansee, one of the five great kings of Ashanti. The +scouts and Russell's regiment halted on the top of the hill, and +the next morning the scouts went out skirmishing towards Queesa. +The war drum could be heard beating in the town, but no opposition +was offered. It was not, however, considered prudent to push +beyond the foot of the hill until more troops came up. The scouts +therefore contented themselves with keeping guard, while for the +next four days Russell's men and the engineers labored incessantly, +as they had done all the way from the Prah, in making the road over +the hill practicable. + +During this time the scouts often pushed up close to Queesa, and +reported that the soldiers and population were fast deserting the +town. On the fifth day it was found to be totally deserted, and +Major Russell moved the headquarters of his regiment down into it. +The white officers were much surprised with the structure of the +huts of this place, which was exactly similar to that of those +of Coomassie, with their red clay, their alcoved bed places, and +their little courts one behind the other. Major Russell established +himself in the chief's palace, which was exactly like the other +houses except that the alcoves were very lofty, and their roofs +supported by pillars. These, with their red paint, their arabesque +adornments, and their quaint character, gave the courtyard the +precise appearance of an Egyptian temple. + +The question whether the Ashantis would or would not fight was +still eagerly debated. Upon the one hand it was urged that if the +Ashantis had meant to attack us they would have disputed every +foot of the passage through the woods after we had once crossed +the Prah. Had they done so it may be confidently affirmed that we +could never have got to Coomassie. Their policy should have been to +avoid any pitched battle, but to throng the woods on either side, +continually harassing the troops on their march, preventing the men +working on the roads, and rendering it impossible for the carriers +to go along unless protected on either side by lines of troops. Even +when unopposed it was difficult enough to keep the carriers, who +were constantly deserting, but had they been exposed to continuous +attacks there would have been no possibility of keeping them +together. + +It was then a strong argument in favor of peace that we had been +permitted to advance thirty miles into their country without a shot +being fired. Upon the other hand no messengers had been sent down +to meet us, no ambassadors had brought messages from the king. This +silence was ominous; nor were other signs wanting. At one place a +fetish, consisting of a wooden gun and several wooden daggers all +pointing towards us, was placed in the middle of the road. Several +kids had been found buried in calabashes in the path pierced through +and through with stakes; while a short distance outside Queesa the +dead body of a slave killed and mutilated but a few hours before +we entered it was hanging from a tree. Other fetishes of a more +common sort were to be met at every step, lines of worsted and +cotton stretched across the road, rags hung upon bushes, and other +negro trumperies of the same kind. + +Five days later the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment and Rait's +battery, marched into Queesa, and the same afternoon the whole +marched forward to Fomana, the capital of Adansee, situated half a +mile only from Queesa. This was a large town capable of containing some +seven or eight thousand inhabitants. The architecture was similar +to that of Queesa, but the king's palace was a large structure +covering a considerable extent of ground. Here were the apartments +of the king himself, of his wives, the fetish room, and the room +for execution, still smelling horribly of the blood with which +the floor and walls were sprinkled. The first and largest court of +the palace had really an imposing effect. It was some thirty feet +square with an apartment or alcove on each side. The roofs of these +alcoves were supported by columns about twenty-five feet high. As +in all the buildings the lower parts were of red clay, the upper +of white, all being covered with deep arabesque patterns. + +Fomana was one of the most pleasant stations which the troops had +reached since leaving the coast. It lay high above the sea, and +the temperature was considerably lower than that of the stations +south of the hills. A nice breeze sprung up each day about noon. +The nights were comparatively free from fog, and the town itself +stood upon rising ground resembling in form an inverted saucer. The +streets were very wide, with large trees at intervals every twenty +or thirty yards along the middle of the road. + + + +CHAPTER XXII: THE BATTLE OF AMOAFUL + + +Two days after the arrival at Fomana the remaining members of the +German mission, two males, a female, and two children, were sent in +by the king with a letter containing many assurances of his desire +for peace, but making no mention of the stipulations which Sir +Garnet Wolseley had laid down. The advance was therefore to continue. +The rest of the troops came up, and on the 25th Russell's regiment +advanced to Dompiassee, Wood's regiment and Rait's battery joining +him the next day. That afternoon the first blood north of the Prah +was shed. It being known that a body of the enemy were collecting +at a village a little off the road the force moved against them. +Lord Gifford led the way, as usual, with his scouts. The enemy +opened fire as soon as the scouts appeared; but these, with the +Houssa company of Russell's regiment, rushed impetuously into the +village, and the Ashantis at once bolted. Two of them were killed +and five taken prisoners. + +The next halting places of the advance troops were Kiang Bossu +and Ditchiassie. It was known now that Ammon Quatia was lying with +the Ashanti army at Amoaful, but five miles away, and ambassadors +arrived from the king finally declining to accept the terms of +peace. Russell's and Wood's regiments marched forward to Quarman, +within half a mile of the enemy's outposts. The white troops came +on to Insafoo, three miles behind. Quarman was stockaded to resist +an attack. Gordon with the Houssa company lay a quarter of a mile +in advance of the village, Gifford with his scouts close to the +edge of the wood. Major Home with the engineers cut a wide path for +the advance of the troops to within a hundred yards of the village +which the enemy held. + +Every one knew that the great battle of the war would be fought +next morning. About half past seven on the morning of the 81st of +January the 42d Regiment entered the village of Quarman, and marched +through without a halt. Then came Rait's artillery, followed by the +company of the 23d and by the Naval Brigade. The plan of operations +was as follows. The 42d Regiment would form the main attacking +force. They were to drive the enemy's scouts out of Agamassie, +the village in front, and were then to move straight on, extending +to the right and left, and, if possible, advance in a skirmishing +line through the bush. Rait's two little guns were to be in their +center moving upon the road itself. The right column, consisting +of half the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment, now reduced by +leaving garrisons at various posts along the road to three companies, +was to cut a path out to the right and then to turn parallel with +the main road, so that the head of the column should touch the right +of the skirmishing line of the 42d. The left column, consisting +of the other half of the Naval Brigade with the four companies of +Russell's regiment, was to proceed in similar fashion on the left. +These columns would therefore form two sides of a hollow square, +protecting the 42d from any of those flanking movements of which +the Ashantis are so fond. The company of the 23d was to proceed +with the headquarter staff. The Rifle Brigade were held in reserve. + +Early in the morning Major Home cut the road to within thirty yards +of the village of Agamassie, and ascertained by listening to the +voices that there were not more than a score or so of men in the +village. Gifford had made a circuit in the woods, and had ascertained +that the Ashanti army was encamped on rising ground across a stream +behind the village. + +Frank had been requested by Sir Garnet Wolseley to accompany the +42d, as his knowledge of Ashanti tactics might be of value, and +he might be able by the shouts of the Ashantis to understand the +orders issued to them. The head of the 42d Regiment experienced no +opposition whatever until they issued from the bush into the little +clearing surrounding the village, which consisted only of four or +five houses. The Ashantis discharged their muskets hastily as the +first white men showed themselves, but the fire of the leading +files of the column quickly cleared them away. The 42d pushed on +through the village, and then forming in skirmishing line, advanced. +For the first two or three hundred yards they encountered no serious +opposition, and they were then received by a tremendous fire from +an unseen foe in front. The left column had not gone a hundred yards +before they too came under fire. Captain Buckle of the Engineers, +who was with the Engineer laborers occupied in cutting the path +ahead of the advancing column, was shot through the heart. A similar +opposition was experienced by the right. + +The roar of the fire was tremendous, so heavy indeed that all +sound of individual reports was lost, and the noise was one hoarse +hissing roar. Even the crack of Rait's guns was lost in the general +uproar, but the occasional rush of a rocket, of which two troughs +with parties of Rait's men accompanied each wing, was distinctly +audible. + +The 42d could for a time make scarcely any way, and the flanking +columns were also brought to a stand. Owing to the extreme thickness +of the wood and their ignorance of the nature of the ground these +columns were unable to keep in their proper position, and diverged +considerably. The Ashantis, however, made no effort to penetrate between +them and the 42d. For an hour this state of things continued. The +company of the 23d advanced along the main road to help to clear +the bush, where the Ashantis still fought stubbornly not two hundred +yards from the village, while two companies of the Rifle Brigade +were sent up the left hand road to keep touch with the rear of +Russell's regiment. + +When the fight commenced in earnest, and the 42d were brought to +a stand by the enemy, Frank lay down with the soldiers. Not a foe +could be seen, but the fire of the enemy broke out incessantly from +the bushes some twenty yards ahead. The air above was literally +alive with slugs and a perfect shower of leaves continued to fall +upon the path. So bewilderingly dense was the bush that the men +soon lost all idea of the points of the compass, and fired in any +direction from which the enemy's shots came. Thus it happened that +the sailors sent in complaints to the general that the 23d and 42d +were firing at them, while the 42d and 23d made the same complaint +against the Naval Brigade. Sir Garnet, who had taken up his +headquarters at the village, sent out repeated instructions to the +commanding officers to warn their men to avoid this error. + +For two hours the fight went on. Then the column to the left found +that the Ashantis in front of them had fallen back; they had, +however, altogether lost touch of the 42d. They were accordingly +ordered to cut a road to the northeast until they came in contact +with them. In doing so they came upon a partial clearing, where +a sharp opposition was experienced. The Houssas carried the open +ground at a rush, but the enemy, as usual, opened a heavy fire +from the edge of the bush. The Houssas were recalled, and fire was +opened with the rockets, which soon drove the Ashantis back, and +the cutting of the path was proceeded with. + +In the meantime the 42d was having a hard time of it. They had +fought their way to the edge of the swamp, beyond which lay an +immense Ashanti camp, and here the fire was so tremendously heavy +that the advance was again completely arrested. Not an enemy was to +be seen, but from every bush of the opposite side puffs of smoke +came thick and fast, and a perfect rain of slugs swept over the +ground on which they were lying. Here Rait's gun, for he was only +able from the narrowness of the path to bring one into position, +did splendid service. Advancing boldly in front of the line of the +42d, ably assisted by Lieutenant Saunders, he poured round after +round of grape into the enemy until their fire slackened a little, +and the 42d, leaping to their feet, struggled across the swamp, +which was over knee deep. Step by step they won their way through +the camp and up the hill. Everywhere the dead Ashantis lay in +heaps, attesting the terrible effect of the Snider fire and the +determination with which they had fought. + +Beyond the camp, upon the hills the bush was thicker than ever, and +here, where it was impossible for the white soldiers to skirmish +through the bush, the Ashantis made a last desperate stand. The +narrow lane up which alone the troops could pass was torn as if +by hail with the shower of slugs, while a large tree which stood +nearly in the center of the path and caused it slightly to swerve, +afforded some shelter to them from the storm of bullets which the +42d sent back in return. Here Rait brought his gun up again to +the front and cleared the lane. The bush was too thick even for +the Ashantis. The gun stopped firing and with a rush the regiment +went up the narrow path and out into the open clearing beyond. For +a short time the Ashantis kept up a fire from the houses, but the +42d soon drove them out, and a single shot from the gun down the +wide street which divided the town into two portions, bursting in +the midst of a group at the further end, killed eight and drove +all further idea of resistance in that direction from their minds. + +It was now about twelve o'clock; but although the Ashantis had +lost their camp and village, and had suffered terribly, they were +not yet finally beaten. They had moved the principal part of the +forces which had been engaged upon our left round to the right, were +pressing hard upon the column there and the 23d, and were cutting +in between the latter and the 42d, when a fortunate accident enabled +us to meet this attack more effectively. The left column had cut +its path rather too much to the east, and came into the road between +the 42d and 23d, forming a connecting link between them; while the +right column, having at last cut away the whole of the brush wood +in which the Ashantis had so long wedged themselves between them +and the road, were now in direct communication with the 23d. They +had been reinforced by a company of the Rifle Brigade. Our front, +therefore, was now entirely changed, and faced east instead of +north. The Ashantis in vain tried to break the line, but desisted +from their efforts. + +The firing died away, and it was thought that the battle was over, +when at about a quarter to one a tremendous fire broke out from the +rear of the column, showing that the Ashantis were making a last +and desperate effort to turn our flank, and to retake the village +from which we had driven them at eight in the morning. So near +was the rear of the column to the village that the slugs fell fast +into the reserve who were stationed there. Three companies of the +Rifles were sent up to strengthen the line, and for three quarters +of an hour the roar of the musketry was as heavy and continuous +as it had been at any time during the day. Then, as the enemy's +fire slackened, Sir Garnet gave the word for the line to advance, +sweeping round from the rear so as to drive the enemy northwards +before them. + +The movement was admirably executed. The Bonny men of Wood's +regiment, who had fought silently and steadily all the time that +they had been on the defensive, now raised their shrill war cry, +and slinging their rifles and drawing their swords--their favorite +weapons--dashed forward like so many panthers let loose. By their +side, skirmishing as quietly and steadily as if on parade, the men +of the Rifle Brigade searched every bush with their bullets, and +in five minutes from the commencement of the advance the Ashantis +were in full and final retreat. The battle ended at about half past +one, having lasted five hours and a half. + +The Ashantis were supposed to have had from fifteen to twenty +thousand men in the field. What their loss was could not accurately +be calculated, as they carry off their dead as fast as they fall; +but where rushes were made by our troops, as they had not time +to do this, they lay everywhere thick on the ground. By the most +moderate computation they must have lost over two thousand. Ammon +Quatia himself was killed, as well as Aboo, one of the six great +tributary kings. The body of the king's chief executioner was also +pointed out by some of the prisoners. They fought with extraordinary +pluck and resolution, as was shown by the fact that although wretchedly +armed, for upwards of five hours they resisted the attack of troops +armed with breech loaders, and supported by guns and rockets. Their +position was a good one, and they had, no doubt, calculated upon +coming down upon us from the rising ground, either on the flank or +rear, with advantage, should we succeed in pushing forward. + +Upon our side the loss in killed was very slight, not exceeding +eight or ten. The 42d out of a total of four hundred and fifty had +a hundred and four wounded, of whom eight were officers. In the +right hand column, Colonel Wood, six naval officers, and twenty men +of the Naval Brigade, with many of the native regiment, were wounded. +Of the sixty engineer laborers twenty were wounded; while of their +five officers Captain Buckle was killed, Major Home and Lieutenant +Hare wounded, together with several of their white soldiers. Altogether +our casualties exceeded two hundred and fifty. Fortunately but a +small proportion of the wounds were serious. + +While the battle was raging at one o'clock Quarman was attacked by +a strong body of Ashantis coming from the west, probably forming +part of Essarman Quatia's force. Captain Burnett, who was in command, +having under him Lieutenant Jones of the 2d West Indian regiment, +and thirty-five men of that corps and a few natives, conducted the +defense, and was well seconded by his men. Although the attacking +force was very greatly superior, and took the little garrison by +surprise--for they did not expect, while a great battle was raging +within a distance of a mile, that the Ashantis would be able to +spare a force to attack a detached party--the garrison defended +itself with great gallantry and complete success, not only beating +off the enemy whenever they attacked, but sallying out and assisting +to bring in a convoy of stores which was close at hand when the +attack began. + +Amoaful was a town capable of containing two or three thousand +inhabitants. Great quantities of grain and coarse flour were found +here. These were done up in bundles of dried plantain leaves, +each bundle weighing from five to fifteen pounds. This capture was +of great service to the commissariat, as it afforded an abundant +supply of excellent food for the carriers. The troops were in high +spirits that night. They had won a battle fought under extreme +difficulty, and that with a minimum of loss in killed. There were +therefore no sad recollections to damp the pleasure of victory. + +Frank had been twice struck with slugs, but in neither case had +these penetrated deeply, and he was able to sit round the camp fire +and to enjoy his glass of rum and water. Two kegs of rum were the +only stores which that night came up from the rear, thanks to the +consideration of a commissariat officer, to whom the soldiers felt +extremely grateful for providing them with an invigorating drink +after their long and fatiguing labors of the day. + +At about a mile and a quarter from Amoaful lay the town of Bequah, +the capital of one of the most powerful of the Ashanti kings. Here +a considerable force was known to be collected before the battle, +and here many of the fugitives were believed to have rallied. It +would have been impossible to advance and leave this hostile camp +so close to a station in our rear. Lord Gifford was therefore sent +out at daybreak to reconnoiter it. He approached it closely, when +twenty men sprang out from the bush and fired at him, fortunately +without hitting him. When he returned and made his report the +general determined to attack and burn the place, and orders were +issued for a column, consisting of Russell's regiment, Rait's +battery, and the Naval Brigade, supported by the 42d and commanded +by Colonel M'Leod, to start at one o'clock. + +The march was not opposed through the bush, but as the scouts entered +the clearing a heavy fire was opened upon them. Lord Gifford and +almost the whole of his party were more or less severely wounded +when the sailors rushed in to their support. For a short time the +enemy kept up a heavy fire from the houses, and then fled, leaving +about forty of their number dead on the ground. The town, which was +about twice the size of Fomana, was burned, and the column returned +to the camp. + +A great portion of the town was destroyed and the place stockaded, +and then all was in readiness for the advance upon Coomassie. Amoaful +was to be left in charge of the 2d West Indians, who had now come +up. Each man received four days' rations and each regiment was to +take charge of its own provision and baggage. The advance started +at seven in the morning, Russell's regiment, Rait's battery, and +the Rifle Brigade. Then came the headquarter staff followed by the +42d and Naval Brigade. The hammocks and rations went on with the +troops. The rest of the baggage remained behind. The road differed +in nothing from that which had so long been followed. It bore +everywhere marks of the retreating enemy, in provisions and other +articles scattered about, in occasional dark stains, and in its +plants and grass trampled into the ground, six feet in breadth, +showing that the usual negro way of walking in single file had +been abandoned. The rate of progression was slow, as the country +had to be thoroughly searched by the advance. There were, too, many +streams to be crossed, each causing a delay. + +At one of the villages there was a large camp, where about a thousand +men were assembled to make a stand. The defense was, however, +feeble in the extreme, and it was evident that they were greatly +demoralized by their defeat on the 1st. Russell's regiment carried +the place at a rush, the enemy firing wildly altogether beyond +the range of their weapons. Several were killed and the rest took +precipitately to the bush. A few shots were fired at other places, but +no real resistance took place. On reaching the village of Agamemmu, +after having taken six hours in getting over as many miles, the +column halted, and orders were sent for the baggage to come on +from Amoaful. The troops were set to work to cut the bush round the +village, which was a very small one, and a breastwork was thrown +up round it. The troops were in their little tentes d'abri packed +as closely together as possible outside the houses, but within the +stockade. The carriers slept in the street of the village, where +so thickly did they lie that it was impossible for anyone to make +his way along without treading upon them. + +News came in that night that Captain Butler with the Western Akims +had arrived within two days' march of Amoaful, but that without +the slightest reason the king and the whole of his army had left +Captain Butler and retired suddenly to the Prah. At the same time +they heard that the army of the Wassaws under Captain Dalrymple +had also broken up without having come in contact with the enemy. +From the rear also unpleasant news came up. The attack upon Quarman +had been no isolated event. Fomana had also been attacked, but the +garrison there had, after some hours' fighting, repulsed the enemy. +Several convoys had been assaulted, and the whole road down to the +Prah was unsafe. The next morning, after waiting till a large convoy +came safely in, the column marched at nine o'clock, Gifford's scouts, +Russell's regiment, and Rait's battery being as usual in front. The +resistance increased with every step, and the head of the column +was constantly engaged. Several villages were taken by Russell's +regiment, who, full of confidence in themselves and their officers, +carried them with a rush in capital style. It was but six miles +to the Dab, but the ground was swampy and the road intersected by +many streams. Consequently it was not until after being eight hours +on the road that the head of the column reached the river, three +hours later before the whole of the troops and their baggage were +encamped there. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII: THE CAPTURE OF COOMASSIE + + +Upon the afternoon of the arrival of the English column upon the +Dah the king made another attempt to arrest their progress, with a +view no doubt of bringing up fresh reinforcements. A flag of truce +came in with a letter to the effect that our rapid advance had much +disconcerted him, which was no doubt true, and that he had not been +able to make arrangements for the payments claimed; that he would +send in hostages, but that most of those whom the general had +asked for were away, and that he could not agree to give the queen +mother or the heir apparent. These were, of course, the principal +hostages, indeed the only ones who would be of any real value. +The answer was accordingly sent back, that unless these personages +arrived before daybreak the next morning we should force our way +into Coomassie. + +The Dah is a river about fifteen yards wide and three feet deep at +the deepest place. The Engineers set to work to bridge it directly +they arrived, Russell's regiment at once crossing the river and +bivouacking on the opposite bank. + +It was unfortunate that this, the first night upon which the troops +had been unprovided with tents, should have turned out tremendously +wet. The thunder roared, the lightning flashed, and the rain came +down incessantly. Tired as the troops were there were few who slept, +and there was a general feeling of satisfaction when the morning +broke and the last day of the march began. + +The rain held up a little before daybreak, and the sky was clear +when at six o'clock Wood's Bonny men, who had come up by a forced +march the evening before, led the advance. Lieutenant Saunders with +one of Rait's guns came next. The Rifles followed in support. + +Before the Bonny men had gone half a mile they were hotly engaged, +and the combat was for two hours a repetition of that of Amoaful. +Saunders advanced again and again to the front with his gun, and +with a few rounds of grape cleared the sides of the path of the +enemy. At last, however, the Bonny men would advance no farther, +and Lieutenant Byre, the adjutant of Wood's regiment, was mortally +wounded. + +Lieutenant Saunders sent back to say it was impossible for him to +get on farther unless supported by white troops. The Rifles were +then sent forward to take the Bonny men's place, and slowly, very +slowly, the advance was continued until the clearing round a village +could be seen fifty yards away. Then the Rifles gave a cheer and +with a sudden rush swept through to the open and carried the village +without a check. In the meantime the whole column had been following +in the rear as the Rifles advanced, and were hotly engaged in +repelling a series of flank attacks on the part of the enemy. These +attacks were gallantly persevered in by the Ashantis, who at times +approached in such masses that the whole bush swayed and moved as +they pushed forward. + +Their loss must have been extremely large, for our men lined the +road and kept up a tremendous Snider fire upon them at a short +distance. Our casualties were slight. The road, like almost all +roads in the country, was sunk two feet in the center below the +level of the surrounding ground, consequently the men were lying in +shelter as behind a breastwork, while they kept up their tremendous +fire upon the foe. + +The village once gained, the leading troops were thrown out in a +circle round it, and the order was given to pass the baggage from +the rear to the village. The operation was carried out in safety, +the path being protected by the troops lying in a line along +it. The baggage once in, the troops closed up to the village, the +disappointed foe continuing a series of desperate attacks upon +their rear. These assaults were kept up even after all had reached +the cleared space of the village, the enemy's war horn sounding +and the men making the woods re-echo with their wild war cry. The +Naval Brigade at one time inflicted great slaughter upon the enemy +by remaining perfectly quiet until the Ashantis, thinking they had +retired, advanced full of confidence, cheering, when a tremendous +fire almost swept them away. + +It was six hours from the time at which the advance began before +the rear guard entered the village, and as but a mile and a half +had been traversed and Coomassie was still six miles away, it +was evident that if the Ashantis continued to fight with the same +desperation, and if the baggage had to be carried on step by step +from village to village, the force would not get halfway on to +Coomassie by nightfall. + +The instant the baggage was all in, preparations were made for a +fresh advance. Rait's guns, as usual, opened to clear the way, and +the 42d this time led the advance. The enemy's fire was very heavy +and the Highlanders at first advanced but slowly, their wounded +straggling back in quick succession into the village. After twenty +minutes' work, however, they had pushed back the enemy beyond the +brow of the hill, and from this point they advanced with great +rapidity, dashing forward at times at the double, until the foe, +scared by the sudden onslaught, gave way altogether and literally +fled at the top of their speed. + +War drums and horns, chiefs' stools and umbrellas, littered the next +village and told how sudden and complete had been the stampede. As +the 42d advanced troops were from time to time sent forward until +a despatch came in from Sir A. Alison saying that all the villages +save the last were taken, that opposition had ceased, and that the +enemy were in complete rout. Up to this time the attack of the enemy +upon the rear of the village had continued with unabated vigor, and +shot and slug continually fell in the place itself. The news from +the front was soon known and was hailed with a cheer which went +right round the line of defense, and, whether scared by its note +of triumph or because they too had received the news, the efforts +of the enemy ceased at once, and scarcely another shot was fired. + +At half past three the baggage was sent forward and the headquarter staff +and Rifle Brigade followed it. There was no further check. The 42d +and several companies of the Rifle Brigade entered Coomassie without +another shot being fired in its defense. Sir Garnet Wolseley soon +after arrived, and taking off his hat called for three cheers for +the Queen, which was responded to with a heartiness and vigor which +must have astonished the Ashantis. These were still in considerable +numbers in the town, having been told by the king that peace +was or would be made. They seemed in no way alarmed, but watched, +as amused and interested spectators, the proceedings of the white +troops. + +The first thing to be done was to disarm those who had guns, and +this seemed to scare the others, for in a short time the town was +almost entirely deserted. It was now fast getting dark, and the +troops bivouacked in the marketplace, which had so often been the +scene of human sacrifices on a large scale. + +Their day's work had, indeed, been a heavy one. They had been +twelve hours on the road without rest or time to cook food. Water +was very scarce, no really drinkable water having been met with during +the day. In addition to this they had undergone the excitement of +a long and obstinate fight with an enemy concealed in the bush, +after work of almost equal severity upon the day before, and had +passed a sleepless night in a tropical rainstorm, yet with the +exception of a few fever stricken men not a single soldier fell +out from his place in the ranks. + +Nor was the first night in Coomassie destined to be a quiet one. +Soon after two o'clock a fire broke out in one of the largest of +the collections of huts, which was soon in a blaze from end to end. +The engineers pulled down the huts on either side and with great +difficulty prevented the flames from spreading. These fires were the +result of carriers and others plundering, and one man, a policeman, +caught with loot upon him, was forthwith hung from a tree. Several +others were flogged, and after some hours' excitement the place +quieted down. Sir Garnet was greatly vexed at the occurrence, as +he had the evening before sent a messenger to the king asking him +to come in and make peace, and promising to spare the town if he +did so. + +Although Coomassie was well known to Frank he was still ignorant of +the character of the interior of the chiefs' houses, and the next +day he wandered about with almost as much curiosity as the soldiers +themselves. The interiors even of the palaces of the chiefs showed +that the Ashantis can have no idea of what we call comfort. The +houses were filled with dust and litter, and this could not be +accounted for solely by the bustle and hurry of picking out the things +worth carrying away prior to the hurried evacuation of the place. +From the roofs hung masses of spiders' web, thick with dust, while +sweeping a place out before occupying it brought down an accumulation +of dust which must have been the result of years of neglect. The +principal apartments were lumbered up with drums, great umbrellas, +and other paraphernalia of processions, such as horns, state chairs, +wooden maces, etc. Before the door of each house stood a tree, at +the foot of which were placed little idols, calabashes, bits of +china, bones, and an extraordinary jumble of strange odds and ends +of every kind, all of which were looked upon as fetish. Over the +doors and alcoves were suspended a variety of charms, old stone axes +and arrow tips, nuts, gourds, amulets, beads, and other trumpery +articles. + +The palace was in all respects exactly as the king had left it. The +royal bed and couch were in their places, the royal chairs occupied +their usual raised position. Only, curiously enough, all had been +turned round and over. The storerooms upstairs were untouched, and +here was found an infinite variety of articles, for the most part +mere rubbish, but many interesting and valuable: silver plate, +gold masks, gold cups, clocks, glass, china, pillows, guns, cloth, +caskets, and cabinets; an olla podrida, which resembled the contents +of a sale room. + +In many of the native apartments of the palace were signs that human +sacrifice had been carried on to the last minute. Several stools +were found covered with thick coatings of recently shed blood, and +a horrible smell of gore pervaded the whole palace, and, indeed, the +whole town. The palace was full of fetish objects just as trumpery +and meaningless as those in the humblest cottages. The king's private +sitting room was, like the rest, an open court with a tree growing +in it. This tree was covered with fetish objects, and thickly hung +with spiders' webs. At each end was a small but deep alcove with +a royal chair, so that the monarch could always sit on the shady +side. + +Along each side of the little court ran a sort of verandah, beneath +which was an immense assortment of little idols and fetishes of +all kinds. + +From one of the verandahs a door opened into the king's bedroom, +which was about ten feet by eight. It was very dark, being lighted +only by a small window about a foot square, opening into the women's +apartments. At one end was the royal couch, a raised bedstead with +curtains, and upon a ledge by the near side (that is to say the +king had to step over the ledge to get into bed) were a number of +pistols and other weapons, among them an English general's sword, +bearing the inscription, "From Queen Victoria to the King of Ashanti." +This sword was presented to the predecessor of King Coffee. Upon +the floor at the end opposite the bed was a couch upon which the +king could sit and talk with his wives through the little window. + +In the women's apartments all sorts of stuffs, some of European, +some of native manufacture, were found scattered about in the +wildest confusion. The terror and horror of the four or five hundred +ladies, when they found that their husband was about to abandon his +palace and that they would have no time to remove their treasured +finery, can be well imagined. + +In almost every apartment and yard of the palace were very slightly +raised mounds, some no larger than a plate, others two or even three +feet long. These were whitewashed and presented a strong contrast +to the general red of the ground and lower walls. These patches +marked the places of graves. The whole palace, in fact, appeared +to be little better than a cemetery and a slaughterhouse in one. +A guard was placed over the palace, and here, as elsewhere through +the town, looting was strictly forbidden. + +All day the general expected the arrival of the king, who had sent +a messenger to say he would be in early. At two o'clock a tremendous +rainstorm broke over the town, lasting for three hours. In the evening +it became evident that he was again deceiving us, and orders were +issued that the troops, in the morning, should push on another three +miles to the tombs of the kings, where he was said to be staying. +Later on, however, the news came that the king had gone right away +into the interior, and as another storm was coming up it became +evident that the rainy season was setting in in earnest. The +determination was therefore come to, to burn the town and to start +for the coast next morning. + +All night Major Home with a party of Engineers was at work mining +the palace and preparing it for explosion, while a prize committee were +engaged in selecting and packing everything which they considered +worth taking down to the coast. The news of the change of plan, +however, had not got abroad, and the troops paraded next morning +under the belief that they were about to march still farther up the +country. When it became known that they were bound for the coast +there was a general brightening of faces, and a buzz of satisfaction +ran down the ranks. It was true that it was believed that a large +amount of treasure was collected at the kings' tombs, and the prize +money would not have been unwelcome, still the men felt that their +powers were rapidly becoming exhausted. The hope of a fight with +the foe and of the capture of Coomassie had kept them up upon the +march, but now that this had been done the usual collapse after +great exertion followed. Every hour added to the number of fever +stricken men who would have to be carried down to the coast, and +each man, as he saw his comrades fall out from the ranks, felt that +his own turn might come next. + +At six o'clock in the morning the advanced guard of the baggage +began to move out of the town. The main body was off by seven. The +42d remained as rearguard to cover the Engineers and burning party. + +Frank stayed behind to see the destruction of the town. A hundred +engineer laborers were supplied with palm leaf torches, and in +spite of the outer coats of thatch being saturated by the tremendous +rains, the flames soon spread. Volumes of black smoke poured up, and +soon a huge pile of smoke resting over the town told the Ashantis +of the destruction of their blood stained capital. The palace was +blown up, and when the Engineers and 42d marched out from the town +scarce a house remained untouched by the flames. + +The troops had proceeded but a short distance before they had reason +to congratulate themselves on their retreat before the rains began +in earnest, and to rejoice over the fact that the thunderstorms did +not set in three days earlier than they did. The marsh round the +town had increased a foot in depth, while the next stream, before +a rivulet two feet and a half deep, had now swollen its banks for +a hundred and fifty yards on either side, with over five feet and +a half of water in the old channel. + +Across this channel the Engineers had with much difficulty thrown +a tree, over which the white troops passed, while the native carriers +had to wade across. It was laughable to see only the eyes of the +taller men above the water, while the shorter disappeared altogether, +nothing being seen but the boxes they carried. Fortunately the +deep part was only three or four yards wide. Thus the carriers by +taking a long breath on arriving at the edge of the original channel +were able to struggle across. + +This caused a terrible delay, and a still greater one occurred at +the Dah. Here the water was more than two feet above the bridge +which the Engineers had made on the passage up. The river was as +deep as the previous one had been, and the carriers therefore waded +as before; but the deep part was wider, so wide, indeed, that it +was impossible for the shorter men to keep under water long enough +to carry their burdens across. The tall men therefore crossed and +recrossed with the burdens, the short men swimming over. + +The passage across the bridge too was slow and tedious in the extreme. +Some of the cross planks had been swept away, and each man had to +feel every step of his way over. So tedious was the work that at +five in the afternoon it became evident that it would be impossible +for all the white troops to get across--a process at once slow +and dangerous--before nightfall. The river was still rising, and +it was a matter of importance that none should be left upon the +other side at night, as the Ashantis might, for anything they could +tell, be gathering in force in the rear. Consequently Sir Archibald +Alison gave the order for the white troops to strip and to wade +across taking only their helmets and guns. The clothes were made +up in bundles and carried over by natives swimming, while others +took their places below in case any of the men should be carried +off their feet by the stream. All passed over without any accident. + +One result, however, was a laughable incident next morning, an +incident which, it may be safely asserted, never before occurred in +the British army. It was quite dark before the last party were over, +and the natives collecting the clothes did not notice those of one +of the men who had undressed at the foot of a tree. Consequently he +had to pass the night, a very wet one, in a blanket, and absolutely +paraded with his regiment in the morning in nothing but a helmet and +rifle. The incident caused immense laughter, and a native swimming +across the river found and brought back his clothes. + +As the journeys were necessarily slow and tedious, owing to the +quantity of baggage and sick being carried down, Frank now determined +to push straight down to the coast, and, bidding goodbye to Sir +Garnet and the many friends he had made during the expedition, he +took his place for the first time in the hammock, which with its +bearers had accompanied him from Cape Coast, and started for the +sea. There was some risk as far as the Prah, for straggling bodies +of the enemy frequently intercepted the convoys. Frank, however, +met with no obstacle, and in ten days after leaving the army reached +Cape Coast. + +Ostik implored his master to take him with him across the sea; but +Frank pointed out to him that he would not be happy long in England, +where the customs were so different from his own, and where in winter +he would feel the cold terribly. Ostik yielded to the arguments, +and having earned enough to purchase for years the small comforts +and luxuries dear to the negro heart, he agreed to start for the +Gaboon immediately Frank left for England. + +On his first arrival at Cape Coast he had to his great satisfaction +found that the Houssas who had escaped from Coomassie had succeeded +in reaching the coast in safety, and that having obtained their +pay from the agent they had sailed for their homes. + +Three days after Frank's arrival at Cape Coast the mail steamer +came along, and he took passage for England. Very strange indeed +did it feel to him when he set foot in Liverpool. Nearly two years +and a half had elapsed since he had sailed, and he had gone through +adventures sufficient for a lifetime. He was but eighteen years +old now, but he had been so long accustomed to do man's work that +he felt far older than he was. The next day on arriving in town he +put up at the Charing Cross Hotel and then sallied out to see his +friends. + +He determined to go first of all to visit the porter who had been +the earliest friend he had made in London, and then to drive to +Ruthven's, where he was sure of a hearty welcome. He had written +several times, since it had been possible for him to send letters, +to his various friends, first of all to his sister, and the doctor, +to Ruthven, to the porter, and to the old naturalist. He drove to +London Bridge Station, and there learned that the porter had been +for a week absent from duty, having strained his back in lifting a +heavy trunk. He therefore drove to Ratcliff Highway. The shop was +closed, but his knock brought the naturalist to the door. + +"What can I do for you, sir?" he asked civilly. + +"Well, in the first place, you can shake me by the hand." + +The old man started at the voice. + +"Why, 'tis Frank!" he exclaimed, "grown and sunburnt out of all +recollection. My dear boy, I am glad indeed to see you. Come in, +come in; John is inside." + +Frank received another hearty greeting, and sat for a couple of +hours chatting over his adventures. He found that had he arrived +a fortnight later he would not have found either of his friends. +The porter was in a week about to be married again to a widow who +kept a small shop and was in comfortable circumstances. The naturalist +had sold the business, and was going down into the country to live +with a sister there. + +After leaving them Frank drove to the residence of Sir James Ruthven +in Eaton Square. Frank sent in his name and was shown up to the +drawing room. A minute later the door opened with a crash and his +old schoolfellow rushed in. + +"My dear, dear, old boy," he said wringing Frank's hand, "I am +glad to see you; but, bless me, how you have changed! How thin you +are, and how black! I should have passed you in the street without +knowing you; and you look years older than I do. But that is no +wonder after all you've gone through. Well, when did you arrive, +and where are your things? Why have you not brought them here?" + +Frank said that he had left them at the hotel, as he was going down +early the next morning to Deal. He stayed, however, and dined with +his friend, whose father received him with the greatest cordiality +and kindness. + +On leaving the hotel next morning he directed his portmanteau to +be sent in the course of the day to Sir James Ruthven's. He had +bought a few things at Cape Coast, and had obtained a couple of +suits of clothes for immediate use at Liverpool. + +On arriving at Deal he found his sister much grown and very well +and happy. She was almost out of her mind with delight at seeing +him. He stayed two or three days with her and then returned to town +and took up his abode in Eaton Square. + +"Well, my dear boy, what are you thinking of doing?" Sir James +Ruthven asked next morning at breakfast. "You have had almost enough +of travel, I should think." + +"Quite enough, sir," Frank said. "I have made up my mind that +I shall be a doctor. The gold necklace which I showed you, which +Ammon Quatia gave me, weighs over twenty pounds, and as it is of +the purest gold it is worth about a thousand pounds, a sum amply +sufficient to keep me and pay my expenses till I have passed. +Besides, Mr. Goodenough has, I believe, left me something in his +will. I sent home one copy to his lawyer and have brought the other +with me. I must call on the firm this morning. I have also some +thirty pounds' weight in gold which was paid me by the king for +the goods he took, but this, of course, belongs to Mr. Goodenough's +estate." + +Upon calling upon the firm of lawyers, and sending in his name, he +was at once shown in to the principal. + +"I congratulate you on your safe return, sir," the gentleman said. +"You have called, of course, in reference to the will of the late +Mr. Goodenough." + +"Yes," Frank replied. "I sent home one copy from Coomassie and have +brought another with me." + +"We received the first in due course," the gentleman said, taking +the document Frank held out to him. "You are, of course, acquainted +with its contents." + +"No," Frank answered, "beyond the fact that Mr. Goodenough told me +he had left me a legacy." + +"Then I have pleasant news to give you," the lawyer said. "Mr. +Goodenough died possessed of about sixty thousand pounds. He left +fifteen thousand each to his only surviving nephew and niece. +Fifteen thousand pounds he has divided among several charitable +and scientific institutions. Fifteen thousand pounds he has left +to you." + +Frank gave a little cry of surprise. + +"The will is an eminently just and satisfactory one," the lawyer +said, "for Mr. Goodenough has had but little intercourse with his +relations, who live in Scotland, and they had no reason to expect +to inherit any portion of his property. They are, therefore, delighted +with the handsome legacy they have received. I may mention that Mr. +Goodenough ordered that in the event of your not living to return +to England, five thousand pounds of the portion which would have +come to you was to be paid to trustees for the use of your sister, +the remaining ten thousand to be added to the sum to be divided +among the hospitals." + +"This is indeed a surprise," Frank said; "and I shall be obliged, +sir, if you will at once draw out a paper for me to sign settling +the five thousand pounds upon my sister. Whatever may happen then +she will be provided for." + +The accession of this snug and most unexpected fortune in no way +altered Frank's views as to his future profession. He worked hard +and steadily and passed with high honors. He spent another three +years in hospital work, and then purchased a partnership in an +excellent West End practice. He is now considered one of the most +rising young physicians of the day. His sister keeps house for him +in Harley Street; but it is doubtful whether she will long continue +to do so. The last time Dick Ruthven was at home on leave he persuaded +her that it was her bounden duty to endeavor to make civilian life +bearable to him when he should attain captain's rank, and, in +accordance with his father's wish, retire from the army, events +which are expected to take place in a few months' time. + +Ruthven often laughs and tells Frank that he is a good soldier +spoiled, and that it is a pity a man should settle down as a doctor +who had made his way in life "by sheer pluck." + +THE END + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of By Sheer Pluck, by G. A. 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Henty + +Release Date: July, 2005 [EBook #8576] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on July 25, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BY SHEER PLUCK *** + + + + +Produced by Martin Robb + + + + + +</pre> + +<h1>BY SHEER PLUCK:</h1> + +<br> +<h3>A TALE OF THE ASHANTI WAR.</h3> + +<br> +<br> +<h2>BY G. A. HENTY</h2> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> + + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<br> +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I: A FISHING EXCURSION</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II: A MAD DOG</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III: A TOUGH YARN</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV: A RISING TIDE</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V: ALONE IN THE WORLD</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI: THE FIRST STEP</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII: AN OLD FRIEND</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII: TO THE DARK +CONTINENT</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX: THE START INLAND</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X: LOST IN THE FOREST</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI: A HOSTILE TRIBE</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII: A NEGRO'S STORY</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII: A FUGITIVE +SLAVE</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV: A CHRISTIAN TOWN</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV: THE AMAZONS OF +DAHOMET</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI: CAPTIVES IN +COOMASSIE</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII: THE INVASION OF FANTI +LAND</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII: THE ATTACK ON +ELMINA</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX: THE TIDE TURNED</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX: THE WHITE TROOPS</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI: THE ADVANCE TO THE +PRAH</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII: THE BATTLE OF +AMOAFUL</a></h3> + +<h3><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII: THE CAPTURE OF +COOMASSIE</a></h3> + +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I: A FISHING +EXCURSION</h1> + +<p>"Now, Hargate, what a fellow you are! I've been looking for +you everywhere. Don't you know it's the House against the Town +boys. It's lucky that the Town have got the first innings; they +began a quarter of an hour ago."</p> + +<p>"How tiresome!" Frank Hargate said. "I was watching a most +interesting thing here. Don't you see this little chaffinch nest +in the bush, with a newly hatched brood. There was a small black +snake threatening the nest, and the mother was defending it with +quivering wings and open beak. I never saw a prettier thing. I +sat quite still and neither of them seemed to notice me. Of +course I should have interfered if I had seen the snake getting +the best of it. When you came running up like a cart horse, the +snake glided away in the grass, and the bird flew off. Oh, dear! +I am sorry. I had forgotten all about the match."</p> + +<p>"I never saw such a fellow as you are, Hargate. Here's the +opening match of the season, and you, who are one of our best +bats, poking about after birds and snakes. Come along; Thompson +sent me and two or three other fellows off in all directions to +find you. We shall be half out before you're back. Wilson took +James's wicket the first ball."</p> + +<p>Frank Hargate leaped to his feet, and, laying aside for the +present all thoughts of his favorite pursuit, started off at a +run to the playing field. His arrival there was greeted with a +mingled chorus of welcome and indignation. Frank Hargate was, +next to Thompson the captain of the Town eleven, the best bat +among the home boarders. He played a steady rather than a +brilliant game, and was noted as a good sturdy sticker. Had he +been there, Thompson would have put him in at first, in order to +break the bowling of the House team. As it was, misfortunes had +come rapidly. Ruthven and Handcock were bowling splendidly, and +none of the Town boys were making any stand against them. +Thompson himself had gone in when the fourth wicket fell, and was +still in, although two wickets had since fallen, for only four +runs, and the seventh wicket fell just as Frank arrived, panting, +on the ground.</p> + +<p>"Confound you, Hargate!" Thompson shouted, "where have you +been? And not even in flannels yet."</p> + +<p>"I'm very sorry," Frank shouted back cheerfully, "and never +mind the flannels, for once. Shall I come in now?"</p> + +<p>"No," Thompson said. "You'd better get your wind first. Let +Fenner come in next."</p> + +<p>Fenner stayed in four overs, adding two singles as his share, +while Thompson put on a three and a two. Then Fenner was caught. +Thirty-one runs for eight wickets! Then Frank took the bat, and +walked to the ground. Thompson came across to him.</p> + +<p>"Look here, Hargate, you have made a nice mess of it, and the +game looks as bad as can be. Whatever you do, play carefully. +Don't let out at anything that comes straight. The great thing is +to bother their bowling a bit. They're so cocky now, that pretty +near every ball is straight on the wickets. Be content with +blocking for a bit, and Handcock will soon go off. He always gets +savage if his bowling is collared."</p> + +<p>Frank obeyed orders. In the next twenty minutes he only scored +six runs, all in singles, while Thompson, who was also playing +very carefully, put on thirteen. The game looked more hopeful for +the Town boys. Then there was a shout from the House, as +Thompson's middle wicket was sent flying. Childers, who was the +last of the team, walked out.</p> + +<p>"Now, Childers," Thompson said, "don't you hit at a ball. +You're safe to be bowled or caught if you do. Just lift your bat, +and block them each time. Now, Frank, it's your turn to score. +Put them on as fast as you can. It's no use playing carefully any +longer."</p> + +<p>Frank set to to hit in earnest. He had now got his eye well +in, and the stand which he and Thompson had made together, had +taken the sting out of the bowling. The ball which had taken +Thompson's wicket was the last of the over. Consequently the next +came to him. It was a little wide, and Frank, stepping out, drove +it for four. A loud shout rose from the Town boys. There had only +been one four scored before, during the innings. Off the next +ball Frank scored a couple, blocked the next, and drove the last +of the over past long leg for four. The next over Childers +strictly obeyed orders, blocking each ball. Then it was Frank's +turn again, and seven more went up on the board. They remained +together for just fifteen minutes, but during that time +thirty-one had been added to the score. Frank was caught at cover +point, having added twenty-eight since Thompson left him, the +other three being credited to Childers. The total was eighty-one +-- not a bad score in a school match.</p> + +<p>"Well, you've redeemed yourself," Thompson said, as Frank +walked to the tent. "You played splendidly, old fellow, when you +did come. If we do as well next innings we are safe. They're not +likely to average eighty. Now get on your wicket-keeping gloves. +Green and I will bowl."</p> + +<p>The House scored rapidly at first, and fifty runs were put on +with the loss of four wickets. Then misfortune fell upon them, +and the remaining six fell for nineteen. The next innings Frank +went in first, but was caught when the score stood at fifteen. +Thompson made fourteen, but the rest scored but badly, and the +whole were out for forty-eight.</p> + +<p>The House had sixty-one to get to win. Six wickets had fallen +for fifty-one runs, when Thompson put Childers on to bowl. The +change was a fortunate one. Ruthven's stumps were lowered at the +first ball. Handcock was caught off the second. The spirits of +the Town boys rose. There were but two wickets more, and still +ten runs to get to win. The House played cautiously now, and +overs were sent down without a run. Then off a ball from Childers +a four was scored, but the next ball leveled the outside stump. +Then by singles the score mounted up until a tremendous shout +from the House announced that the game was saved, sixty runs +being marked by the scorers. The next ball, the Town boys replied +even more lustily, for Childers ball removed the bails, and the +game ended in a tie. Both parties were equally well satisfied, +and declared that a better game had never been played at Dr. +Parker's. As soon as the game was over Frank, without waiting to +join in the general talk over the game, put on his coat and +waistcoat and started at a run for home.</p> + +<p>Frank Hargate was an only son. His mother lived in a tiny +cottage on the outskirts of Deal. She was a widow, her husband, +Captain Hargate, having died a year before. She had only her +pension as an officer's widow, a pittance that scarce sufficed +even for the modest wants of herself, Frank, and her little +daughter Lucy, now six years old.</p> + +<p>"I hope I have not kept tea waiting, mother," Frank said as he +ran in. "It is not my beetles and butterflies this time. We have +been playing a cricket match, and a first rate one it was. Town +boys against the House. It ended in a tie."</p> + +<p>"You are only a quarter of an hour late," his mother said, +smiling, "which is a great deal nearer being punctual than is +usually the case when you are out with your net. We were just +going to begin, for I know your habits too well to give you more +than a quarter of an hour's law."</p> + +<p>"I'm afraid I am horridly unpunctual," Frank said, "and yet, +mother, I never go out without making up my mind that I will be +in sharp to time. But somehow there is always something which +draws me away."</p> + +<p>"It makes no matter, Frank. If you are happy and amused I am +content, and if the tea is cold it is your loss, not ours. Now, +my boy, as soon as you have washed your hands we will have +tea."</p> + +<p>It was a simple meal, thick slices of bread and butter and +tea, for Mrs. Hargate could only afford to put meat upon the +table once a day, and even for that several times in the week +fish was substituted, when the weather was fine and the fishing +boats returned, when well laden. Frank fortunately cared very +little what he ate, and what was good enough for his mother was +good enough for him. In his father's lifetime things had been +different, but Captain Hargate had fallen in battle in New +Zealand. He had nothing besides his pay, and his wife and +children had lived with him in barracks until his regiment was +ordered out to New Zealand, when he had placed his wife in the +little cottage she now occupied. He had fallen in an attack on a +Maori pah, a fortnight after landing in New Zealand. He had +always intended Frank to enter the military profession, and had +himself directed his education so long as he was at home.</p> + +<p>The loss of his father had been a terrible blow for the boy, +who had been his constant companion when off duty. Captain +Hargate had been devoted to field sports and was an excellent +naturalist. The latter taste Frank had inherited from him. His +father had brought home from India -- where the regiment had been +stationed until it returned for its turn of home service four +years before he left New Zealand -- a very large quantity of +skins of birds which he had shot there. These he had stuffed and +mounted, and so dexterous was he at the work, so natural and +artistic were the groups of birds, that he was enabled to add +considerably to his income by sending these up to the shop of a +London naturalist. He had instructed Frank in his methods, and +had given him one of the long blowguns used by some of the hill +tribes in India. The boy had attained such dexterity in its use +that he was able with his clay pellets to bring down sitting +birds, however small, with almost unerring accuracy.</p> + +<p>These he stuffed and mounted, arranging them with a taste and +skill which delighted the few visitors at his mother's +cottage.</p> + +<p>Frank was ready to join in a game of football or cricket when +wanted, and could hold his own in either. But he vastly preferred +to go out for long walks with his blowgun, his net, and his +collecting boxes. At home every moment not required for the +preparation of his lessons was spent in mounting and arranging +his captures. He was quite ready to follow the course his father +proposed for him, and to enter the army. Captain Hargate had been +a very gallant officer, and the despatches had spoken most highly +of the bravery with which he led his company into action in the +fight in which he lost his life. Therefore Mrs. Hargate hoped +that Frank would have little difficulty in obtaining a commission +without purchase when the time for his entering the army +arrived.</p> + +<p>Frank's desire for a military life was based chiefly upon the +fact that it would enable him to travel to many parts of the +world, and to indulge his taste for natural history to the +fullest. He was but ten years old when he left India with the +regiment, but he had still a vivid recollection of the lovely +butterflies and bright birds of that country.</p> + +<p>His father had been at pains to teach him that a student of +natural history must be more than a mere collector, and that like +other sciences it must be methodically studied. He possessed an +excellent library of books upon the subject, and although Frank +might be ignorant of the name of any bird or insect shown to him +he could at once name the family and species.</p> + +<p>In the year which Frank had been at school at Dr. Parker's he +had made few intimate friends. His habits of solitary wandering +and studious indoor work had hindered his becoming the chum of +any of his schoolfellows, and this absence of intimacy had been +increased by the fact that the straitness of his mother's means +prevented his inviting any of his schoolfellows to his home. He +had, indeed, brought one or two of the boys, whose tastes lay in +the direction of his own, to the house, to show them his +collections of birds and insects. But he declined their +invitations to visit them, as he was unable to return their +hospitality, and was too proud to eat and drink at other fellows' +houses when he could not ask them to do the same at his own. It +was understood at Dr. Parker's that Frank Hargate's people were +poor, but it was known that his father had been killed in battle. +There are writers who depict boys as worshipers of wealth, and +many pictures have been drawn of the slights and indignities to +which boys, whose means are inferior to those of their +schoolfellows, are subject. I am happy to believe that this is a +libel. There are, it is true, toadies and tuft hunters among boys +as among men. That odious creature, the parasite of the Greek and +Latin plays, exists still, but I do not believe that a boy is one +whit the less liked, or is ever taunted with his poverty, +provided he is a good fellow. Most of the miseries endured by +boys whose pocket money is less abundant than that of their +fellows are purely self inflicted. Boys and men who are always on +the lookout for slights will, of course, find what they seek. But +the lad who is not ashamed of what is no fault of his own, who +frankly and manfully says, "I can't afford it," will not find +that he is in any way looked down upon by those of his +schoolfellows whose good opinion is in the smallest degree worth +having.</p> + +<p>Certainly this was so in the case of Frank Hargate. He was +never in the slightest degree ashamed of saying, "I can't afford +it;" and the fact that he was the son of an officer killed in +battle gave him a standing among the best in the school in spite +of his want of pocket money.</p> + +<p>Frank was friends with many of the fishermen, and these would +often bring him strange fish and sea creatures brought up in +their nets, instead of throwing them back into the sea.</p> + +<p>During the holidays he would sometimes go out with them for +twenty-four hours in their fishing-boats. His mother made no +objection to this, as she thought that the exercise and sea air +were good for his health, and that the change did him good. Frank +himself was so fond of the sea that he was half disposed to adopt +it instead of the army as a profession. But his mother was +strongly opposed to the idea, and won him to her way of thinking +by pointing out that although a sailor visits many ports he stays +long at none of them, and that in the few hours' leave he might +occasionally obtain he would be unable to carry out his favorite +pursuits.</p> + +<p>"Hargate," Ruthven, who was one of the oldest of the House +boys, and was about Frank's age, that is about fifteen years old, +said a few days after the match, "the Doctor has given Handcock +and Jones and myself leave to take a boat and go out this +afternoon. We mean to start soon after dinner, and shall take +some lines and bait with us. We have got leave till lockup, so we +shall have a long afternoon of it. Will you come with us?"</p> + +<p>"Thank you, Ruthven," Frank said; "I should like it very much, +but you know I'm short of pocket money, and I can't pay my share +of the boat, so I would rather leave it alone."</p> + +<p>"Oh, nonsense, Hargate!" Ruthven answered; "we know money is +not your strong point, but we really want you to go with us. You +can manage a boat better than any of us, and you will really +oblige us if you will go with us."</p> + +<p>"Oh, if you put it in that way," Frank said, "I shall be glad +to go with you; but I do not think," he went on, looking at the +sky, "that the weather looks very settled. However, if you do not +mind the chance of a ducking, I don't."</p> + +<p>"That's agreed then," Ruthven said; "will you meet us near the +pier at three o'clock?"</p> + +<p>"All right. I'll be punctual."</p> + +<p>At the appointed hour the four lads met on the beach. Ruthven +and his companions wanted to choose a light rowing boat, but +Frank strongly urged them to take a much larger and heavier one. +"In the first place," he said, "the wind is blowing off shore, +and although it's calm here it will be rougher farther out; and, +unless I'm mistaken, the wind is getting up fast. Besides this it +will be much more comfortable to fish from a good sized +boat."</p> + +<p>His comrades grumbled at the extra labor which the large boat +would entail in rowing. However, they finally gave in and the +boat was launched.</p> + +<p>"Look out, Master Hargate," the boatman said as they started; +"you'd best not go out too far, for the wind is freshening fast, +and we shall have, I think, a nasty night."</p> + +<p>The boys thought little of the warning, for the sky was bright +and blue, broken only by a few gauzy white clouds which streaked +it here and there. They rowed out about a mile, and then laying +in their oars, lowered their grapnel and began to fish. The sport +was good. The fish bit freely and were rapidly hauled on board. +Even Frank was so absorbed in the pursuit that he paid no +attention to the changing aspect of the sky, the increasing +roughness of the sea, or the rapidly rising wind.</p> + +<p>Suddenly a heavy drop or two of rain fell in the boat. All +looked up.</p> + +<p>"We are in for a squall," Frank exclaimed, "and no mistake. I +told you you would get a ducking, Ruthven."</p> + +<p>He had scarcely spoken when the squall was upon them. A deluge +of rain swept down, driven by a strong squall of wind.</p> + +<p>"Sit in the bottom of the boat," Frank said; "this is a +snorter."</p> + +<p>Not a word was said for ten minutes, long before which all +were drenched to the skin. With the rain a sudden darkness had +fallen, and the land was entirely invisible. Frank looked +anxiously towards the shore. The sea was getting up fast, and the +boat tugging and straining at the cord of the grapnel. He shook +his head. "It looks very bad," he said to himself. "If this +squall does not abate we are going to have a bad time of it."</p> + +<p>A quarter of an hour after it commenced the heavy downpour of +rain ceased, or rather changed into a driving sleet. It was still +extremely dark, a thick lead colored cloud overspread the sky. +Already the white horses showed how fast the sea was rising, and +the wind showed no signs of falling with the cessation of the +rain storm. The boat was laboring at her head rope and dipping +her nose heavily into the waves.</p> + +<p>"Look here, you fellows," Frank shouted, "we must take to the +oars. If the rope were a long one we might ride here, but you +know it little more than reached the ground when we threw it out. +I believe she's dragging already, and even if she isn't she would +pull her head under water with so short a rope when the sea gets +up. We'd better get out the oars and row to shore, if we can, +before the sea gets worse."</p> + +<p>The lads got up and looked round, and their faces grew pale +and somewhat anxious as they saw how threatening was the aspect +of the sea. They had four oars on board, and these were soon in +the water and the grapnel hauled up. A few strokes sufficed to +show them that with all four rowing the boat's head could not be +kept towards the shore, the wind taking it and turning the boat +broadside on.</p> + +<p>"This will never do," Frank said. "I will steer and you row, +two oars on one side and one on the other. I will take a spell +presently.</p> + +<p>"Row steadily, Ruthven," he shouted; "don't spurt. We have a +long row before us and must not knock ourselves up at the +beginning."</p> + +<p>For half an hour not a word was spoken beyond an occasional +cheery exhortation from Frank. The shore could be dimly seen at +times through the driving mist, and Frank's heart sank as he +recognized the fact that it was further off than it had been when +they first began to row. The wind was blowing a gale now, and, +although but two miles from shore, the sea was already rough for +an open boat.