d Frank and his followers
fall upon the conspirators than they took to their heels and fled into
the wood.

Ammon Quatia himself, sword in hand, had just sprung to the door of
the hut prepared to sell his life dearly, when Frank's guard fired.
The affair was so momentary that he had hardly time to realize what had
happened before his assailants were in full flight.

"You have saved my life," he said to Frank. "Had it not been for you
I must have been killed. You shall not find me ungrateful. When I have
taken Abra Crampa I will manage that you shall return to your friends.
I dare not let you go openly, for the king would not forgive me, and I
shall have enough to do already to pacify him when he hears how great
have been our losses. But rest content. I will manage it somehow."

An hour afterwards Ammon Quatia gave orders that the army should move to
the attack of Abra Crampa. The place was held by a body of marines and
sailors, a hundred West Indians, and the native troops of the king.
Major Russell was in command. The village stood on rising ground,
and was surrounded for a distance of a hundred and fifty yards by a
clearing. Part of this consisted of patches of cultivated ground, the
rest had been hastily cleared by the defenders. At the upper end stood a
church, and this was converted into a stronghold. The windows were high
up in the walls, and a platform had been erected inside for the sailors
to fire from the windows, which were partially blocked with sandbags.
The houses on the outside of the village had all been loopholed, and had
been connected by breastworks of earth. Other defenses had been thrown
up further back in case the outworks should be carried. The mission
house in the main street and the huts which surrounded it formed, with
the church, the last strongholds. For two or three days the bush round
the town had swarmed with Ashantis, whose tomtoms could be heard by the
garrison night and day.

Frank accompanied Ammon Quatia, and was therefore in the front, and had
an opportunity of seeing how the Ashantis commence an attack. The war
drums gave the signal, and when they ceased, ten thousand voices raised
the war song in measured cadence. The effect was very fine, rising as
it did from all parts of the forest. By this time the Ashantis had lined
the whole circle of wood round the clearing. Then three regular volleys
were fired, making, from the heavy charges used, a tremendous roar.

Scarcely had thes