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<h2> CHAPTER X </h2>
<h3> THE ATTACK </h3>
<p>We won out of the reeds at last, for which I fervently thanked God, since
to have crossed that endless marsh unguided, with the loss of only one
man, seemed little less than miraculous. We emerged from them late in the
afternoon and being wearied out, stopped for a while to rest and eat of
the flesh of a buck that I had been fortunate enough to shoot upon their
fringe. Then we pushed forward up the slope, proposing to camp for the
night on the crest of it a mile or so away where I thought we should
escape from the deadly mist in which we had been enveloped for so long,
and obtain a clear view of the country ahead.</p>
<p>Following the bank of a stream which here ran down into the marsh, we came
at length to this crest just as the sun was sinking. Below us lay a deep
valley, a fold, as it were, in the skin of the mountain, well but not
densely bushed. The woods of this valley climbed up the mountain flank for
some distance above it and then gave way to grassy slopes that ended in
steep sides of rock, which were crowned by a black and frowning precipice
of unknown height.</p>
<p>There was, I remember, something very impressive about this towering
natural wall, which seemed to shut off whatever lay beyond the gaze of
man, as though it veiled an ancient mystery. Indeed, the aspect of it
thrilled me, I knew not why. I observed, however, that at one point in the
mighty cliff there seemed to be a narrow cleft down which, no doubt, lava
had flowed in a remote age, and it occurred to me that up this cleft ran a
roadway, probably a continuation of that by which we had threaded the
swamp. The fact that through my glasses I could see herds of cattle
grazing on the slopes of the mountain went to confirm this view, since
cattle imply owners and herdsmen, and search as I would, I could find no
native villages on the slopes. The inference seemed to be that those
owners dwelt beyond or within the mountain.</p>
<p>All of these things I saw and pointed out to Robertson in the light of the
setting sun.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Umslopogaas had been engaged in selecting the spot where we were
to camp for the night. Some soldierlike instinct, or perchance some
prescience of danger, caused him to choose a place particularly suitable
to defence. It was on a steep-sided mound that more or less resembled a
gigantic ant-heap. Upon one side this mound was protected by the stream
which because of a pool was here rather deep, while at the back of it
stood a collection of those curious and piled-up water-worn rocks that are
often to be found in Africa. These rocks, lying one upon another like the
stones of a Cyclopean wall, curved round the western side of the mound, so
that practically it was only open for a narrow space, say thirty or forty
feet, upon that face of it which looked on to the mountain.</p>
<p>"Umslopogaas expects battle," remarked Hans to me with a grin, "otherwise
with all this nice plain round us he would not have chosen to camp in a
place which a few men could hold against many. Yes, Baas, he thinks that
those cannibals are going to attack us."</p>
<p>"Stranger things have happened," I answered indifferently, and having seen
to the rifles, went to lie down, observing as I did so that the tired
Zulus seemed already to be asleep. Only Umslopogaas did not sleep. On the
contrary, he stood leaning on his axe staring at the dim outlines of the
opposing precipice.</p>
<p>"A strange mountain, Macumazahn," he said, "compared to it that of the
Witch, beneath which my kraal lies, is but a little baby. I wonder what we
shall find within it. I have always loved mountains, Macumazahn, ever
since a dead brother of mine and I lived with the wolves in the Witch's
lap, for on them I have had the best of my fighting."</p>
<p>"Perhaps it is not done with yet," I answered wearily.</p>
<p>"I hope not, Macumazahn, since some is due for us, after all these days of
mud and stench. Sleep a while now, Macumazahn, for that head of yours
which you use so much, must need rest. Fear not, I and the little yellow
man who do not think as much as you do, will keep watch and wake you if
there is need, as mayhap there will be before the dawn. Here none can come
at us except in front, and the place is narrow."</p>
<p>So I lay down and slept as soundly as ever I had done in my life, for a
space of four or five hours I suppose. Then, by some instinct perhaps, I
awoke suddenly, feeling much refreshed in that sweet mountain air, a new
man indeed, and in the moonlight saw Umslopogaas striding towards me.</p>
<p>"Arise, Macumazahn," he said, "I hear men stirring below us."</p>
<p>At this moment Hans slipped past him, whispering,</p>