</p> + +<p>"Here, Ruthven, you take a spell now," he said.</p> + +<p>Although the rowers had from time to time glanced over their +shoulders, they could not, through the mist, form any idea of +their position. When Ruthven took the helm he exclaimed, "Good +gracious, Frank! the shore is hardly visible. We are being blown +out to sea."</p> + +<p>"I am afraid we are," Frank said; "but there is nothing to do +but to keep on rowing. The wind may lull or it may shift and give +us a chance of making for Ramsgate. The boat is a good sea boat, +and may keep afloat even if we are driven out to sea. Or if we +are missed from shore they may send the lifeboat out after us. +That is our best chance."</p> + +<p>In another quarter of an hour Ruthven was ready to take +another spell at the oar. "I fear," Frank shouted to him as he +climbed over the seat, "there is no chance whatever of making +shore. All we've got to do is to row steadily and keep her head +dead to wind. Two of us will do for that. You and I will row now, +and let Handcock and Jones steer and rest by turns. Then when we +are done up they can take our places."</p> + +<p>In another hour it was quite dark, save for the gray light +from the foaming water around. The wind was blowing stronger than +ever, and it required the greatest care on the part of the +steersman to keep her dead in the eye of the wind. Handcock was +steering now, and Jones lying at the bottom of the boat, where he +was sheltered, at least from the wind. All the lads were plucky +fellows and kept up a semblance of good spirits, but all in their +hearts knew that their position was a desperate one.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II: A MAD +DOG</h1> + +<p>"Don't you think, Hargate," Ruthven shouted in his ear, "we +had better run before it? It's as much as Handcock can do to keep +her head straight."</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank shouted back, "if it were not for the Goodwins. +They lie right across ahead of us."</p> + +<p>Ruthven said no more, and for another hour he and Frank rowed +their hardest. Then Handcock and Jones took the oars. Ruthven lay +down in the bottom of the boat and Frank steered. After rowing +for another hour Frank found that he could no longer keep the +boat head to wind. Indeed, he could not have done so for so long +had he not shipped the rudder and steered the boat with an oar, +through a notch cut in the stern for the purpose. Already the +boat shipped several heavy seas, and Ruthven was kept hard at +work baling with a tin can in which they had brought out +bait.</p> + +<p>"Ruthven, we must let her run. Put out the other oar, we must +watch our time. Row hard when I give the word."</p> + +<p>The maneuver was safely accomplished, and in a minute the boat +was flying before the gale.</p> + +<p>"Keep on rowing," Frank said, "but take it easily. We must try +and make for the tail of the sands. I can see the lightship."</p> + +<p>Frank soon found that the wind was blowing too directly upon +the long line of sands to enable him to make the lightship. +Already, far ahead, a gray light seemed to gleam up, marking +where the sea was breaking over the dreaded shoal.</p> + +<p>"I am afraid it is no use," he said. "Now, boys, we had best, +each of us, say our prayers to God, and prepare to die bravely, +for I fear that there is no hope for us."</p> + +<p>There was silence in the boat for the next five minutes, as +the boys sat with their heads bent down. More than one choking +sob might have been heard, had the wind lulled, as they thought +of the dear ones at home. Suddenly there was a flash of light +ahead, and the boom of a gun directly afterwards came upon their +ears. Then a rocket soared up into the air.</p> + +<p>"There is a vessel on the sands," Frank exclaimed. "Let us +make for her. If we can get on board we shall have a better +chance than here."</p> + +<p>The boys again bent to their oars, and Frank tried to steer +exactly for the spot whence the rocket had gone up. Presently +another gun flashed out.</p> + +<p>"There she is," he said. "I can see her now against the line +of breakers. Take the oar again, Ruthven. We must bring up under +shelter of her lee."</p> + +<p>In another minute or two they were within a hundred yards of +the ship. She was a large vessel, and lay just at the edge of the +broken water. The waves, as they struck her, flew high above her +deck. As the boat neared her a bright light suddenly sprang up. +The ship was burning a blue light. Then a faint cheer was +heard.</p> + +<p>"They see us," Frank said. "They must think we are the +lifeboat. What a disappointment for them! Now, steady, lads, and +prepare to pull her round the instant we are under her stern. I +will go as near as I dare."</p> + +<p>Frank could see the people on deck watching the boat. They +must have seen now that she was not the lifeboat; but even in +their own danger they must have watched with intense interest the +efforts of the tiny boat, adrift in the raging sea, to reach +them. Frank steered the boat within a few yards of the stern. +Then Jones and Ruthven, who were both rowing the same side, +exerted themselves to the utmost, while Frank pushed with the +steering oar. A minute later, and they lay in comparatively still +water, under the lee of the ship. Two or three ropes were thrown +them, and they speedily climbed on board.</p> + +<p>"We thought you were the lifeboat at first," the captain said, +as they reached the deck; "but, of course, they cannot be here +for a couple of hours yet."</p> + +<p>"We were blown off shore, sir," Frank said, "and have been +rowing against the wind for hours."</p> + +<p>"Well, my lads," the captain said, "you have only prolonged +your lives for a few minutes, for she will not hold together +long."</p> + +<p>The ship, indeed, presented a pitiable appearance. The masts +had already gone, the bulwark to windward had been carried away, +and the hull lay heeled over at a sharp angle, her deck to +leeward being level with the water. The crew were huddled down +near the lee bulwarks, sheltered somewhat by the sharp slope of +the deck from the force of the wind. As each wave broke over the +ship, tons of water rushed down upon them. No more guns were +fired, for the lashing had broken and the gun run down to +leeward. Already there were signs that the ship would break up +ere long, and no hope existed that rescue could arrive in +time.</p> + +<p>Suddenly there was a great crash, and the vessel parted +amidships.</p> + +<p>"A few minutes will settle it now," the captain said. "God +help us all."</p> + +<p>At this moment there was a shout to leeward, which was +answered by a scream of joy from those on board the wreck, for +there, close alongside, lay the lifeboat, whose approach had been +entirely unseen. In a few minutes the fifteen men who remained of +the twenty-two, who had formed the crew of the wreck, and the +four boys, were on board her. A tiny sail was set and the boat's +head laid towards Ramsgate.</p> + +<p>"I am glad to see you, Master Hargate," the sailor who rowed +one of the stroke oars shouted. He was the man who had lent them +the boat. "I was up in the town looking after my wife, who is +sick, and clean forgot you till it was dark. Then I ran down and +found the boat hadn't returned, so I got the crew together and we +came out to look for you, though we had little hope of finding +you. It was lucky for you we did, and for the rest of them too, +for so it chanced that we were but half a mile away when the ship +fired her first gun, just as we had given you up and determined +to go back; so on we came straight here. Another ten minutes and +we should have been too late. We are making for Ramsgate now. We +could never beat back to Deal in this wind. I don't know as I +ever saw it blow much harder."</p> + +<p>These sentences were not spoken consecutively, but were +shouted out in the intervals between gusts of wind. It took them +two hours to beat back to Ramsgate, a signal having been made as +soon as they left the wreck to inform the lifeboat there and at +Broadstairs that they need not put out, as the rescue had been +already effected. The lads were soon put to bed at the sailors' +home, a man being at once despatched on horseback to Deal, to +inform those there of the arrival of the lifeboat, and of the +rescue of the four boys who had been blown to sea.</p> + +<p>Early next morning Frank and Handcock returned to Deal, the +other two lads being so exhausted by their fatigue and exposure +that the doctor said they had better remain in bed for another +twenty-four hours.</p> + +<p>It is impossible to describe the thankfulness and relief which +Mrs. Hargate experienced, when, about two in the morning, Dr. +Parker himself brought her news of the safety of her boy. She had +long given up all hope, for when the evening came on and Frank +had not returned, she had gone down to the shore. She learned +from the fishermen there that it was deemed impossible that the +boys could reach shore in face of the gale, and that although the +lifeboat had just put out in search of them, the chances of their +being found were, as she herself saw, faint indeed. She had +passed the hours which had intervened, in prayer, and was still +kneeling by her bedside, where little Lucy was unconsciously +sleeping, when Dr. Parker's knock was heard at the door. Fervent, +indeed, was her gratitude to God for the almost miraculous +preservation of her son's life, and then, overcome by the +emotions she had experienced, she sought her couch, and was still +asleep when, by the earliest train in the morning, Frank +returned.</p> + +<p>For some time the four boys were the heroes of the school. A +subscription was got up to pay for the lost boat, and close as +were Mrs. Hargate's means, she enabled Frank to subscribe his +share towards the fund. The incident raised Frank to a pinnacle +of popularity among his schoolfellows, for the three others were +unanimous in saying that it was his coolness and skill in the +management of the boat, which alone kept up their spirits, and +enabled them to keep her afloat during the gale, and to make the +wreck in safety.</p> + +<p>In the general enthusiasm excited by the event, Frank's +pursuits, which had hitherto found few followers, now became +quite popular in the school. A field club was formed, of which he +was elected president, and long rambles in the country in search +of insects and plants were frequently organized. Frank himself +was obliged, in the interests of the school, to moderate the zeal +of the naturalists, and to point out that cricket must not be +given up, as, if so large a number withdrew themselves from the +game, the school would suffer disaster in its various engagements +with other schools in the neighborhood. Consequently the rule was +made that members of the club were bound to be in the cricket +field on at least three days in the week, including one half +holiday, while they were free to ramble in the country on other +days. This wise regulation prevented the "naturalists" from +becoming unpopular in the school, which would assuredly have been +the case had they entirely absented themselves from cricket.</p> + +<p>One Saturday afternoon Frank started with a smaller boy, who +was one of his most devoted followers, for a long country walk. +Frank carried his blowgun, and a butterfly net, Charlie Goodall a +net of about a foot in depth, made of canvas, mounted on a stout +brass rim, and strong stick, for the capture of water beetles. +Their pockets bulged with bottles and tin boxes for the carriage +of their captured prey.</p> + +<p>They had passed through Eastry, a village four miles from +Deal, when Frank exclaimed, "There is a green hairstreak. The +first I've seen this year. I have never caught one before."</p> + +<p>Cautiously approaching the butterfly, who was sunning himself +on the top of a thistle, Frank prepared to strike, when it +suddenly mounted and flitted over a hedge. In a moment the boys +had scrambled through the gap and were in full pursuit. The +butterfly flitted here and there, sometimes allowing the boys to +approach within a few feet and then flitting away again for fifty +yards without stopping. Heedless where they were going, the boys +pursued, till they were startled by a sudden shout close to +them.</p> + +<p>"You young rascals, how dare you run over my wheat?"</p> + +<p>The boys stopped, and Frank saw what, in his excitement, he +had not hitherto heeded, that he was now running in a field of +wheat, which reached to his knee.</p> + +<p>"I am very sorry, sir," he said. "I was so excited than I +really did not see where I was going."</p> + +<p>"Not see!" shouted the angry farmer. "You young rascal, I'll +break every bone in your body," and he flourished a heavy stick +as he spoke.</p> + +<p>Charlie Goodall began to cry.</p> + +<p>"I have no right to trespass on your wheat, sir," Frank said +firmly; "but you have no right to strike us. My name is Frank +Hargate. I belong to Dr. Parker's school at Deal, and if you will +say what damage I have caused, I will pay for it."</p> + +<p>"You shall pay for it now," shouted the farmer, as he advanced +with uplifted stick.</p> + +<p>Frank slipped three or four of his clay bullets into his +mouth.</p> + +<p>"Leave us alone or it will be worse for you," he said as he +raised the blowgun to his mouth.</p> + +<p>The farmer advanced, and Frank sent a bullet with all his +force, and with so true an aim that he struck the farmer on the +knuckles. It was a sharp blow, and the farmer, with a cry of pain +and surprise, dropped the stick.</p> + +<p>"Don't come a step nearer," Frank shouted. "If you do, I will +aim at your eye next time," and he pointed the threatening tube +at the enraged farmer's face.</p> + +<p>"I'll have the law of you, you young villain. I'll make you +smart for this."</p> + +<p>"You can do as you like about that," Frank said. "I have only +struck you in self defense, and have let you off easily. Come +along, Charlie, let's get out of this."</p> + +<p>In a few minutes they were again on the road, the farmer +making no attempt to follow them, but determined in his mind to +drive over the next morning to Deal to take out a summons against +them for trespass and assault. The lads proceeded silently along +the road. Frank was greatly vexed with himself at his +carelessness in running over half grown wheat, and was meditating +how he could pay the fine without having to ask his mother. He +determined upon his return to carry some of his cases of stuffed +birds down to a shop in the town, and he felt sure that he could +get enough for these to pay for any damage which could have been +inflicted, with a fine for trespassing, for he had seen stuffed +birds exposed in the windows for sale, which were, he was sure, +very inferior to his own both in execution and lifelike +interest.</p> + +<p>After proceeding a few hundred yards along the road they met a +pretty little girl of seven or eight years old walking along +alone. Frank scarcely glanced at her, for at the moment he heard +a shouting in the distance and saw some men running along the +road. For a moment he thought that the farmer had despatched some +of his men to stop him, but instantly dismissed the idea, as they +were coming from the opposite direction and could by no +possibility have heard what had happened. They were lost sight of +by a dip in the road, and as they disappeared, an object was seen +on the road on the near side of the dip.</p> + +<p>"It is a dog," Frank said. "What can they be shouting at?"</p> + +<p>The dog was within fifty yards of them when the men again +appeared from the dip and recommenced shouting. Frank could now +hear what they said.</p> + +<p>"Mad dog! mad dog!"</p> + +<p>"Get through the hedge, Charlie, quick," Frank cried. "Here, I +will help you over, never mind the thorns."</p> + +<p>The hedge was low and closely kept, and Frank, bundling his +comrade over it, threw himself across and looked round. The dog +was within ten yards of them, and Frank saw that the alarm was +well founded. The dog was a large crossbred animal, between a +mastiff and a bulldog. Its hair was rough and bristling. It came +along with its head down and foam churning from its mouth. Frank +looked the other way and gave a cry. Yet twenty yards off, in the +middle of the road, stood the child. She, too, had heard the +shouts, and had paused to see what was the matter. She had not +taken the alarm, but stood unsuspicious of danger, watching, not +the dog, but the men in the distance.</p> + +<p>Frank placed the blowgun to his mouth, and in a moment his +pellet struck the animal smartly on the side of the head. It gave +a short yelp and paused. Another shot struck it, and then Frank, +snatching the water net from Charlie, threw himself over the +hedge, and placed himself between the child and the dog just as +the latter, with a savage growl, rushed at him.</p> + +<p>Frank stood perfectly cool, and as the animal rushed forward, +thrust the net over its head; the ring was but just large enough +to allow its head to enter. Frank at once sprang forward, and +placing himself behind the dog kept a strain upon the stick, so +retaining the mouth of the net tightly on his neck. The animal at +first rushed forward dragging Frank after him. Then he stopped, +backed, and tried to withdraw his head from the encumbrance which +blinded him. Frank, however, had no difficulty in retaining the +canvas net in its place, until the men, who were armed with +pitchforks, ran up and speedily despatched the unfortunate +animal.</p> + +<p>"That's bravely done, young master," one of them said; "and +you have saved missy's life surely. The savage brute rushed into +the yard and bit a young colt and a heifer, and then, as we came +running out with forks, he took to the road again. We chased 'um +along, not knowing who we might meet, and it gived us a rare turn +when we saw the master's Bessy standing alone in the road, wi' +nout between her and the dog. Where have you been, Miss +Bessy?"</p> + +<p>"I've been to aunt's," she said, "and she gave me some +strawberries and cream, and it's wicked of you to kill the poor +dog."</p> + +<p>"Her aunt's farm lies next to master's," the man explained; +"and little miss often goes over there.</p> + +<p>"The dog was mad, missy, and if it hadn't been for young +master here, it would have killed you as safe as eggs. Won't you +come back to the farm, sir? Master and mistress would be main +glad to thank you for having saved missy's life."</p> + +<p>"No, thank you," Frank said; "we are late now and must be +going on our way. I am very glad I happened to be here at the +time;" so saying Frank and Charlie proceeded on their way to +Deal.</p> + +<p>On reaching home he at once picked out four of his best cases +of stuffed birds. The cases he had constructed himself, for his +father had encouraged him to depend upon himself for his +amusements. He had asked Charlie to come round to help him to +carry the cases, and with these he proceeded to a shop where he +had seen such things offered for sale.</p> + +<p>"And you really did these yourself?" the man said in surprise. +"They are beautifully done. Quite pictures, I call them. It is a +pity that they are homely birds. There is no great sale for such +things here. I cannot give you more than five shillings each, but +if you had them in London they would be worth a great deal +more."</p> + +<p>Frank gladly accepted the offer, and feeling sure that the +pound would cover the damage done and the fine, which might be +five shillings apiece for trespassing, went home in good spirits. +The next morning the doctor was called out in the middle of +school, and presently returned accompanied by the farmer with +whom they had had the altercation on the previous day. Frank felt +his cheeks flush as he anticipated a severe reprimand before the +whole school.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Gregson," the doctor said, "tells me that two of my boys +were out near his place at Eastry yesterday. One of them gave him +his name, which he has forgotten."</p> + +<p>"It was I, sir," Frank said rising in his place; "I was there +with Goodall. We ran on Mr. Gregson's ground after a butterfly. +It was my fault, sir, for, of course, Goodall went where I did. +We ran among his wheat, and I really did not notice where we were +going till he called to us. I was wrong, of course, and am ready +to pay for any damage we may have caused."</p> + +<p>"You are welcome," the farmer said, "to trample on my wheat +for the rest of your born days. I haven't come over here to talk +about the wheat, though I tell you fairly I'd minded to do so. +I've come over here, Dr. Parker, me and my missus who's outside, +to thank this young gentleman for having saved the life of my +little daughter Bessy. She was walking along the road when a mad +dog, a big brute of a mastiff, who came, I hear, from somewhere +about Canterbury, and who has bit two boys on the road, to say +nothing of other dogs and horses and such like; he came along the +road, he were close to my Bess, and she stood there all alone. +Some of my men with pitchforks were two hundred yards or so +behind; but law, they could have done nothing! when this young +gentleman here jumped all of a sudden over a hedge and put +himself between the dog and my Bess. The dog, he rushed at him; +but what does he do but claps a bag he'd got at the end of a +stick over the brute's head, and there he holds him tight till +the men comes up and kills him with their forks.</p> + +<p>"Young gentleman," he said, stepping up to Frank and holding +out his hand, "I owe my child's life to you. There are not many +men who would have thrown themselves in the way of a mad dog, for +the sake of a child they knew nothing of. I thank you for it with +all my heart. God bless you, sir. Now, boys, you give three +cheers with me for your schoolmate, for you've got a right to be +proud of him."</p> + +<p>Three such thundering cheers as those which arose had never +been heard within the limits of Dr. Parker's school from the day +of its foundation. Seeing that farther work could not be expected +from them after this excitement, Dr. Parker gave the boys a +holiday for the rest of the day, and they poured out from the +schoolroom, shouting and delighted, while Frank was taken off to +the parlor to be thanked by Mrs. Gregson. The farmer closed his +visit by inviting Frank, with as many of his schoolfellows as he +liked -- the whole school if they would come, the more the better +-- to come over to tea on the following Saturday afternoon, and +he promised them as much strawberries and cream as they could +eat. The invitation was largely accepted, and the boys all agreed +that a jollier meal they never sat down to than that which was +spread on tables in the farmer's garden. The meal was called tea, +but it might have been a dinner, for the tables were laden with +huge pies, cold chicken and duck, hams, and piles of cakes and +tarts of all sorts. Before they started for home, late in the +evening, syllabub and cake were handed round, and the boys +tramped back to Deal in the highest of glee at the entertainment +they had received from the hospitable farmer and his wife.</p> + +<p>Great fun had been caused after tea by the farmer giving a +humorous relation of the battle with which his acquaintance with +Frank had commenced, and especially at the threat of Frank to +send a bullet into his eye if he interfered with him. When they +left, a most cordial invitation was given to Frank to come over, +with any friend he liked to bring with him, and have tea at the +Oaks Farm whenever he chose to do so.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III: A TOUGH +YARN</h1> + +<p>"You had a close shave the other night," one of the boatmen +remarked to Frank, as a few days after the adventure he strolled +down with Ruthven and Handcock to talk to the boatman whose boat +had been lost, "a very narrow shave. I had one out there myself +when I was just about your age, nigh forty years ago. I went out +for a sail with my father in his fishing boat, and I didn't come +back for three years. That was the only long voyage I ever went. +I've been sticking to fishing ever since."</p> + +<p>"How was it you were away three years?" Handcock asked, "and +what was the adventure? Tell us about it."</p> + +<p>"Well, it's rather a long yarn," the boatman said.</p> + +<p>"Well, your best plan, Jack," Ruthven said, putting his hand +in his pocket and bringing out sixpence, "will be for you to go +across the road and wet your whistle before you begin."</p> + +<p>"Thank ye, young gentleman. I will take three o' grog and an +ounce of 'bacca."</p> + +<p>He went across to the public house, and soon returned with a +long clay in his hand. Then he sat down on the shingle with his +back against a boat, and the boys threw themselves down close to +him.</p> + +<p>"Now," he began, when he had filled his pipe with great +deliberation and got it fairly alight, "this here yarn as I'm +going to tell you ain't no gammon. Most of the tales which gets +told on the beach to visitors as comes down here and wants to +hear of sea adventures is just lies from beginning to end. Now, I +ain't that sort, leastways, I shouldn't go to impose upon young +gents like you as ha' had a real adventure of your own, and +showed oncommon good pluck and coolness too. I don't say, mind +ye, that every word is just gospel. My mates as ha' known me from +a boy tells me that I've 'bellished the yarn since I first told +it, and that all sorts of things have crept in which wasn't there +first. That may be so. When a man tells a story a great many +times, naturally he can't always tell it just the same, and he +gets so mixed up atween what he told last and what he told first +that he don't rightly know which was which when he wants to tell +it just as it really happened. So if sometimes it appears to you +that I'm steering rather wild, just you put a stopper on and +bring me up all standing with a question."</p> + +<p>There was a quiet humor about the boatman's face, and the boys +winked at each other as much as to say that after such an +exordium they must expect something rather staggering. The +boatman took two or three hard whiffs at his pipe and then +began.</p> + +<p>"It was towards the end of September in 1832, that's just +forty years ago now, that I went out with my father and three +hands in the smack, the <i>Flying Dolphin</i>. I'd been at sea +with father off and on ever since I was about nine years old, and +a smarter boy wasn't to be found on the beach. The <i>Dolphin</i> +was a good sea boat, but she wasn't, so to say, fast, and I +dunno' as she was much to look at, for the old man wasn't the +sort of chap to chuck away his money in paint or in new sails as +long as the old ones could be pieced and patched so as to hold +the wind. We sailed out pretty nigh over to the French coast, and +good sport we had. We'd been out two days when we turned her head +homewards. The wind was blowing pretty strong, and the old man +remarked, he thought we was in for a gale. There was some talk of +our running in to Calais and waiting till it had blown itself +out, but the fish might have spoil before the Wind dropped, so we +made up our minds to run straight into Dover and send the fish up +from there. The night came on wild and squally, and as dark as +pitch. It might be about eight bells, and I and one of the other +hands had turned in, when father gave a sudden shout down the +hatch, 'All hands on deck.' I was next to the steps and sprang up +'em. Just as I got to the top something grazed my face. I caught +at it, not knowing what it was, and the next moment there was a +crash, and the <i>Dolphin</i> went away from under my feet. I +clung for bare life, scarce awake yet nor knowing what had +happened. The next moment I was under water. I still held on to +the rope and was soon out again. By this time I was pretty well +awake to what had happened. A ship running down channel had +walked clean over the poor old <i>Dolphin</i>, and I had got hold +of the bobstay. It took me some time to climb up on to the +bowsprit, for every time she pitched I went under water. However, +I got up at last and swarmed along the bowsprit and got on board. +There was a chap sitting down fast asleep there. I walked aft to +the helmsman. Two men were pacing up and down in front of him. +'You're a nice lot, you are,' I said, 'to go running down Channel +at ten knots an hour without any watch, a-walking over ships and +a-drowning of seamen. I'll have the law of ye, see if I +don't.'</p> + +<p>"'Jeerusalem!' said one, 'who have we here?'</p> + +<p>"'My name is Jack Perkins,' says I, 'and I'm the sole +survivor, as far as I knows, of the smack, the <i>Flying +Dolphin</i>, as has been run down by this craft and lost with all +hands.'</p> + +<p>"'Darn the <i>Flying Dolphin</i>, and you too,' says the man, +and he begins to walk up and down the deck a-puffn' of a long +cigar as if nothing had happened.</p> + +<p>"'Oh, come,' says I, 'this won't do. Here you've been and run +down a smack, drowned father and the other three hands, and your +lookout fast asleep, and you does nothing.'</p> + +<p>"'I suppose,' said the captain, sarcastic, 'you want me to +jump over to look for 'em. You want me to heave the ship to in +this gale and to invite yer father perlitely to come on board. +P'raps you'd like a grapnel put out to see if I couldn't hook the +smack and bring her up again. Perhaps you'd like to be chucked +overboard yourself. Nobody asked you to come on board, nobody +wanted your company. I reckon the wisest thing you can do is to +go for'ard and turn in.' There didn't seem much for me to do +else, so I went forward to the forecastle. There most of the +hands were asleep, but two or three were sitting up yarning. I +told 'em my story and what this captain had said.</p> + +<p>"'He's a queer hand is the skipper,' one of 'em said, 'and +hasn't got a soft place about him. Well, my lad, I'm sorry for +what's happened, but talking won't do it any good. You've got a +long voyage before you, and you'd best turn in and make yourself +comfortable for it.'</p> + +<p>"'I ain't going a long voyage,' says I, beginning to wipe my +eye, 'I wants to be put ashore at the first port.'</p> + +<p>"'Well, my lad, I daresay the skipper will do that, but as +we're bound for the coast of Chili from Hamburg, and ain't likely +to be there for about five months, you've got, as I said, a long +voyage before you. If the weather had been fine the skipper might +have spoken some ship in the Channel, and put you on board, but +before the gale's blown out we shall be hundreds of miles at sea. +Even if it had been fine I don't suppose the skipper would have +parted with you, especially if you told him the watch was asleep. +He would not care next time he entered an English port to have a +claim fixed on his ship for the vally of the smack.'</p> + +<p>"I saw what the sailor said was like enough, and blamed myself +for having let out about the watch. However, there was no help +for it, and I turned into an empty bunk and cried myself to +sleep. What a voyage that was, to be sure! The ship was a Yankee +and so was the master and mates. The crew were of all sorts, +Dutch, and Swedes, and English, a Yank or two, and a sprinklin' +of niggers. It was one of those ships they call a hell on earth, +and cussing and kicking and driving went on all day. I hadn't no +regular place give me, but helped the black cook, and pulled at +ropes, and swabbed the decks, and got kicked and cuffed all +round. The skipper did not often speak to me, but when his eye +lighted on me he gave an ugly sort of look, as seemed to say, +'You'd better ha' gone down with the others. You think you're +going to report the loss of the smack, and to get damages against +the <i>Potomac</i>, do you? we shall see.' The crew were a rough +lot, but the spirit seemed taken out of 'em by the treatment they +met with. It was a word and a blow with the mates, and they would +think no more of catching up a handspike and stretching a man +senseless on the deck than I should of killing a fly. There was +two or three among 'em of a better sort than the others. The best +of 'em was the carpenter, an old Dutchman. 'Leetle boy,' he used +to say to me, 'you keep yourself out of the sight of de skipper. +Bad man dat. Me much surprise if you get to de end of dis voyage +all right. You best work vera hard and give him no excuse to hit +you. If he do, by gosh, he kill you, and put down in de log, Boy +killed by accident.'</p> + +<p>"I felt that this was so myself, and I did my work as well as +I could. One day, however, when we were near the line I happened +to upset a bucket with some tar. The captain was standing close +by.</p> + +<p>"'You young dog,' he said, 'you've done that a purpose,' and +before I could speak he caught up the bucket by the handle and +brought it down on my head with all his might. The next thing I +remember was, I was lying in a bunk in the forecastle. Everything +looked strange to me, and I couldn't raise my head. After a time +I made shift to turn it round, and saw old Jans sitting on a +chest mending a jacket. I called him, but my voice was so low I +hardly seemed to hear it myself.</p> + +<p>"'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'I am glad to hear you speak +again. Two whole weeks you say nothing except talk nonsense.'</p> + +<p>"'Have I been ill?' I asked.</p> + +<p>"'You haf been vera bad,' he said. 'De captain meant to kill +you, I haf no doubt, and he pretty near do it. After he knock you +down he said you dead. He sorry for accident, not mean to hit you +so hard, but you dead and better be tossed overboard at once. De +mates they come up and take your hands and feet. Den I insist dat +I feel your wrist. Two or three of us dey stood by me. Captain he +vera angry, say we mutinous dogs. I say not mutinous, but wasn't +going to see a boy who was only stunned thrown overboard. We say +if he did dat we make complaint before consul when we get to +port. De skipper he cuss and swear awful. Howebber we haf our way +and carry you here. You haf fever and near die. Tree days after +we bring you here de captain he swear you shamming and comed to +look at you hisself, but he see that it true and tink you going +to die. He go away wid smile on his face. Every day he ask if you +alive, and give grunt when I say yes. Now you best keep vera +quiet. You no talk 'cept when no one else here but me. Other +times lie wid your face to the side and your eyes shut. Best keep +you here as long as we can, de longer de better. He make you come +on deck and work as soon as he think you strong enough to stand. +Best get pretty strong before you go out.'</p> + +<p>"For another three weeks I lay in my bunk. I only ate a little +gruel when others were there, but when the skipper was at dinner +Jans would bring me strong soup and meat from the caboose. The +captain came several times and shook me and swore I was shamming, +but I only answered in a whisper and seemed as faint as a girl. +All this time the <i>Potomac</i> was making good way, and was +running fast down the coast of South America. The air was getting +cool and fresh.</p> + +<p>"'I tink,' Jans said one evening to me, 'dat dis not go on +much much longer. De crew getting desperate. Dey talk and mutter +among demselves. Me thinks we have trouble before long.'</p> + +<p>"The next day one of the mates came in with a bucket of water. +'There! you skulking young hound,' he said as he threw it over +me; 'you'd best get out, or the skipper will come and rouse you +up himself.'</p> + +<p>"I staggered on to the floor. I had made up my mind to sham +weak, but I did not need to pretend at first, for having been six +weeks in bed, I felt strange and giddy when I got up. I slipped +on my clothes and went out on deck, staggered to the bulwarks and +held on. The fresh air soon set me straight, and I felt that I +was pretty strong again. However, I pretended to be able to +scarce stand, and, holding on by the bulwark, made my way +aft.</p> + +<p>"'You young dog,' the skipper said, 'you've been shamming for +the last six weeks. I reckon I'll sharpen you up now,' and he hit +me a heavy blow with a rattan he held in his hand. There was a +cry of 'Shame!' from some of the men. As quick as thought the +skipper pulled a pistol from his pocket.</p> + +<p>"'Who cried "Shame"?' he asked looking round.</p> + +<p>"No one answered. Still holding the pistol in his hand he gave +me several more cuts, and then told me to swab the deck. I did +it, pretending all the time I was scarce strong enough to keep my +feet. Then I made my way forward and sat down against the +bulwark, as if nigh done up, till night came. That night as I lay +in my bunk I heard the men talking in whispers together. I judged +from what they said that they intended to wait for another week, +when they expected to enter Magellan Straits, and then to attack +and throw the officers overboard. Nothing seemed settled as to +what they would do afterwards. Some were in favor of continuing +the voyage to port, and there giving out that the captain and +officers had been washed overboard in a storm; when, if all stood +true to each other, the truth could never be known, although +suspicions might arise. The others, however, insisted that you +never could be sure of every one, and that some one would be sure +to peach. They argued in favor of sailing west and beaching the +ship on one of the Pacific islands, where they could live +comfortably and take wives among the native women. If they were +ever found they could then say that the ship was blown out of her +course and wrecked there, and that the captain and officers had +been drowned or killed by the natives. It seemed to me that this +party were the strongest. For the next week I was thrashed and +kicked every day and had I been as weak as I pretended to be, I'm +sure they would have killed me. However, thanks to the food Jans +brought me, for I was put on bread and water, I held on. At last +we entered the straits. The men were very quiet that day, and the +captain in a worse temper than usual. I did not go to sleep, and +turned out at the midnight watch, for I was made to keep watch +although I was on duty all day. As the watch came in I heard them +say to the others, 'In ten minutes' time.' Presently I saw them +come out, and joining the watch on deck they went aft quietly in +a body. They had all got handspikes in their hands. Then there +was a rush. Two pistol shots were fired, and then there was a +splash, and I knew that the officer on watch was done for. Then +they burst into the aft cabins. There were pistol shots and +shouts, and for three or four minutes the fight went on. Then all +was quiet. Then they came up on deck again and I heard three +splashes, that accounted for the captain and the two other mates. +I thought it safe now to go aft. I found that six of the men had +been killed. These were thrown overboard, and then the crew got +at the spirit stores and began to drink. I looked about for Jans, +and found him presently sitting on the deck by the bulwark.</p> + +<p>"'Ah, my leetle boy!' he said, 'you have just come in time. I +have been shot through the body. I was not in de fight, but was +standing near when dey rushed at de officer on watch. De first +pistol he fire missed de man he aim at and hit me. Well, it was +shust as well. I am too old to care for living among de black +peoples, and I did not want a black wife at all. So matters haf +not turned out so vera bad. Get me some water.'</p> + +<p>"I got him some, but in five minutes the poor old Dutchman was +dead. There was no one on deck. All were shouting and singing in +the captain's cabin, so I went and turned in forward. Morning was +just breaking when I suddenly woke. There was a great light, and +running on deck I saw the fire pouring out from the cabin aft. I +suppose they had all drunk themselves stupid and had upset a +light, and the fire had spread and suffocated them all. Anyhow, +there were none of them to be seen. I got hold of a water keg and +placed it in a boat which luckily hung out on its davits, as Jans +had, the day before, been calking a seam in her side just above +the water's edge. I made a shift to lower it, threw off the +falls, and getting out the oars, rowed off. I lay by for some +little time, but did not see a soul on deck. Then, as I had +nowhere particular to go, I lay down and slept. On getting up I +found that I had drifted two or three miles from the ship, which +was now a mere smoking shell, the greater part being burnt to the +Water's edge. Two miles to the north lay the land, and getting +out an oar at the stern I sculled her to shore. I suppose I had +been seen, or that the flames of the ship had called down the +people, for there they were in the bay, and such a lot of +creatures I never set eyes on. Men and women alike was pretty +nigh naked, and dirt is no name for them. Though I was but a boy +I was taller than most. They came round me and jabbered and +jabbered till I was nigh deafened. Over and over again they +pointed to the ship. I thought they wanted to know whether I +belonged to it, but it couldn't have been that, because when I +nodded a lot of 'em jumped into some canoes which was lying +ashore, and taking me with them paddled off to the ship. I +suppose they really wanted to know if they could have what they +could find. That wasn't much, but it seemed a treasure to them. +There was a lot of burned beams floating about alongside, and all +of these which had iron or copper bolts or fastenings they took +in tow and rowed ashore. We hadn't been gone many hundred yards +from the vessel when she sunk. Well, young gentlemen, for upwards +of two years I lived with them critturs. My clothes soon wore +out, and I got to be as naked and dirty as the rest of 'em. They +were good hands at fishing, and could spear a fish by the light +of a torch wonderful. In other respects they didn't seem to have +much sense. They lived, when I first went there, in holes +scratched in the side of a hill, but I taught 'em to make huts, +making a sort of ax out of the iron saved. In summer they used to +live in these, but in winter, when it was awful cold, we lived in +the holes, which were a sight warmer than the huts. Law, what a +time that was! I had no end of adventures with wild beasts. The +way the lions used to roar and the elephants --"</p> + +<p>"I think, Jack," Ruthven interrupted, "that this must be one +of the embellishments which have crept in since you first began +telling the tale. I don't think I should keep it in if I were +you, because the fact that there are neither lions or elephants +in South America throws a doubt upon the accuracy of this portion +of your story."</p> + +<p>"It may be, sir," the sailor said, with a twinkle of his eyes, +"that the elephants and lions may not have been in the first +story. Now I think of it, I can't recall that they were; but, you +see, people wants to know all about it. They ain't satisfied when +I tell 'em that I lived two years among these chaps. They wants +to know how I passed my time, and whether there were any wild +beasts, and a lot of such like questions, and, in course, I must +answer them. So then, you see, naturally, 'bellishments creeps +in; but I did live there for two years, that's gospel truth, and +I did go pretty nigh naked, and in winter was pretty near starved +to death over and over again. When the ground was too hard to dig +up roots, and the sea was too rough for the canoes to put out, it +went hard with us, and very often we looked more like living +skelingtons than human beings. Every time a ship came in sight +they used to hurry me away into the woods. I suppose they found +me useful, and didn't want to part with me. At last I got +desperate, and made up my mind I'd make a bolt whatever came of +it. They didn't watch me when there were no ships near. I suppose +they thought there was nowhere for me to run to, so one night I +steals down to the shore, gets into a canoe, puts in a lot of +roots which I had dug up and hidden away in readiness, and so +makes off. I rowed hard all night, for I knew they would be after +me when they found I had gone. Them straits is sometimes miles +and miles across; at other times not much more than a ship's +length, and the tide runs through 'em like a mill race. I had +chosen a time when I had the tide with me, and soon after morning +I came to one of them narrow places. I should like to have +stopped here, because it would have been handy for any ship as +passed; but the tide run so strong, and the rocks were so steep +on both sides, that I couldn't make a landing. Howsomdever, +directly it widened out, I managed to paddle into the back water +and landed there. Well, gents, would you believe me, if there +wasn't two big allygaters sitting there with their mouths open +ready to swallow me, canoe and all, when I came to shore."</p> + +<p>"No, Jack, I'm afraid we can't believe that. We would if we +could, you know, but alligators are not fond of such cold weather +as you'd been having, nor do they frequent the seashore."</p> + +<p>"Ah, but this, you see, was a straits, Master Ruthven, just a +narrow straits, and I expect the creatures took it for a +river."</p> + +<p>"No, no, Jack, we can't swallow the alligators, any more than +they could swallow you and your canoe."</p> + +<p>"Well," the sailor said with a sigh, "I won't say no more +about the allygaters. I can't rightly recall when they came into +the story. Howsomdever, I landed, you can believe that, you +know."</p> + +<p>"Oh yes, we can quite believe, Jack, that, if you were there, +in that canoe, in that back water, with the land close ahead, you +did land."</p> + +<p>The sailor looked searchingly at Ruthven and then +continued:</p> + +<p>"I hauled the canoe up and hid it in some bushes, and it were +well I did, for a short time afterwards a great --" and he +paused. "Does the hippypotybus live in them ere waters, young +gents?"</p> + +<p>"He does not, Jack," Ruthven said.</p> + +<p>"Then it's clear," the sailor said, "that it wasn't a +hippypotybus. It must have been a seal."</p> + +<p>"Yes, it might have been a seal," Ruthven said. "What did he +do?"</p> + +<p>"Well he just took a look at me, gents, winked with one eye, +as much as to say, 'I see you,' and went down again. There warn't +nothing else as he could do, was there?"</p> + +<p>"It was the best thing he could do anyhow," Ruthven said.</p> + +<p>"Well, gents, I lived there for about three weeks, and then a +ship comes along, homeward bound, and I goes out and hails her. +At first they thought as I was a native as had learned to speak +English, and it wasn't till they'd boiled me for three hours in +the ship's copper as they got at the color of my skin, and could +believe as I was English. So I came back here and found the old +woman still alive, and took to fishing again; but it was weeks +and weeks before I could get her or any one else to believe as I +was Jack Perkins. And that's all the story, young gents. +Generally I tells it a sight longer to the gents as come down +from London in summer; but, you see, I can't make much out of it +when ye won't let me have 'bellishments."</p> + +<p>"And how much of it is true altogether, Jack?" Frank asked. +"Really how much?"</p> + +<p>"It's all true as I have told you, young masters," the boatman +said. "It were every bit true about the running down of the +smack, and me being nearly killed by the skipper, and the mutiny, +and the burning of the vessel, and my living for a long time -- +no, I won't stick to the two years, but it might have been three +weeks, with the natives before a ship picked me up. And that's +good enough for a yarn, ain't it?"</p> + +<p>"Quite good enough, Jack, and we're much obliged to you; but I +should advise you to drop the embellishments in future."</p> + +<p>"It ain't no use, Master Hargate, they will have +'bellishments, and if they will have 'em, Jack Perkins isn't the +man to disappint 'em; and, Lord bless you, sir, the stiffer I +pitches it in the more liberal they is with their tips. Thank ye +kindly all round, gentlemen. Yes, I do feel dry after the +yarn."</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV: A RISING +TIDE</h1> + +<p>The half year was drawing to its close, and it was generally +agreed at Dr. Parker's that it had been the jolliest ever known. +The boating episode and that of the tea at Oak Farm had been +events which had given a fillip to existence. The school had been +successful in the greater part of its cricket matches, and +generally every one was well satisfied with himself. On the +Saturday preceding the breaking up Frank, with Ruthven, Charlie +Goodall and two of the other naturalists, started along the +seashore to look for anemones and other marine creatures among +the rocks and pools at the foot of the South Foreland. Between +Ruthven and Frank a strong feeling of affection had grown up +since the date of their boating adventure. They were constantly +together now; and as Ruthven was also intended for the army, and +would probably obtain his commission about the same time as +Frank, they often talked over their future, and indulged in hopes +that they might often meet, and that in their campaigns, they +might go through adventures together.</p> + +<p>Tide was low when they started. They had nearly three miles to +walk. The pools in front of Deal and Walmer had often been +searched, but they hoped that once round the Foreland they might +light upon specimens differing from any which they had hitherto +found. For some hours they searched the pools, retiring as the +tide advanced. Then they went up to the foot of the cliffs, and +sat down to open their cans and compare the treasures they had +collected. The spot which they had unwittingly selected was a +little bay. For a long time they sat comparing their specimens. +Then Frank said, "Come along, it is time to be moving."</p> + +<p>As he rose to his feet he uttered an exclamation of dismay. +Although the tide was still at some little distance from the spot +where they were sitting, it had already reached the cliffs +extending out at either end of the bay. A brisk wind was blowing +on shore, and the waves were already splashing against the foot +of the rocks.</p> + +<p>The whole party leaped to their feet, and seizing their cans +ran off at the top of their speed to the end of the bay.</p> + +<p>"I will see how deep the water is," Frank exclaimed; "we may +yet be able to wade round."</p> + +<p>The water soon reached Frank's waist. He waded on until it was +up to his shoulders, and he had to leap as each wave approached +him. Then he returned to his friends.</p> + +<p>"I could see round," he said, "and I think I could have got +round without getting into deeper water. The worst of it is the +bottom is all rocky, and I stumbled several times, and should +have gone under water if I could not have swam. You can't swim, +Ruthven, I know; can you other fellows?"</p> + +<p>Goodall could swim, as could one of the others.</p> + +<p>"Now, Ruthven," Frank said, "if you will put your hand on my +shoulder and keep quiet, I think I could carry you around. +Goodall and Jackson can take Childers."</p> + +<p>But neither of the other boys had much confidence in their +swimming. They could get thirty or forty yards, but felt sure +that they would be able to render but little assistance to +Childers, and in fact scarcely liked to round the point alone. +For some time they debated the question, the sea every minute +rising and pushing them farther and farther from the point. "Look +here, Frank," Ruthven said at last; "you are not sure you can +carry me. The others are quite certain that they cannot take +Childers. We must give up that idea. The best thing, old boy, is +for you three who can swim to start together. Then if either of +the others fail you can help them a bit. Childers and I must take +our chance here. When you get round you must send a boat as soon +as possible."</p> + +<p>"I certainly shall not desert you, Ruthven," Frank said. "You +know as well as I do that I'm not likely to find a boat on the +shore till I get pretty near Walmer Castle, and long before we +could get back it would be settled here. No, no, old fellow, we +will see the matter out together. Jackson and Goodall can swim +round if they like."</p> + +<p>These lads, however, would not venture to take the risk alone, +but said they would go if Frank would go with them.</p> + +<p>"Chuck off your boots and coats and waistcoats," Frank said +suddenly, proceeding to strip rapidly to the skin. "I will take +them round, Ruthven, and come back to you. Run round the bay you +and Childers, and see if you can find any sort of ledge or +projection that we can take refuge upon. Now, then, come on you +two as quick as you can."</p> + +<p>The sea had already reached within a few feet of the foot of +the cliff all round the bay.</p> + +<p>"Now, mind," Frank said sharply, "no struggling and nonsense, +you fellows. I will keep quite close to you and stick to you, so +you needn't be afraid. If you get tired just put one hand on my +back and swim with the other and your legs; and above all things +keep your heads as low as possible in the water so as just to be +able to breathe."</p> + +<p>The three lads soon waded out as far as they could go and then +struck out. Jackson and Goodall were both poor swimmers and would +have fared very badly alone. The confidence, however, which they +entertained in Frank gave them courage, and they were well +abreast of the point when first Jackson and then Goodall put +their hands on his shoulders. Thanks to the instructions he had +given them, and to their confidence in him, they placed no great +weight upon him. But every ounce tells heavily on a swimmer, and +Frank gave a gasp of relief as at last his feet touched the +ground. Bidding his companions at once set off at a run he sat +down for two or three minutes to recover his breath.</p> + +<p>"It is lucky," he said to himself, "that I did not try with +Ruthven. It's a very different thing carrying fellows who can +swim and fellows who can't. What fools we've been to let +ourselves he caught here! I had no idea the tide came so high, or +that it was so dangerous, and none of us have ever been round +here before. Now I must go back to Ruthven."</p> + +<p>Frank found it even harder work to get back than it had been +to come out from the bay, for the tide was against him now. At +last he stood beside Ruthven and Childers.</p> + +<p>"We can only find one place, Frank, where there is any +projection a fellow could stand upon, and that is only large +enough for one. See!" he said, pointing to a projecting block of +chalk, whose upper surface, some eight inches wide, was tolerably +flat. "There is a cave here, too, which may go beyond the tide. +It is not deep but it slopes up a bit."</p> + +<p>"That will never do," Frank said; "as the waves come in they +will rush up and fill it to the top. Don't you see it is all +rounded by the water? Now, Childers, we will put you on that +stone. You will be perfectly safe there, for you see it is two +feet above this greenish line, which shows where the water +generally comes to. The tides are not at spring at present, so +though you may get a splashing there is no fear of your being +washed off."</p> + +<p>The water was already knee deep at the foot of the rocks, and +the waves took them nearly up to the shoulders. Ruthven did not +attempt to dispute Frank's allotment of the one place of safety +to Childers. Frank and he placed themselves below the block of +chalk, which was somewhat over six feet from the ground. Then +Childers scrambled up on to their shoulders, and from these +stepped onto the ledge.</p> + +<p>"I am all right," he said; "I wish to Heaven that you were +too."</p> + +<p>"We shall do," Frank said. "Mind you hold tight, Childers! You +had better turn round with your face to the cliff, so as to be +able to grip hold and steady yourself in case the waves come up +high. The tide will turn in three quarters of an hour at the +outside. Now, then, Ruthven, let's make a fight for it, old +man."</p> + +<p>"What are you going to do, Frank?"</p> + +<p>"We will wade along here as far as we can towards the corner, +and than we must swim for it."</p> + +<p>"Don't you think it's possible to stay here," Ruthven said, +"if the tide will turn so soon?"</p> + +<p>"Quite impossible!" Frank said. "I have been nearly taken off +my feet twice already, and the water will rise a yard yet, at +least. We should be smashed against the rocks, even if we weren't +drowned. It must be tried, Ruthven. There is no other way for it. +The distance is a good deal farther than it would have been if we +had started at first; but it isn't the distance that makes much +matter. We've only got to go out a little way, and the tide will +soon take us around the point. Everything depends on you. I can +take you round the point, and land you safely enough, if you will +lie quiet. If you don't, you will drown both of us. So it's +entirely in your hands.</p> + +<p>"Look out!"</p> + +<p>At this moment a larger wave than usual took both boys off +their legs, and dashed them with considerable force against the +cliff. Frank seized Ruthven, and assisted him to regain his +feet.</p> + +<p>"Now, old fellow, let me put you on your back. I will lie on +mine and tow you along. Don't struggle; don't move; above all, +don't try and lift your head, and don't mind if a little water +gets in your mouth. Now!"</p> + +<p>For a moment Ruthven felt himself under water, and had to make +a great effort to restrain himself from struggling to come to the +surface. Then he felt himself lying on his back in the water, +supported by Frank. The motion was not unpleasant as he rose and +fell on the waves, although now and then a splash of water came +over his face, and made him cough and splutter for breath. He +could see nothing but the blue sky overhead, could feel nothing +except that occasionally he received a blow from one or other of +Frank's knees, as the latter swam beneath him, with Ruthven's +head on his chest. It was a dreamy sensation, and looking back +upon it afterwards Ruthven could never recall anything that he +had thought of. It seemed simply a drowsy pleasant time, except +when occasionally a wave covered his face. His first sensation +was that of surprise when he felt the motion change, and Frank +lifted his head from the water and said, "Stand up, old fellow. +Thank God, here we are, safe!"</p> + +<p>Frank had indeed found the journey easier than that which he +had before undertaken with the others. He had scarcely tried to +progress, but had, after getting sufficiently far out to allow +the tide to take him round the point, drifted quietly.</p> + +<p>"I owe my life to you, Frank. I shall never forget it, old +fellow."</p> + +<p>"It's been a close thing," Frank answered; "but you owe your +life as much to your own coolness as to me, and above all, +Ruthven, don't let us forget that we both owe our lives to +God."</p> + +<p>"I sha'n't forget it," Ruthven said quietly, and they stood +for a few minutes without speaking. "Now, what had we better do? +Shall we start to run home?"</p> + +<p>"I can't," Frank laughed, for he had nothing on but his +trousers. These he had slipped on after the return from his first +trip, pushing the rest of his things into a crevice in the rocks +as high up as he could reach.</p> + +<p>"You had better take off your things, Ruthven, and lay them +out to dry in the sun. The boat will be here in half an hour. I +wonder how Childers is getting on!"</p> + +<p>"I think he will be safe," Ruthven said. "The tide will not +rise high enough for there to be much danger of his being washed +off."</p> + +<p>"I don't think so either," Frank agreed, "or I would try and +swim back again; but I really don't think I could get round the +point against the tide again."</p> + +<p>In half an hour a boat rowing four oars was seen +approaching.</p> + +<p>"They are laying out well," Ruthven said. "They couldn't row +harder if they were rowing a race. But had it not been for you, +old fellow, they would have been too late, as far as I am +concerned."</p> + +<p>As the boat approached, the coxswain waved his hat to the +boys. Frank motioned with his arm for them to row on round the +point. The boat swept along at a short distance from the shore. +The boys watched them breathlessly. Presently as it reached the +point they saw the coxswain stand up and say something to the +men, who glanced over their shoulders as they rowed. Then the +coxswain gave a loud shout. "Hold on! We'll be with you +directly."</p> + +<p>"Thank God!" Frank exclaimed, "Childers is all right."</p> + +<p>It was well, however, that the boat arrived when it did, for +Childers was utterly exhausted when it reached him. The sea had +risen so high that the waves broke against his feet, throwing the +spray far above his head, and often nearly washing him from the +ledge on which he stood. Had it not been, indeed, for the hold +which he obtained of the cliff, it would several times have swept +him away. About eighteen inches above his head he had found a +ledge sufficiently wide to give a grip for his hands, and hanging +by these he managed to retain his place when three times his feet +were swept off the rock by the rush of water. The tide was just +on the turn when the boat arrived, and so exhausted was he that +he certainly would not have been able to hold out for the half +hour's buffeting to which he would have been exposed before the +water fell sufficiently to leave him. After helping him into the +boat the men gathered the clothes jammed in fissures of the +cliffs. These were, of course, drenched with water, but had for +the most part remained firm in their places. They now pulled +round to the spot where Frank and Ruthven were awaiting them.</p> + +<p>"Childers must have been pretty nearly done," Frank said. "He +must be lying in the bottom of the boat."</p> + +<p>Childers gave a smile of pleasure as his schoolfellows jumped +on board. He had, glancing over his shoulder, seen them drift out +of sight round the point, and had felt certain that they had +reached shore. It was, however, a great pleasure to be assured of +the fact.</p> + +<p>"You have made quite a stir upon the beach, young gentlemen," +the coxswain of the boat said. "When they two came running up +without their shoes or coats and said there were three of you cut +off in the bay under the Foreland, there didn't seem much chance +for you. It didn't take us two minutes to launch the boat, for +there were a score of hands helping to run her down; and my mates +bent to it well, I can tell you, though we didn't think it would +be of any use. We were glad when we made you two out on this side +of the point. Look, there's half Deal and Walmer coming along the +shore."</p> + +<p>It was as the boatman said. Numbers of persons were streaming +along the beach, and loud were the cheers which rose as the +coxswain stood up and shouted in a stentorian voice, "All +saved!"</p> + +<p>Frank put on his things as they approached Walmer. His shoes +were lost, as were those of Ruthven, and he had difficulty in +getting his arms into his wet and shrunken jacket. Quite a crowd +were gathered near the castle as the boat rowed to shore, and a +hearty cheer arose as it was run up on the shingle and the boys +were helped out. Frank and Ruthven, indeed, required no +assistance. They were in no way the worse for the adventure, but +Childers was so weak that he was unable to stand. He was carried +up and laid on a fly, the others sitting opposite, the driver +having first taken the precaution of removing the cushions.</p> + +<p>There were among the crowd most of the boys from Dr. Parker's. +Goodall and Jackson had arrived nearly an hour and a half before, +and the news had spread like wildfire. Bats and balls had been +thrown down and every one had hurried to the beach. Goodall and +his companion had already related the circumstance of their being +cut off by the water and taken round the point by Frank; and as +Ruthven on jumping out had explained to his comrades who flocked +round to shake his hand, "I owe my life to Hargate," the +enthusiasm reached boiling point, and Frank had difficulty in +taking his place in the fly, so anxious were all to shake his +hand and pat him on the shoulder. Had it not been for his anxiety +to get home as soon as possible, and his urgent entreaties, they +would have carried him on their shoulders in triumph through the +town. They drove first to the school, where Childers was at once +carried up to a bed, which had been prepared with warm blankets +in readiness; Ruthven needed only to change his clothes.</p> + +<p>The moment they had left the fly Frank drove straight home, +and was delighted at finding, from his mother's exclamation of +surprise as he alighted from the cab, that she had not been +suffering any anxiety, no one, in the general excitement, having +thought of taking the news to her. In answer to her anxious +inquiries he made light of the affair, saying only that they had +stupidly allowed themselves to be cut off by the sea and had got +a ducking. It was not, indeed, till the next morning, when the +other four boys came around to tell Mrs. Hargate that they were +indebted to Frank for their lives, that she had any notion that +he had been in danger.</p> + +<p>Frank was quite oppressed by what he called the fuss which was +made over the affair. A thrilling description of it appeared in +the local papers. A subscription was got up in the school, and a +gold watch with an inscription was presented to him; and he +received letters of heart felt thanks from the parents of his +four schoolfellows, for Childers maintained that it was entirely +to Frank's coolness and thoughtfulness that his preservation was +also due.</p> + +<p>On the following Wednesday the school broke up. Frank had +several invitations from the boys to spend his holidays with +them; but he knew how lonely his mother would feel in his +absence, and he declined all the invitations. Mrs. Hargate was +far from strong, and had had several fits of fainting. These, +however, had taken place at times when Frank was at school, and +she had strictly charged her little servant to say nothing about +it.</p> + +<p>One day on returning from a long walk he saw the doctor's +carriage standing at the door. Just as he arrived the door opened +and the doctor came out. Upon seeing Frank he turned.</p> + +<p>"Come in here, my boy," he said.</p> + +<p>Frank followed him, and seeing that the blinds were down, went +to draw them up. The doctor laid his hand on his arm.</p> + +<p>"Never mind that," he said gently.</p> + +<p>"My boy," he said, "do you know that your mother has been for +some time ailing?"</p> + +<p>"No, indeed," Frank said with a gasp of pain and surprise.</p> + +<p>"It is so, my boy. I have been attending her for some time. +She has been suffering from fainting fits brought on by weakness +of the heart's action. Two hours since I was sent for and found +her unconscious. My poor boy, you must compose yourself. God is +good and merciful, though his decrees are hard to bear. Your +mother passed away quietly half an hour since, without recovering +consciousness."</p> + +<p>Frank gave a short cry, and then sat stunned by the suddenness +of the blow. The doctor drew out a small case from his pocket and +poured a few drops from the phial into a glass, added some water, +and held it to Frank's lips.</p> + +<p>"Drink this, my boy," he said.</p> + +<p>Frank turned his head from the offered glass. He could not +speak.</p> + +<p>"Drink this, my boy," the doctor said again; "it will do you +good. Try and be strong for the sake of your little sister, who +has only you in the world now."</p> + +<p>The thought of Lucy touched the right chord in the boy's +heart, and he burst into a passionate fit of crying. The doctor +allowed his tears to flow unchecked.</p> + +<p>"You will be better now," he said presently. "Now drink this, +then lie down on the sofa. We must not be having you ill, you +know."</p> + +<p>Frank gulped down the contents of the glass, and, passive as a +child, allowed the doctor to place him upon the sofa.</p> + +<p>"God help and strengthen you, my poor boy," he said; "ask help +from Him."</p> + +<p>For an hour Frank lay sobbing on the sofa, and then, +remembering the doctor's last words, he knelt beside it and +prayed for strength.</p> + +<p>A week had passed. The blinds were up again. Mrs. Hargate had +been laid in her last home, and Frank was sitting alone again in +the little parlor thinking over what had best be done. The +outlook was a dark one, enough to shake the courage of one much +older than Frank. His mother's pension, he knew, died with her. +He had, on the doctor's advice, written to the War Office on the +day following his mother's death, to inform the authorities of +the circumstances, and to ask if any pension could be granted to +his sister. The reply had arrived that morning and had relieved +him of the greatest of his cares. It stated that as he was now +just fifteen years old he was not eligible for a pension, but +that twenty-five pounds a year would be paid to his sister until +she married or attained the age of twenty-one.</p> + +<p>He had spoken to the doctor that morning, and the latter said +that he knew a lady who kept a small school, and who would, he +doubted not, be willing to receive Lucy and to board and clothe +her for that sum. She was a very kind and motherly person, and he +was sure that Lucy would be most kindly treated and cared for by +her. It was then of his own future only that Frank had to think. +There were but a few pounds in the house, but the letter from the +War Office inclosed a check for twenty pounds, as his mother's +quarterly pension was just due. The furniture of the little house +would fetch but a small sum, not more, Frank thought, than thirty +or forty pounds. There were a few debts to pay, and after all was +settled up there would remain about fifty pounds. Of this he +determined to place half in the doctor's hands for the use of +Lucy.</p> + +<p>"She will want," he said to himself, "a little pocket money. +It is hard on a girl having no money to spend of her own. Then, +as she gets on, she may need lessons in something or other. +Besides, half the money rightly belongs to her, The question is, +What am I to do?"</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V: ALONE IN +THE WORLD</h1> + +<p>"What am I to do?"</p> + +<p>A difficult question indeed, for a boy of fifteen, with but +twenty-five pounds, and without a friend in the world. Was he, +indeed, without a friend? he asked himself. There was Dr. Parker. +Should he apply to him? But the doctor had started for a trip on +the Continent the day after the school had broken up, and would +not return for six weeks. It was possible that, had he been at +home, he might have offered to keep Frank for a while; but the +boys seldom stayed at his school past the age of fifteen, going +elsewhere to have their education completed. What possible claim +had he to quarter himself upon the doctor for the next four +years, even were the offer made? No, Frank felt; he could not +live upon the doctor's charity. Then there were the parents of +the boys he had saved from drowning. But even as he sat alone +Frank's face flushed at the thought of trading upon services so +rendered. The boy's chief fault was pride. It was no petty +feeling, and he had felt no shame at being poorer than the rest +of his schoolfellows. It was rather a pride which led him unduly +to rely upon himself, and to shrink from accepting favors from +any one. Frank might well, without any derogation, have written +to his friends, telling them of the loss he had suffered and the +necessity there was for him to earn his living, and asking them +to beg their fathers to use their interest to procure him a +situation as a boy clerk, or any other position in which he could +earn his livelihood.</p> + +<p>Frank, however, shrunk from making any such appeal, and +determined to fight his battle without asking for help. He knew +nothing of his parents' relations. His father was an only son, +who had been left early an orphan. His mother, too, had, he was +aware, lost both her parents, and he had never heard her speak of +other relations. There was no one, therefore, so far as he knew, +to whom he could appeal on the ground of ties of blood. It must +be said for him that he had no idea how hard was the task which +he was undertaking. It seemed to him that it must be easy for a +strong, active lad to find employment of some sort in London. +What the employment might be he cared little for. He had no pride +of that kind, and so that he could earn his bread he cared not +much in what capacity he might do it.</p> + +<p>Already preparations had been made for the sale of the +furniture, which was to take place next day. Everything was to be +sold except the scientific books which had belonged to his +father. These had been packed in a great box until the time when +he might place them in a library of his own, and the doctor +kindly offered to keep it for him until such time should arrive. +Frank wrote a long letter to Ruthven, telling him of his loss, +and his reasons for leaving Deal, and promising to write some day +and tell him how he was getting on in London. This letter he did +not intend to post until the last thing before leaving Deal. Lucy +had already gone to her new home, and Frank felt confident that +she would be happy there. His friend, the doctor, who had tried +strongly, but without avail, to dissuade Frank from going up to +London to seek his fortune there, had promised that if the lad +referred any inquiries to him he would answer for his +character.