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 wereanything but sharp, and seen that each man was in his place behind awall 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 hadmade sure that all of them had twenty rounds of ammunition in their skinpouches. More I would not serve out, fearing lest in excitement or inpanic they might fire away to the last cartridge uselessly, as beforenow even disciplined white troops have been known to do. Therefore I hadarranged that certain old men of standing who could be trusted shouldwait in a place of comparative safety behind the line, carrying all ourreserve ammunition, which amounted, allowing for what had been expendedin practice, to nearly sixty rounds per rifle. This they were instructedto deliver from their wallets to the firing line in small lots when theysaw that it was necessary and not before.
It was, I admit, an arrangement apt to miscarry in the heat of desperatebattle, but I could think of none better, since it was absolutelynecessary that no shot should be wasted.
After a few words of exhortation and caution to the natives who actedas sergeants to the corps, I returned to a bough shelter that had beenbuilt for us behind a rock to get a few hours' sleep, if that werepossible, before the fight began.
Here I found Ragnall, who had just come in from his inspection. Thiswas of a much more extensive nature than my own, since it involved goinground some furlongs of the rough walls and trenches that he had preparedwith so much thought and care, and seeing that the various companies ofthe 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 wetalked 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 ofother things. I asked him if during his stay in this place, while I wasbelow at the town or later, he had heard or seen anything of his wife.
"Nothing," he answered. "These priests never speak of her, and ifthey did Harut is the only one of them that I can really understand.Moreover, I have kept my word strictly and, even when I had occasionto see to the blocking of the western road, made a circuit on themountain-top in order to avoid the neighbourhood of that house where Isuppose she lives Oh! Quatermain, my friend, my case is a hard one, asyou would think if the woman you loved with your whole heart were shutup within a few hundred yards of you and no communication with herpossible after all this time of separation and agony. What makes itworse is, as I gathered from what Harut said the other day, that she isstill out of her mind."
"That has some consolations," I replied, "since the mindless do notsuffer. But if such is the case, how do you account for what youand poor Savage saw that night in the Town of the Child? It was notaltogether a phantasy, for the dress you described was the same we sawher wearing at the Feast of the First-fruits."
"I don't know what to make of it, Quatermain, except that many strangethings happen in the world which we mock at as insults to our limitedintelligence because we cannot understand them." (Very soon I was tohave another proof of this remark.) "But what are you driving at? Youare keeping something back."
"Only this, Ragnall. If your wife were utterly mad I cannot conceivehow it came about that she searched you out and spoke to you even ina vision--for the thing was not an individual dream since both you andSavage saw her. Nor did she actually visit you in the flesh, as the doornever opened and the spider's web across it was not broken. So it comesto this: either some part of her is not mad but can still exercisesufficient will to project itself upon your senses, or she is dead andher disembodied spirit did this thing. Now we know that she is notdead, for we have seen her and Harut has confessed as much. ThereforeI maintain that, whatever may be her temporary state, she must stillbe fundamentally of a reasonable mind, as she is of a natural body. Forinstance, she may only be hypnotized, in which case the spell will breakone day."
"Thank you for that thought, old fellow. It never occurred to me andit gives me new hope. Now listen! If I should come to grief in thisbusiness, which is very likely, and you should survive, you will do yourbest to get her home; will you not? Here is a codicil to my will which Idrew up after that night of dream, duly witnessed by Savage and Hans.It leaves to you whatever sums may be necessary in this connexionand something over for yourself. Take it, it is best in your keeping,especially as if you should be killed it has no value."
"Of course I will do my best," I answered as I put away the paper inmy pocket. "And now don't let us take any more thought of being killed,which may prevent us from getting the sleep we want. I don't mean to bekilled if I can help it. I mean to give those beggars, the Black Kendah,such a doing as they never had before, and then start for the coast withyou and Lady Ragnall, as, God willing, we shall do. Good night."
