the ivory child-第59节

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first　duty　was　to　make　the　best　possible　use　of　this　invaluable　store。

To　that　end　I　asked　Har？t　to　select　seventy…five　of　the　boldest　and

most　intelligent　young　men　among　his　people；　and　to　hand　them　over　to

me　and　Hans　for　instruction　in　musketry。　We　had　only　fifty　rifles　but

I　drilled　seventy…five　men；　or　fifty　per　cent。　more；　that　some　might

be　ready　to　replace　any　who　fell。



From　dawn　to　dark　each　day　Hans　and　I　worked　at　trying　to　convert

these　Kendah　into　sharpshooters。　It　was　no　easy　task　with　men；　however

willing；　who　till　then　had　never　held　a　gun；　especially　as　I　must　be

very　sparing　of　the　ammunition　necessary　to　practice；　of　which　of

course　our　supply　was　limited。　Still　we　taught　them　how　to　take　cover；

how　to　fire　and　to　cease　from　firing　at　a　word　of　command；　also　to

hold　the　rifles　low　and　waste　no　shot。　To　make　marksmen　of　them　was

more　than　I　could　hope　to　do　under　the　circumstances。



With　the　exception　of　these　men　nearly　the　entire　male　population　were

working　day　and　night　to　get　in　the　harvest。　This　proved　a　very

difficult　business；　both　because　some　of　the　crops　were　scarcely　fit

and　because　all　the　grain　had　to　be　carried　on　camels　to　be　stored　in

and　at　the　back　of　the　second　court　of　the　temple；　the　only　place

where　it　was　likely　to　be　safe。　Indeed　in　the　end　a　great　deal　was

left　unreaped。　Then　the　herds　of　cattle　and　breeding　camels　which

grazed　on　the　farther　sides　of　the　Holy　Mount　must　be　brought　into

places　of　safety；　glens　in　the　forest　on　its　slope；　and　forage　stacked

to　feed　them。　Also　it　was　necessary　to　provide　scouts　to　keep　watch

along　the　river。



Lastly；　the　fortifications　in　the　mountain　pass　required　unceasing

labour　and　attention。　This　was　the　task　of　Ragnall；　who　fortunately　in

his　youth；　before　he　succeeded　unexpectedly　to　the　title；　was　for　some

years　an　officer　in　the　Royal　Engineers　and　therefore　thoroughly

understood　that　business。　Indeed　he　understood　it　rather　too　well；

since　the　result　of　his　somewhat　complicated　and　scientific　scheme　of

defence　was　a　little　confusing　to　the　simple　native　mind。　However；

with　the　assistance　of　all　the　priests　and　of　all　the　women　and

children　who　were　not　engaged　in　provisioning　the　Mount；　he　built　wall

after　wall　and　redoubt　after　redoubt；　if　that　is　the　right　word；　to

say　nothing　of　the　shelter　trenches　he　dug　and　many　pitfalls；

furnished　at　the　bottom　with　sharp　stakes；　which　he　hollowed　out

wherever　the　soil　could　be　easily　moved；　to　discomfit　a　charging

enemy。



Indeed；　when　I　saw　the　amount　of　work　he　had　concluded　in　ten　days；

which　was　not　until　I　joined　him　on　the　mountain；　I　was　quite

astonished。



About　this　time　a　dispute　arose　as　to　whether　we　should　attempt　to

prevent　the　Black　Kendah　from　crossing　the　river　which　was　now　running

down；　a　plan　that　some　of　the　elders　favoured。　At　last　the　controversy

was　referred　to　me　as　head　general　and　I　decided　against　anything　of

the　sort。　It　seemed　to　me　that　our　force　was　too　small；　and　that　if　I

took　the　rifle…men　a　great　deal　of　ammunition　might　be　expended　with

poor　result。　Also　in　the　event　of　any　reverse　or　when　we　were　finally

driven　back；　which　must　happen；　there　might　be　difficulty　about

remounting　the　camels；　our　only　means　of　escape　from　the　horsemen　who

would　possibly　gallop　us　down。　Moreover　the　Tava　had　several　fords；

any　one　of　which　might　be　selected　by　the　enemy。　So　it　was　arranged

that　we　should　make　our　first　and　last　stand　upon　the　Holy　Mount。



On　the　fourteenth　night　from　new　moon　our　swift　camel…scouts　who　were

posted　in　relays　between　the　Tava　and　the　Mount　reported　that　the

Black　Kendah　were　gathered　in　thousands　upon　the　farther　side　of　the

river；　where　they　were　engaged　in　celebrating　magical　ceremonies。　On

the　fifteenth　night　the　scouts　reported　that　they　were　crossing　the

river；　about　five　thousand　horsemen　and　fifteen　thousand　foot

soldiers；　and　that　at　the　head　of　them　marched　the　huge　god…elephant

Jana；　on　which　rode　Simba　the　King　and　a　lame　priest　（evidently　my

friend　whose　foot　had　been　injured　by　the　pistol）；　who　acted　as　a

mahout。　This　part　of　the　story　I　confess　I　did　not　believe；　since　it

seemed　to　me　impossible　that　anyone　could　ride　upon　that　mad　rogue；

Jana。　Yet；　as　subsequent　events　showed；　it　was　in　fact　true。　I　suppose

that　in　certain　hands　the　beast　became　tame。　Or　perhaps　it　was

drugged。



Two　nights　later；　for　the　Black　Kendah　advanced　but　slowly；　spreading

