Chapter 13: The V.C.
The colonel was standing, surrounded by his officers.
"I welcome you back, Mr. Bullen," he said, as he shook the lad'shand heartily, "in the name of the officers of the regiment, and myown. We are proud of you, sir. How you escaped death, we know not;it is enough for us that you are back, and are safe and sound.
"Your deed, in saving Colonel Houghton's life at what seemed thesacrifice of your own, had been a sore trial and a grief to all ofus. No doubt existed in our minds that you had been cut to pieces,and you seem to have almost come back from the dead."
The other officers then crowded round him, shaking his hand andcongratulating him on his escape.
"Now, come in and tell us how this miracle has come about. We canunderstand that you have been held as a hostage, but how is it thatyou are here?
"Now, do you get up on a chair, and give us a true and faithfulaccount of all that happened to you, and how it is that youeffected your escape."
"I did not effect my escape at all," Lisle said, as he mounted thechair; "I was released without any terms being made and, for thepast three months, have been treated as an honoured guest by theAfridi chief into whose hands I fell."
"Well, tell the story from the beginning," the colonel said; "whatyou have said only adds to our wonder."
Lisle modestly told the story, amid frequent cross questioning.
"Well, there is no doubt that you were lucky, Lisle," the colonelsaid, when he had brought his story to a conclusion. "The pluck ofyour action, in getting Colonel Houghton off and staying yourself,appealed strongly to the Afridis; and caused their chief to decideto retain you as a hostage, instead of killing you at once. I donot suppose that he really thought that he would gain much, bysaving you; for he must have known that we are in a hurry to getdown through the passes, and must consider it very doubtful whetherwe should ever return. Still, no doubt he would have detained youand, in the spring, sent down to say that you were in his hands;and in that way would have endeavoured to make terms for yourrelease. But your assistance when he was attacked, and yourreadiness to take part with his people, entirely changed hisattitude towards you.
"However, I don't suppose he will lose by it. The general is sureto send back a handsome present to him, for his conduct towardsyou.
"Have you seen Houghton yet?"
"Yes, sir; I have been with him for the past hour. He has been morethan kind to me and, as he has no near relations, has been goodenough to say that he will adopt me as his heir. So I have indeedbeen amply rewarded for the service I did him."
"I congratulate you most heartily," the colonel said; "you havewell earned it, and I am sure that there is not a man in the armywho will envy your good fortune. There is only one thing wanting tocomplete it, and that is the V.C.; which I have not the least doubtin the world will be awarded to you, and all my fellow officerswill agree with me that never was it more nobly earned. You courtedwhat seemed certain death.
"The greater portion of the crosses have been earned by men forcarrying in wounded comrades, under a heavy fire; but that isnothing to your case. Those actions were done on the spur of themoment, and there was every probability that the men would get backunhurt. Yours was the facing of a certain death. I can assure youthat it will be the occasion of rejoicings, on the part of thewhole regiment, when you appear for the first time with a cross onyour breast."
He rang the bell and, when one of the mess waiters appeared, toldhim to bring half a dozen bottles of champagne. Lisle's health wasthen drunk, with three hearty cheers. Lunch was on the table, andLisle was heartily glad when the subject of his own deeds wasdropped, and they started to discuss the meal.
"Now, Mr. Bullen," the colonel said, when the meal was finished, "Imust carry you off to the ladies. They have all rejoined, and willbe as anxious as we were to hear of your return."
"Must I go, Colonel?" Lisle asked shyly.
"Of course you must, Bullen. When a man performs brave deeds, hemust be expected to be patted on the back--metaphorically, at anyrate--by the ladies. So you have got to go through it all and, as Ihave sent word round that I shall bring you to my bungalow, youwill be able to get it all over at once."
"Well, sir, I suppose I must do it, though I would much rather not.Still, as you say, it were best to get it all over at once."
Six ladies were gathered at the bungalow, as Lisle entered with thecolonel. All rose as they entered, and pressed round him, shakinghis hand.
"I have come to tell you how pleased we all were," the colonel'swife said, "to hear that you had returned, and how eager we haveall been to learn how it has come about. We think it very unkind ofyou to stay so long in the mess room, when you must have known thatwe are all on thorns to hear about it. I can assure you that wehave missed you terribly, since the regiment returned, and we areawfully glad to have you back again.
