"It is all very well for you to grumble4, Hallett, but you know just as well as I do that, if the offer were made to you to go home, at once, you would treat it with scorn."
"Oh, of course I should! Still, one may be allowed to have one's grumble and, after all, I think we are pretty sure of some stiff fighting, which makes up for everything. I am not afraid of the enemy a bit, but I do funk fever."
"I don't think we are likely to get fever, so long as we are on the move; though I dare say a good many of us will go down with it, after the work is done. We have only to think of the starving soldiers and people, in Coomassie, to make us feel that, whatever the difficulties and dangers may be, we must get there in time. The great nuisance is, that we can get no news of what is doing there. We constantly hear that the governor, with a portion if not all of the force, has broken out, some days since; and we begin to look out for them; and then, after a time, comes the news that there has been no sortie whatever. It is really most annoying, and I am often kept awake at night, even after a day's fight, thinking of the position of the garrison5."
"I don't think, if there were a hundred garrisons6 in danger," Hallett laughed, "it would affect my sleep in the slightest. I lie down as soon as I have eaten what there is to eat, which certainly is not likely to affect my digestion7; and however rough the ground, I am dead asleep as soon as my head touches it, and I do not open an eye until the bugle8 sounds in the morning. Even then I have not had enough sleep, and I always indulge in bad language as I put on my belts, at the unearthly hour at which we are always called. I don't begin to feel half awake till we have gone some miles."
"You would wake up sharp enough, Hallett, at the sound of the first gun."
"Yes, that is all right enough; but unless that comes, there is nothing to wake one. The close air of the forest takes out what little starch9 you have in you, and I verily believe that I am very often asleep, as we march."
"It is monotonous10, Hallett, but there is always something to see to; to keep the men from straggling, to give a little help, sometimes, to the wretched carriers."
"You are such a desperate enthusiast11, Bullen. I cannot make out how you keep it up so well. I really envy you your good spirits."
"They are indeed a great blessing12; I had plenty of occasion to make the most of them, when I was marching in the ranks of the 32nd Pioneers, on the way up to Chitral. Still, they came naturally enough, there; and I am bound to acknowledge that it is hard work, sometimes, to keep them up here."
"I think that it would really be a mercy, Bullen, if you were to pour a bucket of water over my head, when the bugle sounds. I have no doubt I should be furious with you, and should use the strongest of strong language; but still, that would not hurt you."
"Except when the carriers bring up our bundles of dry clothes, we lie down so soaked that you would scarcely feel the water poured over you. At any rate, if you really think that it would do you good, you had better order your servant to do it; that is to say, if you don't think you would slay13 him, the first morning."
"No, I suppose I must put up with it, as best I can; but really, sometimes I do envy the colonel's little terrier, which frisks along all day, making excursions occasionally into the bush, to look for rats or mongooses. He seems to be absolutely tireless, and always ready for anything.
"Well, I shall turn in, now, and try to dream that I am on a feather bed, and have had supper of all sorts of dainties."
"I would not do that, if I were you. It would be such a disappointment, when you woke up."
"Well, perhaps it might be," Hallett said, despondently14. "I will try to dream that I am with you on that Chitral expedition, and am nearly frozen to death; then possibly, on waking, I might feel grateful that things are not so bad as I thought they were."
They spent a few pleasant days at Prahsu and, while there, received the news that a column had started, from Tientsin, for the relief of the Europeans collected in the various legations at Pekin, news which created general satisfaction.
"I have no doubt they will have some stiff fighting," Hallett said, as he and Lisle sat down to breakfast, after hearing the news. "One thing, however, is in their favour. As they will keep by the river all the way, they will never be short of water. The last news was that they were collecting a large flotilla of junks, for carrying up their provisions. Lucky beggars! Wouldn't I like to change places with one of them! I hope all the different troops will pull well together for, with a force of half a dozen nationalities, it is almost certain that there will be some squabbling."
"I should hardly think that there would be any trouble, Hallett. Of course, it was reported in the last mail that the Russians, French, and Germans were all behaving somewhat nastily; but as the Japs have the strongest force of all, and the Americans stick to us, I should think that things will go on well. It would be a disgraceful thing, indeed, if troops marching to the relief of their countrymen could not keep the peace among themselves. Of course, there may be fighting; but it is morally certain that the Chinese cannot stand against us, and I imagine that, in proportion to the numbers, their casualties will enormously exceed ours.