themselves　over　the　country　in　order　to　collect　such　crops　as　had　not

been　gathered　through　lack　of　time　or　because　they　were　still　unripe；

we　saw　flames　and　smoke　arising　from　the　Town　of　the　Child　beneath　us；

which　they　had　fired。　Now　we　knew　that　the　time　of　trial　had　come　and

until　near　midnight　men；　women　and　children　worked　feverishly

finishing　or　trying　to　finish　the　fortifications　and　making　every

preparation　in　our　power。



Our　position　was　that　we　held　a　very　strong　post；　that　is；　strong

against　an　enemy　unprovided　with　big　guns　or　even　firearms；　which；　as

all　other　possible　approaches　had　been　blocked；　was　only　assailable　by

direct　frontal　attack　from　the　east。　In　the　pass　we　had　three　main

lines　of　defence；　one　arranged　behind　the　other　and　separated　by

distances　of　a　few　hundred　yards。　Our　last　refuge　was　furnished　by　the

walls　of　the　temple　itself；　in　the　rear　of　which　were　camped　the　whole

White　Kendah　tribe；　save　a　few　hundred　who　were　employed　in　watching

the　herds　of　camels　and　stock　in　almost　inaccessible　positions　on　the

northern　slopes　of　the　Mount。



There　were　perhaps　five　thousand　people　of　both　sexes　and　every　age

gathered　in　this　camp；　which　was　so　well　provided　with　food　and　water

that　it　could　have　stood　a　siege　of　several　months。　If；　however；　our

defences　should　be　carried　there　was　no　possibility　of　escape；　since

we　learned　from　our　scouts　that　the　Black　Kendah；　who　by　tradition　and

through　spies　were　well　acquainted　with　every　feature　of　the　country；

had　detached　a　party　of　several　thousand　men　to　watch　the　western　road

and　the　slopes　of　the　mountain；　in　case　we　should　try　to　break　out　by

that　route。　The　only　one　remaining；　that　which　ran　through　the　cave　of

the　serpent；　we　had　taken　the　precaution　of　blocking　up　with　great

stones；　lest　through　it　our　flank　should　be　turned。



In　short；　we　were　rats　in　a　trap　and　where　we　were　there　we　must

either　conquer　or　dieunless　indeed　we　chose　to　surrender；　which　for

most　of　us　would　mean　a　fate　worse　than　death。







CHAPTER　XIX



ALLAN　QUATERMAIN　MISSES



I　had　made　my　last　round　of　the　little　corps　that　I　facetiously　named

〃The　Sharpshooters；〃　though　to　tell　the　truth　at　shooting　they　were

anything　but　sharp；　and　seen　that　each　man　was　in　his　place　behind　a

wall　with　a　reserve　man　squatted　at　the　rear　of　every　pair　of　them；

waiting　to　take　his　rifle　if　either　of　these　should　fall。　Also　I　had

made　sure　that　all　of　them　had　twenty　rounds　of　ammunition　in　their

skin　pouches。　More　I　would　not　serve　out；　fearing　lest　in　excitement

or　in　panic　they　might　fire　away　to　the　last　cartridge　uselessly；　as

before　now　even　disciplined　white　troops　have　been　known　to　do。

Therefore　I　had　arranged　that　certain　old　men　of　standing　who　could　be

trusted　should　wait　in　a　place　of　comparative　safety　behind　the　line；

carrying　all　our　reserve　ammunition；　which　amounted；　allowing　for　what

had　been　expended　in　practice；　to　nearly　sixty　rounds　per　rifle。　This

they　were　instructed　to　deliver　from　their　wallets　to　the　firing　line

in　small　lots　when　they　saw　that　it　was　necessary　and　not　before。



It　was；　I　admit；　an　arrangement　apt　to　miscarry　in　the　heat　of

desperate　battle；　but　I　could　think　of　none　better；　since　it　was

absolutely　necessary　that　no　shot　should　be　wasted。



After　a　few　words　of　exhortation　and　caution　to　the　natives　who　acted

as　sergeants　to　the　corps；　I　returned　to　a　bough　shelter　that　had　been

built　for　us　behind　a　rock　to　get　a　few　hours'　sleep；　if　that　were

possible；　before　the　fight　began。



Here　I　found　Ragnall；　who　had　just　come　in　from　his　inspection。　This

was　of　a　much　more　extensive　nature　than　my　own；　since　it　involved

going　round　some　furlongs　of　the　rough　walls　and　trenches　that　he　had

prepared　with　so　much　thought　and　care；　and　seeing　that　the　various

companies　of　the　White　Kendah　were　ready　to　play　their　part　in　the

defence　of　them。



He　was　tired　and　rather　excited；　too　much　so　to　sleep　at　once。　So　we

talked　a　little　while；　first　about　the　prospects　of　the　morrow's

battle；　as　to　which　we　were；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　dubious；　and

afterwards　of　other　things。　I　asked　him　if　during　his　stay　in　this

place；　while　I　was　below　at　the　town　or　later；　he　had　heard　or　seen

anything　of　his　wife。



〃Nothing；〃　he　answered。　〃These　priests　never　speak　of　her；　and　if　they

did　Har？t　is　the　only　one　of　them　that　I　can　really　understand。

Moreover；　I　have　kept　my　word　strictly　and；　even　when　I