■i 
XVI 
FLIGHT FROM EBADDAN 
On the afternoon of the fifth day of my cap¬ 
ture, accompanied by my Liberian friend and by 
my guide, I quietly left Ebaddan by the Awyaw 
route. We reached Lahlookpon, twenty miles 
distant by dark. This is a wayside village pro¬ 
tected by a stockade and placed in the midst of a 
dense forest. There is no way of entering or 
departing except by the way which passes 
through it—and it is just the place for dark, 
treacherous and bloody deeds. Here I passed a 
night, every incident of which will remain vividly 
impressed on my memory as long as reason re¬ 
mains. About dark, just before we came to the 
gate of the stockade, my companion suddenly ex¬ 
claimed, “They are following us, sir.” I turned 
back quickly and saw a man dodge into the 
bushes on the side of the path. I jumped to the 
conclusion at once that Ogumulla’s men were fol¬ 
lowing us. If they were not enemies, why 
should they hide from us ? But we were allowed 
to pass the gate and I received permission from 
the bale of the town to pass the night in his 
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