</p> + +<p>He went down to the beach the last evening and said goodbye to +his friends among the fishermen, and he walked over in the +afternoon and took his last meal with Farmer Gregson.</p> + +<p>"Look ye here, my lad," the farmer said as they parted. "I +tell ye, from what I've heerd, this London be a hard nut to +crack. There be plenty of kernel, no doubt, when you can get at +it, but it be hard work to open the shell. Now, if so be as at +any time you run short of money, just drop me a line, and there's +ten pound at your service whenever you like. Don't you think it's +an obligation. Quite the other way. It would be a real pleasure +to me to lend you a helping hand."</p> + +<p>Two days after the sale Frank started for London. On getting +out of the train he felt strange and lonely amid the bustle and +confusion which was going on on the platform. The doctor had +advised him to ask one of the porters, or a policeman, if he +could recommend him to a quiet and respectable lodging, as +expenses at an hotel would soon make a deep hole in his money. +He, therefore, as soon as the crowd cleared away, addressed +himself to one of the porters.</p> + +<p>"What sort of lodgings do you want, sir?" the man said, +looking at him rather suspiciously, with, as Frank saw, a strong +idea in his mind that he was a runaway schoolboy.</p> + +<p>"I only want one room," he said, "and I don't care how small +it is, so that it is clean and quiet. I shall be out all day, and +should not give much trouble."</p> + +<p>The porter went away and spoke to some of his mates, and +presently returned with one of them.</p> + +<p>"You're wanting a room I hear, sir," the man said. "I have a +little house down the Old Kent Road, and my missus lets a room or +two. It's quiet and clean, I'll warrant you. We have one room +vacant at present."</p> + +<p>"I'm sure that would suit me very well," Frank said. "How much +do you charge a week?"</p> + +<p>"Three and sixpence, sir, if you don't want any cooking +done."</p> + +<p>Frank took the address, and leaving his portmanteau in charge +of the porter, who promised, unless he heard to the contrary, +that he would bring it home with him when he had done his work, +he set off from the station.</p> + +<p>Deal is one of the quietest and most dreary places on the +coast of England, and Frank was perfectly astounded at the crowd +and bustle which filled the street, when he issued from the +railway approach, at the foot of London Bridge. The porter had +told him that he was to turn to his left, and keep straight along +until he reached the "Elephant and Castle." He had, therefore, no +trouble about his road, and was able to give his whole attention +to the sights which met his eye. For a time the stream of +omnibuses, cabs, heavy wagons, and light carts, completely +bewildered him, as did the throng of people who hastened along +the footway. He was depressed rather than exhilarated at the +sight of this busy multitude. He seemed such a solitary atom in +the midst of this great moving crowd. Presently, however, the +thought that where so many millions gained their living there +must be room for one boy more, somewhat cheered him. He was a +long time making his way to his place of destination, for he +stared into every shop window, and being, although he was +perfectly ignorant of the fact, on the wrong side of the +pavement, he was bumped and bustled continually, and was not long +in arriving at the conclusion that the people of London must be +the roughest and rudest in the world. It was not until he ran +against a gentleman, and was greeted with the angry, "now then, +boy. Where are you going? Why the deuce don't you keep on your +own side of the pavement?" that he perceived that the moving +throng was divided into two currents, that on the inside meeting +him, while the outside stream was proceeding in the same +direction as himself. After this he got on better, and arrived +without adventure at the house of the porter, in the Old Kent +Road.</p> + +<p>It was a small house, but was clean and respectable, and Frank +found that the room would suit him well.</p> + +<p>"I do not wait upon the lodgers," the landlady said, "except +to make the beds and tidy the rooms in the morning. So if you +want breakfast and tea at home you will have to get them +yourself. There is a separate place downstairs for your coals. +There are some tea things, plates and dishes, in this cupboard. +You will want to buy a small tea kettle, and a gridiron, and a +frying pan, in case you want a chop or a rasher. Do you think you +can cook them yourself?"</p> + +<p>"Frank, amused at the thought of cooking and catering for +himself, said boldly that he should soon learn.</p> + +<p>"You are a very young gentleman," the landlady said, eyeing +him doubtfully, "to be setting up on your own hook. I mean," she +said, seeing Frank look puzzled, "setting up housekeeping on your +own account. You will have to be particular careful with the +frying pan, because if you were to upset the fat in the fire you +might have the house in a blaze in a jiffey."</p> + +<p>Frank said that he would certainly be careful with the frying +pan.</p> + +<p>"Well," she went on, "as you're a stranger to the place I +don't know as you could do better than get your tea, and sugar, +and things at the grocer's at the next corner. I deals there +myself, and he gives every satisfaction. My baker will be round +in a few minutes, and, if you likes, I can take in your bread for +you. The same with milk."</p> + +<p>These matters being arranged, and Frank agreeing at once to +the proposition that as he was a stranger it would make things +more comfortable were he to pay his rent in advance, found +himself alone in his new apartment. It was a room about ten feet +square. The bed occupied one corner, with the washstand at its +foot. There was a small table in front of the fireplace, and two +chairs; a piece of carpet half covered the floor, and these with +the addition of the articles in the cupboard constituted the +furniture of the room. Feeling hungry after his journey Frank +resolved to go out at once and get something to eat, and then to +lay in a stock of provisions. After some hesitation regarding the +character of the meal he decided upon two Bath buns, determining +to make a substantial tea. He laid in a supply of tea, sugar, +butter, and salt, bought a little kettle, a frying pan, and a +gridiron. Then he hesitated as to whether he should venture upon +a mutton chop or some bacon, deciding finally in favor of the +latter, upon the reflection that any fellow could see whether +bacon were properly frizzled up, while as to a chop there was no +seeing anything about it till one cut it. He, therefore, invested +in a pound of prime streaky Wiltshire bacon, the very best, as +the shopman informed him, that could be bought. He returned +carrying all his purchases, with the exception of the hardware. +Then he inquired of his landlady where he could get coal.</p> + +<p>"The green grocer's round the corner," the landlady said. +"Tell him to send in a hundredweight of the best, that's a +shilling, and you'll want some firewood too."</p> + +<p>The coal arrived in the course of the afternoon, and at half +past six the porter came in with Frank's trunk. He had by this +time lit a fire, and while the water was boiling got some of his +things out of the box, and by hanging some clothes on the pegs on +the back of the door, and by putting the two or three favorite +books he had brought with him on to the mantelpiece, he gave the +room a more homelike appearance. He enjoyed his tea all the more +from the novelty of having to prepare it himself, and succeeded +very fairly for a first attempt with his bacon.</p> + +<p>When tea was over he first washed up the things and then +started for a ramble. He followed the broad straight road to +Waterloo Bridge, stood for a long time looking at the river, and +then crossed into the Strand. The lamps were now alight and the +brightness and bustle of the scene greatly interested him. At +nine o'clock he returned to his lodgings, but was again obliged +to sally out, as he found he had forgotten candles.</p> + +<p>After breakfast next morning he went out and bought a +newspaper, and set himself to work to study the advertisements. +He was dismayed to find how many more applicants there were for +places than places requiring to be filled. All the persons +advertising were older than himself, and seemed to possess +various accomplishments in the way of languages; many too could +be strongly recommended from their last situation. The prospect +did not look hopeful. In the first place he had looked to see if +any required boy clerks, but this species of assistant appeared +little in demand; and then, although he hoped that it would not +come to that, he ran his eye down the columns to see if any +required errand boys or lads in manufacturing businesses. He +found, however, no such advertisements. However, as he said to +himself, it could not be expected that he should find a place +waiting for him on the very day after his arrival, and that he +ought to be able to live for a year on his five and twenty +pounds; at this reflection his spirits rose and he went out again +for a walk.</p> + +<p>For the first week, indeed, of his arrival in London Frank did +not set himself very earnestly to work to look for a situation. +In his walks about the streets he several times observed cards in +the window indicating that an errand boy was wanted. He resolved, +however, that this should be the last resource which he would +adopt, as he would much prefer to go to work as a common lad in a +factory to serving in a shop. After the first week he answered +many advertisements, but in no case received a reply. In one +case, in which it was stated that a lad who could write a good +fast hand was required in an office, wages to begin with eight +shillings a week, he called two days after writing. It was a +small office with a solitary clerk sitting in it. The latter, +upon learning Frank's business, replied with some exasperation +that his mind was being worried out by boys.</p> + +<p>"We have had four hundred and thirty letters," he said; "and I +should think that a hundred boys must have called. We took the +first who applied, and all the other letters were chucked into +the fire as soon as we saw what they were about."</p> + +<p>Frank returned to the street greatly disheartened.</p> + +<p>"Four hundred and thirty letters!" he said. "Four hundred and +thirty other fellows on the lookout, just as I am, for a place as +a boy clerk, and lots of them, no doubt, with friends and +relations to recommend them! The lookout seems to be a bad +one."</p> + +<p>Two days later, when Frank was walking along the strand he +noticed the placards in front of a theater.</p> + +<p>"Gallery one shilling!" he said to himself; "I will go. I have +never seen a theater yet."</p> + +<p>The play was <i>The Merchant of Venice</i>, and Frank sat in +rapt attention and interest through it. When the performance was +over he walked briskly homewards. When he had proceeded some +distance he saw a glare in the sky ahead, and presently a steam +engine dashed past him at full speed.</p> + +<p>"That must be a house on fire," he said. "I have never seen a +fire;" and he broke into a run.</p> + +<p>Others were running in the same direction, and as he passed +the "Elephant and Castle" the crowd became thicker, and when +within fifty yards of the house he could no longer advance. He +could see the flames now rising high in the air. A horrible fear +seized him.</p> + +<p>"It must be," he exclaimed to himself, "either our house or +the one next door."</p> + +<p>It was in vain that he pressed forward to see more nearly. A +line of policemen was drawn up across the road to keep a large +space clear for the firemen. Behind the policemen the crowd were +thickly packed. Frank inquired of many who stood near him if they +could tell him the number of the house which was on fire; but +none could inform him.</p> + +<p>Presently the flames began to die away, and the crowd to +disperse. At length Frank reached the first line of +spectators.</p> + +<p>"Can you tell me the number of the houses which are burned?" +Frank said to a policeman.</p> + +<p>"There are two of them," the policeman said "a hundred and +four and a hundred and five. A hundred and four caught first, and +they say that a woman and two children have been burned to +death."</p> + +<p>"That is where I live!" Frank cried. "Oh, please let me +pass!"</p> + +<p>"I'll pass you in," the policeman said good naturedly, and he +led him forward to the spot where the engines were playing upon +the burning houses. "Is it true, mate," he asked a fireman, "that +a woman and two children have been burned?"</p> + +<p>"It's true enough," the fireman said. "The landlady and her +children. Her husband was a porter at the railway station, and +had been detained on overtime. He only came back a quarter of an +hour ago, and he's been going on like a madman;" and he pointed +to the porter, who was sitting down on the doorsteps of a house +facing his own, with his face hidden in his hands.</p> + +<p>Frank went and sat down beside him.</p> + +<p>"My poor fellow," he said, "I am sorry for you."</p> + +<p>Frank had had many chats with his landlord of an evening, and +had become quite friendly with him and his wife.</p> + +<p>"I can't believe it," the man said huskily. "Just to think! +When I went out this morning there was Jane and the kids, as well +and as happy as ever, and there, where are they now?"</p> + +<p>"Happier still," Frank said gently. "I lost my mother just as +suddenly only five weeks ago. I went out for a walk, leaving her +as well as usual, and when I came back she was dead; so I can +feel for you with all my heart."</p> + +<p>"I would have given my life for them," the man said, wiping +his eyes, "willing."</p> + +<p>"I'm sure you would," Frank answered.</p> + +<p>"There's the home gone," the man said, "with all the things +that it took ten years' savings of Jane and me to buy; not that +that matters one way or the other now. And your traps are gone, +too, I suppose, sir."</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank replied quietly, "I have lost my clothes and +twenty-three pounds in money; every penny I've got in the world +except half a crown in my pocket."</p> + +<p>"And you don't say nothing about it!" the man said, roused +into animation. "But, there, perhaps you've friends as will make +it up to you."</p> + +<p>"I have no one in the world," Frank answered, "whom I could +ask to give me a helping hand."</p> + +<p>"Well, you are a plucky chap," the man said. "That would be a +knock down blow to a man, let alone a boy like you. What are you +going to do now?" he asked, forgetting for the moment his own +loss, in his interest in his companion.</p> + +<p>"I don't know," Frank replied. "Perhaps," he added, seeing +that the interest in his condition roused the poor fellow from +the thought of his own deep sorrow, "you might give me some +advice. I was thinking of getting a place in an office, but of +course I must give that up now, and should be thankful to get +anything by which I can earn my bread."</p> + +<p>"You come along with me," the man said rising. "You've done me +a heap of good. It's no use sitting here. I shall go back to the +station, and turn in on some sacks. If you've nothing better to +do, and nowhere to go to, you come along with me. We will talk it +all over."</p> + +<p>Pleased to have some one to talk to, and glad that he should +not have to look for a place to sleep, Frank accompanied the +porter to the station. With a word or two to the nightmen on +duty, the porter led the way to a shed near the station, where a +number of sacks were heaped in a corner.</p> + +<p>"Now," the man said, "I will light a pipe. It's against the +regulations, but that's neither here nor there now. Now, if +you're not sleepy, would you mind talking to me? Tell me +something about yourself, and how you come to be alone here in +London. It does me good to talk. It prevents me from +thinking."</p> + +<p>"There is very little to tell," Frank said; and he related to +him the circumstances of the deaths of his father and mother, and +how it came that he was alone in London in search of a place.</p> + +<p>"You're in a fix," the porter said.</p> + +<p>"Yes, I can see that."</p> + +<p>"You see you're young for most work, and you never had no +practice with horses, or you might have got a place to drive a +light cart. Then, again, your knowing nothing of London is +against you as an errand boy; and what's worse than all this, +anyone can see with half an eye that you're a gentleman, and not +accustomed to hard work. However, we will think it over. The +daylight's breaking now, and I has to be at work at six. But look +ye here, young fellow, tomorrow I've got to look for a room, and +when I gets it there's half of it for you, if you're not too +proud to accept it. It will be doing me a real kindness, I can +tell you, for what I am to do alone of an evening without Jane +and the kids, God knows. I can't believe they're gone yet."</p> + +<p>Then the man threw himself down upon the sacks, and broke into +sobs. Frank listened for half an hour till these gradually died +away, and he knew by the regular breathing that his companion was +asleep. It was long after this before be himself closed his eyes. +The position did, indeed, appear a dark one. Thanks to the offer +of his companion, which he at once resolved to accept for a time, +he would have a roof to sleep under. But this could not last; and +what was he to do? Perhaps he had been wrong in not writing at +once to Ruthven and his schoolfellows. He even felt sure he had +been wrong; but it would be ten times as hard to write now. He +would rather starve than do this. How was he to earn his living? +He would, he determined, at any rate try for a few days to +procure a place as an errand boy. If that failed, he would sell +his clothes, and get a rough working suit. He was sure that he +should have more chance of obtaining work in such a dress than in +his present attire.</p> + +<p>Musing thus, Frank at last dropped off to sleep. When he woke +he found himself alone, his companion having left without +disturbing him. From the noises around him of trains coming in +and out, Frank judged that the hour was late.</p> + +<p>"I have done one wise thing," he said, "anyhow, and as far as +I can see it's the only one, in leaving my watch with the doctor +to keep. He pointed out that I might have it stolen if I carried +it, and that there was no use in keeping it shut up in a box. +Very possibly it might be stolen by the dishonesty of a servant. +That's safe anyhow, and it is my only worldly possession, except +the books, and I would rather go into the workhouse than part +with either of them."</p> + +<p>Rising, he made his way into the station, where he found the +porter at his usual work.</p> + +<p>"I would not wake you," the man said; "you were sleeping so +quiet, and I knew 'twas no use your getting up early. I shall go +out and settle for a room at dinner time. If you will come here +at six o'clock we'll go off together. The mates have all been +very kind, and have been making a collection to bury my poor girl +and the kids. They've found 'em, and the inquest is tomorrow, so +I shall be off work. The governor has offered me a week; but +there, I'd rather be here where there's no time for thinking, +than hanging about with nothing to do but to drink."</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI: THE FIRST +STEP</h1> + +<p>All that day Frank tramped the streets. He went into many +shops where he saw notices that an errand boy was required, but +everywhere without success. He perceived at once that his +appearance was against him, and he either received the abrupt +answer of, "You're not the sort of chap for my place," or an +equally decided refusal upon the grounds that he did not know the +neighborhood, or that they preferred one who had parents who +lived close by and could speak for him.</p> + +<p>At six o'clock he rejoined the porter. He brought with him +some bread and butter and a piece of bacon. When, on arriving at +the lodging of his new friend, a neat room with two small beds in +it, he produced and opened his parcel, the porter said angrily, +"Don't you do that again, young fellow, or we shall have words. +You're just coming to stop with me for a bit till you see your +way, and I'm not going to have you bring things in here. My money +is good for two months, and your living here with me won't cost +three shillings a week. So don't you hurt my feelings by bringing +things home again. There, don't say no more about it."</p> + +<p>Frank, seeing that his companion was really in earnest, said +no more, and was the less reluctant to accept the other's +kindness as he saw that his society was really a great relief to +him in his trouble. After the meal they sallied out to a second +hand clothes shop. Here Frank disposed of his things, and +received in return a good suit of clothes fit for a working +lad.</p> + +<p>"I don't know how it is," the porter said as they sat together +afterwards, "but a gentleman looks like a gentleman put him in +what clothes you will. I could have sworn to your being that if +I'd never seen you before. I can't make it out, I don't know what +it is, but there's certainly something in gentle blood, whatever +you may say about it. Some of my mates are forever saying that +one man's as good as another. Now I don't mean to say they ain't +as good; but what I say is, as they ain't the same. One man ain't +the same as another any more than a race horse is the same as a +cart horse. They both sprang from the same stock, at least so +they says; but breeding and feeding and care has made one into a +slim boned creature as can run like the wind, while the other has +got big bones and weight and can drag his two ton after him +without turning a hair. Now, I take it, it's the same thing with +gentlefolks and working men. It isn't that one's bigger than the +other, for I don't see much difference that way; but a +gentleman's lighter in the bone, and his hands and his feet are +smaller, and he carries himself altogether different. His voice +gets a different tone. Why, Lord bless you, when I hears two men +coming along the platform at night, even when I can't see 'em, +and can't hear what they says, only the tone of their voices, I +knows just as well whether it's a first class or a third door as +I've got to open as if I saw <i>'</i>em in the daylight. Rum, +ain't it?"</p> + +<p>Frank had never thought the matter out, and could only give +his general assent to his companion's proposition.</p> + +<p>"Now," the porter went on, "if you go into a factory or +workshop, I'll bet a crown to a penny that before you've been +there a week you'll get called Gentleman Jack, or some such name. +You see if you ain't."</p> + +<p>"I don't care what they call me," Frank laughed, "so that +they'll take me into the factory."</p> + +<p>"All in good time," the porter said; "don't you hurry +yourself. As long as you can stay here you'll be heartily +welcome. Just look what a comfort it is to have you sitting here +sociable and comfortable. You don't suppose I could have sat here +alone in this room if you hadn't been here? I should have been in +a public house making a beast of myself, and spending as much +money as would keep the pair of us."</p> + +<p>Day after day Frank went out in search of work. In his tramps +he visited scores of workshops and factories, but without +success. Either they did not want boys, or they declined +altogether to take one who had no experience in work, and had no +references in the neighborhood. Frank took his breakfast and tea +with the porter, and was glad that the latter had his dinner at +the station, as a penny loaf served his purposes. One day in his +walks Frank entered Covent Garden and stood looking on at the +bustle and flow of business, for it happened to be market day. He +leaned against one of the columns of the piazza, eating the bread +he had just bought. Presently a sharp faced lad, a year or two +younger than himself, came up to him.</p> + +<p>"Give us a hit," he said, "I ain't tasted nothing today."</p> + +<p>Frank broke the bread in half and gave a portion to him.</p> + +<p>"What a lot there is going on here!" Frank said.</p> + +<p>"Law!" the boy answered, "that ain't nothing to what it is of +a morning. That's the time, <i>'</i>special on the mornings of +the flower market. It's hard lines if a chap can't pick up a +tanner or even a bob then."</p> + +<p>"How?" Frank asked eagerly.</p> + +<p>"Why, by holding horses, helping to carry out plants, and such +like. You seems a green 'un, you do. Up from the country, eh? +Don't seem like one of our sort."</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank said, "I'm just up from the country. I thought it +would be easy to get a place in London, but I don't find it +so."</p> + +<p>"A place!" the boy repeated scornfully. "I should like any one +to see me in a place. It's better a hundred times to be your own +master."</p> + +<p>"Even if you do want a piece of bread sometimes?" Frank put +in.</p> + +<p>"Yes," the boy said. "When it ain't market day and ye haven't +saved enough to buy a few papers or boxes of matches it does come +hard. In winter the times is bad, but in summer we gets on +fairish, and there ain't nothing to grumble about. Are you out of +work yourself?"</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank answered, "I'm on the lookout for a job."</p> + +<p>"You'd have a chance here in the morning," said the boy, +looking at him. "You look decent, and might get a job unloading. +They won't have us at no price, if they can help it."</p> + +<p>"I will come and try anyhow," Frank said.</p> + +<p>That evening Frank told his friend, the porter, that he +thought of going out early next morning to try and pick up odd +jobs at Covent Garden.</p> + +<p>"Don't you think of it," the porter said. "There's nothing +worse for a lad than taking to odd jobs. It gets him into bad +ways and bad company. Don't you hurry. I have spoken to lots of +my mates, and they're all on the lookout for you. We on the +platform can't do much. It ain't in our line, you see; but in the +goods department, where they are constant with vans and wagons +and such like, they are likely enough to hear of something before +long."</p> + +<p>That night, thinking matters over in bed, Frank determined to +go down to the docks and see if he could get a place as cabin +boy. He had had this idea in his mind ever since he lost his +money, and had only put it aside in order that he might, if +possible, get some berth on shore which might seem likely in the +end to afford him a means of making his way up again. It was not +that he was afraid of the roughness of a cabin boy's life; it was +only because he knew that it would be so very long before, +working his way up from boy to able bodied seaman, he could +obtain a mate's certificate, and so make a first step up the +ladder. However, he thought that even this would be better than +going as a wagoner's boy, and he accordingly crossed London +Bridge, turned down Eastcheap, and presently found himself in +Ratcliff Highway. He was amused here at the nautical character of +the shops, and presently found himself staring into a window full +of foreign birds, for the most part alive in cages, among which, +however, were a few cases of stuffed birds.</p> + +<p>"How stupid I have been!" he thought to himself. "I wonder I +never thought of it before! I can stuff birds and beasts at any +rate a deal better than those wooden looking things. I might have +a chance of getting work at some naturalist's shop. I will get a +directory and take down all the addresses in London, and then go +around."</p> + +<p>He now became conscious of a conversation going on between a +little old man with a pair of thick horn rimmed spectacles and a +sailor who had a dead parrot and a cat in his hand.</p> + +<p>"I really cannot undertake them," the old man said. "Since the +death of my daughter I have had but little time to attend to that +branch. What with buying and selling, and feeding and attending +to the live ones, I have no time for stuffing. Besides, if the +things were poisoned, they would not be worth stuffing."</p> + +<p>"It isn't the question of worth, skipper," the sailor said; +"and I don't say, mind ye, that these here critturs was pisoned, +only if you looks at it that this was the noisiest bird and the +worst tempered thievingest cat in the neighborhood -- though, +Lord bless you, my missus wouldn't allow it for worlds -- why, +you know, when they were both found stiff and cold this morning +people does have a sort of a suspicion as how they've been +pisoned;" and he winked one eye in a portentous manner, and +grinned hugely. "The missus she's in a nice taking, screeching, +and yelling as you might hear her two cables' length away, and +she turns round on me and will have it as I'd a hand in the +matter. Well, just to show my innocence, I offers to get a glass +case for 'em and have 'em stuffed, if it cost me a couple of +pounds. I wouldn't care if they fell all to pieces a week +afterwards, so that it pacified the old woman just at present. If +I can't get 'em done I shall ship at once, for the place will be +too hot to hold me. So you can't do it nohow?"</p> + +<p>The old man shook his head, and the sailor was just turning +off when Frank went up to him:</p> + +<p>"Will you please wait a moment? Can I speak to you, sir, a +minute?" he asked the old man.</p> + +<p>The naturalist went into his shop, and Frank followed him.</p> + +<p>"I can stuff birds and animals, sir," he said. "I think I +really stuff them well, for some which I did for amusement were +sold at ten shillings a case, and the man who bought them of me +told me they would be worth four times as much in London. I am +out of work, sir, and very very anxious to get my living. You +will find me hard working and honest. Do give me a chance. Let me +stuff that cat and parrot for the sailor. If you are not +satisfied then, I will go away and charge nothing for it."</p> + +<p>The man looked at him keenly.</p> + +<p>"I will at any rate give you a trial," he said. Then he went +to the door and called in the sailor. "This lad tells me he can +stuff birds. I know nothing about him, but I believe he is +speaking truthfully. If you like to intrust them to him he will +do his best. If you're not satisfied he will make no charge."</p> + +<p>Much pleased at seeing a way out of his dilemma, the sailor +placed the dead animals on the counter.</p> + +<p>"Now," the old man said to Frank, "you can take these out into +the back yard and skin them. Then you can go to work in that back +room. You will find arsenical soap, cotton wool, wires, and +everything else you require there. This has been a fine cat," he +said, looking at the animal.</p> + +<p>"Yes, it has been a splendid creature," Frank answered. "It is +a magnificent macaw also."</p> + +<p>"Ah! you know it is a macaw!" the old man said.</p> + +<p>"Of course," Frank said simply; "it has a tail."</p> + +<p>The old man then furnished Frank with two or three sharp +knives and scissors. Taking the bird and cat, he went out into +the yard and in the course of an hour had skinned them both. Then +he returned to the shop and set to work in the room behind.</p> + +<p>"May I make a group of them?" he asked.</p> + +<p>"Do them just as you like," the old man said.</p> + +<p>After settling upon his subject, Frank set to work, and, +except that he went out for five minutes to buy and eat a penny +loaf, continued his work till nightfall. The old man came in +several times to look at him, but each time went out again +without making a remark. At six o'clock Frank laid down his +tools.</p> + +<p>"I will come again tomorrow, sir," he said.</p> + +<p>The old man nodded, and Frank went home in high spirits. There +was a prospect at last of getting something to do, and that in a +line most congenial to his own tastes.</p> + +<p>The old man looked up when he entered next morning.</p> + +<p>"I shall not come in today," he remarked. "I will wait to see +them finished."</p> + +<p>Working without interruption till the evening, Frank finished +them to his satisfaction, and enveloped them with many wrappings +of thread to keep them in precisely the attitudes in which he had +placed them.</p> + +<p>"They are ready for drying now, sir," he said. "If I might +place them in an oven they would be dried by morning."</p> + +<p>The old man led the way to the kitchen, where a small fire was +burning.</p> + +<p>"I shall put no more coals on the fire," he said, "and it will +be out in a quarter of an hour. Put them in there and leave the +door open. I will close it in an hour when the oven cools."</p> + +<p>The next day Frank was again at work. It took him all day to +get fur and feather to lie exactly as he wished them. In the +afternoon he asked the naturalist for a piece of flat board, +three feet long, and a perch, but said that instead of the piece +of board he should prefer mounting them in a case at once. The +old man had not one in the shop large enough, and therefore Frank +arranged his group temporarily on the table. On the board lay the +cat. At first sight she seemed asleep, but it was clearly only +seeming. Her eyes were half open, the upper lip was curled up, +and the sharp teeth showed. The hind feet were drawn somewhat +under her as in readiness for an instant spring. Her front paws +were before her, the talons were somewhat stretched, and one paw +was curved. Her ears lay slightly back. She was evidently on the +point of springing. The macaw perch, which had been cut down to a +height of two feet, stood behind her. The bird hung by its feet, +and, head downwards, stretched with open beak towards the tip of +the cat's tail, which was slightly uplifted. On a piece of paper +Frank wrote, "Dangerous Play."</p> + +<p>It was evening before he had finished perfectly to his +satisfaction. Then he called the naturalist in. The old man +stopped at the door, surveying the group. Then he entered and +examined it carefully.</p> + +<p>"Wonderful!" he said. "Wonderful! I should have thought them +alive. There is not a shop in the West End where it could have +been turned out better, if so well.</p> + +<p>"Lad, you are a wonder! Tell me now who and what are you? I +saw when you first addressed me that you were not what you seemed +to be, a working lad."</p> + +<p>"I have been well educated," Frank said, "and was taught to +preserve and stuff by my father, who was a great naturalist. My +parents died suddenly, and I was left on my own resources, +which," he said, smiling faintly, "have hitherto proved of very +small avail. I am glad you are pleased. If you will take me into +your service I will work hard and make myself useful in every +way. If you require references I can refer you to the doctor who +attended us in the country; but I have not a single friend in +London except a railway porter, who has most kindly and +generously taken me in and sheltered me for the last two +months."</p> + +<p>"I need no references," the old man said; "your work speaks +for itself as to your skill, and your face for your character. +But I can offer you nothing fit for you. With such a genius as +you have for setting up animals, you ought to be able to earn a +good income. Not one man in a thousand can make a dead animal +look like a live one. You have the knack or the art."</p> + +<p>"I shall be very content with anything you can give me," Frank +said; "for the present I only ask to earn my living. If later on +I can, as you say, do more, all the better."</p> + +<p>The old man stood for some time thinking, and presently said, +"I do but little except in live stock. When I had my daughter +with me I did a good deal of stuffing, for there is a +considerable trade hereabout. The sailors bring home skins of +foreign birds, and want them stuffed and put in cases, as +presents for their wives and sweethearts. You work fast as well +as skillfully. I have known men who would take a fortnight to do +such a group as that, and then it would be a failure. It will be +quite a new branch for my trade. I do not know how it will act +yet, but to begin with I will give you twelve shillings a week, +and a room upstairs. If it succeeds we will make other +arrangements. I am an old man, and a very lonely one. I shall be +glad to have such a companion."</p> + +<p>Frank joyfully embraced the offer, and ran all the way home to +tell his friend, the porter, of the engagement.</p> + +<p>"I am very glad," the man said; "heartily glad. I shall miss +you sorely. I do not know what I should have done without you +when I first lost poor Jane and the kids. But now I can go back +to my old ways again."</p> + +<p>"Perhaps," Frank suggested, "you might arrange to have a room +also in the house. It would not be a very long walk, not above +twenty or five and twenty minutes, and I should be so glad to +have you with me."</p> + +<p>The man sat silent for a time. "No," he said at last, "I thank +you all the same. I should like it too, but I don't think it +would be best in the end. Here all my mates live near, and I +shall get on in time. The Christmas holiday season will soon be +coming on and we shall be up working late. If you were always +going to stop at the place you are going to, it would be +different; but you will rise, never fear. I shall be seeing you +in gentleman's clothes again some of these days. I've heard you +say you were longing to get your books and to be studying again, +and you'll soon fall into your own ways; but if you will let me, +I'll come over sometimes and have a cup of tea and a chat with +you. Now, look here, I'm going out with you now, and I'm going to +buy you a suit of clothes, something like what you had on when I +first saw you. They won't be altogether unsuitable in a shop. +This is a loan, mind, and you may pay me off as you get +flush."</p> + +<p>Frank saw he should hurt the good fellow's feelings by +refusing, and accordingly went out with him, and next morning +presented himself at the shop in a quiet suit of dark gray tweed, +and with his other clothes in a bundle.</p> + +<p>"Aha!" said the old man; "you look more as you ought to do +now, though you're a cut above an assistant in a naturalist's +shop in Ratcliff Highway. Now, let me tell you the names of some +of these birds. They are, every one of them, foreigners; some of +them I don't know myself."</p> + +<p>"I can tell all the family names," Frank said quietly, "and +the species, but I do not know the varieties."</p> + +<p>"Can you!" the old man said in surprise. "What is this +now?"</p> + +<p>"That is a mockingbird, the great black capped mockingbird, I +think. The one next to it is a golden lory."</p> + +<p>So Frank went round all the cages and perches in the shop.</p> + +<p>"Right in every case," the old man said enthusiastically; "I +shall have nothing to teach you. The sailor has been here this +morning. I offered him two pounds for the cat and bird to put in +my front window, but he would not take it, and has paid me that +sum for your work. Here it is. This is yours, you know. You were +not in my employment then, and you will want some things to start +with, no doubt. Now come upstairs, I will show you your room. I +had intended at first to give you the one at the back, but I have +decided now on giving you my daughter's. I think you will like +it."</p> + +<p>Frank did like it greatly. It was the front room on the second +floor. The old man's daughter had evidently been a woman of taste +and refinement. The room was prettily papered, a quiet carpet +covered the floor, and the furniture was neat and in good +keeping. Two pairs of spotless muslin curtains hung across the +windows.</p> + +<p>"I put them up this morning," the old man said, nodding. "I +have got the sheets and bedding airing in the kitchen. They have +not been out of the press for the last three years. You can cook +in the kitchen. There is always a fire there.</p> + +<p>"Now, the first thing to do," he went on when they returned to +the shop, "will be for you to mount a dozen cases for the +windows. These drawers are full of skins of birds and small +animals. I get them for next to nothing from the sailors, and +sell them to furriers and feather preparers, who supply ladies' +hat and bonnet makers. In future, I propose that you shall mount +them and sell them direct. We shall get far higher prices than we +do now. I seem to be putting most of the work on your shoulders, +but do not want you to help me in the shop. I will look after the +birds and buy and sell as I used to do; you will have the back +room private to yourself for stuffing and mounting."</p> + +<p>Frank was delighted at this allotment of labor, and was soon +at work rummaging the drawers and picking out specimens for +mounting, and made a selection sufficient to keep him employed +for weeks. That evening he sallied out and expended his two +pounds in underlinen, of which he was sorely in need. As he +required them his employer ordered showcases for the window, of +various sizes, getting the backgrounds painted and fitted up as +Frank suggested.</p> + +<p>Frank did not get on so fast with his work as he had hoped, +for the fame of the sailor's cat and macaw spread rapidly in the +neighborhood, and there was a perfect rush of sailors and their +wives anxious to have birds and skins, which had been brought +from abroad, mounted. The sailor himself looked in one day.</p> + +<p>"If you like another two pounds for that 'ere cat, governor, +I'm game to pay you. It's the best thing that ever happened to +me. Every one's wanting to see 'em, and there's the old woman +dressed up in her Sunday clothes a-sitting in the parlor as proud +as a peacock a showing of 'em off. The house ain't been so quiet +since I married. Them animals would be cheap to me at a ten pound +note. They'll get you no end of orders, I can tell you."</p> + +<p>The orders, indeed, came in much faster than Frank could +fulfill them, although he worked twelve hours a day; laying aside +all other work, however, for three hours in order to devote +himself to the shop cases, which were to be <i>chef +d'oeuvres</i>.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII: AN OLD +FRIEND</h1> + +<p>For three months Frank passed a quiet and not unpleasant life +with the old naturalist in Ratcliff Highway. The latter took a +great liking to him, and treated him like a son rather than an +assistant. The two took their meals together now, and Frank's +salary had been raised from twelve to eighteen shillings a week. +So attractive had the cases in the windows proved that quite a +little crowd was generally collected round them, and the business +had greatly augmented. The old naturalist was less pleased at +this change than most men would have been in his position. He had +got into a groove and did not care to get out of it. He had no +relatives or any one dependent on him, and he had been well +content to go on in a jog trot way, just paying his expenses of +shop and living. The extra bustle and push worried rather than +pleased him.</p> + +<p>"I am an old man," he said to Frank one day, as after the shop +was closed they sat over their tea. "I have no motive in laying +by money, and had enough for my wants. I was influenced more by +my liking for your face and my appreciation of your talent, than +by any desire of increasing my business. I am taking now three +times as much as I did before. Now I should not mind, indeed, I +should be glad, if I thought that you would succeed me here as a +son would do. I would gladly take you into partnership with me, +and you would have the whole business after my death. But I know, +my boy, that it wouldn't do. I know that the time will come when +you will not be content with so dull a life here. You will either +get an offer from some West End house which would open higher +prospects to you, or you will be wandering away as a collector. +In any case you would not stop here, of that I am quite sure, and +therefore do not care, as I should have done, had you been my +son, for the increase of the business. As it is, lad, I could not +even wish to see you waste your life here."</p> + +<p>Frank, after he was once fairly settled at his new work, had +written to his friend the doctor, at Deal, telling him of the +position he had taken, and that he was in a fair way to make at +least a comfortable living, and that at a pursuit of which he was +passionately fond. He asked him, however, while writing to him +from time to time to give him news of his sister, not to tell any +one his address, as although he was not ashamed of his berth, +still he would rather that, until he had made another step up in +life, his old schoolfellows should not know of his whereabouts. +He had also written to his friend Ruthven a bright chatty letter, +telling him somewhat of his adventures in London and the loss of +his money, and saying that he had now got employment at a +naturalist's, with every chance of making his way.</p> + +<p>"When I mount a bit higher," he concluded, "I shall be awfully +glad to see you again, and will let you know what my address may +then be. For the present I had rather keep it dark. If you will +write to me, addressed to the General Post Office, telling me all +about yourself and the fellows at school, I shall be very, very +glad to get your letter. I suppose you will be breaking up for +Christmas in a few days."</p> + +<p>Christmas came and went. It was signalized to Frank only by +the despatch of a pretty present to Lucy, and the receipt of a +letter from her written in a round childish hand. A week +afterwards he heard somebody come into the shop. His employer was +out, and he therefore went into the shop.</p> + +<p>"I knew it was!" shouted a voice. "My dear old Frank, how are +you?" and his hand was warmly clasped in that of Ruthven.</p> + +<p>"My dear Ruthven," was all Frank could say.</p> + +<p>"I had intended," Ruthven exclaimed, "to punch your head +directly I found you; but I am too glad to do it, though you +deserve it fifty times over. What a fellow you are! I wouldn't +have believed it of you, running away in that secret sort of way +and letting none of us know anything about you. Wasn't I angry, +and sorry too, when I got the letter you wrote me from Deal! When +I went back to school and found that not even Dr. Parker, not +even your sister, knew where you were, I was mad. So were all the +other fellows. However, I said I would find you wherever you had +hidden yourself."</p> + +<p>"But how did you find me?" Frank asked greatly moved at the +warmth of his schoolfellow's greeting.</p> + +<p>"Oh! it wasn't so very difficult to find you when once I got +your letter saying what you were doing. The very day I came up to +town I began to hunt about. I found from the Directory there were +not such a great number of shops where they stuffed birds and +that sort of thing. I tried the places in Bond Street, and +Piccadilly, and Wigmore Street, and so on to begin with. Then I +began to work east, and directly I saw the things in the window +here I felt sure I had found you at last. You tiresome fellow! +Here I have wasted nearly half my holidays looking for you."</p> + +<p>"I am so sorry, Ruthven."</p> + +<p>"Sorry! you ought to be more than sorry. You ought to be +ashamed of yourself, downright ashamed. But, there, I won't say +any more now. Now, can't you come out with me?"</p> + +<p>"No, I can't come out now, Ruthven; but come into this room +with me."</p> + +<p>There for the next hour they chatted, Frank giving a full +account of all he had gone through since he came up to town, +while Ruthven gave him the gossip of the half year at school.</p> + +<p>"Well," Ruthven said at last, "this old Horton of yours must +be a brick. Still, you know, you can't stop here all your life. +You must come and talk it over with my governor."</p> + +<p>"Oh, no, indeed, Ruthven! I am getting on very well here, and +am very contented with my lot, and I could not think of troubling +your father in the matter."</p> + +<p>"Well, you will trouble him a great deal," Ruthven said, "if +you don't come, for you will trouble him to come all the way down +here. He was quite worried when he first heard of your +disappearance, and has been almost as excited as I have over the +search for you.</p> + +<p>"You are really a foolish fellow, Frank," he went on more +seriously; "I really didn't think it of you. Here you save the +lives of four or five fellows and put all their friends under a +tremendous obligation, and then you run away and hide yourself as +if you were ashamed. I tell you you can't do it. A fellow has no +more right to get rid of obligations than he has to run away +without paying his debts. It would be a burden on your mind if +you had a heavy debt you couldn't pay, and you would have a right +to be angry if, when you were perfectly able to pay, your +creditor refused to take the money. That's just the position in +which you've placed my father. Well, anyhow, you've got to come +and see him, or he's got to come and see you. I know he has +something in his mind's eye which will just suit you, though he +did not tell me what it was. For the last day or two he has been +particularly anxious about finding you. Only yesterday when I +came back and reported that I had been to half a dozen places +without success, he said, 'Confound the young rascal, where can +he be hiding? Here are the days slipping by and it will be too +late. If you don't find him in a day or two, Dick, I will set the +police after him -- say he has committed a murder or broken into +a bank and offer a reward for his apprehension.' So you must +either come home with me this afternoon, or you will be having my +father down here tonight."</p> + +<p>"Of course, Ruthven," Frank said, "I would not put your father +to such trouble. He is very kind to have taken so much interest +in me, only I hate --"</p> + +<p>"Oh, nonsense! I hate to see such beastly stuck up pride, +putting your own dignity above the affection of your friends; for +that's really what it comes to, old boy, if you look it fairly in +the face."</p> + +<p>Frank flushed a little and was silent for a minute or two.</p> + +<p>"I suppose you are right, Ruthven; but it is a little hard for +a fellow --"</p> + +<p>"Oh, no, it isn't," Ruthven said. "If you'd got into a scrape +from some fault of your own one could understand it, although +even then there would be no reason for you to cut your old +friends till they cut you. Young Goodall, who lives over at +Bayswater, has been over four or five times to ask me if I have +succeeded in finding you, and I have had letters from Handcock, +and Childers, and Jackson. Just as if a fellow had got nothing to +do but to write letters. How long will you be before you can come +out?"</p> + +<p>"There is Mr. Horton just come in," Frank said. "I have no +doubt he will let me go at once."</p> + +<p>The old naturalist at once assented upon Frank's telling him +that a friend had come who wished him to go out.</p> + +<p>"Certainly, my dear boy. Why, working the hours and hours of +overtime that you do, of course you can take a holiday whenever +you're disposed."</p> + +<p>"He will not be back till late," Ruthven said as they went +out. "I shall keep him all the evening."</p> + +<p>"Oh, indeed, Ruthven, I have no clothes!"</p> + +<p>"Clothes be bothered," Ruthven said. "I certainly shall end by +punching your head, Frank, before the day's out."</p> + +<p>Frank remonstrated no more, but committed himself entirely to +his friend's guidance. At the Mansion House they mounted on the +roof of an omnibus going west, and at Knightsbridge got off and +walked to Eaton Square, where Ruthven's father resided. The +latter was out, so Frank accompanied his friend to what he called +his sanctum, a small room littered up with books, bats, insect +boxes, and a great variety of rubbish of all kinds. Here they +chatted until the servant came up and said that Sir James had +returned.</p> + +<p>"Come on, Frank," Ruthven said, running downstairs. "There's +nothing of the ogre about the governor."</p> + +<p>They entered the study, and Ruthven introduced his friend.</p> + +<p>"I've caught him, father, at last. This is the culprit."</p> + +<p>Sir James Ruthven was a pleasant looking man, with a kindly +face.</p> + +<p>"Well, you troublesome boy," he said, holding out his hand, +"where have you been hiding all this time?"</p> + +<p>"I don't know that I've been hiding, sir," Frank said.</p> + +<p>"Not exactly hiding," Sir James smiled, "only keeping away +from those who wanted to find you. Well, and how are you getting +on?"</p> + +<p>"I am getting on very well, sir. I am earning eighteen +shillings a week and my board and lodging, and my employer says +he will take me into partnership as soon as I come of age."</p> + +<p>"Ah, indeed!" Sir James said. "I am glad to hear that, as it +shows you must be clever and industrious."</p> + +<p>"Yes, father, and the place was full of the most lovely cases +of things Frank had stuffed. There was quite a crowd looking in +at the window."</p> + +<p>"That is very satisfactory. Now, Frank, do you sit down and +write a note to your employer, asking him to send down half a +dozen of the best cases. I want to show them to a gentleman who +will dine with me here today, and who is greatly interested in +such matters. When you have written the note I will send a +servant off at once in a cab to fetch them."</p> + +<p>"And, father," Dick continued, "if you don't mind, might Frank +and I have our dinner quietly together in my room? You've got a +dinner party on, and Frank won't enjoy it half as much as he +would dining quietly with me."</p> + +<p>"By all means," Sir James said. "But mind he is not to run +away without seeing me.</p> + +<p>"You are a foolish lad," he went on in a kind voice to Frank; +"and it was wrong as well as foolish to hide yourself from your +friends. However independent we may be in this world, all must, +to a certain extent, rely upon others. There is scarcely a man +who can stand aloof from the rest and say, 'I want nothing of +you.' I can understand your feeling in shrinking from asking a +favor of me, or of the fathers of the other boys who are, like +myself, deeply indebted to you for the great service you have +rendered their sons. I can admire the feeling if not carried too +far; but you should have let your schoolfellows know exactly how +you were placed, and so have given us the opportunity of repaying +the obligation if we were disposed, not to have run away and +hidden yourself from us."</p> + +<p>"I am sorry, sir," Frank said simply. "I did not like to seem +to trade upon the slight service I rendered some of my +schoolfellows. Dr. Bateman told me I was wrong, but I did not see +it then. Now I think, perhaps he was right, although I am afraid +that if it happened again I should do the same."</p> + +<p>Sir James smiled.</p> + +<p>"I fear you are a stiff necked one, Master Frank. However, I +will not scold you any further. Now, what will you do with +yourselves till dinner time?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, we'll just sit and chat, father. We have got lots more +things to tell each other."</p> + +<p>The afternoon passed in pleasant talk. Frank learned that +Ruthven had now left Dr. Parker's for good, and that he was going +down after the holidays to a clergyman who prepared six or eight +boys for the army. Before dinner the footman returned with half a +dozen of the best cases from the shop, which were brought up to +Dick's room, and the latter was delighted with them. They greatly +enjoyed their dinner together. At nine o'clock a servant came up +and took down the cases. Five minutes later he returned again +with a message, saying that Sir James wished Mr. Richard and his +friend to go down into the dining room. Frank was not shy, but he +felt it rather a trial when he entered the room, where seven or +eight gentlemen were sitting round the table, the ladies having +already withdrawn. The gentlemen were engaged in examining and +admiring the cases of stuffed birds and animals.</p> + +<p>"This is my young friend," Sir James said, "of whom I have +been speaking to you, and whose work you are all admiring. This, +Frank, is Mr. Goodenough, the traveler and naturalist, of whom +you may have heard."</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed," Frank said, looking at the gentleman indicated. +"I have Mr. Goodenough's book on <i>The Passerine Family</i> at +home."</p> + +<p>"It is rather an expensive book too," the gentleman said.</p> + +<p>"Yes, sir. My father bought it, not I. He was very fond of +natural history and taught me all I know. He had a capital +library of books on the subject, which Dr. Bateman is keeping for +me, at Deal, till I have some place where I can put them. I was +thinking of getting them up soon."</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough asked him a few questions as to the books in +the library, and then put him through what Frank felt was a sort +of examination, as to his knowledge of their contents.</p> + +<p>"Very good indeed!" Mr. Goodenough said. "I can see from your +work here that you are not only a very clever preparer, but a +close student of the habits and ways of wild creatures. But I was +hardly prepared to find your scientific knowledge so accurate and +extensive. I was at first rather inclined to hesitate when Sir +James Ruthven made me a proposal just now. I do so no longer. I +am on the point of starting on an expedition into the center of +Africa in search of specimens of natural history. He has proposed +that you should accompany me, and has offered to defray the cost +of your outfit, and of your passage out and home. I may be away +for two years. Of course you would act as my assistant, and have +every opportunity of acquiring such knowledge as I possess. It +will be no pleasure trip, you know, but hard work, with all sorts +of hardships and, perhaps, some dangers. At the same time it +would be a fine opening in a career as a naturalist. Well, what +do you say?"</p> + +<p>"Oh, sir!" Frank exclaimed, clasping his hands, "it is of all +things in the world what I should like most. How can I thank you +enough? And you, Sir James, it is indeed kind and thoughtful of +you."</p> + +<p>"We are not quits yet by any means, Frank," Sir James said +kindly. "I am glad indeed to be able to forward your wishes; and +now you must go upstairs and be introduced to my wife. She is +most anxious to see you. She only returned home just before +dinner."</p> + +<p>Frank was taken upstairs, where he and his cases of birds were +made much of by Lady Ruthven and the ladies assembled in the +drawing room. He himself was so filled with delight at the +prospect opened to him that all thought of his dark tweed suit +being out of place among the evening dresses of the ladies and +gentlemen, which had troubled him while he was awaiting the +summons to the dining room, quite passed out of his mind, and he +was able to do the honors of his cases naturally and without +embarrassment. At eleven o'clock he took his leave, promising to +call upon Mr. Goodenough, who was in lodgings in Jermyn Street, +upon the following morning, that gentleman having at Sir James' +request undertaken to procure all the necessary outfit.</p> + +<p>"I feel really obliged to you, Sir James," Mr. Goodenough said +when Frank had left. "The lad has a genius for natural history, +and he is modest and self possessed. From what you tell me he has +done rather than apply for assistance to anyone, he must have +plenty of pluck and resolution, and will make a capital traveling +companion. I feel quite relieved, for it is so difficult to +procure a companion who will exactly suit. Clever naturalists are +rare, and one can never tell how one will get on with a man when +you are thrown together. He may want to have his own way, may be +irritable and bad tempered, may in many respects be a +disagreeable companion. With that lad I feel sure of my ground. +We shall get on capitally together."</p> + +<p>On his return to the shop Frank told his employer, whom he +found sitting up for him, the change which had taken place in his +life, and the opening which presented itself.</p> + +<p>Mr. Horton expressed himself as sincerely glad.</p> + +<p>"I shall miss you sadly," he said, "shall feel very dull for a +time in my solitary house here; but it is better for you that you +should go, and I never expected to keep you long. You were made +for better things than this shop, and I have no doubt that a +brilliant career will be open before you. You may not become a +rich man, for natural history is scarcely a lucrative profession, +but you may become a famous one. Now, my lad, go off to bed and +dream of your future."</p> + +<p>The next morning Frank went over, the first thing after +breakfast, to see his friend the porter. He, too, was very +pleased to hear of Frank's good fortune, but he was too busy to +talk much to him, and promised that he would come over that +evening and hear all about it. Then Frank took his way to Jermyn +Street, and went with Mr. Goodenough to Silver's, where an outfit +suited for the climate of Central Africa was ordered. The clothes +were simple. Shirts made of thin soft flannel, knickerbockers and +Norfolk jackets of tough New Zealand flax, with gaiters of the +same material.</p> + +<p>"There is nothing like it," Mr. Goodenough said; "it is the +only stuff which has a chance with the thorns of an African +forest. Now you will want a revolver, a Winchester repeating +carbine, and a shotgun. My outfit of boxes and cases is ready, so +beyond two or three extra nets and collecting boxes there is +nothing farther to do in that way. For your head you'd better +have a very soft felt hat with a wide brim; with a leaf or two +inside they are as cool as anything, and are far lighter and more +comfortable than the helmets which many people use in the +tropics."</p> + +<p>"As far as shooting goes," Frank said, "I think that I shall +do much better with my blowgun than with a regular one. I can hit +a small bird sitting nineteen times out of twenty."</p> + +<p>"That is a good thing," Mr. Goodenough answered. "For shooting +sitting there is nothing better than a blowgun in skillful hands. +They have the advantage too of not breaking the skin; but for +flying a shotgun is infinitely more accurate. You will have +little difficulty in learning to shoot well, as your eye is +already trained by the use of your blowpipe. Will you want any +knives for skinning?"</p> + +<p>"No, sir. I have a plentiful stock of them."</p> + +<p>"Are you going back to Eaton Square? I heard Sir James ask you +to stop there until we start."</p> + +<p>"No," Frank replied; "I asked his permission to stay where I +am till tomorrow. I did not like to seem in a hurry to run away +from Mr. Horton, who has been extremely kind to me."</p> + +<p>"Mind, you must come here in three days to have your things +tried on," Mr. Goodenough said. "I particularly ordered that they +are to be made easy and comfortable, larger, indeed, than you +absolutely require, but we must allow for growing, and two years +may make a difference of some inches to you. Now, we have only to +go to a bootmaker's and then we have done."</p> + +<p>When the orders were completed they separated, as Mr. +Goodenough was going down that afternoon to the country, and was +not to return until the day preceding that on which they were to +sail. That evening Frank had a long chat with his two friends, +and was much pleased when the old naturalist, who had taken a +great fancy to the honest porter, offered him the use of a room +at his house, saying that he should be more than paid by the +pleasure of his company of an evening. The offer was accepted, +and Frank was glad to think that his two friends would be sitting +smoking their pipes together of an evening instead of being in +their solitary rooms. The next day he took up his residence in +Eaton square.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII: TO +THE DARK CONTINENT</h1> + +<p>After spending two or three days going about London and +enjoying himself with his friend Dick, Frank started for Deal, +where he was pleased to find his sister well and happy. He bade +goodbye to her, to the doctor, and such of his schoolfellows as +lived in Deal, to whom his start for Central Africa was quite an +event. Dr. Bateman handed over to him his watch and chain and his +blowgun, which he had taken care of for him, also his skinning +knives and instruments. The same evening he returned to town, and +spent the days very pleasantly until the afternoon came when he +was to depart. Then he bade farewell to his kind friends Sir +James and Lady Ruthven. Dick accompanied him in the cab to Euston +station, where a minute or two later Mr. Goodenough arrived. The +luggage was placed in a carriage, and Frank stood chatting with +Dick at the door, until the guard's cry, "Take your places!" +caused him to jump into the carriage. There was one more hearty +handshake with his friend, and then the train steamed out of the +station.</p> + +<p>It was midnight when they arrived at Liverpool, and at once +went to bed at the Station Hotel. On coming down in the morning +Frank was astonished at the huge heap of baggage piled up in the +hall, but he was told that this was of daily occurrence, as six +or eight large steamers went out from Liverpool every week for +America alone, and that the great proportion of the passengers +came down, as they had done, on the previous night, and slept at +the Station hotel. Their own share of the baggage was not large, +consisting only of a portmanteau each, Mr. Goodenough having sent +down all his boxes two days previously. At twelve o'clock they +went on board the <i>Niger</i>, bound for the west coast of +Africa. This would carry them as far as Sierra Leone, whence Mr. +Goodenough intended to take passage in a sailing ship to his +starting point for the interior.</p> + +<p>Frank enjoyed the voyage out intensely, and three days after +sailing they had left winter behind; four days later they were +lying in the harbor of Funchal.</p> + +<p>"What a glorious place that would be to ramble about!" he said +to Mr. Goodenough.</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed. It would be difficult to imagine a greater +contrast than between this mountainous island of Madeira and the +country which we are about to penetrate. This is one of the most +delightful climates in the world, the west coast of Africa one of +the worst. Once well in the interior, the swamp fevers, which are +the curse of the shores, disappear, but African travelers are +seldom long free from attacks of fever of one kind or the other. +However, quinine does wonders, and we shall be far in the +interior before the bad season comes on."</p> + +<p>"You have been there before, you said, Mr. Goodenough?"</p> + +<p>"Yes, I have been there twice, and have made excursions for +short distances from the coast. But this time we are going into a +country which may be said to be altogether unknown. One or two +explorers have made their way there, but these have done little +towards examining the natural productions of the country, and +have been rather led by inducements of sport than by those of +research."</p> + +<p>"Did you have fever, sir?"</p> + +<p>"Two or three little attacks. A touch of African fever, during +what is called the good season, is of little more importance than +a feverish cold at home. It lasts two or three days, and then +there is an end of it. In the bad season the attacks are +extremely violent, sometimes carrying men off in a few hours. I +consider, however, that dysentery is a more formidable enemy than +fever. However, even that, when properly treated, should be +combated successfully."</p> + +<p>"Do you mean to hire the men to go with you at Sierra +Leone?"</p> + +<p>"Certainly not, Frank. The negroes of Sierra Leone are the +most indolent, the most worthless, and the most insolent in all +Africa. It is the last place in the world at which to hire +followers. We must get them at the Gaboon itself, and at each +place we arrive at afterwards we take on others, merely retaining +one of the old lot to act as interpreter. The natives, although +they may allow white men to pass safely, are exceedingly jealous +of men of other tribes. I shall, however, take with me, if +possible, a body of, say six Houssas, who are the best fighting +negroes on the coast. These I shall take as a bodyguard; the +carriers we shall obtain from the different tribes we visit. The +Kroomen, whom you will see at Cape Palmas, are a magnificent set +of men. They furnish sailors and boatmen to all the ships trading +on these shores. They are strong, willing, and faithful, but they +do not like going up into the interior. Now we will land here and +get a few hours' run on shore. There are one or two peculiarities +about Madeira which distinguish it from other places. To begin +with we will go for a ride in a bullock cart without wheels."</p> + +<p>"But surely it must jolt about terribly," Frank said.</p> + +<p>"Not at all. The roads are paved with round, knubbly stones, +such as you see sometimes in narrow lanes and courts in seaside +places at home. These would not make smooth roads for wheeled +vehicles; but here, as you will see, the carts are placed on long +runners like those of sledges. These are greased, and the driver +always has a pound of candles or so hanging to the cart. When he +thinks that the runners want greasing he takes a candle, lays it +down on the road in front of one of the runners, and lets this +pass over it. This greases it sufficiently, and it glides along +over the stones almost as smoothly as if passing over ice."</p> + +<p>Frank thoroughly enjoyed his run on shore, but was surprised +at the air of listlessness which pervaded the inhabitants. Every +one moved about in the most dawdling fashion. The shopkeepers +looked out from their doors as if it were a matter of perfect +indifference to them whether customers called or not. The few +soldiers in Portuguese uniform looked as if they had never done a +day's drill since they left home. Groups sat in chairs under the +trees and sipped cooling drinks or coffee. The very bullocks +which drew the gliding wagons seemed to move more slowly than +bullocks in other places. Frank and his friend drove in a wagon +to the monastery, high up on the mountain, and then took their +places on a little hand sledge, which was drawn by two men with +ropes, who took them down the sharp descent at a run, dashing +round corners at a pace which made Frank hold his breath. It took +them but a quarter of an hour to regain the town, while an hour +and a half had been occupied in the journey out.</p> + +<p>"I shall buy a couple of hammocks here," Mr. Goodenough said. +"They are made of knotted string, and are lighter and more +comfortable than those to be met with on the coast. I will get a +couple of their cane chairs, too, they are very light and +comfortable."</p> + +<p>In the afternoon they again embarked, and then steamed away +for Sierra Leone. After several days' passage, they arrived there +at daylight, and Frank was soon on deck.</p> + +<p>"What a beautiful place!" he exclaimed. "It is not a bit what +I expected."</p> + +<p>"No," Mr. Goodenough said; "no one looking at it could suppose +that bright pretty town had earned for itself the name of the +white man's grave."</p> + +<p>Sierra Leone is built on a somewhat steep ascent about a mile +up the river. Freetown, as the capital is properly called, stands +some fifty feet or so above the sea, and the barracks upon a +green hill three hundred feet above it, a quarter of a mile back. +The town, as seen from the sea, consists entirely of the houses +of the merchants and shopkeepers, the government buildings, +churches, and other public and European buildings. The houses are +all large and bright with yellow tinged whitewash, and the place +is completely embowered in palms and other tropical trees. The +native town lies hidden from sight among trees on low ground to +the left of the town. Everywhere around the town the hills rise +steep and high, wooded to the summit. Altogether there are few +more prettily situated towns than the capital of Sierra +Leone.</p> + +<p>"It is wonderful," Mr. Goodenough said, "that generations and +generations of Europeans have been content to live and die in +that wretchedly unhealthy place, when they might have established +themselves on those lofty hills but a mile away. There they would +be far above the malarious mists which rise from the low ground. +The walk up and down to their warehouses and offices here would +be good for them, and there is no reason why Sierra Leone should +be an unhealthy residence. Unfortunately the European in Africa +speedily loses his vigor and enterprise. When he first lands he +exclaims, 'I certainly shall have a bungalow built upon those +hills;' but in a short time his energy leaves him. He falls into +the ways of the place, drinks a great deal more spirits than is +good for him, stops down near the water, and at the end of a year +or so, if he lives so long, is obliged to go back to Europe to +recruit.</p> + +<p>"Look at the boats coming out."