Part 14 (2/2)
”Now, Baas, when I saw this and remembered that they had said that they had eaten Janee whorew so very angry and I thought that I would give this old skellum (ie rascal) of a Predikant a taste of sacrifice himself, after which I purposed to creep to the hut and see if I could get speech with the Lady Sad-Eyes, if she was there
”So I wriggled up behind the Predikant as he sat glowering over Red-Beard, and stuck ht it would kill him at once But it didn't, Baas, for he fell on to his face and began to make a noise like a wounded hyena before I could finish him Then I heard a sound of shouts, and to saveRed-Beard or seeing Lady Sad-Eyes I ran very hard, Baas, ot back here That's all, Baas”
”And quite enough, too,” I answered, ”though if they did not see you, the death of the Medicine-hten them Poor Janee! Well, I hope to come even with those devils before they are three hours older”
Then I called up Uer captains and told them the substance of the story, also that Hans had located the army, or part of it
The end of it was that we made up our minds to attack at once; indeed I insisted on this, as I was determined if I could to save that unfortunate man, Robertson, who, fro So I fired the two shots as had been arranged and presently heard the sound of distant shoutings on the slope of the opposing ridge A few uard and the A co the existence of such a person, will think that everything is sure to go right; that this cunning old fellow, Allan Quater to surprise and wipe the floor with those Rezuites, ere already beguiled by the trick he had instructed Goroko to play That after this he will rescue Robertson who doubtless shortly recovers his reatest ease, in fact that everything will happen as it ought to do if this were a ro the latter, as it happened, matters did not work out quite in this convenient way
To begin with, when those Aht in the dark or before the sun ell up, either they lied or they were much mistaken, for at any rate on this occasion they did the exact contrary All the while that we thought ere stalking the us The Goroko manoeuvre had not deceived thenificance
Here, I may add that those spies were in our own ranks, traitors, in short, ere really in the pay of Rezu and possibly belonged to his abominable faith, some of whom slipped away froress and plans, so far as they knew theuard left around the place of sacrifice and the hut where Inez was confined The real army he never found at all That was divided into two bodies and hidden in bush to the right and left of the ridge which ere descending just at the spot where it joined the plain beneath, and into the jaws of these two araily
Now that hypothetical reader will say, ”Why didn't that silly old fool, Allan, think of all these things? Why didn't he rees ho whom there were sure to be traitors, especially as they were of the same blood as the Rezuites, and take precautions?”
Ah! my dear reader, I will only answer that I wish you had handled the job yourself, and enjoyed the opportunity of seeing what you could do in the circumstances Do you suppose I didn't think of all these points? Of course I did But have you ever heard of the difficulty of looreeable barbarians whom you had never even drilled, into trustworthy and efficient soldiers ready to fight three ti to observe that I did get through soht have done, Mr Wisdoh I admit, not without help from another quarter It is all very well for you to sit in your armchair and be sapient and turn up your learned nose, like the gentlemen who criticise plays and poe of them From all of which, however, you will understand that I am, to tell the truth, rather ashamed of what followed, since qui s'excuse, s'accuse
As we slunk down that hill in thecrowd, I adin with I did not like that remark of the Medicine-man which Hans reported, to the effect that the feast must come after the victory, especially as he had said just before that Robertson was to be sacrificed as the sun rose, which would seeest that the ”victory” was planned to take place before that event
While I was ru upon this subject, I looked round for Hans to cross-examine him as to the priest's exact words, only to find that he had slunk off so back towards us swiftly and, I noticed, taking shelter behind tree trunks and rocks as he caasped, for he was out of breath, ”be careful, those Rezu men are on either side ahead I went forward and ran into theht cut on his ar
Instantly I understood that ere aan to think very hard indeed As it chanced ere passing across a large flat space upon the ridge, say seven or eight acres in extent, where the bush grew lightly, though owing to the soil being better, the trees were tall
On the steep slope below this little plain it see to Hans, that the aers to the others that they were to halt also as they ca them a rest before they were marshalled and we advanced to the battle
Then I told Uaas what Hans said and asked him to send out his Zulu soldier whom he could trust, to see if he could obtain confirmation of the report This he did at once Also I asked hi that it was true
”For or a square and await attack,” he answered
I nodded, for that was my own opinion, but replied, ”If they were Zulus, the plan would be good But hoe know that these , Macumazahn, and therefore can only try If they run it must be up-hill”
Then I called the captains and told them as toward, which seemed to alarm them very much Indeed one or two of them wanted to retreat at once, but I said I would shoot the first reed to my plan and said that they would post their best soldiers above, at the top of the square, with the orders to stop any atteht up the mountain
