g soldier made his way down
from the fort with this message:

"Governor broke out, seventeen days ago. Garrison rapidly
diminishing by disease, can only last a few more days, on very
reduced rations."

Six star shells were fired, that night, to let the garrison know
that help was coming, but they never saw them.

At midnight, the last contingent from Northern Nigeria, the Kwisa
garrison, and an escort of two companies of the West African
contingent arrived. This brought the force up to the regulation
strength of one battalion, on its war footing. At sunset the
officers were called, and orders were given for the next day's
work.

The direction of the march was, even at that moment, a profound
secret. The column was to be kept as short as possible, and only
two carriers allowed to each officer. Only half rations were to be
issued.

At daybreak the advance sounded, and the force moved out. It
consisted of a thousand rank and file, sixty white men, seventeen
hundred carriers, six guns, and six Maxims. The rain fell in
ceaseless torrents. The road was practically an unbroken swamp, and
the fatigue and discomfort of the journey were consequently
terrible. The Ordah river was in flood, and had to be crossed on a
felled tree.

The distance to Pekki, the last Bekwai village, was fifteen miles.
It did not lie upon the main road, but that route had been chosen
because a shorter extent of hostile country would have to be
traversed, and the march thence to Coomassie would be only eleven
miles; but it took the relief force nineteen and a half hours to
get in, and the rear guard some two hours longer. Darkness fell
some hours before they reached their destination and, thence
forward, the force struggled on, each holding a man in front of
him.

Nothing broke the silence save the trickling of water from the
trees overhead, and the squelch of the mud churned up by marching
columns. At times they had to wade waist deep in water. The
exhausted carriers fell out by dozens, but their loads were picked
up and shouldered by soldiers, and not a single one was lost.

The men got what shelter they could in the huts of the village and,
in spite of wet and sleeplessness, all turned out cheerfully in the
morning. The start was made at eight o'clock, in order that the men
might recover a little from the previous day's fatigue.

The enemy's scouts were encountered almost on the outskirts of the
village and, in a short time, the advance