</p> + +<p>A score of boats, each containing from ten to twelve men, +approached the ship. They remained at a short distance until the +harbor master came on board and pronounced the ship free from +quarantine. Then the boats made a rush to the side, and with +shouts, yells, and screams of laughter scrambled on board. Frank +was at once astonished and amused at the noise and confusion.</p> + +<p>"What on earth do they all want?" he asked Mr. Goodenough.</p> + +<p>"The great proportion of them don't want anything at all," Mr. +Goodenough answered, "but have merely come off for amusement. +Some of them come to be hired, some to carry luggage, others to +tout for the boatmen below. Look at those respectable negresses +coming up the gangway now. They are washerwomen, and will take +our clothes ashore and bring them on board again this afternoon +before we start."</p> + +<p>"It seems running rather a risk," Frank said.</p> + +<p>"No, you will see they all have testimonials, and I believe it +is perfectly safe to intrust things to them."</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough and Frank now prepared to go on shore, but this +was not easily accomplished, for there was a battle royal among +the boatmen whose craft thronged at the foot of the ladder. Each +boat had about four hands, three of whom remained on board her, +while the fourth stood upon the ladder and hauled at the painter +to keep the boat to which he belonged alongside. As out of the +twenty boats lying there not more than two could be at the foot +of the ladder together, the conflict was a desperate one. All the +boatmen shouted, "Here, sar. This good boat, sar. You come wid +me, sar," at the top of their voices, while at the same time they +were hard at work pulling each other's boats back and pushing +their own forward. So great was the struggle as Frank and Mr. +Goodenough approached the gangway, so great the crowd upon the +ladder, that one side of the iron bar from which the ladder +chains depend broke in two, causing the ladder to drop some +inches and giving a ducking to those on the lower step, causing +shouts of laughter and confusion. These rose into perfect yells +of amusement when one of the sailors suddenly loosed the ladder +rope, letting five or six of the negroes into the water up to +their necks. So intense was the appreciation by the sable mind of +this joke that the boatmen rolled about with laughter, and even +the victims, when they had once scrambled into their boats, +yelled like people possessed.</p> + +<p>"They are just like children," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are +always either laughing or quarreling. They are good natured and +passionate, indolent, but will work hard for a time; clever up to +a certain point, densely stupid beyond. The intelligence of an +average negro is about equal to that of a European child of ten +years old. A few, a very few, go beyond this, but these are +exceptions, just as Shakespeare was an exception to the ordinary +intellect of an Englishman. They are fluent talkers, but their +ideas are borrowed. They are absolutely without originality, +absolutely without inventive power. Living among white men, their +imitative faculties enable them to attain a considerable amount +of civilization. Left alone to their own devices they retrograde +into a state little above their native savagery."</p> + +<p>This was said as, after having fixed upon a boat and literally +fought their way into it, they were rowed towards the shore. On +landing Frank was delighted with the greenness of everything. The +trees were heavy with luxuriant foliage, the streets were green +with grass as long and bright as that in a country lane in +England. The hill on which the barracks stand was as bright a +green as you would see on English slopes after a wet April, while +down the streets clear streams were running. The town was alive +with a chattering, laughing, good natured, excitable population, +all black, but with some slight variation in the dinginess of the +hue.</p> + +<p>Never was there such a place for fun as Sierra Leone. Every +one was brimful of it. Every one laughed when he or she spoke, +and every one standing near joined freely in the conversation and +laughed too. Frank was delighted with the display of fruit in the +market, which is probably unequaled in the world. Great piles +there were of delicious big oranges, green but perfectly sweet, +and of equally refreshing little green limes; pineapples and +bananas, green, yellow, and red, guava, and custard apples, +alligator pears, melons, and sour sops, and many other native +fruits.</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough purchased a large basket of fruit, which they +took with them on board the ship. The next morning they started +down the coast. They passed Liberia, the republic formed of +liberated slaves, and of negroes from America, and brought up a +mile or two off Monrovia, its capital. The next day they anchored +off Cape Palmas, the headquarters of the Kroomen. A number of +these men came off in their canoes, and caused great amusement to +Frank and the other passengers by their fun and dexterity in the +management of their little craft. These boats are extremely +light, being hollowed out until little thicker than pasteboard, +and even with two Kroomen paddling it is difficult for a European +to sit in them, so extremely crank are they. Light as they are +the Krooboy can stand up and dive from his boat without upsetting +it if he take time; but in the hurry and excitement of diving for +coppers, when half a dozen men would leap overboard together, the +canoes were frequently capsized. The divers, however, thought +nothing of these mishaps, righting the boats and getting in again +without difficulty. Splendidly muscular fellows they were. +Indeed, except among the Turkish hamals it is doubtful whether +such powerful figures could be found elsewhere.</p> + +<p>"They would be grand fellows to take with us, Mr. Goodenough," +Frank said.</p> + +<p>"Yes, if they were as plucky as they are strong, one could +wish for nothing better; but they are notorious cowards, and no +offer would tempt them to penetrate into such a country as that +into which we are going."</p> + +<p>Stopping a few hours at Cape Coast Castle, Accra, and other +ports they at last arrived at Bonny.</p> + +<p>"It is not tempting in appearance," Frank said, +"certainly."</p> + +<p>"No," Mr. Goodenough replied, "this is one of the most +horribly unhealthy spots in Africa. As you see, the white traders +do not dare to live on shore, but take up their residence in +those old floating hulks which are thatched over, and serve as +residences and storehouses. I have a letter from one of the +African merchants in London, and we shall take up our abode on +board his hulk until we get one of the coasting steamers to carry +us down. I hope it will not be many days."</p> + +<p>The very bulky luggage was soon transferred to the hulk, where +Frank and Mr. Goodenough took up their residence. The agent in +charge was very glad to receive them, as any break in the +terrible monotony of such a life is eagerly welcomed. He was a +pale, unhealthy looking man, and had just recovered from an +unusually bad attack of fever. Like most of the traders on the +coast he had an immense faith in the power of spirits.</p> + +<p>"It is the ruin of them," Mr. Goodenough said to Frank when +they were alone. "Five out of six of the men here ruin their +constitutions with spirits, and then fall an easy prey to the +fever."</p> + +<p>"But you have brought spirits with you, Mr. Goodenough. I saw +some of the cases were labeled Brandy.'"</p> + +<p>"Brandy is useful when taken as a medicine, and in moderation. +A little mixed with water at the end of a long day of exhausting +work acts as a restorative, and frequently enables a worn out man +to sleep. But I have brought the brandy you see for the use of +others rather than myself. One case is of the very best spirits +for our own use. The rest is common stuff and is intended as +presents. Our main drink will be tea and chocolate. These are +invaluable for the traveler. I have, besides, large quantities of +calico, brass stair rods, beads, and powder. These are the money +of Africa, and pass current everywhere. With these we shall pay +our carriers and boatmen, with these purchase the right of way +through the various tribes we shall meet. Moreover it is almost +necessary in Africa to pass as traders. The people perfectly +understand that white men come here to trade; but if we said that +our object was to shoot birds and beasts, and to catch +butterflies and insects, they would not believe us in the +slightest degree, but would suspect us of all sorts of hidden +designs. Now we will go ashore and pay our respects to the +king."</p> + +<p>"Do you mean to say that there is a king in that wretched +looking village?" Frank asked in surprise.</p> + +<p>"Kings are as plentiful as peas in Africa," Mr. Goodenough +said, "but you will not see much royal state."</p> + +<p>Frank was disappointed indeed upon landing. Sierra Leone had +given him an exalted idea of African civilization, but this was +at once dispelled by the appearance of Bonny. The houses were +constructed entirely of black mud, and the streets were narrow +and filthy beyond description. The palace was composed of two or +three hovels, surrounded by a mud wall. In one of these huts the +king was seated. Mr. Goodenough and Frank were introduced by the +agent, who had gone ashore with them, and His Majesty, who was an +almost naked negro, at once invited them to join him in the meal +of which he was partaking. As a matter of courtesy they +consented, and plates were placed before them, heaped with a stew +consisting of meat, vegetables, and hot peppers. While the meal +went on the king asked Mr. Goodenough what he had come to the +coast for, and was disappointed to find that he was not going to +set up as a trader at Bonny, as it was the custom for each +newcomer to make a handsome present to him. When the meal was +over they took their leave.</p> + +<p>"Do you know what you have been eating?" the agent asked +Frank.</p> + +<p>"Not in the least," Frank said. "It was not bad; what was +it?"</p> + +<p>"It was dog flesh," the agent answered.</p> + +<p>"Not really!" Frank exclaimed with an uncomfortable sensation +of sickness.</p> + +<p>"Yes, indeed," the agent replied. "Dog's meat is considered a +luxury in Bonny, and dogs are bred specially for the table."</p> + +<p>"You'll eat stranger things than that before you've done, +Frank," Mr. Goodenough continued, "and will find them just as +good, and in many cases better, than those to which you are +accustomed. It is a strange thing why in Europe certain animals +should be considered fit to eat and certain animals altogether +rejected, and this without the slightest reason. Horses and +donkeys are as clean feeders as oxen and sheep. Dogs, cats, and +rats are far cleaner than pigs and ducks. The flesh of the one +set is every bit as good as that of the other, and yet the +poorest peasant would turn up his nose at them. Here sheep and +oxen, horses and donkeys, will not live, and the natives very +wisely make the most of the animals which can do so."</p> + +<p>Frank was soon tired of Bonny, and was glad to hear that they +would start the next day for Fernando Po in a little steamer +called the <i>Retriever</i>. The island of Fernando Po is a very +beautiful one, the peak rising ten thousand feet above the sea, +and wooded to the very summit. Were the trees to some extent +cleared away the island might be very healthy. As it is, it is +little better than the mainland.</p> + +<p>There was not much to see in the town of Clarence, whose +population consists entirely of traders from Sierra Leone, +Kroomen, etc. The natives, whose tribal name is Adiza, live in +little villages in the interior. They are an extremely primitive +people, and for the most part dispense altogether with clothing. +The island belongs to Spain, and is used as a prison, the +convicts being kept in guard ships in the harbor. After a stay of +three days there Mr. Goodenough and Frank took passage in a +sailing ship for the Gaboon.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX: THE START +INLAND</h1> + +<p>After the comforts of a fine steamer the accommodation on +board the little trader was poor indeed. The vessel smelt +horribly of palm oil and was alive with cockroaches. These, +however, Mr. Goodenough and Frank cared little for, as they +brought up their mattresses and slept on deck. Upon their voyage +out from England Frank, as well as several of the other +passengers, had amused himself by practicing with his rifle at +empty bottles thrown overboard, and other objects, and having +nothing else to do now, he resumed the practice, accustoming +himself also to the use of his revolver, the mark being a small +log of wood swung from the end of a yard.</p> + +<p>"I told you," Mr. Goodenough said, "that your skill with the +blowgun would prove useful to you in shooting. You are as good a +shot as I am, and I am considered a fair one. I have no doubt +that with a little practice you will succeed as well with your +double barrel. The shooting of birds on the wing is a knack which +seems to come naturally to some people, while others, practice as +they will, never become good shots."</p> + +<p>The ship touched twice upon its way down to the Gaboon. Once +at the Malimba river, the second time at Botauga, the latter +being the principal ivory port in equatorial Africa.</p> + +<p>"Shall we meet with any elephants, do you think?" Frank asked +his friend.</p> + +<p>"In all probability," Mr. Goodenough said. "Elephant shooting, +of course, does not come within our line of action, and I should +not go at all out of my way for them. Still, if we meet them we +will shoot them. The ivory is valuable and will help to pay our +expenses, while the meat is much prized by the natives, who will +gladly assist us in consideration of the flesh."</p> + +<p>On the sixteenth day after leaving Fernando Po they entered +the Gaboon. On the right hand bank were the fort and dwellings of +the French. A little farther up stood the English factories; and +upon a green hill behind, the church, school, and houses of an +American mission. On the left bank was the wattle town of King +William, the sable monarch of the Gaboon. Mr. Goodenough at once +landed and made inquiries for a house. He succeeded in finding +one, consisting of three rooms, built on piles, an important +point in a country in which disease rises from the soil. At Bonny +Mr. Goodenough had, with the assistance of the agent, enlisted +six Houssas. These people live much higher up on the coast, but +they wander a good deal and may be met with in most of the ports. +The men had formed a guard in one of the hulks, but trade having +been bad the agent had gone home, and they were glad to take +service with Mr. Goodenough. They spoke a few words of English, +and, like the Kroomen, rejoiced in names which had been given +them by sailors. They were called Moses, Firewater, Ugly Tom, +Bacon, Tatters, and King John. They were now for the first time +set to work, and the goods were soon transported from the brig to +the house.</p> + +<p>"Is anything the matter with you, Frank?" Mr. Goodenough asked +that evening.</p> + +<p>"I don't know, sir. My head feels heavy, somehow, and I am +giddy."</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough felt his pulse.</p> + +<p>"You have got your first touch of fever," he said. "I wonder +you've been so long without it. You had better lie down at +once."</p> + +<p>A quarter of an hour afterwards Frank was seized with an +overpowering heat, every vein appearing to be filled with liquid +fire; but his skin, instead of being, as usual, in a state of +perspiration, was dry and hard.</p> + +<p>"Now, Frank, sit up and drink this. It's only some mustard and +salt and water. I have immense faith in an emetic."</p> + +<p>The draught soon took its effect. Frank was violently sick, +and the perspiration broke in streams from him.</p> + +<p>"Here is a cup of tea," Mr. Goodenough said; "drink that and +you will find that there will be little the matter with you in +the morning."</p> + +<p>Frank awoke feeling weak, but otherwise perfectly well. Mr. +Goodenough administered a strong dose of quinine, and after he +had had his breakfast he felt quite himself again.</p> + +<p>"Now," Mr. Goodenough said, "we will go up to the factories +and mission and try and find a really good servant. Everything +depends upon that."</p> + +<p>In a short time an engagement was made with a negro of the +name of Ostik. He was a Mpongwe man, that being the name of the +tribe on the coast. He spoke English fairly, as well as two or +three of the native languages. He had before made a journey some +distance into the interior with a white traveler. He was a tall +and powerfully built negro, very ugly, but with a pleasant and +honest face. Frank felt at once that he should like him.</p> + +<p>"You quite understand," Mr. Goodenough explained, "we are +going through the Fan country, far into the interior. We may be +away from the coast for many months."</p> + +<p>"Me ready, sar," the man answered with a grin. "Mak no odds to +Ostik. He got no wife, no piccanniny. Ostik very good cook. +Master find good grub; he catch plenty of beasts."</p> + +<p>"You're not afraid, Ostik, because it is possible we may have +trouble on the way?"</p> + +<p>"Me not very much afraid, massa. You good massa to Ostik he no +run away if fightee come; but no good fight whole tribe."</p> + +<p>"I hope not to have any fighting at all, Ostik; but as I have +got six Houssas with me who will all carry breech loading guns, I +think we should be a match for a good sized tribe, if +necessary."</p> + +<p>Ostik looked thoughtful. "More easy, massa, go without +Houssas," he said. "Black man not often touch white +traveler."</p> + +<p>"No, Ostik, that is true; but I must take with me trade goods +for paying my way and hiring carriers, and if alone I should be +at the mercy of every petty chief who chose to plunder and delay +me. I am going as a peaceful traveler, ready to pay my way, and +to make presents to the different kings through whose territories +I may pass. But I do not choose to put myself at the mercy of any +of them. I do not say that eight men armed with breech loaders +could defeat a whole tribe; but they would be so formidable, that +any of these negro kings would probably prefer taking presents +and letting us pass peacefully to trying to rob us. The first +thing to do, will be to hire one large canoe, or two if +necessary. The men must agree to take us up into the Fan country, +as far as the rapids on the Gaboon. Then we shall take carriers +there, and the boat can return by itself. These are the things +which will have to go."</p> + +<p>The baggage consisted of ten large tin cases, each weighing +about eighty pounds. These contained cotton cloths, powder, +beads, tea, chocolate, sugar, and biscuits. There were in +addition three bundles of stair rods, each about the same weight +as the boxes. These were done up in canvas. There was also a tent +made of double canvas weighing fifty pounds, and two light +folding tressel beds weighing fifteen pounds apiece. Thus +fourteen men would be required as carriers, besides some for +plantains and other provisions, together with the portmanteaus, +rugs, and waterproof sheets of the travelers. There were besides +six great chests made of light iron. Four of these were fitted +with trays with cork bottoms, for insects. The other two were for +the skins of birds. All the boxes and cases had strips of India +rubber where the lids fitted down, in order to keep out both damp +and the tiny ants which are the plague of naturalists in +Africa.</p> + +<p>Four or five days were occupied in getting together a crew, +for the natives had an abject fear of entering the country of the +cannibal Fans. Mr. Goodenough promised that they should not be +obliged to proceed unless a safe conduct for their return was +obtained from the King of the Fans. A large canoe was procured, +sufficient to convey the whole party. Twelve paddlers were hired, +and the goods taken down and arranged in the boat. The Houssas +had been, on landing, furnished with their guns, which were +Snider rifles, had been instructed in the breech loading +arrangement, and had been set to work to practice at a mark at a +hundred and fifty yards distance -- the stump of an old tree, +some five feet in height, serving for the purpose. The men were +delighted with the accuracy of their pieces and the rapidity at +which they could be fired. Mr. Goodenough impressed upon them +that unless attacked at close quarters, and specially ordered to +fire fast, they must aim just as slowly and deliberately as if +using their old guns, for that in so long a journey ammunition +would be precious, and must, therefore, on no account whatever, +be wasted. In the boxes were six thousand rounds of ammunition, a +thousand for each gun, besides the ammunition for the rifles and +fowling pieces of Mr. Goodenough and Frank.</p> + +<p>In order to render the appearance of his followers as imposing +as possible, Mr. Goodenough furnished each of the Houssas with a +pair of trousers made of New Zealand flax, reaching to their +knees. These he had brought from England with him. They were all +found to be too large, but the men soon set to work with rough +needles and thread and took them in. In addition to these, each +man was furnished with a red sash, which went several times round +the waist, and served to keep the trousers up and to give a gay +aspect to the dress. The Houssas were much pleased with their +appearance. All of them carried swords in addition to the guns, +as in their own country they are accustomed to fight with these +weapons.</p> + +<p>They started early in the morning, and after four hours' +paddling passed Konig Island, an abandoned Dutch settlement. Here +they stopped for an hour or two, and then the sea breeze sprang +up, a sail was hoisted, and late at night they passed a French +guardship placed to mark the boundary of that settlement at a +point where a large tributary called the Boqui runs into it. Here +is a little island called Nenge Nenge, formerly a missionary +station, where the natives are still Christians. At this place +the canoe was hauled ashore. The Houssas had already been +instructed in the method of pitching the tent, and in a very few +minutes this was erected. It was a double poled tent, some ten +feet square, and there was a waterproof sheet large enough to +cover the whole of the interior, thus preventing the miasma from +arising from the ground within it. The beds were soon opened and +fixed, two of the large cases formed a table and two smaller ones +did service as chairs. A lamp was lit, and Frank was charmed with +the comfort and snugness of the abode.</p> + +<p>The men's weapons were fastened round one of the poles to keep +them from the damp night air. Ostik had at once set to work on +landing, leaving the Houssas to pitch the tent. A fire was soon +blazing and a kettle and saucepans suspended over it. Rice was +served out to the men, with the addition of some salt meat, of +which sufficient had been purchased from the captain of the brig +to last throughout the journey in the canoe. The men were all in +high spirits at this addition to their fare, which was more than +had been bargained for, and their songs rose merrily round the +fire in the night air.</p> + +<p>In the morning, after breakfast, they again took their places +in the canoe. For twelve miles they paddled, the tide at first +assisting them, but after this the water from the mountains ahead +overpowered it. Presently they arrived at the first Fan village, +called Olenga, which they reached six hours after starting. The +natives crowded round as the canoe approached, full of curiosity +and excitement, for never but once had a white man passed up the +river. These Fans differed widely from the coast negroes. Their +hair was longer and thicker, their figures were slight, their +complexion coffee colored, and their projecting upper jaws gave +them a rabbit mouthed appearance. They wore coronets on their +heads adorned with the red tail feathers of the common gray +parrot. Most of the men had beards, which were divided in the +middle, red and white beads being strung up the tips. Some wore +only a strip of goatskin hanging from the waist, or the skin of a +tigercat, while others had short petticoats made of cloth woven +from the inner bark of a tree. The travelers were led to the hut +of the chief, where they were surrounded by a mob of the +cannibals. The Houssas had been strictly enjoined to leave their +guns in the bottom of the canoe, as Mr. Goodenough desired to +avoid all appearance of armed force. The chief demanded of Ostik +what these two white men wanted here, and whether they had come +to trade. Ostik replied that the white men were going up the +river into the country beyond to shoot elephants and buy ivory, +that they did not want to trade for logwood or oil, but that they +would give presents to the chiefs of the Fan villages. A score of +cheap Birmingham muskets had been brought from England by Mr. +Goodenough for this purpose. One of these was now bestowed upon +the chief, together with some powder and ball, three bright +cotton handkerchiefs, some gaudy glass beads, and two looking +glasses for his wives. This was considered perfectly +satisfactory.</p> + +<p>The crowd was very great, and at Mr. Goodenough's dictation +Ostik informed the chief that if the white men were left quiet +until the evening they would show his people many strange things. +On the receipt of this information the crowd dispersed. But when +at sunset the two travelers took a turn through the village, the +excitement was again very great. The men stood their ground and +stared at them, but the women and children ran screaming away to +hide themselves. The idea of the people of Central Africa of the +whites is that they are few in number, that they live at the +bottom of the sea, and are possessed of great wealth, but that +they have no palm oil or logwood, and are, therefore, compelled +to come to land to trade for these articles. They believe that +the strange clothes they wear are manufactured from the skins of +sea beasts.</p> + +<p>When night fell Mr. Goodenough fastened a sheet against the +outside of the chief's hut, and then placed a magic lantern in +position ten paces from it. The Fans were then invited to gather +round and take their seats upon the ground. A cry of astonishment +greeted the appearance of the bright disk. This was followed by a +wilder yell when this was darkened, and an elephant bearing some +men sitting on his back was seen to cross the house. The men +leaped to their feet and seized their spears. The women screamed, +and Ostik, who was himself somewhat alarmed, had great difficulty +in calming their fears and persuading them to sit down again, +assuring them that they would see many wonderful things, but that +nothing would hurt them.</p> + +<p>The next view was at first incomprehensible to many of them. +It was a ship tossing in a stormy sea; but some of those present +had been down to the mouth of the river, and these explained to +the others the nature of the phenomenon. In all there were twenty +slides, all of which were provided with movable figures; the last +two being chromatropes, whose dancing colors elicited screams of +delight from the astonished natives. This concluded the +performance, but for hours after it was over the village rang +with a perfect Babel of shouts, screams, and chatter. The whole +thing was to the Fans absolutely incomprehensible, and their +astonishment was equalled by their awe at the powers of the white +men.</p> + +<p>The next two days they remained at Olenga, as word was sent up +to Itchongue, the next town, asking the chief there for leave to +come forward. The people had now begun to get over their first +timidity, and when Frank went out for a walk after breakfast he +was somewhat embarrassed by the women and girls crowding round +him, feeling his clothes and touching his hands and face to +assure themselves that these felt like those of human beings. He +afforded them huge delight by taking off his Norfolk jacket and +pulling up the sleeves of his shirt to show them that his arms +were the same color as his hands, and so elated were they with +this exhibition that it was with great difficulty that he +withstood their entreaties that he would disrobe entirely. +Indeed, Ostik had at last to come to his rescue and carry him off +from the laughing crowd by which he was surrounded.</p> + +<p>After dinner Mr. Goodenough invited the people to sit down in +a vast circle holding each other's hands. He then told them that +he should at a word make them all jump to their feet. Then taking +out a small but powerful galvanic battery, he arranged it and +placed wires into the hands of the two men nearest to him in the +great circle.</p> + +<p>"Now," he said, "when I clap my hands you will find that you +are all obliged to jump up."</p> + +<p>He gave the signal. Frank turned on the battery, and in an +instant the two hundred men and women, with a wild shriek, either +leapt to their feet or rolled backward on the ground. In another +minute not a native was to be seen, with the exception of the +chief, who had not been included in the circle. The latter, at +Mr. Goodenough's request, shouted loudly to his subjects to +return, for that the white men would do them no harm; but it was +a long time before, slowly and cautiously, they crept back again. +When they had reassembled Mr. Goodenough showed them several +simple but astonishing chemical experiments, which stupefied them +with wonder; and concluded with three or four conjuring tricks, +which completed their amazement. A long day's paddling took them +to Itchongue, where they were as well received as at Olenga. Here +they stopped for two days, and the magic lantern was again +brought out, and the other tricks repeated with a success equal +to that which they had before obtained. As another day's paddling +would take them to the rapids Mr. Goodenough now set up a +negotiation for obtaining a sufficient number of carriers. After +great palaver, and the presentation of three guns to the chief to +obtain his assistance, thirty men were engaged. These were each +to receive a yard of calico or one brass stair rod a day, and +were to proceed with the party until such time as they could +procure carriers from another tribe.</p> + +<p>The new recruits were taken up in another canoe. Several +villages were passed on the way. The river became a mere rapid, +against which the canoes with difficulty made their way. They had +now entered the mountains which rose steeply above them, +embowered in wood. Two days of severe work took them to the foot +of the falls. Here the canoes were unloaded. The men hired on the +coast received their pay, and turned the boat's head down stream. +The other canoe accompanied it, and the travelers remained with +their bodyguard of Houssas and their carriers.</p> + +<p>"Now," Mr. Goodenough said, "we are fairly embarked on our +journey, and we will commence operations at once. I have heard +the cries of a great many birds which are strange to me today, +and I expect that we shall have a good harvest. We may remain +here for some time. The first thing to do is to find food for our +followers. We have got six sacks of rice, but it will never do to +let our men depend solely upon these. They would soon come to an +end."</p> + +<p>"But how are we to feed forty people?" Frank asked in +astonishment.</p> + +<p>"I pointed out to you today," Mr. Goodenough said, "the tracks +of hippopotami in various places. One of these beasts will feed +the men for nearly a week. There were, too, numbers of +alligators' eggs on the banks, and these creatures make by no +means bad eating. Your rifle will be of no use against such +animals as these. You had better take one of the Sniders. I have +some explosive shells which will fit them. My own double +barrelled rifle is of the same bore."</p> + +<p>After dinner Mr. Goodenough told two of the Houssas to +accompany them with their rifles, together with three or four of +the Fans. He made his way down the stream to a point where the +hills receded, and where he had observed a great many marks of +the river horses. As they approached the spot they heard several +loud snorts, and making their way along as quietly as possible +they saw two of the great beasts standing in the stream. At this +point it widened a good deal and was shallow and quite near the +bank. The Fans had been told to stay behind directly the snorting +was heard, and Mr. Goodenough and Frank, rifle in hand, crept +forward, with the Houssas as still and noiseless as cats close +behind them.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X: LOST IN THE +FOREST</h1> + +<p>The hippopotami were playing together, floundering in the +shallow water, and the noise they made prevented their hearing +the stealthy approach of their enemies.</p> + +<p>"You take the one nearest shore, Frank, I will take the other. +Aim at the forehead between the eyes. I will make a slight sound +to attract their attention."</p> + +<p>Frank knelt on one knee and took steady aim. Mr. Goodenough +then gave a shout, and the two animals turning their heads stood +staring at the foliage, scarce a dozen yards away, in which the +travelers were concealed. The guns flashed at the same moment, +and as if struck by lightning the hippopotami fell in the stream. +The explosive balls had both flown true to the mark, invariably a +fatal one in the case of the river horse. Frank as he fired had +taken another rifle which the Houssas held in readiness for him, +but there was no occasion for its use. The Fans came running up, +and on seeing the great beasts lying in the stream, gave a shout +of joy.</p> + +<p>"That will do for this evening," Mr. Goodenough said. "They +are large beasts, and will give food enough for a week or ten +days."</p> + +<p>They then returned to the camp which, at the news brought by +one of the Fans, had already been deserted. Before the natives +retired to sleep the hippopotami had been cut up and carried to +the camp. Portions were already frizzling over the fires, other +parts set aside for the consumption of the next two days, and the +rest cut up in strips to be dried in the sun. The tongue of one +was cut up and fried as a great luxury for the white men's supper +by Ostik. It is not often that the natives of equatorial Africa +are able to indulge in meat, and the joy of the Fans at this +abundant supply, and the prospect afforded them of further good +eating, raised their spirits to the highest extent.</p> + +<p>Next morning at daybreak Mr. Goodenough and Frank set out from +the camp. Each carried a double barreled gun, and was accompanied +by one of the Houssas carrying his rifle and a butterfly net, and +when three hours later they returned to the camp for breakfast +and compared their spoils they found that an excellent beginning +had been made. Nearly a score of birds, of which several were +very rare, and five were pronounced by Mr. Goodenough to be +entirely new, had been shot, and many butterflies captured. Frank +had been most successful in this respect, as he had come across a +small clearing in which were several deserted huts. This was just +the place in which butterflies delight, for, although many kinds +prefer the deep shades of the forest, by far the greater portion +love the bright sunlight.</p> + +<p>After breakfast they again set out, Frank this time keeping +along the edge of the stream, where he had observed many +butterflies as he came up, and where many birds of the kingfisher +family had also been seen. He had been very successful, and was +walking along by the edge of the water with his eyes fixed upon +the trees above, where he had a minute before heard the call of a +bird, when he was startled by a shout from the Houssa behind him. +He involuntarily sprang back, and it was well he did so; for on +the instant something swept by within an inch or two of his head. +Looking round he saw, at the edge of the stream below him, a huge +alligator. This had struck at him with its tail -- the usual +manner in which the alligator supplies itself with food -- and +had it not been for the warning cry of the Houssa, would have +knocked him into the stream. Its mouth was open and Frank, as if +by instinct, fired the contents of both barrels into its throat. +The animal rolled over on to its back in the water and then +turned as if to struggle to regain the bank. The Houssa, however, +had run up, and, placing the muzzle of his gun within a foot of +its eye, fired, and the creature rolled over dead, and was swept +away by the stream.</p> + +<p>The Houssa gave a loud shout which was answered in the +distance. He then shouted two or three words, and turning to +Frank said: "Men get alligator," and proceeded on his way without +concerning himself further in the matter.</p> + +<p>On his return to camp in the evening Frank found that the +alligator had been discovered and fished out, and that its steaks +were by no means bad eating. Frank told Mr. Goodenough of the +narrow escape he had had, and the latter pointed out to him the +necessity of always keeping his eyes on the watch.</p> + +<p>"Alligators frequently carry off the native women when engaged +in washing," he said, "and almost invariably strike them, in the +first place, into the river with a blow of their tails. Once in +the water they are carried off, drowned, and eaten at leisure. +Sometimes, indeed, a woman may escape with the loss of a foot or +arm, but this is the exception."</p> + +<p>"What is the best thing to do when so attacked?" Frank asked. +"I don't mean to be caught napping again, still it is as well to +know what to do if I am."</p> + +<p>"Men when so attacked have been known frequently to escape by +thrusting their thumbs or fingers into the creature's eyes. If it +can be done the alligator is sure to lose his hold, but it +demands quickness and great presence of mind. When a reptile is +tearing at one's leg, and hurrying one along under water, you can +see that the nerve required to keep perfectly cool, to feel for +the creature's eyes, and to thrust your finger into them is very +great. The best plan, Frank, distinctly is to keep out of their +reach altogether."</p> + +<p>After remaining for a fortnight at their camp they prepared +for a move. Another hippopotamus was killed, cut up and dried, +and the flesh added to the burdens. Then the tent was struck and +they proceeded farther into the mountains. Two days later they +halted again, the site being chosen beside a little mountain +rivulet. They were now very high up in the hills, Mr. Goodenough +expecting to meet with new varieties of butterflies and insects +at this elevation. They had scarcely pitched their camp when +Frank exclaimed:</p> + +<p>"Surely, Mr. Goodenough, I can hear some dogs barking! I did +not know that the native dogs barked."</p> + +<p>"Nor do they. They may yelp and howl, but they never bark like +European dogs. What you hear is the bark of some sort of monkey +or baboon."</p> + +<p>This opinion was at once confirmed by the Fans.</p> + +<p>"We will sally out with our guns at once," Mr. Goodenough +said.</p> + +<p>"I don't like the thought of shooting monkeys," Frank +muttered, as he took up his Winchester carbine.</p> + +<p>"They are very excellent eating," Mr. Goodenough continued, +"superior in my opinion, and, indeed, in that of most travelers, +to any other meat. We shall meet with no other kind of creature +fit for food up here. The birds, indeed, supply us amply, but for +the men it is desirable that we should obtain fresh meat when we +have the chance. These baboons are very mischievous creatures, +and are not to be attacked with impunity. Let four of the Houssas +with their guns come with us."</p> + +<p>Following the direction of the sounds they had heard, the +travelers came upon a troupe of great baboons. It was a curious +sight. The males were as big as large dogs, some were sitting +sunning themselves on rocks, others were being scratched by the +females. Many of these had a baby monkey clinging on their necks, +while others were playing about in all directions.</p> + +<p>"I'd rather not shoot at them, Mr. Goodenough," Frank +said.</p> + +<p>"You will be glad enough to eat them," Mr. Goodenough +answered, and selecting a big male he fired. The creature fell +dead. The others all sprang to their feet. The females and little +ones scampered off. The males, with angry gestures, rushed upon +their assailants, barking, showing their teeth, and making +menacing gestures. Mr. Goodenough fired again, and Frank now, +seeing that they were likely to be attacked, also opened fire. +Six of the baboons were killed before the others abstained from +the attack and went screaming after the females. The dead baboons +were brought down, skinned, and two were at once roasted, the +others hung up to trees. It required a great effort on Frank's +part to overcome his repugnance to tasting these creatures, but, +when he did so, he admitted that the meat was excellent.</p> + +<p>That night they were disturbed by a cry of terror from the +men. Seizing their rifles they ran out.</p> + +<p>"There are two leopards, sar," Ostik said; "they have smelt +the monkeys."</p> + +<p>The shouts scared the creatures away, and the natives kept up +a great fire till morning.</p> + +<p>"We must get the skins if we can," Mr. Goodenough said. "The +skins of the equatorial leopard are rare. If we can get them both +they will make a fine group for you to stuff when you get back, +Frank."</p> + +<p>"Are you thinking of following their trail?" Frank asked.</p> + +<p>"That would be useless," Mr. Goodenough answered. "In soft +swampy ground we might do so, but up here it would be out of the +question. We must set a bait for them tonight, but be careful +while you are out today. They have probably not gone far from the +camp, and they are very formidable beasts. They not unfrequently +attack and kill the natives."</p> + +<p>The Fans were much alarmed at the neighborhood of the +leopards, and none would leave the camp during the day. Two of +the Houssas were left on guard, although Mr. Goodenough felt sure +that the animals would not attempt to carry off any meat in the +daylight, and two Houssas accompanied each of the travelers while +out in search of butterflies.</p> + +<p>Nothing was heard of the leopards during the day. At nightfall +a portion of one of the monkeys was roasted and hung up, so as to +swing within four feet of the ground from the arm of a tree, a +hundred yards from the camp. Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their +seats in another tree a short distance off. The night was fine +and the stars clear and bright. The tree on which the meat hung +stood somewhat alone, so that sufficient light penetrated from +above to enable any creatures approaching the bait to be seen. +Instead of his little Winchester, Frank had one of the Sniders +with explosive bullets. The Houssas were told to keep a sharp +watch in camp, in case the leopards, approaching from the other +side, might be attracted by the smell of meat there, rather than +by the bait. The Fans needed no telling to induce them to keep up +great fires all night.</p> + +<p>Soon after dark the watchers heard a roaring in the forest. It +came from the other side of the camp.</p> + +<p>"That is unlucky," Mr. Goodenough said. "We have pitched on +the wrong side. However, they will probably be deterred by the +fire from approaching the camp, and will wander round and round: +so we may hope to hear of them before long."</p> + +<p>In answer to the roar of the leopards the natives kept up a +continued shouting. For some hours the roaring continued at +intervals, sometimes close at hand, sometimes at a considerable +distance. Frank had some difficulty in keeping awake, and was +beginning to wish that the leopards would move off altogether. +Two or three times he had nearly dozed off, and his rifle had +almost slipped from his hold. All at once he was aroused by a +sharp nudge from his companion. Fixing his eyes on the bait he +made out something immediately below it. Directly afterwards +another creature stole forward. They were far less distinct than +he had expected.</p> + +<p>"You take the one to the left," Mr. Goodenough whispered; +"Now!"</p> + +<p>They fired together. Two tremendous roars were heard. One of +the leopards immediately bounded away. The other rolled over and +over, and then, recovering its feet, followed its companion, Mr. +Goodenough firing his second barrel after him.</p> + +<p>"I'm afraid you missed altogether, Frank," he said.</p> + +<p>"I don't think so, sir. I fancied I saw the flash of the shell +as it struck him, but where, I have not the remotest idea. I +could not make him out clear enough. It was merely a dim shape, +and I fired as well as I could at the middle of it.</p> + +<p>"Shall we go back to the camp now?" Frank asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes, we can safely do so. You can tell by the sound of the +roars that they are already some distance away. There is little +chance of their returning tonight. In the morning we will follow +them. There is sure to be blood, and the natives will have no +difficulty in tracking them."</p> + +<p>The rest of the night passed quietly, although roars and +howling could be heard from time to time in the distance.</p> + +<p>Early in the morning they started with the Houssas.</p> + +<p>"We must be careful today," Mr. Goodenough said, "for a +wounded leopard is a really formidable beast."</p> + +<p>There was no difficulty in taking up the traces.</p> + +<p>"One of them at least must be hard hit," Mr. Goodenough +remarked; "there are traces of blood every yard."</p> + +<p>They had gone but a short distance when one of the Houssas +gave a sudden exclamation, and pointed to something lying at the +edge of a clump of bushes.</p> + +<p>"Leopard," he said.</p> + +<p>"Yes, there is one of them, sure enough. I think it's dead, +but we cannot be too cautious. Advance very carefully, Frank, +keeping ready to fire instantly."</p> + +<p>They moved forward slowly in a body, but their precaution was +unnecessary. There was no movement in the spotted, tawny skin as +they advanced, and when they came close they could see that the +leopard was really dead. He had been hit by two bullets. The +first had struck his shoulder and exploded there, inflicting so +terrible a wound that it was wonderful he had been able to move +afterwards. The other had struck him on the back, near the tail, +and had burst inside him. Frank on seeing the nature of the +wounds was astonished at the tenacity of life shown by the +animal.</p> + +<p>"I wonder whether I hit the other," he said.</p> + +<p>"I have no doubt at all about it," Mr. Goodenough answered, +"although I did not think so before. It seemed to me that I only +heard the howls of one animal in the night, and thought it was +the one I had hit. But as this fellow must have died at once, it +is clear that the cries were made by the other."</p> + +<p>A sharp search was now set up for the tracks of the other +leopard, the Houssas going back to the tree and taking it up +anew. They soon found traces of blood in a line diverging from +that followed by the other animal. For an hour they followed +this, great care being required, as at times no spots of blood +could be seen for a considerable distance. At last they seemed to +lose it altogether. Mr. Goodenough and Frank stood together, +while the Houssas, scattered round, were hunting like well +trained dogs for a sign. Suddenly there was a sharp roar, and +from the bough of a tree close by a great body sprang through the +air and alighted within a yard of Frank. The latter, in his +surprise, sprang back, stumbled and fell, but in an instant the +report of the two barrels of Mr. Goodenough's rifle rang out. In +a moment Frank was on his feet again ready to fire. The leopard, +however, lay dead, its skull almost blown off.</p> + +<p>"You have had another narrow escape," Mr. Goodenough said. "I +see that your ball last night broke one of his hind legs. That +spoilt his spring. Had it not been for that he would undoubtedly +have reached you, and a blow with his paw, given with all his +weight and impetus, would probably have killed you on the spot. +We ought not to have stood near a tree strong enough to bear him +when in pursuit of a wounded leopard. They will always take to +trees if they can, and you see this was a very suitable one for +him. This bough on which he was lying starts from the trunk only +about four feet from the ground, so that even with his broken leg +he was able to get upon it without difficulty. Well, thank God, +you've not been hurt, my boy. It will teach us both to be more +careful in future."</p> + +<p>That afternoon Frank was down with his second attack of fever, +a much more severe one than the first had been. Mr. Goodenough's +favorite remedy had its effect of producing profuse perspiration, +but two or three hours afterwards the hot fit again came on, and +for the next four days Frank lay half delirious, at one time +consumed with heat, and the next shivering as if plunged into ice +water. Copious doses of quinine, however, gradually overcame the +fever, and on the fifth day he was convalescent. It was, +nevertheless, another week before he was sufficiently recovered +to be able to resume his hunting expeditions. They again shifted +their camp, and this time traveled for three weeks, making short +journeys, and halting early so as to give half a day from each +camping place for their work.</p> + +<p>Frank was one day out as usual with one of the Houssas. He had +killed several birds when he saw a butterfly, of a species which +he had not before met with, flitting across a gleam of sunshine +which streamed in through a rift in the trees. He told his Houssa +to wait where he was in charge of the two guns and birds, and +started off with his net in pursuit of the butterfly. The +creature fluttered away with Frank in full pursuit. Hither and +thither it flitted, seemingly taking an impish delight in +tantalizing Frank, settling on a spot where a gleam of sunlight +streamed upon the bark of a tree, till Frank had stolen up within +a couple of paces of it, and then darting away again at a pace +which defied Frank's best attempts to keep up with it until it +chose to play with him again. Intent only upon his chase Frank +thought of nothing else. At last, with a shout of triumph, he +inclosed the creature in his net, shook it into the wide pickle +bottle, containing a sponge soaked with chloroform, and then, +after tightly fitting in the stopper, he looked around. He +uttered an exclamation of dismay as he did so. He saw by the +bands of light the sun was already setting, and knew that he must +have been for upwards of an hour in chase of the butterfly. He +had not the slightest idea of the direction in which he had come. +He had, he knew, run up hill and down, but whether he had been +traveling in a circle or going straight in one direction, he had +not the least idea. He might be within a hundred yards of the +spot where he had left the Houssa. He might be three or four +miles away.</p> + +<p>He at once drew out his revolver, which he always carried +strapped to his belt, and discharged the six chambers, waiting +for half a minute between each shot, and listening intently for +an answer to his signal. None came. The stillness of the wood was +unbroken, and Frank felt that he must have wandered far indeed +from his starting place, and that he was completely lost. His +first impulse was to start off instantly at the top of his speed, +but a moment's thought convinced him that this would be useless. +He had not an idea of the direction which he should pursue. +Besides the sun was sinking, twilight is short in the tropics, +and in half an hour it would be as dark as midnight in the +forest. Remembering his adventure with the leopard he determined +to climb into a tree and pass the night there. He knew that an +active search would be set on foot by his friends next morning, +and that, as every step he took was as likely to lead him from as +towards the camp, it was better to stay where he was.</p> + +<p>He soon found a tree with a branch which would suit his +purpose, and, climbing up into it, lit his pipe and prepared for +an uncomfortable night. Frank had never smoked until he reached +Africa, but he had then taken to it on the advice of Mr. +Goodenough, who told him that smoking was certainly a preventive, +to some extent, of fever in malarious countries, and, although he +had not liked it at first, he had now taken kindly to his pipe, +and smoked from the time when the evening mists began to rise +until he went to bed.</p> + +<p>The time passed very slowly. The cries of wild creatures could +be heard in the woods, and although Frank did not expect to be +attacked, it was impossible to sleep with these calls of +leopards, with which the forest seemed to abound, in his ears. He +had reloaded his revolver immediately after discharging it, and +had replaced it in his pouch, and felt confident that nothing +could climb the tree. Besides, he had heard that leopards seldom +attack men unless themselves attacked. Sleep, however, was out of +the question, for when he slept he might have fallen from his +seat in the crotch of the tree. Occasionally, however, he dozed +off, waking up always with an uncomfortable start, and a feeling +that he had just saved himself from falling. With the earliest +dawn of morn he descended, stiff and weary, from the tree. +Directly the sun rose he set off walking. He knew at least that +he was to the south of the camp, and that by keeping the sun on +his right hand till it reached the zenith he must get in time to +the little stream on which it was pitched. As he walked he +listened intently for the sound of guns. Once or twice he fancied +that he heard them, but he was quite unable to judge of the +direction. He had been out with the Houssa about six hours before +he strayed from him in the pursuit of the butterfly, and they had +for some time been walking towards the camp, in order to reach it +by nightfall. Thus he thought, that at that time, he could only +have been some three or four miles distant from it. Supposing +that he had run due south, he could still be but eight miles from +the stream, and he thought that in three hours' walking he might +arrive there. In point of fact, after leaving the Houssa the +butterfly had led him towards the southeast, and as the stream +took a sharp bend to the north a little distance above the camp, +he was many miles farther from it than he expected. This stream +was one of the upper tributaries of the Gaboon.</p> + +<p>After walking for two hours the character of the forest +changed. The high trees were farther apart, and a thick +undergrowth began to make its appearance, frequently causing him +to make long detours and preventing his following the line he had +marked out for himself. This caused him much uneasiness, for he +knew that he had passed across no such country on his way from +the camp, and the thought that he might experience great +difficulties in recovering it, now began to press upon him.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI: A HOSTILE +TRIBE</h1> + +<p>Every step that he went the ground grew softer and more +swampy, and he at length determined to push on no farther in this +direction, but turning to his left to try and gain higher ground, +and then to continue on the line he had marked out for +himself.</p> + +<p>His progress was now very slow. The bush was thick and close, +thorny plants and innumerable creepers continually barred his +way, and the necessity for constantly looking up through the +trees to catch a glimpse of the sun, which was his only guide, +added to his difficulty. At length, when his watch told him it +was eleven o'clock, he came to a standstill, the sun being too +high overhead to serve him as a reliable guide. He had now been +walking for nearly six hours, and he was utterly worn out and +exhausted, having had no food since his midday meal on the +previous day. He was devoured with thirst, having merely rinsed +his mouth in the black and poisonous water of the swamps he had +crossed. His sleepless night, too, had told on him. He was bathed +in perspiration, and for the last hour had scarcely been able to +drag his feet along.</p> + +<p>He now lay down at the foot of a great tree, and for three or +four hours slept heavily. When he awoke he pursued his journey, +the sun serving as a guide again. In two hours' time he had got +upon higher ground. The brushwood was less dense, and he again +turned his face to the north, and stepped forward with renewed +hopes.</p> + +<p>It was late in the afternoon when he came upon a native path. +Here he sat down to think. He did not remember having crossed +such a path on the day before. Probably it crossed the stream at +some point above the encampment. Therefore it would serve as a +guide, and he might, too, come upon some native village where he +could procure food. By following it far enough he must arrive +somewhere. He sat for a quarter of an hour to rest himself, and +then proceeded along the path, whose direction seemed to be the +northwest.</p> + +<p>For an hour he proceeded and then paused, hearing a sudden +outcry ahead. Scampering along the path came a number of great +baboons, and Frank at once stepped aside into the bush to avoid +them, as these are formidable creatures when disturbed. They were +of a very large species, and several of the females had little +ones clinging around their necks. In the distance Frank could +hear the shouts of some natives, and supposed that the monkeys +had been plundering their plantations, and that they were driving +them away. The baboons passed without paying any attention to +him, but Frank observed that the last of the troop was carrying a +little one in one of its forearms.</p> + +<p>Frank glanced at the baby monkey and saw that it had round its +waist a string of blue beads. As a string of beads is the only +attire which a negro child wears until it reaches the age of ten +or eleven years old, the truth at once flashed upon Frank that +the baboons were carrying off a native baby, which had probably +been set down by its mother while she worked in the plantation. +Instantly he drew his pistol, leaped into the road, and fired at +the retreating ape. It gave a cry, dropped the baby and turned to +attack its aggressor.</p> + +<p>Frank waited till it was within six feet, and then shot it +through the head. He sprang forward and seized the baby, but in a +moment he was attacked by the whole party of baboons, who, +barking like dogs, and uttering angry cries, rushed at him. Frank +stood his ground, and discharged the four remaining barrels of +his revolver at the foremost animals. Two of these dropped, but +the others who were only wounded sprang upon him. Frank struck +out with the butt end of his pistol, but in a minute he was +overpowered.</p> + +<p>One monkey seized him by the leg with his teeth, while another +bit his arm. Others struck and scratched at him, and he was at +once thrown down. He tried to defend his face with his arms, +kicking and struggling to the best of his power. With one hand he +drew the long knife for skinning animals, which he wore at his +belt, and struck out fiercely, but a baboon seized his wrist in +its teeth, and Frank felt that all was over, when suddenly his +assailants left him, and the instant afterwards he was lifted to +his feet by some negroes.</p> + +<p>He had, when attacked by the apes, thrown the baby into a +clump of ferns close by, in order to have the use of both his +hands, and when he looked round he found that a negress had +already picked it up, and was crying and fondling it. The negroes +appeared intensely astonished at Frank's color, and he judged by +their exclamations of surprise that, not only had they not seen a +white man before, but that they had not heard of one being in the +neighborhood.</p> + +<p>Frank had been too severely bitten and mauled by the baboons +to be able to walk, and the negroes, seeing this, raised him, and +four of them carried him to their village, which was but a +quarter of a mile distant. Here he was taken to the principal +hut, and laid on a bed. His wounds were dressed with poultices +formed of bruised leaves of some plant, the natives evincing the +utmost astonishment as Frank removed his clothes to enable these +operations to be performed.</p> + +<p>By pointing to his lips he indicated that he was hungry and +thirsty. Water was brought to him, and cakes made from pounded +yams pressed and baked. Having eaten and drank he closed his eyes +and lay back, and the natives, who had before been all noisily +chattering together, now became suddenly silent, and stealing +away left the strange white visitor to sleep.</p> + +<p>When Frank woke he could see by the light that it was early +morning. A woman with a child in her lap, whom Frank recognized +as the negress who had picked up the baby, was sitting on a low +stool by his side. On seeing him open his eyes she came to the +bed, took his hand and put it to her lips, and then raised the +baby triumphantly and turned it round and round to show that it +had escaped without damage. Then when Frank pointed again to his +lips she brought him a pineapple, roughly cut off the skin, and +sliced it. Frank ate the juicy fruit, and felt immensely +refreshed, for the West Coast pineapple is even more delicious +than that found in the West Indies. Then the woman removed the +bandages and applied fresh poultices to his wounds, talking in +low soft tones, and, as Frank had no doubt, expressing sorrow at +their cause.</p> + +<p>Frank now endeavored to explain to her that he had a white +companion in the woods, but the woman, not understanding, brought +in two or three other natives, who stood round the couch and +endeavored to gather what he wished to say.</p> + +<p>Frank held up two fingers. Then he pointed to himself and shut +down one finger, keeping the other erect, and then pointed all +round to signify that he had a friend somewhere in the wood. A +grin of comprehension stole over the faces of the negroes, and +Frank saw that he was understood.</p> + +<p>Then he again held up his two fingers, and taking the hands of +the negress raised all her fingers by the side of the white ones +to signify that there were many natives with them. Then he took +aim, with an imaginary gun, up at the roof of the hut, and said +"Bang" very loud, and a chorus of approving laughter from the +negroes showed that he was understood. Then one of them pointed +towards the various points of the compass, and looked +interrogatively at Frank. The sun was streaming in through the +doorway, and he was thus able to judge of the direction in which +the camp must lie. He made a sweep with his hand towards the +northwest, signifying that they were somewhere in that +direction.</p> + +<p>That afternoon fever set in, and for the two next days Frank +was delirious. When he recovered consciousness he found Mr. +Goodenough sitting beside him. The latter would not suffer him to +talk, but gave him a strong dose of quinine and told him to lie +quiet and go to sleep.</p> + +<p>It was not till the next day that Frank learned what had +happened in his absence. The Houssa had not returned until long +after nightfall. He reported that Frank had told him to wait with +the guns, and that he had waited until it grew nearly dark. Then +he had fired several times and had walked about, firing his gun +at intervals. Obtaining no responses he had made his way back to +the camp, where his arrival alone caused great consternation.</p> + +<p>It was impossible to do anything that night, and the next +morning Mr. Goodenough, accompanied by five of the Houssas, one +only remaining to keep guard over the camp, had gone to the place +where Frank had last been seen. Then they scattered in various +directions, shouting and firing their guns. The search had been +continued all day without success, and at nightfall, disheartened +and worn out, they had returned to the camp. The next day the +search had been continued with an equal want of success, and the +fears that a leopard had attacked and killed Frank became +stronger and stronger. On the third day the whole of the carriers +were sent out with instructions to search the woods for native +paths, to follow these to villages, and to enlist the natives in +the search. One of these men had met one of the villagers on the +search for the party of the white man.</p> + +<p>It was another ten days before Frank was sufficiently +recovered from his fever and wounds to march back to the camp. +After a stay there of two or three more days, to enable him +completely to regain his strength, the party started again on +their journey.</p> + +<p>In another three weeks they had descended the hills, and the +Fans announced their unwillingness to travel farther. Mr. +Goodenough, however, told them quietly that they had promised to +go on until he could obtain other carriers, and that if they +deserted him he should pay them nothing. They might now expect +every day to meet people of another tribe, and as soon as they +should do so they would be allowed to depart. Finding that he was +firm, and having no desire to forfeit the wages they had earned, +the Fans agreed to go forward, although they were now in a +country entirely unknown to them, where the people would +presumably be hostile. They had, however, such faith in the arms +carried by the white men and Houssas, that they felt +comparatively easy as to the result of any attack which might be +made upon them.</p> + +<p>The very day after this little mutiny, smoke was seen curling +up from the woods. Mr. Goodenough deemed it inexpedient to show +himself at once with so large a number of men. He, therefore, +sent forward Ostik with two of the Fans, each of whom could speak +several native dialects, to announce his coming. They returned in +an hour saying that the village was a very large one, and that +the news of the coming of two white men had created great +excitement. The people spoke of sending at once to their king, +whom they called Malembe, whose place, it seemed, was a day's +march off.</p> + +<p>They now prepared to enter the village. Ostik went first +carrying himself with the dignity of a beadle at the head of a +school procession. Two of the Houssas walked next. Mr. Goodenough +and Frank followed, their guns being carried by two Fans behind +them. Then came the long line of bearers, two of the Houssas +walking on each side as a baggage guard. The villagers assembled +in great numbers as they entered. The head man conducted the +whites to his hut. No women or children were to be seen, and the +expression of the men was that of fear rather than curiosity.</p> + +<p>"They are afraid of the Fans," Mr. Goodenough said. "The other +tribes all have a species of terror of these cannibals. We must +reassure them as soon as possible."</p> + +<p>A long palaver then took place with the chief, with whose +language one of the Fans was sufficiently acquainted to make +himself understood. It was rather a tedious business, as each +speech had to be translated twice, through Ostik and the Fan.</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough informed the chief that the white men were +friends of his people, that they had come to see the country and +give presents to the chiefs, that they only wished to pass +quietly through and to journey unmolested, and that they would +pay handsomely for food and all that they required. They wished +to obtain bearers for their baggage, and these they would pay in +cloth and brass rods, and as soon as they procured carriers the +Fans would return to their own country.</p> + +<p>The chief answered expressing his gratification at seeing +white men in his village, saying that the king would, no doubt, +carry out all their wishes. One of the boxes was opened and he +was presented with five yards of bright colored calico, a gaudy +silk handkerchief, and several strings of bright beads. In return +a large number of plantains were presented to the white men. +These were soon distributed among the Fans.</p> + +<p>"Me no like dat nigger," Ostik said. "Me think we hab trouble. +You see all women and children gone, dat bad. Wait till see what +do when king come."</p> + +<p>That day and the next passed quietly. The baggage had been +piled in a circle, as usual, in an open space outside the +village; the tent being pitched in the center, and Ostik advised +Mr. Goodenough to sleep here instead of in the village. The day +after their arrival passed but heavily. The natives showed but +little curiosity as to the newcomers, although these must have +been far more strange to them than to the people nearer the +coast. Still no women or children made their appearance. Towards +evening a great drumming was heard in the distance.</p> + +<p>"Here is his majesty at last," Mr. Goodenough said, "we shall +soon see what is his disposition."</p> + +<p>In a short time the village was filled with a crowd of men all +carrying spears and bows and arrows. The drumming came nearer and +nearer, and then, carried in a chair on the shoulders of four +strong negroes, while ten others armed with guns marched beside +him, the king made his appearance.</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough and Frank advanced to meet him. The king was a +tall man with a savage expression of countenance. Behind Mr. +Goodenough, Ostik and the Fan who spoke the language advanced. +The king's chair was lowered under the shade of a tree, and two +attendants with palm leaf fans at once began to fan his +majesty.</p> + +<p>"Tell the king," Mr. Goodenough said, "that we are white men +who have come to see his country, and to pass through to the +countries beyond. We have many presents for him, and wish to buy +food and to hire carriers in place of those who have brought our +things thus far."</p> + +<p>The king listened in silence.</p> + +<p>"Why do the white men bring our enemies into our land?" he +asked angrily.</p> + +<p>"We have come up from the coast," Mr. Goodenough said; "and as +we passed through the Fan country we hired men there to carry our +goods, just as we wish to hire men here to go on into the country +beyond. There were none of the king's men in that country or we +would have hired them."</p> + +<p>"Let me see the white men's presents," the king said.</p> + +<p>A box was opened, a bright scarlet shirt and a smoking cap of +the same color, worked with beads, a blue silk handkerchief and +twenty yards of bright calico, were taken out. To these were +added twelve stair rods, five pounds of powder, and two pounds of +shot.</p> + +<p>The king's eye sparkled greedily as he looked at the +treasures.</p> + +<p>"The white men must be very rich," he said, pointing to the +pile of baggage.</p> + +<p>"Most of the boxes are empty," Mr. Goodenough said. "We have +brought them to take home the things of the country and show them +to the white men beyond the sea;" and to prove the truth of his +words, Mr. Goodenough had two of the empty cases opened, as also +one already half filled with bird skins, and another with trays +of butterflies and beetles.</p> + +<p>The king looked at them with surprise.</p> + +<p>"And the others?" he asked, pointing to them.</p> + +<p>"The others," Mr. Goodenough said, "contain, some of them, +food such as white men are accustomed to eat in their own +country, the others, presents for the other kings and chiefs I +shall meet when we have passed on.</p> + +<p>"The fellow is not satisfied," he said to Ostik, "give him two +of the trade guns and a bottle of brandy."</p> + +<p>The king appeared mollified by these additional presents, and +saying that he would talk to the white men in the morning, he +retired into the village.</p> + +<p>"I don't like the looks of things," Mr. Goodenough said. "I +fear that the presents we have given the king will only stimulate +his desire for more. However, we shall see in the morning."</p> + +<p>When night fell, two of the Houssas were placed on guard. The +Fans slept inside the circle formed by the baggage. Several times +in the night the Houssas challenged bodies of men whom they heard +approaching, but these at once retired.</p> + +<p>In the morning a messenger presented himself from the king, +saying that he required many more presents, that the things which +had been given were only fit for the chief of a village, and not +for a great king. Mr. Goodenough answered, that he had given the +best he had, that the presents were fit for a great king, and +that he should give no more.</p> + +<p>"If we are to have trouble," he said to Frank, "it is far +better to have it at once while the Fans are with us, than when +we are alone with no one but the Houssas and the subjects of this +man. The Fans will fight, and we could hold this encampment +against any number of savages."</p> + +<p>A quarter of an hour later the drums began beating furiously +again. Loud shouts and yells arose in the village, and the +natives could be seen moving excitedly about. Presently these all +disappeared.</p> + +<p>"Fight come now," Ostik said.</p> + +<p>"You'd better lower the tent at once, Ostik. It will only he +in our way."