the ivory child-第51章

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or　trunk。　I　didn't　find　him；　Baas；　although　I　heard　him。　But　one　of

their　captains　stood　up　in　front　of　a　watchfire；　giving　a　good　shot。

My　bullet　found　/him/；　Baas；　for　he　tumbled　back　into　the　fire　making

the　sparks　fly　this　way　and　that。　Then　I　ran　and；　as　you　see；　got　here

quite　safely。〃



〃Why　did　you　play　that　fool's　trick？〃　I　asked；　〃seeing　that　it　ought

to　have　cost　you　your　life？〃



〃I　shall　die　just　when　I　have　to　die；　not　before；　Baas；〃　he　replied　in

the　intervals　of　reloading　the　little　rifle。　〃Also　it　was　the　trick　of

a　wise　man；　not　of　a　fool；　seeing　that　it　has　made　the　Black　Kendah

think　that　we　were　attacking　them　and　caused　them　to　hurry　on　to

attack　/us/　in　the　dark　over　ground　that　they　do　not　know。　Listen　to

them　coming！〃



As　he　spoke　a　roar　of　sound　told　us　that　the　great　charge　had　swept

round　a　turn　there　was　in　the　pass　and　was　heading　towards　us　up　the

straight。　Ivory　horns　brayed；　captains　shouted　orders；　the　very

mountains　shook　beneath　the　beating　of　thousands　of　feet　of　men　and

horses；　while　in　one　great　yell　that　echoed　from　the　cliffs　and

forests　went　up　the　battle…cry　of　〃/Jana！　Jana！/〃a　mixed　tumult　of

noise　which　contrasted　very　strangely　with　the　utter　silence　in　our

ranks。



〃They　will　be　among　the　pitfalls　presently；〃　sniggered　Hans；　shifting

his　weight　nervously　from　one　leg　on　to　the　other。　〃Hark！　they　are

going　into　them。〃



It　was　true。　Screams　of　fear　and　pain　told　me　that　the　front　ranks　had

begun　to　fall；　horse　and　foot　together；　into　the　cunningly　devised

snares　of　which　with　so　much　labour　we　had　dug　many；　concealing　them

with　earth　spread　over　thin　wickerwork；　or　rather　interlaced　boughs。

Into　them　went　the　forerunners；　to　be　pierced　by　the　sharp；　fire…

hardened　stakes　set　at　the　bottom　of　each　pit。　Vainly　did　those　who

were　near　enough　to　understand　their　danger　call　to　the　ranks　behind

to　stop。　They　could　not　or　would　not　comprehend；　and　had　no　room　to

extend　their　front。　Forward　surged　the　human　torrent；　thrusting　all　in

front　of　it　to　death　by　wounds　or　suffocation　in　those　deadly　holes；

till　one　by　one　they　were　filled　level　with　the　ground　by　struggling

men　and　horses；　over　whom　the　army　still　rushed　on。



How　many　perished　there　I　do　not　know；　but　after　the　battle　was　over

we　found　scarcely　a　pit　that　was　not　crowded　to　the　brim　with　dead。

Truly　this　device　of　Ragnall's；　for　if　I　had　conceived　the　idea；　which

was　unfamiliar　to　the　Kendah；　it　was　he　who　had　carried　it　out　in　so

masterly　a　fashion；　had　served　us　well。



Still　the　enemy　surged　on；　since　the　pits　were　only　large　enough　to

hold　a　tithe　of　them；　till　at　length；　horsemen　and　footmen　mixed　up

together　in　inextricable　confusion；　their　mighty　mass　became　faintly

visible　quite　close　to　us；　a　blacker　blot　upon　the　gloom。



Then　my　turn　came。　When　they　were　not　more　than　fifty　yards　away　from


the　first　wall；　I　shouted　an　order　to　my　riflemen　to　fire；　aiming　low；

and　set　the　example　by　loosing　both　barrels　of　an　elephant　gun　at　the

thickest　of　the　mob。　At　that　distance　even　the　most　inexperienced

shots　could　not　miss　such　a　mark；　especially　as　those　bullets　that

went　high　struck　among　the　oncoming　troops　behind；　or　caught　the

horsemen　lifted　above　their　fellows。　Indeed；　of　the　first　few　rounds　I

do　not　think　that　one　was　wasted；　while　often　single　balls　killed　or

injured　several　men。



The　result　was　instantaneous。　The　Black　Kendah　who；　be　it　remembered；

were　totally　unaccustomed　to　the　effects　of　rifle　fire　and　imagined

that　we　only　possessed　two　or　three　guns　in　all；　stopped　their　advance

