IN THE POWER OF THE ASH AN TEES. 9 
only a very little further." Some food was also offered, 
which we pocketed, for fatigue and excitement deprived 
us of all appetite. A company of naked prisoners were 
just then led past us, bending under the burden of their 
chains. How we pitied them ; yet the close surveillance 
under which we were, and the exultant tones of the men 
contending together for the honour of having caught us, 
increased our fears that we were prisoners too. These 
fears were soon sadly confirmed, for on looking up we 
caught sight of a long line of soldiers, heavily laden with 
our own household goods ; so that we at once perceived 
the deception which had been practised upon us, and 
realised our helpless condition. The assurance of our 
gracious God that He would never forsake us alone sus- 
tained us in that moment of agony ! 
At one o'clock we again set forward, with no heart to 
resist and no care whither we went. We passed village 
after village in ruins, till suddenly called to halt in the 
presence of a little fat man with piercing eyes, who was 
haranguing the bystanders. He gesticulated wildly, rose 
from his seat, stretched himself to his full height, and 
pretending to act the part of an executioner, declared that 
he was a man of great power. I addressed him, begging 
him to pity the alarm of our terrified child, and relating 
to him our sad story, to which he listened with a patron- 
ising smile, declaring he knew well we had nothing to do 
with the war, and that he would accompany us to Adu 
Bofo, which in truth he afterwards did ; thus somewhat 
reassured we left the village. 
Our road now lay along the beautiful Pekyi mountains, 
and had our baby been willing to leave my arms one of 
our guides would have carried him for us. It was past 
sunset when, half dead with fatigue and exhaustion, we 
were once more permitted to halt in a village full of 
Akwamu soldiers, who flocked around us, laughing and 
