accent. "How long have
you been a prisoner?"

"About six weeks. And you?"

"A year perhaps. We had hoped to be freed by the payment of a ransom.
Now I suppose we must wait for the troops if these brutes will allow us.
There is never any saying what they may do. To-day there will be a
great sacrifice, and we are always dragged here to witness the awful
scene. What news?"

He asked the question eagerly, and in a few words Dick narrated how Sir
Garnet had landed and commenced operations, and how by now the troops
must be at the coast and probably on the march up.

"Then that accounts for this butchery. They are trying to stop the
advance, and these poor people have to suffer. Shut your eyes as long
as you can, my lad. I'm hardened."

But Dick could not. He looked on with dilated eyes and shuddered, for
the next three hours were indeed too horrible to relate. Some hundreds
of wretched slaves and prisoners were ruthlessly slaughtered, while the
mob looked on, gloating. But happily for the white prisoners, there was
little noise, only an occasional shriek from some waiting victim. The
poor wretches were led to the bowl, and knives were thrust through their
cheeks so that they could not utter a sound. Then their heads were
forced over the edge of the bowl, and with a sweep of the sacrificial
knife they were decapitated.

"It's done with for to-day," at last said the prisoner who had spoken
before, addressing Dick, wearily. "A few score more of these poor
people have been killed--men, women and children, and now the last test
of all has been carried out. The fetish priests have said that if men
who are tied up in the forest and left alone die quickly, the Ashantis
will be victorious. If they live for many days the British will
succeed. They have put knives through the cheeks of two of the captives
and have led them away. It's all very horrible and very terrible. But
never fear, things may come right yet. By the way, who is that sallow
dog who fights with the Ashantis and advises them? See him there. He
is watching and listening."

Dick did not answer, for James Langdon suddenly emerged from the crowd,
where he had hidden himself the better to watch his prisoner. Now,
however, he came forward at a run, and stood in front of the man who had
spoken.

"Sallow dog, you call me," he cried angrily. "I will tell you who I am.
I am the one who has so far kept you white men alive, and to me you may
look