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Frank was often called into council, as Ammon Quatia had conceived a high opinion of his judgment, which had proved invariably correct so far. "We are going," he said one day, "to take Abra Crampa and to kill its king, and then to fall back across the Prah." "I think you had better fall back at once," Frank answered.
Ammon Quatia now began to meditate falling back upon the Prah the sick and wounded were already sent back but he determined before retiring to attack Abra Crampa, whose king had sided with us, and where an English garrison had been posted.
What the Ashantis did not see, and what Frank carefully abstained from hinting to Ammon Quatia, was that if, instead of stopping and firing at a distance beyond that which at their slugs were effective, they were to charge down upon the English and fire their pieces when they reached within a few yards of them, they would overpower them at once by their enormous superiority of numbers.
Ammon Quatia himself was killed, as well as Aboo, one of the six great tributary kings. The body of the king's chief executioner was also pointed out by some of the prisoners.
The longing for home became greater than ever, and had it not been that they knew that troops stationed at the Prah would prevent any fugitives from crossing, they would have deserted in large numbers. Already one of the divisions had fallen back. Ammon Quatia spent hours sitting at the door of his hut smoking and talking to the other chiefs.
The first morning after crossing the river Frank sent Ostik into the hut of the general with a cup of hot chocolate, with which Ammon Quatia expressed himself so much gratified that henceforth Frank sent in a cup every morning, having still a large supply of tins of preserved chocolate and milk, the very best food which a traveler can take with him.
Presently a half dozen boats were lowered, filled with men, and taken in tow by a steam launch. It was seen that they were making for the mouth of the river. "Now let us go back," Ammon Quatia said. "You will see what we shall do." Frank felt full of excitement. He saw the English running into an ambuscade, and he determined, even if it should cost him his life, to warn them.
In the meantime, believing that the Ashantis had retired, the naval contingent went back to their boats, when the Dutch vice consul, having ascended a hill to look round, saw that Ammon Quatia had made a detour with his troops, and was marching against the town from the east, where he would not be exposed to the fire of the fort. He instantly ran back with the news.
The Ashantis were soon informed by spies in Elmina and Cape Coast that the ship had brought an English general with about thirty officers. The news that thirty men had come out to help to drive back twenty thousand was received with derision by the Ashantis. "They will do more than you think," Frank said when Ammon Quatia was scoffing over the new arrival.
Considering that the English had taken the natives under their protection, and that the war was caused entirely by the taking over of Elmina by the English and by their breach of faith to the natives there, this treatment of the Fantis was as unjust as it was impolitic. Ammon Quatia, however, seemed to be impressed with a spirit of prudence as soon as he crossed the river.
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