Part 27 (2/2)

Then I remembered having noticed the smoke of the encounter, and how with others, I had been puzzled.

”But how could they enter our country, and unseen approach the city?”

Omar exclaimed astounded.

”I know not the intricacies of the approaches to Mo save the perilous Way of the Thousand Steps,” Kona replied. ”The force may have been the rear-guard of the army that attacked Mo, and were defeated in the great chasm known as the Grave of Enemies. If they approached by that means they must have followed closely in our footsteps, and through the treachery of spies, been admitted to the city at a time when the alertness of the guards was diverted by the popular rising.”

”Were their losses great in the fight?” Goliba asked.

”Terrible. Whole streets and market-places in the vicinity of the entrance to the city were found strewn with their dead,” the black giant answered. ”Apparently the people discovered the ident.i.ty of their enemies and took no prisoners. With the exception of about two hundred survivors all were killed.”

”And the survivors have escaped!” Omar observed thoughtfully.

”Yes. Owing to the lax watch kept at the gate during those momentous hours, they were enabled to descend the steps to the plain and get clear away.”

”They must nevertheless be still in Mo. They must be found,” Omar cried excitedly. ”While they are among us our country will be in jeopardy, for they will act as spies. Samory hath set his mind upon conquering this our land; his plot must be frustrated.”

”Already have I given orders for a search from the land's most northerly limits even to the Grave of Enemies, O Master,” Kona answered. ”All the men who could be spared from guarding the city I have dispatched on expeditions with orders to attack and destroy the fugitives.”

”They cannot have travelled far,” the young ruler said. ”They have only about twelve hours' start of your men.”

”To a man our troops are now loyal to thee,” the newly-created chief of the army answered. ”They are alive to the fact that Samory's fighting-men are their bitterest foes, therefore if the survivors of that intrepid force are within our boundaries, they will a.s.suredly be overtaken and killed.”

”I would rather that they were captured and held as hostages,” Omar said.

”Enough blood hath been already shed to-day.”

”The order to capture them is not sufficient incentive to thine army to rout them from their hiding-place,” Kona replied. ”They have had the audacity to make a dash upon thy city and burn some of its most renowned and beautiful structures, therefore in their opinion if not in thine, death alone would expiate their offence.”

”I would wish their lives to be spared,” Omar repeated. ”But the army is under thy control, and I leave the final annihilation of the band of freebooters unto thee. Hast thou obtained any tidings of the Naya's flight?”

”None. My Dagombas have searched every nook and corner of this thy palace, each prison dungeon hath been entered by detachments of soldiers, while enthusiastic parties have descended to the subterranean Temple of Zomara, but found only the dwarf priests there. The Naya hath disappeared as completely as if Zomara had crushed her between his jaws.”

”Her disappearance is amazing,” Omar observed. ”Even her personal attendants whom I have questioned are ignorant of the direction she hath taken. They declare that she escaped within ten minutes of the blowing up of the palace-gate. The catastrophe alarmed her, and she saw in the fall of these defences the instability of her throne.”

”All is being done that can be done to secure her arrest,” Kona said. ”It is absolutely necessary that we should hold her captive, or, like the deposed queen of the Nupe, she may stir up strife and form a plot to reascend the stool.”

”To thee, Kona, I look to guard me from mine enemies,” my friend exclaimed. ”We must elucidate the mystery of the sudden descent of this weak force of Samory's, the rapidity with which they struck their blow, and the means by which they have, within twelve hours, so completely eluded us.”

”News of them hath been flashed even unto the furthermost limits of thy kingdom, O Great Chief,” Kona a.s.sured him. ”No effort shall be spared by thy servant in executing thy commands. I go forth again, and sleep shall not close my eyes until the men of Samory have been overtaken.”

With these words he made deep obeisance to the newly-enthroned sovereign, and lifting his long native spear, which he still retained, he swore vengeance most terrible upon the enemies of Mo, who had, with such consummate strategic skill, entered and attacked the city at the moment when it remained undefended.

”There is some deep mystery underlying this, Scars,” Omar said, when Kona had stalked away into the darkness, and Goliba had risen and crossed the moon-lit court in response to a message delivered by a black slave. ”I am scarcely surprised at Kona's failure to capture the Naya; indeed, personally, I should only be too happy to know that she had got safely beyond the limits of Mo. But the sudden attack and rapid disappearance of this marauding band of Samory proves two things; first that our country, long thought impregnable, may be invaded, and secondly that through Kouaga Samory is in possession of certain of our secrets.”

”What secrets?” I asked.

”Secrets upon the preservation of which the welfare and safety of my country depend,” he answered mysteriously. Then, with a sudden air of dejection, he added: ”But there, what matters after all, now that Liola is dead and my life is desolate? At the very moment when the greatest honour has been bestowed upon me and I am enthroned Naba, the saviour of my people, the greatest sorrow has also fallen upon me.”

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