Part 10 (1/2)

”Take her, Cimbula! She is yours!”

”Cimbula, hal!” boomed the Gorols, and the ex-queen Vanga added: ”Death to Tahara!”

CHAPTER VI

HOT WORK

”Come on, Dan, here's where the fun begins,” cried d.i.c.k Oakwood.

By the light of pitch torches he reviewed his army, the Taharans under Raal; blond, stalwart fighters; and the Gorols, commanded by Kulki.

The Gorols were more numerous but though they were tough and wiry fellows, they were not equal to the Taharans in size or war-like powers. Dark-skinned and hairy, they resembled an army of giant apes as they slouched in the ranks, while the Taharans stood proudly upright and at their chief's signal, raised their stone weapons aloft and gave a mighty cheer.

d.i.c.k, with Dan beside him as his chief lieutenant, gave final instructions to his two troop leaders.

”You, Kulki, go first with your Gorols. Climb silently down the cliffs to the south of the Big Spring where the Arabs are camped. When you are all on the plain, light your torches, plant them in the ground among the brush and raise a great uproar of shouting the war cries. Do you understand?”

”I understand, O Tahara!”

”Then when the Arabs rush to attack you, meet them with a shower of arrows and quietly climb part way up the cliffs. Leave the torches in the ground to deceive the Arabs and as they charge upon that spot, you can shoot at them from the cliffside with more arrows.”

”I hear, Master, I obey!” said Kulki.

”Good! Make sure that every man knows what he is to do.”

d.i.c.k turned to Raal and continued:

”You, Raal, take your brave Taharans down the cliff to the north of the Arab camp. Be quiet and give no alarm. Then when the Gorols raise the war cry and the Arabs rush to fight them off, follow with your Taharans and attack the enemy from the rear. Use bows and arrows first; then rush in with stone axes and flint knives. In a hand-to-hand fight, their long guns will be useless.”

”I hear, Master. I rejoice in a hand-to-hand battle.”

”Good! I will be in a position to oversee the battle, for Dan and I will climb down the cliff above the Big Spring, and when your Taharans charge, I will join you.”

Dan reminded his friend, ”Be sure to tell them about the signal for attack.”

d.i.c.k replied. ”You are right.--This is the signal. You, Kulki, when you reach your position, will give a long call like the hyena. Raal will answer with a wolf howl. When you hear the howl of the wolf, it is the signal to open the battle.”

”I hear, O Tahara.”

”We obey, O Master.”

The two chiefs saluted and withdrew to their troops and the climb down the cliffs began, silently in the night.

d.i.c.k and Dan looked down over the edge of the cliffs and saw the camp fires of the Arabs below them, with shadowy figures moving about or squatting by the glowing coals.

Then the two boys began their slow difficult climb down the rocky face, using every care to move quietly. A single rock dislodged and bouncing down the cliffside would put the Arabs on guard and this must be a surprise attack to be a successful one.

When d.i.c.k and Dan finally reached a ledge about a hundred feet above the camp, they were only too glad to sit there and rest. The descent of that steep slope in the dark was hard work; their hands were scratched and bleeding and their muscles felt the strain.