<p>"The cannibals are coming, Baas, a good number of them. I think they mean
to attack before dawn."</p>
<p>Then he passed behind me to warn the Zulus. As he went by, I said to him,</p>
<p>"If so, Hans, now is the time for your Great Medicine to show what it can
do."</p>
<p>"The Great Medicine will look after you and me all right, Baas," he
replied, pausing and speaking in Dutch, which Umslopogaas did not
understand, "but I expect there will be fewer of those Zulus to cook for
before the sun grows hot. Their spirits will be turned into snakes and go
back into the reeds from which they say they were 'torn out,'" he added
over his shoulder.</p>
<p>I should explain that Hans acted as cook to our party and it was a
grievance with him that the Zulus ate so much of the meat which he was
called upon to prepare. Indeed, there is never much sympathy between
Hottentots and Zulus.</p>
<p>"What is the little yellow man saying about us?" asked Umslopogaas
suspiciously.</p>
<p>"He is saying that if it comes to battle, you and your men will make a
great fight," I replied diplomatically.</p>
<p>"Yes, we will do that, Macumazahn, but I thought he said that we should be
killed and that this pleased him."</p>
<p>"Oh dear no!" I answered hastily. "How could he be pleased if that
happened, since then he would be left defenceless, if he were not killed
too. Now, Umslopogaas, let us make a plan for this fight."</p>
<p>So, together with Robertson, rapidly we discussed the thing. As a result,
with the help of the Zulus, we dragged together some loose stones and the
tops of three small thorn trees which we had cut down, and with them made
a low breastwork, sufficient to give us some protection if we lay down to
shoot. It was the work of a few minutes since we had prepared the material
when we camped in case an emergency should arise.</p>
<p>Behind this breastwork we gathered and waited, Robertson and I being
careful to get a little to the rear of the Zulus, who it will be
remembered had the rifles which the Strathmuir bastards had left behind
them when they bolted, in addition to their axes and throwing assegais.
The question was how these cannibals would fight. I knew that they were
armed with long spears and knives but I did not know if they used those
spears for thrusting or for throwing. In the former case it would be
difficult to get at them with the axes because they must have the longer
reach. Fortunately as it turned out, they did both.</p>
<p>At length all was ready and there came that long and trying wait, the most
disagreeable part of a fight in which one grows nervous and begins to
reflect earnestly upon one's sins. Clearly the Amahagger, if they really
intended business, did not mean to attack till just before dawn, after the
common native fashion, thinking to rush us in the low and puzzling light.
What perplexed me was that they should wish to attack us at all after
having let so many opportunities of doing so go by. Apparently these men
were now in sight of their own home, where no doubt they had many friends,
and by pushing on could reach its shelter before us, especially as they
knew the roads and we did not.</p>
<p>They had come out for a secret purpose that seemed to have to do with the
abduction of a certain young white woman for reasons connected with their
tribal statecraft or ritual, which is the kind of thing that happens not
infrequently among obscure and ancient African tribes. Well, they had
abducted their young woman and were in sight of safety and success in
their objects, whatever these might be. For what possible reason, then,
could they desire to risk a fight with the outraged friends and relatives
of that young woman?</p>
<p>It was true that they outnumbered us and therefore had a good chance of
victory, but on the other hand, they must know that it would be very
dearly won, and if it were not won, that we should retake their captive,
so that all their trouble would have been for nothing. Further they must
be as exhausted and travel-worn as we were ourselves and in no condition
to face a desperate battle.</p>
<p>The problem was beyond me and I gave it up with the reflection that either
this threatened attack was a mere feint to delay us, or that behind it was
something mysterious, such as a determination to prevent us at all hazards
from discovering the secrets of that mountain stronghold.</p>
<p>When I put the riddle to Hans, who was lying next to me, he was ready with
another solution.</p>
<p>"They are men-eaters, Baas," he said, "and being hungry, wish to eat us
before they get to their own land where doubtless they are not allowed to
eat each other."</p>
<p>"Do you think so," I answered, "when we are so thin?" and I surveyed Hans'
scraggy form in the moonlight.</p>
<p>"Oh! yes, Baas, we should be quite good boiled—like old hens, Baas.
