Part 14 (1/2)

In the end off ent, I inrifle and plenty of ammunition for both, and Hans, also well araas, who preferred to ith Goroko and the two other Zulus

For a little while Hans enjoyed the sensation of being carried by so with a seraphic s sarcastic remarks to the bearers, who fortunately did not understand thehts and as he was still detered, climbed on to the roof of the litter, astride of which he sat as though it were a horse, looking for all the world like a toy monkey on a horizontal stick

Our road ran across the level, fertile plain but a sh I could see that at soreater, every inch of it had been under crop Noas largely covered by trees, , bethich ation channels

About ten o'clock we reached the foot of the encircling cliffs and began the climb of the escarpment, which was steep, tortuous and difficult By noon we reached its crest and here found all our little ar, as seemed to be the invariable custom of these people in the daytime

I caused the chief captains to be awakened and with the the nu what I could concerning theaas and Hans with the Zulus as a guard, also by three of the head-captains of the Aer, I walked forward to study the lie of the land

Coe of the escarpes, shaped like those that spring from the boles of certain tropical forest trees, ran froentle slope Moreover I saw that on this plain between the ends of the ridges an arlasses, I examined and estimated to nuer captains informed me, was that of Rezu, who, they said, intended to co, since the People of Rezu, being sun-worshi+ppers, would never fight until their God appeared above the horizon Having studied all there was to see I asked the captains to set out their plan of battle, if they had a plan

The chief of theht-hand ridge to a spot where there was a narrow flat piece of ground, and there await attack, since at this place their smaller numbers would not so much matter, whereas these made it impossible for them to assail the enemy

”But suppose that Rezu should choose to coet behind you What would happen then?” I inquired

He replied that he did not know, his ideas of strategy being, it was clear, of a priht or in the day?” I went on

He said undoubtedly at night, indeed in all their history there was no record of their having done so in the daytime

”And yet you propose to let Rezu join battle with you when the sun is high, or in other words to court defeat,” I res for a while with Uave u of the e in co the scrub which I sa thickly near its root A small party, however, under the leadershi+p of Goroko, whom I knew to be a brave and clever captain, was to pass halfway down the left-hand ridge and there light fires over a wide area, so as to make the enemy think that our whole force had encamped there Then at the proper moment which I had not yet decided upon, ould attack the arer captains did not seem pleased with this plan which I think was too bold for their fancy, and began tothat I must assert my authority at once, I walked up to them and said to their chief man, ”Hearken, my friend By your oish, not eneral and I expect to be obeyed without question Froins you will keep close to me and to the Black One, and if so much as one of your men hesitates or turns back, you will die,” and I nodded towards the axe of Uaas ”Moreover, afterwards She-who-commands will see that others of you die, should you escape in the fight”

Still they hesitated Thereon without another word, I produced Zikali's Great Medicine and held it before their eyes, with the result that the sight of this ugly thing did what even the threat of death could not do They went flat on the ground, every one of them, and swore by Lulala and by She-who-commands, her priestess, that they would do all I said, however o back and make ready, and for the rest, by this time to-morroe shall knoho is or is not mad”

From that er

I will get on quickly with the story of this fight whereof the preliminary details do not matter At the proper time Goroko went off with two hundred and fifty reed signal, na of two shots in rapid succession by enerally make as much noise as they could

We also went off with the re three thousand, and before the e Being such a silent folk ere accustoht and could see in the dark aler executed thistheir spear-blades in bands of dry grass lest light should glint on them and betray our movements So in due course we cae widened out about five hundred yards from the plain beneath, and there lay down in four coi

Now the moon had risen, but because of the mist which covered the surface of the plain, we could see nothing of the camp of Rezu which we knew must be within a thousand yards of us, unless indeed it had been est

This circu their reputed habits, these Rezuites were also conteaas, too, was disturbed on the subject, though because of Goroko and his e so over a e

Still, for aught I knew therethis er, who declared that none existed, since their local knowledge was slight as they never visited these northern slopes because of their fear of Rezu Supposing that the eneained the crest and suddenly assaulted us in the rear! The thought of ithow I could find out the truth, Hans, as squatted behind a bush, suddenly rose and gave the rifle he was carrying to the re to look and find out what those people are doing, if they are still there, and then you will kno and when to attack them Don't be afraid for me, Baas, it will be easy in that mist and you know I can move like a snake Also if I should not come back, it does not matter and it will tell you that they are there”

