We sat by the fire--new fed with crackling faggots--till far into the night, and Aba, in his halting English, gave me much information and sage advice. He shook his head with grave disapproval of my journey into Ashanti, which country he said was “no place for white man,” especially just now, for “’Shanti man find blood sweet too much.” He also warned me against Annan. “Dat man bery bad man. I sabby him long time. He fit to teef your money and kill you, and den say ’Shanti shoot you. He dam rascal too much.” As a practical comment on his opinions, Annan stole into the compound just then and came and bent over me. “Mr. Englefield, sah,” he whispered confidentially, “I come to beg you, sah.” “What is it?” I asked. “De chop for to-morrow. We go to strange country; we must take plenty chop wid us because of de war palaver.” “Very well,” said I, “you know what is necessary, and you have enough money to get it, I suppose.” “No, sah,” exclaimed he, “dat is where you mistake. De money all finish to-night.” “Nonsense,” said I. “You can’t have spent all that money since yesterday.” “I tell you it finish,” he declared excitedly. “De carrier chop it all. You look yourself!” He whisked his purse out with a flourish, opened it and held it upside down. Unfortunately, he had brought out the wrong purse, and, as he inverted it, the two sovereigns that I had given him dropped out on to the mat; at which he was so completely disconcerted that he hastily picked them up and departed without a word. “Dere, what I tell you, sah?” exclaimed Aba, shaking his fist at the retreating “scholar man.” “Dat man proper rascal. He teef every ting you get. I beg you, sah, you no go for bush country wid him.” I laid my hand affectionately on the honest fellow’s shoulder as I got up from the mat and stretched myself. “Never fear for me, Aba,” said I; “I look him proper. If he trouble me I show him my pistol.” Aba shook his head sadly but said no more, and, as it was now late, he dragged the mat into a new thatch hut, laid a pillow on it and wished me good-night. CHAPTER XI. I FIND MYSELF AMONG ENEMIES. I was aroused next morning by the bugles sounding _réveillé_ in the Hausa camp, and, as I came out of the house, I found Fatima waiting for me with a large calabash of agidi--a kind of thin porridge--to fortify me for my journey. While I was consuming this insipid but refreshing food, she went into her house and fetched a small grass bag filled with masa, which she shyly placed in my hand and then hurried away before I had time to thank her.