I desired, however, that I might have one of my lances, which he gave me, and twenty musket balls, a sufficient quantity of powder, and two flints. I took up my mat as usual, but my master gave it to one of his slaves to carry for me, so I walked, gentleman-like, without any luggage.
Our little army consisted of about three hundred men, exclusive of the slaves; we went to the northward all the first day, on the second we got into the forest to the east of Yong-gorvo, where the wild cattle are; there we hunted, and killed some beef, while four men were sent out as spies toward Rer Ambarroch’s town, to survey the fortifications of it. We were almost a day’s journey from it; and, indeed, it was not advisable to go nearer, lest some of their people should have discovered us, and alarmed the town; for those wild cattle were their principal maintenance and support. Our spies returned, and brought intelligence, that it was an open place without any fortification at all. Thereupon we marched all night, and arriving at the town by break of day, we divided ourselves to surround it, and fired into their houses to alarm them; the barking of the dogs and the noise of the guns soon roused them, and away they scowered, for we gave them no time to collect themselves into a body: so we plundered them at once, and took what prisoners we could find. I saw the prince’s house, and ran directly up to it, in hopes of taking him prisoner; but he jumped out and fired at me: as I was going to return it, a man threw a lance at me, which I put off and fired at him, and put a stop to his running; but by that means the prince escaped.
I entered the house, and found his wife and daughter, with two or three slaves attending them. I took hold of the ladies’ hands, and led them both out, and left others to plunder the house as they pleased, since I had a good prize enough; but one of Rer Mimebolambo’s men, who had got no booty, would fain have taken one of my captives from me; whereupon I told him, I supposed he was a coward, and had sneaked behind a tree in the action, or else he might have found something worth his acceptance. He insisted on his demands, and reproached me with being a slave, till some of our people came up, at which time he was obliged to depart with shame; for a complaint being made to deaan Mevarrow, he justified me, and severely reprimanded the poltroon. For there was an agreement made before we set out, that what cattle should be taken be divided; but all captives should remain in the custody of those who took them. When we had driven all the men away, we got what cattle we could find together, and made the best of our way through the wood with them, lest the enemy should rally and attack us. As soon as we got into the plain we halted, and made preparations to receive them; and about two hundred of them soon came as we expected.
I delivered my two captives, as every one else did theirs, to the slaves that were in the rear, whilst we marched; and as we came near them, they also met us; so that we made a discharge almost all at once, and killed three or four of their men. We halted a while to load again, and perceived that they stood confounded, and looked in a very wishful manner on one of their party who was fallen. Having loaded again, I and some few more ran directly up to them; seeing us approach, which is not usual, they fired at us and ran away. We followed them till they got shelter in the wood, and then returned to the main army. On our retreat, they sallied out of their coverts, and followed us at a distance, being desirous to take one view more of their wives, children, and cattle; and to observe our motions, in hope some accident might happen, that might give them a favourable opportunity to avenge their cause, and retrieve the losses they had sustained.
At noon we came to a shady grove, and there halted near a spring, in order to refresh ourselves; for we were all fasting. As soon as my master was seated, he ordered me to bring my two captives before him; and applauding me for my courage and conduct in the action, he told me I should keep one of them myself, and have my choice too, and that he would be contented with the other. I soon determined in favour of the young one, who, in truth, was extremely agreeable; and I was pleased with her from the first moment I took her. She was not above sixteen years of age; her mother, whom I presented to my master, was about four or five and thirty. Deaan Mevarrow was pleased with my choice, for he was inclined to do a generous action; and thereupon calling her to him, he told her, her husband had brought all this misfortune upon himself by his unjust and obstinate proceedings; and (said he) I have only followed his directions; I am come myself as he bid me, and have fetched away all my women; and I perceive, some of my own cattle, with a sufficient quantity of his, to pay me and my friends for our trouble. As for yourself, I will restore you to your liberty; go back to Rer Ambarroch and acquaint him, that if he be inclined to have his daughter and cattle again, he must come and fetch them. You see she is fallen into my white man’s hands, and for my part, I will never take her from him. And, said I, I will lose all the blood in this white man’s body, before he shall have her again.