Also it is the nature of cannibals to prefer thin man to fat beef. The
devil that is in them gives them that taste, Baas, just as he makes me
like gin, or you turn your head to look at pretty women, as those Zulus
say you always did in their country, especially at a certain witch who was
named Mameena and whom you kissed before everybody——"</p>
<p>Here I turned my head to look at Hans, proposing to smite him with words,
or physically, since to have this Mameena myth, of which I have detailed
the origin in the book called <i>Child of Storm</i>, re-arise out of his
hideous little mouth was too much. But before I could get out a syllable
he held up his finger and whispered,</p>
<p>"Hush! the dawn breaks and they come. I hear them."</p>
<p>I listened intently but could distinguish nothing. Only straining my eyes,
presently I thought that about a hundred yards down the slope beneath us
in the dim light I caught sight of ghostlike figures flitting from tree to
tree; also that these figures were drawing nearer.</p>
<p>"Look out!" I said to Robertson on my right, "I believe they are coming."</p>
<p>"Man," he answered sternly, "I hope so, for whom else have I wanted to
meet all these days?"</p>
<p>Now the figures vanished into a little fold of the ground. A minute or so
later they re-appeared upon its hither side where such light as there was
from the fading stars and the gathering dawn fell full upon them, for here
were no trees. I looked and a thrill of horror went through me, for with
one glance I recognised that these were <i>not the men whom we had been
following</i>. To begin with, there were many more of them, quite a
hundred, I should think, also they had painted shields, wore feathers in
their hair, and generally so far as I could judge, seemed to be fat and
fresh.</p>
<p>"We have been led into an ambush," I said first in Zulu to Umslopogaas
immediately in front, and then in English to Robertson.</p>
<p>"If so, man, we must just do the best we can," answered the latter, "but
God help my poor daughter, for those other devils will have taken her
away, leaving their brethren to make an end of us."</p>
<p>"It is so, Macumazahn," broke in Umslopogaas. "Well, whatever the end of
it, we shall have a better fight. Now do you give the word and we will
obey."</p>
<p>The savages, for so I call them, although I admit that cannibals or not,
they looked more like high-class Arabs than savages, came on in perfect
silence, hoping, I suppose, to catch us asleep. When they were about fifty
yards away, running in a treble line with spears advanced, I called out
"Fire!" in Zulu, and set the example by loosing off both barrels of my
express rifle at men whom I had picked out as leaders, with results that
must have been more satisfactory to me than to the two Amahagger whose
troubles in this world came to an end.</p>
<p>There followed a tremendous fusillade, the Zulus banging off their guns
wildly, but even at that distance managing for the most part to shoot over
the enemy's heads. Captain Robertson and Hans, however, did better and the
general result was that the Amahagger, who appeared to be unaccustomed to
firearms, retreated in a hurry to a fold of the ground whence they had
emerged. Before the last of them got there I loaded again, so that two
more stopped behind. Altogether we had put nine or ten of them out of
action.</p>
<p>Now I hoped that they would give the business up. But this was not so, for
being brave fellows, after a pause of perhaps five minutes, once more they
charged in a body, hoping to overwhelm us. Again we greeted them with
bullets and knocked out several, whereon the rest threw a volley of their
long spears at us. I was glad to see them do this although one of the
Zulus got his death from it, while two more were wounded. I myself had a
very narrow escape, for a spear passed between my neck and shoulder. Each
of them carried but one of these weapons and I knew that if they used them
up in throwing, only their big knives would remain to them with which to
attack us.</p>
<p>After this discharge of spears which was kept up for some time, they
rushed at us and there followed a great fight. The Zulus, throwing down
their guns, rose to their feet and holding their little fighting shields
which had been carried in their mats, in the left hand, wielded their axes
with the right. Umslopogaas, who stood in the centre of them, however, had
no shield and swung his great axe with both arms. This was the first time
that I had seen him fight and the spectacle was in a way magnificent.
