su and carrying supplies there, they did not come into
conflict with our marines and bluejackets who, in many cases, formed the
garrison at the depots which had been formed. Those at Dunquah, a place
some twenty-odd miles from the coast, had a smart brush with the enemy,
while at Abracampa a huge force of Ashantis, numbering ten thousand at
least, suddenly surrounded the post. Like so many of the others, it was
but a native village, placed in a small natural clearing, and now
roughly fortified. The garrison was a very slender one indeed, and yet
in spite of that fact they held the enemy at bay, killing very many of
them. Time and again the attacks were repeated, till at length
reinforcements arrived, and taking the enemy unawares dispersed them
with great slaughter. In the enemy's camp numerous rifles, guns,
umbrellas and war-drums were found, besides evidences of sacrifices. In
fact, wherever the Ashantis had been, grim relics were left behind, all
of which only added to the keenness of our men to reach Kumasi and put a
stop to such barbarities.

And now the prospect was brighter. The second battalion of the Rifle
Brigade was already _en route_, while the Welsh Fusiliers and the Black
Watch were a little way in the rear. On the road also were Royal
Artillery, Engineers, Marines, surgeons, Commissariat officers, and war
correspondents, amongst the last the familiar figure of G.A. Henty,
whose name must be well known to thousands and thousands of boys and
grown men, and whose active brain created heroes in every country and
clime under the sun.

From Cape Coast Castle the troops marched to Inquabin as a first stage,
and from there through various stations, all with more or less
unpronounceable names, till they came finally to the Prahsu, sixty-nine
miles from the sea. There they found Sir Garnet completing his
preparations for the march upon Kumasi. The troops had toiled for the
most part in single file along the narrow forest tracks, and they knew
that the same work was before them. But they did not know what their
leaders had taken to heart; that the forest on the far side of the river
might and probably did hide thousands of enemies, and that that tract
must be crossed, and the town of Kumasi captured within the next
fortnight. For already there were not wanting signs that the rains were
about to commence, and when they set in tracks through the forests would
become swamps and narrow streams great swirlin