Page:A pilgrimage to my motherland.djvu/121

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112
A PILGRIMAGE

have suffered extreme agony from the apprehension that harm had overtaken her husband.

Not wishing again to be annoyed on account of the horse, Mr. Stone offered to exchange him for mine, a fine young animal, but not worth in money-value more than half his, to which I consented, as, being well known to the King of Oyo, I could take the horse into his capital without suspicion of connection with the rebel chief.

The next day we heard that some Egba traders were expected at the farm-village near Ogbomishaw, and that their carriers, who would have to return thence to Oyo, would be glad of the job of taking our parcels thither. I immediately went off to the village, and had the good fortune to engage them. I then hurried back to Ogbomishaw, and having completed our preparations, the next morning we were on the way to Oyo. Mr. Stone, in order I suppose to get as far as possible from association with the animal, rode ahead of us, so as to reach that place a day before us.

We never met a single living soul on the road to Oyo, several thriving villages being now quite deserted, the inhabitants taking refuge in the larger towns.

We arrived at Oyo early on Sunday morning, and proceeded to the compound of the Rev. Mr. Reid,