"Now, please tell us all about it. We know, of course, how you gotColonel Houghton off, and remained to die; and how proud all theregiment has been of your exploit; so you can start and tell us howit was that you escaped from being cut to mince-meat."
Lisle again went through the story.
"Why did you not return at once, when the chief who captured yousaid that you were his guest? Was there not some fair young Afridi,who held you in her chains?"
Lisle laughed.
"I can assure you that it was no feminine attractions that kept me.There were some fifteen or twenty girls and, like everyone else,they were very kind to me but, so far as I was able to judge, notone of them was prettier, or I should rather say less ugly, thanthe rest; although several of them had very good features, and weredoubtless considered lovely by the men. Certainly there was nonewhom an Englishman would look at twice.
"Poor things, most of the work of the village is left to them. Theywent out to cut grass, fed the cattle, gathered firewood, andground the corn; and I have no doubt that they are now all occupiedwith the work of tilling the little patches of fertile groundbeyond the village.
"Besides, ladies, you must remember that I have a vividrecollection of you all; which would, alone, have guarded meagainst falling in love with any dusky maiden."
"I rather doubt your word, Mr. Bullen," the colonel's wife said;"you were always very ready to make yourself pleasant, and do ourerrands, and to make yourself generally useful and agreeable; but Ido not remember that you ever ventured upon making a complimentbefore. You must have learnt the art somehow."
The lady laughed.
"I could hardly help comparing you with the women round me, but Ireally had a vivid remembrance of your kindness to me."
"In future, Mr. Bullen, we shall consider you as discharged fromall duty. We have heard of other gallant deeds that you have done;and henceforth shall regard you, with a real respect, as an officerwho has brought great credit upon the regiment. I am sure that,henceforth, you will lose your old nickname of 'the boy,' and beregarded as a hero."
"I hope not," Lisle said; "it has been very pleasant to be regardedas a boy, and therefore to act as a sort of general fag to you. Ihope you will continue to regard me as so. I have always consideredit a privilege to be able to make myself useful to you, and Ishould be very sorry to lose it.
"I can assure you that I still feel as a boy. I know nothing of theworld; have passed my whole time, as far back as I can remember, incamp; and have thoroughly enjoyed my life. I suppose some day Ishall lose the feeling that I am still a boy, but I shall certainlyhold to it as long as I can."
"I suppose you had some difficulty in speaking with the natives?"the doctor's wife said.
"At first I had but, from continually talking with them, I got toknow their language--I won't say as well as Punjabi, but certainlyvery well--and I shall pass in it at the next examination."
"I wish all subalterns were like you," the colonel's wife said."Most of those who come out from England are puffed up with a senseof their own importance, and I often wish that I could take them bythe shoulders, and shake them w
ell. And what are you going to donow?"
"I am going off to find the four men who came down with me, see ifthey are comfortable, and tell them that the general will give themthe message to their chief, tomorrow."
"What will be the next thing, Mr. Bullen?"
"The next thing will be to go to the bazaar, and choose somepresents for the chief and his family."
"What do you mean to get?"
"I think a brace of revolvers, and a good store of ammunition forthe chief. As to the women I must, I suppose, get something in theway of dress. For the other men I shall get commoner things.Everyone has been most kind to me, and I should certainly like themto have some remembrance of my stay.
"I suppose that there is five months' pay waiting for me in thepaymaster's chest."
"I should doubt it extremely," the colonel said. "You will get itin time, but you will have to wait. You have been struck off theregimental pay list, ever since you were put down as dead; and Iexpect the paymaster will have to get a special authorization,before you can draw your back pay."
"I was only joking, Colonel. My agent at Calcutta has my money inhis hands, and I have only to draw on him."
"So much the better, Bullen. It is always a nuisance getting intodebt, even when you are certain that funds will be forthcomingwhich will enable you to repay what you owe. But have you enough tocarry you on till you hear from your agent?"
"Plenty, sir; I left all the money I did not care to carry aboutwith me in the regimental till."
"Then I expect you will find it there still. I know that nothinghas been done with it. A short time since, the paymaster wasspeaking to me about it, and asking me if I knew the address of anyof your relations, or who was your agent at Calcutta. He said tome:
"'I shall wait a bit longer. Mr. Bullen turned up quiteunexpectedly, once before and, though I fear there is not a shadowof chance that he will do so again, I will hold the money for atime. It is just possible that he is held as a hostage, in whichcase we shall probably hear of him, when the passes are open.'"
