A Narrow Escape 
awakened when the firing commenced, I offered 
up a fervent'prayer, threw myself on a bed and fell 
asleep. 1 awoke about daybreak and learned that 
the Dahomians had not made their appearance. 
For some time it was supposed that the wily 
enemy was hid in the high grass waiting a favor¬ 
able opportunity to storm the city, but trusted 
scouts informed Shokanoo about noon that they 
were certainly gone. They brought in a deserter 
from the Dahomians who explained how it was 
that so large an army succeeded in getting so close 
to Abeokuta without being discovered, and why 
it was it had returned without taking advantage 
of so favorable an opportunity to capture the city. 
A large forest lies between Dahomey and 
Eshagga. This man said that the Dahomians had 
entered this forest in single file at many places 
and that they had cut their way through it, step 
by step, until they reached Eshagga. It had 
taken them a month to do this and, during this 
time, they were not allowed to make any noise 
which would distinguish them from the wild 
denizens of an African forest. If any one forgot 
himself and spoke in an audible voice, he was in¬ 
stantly slain. Even orders were given in grunts 
or barks like those of monkeys. In this way 
they made several miles a day and finally united 
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