He wanted my people to carry me away somewhere, to the coast, I suppose, but they were faithful to me and would not.

Then he set his soldiers on to maltreat them.

They shot several of them and flogged them on every opportunity; they were flogging one of them just now, I heard them.

Well, the poor men made me understand that they could bear it no longer and must do what he told them.
"And so, Alan, as I was quite hopeless and helpless, I made up my mind to kill myself, hoping that God would forgive me and that I should find you somewhere, perhaps after sleeping a while, for it was better to die than to be given into the power--of that man.

I thought that he was coming for me just now and I was about to do it, but it was you instead, Alan, _you_, and only just in time.