Lisle went to the paymaster's at once and, finding that he had notparted with the money, drew fifty pounds. He had no difficulty inbuying the revolvers and cartridges; but was so completely at aloss as to the female garments, and the price he ought to pay, thathe went back to the cantonment and asked two of the ladies toaccompany him shopping. This they at once consented to do and, withtheir aid, he laid in a stock of female garments: silk for thechief's wife; and simpler, but good and useful materials--for themost part of bright colour--for the other women. These were allparcelled up in various bundles, and a looking glass inserted ineach parcel. For the men he bought bright waistbands and longknives; and gave, in addition, a present in money to the men whohad come down with him.
It was evening before the work was finished, and he then returnedto mess with the regiment.
"I suppose you don't know yet whether you are coming back to us,Bullen?" the major said.
"No, sir, the general did not say; but for myself, I would verymuch rather join the regiment. Staff appointment sounds tempting,but I must say that I should greatly prefer regimental work;especially as I should be very much junior to the other officers ofthe staff, and should feel myself out of place among them."
"I have no doubt that you are right, in that respect; but staffappointments lead to promotion."
"I have no ambition for promotion, for the present, Major. I amalready five or six up among the senior lieutenants, which is quitehigh enough for one of my age."
"Well, perhaps you are right. It is not a good thing for a youngofficer to be pushed on too fast, and another two or three years ofregimental work will certainly do you no harm."
"I have not yet asked, Major, whether we are going up into theTirah again, this spring?"
"I fancy not. Already several deputations have come in from thetribesmen, some of them bringing in the fines imposed upon them;and all seem to say that there is a general desire among theAfridis for peace, and that deputations from other tribes willshortly follow them."
"I am glad to hear it, sir," Lisle said. "I think I have had quiteenough of hill fighting."
"I think we are all of the same opinion, Bullen. It is no jokefighting an enemy hidden behind rocks, armed with Lee-Metfordrifles, and trained to shoot as well as a British marksman.
"The marching was even worse than the fighting. Passing a night onthe snow, any number of thousand feet above the sea, is worse thaneither of them. No, I would rather go through a campaign againstthe Russians, than have anything more to do with the Tirah; thoughI must admit that, if we were to begin at once, we should not havesnow to contend with.
"I have been through several campaigns, but the last was infinitelythe hardest, and I have not the least desire to repeat it. Whetherall the tribes choose to send in and accept our terms, or not,makes no very great difference; they have had such a sharp lessonthat it will certainly be some time before they rise again inrevolt. There may be an occasional cattle-lifting raid across thefrontier, but one can put up with that; and it would be infinitelycheaper for Government to compensate the victims, than for us toget an army in motion again, to punish the thieves.
"Moreover, having once taught them that we are stronger than they,it would be a pity to weaken them still further for, if a Russianarmy were to try and force its way into India, these fellows wouldmake it very hot for them. They are full of fight and, althoughthey are independent of Afghanistan, and have no particularpatriotic feeling, the thirst for plunder would bring them likebees round an invading army.
"No, the thing has been well done, but the expense has beenenormous and the losses serious; and I trust that, at any rate aslong as we are stationed in Northern India, things will be quiet."
Next morning Lisle went, early, to headquarters. He had to wait alittle time before he could see the general. When he went in,General Lockhart said:
"Now about yourself, Mr. Bullen. Your place has, of course, been filledup; but I shall be glad to appoint you as extra aide-de-camp, if youwish. Would you rather be on staff duty, or rejoin your regiment?"
"If you give me the choice, sir, I would rather rejoin theregiment. Staff duty in war time is extremely interesting; but inpeace time, I would rather be at work with the regiment.
"You see, sir, I am very young, and much younger than any of thestaff; and I am sure that I should feel very much out of place."
"I agree with you," the general said, with a smile. "I think thatyou are wise to prefer regimental duty. I have written home, givingmy account of your gallant action; telling how you were not, asreported, killed; and recommending you, in the strongest possibleterms, for the V.C."
"I am greatly indebted to you, sir. I do not feel that I have doneanything at all out of the way, and acted only on the impulse ofthe moment."
"You could not have done better, had you thought of it for anhour," the general said; "but as I also reported your defence ofthat hut, I have little doubt that you will get the well-earnedV.C."
There was great satisfaction among the officers and the regiment,when Lisle told them of his interview with the general.
It was soon evident, from the sale of the transport animals, thatthe war was over; and the regiment shortly afterwards returned totheir old quarters, at Rawal Pindi, and fell into the old routineof drill.
