the ivory child-第52章

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

Kendah　a　few　hundred　yards　away。　Never　could　there　have　been　a　fairer

shot　and　one　more　certain　to　result　in　a　fatal　wound。　The　brute's　head

was　up　and　its　mouth　was　open。　All　I　had　to　do　was　to　send　a　hard…

tipped　bullet　crashing　through　the　palate　to　the　brain　behind。　It　was

so　easy　that　I　would　have　made　a　bet　that　I　could　have　finished　him

with　one　hand　tied　behind　me。



I　lifted　the　heavy　rifle。　I　got　the　sights　dead　on　to　a　certain　spot

at　the　back　of　that　red　cave。　I　pressed　the　trigger；　the　charge　boomed

and　nothing　happened！　I　heard　no　bullet　strike　and　Jana　did　not　even

take　the　trouble　to　close　his　mouth。



An　exclamation　of　〃O…oh！〃　went　up　from　the　watchers。　Before　it　had

died　away　the　second　bullet　followed　the　first；　with　the　same　result

or　rather　lack　of　result；　and　another　louder　〃O…oh！〃　arose。　Then　Jana

tranquilly　shut　his　mouth；　having　finished　trumpeting；　and　as　though

to　give　me　a　still　better　target；　turned　broadside　on　and　stood　quite

still。



With　an　inward　curse　I　snatched　the　second　rifle　and　aiming　behind　the

ear　at　a　spot　which　long　experience　told　me　covered　the　heart　let

drive　again；　first　one　barrel　and　then　the　other。



Jana　never　stirred。　No　bullet　thudded。　No　mark　of　blood　appeared　upon

his　hide。　The　horrible　thought　overcame　me　that　I；　Allan　Quatermain；　I

the　famous　shot；　the　renowned　elephant…hunter；　had　four　times　missed

this　haystack　of　a　brute　from　a　distance　of　forty　yards。　So　great　was

my　shame　that　I　think　I　almost　fainted。　Through　a　kind　of　mist　I　heard

various　ejaculations：



〃Great　Heavens！〃　said　Ragnall。



〃/Allemagte！/〃　remarked　Hans。



〃The　Child　help　us！〃　muttered　Har？t。



All　the　rest　of　them　stared　at　me　as　though　I　were　a　freak　or　a

lunatic。　Then　somebody　laughed　nervously；　and　immediately　everybody

began　to　laugh。　Even　the　distant　army　of　the　Black　Kendah　became

convulsed　with　roars　of　unholy　merriment　and　I；　Allan　Quatermain；　was

the　centre　of　all　this　mockery；　till　I　felt　as　though　I　were　going

mad。　Suddenly　the　laughter　ceased　and　once　more　Simba　the　King　began

to　roar　out　something　about　〃Jana　the　Invincible　and　Invulnerable；〃　to

which　the　White　Kendah　replied　with　cries　of　〃Magic〃　and　〃Bewitched！

Bewitched！〃



〃Yes；〃　yelled　Simba；　〃no　bullet　can　touch　Jana　the　god；　not　even　those

of　the　white　lord　who　was　brought　from　far　to　kill　him。〃



Hans　leaped　on　to　the　top　of　the　wall；　where　he　danced　up　and　down

like　an　intoxicated　monkey；　and　screamed：



〃Then　where　is　Jana's　left　eye？　Did　not　my　bullet　put　it　out　like　a

lamp？　If　Jana　is　invulnerable；　why　did　my　bullet　put　out　his　left

eye？〃



Hans　ceased　from　dancing　on　the　wall　and　steadying　himself；　lifted　the

little　rifle　Intombi；　shouting：



〃Let　us　see　whether　after　all　this　beast　is　a　god　or　an　elephant。〃



Then　he　touched　the　trigger；　and　simultaneously　with　the　report；　I

heard　the　bullet　clap　and　saw　blood　appear　on　Jana's　hide　just　by　the

very　spot　over　the　heart　at　which　I　had　aimed　without　result。　Of

course；　the　soft　ball　driven　from　a　small…bore　rifle　with　a　light

charge　of　powder　was　far　too　weak　to　penetrate　to　the　vitals。　Probably

it　did　not　do　much　more　than　pierce　through　the　skin　and　an　inch　or

two　of　flesh　behind　it。



Still；　its　effects　upon　this　〃invulnerable〃　god　were　of　a　marked

order。　He　whipped　round；　he　lifted　his　trunk　and　screamed　with　rage

and　pain。　Then　off　he　lumbered　back　towards　his　own　people；　at　such　a

pace　that　the　attendants　who　held　the　chains　on　either　side　of　him

were　thrown　over　and　forced　to　leave　go　of　him；　while　the　king　and　the