After this we for it in a rather rough, four-fold line While ere doing this we heard some shouts below and presently the Zulu returned, who reported that all was as Hans had said and that Rezu's ht, that we had halted and escaped their ambush
Still the attack did not develop at once, for the reason that the Rezu ar up the steep flanks of the spur on either side of the level piece of ground, with a view of encircling us altogether, so as to make a clean sweep of our force As a matter of fact, considered from our point of view, this was a most fortunate move, since thereby they stopped any atteer, whose bolt-hole was now blocked
When we had done all we could, we sat down, or at least I did, and waited The night, I reely still, only from the slopes on either side of our plateau ca sound which in fact was caused by the feet of Rezu's people, as they marched to surround us
It ceased at last and the silence grew complete, so ger chattering with fear, a sound that gave aas to rerown; they remained ”as those of babies” I told the captains to pass the word down the ranks that those who stood ht live, but those who fled would certainly die Therefore if they wished to see their hoht like men Otherwise most of them would be killed and the rest eaten by Rezu This was done, and I observed that theeffect upon our ranks
Suddenly all around us, from below, from above and on either side there broke a most awful roar which seemed to shape itself into the word, Rezu, and next minute also from above, below and either side, some ten thousand ht they looked very terrible with their flohite robes and great gleah for all the effect they produced, we ht as well have pelted a breaker with pebbles Then, as I thought that I should be more useful alive than dead, I retreated within the square, U with er stood the attack better than I expected They beat back the first rush with considerable loss to the enele Then there was a pause during which we re-for the wounded men into the square
Scarcely had we done this ith another ain-that was about an hour after the battle had begun But now they had changed their tactics, for instead of trying to rush all sides of the square at once, they concentrated their efforts on the western front, that which faced towards the plain below
On they caain I caught sight of a gigantic h and big in proportion I could not see hiht, but I noted his fierce aspect, also that he had an enorrey, that flowed down to hisin masses upon his shoulders
”Rezu hiaas
”Aye, Macumazahn, Rezu himself without doubt, and I rejoice to see hiht Look! he carries an axe as I do Now I th for e coht that I would spare Uaas this exertion and watched iant But I could never get one Once when I had covered hiun so that I could not shoot, and when a second chance came a little cloud floated over the face of the s to which to attend, since, as I expected would happen, the western face of our square gave, and yelling like devils, the eneap
A cold thrill went through aer was i was to be expected except panic, rout and slaughter I cursedto do with the business, while Hans screamed to me in a thin voice that the only chance was for us three and the Zulu to bolt and hide in the bush
I did not answer hi was i masses of men which surrounded us on every side? No,a kind of mental sandwich of prayers and curses; prayers for er and everything to do with them, especially Zikali and the woman called Ayesha, who, between them, had led me into this affair
”Perhaps the Great Medicine of Zikali,” piped Hans again as he fired a rifle at the advancing foe
”Hang the Great Medicine,” I shouted back, ”and Ayesha with it No wonder she declined to take a hand in this business”
As I spoke the words I saw old Billali, who not being a o flat onto his venerable face, and reflected that he lance at him to see if he were done for or only wounded, out of the corner of leaht and reminded me of I knew not what at the ht be and lo! there, al in her hand a little rod made of black wood inlaid with ivory not unlike a field marshal's baton, or a sceptre
I never saw her come and to this day I do not kno she did so; she was just there and what iselse on her robes, for they gleamed with a sort of faint, phosphorescent fire, which in the ht made her conspicuous all over the field of battle Nor did she speak a single word, she only waved the rod, pointed with it towards the fierce hordes ere drawing near to us, killing as they ca motion
Now from every side there went up a roar of ”She-who-commands! She-who-commands!” while the people of Rezu in front shouted ”Lulala! Lulala! Fly, Lulala is upon us with the witchcrafts of the e ian to inning to give way to wild panic, becae and moved after her
The men of Rezu also, and I suppose with thean to e of the plateau towards the plain beneath In fact they broke into flight and leaping over dead and dying, we rushed after the robe of Ayesha, who ile person, since without any apparent exertion she held her place a few steps ahead of us
There was another curious circuh they were, those Rezuites, after the first break, soon seemed to find it i round to look behind theh they were so many of Lot's wives Moreover, the same fate overtook many of them which fell upon that scriptural lady, since they appeared to become petrified and stood there quite still, like rabbits fascinated by a snake, until our people ca went on all down the last steep slope of the ridge, on which I suppose at least two-thirds of the arer showed the foes ere too terror-struck to fight, and, exhilarated by the occupation, gained courage every moment