"Britain has her hands pretty full, at present, what with the big war in the Transvaal, and the little one here, and another in China. It is a good thing we thrashed the Afridis, two years ago. If we had not, you may be sure that there would be an even more formidable rising on our northern frontier than that we quelled15. News travels marvellously fast, in India; the Afridis always seem to know what is going on elsewhere, and I am pretty sure that they would be up, all over the country, if they had not had to give up the greater portion of their rifles, and had not more than enough to do to rebuild their houses. So we have something to be thankful for."
"I am glad that Marchand business did not come off just at the present time," Hallett said. "You may be sure that we should have had a war with France; it was a mighty16 near thing, as it was."
"Yes; I think they would not have backed down, if we had been busy with Boers, Chinese, and black men. They were at fever heat as it was; and we could have done nothing, if we had had two hundred and fifty thousand men engaged at the Cape."
"It would have made no difference," Lisle said, scornfully, "we have plenty of soldiers at home. Every barrack was crowded with men, as we came away; and there were a great number of the militia18 and volunteers, to back them up. Above all there was our fleet which, however much the Frenchmen value their warships19, would have knocked them into a cocked hat in no time.
"Well, I suppose it is time to go out and inspect our men."
"I suppose it is, Bullen," Hallett said despondently, as he stretched himself. "If there were no inspections20 and no parade, an officer's life would be really a pleasant one."
Lisle laughed.
"And if there were no inspections and parades there would be no soldiers, and if there were no soldiers there would be no need for officers."
"Well, I suppose that is so," Hallett said, as he buckled22 on his sword. "Now, just look at me; do I look like an officer and a gentleman? Nobody could tell what was the original colour of my khaki; it is simply one mass of mud stains."
"Well, I do think you hardly look like an officer and a gentleman--that is to say, you would hardly be taken for one at Aldershot. Fortunately, however, there are no English ladies here to look at you and, as the blacks don't know what an officer and a gentleman should be, it doesn't matter in the slightest."
While at Prahsu, there was nothing to do but to speculate as to what would be the next move. Colonel Willcocks kept his plan to himself, for information as to our movements reached the enemy in a most extraordinary manner.
It was a busy camp. Bamboo grass-covered sheds, for stores, were in course of construction. The engineers were employed in making a road, to take the stores and troops across the Prah.
Three of the wounded officers--Captain Roupell, Lieutenants24 Edwardes and O'Malley--were invalided26, and left for home in a convoy27 with over a hundred wounded. This was necessary, owing to the fact that there was no Roentgen apparatus28 in the colony, and it was found impossible to discover and extract the slugs with which the great proportion were wounded.
It was unknown that four hundred men of the West African Regiment, with nearly twenty officers, and a company from Jebba were on their way to reinforce them. Three officers were away to raise native levies29 in Denkera and Akim, and there were rumours30 about more troops from other parts of the world. But the one thing certain was that some more troops were coming down from Northern Nigeria.
Colonel Burroughs arrived with a strong party, and Lisle and Hallett prepared to go up again. No resistance was met with, as far as Fumsu; but it was found that a foot bridge that had been thrown across the river was washed away, and communication with the other bank was thus cut off. To the disgust of the officers and men, they were called out to a false alarm and, when dismissed, went back to bed grumbling31. When they rose again, the men cleaned their arms and received their pay and rations32. The latter amounted to but a pound of rice a day, but this was subsequently increased. The officers were little better off, for there was, of course, nothing to buy.
Two companies had gone on in advance to open the main road, find out the ambushes33 and stockades35, and to join Colonel Wilkinson at Bekwai. Those who remained in camp had little to do, and were therefore glad to spend their time on fatigue36 duty; the officers building shelters for themselves, while the men erected37 conical huts, until the station was covered with them.
A day or two after their arrival a letter, written in French on a scrap38 of paper, was brought down. It stated that the garrison could hold out until the 20th, a date that was already past. Supplies were urgently wanted. It also warned the relief column that there was a big stockade34 within an hour of the fort. Colonel Willcocks sent out a messenger at once, asking that every available man should join him; but the man never reached the coast, and no help came from there.
Sir Frederick Hodgson had then been out of Coomassie four days, and was making his way down to the coast through a friendly country; with an escort of six hundred soldiers, and all his officers but one, who had remained in the fort with a hundred men.
