At
nightfall both parties drew off.
"Is that the way your English soldiers fight?" the general asked
Frank that night.
"Yes," Frank said vaguely; "they fire away at each other."
"And then I suppose," the general said, "when one party has exhausted
its ammunition it retires."
"Certainly it would retire," Frank said. "It could not resist
without ammunition you know."
Frank carefully abstained from mentioning that one side or the
other would advance even before the ammunition of its opponents was
expended, for he did not wish the Ashantis to adopt tactics which,
from their greatly superior numbers, must at once give them a
victory. The Ashantis were not dissatisfied with the day's work,
as they considered that they had proved themselves equal to the
English troops.
CHAPTER XVIII: THE ATTACK ON ELMINA
On the 14th the Fantis took the initiative, and attacked the
Ashantis. The fight was a mere repetition of that of a week before,
and about midday the Fantis, having used up all their ammunition,
fell back again to Cape Coast.
"Now," the general said to Frank, "that we have beaten the Fantis
we shall march down to Elmina."
Leaving the main road at Dunquah the army moved slowly through the
bush towards Elmina, thirty miles distant, halting in the woods
some eight miles from the town, and twelve from Cape Coast.
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