In the middle of the following summer Lisle, while fielding atcricket in a match with another regiment, suddenly staggered andfell. The surgeon, running up from the pavilion, pronounced it as acase of sunstroke. It was some time before he was conscious again.
"What has happened?" he asked.
"You have had a bad sunstroke," the surgeon said, "and I am goingto send you home, as soon as you are able to travel. I shall applyfor at least a year's leave for you, and I hope that, by the end ofthat time, you will be perfectly fit for work again; but certainlya period of rest, and the return to a temperate climate, isabsolutely necessary for you."
Long before this, a despatch had been rec
eived from Englandbestowing the Victoria Cross upon Lisle. General Lockhart himselfcame down from Peshawar and fixed it to his breast, in presence ofthe whole regiment, drawn up in parade order. The outburst ofcheering from the men told unmistakably how popular he was withthem, and how they approved of the honour bestowed upon him.
The general dined at mess, and was pleased to see how popular theyoung officer was with his men. He himself proposed Lisle's health,and the latter was obliged to return thanks.
When he sat down, the general said:
"It is clear, Mr. Bullen, that you have more presence of mind, whenengaged with the enemy, than you have when surrounded with friends.It can hardly be said that eloquence is your forte."
"No, sir," Lisle said, wiping the perspiration from his face, "Iwould rather go through eleven battles, than have to make anotherspeech."
The application for sick leave was granted at once and, a fortnightlater, Lisle took his place in the train for Calcutta. All theofficers and their wives assembled to see him off.
"I hope," said the colonel, "you will come back in the course of ayear, thoroughly restored to health. It is all in your favour thatyou have not been a drinking man; and the surgeon told me that heis convinced that the brain has suffered no serious injury, andthat you will be on your feet again, and fit for any work, afterthe twelve months' leave. But, moderate as you always are, I shouldadvise you to eschew altogether alcoholic liquids. Men who havenever had a touch of sunstroke can drink them with impunity but, toa man who has had sunstroke, they are worse than poison."
"All right, Colonel! Nothing stronger than lemonade shall pass mylips."
And so, with the good wishes of his friends, Lisle started forCalcutta. Here he drew from his agents a sum which, he calculated,would last him for a year at home. To his great pleasure, onentering the train he met his friend Colonel Houghton.
"I have been thinking for some time, lad," he said, "of applyingfor a year's leave; which I have earned by twelve years' serviceout here. I was with the general when your application for leavearrived, and made up my mind to go home with you. I thereforetelegraphed to Simla, and got leave at once; so I shall be able tolook after you, on the voyage."
"It is very kind of you," Lisle said. "It will be a comfort,indeed, having a friend on board. My brain seems to be all rightnow, but my memory is very shaky. However, I hope that will be allright, too, by the time we arrive in England."
The presence of the colonel was indeed a great comfort to Lisle.The latter looked after him as a father might have done, placed hischair in the coolest spot to be found and, by relating to the otherpassengers the service by which Lisle had won the V.C., ensuredtheir sympathy and kindness.
By the time the voyage was over, Lisle felt himself again. Hisbrain had gradually cleared, and he could again remember the eventsof his life. He stayed three or four days at the hotel in Londonwhere the colonel put up; and then went down into the country, inresponse to an invitation from his aunt, which had been sent off assoon as she received a letter from him, announcing his arrival inEngland. His uncle's place was a quiet parsonage in Somersetshire,and the rest and quiet did him an immense deal of good.
At the end of three months' stay there, he left to see something ofLondon and England, and travelled about for some months.
When the year was nearly up, and he was making his preparations toreturn to India, he received a summons to attend at the War Office.Wondering greatly what its purport could be, he called upon theadjutant general.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Bullen?" the latter asked.
"Perfectly well, sir, as well as I ever felt in my life."
"We are sending a few officers to aid Colonel Willcocks ineffecting the relief of the party now besieged in Coomassie. Yourrecord is an excellent one and, if you are willing and able to go,we shall be glad to include you in the number."
"I should like it very much. There is no chance, whatever, ofactive service in India; and I should be glad, indeed, to be at thefront again, in different circumstances."
"Very well, Mr. Bullen, then you will sail on Tuesday next, in thesteamer that leaves Liverpool on that day. You will have the localrank of captain, and will be in command of a company of Hausas."