On the morning of the 27th Colonel Burroughs, with five hundred men, started on his journey north. Scouts39 flanked the advance guard, thereby40 preventing the chance of an ambuscade; but greatly delaying the column, as they had to cut their way through the bushes. They halted that night at Sheramasi. A detachment was left at a village at the foot of the hills. Just as the head of the troops arrived at the top, they were fired into from behind a fallen tree. A sharp fight took place for nearly an hour, until the enemy were turned out of their position, and pursued through the bush, by a company which had moved round their flank. Kwisa was reached after dark, when it was found that the place had been entirely41 destroyed by the enemy.
Next morning they moved forward with the greatest caution, fully17 expecting that there would be another terrific fight at Dompoasi. This place, though only four miles from Kwisa, was not reached till nightfall. Darkness set in with heavy rain, and the officers commanding the two leading companies held a council of war, and decided42 to call in the scouts--who were useless in the dusk--to make a dash for the village, and try to rush it before preparations could be made for its defence.
The terrible downpour of rain was all in their favour. The enemy's scouts, who had reported the advance upon Kwisa, had given up the idea of watching, that night; and they and the whole war camp were at their evening meal. The noise of the rain drowned the sounds of feet, and the troops were in the village before the enemy entertained a suspicion of their approach.
A scene of wild confusion then ensued. The enemy rushed wildly to and fro, while our men poured volley after volley into them. Savages43 have no idea of rallying, when thus taken by surprise. Many fell; some fled into the forest; others ran down the prepared pathway and manned the big stockade, but the troops rushed forward, and soon compelled them to quit it.
Half a company were sent into the bush, to follow up the flying foe45. They remained out all night, and did much execution among the Adansis. This was the first real success gained over them.
Pickets46 and sentries47 were thrown out in a circle round the village. At midnight, the troops got a scratch meal under the protection of the huts. Many guns were captured, some Sniders, many cakes of powder, and much food which was cooking over the fires when the troops entered the village. Some of the rifles that had belonged to the men who had fallen in the unsuccessful attack were found, together with three thousand rounds of ammunition48 to fit them. All this was accomplished49 without any casualties to our troops.
The next day was spent in destroying the two great stockades, cutting down the bush round them, and blowing up the fetish tree; as well as burying the enemy's dead, thirty in number. On the evening of the next day, Bekwai was gained.
Colonel Burroughs determined50, after this success, to get rid of the next danger by making another attack on the entrenchments and war camp at Kokofu and, with five hundred men and four Maxims51, he started out for that place. But the task was too heavy for him, and the enemy were quite ready to receive our troops. They were in great force, and fought bravely for some hours. The turning movement which was attempted failed; and the colonel decided, at last, to retire to Bekwai. This the troops accomplished safely, although the enemy followed them till they reached the town. Lieutenant25 Brumlie was killed, six other officers were hit slightly; and one British non-commissioned officer and three soldiers were killed, and seventy-two men wounded.
After this, no fighting took place until Colonel Willcocks arrived to carry out the main object of the expedition. Convoys52 of stores, however, kept pouring in incessantly53 and, to Lisle's delight, a large box of provisions, which he had bought before starting from Cape Coast, arrived.
Then Colonel Neal arrived, with the Sappers. He and his men built a bridge across the Fum. It was twelve feet above the water, but within thirty-six hours it was swept away.
While the troops were waiting, a runner came in and reported that heavy firing had been heard round Coomassie. On the evening of the 30th of June, news came that Colonel Willcocks would start the next morning. He would have but a small escort of fighting men, but a very large number of carriers, to bring in the stores intended for Coomassie.
Colonel Willcocks reached Fum on the night after leaving the Prah. As the supplies were failing at Kwisa, and another post, Captain Melliss took down a convoy to them, with twenty days' rations, and succeeded in doing so without opposition54.
Colonel Willcocks pressed on, leaving all baggage behind. The defeat of the Dompoasis had its effect, and the little column joined Colonel Burroughs's men unopposed. The combined force then pushed on, until they arrived at a town under the sway of the King of Bekwai.
Next morning they marched to Bekwai. Here it was decided to evacuate55 Kwisa, for a time, and bring up the garrison that had been left there.
