e 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 opposition.

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
evacuate Kwisa, for a time, and bring up the garrison that had been
left there.

The next march was laborious, 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 relics 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 fatigues
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
hatchets, 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 ruse 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, standing on the defensive, did not harass the force
upon its march.

On the evening of the 11th, a starvin