After she had refreshed herself with some meat, which deaan Mevarrow presented her with, she came to me in order to take her last farewell of her daughter. They both wept heartily, not expecting ever to see each other more; I pitied them, I confess, and would have dismissed the young one, had I not really been in love with her. To confess ingenuously, I never saw any woman before that time I liked so well; though I had been so many years in the island. I comforted the mother, however, as well as I could; and desired her, not to be too much concerned for the loss of her daughter, since she should live as well as I did; nay, I assured her, that I would take more care of her than of myself; and though I was not of a sable hue, I had a heart as fond and indulgent as any black whatever; and therefore, though she fell to my lot by the chance of war, yet it was my design to make her my wife, if she approved of it; if not, it was possible, I said, she might lead a less comfortable life. Her mother asked her, what she thought of the motion? She answered, she was at my disposal, and not at her own; and desired her duty might be presented to her father. And present mine too, said I, if you please, mother. So after some farther discourse for a short time, they parted. She took her leave of deaan Mevarrow, returning him many thanks for his courteous treatment, and went away by herself; though she had not, I presume, far to go alone; for her friends were, doubtless, as near as they durst come in the woods, to observe our motions. And though we never saw them more, yet we kept a strict guard all that day, and the following night. I was very fond and careful of my pretty prisoner, tying a rope about her middle, with the ends about myself, and laid her close to me, folding her fast within my arms; she only smiled and rallied me for it, but I was so fearful lest she should get away, that I could not sleep. We marched apace the next day, and when we halted, Rer Mimebolambo and deaan Mevarrow divided the cattle, each had two hundred and eleven; and then they parted, each taking the nearest way home.
Before we entered the town, we made another halt, in order to divide the cattle among ourselves; the deaan had thirty, his brother ten, and each of the other principals one. He that had two slaves retained one of them, and delivered the other to his lord, and had a cow and calf in lieu of it. If two men got a slave between them, they had each of them a cow for it; even he who had taken no slave was to have a cow, provided the number would admit of it; if not, one was divided between two; and this is a general and an established law, with respect to the division of an enemy’s spoils.
Deaan Mevarrow told me I had but one slave, whereupon I alleged he had taken one away, and might have kept her, if he thought proper; but I perceived he was only in jest, for he gave me a cow and a calf as an equivalent for her; and generously enough offered me another cow and calf for my honey, but I modestly declined that favour; so he chose them for me himself out of the fattest of the herd. By this means I became rich at once, having two cows and two calves, and a handsome jorzerampeller; that is to say, a handsome girl.
No sooner were we come to the town, than the shells were blown, and all the women ran out to see what was the cause of it, not expecting our return in so short a time; but when they knew who we were, they ran back to their houses till we had made our triumphal entry, and deaan Mevarrow was seated; then his wife came out, and as it is the custom there, licked his feet, and after her, the rest of the women paid him the same homage; and after that, each of them testified her duty to her own husband in the same submissive manner. I thought, indeed, I had now a wife, and as fine a one as the best of them all; and that the next time we returned from such an expedition with the like success, I should have homage done me too. My mistress sent and desired to see my young spouse; I went along with her accordingly, and she would make her sit down on the same mat with herself, and could not refrain from tears, it having been her own case; whereupon she charged me to use her tenderly. I did not intend, I told her, to make a slave of her, but a walley, that is, a wife.
As I had a stock of honey in a neighbour’s hands, as also some carravances, and a sufficient quantity of milk, I made a very tolerable repast for my bride and myself; and mimicked matrimony so far as to take her by the hand, and assure her that I was willing to make her a constant and tender husband; and asked her, if she was equally willing to be a faithful and loving wife? to which she cheerfully consented. So we lay down together, and though we had no bride-men or bride-maids, or throwing of stockings, yet we were as happy as our circumstances would well admit of.