however, to be discontinued, for the very good reason that their stock
of needles and cotton was exhausted. It was a time of great privation,
but Anna Hinderer, although frequently compelled to endure the gnawing
pangs of hunger, always managed to keep her native children supplied
with food.

At last relief came. The Governor of Lagos had made one or two
unsuccessful attempts to relieve the Hinderers, and in April, 1865,
devised a means of escape. He despatched Captain Maxwell with a few
trustworthy men, to cut a new track through the bush.

It was a difficult undertaking, but successfully accomplished, and one
night, about ten o'clock, the Hinderers were surprised to see Captain
Maxwell enter the mission-house. He brought with him supplies, and
also a hammock for Mrs. Hinderer's use on the return journey.

It was somewhat of a surprise to the gallant officer to find that the
missionaries for whom he had performed a difficult and dangerous
journey were by no means anxious to return with him. It was the more
surprising as it was plain that both were in very bad health. Mr.
Hinderer declared that he could not possibly leave his mission at seven
hours' notice, but he joined the captain in urging his wife to go,
assuring her that it was her duty to do so. At last she was prevailed
upon to avail herself of the means of escape. She was overcome with
grief at leaving her husband shut up in Ibadan, and her distress was
increased by her inability to say 'good-bye' to the little native
children to whom she had acted a mother's part. They were asleep, and
to have awakened them would have been unwise, for there would certainly
have been loud crying, had the little ones been told that their "white
mother" was leaving them. Their crying would have been heard beyond
the mission-house compound, and the news of Mrs. Hinderer's approaching
departure would have spread through the town, in which there were
probably spies of the enemy.

Seven hours after Captain Maxwell arrived he began his dangerous return
journey, his men carrying Mrs. Hinderer in the hammock. They proceeded
by forced marches, keeping at the same time a sharp look-out for the
enemy, who would, they knew, promptly kill any Christian who fell into
their power. On several occasions they suddenly found themselves so
close to the enemy that they could hear their voices, but, fortunately,
they were not discovered. On the third day, however, they heard that
the