The next march was laborious56, and wet, as usual. The troops marched into the little village of Amoaful, where Sir Garnet Wolseley had fought the decisive battle of his campaign, and saw many relics57 of the fight. Signal guns were heard, at various times, acquainting the enemy of our advance. The column stayed here for three days, which both soldiers and carriers enjoyed greatly, for the fatigues58 of the march had fairly worn out even the sturdy and long-enduring British troops.
Colonel Willcocks went forward with his staff to Esumeja, where the three companies, of which the garrison was composed, had already suffered sixty casualties. The Pioneers, some carriers with hatchets59, and some of the Esumeja were sent out, a hundred yards down the road to Kokofu, to cut the bush on each side and build two stockades. This was done to deceive the garrison, there, into the belief that we were about to advance on the place by that road.
The ruse60 succeeded admirably. The general there sent information to the commander-in-chief of the Ashanti army, and the latter at once despatched a considerable number of men to reinforce the garrison. Thus the resistance along the main road was greatly reduced; and the Kokofu, standing61 on the defensive62, did not harass63 the force upon its march.
On the evening of the 11th, a starving soldier made his way down from the fort with this message:
"Governor broke out, seventeen days ago. Garrison rapidly diminishing by disease, can only last a few more days, on very reduced rations."
Six star shells were fired, that night, to let the garrison know that help was coming, but they never saw them.
At midnight, the last contingent64 from Northern Nigeria, the Kwisa garrison, and an escort of two companies of the West African contingent arrived. This brought the force up to the regulation strength of one battalion65, on its war footing. At sunset the officers were called, and orders were given for the next day's work.
The direction of the march was, even at that moment, a profound secret. The column was to be kept as short as possible, and only two carriers allowed to each officer. Only half rations were to be issued.
At daybreak the advance sounded, and the force moved out. It consisted of a thousand rank and file, sixty white men, seventeen hundred carriers, six guns, and six Maxims. The rain fell in ceaseless torrents. The road was practically an unbroken swamp, and the fatigue and discomfort66 of the journey were consequently terrible. The Ordah river was in flood, and had to be crossed on a felled tree.
The distance to Pekki, the last Bekwai village, was fifteen miles. It did not lie upon the main road, but that route had been chosen because a shorter extent of hostile country would have to be traversed, and the march thence to Coomassie would be only eleven miles; but it took the relief force nineteen and a half hours to get in, and the rear guard some two hours longer. Darkness fell some hours before they reached their destination and, thence forward, the force struggled on, each holding a man in front of him.
Nothing broke the silence save the trickling67 of water from the trees overhead, and the squelch68 of the mud churned up by marching columns. At times they had to wade69 waist deep in water. The exhausted70 carriers fell out by dozens, but their loads were picked up and shouldered by soldiers, and not a single one was lost.
The men got what shelter they could in the huts of the village and, in spite of wet and sleeplessness71, all turned out cheerfully in the morning. The start was made at eight o'clock, in order that the men might recover a little from the previous day's fatigue.
The enemy's scouts were encountered almost on the outskirts72 of the village and, in a short time, the advance guard neared the village of Treda. It was a large place, with a very holy fetish tree. It stood on the top of a slope and, long before the rear guard had fallen out at Pekki, it was carried by a brilliant bayonet charge, by the Yorubas and the Sierra Leone frontier police. The enemy fought stubbornly, in the village; but were driven out with only some half-dozen casualties on our part.
Thirty sheep were found in the village, and they were a Godsend, indeed, to the troops. As in every other place, too, numbers of Lee-Metfords, Martinis, and Sniders were found.
Treda was burnt by the rear guard. The Ju-ju house, which was the scene of the native incantations, was pulled down, and the sacred trees felled. The enemy, however, were not discouraged; but hung upon the rear, keeping up a constant fire. Some of them proceeded to attack the Pekki people.
Fighting went on at intervals73 throughout the day, and it was decided to spend the night in a village that had been taken, after some resistance. This place was less than halfway74 on the road from Pekki to Coomassie. During the night a tropical deluge75 fell, and the troops and carriers were, all the time, without shelter.