</p> + +<p>The tent was speedily lowered. The Fans grasped their spears +and lay down behind the circle of boxes and bales, and the six +Houssas, the two white men and Ostik, to whom a trade musket had +been entrusted, took their places at regular intervals round the +circle, which was some eight yards in diameter. Presently the +beat of the drums again broke the silence, and a shower of +arrows, coming apparently from all points of the compass, fell in +and around the circle.</p> + +<p>"Open fire steadily and quietly," Mr. Goodenough said, "among +the bushes, but don't fire fast. We must tempt them to show +themselves."</p> + +<p>A dropping fire commenced against the invisible foe, the fire +being no more frequent than it would have been had they been +armed with muzzle loading weapons. Presently musketry was heard +on the enemy's side, the king's bodyguard having opened fire. +This was disastrous to them, for, whereas the arrows had afforded +but slight index as to the position of those who shot them, the +puffs of smoke from the muskets at once showed the lurking places +of those who used them, and Mr. Goodenough and Frank replied so +truly that in a very short time the musketry fire of the enemy +ceased altogether. The rain of arrows continued, the yells of the +natives rose louder and louder, and the drums beat more +furiously.</p> + +<p>"They will be out directly," Mr. Goodenough said. "Fire as +quickly as you can when they show, but be sure and take good +aim."</p> + +<p>Presently the sound of a war horn was heard, and from the wood +all round a crowd of dark figures dashed forward, uttering +appalling yells. On the instant the dropping fire of the +defenders changed into an almost continuous fusillade, as the +Sniders of the Houssas, the breech loading rifle of Mr. +Goodenough, and the repeating Winchester of Frank were brought +into play at their full speed. Yells of astonishment broke from +the natives, and a minute later, leaving nearly a score of their +comrades on the ground, the rest dashed back into the forest.</p> + +<p>There was silence for a time and then the war drums began +again.</p> + +<p>"Dey try again hard dis time, massa," Ostik said. "King tell +'em he cut off deir heads dey not win battle."</p> + +<p>This time the natives rushed forward with reckless bravery, in +spite of the execution made among them by the rapid fire of the +defenders, and rushed up to the circle of boxes. Then the Fans +leaped to their feet, and, spear in hand, dashed over the +defenses and fell upon the enemy.</p> + +<p>The attack was decisive. Uttering yells of terror the natives +fled, and two minutes later not a sound was to be heard in the +forest.</p> + +<p>"I tink dey run away for good dis time, sar," Ostik said. "Dey +hav' 'nuf of him. Dey fight very brave, much more brave than +people down near coast. Dere in great battle only three, four men +killed. Here as many men killed as we got altogether."</p> + +<p>This was so, nearly fifty of the natives having fallen between +the trees and the encampment. When an hour passed and all was +still, it became nearly certain that the enemy had retreated, and +the Houssas, who are splendid scouts, divested themselves of +their clothing and crawled away into the wood to reconnoiter. +They returned in half an hour in high glee, bearing the king's +chair.</p> + +<p>"Dey all run away, sar, ebery one, de king an' all, and leab +his chair behind. Dat great disgrace for him."</p> + +<p>A council was now held. The Fans were so delighted with the +victory they had won, that they expressed their readiness to +remain with their white companions as long as they chose, +providing these would guarantee that they should be sent home on +the expiration of their service. This Mr. Goodenough readily +promised. After discussing the question with Frank, he determined +to abstain from pushing farther into the interior, but to keep +along northward, and then turning west with the sweep of the +coast to travel slowly along, keeping at about the same distance +as at present from the sea, and finally to come down either upon +Cape Coast or Sierra Leone.</p> + +<p>This journey would occupy a considerable time. They would +cross countries but little known, and would have an ample +opportunity for the collection of specimens, which they might, +from time to time, send down by the various rivers they would +cross, to the trading stations at their mouths.</p> + +<p>It was felt that after this encounter with the natives it +would be imprudent in the extreme to push further into the +interior. They would have continual battles to fight, large +numbers of the natives would be killed, and their collecting +operations would be greatly interfered with. As a lesson to the +natives the village was burnt to the ground; the presents, which +the king in the hurry of his flight had left behind him, being +recovered.</p> + +<p>A liberal allowance of tobacco was served out as a "dash" or +present to the Fans, and a bright silk handkerchief given to +each. Then they turned off at right angles to the line they had +before been pursuing and continued their journey.</p> + +<p>Two days later Mr. Goodenough was prostrated by fever, and for +several days lay between life and death. When he became +convalescent he recovered strength very slowly. The heat was +prodigious and the mosquitos rendered sleep almost impossible at +night. The country at this place was low and swampy, and, weak as +he was, Mr. Goodenough determined to push forward. He was, +however, unable to walk, and, for the first time, a hammock was +got out and mounted.</p> + +<p>There is no more comfortable conveyance in the world than a +hammock in Africa. It is slung from a long bamboo pole, overhead +a thick awning keeps the sun from the hammock. Across the ends of +the pole boards of some three feet long are fastened. The natives +wrap a piece of cloth into the shape of a muffin and place it on +their heads, and then take their places, two at each end of the +pole, with the ends of the board on their heads. They can trot +along at the rate of six miles an hour, for great distances, +often keeping up a monotonous song. Their action is perfectly +smooth and easy, and the traveler in the hammock, by shutting his +eyes, might imagine himself swinging in a cot on board ship on an +almost waveless sea.</p> + +<p>After two days traveling they got on to higher ground, and +here they camped for some time, Mr. Goodenough slowly recovering +strength, and Frank busy in adding to their collections. In this +he was in no slight degree assisted by the Fans, who, having +nothing else to do, had now come to enter into the occupation of +their employers. A good supply of muslin had been brought, and +nets having been made, the Fans captured large quantities of +butterflies, the great difficulty being in convincing them that +only a few of each species were required. They were still more +valuable in grubbing about in the decaying trunks of fallen +trees, under loose bark, and in broken ground, for beetles and +larvae, a task which suited them better than running about after +butterflies, which, moreover, they often spoilt irreparably by +their rough handling. Thus Frank was able to devote himself +entirely to the pursuit of birds, and although all the varieties +more usually met with had been obtained, the collection steadily +increased in size.</p> + +<p>Frank himself had severe attacks of fever, but none of these +were so severe as that which he had had on the day of the death +of the leopards.</p> + +<p>At the end of a month Mr. Goodenough had recovered his +strength, and they again moved forward.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII: A +NEGRO'S STORY</h1> + +<p>On arriving at a large village one day, they were struck as +they approached by the far greater appearance of comfort and +neatness than generally distinguish African villages. The plots +of plantations were neatly fenced, the street was clean and well +kept. As they entered the village they were met by the principal +people, headed by an old white haired negro.</p> + +<p>"Me berry glad to see you, white men," he said. "Long time me +no see white men."</p> + +<p>"And it is a long time," said Mr. Goodenough, shaking hands +with him, "since I have heard the sound of my own tongue outside +my party."</p> + +<p>"Me berry glad to see you," repeated the negro. "Me chief of +dis village. Make you berry comfortable, sar. Great honor for dis +village dat you come here. Plenty eberyting for you, fowl, and +eggs, and plantain, and sometime a sheep."</p> + +<p>"We have, indeed, fallen into the lap of luxury," Mr. +Goodenough said to Frank; and they followed the negro to his hut. +"I suppose the old man has been employed in one of the factories +upon the coast."</p> + +<p>The interior of the hut was comfortably furnished and very +clean. A sort of divan covered with neatly woven mats extended +round three sides. In the center was an attempt at a table. A +doubled barreled gun and a rifle hung over the hearth. A small +looking glass and several colored prints in cheap frames were +suspended from the walls. A great chest stood at one end of the +room, while on a shelf were a number of plates and dishes of +English manufacture.</p> + +<p>The negro begged his guests to be seated, and presently a girl +entered, bringing in a large calabash full of water for them to +wash their hands and faces. In the meantime the old negro had +gone to his chest, and, to the immense surprise of the travelers, +brought out a snow white tablecloth, which he proceeded to lay on +the table, and then to place knives, forks, and plates upon +it.</p> + +<p>"You must 'scuse deficiencies, sar," he said. "We berry long +way from coast, and dese stupid niggers dey break tings most +ebery day."</p> + +<p>"Don't talk about deficiencies," Mr. Goodenough answered +smiling. "All this is, indeed, astonishing to us here."</p> + +<p>"You berry good to say dat, sar, but dis chile know how tings +ought to be done. Me libed in good Melican family. He know berry +well how tings ought to be done."</p> + +<p>"Ah, you have traveled a good deal!" Mr. Goodenough said.</p> + +<p>"Yes, sar, me trabel great deal. Me lib in Cuba long time. Den +me lib slave states, what you call Confederate. Den me lib +Northern state, also Canada under Queen Victoria. Me trabel bery +much. Now, sar, dinner come. Time to eat not to talk. After +dinner white gentlemen tell me what they came here for. Me tell +dem if they like about my trabels, but dat berry long story."</p> + +<p>The dinner consisted of two fowls cut in half and grilled over +a fire, fried plantains, and, to the astonishment of the +travelers, green peas, followed by cold boiled rice over which +honey had been poured. Their host had placed plates only for two, +but they would not sit down until he had consented to join +them.</p> + +<p>Two girls waited, both neatly dressed in cotton, in a fashion +which was a compromise between European and negro notions.</p> + +<p>After dinner the negro presented them with two large and +excellent cigars, made, as he said, from tobacco grown in his own +garden, and the astonishment of the travelers was heightened by +the reappearance of one of the girls bearing a tray with three +small cups of excellent black coffee.</p> + +<p>Their host now asked them for the story of their journey from +the coast, and the object with which they had penetrated Africa. +Mr. Goodenough related their adventures, and said that they were +naturalists in search of objects of natural history. When he had +finished Ostik, in obedience to a whisper from him, brought in a +bottle of brandy, at the sight of which the negro broke into a +chuckle.</p> + +<p>"Me tree months widout taste dat. Once ebery year me send down +to coast, get coffee, tea, sugar, calico, beads, and rum. Dis +time de rum am finish too soon. One of de cases get broke and +half de bottles smash. Dat berry bad job. Dis chile calculate dat +six dozen last for a year, dat give him one bottle each week and +twenty bottles for presents to oder chiefs. Eighteen bottles go +smash, and as de oder chiefs expec' deir present all de same, Sam +hab ta go widout. De men start three weeks ago for coast. Me hope +dey come back in six weeks more."</p> + +<p>"Well," Mr. Goodenough said, "you need not go without it till +they come back, for I can give you eight bottles which will last +you for two months. I have got a good supply, and as I never use +it for trade unless a chief particularly wants it, I can very +well spare it."</p> + +<p>The old negro was greatly pleased, and when he had drank his +glass of brandy and water he responded to Mr. Goodenough's +request, and, lighting a fresh cigar, he began the story of his +adventures.</p> + +<p>"I was born in dis berry village somewhere about seventy years +ago. I not know for sure widin two or three year, for when I +young man I no keep account. My fader was de chief of dis +village, just as I am now, but de village was not like dis. It +was not so big, and was berry dirty and berry poor, just like the +oder nigger villages. Well, sar, dere am nothing perticlar to +tell about de first years of my life. I jus' dirty little naked +nigger like de rest. Dose were berry bad times. Ebery one fight +against ebery one else. Ebery one take slabes and send dem down +de river, and sell to white men dere to carry ober sea. When I +grow up to seventeen, I s'pose, I take spear and go out wid de +people of dis village and de oder villages of dis part ob country +under king, and fight against oder villages and carry the people +away as slabes. All berry bad business dat. But Sam he tink +nothing, and just do the same as oder people. Sometimes oder +tribes come and fight against our villages and carry our people +away. So it happened to Sam.</p> + +<p>"Jus' when he about twenty years old we had come back from a +long 'spedition. Dis village got its share ob slabes, and we +drink and sing and make merry wid de palm tree wine and tink +ourselves berry grand fellows. Well, sar, dat night great +hullyballoo in de village. De dogs bark, de men shout and seize +deir arms and run out to fight, but it no good. Anoder tribe fall +on us ten times as many as we. We fight hard but no use. All de +ole men and de ole women and de little babies dat no good to sell +dey killed, and de rest of us, de men and de women and de boys +and girls, we tied together and march away wid de people dat had +taken us.</p> + +<p>"Berry bad time dat, sar. De season was dry and de water +scarce. We make long march ebery day, and berry little food +given. Dey beat us wid sticks and prod us wid spear to make us +go. A good many ob de weak ones dey die, but de most ob us arribe +at mouth ob riber; me neber know what riber dat was, but we were +berry nigh two months in getting dere. By dis time Sam arribe at +the conclusion berry strong, dat de burning ob villages and +carrying off ob slabes berry bad affair altogether. Sam hab +changed his mind about a great many things, but about dat he am +fixed right up to dis time.</p> + +<p>"Well, at de mouth ob dat riber Sam saw de white man for de +first time; and me tell you fair, sar, Sam not like him no way. +Dey were Spanish men, and de way dey treat us poor niggers was +someting awful. We huddle up night and day in a big shed dey call +a barracoon. Dey gabe us berry little food, berry little water. +Dey flog us if we grumble. Dese men belong to ships, and had +bought us from dose who brought us down from up country. Deir +ship not come yet, and for a long time we wait in the barracoon +wishing dat we could die. At last de ship came, and we were taken +on board and huddled down below. Law, what a place dat was to be +sure! Not more than tree feet high, just high enough to sit up, +and dere we chained to deck. De heat, sar, was someting terrible. +Some ob us yell out and scream for air, but dey only come down +and beat us wid whips.</p> + +<p>"De day after we got on board de ship set sail. Tree hours +after dat we hear a great running about on deck, and a shouting +by the white men. Den we hear big gun fire ober head, almost make +us jump out of skin wid de noise. Den more guns. Den dere was a +crash, and before we knew what was de matter dere was a big hole +in de side, and six niggers was killed dead. Ebery one yelled +berry loud. We tink for sure that de last day come. For a long +time de guns keep firing, and den everyting quiet again. At de +time no one could tink what de matter, but I s'pose dat British +cruiser chase us and dat de slaber sail away.</p> + +<p>"Dat was an awful voyage, sar. At first de sea smoove, and de +ship go along straight. Den de ship begin to toss about jus' as +nigger does when he has taken too much palm wine, and we all feel +berry bad. Ebery one groan and cry and tink dat dey must have +been poisoned. For tree days it was a terrible time. De hatches +were shut down and no air could come to us, and dere we was all +alone in de dark, and no one could make out why de great house on +de water roll and tumble so much. We cry and shout till all +breaff gone, and den lie quiet and moan, till jus' when ebery one +tink he dead, dey take off de hatch and come down and undo de +padlocks and tell us to go up on deck. Dat berry easy to say, not +at all easy to do. Most of us too weak to walk, and say dat we +dead and cannot move. Den dey whip all about, and it was +astonishing, sar, to see what life dat whip put into dead nigger. +Somehow people feel dat dey could crawl after all, and when dey +get up on deck and see de blessed sun again and de blue sky dey +feel better. But not all. In spite ob de whip many hab to be +carried up on deck, and dere de sailor men lay 'em down and trow +cold water ober dem till dey open dere eyes and come to life. +Some neber come to life. Dere were about six hundred when we +start, and ob dese pretty nigh a hundred die in dose tree +days.</p> + +<p>"After dat tings not so bad. De weather was fine and no more +English cruisers seen, so dey let half ob us up on deck at once +for tree or four hours ebery day. Dey give us more food, too, and +fatten us up. We talk dis ober among ourselves, and s'pose dat +dey going to eat us when we get to land again. Some propose not +to eat food, but when dey try dat on they get de whip, and +conclude dat if dey must be eaten dey might as well be eaten fat +as lean.</p> + +<p>"At last we come in sight of land. Den we all sent below and +stay dere till night. Den we brought on deck, and find de vessel +lying in a little creek. Den we all land in boats, and march up +country all night. In de morning we halt. Tree or four white men +come on horses and look at us. Dey separate us into parties, and +each march away into country again. Den we separate again, till +at last me and twenty oders arribe at a plantation up in de +hills. Here we range along in line before a white man. He speak +in berry fierce tones, and a nigger by his side tell us dat dis +man our master, dat he say if we work well he gib us plenty of +food and treat us well, but dat if we not work wid all our might +he whip us to death. After dis it was ebident that de best ting +to do was to work hard.</p> + +<p>"I was young and berry strong, sar, and soon got de name of a +willing hard working nigger. De massa he keep his word. Dose who +work well not bad treated, plenty ob food and a piece of ground +to plant vegetables and to raise fowls for ourselves. So we +passed two or tree year, plenty ob hard work, but not berry much +to grumble at. Den me and a gal of my own village, who had been +bought in de same batch wid me, we go to massa and say we want to +marry. Massa say, berry well. I fine strong nigger and work well, +so he gib de gal four yards ob bright cotton for wedding dress, +and a bottle ob rum to me, and we married.</p> + +<p>"Two or tree years pass, and my wife hab two piccanninies. Den +de massa go home to Spain, and leab overseer in plantation. Berry +bad man dat. Before, if nigger work well he not beaten. Now he +beaten wheder he work or not. For two or tree months we 'tand it, +but tings get worse and worse. De oberseer he always drunk and go +on like wild beast. One day he passed by my wife hoeing de +sugarcane and he gib her cut wid whip, jus' out of 'musement. She +turn round and ask, 'What dat for?' He get mad, cut her wid whip, +knock her down wid de handle, and den seizing de chile dat she +had fastened to her back, he catch him by de leg and smash him +skull against a tree. Den, sar, I seize my hoe, I rush at him, +and I chop him down wid all my strength, cut his skull clean in +sunder, and he drop down dead.</p> + +<p>"Den I knew dat dat was no place for Sam, so I take my hoe and +I run away as fast as I could. No one try to stop me. De oder +niggers dance and sing when dey saw de oberseer fall dead. I ran +all dat day up among de hills, skirting round de different +plantations till I get quite into de wild part. Wheneber I came +to stream I walk a long way in him till I get to tree hanging +ober. Den pull myself up into de branches, climb along and drop +at de farthest end, and den run again, for I knew dat dey would +set de bloodhounds after me.</p> + +<p>"At last I tink dat it am quite safe, and when de night came +on lie down to sleep for a few hours. Before morning me off +again, and by night get to de center of de wild country. Here I +light a fire, and sit down, and, just as I 'spected, in two or +tree hours five or six men come down to me. Dose were niggers who +had run away from plantations. I tell dem my story, dey agree dat +I did berry right in killing oberseer. Dey take me away to place +where dey hab little huts and patches of yams. Two or tree days +pass and no one come, so, we s'pose dat dey hab lost de scent. Me +waited a month and den determined to go down and see about wife. +I journey at night, and reach plantation in two days. Dere I hide +till I see nigger come along close to bush. I call him and he +come. I tell him to tell my wife to steal away when night come, +and to meet me dere. He nod and go away. Dat night my wife come +wid de oder chile. We not talk much but start away for mountains. +Me berry much afraid now because my wife not berry strong, she +hurt by de blow and fretting after me. Howeber, we follow the way +I had gone before. I make shift to help her up into trees from +the streams, and dis time after tree days' travel we got back to +hut in the mountain.</p> + +<p>"Dere we lib berry happy for a year. Sometimes some ob us go +down to plantation and take down baskets and oder tings dat we +had made and chop dem for cotton. We had tobacco of our own, and +some fowls which we got from the plantations in de fust place. +Altogether we did berry well. Sometimes band of soldiers come and +march trough the country, but we hab plenty hiding places and dey +never find us. More and more runway slabes come, and at last we +hear dat great 'spedition going to start to search all de +mountains. Dey come, two tree thousand ob dem. Dey form long +skirmishing line, five or six mile long, and dey go ober +mountain. Ebery nigger dey find who not surrender when dey call +to him dey shoot. When I heard ob deir coming I had long talk wid +wife. We agree that it better to leave de mountains altogether +and go down and live in the bushes close to the old plantation. +Nobody look for us dere. So we make our way down and lib there +quiet. We get the yams out ob de plantations and lib very +comfortable. When we tink all ober in the mountain we go +back.</p> + +<p>"Well, sar, when we tink it all safe, and we get widin a mile +ob de huts whar we had libed, all at once we came upon a lot of +soldiers in camp. Dey see us and make shout. I call to my wife to +run, when dey fire. A bullet hit de baby, which she hab at her +back, and pass through both deir bodies. I did not run any more, +but jus' stood looking at my wife and chile as if my senses had +gone. Dere I stood till the soldiers came up. Dey put a cord +round my arms and led me away. After a time I was taken down the +country. Dere I was claimed, and when it was known I had killed a +white oberseer I was tried. But de new oberseer did not want me +to be hung, for I was a strong slave and worth money, so he told +a story about how it happen, and after dey had flogged me very +hard dey sent me back to plantation. Dere I work for a long time +wid a great log of wood chained to my ankle to prevent me from +running away again.</p> + +<p>"For a time I not care whether I lib or die, but at last I +made up my mind to 'scape again. After six months dey took off de +log, tinking dat I had had enuf of de mountains and would not try +to 'scape, and de log prevented my doing so much work. De bery +next night I ran away again but dis time I determined to make for +de town in hopes ob getting on board an English ship, for I had +heard from de oder slabes dat de English did not keep black men +as slabes, but dat, on de contry, dey did what dey could to stop +de Spanish from getting dem away from Africa, and I understood +now dat de dreful noise we had heard on de first day we were on +board ship was an attack upon our vessel by an English +cruiser.</p> + +<p>"It was four days' journey down to de town by de sea. Dere was +no difficulty in finding de way, for de road was good, and I +s'pose dat dey only looked for me towards de hills. Anyhow I got +dar safe, walking at night and sleeping in the bushes by day. I +got as near de town as I dar, and could see seberal vessels lying +near de shore. I could see dat some ob dem had de Spanish flag -- +I knew dat flag -- de oders had flags which I did not know. When +it was dark I walked boldly into the town; no one asked me any +question, and I make my way through de streets down to de shore. +Dere I get into a boat and lay quiet till all de town was asleep. +Den I get into water and swim off to a ship -- one dat I had +noticed had a flag which was not Spanish. Dere was a boat +alongside. I climb into it and pull myself up by the rope on +deck. Den some white men seize me and say someting in language +which I not understand. Den dey take me into cabin and say +someting to captain; me not know what it was, but de captain +laugh, and me not like his laugh at all. Howeber, dey give me +someting to eat, and den take me down into hold of ship and tell +me to go to sleep on some sacks of sugar, and throw some empty +sacks ober me to cover me. Den dey close up hatch and leab me +alone.</p> + +<p>"When I come on deck de land was gone and de vessel sailing +along. I speak to no one, for I only understand little Spanish, +and dese people not speak dat. We sail along for some time, and +at last we come in sight of land again. Den dey hoist flag and I +see dat it a flag wid lots of red stars and stripes upon him. I +know now dat it was a 'Merican ship. Den I know noting. We get to +port and I want to land, but dey shake deir heads.</p> + +<p>"De next day de captain he make sign to me to come wid him. I +go along to shore and he take me to a open space in town, where a +man was standing on a raised platform. He had a black woman by de +side ob him. Seberal men come up and look at her. De man he shout +bery loud. Oder men say something short. At last he knock on de +table; a man tell de woman to come after him and she walk away. +Den a boy was put up, and den two more women, and ebery time just +de same ting was done. Den de man call out, and de captain push +his way through the crowd wid me, and tell me to climb up on +platform. I get up and look round quite surprised. Eberybody +laugh. Den de man began to holloa again. Den seberal men come up +and feel my arms and my legs. Dey point to de marks which de whip +had left on my back, and dey laugh again. Presently de man who +was shouting bang his hand on the table again, and a white man in +the crowd, who had seberal times called out loud, come up to me, +take me by the arm, and sign to me to go wid him.</p> + +<p>"I begin to understand now; dat rascally captain had sold me +for a slabe, and dat flag I had seen was not de English flag. +However, it was no use to say anyting, and I went along wid my +new massa. He was a nice looking man, and I thought it might not +be so bery bad after all. He took me to a high carriage wid two +wheels and a fine horse. A negro, who was dressed up like a white +man, was holding de horse. He showed me to climb up behind, de +oders climb up in front, and we dribe away."</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII: A +FUGITIVE SLAVE</h1> + +<p>"Well, sar, work bery much de same on plantation in Virginia +and Cuba, but de slabe much merrier in 'Merica, when de master am +good. My new massa bery good man. Slabes all treat bery kind, +work not too hard. At night dance and sing bery much. Den I marry +again, dis time to one ob de girls in de house. She favorite ob +missy, and so when we marry, missy hab me taken off de fields and +put to garden. Bery fine garden dat was. Tree, four of us work +dar, Sam jus' as happy as man could be. Sometime, when der am +party, Sam come into the house to help at de table, dat how Sam +know how to do tings proper. De little massas dey bery fond ob +me, and when dey want to go out hunting de coon or fishing in de +riber, dey always cry for Sam.</p> + +<p>"So fifteen years passed by, bery happy years, sar, den do ole +massa die; missy, too, soon after. De young massa not like him +father. Me tink de ole gentleman make mistake wid him when him +chile, let him hab too much his own way. I bery fond ob him +because I had been wid him so much, but I often shake my head +when I tink de time come dat he be massa ob de plantation. It was +not dat his nature was bad; he get in rage sometime, but dat all +ober in no time, but he lub pleasure too much; go to de races and +'top at de town weeks together, and play too much wid de cards. +Dere were two boys and two girls; de second boy, he go to West +Point and become officer in de army.</p> + +<p>"After de death ob de ole people de house change bery much. +Before dat time we keep good company, gib sometimes grand balls, +and all de fust families ob Virginia in dat part visit dar. After +dat always people in de house. De young massa, when he go to +Richmond, bring back six or eight young men wid him, and dey +laugh and drink and play cards half de night. I tink de young +missys speak to him about his ways. Anyhow, one day dere great +row, and dey off to lib wid an aunt in de city. After dat tings +get worse. One day missy come back from town and she gib my wife +her papers of freedom. You see, my wife was giben by de ole man +to missy when her war a little girl, and fortunate it was dat he +had made out de papers all right and presented dem to her. When +missy gib her de papers ob freedom, she cry bery much. 'Me 'fraid +bad time coming, Sally,' she said. 'Me tink dat it better for a +time dat you clar out ob dis. Now you got de paper you free +woman, but you wife ob slabe; might be difficulty about it. Me +fear dat broder Dick ruined -- de plantation and slabes to be +sole;' and wid dat she bu'st out crying wus dan eber. Ob course +my wife she cry too.</p> + +<p>"'Better you go norf, Sally,' missy say presently. 'I gib you +letter to friends dar, and tell dem you bery good nurse. Den if +Sam get good master you can come back to him again. If not, as +you tell me dat when he slabe before he run away, it jus' +possible he do de same again.'</p> + +<p>"'Don't you tink, missy,' de wife said, 'dat de young massa +gib freedom to Sam too. Sam wait on him a great many years, sabe +him life when he tumbled into water.'</p> + +<p>"'I bery much afraid,' missy said, shaking her head, 'dat my +broder not able to do so if he wish. He borrow money on de +plantation and de slabes, and dat prevent him from making any ob +dem free. De sale soon come now. You go tell Sam; tell him not to +say word to nobody. Den you pack up and come right away wid me to +de city. It bery much better you clar out ob dis before dey come +down and seize eberybody.'</p> + +<p>"Well, sar, you guess when Sam heard dis he in fine taking. He +often grieve bery much dat he and Sally hab no children. Now he +tank de Lord wid all his heart dat dere no piccanniny, for dey +would hab been sold, one one way and one another, and we should +neber hab seen dem again. Hows'ever, I make great effort, and +tell Sally she do jus' what missy say. I tell her to go norf +while she can, and promise dat some day or oder Sam join her dar. +'Better for to be parted for ten year, Sally, dan to hab de risk +ob you being seize and sold to one master, me to anoder. You +trus' Sam to break out some day. He do bery well here for a time. +He bery good strong nigger, good gardner, good at de horses, good +carpenter. Sam sure to get good place, but, howeber good, when he +see a chance he run away. If no chance, he sabe up his money, and +you sabe up your money, Sally, and buy him freedom.'</p> + +<p>"Well, sar, we bofe cry bery much, and den Sally go away wid +de young missy. A week after dat de bust up come. De officers dey +come down and seize de place, and a little while after dey sell +all de slabes. Dat was a terrible affair, to see de husbands and +de wives and de children separated and sold to different masters. +De young massa he not dere at sale. Dey say he pretty nigh break +him heart, but he ought to hab thought ob dat before. Me sure dat +de ole gentleman and de ole missy pretty nigh turn in deir grabe +at de thought ob all de hands they was so kind to sold away.</p> + +<p>"Dat de curse of slabery, sar. Me trabel a good deal, and me +tink dat no working people in de world are so merry and happy as +de slabe in a plantation wid a good massa and missy. Dey not work +so hard as de white man. Dey have plenty to eat and drink, dey +hab deir gardens and deir fowls. When dey are sick dey are taken +care ob, when dey are ole they are looked after and hab nothing +to do. I have heard people talk a lot of nonsense about de hard +life of de plantation slabe. Dat not true, sar, wid a good massa. +De slabe hab no care and he bery happy. If all massas were good, +and dere were a law dat if a plantation were broken up de slabes +must be sold in families together, me tell you dat de life on a +plantation a thousand times happier dan de life ob a black man in +his own country. But all masters are not good. Some neber look +after de slabes, and leabe all to overseers, and dese bery often +bad, cruel men. But worst of all is when a sale comes. Dat +terrible, sar. De husban' sold to Alabama, de wife to Carolina, +de children scattered trough de States. Dis too bad, sar, dis +make ob slabery a curse to de black men.</p> + +<p>"Well, sar, we all sold. Me fetch high price and sold to a +planter in Missouri. Sam no like dat. Dat a long way from the +frontier. Tree years Sam work dar in plantation. Den he sold +again to a man who hab boats on de riber at New Orleans. Dar Sam +work discharging de ships and working de barges. Dar he come to +learn for sure which de British flag. De times were slack, and my +massa hire me out to be waiter in a saloon. Dat place dey hab +dinners, and after dinner dey gamble. Dat war a bad place, mos' +ebery night quarrels, and sometimes de pistols drawn, and de +bullets flying about. Sam 'top dar six months; de place near de +riber, and de captains ob de ships often come to dine.</p> + +<p>"One young fellow come bery often, and one day Sam saw tree or +four men he knew to be Texas horse dealers talking wid him. Now +dis young captain had been bery friendly wid Sam; always speak +cibil and gib him quarter for himself, and Sam sorry to see dose +chaps get hold ob him. Dis went on for two or tree days, till one +ebening de captain, instead of going away after dinner, stopped +talking to dese follows. De play begin at de table, and dey +persuade him to join. He hab de debil's luck. Dey thought they +going to cheat him, and if dey had got him by demselves dey would +have cleaned him out sure. But dere were oder people playing and +dey not able to cheat.</p> + +<p>"Well, sar, he won all de money. Drinks had been flying about, +and when at last de man dat kep' de table said, 'De bank will +close for tonight,' de young fellow could scarce walk steady on +his feet. His pockets were full ob notes. I went up to him and +said, 'Will you hab a bed here, sar, bery good bed?' but he laugh +and say, 'No, Sam, I may be a little fresh in de wind, but I tink +I can make de boat.' I saw dose fellows scowl when I speak to +him, and I make up my mind dey after no good. Well, sar, dey go +out fust. Den he go out wid some oder people and stand laughing +and talking at de door. Sam run up to him room, slip on his money +belt, for he had had a good deal giben him while he was dar, and +was sabing up to buy his freedom, and he didn't know what was +going to happen. Den Sam look into de kitchen and caught up a +heavy poker and a long knife, den he run down and turn out de +lights ob de saloon and lock de door after him.</p> + +<p>"He was jus' in time, for he saw at de corner, where de street +go down on to the wharves, de young captain separate from de men +who had gone out wid him and walk away by hisself. Sam kicked off +his shoes and ran as fast as he could to de end ob de street. De +wharf was bery badly lighted, jus' a lamp here and dere. Sam ran +along till he got widin about thirty yards ob de sailor, and den +stole quiet along in de shadow ob de houses. Sudden he see five +men run out. Den Sam he leap forward like tiger and gibs a shout +to warn de captain. He turn round jus' in time. Sam saw an arm +lifted and de captain fall, and den at de same moment almost him +poker come down wid a crunch upon de top ob one of deir head. Den +they turn on Sam, but, law bless you, sar! what was de good ob +dat? Bery strong negro wid heavy poker in one hand and long knife +in de oder more dan match for four men. He knock dem ober like +nine pin. Tree of dem, he tink he kill straight, the poker fall +on de top ob deir heads, de oder man give a dig in Sam's left +shoulder wid his knife, and de sudden pain shake Sam's aim a +little and de blow fall on him neck. He gib a shout and tumble +down. None ob do oder four had shouted or made any remark when +Sam hit dem. Den Sam caught up de captain and ran along de wharf. +Presently he heard a hail. 'All right,' Sam said.</p> + +<p>"'Am dat you, captain?' some one say.</p> + +<p>"'Me got a captain here,' Sam say; 'you come and see wheder he +yours.'</p> + +<p>"De men came up and look in de captain's face.</p> + +<p>"'Hullo,' dey say; 'de captain am dead.'</p> + +<p>"'Me no tink him dead,' I say. 'He had a fight, and Sam come +to him aid and beat de rascals off. You had better take him +straight on board de ship.'</p> + +<p>"Dey put him in boat and Sam go wid him to ship. Dey examine +de wound and find it not bery serious. De captain was turning +round when dey struck, and de blow had glanced off, but it had +made a ugly gash; and what wid de surprise, and de loss ob blood, +and knocking him head on de wharf, and de liquor, de captain had +lost his consciousness. He soon come round, and Sam tell all +about it. De captain shake Sam's hand bery much and call him his +preserver, and ask what he do for him.</p> + +<p>"'You take me out ob dis country,' me said, 'and Sam be +grateful.'</p> + +<p>"'Sartain, I will,' he said; 'and now what am de best ting to +do?'</p> + +<p>"'Me not stop on board now. Dey come and search de vessel for +sure in de morning. When de four white men found, me hope five, +den dere great rumpus. If five dead no suspicion fall on Sam, but +you're sure to be asked questions. It would be known dat dey were +gambling in de saloon, and it would be known dat you had broken +de bank and had gone away wid your pockets stuffed full ob notes. +People would suspec' dat likely enuff dey had made an attack on +you. Dis you couldn't deny, for you will be bandaged up in de +morning, and if you had killed dem no one would blame you. But it +a different ting wid Sam. All dose rascals friends together, and +you be bery sure dat some ob dem pay him off for it. If five men +dead, all well and good. Den you say you knocked down and know +nufing furder. You s'pose some people came up and take your side, +and kill dose men, and carry you to de boat, and gib you ober to +de sailors, and den go away; but dat you know nufing at all about +it. If only four men killed den do oder, who will be sure to go +away and say nufing ob his share in de business, will tell all +his mates dat dis nigger intrude himself into de affair, and dat +bad for Sam. So, sar, propose dat I go ashore, and dat I go down +de bank five or six mile, and dere hide in de bush. When your +ship come down you hoist little white flag, so Sam sure ob de +right ship. If Sam tink de coast am clear he swim off. If you no +see Sam when you get fifteen mile down de riber, den you anchor, +and at night send a boat ashore. Sam come down to it for +sure.'</p> + +<p>"So de matter was arranged. De captain say he tree more days +fill up his ship, but dat no do for me come on board by daylight +because dere would be a pilot on board. Also he says little white +flag no do, pilot tink him strange, but would tell one ob de men +to hang a red shirt, as if to dry, up in de rigging. At night +would show two lights ober de bow for me to know which was de +ship.</p> + +<p>"Fust dey bind up de wound on my shoulder, den dey gib me food +for four days and a bottle of rum, and den row me ashore. Den Sam +start, and before morning he hid in de swampy bush ten miles down +de riber. He wait dere two days, den make him way down anoder +four miles and dere stop. Late dat afternoon he see a ship come +down de riber wid a red shirt in de rigging. He go on and on, and +jus' as it got dark he anchor two miles furder down. Sam make his +way along through de bush and at last get facing de ship. At +twelve o'clock boat come along bery quiet. Sam go down and get +in. De men say, 'Hush, make no noise. De pilot am as watchful as +a cat. Dey had tied tings round de oars dat dey should make no +noise, and when dey get to de side ob de ship dey lay dem in very +quiet, hook on de tackle and hoist her up. De hatchway were off, +and de men beckon to Sam, and two ob dem go down wid him, and de +hatchways closed down again.</p> + +<p>"'I tink we hab tricked him,' one ob de sailors said. 'Dere +great row at New Orleans about de four men found dead dar. Dey +come off and inquire ob de captain ober and ober again. Dey know +you missing, and dey find de kitchen poker lying by de men, and +tink you must have had a hand in it. A thousand dollars reward +have been offered, and dey searched de ship high and low, and +turn ober all de cargo. A guard stop on board till de last ting +to see no one come off. When de captain say he anchor de pilot +say no, but de captain say he in no hurry and not going to risk +his ship by sailing at night. Me tink pilot smell a rat, for +ebery time he hear a noise on deck he come out of his cabin and +look round. We greased de falls to make dem run quiet, and took +off our shoes so as to make no noise while we were lowering it. +De men on deck was told to get de hatchway open when dey saw us +coming, and so we hoped dat de pilot heard nufing. Now we must +head you up in a cask. We hab bored some holes in it for de air. +Den we shall pile oder casks on de top and leabe you. Dey are as +likely as not to search de ship again when she goes past de +forts, for de pilot will suspect dat it am possible dat you have +come on board tonight.'</p> + +<p>"Me take my place in a big sugar cask. Dey give me some water +and some food, and den shut in de head ober me. Dere I remain two +days. I heard some men come below and make a great noise, moving +de cargo about near de hatchway, and dey hammered in all de casks +ob de top tier to see if any ob dem was empty. I felt bery glad +when it was all ober, and de hold was quiet again. I slept a +great deal and did not know anything about time; but at last I +heard a noise again, and de moving of casks, and den de head of +de hogshead was taken out, and dere were de sailors and de +captain. Dey shook Sam very hearty by de hand, and told him dat +de ship was safe out at sea, and dat he was a free man.</p> + +<p>"All through dat voyage dey bery kind to Sam. He libed de life +ob a gentleman; ate, and drank, and smoke plenty, and nufing at +all to do. At last we got to Liberpool, and dar de captain take +Sam to a vessel bound to New York, pay him passage across, and +gib Sam a present ob fifty pound. Dis chile had saved fifty +beside, so he felt dat he was a rich man. Nufing happen on +passage, except great storm, and Sam thought dat de steamer go to +de bottom, but she got through all right, and Sam land at New +York. Den he journey to Philadelphia, dat the place where missy +give Sam a card wid a name and address written on it, for him to +go to ask where Sally was living. Well, sar, you could have +knocked me down when I find a great bill in de window, saying dat +de house were to let. Sam almost go out ob his mind. He ask a +great many people, de servants at de doors, and de people in de +shops and at last find dat de family am gone to trabel in Europe, +and dat dey might be away for years.</p> + +<p>"For two months Sam searched about Philadelphia, and looked at +ebery black woman he saw in de streets. He could see no signs +whatsomeber ob Sally. Den he took a place as waiter at an hotel, +and he wrote to missy at Richmond, to ask if she know Sally's +address, but he neber got no answer to dat letter, and s'posed +that missy was either dead or gone away. After he work dere for +some months de idea came to Sam dat first class hotel wasn't de +best place in de world to look for black woman. Den Sam went to +warehouse and bought a lot of books and started to peddle them +trough de country. He walked thousands ob miles, and altogether +saw thousands ob black men, but nothing like Sally. Ebery black +woman he could he spoke to, and asked dem if dey knew her. It was +a curious ting dat no one did. Me did not find Sally, but me made +a good deal of money, and tree more years pass away at dis work. +By dis time me was nigh forty-five years old, as well as me could +tell. Ebery few months me go back to Philadelphia and search dere +again.</p> + +<p>"One day a woman, dressed bery plain, came up to me and said, +'I hab been tole by my nurse dat you have been asking her if she +had seen your wife.' I s'pose I looked hopeful like for she said +at once, 'Me know nothing ob her, but I was interested about you. +You are an escaped slabe, are you not?'</p> + +<p>"'Yes, ma'am,' me said. 'Dere is no law against me here.'</p> + +<p>"'None at all,' she said. 'But I thought that you might, like +me, be interested in freeing slabes.'</p> + +<p>"'Dat I am,' I said, 'dough I had neber thought much about +it.'</p> + +<p>"'You hab heard, p'raps,' she said, 'ob de underground +railway.'</p> + +<p>"'Yes, ma'am,' said I. 'Dat is de blessed 'stitution which +smuggles slaves across the frontier.'</p> + +<p>"'Dat is it,' she said, 'and I belongs to it.'</p> + +<p>"'Does you, missy?' me says. 'De Lord bless you.'</p> + +<p>"'Now,' she said, 'we want two or three more earnest men, men +not afraid to risk deir libes, or what is worse deir freedom, to +help deir follow creatures. I thought that you, habing suffered +so much yourself, might be inclined to devote yourself to freeing +oders from de horrors of slabery.'</p> + +<p>"'Sam is ready, ma'am,' me says, 'It may be dat de Lord neber +intends me see my Sally again, but if I can be de means ob +helping to get oder men to join deir wives I shall be +content.'</p> + +<p>"'Very well,' she said. 'Come into my house now and we will +talk about it.'</p> + +<p>"Den she 'splained the whole business to me. Dere were, +principally in lonely places, in swamps and woods, but sometimes +libing in villages and towns in de south, people who had devoted +deir libes to de carrying out of de purposes ob de underground +railway. For de most part dese led libes differing no way from +deir neighbors; dey tilled de land, or kept stores like oders, +and none of dose around dem suspected in de slightest degree deir +mission in de south. To deir houses at night fugitive slabes +would come, guided by dose from de next post. De fugitives would +be concealed for twenty-four hours or more, and den passed on at +night again to de next station. Dose formed the larger portion ob +de body.</p> + +<p>"Dere were oders who lived a life in de swamps, scattered +trough the country. Deir place of residence would be known to de +slabes ob de neighborhood, but de masters had no suspicion dat de +emissaries ob de association were so near. To dese any negro, +driben to desperation by harsh treatment, would resort, and from +dem instructions would be received as to de route to be taken, +and de places where aid could be obtained. Dose people held deir +life in deir hands. Had any suspicion fallen upon dem ob +belonging to de 'stitution dey would be lynched for sartin. De +lady set before me all de dangers ob de venture. She said it war +a case whar dere were no money to be earned, and only de chances +of martyrdom. My mind quite made up. Me ready to undertake any +work dey like to give me. My life ob no value to no one. De next +day me saw some ob de oder people connected wid de affair, and +tree days afterwards I started for de south."</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV: A +CHRISTIAN TOWN</h1> + +<p>"My share ob de business was to make my way down south and +settle in de swamps ob Carolina. I war to be taken down by +trading schooner, to be landed on de coast, and to make my way to +a place in de center ob a big swamp whar an ole nigger, named +Joe, had been carrying on de work for four years. He had sent to +say dat he war bery ill wid de swamp fever and like to die, dat +he should not leabe de work as long as he libed, but hoped dat +dey would send anoder man out to take on his work after his +death.</p> + +<p>"Well, sar, I was landed, and I made my way to de place. It +war no easy matter. De niggers all say dey know no such person, +but I found de next post, and dere de man guided me to de path +which led into de swamp. Dey told me dey thought de ole man dead, +for dat no one had come along to dem from him for nigh two month. +Well, sar, as I 'spected I found him dead, and I buried him, and +took up my place in de hut. Soon it became known through de +plantations round dat de hut was occupied again, and dey began to +come to me to ask for assistance. My <i>'</i>structions war dat +only to enable a husband to join his wife, or a wife her husband, +or in cases where de masters were uncommon cruel, dat I was to +send 'em along by de underground railway. De risks was too great +to be run often. If we had tried to help ebery one to 'scape we +should mighty soon hab been hunted down.</p> + +<p>"Well, sar, I libed dere for three year. It was a lonesome +life. I planted a few yams round de hut, and de plantation hands +would bring me tings dat dey got hold of. It was my duty when I +found dat a case was ob de proper description to arrange for de +flight, de man or de woman would come to my hut, and I would +guide dem through de swamps, twenty-five mile away, to de house +ob a clergyman, which was de next station. I would jus' knock in +a 'ticular way at de door, and when dis was open leab de party +dere and go straight away back to de swamp. More dan once de +planters got up hunts and searched de swamp through and through +for me wid dogs, and my hut was twice burnt to de ground, but de +slabes always brought me notice in time, and I went away into de +tickest part ob de swamp and lay dar till dey had gone away.</p> + +<p>"Well, sar, one time come, I bery busy, passed tree men away +in two week. One night me hear barking of dogs, and jump up jus' +in time to see party ob men coming out from de little path +towards de hut. I ran for de swamp. Dey fire at me and one ball +hit me. Den I ran in to de swamp, de dogs dey follow, but I get +farder and farder away, and de swamp get deeper, and me tink dey +lose me altogether. I sit quiet on <i>'</i>tump when I hear +someting splashing in swamp, and all of a sudden a big hound +sprang on me, and fix him teeth in my shoulder. I had no arms, +for in de hurry I had not time to catch dem up. De beast he growl +and bite, and hold on like death. I saw dere only one ting to do. +I tumble forward into de swamp wid de dog underneath me, and dere +I lay, wid my mouf sometimes above de water sometimes below, till +de dog was drowned.</p> + +<p>"Den I start for de next station. I was hit in de hip, and it +took me tree days to crawl dat twenty-five miles. On de tird +ebening I knock at de door ob de house, and when it was open I +tumble down in faint inside. It war a long time before I come to +myself, two weeks dey tell me, and den I tink I dream, for +sitting by de side of de bed war dat woman Sally. Till she spoke, +me couldn't believe dat it war true, but she told me dat it war +her, sure enuf, and dat I war to ask no questions but to go off +to sleep.</p> + +<p>"Next day she told me all about it. She had stopped a year at +Philadelphy. Den she heard ob de underground railway, and was +tole dat a clergyman, who war just going down south to work a +station, wanted a black nurse for his children, who would help in +de work. Sally she volunteer, and dar she had been libing eber +since, hoping all de time eider dat I should pass through dere or +dat she should hear from Philadelphy dat I had got dere. She used +to act as de guide ob de runaways to de next station, and ebery +man who came along she asked if they knew me; but, law bless you, +sar, de poor woman knew nufing ob places, or she would hab known +dat she war hundreds ob miles south of Virginia, and though she +allowed she had heard I had gone to Missouri, she s'posed dat de +way from der might be by de sea coast. I hab observed, sar, dat +de gography ob women am bery defective.</p> + +<p>"I stopped thar till I was cured. The clergyman knew someting +of surgery, and he managed to substract the ball from my hip. +When I war quite well Sally and me started for the norf, whar we +had helped so many oders to go, and, bress de Lord, we arribed +dere safe. Den I told Sally dat I should like to libe under de +British flag, so we went up to Canada and dere we libed bery +comfortable for ten years together. Sally washed and I kep' a +barber's shop, and we made plenty ob money. Den she die, sar, de +tought come into my mind dat I would come back to Africa and +teach dose poor niggers here de ways ob de white men, and sar," +and he pointed to a Bible standing on the chest, "de ways ob de +Lord. So I came across the Atlantic, and stopped a little while +on de coast, for I had pretty nigh forgotten de language ob de +country. When I got it back again I started up for dis place, wid +plenty ob goods and presents.</p> + +<p>"I had hard work at fust to get de people to know me. It war +nigh forty year since I had gone away, but at last some ob de ole +people remember me, dat I was de son ob de chief. As I had plenty +goods, and dey did not like de man dat was here, dey made me +chief in my fader's place. I told dem dat I no accept de place +unless dey promise to behave bery well, to mind what I said to +dem, and to listen to my words; but dat if they do dat I gibe dem +plenty goods, I make dem comfortable and happy, and I teach dem +de way ob de Lord. Dey agree to all dis.</p> + +<p>"I find de slave trade now all at an end, and dat de people +not fight often now. Still, de twenty muskets dat I bring make de +people of oder villages respec' us very much. Dey come ober to +see de village. Dey see dat de houses are comfortable, dat de +gardens are bery well cultivated, dat de people are well dressed, +not like common nigger, dat dey are happy and contented. Dey see +dat dey no believe in fetish any more, but dat ebery ebening when +de work is ober, dey gadder under de big tree and listen for half +an hour while I read to dem and den sing a hymn. Once a year I +send down to de coast and get up plenty cloth, and hoes for de +gardens, and eberyting dey want. When I land here ten year ago I +hab eight hundred pound. I got five hundred ob him left here +still. Dat more dan enuf to last Sam if he libe to be bery, bery +ole man. Dar are some good men in de village who, when I am gone, +will carry on de work ob de Lord and dat's all, sar, dat I hab to +tell you about Sam, and I am sure dat you must be very tired and +want to go to bed."</p> + +<p>The hour was, indeed, for Africa, extremely late, but the time +had passed unheeded, so interested were the listeners in the +narrative of the fine old negro. They remained at the village for +a week, and were greatly pleased with the industrious habits and +happy appearance of the people, and with the earnestness and +fervor in which every evening, and twice on Sunday, they joined +in devotions under the great tree. At the end of that time they +said goodbye to their kind host, giving him a large amount of +cloth for distribution among his people. He was unable to furnish +them with bearers, as a considerable tract of uninhabited country +extended beyond his village, and the people on the other side +were on bad terms with his villagers, on account of an +outstanding feud which had existed long before his return from +America, and which he had in vain attempted to settle since he +assumed the headship of the village.</p> + +<p>On approaching the Niger they again came upon an inhabited +country, but the tribes here being accustomed to trade with the +coast were friendly, and at the first large village they came to +no difficulty was experienced in obtaining a fresh relay of +bearers. This was a matter of great satisfaction, for the Fans +were regarded with extreme antipathy by the natives. As soon as +arrangements had been made to supply their place the Fans were +paid the four months' wages which they had earned. A large "dash" +of beads and other presents were bestowed upon them, three of the +remaining sacks of rice were given to them, and, greatly +rejoicing, they started for their own country, which, by making +long marches, they would regain in a fortnight's time. Although +it was not probable that they would meet with any enemies, six +trade muskets, with a supply of powder and ball, were given to +them, as, although they would not be able to do much execution +with these weapons, their possession would exercise a powerful +influence over any natives they might meet.</p> + +<p>In crossing the country to the Niger the white men were the +objects of lively curiosity, and the exhibition of the magic +lantern, the chemical experiments, and conjuring tricks created +an effect equal to that which they had produced among the Fans. +On reaching the Niger a canoe was hired with a crew of rowers. In +this all the cases, filled with the objects they had collected, +were placed, the whole being put in charge of the Houssas, Moses +and King John, who had been seized with a fit of homesickness. +These were to deliver the cases to the charge of an English agent +at Lagos or Bonny, to both of whom Mr. Goodenough wrote +requesting him to pay the sum agreed to the boatmen on the safe +arrival of the cases, and also to pay the Houssas, who preferred +taking their wages there, as it was not considered advisable to +tempt the cupidity of any of the native princes along the river. +Should they be overhauled the Houssas were told to open the cases +and show that these contained nothing but birds' skins and +insects, which would be absolutely valueless in the eyes of a +native.</p> + +<p>When the precious freight had fairly started, the party +crossed the Niger in a canoe, arrangements having already been +made with the potentate of a village on the opposite side for a +fresh relay of carriers, twenty men being now sufficient, owing +to the gaps which had been made in the provisions in the goods, +by the payment of the carriers and presents, and, in the cases, +by the despatch of eight of the largest of these to the coast. +They had still, however, ample space for the collections they +might still make. The cases of goods and provisions were utilized +for this purpose as they were emptied.</p> + +<p>For another two months they journeyed on, halting frequently +and adding continually to their stores. The country was fairly +populated, and there was no difficulty in buying plantains and +fruit and in obtaining fresh sets of carriers through the +territories of each petty chief. They were now approaching the +Volta, when one day a native, covered with dust and bathed in +perspiration, came up to their camp, and throwing himself on the +ground before Mr. Goodenough poured out a stream of words.</p> + +<p>"What does he say, Ostik?"</p> + +<p>"Me not know, sar. P'r'aps Ugly Tom know. He been down near +Volta country."</p> + +<p>Ugly Tom was called, and after a conversation with the native, +told Mr. Goodenough that he was a messenger from Abeokuta, that +the people there were threatened by an attack by the King of +Dahomey, and that they implored the white men, who they heard +were in the neighborhood, to come to their aid.</p> + +<p>"What do you say, Frank?" Mr. Goodenough asked.</p> + +<p>"I don't know anything about it, sir," Frank said. "I have +heard of Dahomey, of course, and its horrible customs, but I +don't know anything about Abeokuta."</p> + +<p>"Abeokuta is a very singular town," Mr. Goodenough said. "Its +people were christianized many years ago, and have faithfully +retained the religion. The town lies not very far from Dahomey, +and this power, which has conquered and enslaved all its other +neighbors, has been unable to conquer Abeokuta, although it has +several times besieged it. The Dahomey people have every +advantage, being supplied with firearms, and even cannon, by the +rascally white traders at Whydah, the port of Dahomey. +Nevertheless, the Abeokuta people have opposed an heroic +resistance, and so far successfully. Of course they know that +every soul would be put to death did they fall into the hands of +the King of Dahomey; but negroes do not always fight well, even +under such circumstances, and every credit must be given to the +people of Abeokuta. What do you say? It will be a perilous +business, mind, for if Abeokuta is taken we shall assuredly be +put to death with the rest of the defenders."</p> + +<p>"I think we ought to help them, sir," Frank said. "They must +be a noble people, and with our guns and the four Houssas we +might really be of material assistance. Of course there is a risk +in it, but we have risked our lives from fever, and in other +ways, every day since we've been in the country."</p> + +<p>"Very well, my lad. I am glad that is your decision. Tell him, +Ugly Tom, that we will at once move towards Abeokuta with all +speed, and that they had better send out a party of carriers to +meet us, as you may be sure that these men will not go far when +they hear that the Dahomey people are on the warpath. Learn from +him exactly the road we must move by, as if our carriers desert +us we shall be detained till his people come up. How far is it to +Abeokuta?"</p> + +<p>Ugly Tom learned from the native that it was about forty-five +miles.</p> + +<p>"Very well," Mr. Goodenough said, "we shall march twenty this +afternoon. Where we halt they will most likely have heard the +rumors of the war, and I expect the carriers will go no farther, +so they must send out to that point."</p> + +<p>The Houssa translated the message, and the native, saying, "I +shall be at Abeokuta tonight," kissed the hands of the white men +and started at a trot.</p> + +<p>"Wonderful stamina some of these men have," Mr. Goodenough +said. "That man has come forty-five miles at full speed, and is +now going off again as fresh as when he started."</p> + +<p>"What speed will he go at?" Frank asked.</p> + +<p>"About six miles an hour. Of course he goes faster when he is +running, but he will sometimes break into a walk. Five miles an +hour may be taken as the ordinary pace of a native runner, but in +cases which they consider of importance, like the present, you +may calculate on six."</p> + +<p>The camp was at once broken up, the carriers loaded, and they +started on their way. It was late in the evening when they +reached a village about twenty miles from their starting place. +They found the inhabitants in a great state of alarm. The news +had come that a great army was marching to attack Abeokuta, and +that the King of Dahomey had sworn on his father's skull that +this time the place should be captured, and not a house or a wall +left remaining. As Abeokuta was certain to make a strong +resistance, and to hold out for some time, the villagers feared +that the Dahomey people would be sending out parties to plunder +and carry away captives all over the surrounding country. The +panic at once extended to the bearers, who declared that they +would not go a foot farther. As their fears were natural, and Mr. +Goodenough was expecting a fresh relay from Abeokuta on the +following evening, he consented to their demand to be allowed to +leave immediately, and paying them their wages due, he allowed +them to depart at once on the return journey. The tent was soon +pitched and supper prepared, of fried plantains, rice, a tin of +sardines, and tea. Later on they had a cup of chocolate, and +turned in for the night.</p> + +<p>In the morning they were awakened just at daybreak by great +talking.</p> + +<p>"Men come for baggage, sar," Ugly Tom said, putting his head +in the tent door.</p> + +<p>"They have lost no time about it, Frank," Mr. Goodenough +exclaimed. "It was midday yesterday when the messenger left us. +He had forty-five miles to run, and could not have been in till +pretty nearly eight o'clock, and these men must have started at +once."</p> + +<p>There was no time lost. While the Houssas were pulling down +and packing up the tent Ostik prepared two bowls of chocolate +with biscuit soaked in it. By the time that this was eaten the +carriers had taken up their loads, and two minutes later the +whole party started almost at a trot. Ugly Tom soon explained the +cause of the haste. The army of Dahomey was, the evening before, +but eight miles from Abeokuta, and was expected to appear before +the town by midday, although, of course, it might be later, for +the movements of savage troops are uncertain in the extreme, +depending entirely upon the whims of their leader. So anxious +were the bearers to get back to the town in time, that they +frequently went at a trot. They were the better able to keep up +the speed as a larger number than were required had been sent. +Many of the cases, too, were light, consequently the men were +able to shift the heavy burdens from time to time. So great was +the speed, that after an hour both Mr. Goodenough and Frank, +weakened by the effect of fever and climate, could no longer keep +up. The various effects carried in the hammocks were hastily +taken out and lifted by men unprovided with loads. The white men +entered and were soon carried along at a brisk trot by the side +of the baggage. When they recovered from their exhaustion +sufficiently to observe what was going on, they could not help +admiring the manner in which the negroes, with perspiration +streaming from every pore, hurried along with their burdens. So +fast did they go, that in less than six hours they emerged from +the forest into the clearing, and a shout proclaimed that +Abeokuta was close at hand.</p> + +<p>Ten minutes later the white men were carried through the gate, +their arrival being hailed with shouts of joy by the inhabitants. +They were carried in triumph to the principal building of the +town, a large hut where the general councils of the people were +held. Here they were received by the king and the leading +inhabitants, who thanked them warmly for coming to their +assistance in the time of their peril. The travelers were both +struck with the appearance of the people. They were clad with far +more decency and decorum than was usual among the negro tribes. +Their bearing was quiet and dignified. An air of neatness and +order pervaded everything, and it was clear that they were +greatly superior to the people around.</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough expressed to the king the willingness with +which his friend and himself took part in the struggle of a brave +people against a cruel and bloodthirsty foe, and he said, that as +the four Houssas were also armed with fast firing guns he hoped +that their assistance would be of avail. He said that he would at +once examine the defences of the town and see if anything could +be done to strengthen them.</p> + +<p>Accompanied by the king, Mr. Goodenough and Frank made a +detour of the walls. These were about a mile in circumference, +were built of clay, and were of considerable height and +thickness, but they were not calculated to resist an attack by +artillery. As, however, it was not probable that the Dahomey +people possessed much skill in the management of their cannon, +Mr. Goodenough had hopes that they should succeed in repelling +the assault. They learnt that a large store of provisions had +been brought into the town, and that many of the women and +children had been sent far away.</p> + +<p>The spies presently came in and reported that there was no +movement on the part of the enemy, and that it was improbable +that they would advance before the next day. Mr. Goodenough was +unable to offer any suggestions for fresh defenses until they +knew upon which side the enemy would attack. He advised, however, +that the whole population should be set to work throwing up an +earthwork just outside each gate, in order to shelter these as +far as possible from the effect of the enemy's cannonballs. +Orders were at once given to this effect, and in an hour the +whole population were at work carrying earth in baskets and +piling it in front of the gates. In order to economize labor, and +to make the sides of the mounds as steep as possible, Mr. +Goodenough directed with brushwood, forming a sort of rough +wattle work. Not even when night set in did the people desist +from their labor, and by the following morning the gates were +protected from the effect of cannon shot, by mounds of earth +twenty feet high, which rose before them. The king had, when Mr. +Goodenough first suggested these defenses, pointed out that much +less earth would be required were it piled directly against the +gates. Mr. Goodenough replied, that certainly this was so, but +that it was essential to be able to open the gates to make a +sortie if necessary against the enemy, and although the king +shook his head, as if doubting the ability of his people to take +such a desperate step as that of attacking the enemy outside +their walls, he yielded to Mr. Goodenough's opinion.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV: THE +AMAZONS OF DAHOMET</h1> + +<p>A spacious and comfortable hut was placed at the disposal of +the white men, with a small one adjoining for the Houssas. That +evening Frank asked Mr. Goodenough to tell him what he knew +concerning the people of Dahomey.</p> + +<p>"The word Dahomey, or more properly Da-omi, means Da's belly. +Da was, two hundred and fifty years ago, the king of the city of +Abomey. It was attacked by Tacudona the chief of the Fois. It +resisted bravely, and Tacudona made a vow that if he took it he +would sacrifice the king to the gods. When he captured the town +he carried out his vow by ripping open the king, and then called +the place Daomi. Gradually the conquerors extended their power +until the kingdom reached to the very foot of the Atlas range, +obtaining a port by the conquest of Whydah. The King of Dahomey +is a despot, and even his nobility crawl on the ground in his +presence. The taxes are heavy, every article sold in the market +paying about one eighteenth to the royal exchequer. There are +besides many other taxes. Every slave is taxed, every article +that enters the kingdom. If a cock crow it is forfeited, and, as +it is the nature of cocks to crow, every bird in the kingdom is +muzzled. The property of every one who dies goes to the king; and +at the Annual Custom, a grand religious festival, every man has +to bring a present in proportion to his rank and wealth. The +royal pomp is kept up by receiving strangers who visit the +country with much state, and by regaling the populace with +spectacles of human sacrifices. The women stand high in Dahomey. +Among other negro nations they till the soil. In Dahomey they +fight as soldiers, and perform all the offices of men. Dahomey is +principally celebrated for its army of women, and its human +sacrifices. These last take place annually, or even more often. +Sometimes as many as a thousand captives are slain on these +occasions. In almost all the pagan nations of Africa human +sacrifices are perpetrated, just as they were by the Druids and +Egyptians of old. Nowhere, however, are they carried to such a +terrible extent as in Dahomey. Even Ashanti, where matters are +bad enough, is inferior in this respect. The victims are mostly +captives taken in war, and it is to keep up the supply necessary +for these wholesale sacrifices that Dahomey is constantly at war +with her neighbors."</p> + +<p>"But are we going to fight against women, then?" Frank asked +horrified.</p> + +<p>"Assuredly we are," Mr. Goodenough answered. "The Amazons, as +white men have christened the force, are the flower of the +Dahomey army, and fight with extraordinary bravery and +ferocity."</p> + +<p>"But it will seem dreadful to fire at women!" Frank said.