Love Letters 
white men and that Mr. Phillips could do as he 
pleased with the man. But, fortunately, we 
were not called on to use desperate measures. 
The third day, his liquor being exhausted, he be¬ 
came sober enough to apologize for his conduct 
and left apparently with the intention of doing 
better in the future. 
A few days after this, however, I received a 
note from him saying that he was coming to kill 
me, and Mr. Phillips immediately notified some 
Ejahyay men who happened to be in the com¬ 
pound. West entered the gate on horseback but 
dismounted and approached the place where I 
was, in the piazza, with his hand resting on a 
dirk in his belt. Mr. Phillips detained him a few 
moments to reason with him while my brave 
Ejahyay fellows gathered to my right with their 
weapons in their hands. The ruffian saw his 
peril and began to tremble. He then beat a hasty 
retreat, remounted his horse and galloped away. 
But the old Alake drank and dozed and played 
“ warree ” and cared for none of these things. I 
never saw West again. He happened to interfere 
with the two Liberians who went in search of 
me during my trouble in the interior, and they 
gave him the option of dying or leaving the 
country, and he wisely chose the latter. 
227 
