arrival of the English column upon the Dah the
king made another attempt to arrest their progress, with a view no doubt
of bringing up fresh reinforcements. A flag of truce came in with a
letter to the effect that our rapid advance had much disconcerted
him, which was no doubt true, and that he had not been able to make
arrangements for the payments claimed; that he would send in hostages,
but that most of those whom the general had asked for were away, and
that he could not agree to give the queen mother or the heir apparent.
These were, of course, the principal hostages, indeed the only ones who
would be of any real value. The answer was accordingly sent back, that
unless these personages arrived before daybreak the next morning we
should force our way into Coomassie.

The Dah is a river about fifteen yards wide and three feet deep at the
deepest place. The Engineers set to work to bridge it directly they
arrived, Russell's regiment at once crossing the river and bivouacking
on the opposite bank.

It was unfortunate that this, the first night upon which the troops had
been unprovided with tents, should have turned out tremendously wet.
The thunder roared, the lightning flashed, and the rain came down
incessantly. Tired as the troops were there were few who slept, and
there was a general feeling of satisfaction when the morning broke and
the last day of the march began.

The rain held up a little before daybreak, and the sky was clear when
at six o'clock Wood's Bonny men, who had come up by a forced march the
evening before, led the advance. Lieutenant Saunders with one of Rait's
guns came next. The Rifles followed in support.

Before the Bonny men had gone half a mile they were hotly engaged, and
the combat was for two hours a repetition of that of Amoaful. Saunders
advanced again and again to the front with his gun, and with a few
rounds of grape cleared the sides of the path of the enemy. At last,
however, the Bonny men would advance no farther, and Lieutenant Byre,
the adjutant of Wood's regiment, was mortally wounded.

Lieutenant Saunders sent back to say it was impossible for him to get
on farther unless supported by white troops. The Rifles were then sent
forward to take the Bonny men's place, and slowly, very slowly, the
advance was continued until the clearing round a village could be seen
fifty yards away. Then the Rifles gave a cheer and with a sudden rush
swept through to the open and carried the vill