Lisle had but a few preparations to make. He ordered, at once, akhaki uniform and pith helmet, and a supply of light shirts andunderclothing. Then he ran down to Somersetshire to say goodbye tohis uncle and aunt, and arrived in Liverpool on the Monday evening.Sleeping at the hotel at the station, he went on board the nextmorning.
Here he found half a dozen other officers, also bound for the westcoast of Africa, and soon got on friendly terms with them. He was,of course, obliged to tell how he had won the Victoria Cross; arecital which greatly raised him in their estimation.
They had fine weather throughout the voyage; and were glad, indeed,when the steamer anchored off Cape Coast. Although looking forwardto their arrival at Cape Coast, the officers were not in theirhighest spirits. All of them had applied for service in SouthAfrica, where the war was now raging but, to their disappointment,had been sent on this minor expedition. At any other time, theywould have been delighted at the opportunity of taking part in it;but now, with a great war going on, it seemed to them a very pettyaffair, indeed.
They cheered themselves, however, by the assumption that there wassure to be hard fighting; and opportunities for distinguishingthemselves at least as great as they would meet with at the Cape,where so vast a number of men were engaged that it would bedifficult for one officer to distinguish himself beyond others.
Until he started, Lisle had scarcely more than heard the name ofAshanti; though he knew, of course, that two expeditions, thoseunder Sir Garnet Wolseley and Sir Francis Scott, had reached thecapital, the latter dethroning the king and carrying him away intocaptivity. Now, however, he gathered full details of the situation,from two officers belonging to the native troops, who had beenhurriedly ordered to cut short their leave, and go back to taketheir places with the corps to which they were attached.
There was no doubt that the Ashantis were one of the mostformidable tribes in Africa. Their territory extended from theriver Prah to sixty miles north of Cape Coast. They were feared byall their neighbours, with whom they were frequently at war--not somuch for the sake of extending their territory, as for the purposeof obtaining great numbers of men and women for their hideoussacrifices, at Coomassie. They were in close alliance with thetribes at Elmina, which place we had taken over from thePortuguese, some years before Sir Garnet Wolseley's expedition.This occupation was bitterly opposed by the Ashantis, who felt thatit cut them off from free trade with the coast. In return, theyintercepted all trade with the coast from the tribes behind them;and finally seized some white missionaries at their capital, andsent a defiant message down to Cape Coast.
The result was that Sir Garnet Wolseley was sent out to takecommand of an expedition and, with three white regiments, a smallNaval Brigade, and the West African Regiment, completely defeatedthe Ashantis in two pitched battles, reached the capital, and burntit. Unfortunately, owing to the want of carriers, and the smallamount of supplies that were sent up, he was obliged to fall backagain to the coast, after occupying the capital for only threedays.
Had it been possible to leave a sufficient force there, the spiritof the Ashantis would have been broken. This, however, could not bedone; and they gradually regained their arrogant spirit, carriedout none of their obligations and, twenty-two years later, havingquite forgotten their reverses, they resumed their raids across thePrah.
Sir Francis Scott's expedition was therefore organized, and marchedto the capital. This time the former mistake was not committed. Asmall garrison was left to overawe its inhabitants, and the kingwas carried away a prisoner. The expedition had encountered noopposition. The reason for this was never satisfactorilyascertained, but it is probable that the Ashantis were taken bysurprise, and thought it better to wait until they had obtainedbetter arms. In this they were successful, for there
are alwaysrascally traders, ready to supply the enemies of their country witharms, on terms of immense profit.
The Ashantis were evidently kept well informed, by some of theirtribesmen settled in the coast towns, of the state of affairs inEurope and, in the belief that England was fully occupied at theCape, and that no white soldiers would be sent, they again rose inrebellion. They were ready to admit that the white soldiers weresuperior to themselves, but they entertained a profound contemptfor our black troops, whom they were convinced they could defeatwithout difficulty.
Certainly, the force available at Cape Coast was altogetherinsufficient for the purpose; for it consisted only of a battalionof Hausa Constabulary, and two seven-pounder guns. Sierra Leone hada permanent garrison of one battalion of the West Indian Regiment,and a West African Regiment recruited on the spot; but few of thesecould be spared, for Sierra Leone had its own native troubles. Thegarrison of Lagos was similar to that of Cape Coast; but here,also, troubles were dreaded with their neighbours at Abeokuta.Southern Nigeria had their own regiment; while Northern Nigeria hadthe constabulary of the Royal Niger Company, and they had, at thetime, just raised two battalions and three batteries. Fortunately,the recent dispute between the people and ourselves as to theirrespective boundaries had been temporarily arranged, and a portionof these troops could be utilized.