Late that evening Colonel Willcocks called the white officers together and, for the first time, told them of the plan formed for the advance. He said that, after marching for an hour and a half, they would reach a strong fetish stronghold, where a fierce resistance might be looked for; but the final battle would be fought at the stockades, two hundred yards from the fort. He intended to attack these without encumbrance76. A halt would therefore be called, at a spot some distance from the stockades; which would be hastily fortified77, with a zereba and a portion of the troops. Here all the carriers and stores would be placed. Then the fighting force would take the stockades, return for the transport, and enter Coomassie. By this means there would be no risk of losing the precious stores and ammunition.
So determined was Colonel Willcocks to reach the forts, at all costs, that he gave orders that, if necessary, all soldiers killed should be left where they fell.
At four o'clock next morning the bugle sounded and, at the first streak78 of dawn, the column moved off. The march was maintained under a heavy skirmishing fire but, to the general surprise, the fetish town of which Colonel Willcocks had spoken was found deserted79. Night was approaching, so that the plan proposed overnight could not be carried out. The troops, therefore, went forward hampered80 by the whole of the carriers and baggage of the column.
At four o'clock action began, at the point where the Cape Coast and Pekki roads converged81 towards Coomassie. The Ashantis had taken up a position on slightly rising ground--a position which was favourable82 to the assailants, as it tended to increase the enemy's inclination83 to fire high. Each of the roads was barred with massive entrenchments, which stretched across them into the bush, and flanked with breastworks of timber. These obstacles had been originally intended to envelop84 the garrison. Consequently, the war camps were on the British side of the stockades.
The battle began by a heavy fire, from the bush, upon both flanks of the rear guard. The attack on the left was soon successfully repulsed85. On the other side, however, the roar of musketry never ceased, the enemy moving along abreast86 of the column, protected by a stockade expressly prepared; until they approached the main stockade, where they joined their companions. About fifty yards from the stockades, which were still invisible, a fresh path diverged87 towards the left; and the officers commanding the scouts were discussing what had best be done, when the enemy poured in a terrific volley from their fortified position in front, slightly wounding one officer and four soldiers. The rest immediately took shelter behind a fallen tree, which was lying across the path.
Colonel Wilkinson, commanding the advance guard, ordered up the guns. These were massed in a semicircle behind the fallen trees, and opened fire on the unseen foe; while the Maxims poured their bullets into the adjacent bush. The reply of the enemy was unceasing and, for an hour and a half, the battle raged, the distance between the combatants being only forty yards. Then Colonel Willcocks gave the order to cease firing and, in a minute, a strange silence succeeded the terrible din23. The Ashantis, too, stopped firing, in sheer surprise at the cessation of attack; but soon redoubled their fusillade.
The leading companies moved up and formed in line, to the front and rear flank. Then came the inspiring notes of the charge and, with a cheer, the whole of the advance guard sprang forward into the bush. The dense88 undergrowth checked the impetus89, as the soldiers had to cut their way with their knives but, as they did so, they maintained their deep-toned war song. As they got more into the open, they rushed round and clambered over the stockade; and the enemy, unable to stand the fury of their charge, fled in panic.
As a prolonged pursuit was impossible in the bush, and as daylight was fading, the troops were recalled at once. The first thing to be done was to pull down the stockade along the fetish road, to enable the transport to pass. When this was done, Colonel Willcocks collected the troops nearest to him and moved forward, at their head, along the broad road.
Their delight, when they emerged into the open and saw Coomassie ahead of them, was unbounded. Keeping regular step, though each man was yearning90 to press forward, they advanced steadily91. The silence weighed upon them; and a dread92, lest they had arrived too late, chilled the sense of triumph with which they had marched off. At last, the faint notes of a distant bugle sounded the general salute93, and a wild burst of cheering greeted the sound. The bugles94 returned the call with joyous95 notes. Then the gate opened, and Captain Bishop96, Mr. Ralph, and Dr. Hay came out, followed by such few of the brave little garrison as still had strength to walk.
Just at this moment, a great glow was seen in the distance. The flying enemy had fired the Basel Mission. A company therefore started at once, at the double, to drive them off.
The relieving force had, indeed, arrived only just in time. The means of resistance had all been exhausted, and another day would have seen the end. The garrison had held out desperately97, in the hope that Colonel Willcocks would be able to fulfil the promise he had sent in, that he would arrive to relieve them on the 15th of July; and he had nobly kept his word to an hour, at the cost of an amount of hard work, privation, hardship, and suffering such as has fallen to the lot of but few expeditions of the kind.
