ed more evenly matched than at
first appeared to have been the case. They fought with the greatest
desperation. Those who had muskets which would go off kept at a
distance firing at the slaves, while their comrades either charged with
their bayonets, or holding the barrels in their hands, used their
weapons as clubs.

Several on both sides had fallen, when a fresh party of armed negroes
appeared in the direction from whence the others had come. On seeing
them, the slaves, who had hitherto fought so bravely, were seized with a
panic. The greater number took to flight, making their way westward
towards the coast, though they must have looked in vain for succour in
that direction. I was afraid that some of them, flying in other
directions, might pass by the spot where we had left our friends, who
would run a great risk of being killed either by them or their pursuers.
Aboh and I were so well concealed that there was not much danger of our
being discovered. As may be supposed, we crouched down among the thick
leaves, much in the same way that Charles the Second did in the oak
after the fight of Worcester. The tide of battle swept by beneath our
feet, and a more fearful din of shouts and shrieks and cries I had never
heard. Those of the slaves who had been engaged in the front rank,
deserted by their companions, were mostly bayoneted or shot down or
knocked on the head, but the courageous way in which they fought enabled
the rest to get to some distance before their rear ranks were overtaken
by their pursuers. At length not a combatant was to be seen, but the
ground was strewn with the dead and dying. As I was anxious to rejoin
my friends, I immediately descended. Had I possessed a drop of water I
would have taken it to the poor wretches, whose moans as they lay
expiring reached my ears.

"Do you think we could help some of them?" I said to Aboh, pointing to
the wounded men.

"No good," he said, and made a sign that they would soon be dead. I
went up to three or four, and was convinced from the nature of their
hurts that I could do nothing for them; indeed, the spirits of most of
them fled while I stood by. Aboh then, seizing my arm, hurried me away.

I found Charley and Harry very anxious about me, for hearing the firing,
they supposed that I must have been in the thick of it, and by my not
coming back they thought that I was either killed or taken prisoner.

"One thing is certain, we must not remain here