as　though　paralyzed。　For　a　few　seconds　there　was　silence；　except　for

the　intermittent　crackle　of　the　rifles　as　my　men　loaded　and　fired。

Next　came　the　cries　of　the　smitten　men　and　horses　that　were　falling

everywhere；　and　thenthe　unmistakable　sound　of　a　stampede。



〃They　have　gone。　That　was　too　warm　for　them；　Baas；〃　chuckled　Hans

exultingly。



〃Yes；〃　I　answered；　when　I　had　at　length　succeeded　in　stopping　the

firing；　〃but　I　expect　they　will　come　back　with　the　light。　Still；　that

trick　of　yours　has　cost　them　dear；　Hans。〃



By　degrees　the　dawn　began　to　break。　It　was；　I　remember；　a　particularly

beautiful　dawn；　resembling　a　gigantic　and　vivid　rose　opening　in　the

east；　or　a　cup　of　brightness　from　which　many　coloured　wines　were

poured　all　athwart　the　firmament。　Very　peaceful　also；　for　not　a　breath

of　wind　was　stirring。　But　what　a　scene　the　first　rays　of　the　sun

revealed　upon　that　narrow　stretch　of　pass　in　front　of　us。　Everywhere

the　pitfalls　and　trenches　were　filled　with　still　surging　heaps　of　men

and　horses；　while　all　about　lay　dead　and　wounded　men；　the　red　harvest

of　our　rifle　fire。　It　was　dreadful　to　contrast　the　heavenly　peace

above　and　the　hellish　horror　beneath。



We　took　count　and　found　that　up　to　this　moment　we　had　not　lost　a

single　man；　one　only　having　been　slightly　wounded　by　a　thrown　spear。

As　is　common　among　semi…savages；　this　fact　filled　the　White　Kendah

with　an　undue　exultation。　Thinking　that　as　the　beginning　was　so　the

end　must　be；　they　cheered　and　shouted；　shaking　each　other's　hands；

then　fell　to　eating　the　food　which　the　women　brought　them　with

appetite；　chattering　incessantly；　although　as　a　general　rule　they　were

a　very　silent　people。　Even　the　grave　Har？t；　who　arrived　full　of

congratulations；　seemed　as　high…spirited　as　a　boy；　till　I　reminded　him

that　the　real　battle　had　not　yet　commenced。



The　Black　Kendah　had　fallen　into　a　trap　and　lost　some　of　their　number；

that　was　all；　which　was　fortunate　for　us　but　could　scarcely　affect　the

issue　of　the　struggle；　since　they　had　many　thousands　left。　Ragnall；

who　had　come　up　from　his　lines；　agreed　with　me。　As　he　said；　these

people　were　fighting　for　life　as　well　as　honour；　seeing　that　most　of

the　corn　which　they　needed　for　their　sustenance　was　stored　in　great

heaps　either　in　or　to　the　rear　of　the　temple　behind　us。　Therefore　they

must　come　on　until　they　won　or　were　destroyed。　How　with　our　small

force　could　we　hope　to　destroy　this　multitude？　That　was　the　problem

which　weighed　upon　our　hearts。



About　a　quarter　of　an　hour　later　two　spies　that　we　had　set　upon　the

top　of　the　precipitous　cliffs；　whence　they　had　a　good　view　of　the　pass

beyond　the　bend；　came　scrambling　down　the　rocks　like　monkeys　by　a

route　that　was　known　to　them。　These　boys；　for　they　were　no　more；

reported　that　the　Black　Kendah　were　reforming　their　army　beyond　the

bend　of　the　pass；　and　that　the　cavalry　were　dismounting　and　sending

their　horses　to　the　rear；　evidently　because　they　found　them　useless　in

such　a　place。　A　little　later　solitary　men　appeared　from　behind　the

bend；　carrying　bundles　of　long　sticks　to　each　of　which　was　attached　a

piece　of　white　cloth；　a　proceeding　that　excited　my　curiosity。



Soon　its　object　became　apparent。　Swiftly　these　men；　of　whom　in　the　end

there　may　have　been　thirty　or　forty；　ran　to　and　fro；　testing　the

ground　with　spears　in　search　for　pitfalls。　I　think　they　only　found　a

very　few　that　had　not　been　broken　into；　but　in　front　of　these　and　also

of　those　that　were　already　full　of　men　and　horses　they　set　up　the

flags　as　a　warning　that　they　should　be　avoided　in　the　advance。　Also

they　removed　a　number　of　their　wounded。