The Ashanti rising was the result of long premeditation and preparation. On the 13th of March, the governor of the Gold Coast, accompanied by Lady Hodgson, left Accra to make a tour of inspection21. On his way up country he was received with great friendliness98 at all the villages and, when he arrived at Coomassie on the 25th, he found a large number of Ashanti kings, who turned out in state to meet him. A triumphal arch had been erected, and a gorgeous procession of kings and chiefs marched past. There was no sign of a cloud in the horizon.
Several days passed quietly, and Sir Frederick Hodgson had several meetings with the chiefs about state matters. Gradually the eyes of the governor's followers99, accustomed as they were to savage44 ways, saw that all was not right; and a wire was despatched, asking for reinforcements of two hundred men. These arrived on the 18th of April.
Captains Armitage and Leggatt, with a small party of soldiers, went out to the neighbouring village to bring in the golden stool. This was regarded by the natives with considerable veneration100, and was always used as the throne of the king, as the sign of supreme101 authority. When they reached the village the party were fired upon, the two officers being wounded; and had to retire without having accomplished their purpose.
It was clear now that rebellion was intended. The native kings were all sounded, and several of them decided to side with us, among them five important leaders. On the 25th the Basel Mission servants were set upon, and several of them killed. The Ashantis then attacked and captured the villages in which the friendly natives and traders lived, and set fire to these and to the cantonment. The refugees, to the number of three thousand five hundred, with two hundred children, crowded round the fort, imploring102 the mission to allow them to enter.
It was wholly beyond the capacity of the fort to accommodate a tenth of their number. Troops were therefore ordered down from the barracks, and formed a cordon103 round the fugitives104. The fort gate was closed, and a rope ladder led down one of the bastions. In this way, only one individual could enter at a time, and the danger of a rush was obviated105.
Close round the walls, huts were erected to shelter the fugitives, who were exposed to all the inclemency106 of the weather. Thus passed some wretched days and worse nights, sleep being constantly interrupted by alarms, due to the fact that the rebels were in possession of all the buildings in the place, except the fort, many of which they loopholed.
On the 29th a determined attack was made, the enemy advancing boldly across the open, and fighting long and obstinately107. Captain Marshall, however, with his two hundred and fifty native troops and friendly levies, taught them such a lesson that they never again tried fighting in the open. A hundred and thirty corpses108 were found and buried, and many more were carried off, while the fighting was going on.
That evening Captain Apling came in with his little column, but without food and with little ammunition. Aided by these troops, the outlying official buildings were occupied; and the friendly natives lodged109 in huts a little farther from the fort.
Things remained quiet until the 15th of May, when Major Morris arrived with his force. He too was short of food and ammunition, and famine already began to stare the beleaguered110 garrison in the face. Meanwhile the enemy had been busy erecting111 stockades, to bar every outlet112 from Coomassie. Many attempts were made to take these entrenchments; but they always failed, as they could not be pushed home, owing to want of ammunition; and the troops became, to some extent, demoralized by want of success.
Although the food had been carefully husbanded, it was running perilously113 low. Rations consisted of one and a half biscuits, and five ounces of preserved meat, per day. Five ponies114, brought up by Major Morris, and a few cows kept at the Residency were killed and eaten. A few luxuries could still be bought from the native traders, but at prodigious115 prices. A spoonful of whisky cost 2 shillings, a seven-pound tin of flour 6 shillings, a box of matches 2 shillings, and a small tin of beef 2 pounds, 16 shillings.
The refugees fared much worse. They had no reserve of food, and foraging116 was next to impossible. As a result, they died at the rate of thirty and forty a day.
When only three and a half days' rations were left, it was decided that something must be done, and a council of war was called. It was then agreed that those who could walk should make a dash for it; and that a garrison of three Europeans, and a hundred rank and file, should be left behind. For these twenty-three days' rations could be left.
Major Morris, as senior officer, was to command the sortie. The direct road down to the Cape was barred by a great force of the rebels, and he therefore chose the road that would lead to the Denkera country. If that could be reached, they would be in a friendly country. The line to be taken was kept a profound secret, and was not revealed until ten o'clock on the evening before starting. The force consisted of six hundred soldiers, with a hundred and fifty rounds of ammunition a man, seven hundred carriers, and about a thousand refugees.