Again and again the axe crashed down and every time it fell it left one
dead beneath the stroke, till at length those Amahagger shrank back out of
his reach.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Robertson, Hans and I, standing on some stones at the back, kept
up a continual fire upon them, shooting over the heads of the Zulus, who
were playing their part like men. Yes, they shrank back, leaving many dead
behind them. Then a captain tried to gather them for another rush, and
once more they moved forward. I killed that captain with a revolver shot,
for my rifle had become too hot to hold, and at the sight of his fall,
they broke and ran back into the little hollow where our bullets could not
reach them.</p>
<p>So far we had held our own, but at a price, for three of the Zulus were
now dead and three more wounded, one of them severely, the other two but
enough to cripple them. In fact, now there were left of them but three
untouched men, and Umslopogaas, so that in all for fighting purposes we
were but seven. What availed it that we had killed a great number of these
Amahagger, when we were but seven? How could seven men withstand such
another onslaught?</p>
<p>There in the pale light of the dawn we looked at each other dismayed.</p>
<p>"Now," said Umslopogaas, leaning on his red axe, "there remains but one
thing to do, make a good end, though I would that it were in a greater
cause. At least we must either fight or fly," and he looked down at the
wounded.</p>
<p>"Think not of us, Father," murmured one of them, the man who had a mortal
hurt. "If it is best, kill us and begone that you may live to bear the Axe
in years to come."</p>
<p>"Well spoken!" said Umslopogaas, and again stood still a while, then
added, "The word is with you, Macumazahn, who are our captain."</p>
<p>I set out the situation to Robertson and Hans as briefly as I could,
showing that there was a chance of life if we ran, but so far as I could
see, none if we stayed.</p>
<p>"Go if you like, Quatermain," answered the Captain, "but I shall stop and
die here, for since my girl is gone I think I'm better dead."</p>
<p>I motioned to Hans to speak.</p>
<p>"Baas," he answered, "the Great Medicine is here with us upon the earth
and your reverend father, the Predikant, is with us in the sky, so I think
we had better stop here and do what we can, especially as I do not want to
see those reeds any more at present."</p>
<p>"So do I," I said briefly, giving no reasons.</p>
<p>So we made ready for the next attack which we knew would be the last,
strengthening our little wall and dragging the dead Amahagger up against
it as an added protection. As we were thus engaged the sun rose and in its
first beams, some miles away on the opposing slopes of the mountain
looking tiny against the black background of the precipice, we saw a party
of men creeping forward. Lifting my glasses I studied it and perceived
that in its midst was a litter.</p>
<p>"There goes your daughter," I said, and handed the glasses to Robertson.</p>
<p>"Oh! my God," he answered, "those villains have outwitted us after all."</p>
<p>Another minute and the litter, or rather the chair with its escort, had
vanished into the shadow of the great cliffs, probably up some pass which
we could not see.</p>
<p>Next moment our thoughts were otherwise engaged, since from various
symptoms we gathered that the attack was about to be renewed. Spears upon
which shone the light of the rising sun, appeared above the edge of the
ground-fold that I have mentioned, which to the east increased to a deep,
bush-clad ravine. Also there were voices as of leaders encouraging their
men to a desperate effort.</p>
<p>"They are coming," I said to Robertson.</p>
<p>"Yes," he answered, "they are coming and we are going. It's a queer end to
the thing we call life, isn't it, Quatermain, and hang it all! I wonder
what's beyond? Not much for me, I expect, but whatever it is could
scarcely be worse than what I've gone through here below in one way and
another."</p>
<p>"There's hope for all of us," I replied as cheerfully as I could, for the
man's deep depression disturbed me.</p>
<p>"Mayhap, Quatermain, for who knows the infinite mercy of whatever made us
as we are? My old mother used to preach of it and I remember her words
now. But in my case I expect it will stop at hope, or sleep, and if it
wasn't for Inez, I'd not mind so much, for I tell you I've had enough of
the world and life. Look, there's one of them. Take that, you black
devil!" and lifting his rifle he aimed and fired at an Amahagger who
appeared upon the edge of the fold of ground. What is more he hit him, for
I saw the man double up and fall backwards.</p>
<p>Then the game began afresh, for the cannibals (I suppose they were
cannibals like their brethren) crept out of shelter, advancing on their
stomachs or their hands and knees, so as to offer a smaller mark, and
dragging between them a long and slender tree-trunk with which clearly
they intended to batter down our wall.</p>
<p>Of course I blazed away at them, pretty carefully too, for I was
determined that what I believed to be the last exercise of the gift of
shooting that has been given to me, should prove a record. Therefore I
selected my men and even where I would hit them, and as subsequent
examination showed, I made no mistakes in the seven or eight shots that I
fired. But all the while, like poor Captain Robertson, I was thinking of
other things; namely, where I was bound for presently and if I should meet
certain folk there and what was the meaning of this show called Life,
which unless it leads somewhere, according to my judgment has none at all.