</p> + +<p>"That is merely an idea of civilization, Frank. In countries +where women are dependent upon men, leaving to them the work of +providing for the family and home, while they employ themselves +in domestic duties and in brightening the lives of the men, they +are treated with respect. But as their work becomes rougher, so +does the position which they occupy in men's esteem fall. Among +the middle and upper classes throughout Europe a man is +considered a brute and a coward who lifts his hand against a +woman. Among the lower classes wife and woman beating is by no +means uncommon, nor is such an assault regarded with much more +reprobation than an attack upon a man. When women leave their +proper sphere and put themselves forward to do man's work they +must expect man's treatment; and the foolish women at home who +clamor for women's rights, that is to say, for an equality of +work, would, if they had their way, inflict enormous damage upon +their sex."</p> + +<p>"Still," Frank said, "I shan't like having to fire at +women."</p> + +<p>"You won't see much difference between women and men when the +fight begins, Frank. These female furies will slay all who fall +into their hands, and therefore in self defense you will have to +assist in slaying them."</p> + +<p>The following day the sound of beating of drums and firing of +guns was heard, and soon afterwards the head of the army of +Dahomey was seen approaching. It moved with considerable order +and regularity.</p> + +<p>"Those must be the Amazons," Mr. Goodenough said. "They are +proud of their drill and discipline. I do not think that any +other African troops could march so regularly and solidly."</p> + +<p>The main body of the army now came in view, marching as a +loose and scattered mob. Then twelve objects were seen dragged by +oxen. These were the cannon of the besiegers.</p> + +<p>"How many do you think there are?" Frank asked.</p> + +<p>"It is very difficult to judge accurately," Mr. Goodenough +said. "But Dahomey is said to be able to put fifty thousand +fighting men and women in the field, that is to say her whole +adult population, except those too old to bear arms. I should +think that there are twenty or twenty-five thousand now in +sight."</p> + +<p>The enemy approached within musket shot of the walls, and +numbers of them running up, discharged their muskets. The +Abeokuta people fired back; but Mr. Goodenough ordered the +Houssas on no account to fire, as he did not wish the enemy to +know the power of their rifles.</p> + +<p>The first step of the besiegers was to cut down all the +plantations round the town and to erect great numbers of little +huts. A large central hut with several smaller ones surrounding +it was erected for the king and his principal nobles. The +Dahomans spread round the town and by the gesticulation and +pointing at the gates it was clear that the defenses raised to +cover these excited great surprise.</p> + +<p>The wall was thick enough for men to walk along on the top, +but being built of clay it would withstand but little battering. +Mr. Goodenough set a large number of people to work, making sacks +from the rough cloth, of which there was an abundance in the +place. These were filled with earth and piled in the center of +the town ready for conveyance to any point threatened. He +likewise had a number of beams, used in construction of houses, +sharpened at one end; stakes of five or six feet long were also +prepared and sharpened at both ends. That day the enemy attempted +nothing against the town. The next morning the twelve cannon were +planted at a distance of about five hundred yards and opened fire +on the walls. The shooting was wild in the extreme; many of the +balls went over the place altogether; others topped the wall and +fell in the town; some hit the wall and buried themselves in the +clay.</p> + +<p>"We will give them a lesson," Mr. Goodenough said, "in the +modern rifle. Frank, you take my double barrel rifle and I will +take the heavy, large bored one. Your Winchester will scarcely +make accurate firing at five hundred yards."</p> + +<p>The Houssas were already on the wall, anxious to open fire. +Mr. Goodenough saw that their rifles were sighted to five hundred +yards. The cannon offered an easy mark. They were ranged along +side by side, surrounded by a crowd of negroes, who yelled and +danced each time a shot struck the wall.</p> + +<p>"Now," Mr. Goodenough said to the Houssas, "fire steadily, +and, above all, fire straight. I want every shot to tell."</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough gave the signal, and at once Frank and the +Houssas opened fire. The triumphant yells of the Dahomans at once +changed their character, and a cry of wrath and astonishment +broke from them. Steadily Mr. Goodenough and his party kept up +their fire. They could see that great execution was being done, a +large proportion of the shots telling. Many wounded were carried +to the rear, and black forms could be seen stretched everywhere +on the ground. Still the enemy's fire continued with unabated +vigor.</p> + +<p>"They fight very pluckily," Frank said.</p> + +<p>"They are plucky," Mr. Goodenough answered; "and as cowardice +is punished with death, and human life has scarcely any value +among them, they will be killed where they stand rather than +retreat."</p> + +<p>For three or four hours the fight continued. Several officers, +evidently of authority, surrounded by groups of attendants, came +down to the guns; but as Frank and Mr. Goodenough always selected +these for their mark, and -- firing with their guns resting on +the parapet -- were able to make very accurate shooting, most of +them were killed within a few minutes of their arriving on the +spot.</p> + +<p>At the end of four hours the firing ceased, and the Dahomans +retired from their guns. The Abeokuta people raised a cry of +triumph.</p> + +<p>"I imagine they have only fallen back," Mr. Goodenough said, +"to give the guns time to cool."</p> + +<p>While the cannonade had been going on a brisk attack had been +kept up on several other points of the wall, the enemy advancing +within fifty yards of this and firing their muskets, loaded with +heavy charges of slugs, at the defenders, who replied vigorously +to them. Their cannonade was not resumed that afternoon, the +Dahomans contenting themselves with skirmishing round the +walls.</p> + +<p>"They are disappointed with the result of their fire," Mr. +Goodenough said. "No doubt they anticipated they should knock the +wall down without difficulty. You will see some change in their +tactics tomorrow."</p> + +<p>That night Mr. Goodenough had a number of barrels of palm oil +carried on to the wall, with some of the great iron pots used for +boiling down the oil, and a supply of fuel.</p> + +<p>"If they try to storm," he said, "it will most likely be at +the point which they have been firing at. The parapet is knocked +down in several places, and the defenders there would be more +exposed to their fire."</p> + +<p>It was at this point, therefore, that the provision of oil was +placed. Mr. Goodenough ordered fires to be lighted under the +boilers an hour before daybreak, in order that all should be in +readiness in case an attack should be made the first thing in the +morning. The Abeokutans were in high spirits at the effect of the +fire of their white allies, and at the comparative failure of the +cannon, at whose power they had before been greatly alarmed. Soon +after daylight the Dahomans were seen gathering near the guns. +Their drums beat furiously, and presently they advanced in a +solid mass against the wall.</p> + +<p>"They have got ladders," Mr. Goodenough said. "I can see +numbers of them carrying something."</p> + +<p>The Houssas at once opened fire, and as the enemy approached +closer, first the Abeokutans who had muskets, then the great mass +with bows and arrows, began to fire upon the enemy, while these +answered with their musketry. The central body, however, advanced +without firing a shot, moving like the rest at a quick run.</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough and. Frank were not firing now, as they were +devoting themselves to superintending the defence. Ostik kept +close to them, carrying Frank's Winchester carbine and a double +barreled shotgun.</p> + +<p>"This is hot," Mr. Goodenough said, as the enemy's slugs and +bullets whizzed in a storm over the edge of the parapet, killing +many of the defenders, and rendering it difficult for the others +to take accurate aim. This, however, the Abeokutans did not try +to do. Stooping below the parapet, they fitted their arrows to +the string, or loaded their muskets, and then, standing up, fired +hastily at the approaching throng.</p> + +<p>The walls were about twenty-five feet high inside, but the +parapet gave an additional height of some four feet outside. They +were about three feet thick at the top, and but a limited number +of men could take post there to oppose the storming party. Strong +bodies were placed farther along on the wall to make a rush to +sweep the enemy off should they gain a footing. Others were +posted below to attack them should they leap down into the town, +while men with muskets were on the roofs of the houses near the +walls, in readiness to open fire should the enemy get a footing +on the wall. The din was prodigious.</p> + +<p>The Dahomans, having access to the sea coast, were armed +entirely with muskets, these being either cheap Birmingham trade +guns or old converted muskets, bought by traders for a song at +the sale of disused government stores. It is much to be regretted +that the various governments of Europe do not insist that their +old guns shall be used only as old iron. The price obtained for +them is so trifling as to be immaterial, and the great proportion +of them find their way to Africa to be used in the constant wars +that are waged there, and to enable rich and powerful tribes to +enslave and destroy their weaker neighbors. The Africans use very +much heavier charges of powder than those in used in civilized +nations, ramming down a handful of slugs, of half a dozen small +bullets, upon the powder. This does not conduce to good shooting, +but the noise made is prodigious. The Abeokutans, on the other +hand, were principally armed with bows and arrows, as, having no +direct access to the sea coast, it was difficult for them to +procure guns.</p> + +<p>The Dahomans poured up in a mass to the foot of the wall, and +then a score of rough ladders, constructed of bamboo, and each +four feet wide, were placed against the walls. Directly the point +to be attacked was indicated, Mr. Goodenough had distributed his +cauldrons of boiling oil along the walls, and had set men to work +to pierce holes through the parapet at distances of a couple of +feet apart, and at a height of six inches from the ground. A line +of men with long spears wore told to lie down upon the ground, +and to thrust through the holes at those climbing the ladders. +Another line of holes was pierced two feet higher, through which +those armed with muskets and bows were to fire, for when the +enemy reached the foot of the walls their fire was so heavy that +it was impossible to return it over the top of the parapet.</p> + +<p>Immediately the ladders were placed, men with ladles began to +throw the boiling oil over the parapet. Shrieks and yells from +below at once testified to its effect, but it was only just where +the cauldrons were placed that the besiegers were prevented by +this means from mounting the ladders, and even here many, in +spite of the agony of their burns, climbed desperately +upward.</p> + +<p>When they neared the top the fight began in earnest. Those +without were now obliged to cease firing, and the besieged were +able to stand up and with sword and spear defend their position. +The breech loaders of Mr. Goodenough and the Houssas and Frank's +repeating carbine now came into play. The Dahomans fought with +extraordinary bravery, hundreds fell shot or cut down from above +or pierced by the spears and arrows through the holes in the +parapet. Fresh swarms of assailants took their places on the +ladders. The drums kept up a ceaseless rattle, and the yells of +the mass of negroes standing inactive were deafening. Their +efforts, however, were in vain. Never did the Amazons fight with +more reckless bravery; but the position was too strong for them, +and at last, after upwards of a thousand of the assailants had +fallen, the attack was given up, and the Dahomans retired from +the wall followed by the exulting shouts of the men of +Abeokuta.</p> + +<p>The loss of the defenders was small. Some ten or twelve had +been killed with slugs. Three or four times that number were more +or less severely wounded about the head or shoulders with the +same missiles. Frank had a nasty cut on the cheek, and Firewater +and Bacon were both streaming with blood.</p> + +<p>There was no chance of a renewal of the attack that day. +Sentries were placed on the walls, and a grand thanksgiving +service was held in the open space in the center of the town +which the whole populace attended.</p> + +<p>"What will be their next move, do you think?" Frank asked Mr. +Goodenough.</p> + +<p>"I cannot say," Mr. Goodenough said; "but these people know +something of warfare, and finding that they cannot carry the +place by assault, I think you will find that they will try some +more cautious move next time."</p> + +<p>For two days there was no renewal of the attack. At Mr. +Goodenough's suggestion the Abeokutans on the wall shouted out +that the Dahomans might come and carry off their dead, as he +feared that a pestilence might arise from so great a number of +decomposing bodies at the foot of the wall. The Dahomans paid no +attention to the request, and, at Mr. Goodenough's suggestion, on +the second day the whole populace set to work carrying earth in +baskets to the top of the wall, and throwing this over so as to +cover the mass of bodies at its foot. As to those lying farther +off nothing could be done. On the third morning it was seen that +during the night a large number of sacks had been piled in a line +upon the ground, two hundred yards away from the wall. The pile +was eight feet in height and some fifty yards long.</p> + +<p>"I thought they were up to something," Mr. Goodenough said. +"They have been sending back to Dahomey for sacks."</p> + +<p>In a short time the enemy brought up their cannon, behind the +shelter of the sacks, regardless of the execution done by the +rifles of Mr. Goodenough's party during the movement. The place +chosen was two or three hundred yards to the left of that on +which the former attack had been made. Then a swarm of men set to +work removing some of the sacks, and in a short time twelve rough +embrasures were made just wide enough for the muzzles of the +guns, the sacks removed being piled on the others, raising them +to the height of ten feet and sheltering the men behind +completely from the fire from the walls.</p> + +<p>"They will make a breach now," Mr. Goodenough said. "We must +prepare to receive them inside."</p> + +<p>The populace were at once set to work digging holes and +securely planting the beams already prepared in a semicircle a +hundred feet across, behind the wall facing the battery. The +beams when fixed projected eight feet above the ground, the +spaces between being filled with bamboos twisted in and out +between them. Earth was thrown up behind to the height of four +foot for the defenders to stand upon. The space between the +stockade and the wall was filled with sharp pointed bamboos and +stakes stuck firmly in the ground with their points projecting +outwards. All day the townspeople labored at these defenses, +while the wall crumbled fast under the fire of the Dahomey +artillery, every shot of which, at so short a distance, struck it +heavily. By five in the afternoon a great gap, fifty feet wide, +was made in the walls, and the army of Dahomey again gathered for +the assault. Mr. Goodenough with two of the Houssas took his +place on the wall on one side of the gap, Frank with the other +two faced him across the chasm. A large number of the Abeokuta +warriors also lined the walls, while the rest gathered on the +stockade.</p> + +<p>With the usual tumult of drumming and yells the Dahomans +rushed to the assault. The fire from the walls did not check the +onset in the slightest, and with yells of anticipated victory +they swarmed over the breach. A cry of astonishment broke from +them as they saw the formidable defense within, the fire of whose +defenders was concentrated upon them. Then, with scarce a pause, +they leaped down and strove to remove the obstructions. +Regardless of the fire poured upon them they hewed away at the +sharp stakes, or strove to pull them up with their hands. The +riflemen on the walls directed their fire now exclusively upon +the leaders of the column, the breech loaders doing immense +execution, and soon the Dahomans in their efforts to advance had +to climb over lines of dead in their front. For half an hour the +struggle continued, and then the Dahomans lost heart and retired, +leaving fifteen hundred of their number piled deep in the space +between the breach and the stockade.</p> + +<p>"This is horrible work," Frank said when he rejoined Mr. +Goodenough.</p> + +<p>"Horrible, Frank; but there is at least the consolation that +by this fearful slaughter of their bravest warriors we are +crippling the power of Dahomey as a curse and a scourge to its +neighbors. After this crushing repulse the Abeokutans may hope +that many years will elapse before they are again attacked by +their savage neighbors, and the lessons which they have now +learned in defense will enable them to make as good a stand on +another occasion as they have done now."</p> + +<p>"Do you think the attack will be renewed?"</p> + +<p>"I should hardly think so. The flower of their army must have +fallen, and the Amazon guard must have almost ceased to exist. I +told you, Frank, you would soon get over your repugnance to +firing at women."</p> + +<p>"I did not think anything about women," Frank said. "We seemed +to be fighting a body of demons with their wild screams and +yells. Indeed, I could scarce distinguish the men from the +women."</p> + +<p>A strong guard was placed at night at the stockade, and Mr. +Goodenough and Frank lay down close at hand in case the assault +should be renewed. At daybreak the sound of a cannon caused them +to start to their feet.</p> + +<p>"They are not satisfied yet," Mr. Goodenough exclaimed, +hurrying to the wall. In the night the Dahomans had either with +sacks or earth raised their cannon some six feet, so that they +were able to fire over the mound caused by the fallen wall at the +stockade behind it, at which they were now directing their +fire.</p> + +<p>"Now for the sacks," Mr. Goodenough said. Running down, he +directed the sacks laden with earth, to whose necks ropes had +been attached, to be brought up. Five hundred willing hands +seized them, and they were lowered in front of the center of the +stockade, which was alone exposed to the enemy's fire, until they +hung two deep over the whole face. As fast as one bag was injured +by a shot it was drawn up and another lowered to its place. In +the meantime the rifles from the walls had again opened fire, and +as the gunners were now more exposed their shots did considerable +execution. Seeing the uselessness of their efforts the Dahomans +gradually slackened their fire.</p> + +<p>When night came Mr. Goodenough gathered two hundred of the +best troops of Abeokuta. He caused plugs to be made corresponding +to the size of the various cannonballs which were picked up +within the stockade, which varied from six to eighteen +pounders.</p> + +<p>About midnight the gate nearest to the breach was thrown open, +and the party sallied out and made their way towards the enemy's +battery. The Dahomans had placed sentries in front facing the +breach, but anticipating no attack in any other direction had +left the flanks unguarded. Mr. Goodenough had enjoined the +strictest silence on his followers, and their approach was +unobserved until they swept round into the battery. Large numbers +of the enemy were lying asleep here, but these, taken by +surprise, could offer no resistance, and were cut down or driven +away instantly by the assailants.</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough and Frank, with a party who had been told off +specially for the purpose, at once set to work at the cannon. +These were filled nearly to the muzzle with powder, and the plugs +were driven with mallets tight into the muzzles. Slow matches, +composed of strips of calico dipped in saltpetre, were placed in +the touch holes. Then the word was given, and the whole party +fell back to the gate just as the Dahomans in great numbers came +running up. In less than a minute after leaving the battery +twelve tremendous reports, following closely one upon another +were heard. The cannon were blown into fragments, killing numbers +of the Dahomey men who had just crowded into the battery.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI: +CAPTIVES IN COOMASSIE</h1> + +<p>Upon the morning following the successful sortie not an enemy +could be seen from the walls. Swift runners were sent out, and +these returned in two hours with news that the enemy were in full +retreat towards their capital. The people of Abeokuta were half +wild with exultation and joy, and their gratitude to their white +allies was unbounded. Mr. Goodenough begged them not to lose an +hour in burying their slain enemies, and the entire population +were engaged for the two following days upon this necessary but +revolting duty. The dead were counted as they were placed in the +great pits dug for their reception, and it was found that no +fewer than three thousand of the enemy had fallen.</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough also advised the Abeokutans to erect flanking +towers at short intervals round their walls, to dig a moat twenty +feet wide and eight deep at a few yards from their foot, and to +turn into it the water from the river in order that any future +attack might be more easily repelled.</p> + +<p>The inhabitants were poor, but they would willingly have +presented all their treasures to their white allies. Mr. +Goodenough, however, would accept nothing save a few specimens of +native cloth exquisitely woven from the inner barks of the trees, +and some other specimens of choice native workmanship. He also +begged them to send down to the coast by the first opportunity +the cases of specimens which had been collected since the +departure of the Fans.</p> + +<p>A violent attack of fever, brought on by their exertions in +the sun, prostrated both the white travelers a few days after the +termination of the siege, and it was some weeks before they were +able to renew their journey. Their intention was to ascend the +river for some distance, to move westward into upper Ashanti, and +then to make their way to Coomassie, whence they would journey +down to Cape Coast and there take ship for England. As soon as +they were able to travel they took leave of their friends at +Abeokuta, who furnished them with carriers for their cases and +hammock bearers for their journey as far as the Volta. This +lasted for a fortnight through an open and fertile country. Then +they crossed the river and entered Ashanti, the great rival +empire of Dahomey. As Ashanti was at peace with England they had +now no fear of molestation on their journey.</p> + +<p>Ashanti consisted of five or six kingdoms, all of which had +been conquered, and were tributary to it. The empire of Ashanti +was separated by the river Prah from the country of the Fantis, +who lived under British protection. The people drew their +supplies from various points on the coast, principally, however, +through Elmina, a Dutch settlement, five miles to the west of +Cape Coast. The Ashantis could not be called peaceable neighbors. +They, like the Dahomans, delighted in human sacrifices upon a +grand scale, and to carry these out captives must be taken. +Consequently every four or five years, on some pretext or other, +they cross the Prah, destroyed the villages, dragged away the +people to slavery or death, and carried fire and sword up to the +very walls of the English fort at Cape Coast. Sometimes the +English confined themselves to remonstrance, sometimes fought, +not always successfully, as upon one occasion Sir Charles +Macarthy, the governor, with a West Indian regiment was utterly +defeated, the governor himself and all his white officers, except +three, being killed.</p> + +<p>In 1828 we aided the Fantis to defeat the Ashantis in a +decisive battle, the consequence of which was the signature of a +treaty, by which the King of Ashanti recognized the independence +of all the Fanti tribes. In 1844, and again in 1852, a regular +protectorate was arranged between the British and the Fantis, the +former undertaking to protect them from enemies beyond the +borders, and in turn exercising an authority over the Fantis, +forbidding them to make war with each other, and imposing a +nominal tribute upon them.</p> + +<p>In 1853 the Ashantis again crossed the Prah, but, being met +with firmness, retired again. After ten years' quiet, in 1863 +they again invaded the country, burnt thirty villages, and +slaughtered their inhabitants. Governor Price then urged upon the +home authorities the necessity for the sending out from England +of two thousand troops to aid the native army in striking a heavy +blow at the Ashantis, and so putting a stop to this constant +aggression. The English government, however, refused to entertain +the proposal. In order to encourage the natives some companies of +West Indian troops were marched up to the Prah. The wet season +set in, and, after suffering terribly from sickness, the +survivors returned five months later to Cape Coast.</p> + +<p>Up to this period the Dutch trading ports and forts upon the +coast were interspersed with ours, and as the tribes in their +neighborhood were under Dutch protection constant troubles were +arising between the Dutch tribes and our own, and in 1867 an +exchange was effected, the Dutch ceding all their forts and +territory east of the Sweet river, a small stream which falls +into the sea midway between Cape Coast and Elmina, while we gave +up all our forts to the west of this stream. Similarly the +protectorate of the tribes inland up to the boundary of the +Ashanti kingdom changed hands. The natives were not consulted as +to this treaty, and some of those formerly under British +protection, especially the natives of Commendah, refused to +accept the transfer, and beat off with loss the Dutch troops who +attempted to land. The Dutch men of war bombarded and destroyed +Commendah.</p> + +<p>This step was the commencement of fresh troubles between the +Ashantis and the English. The Commendah people were Fantis, and +as such the implacable enemies of the Elmina people, who had +under Dutch protection been always allies of the Ashantis, and +had been mainly instrumental in supplying them with arms and +ammunition. The Fantis, regarding the Elmina natives and the +Dutch as one power, retaliated for the destruction of Commendah +by invading the territory of the Elmina tribe, destroying their +villages and blockading the Dutch in their port. Another reason +for this attack upon the Elminas was that an Ashanti general, +named Atjempon, had marched with several hundred men through the +Fanti country, burning, destroying, and slaying as usual, and had +taken refuge with his men in Elmina. From this time the desultory +war between the Elminas and their Ashanti allies, and the Fantis +of the neighborhood had never ceased. Our influence over our +allies was but small, for we in vain endeavored to persuade them +to give up the invasion of Elmina. We even cut off the supplies +of powder and arms to the Fantis, whose loyalty to our rule was +thereby much shaken.</p> + +<p>All these troubles induced the Dutch to come to the decision +to withdraw altogether, and they accordingly offered to transfer +all their possessions to us. The English government determined +not to accept the transfer if it should lead to troubles with the +natives, and as a first step required that the Ashanti force +should leave Elmina. In 1870 the King of Ashanti wrote to us +claiming Elmina as his, and protesting against its being handed +over to us. According to native ideas the king of Ashanti's claim +was a just one. The land upon which all the forts, English, +Dutch, Danish, and French, were built had been originally +acquired from the native chiefs at a fixed annual tribute, or as +we regarded it as rent, or as an annual present in return for +friendly relations. By the native customs he who conquers a chief +entitled to such a payment becomes the heir of that payment, and +one time the King of Ashanti upon the strength of his conquest of +the Fantis set up a claim of proprietorship over Cape Coast and +the other British forts.</p> + +<p>Of a similar nature was the claim of the Ashantis upon Elmina. +The Dutch had paid eighty pounds a year, as they asserted, as a +present, and they proved conclusively that they had never +regarded the King of Ashanti as having sovereignty over their +forts, and that he had never advanced such a claim. They now +arrested Atjempon, and refused to pay a further sum to the King +of Ashanti until he withdrew his claim. In order to settle +matters amicably they sent an envoy to Coomassie with presents +for the king, and obtained from him a repudiation of his former +letter, and a solemn acknowledgment that the money was not paid +as a tribute. The king sent down two ambassadors to Elmina, who +solemnly ratified this declaration.</p> + +<p>The transfer was then effected. We purchased from the Dutch +their forts and stores, but the people of Elmina were told that +we should not take possession of the place except with their +consent; but it was pointed out to them that if they refused to +accept our protection they would be exposed as before to the +hostility of the Fantis. They agreed to accept our offer, and on +the 4th of April, 1872, a grand council was hold, the king and +chiefs of Elmina announced the agreement of their people to the +transfer, and we took possession of Elmina, Atjempon and the +Ashantis returning to their own country.</p> + +<p>Upon the transfer taking place, Mr. Pope Hennessey, the +governor of the colony, sent to the King of Ashanti saying that +the English desired peace and friendship with the natives, and +would give an annual present, double that which he had received +from the Dutch. At the same time negotiations were going on with +the king for the free passage of Ashanti traders to the coast, +and for the release of four Germans who had been carried off ten +years before by Aboo Boffoo, one of the king's generals, from +their mission station on British territory near the Volta. The +king wrote saying that Aboo Boffoo would not give them up without +a ransom of eighteen hundred ounces of gold, and protracted +negotiations went on concerning the payments of these sums.</p> + +<p>At the time when Mr. Goodenough and Frank had landed on the +Gaboon, early in 1872, nothing was known of any anticipated +troubles with Ashanti. The negotiations between the English and +the Dutch were in progress, but they had heard that the English +would not take over Elmina without the consent of the +inhabitants, and that they would be willing to increase the +payment made by the Dutch to the king of Ashanti. It was known +too that efforts would be made to settle all points of difference +with the king; and as at Abeokuta they received news that the +negotiations were going on satisfactorily, and that there was no +prospect whatever of trouble, they did not hesitate to carry out +the plans they had formed.</p> + +<p>Before crossing the Volta, they sent across to inquire of the +chief of the town there whether two English travelers would be +allowed to pass through Ashanti, and were delayed for a fortnight +until a messenger was sent to Coomassie and returned with a +letter, saying that the king would be glad to see white men at +his capital. With this assurance they crossed the stream. They +were received in state by the chief, who at once provided them +with the necessary carriers, and with them a guard, which he said +would prevent any trouble on their way. On the following day they +started, and after arriving, at the end of a day's journey, at a +village, prepared to stop as usual for a day or two to add to +their collection. The officer of the guard, however, explained to +them through Bacon, who spoke the Ashanti language, that his +instructions were, that they were to go straight through to +Coomassie. In vain Mr. Goodenough protested that this would +entirely defeat the object of his journey. The officer was firm. +His orders were that they were to travel straight to Coomassie, +and if he failed in carrying these out, his head would assuredly +be forfeited.</p> + +<p>"This is serious, Frank," Mr. Goodenough said. "If this fellow +has not blundered about his orders, it is clear that we are +prisoners. However, it may be that the king merely gave a +direction that we should be escorted to the capital, having no +idea that we should want to loiter upon the way."</p> + +<p>They now proceeded steadily forward, making long day's +marches. The officer in command of the guard was most civil, +obtaining for them an abundance of provisions at the villages at +which they stopped, and as Frank and his companion were both +weakened by fever he enlisted sufficient hammock bearers for +them, taking fresh relays from each village. He would not hear of +their paying either for provisions or bearers, saying that they +were the king's guests, and it would be an insult to him were +they to pay for anything.</p> + +<p>Ten days after starting from the Volta they entered Coomassie. +This town lay on rising ground, surrounded by a deep marsh of +from forty to a hundred yards wide. A messenger had been sent on +in front to announce their coming, and after crossing the marsh +they passed under a great fetish, or spell, consisting of a dead +sheep wrapped up in red silk and suspended from two poles.</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough and Frank took their places at the head of the +little procession. On entering the town they were met by a crowd +of at least five thousand people, for the most part warriors, who +fired their guns, shouted, and yelled. Horns, drums, rattles, and +gongs added to the appalling noise. Men with flags performed wild +dances, in which the warriors joined. The dress of the captains +consisted of war caps with gilded rams' horns projecting in +front, and immense plumes of eagles' feathers on each side. Their +vest was of red cloth, covered with fetishes and charms in cases +of gold, silver, and embroidery. These were interspersed with the +horns and tails of animals, small brass bells, and shells. They +wore loose cotton trousers, with great boots of dull red leather +coming halfway up to the thigh, and fastened by small chains to +their waist belts, also ornamented with bells, horse tails, +strings of amulets, and strips of colored leather. Long leopards' +tails hung down their backs.</p> + +<p>Through this crowd the party moved forward slowly, the throng +thickening at every step. They were escorted to a house which +they were told was set aside for their use, and that they would +be allowed to see the king on the following day. The houses +differed entirely from anything which they had before seen in +Africa. They were built of red clay, plastered perfectly smooth. +There were no windows or openings on the exterior, but the door +led into an open courtyard of some twelve feet in diameter. On +each side of this was a sort of alcove, built up of clay, about +three feet from the ground. This formed a couch or seat, some +eight feet long by three feet high, with a thatched roof +projecting so as to prevent the rain beating into the alcove. +Beyond were one or more similar courts in proportion to the size +of the house. A sheep and a quantity of vegetables and fruits +were sent in in the course of the day, but they were told not to +show themselves in the streets until they had seen the king.</p> + +<p>"We shall be expected to make his majesty a handsome present," +Mr. Goodenough said, "and, unfortunately, our stores were not +intended for so great a potentate. I will give him my double +barreled rifle and your Winchester, Frank. I do not suppose he +has seen such an arm. We had better get them cleaned up and +polished so as to look as handsome as possible."</p> + +<p>In the morning one of the captains came and said that the king +was in readiness to receive them, and they made their way through +a vast crowd to the marketplace, an open area, nearly half a mile +in extent. The sun was shining brightly, and the scene was a +brilliant one. The king, his Caboceers or great tributaries, his +captains, and officers were seated under a vast number of huge +umbrellas, some of them fifteen feet across. These were of +scarlet, yellow, and other showy colors in silks and cloths, with +fantastically scalloped and fringed valences. They were +surmounted with crescents, birds, elephants, barrels, and swords +of gold, and on some were couched stuffed animals. Innumerable +smaller umbrellas of striped stuff were borne by the crowd, and +all these were waved up and down, while a vast number of flutes, +horns and other musical instruments sounded in the air. All the +principal people wore robes woven of foreign silk, which had been +unraveled for working into native patterns. All had golden +necklaces and bracelets, in many cases so heavy that the arms of +the bearers were supported on boys' heads. The whole crowd, many +thousands in number, shone with gold, silver, and bright +colors.</p> + +<p>The king received them with dignity, and expressed his +satisfaction at seeing them, his speech being interpreted by one +of his attendants, who spoke English. Mr. Goodenough replied that +they had very great pleasure in visiting the court of his +majesty, that they had already been traveling for many months in +Africa, having started from the Gaboon and traveled through many +tribes, but had they had any idea of visiting so great a king +they would have provided themselves with presents fit for his +acceptance. But they were simple travelers, catching the birds, +beasts, and insects of the country, to take home with them to +show to the people in England. The only things which they could +offer him were a double barreled breech loading rifle of the best +English construction, and a little gun, which would fire sixteen +times without loading.</p> + +<p>The king examined the pieces with great attention, and, at his +request, Mr. Goodenough fired off the whole contents of the +magazine of the repeating rifle, whose action caused the greatest +astonishment to the assembled chiefs. The king then intimated his +acceptance of the presents, and said that he would speak farther +with them on a future occasion. He informed them that they were +free to move about in the town where they wished, and that the +greatest respect would be shown to them by the people. There was +a fresh outburst of wild music, and they were then conducted back +to their house.</p> + +<p>After the assembly had dispersed the two Englishmen walked +about through the town. It was not of great extent, but the +streets were broad and well kept. Many of the houses were much +larger than that allotted to them, but all were built on the same +plan. It was evident that the great mass of the population they +saw about must live in villages scattered around, the town being +wholly insufficient to contain them.</p> + +<p>Three days afterwards they were told that the king wished to +see them in his palace. This was a large building situated at the +extremity of the town. It was constructed of stone, and was +evidently built from European designs. It was square, with a flat +roof and embattled parapet. They were conducted through the +gateway into a large courtyard, and then into a hall where the +king sat upon a raised throne. Attendants stood round fanning +him.</p> + +<p>"Why," he asked abruptly as they took their places before him, +"do the English take my town of Elmina?"</p> + +<p>Mr. Goodenough explained that he had been nine months absent +from the coast, and that having come straight out from England he +was altogether unaware of what had happened at Elmina.</p> + +<p>"Elmina is mine," the king said. "The Dutch, who were my +tributaries, had no right to hand it over to the English."</p> + +<p>"But I understood, your majesty, that the English were ready +to pay an annual sum, even larger than that which the Dutch have +contributed."</p> + +<p>"I do not want money," the king said. "I have gold in plenty. +There are places in my dominions where ten men in a day can wash +a thousand ounces. I want Elmina, I want to trade with the +coast."</p> + +<p>"But the English will give your majesty every facility for +trade."</p> + +<p>"But suppose we quarrel," the king said, "they can stop powder +and guns from coming up. If Elmina were mine I could bring up +guns and powder at all times."</p> + +<p>"Your majesty would be no better off," Mr. Goodenough said; +"for the English in case of war could stop supplies from +entering."</p> + +<p>"My people will drive them into the sea," the king said. "We +have been troubled with them too long. They can make guns, but +they cannot fight. My people will eat them up. We fought them +before; and see," he said pointing to a great drum, from the edge +of which hung a dozen human skulls, "the heads of the White men +serve to make a fetish for me."</p> + +<p>He then waved his hand to signify that the audience was +terminated.</p> + +<p>"Things look bad, Frank," Mr. Goodenough said as they walked +towards their home. "I fear that the king is determined upon war, +and if so our lives are not worth a month's purchase."</p> + +<p>"It can't be helped," Frank said as cheerfully as he could. +"We must make the best of it. Perhaps something may occur to +improve our position."</p> + +<p>The next day the four German missionaries, who had so long +been kept captive, called upon them, and they obtained a full +insight into the position. This seemed more hopeful than the +king's words had given them to expect. The missionaries said that +negotiations were going on for their release, and that they +expected very shortly to be sent down to Cape Coast. So far as +they knew everything was being done by the English to satisfy the +king, and they looked upon the establishment of peace as certain. +They described the horrible rites and sacrifices which they had +been compelled to witness, and said that at least three thousand +persons were slaughtered annually in Coomassie.</p> + +<p>"You noticed," one of them said, "the great tree in the +marketplace under which the king sat. That is the great fetish +tree. A great many victims are sacrificed in the palace itself, +but the wholesale slaughters take place there. The high brushwood +comes up to within twenty yards of it, and if you turn in there +you will see thousands of dead bodies or their remains putrefying +together."</p> + +<p>"I thought I felt a horribly offensive smell as I was talking +to the king," Frank said shuddering. "What monsters these people +must be! Who would have thought that all that show of gold and +silver and silks and bright colors covered such horrible +barbarism!"</p> + +<p>After chatting for some time longer, and offering to do +anything in their power to assist the captives, the Germans took +their leave.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII: THE +INVASION OF FANTI LAND</h1> + +<p>The following morning Mr. Goodenough and Frank were called to +the door by the noise of a passing crowd, and to their horror saw +a man being taken to sacrifice. He was preceded by men beating +drums, his hands were pinioned behind him. A sharp thin knife was +passed through his cheeks, to which his lips were noozed like the +figure 8. One ear was cut off and carried before him, the other +hung to his head by a small piece of skin. There were several +gashes in his back, and a knife was thrust under each shoulder +blade. He was led by a cord passed through a hole bored in his +nose. Frank ran horror stricken back into the house, and sat for +a while with his hand over his eyes as if to shut out the ghastly +spectacle.</p> + +<p>"Mr. Goodenough," he said presently, "if we are to be killed, +at least let us die fighting to the last, and blow out our own +brains with the last shots we have left. I don't think I'm afraid +of being killed, but to be tortured like that would be +horrible."</p> + +<p>The next day a message was brought them that their retaining +private guards was an insult to the king, and that the Houssas +must remove to another part of the town. Resistance was evidently +useless. Mr. Goodenough called his four men together and told +them what had happened.</p> + +<p>"I am sorry I have brought you into this plight, my poor +fellows," he said. "There are now but two things open to you. You +can either volunteer to join the king's army and then try to make +your escape as an opportunity may offer, or slip away at once. +You are accustomed to the woods, and in native costume might pass +without notice. You can all swim, and it matters not where you +strike the Prah. If you travel at night and lie in the woods by +day you should be able to get through. At any rate you know that +if you try to escape and are caught you will be killed. If you +stop here it is possible that no harm may happen to you, but on +the other hand you may at any moment be led out to sacrifice. Do +not tell me your decision; I shall be questioned, and would +rather be able to say that I was ignorant that you intended to +escape. There is one other thing to settle. There is a long +arrear of pay due to you for your good and faithful service. It +would be useless for me to pay you now, as the money might be +found on you and taken away, and if you should be killed it would +be lost to your friends. I have written here four orders on my +banker in England, which the agents down at Cape Coast will +readily cash for you. Each order is for twice the sum due to you. +As you have come into such great danger in my service, and have +behaved so faithfully, it is right that you should be well +rewarded. Give me the names of your wives or relatives whom you +wish to have the money. Should any of you fall and escape, I +will, on my arrival at Cape Coast, send money, double the amount +I have written here, to them."</p> + +<p>The men expressed themselves warmly grateful for Mr. +Goodenough's kindness, gave him the names and addresses of their +wives, and then, with tears in their eyes, took their leave.</p> + +<p>"Now, Ostik, what do you say?" Mr. Goodenough asked, turning +to him.</p> + +<p>"I stay here, sar," Ostik said. "Houssas fighting men, creep +through wood, crawl on stomach. Dey get through sure enough. +Ostik stay with massa. If dey kill massa dey kill Ostik. Ostik +take chance."</p> + +<p>"Very well, Ostik, if we get through safe together you shall +not have reason to regret your fidelity. Now, Frank, I think it +would be a good thing if you were to spend some hours every day +in trying to pick up as much of the language here as you can. You +are quick at it, and were able to make yourself understood by our +bearers far better than I could do. You already know a great many +words in four or five of these dialects. They are all related to +each other, and with what you know you would in a couple of +months be able to get along very well in Ashanti. It will help to +pass your time and to occupy your mind. There will be no +difficulty in finding men here who have worked down on the coast +and know a little English. If we get away safely you will not +regret that your time has been employed. If we have trouble your +knowledge of the language may in some way or other be of real use +to you. We can go round to the Germans, who will, no doubt, be +able to put you in the way of getting a man."</p> + +<p>The next day they were again sent for to the king, who was in +a high state of anger at having heard that the Houssas had +escaped.</p> + +<p>"I know nothing about it," Mr. Goodenough said. "They were +contented when they were with me, and had no wish to go. Your +soldiers took them away yesterday afternoon, and I suppose they +were frightened. It was foolish of them. They should have known +that a great king does not injure travelers who come peacefully +into his country. They should have known better. They were poor, +ignorant men, who did not know that the hospitality of a king is +sacred, and that when a king invites travelers to enter his +country they are his guests, and under his protection."</p> + +<p>When the interpreter translated this speech the king was +silent for two or three minutes. Then he said, "My white friend +is right, They were foolish men. They could not know these +things. If my warriors overtake them no harm shall come to +them."</p> + +<p>Pleased with the impression that his words had evidently made +Mr. Goodenough returned to Frank, who had not been ordered to +accompany him to the palace. In the afternoon the king sent a +sheep and a present of five ounces of gold, and a message that he +did not wish his white friends to remain always in the town, but +that they might walk to any of the villages within a circle of +three or four miles, and that four of his guards would always +accompany them to see that no one interfered with or insulted +them. They were much pleased with this permission, as they were +now enabled to renew their work of collecting. It took them, too, +away from the sight of the horrible human sacrifices which went +on daily. Through the German missionaries they obtained a man who +had worked for three years down at Cape Coast. He accompanied +them on their walks, and in the evening sat and talked with +Frank, who, from the knowledge of native words which he had +picked up in his nine months' residence in Africa, was able to +make rapid progress in Ashanti. He had one or two slight attacks +of fever, but the constant use of quinine enabled him to resist +their effect, and he was now to some degree acclimatized, and +thought no more of the attacks of fever than he would have done +at home of a violent bilious attack.</p> + +<p>This was not the case with Mr. Goodenough. Frank observed with +concern that he lost strength rapidly, and was soon unable to +accompany him in his walks. One morning he appeared very ill.</p> + +<p>"Have you a touch of fever, sir?"</p> + +<p>"No, Frank, it is worse than fever, it is dysentery. I had an +attack last time I was on the coast, and know what to do with it. +Get the medicine chest and bring me the bottle of ipecacuanha. +Now, you must give me doses of this just strong enough not to act +as an emetic, every three hours."</p> + +<p>Frank nursed his friend assiduously, and for the next three +days hoped that he was obtaining a mastery over the illness. On +the fourth day an attack of fever set in.</p> + +<p>"You must stop the ipecacuanha, now," Mr. Goodenough said, +"and Frank, send Ostik round to the Germans, and say I wish them +to come here at once."</p> + +<p>When these arrived Mr. Goodenough asked Frank to leave him +alone with them. A quarter of an hour later they went out, and +Frank, returning, found two sealed envelopes on the table beside +him.</p> + +<p>"My boy," he said, "I have been making my will. I fear that it +is all over with me. Fever and dysentery together are in nine +cases out of ten fatal. Don't cry, Frank," he said, as the lad +burst into tears. "I would gladly have lived, but if it is God's +will that it should be otherwise, so be it. I have no wife or +near relatives to regret my loss -- none, my poor boy, who will +mourn for me as sincerely as I know that you will do. In the year +that we have been together I have come to look upon you as my +son, and you will find that I have not forgotten you in my will. +I have written it in duplicate. If you have an opportunity send +one of these letters down to the coast. Keep the other yourself, +and I trust that you will live to carry it to its destination. +Should it not be so, should the worst come to the worst, it will +be a consolation to you to know that I have not forgotten the +little sister of whom you have spoken to me so often, and that in +case of your death she will be provided for."</p> + +<p>An hour later Mr. Goodenough was in a state of delirium, in +which he remained all night, falling towards morning into a dull +coma, gradually breathing his last, without any return of +sensibility, at eight in the morning.</p> + +<p>Frank was utterly prostrated with grief, from which he roused +himself to send to the king to ask permission to bury his +friend.</p> + +<p>The king sent down to say how grieved he was to hear of the +white man's death. He had ordered many of his warriors to attend +his funeral. Frank had a grave dug on a rising spot of ground +beyond the marsh. In the evening a great number of the warriors +gathered round the house, and upon the shoulders of four of them +Mr. Goodenough was conveyed to his last resting place, Frank and +the German missionaries following with a great crowd of warriors. +The missionaries read the service over the grave, and Frank +returned heart broken to his house, with Ostik, who also felt +terribly the loss of his master.</p> + +<p>Two days later a wooden cross was erected over the grave. Upon +this Frank carved the name of his friend. Hearing a week +afterwards that the king was sending down a messenger to Cape +Coast, Frank asked permission to send Mr. Goodenough's letter by +him. The king sent for him.</p> + +<p>"I do not wish any more troubles," he said, "or that letters +should be sent to the governor. You are my guest. When the +troubles are settled I will send you down to the coast; but we +have many things to write about, and I do not want more subjects +for talk."</p> + +<p>Frank showed the letter and read the address, and told the +king that it was only a letter to the man of business of Mr. +Goodenough in England, giving directions for the disposal of his +property there.</p> + +<p>The king then consented that his messenger should take the +letter.</p> + +<p>At the end of December, when Frank had been nearly three +months at Coomassie, one of the Germans said to him:</p> + +<p>"The king speaks fairly, and seems intent upon his +negotiations; but he is preparing secretly for war. An army is +collecting on the Prah. I hear that twelve thousand men are +ordered to assemble there."</p> + +<p>"I have noticed," Frank said, "that there have been fewer men +about than usual during the last few days. What will happen to +us, do you think?"</p> + +<p>The missionary shook his head.</p> + +<p>"No one can say," he said. "It all depends upon the king's +humor. I think, however, that he is more likely to keep us as +hostages, and to obtain money for us at the end of the war, than +to kill us. If all goes well with his army we are probably safe; +but if the news comes of any defeat, he may in his rage order us +to be executed."</p> + +<p>"What do you think are the chances of defeat?" Frank +asked.</p> + +<p>"We know not," the missionary said; "but it seems probable +that the Ashantis will turn the English out of the coast. The +Fantis are of no use. They were a brave people once, and united +might have made a successful resistance to the Ashantis; but you +English have made women of them. You have forbidden them to fight +among themselves, you have discouraged them in any attempts to +raise armies, you have reduced the power of the chiefs, you have +tried to turn them into a race of cultivators and traders instead +of warriors, and you can expect no material aid from them now. +They will melt away like snow before the Ashantis. The king's +spies tell him that there are only a hundred and fifty black +troops at Cape Coast. These are trained and led by Englishmen, +but, after all, they are only negroes, no braver than the +Ashantis. What chance have they of resisting an army nearly a +hundred to one stronger than themselves?"</p> + +<p>"Is the fort at Cape Coast strong?" Frank asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes, against savages without cannon. Besides, the guns of the +ships of war would cover it."</p> + +<p>"Well," Frank said, "if we can hold that, they will send out +troops from England."</p> + +<p>"They may do so," the missionary asserted; "but what could +white troops do in the fever haunted forests, which extend from +Coomassie to the coast?"</p> + +<p>"They will manage somehow," Frank replied confidently. +"Besides, after all, as I hear that the great portion of Ashanti +lying beyond this is plain and open country, the Ashantis +themselves cannot be all accustomed to bush fighting, and will +suffer from fever in the low, swamp land."</p> + +<p>Three days later the king sent for Frank.</p> + +<p>"The English are not true," he said angrily. "They promised +the people of Elmina that they should be allowed to retain all +their customs as under the Dutch. They have broken their word. +They have forbidden the customs. The people of Elmina have +written to me to ask me to deliver them. I am going to do +so."</p> + +<p>Frank afterwards learned that the king's words were true. +Colonel Harley, the military commandant, having, with almost +incredible fatuity, and in spite of the agreement which had been +made with the Elminas, summoned their king and chiefs to a +council, and abruptly told them that they would not be allowed +henceforth to celebrate their customs, which consisted of firing +of guns, waving of flags, dancing, and other harmless rites. The +chiefs, greatly indignant at this breach of the agreement, +solemnly entered into with them, at once, on leaving the council, +wrote to the King of Ashanti, begging him to cross the Prah and +attack the English. Frank could only say that he knew nothing of +what was going on at the coast, and could only think that his +majesty must have been misinformed, as the English wished to be +friendly with the Ashantis.</p> + +<p>"They do not wish it," the king said furiously; "they are +liars."</p> + +<p>A buzz of approval sounded among the cabooceers and captains +standing round. Frank thought that he was about to be ordered to +instant execution, and grasped a revolver, which he held in his +pocket, resolving to shoot the king first, and then to blow out +his own brains, rather than to be put to the horrible tortures +which in Ashanti always precede death.</p> + +<p>Presently the king said suddenly to him:</p> + +<p>"My people tell me that you can talk to them in their own +tongue."</p> + +<p>"I have learnt a little Ashanti," Frank said in that language. +"I cannot talk well, but I can make myself understood."</p> + +<p>"Very well," the king said. "Then I shall send you down with +my general. You know the ways of English fighting, and will tell +him what is best to do against them. When the war is over and I +have driven the English away, I will send you away also. You are +my guest, and I do not wish to harm you. Tomorrow you will start. +Your goods will be of no more use to you. I have ordered my +treasurer to count the cloth, and the powder, and the other +things which you have, and to pay you for them in gold. You may +go."</p> + +<p>Frank retired, vowing in his heart that no information as to +the best way of attacking the English should be obtained from +him. Upon the whole he was much pleased at the order, for he +thought that some way of making his escape might present itself. +Such was also the opinion of Ostik when Frank told him what had +taken place at the palace.</p> + +<p>An hour later the king's treasurer arrived. The whole of the +trade goods were appraised at fair prices, and even the cases +were paid for, as the treasurer said that these would be good for +keeping the king's state robes. Frank only retained his own +portmanteau with clothes, his bed and rugs, and the journals of +the expedition, a supply of ammunition for his revolver, his +medicine chest, tent, and a case with chocolate, preserved milk, +tea, biscuits, rice, and a couple of bottles of brandy.</p> + +<p>In the morning there was a great beating of drums.</p> + +<p>Four carriers had been told off for Frank's service, and these +came in, took up his baggage, and joined the line. Frank waited +till the general, Ammon Quatia, whom he had several times met at +the palace, came along, carried in a hammock, with a +paraphernalia of attendants bearing chairs, umbrellas, and flags. +Frank fell in behind these accompanied by Ostik. The whole +population of Coomassie turned out and shouted their +farewells.</p> + +<p>There was a pause in the marketplace while a hundred victims +were sacrificed to the success of the expedition. Frank kept in +the thick of the warriors so as to avoid witnessing the horrible +spectacle.</p> + +<p>As they passed the king he said to the general, "Bring me back +the head of the governor. I will place it on my drum by the side +of that of Macarthy."</p> + +<p>Then the army passed the swamp knee deep in water, and started +on their way down to the Prah. Three miles further they crossed +the river Dah at Agogo, where the water was up to their necks. +The road was little more than a track through the forest, and +many small streams had to be crossed.</p> + +<p>It was well that Frank had not had an attack of fever for some +time, for they marched without a stop to Fomanse, a distance of +nearly thirty miles. Fomanse was a large town. Many of the houses +were built in the same style as those at Coomassie, and the +king's palace was a stone building. That night Frank slept in a +native house which the general allotted to him close to the +palace. The army slept on the ground.</p> + +<p>The next morning they crossed a lofty hill, and then +descending again kept along through the forest until, late in the +afternoon, they arrived on the Prah. This river was about sixty +yards wide, and here, in roughly made huts of boughs, were +encamped the main army, who had preceded them. Here there was a +pause for a week while large numbers of carriers came down with +provisions. Then on the 22d of January the army crossed the Prah +in great canoes of cottonwood tree, which the troops who first +arrived had prepared.</p> + +<p>Had the Ashanti army now pushed forward at full speed, Cape +Coast and Elmina must have fallen into their hands, for there +were no preparations whatever for their defence. The Assims, +whose territory was first invaded, sent down for assistance, but +Mr. Hennessey refused to believe that there was any invasion at +all, and when the King of Akim, the most powerful of the Fanti +potentates, sent down to ask for arms and ammunition, Mr. +Hennessey refused so curtly that the King of Akim was grievously +offended, and sent at once to the Ashantis to say that he should +remain neutral in the war.</p> + +<p>About this time Mr. Hennessey, whose repeated blunders had in +no slight degree contributed to the invasion, was relieved by Mr. +Keate, who at once wholly alienated the Fantis by telling them +that they must defend themselves, as the English had nothing more +to do with the affair than to defend their forts. Considering +that the English had taken the natives under their protection, +and that the war was caused entirely by the taking over of Elmina +by the English and by their breach of faith to the natives there, +this treatment of the Fantis was as unjust as it was +impolitic.</p> + +<p>Ammon Quatia, however, seemed to be impressed with a spirit of +prudence as soon as he crossed the river. Parties were sent out, +indeed, who attacked and plundered the Assim villages near the +Prah, but the main body moved forward with the greatest caution, +sometimes halting for weeks.</p> + +<p>The Ashanti general directed Frank always to pitch his tent +next to the hut occupied by himself. Four guards were appointed, +nominally to do him honor, but really, as Frank saw, to prevent +him from making his escape. These men kept guard, two at a time, +night and day over the tent, and if he moved out all followed +him. He never attempted to leave the camp. The forest was +extremely dense with thick underwood and innumerable creepers, +through which it would be almost impossible to make a way. The +majority of the trees were of only moderate height, but above +them towered the cotton trees and other giants, rising with +straight stems to from two hundred and fifty to three hundred +feet high. Many of the trees had shed their foliage, and some of +these were completely covered with brilliant flowers of different +colors. The woods resounded with the cries of various birds, but +butterflies, except in the clearings, were scarce.</p> + +<p>The army depended for food partly upon the cultivated patches +around the Assim villages, partly on supplies brought up from the +rear. In the forest, too, they found many edible roots and +fruits. In spite of the efforts to supply them with food, Frank +saw ere many weeks had passed that the Ashantis were suffering +much from hunger. They fell away in flesh. Many were shaking with +fever, and the enthusiasm, which was manifest at the passage of +the Prah, had entirely evaporated.</p> + +<p>The first morning after crossing the river Frank sent Ostik +into the hut of the general with a cup of hot chocolate, with +which Ammon Quatia expressed himself so much gratified that +henceforth Frank sent in a cup every morning, having still a +large supply of tins of preserved chocolate and milk, the very +best food which a traveler can take with him. In return the +Ashanti general showed Frank many little kindnesses, sending him +in birds or animals when any were shot by his men, and keeping +him as well provided with food as was possible under the +circumstances.</p> + +<p>It was not until the 8th of April that any absolute +hostilities took place. Then the Fantis, supported by fifty +Houssas under Lieutenant Hopkins, barred the road outside the +village of Dunquah. The Ashantis attacked, but the Fantis fought +bravely, having great confidence in the Houssa contingent. The +battle was one of the native fashion, neither side attempting any +vigorous action, but contenting themselves with a heavy fire at a +distance of a hundred yards. All the combatants took shelter +behind trees, and the consequence was that at the end of the day +a great quantity of powder and slugs had been fired away, and a +very few men hit on either side. At nightfall both parties drew +off.</p> + +<p>"Is that the way your English soldiers fight?" the general +asked Frank that night.</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank said vaguely; "they fire away at each other."</p> + +<p>"And then I suppose," the general said, "when one party has +exhausted its ammunition it retires."</p> + +<p>"Certainly it would retire," Frank said. "It could not resist +without ammunition you know."</p> + +<p>Frank carefully abstained from mentioning that one side or the +other would advance even before the ammunition of its opponents +was expended, for he did not wish the Ashantis to adopt tactics +which, from their greatly superior numbers, must at once give +them a victory. The Ashantis were not dissatisfied with the day's +work, as they considered that they had proved themselves equal to +the English troops.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII: THE +ATTACK ON ELMINA</h1> + +<p>On the 14th the Fantis took the initiative, and attacked the +Ashantis. The fight was a mere repetition of that of a week +before, and about midday the Fantis, having used up all their +ammunition, fell back again to Cape Coast.</p> + +<p>"Now," the general said to Frank, "that we have beaten the +Fantis we shall march down to Elmina."</p> + +<p>Leaving the main road at Dunquah the army moved slowly through +the bush towards Elmina, thirty miles distant, halting in the +woods some eight miles from the town, and twelve from Cape +Coast.</p> + +<p>"I am going," the general said, "to look at the English forts. +My white friend will go with me."</p> + +<p>With fifty of his warriors Ammon Quatia left the camp, and +crossing a stream came down upon the sea coast, a short distance +west of Elmina. With them were several of the Elmina tribe, who +had come up to the camp to welcome the Ashantis. They approached +to within three or four hundred yards of the fort, which was +separated from them by a river.</p> + +<p>The forts on the west coast of Africa, not being built to +resist artillery, are merely barracks surrounded by high walls +sufficiently thick to allow men to walk in single file along the +top, to fire over the parapet. The tops of the walls being +castellated, the buildings have an appearance of much strength. +The fort of Elmina is of considerable size, with a barrack and +officers' quarters within it. One side faces the river, and +another the sea.</p> + +<p>"It is a wonderful fort," the Ashanti general said, much +impressed by its appearance.</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank replied. "And there are cannon on the top, those +great black things you see sticking out. Those are guns, and each +carries balls enough to kill a hundred men with each shot."</p> + +<p>The general looked for some time attentively. "But you have +castles in the white men's country, how do you take them?"</p> + +<p>"We bring a great many cannon throwing balls of iron as big as +my head," Frank answered, "and so knock a great hole in the wall +and then rush in."</p> + +<p>"But if there are no cannon?" the general urged.</p> + +<p>"We never attack a castle without cannon," Frank said. "But if +we had no cannon we might try to starve the people out; but you +cannot do that here, because they would land food from the +sea."</p> + +<p>The general looked puzzled. "Why do the white men come +here?</p> + +<p>"They come to trade," he said presently.</p> + +<p>"Yes, they come to trade," Frank replied.</p> + +<p>"And they have no other reason?"</p> + +<p>"No," Frank said. "They do not want to take land, because the +white man cannot work in so hot a climate."</p> + +<p>"Then if he could not trade he would go away?" the general +asked.</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank agreed, "if he could do no trade it would be no +use remaining here."</p> + +<p>"We will let him do no trade," the general said, brightening +up. "If we cannot take the forts we will surround them closely, +and no trade can come in and out. Then the white man will have to +go away. As to the Fantis we will destroy them, and the white men +will have no one to fight for them."</p> + +<p>"But there are white troops," Frank said.</p> + +<p>"White soldiers?" the Ashanti asked surprised. "I thought it +was only black soldiers that fought for the whites. The whites +are few, they are traders."</p> + +<p>"The English are many," Frank said earnestly. "For every man +that the King of Ashanti could send to fight, England could send +ten. There are white soldiers, numbers of them, but they are not +sent here. They are kept at home to fight other white nations, +the French and the Dutch and the Danes, and many others, just as +the kings of Africa fight against each other. They are not sent +here because the climate kills the whites, so to guard the white +traders here we hire black soldiers; but, when it is known in +England that the King of Ashanti is fighting against our forts, +they will send white troops."</p> + +<p>Ammon Quatia was thoughtful for some time. "If they come," he +said at length, "the fevers will kill them, The white man cannot +live in the swamps. Your friend, the white guest of the king, +died at Coomassie."</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank asserted, "but he had been nearly a year in the +country before he died. Three weeks will be enough for an English +army to march from Cape Coast to Coomassie. A few might die, but +most of them would get there."</p> + +<p>"Coomassie!" the general exclaimed in surprise. "The white men +would be mad to think of marching against the city of the great +king. We should make great fetish, and they would all die when +they had crossed the river."</p> + +<p>"I don't think, General," Frank said dryly, "that the fetishes +of the black man have any effect upon the white men. A fetish has +power when it is believed in. A man who knows that his enemy has +made a fetish against him is afraid. His blood becomes like water +and he dies. But the whites do not believe in fetishes. They +laugh at them, and then the fetishes cannot hurt them."</p> + +<p>The general said no more, but turned thoughtfully and retired +to his camp. It was tantalizing to Frank to see the Union Jack +waving within sight, and to know that friends were so near and +yet to be unable to stretch out his hand to them.</p> + +<p>He was now dressed in all respects like a native, the king +having, soon after his arrival at Coomassie, sent a present of +clothes such as were worn by his nobles, saying that the people +would not notice them so much if they were dressed like +themselves. Consequently, had the party been seen from the castle +walls the appearance of an Englishman among them would have been +unobserved.</p> + +<p>Three days later the general with a similar party crossed the +Sweet river at night, and proceeded along the sea coast to within +a few hundred yards of Cape Coast Castle, whose appearance +pleased him no more than that of Elmina had done.