Worshipping the Dead Prince 
power, yet scenes would always occur at the 
gate when a military caravan was leaving for 
Abeokuta which ought to have moved to com¬ 
passion the hardest heart. Large numbers of 
these poor people who knew what their fate 
would be if they did not get away, would 
gather at the gate and piteously beg to be 
allowed to go along with the others. Some¬ 
times they would try to force their way through 
and be dreadfully beaten and even killed by the 
soldiers guarding the gate. 
I was never able to wholly understand why 
they were detained, but thought at the time it 
was because if they let the poor and aged go 
away they would have to let many go away 
whom they intended to seize and sell on some 
pretext or other to obtain means to carry on the 
war. By being detained, also, multitudes of the 
people of Ejahyay were compelled to put their 
children in pawn to the Egbar warriors. These 
children were then sent to Abeokuta and kept in 
slavery until the redemption price was paid. In 
most cases it was never paid. 
Many persons brought their children to us with 
the request that we would take care of them 
until the war was over. We were very glad to 
make this arrangement, for by it many children 
185 