After this I slept like a top for some hours, as I believe Ragnall didalso. When I awoke, which happened suddenly and completely, the firstthing that I saw was Hans seated at the entrance to my little sheltersmoking his corn-cob pipe, and nursing the single-barrelled rifle,Intombi, on his knee. I asked him what the time was, to which he repliedthat it lacked two hours to dawn. Then I asked him why he had not beensleeping. He replied that he had been asleep and dreamed a dream. Idlyenough I inquired what dream, to which he replied:
"Rather a strange one, Baas, for a man who is about to go into battle. Idreamed that I was in a large place that was full of quiet. It was lightthere, but I could not see any sun or moon, and the air was very softand tasted like food and drink, so much so, Baas, that if anyone hadoffered me a cup quite full of the best 'Cape smoke' I should have toldhim to take it away. Then, Baas, suddenly I saw your reverend father,the Predikant, standing beside me and looking just as he used to look,only younger and stronger and very happy, and so of course knew at oncethat I was dead and in hell. Only I wondered where the fire that doesnot go out might be, for I could not see it. Presently your reverendfather said to me: 'Good day, Hans. So you have come here at last. Nowtell me, how has it gone with my son, the Baas Allan? Have you lookedafter him as I told you to do?'
"I answered: 'I have looked after him as well as I could, O reverendsir. Little enough have I done; still, not once or twice or three timesonly have I offered up my life for him as was my duty, and yet we bothhave lived.' And that I might be sure he heard the best of me, as wasbut natural, I told him the times, Baas, making a big story out of smallthings, although all the while I could see that he knew exactly justwhere I began to lie and just where I stopped from lying. Still he didnot scold me, Baas; indeed, when I had finished, he said:
"'Well done, O good and faithful servant,' words that I think I haveheard him use before when he was alive, Baas, and used to preach to usfor such a long time on Sunday afternoons. Then he asked: 'And how goesit with Baas Allan, my son, now, Hans?' to which I replied:
"'The Baas Allan is going to fight a very great battle in which he maywell fall, and if I could feel sorry here, which I can't, I shouldweep, O reverend sir, because I have died before that battle began andtherefore cannot stand at his side in the battle and be killed for himas a servant should for his master!'
"'You will stand at his side in the battle,' said your reverend father,'and those things which you desire you will do, as it is fitting thatyou should. And afterwards, Hans, you will make report to me of how thebattle went and of what honour my son has won therein. Moreover, knowthis, Hans, that though while you live in the world you seem to see manyother things, they are but dreams, since in all the world there is butone real thing, and its name is Love, which if it be but strong enough,the stars themselves must obey, for it is the king of every one of them,and all who dwell in them worship it day and night under many names forever and for ever, Amen.'
"What he meant by that I am sure I don't know, Baas, seeing that I havenever thought much of women, at least not for many
years since my lastold vrouw went and drank herself to death after lying in her sleep onthe baby which I loved much better than I did her, Baas.
"Well, before I could ask him, or about hell either, he was gone like awhiff of smoke from a rifle mouth in a strong wind."
Hans paused, puffed at his pipe, spat upon the ground in his usualreflective way and asked:
"Is the Baas tired of the dream or would he like to hear the rest?"
"I should like to hear the rest," I said in a low voice, for I wasstrangely moved.
"Well, Baas, while I was standing in that place which was so full ofquiet, turning my hat in my hands and wondering what work they would setme to there among the devils, I looked up. There I saw coming towardsme two very beautiful women, Baas, who had their arms round each other'snecks. They were dressed in white, with the little hard things that arefound in shells hanging about them, and bright stones in their hair.And as they came, Baas, wherever they set a foot flowers sprang up, verypretty flowers, so that all their path across the quiet place was markedwith flowers. Birds too sang as they passed, at least I think they werebirds though I could not see them."
"What were they like, Hans?" I whispered.
"One of them, Baas, the taller I did not know. But the other I knew wellenough; it was she whose name is holy, not to be mentioned. Yet I mustmention that name; it was the Missie Marie herself as last we sawher alive many, many years ago, only grown a hundred times morebeautiful."[*]
[*] See the book called _Marie_ by H. Rider Haggard.
Now I groaned, and Hans went on:
"The two White Ones came up to me, and stood looking at me with eyesthat were more soft than those of bucks. Then the Missie Marie said tothe other: 'This is Hans of whom I have so often told you, O Star.'"
Here I groaned again, for how did this Hottentot know that name, orrather its sweet rendering?
