Having No Hopes, Therefore, Of Persuading Him To Accompany Me, I Resolved
To Proceed By Myself.
About midnight I got my clothes in readiness, which
consisted of two shirts, two pairs of trowsers, two pocket-handkerchiefs,
an upper and under waistcoat, a hat, and a pair of half-boots; these,
with a cloak, constituted my whole wardrobe.
- And I had not one single
bead, nor any other article of value in my possession, to purchase
victuals for myself, or corn for my horse.
About daybreak, Johnson, who had been listening to the Moors all night,
came and whispered to me that they were asleep. The awful crisis was now
arrived, when I was again either to taste the blessing of freedom, or
languish out my days in captivity. A cold sweat moistened my forehead as
I thought on the dreadful alternative, and reflected, that, one way or
the other, my fate must be decided in the course of the ensuing day. But
to deliberate was to lose the only chance of escaping. So, taking up my
bundle, I stepped gently over the Negroes, who were sleeping in the open
air, and having mounted my horse, I bade Johnson farewell, desiring him
to take particular care of the papers I had entrusted him with, and
inform my friends in Gambia that he had left me in good health, on my way
to Bambarra.
I proceeded with great caution; surveying each bush, and frequently
listening and looking behind me for the Moorish horsemen, until I was
about a mile from the town, when I was surprised to find myself in the
neighbourhood of a Korree, belonging to the Moors. The shepherds followed
me for about a mile, hooting and throwing stones after me: and when I was
out of their reach, and had began to indulge the pleasing hopes of
escaping, I was again greatly alarmed to hear somebody holla behind me;
and looking back, I saw three Moors on horseback, coming after me at full
speed, whooping and brandishing their double-barrelled guns. I knew it
was in vain to think of escaping, and therefore turned back and met them;
when two of them caught hold of my bridle, one on each side, and the
third, presenting his musket, told me I must go back to Ali.
When the human mind has for sometime been fluctuating between hope and
despair, tortured with anxiety, and hurried from one extreme to another,
it affords a sort of gloomy relief to know the worst that can possibly
happen; such was my situation. An indifference about life and all its
enjoyments had completely benumbed my faculties, and I rode back with the
Moors with apparent unconcern. But a change took place much sooner than I
had any reason to expect. In passing through some thick bushes, one of
the Moors ordered me to untie my bundle, and show them the contents.
Having examined the different articles, they found nothing worth taking
except my cloak, which they considered as a very valuable acquisition,
and one of them pulling it from me, wrapped it about himself. This cloak
had been of great use to me; it served to cover me from the rains in the
day, and to protect me from the musketoes in the night: I therefore
earnestly begged him to return it, and followed him some little way to
obtain it; but without paying any attention to my request, he and one of
his companions rode off with their prize. When I attempted to follow
them, the third, who had remained with me, struck my horse over the head,
and presenting his musket, told me I should proceed no further.
I now perceived that these men had not been sent by any authority to
apprehend me, but had pursued me solely in the view to rob and plunder
me. Turning my horse's head therefore once more towards the east, and
observing the Moor follow the track of his confederates, I congratulated
myself on having escaped with my life, though in great distress, from
such a horde of barbarians.
I was no sooner out of sight of the Moor, than I struck into the woods,
to prevent being pursued, and kept pushing on, with all possible speed,
until I found myself near some high rocks, which I remembered to have
seen in my former route from Queira to Deena; and, directing my course a
little to the northward, I fortunately fell in with the path.
CHAPTER XIV.
_The Author feels great joy at his deliverance, and proceeds through the
wilderness; but finds his situation very deplorable. - Suffers greatly
from thirst, and faints on the sand - Recovers, and makes another effort
to push forward. - Is providentially relieved by a fall of rain. - Arrives
at a Foulah village, where he is refused relief by the Dooty, but obtains
food from a poor woman. - Continues his journey through the wilderness,
and the next day lights on another Foulah village, where he is hospitably
received by one of the shepherds. - Arrives on the third day at a Negro
town called Wawra, tributary to the King of Bambarra._
It is impossible to describe the joy that arose in my mind, when I looked
around and concluded that I was out of danger. I felt like one recovered
from sickness; I breathed freer; I found unusual lightness in my limbs;
even the Desert looked pleasant; and I dreaded nothing so much as falling
in with some wandering parties of Moors, who might convey me back to the
land of thieves and murderers, from which I had just escaped.
I soon became sensible, however, that my situation was very deplorable;
for I had no means of procuring food, nor prospect of finding water.
About ten o'clock, perceiving a herd of goats feeding close to the road,
I took a circuitous route to avoid being seen; and continued travelling
through the wilderness, directing my course, by compass, nearly
east-south-east, in order to reach, as soon as possible, some town or
village of the kingdom of Bambarra.
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