lan proposed
overnight could not be carried out. The troops, therefore, went
forward hampered 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 converged towards Coomassie. The Ashantis had taken up
a position on slightly rising ground--a position which was
favourable to the assailants, as it tended to increase the enemy's
inclination 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 envelop 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
repulsed. On the other side, however, the roar of musketry never
ceased, the enemy moving along abreast 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
diverged 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 din. 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 dense undergrowth checked the impetus, as the soldiers had to
cut their way with their knives but, as they did so, they
maintained their deep-tone