220 DIFFICULTY OF ESCAPING-RAFARAVAVY SOUGHT. and Rafaravavy-adhered to their purpose of endeavouring to escape. At that time of the year (the rice being nearly ripe) there were watchmen in almost all directions, and this made the attempt to run away the more dangerous. Numbers of people, however, from the district whither they were fleeing, were returning home from the capital, after having been to the forest to fetch timber for the government, and the little party of Christians was supposed by the watchmen to be their companions. Thus they were allowed to proceed on their journey without molestation; and the next evening safely reached the district of Itanimanina, about fifty miles from the capital, where they were received with the utmost cordiality by their Christian friends, Rafaralahi-teasoa and Andrianilaina, and Sarah, the wife, of Andrianilaina ; and, from that day to this, Sarah and Rafaravavy have continued bosom-companions. The morning after they had left home the messenger of the queen, and of the first officer, went to Ambohitsirohitra to ask for Rafaravavy. They had an order to seize her immediately, and put her to death. Not finding her there, they went to her sister's house, and from thence to her husband's, and searched nearly every house where she was in the habit of visiting. Paul had heard of the affair, and thought of making his escape; and, probably, had he known that these friends had effected their escape from the capital, he would have done so too. Their safety gave him as much anxiety as his own. This caused him to delay his escape. When the soldiers came to him, he was hesitating whether to set off alone, or to go back and try to acquaint his Christian HANDS TIED UP-PAUL. 221 friends, who were accused, with their danger. Andrianantoandro had heard nothing of it, and both he and Paul, his father in Christ, were apprehended. Razafy, Paul's wife, was with him when he was apprehended. She was anxious to follow her beloved husband, to see his end, but he advised her not, saying to her, "Go, and remain till the time for you arrives; my time is now close at hand." Both Paul and Andrianantoandro were put in very heavy irons, and their hands tied up in a small basket; a sign, that it is intended to inflict capital punishment. These two eminent Chris Both were now in daily expectation of being put to death. All the Christians at the capital, as well as Razafy herself, thought, for some weeks, that Paul had been put to death. Not any one of them could find out what had become of him. In about three weeks, a Christian soldier, an intimate friend, found him out, under the charge of a guard of soldiers. Andrianantoandro was confined in the same manner. tians suffered many afflictions, of which some further account may be given at some future time. It was the intention of the government to put these two to death, as well as Rafaravavy and Andrianimanana; but, as the last two had made their escape, they were unwilling to execute the other two, lest it should induce those who had run away to conceal themselves the more carefully. They wished also to put all four to death at the same time, so as to create greater terror in the minds of the other Christians. The other two women who parted with Rafaravavy on the way to the capital, made their escape in another direction, and are in exile to this day, as far as can be known. Our five friends, already mentioned, who had set out from the capital, having reached their friend's house in Itanimanina, united in praise for safety on their journey, and, though they had had but little sleep the last two nights, they had but little this also, for the greater part of it was spent in giving a history of their escape from the capital, and of the afflictions of their brethren, and especially their anxiety about Paul and Andrianantoandro; for as they had sent to them before leaving the capital, to proceed without delay to this district, where they fully expected to meet them, they began to fear they had been apprehended; and which, indeed, proved to be the case. As it was impossible for their kind friends to conceal all the five, it became important to find some hiding-place for them. Some wished to go to the Sakalava country at once; others opposed it lest they should die with famine. At last they decided on remaining there with their friends for a few days, and to let two proceed to the village of Paul, near Andringitra, to see whether they could meet him. Joseph and Andrianimanana did so, and, though extremely fatigued, they arrived at the village in the evening, after having walked more than thirty-five miles. They met there the adopted son of Paul, and found that his father had been taken by the soldiers that very day, and had gone with them to the capital. They could ascertain nothing more respecting him. On asking why he had not followed his father, to see what the soldiers did with him, he said he thought they were going to put him to SWORD OR FAMINE? 223 death, and he could not bear to see it; and suspected also, that, if he followed him, he might be taken up as one of the party, and, therefore, he had remained at home. Joseph and Andrianimanana set out in the morning on their return to Itanimanina and arrived late in the evening. The consultation was seriously renewed as to a probable place of concealment. Some of them proposed going to the Sakalava country, but they knew it was an enemy's country; and, as the Hovas had treated the Sakalavas with much cruelty, they feared lest, by way of retaliation, the Sakalavas might, perhaps, treat any Hovas that might fall into their hands in the same manner. Besides, the road to it was a desert country, and where could food be obtained in the wilderness ? "We had better die by the sword," said they, "than by famine." Joseph decided that he would return to a friend, who frequently remained in the forest, east of the capital, for weeks together. The four others determined to proceed towards the Sakalava country. Joseph went with them a mile or two, and, after uniting in prayer, they separated, and he returned towards the capital; but he had not gone far, when he met on the road the very friend to whom he was intending to go. "Where are you going, and why do you smile?” said Joseph, "is all well at home?" not without fear that his friend might be the bearer of the news that Rasoa, his "Yes," said he, “all wife, had also been apprehended. is well at home; but I could not help smiling to think how the God whom you serve had led me in the right path to meet with you. I had very faint hopes of finding you when I set out, for I knew not the exact direction 224 ALL THINGS COMMON. in which you had gone; and yet we have actually met." They hastened back to their four friends, from whom Joseph had just parted, to inform them that soldiers had been sent out in search of them in every direction, and that there was a great stir about them in the capital. The friend proposed to take two of the number with him to the forest, and it was mutually agreed that those two should be Joseph and David. Soon after they had left, the wife of Paul arrived, full of grief, on account of her husband, who had been, she thought, already put to death. Those who remained were taken care of by their kind friends for about a week, when Razafy, hearing that there was no search for her at the capital, determined to return, that she might find out, if possible, what they had done with her husband. Another eminent Christian in that district, whose name must be concealed, sent for our two friends to remain with him, and said, "Let all the Christians that are compelled to run away for their lives, come to me. I will take care of them-as long as I am safe, they are safe; and as long as I have food, they shall share it." On the return of Joseph and David to the capital, on their way to the forest, they had much difficulty in finding their friend's house, who had very prudently preceded them, as it was dark and raining heavily. They now found that they were everywhere sought for, but that Raminahy, the wife of David, was not among the number sought after, nor had she been accused. She therefore determined not to run away till it might become necessary, but urged that her husband David should accompany |