priest　upon　his　back　could　only　retain　their　seats　by　clinging　to　the

chair　and　the　rope　about　his　neck。



The　result　was　satisfactory　so　far　as　the　dispelling　of　magical

illusions　went；　but　it　left　me　in　a　worse　position　than　before；　since

it　now　became　evident　that　what　had　protected　Jana　from　my　bullets　was

nothing　more　supernatural　than　my　own　lack　of　skill。　Oh！　never　in　my

life　did　I　drink　of　such　a　cup　of　humiliation　as　it　was　my　lot　to

drain　to　the　dregs　in　this　most　unhappy　hour。　Almost　did　I　hope　that　I

might　be　killed　at　once。



And　yet；　and　yet；　how　was　it　possible　that　with　all　my　skill　I　should

have　missed　this　towering　mountain　of　flesh　four　times　in　succession。

The　question　is　one　to　which　I　have　never　discovered　any　answer；

especially　as　Hans　hit　it　easily　enough；　which　at　the　time　I　wished

heartily　he　had　not　done；　since　his　success　only　served　to　emphasize

my　miserable　failure。　Fortunately；　just　then　a　diversion　occurred

which　freed　my　unhappy　self　from　further　public　attention。　With　a

shout　and　a　roar　the　great　army　of　the　Black　Kendah　woke　into　life。



The　advance　had　begun。







CHAPTER　XX



ALLAN　WEEPS



On　they　came；　slowly　and　steadily；　preceded　by　a　cloud　of　skirmishers

a　thousand　or　more　of　thesewho　kept　as　open　an　order　as　the　narrow

ground　would　allow　and　carried；　each　of　them；　a　bundle　of　throwing

spears　arranged　in　loops　or　sockets　at　the　back　of　the　shield。　When

these　men　were　about　a　hundred　yards　away　we　opened　fire　and　killed　a

great　number　of　them；　also　some　of　the　marshalled　troops　behind。　But

this　did　not　stop　them　in　the　least；　for　what　could　fifty　rifles　do

against　a　horde　of　brave　barbarians　who；　it　seemed；　had　no　fear　of

death？　Presently　their　spears　were　falling　among　us　and　a　few

casualties　began　to　occur；　not　many；　because　of　the　protecting　wall；

but　still　some。　Again　and　again　we　loaded　and　fired；　sweeping　away

those　in　front　of　us；　but　always　others　came　to　take　their　places。

Finally　at　some　word　of　command　these　light　skirmishers　vanished；

except　whose　who　were　dead　or　wounded；　taking　shelter　behind　the

advancing　regiments　which　now　were　within　fifty　yards　of　us。



Then；　after　a　momentary　pause　another　command　was　shouted　out　and　the

first　regiment　charged　in　three　solid　ranks。　We　fired　a　volley　point

blank　into　them　and；　as　it　was　hopeless　for　fifty　men　to　withstand

such　an　onslaught；　bolted　during　the　temporary　confusion　that　ensued；

taking　refuge；　as　it　had　been　arranged　that　we　should　do；　at　a　point

of　vantage　farther　down　the　line　of　fortifications；　whence　we

maintained　our　galling　fire。



Now　it　was　that　the　main　body　of　the　White　Kendah　came　into　action

under　the　leadership　of　Ragnall　and　Har？t。　The　enemy　scrambled　over

the　first　wall；　which　we　had　just　vacated；　to　find　themselves　in　a

network　of　other　walls　held　by　our　spearmen　in　a　narrow　place　where

numbers　gave　no　great　advantage。



Here　the　fighting　was　terrible　and　the　loss　of　the　attackers　great；

for　always　as　they　carried　one　entrenchment　they　found　another　a　few

yards　in　front　of　them；　out　of　which　the　defenders　could　only　be

driven　at　much　cost　of　life。



Two　hours　or　more　the　battle　went　on　thus。　In　spite　of　the　desperate

resistance　which　we　offered；　the　multitude　of　the　Black　Kendah；　who　I

must　say　fought　magnificently；　stormed　wall　after　wall；　leaving

hundreds　of　dead　and　wounded　to　mark　their　difficult　progress。

Meanwhile　I　and　my　riflemen　rained　bullets　on　them　from　certain

positions　which　we　had　selected　beforehand；　until　at　length　our

ammunition　began　to　run　low。



