IN THE BUSH NOVEMBER 1873
With a section of Wests escorting the wounded back to Cape Coast Castle, Wolseley ordered the column to march on. Jack adjusted his pith helmet, ensured his men were loaded and led them across a plain where patches of scrub and forest could give the enemy plenty cover. Now aware how stubborn the Ashantis" defence would be, Wolseley sent skirmishers in front, with Jack"s company supporting the Hausas.
“Don"t shoot unless you see an enemy,” Jack emphasised. “Remember that the porters have to carry every cartridge, and the further we march, the more scarce ammunition will become.”
He thought of Mary and that hellish fetish tree. “Aim before you fire,” he said for at least the fiftieth time, “and make every shot count. We are not here to loot the enemy"s villages.
