severing the stems one by one. Like all the
habitations in Kumasi, the prison in which he was incarcerated was built
of wattle, woven roughly together, and plastered with mud to fill the
interstices. Thus when he had contrived to cut through the stems a
large piece of the wall was freed, with the mud still clinging to it.
Dick swung it open very slowly and peeped out. Then he replaced the
section, and once more went the round of the hut, peering in all
directions. Not a soul was moving, and even the guards had thrown
themselves down beside the log fire disconsolately, for the news
received that day was most disheartening.

"Not time to move yet," he thought. "They look quiet enough, but they
are not sleepy. I'll wait a little, and then we'll see what happens."

An hour later he swung the section open and stared out. Then he
squeezed through the opening and threw himself flat on the ground.
Wriggling a few inches along beside the hut he soon obtained an
unobstructed view of the street, and could see the twinkle of the dying
embers, with, here and there, a figure crouching over them. There were
the guards, too, drowsing near one of the fires, their weapons dangling
beside them. A dog barked in the distance, and for a little while a
number of the curs which infested the streets of the horrible town set
up a chorus of responsive howls, which were more than disconcerting.
One of the guards stirred, while a man who had been crouching over one
of the distant fires, no doubt thinking of the fighting in prospect,
rose and sauntered along till he arrived near the hut, where he opened
up a conversation on the same old subject.

"They are at the Prahsu, these white dogs," he said. "What will be our
fortune now? What think you, comrade?"

"How should I know or be able to guess?" was the sulky answer. "Go to
our fetish men. Or better, be patient for a little. There are the dogs
whom we have bound out in the forest. If they die to-morrow we conquer.
If not--"

"We die. We shall do that. Listen to one of them groaning. Is that
the call of a dying man?"

He held up his hand and pointed across the street, and away across the
enclosure where the executions had taken place, to the forest beyond,
and as he pointed there came the call of a man in pain, strong and
clear, and full of power.

Dick shuddered, while the guards and their visitor became suddenly
silent. They had much to think about, and could obtain littl