</p> + +<p>The Ashantis were now better supplied with food, as they were +able to depend upon the Elmina tribes who cultivated a +considerable extent of ground, and to add to the stock, the +Ashanti soldiers were set to work to aid in planting a larger +extent of ground than usual, a proof in Frank's mind that the +general contemplated making a long stay, and blockading Elmina +and Cape Coast into surrender if he could not carry them by +assault.</p> + +<p>The natives of Africa are capable of great exertion for a +time, but their habitual attitude is that of extreme laziness. +One week's work in the year suffices to plant a sufficient amount +of ground to supply the wants of a family. The seed only requires +casting into the earth, and soon the ground will be covered with +melons and pumpkins. Sweet potatoes and yams demand no greater +cultivation, and the bananas and plantains require simply to be +cut. For fifty-one weeks in the year the negro simply sits down +and watches his crops grow. To people like these time is of +absolutely no value. Their wants are few. Their garden furnishes +them with tobacco. They make drink from the palm or by fermenting +the juice of the cocoanut. The fowls that wander about in the +clearings suffice when carried down occasionally to the port, to +pay for the few yards of calico and strings of beads which are +all that is necessary for the clothing and decoration of a +family.</p> + +<p>Such people are never in a hurry. To wait means to do nothing. +To do nothing is their highest joy. Their tomorrow means a month +hence, directly, a week. If, then, the Ashanti army had been +detained for one year or five before the English settlements, it +would have been a matter of indifference to them, so long as they +could obtain food. Their women were with them, for the wife and +daughters of each warrior had carried on head, with the army, his +household goods, a tiny stool, a few calabashes for cooking, a +mat to sleep on, and baskets high piled with provisions. They +were there to collect sticks, to cook food, draw water, bring +fire for his pipe, minister to his pleasures. He could have no +more if he were at home, and was contented to wait as long as the +king ordered, were that time years distant.</p> + +<p>Frank was often filled with disgust at seeing these noble +savages lying indolently from morn till night while their wives +went miles in the forest searching for pineapples and fruits, +bent down and prematurely aged by toil and hardship. Many of the +young girls among the negroes are pretty, with their soft eyes +and skin like velvet, their merry laugh and graceful figures. But +in a very few years all this disappears, and by middle age they +are bent, and wrinkled, and old. All loads are carried by women, +with the exception only of hammocks, which are exclusively +carried by men.</p> + +<p>Thus, then, the Ashantis settled down to what appeared to +Frank to be an interminable business, and what rendered it more +tantalizing was, that the morning and evening guns at the English +forts could be plainly heard.</p> + +<p>It was on the 7th of June that Ammon Quatia reconnoitered +Elmina, and the news came next day that a hundred and ten white +men in red coats had landed from a ship which had arrived that +morning off the coast. Frank judged from the description that +these must be marines from a ship of war. In this he was correct, +as they consisted of marines and marine artillerymen under +Lieutenant Colonel Festing, who had just arrived from England. +Three days later the Ashanti general, with a portion of his +force, moved down close to Elmina; Frank was told to accompany +them. Shortly afterwards the news came that the Elminas were all +ordered to lay down their arms. They replied by going over in a +body to the Ashantis. Ammon Quatia determined at once to attack +the town, but as he was advancing, the guns of the ships of war +opened fire upon the native town of Elmina, which lay to the west +of the European quarter.</p> + +<p>The sound of such heavy cannon, differing widely from anything +they had ever heard before, caused the Ashantis to pause in +astonishment. Then came the howl of the shells, which exploded in +rapid succession in the village, from which flames began +immediately to rise. After a few minutes' hesitation the Ashantis +and Elminas again advanced. The general, who was carried in a +chair upon the shoulders of four men, took his post on rising +ground near the burning village.</p> + +<p>"There," he said, "the English soldiers are coming out of the +fort. Now you will see."</p> + +<p>The little body of marines and the blue jackets of the +<i>Barraconta</i> deployed in line as they sallied from the fort. +The Ashantis opened fire upon them, but they were out of range of +the slugs. As soon as the line was formed the English opened +fire, and the Ashantis were perfectly astonished at the incessant +rattle of musketry from so small a body of men. But it was not +all noise, for the Snider bullets swept among the crowded body of +blacks, mowing them down in considerable numbers. In two minutes +the Ashantis turned and ran. The general's bearers, in spite of +his shouts, hurried away with him with the others, and Frank +would have taken this opportunity to escape had not two of his +guards seized him by the arms and hauled him along, while the +other two kept close behind.</p> + +<p>As soon as they had passed over the crest of the rise, and the +British fire had ceased, Ammon Quatia leaped from his chair and +threw himself among his flying troops, striking them right and +left with his staff, and hurling imprecations upon them.</p> + +<p>"If you do not stop and return against the whites," he said, +"I will send every one of you back to Coomassie, and there you +will be put to death as cowards."</p> + +<p>The threat sufficed. The fugitives rallied, and in a few +minutes were ready to march back again. It was the surprise +created by the wonderful sustained fire of the breech loaders, +rather than the actual loss they inflicted, which caused the +panic.</p> + +<p>In the meantime, believing that the Ashantis had retired, the +naval contingent went back to their boats, when the Dutch vice +consul, having ascended a hill to look round, saw that Ammon +Quatia had made a detour with his troops, and was marching +against the town from the east, where he would not be exposed to +the fire of the fort. He instantly ran back with the news.</p> + +<p>The marines and the thirty West Indian soldiers in the fort at +once marched out, and met the Ashantis just as they were entering +the town. The fight was a severe one, and for a time neither side +appeared to have the advantage, and Frank, who, under the care of +his guards, was a few hundred yards in the rear, was filled with +dismay at observing that the Ashantis, in spite of the heavy loss +they were suffering, were gaining ground and pressing forward +bravely. Suddenly he gave a shout of joy, for on a rise on the +flank of the Ashantis appeared the sailors of the +<i>Barraconta</i>, who had been led round from the boats by +Lieutenant Wells, R. N., who was in command. The instant these +took up their position they opened a heavy fire upon the flank of +the Ashantis, who, dismayed by this attack by fresh foes, lost +heart and at once fled hastily. In the two engagements they had +lost nearly four hundred men. Frank, of course, retired with the +beaten Ashantis, and that evening Ammon Quatia told him that the +arms of the white men were too good, and that he should not +attack them again in the open.</p> + +<p>"Their guns shoot farther, as well as quicker, than ours," he +said. "Our slugs are no use against the heavy bullets, at a +distance; but in the woods, where you cannot see twenty feet +among the trees, it will be different. If I do not attack them +they must attack me, or their trade will be starved out. When +they come into the woods you will see that we shall eat them +up."</p> + +<p>Several weeks now passed quietly. There was news that there +was great sickness among the white soldiers, and, indeed, with +scarce an exception, the marines first sent out were invalided +home; but a hundred and fifty more arrived to take their place. +Some detachments of the 2d West Indian regiment came down to join +their comrades from Sierra Leone, and the situation remained +unchanged.</p> + +<p>One night towards the end of August a messenger arrived and +there was an immediate stir.</p> + +<p>"Now," the general said to Frank, "you are going to see us +fight the white men. Some of the big ships have gone to the mouth +of the Prah, and we believe that they are going to land in boats. +You will see. The Elmina tribes are going to attack, but I shall +take some of my men to help."</p> + +<p>Taking fifty picked warriors Ammon Quatia started at once. +They marched all night towards the west, and at daybreak joined +the Elminas. These took post in the brushwood lining the river. +The general with a dozen men, taking Frank, went down near the +mouth of the river to reconnoiter. The ships lay more than a mile +off the shore. Presently a half dozen boats were lowered, filled +with men, and taken in tow by a steam launch. It was seen that +they were making for the mouth of the river.</p> + +<p>"Now let us go back," Ammon Quatia said. "You will see what we +shall do."</p> + +<p>Frank felt full of excitement. He saw the English running into +an ambuscade, and he determined, even if it should cost him his +life, to warn them. Presently they heard the sharp puffs of the +steam launch. The boats were within three hundred yards.</p> + +<p>Frank stepped forward and was about to give a warning shout +when Ammon Quatia's eye fell upon him. The expression of his face +revealed his intention to the Ashanti, who in an instant sprang +upon him and hurled him to the ground. Instantly a dozen hands +seized him, and, in obedience to the general's order, fastened a +bandage tightly across his mouth, and then bound him, standing +against a tree, where he could observe what was going on. The +incident had occupied but a minute, and Frank heard the pant of +the steam launch coming nearer and nearer. Presently through the +bushes he caught a glimpse of it, and then, as it came along, of +the boats towing behind. The Elminas and Ashantis were lying upon +the ground with their guns in front of them.</p> + +<p>The boats were but fifteen yards from the bank. When they were +abreast Ammon Quatia shouted the word of command, and a stream of +fire shot out from the bushes. In the boats all was confusion. +Several were killed and many wounded by the deadly volley, among +the latter Commodore Commerell himself, and two or three of his +officers. The launch now attempted to turn round, and the marines +in the boats opened fire upon their invisible foes, who replied +steadily. In five minutes from the first shot being fired all was +over, the launch was steaming down with the boats in tow towards +the mouth of the river, the exulting shouts of the natives +ringing in the ears of those on board.</p> + +<p>The position of Frank had not been a pleasant one while the +fight had lasted, for the English rifle bullets sang close to him +in quick succession, one striking the tree only a few inches +above his head. He was doubtful, too, as to what his fate would +be at the termination of the fight.</p> + +<p>Fortunately Ammon Quatia was in the highest spirits at his +victory. He ordered Frank to be at once unbound.</p> + +<p>"There, you see," he said, "the whites are of no use. They +cannot fight. They run with their eyes shut into danger. So it +will be if they attack us on the land. You were foolish. Why did +you wish to call out? Are you not well treated? Are you not the +king's guest? Am I not your friend?"</p> + +<p>"I am well treated, and you are my friend," Frank said, "but +the English are my countrymen. I am sure that were you in the +hands of the English, and you saw a party of your countrymen +marching into danger, you would call out and warn them, even if +you knew that you would be killed for doing so."</p> + +<p>"I do not know," the Ashanti said candidly. "I cannot say what +I should do, but you were brave to run the risk, and I'm not +angry with you. Only, in future when we go to attack the English, +I must gag you to prevent your giving the alarm."</p> + +<p>"That is fair enough," Frank said, pleased that the matter had +passed off so well, "only another time do not stick me upright +against a tree where I may be killed by English bullets. I had a +narrow escape of it this time, you see," and he pointed to the +hole in the trunk of the tree.</p> + +<p>"I am sorry," the Ashanti general said, with an air of real +concern. "I did not think of your being in danger, I only wished +you to have a good sight of the battle; next time I will put you +in a safer place."</p> + +<p>They then returned to the camp.</p> + +<p>The next day a distant cannonade was heard, and at nightfall +the news came that the English fleet had bombarded and burnt +several Elmina villages at the mouth of the Prah.</p> + +<p>"Ah," the general said, "the English have great ships and +great guns. They can fight on the seaside and round their forts, +but they cannot drag their guns through the forests and +swamps."</p> + +<p>"No," Frank agreed. "It would not be possible to drag heavy +artillery."</p> + +<p>"No," Ammon Quatia repeated exultingly. "When they are beyond +the shelter of their ships they are no good whatever. We will +kill them all."</p> + +<p>The wet season had now set in, in earnest, and the suffering +of the Ashantis were very great. Accustomed as many of them were +to high lying lands free of trees, the miasma from the swamps was +well nigh as fatal to them as it would be to Europeans. Thousands +died, and many of the rest were worn by fever to mere +shadows.</p> + +<p>"Do you think," Ammon Quatia said to Frank one day, "that it +is possible to blow up a whole town with powder?"</p> + +<p>"It would be possible if there were powder enough," Frank +said, wondering what could be the motive of the question.</p> + +<p>"They say that the English have put powder in holes all over +Cape Coast, and my people are afraid to go. The guns of the fort +could not shoot over the whole town, and there are few white +soldiers there; but my men fear to be blown up in the air."</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank said gravely. "The danger might be great. It is +better that the Ashantis should keep away from the town. But if +the fever goes on as at present the army will melt away."</p> + +<p>"Ten thousand more men are coming down when the rains are +over. The king says that something must be done. There is talk in +the English forts that more white troops are coming out from +England. If this is so I shall not attack the towns, but shall +wait for them to come into the woods for me. Then you will +see."</p> + +<p>"Do they say there are many troops?" Frank asked +anxiously.</p> + +<p>"No; they say only some white officers, but this is +foolishness. What could white officers do without soldiers? As +for the Fantis they are cowards, they are only good to carry +burdens and to hoe the ground. They are women and not men."</p> + +<p>During this time, when the damp rose so thick and steaming +that everything was saturated with it, Frank had a very sharp +attack of fever, and was for a fortnight, just after the repulse +of the attack on Elmina, completely prostrated. Such an attack +would at his first landing have carried him off, but he was now +getting acclimatized, and his supply of quinine was abundant. +With its aid he saved a great many lives among the Ashantis, and +many little presents in the way of fruit and birds did he receive +from his patients.</p> + +<p>"I wish I could let you go," the general said to him one day. +"You are a good white man, and my soldiers love you for the pains +you take going amongst them when they are sick, and giving them +the medicine of the whites. But I dare not do it. As you know +when the king is wroth the greatest tremble, and I dare not tell +the king that I have let you go. Were it otherwise I would gladly +do so. I have written to the king telling him that you have saved +the lives of many here. It may be that he will order you to be +released."</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX: THE +TIDE TURNED</h1> + +<p>From many of the points in the forest held by the Ashantis the +sea could be seen, and on the morning of the 2d of October a +steamer which had not been there on the previous evening was +perceived lying off the town. The Ashantis were soon informed by +spies in Elmina and Cape Coast that the ship had brought an +English general with about thirty officers. The news that thirty +men had come out to help to drive back twenty thousand was +received with derision by the Ashantis.</p> + +<p>"They will do more than you think," Frank said when Ammon +Quatia was scoffing over the new arrival. "You will see a change +in the tactics of the whites. Hitherto they have done nothing. +They have simply waited. Now you will see they will begin to +move. The officers will drill the natives, and even a Fanti, +drilled and commanded by white officers, will learn how to fight. +You acknowledge that the black troops in red coats can fight. +What are these? Some of them are Fantis, some of them are black +men from the West Indian Islands, where they are even more +peaceful than the Fantis, for they have no enemies. Perhaps alone +the Fantis would not fight, but they will have the soldiers and +sailors from on board ship with them, and you saw at Elmina how +they can fight."</p> + +<p>The ship was the <i>Ambriz</i>, one of the African company's +steamers, bringing with it thirty-five officers, of whom ten +belonged to the Commissariat and Medical staff. Among the +fighting men were Sir Garnet Wolseley, Colonel M'Neil, chief of +his staff, Major T. D. Baker, 18th Regiment, Captain Huyshe, +Rifle Brigade, Captain Buller, 60th Rifles, all of the staff; +Captain Brackenbury, military secretary, and Lieutenant Maurice, +R. A., private secretary, Major Home, R. E., Lieutenant Saunders, +R. A., and Lieutenant Wilmot, R. A.. Lieutenant Colonel Evelyn +Wood, 90th Regiment, and Major B. C. Russell, 13th Hussars, were +each to form and command a native regiment, having the remainder +of the officers as their assistants.</p> + +<p>The <i>Ambriz</i> had left England on the 12th of September, +and had touched at Madeira and at the various towns on the coast +on her way down, and at the former place had received the news of +the disaster to the naval expedition up the Prah.</p> + +<p>The English government had been loath to embark upon such an +expedition, but a petition which had been sent home by the +English and native traders at Sierra Leone and Elmina had shown +how great was the peril which threatened the colony, and it had +been felt that unless an effort was made the British would be +driven altogether from their hold of the coast. When the +expedition was at last determined upon, the military authorities +were flooded with recommendations and warnings of all kinds from +persons who knew the coast. Unfortunately these gentlemen +differed so widely from each other, that but little good was +gained from their counsels. Some pronounced the climate to be +deadly. Others said that it was really not bad. Some warmly +advocated a moderate use of spirits. Others declared that +stimulants were poison. One advised that all exercise should be +taken between five and seven in the morning. Another insisted +that on no account should anyone stir out until the sun had been +up for an hour, which meant that no one should go out till half +past seven. One said take exercise and excite perspiration. +Another urged that any bodily exercise should be avoided. One +consistent gentleman, after having written some letters to the +papers strongly advocating the use of white troops upon the coast +instead of West Indian regiments, when written to by Sir Garnet +Wolseley for his advice as to articles of outfit, replied that +the only article which he could strongly commend would be that +each officer should take out his coffin.</p> + +<p>Ten days passed after the landing. It was known in the Ashanti +camp that the Fanti kings had been ordered to raise contingents, +and that a white officer had been alloted to each to assist him +in this work. The Ashantis, however, had no fear whatever on this +score. The twenty thousand natives who occupied the country south +of the Prah had all been driven from their homes by the invaders, +and had scattered among the towns and villages on the seacoast, +where vast numbers had died from the ravages of smallpox. The +kings had little or no authority over them, and it was certain +that no native force, capable in any way of competing with the +army of the assailants, could be raised.</p> + +<p>The small number of men of the 2d West Indian regiment at +Elmina had been reinforced by a hundred and twenty Houssas +brought down the coast. The Ashanti advanced parties remained +close up to Elmina.</p> + +<p>On the 13th of October Frank accompanied the Ashanti general +to the neighborhood of this town. The Ashanti force here was not +a large one, the main body being nearly twenty miles away in the +neighborhood of Dunquah, which was held by a small body of +Houssas and natives under Captain Gordon. At six in the morning a +messenger ran in with the news that two of the English war +steamers from Cape Coast were lying off Elmina, and that a number +of troops had been landed in boats. The Ashanti general was +furious, and poured out threats against his spies in Cape Coast +for not having warned him of the movement, but in fact these were +not to blame. So quietly had the arrangements been made that, +until late in the previous afternoon, no one, with the exception +of three or four of the principal officers, knew that an +expedition was intended. Even then it was given out that the +expedition was going down the coast, and it was not until the +ships anchored off Elmina at three in the morning that the +officers and troops were aware of their destination. All the West +Indian troops at Cape Coast had been taken, Captain Peel of the +<i>Simoon</i> landing fifty sailors to hold the fort in case the +Ashantis should attack it in their absence. The expedition +consisted of the Houssas, two hundred men of the 2d West India +regiment, fifty sailors, and two companies of marines and marine +artillery, each fifty strong, and a large number of natives +carrying a small Armstrong gun, two rocket tubes, rockets, spare +ammunition, and hammocks for wounded.</p> + +<p>The few Ashantis in the village next to Elmina retired at once +when the column was seen marching from the castle. Ammon Quatia +had taken up his quarters at the village of Essarman, and now +advanced with his troops and took post in the bush behind a small +village about three miles from the town. The Houssas were +skirmishing in front of the column. These entered the village +which had been deserted by the Ashantis, and set it on fire, +blowing up several kegs of powder which had been left there in +the hurry of the flight. Then as they advanced farther the +Ashantis opened fire. To their surprise the British, instead of +falling back, opened fire in return, the Houssas, West Indians, +and natives discharging their rifles at random in all directions. +Captain Freemantle with the sailors, the gun, and rockets made +for the upper corner of the wood facing them to their left. +Captain Crease with a company of marine artillery took the wood +on the right. The Houssas and a company of West Indians moved +along the path in the center. The remainder of the force remained +with the baggage in reserve. The Ashantis kept up a tremendous +fire, but the marines and sailors pushed their way steadily +through the wood on either side. Captain Freemantle at length +gained a point where his gun and rockets could play on Essarman, +which lay in the heart of the wood, and opened fire, but not +until he had been struck by a slug which passed through his arm. +Colonel M'Neil, who was with the Houssas, also received a severe +wound in the arm, and thirty-two marines and Houssas were +wounded. The Ashantis were gradually driven out of the village +and wood, a great many being killed by the English fire.</p> + +<p>Having accomplished this, the British force rested for an hour +and then moved on, first setting fire to Essarman, which was a +very large village. A great quantity of the Ashanti powder was +stored there, and each explosion excited yells of rage among the +Ashantis. Their general was especially angry that two large war +drums had been lost. So great was the effect produced upon the +Ashantis by the tremendous fire which the British had poured into +every bush and thicket as they advanced, that their general +thought it expedient to draw them off in the direction of his +main body instead of further disputing the way.</p> + +<p>The English now turned off towards the coast, marching part of +the way through open country, part through a bush so dense that +it was impossible to make a flank attack upon them here. In such +cases as this, when the Ashantis know that an enemy is going to +approach through a dense and impassable forest, they cut paths +through it parallel to that by which he must advance and at a few +yards' distance. Then, lying in ambush there, they suddenly open +fire upon him as he comes along. As no idea of the coming of the +English had been entertained they passed through the dense +thickets in single file unmolested. These native paths are very +difficult and unpleasant walking. The natives always walk in +single file, and the action of their feet, aided by that of the +rain, often wears the paths into a deep V-shaped rut, two feet in +depth. Burning two or three villages by the way the column +reached the coast at a spot five miles from Elmina, having +marched nine miles.</p> + +<p>As the Ashantis were known to be in force at the villages of +Akimfoo and Ampene, four miles farther, a party was taken on to +this point. Akimfoo was occupied without resistance, but the +Ashantis fought hard in Ampene, but were driven out of the town +into the bush, from which the British force was too small to +drive them, and therefore returned to Elmina, having marched +twenty-two miles, a prodigious journey in such a climate for +heavily armed Europeans. The effect produced among the Ashantis +by the day's fighting was immense. All their theories that the +white men could not fight in the bush were roughly upset, and +they found that his superiority was as great there as it had been +in the open. His heavy bullets, even at the distance of some +hundred yards, crashed through the brush wood with deadly effect, +while the slugs of the Ashantis would not penetrate at a distance +much exceeding fifty yards.</p> + +<p>Ammon Quatia was profoundly depressed in spirits that +evening.</p> + +<p>"The white men who come to fight us," he said, "are not like +those who come to trade. Who ever heard of their making long +marches? Why, if they go the shortest distances they are carried +in hammocks. These men march as well as my warriors. They have +guns which shoot ten times as far as ours, and never stop firing. +They carry cannon with them, and have things which fly through +the air and scream, and set villages on fire and kill men. I have +never heard of such things before. What do you call them?"</p> + +<p>"They are called rockets," Frank said.</p> + +<p>"What are they made of?"</p> + +<p>"They are made of coarse powder mixed with other things, and +rammed into an iron case."</p> + +<p>"Could we not make some too?" the Ashanti general asked.</p> + +<p>"No," Frank replied. "At least, not without a knowledge of the +things you should mix with the powder, and of that I am ignorant. +Besides, the rockets require great skill in firing, otherwise +they will sometimes come back and kill the men who fire +them."</p> + +<p>"Why did you not tell me that the white men could fight in the +bush?"</p> + +<p>"I told you that there would be a change when the new general +came, and that they would not any longer remain in their forts, +but would come out and attack you."</p> + +<p>A few days after this fight the Ashantis broke up their camp +at Mampon, twelve miles from Elmina, and moved eastward to join +the body who were encamped in the forest near Dunquah.</p> + +<p>"I am going," Ammon Quatia said to Frank, "to eat up Dunquah +and Abra Crampa. We shall do better this time. We know what the +English guns can do and shall not be surprised."</p> + +<p>With ten thousand men Ammon Quatia halted at the little +village of Asianchi, where there was a large clearing, which was +speedily covered with the little leafy bowers which the Ashantis +run up at each halting place.</p> + +<p>Two days later Sir Garnet Wolseley with a strong force marched +out from Cape Coast to Abra Crampa, halting on the way for a +night at Assaiboo, ten miles from the town. On the same day the +general sent orders to Colonel Festing of the Marine Artillery, +who commanded at Dunquah, to make a reconnaissance into the +forest from that place. In accordance with this order Colonel +Festing marched out with a gun and rocket apparatus under Captain +Rait, the Annamaboe contingent of a hundred and twenty men under +their king, directed by Captain Godwin, four hundred other Fantis +under Captain Broomhead, and a hundred men of the 2d West India +regiment. After a three mile march in perfect silence they came +upon an Ashanti cutting wood, and compelled him to act as guide. +The path divided into three, and the Annamaboes, who led the +advance, when within a few yards of the camp, gave a sudden cheer +and rushed in.</p> + +<p>The Ashantis, panic stricken at the sudden attack, fled +instantly from the camp into the bush. Sudden as was the scare +Frank's guards did not forget their duty, but seizing him dragged +him off with them in their flight, by the side of Ammon Quatia. +The latter ordered the war drums to begin to beat, and Frank was +surprised at the quickness with which the Ashantis recovered from +their panic. In five minutes a tremendous fire was opened from +the whole circle of bush upon the camp. This stood on rising +ground, and the British force returned the fire with great +rapidity and effect. The Annamaboe men stood their ground +gallantly, and the West Indians fought with great coolness, +keeping up a constant and heavy fire with their Sniders. The +Houssas, who had been trained as artillerymen, worked their gun +and rocket tube with great energy, yelling and whooping as each +round of grape or canister was fired into the bush, or each +rocket whizzed out.</p> + +<p>Notwithstanding the heavy loss which they were suffering, the +Ashantis stood their ground most bravely. Their wild yells and +the beating of their drums never ceased, and only rose the louder +as each volley of grape was poured into them. They did not, +however, advance beyond the shelter of their bush, and, as the +British were not strong enough to attack them there, the duel of +artillery and musketry was continued without cessation for an +hour and a half, and then Colonel Festing fell back unmolested to +Dunquah.</p> + +<p>The Ashantis were delighted at the result of the fighting, +heavy as their loss had been. They had held their ground, and the +British had not ventured to attack them in the bush.</p> + +<p>"You see," Ammon Quatia said exultingly to Frank, "what I told +you was true. The white men cannot fight us in the bush. At +Essarman the wood was thin and gave but a poor cover. Here, you +see, they dared not follow us."</p> + +<p>On the British side five officers and the King of Annamaboe +were wounded, and fifty-two of the men. None were killed, the +distance from the bush to the ground held by the English being +too far for the Ashanti slugs to inflict mortal wounds.</p> + +<p>Ammon Quatia now began to meditate falling back upon the Prah +-- the sick and wounded were already sent back -- but he +determined before retiring to attack Abra Crampa, whose king had +sided with us, and where an English garrison had been posted.</p> + +<p>On the 2d of November, however, Colonel Festing again marched +out from Dunquah with a hundred men of the 2d West India +regiment, nine hundred native allies, and some Houssas with +rockets, under Lieutenant Wilmot, towards the Ashanti camp. This +time Ammon Quatia was not taken by surprise. His scouts informed +him of the approach of the column, and moving out to meet them, +he attacked them in the bush before they reached the camp. +Crouching among the trees the Ashantis opened a tremendous fire. +All the native allies, with the exception of a hundred, bolted at +once, but the remainder, with the Houssas and West Indians, +behaved with great steadiness and gallantry, and for two hours +kept up a heavy Snider fire upon their invisible foes.</p> + +<p>Early in the fight Lieutenant Wilmot, while directing the +rocket tube, received a severe wound in the shoulder. He, +however, continued at his work till, just as the fight was ended, +he was shot through the heart with a bullet. Four officers were +wounded as were thirteen men of the 2d West India regiment. One +of the natives was killed, fifty severely wounded, and a great +many slightly. After two hours' fighting Colonel Festing found +the Ashantis were working round to cut off his retreat, and +therefore fell back again on Dunquah. The conduct of the native +levies here and in two or three smaller reconnaisances was so bad +that it was found that no further dependence could be placed upon +them, and, with the exception of the two partly disciplined +regiments under Colonel Wood and Major Russell, they were in +future treated as merely fit to act as carriers for the +provisions.</p> + +<p>Although the second reconnaissance from Dunquah had, like the +first, been unsuccessful, its effect upon the Ashantis was very +great. They had themselves suffered great loss, while they could +not see that any of their enemies had been killed, for Lieutenant +Wilmot's body had been carried off. The rockets especially +appalled them, one rocket having killed six, four of whom were +chiefs who were talking together. It was true that the English +had not succeeded in forcing their way through the bush, but if +every time they came out they were to kill large numbers without +suffering any loss themselves, they must clearly in the long run +be victorious.</p> + +<p>What the Ashantis did not see, and what Frank carefully +abstained from hinting to Ammon Quatia, was that if, instead of +stopping and firing at a distance beyond that which at their +slugs were effective, they were to charge down upon the English +and fire their pieces when they reached within a few yards of +them, they would overpower them at once by their enormous +superiority of numbers. At ten paces distant a volley of slugs is +as effective as a Snider bullet, and the whole of the native +troops would have bolted the instant such a charge was made. In +the open such tactics might not be possible, as the Sniders could +be discharged twenty times before the English line was reached, +but in the woods, where the two lines were not more than forty or +fifty yards apart, the Sniders could be fired but once or at the +utmost twice, while the assailants rushed across the short +intervening space.</p> + +<p>Had the Ashantis adopted these tactics they could have crushed +with ease the little bands with which the English attacked them. +But it is characteristic of all savages that they can never be +got to rush down upon a foe who is prepared and well armed. A +half dozen white men have been known to keep a whole tribe of Red +Indians at a distance on the prairie. This, however, can be +accounted for by the fact that the power of the chiefs is +limited, and that each Indian values his own life highly and does +not care to throw it away on a desperate enterprise. Among the +Ashantis, however, where the power of the chiefs is very great +and where human life is held of little account, it is singular +that such tactics should not have been adopted.</p> + +<p>The Ashantis were now becoming thoroughly dispirited. Their +sufferings had been immense. Fever and hunger had made great +ravages among them, and, although now the wet season was over a +large quantity of food could be obtained in the forest, the +losses which the white men's bullets, rockets, and guns had +inflicted upon them had broken their courage. The longing for +home became greater than ever, and had it not been that they knew +that troops stationed at the Prah would prevent any fugitives +from crossing, they would have deserted in large numbers. Already +one of the divisions had fallen back.</p> + +<p>Ammon Quatia spent hours sitting at the door of his hut +smoking and talking to the other chiefs. Frank was often called +into council, as Ammon Quatia had conceived a high opinion of his +judgment, which had proved invariably correct so far.</p> + +<p>"We are going," he said one day, "to take Abra Crampa and to +kill its king, and then to fall back across the Prah."</p> + +<p>"I think you had better fall back at once," Frank answered. +"When you took me with you to the edge of the clearing yesterday +I saw that preparations had been made for the defense, and that +there were white troops there. You will never carry the village. +The English have thrown up breastworks of earth, and they will +lie behind these and shoot down your men as they come out of the +forest."</p> + +<p>"I must have one victory to report to the king if I can," +Ammon Quatia said. "Then he can make peace if he chooses. The +white men will not wish to go on fighting. The Fantis are eager +for peace and to return to their villages. What do you +think?"</p> + +<p>"If it be true that white troops are coming out from England, +as the Fanti prisoners say," Frank answered, "you will see that +the English will not make peace till they have crossed the Prah +and marched to Coomassie. Your king is always making trouble. You +will see that this time the English will not be content with your +retiring, but will in turn invade Ashanti."</p> + +<p>Ammon Quatia and the chiefs laughed incredulously.</p> + +<p>"They will not dare to cross the Prah," Ammon Quatia said. "If +they enter Ashanti they will be eaten up."</p> + +<p>"They are not so easy to eat up," Frank answered. "You have +seen how a hundred or two can fight against your whole army. What +will it be when they are in thousands? Your king has not been +wise. It would be better for him to send down at once and to make +peace at any price."</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX: THE WHITE +TROOPS</h1> + +<p>Two days later Frank was awoke by a sudden yell. He leaped +from his bed of boughs, seized his revolver, and rushing to the +door, saw that a party of some twenty men were attacking Ammon +Quatia's hut. The two guards stationed there had already been cut +down. Frank shouted to his four guards and Ostik to follow him. +The guards had been standing irresolute, not knowing what side to +take, but the example of the young Englishman decided them. They +fired their muskets into the knot of natives, and then charged +sword in hand. Ostik drew the sword which he always carried and +followed close to his master's heels. Frank did not fire until +within two yards of the Ashantis. Then his revolver spoke out and +six shots were discharged, each with deadly effect. Then, +catching up a musket which had fallen from the hands of one of +the men he had shot, he clubbed it and fell upon the surprised +and already hesitating conspirators.</p> + +<p>These, fortunately for Frank, had not loaded their muskets. +They had intended to kill Ammon Quatia and then to disperse +instantly before aid could arrive, believing that with his death +the order for retreat across the Prah would at once be given. +Several of them had been killed by the slugs from the muskets of +Frank's guard, and his pistol had completed their confusion. The +reports of the guns called up other troops, and these came +rushing in on all sides. Scarcely did Frank and his followers +fall upon the conspirators than they took to their heels and fled +into the wood.</p> + +<p>Ammon Quatia himself, sword in hand, had just sprung to the +door of the hut prepared to sell his life dearly, when Frank's +guard fired. The affair was so momentary that he had hardly time +to realize what had happened before his assailants were in full +flight.</p> + +<p>"You have saved my life," he said to Frank. "Had it not been +for you I must have been killed. You shall not find me +ungrateful. When I have taken Abra Crampa I will manage that you +shall return to your friends. I dare not let you go openly, for +the king would not forgive me, and I shall have enough to do +already to pacify him when he hears how great have been our +losses. But rest content. I will manage it somehow."</p> + +<p>An hour afterwards Ammon Quatia gave orders that the army +should move to the attack of Abra Crampa. The place was held by a +body of marines and sailors, a hundred West Indians, and the +native troops of the king. Major Russell was in command. The +village stood on rising ground, and was surrounded for a distance +of a hundred and fifty yards by a clearing. Part of this +consisted of patches of cultivated ground, the rest had been +hastily cleared by the defenders. At the upper end stood a +church, and this was converted into a stronghold. The windows +were high up in the walls, and a platform had been erected inside +for the sailors to fire from the windows, which were partially +blocked with sandbags. The houses on the outside of the village +had all been loopholed, and had been connected by breastworks of +earth. Other defenses had been thrown up further back in case the +outworks should be carried. The mission house in the main street +and the huts which surrounded it formed, with the church, the +last strongholds. For two or three days the bush round the town +had swarmed with Ashantis, whose tomtoms could be heard by the +garrison night and day.</p> + +<p>Frank accompanied Ammon Quatia, and was therefore in the +front, and had an opportunity of seeing how the Ashantis commence +an attack. The war drums gave the signal, and when they ceased, +ten thousand voices raised the war song in measured cadence. The +effect was very fine, rising as it did from all parts of the +forest. By this time the Ashantis had lined the whole circle of +wood round the clearing. Then three regular volleys were fired, +making, from the heavy charges used, a tremendous roar.</p> + +<p>Scarcely had these ceased when the King of Abra, a splendid +looking negro standing nearly six feet four in height, stepped +out from behind the breastwork and shouted a taunting challenge +to the Ashantis to come on. They replied with a loud yell, and +with the opening of a continuous fire round the edge of the wood. +On wall and roof of the village the slugs pattered thickly; but +the defenders were all in shelter, and in reply, from breastwork +and loophole, from the windows and roof of the church, the +answering Snider bullets flew out straight and deadly. Several +times Ammon Quatia tried to get his men to make a rush. The war +drums beat, the great horns sounded, and the men shouted, but +each time the English bullets flew so thick and deadly into the +wood wherever the sound rose loudest that the Ashantis' heart +failed them, and they could not be got to make the rush across +the hundred yards of cleared ground.</p> + +<p>At five o'clock the fire slackened, but shortly after dark the +attack recommenced. The moon was up and full. Frank feared that +the Ashantis would try and crawl a part of the distance across +the clearing and then make a sudden rush; but they appeared to +have no idea of a silent attack. Several times, indeed, they +gathered and rushed forward in large bodies, but each time their +shouting and drums gave warning to the besieged, and so +tremendous a fire was opened upon them when they emerged from the +shadow of the trees into the moonlight, that each time they fell +back leaving the ground strewn with dead. Till midnight the +attack was continued, then the Ashantis fell back to their +camp.</p> + +<p>At Accroful, a village on the main road some four miles +distant, the attack had been heard, and a messenger sent off to +Cape Coast to inform Sir Garnet Wolseley.</p> + +<p>In the morning fifty men of the 2d West India regiment marched +from Accroful into Abra Crampa without molestation. Later on some +Abra scouts approached the Ashanti camp and shouted tauntingly to +know when the Ashantis were coming into Abra Crampa.</p> + +<p>They shouted in return, "After breakfast," and soon +afterwards, a rocket fired from the roof of the church falling +into the camp, they again sallied out and attacked. It was a +repetition of the fight of the day before. Several times Major +Russell withheld his fire altogether, but the Ashantis could not +be tempted to show in force beyond the edge of the wood. So +inspirited were the defenders that they now made several sorties +and penetrated some distance into the wood.</p> + +<p>At eight in the morning Sir Garnet Wolseley had marched from +Cape Coast with three hundred marines and blue jackets to the +relief of the position, but so tremendous was the heat that +nearly half the men fell exhausted by the way, and were ordered +when they recovered to march back to Cape Coast. The remainder, +when they arrived at Assaibo, five miles from Abra Crampa, were +so utterly exhausted that a long halt was necessary, although a +faint but continuous fire could be heard from the besieged +place.</p> + +<p>Chocolate and cold preserved meat were served out to the men, +and in the course of another three hours a large number of the +stragglers came in. At three o'clock, a hundred of the most +exhausted men being left to hold the village, the rest of the +force with the fifty West Indians stationed there marched forward +to Buteana, where they were jointed by fifty more men from +Accroful. Just as they started from this place they met the King +of Abra, who had come out with a small body of warriors; from him +Sir Garnet learned that this road, which wound round and came in +at the back of Abra Crampa, was still open.</p> + +<p>The Ashantis were too busy with their own operations to watch +the path, and the relieving force entered the place without +firing a shot. The firing round the town continued, but Ammon +Quatia, when he saw the reinforcements enter, at once began to +fall back with the main body of his troops, and although the +firing was kept up all night, when the besieged in the morning +advanced to attack the Ashanti camp they found it altogether +deserted.</p> + +<p>"It is of no use," the Ashanti general said to Frank. "My men +cannot fight in the open against the English guns. Besides, they +do not know what they are fighting for here; but if your general +should ever cross the Prah you will find it different. There are +forests all the way to Coomassie, as you know, and the men will +be fighting in defense of their own country, you will see what we +shall do then. And now I will keep my promise to you. Tonight +your guards will go to sleep. I shall have medicine given them +which will make them sleep hard. One of the Fanti prisoners will +come to your hut and will guide you through the woods to +Assaiboo. Goodbye, my friend. Ammon Quatia has learnt that some +of the white men are good and honest, and he will never forget +that he owes his life to you. Take this in remembrance of Ammon +Quatia."</p> + +<p>And he presented Frank with a necklace composed of nuggets of +gold as big as walnuts and weighing nearly twenty pounds.</p> + +<p>Frank in return gave the general the only article of value +which he now possessed, his revolver and tin box of cartridges, +telling him that he hoped he would never use it against the +English, but that it might be of value to him should he ever +again have trouble with his own men. Frank made a parcel of the +necklace and of the gold he had received from the king for his +goods, and warned Ostik to hold himself in readiness for flight. +The camp was silent although the roar of musketry a few hundred +yards off round Abra Crampa continued unbroken. For some time +Frank heard his guards pacing outside, and occasionally speaking +to each other. Then these sounds ceased and all was quiet. +Presently the front of the tent was opened and a voice said, +"Come, all is ready."</p> + +<p>Frank came out and looked round. The Ashanti camp was +deserted. Ammon Quatia had moved away with the main body of his +troops, although the musketry fire round the village was kept up. +A Fanti stood at the door of the hut with Ostik. The four guards +were sleeping quietly. Noiselessly the little party stole away. A +quarter of an hour later they struck the path, and an hour's +walking brought them to Assaiboo. Not an Ashanti was met with +along the path, but Frank hardly felt that he was safe until he +heard the challenge of "Who goes there?" from an English sentry. +A few minutes later he was taken before Captain Bradshaw, R. N., +who commanded the sailors and marines who had been left there. +Very hearty was the greeting which the young Englishman received +from the genial sailor, and a bowl of soup and a glass of grog +were soon set before him.</p> + +<p>His arrival created quite a sensation, and for some hours he +sat talking with the officers, while Ostik was an equal subject +of curiosity among the sailors. The news that the Ashanti army +was in full retreat relieved the garrison of the place from all +further fear of attack, and Frank went to sleep before morning, +and was only roused at noon when a messenger arrived with the +news that the Ashanti camp had been found deserted, and that the +road in its rear was found to be strewn with chairs, clothes, +pillows, muskets, and odds and ends of every description. Few +Ashanti prisoners had been taken, but a considerable number of +Fantis, who had been prisoners among them, had come in, having +escaped in the confusion of the retreat. Among these were many +women, several of whom had been captured when the Ashantis had +first crossed the Prah ten months before. In the afternoon Sir +Garnet Wolseley, with the greater portion of the force from Abra +Crampa, marched in, and Frank was introduced by Captain Bradshaw +to the general. As the latter was anxious to press on at once to +Cape Coast, in order that the sailors and marines might sleep on +board ship that night, he asked Frank to accompany him, and on +the road heard the story of his adventures. He invited him to +sleep for the night at Government House, an invitation which +Frank accepted; but he slept worse than he had done for a long +time. It was now nearly two years since he had landed in Africa, +and during all that time he had slept, covered with a rug, on the +canvas of his little camp bed. The complete change, the stillness +and security, and, above all, the novelty of a bed with sheets, +completely banished sleep, and it was not until morning was +dawning that, wrapping himself in a rug, and lying on the ground, +he was able to get a sleep. In the morning at breakfast Sir +Garnet asked him what he intended to do, and said that if he were +in no extreme hurry to return to England he could render great +services as guide to the expedition, which would start for +Coomassie as soon as the white troops arrived. Frank had already +thought the matter over. He had had more than enough of Africa, +but two or three months longer would make no difference, and he +felt that his knowledge of the Ashanti methods of war, of the +country to be traversed, the streams to be crossed, and the +points at which the Ashantis would probably make a stand, would +enable him to tender really valuable assistance to the army. He +therefore told Sir Garnet Wolseley that he had no particular +business which called him urgently back, and that he was willing +to guide the army to Coomassie. He at once had quarters as an +officer assigned to him in the town, with rations for himself and +servant.</p> + +<p>His first step was to procure English garments, for although +he had before starting laid aside his Ashanti costume, and put on +that he had before worn, his clothes were now so travel worn as +to be scarce wearable. He had no difficulty in doing this. Many +of the officers were already invalided home, and one who was just +sailing was glad to dispose of his uniform, which consisted of a +light brown Norfolk shooting jacket, knickerbockers, and helmet, +as these would be of no use to him in England.</p> + +<p>Frank's next step was to go to the agent of Messrs. Swanzy, +the principal African merchants of the coast. This gentleman +readily cashed one of the orders on the African bank which Mr. +Goodenough had, before his death, handed over to Frank, and the +latter proceeded to discharge the long arrears of wages owing to +Ostik, adding, besides, a handsome present. He offered to allow +his faithful servant to depart to join his family on the Gaboon +at once, should he wish to do so, but Ostik declared that he +would remain with him as long as he stopped in Africa. On Frank's +advice, however, he deposited his money, for safe keeping, with +Messrs. Swanzy's agent, with orders to transmit it to his family +should anything happen to him during the expedition.</p> + +<p>Three days later Frank was attacked by fever, the result of +the reaction after so many dangers. He was at once sent on board +the <i>Simoon</i>, which had been established as a hospital ship; +but the attack was a mild one, and in a few days, thanks to the +sea air, and the attention and nursing which he received, he was +convalescent. As soon as the fever passed away, and he was able +to sit on deck and enjoy the sea breezes, he had many visits from +the officers of the ships of war. Among these was the captain of +the <i>Decoy</i> gunboat.</p> + +<p>After chatting with Frank for some time the officer said: "I +am going down the coast as far as the mouth of the Volta, where +Captain Glover is organizing another expedition. You will not be +wanted on shore just at present, and a week's rest will do you +good; what do you say to coming down with me -- it will give you +a little change and variety?"</p> + +<p>Frank accepted the invitation with pleasure. An hour later the +<i>Decoy</i>'s boat came alongside, and Frank took his place on +board it, Ostik following with his clothes. An hour later the +<i>Decoy</i> got up her anchor and steamed down the coast. It was +delightful to Frank, sitting in a large wicker work chair in the +shade of the awning, watching the distant shore and chatting with +the officers. He had much to hear of what had taken place in +England since he left, and they on their part were equally eager +to learn about the road along which they would have to march -- +at least those of them who were fortunate enough to be appointed +to the naval brigade -- and the wonders of the barbarian capital. +The <i>Decoy</i> was not fast, about six knots being her average +pace of steaming; however, no one was in a hurry; there would be +nothing to do until the troops arrived from England; and to all, +a trip down the coast was a pleasant change after the long +monotony of rolling at anchor. For some distance from Cape Coast +the shore was flat, but further on the country became hilly. Some +of the undulations reached a considerable height, the highest, +Mamquady, being over two thousand feet.</p> + +<p>"That ought to be a very healthy place," Frank said. "I should +think that a sanatorium established there would be an immense +boon to the whites all along the coasts."</p> + +<p>"One would think so," an officer replied "but I'm told that +those hills are particularly unhealthy. That fellow you see +jutting out is said to be extremely rich in gold. Over and over +again parties have been formed to dig there, but they have always +suffered so terribly from fever that they have had to relinquish +the attempt. The natives suffer as well as the whites. I believe +that the formation is granite, the surface of which is much +decomposed; and it is always found here that the turning up of +ground that has not been disturbed for many years is extremely +unhealthy, and decomposing granite possesses some element +particularly obnoxious to health. The natives, of course, look +upon the mountain as a fetish, and believe that an evil spirit +guards it. The superstition of the negroes is wonderful, and at +Accra they are, if possible, more superstitious than anywhere +else. Every one believes that every malady under the sun is +produced by fetish, and that some enemy is casting spells upon +them."</p> + +<p>"There is more in it than you think," the doctor joined in; +"although it is not spells, but poison, which they use against +each other. The use of poison is carried to an incredible extent +here. I have not been much on shore; but the medical men, both +civilian and military, who have been here any time are convinced +that a vast number of the deaths that take place are due to +poison. The fetish men and women who are the vendors of these +drugs keep as a profound secret their origin and nature, but it +is certain that many of them are in point of secrecy and celerity +equal to those of the middle ages."</p> + +<p>"I wonder that the doctors have never discovered what plants +they get them from," Frank said.</p> + +<p>"Some of them have tried to do so," the doctor replied; "but +have invariably died shortly after commencing their experiments; +it is believed they have been poisoned by the fetish men in order +to prevent their secrets being discovered."</p> + +<p>The hours passed pleasurably. The beautiful neatness and order +prevailing on board a man of war were specially delightful to +Frank after the rough life he had so long led, and the silence +and discipline of the men presented an equally strong contrast to +the incessant chattering and noise kept up by the niggers.</p> + +<p>The next morning the ship was off Accra. Here the scenery had +entirely changed. The hills had receded, and a wide and slightly +undulating plain extended to their feet, some twelve miles back. +The captain was going to land, as he had some despatches for the +colony, and he invited Frank to accompany him. They did not, as +Frank expected, land in a man of war's boat, but in a surf boat, +which, upon their hoisting a signal, came out to them. These surf +boats are large and very wide and flat. They are paddled by ten +or twelve negroes, who sit upon the gunwale. These men work +vigorously, and the boats travel at a considerable pace. Each +boat has a stroke peculiar to itself. Some paddle hard for six +strokes and then easy for an equal number. Some will take two or +three hard and then one easy. The steersman stands in the stern +and steers with an oar. He or one of the crew keeps up a +monotonous song, to which the crew reply in chorus, always in +time with their paddling.</p> + +<p>The surf is heavy at Accra and Frank held his breath, as, +after waiting for a favorable moment, the steersman gave the sign +and the boat darted in at lightning speed on the top of a great +wave, and ran up on the beach in the midst of a whirl of white +foam.</p> + +<p>While the captain went up to Government House, Frank, +accompanied by one of the young officers who had also come +ashore, took a stroll through the town. The first thing that +struck him was the extraordinary number of pigs. These animals +pervaded the whole place. They fed in threes and fours in the +middle of the streets. They lay everywhere in the road, across +the doors, and against the walls. They quarreled energetically +inside lanes and courtyards, and when worsted in their disputes +galloped away grunting, careless whom they might upset. The +principal street of Accra was an amusing sight. Some effort had +been made to keep it free of the filth and rubbish which +everywhere else abounded. Both sides were lined by salesmen and +women sitting on little mats upon the low wooden stools used as +seats in Africa. The goods were contained in wooden trays. Here +were dozens of women offering beads for sale of an unlimited +variety of form and hue. They varied from the tiny opaque beads +of all colors used by English children for their dolls, to great +cylindrical beads of variegated hues as long and as thick as the +joint of a finger. The love of the Africans for beads is +surprising. The women wear them round the wrists, the neck, and +the ankles. The occupation of threading the little beads is one +of their greatest pleasures. The threads used are narrow fibers +of palm leaves, which are very strong. The beads, however, are of +unequal sizes, and no African girl who has any respect for her +personal appearance will put on a string of beads until she has, +with great pains and a good deal of skill, rubbed them with sand +and water until all the projecting beads are ground down, and the +whole are perfectly smooth and even.</p> + +<p>Next in number to the dealers in beads were those who sold +calico, or, as it is called in Africa, cloth, and gaudily colored +kerchiefs for the head. These three articles -- beads, cotton +cloth, and colored handkerchiefs -- complete the list of articles +required for the attire and adornment of males and females in +Africa. Besides these goods, tobacco, in dried leaves, short clay +pipes, knives, small looking glasses, and matches were offered +for sale. The majority of the saleswomen, however, were dealers +in eatables, dried fish, smoked fish, canki -- which is a +preparation of ground corn wrapped up in palm leaves in the shape +of paste -- eggs, fowls, kids, cooked meats in various forms, +stews, boiled pork, fried knobs of meat, and other native +delicacies, besides an abundance of seeds, nuts, and other +vegetable productions.</p> + +<p>After walking for some time through the streets Frank and his +companions returned to the boat, where, half an hour later, the +captain joined them, and, putting off to the <i>Decoy</i>, they +continued the voyage down the coast.</p> + +<p>The next morning they weighed anchor off Addah, a village at +the mouth of the Volta. They whistled for a surf boat, but it was +some time before one put out. When she was launched it was +doubtful whether she would be able to make her way through the +breaking water. The surf was much heavier here than it had been +at Accra, and each wave threw the boat almost perpendicularly +into the air, so that only a few feet of the end of the keel +touched the water. Still she struggled on, although so long was +she in getting through the surf that those on board the ship +thought several times that she must give it up as impracticable. +At last, however, she got through; the paddlers waited for a +minute to recover from their exertions, and then made out to the +<i>Decoy</i>. None of the officers had ever landed here, and +several of them obtained leave to accompany the captain on shore. +Frank was one of the party. After what they had seen of the +difficulty which the boat had in getting out, all looked somewhat +anxiously at the surf as they approached the line where the great +smooth waves rolled over and broke into boiling foam. The +steersman stood upon the seat in the stern, in one hand holding +his oar, in the other his cap. For some time he stood half turned +round, looking attentively seaward, while the boat lay at rest +just outside the line of breakers. Suddenly he waved his cap and +gave a shout. It was answered by the crew. Every man dashed his +paddle into the water. Desperately they rowed, the steersman +encouraging them by wild yells. A gigantic wave rolled in behind +the boat, and looked for a moment as if she would break into it, +but she rose on it just as it turned over, and for an instant was +swept along amidst a cataract of white foam, with the speed of an +arrow. The next wave was a small one, and ere a third reached it +the boat grounded on the sand. A dozen men rushed out into the +water. The passengers threw themselves anyhow on to their backs, +and in a minute were standing perfectly dry upon the beach.</p> + +<p>They learned that Captain Glover's camp was half a mile +distant, and at once set out for it. Upon the way up to the camp +they passed hundreds of negroes, who had arrived in the last day +or two, and had just received their arms. Some were squatted on +the ground cooking and resting themselves. Others were examining +their new weapons, oiling and removing every spot of rust, and +occasionally loading and firing them off. The balls whizzed +through the air in all directions. The most stringent orders had +been given forbidding this dangerous nuisance; but nothing can +repress the love of negroes for firing off guns. There were large +numbers of women among them; these had acted as carriers on their +journey to the camp; for among the coast tribes, as among the +Ashantis, it is the proper thing when the warriors go out on the +warpath, that the women should not permit them to carry anything +except their guns until they approach the neighborhood of the +enemy.</p> + +<p>The party soon arrived at the camp, which consisted of some +bell tents and the little huts of a few hundred natives. This, +indeed, was only the place where the latter were first received +and armed, and they were then sent up the river in the steamboat +belonging to the expedition, to the great camp some thirty miles +higher.</p> + +<p>The expedition consisted only of some seven or eight English +officers. Captain Glover of the royal navy was in command, with +Mr. Goldsworthy and Captain Sartorius as his assistants. There +were four other officers, two doctors, and an officer of +commissariat. This little body had the whole work of drilling and +keeping in order some eight or ten thousand men. They were +generals, colonels, sergeants, quartermasters, storekeepers, and +diplomatists, all at once, and from daybreak until late at night +were incessantly at work. There were at least a dozen petty kings +in camp, all of whom had to be kept in a good temper, and this +was by no means the smallest of Captain Glover's difficulties, as +upon the slightest ground for discontent each of these was ready +at once to march away with his followers. The most reliable +portion of Captain Glover's force were some 250 Houssas, and as +many Yorabas. In addition to all their work with the native +allies, the officers of the expedition had succeeded in drilling +both these bodies until they had obtained a very fair amount of +discipline.</p> + +<p>After strolling through the camp the visitors went to look on +at the distribution of arms and accouterments to a hundred +freshly arrived natives. They were served out with blue smocks, +made of serge, and blue nightcaps, which had the result of +transforming a fine looking body of natives, upright in carriage, +and graceful in their toga-like attire, into a set of awkward +looking, clumsy negroes. A haversack, water bottle, belts, cap +pouch, and ammunition pouch, were also handed to each to their +utter bewilderment, and it was easy to foresee that at the end of +the first day's march the whole of these, to them utterly useless +articles, would be thrown aside. They brightened up, however, +when the guns were delivered to them. The first impulse of each +was to examine his piece carefully, to try its balance by taking +aim at distant objects, then to carefully rub off any little spot +of rust that could be detected, lastly to take out the ramrod and +let it fall into the barrel, to judge by the ring whether it was +clean inside.</p> + +<p>Thence the visitors strolled away to watch a number of Houssas +in hot pursuit of some bullocks, which were to be put on board +the steamers and taken up the river to the great camp. These had +broken loose in the night, and the chase was an exciting one. +Although some fifty or sixty men were engaged in the hunt it took +no less than four hours to capture the requisite number, and +seven Houssas were more or less injured by the charges of the +desperate little animals, which possessed wonderful strength and +endurance, although no larger than moderate sized donkeys. They +were only captured at last by hoops being thrown over their +horns, and even when thrown down required the efforts of five or +six men to tie them. They were finally got to the wharf by two +men each: one went ahead with the rope attached to the animal's +horn, the other kept behind, holding a rope fastened to one of +the hind legs. Every bull made the most determined efforts to get +at the man in front, who kept on at a run, the animal being +checked when it got too close by the man behind pulling at its +hind leg. When it turned to attack him the man in front again +pulled at his rope. So most of them were brought down to the +landing place, and there with great difficulty again thrown down, +tied, and carried bodily on board. Some of them were so +unmanageable that they had to be carried all the way down to the +landing place. If English cattle possessed the strength and +obstinate fury of these little animals, Copenhagen Fields would +have to be removed farther from London, or the entrance swept by +machine guns, for a charge of the cattle would clear the streets +of London.</p> + +<p>After spending an amusing day on shore, the party returned on +board ship. Captain Glover's expedition, although composed of +only seven or eight English officers and costing the country +comparatively nothing, accomplished great things, but its doings +were almost ignored by England. Crossing the river they +completely defeated the native tribes there, who were in alliance +with the Ashantis, after some hard fighting, and thus prevented +an invasion of our territory on that side. In addition to this +they pushed forward into the interior and absolutely arrived at +Coomassie two days after Sir Garnet Wolseley.</p> + +<p>It is true that the attention of the Ashantis was so much +occupied by the advance of the white force that they paid but +little attention to that advancing from the Volta; but none the +less is the credit due to the indomitable perseverance and the +immensity of the work accomplished by Captain Glover and his +officers. Alone and single handed, they overcame all the enormous +difficulties raised by the apathy, indolence, and self importance +of the numerous petty chiefs whose followers constituted the +army, infused something of their own spirit among their +followers, and persuaded them to march without white allies +against the hitherto invincible army of the Ashantis. Not a tithe +of the credit due to them has been given to the officers of this +little force.</p> + +<p>Captain Glover invited his visitors to pass the night on +shore, offering to place a tent at their disposal; but the +mosquitoes are so numerous and troublesome along the swampy shore +of the Volta that the invitations were declined, and the whole +party returned on board the <i>Decoy</i>. Next day the anchor was +hove and the ship's head turned to the west; and two days later, +after a pleasant and uneventful voyage, she was again off Cape +Coast, and Frank, taking leave of his kind entertainers, returned +on shore and reported himself as ready to perform any duty that +might be assigned to him.</p> + +<p>Until the force advanced, he had nothing to do, and spent a +good deal of his time watching the carriers starting with +provisions for the Prah, and the doings of the negroes.</p> + +<p>The order had now been passed by the chiefs at a meeting +called by Sir Garnet, that every able bodied man should work as a +carrier, and while parties of men were sent to the villages round +to fetch in people thence, hunts took place in Cape Coast itself. +Every negro found in the streets was seized by the police; +protestation, indignation, and resistance, were equally in vain. +An arm or the loin cloth was firmly griped, and the victim was +run into the castle yard, amid the laughter of the lookers on, +who consisted, after the first quarter of an hour, of women only. +Then the search began in the houses, the chiefs indicating the +localities in which men were likely to be found. Some police were +set to watch outside while others went in to search. The women +would at once deny that anyone was there, but a door was pretty +sure to be found locked, and upon this being broken open the +fugitive would be found hiding under a pile of clothes or mats. +Sometimes he would leap through the windows, sometimes take to +the flat roof, and as the houses join together in the most +confused way the roofs offered immense facilities for escape, and +most lively chases took place.</p> + +<p>No excuses or pretences availed. A man seen limping painfully +along the street would, after a brief examination of his leg to +see if there was any external mark which would account for the +lameness, be sent at a round trot down the road, amid peals of +laughter from the women and girls looking on.</p> + +<p>The indignation of some of the men thus seized, loaded and +sent up country under a strong escort, was very funny, and their +astonishment in some cases altogether unfeigned. Small +shopkeepers who had never supposed that they would be called upon +to labor for the defense of their freedom and country, found +themselves with a barrel of pork upon their heads and a policeman +with a loaded musket by their side proceeding up country for an +indefinite period. A school teacher was missing, and was found to +have gone up with a case of ammunition. Casual visitors from down +the coast had their stay prolonged.</p> + +<p>Lazy Sierra Leone men, discharged by their masters for +incurable idleness, and living doing nothing, earning nothing, +kept by the kindness of friends and the aid of an occasional +petty theft, found themselves, in spite of the European cut of +their clothes, groaning under the weight of cases of preserved +provisions.