There was a mist in the morning, and the garrison who were to remain made a feint, to direct the enemy's attention to the main road. The column was not engaged until it reached a strong breastwork, at Potasi. This was taken after a severe fight; and Captain Leggatt, who commanded the vanguard, was mortally wounded. Four men were also killed, and there were nine other casualties.
A part of the stockade was pulled away, and the force moved forward. It was constantly attacked on the way and, on one occasion, Captain Marshall was seriously wounded in the head. Numbers of soldiers, refugees, and carriers fell out from exhaustion117, and had to be left behind. Nearly all the carriers threw away their loads, and the men who carried the hammocks of the two ladies found themselves unable to support the weight.
The night was spent at Terrabum, eighteen miles from Coomassie; some two thousand human beings being crowded into the village, in a deluge. The soldiers were posted round the camp, in the form of a square.
The second day was a repetition of the first--heavy rain, muddy roads; dying soldiers, carriers, and refugees; attacks by the enemy. Twelve miles farther were made that day.
Thus seven days were passed. Captains Marshall and Leggatt both died. The ladies bore their trials wonderfully, as they had to tramp with the rest, along the miry track. At last Ekwanter, in the friendly Denkera country, was reached, and the force rested for two days. They then set out again and, after a terrible march, in the course of which they had to cross many swollen118 rivers, they arrived, two weeks after they had left Coomassie, half starved and worn out, on the coast.
In the meantime the three white officers, Captain Bishop of the Gold Coast Constabulary, Assistant Inspector119 Ralph, Lagos Constabulary, and Doctor Hay, medical officer, remained behind, with a hundred and fifteen Hausas, few of whom were fit for the task of holding the fort. After the departure of the column, the Ashantis swarmed120 down on the fort, thinking that it was entirely evacuated121. They were met, however, with a heavy fire from the Maxims, and soon withdrew.
The first duty of Captain Bishop was to tell off the men to their posts. The soldiers who were to man the guns were ordered to sleep beside them. The ammunition was examined, and found to amount to a hundred and seventy rounds a man. The rations were calculated, and divided up for the twenty-three days that they were intended to last.
Attempts were then made to burn the native shanties122, for sanitary123 reasons. They were so soaked, however, with water, that all attempts to burn them failed; till June 27th, when a short break in the rain enabled them to be fired. When they were all burned down, the Residency windows on the windward side were opened, for the first time.
Sickness, unfortunately, broke out very soon; and three of the little band died on the first day. This rate mounted higher and higher, and at last smallpox124 broke out. So dismal125 was the prospect126 that the men sank into a dull despair.
A few women traders hawked127 their wares128 outside the fort. A little cocoa, worth a farthing, cost 15 shillings; plantains were 1 pound, 6 shillings each; and a small pineapple fetched 15 shillings. The men received 3 shillings daily, in place of half a biscuit, when biscuits ran short; and this ready cash was willingly bartered129 for anything eatable.
Three heart-breaking weeks passed thus. Two-thirds of the troops had been buried outside the fort, the remainder were almost too weak to stand. When the food was all gone, it was arranged that they should go out to forage130 in the darkness, each man for himself. The three white men, each with a dose of poison, always stuck together and, come what might, agreed not to fall alive into the hands of the enemy.
However, on 14th July reports were brought in that firing had been heard. The news seemed too good to be true, but an old native officer declared that he had heard distant volleys. It was not until four o'clock on the next day, however, that a continuous and tremendous roar of guns convinced them that a relief column was at hand. The three imprisoned131 officers opened their last comfort, a half bottle of champagne132, and drank success to their comrades. Several of the troops died while the fighting was going on, the excitement being too much for their weakened frames.
At last the Ashantis were seen flying in terror. Then the two buglers blew out the general salute, time after time till, at six o'clock, the head of the relief column came in view. The gate was thrown open, and those of the little garrison who were able to stand went out, to welcome their rescuers.
Five star shells were fired, to tell those left behind at Ekwanter that the relief was accomplished. Then the outlying quarters were occupied, and all slept with the satisfaction that their struggles and efforts had not been in vain, and that they had succeeded in relieving Coomassie.