Until these questions were solved, however, my duty was to kill as many of
those ruffians as I could, and this I did with finish and despatch.</p>
<p>Robertson and Hans were firing also, with more or less success, but there
were too many to be stopped by our three rifles. Still they came on till
at length their fierce faces were within a few yards of our little parapet
and Umslopogaas had lifted his great axe to give them greeting. They
paused a moment before making their final rush, and so did we to slip in
fresh cartridges.</p>
<p>"Die well, Hans," I said, "and if you get there first, wait for me on the
other side."</p>
<p>"Yes, Baas, I always meant to do that, though not yet. We are not going to
die this time, Baas. Those who have the Great Medicine don't die; it is
the others who die, like that fellow," and he pointed to an Amahagger who
went reeling round and round with a bullet from his Winchester through the
middle, for he had fired in the midst of his remarks.</p>
<p>"Curse—I mean bless—the Great Medicine," I said as I lifted my
rifle to my shoulder.</p>
<p>At that moment all those Amahagger—there were about sixty of them
left—became seized with a certain perturbation. They stood still,
they stared towards the fold of ground out of which they had emerged; they
called to each other words which I did not catch, and then—they
turned to run.</p>
<p>Umslopogaas saw, and with a leader's instinct, acted. Springing over the
parapet, followed by his remaining Zulus of the Axe, he leapt upon them
with a roar. Down they went before <i>Inkosikaas</i>, like corn before a
sickle. The thing was marvellous to see, it was like the charge of a
leopard, so swift was the rush and so lightning-like were the strokes or
rather the pecks of that flashing axe, for now he was tapping at their
heads or spines with the gouge-like point upon its back. Nor were these
the only victims, for those brave followers of his also did their part. In
a minute all who remained upon their feet of the Amahagger were in full
flight, vanishing this way and that among the trees. Hans fired a parting
shot after the last of them, then sat down upon a stone and finding his
corn-cob pipe, proceeded to fill it.</p>
<p>"The Great Medicine, Baas," he began sententiously, "or perhaps your
reverend father, the Predikant——" Here he paused and pointed
doubtfully with the bowl of the pipe towards the fold in the ground,
adding, "Here it is, but I think it must be your reverend father, not the
Great Medicine, yes, the Predikant himself, returned from Heaven, the
Place of Fires!"</p>
<p>Looking vaguely in the direction indicated, for I could not conceive what
he meant and thought that the excitement must have made him mad, I
perceived a venerable old man with a long white beard and clothed in a
flowing garment, also white, who reminded me of Father Christmas at a
child's party, walking towards us and radiating benignancy. Also behind
him I perceived a whole forest of spear points emerging from the gully. He
seemed to take it for granted that we should not shoot at him, for he came
on quite unconcerned, carefully picking his way among the corpses. When he
was near enough he stopped and said in a kind of Arabic which I could
understand,</p>
<p>"I greet you, Strangers, in the name of her I serve. I see that I am just
in time, but this does not surprise me, since she said that it would be
so. You seem to have done very well with these dogs," and he prodded a
dead Amahagger with his sandalled foot. "Yes, very well indeed. You must
be great warriors."</p>
<p>Then he paused and we stared at each other.</p>
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