The two regiments were both numerically strong, each companyamounting to a hundred and fifty men. They were armed withMartini-Metford carbines, and each company had a Vickers-Maxim gun.The batteries were provided with powerful guns, capable of throwingtwelve-pound shells. The men were all Hausas and Yorubas, with theexception of one company of Neupas. This contingent were suppliedwith khaki, before starting; and the rest were in blue uniform,similar to that worn by the West Indian Regiments. There was, inaddition, a small battalion of the Central African Regiment; with adetachment of Sikhs, who also supplied non-commissioned officers.
That the men would fight well, all believed; but the forces hadbeen but recently organized, and it was questionable how they wouldbehave without a backbone of white troops. The experiment was quitea novel one, as never before had a war been carried on, by us, withpurely native troops.
The collection of the troops was a difficult matter, and cost nosmall time; especially from Northern Nigeria, which was to supply amuch larger contingent than the others. These troops were scatteredin small bodies over a large extent of country, for the most parthundreds of miles from the coast. There was a great paucity ofofficers, too; and of these, many were about to take their year'sleave home, worn out and weakened by the unhealthy climate. Byprodigious exertions, however, all were at last collected, and inreadiness to proceed to the scene of operations.
Picking up troops at several points, the steamer at last arrivedoff Cape Coast; but not yet were they to land. A strong wind wasblowing, and the surf beat with such violence, on the shore, thatit was impossible even for the surf boat to come out. The officershad nothing to do but to watch the shore. Even this was only doneunder difficult circumstances, for the steamer was rolling railunder.
The prospect, however, was not unpleasing. From a projecting pointstood the old Dutch castle, a massive-looking building. On its leftwas the town, on rising ground, with whitewashed buildings; andbehind all, and in the town itself, rose palm trees, which made adark fringe along the coast on either hand.
"It doesn't look such a bad sort of place," one of the officerssaid, "and certainly it ought to be healthy, if it were properlydrained down to the sea. Yet it is a home of fever; one nightashore, in the bad season, is almost certain death for a white man.I believe that not half a dozen of the white inhabitants arehardened by repeated attacks of fever, to which at least three outof four newcomers succumb before they have been here many months.If this is the case, here, what must it be in the forest and swampsbehind?"
All were greatly relieved when the wind abated, on the third day,and the surf boats were seen making their way out. The landing wasexciting work. The surf was still very heavy, and it seemedwell-nigh impossible that any boat could live through it. Thenative paddlers, however, were thoroughly used to the work. Theyceased paddling when they reached the edge of the breakers, until awave larger than usual came up behind them. Then, with a yell, theystruck their paddles into the water, and worked for dear life.Higher and higher rose the wave behind them, till it seemed thatthey must be submerged by it. For a moment the boat stood almostupright. Then, when it rose to the crest of the wave, the boatmenpaddled harder than ever, and they were swept forward with theswiftness of an arrow. Another wave overtook them and, carryingthem on, dashed them high up on the beach.
The paddlers at once sprang out, and prevented the boat from beingcarried out by the receding wave. Then the officers, mounting themen's backs, were carried out; for the most part high and dry,although in some cases they were wet to the skin.
A few yards away was the entrance to the castle. Here everythingwas bustle. Troops were filing out, laden with casks and cases.Others were squatting in the paved court, ready to receive theirburdens. All were laughing and chatting merrily. There were eventroops of young girls, of from ten to fifteen years old, who wereto carry parcels of less weight than their brothers.
Two officers were moving about, seeing that all went on regularly;and a number of men were bringing the burdens out from thestorehouse, and ranging them in lines, ready for the women to takeup.
The district commissioner, who was in charge of the old castle,received Lisle and his companions cordially; and invited them, whenthe day's work was over, to dine with him. Rooms were placed attheir disposal.
As soon as this was done they went down to the beach, andsuperintended the landing of the men and stores, which was carriedon until nightfall. Then, when the last boat load was landed, theycame up to dinner.
After a hearty meal, one of them said:
"We shall be glad, sir, if you will tell us what has been happeninghere. All we know is that the fort of Coomassie is surrounded, andthat we have come up to relieve it."
