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Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902

"By Sheer Pluck, a Tale of the Ashanti War"

Dis village got its share ob slabes, and we drink and
sing and make merry wid de palm tree wine and tink ourselves berry
grand fellows. Well, sar, dat night great hullyballoo in de village.
De dogs bark, de men shout and seize deir arms and run out to fight,
but it no good. Anoder tribe fall on us ten times as many as we.
We fight hard but no use. All de ole men and de ole women and de
little babies dat no good to sell dey killed, and de rest of us,
de men and de women and de boys and girls, we tied together and
march away wid de people dat had taken us.
"Berry bad time dat, sar. De season was dry and de water scarce.
We make long march ebery day, and berry little food given. Dey beat
us wid sticks and prod us wid spear to make us go. A good many ob
de weak ones dey die, but de most ob us arribe at mouth ob riber;
me neber know what riber dat was, but we were berry nigh two months
in getting dere. By dis time Sam arribe at the conclusion berry
strong, dat de burning ob villages and carrying off ob slabes berry
bad affair altogether. Sam hab changed his mind about a great many
things, but about dat he am fixed right up to dis time.
"Well, at de mouth ob dat riber Sam saw de white man for de first
time; and me tell you fair, sar, Sam not like him no way.


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