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1
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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3
torrents
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| n.倾注；奔流( torrent的名词复数 )；急流；爆发；连续不断 | |
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4
grumble
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| vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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garrisons
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| 守备部队，卫戍部队( garrison的名词复数 ) | |
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7
digestion
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| n.消化，吸收 | |
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bugle
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| n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集 | |
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starch
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| n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆 | |
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10
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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11
enthusiast
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| n.热心人，热衷者 | |
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12
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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13
slay
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| v.杀死，宰杀，杀戮 | |
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14
despondently
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| adv.沮丧地，意志消沉地 | |
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quelled
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| v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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18
militia
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| n.民兵，民兵组织 | |
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warships
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| 军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只 | |
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20
inspections
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| n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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22
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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24
lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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invalided
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| 使伤残（invalid的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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28
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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29
levies
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| （部队）征兵( levy的名词复数 )； 募捐； 被征募的军队 | |
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30
rumours
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| n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传 | |
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31
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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32
rations
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| 定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量 | |
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33
ambushes
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| n.埋伏( ambush的名词复数 )；伏击；埋伏着的人；设埋伏点v.埋伏( ambush的第三人称单数 )；埋伏着 | |
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34
stockade
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| n.栅栏，围栏；v.用栅栏防护 | |
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stockades
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| n.（防御用的）栅栏，围桩( stockade的名词复数 ) | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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37
ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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38
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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39
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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40
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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41
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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42
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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43
savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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44
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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45
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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46
pickets
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| 罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
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47
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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48
ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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49
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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50
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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51
maxims
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| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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52
convoys
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| n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队 | |
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53
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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54
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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55
evacuate
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| v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便 | |
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56
laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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57
relics
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| [pl.］n.遗物，遗迹，遗产；遗体，尸骸 | |
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58
fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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59
hatchets
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| n.短柄小斧( hatchet的名词复数 )；恶毒攻击；诽谤；休战 | |
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60
ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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61
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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62
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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63
harass
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| vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰 | |
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64
contingent
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| adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队 | |
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65
battalion
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| n.营；部队；大队(的人) | |
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66
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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67
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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68
squelch
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| v.压制，镇压；发吧唧声 | |
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69
wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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70
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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71
sleeplessness
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| n.失眠，警觉 | |
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72
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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73
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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74
halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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75
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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76
encumbrance
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| n.妨碍物，累赘 | |
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77
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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78
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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79
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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80
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
converged
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| v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的过去式 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集 | |
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82
favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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83
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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84
envelop
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| vt.包，封，遮盖；包围 | |
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85
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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86
abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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diverged
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| 分开( diverge的过去式和过去分词 )； 偏离； 分歧； 分道扬镳 | |
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88
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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89
impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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92
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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93
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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94
bugles
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| 妙脆角，一种类似薯片但做成尖角或喇叭状的零食； 号角( bugle的名词复数 )； 喇叭； 匍匐筋骨草； （装饰女服用的）柱状玻璃（或塑料）小珠 | |
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95
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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97
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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98
friendliness
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| n.友谊，亲切，亲密 | |
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99
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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100
veneration
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| n.尊敬，崇拜 | |
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101
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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102
imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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103
cordon
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| n.警戒线，哨兵线 | |
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104
fugitives
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| n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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105
obviated
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| v.避免，消除（贫困、不方便等）( obviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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106
inclemency
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| n.险恶，严酷 | |
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107
obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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108
corpses
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| n.死尸，尸体( corpse的名词复数 ) | |
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109
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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110
beleaguered
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| adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰 | |
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111
erecting
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| v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立 | |
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112
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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113
perilously
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| adv.充满危险地，危机四伏地 | |
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114
ponies
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| 矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑 | |
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115
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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116
foraging
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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117
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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118
swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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119
inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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120
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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121
evacuated
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| 撤退者的 | |
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122
shanties
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| n.简陋的小木屋( shanty的名词复数 )；铁皮棚屋；船工号子；船歌 | |
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123
sanitary
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| adj.卫生方面的，卫生的，清洁的，卫生的 | |
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124
smallpox
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| n.天花 | |
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125
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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126
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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127
hawked
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| 通过叫卖主动兜售（hawk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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128
wares
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| n. 货物, 商品 | |
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129
bartered
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| v.作物物交换，以货换货( barter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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130
forage
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| n.(牛马的)饲料，粮草；v.搜寻，翻寻 | |
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131
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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132
champagne
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| n.香槟酒；微黄色 | |
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