"Then she who was called Star asked, 'How goes it with one who is theheart of all three of us, O Hans?' Yes, Baas, those Shining Ones joined_me_, the dirty little Hottentot in my old clothes and smelling oftobacco, with themselves when they spoke of you, for I knew they werespeaking of you, Baas, which made me think I must be drunk, even therein the quiet place. So I told them all that I had told your reverendfather, and a very great deal more, for they seemed never to be tired oflistening. And once, when I mentioned that sometimes, while pretendingto be asleep, I had heard you praying aloud at night for the MissieMarie who died for you, and for another who had been your wife whosename I did not remember but who had also died, they both cried a little,Baas. Their tears shone like crystals and smelt like that stuff in alittle glass tube which Harut said that he brought from some far landwhen he put a drop or two on your handkerchief, after you were faintfrom the pain in your leg at the house yonder. Or perhaps it was theflowers that smelt, for where the tears fell there sprang up whitelilies shaped like two babes' hands held together in prayer."
Hearing this, I hid my face in my hands lest Hans should see human tearsunscented with attar of roses, and bade him continue.
"Baas, the White One who was called Star, asked me of your son, theyoung Baas Harry, and I told her that when last I had seen him he wasstrong and well and would make a bigger man than you were, whereat shesighed and shook her head. Then the Missie Marie said: 'Tell the Baas,Hans, that I also have a child which he will see one day, but it is nota son.'
"After this they, too, said something about Love, but what it wasI cannot remember, since even as I repeat this dream to you it isbeginning to slip away from me fast as a swallow skimming the water.Their last words, however, I do remember. They were: 'Say to the Baasthat we who never met in life, but who here are as twin sisters, waitand count the years and count the months and count the days and countthe hours and count the minutes and count the seconds until once more heshall hear our voices calling to him across the night.' That's what theysay, Baas. Then they were gone and only the flowers remained to showthat they had been standing there.
"Now I set off to bring you the message and travelled a very long wayat a great rate; if Jana himself had been after me I could not have gonemore fast. At last I got out of that quiet place and among mountainswhere there were dark kloofs, and there in the kloofs I heard Zulu impissinging their war-song; yes, they sang the _ingoma_ or something verylike it. Now suddenly in the pass of the mountains along which I sped,there appeared before me a very beautiful woman whose skin shone likethe best copper coffee kettle after I have polished it, Baas. She wasdressed in a leopard-like moocha and wore on her shoulders a fur kaross,and about her neck a circlet of blue beads, and from her hair there roseone crane's feather tall as a walking-stick, and in her hand she held alittle spear. No flowers sprang beneath her feet when she walked towardsme and no birds sang, only the air was filled with the sound of a royalsalute which rolled among the mountains like the roar of thunder, andher eyes flashed like summer lightning."
Now I let my hands fall and stared at him, for well I knew what wascoming.
"'Stand, yellow man!' she said, 'and give me the royal salute.'
"So I gave her the _Bayete_, though who she might be I did not know,since I did not think it wise to stay to ask her if it were hers ofright, although I should have liked to do so. Then she said: 'The OldMan on the plain yonder and those two pale White Ones have talked to youof their love for your master, the Lord Macumazana. I tell you, littleYellow Dog, that they do not know what love can be. There is more lovefor him in my eyes alone than they have in all that makes them fair. Sayit to the Lord Macumazana that, as I know well, he goes down to battleand that the Lady Mameena will be with him in the battle as, though hesaw her not, she has been with him in other battles, and will be withhim till the River of Time has run over the edge of the world and islost beyond the sun. Let him remember this when Jana rushes on and deathis very near to him to-day, and let him look--for then perchance heshall see me. Begone now, Yellow Dog, to the heels of your master, andplay your part well in the battle, for of what you do or leave undoneyou shall give account to me. Say that Mameena sends her greetings tothe Lord Macumazana and that she adds this, that when the Old Man andthe White ones told you that Love is the secret blood of the worldswhich makes them to be they did not lie. Love reigns and I, Mameena, amits priestess, and the heart of Macumazana is my holy house.'
"Then, Baas, I tumbled off a precipice and woke up here; and, Baas, aswe may not light a fire I have kept some coffee hot for you buried inwarm 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 allthese mysteries and hidden things about persons whom he had never seenand of whom I had never spoken to him? My father and my wife Marie mightbe explained, for with these he had been mixed up, but how about Stellaand above all Mameena, although of course it was possible that he hadheard of the latter, who made some stir in her time? But to hit her offas he had done in all her pride, splendour, and dominion of desire!
Well, that was his story which, perhaps fortunately, I lacked time toanalyse or brood upon, since there was much in it calculated to unnervea man just entering the crisis of a desperate fray. Indeed a minute orso later, as I was swallowing the last of the coffee, messengers arrivedabout some business, I forget what, sent by Ragnall I think, who hadrisen before I woke. I turned to give the pannikin to Hans, but he hadvanished in his snake-like fashion, so I threw it down upon the groundand devoted my mind to the question raised in Ragnall's message.