At　half…past　eight　in　the　morning　we　were　driven　back　over　the　open

ground　to　our　last　entrenchment；　a　very　strong　one　just　outside　of　the

eastern　gate　of　the　temple　which；　it　will　be　remembered；　was　set　in　a

tunnel　pierced　through　the　natural　lava　rock。　Thrice　did　the　Black

Kendah　come　on　and　thrice　we　beat　them　off；　till　the　ditch　in　front　of

the　wall　was　almost　full　of　fallen。　As　fast　as　they　climbed　to　the　top

of　it　the　White　Kendah　thrust　them　through　with　their　long　spears；　or

we　shot　them　with　our　rifles；　the　nature　of　the　ground　being　such　that

only　a　direct　frontal　attack　was　possible。



In　the　end　they　drew　back　sullenly；　having；　as　we　hoped；　given　up　the

assault。　As　it　turned　out；　this　was　not　so。　They　were　only　resting　and

waiting　for　the　arrival　of　their　reserve。　It　came　up　shouting　and

singing　a　war…song；　two　thousand　strong　or　more；　and　presently　once

more　they　charged　like　a　flood　of　water。　We　beat　them　back。　They

reformed　and　charged　a　second　time　and　we　beat　them　back。



Then　they　took　another　counsel。　Standing　among　the　dead　and　dying　at

the　base　of　the　wall；　which　was　built　of　loose　stones　and　earth；　where

we　could　not　easily　get　at　them　because　of　the　showers　of　spears　which

were　rained　at　anyone　who　showed　himself；　they　began　to　undermine　it；

levering　out　the　bottom　stones　with　stakes　and　battering　them　with

poles。



In　five　minutes　a　breach　appeared；　through　which　they　poured

tumultuously。　It　was　hopeless　to　withstand　that　onslaught　of　so　vast　a

number。　Fighting　desperately；　we　were　driven　down　the　tunnel　and

through　the　doors　that　were　opened　to　us；　into　the　first　court　of　the

temple。　By　furious　efforts　we　managed　to　close　these　doors　and　block

them　with　stones　and　earth。　But　this　did　not　avail　us　long；　for；

bringing　brushwood　and　dry　grass；　they　built　a　fire　against　them　that

soon　caught　the　thick　cedar　wood　of　which　they　were　made。



While　they　burned　we　consulted　together。　Further　retreat　seemed

impossible；　since　the　second　court　of　the　temple；　save　for　a　narrow

passage；　was　filled　with　corn　which　allowed　no　room　for　fighting；

while　behind　it　were　gathered　all　the　women　and　children；　more　than

two　thousand　of　them。　Here；　or　nowhere；　we　must　make　our　stand　and

conquer　or　die。　Up　to　this　time；　compared　with　what　which　we　had

inflicted　upon　the　Black　Kendah；　of　whom　a　couple　of　thousand　or　more

had　fallen；　our　loss　was　comparatively　slight；　say　two　hundred　killed

and　as　many　more　wounded。　Most　of　such　of　the　latter　as　could　not　walk

we　had　managed　to　carry　into　the　first　court　of　the　temple；　laying

them　close　against　the　cloister　walls；　whence　they　watched　us　in　a

grisly　ring。



This　left　us　about　sixteen　hundred　able…bodied　men　or　many　more　than

we　could　employ　with　effect　in　that　narrow　place。　Therefore　we

determined　to　act　upon　a　plan　which　we　had　already　designed　in　case

such　an　emergency　as　ours　should　arise。　About　three　hundred　and　fifty

of　the　best　men　were　to　remain　to　defend　the　temple　till　all　were

slain。　The　rest；　to　the　number　of　over　a　thousand；　were　to　withdraw

through　the　second　court　and　the　gates　beyond　to　the　camp　of　the　women

and　children。　These　they　were　to　conduct　by　secret　paths　that　were

known　to　them　to　where　the　camels　were　kraaled；　and　mounting　as　many

as　possible　of　them　on　the　camels　to　fly　whither　they　could。　Our　hope

was　that　the　victorious　Black　Kendah　would　be　too　exhausted　to　follow

them　across　the　plain　to　the　distant　mountains。　It　was　a　dreadful

determination；　but　we　had　no　choice。



〃What　of　my　wife？〃　Ragnall　asked　hoarsely。



〃While　the　temple　stands　she　must　remain　in　the　temple；〃　replied