</p> + +<p>Everywhere the town was busy and animated, but it was in the +castle courtyard Frank found most amusement. Here of a morning a +thousand negroes would be gathered, most of them men sent down +from Dunquah, forming part of our native allied army. Their +costumes were various but scant, their colors all shades of brown +up to the deepest black. Their faces were all in a grin of +amusement. The noise of talking and laughing was immense. All +were squatted upon the ground, in front of each was a large keg +labelled "pork." Among them moved two or three commissariat +officers in gray uniforms. At the order, "Now then, off with +you," the negroes would rise, take off their cloths, wrap them +into pads, lift the barrels on to their heads, and go off at a +brisk pace; the officer perhaps smartening up the last to leave +with a cut with his stick, which would call forth a scream of +laughter from all the others.</p> + +<p>When all the men had gone, the turn of the women came, and of +these two or three hundred, who had been seated chattering and +laughing against the walls, would now come forward and stoop to +pick up the bags of biscuit laid out for them. Their appearance +was most comical when they stooped to their work, their +prodigious bustles forming an apex. At least two out of every +three had babies seated on these bustles, kept firm against their +backs by the cloth tightly wrapped round the mother's body. But +from the attitudes of the mothers the position was now reversed, +the little black heads hanging downwards upon the dark brown +backs of the women. These were always in the highest state of +good temper, often indulging when not at work in a general dance, +and continually singing, and clapping their hands.</p> + +<p>After the women had been got off three or four hundred boys +and girls, of from eleven to fourteen years old, would start with +small kegs of rice or meat weighing from twenty-five to +thirty-five pounds. These small kegs had upon their first arrival +been a cause of great bewilderment and annoyance to the +commissariat officers, for no man or woman, unless by profession +a juggler, could balance two long narrow barrels on the head. At +last the happy idea struck an officer of the department that the +children of the place might be utilized for the purpose. No +sooner was it known that boys and girls could get half men's +wages for carrying up light loads, than there was a perfect rush +of the juvenile population. Three hundred applied the first +morning, four hundred the next. The glee of the youngsters was +quite exuberant. All were accustomed to carry weights, such as +great jars of water and baskets of yams, far heavier than those +they were now called to take up the country; and the novel +pleasure of earning money and of enjoying an expedition up the +country delighted them immensely.</p> + +<p>Bullocks were now arriving from other parts of the coast, and +although these would not live for any time at Cape Coast, it was +thought they would do so long enough to afford the expedition a +certain quantity of fresh meat; Australian meat, and salt pork, +though valuable in their way, being poor food to men whose +appetites are enfeebled by heat and exhaustion.</p> + +<p>It was not till upwards of six weeks after the fight at Abra +Crampa that the last of the Ashanti army crossed the Prah. When +arriving within a short distance of that river they had been met +by seven thousand fresh troops, who had been sent by the king +with orders that they were not to return until they had driven +the English into the sea. Ammon Quatia's army, however, although +still, from the many reinforcements it had received, nearly +twenty thousand strong, positively refused to do any more +fighting until they had been home and rested, and their tales of +the prowess of the white troops so checked the enthusiasm of the +newcomers, that these decided to return with the rest.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI: THE +ADVANCE TO THE PRAH</h1> + +<p>A large body of natives were now kept at work on the road up +to the Prah. The swamps were made passable by bundles of +brushwood thrown into them, the streams were bridged and huts +erected for the reception of the white troops. These huts were +constructed of bamboo, the beds being made of lattice work of the +same material, and were light and cool.</p> + +<p>On the 9th of December the <i>Himalaya</i> and <i>Tamar</i> +arrived, having on board the 23d Regiment, a battalion of the +Rifle Brigade, a battery of artillery, and a company of +engineers. On the 18th, the <i>Surmatian</i> arrived with the +42d. All these ships were sent off for a cruise, with orders to +return on the 1st of January, when the troops were to be landed. +A large number of officers arrived a few days later to assist in +the organization of the transport corps.</p> + +<p>Colonel Wood and Major Russell were by this time on the Prah +with their native regiments. These were formed principally of +Houssas, Cossoos, and men of other fighting Mahomedan tribes who +had been brought down the coast, together with companies from +Bonny and some of the best of the Fantis. The rest of the Fanti +forces had been disbanded, as being utterly useless for fighting +purposes, and had been turned into carriers.</p> + +<p>On the 26th of December Frank started with the General's staff +for the front. The journey to the Prah was a pleasant one. The +stations had been arranged at easy marches from each other. At +each of these, six huts for the troops, each capable of holding +seventy men, had been built, together with some smaller huts for +officers. Great filters formed of iron tanks with sand and +charcoal at the bottom, the invention of Captain Crease, R.M.A., +stood before the huts, with tubs at which the native bearers +could quench their thirst. Along by the side of the road a single +telegraph wire was supported on bamboos fifteen feet long.</p> + +<p>Passing through Assaiboo they entered the thick bush. The +giant cotton trees had now shed their light feathery foliage, +resembling that of an acacia, and the straight, round, even +trunks looked like the skeletons of some giant or primeval +vegetation rising above the sea of foliage below. White lilies, +pink flowers of a bulbous plant, clusters of yellow acacia +blossoms, occasionally brightened the roadside, and some of the +old village clearings were covered with a low bush bearing a +yellow blossom, and convolvuli white, buff, and pink. The second +night the party slept at Accroful, and the next day marched +through Dunquah. This was a great store station, but the white +troops were not to halt there. It had been a large town, but the +Ashantis had entirely destroyed it, as well as every other +village between the Prah and the coast. Every fruit tree in the +clearing had also been destroyed, and at Dunquah they had even +cut down a great cotton tree which was looked upon as a fetish by +the Fantis. It had taken them seven days' incessant work to +overthrow this giant of the forest.</p> + +<p>The next halting place was Yancoomassie. When approaching +Mansue the character of the forest changed. The undergrowth +disappeared and the high trees grew thick and close. The +plantain, which furnishes an abundant supply of fruit to the +natives and had sustained the Ashanti army during its stay south +of the Prah, before abundant, extended no further. Mansue stood, +like other native villages, on rising ground, but the heavy rains +which still fell every day and the deep swamps around rendered it +a most unhealthy station.</p> + +<p>Beyond Mansue the forest was thick and gloomy. There was +little undergrowth, but a perfect wilderness of climbers +clustered round the trees, twisting in a thousand fantastic +windings, and finally running down to the ground, where they took +fresh root and formed props to the dead tree their embrace had +killed. Not a flower was to be seen, but ferns grew by the +roadside in luxuriance. Butterflies were scarce, but dragonflies +darted along like sparks of fire. The road had the advantage of +being shady and cool, but the heavy rain and traffic had made it +everywhere slippery, and in many places inches deep in mud, while +all the efforts of the engineers and working parties had failed +to overcome the swamps.</p> + +<p>It was a relief to the party when they emerged from the +forests into the little clearings where villages had once stood, +for the gloom and quiet of the great forest weighed upon the +spirits. The monotonous <i>too too</i> of the doves -- not a slow +dreamy cooing like that of the English variety, but a sharp quick +note repeated in endless succession -- alone broke the hush. The +silence, the apparently never ending forest, the monotony of rank +vegetation, the absence of a breath of wind to rustle a leaf, +were most oppressive, and the feeling was not lessened by the +dampness and heaviness of the air, and the malarious exhalation +and smell of decaying vegetation arising from the swamps.</p> + +<p>Sootah was the station beyond Mansue, beyond this Assin and +Barracoo. Beyond Sootah the odors of the forest became much more +unpleasant, for at Fazoo they passed the scene of the conflict +between Colonel Wood's regiment and the retiring Ashantis. In the +forest beyond this were the remains of a great camp of the +enemy's, which extended for miles, and hence to the Prah large +numbers of Ashantis had dropped by the way or had crawled into +the forest to die, smitten by disease or rifle balls.</p> + +<p>There was a general feeling of pleasure as the party emerged +from the forest into the large open camp at Prahsue. This +clearing was twenty acres in extent, and occupied an isthmus +formed by a loop of the river. The 2d West Indians were encamped +here, and huts had been erected under the shade of some lofty +trees for the naval brigade. In the center was a great square. On +one side were the range of huts for the general and his staff. +Two sides of the square were formed by the huts for the white +troops. On the fourth was the hospital, the huts for the +brigadier and his staff, and the post office. Upon the river bank +beyond the square were the tents of the engineers and Rait's +battery of artillery, and the camps of Wood's and Russell's +regiments. The river, some seventy yards wide, ran round three +sides of the camp thirty feet below its level.</p> + +<p>The work which the engineers had accomplished was little less +than marvelous. Eighty miles of road had been cut and cleared, +every stream, however insignificant, had been bridged, and +attempts made to corduroy every swamp. This would have been no +great feat through a soft wood forest with the aid of good +workmen. Here, however, the trees were for the most part of +extremely hard wood, teak and mahogany forming the majority. The +natives had no idea of using an axe. Their only notion of felling +a tree was to squat down beside it and give it little hacking +chops with a large knife or a sabre.</p> + +<p>With such means and such men as these the mere work of cutting +and making the roads and bridging the streams was enormous. But +not only was this done but the stations were all stockaded, and +huts erected for the reception of four hundred and fifty men and +officers, and immense quantities of stores, at each post. Major +Home, commanding the engineers, was the life and soul of the +work, and to him more than any other man was the expedition +indebted for its success. He was nobly seconded by Buckle, Bell, +Mann, Cotton, Skinner, Bates and Jeykyll, officers of his own +corps, and by Hearle of the marines, and Hare of the 22d, +attached to them. Long before daylight his men were off to their +work, long after nightfall they returned utterly exhausted to +camp.</p> + +<p>Upon the 1st of January, 1874, Sir Garnet Wolseley, with his +staff, among whom Frank was now reckoned, reached the Prah. +During the eight days which elapsed before the white troops came +up Frank found much to amuse him. The engineers were at work, +aided by the sailors of the naval brigade, which arrived two days +after the general, in erecting a bridge across the Prah. The +sailors worked, stripped to the waist, in the muddy water of the +river, which was about seven feet deep in the middle. When tired +of watching these he would wander into the camp of the native +regiments, and chat with the men, whose astonishment at finding a +young Englishman able to converse in their language, for the +Fanti and Ashanti dialects differ but little, was unbounded. +Sometimes he would be sent for to headquarters to translate to +Captain Buller, the head of the intelligence department, the +statements of prisoners brought in by the scouts, who, under Lord +Gifford, had penetrated many miles beyond the Prah.</p> + +<p>Everywhere these found dead bodies by the side of the road, +showing the state to which the Ashanti army was reduced in its +retreat. The prisoners brought in were unanimous in saying that +great uneasiness had been produced at Coomassie by the news of +the advance of the British to the Prah. The king had written to +Ammon Quatia, severely blaming him for his conduct of the +campaign, and for the great loss of life among his army.</p> + +<p>All sorts of portents were happening at Coomassie, to the +great disturbance of the mind of the people. Some of those +related singularly resembled those said to have occurred before +the capture of Rome by the Goths. An aerolite had fallen in the +marketplace of Coomassie, and, still more strange, a child was +born which was at once able to converse fluently. This youthful +prodigy was placed in a room by itself, with guards around it to +prevent anyone having converse with the supernatural visitant. In +the morning, however, it was gone, and in its place was found a +bundle of dead leaves. The fetish men having been consulted +declared that this signified that Coomassie itself would +disappear, and would become nothing but a bundle of dead leaves. +This had greatly exercised the credulous there.</p> + +<p>Two days after his arrival Frank went down at sunset to bathe +in the river. He had just reached the bank when he heard a cry +among some white soldiers bathing there, and was just in time to +see one of them pulled under water by an alligator, which had +seized him by the leg. Frank had so often heard what was the best +thing to do that he at once threw off his Norfolk jacket, plunged +into the stream, and swam to the spot where the eddy on the +surface showed that a struggle was going on beneath. The water +was too muddy to see far through it, but Frank speedily came upon +the alligator, and finding its eyes, shoved his thumbs into them. +In an instant the creature relaxed his hold of his prey and made +off, and Frank, seizing the wounded man, swam with him to shore +amid the loud cheers of the sailors. The soldier, who proved to +be a marine, was insensible, and his leg was nearly severed above +the ankle. He soon recovered consciousness, and, being carried to +the camp, his leg was amputated below the knee, and he was soon +afterwards taken down to the coast.</p> + +<p>It had been known that there were alligators in the river, a +young one about a yard long having been captured and tied up like +a dog in the camp, with a string round its neck. But it was +thought that the noise of building the bridge, and the movement +on the banks, would have driven them away. After this incident +bathing was for the most part abandoned.</p> + +<p>The affair made Frank a great favorite in the naval brigade, +and of a night he would, after dinner, generally repair there, +and sit by the great bonfires, which the tars kept up, and listen +to the jovial choruses which they raised around them.</p> + +<p>Two days after the arrival of Sir Garnet, an ambassador came +down from the king with a letter, inquiring indignantly why the +English had attacked the Ashanti troops, and why they had +advanced to the Prah. An opportunity was taken to impress him +with the nature of the English arms. A Gatling gun was placed on +the river bank, and its fire directed upon the surface, and the +fountain of water which rose as the steady stream of bullets +struck its surface astonished, and evidently filled with awe, the +Ashanti ambassador. On the following day this emissary took his +departure for Coomassie with a letter to the king.</p> + +<p>On the 12th the messengers returned with an unsatisfactory +answer to Sir Garnet's letter; they brought with them Mr. Kuhne, +one of the German missionaries. He said that it was reported in +Coomassie that twenty thousand out of the forty thousand Ashantis +who had crossed the Prah had died. It is probable that this was +exaggerated, but Mr. Kuhne had counted two hundred and +seventy-six men carrying boxes containing the bones of chiefs and +leading men. As these would have fared better than the common +herd they would have suffered less from famine and dysentery. The +army had for the most part broken up into small parties and gone +to their villages. The wrath of the king was great, and all the +chiefs who accompanied the army had been fined and otherwise +punished. Mr. Kuhne said that when Sir Garnet's letter arrived, +the question of peace or war had been hotly contested at a +council. The chiefs who had been in the late expedition were +unanimous in deprecating any further attempt to contend with the +white man. Those who had remained at home, and who knew nothing +of the white man's arms, or white man's valor, were for war +rather than surrender.</p> + +<p>Mr. Kuhne was unable to form any opinion what the final +determination would be. The German missionary had no doubt been +restored as a sort of peace offering. He was in a bad state of +health, and as his brother and his brother's wife were among the +captives, the Ashanti monarch calculated that anxiety for the +fate of his relatives would induce him to argue as strongly as +possible in favor of peace.</p> + +<p>Frank left the camp on the Prah some days before the arrival +of the white troops, having moved forward with the scouts under +Lord Gifford, to whom his knowledge of the country and language +proved very valuable. The scouts did their work well. The +Ashantis were in considerable numbers, but fell back gradually +without fighting. Russell's regiment were in support, and they +pressed forward until they neared the foot of the Adansee Hills. +On the 16th Rait's artillery and Wood's regiment were to advance +with two hundred men of the 2d West Indians. The Naval Brigade, +the Rifle Brigade, the 42d, and a hundred men of the 23d would be +up on the Prah on the 17th.</p> + +<p>News came down that fresh portents had happened at Coomassie. +The word signifies the town under the tree, the town being so +called because its founder sat under a broad tree, surrounded by +his warriors, while he laid out the plan of the future town. The +marketplace was situated round the tree, which became the great +fetish tree of the town, under which human sacrifices were +offered. On the 6th, the day upon which Sir Garnet sent his +ultimatum to the king, a bird of ill omen was seen to perch upon +it, and half an hour afterwards a tornado sprang up and the +fetish tree was levelled to the ground. This caused an immense +sensation in Coomassie, which was heightened when Sir Garnet's +letter arrived, and proved to be dated upon the day upon which +the fetish tree had fallen.</p> + +<p>The Adansee Hills are very steep and covered with trees, but +without undergrowth. It had been supposed that the Ashantis would +make their first stand here. Lord Gifford led the way up with the +scouts, Russell's regiment following behind. Frank accompanied +Major Russell. When Gifford neared the crest a priest came +forward with five or six supporters and shouted to him to go +back, for that five thousand men were waiting there to destroy +them. Gifford paused for a moment to allow Russell with his +regiment to come within supporting distance, and then made a rush +with his scouts for the crest. It was found deserted, the priest +and his followers having fled hastily, when they found that +neither curses nor the imaginary force availed to prevent the +British from advancing.</p> + +<p>The Adansee Hills are about six hundred feet high. Between +them and the Prah the country was once thick with towns and +villages inhabited by the Assins. These people, however, were so +harassed by the Ashantis that they were forced to abandon their +country and settle in the British protectorate south of the +Prah.</p> + +<p>Had the Adansee Hills been held by European troops the +position would have been extremely strong. A hill if clear of +trees is of immense advantage to men armed with rifles and +supported by artillery, but to men armed only with guns carrying +slugs a distance of fifty yards, the advantage is not marked, +especially when, as is the case with the Ashantis, they always +fire high. The crest of the hill was very narrow, indeed a mere +saddle, with some eight or ten yards only of level ground between +the steep descents on either side. From this point the scouts +perceived the first town in the territory of the King of Adansee, +one of the five great kings of Ashanti. The scouts and Russell's +regiment halted on the top of the hill, and the next morning the +scouts went out skirmishing towards Queesa. The war drum could be +heard beating in the town, but no opposition was offered. It was +not, however, considered prudent to push beyond the foot of the +hill until more troops came up. The scouts therefore contented +themselves with keeping guard, while for the next four days +Russell's men and the engineers labored incessantly, as they had +done all the way from the Prah, in making the road over the hill +practicable.</p> + +<p>During this time the scouts often pushed up close to Queesa, +and reported that the soldiers and population were fast deserting +the town. On the fifth day it was found to be totally deserted, +and Major Russell moved the headquarters of his regiment down +into it. The white officers were much surprised with the +structure of the huts of this place, which was exactly similar to +that of those of Coomassie, with their red clay, their alcoved +bed places, and their little courts one behind the other. Major +Russell established himself in the chief's palace, which was +exactly like the other houses except that the alcoves were very +lofty, and their roofs supported by pillars. These, with their +red paint, their arabesque adornments, and their quaint +character, gave the courtyard the precise appearance of an +Egyptian temple.</p> + +<p>The question whether the Ashantis would or would not fight was +still eagerly debated. Upon the one hand it was urged that if the +Ashantis had meant to attack us they would have disputed every +foot of the passage through the woods after we had once crossed +the Prah. Had they done so it may be confidently affirmed that we +could never have got to Coomassie. Their policy should have been +to avoid any pitched battle, but to throng the woods on either +side, continually harassing the troops on their march, preventing +the men working on the roads, and rendering it impossible for the +carriers to go along unless protected on either side by lines of +troops. Even when unopposed it was difficult enough to keep the +carriers, who were constantly deserting, but had they been +exposed to continuous attacks there would have been no +possibility of keeping them together.</p> + +<p>It was then a strong argument in favor of peace that we had +been permitted to advance thirty miles into their country without +a shot being fired. Upon the other hand no messengers had been +sent down to meet us, no ambassadors had brought messages from +the king. This silence was ominous; nor were other signs wanting. +At one place a fetish, consisting of a wooden gun and several +wooden daggers all pointing towards us, was placed in the middle +of the road. Several kids had been found buried in calabashes in +the path pierced through and through with stakes; while a short +distance outside Queesa the dead body of a slave killed and +mutilated but a few hours before we entered it was hanging from a +tree. Other fetishes of a more common sort were to be met at +every step, lines of worsted and cotton stretched across the +road, rags hung upon bushes, and other negro trumperies of the +same kind.</p> + +<p>Five days later the Naval Brigade, with Wood's regiment and +Rait's battery, marched into Queesa, and the same afternoon the +whole marched forward to Fomana, the capital of Adansee, situated +half a mile only from Queesa. This was a large town capable of +containing some seven or eight thousand inhabitants. The +architecture was similar to that of Queesa, but the king's palace +was a large structure covering a considerable extent of ground. +Here were the apartments of the king himself, of his wives, the +fetish room, and the room for execution, still smelling horribly +of the blood with which the floor and walls were sprinkled. The +first and largest court of the palace had really an imposing +effect. It was some thirty feet square with an apartment or +alcove on each side. The roofs of these alcoves were supported by +columns about twenty-five feet high. As in all the buildings the +lower parts were of red clay, the upper of white, all being +covered with deep arabesque patterns.</p> + +<p>Fomana was one of the most pleasant stations which the troops +had reached since leaving the coast. It lay high above the sea, +and the temperature was considerably lower than that of the +stations south of the hills. A nice breeze sprung up each day +about noon. The nights were comparatively free from fog, and the +town itself stood upon rising ground resembling in form an +inverted saucer. The streets were very wide, with large trees at +intervals every twenty or thirty yards along the middle of the +road.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII: THE +BATTLE OF AMOAFUL</h1> + +<p>Two days after the arrival at Fomana the remaining members of +the German mission, two males, a female, and two children, were +sent in by the king with a letter containing many assurances of +his desire for peace, but making no mention of the stipulations +which Sir Garnet Wolseley had laid down. The advance was +therefore to continue. The rest of the troops came up, and on the +25th Russell's regiment advanced to Dompiassee, Wood's regiment +and Rait's battery joining him the next day. That afternoon the +first blood north of the Prah was shed. It being known that a +body of the enemy were collecting at a village a little off the +road the force moved against them. Lord Gifford led the way, as +usual, with his scouts. The enemy opened fire as soon as the +scouts appeared; but these, with the Houssa company of Russell's +regiment, rushed impetuously into the village, and the Ashantis +at once bolted. Two of them were killed and five taken +prisoners.</p> + +<p>The next halting places of the advance troops were Kiang Bossu +and Ditchiassie. It was known now that Ammon Quatia was lying +with the Ashanti army at Amoaful, but five miles away, and +ambassadors arrived from the king finally declining to accept the +terms of peace. Russell's and Wood's regiments marched forward to +Quarman, within half a mile of the enemy's outposts. The white +troops came on to Insafoo, three miles behind. Quarman was +stockaded to resist an attack. Gordon with the Houssa company lay +a quarter of a mile in advance of the village, Gifford with his +scouts close to the edge of the wood. Major Home with the +engineers cut a wide path for the advance of the troops to within +a hundred yards of the village which the enemy held.</p> + +<p>Every one knew that the great battle of the war would be +fought next morning. About half past seven on the morning of the +81st of January the 42d Regiment entered the village of Quarman, +and marched through without a halt. Then came Rait's artillery, +followed by the company of the 23d and by the Naval Brigade. The +plan of operations was as follows. The 42d Regiment would form +the main attacking force. They were to drive the enemy's scouts +out of Agamassie, the village in front, and were then to move +straight on, extending to the right and left, and, if possible, +advance in a skirmishing line through the bush. Rait's two little +guns were to be in their center moving upon the road itself. The +right column, consisting of half the Naval Brigade, with Wood's +regiment, now reduced by leaving garrisons at various posts along +the road to three companies, was to cut a path out to the right +and then to turn parallel with the main road, so that the head of +the column should touch the right of the skirmishing line of the +42d. The left column, consisting of the other half of the Naval +Brigade with the four companies of Russell's regiment, was to +proceed in similar fashion on the left. These columns would +therefore form two sides of a hollow square, protecting the 42d +from any of those flanking movements of which the Ashantis are so +fond. The company of the 23d was to proceed with the headquarter +staff. The Rifle Brigade were held in reserve.</p> + +<p>Early in the morning Major Home cut the road to within thirty +yards of the village of Agamassie, and ascertained by listening +to the voices that there were not more than a score or so of men +in the village. Gifford had made a circuit in the woods, and had +ascertained that the Ashanti army was encamped on rising ground +across a stream behind the village.</p> + +<p>Frank had been requested by Sir Garnet Wolseley to accompany +the 42d, as his knowledge of Ashanti tactics might be of value, +and he might be able by the shouts of the Ashantis to understand +the orders issued to them. The head of the 42d Regiment +experienced no opposition whatever until they issued from the +bush into the little clearing surrounding the village, which +consisted only of four or five houses. The Ashantis discharged +their muskets hastily as the first white men showed themselves, +but the fire of the leading files of the column quickly cleared +them away. The 42d pushed on through the village, and then +forming in skirmishing line, advanced. For the first two or three +hundred yards they encountered no serious opposition, and they +were then received by a tremendous fire from an unseen foe in +front. The left column had not gone a hundred yards before they +too came under fire. Captain Buckle of the Engineers, who was +with the Engineer laborers occupied in cutting the path ahead of +the advancing column, was shot through the heart. A similar +opposition was experienced by the right.</p> + +<p>The roar of the fire was tremendous, so heavy indeed that all +sound of individual reports was lost, and the noise was one +hoarse hissing roar. Even the crack of Rait's guns was lost in +the general uproar, but the occasional rush of a rocket, of which +two troughs with parties of Rait's men accompanied each wing, was +distinctly audible.</p> + +<p>The 42d could for a time make scarcely any way, and the +flanking columns were also brought to a stand. Owing to the +extreme thickness of the wood and their ignorance of the nature +of the ground these columns were unable to keep in their proper +position, and diverged considerably. The Ashantis, however, made +no effort to penetrate between them and the 42d. For an hour this +state of things continued. The company of the 23d advanced along +the main road to help to clear the bush, where the Ashantis still +fought stubbornly not two hundred yards from the village, while +two companies of the Rifle Brigade were sent up the left hand +road to keep touch with the rear of Russell's regiment.</p> + +<p>When the fight commenced in earnest, and the 42d were brought +to a stand by the enemy, Frank lay down with the soldiers. Not a +foe could be seen, but the fire of the enemy broke out +incessantly from the bushes some twenty yards ahead. The air +above was literally alive with slugs and a perfect shower of +leaves continued to fall upon the path. So bewilderingly dense +was the bush that the men soon lost all idea of the points of the +compass, and fired in any direction from which the enemy's shots +came. Thus it happened that the sailors sent in complaints to the +general that the 23d and 42d were firing at them, while the 42d +and 23d made the same complaint against the Naval Brigade. Sir +Garnet, who had taken up his headquarters at the village, sent +out repeated instructions to the commanding officers to warn +their men to avoid this error.</p> + +<p>For two hours the fight went on. Then the column to the left +found that the Ashantis in front of them had fallen back; they +had, however, altogether lost touch of the 42d. They were +accordingly ordered to cut a road to the northeast until they +came in contact with them. In doing so they came upon a partial +clearing, where a sharp opposition was experienced. The Houssas +carried the open ground at a rush, but the enemy, as usual, +opened a heavy fire from the edge of the bush. The Houssas were +recalled, and fire was opened with the rockets, which soon drove +the Ashantis back, and the cutting of the path was proceeded +with.</p> + +<p>In the meantime the 42d was having a hard time of it. They had +fought their way to the edge of the swamp, beyond which lay an +immense Ashanti camp, and here the fire was so tremendously heavy +that the advance was again completely arrested. Not an enemy was +to be seen, but from every bush of the opposite side puffs of +smoke came thick and fast, and a perfect rain of slugs swept over +the ground on which they were lying. Here Rait's gun, for he was +only able from the narrowness of the path to bring one into +position, did splendid service. Advancing boldly in front of the +line of the 42d, ably assisted by Lieutenant Saunders, he poured +round after round of grape into the enemy until their fire +slackened a little, and the 42d, leaping to their feet, struggled +across the swamp, which was over knee deep. Step by step they won +their way through the camp and up the hill. Everywhere the dead +Ashantis lay in heaps, attesting the terrible effect of the +Snider fire and the determination with which they had fought.</p> + +<p>Beyond the camp, upon the hills the bush was thicker than +ever, and here, where it was impossible for the white soldiers to +skirmish through the bush, the Ashantis made a last desperate +stand. The narrow lane up which alone the troops could pass was +torn as if by hail with the shower of slugs, while a large tree +which stood nearly in the center of the path and caused it +slightly to swerve, afforded some shelter to them from the storm +of bullets which the 42d sent back in return. Here Rait brought +his gun up again to the front and cleared the lane. The bush was +too thick even for the Ashantis. The gun stopped firing and with +a rush the regiment went up the narrow path and out into the open +clearing beyond. For a short time the Ashantis kept up a fire +from the houses, but the 42d soon drove them out, and a single +shot from the gun down the wide street which divided the town +into two portions, bursting in the midst of a group at the +further end, killed eight and drove all further idea of +resistance in that direction from their minds.</p> + +<p>It was now about twelve o'clock; but although the Ashantis had +lost their camp and village, and had suffered terribly, they were +not yet finally beaten. They had moved the principal part of the +forces which had been engaged upon our left round to the right, +were pressing hard upon the column there and the 23d, and were +cutting in between the latter and the 42d, when a fortunate +accident enabled us to meet this attack more effectively. The +left column had cut its path rather too much to the east, and +came into the road between the 42d and 23d, forming a connecting +link between them; while the right column, having at last cut +away the whole of the brush wood in which the Ashantis had so +long wedged themselves between them and the road, were now in +direct communication with the 23d. They had been reinforced by a +company of the Rifle Brigade. Our front, therefore, was now +entirely changed, and faced east instead of north. The Ashantis +in vain tried to break the line, but desisted from their +efforts.</p> + +<p>The firing died away, and it was thought that the battle was +over, when at about a quarter to one a tremendous fire broke out +from the rear of the column, showing that the Ashantis were +making a last and desperate effort to turn our flank, and to +retake the village from which we had driven them at eight in the +morning. So near was the rear of the column to the village that +the slugs fell fast into the reserve who were stationed there. +Three companies of the Rifles were sent up to strengthen the +line, and for three quarters of an hour the roar of the musketry +was as heavy and continuous as it had been at any time during the +day. Then, as the enemy's fire slackened, Sir Garnet gave the +word for the line to advance, sweeping round from the rear so as +to drive the enemy northwards before them.</p> + +<p>The movement was admirably executed. The Bonny men of Wood's +regiment, who had fought silently and steadily all the time that +they had been on the defensive, now raised their shrill war cry, +and slinging their rifles and drawing their swords -- their +favorite weapons -- dashed forward like so many panthers let +loose. By their side, skirmishing as quietly and steadily as if +on parade, the men of the Rifle Brigade searched every bush with +their bullets, and in five minutes from the commencement of the +advance the Ashantis were in full and final retreat. The battle +ended at about half past one, having lasted five hours and a +half.</p> + +<p>The Ashantis were supposed to have had from fifteen to twenty +thousand men in the field. What their loss was could not +accurately be calculated, as they carry off their dead as fast as +they fall; but where rushes were made by our troops, as they had +not time to do this, they lay everywhere thick on the ground. By +the most moderate computation they must have lost over two +thousand. Ammon Quatia himself was killed, as well as Aboo, one +of the six great tributary kings. The body of the king's chief +executioner was also pointed out by some of the prisoners. They +fought with extraordinary pluck and resolution, as was shown by +the fact that although wretchedly armed, for upwards of five +hours they resisted the attack of troops armed with breech +loaders, and supported by guns and rockets. Their position was a +good one, and they had, no doubt, calculated upon coming down +upon us from the rising ground, either on the flank or rear, with +advantage, should we succeed in pushing forward.</p> + +<p>Upon our side the loss in killed was very slight, not +exceeding eight or ten. The 42d out of a total of four hundred +and fifty had a hundred and four wounded, of whom eight were +officers. In the right hand column, Colonel Wood, six naval +officers, and twenty men of the Naval Brigade, with many of the +native regiment, were wounded. Of the sixty engineer laborers +twenty were wounded; while of their five officers Captain Buckle +was killed, Major Home and Lieutenant Hare wounded, together with +several of their white soldiers. Altogether our casualties +exceeded two hundred and fifty. Fortunately but a small +proportion of the wounds were serious.</p> + +<p>While the battle was raging at one o'clock Quarman was +attacked by a strong body of Ashantis coming from the west, +probably forming part of Essarman Quatia's force. Captain +Burnett, who was in command, having under him Lieutenant Jones of +the 2d West Indian regiment, and thirty-five men of that corps +and a few natives, conducted the defense, and was well seconded +by his men. Although the attacking force was very greatly +superior, and took the little garrison by surprise -- for they +did not expect, while a great battle was raging within a distance +of a mile, that the Ashantis would be able to spare a force to +attack a detached party -- the garrison defended itself with +great gallantry and complete success, not only beating off the +enemy whenever they attacked, but sallying out and assisting to +bring in a convoy of stores which was close at hand when the +attack began.</p> + +<p>Amoaful was a town capable of containing two or three thousand +inhabitants. Great quantities of grain and coarse flour were +found here. These were done up in bundles of dried plantain +leaves, each bundle weighing from five to fifteen pounds. This +capture was of great service to the commissariat, as it afforded +an abundant supply of excellent food for the carriers. The troops +were in high spirits that night. They had won a battle fought +under extreme difficulty, and that with a minimum of loss in +killed. There were therefore no sad recollections to damp the +pleasure of victory.</p> + +<p>Frank had been twice struck with slugs, but in neither case +had these penetrated deeply, and he was able to sit round the +camp fire and to enjoy his glass of rum and water. Two kegs of +rum were the only stores which that night came up from the rear, +thanks to the consideration of a commissariat officer, to whom +the soldiers felt extremely grateful for providing them with an +invigorating drink after their long and fatiguing labors of the +day.</p> + +<p>At about a mile and a quarter from Amoaful lay the town of +Bequah, the capital of one of the most powerful of the Ashanti +kings. Here a considerable force was known to be collected before +the battle, and here many of the fugitives were believed to have +rallied. It would have been impossible to advance and leave this +hostile camp so close to a station in our rear. Lord Gifford was +therefore sent out at daybreak to reconnoiter it. He approached +it closely, when twenty men sprang out from the bush and fired at +him, fortunately without hitting him. When he returned and made +his report the general determined to attack and burn the place, +and orders were issued for a column, consisting of Russell's +regiment, Rait's battery, and the Naval Brigade, supported by the +42d and commanded by Colonel M'Leod, to start at one o'clock.</p> + +<p>The march was not opposed through the bush, but as the scouts +entered the clearing a heavy fire was opened upon them. Lord +Gifford and almost the whole of his party were more or less +severely wounded when the sailors rushed in to their support. For +a short time the enemy kept up a heavy fire from the houses, and +then fled, leaving about forty of their number dead on the +ground. The town, which was about twice the size of Fomana, was +burned, and the column returned to the camp.</p> + +<p>A great portion of the town was destroyed and the place +stockaded, and then all was in readiness for the advance upon +Coomassie. Amoaful was to be left in charge of the 2d West +Indians, who had now come up. Each man received four days' +rations and each regiment was to take charge of its own provision +and baggage. The advance started at seven in the morning, +Russell's regiment, Rait's battery, and the Rifle Brigade. Then +came the headquarter staff followed by the 42d and Naval Brigade. +The hammocks and rations went on with the troops. The rest of the +baggage remained behind. The road differed in nothing from that +which had so long been followed. It bore everywhere marks of the +retreating enemy, in provisions and other articles scattered +about, in occasional dark stains, and in its plants and grass +trampled into the ground, six feet in breadth, showing that the +usual negro way of walking in single file had been abandoned. The +rate of progression was slow, as the country had to be thoroughly +searched by the advance. There were, too, many streams to be +crossed, each causing a delay.</p> + +<p>At one of the villages there was a large camp, where about a +thousand men were assembled to make a stand. The defense was, +however, feeble in the extreme, and it was evident that they were +greatly demoralized by their defeat on the 1st. Russell's +regiment carried the place at a rush, the enemy firing wildly +altogether beyond the range of their weapons. Several were killed +and the rest took precipitately to the bush. A few shots were +fired at other places, but no real resistance took place. On +reaching the village of Agamemmu, after having taken six hours in +getting over as many miles, the column halted, and orders were +sent for the baggage to come on from Amoaful. The troops were set +to work to cut the bush round the village, which was a very small +one, and a breastwork was thrown up round it. The troops were in +their little <i>tentes d'abri</i> packed as closely together as +possible outside the houses, but within the stockade. The +carriers slept in the street of the village, where so thickly did +they lie that it was impossible for anyone to make his way along +without treading upon them.</p> + +<p>News came in that night that Captain Butler with the Western +Akims had arrived within two days' march of Amoaful, but that +without the slightest reason the king and the whole of his army +had left Captain Butler and retired suddenly to the Prah. At the +same time they heard that the army of the Wassaws under Captain +Dalrymple had also broken up without having come in contact with +the enemy. From the rear also unpleasant news came up. The attack +upon Quarman had been no isolated event. Fomana had also been +attacked, but the garrison there had, after some hours' fighting, +repulsed the enemy. Several convoys had been assaulted, and the +whole road down to the Prah was unsafe. The next morning, after +waiting till a large convoy came safely in, the column marched at +nine o'clock, Gifford's scouts, Russell's regiment, and Rait's +battery being as usual in front. The resistance increased with +every step, and the head of the column was constantly engaged. +Several villages were taken by Russell's regiment, who, full of +confidence in themselves and their officers, carried them with a +rush in capital style. It was but six miles to the Dab, but the +ground was swampy and the road intersected by many streams. +Consequently it was not until after being eight hours on the road +that the head of the column reached the river, three hours later +before the whole of the troops and their baggage were encamped +there.</p> + +<h1 align="CENTER"><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII: THE +CAPTURE OF COOMASSIE</h1> + +<p>Upon the afternoon of the arrival of the English column upon +the Dah the king made another attempt to arrest their progress, +with a view no doubt of bringing up fresh reinforcements. A flag +of truce came in with a letter to the effect that our rapid +advance had much disconcerted him, which was no doubt true, and +that he had not been able to make arrangements for the payments +claimed; that he would send in hostages, but that most of those +whom the general had asked for were away, and that he could not +agree to give the queen mother or the heir apparent. These were, +of course, the principal hostages, indeed the only ones who would +be of any real value. The answer was accordingly sent back, that +unless these personages arrived before daybreak the next morning +we should force our way into Coomassie.</p> + +<p>The Dah is a river about fifteen yards wide and three feet +deep at the deepest place. The Engineers set to work to bridge it +directly they arrived, Russell's regiment at once crossing the +river and bivouacking on the opposite bank.</p> + +<p>It was unfortunate that this, the first night upon which the +troops had been unprovided with tents, should have turned out +tremendously wet. The thunder roared, the lightning flashed, and +the rain came down incessantly. Tired as the troops were there +were few who slept, and there was a general feeling of +satisfaction when the morning broke and the last day of the march +began.</p> + +<p>The rain held up a little before daybreak, and the sky was +clear when at six o'clock Wood's Bonny men, who had come up by a +forced march the evening before, led the advance. Lieutenant +Saunders with one of Rait's guns came next. The Rifles followed +in support.</p> + +<p>Before the Bonny men had gone half a mile they were hotly +engaged, and the combat was for two hours a repetition of that of +Amoaful. Saunders advanced again and again to the front with his +gun, and with a few rounds of grape cleared the sides of the path +of the enemy. At last, however, the Bonny men would advance no +farther, and Lieutenant Byre, the adjutant of Wood's regiment, +was mortally wounded.</p> + +<p>Lieutenant Saunders sent back to say it was impossible for him +to get on farther unless supported by white troops. The Rifles +were then sent forward to take the Bonny men's place, and slowly, +very slowly, the advance was continued until the clearing round a +village could be seen fifty yards away. Then the Rifles gave a +cheer and with a sudden rush swept through to the open and +carried the village without a check. In the meantime the whole +column had been following in the rear as the Rifles advanced, and +were hotly engaged in repelling a series of flank attacks on the +part of the enemy. These attacks were gallantly persevered in by +the Ashantis, who at times approached in such masses that the +whole bush swayed and moved as they pushed forward.</p> + +<p>Their loss must have been extremely large, for our men lined +the road and kept up a tremendous Snider fire upon them at a +short distance. Our casualties were slight. The road, like almost +all roads in the country, was sunk two feet in the center below +the level of the surrounding ground, consequently the men were +lying in shelter as behind a breastwork, while they kept up their +tremendous fire upon the foe.</p> + +<p>The village once gained, the leading troops were thrown out in +a circle round it, and the order was given to pass the baggage +from the rear to the village. The operation was carried out in +safety, the path being protected by the troops lying in a line +along it. The baggage once in, the troops closed up to the +village, the disappointed foe continuing a series of desperate +attacks upon their rear. These assaults were kept up even after +all had reached the cleared space of the village, the enemy's war +horn sounding and the men making the woods re-echo with their +wild war cry. The Naval Brigade at one time inflicted great +slaughter upon the enemy by remaining perfectly quiet until the +Ashantis, thinking they had retired, advanced full of confidence, +cheering, when a tremendous fire almost swept them away.</p> + +<p>It was six hours from the time at which the advance began +before the rear guard entered the village, and as but a mile and +a half had been traversed and Coomassie was still six miles away, +it was evident that if the Ashantis continued to fight with the +same desperation, and if the baggage had to be carried on step by +step from village to village, the force would not get halfway on +to Coomassie by nightfall.</p> + +<p>The instant the baggage was all in, preparations were made for +a fresh advance. Rait's guns, as usual, opened to clear the way, +and the 42d this time led the advance. The enemy's fire was very +heavy and the Highlanders at first advanced but slowly, their +wounded straggling back in quick succession into the village. +After twenty minutes' work, however, they had pushed back the +enemy beyond the brow of the hill, and from this point they +advanced with great rapidity, dashing forward at times at the +double, until the foe, scared by the sudden onslaught, gave way +altogether and literally fled at the top of their speed.</p> + +<p>War drums and horns, chiefs' stools and umbrellas, littered +the next village and told how sudden and complete had been the +stampede. As the 42d advanced troops were from time to time sent +forward until a despatch came in from Sir A. Alison saying that +all the villages save the last were taken, that opposition had +ceased, and that the enemy were in complete rout. Up to this time +the attack of the enemy upon the rear of the village had +continued with unabated vigor, and shot and slug continually fell +in the place itself. The news from the front was soon known and +was hailed with a cheer which went right round the line of +defense, and, whether scared by its note of triumph or because +they too had received the news, the efforts of the enemy ceased +at once, and scarcely another shot was fired.</p> + +<p>At half past three the baggage was sent forward and the +headquarter staff and Rifle Brigade followed it. There was no +further check. The 42d and several companies of the Rifle Brigade +entered Coomassie without another shot being fired in its +defense. Sir Garnet Wolseley soon after arrived, and taking off +his hat called for three cheers for the Queen, which was +responded to with a heartiness and vigor which must have +astonished the Ashantis. These were still in considerable numbers +in the town, having been told by the king that peace was or would +be made. They seemed in no way alarmed, but watched, as amused +and interested spectators, the proceedings of the white +troops.</p> + +<p>The first thing to be done was to disarm those who had guns, +and this seemed to scare the others, for in a short time the town +was almost entirely deserted. It was now fast getting dark, and +the troops bivouacked in the marketplace, which had so often been +the scene of human sacrifices on a large scale.</p> + +<p>Their day's work had, indeed, been a heavy one. They had been +twelve hours on the road without rest or time to cook food. Water +was very scarce, no really drinkable water having been met with +during the day. In addition to this they had undergone the +excitement of a long and obstinate fight with an enemy concealed +in the bush, after work of almost equal severity upon the day +before, and had passed a sleepless night in a tropical rainstorm, +yet with the exception of a few fever stricken men not a single +soldier fell out from his place in the ranks.</p> + +<p>Nor was the first night in Coomassie destined to be a quiet +one. Soon after two o'clock a fire broke out in one of the +largest of the collections of huts, which was soon in a blaze +from end to end. The engineers pulled down the huts on either +side and with great difficulty prevented the flames from +spreading. These fires were the result of carriers and others +plundering, and one man, a policeman, caught with loot upon him, +was forthwith hung from a tree. Several others were flogged, and +after some hours' excitement the place quieted down. Sir Garnet +was greatly vexed at the occurrence, as he had the evening before +sent a messenger to the king asking him to come in and make +peace, and promising to spare the town if he did so.</p> + +<p>Although Coomassie was well known to Frank he was still +ignorant of the character of the interior of the chiefs' houses, +and the next day he wandered about with almost as much curiosity +as the soldiers themselves. The interiors even of the palaces of +the chiefs showed that the Ashantis can have no idea of what we +call comfort. The houses were filled with dust and litter, and +this could not be accounted for solely by the bustle and hurry of +picking out the things worth carrying away prior to the hurried +evacuation of the place. From the roofs hung masses of spiders' +web, thick with dust, while sweeping a place out before occupying +it brought down an accumulation of dust which must have been the +result of years of neglect. The principal apartments were +lumbered up with drums, great umbrellas, and other paraphernalia +of processions, such as horns, state chairs, wooden maces, etc. +Before the door of each house stood a tree, at the foot of which +were placed little idols, calabashes, bits of china, bones, and +an extraordinary jumble of strange odds and ends of every kind, +all of which were looked upon as fetish. Over the doors and +alcoves were suspended a variety of charms, old stone axes and +arrow tips, nuts, gourds, amulets, beads, and other trumpery +articles.</p> + +<p>The palace was in all respects exactly as the king had left +it. The royal bed and couch were in their places, the royal +chairs occupied their usual raised position. Only, curiously +enough, all had been turned round and over. The storerooms +upstairs were untouched, and here was found an infinite variety +of articles, for the most part mere rubbish, but many interesting +and valuable: silver plate, gold masks, gold cups, clocks, glass, +china, pillows, guns, cloth, caskets, and cabinets; an olla +podrida, which resembled the contents of a sale room.</p> + +<p>In many of the native apartments of the palace were signs that +human sacrifice had been carried on to the last minute. Several +stools were found covered with thick coatings of recently shed +blood, and a horrible smell of gore pervaded the whole palace, +and, indeed, the whole town. The palace was full of fetish +objects just as trumpery and meaningless as those in the humblest +cottages. The king's private sitting room was, like the rest, an +open court with a tree growing in it. This tree was covered with +fetish objects, and thickly hung with spiders' webs. At each end +was a small but deep alcove with a royal chair, so that the +monarch could always sit on the shady side.</p> + +<p>Along each side of the little court ran a sort of verandah, +beneath which was an immense assortment of little idols and +fetishes of all kinds.</p> + +<p>From one of the verandahs a door opened into the king's +bedroom, which was about ten feet by eight. It was very dark, +being lighted only by a small window about a foot square, opening +into the women's apartments. At one end was the royal couch, a +raised bedstead with curtains, and upon a ledge by the near side +(that is to say the king had to step over the ledge to get into +bed) were a number of pistols and other weapons, among them an +English general's sword, bearing the inscription, "From Queen +Victoria to the King of Ashanti." This sword was presented to the +predecessor of King Coffee. Upon the floor at the end opposite +the bed was a couch upon which the king could sit and talk with +his wives through the little window.</p> + +<p>In the women's apartments all sorts of stuffs, some of +European, some of native manufacture, were found scattered about +in the wildest confusion. The terror and horror of the four or +five hundred ladies, when they found that their husband was about +to abandon his palace and that they would have no time to remove +their treasured finery, can be well imagined.</p> + +<p>In almost every apartment and yard of the palace were very +slightly raised mounds, some no larger than a plate, others two +or even three feet long. These were whitewashed and presented a +strong contrast to the general red of the ground and lower walls. +These patches marked the places of graves. The whole palace, in +fact, appeared to be little better than a cemetery and a +slaughterhouse in one. A guard was placed over the palace, and +here, as elsewhere through the town, looting was strictly +forbidden.</p> + +<p>All day the general expected the arrival of the king, who had +sent a messenger to say he would be in early. At two o'clock a +tremendous rainstorm broke over the town, lasting for three +hours. In the evening it became evident that he was again +deceiving us, and orders were issued that the troops, in the +morning, should push on another three miles to the tombs of the +kings, where he was said to be staying. Later on, however, the +news came that the king had gone right away into the interior, +and as another storm was coming up it became evident that the +rainy season was setting in in earnest. The determination was +therefore come to, to burn the town and to start for the coast +next morning.</p> + +<p>All night Major Home with a party of Engineers was at work +mining the palace and preparing it for explosion, while a prize +committee were engaged in selecting and packing everything which +they considered worth taking down to the coast. The news of the +change of plan, however, had not got abroad, and the troops +paraded next morning under the belief that they were about to +march still farther up the country. When it became known that +they were bound for the coast there was a general brightening of +faces, and a buzz of satisfaction ran down the ranks. It was true +that it was believed that a large amount of treasure was +collected at the kings' tombs, and the prize money would not have +been unwelcome, still the men felt that their powers were rapidly +becoming exhausted. The hope of a fight with the foe and of the +capture of Coomassie had kept them up upon the march, but now +that this had been done the usual collapse after great exertion +followed. Every hour added to the number of fever stricken men +who would have to be carried down to the coast, and each man, as +he saw his comrades fall out from the ranks, felt that his own +turn might come next.</p> + +<p>At six o'clock in the morning the advanced guard of the +baggage began to move out of the town. The main body was off by +seven. The 42d remained as rearguard to cover the Engineers and +burning party.</p> + +<p>Frank stayed behind to see the destruction of the town. A +hundred engineer laborers were supplied with palm leaf torches, +and in spite of the outer coats of thatch being saturated by the +tremendous rains, the flames soon spread. Volumes of black smoke +poured up, and soon a huge pile of smoke resting over the town +told the Ashantis of the destruction of their blood stained +capital. The palace was blown up, and when the Engineers and 42d +marched out from the town scarce a house remained untouched by +the flames.</p> + +<p>The troops had proceeded but a short distance before they had +reason to congratulate themselves on their retreat before the +rains began in earnest, and to rejoice over the fact that the +thunderstorms did not set in three days earlier than they did. +The marsh round the town had increased a foot in depth, while the +next stream, before a rivulet two feet and a half deep, had now +swollen its banks for a hundred and fifty yards on either side, +with over five feet and a half of water in the old channel.</p> + +<p>Across this channel the Engineers had with much difficulty +thrown a tree, over which the white troops passed, while the +native carriers had to wade across. It was laughable to see only +the eyes of the taller men above the water, while the shorter +disappeared altogether, nothing being seen but the boxes they +carried. Fortunately the deep part was only three or four yards +wide. Thus the carriers by taking a long breath on arriving at +the edge of the original channel were able to struggle +across.</p> + +<p>This caused a terrible delay, and a still greater one occurred +at the Dah. Here the water was more than two feet above the +bridge which the Engineers had made on the passage up. The river +was as deep as the previous one had been, and the carriers +therefore waded as before; but the deep part was wider, so wide, +indeed, that it was impossible for the shorter men to keep under +water long enough to carry their burdens across. The tall men +therefore crossed and recrossed with the burdens, the short men +swimming over.</p> + +<p>The passage across the bridge too was slow and tedious in the +extreme. Some of the cross planks had been swept away, and each +man had to feel every step of his way over. So tedious was the +work that at five in the afternoon it became evident that it +would be impossible for all the white troops to get across -- a +process at once slow and dangerous -- before nightfall. The river +was still rising, and it was a matter of importance that none +should be left upon the other side at night, as the Ashantis +might, for anything they could tell, be gathering in force in the +rear. Consequently Sir Archibald Alison gave the order for the +white troops to strip and to wade across taking only their +helmets and guns. The clothes were made up in bundles and carried +over by natives swimming, while others took their places below in +case any of the men should be carried off their feet by the +stream. All passed over without any accident.</p> + +<p>One result, however, was a laughable incident next morning, an +incident which, it may be safely asserted, never before occurred +in the British army. It was quite dark before the last party were +over, and the natives collecting the clothes did not notice those +of one of the men who had undressed at the foot of a tree. +Consequently he had to pass the night, a very wet one, in a +blanket, and absolutely paraded with his regiment in the morning +in nothing but a helmet and rifle. The incident caused immense +laughter, and a native swimming across the river found and +brought back his clothes.</p> + +<p>As the journeys were necessarily slow and tedious, owing to +the quantity of baggage and sick being carried down, Frank now +determined to push straight down to the coast, and, bidding +goodbye to Sir Garnet and the many friends he had made during the +expedition, he took his place for the first time in the hammock, +which with its bearers had accompanied him from Cape Coast, and +started for the sea. There was some risk as far as the Prah, for +straggling bodies of the enemy frequently intercepted the +convoys. Frank, however, met with no obstacle, and in ten days +after leaving the army reached Cape Coast.</p> + +<p>Ostik implored his master to take him with him across the sea; +but Frank pointed out to him that he would not be happy long in +England, where the customs were so different from his own, and +where in winter he would feel the cold terribly. Ostik yielded to +the arguments, and having earned enough to purchase for years the +small comforts and luxuries dear to the negro heart, he agreed to +start for the Gaboon immediately Frank left for England.</p> + +<p>On his first arrival at Cape Coast he had to his great +satisfaction found that the Houssas who had escaped from +Coomassie had succeeded in reaching the coast in safety, and that +having obtained their pay from the agent they had sailed for +their homes.</p> + +<p>Three days after Frank's arrival at Cape Coast the mail +steamer came along, and he took passage for England. Very strange +indeed did it feel to him when he set foot in Liverpool. Nearly +two years and a half had elapsed since he had sailed, and he had +gone through adventures sufficient for a lifetime. He was but +eighteen years old now, but he had been so long accustomed to do +man's work that he felt far older than he was. The next day on +arriving in town he put up at the Charing Cross Hotel and then +sallied out to see his friends.</p> + +<p>He determined to go first of all to visit the porter who had +been the earliest friend he had made in London, and then to drive +to Ruthven's, where he was sure of a hearty welcome. He had +written several times, since it had been possible for him to send +letters, to his various friends, first of all to his sister, and +the doctor, to Ruthven, to the porter, and to the old naturalist. +He drove to London Bridge Station, and there learned that the +porter had been for a week absent from duty, having strained his +back in lifting a heavy trunk. He therefore drove to Ratcliff +Highway. The shop was closed, but his knock brought the +naturalist to the door.</p> + +<p>"What can I do for you, sir?" he asked civilly.</p> + +<p>"Well, in the first place, you can shake me by the hand."</p> + +<p>The old man started at the voice.</p> + +<p>"Why, 'tis Frank!" he exclaimed, "grown and sunburnt out of +all recollection. My dear boy, I am glad indeed to see you. Come +in, come in; John is inside."</p> + +<p>Frank received another hearty greeting, and sat for a couple +of hours chatting over his adventures. He found that had he +arrived a fortnight later he would not have found either of his +friends. The porter was in a week about to be married again to a +widow who kept a small shop and was in comfortable circumstances. +The naturalist had sold the business, and was going down into the +country to live with a sister there.</p> + +<p>After leaving them Frank drove to the residence of Sir James +Ruthven in Eaton Square. Frank sent in his name and was shown up +to the drawing room. A minute later the door opened with a crash +and his old schoolfellow rushed in.</p> + +<p>"My dear, dear, old boy," he said wringing Frank's hand, "I am +glad to see you; but, bless me, how you have changed! How thin +you are, and how black! I should have passed you in the street +without knowing you; and you look years older than I do. But that +is no wonder after all you've gone through. Well, when did you +arrive, and where are your things? Why have you not brought them +here?"</p> + +<p>Frank said that he had left them at the hotel, as he was going +down early the next morning to Deal. He stayed, however, and +dined with his friend, whose father received him with the +greatest cordiality and kindness.</p> + +<p>On leaving the hotel next morning he directed his portmanteau +to be sent in the course of the day to Sir James Ruthven's. He +had bought a few things at Cape Coast, and had obtained a couple +of suits of clothes for immediate use at Liverpool.</p> + +<p>On arriving at Deal he found his sister much grown and very +well and happy. She was almost out of her mind with delight at +seeing him. He stayed two or three days with her and then +returned to town and took up his abode in Eaton Square.</p> + +<p>"Well, my dear boy, what are you thinking of doing?" Sir James +Ruthven asked next morning at breakfast. "You have had almost +enough of travel, I should think."</p> + +<p>"Quite enough, sir," Frank said. "I have made up my mind that +I shall be a doctor. The gold necklace which I showed you, which +Ammon Quatia gave me, weighs over twenty pounds, and as it is of +the purest gold it is worth about a thousand pounds, a sum amply +sufficient to keep me and pay my expenses till I have passed. +Besides, Mr. Goodenough has, I believe, left me something in his +will. I sent home one copy to his lawyer and have brought the +other with me. I must call on the firm this morning. I have also +some thirty pounds' weight in gold which was paid me by the king +for the goods he took, but this, of course, belongs to Mr. +Goodenough's estate."</p> + +<p>Upon calling upon the firm of lawyers, and sending in his +name, he was at once shown in to the principal.</p> + +<p>"I congratulate you on your safe return, sir," the gentleman +said. "You have called, of course, in reference to the will of +the late Mr. Goodenough."</p> + +<p>"Yes," Frank replied. "I sent home one copy from Coomassie and +have brought another with me."</p> + +<p>"We received the first in due course," the gentleman said, +taking the document Frank held out to him. "You are, of course, +acquainted with its contents."</p> + +<p>"No," Frank answered, "beyond the fact that Mr. Goodenough +told me he had left me a legacy."</p> + +<p>"Then I have pleasant news to give you," the lawyer said. "Mr. +Goodenough died possessed of about sixty thousand pounds. He left +fifteen thousand each to his only surviving nephew and niece. +Fifteen thousand pounds he has divided among several charitable +and scientific institutions. Fifteen thousand pounds he has left +to you."</p> + +<p>Frank gave a little cry of surprise.</p> + +<p>"The will is an eminently just and satisfactory one," the +lawyer said, "for Mr. Goodenough has had but little intercourse +with his relations, who live in Scotland, and they had no reason +to expect to inherit any portion of his property. They are, +therefore, delighted with the handsome legacy they have received. +I may mention that Mr. Goodenough ordered that in the event of +your not living to return to England, five thousand pounds of the +portion which would have come to you was to be paid to trustees +for the use of your sister, the remaining ten thousand to be +added to the sum to be divided among the hospitals."</p> + +<p>"This is indeed a surprise," Frank said; "and I shall be +obliged, sir, if you will at once draw out a paper for me to sign +settling the five thousand pounds upon my sister. Whatever may +happen then she will be provided for."</p> + +<p>The accession of this snug and most unexpected fortune in no +way altered Frank's views as to his future profession. He worked +hard and steadily and passed with high honors. He spent another +three years in hospital work, and then purchased a partnership in +an excellent West End practice. He is now considered one of the +most rising young physicians of the day. His sister keeps house +for him in Harley Street; but it is doubtful whether she will +long continue to do so. The last time Dick Ruthven was at home on +leave he persuaded her that it was her bounden duty to endeavor +to make civilian life bearable to him when he should attain +captain's rank, and, in accordance with his father's wish, retire +from the army, events which are expected to take place in a few +months' time.</p> + +<p>Ruthven often laughs and tells Frank that he is a good soldier +spoiled, and that it is a pity a man should settle down as a +doctor who had made his way in life "by sheer pluck."</p> + +<p>THE END</p> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of By Sheer Pluck, by G. A. 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