Next minute scouts came in who had been watching the camp of the BlackKendah all night.
These were sleeping not more than half a mile away, in an open place onthe slope of the hill with pickets thrown out round them, intending toadvance upon us, it was said, as soon as the sun rose, since because oftheir number they feared lest to march at night should throw them intoconfusion and, in case of their falling into an ambush, bring about adisaster. Such at least was the story of two spies whom our people hadcaptured
.
There had been some question as to whether we should not attempt a nightattack upon their camp, of which I was rather in favour. After fulldebate, however, the idea had been abandoned, owing to the fewness ofour numbers, the dislike which the White Kendah shared with the Black ofattempting to operate in the dark, and the well chosen position of ourenemy, whom it would be impossible to rush before we were discovered bytheir outposts. What I hoped in my heart was that they might try torush us, notwithstanding the story of the two captured spies, and inthe gloom, after the moon had sunk low and before the dawn came, becomeentangled in our pitfalls and outlying entrenchments, where we should beable to destroy a great number of them. Only on the previous afternoonthat cunning old fellow, Hans, had pointed out to me how advantageoussuch an event would be to our cause and, while agreeing with him, Isuggested that probably the Black Kendah knew this as well as we did, asthe prisoners had told us.
Yet that very thing happened, and through Hans himself. Thus: Old Haruthad come to me just one hour before the dawn to inform me that allour people were awake and at their stations, and to make some lastarrangements as to the course of the defence, also about our finalconcentration behind the last line of walls and in the first court ofthe temple, if we should be driven from the outer entrenchments. Hewas telling me that the Oracle of the Child had uttered words at theceremony that night which he and all the priests considered were of themost favourable import, news to which I listened with some impatience,feeling as I did that this business had passed out of the range of theChild and its Oracle. As he spoke, suddenly through the silence thatprecedes the dawn, there floated to our ears the unmistakable sound ofa rifle. Yes, a rifle shot, half a mile or so away, followed by theroaring 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 lefttheir posts.
While we were investigating the matter, scouts rushed in with theintelligence that the Black Kendah, thinking apparently that they werebeing attacked, had broken camp and were advancing towards us. We passeda warning all down the lines and stood to arms. Five minutes later, as Istood listening to that approaching roar, filled with every kind of fearand melancholy foreboding such as the hour and the occasion might wellhave evoked, through the gloom, which was dense, the moon being hiddenbehind the hill, I thought I caught sight of something running towardsme like a crouching man. I lifted my rifle to fire but, reflecting thatit might be no more than a hyena and fearing to provoke a fusilade frommy half-trained company, did not do so.
Next instant I was glad indeed, for immediately on the other side of thewall 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 wallto my side, limping a little as I fancied.
"Baas," he puffed, "I have been paying the Black Kendah a visit. I creptdown between their stupid outposts, who are as blind in the dark as abat in daytime, hoping to find Jana and put a bullet into his leg ortrunk. I didn't find him, Baas, although I heard him. But one of theircaptains stood up in front of a watchfire, giving a good shot. My bulletfound _him_, Baas, for he tumbled back into the fire making the sparksfly this way and that. Then I ran and, as you see, got here quitesafely."
"Why did you play that fool's trick?" I asked, "seeing that it ought tohave cost you your life?"
"I shall die just when I have to die, not before, Baas," he replied inthe intervals of reloading the little rifle. "Also it was the trick of awise man, not of a fool, seeing that it has made the Black Kendah thinkthat 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 sweptround a turn there was in the pass and was heading towards us upthe straight. Ivory horns brayed, captains shouted orders, the verymountains shook beneath the beating of thousands of feet of men andhorses, while in one great yell that echoed from the cliffs and forestswent up the battle-cry of "_Jana! Jana!_"--a mixed tumult of noise whichcontrasted very strangely with the utter silence in our ranks.
"They will be among the pitfalls presently," sniggered Hans, shiftinghis weight nervously from one leg on to the other. "Hark! they are goinginto them."
