to Bekwai the next
day, so as to be ready to march out at daylight, on the 30th, with
the second column.

The troops at Pekki being in enforced idleness, half of them
marched out to attack the enemy's war camp, which had for so long
threatened Pekki. The place was found to be evacuated, and it and
the bush camps on the way were all burnt.

The second column had now well started. The downfall of rain
continued without intermission, and the roads became worse than
ever. The day after the first column left Pekki, Colonel Brake
started with eight hundred men and two guns.

The news came in that the king of Akim had been asked, by a number
of the Kokofu, to intercede on their behalf for peace; and a
messenger with a flag of truce came in from the Djarchi district.
The appearance of the messenger was singular. He was completely
clad in white, even his skin being painted that colour, and he
carried an enormous white flag. He was well received, but was sent
back with a message that the chiefs must come in themselves.

On the 30th Colonel Willcocks arrived and, the next day, the whole
force started in fighting formation for Coomassie, where they
arrived after twelve hours' march. The distance was only twelve
miles, so the condition of the roads may be well imagined by the
time the column took to traverse them.

Chapter 19: Lost In The Forest.

On the way up, Lisle met with a very unpleasant adventure. He and
Hallett had been sent out, with a small party of men, to enter the
bush and drive out any of the enemy who might be lurking, for the
purpose of attacking the carriers and rear guard. They went some
distance into the bush but, though they came upon tracks that had
recently been cut, they saw none of the enemy. Some men were
planted on each of these paths; and the two officers, who had
followed one a little distance farther into the bush, were on the
point of turning, when they heard men cutting their way through the
undergrowth behind them.

"Hide, Hallett!" Lisle exclaimed, "they must be enemies."

Illustration: They saw a strong party of the enemy crossing the
road.

As noiselessly as they could they took refuge in the thick bush
and, a minute later, saw a strong party of the enemy crossing the
road that they had just passed along. There were several hundred of
them. Some thirty or forty halted on the path. The others continued
to cut a track through and, in five minutes, a scattered fire was
opened, sh