We　had　great　difficulty　in　restraining　the　White　Kendah　from　rushing

out　to　attack　them；　which　of　course　would　only　have　led　us　into　a　trap

in　our　turn；　since　they　would　have　fled　and　conducted　their　pursuers

into　the　arms　of　the　enemy。　Nor　would　I　allow　my　riflemen　to　fire；　as

the　result　must　have　been　many　misses　and　a　great　waste　of　ammunition

which　ere　long　would　be　badly　wanted。　I；　however；　did　shoot　two　or

three；　then　gave　it　up　as　the　remainder　took　no　notice　whatever。



When　they　had　thoroughly　explored　the　ground　they　retired　until；　a

little　later；　the　Black　Kendah　army　began　to　appear；　marching　in

serried　regiments　and　excellent　order　round　the　bend；　till　perhaps

eight　or　ten　thousand　of　them　were　visible；　a　very　fierce　and　awe…

inspiring　/impi/。　Their　front　ranks　halted　between　three　and　four

hundred　yards　away；　which　I　thought　farther　off　than　it　was　advisable

to　open　fire　on　them　with　Snider　rifles　held　by　unskilled　troops。　Then

came　a　pause；　which　at　length　was　broken　by　the　blowing　of　horns　and　a

sound　of　exultant　shouting　beyond　the　turn　of　the　pass。



Now　from　round　this　turn　appeared　the　strangest　sight　that　I　think　my

eyes　had　ever　seen。　Yes；　there　came　the　huge　elephant；　Jana；　at　a

slow；　shambling　trot。　On　his　back　and　head　were　two　men　in　whom；　with

my　glasses；　I　recognized　the　lame　priest　whom　I　already　knew　too　well

and　Simba；　the　king　of　the　Black　Kendah；　himself；　gorgeously

apparelled　and　waving　a　long　spear；　seated　in　a　kind　of　wooden　chair。

Round　the　brute's　neck　were　a　number　of　bright　metal　chains；　twelve　in

all；　and　each　of　these　chains　was　held　by　a　spearman　who　ran

alongside；　six　on　one　side　and　six　on　the　other。　Lastly；　ingeniously

fastened　to　the　end　of　his　trunk　were　three　other　chains　to　which　were

attached　spiked　knobs　of　metal。



On　he　came　as　docilely　as　any　Indian　elephant　used　for　carrying　teak

logs；　passing　through　the　centre　of　the　host　up　a　wide　lane　which　had

been　left；　I　suppose　for　his　convenience；　and　intelligently　avoiding

the　pitfalls　filled　with　dead。　I　thought　that　he　would　stop　among　the

first　ranks。　But　not　so。　Slackening　his　pace　to　a　walk　he　marched

forwards　towards　our　fortifications。　Now；　of　course；　I　saw　my　chance

and　made　sure　that　my　double…barrelled　elephant　rifle　was　ready　and

that　Hans　held　a　second　rifle；　also　double…barrelled　and　of　similar

calibre；　full…cocked　in　such　a　position　that　I　could　snatch　it　from

him　in　a　moment。



〃I　am　going　to　kill　that　elephant；〃　I　said。　〃Let　no　one　else　fire。

Stand　still　and　you　shall　see　the　god　Jana　die。〃



Still　the　enormous　beast　floundered　forward；　up　to　that　moment　I　had

never　realized　how　truly　huge　it　was；　not　even　when　it　stood　over　me

in　the　moonlight　about　to　crush　me　with　its　foot。　Of　this　I　am　sure；

that　none　to　equal　it　ever　lived　in　Africa；　at　least　in　any　times　of

which　I　have　knowledge。



〃Fire；　Baas；〃　whispered　Hans；　〃it　is　near　enough。〃



But　like　the　Frenchman　and　the　cock　pheasant；　I　determined　to　wait

until　it　stopped；　wishing　to　finish　it　with　a　single　ball；　if　only　for

the　prestige　of　the　thing。



At　length　it　did　stop　and；　opening　its　cavern　of　a　mouth；　lifted　its

great　trunk　and　trumpeted；　while　Simba；　standing　up　in　his　chair；

began　to　shout　out　some　command　to　us　to　surrender　to　the　god　Jana；

〃the　Invincible；　the　Invulnerable。〃



〃I　will　show　you　if　you　are　invulnerable；　my　boy；〃　said　I　to　myself；

glancing　round　to　make　sure　that　Hans　had　the　second　rifle　ready　and

catching　sight　of　Ragnall　and　Har？t　and　all　the　White　Kendah　standing

up　in　their　trenches；　breathlessly　awaiting　the　end；　as　were　the　Black

Kendah　a　few　hundred　yards　away。