It was true. Screams of fear and pain told me that the front rankshad begun to fall, horse and foot together, into the cunningly devisedsnares of which with so much labour we had dug many, concealing themwith earth spread over thin wickerwork, or rather interlacedboughs. Into them went the forerunners, to be pierced by the sharp,fire-hardened stakes set at the bottom of each pit. Vainly did those whowere near enough to understand their danger call to the ranks behind tostop. They could not or would not comprehend, and had no room to extendtheir front. Forward surged the human torrent, thrusting all in front ofit to death by wounds or suffocation in those deadly holes, till one byone 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 wefound scarcely a pit that was not crowded to the brim with dead. Trulythis device of Ragnall's, for if I had conceived the idea, whichwas unfamiliar to the Kendah, it was he who had carried it out in somasterly a fashion, had served us well.
Still the enemy surged on, since the pits were only large enough to holda tithe of them, till at length, horsemen and footmen mixed up togetherin inextricable confusion, their mighty mass became faintly visiblequite close to us, a blacker blot upon the gloom.
Then my turn came. When they were not more than fifty yards away fromthe 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 thethickest of the mob. At that distance even the most inexperienced shotscould not miss such a mark, especially as those bullets that went highstruck among the oncoming troops behind, or caught the horsemen liftedabove their fellows. Indeed, of the first few rounds I do not think thatone 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 thatwe only possessed two or three guns in all, stopped their advance asthough paralyzed. For a few seconds there was silence, except for theintermittent crackle of the rifles as my men loaded and fired. Next camethe cries of the smitten men and horses that were falling everywhere,and then--the unmistakable sound of a stampede.
"They have gone. That was too warm for them, Baas," chuckled Hansexultingly.
"Yes," I answered, when I had at length succeeded in stopping thefiring, "but I expect they will come back with the light. Still, thattrick of yours has cost them dear, Hans."
By degrees the dawn began to break. It was, I remember, a particularlybeautiful dawn, resembling a gigantic and vivid rose opening in theeast, or a cup of brightness from which many coloured wines were pouredall athwart the firmament. Very peaceful also, for not a breath of windwas stirring. But what a scene the first rays of the sun revealed uponthat narrow stretch of pass in front of us. Everywhere the pitfalls andtrenches were filled with still surging heaps of men and horses, whileall about lay dead and wounded men, the red harvest of our rifle fire.It was dreadful to contrast the heavenly peace above and the hellishhorror beneath.
We took count and found that up to this moment we had not lost a singleman, one only having been slightly wounded by a thrown spear. As iscommon among semi-savages, this fact filled the White Kendah with anundue exultation. Thinking that as the beginning was so the end mustbe, they cheered and shouted, shaking each other's hands, then fell toeating the food which the women brought them with appetite, chatteringincessantly, although as a general rule they were a very silent people.Even the grave Harut, who arrived full of congratulations, seemed ashigh-spirited as a boy, til
l I reminded him that the real battle had notyet 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 theissue of the struggle, since they had many thousands left. Ragnall, whohad come up from his lines, agreed with me. As he said, these peoplewere fighting for life as well as honour, seeing that most of the cornwhich they needed for their sustenance was stored in great heaps eitherin or to the rear of the temple behind us. Therefore they must come onuntil they won or were destroyed. How with our small force could we hopeto destroy this multitude? That was the problem which weighed upon ourhearts.
About a quarter of an hour later two spies that we had set upon thetop of the precipitous cliffs, whence they had a good view of the passbeyond the bend, came scrambling down the rocks like monkeys by a routethat was known to them. These boys, for they were no more, reported thatthe Black Kendah were reforming their army beyond the bend of the pass,and that the cavalry were dismounting and sending their horses to therear, evidently because they found them useless in such a place. Alittle later solitary men appeared from behind the bend, carryingbundles of long sticks to each of which was attached a piece of whitecloth, a proceeding that excited my curiosity.
Soon its object became apparent. Swiftly these men, of whom in the endthere may have been thirty or forty, ran to and fro, testing the groundwith spears in search for pitfalls. I think they only found a very fewthat had not been broken into, but in front of these and also of thosethat were already full of men and horses they set up the flags as awarning that they should be avoided in the advance. Also they removed anumber of their wounded.
We had great difficulty in restraining the White Kendah from rushing outto attack them, which of course would only have led us into a trap inour turn, since they would have fled and conducted their pursuers intothe arms of the enemy. Nor would I allow my riflemen to fire, as theresult must have been many misses and a great waste of ammunition whichere long would be badly wanted. I, however, did shoot two or three, thengave it up as the remainder took no notice whatever.
