ver, somewhere, and are swarming in the forest
opposite. However, now that we know that they have gone, we can
look out for something to eat."

For three hours they wandered about, and were fortunate enough to
find a deserted village, where they gathered some bananas and
pineapples. Of these they made a hearty meal; and then, each
carrying a few bananas, they returned to the river and swam across,
finding no difficulty in doing so now that they were unencumbered
by the wire. They had not been long across before they heard the
sound of heavy firing, some two or three miles away.

"It is as I thought," Lisle said. "The Ashantis have crossed the
river, somewhere, and are now attacking the convoy. They will not,
of course, overpower it; but they will continue to follow it up
till they get near camp, and there is little chance of our being
able to rejoin them before that."

Travelling on, they more than once heard the sound of parties of
the enemy, running forward at the top of their speed. Evidently
news had been sent round, and the inhabitants of many villages now
poured in, to share in the attack upon the white men.

"It is useless for us to think of going farther, at present," Lisle
said. "They will be mustering thickly all round our force, and I
expect we shall have some stiff fighting to do, before we get back
to camp--I mean the column, of course; as for ourselves, the matter
is quite uncertain. We may be sure, however, that they won't be
making any search in the bush and, as even in the Ashanti country
you cannot go through the bush, unless you cut a path, it will be
sheer accident if they come across us. At any rate, we may as well
move slowly on, doing a little cutting only when the path seems
deserted. If we keep some forty or fifty yards from it, so as to be
able to hear any parties going along, and to make sure that they
are moving in our direction, that is all we can do.

"Of course, everything will depend upon the result of the fight
with the column. There is no doubt that they are going to be
attacked in great force; which, as far as it goes, is all the
better for us. If it were only a question of sniping by a small
body of men, the colonel would no doubt push steadily on,
contenting himself with firing occasional volleys into the bush;
but if he is attacked by so strong a body as there appears to be
round him, he will halt and give them battle. If so, we may be
pretty sure that he will send them flyin