I hesitated who did not wish to expose the brave little Hottentot to such risks But when he understood, Uift and duty to spy, as it is mine to so, I say”

I noddedkissed my hand in his silly fashi+on in token of ht, saying that he hoped to be back within an hour Except for his great knife, he went unarht be tempted to fire it and make a noise

CHAPTER XVII

THE MIDNIGHT BATTLE

That hour went by very slowly Again and again I consulted h in the heavens, and thought that it would never co to be heard, and as theI could see except the heavens, was the twinkling of the fires lit by Goroko and his party

At length it was done and there was no sign of Hans Another half hour passed and still no sign of Hans

”I think that Light-in-Darkness is dead or taken prisoner,” said Uaas

I answered that I feared so, but that I would give him another fifteen minutes and then, if he did not appear, I proposed to order an advance, hoping to find the enemy where we had last seen them from the top of the mountain

The fifteen er captains who sat at a little distance were getting very nervous, I picked up my double-barrelled rifle and turned round so that I faced up hill with a view of firing it as had been agreed with Goroko, but in such a fashi+on that the flashes perhaps would not be seen from the plain below For this purpose I et behind the trunk of a tree that grew there, and was already lifting the rifle to my shoulder, when a yellow hand clasped the barrel and a husky voice said, ”Don't fire yet, Baas, as I want to tell you ly face of Hans wearing a grin that htened the man in the moon

”Well,” I said with cold indifference, assumed I admit to hide my excessive joy at his safe return, ”tell on, and be quick about it I suppose you lost your way and never found the was very thick down there But in the end I found the people sot the wind of one of their sentries It was easy to pass him in the mist, Baas, so easy that I was tempted to cut his throat as I went, but I didn't for fear lest he should ht into the middle of them, which was easy too, for they were all asleep, wrapped up in blankets They hadn't any fires perhaps because they didn't want them to be seen, or perhaps because it is so hot down in that low land, I don't knohich

”So I crept on taking note of all I saw, till at last I came to a little hill of which the top rose above the level of the hs with the leaves still fresh upon theht that I would crawl up to the hut since it ca there and that II heard a noise like to that made by an old woman whose husband had thrown a blanket over her head to keep her quiet, or to that of a bee in a bottle, a sort of droning noise that reht a while and re to Heaven, as is his habit when he has nothing else to do, Baas, he makes a noise just like that I crept towards the sound and presently there I found Red Beard hi as mad as a buffalo bull stuck in a swamp, for he shook his head and rolled his eyes about, just as though he had had two bottles of bad gin, Baas, and all the while he kept saying prayers Now I thought that I would cut him loose, and bent over hian to shout, saying, ”'Go away, you yellow devil I know you have come to take me to hell, but you are too soon, and if my hands were loose I would twist your head off your shoulders'

”He said this in English, Baas, which as you know I can understand quite well, after which I was sure that I had better leave hi, there caht-shi+rts, such as you white people wear, with yellow things upon their heads that had a metal picture of the sun in front of theested

”Yes, Baas, or Predikants of some sort, for they were rather like your reverend father when he dressed hi thean, lay down and listened They looked at Red Beard, for his shouts at ht the a noise like a beetle in a tin can

”'It is nothing,' said one of the Predikants to the other in the saer use 'But when is he to be sacrificed? Soon, I hope, for I cannot sleep because of the noise he e of the sun appears, not before,' answered the other Predikant 'Then the new queen will be brought out of the hut and this white man will be sacrificed to her'

”'I think it is a pity to wait so long,' said the first Predikant, 'for never shall we sleep in peace until the red-hot pot is on his head'

”'First the victory, then the feast,' answered the second Predikant, 'though he will not be so good to eat as that fat young woman ith the new queen'

”Then, Baas, they both smacked their lips and one of theo back No, he sat down on the ground and glowered at Baas Red-Beard upon the stone More, he struck him on the face to make him quiet