"It is difficult to give you anything like an accurate account,"the officer said, "for so many lying rumours have come down, thatone hardly knows what to believe. One day we hear that the placehas been carried by storm, and that the garrison have beenmassacred. Then we are told that Sir Frederick Hodgson, with thesurvivors of the garrison, has burst his way through.
"It is certain that most of our forces are unable to push their wayup, and that their posts are practically surrounded. Further, onthe 18th of April the first news that the fort was being besiegedreached Cambarga, three hundred and forty miles from Coomassie.Three days later three British officers, and a hundred and seventymen, with a Maxim and seven-pounder, marched under the command ofMajor Morris to the station of Kintanpo. After thirteen days'marching the force was increased to seven British officers, threehundred and thirty soldiers, and eighty-three native levies.
"Near N'Quanta they met with opposition and, two hours later, had asuccessful engagement, with only three casualties. On the 14th theyfell into an ambush, and incurred twelve casualties. For two daysafter this they had more or less continuous fighting and, incharging a stockade, Major Morris was severely wounded. CaptainMaguire then headed the charge, and succeeded in capturing thestockade.
"No further resistance was met with, though two more stockades werepassed. This want of enterprise, on the part of the enemy, was dueto a short armistice that had been arranged with the beleagueredgarrison.
"Major Morris's force was the third reinforcement which had reachedthe garrison. The first to come up was a party of Gold Coastersfrom the south. This was the only contingent permitted by theAshantis to enter Coomassie unopposed. The next was a detachmentfrom Lagos, composed of two hundred and fifty men of that colony'sHausa force, with four British officers and a doctor, under thecommand of Captain Alpin. The Adansis, who occupy the countrybetween the Prah and the recognized Ashanti boundary, had revolted;so that for part of the way they were unopposed but, as soon
asthey reached the first village in the Ashanti country, they wereheavily attacked. After a couple of hours' fighting, however, theadvance guard took the village, at the point of the bayonet.
"Next day they reached the Ordah River. Here the enemy made adetermined stand, entrenched behind a stockade. The fight lastedfor four hours, and then the situation became critical. The Maximhad jammed, the ammunition of the seven-pounder was exhausted, anda great proportion of the small-arm ammunition had been expended.Captain Cox and thirty men went into the bush, to turn the enemy'sposition. When they reached a point where they took the enemy inrear, they charged the stockade. The enemy fled, and were kept at arun until Coomassie was reached, before dark.
"The list of casualties showed how hard had been the fighting. Allthe white officers had been wounded, and there were a hundred andthirty casualties among the two hundred and fifty British soldiers.The garrison now consisted of seven hundred rank and file, andabout a dozen British officers; two hundred and fifty nativelevies, and nearly four thousand Fanti and Hausa refugees.
"The next force to move forward was the first contingent fromNorthern Nigeria, consisting of two companies under the command ofCaptain Hall, with one gun. In traversing the Adansi countryCaptain Hall drew up a treaty, and got the Adansi king to sign it.Then he marched on to Bekwai, the chief town of a friendly tribe;and took up his quarters at Esumeja, a day's march from Coomassie.The border of Bekwai lay a short distance on one side, that ofKokofu was half a mile to the east.
"These were an Ashanti tribe, very fierce and warlike; and theoccupation of Esumeja both kept them in check, and inspired theloyal Bekwais with confidence. Here Captain Hall was joined by asecond contingent from Lagos, a hundred strong; and fifty men ofthe Sierra Leone frontier police. The force has got no farther, butits position on the main line of march is of vital service; as itoverawes the Kokofu, and facilitates the advance of further relief.
"That, gentlemen, is the situation, at present. So far as I know,the garrison of Coomassie is amply sufficient to defend the fort;but we know that they are short of ammunition, and also of suppliesto maintain the large number of people shut up there.
"I am expecting the vessel with the main Nigerian contingenttomorrow, or next day; and I hope that this reinforcement willenable an advance to be made."
"Thank you, sir! It is evident that we are in for some toughfighting, and shall have all our work cut out for us."
"There can be no doubt of that," the commissioner said, gravely."The difficulties have been greatly increased by the erection ofthese stockades, a new feature in these Ashanti wars. When theBekwais put themselves under our protection, instructions weregiven them in stockading, so that they might resist any force thatthe Ashantis might send against them and, doubtless, the latterinspected these defences and adopted the idea. The worst of it isthat they are generally so covered, by the bush, that they are notseen by our troops till they arrive in front of them."