the ivory child-第69章

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when　Jana　rushes　on　and　death　is　very　near　to　him　to…day；　and　let　him

lookfor　then　perchance　he　shall　see　me。　Begone　now；　Yellow　Dog；　to

the　heels　of　your　master；　and　play　your　part　well　in　the　battle；　for

of　what　you　do　or　leave　undone　you　shall　give　account　to　me。　Say　that

Mameena　sends　her　greetings　to　the　Lord　Macumazana　and　that　she　adds

this；　that　when　the　Old　Man　and　the　White　ones　told　you　that　Love　is

the　secret　blood　of　the　worlds　which　makes　them　to　be　they　did　not

lie。　Love　reigns　and　I；　Mameena；　am　its　priestess；　and　the　heart　of

Macumazana　is　my　holy　house。'



〃Then；　Baas；　I　tumbled　off　a　precipice　and　woke　up　here；　and；　Baas；　as

we　may　not　light　a　fire　I　have　kept　some　coffee　hot　for　you　buried　in

warm　ashes；〃　and　without　another　word　he　went　to　fetch　that　coffee；

leaving　me　shaken　and　amazed。



For　what　kind　of　a　dream　was　it　which　revealed　to　an　old　Hottentot　all

these　mysteries　and　hidden　things　about　persons　whom　he　had　never　seen

and　of　whom　I　had　never　spoken　to　him？　My　father　and　my　wife　Marie

might　be　explained；　for　with　these　he　had　been　mixed　up；　but　how　about

Stella　and　above　all　Mameena；　although　of　course　it　was　possible　that

he　had　heard　of　the　latter；　who　made　some　stir　in　her　time？　But　to　hit

her　off　as　he　had　done　in　all　her　pride；　splendour；　and　dominion　of

desire！



Well；　that　was　his　story　which；　perhaps　fortunately；　I　lacked　time　to

analyse　or　brood　upon；　since　there　was　much　in　it　calculated　to

unnerve　a　man　just　entering　the　crisis　of　a　desperate　fray。　Indeed　a

minute　or　so　later；　as　I　was　swallowing　the　last　of　the　coffee；

messengers　arrived　about　some　business；　I　forget　what；　sent　by　Ragnall

I　think；　who　had　risen　before　I　woke。　I　turned　to　give　the　pannikin　to

Hans；　but　he　had　vanished　in　his　snake…like　fashion；　so　I　threw　it

down　upon　the　ground　and　devoted　my　mind　to　the　question　raised　in

Ragnall's　message。



Next　minute　scouts　came　in　who　had　been　watching　the　camp　of　the　Black

Kendah　all　night。



These　were　sleeping　not　more　than　half　a　mile　away；　in　an　open　place

on　the　slope　of　the　hill　with　pickets　thrown　out　round　them；　intending

to　advance　upon　us；　it　was　said；　as　soon　as　the　sun　rose；　since

because　of　their　number　they　feared　lest　to　march　at　night　should

throw　them　into　confusion　and；　in　case　of　their　falling　into　an

ambush；　bring　about　a　disaster。　Such　at　least　was　the　story　of　two

spies　whom　our　people　had　captured。



There　had　been　some　question　as　to　whether　we　should　not　attempt　a

night　attack　upon　their　camp；　of　which　I　was　rather　in　favour。　After

full　debate；　however；　the　idea　had　been　abandoned；　owing　to　the

fewness　of　our　numbers；　the　dislike　which　the　White　Kendah　shared　with

the　Black　of　attempting　to　operate　in　the　dark；　and　the　well　chosen

position　of　our　enemy；　whom　it　would　be　impossible　to　rush　before　we

were　discovered　by　their　outposts。　What　I　hoped　in　my　heart　was　that

they　might　try　to　rush　us；　notwithstanding　the　story　of　the　two

captured　spies；　and　in　the　gloom；　after　the　moon　had　sunk　low　and

before　the　dawn　came；　become　entangled　in　our　pitfalls　and　outlying

entrenchments；　where　we　should　be　able　to　destroy　a　great　number　of

them。　Only　on　the　previous　afternoon　that　cunning　old　fellow；　Hans；

had　pointed　out　to　me　how　advantageous　such　an　event　would　be　to　our

cause　and；　while　agreeing　with　him；　I　suggested　that　probably　the

Black　Kendah　knew　this　as　well　as　we　did；　as　the　prisoners　had　told

us。



Yet　that　very　thing　happened；　and　through　Hans　himself。　Thus：　Old

Har？t　had　come　to　me　just　one　hour　before　the　dawn　to　inform　me　that

all　our　people　were　awake　and　at　their　stations；　and　to　make　some　last

arrangements　as　to　the　course　of　the　defence；　also　about　our　final

concentration　behind　the　last　line　of　walls　and　in　the　first　court　of

the　temple；　if　we　should　be　driven　from　the　outer　entrenchments。　He

was　telling　me　that　the　Oracle　of　the　Child　had　uttered　words　at　the

ceremony　that　night　which　he　and　all　the　priests　considered　were　of

the　most　favourable　import；　news　to　which　I　listened　with　some

impatience；　feeling　as　I　did　that　this　business　had　passed　out　of　the

range　of　the　Child　and　its　Oracle。　As　he　spoke；　suddenly　through　the

silence　that　precedes　the　dawn；　there　floated　to　our　ears　the

unmistakable　sound　of　a　rifle。　Yes；　a　rifle　shot；　half　a　mile　or　so

away；　followed　by　the　roaring　murmur　of　a　great　camp　unexpectedly

alarmed　at　night。



〃Who　can　have　fired　that？〃　I　asked。　〃The　Black　Kendah　have　no　guns。〃



He　replied　that　he　did　not　know；　unless　some　of　my　fifty　men　had　left

their　posts。



While　we　were　investigating　the　matter；　scouts　rushed　in　with　the

intelligence　that　the　Black　Kendah；　thinking　apparently　that　they　were

being　attacked；　had　broken　camp　and　were　advancing　towards　us。　We

passed　a　warning　all　down　the　lines　and　stood　to　arms。　Five　minutes

later；　as　I　stood　listening　to　that　approaching　roar；　filled　with

every　kind　of　fear　and　melancholy　foreboding　such　as　the　hour　and　the

occasion　might　well　have　evoked；　through　the　gloom；　which　was　dense；

the　moon　being　hidden　behind　the　hill；　I　thought　I　caught　sight　of

something　running　towards　me　like　a　crouching　man。　I　lifted　my　rifle

to　fire　but；　reflecting　that　it　might　be　no　more　than　a　hyena　and

fearing　to　provoke　a　fusilade　from　my　half…trained　company；　did　not　do

so。



Next　instant　I　was　glad　indeed；　for　immediately　on　the　other　side　of

the　wall　behind　which　I　was　standing　I　heard　a　well…known　voice　gasp

out：



〃Don't　shoot；　Baas；　it　is　I。〃



〃What　have　you　been　doing；　Hans？〃　I　said　as　he　scrambled　over　the　wall

to　my　side；　limping　a　little　as　I　fancied。



〃Baas；〃　he　puffed；　〃I　have　been　paying　the　Black　Kendah　a　visit。　I

crept　down　between　their　stupid　outposts；　who　are　as　blind　in　the　dark

as　a　bat　in　daytime；　hoping　to　find　Jana　and　put　a　bullet　into　his　leg

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　t