on. At eight o'clock
next morning, the column paraded for its march down. All the
wounded who were unfit for duty were left in the fort.

Not long after the start, the scouts sighted another stockade. The
troops formed up for the attack; but they found, to their surprise,
that it was deserted. Both the stockade and the war camp behind
were destroyed, without opposition.

Pressing forward they passed entrenchment after entrenchment, but
all were deserted. River after river was forded, breast high, but
no enemy was met with; although some of the entrenchments were
exceedingly formidable, and could not have been carried without
very heavy loss.

The scouts captured a young girl, from whom valuable information
was obtained. She had been sent out, like many of the other women,
to get supplies for the army at Ejesu, where the queen mother was.
It appeared that the queen had been greatly upset by the night
attack, and the capture of all the entrenchments; and had collected
all her chiefs to decide what had best be done, now that the siege
of Coomassie had been raised. Then it was understood why the
advance had not been opposed. But for this council, we should have
found every stockade occupied in force.

The expedition pushed on, and arrived at Bekwai without having to
fire a shot. The garrison there was formed up to receive and cheer
them and, what was still more appreciated, a ration of fresh meat
and another round of medical comforts were served out.

"Well, Bullen," Hallett said, the next morning, "here we are again.
I wonder how long we shall get to rest our wearied bodies."

"For my part," said Lisle, "I sha'n't be sorry when we are afoot
again. It has been hard work, and there has been some tough
fighting; but anything is better than being stuck in one of these
dreary towns. Fortunately we have both escaped bullets, and have
merely had a slight peppering of slugs and, as we have both been
put down in the reports as slightly wounded, on three occasions, we
may feel grateful, as it always does a fellow good to be mentioned
in the casualty list; and it should help you to attain that
position we spoke of, the other day, of commander-in-chief."

"I renounce that dream utterly, and aspire to nothing higher than
colonel. It must really be an awful bore to be commander-in-chief.
Fancy having to go down to your office every morning, and go into
all sorts of questions, and settle all sorts of business. No, I
think that,