Part 25 (1/2)
Scarcely were the words uttered, when, with the quickness of lightning, the spokesman hurled his club at Browne, narrowly missing his head, then bringing his spear into a horizontal position, he made a thrust full at his chest with his whole force.
Browne, however, was on his guard, and knocking aside the point of the spear, he swung round his long club; and, before the other could draw back, brought it down with such effect upon his right shoulder that his arm fell powerless to his side, and the spear dropped from his grasp.
Browne promptly set his foot upon it, and the owner, astonished and mortified, rather than intimidated at his repulse, shrunk back without any attempt to regain it.
This attack was so sudden, and so soon foiled--being but a blow aimed, parried, and returned, in a single breath--that no one on either side had an opportunity to interfere or join in it. The other savages now uttered a yell, and were about to rush upon us: but the leader, as he appeared to be, motioned them back, and they drew off to a short distance. If we were for a moment inclined to hope that we should now be left unmolested, we soon learned the groundlessness of such an expectation. The discomfited savage, instead of being discouraged by the rough treatment he had received, was only rendered more dangerous and resolute by it; and he prepared to renew the attack at once, having taken from one of his companions a club somewhat heavier and longer than his own.
”I wish,” said Max, drawing a long breath as he eyed these ominous proceedings, ”that we had a few of Colt's revolvers, to keep these fellows at a respectable distance: I confess I don't like the notion of coming to such close quarters with them as they seem to contemplate.”
”A genuine Yankee wis.h.!.+” answered Browne, grasping his club with both hands, and planting himself firmly, to receive the expected onset; ”to make it completely in character you have only to wish, in addition, for a mud breastwork, or a few cotton bags, between us and our friends yonder.”
”Which I do, with all my heart!” responded Max, fervently.
”Let Kaiser Maximilien represent the high Dutch on this occasion,” said Morton, edging himself forward abreast of Browne, who had stationed himself a trifle in advance of the rest of us; ”he has no claim to speak for the Yankees except the mere accident of birth. Archer and I will uphold the honour of the stars and stripes without either revolvers or cotton bags.”
”Fair play!” cried Max, pus.h.i.+ng Browne aside, ”I won't have you for a breastwork at any rate, however much I may desire one of turf or cotton bales.” And we arranged ourselves side by side.
”Really,” said Morton, with a faint apology for a smile, ”it appears that we have to do with tacticians--they are going to outflank us.”
This remark was caused by our antagonists separating themselves; the leader advancing directly towards us, while the others approached, two on the right and two on the left.
”Well,” said Browne, ”we shall have to form a hollow square, officers in the centre, as the Highlanders did at Waterloo, and then I shall claim the privilege of my rank.”
But our pleasantry was, as may easily be imagined, rather forced. Our adversaries were now evidently bent upon mischief, and thoroughly in earnest. We were none of us veterans, and notwithstanding an a.s.sumption of coolness, overstrained and unnatural under the circ.u.mstances, our breath came thick and painfully with the intense excitement of the moment.
At a signal from their scarred leader, the savages rushed upon us together. I can give no very clear account of the confused struggle that ensued, as I was not at the time in a state of mind favourable to calm and accurate observation. A few blows and thrusts were exchanged; at first cautiously, and at as great a distance as our weapons would reach; then more rapidly and fiercely, until we became all mingled together, and soon each of us was too fully occupied in defending himself to be able to pay much attention to any thing else. At the commencement of the attack I was standing next to Browne, who being evidently singled out by his former opponent, advanced a step or two to meet him. He skilfully parried several downright blows from the heavy club of the latter, who in his turn dodged a swinging stroke which Browne aimed at his head, and instantly closed with him. The next moment they went whirling past me towards the edge of the bank, locked together in a desperate grapple, which was the last that I saw of them.
I was a.s.sailed at the outset by an active and athletic savage, armed with a short club. He was exceedingly anxious to close, which I, quite naturally, was as desirous to prevent, knowing that I should stand no chance in such a struggle, against his superior weight and strength.
While I was doing my best to keep him off with my cutla.s.s, and he was eagerly watching an opportunity to come to closer quarters, Morton, locked in the grasp of a brawny antagonist, came driving directly between us, where they fell together, and lay rolling and struggling upon the ground at our feet. My opponent, abandoning me for a moment, was in the act of aiming a blow at Morton's head, when I sprang forward, and cut him across the forehead with my cutla.s.s. The blood instantly followed the stroke, and gus.h.i.+ng in torrents over his face, seemed to blind him: he struck three or four random blows in the air, then reeled and fell heavily to the ground. Throwing a hasty glance around, I perceived Max among some bushes at a little distance defending himself with difficulty against a savage, who attacked him eagerly with one of those long spears, towards which he entertained such an aversion.
Browne was nowhere to be seen. Morton and his strong antagonist were still grappling on the ground, but the latter had gained the advantage, and was now endeavouring, while he held Morton under him, to reach a club lying near, with which to put an end to the struggle. Another of the enemy was sitting a few steps off apparently disabled, with the blood streaming from a wound in the neck. I hastened to Morton's a.s.sistance, whereupon his opponent, seeing my approach, sprang up and seized the club which he had been reaching after. But Morton gained his feet almost as soon as the other, and instantly grappled with him again.
At this moment I heard Max's voice, in a tone of eager warning, calling, ”Look-out, Archer!” and turning, I saw the savage I supposed to be disabled, with uplifted arm, in the very act of bringing down his club upon my head. I have a confused recollection of instinctively putting up my cutla.s.s, in accordance with Browne's instructions for meeting the ”seventh” stroke in the broad-sword exercise. I have since become convinced by reflection, (to say nothing of experience), that the principles of the broad-sword exercise, however admirable in themselves, cannot be applied without some modification when iron-wood clubs, with huge k.n.o.bs of several pounds' weight at the ends of them, are subst.i.tuted for claymores. However, I had no time then to make the proper distinctions, and as instead of dodging the blow, I endeavoured to parry it, my guard was beaten down--and that is all that I can relate of the conflict, from my own knowledge and personal observation.
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.
RECONNOITRING BY NIGHT.
THE SEARCH RENEWED--THE CAPTIVES--ATOLLO AND THE TEWANS.
”Trembling, they start and glance behind At every common forest-sound-- The whispering trees, the moaning wind, The dead leaves falling to the ground; As on with stealthy steps they go, Each thicket seems to hide the foe.”
From the moment when startled by Max's warning cry, I turned and saw the uplifted club of the savage suspended over my head, all is blank in my memory, until opening my eyes with a feeling of severe pain, and no distinct consciousness where I was, I found Browne and Max bending over me, my head being supported upon the knee of the former.
”Well, how do you feel?” inquired he.
I stared at him a minute or two without answering, not understanding very clearly what was the matter with me, though having at the same time a vague impression that all was not quite right. Gradually I collected my ideas, and at length, when Browne repeated his question the third time, I had formed a pretty correct theory as to the cause of my present supine att.i.tude, and the unpleasant sensations which I experienced.
”I feel rather queer about the head and shoulders,” I said, in answer to his inquiry: ”I must have got a pretty severe blow. I suppose!”
”Yes,” said Max, whose uneasy look ill agreed with his words and manner, ”see what it is to be blessed with a tough cranium; such a whack would have crushed mine like an egg-sh.e.l.l; but it has only enlarged your b.u.mp of reverence a little.”