196 
MISSIONARY LIFE IN ASHANTEE. 
Scarcely was the speech concluded when a wild rabble 
rushed upon the Fantees, marshalled them in order, and 
led them away. Our own servants were torn from us, 
and Mr. Plange seized by his arms and legs and dragged 
away, as was Palm also. We too were ordered off, but I 
refused to move one step without my wife. When they 
began to maltreat me, I protested against it, and told 
them I knew the king would not allow it, appealing to 
Owusu Kokoo and Afirifa who stood by. They gave 
orders that we were not to be touched; and as I was 
resolute not to move a step till my wife was fetched, 
Afirifa himself went and brought her, which was a great 
relief to me in this perplexing moment. 
She had gone through an hour of deep anxiety. 
Alarmed by a great noise and screaming in the street, she 
ran to the front of the house, where she saw Kwaku, the 
lad we had ransomed, lying bound and bleeding on the 
ground, and the girl who was given us by the king being 
torn away by an Ashantee. She was then herself seized 
by the arm and pulled violently. She resisted, and 
begged to be allowed to take her hat and a covering for 
Eosie. Unable to shake ofi" her captor she struggled into 
the room, her child in her arms, but he continued his 
attempts until the master of the house appeared and freed 
her from his grasp. She was then led into a court be- 
hind, where she was found by Afirifa, who brought her to 
me. We were conducted to the house of a good-natured 
subordinate chief, who at first seemed unwilling to receive 
us, but seeing our unpleasant position, took us into the 
court, and when it was too hot allowed us to remain in 
an open room. 
We were surrounded by some dozen lawless guards, 
who as time passed became so civil, that I ventured to 
ask permission to return to our old house. That how- 
ever was not to be thought of, for reasons not difiicult to 