When they had thoroughly explored the ground they retired until, alittle later, the Black Kendah army began to appear, marching in serriedregiments and excellent order round the bend, till perhaps eight or tenthousand 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 themwith Snider rifles held by unskilled troops. Then came a pause, whichat length was broken by the blowing of horns and a sound of exultantshouting beyond the turn of the pass.
Now from round this turn appeared the strangest sight that I think myeyes 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 myglasses, I recognized the lame priest whom I already knew too well andSimba, the king of the Black Kendah, himself, gorgeously apparelled andwaving a long spear, seated in a kind of wooden chair. Round the brute'sneck were a number of bright metal chains, twelve in all, and each ofthese chains was held by a spearman who ran alongside, six on one sideand six on the other. Lastly, ingeniously fastened to the end of histrunk were three other chains to which were attached spiked knobs ofmetal.
On he came as docilely as any Indian elephant used for carrying teaklogs, passing through the centre of the host up a wide lane which hadbeen left, I suppose for his convenience, and intelligently avoiding thepitfalls filled with dead. I thought that he would stop among the firstranks. But not so. Slackening his pace to a walk he marched forwardstowards our fortifications. Now, of course, I saw my chance and madesure that my double-barrelled elephant rifle was ready and that Hansheld a second rifle, also double-barrelled and of similar calibre,full-cocked in such a position that I could snatch it from him in amoment.
"I am going to kill that elephant," I said. "Let no one else fire. Standstill and you shall see the god Jana die."
Still the enormous beast floundered forward; up to that moment I hadnever realized how truly huge it was, not even when it stood over me inthe moonlight about to crush me with its foot. Of this I am sure, thatnone to equal it ever lived in Africa, at least in any times of which Ihave knowledge.
"Fire, Baas," whispered Hans, "it is near enough."
But like the Frenchman and the cock pheasant, I determined to wait untilit stopped, wishing to finish it with a single ball, if only for theprestige of the thing.
At length it did stop and, opening its cavern of a mouth, lifted itsgreat trunk and trumpeted, while Simba, standing up in his chair, beganto shout out some command to us to surrender to the god Jana, "theInvincible, 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 andcatching sight of Ragnall and Harut and all the White Kendah standingup in their trenches, breathlessly awaiting the end, as were the BlackKendah a few hundred yards away. Never could there have been a fairershot and one more certain to result in a fatal wound. The brute's headwas up and its mouth was open. All I had to do was to send a hard-tippedbullet crashing through the palate to the brain behind. It was so easythat I would have made a bet that I could have finished him with onehand tied behind me.
I lifted the heavy rifle. I got the sights dead on to a certain spot atthe back of that red cave. I pressed the trigger; the charge boomed--andnothing happened! I heard no bullet strike and Jana did not even takethe trouble to close his mouth.
An exclamation of "O-oh!" went up from the watchers. Before it haddied away the second bullet followed the first, with the same resultor rather lack of result, and another louder "O-oh!" arose. Then Janatranquilly shut his mouth, having finished trumpeting, and as thoughto give me a still better target, turned broadside on and stood quitestill.
With an inward curse I snatched the second rifle and aiming behind theear at a spot which long experience told me covered the heart let driveagain, first one barrel and then the other.
Jana never stirred. No bullet thudded. No mark of blood appeared uponhis hide. The horrible thought overcame me that I, Allan Quatermain,I the famous shot, the renowned elephant-hunter, had four times missedthis haystack of a brute from a distance of forty yards. So great wasmy shame that I think I almost fainted. Through a kind of mist I heardvarious ejaculations:
"Great Heavens!" said Ragnall.
"_Allemagte!_" remarked Hans.
"The Child help us!" muttered Harut.
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 tolaugh. Even the distant army of the Black Kendah became convulsed withroars of unholy merriment and I, Allan Quatermain, was the centre ofall this mockery, till I felt as though I were going mad. Suddenly thelaughter ceased and once more Simba the King began to roar out somethingabout "Jana the Invincible and Invulnerable," to which the White Kendahreplied with cries of "Magic" and "Bewitched! Bewitched!"
"Yes," yelled Simba, "no bullet can touch Jana the god, not even thoseof 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 likean intoxicated monkey, and screamed:
"Then where is Jana's left eye? Did not my bullet put it out like alamp? If Jana is invulnerable, why did my bullet put out his left eye?"
Hans ceased from dancing on the wall and steadying himself, lifted thelittle 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 heardthe bullet clap and saw blood appear on Jana's hide just by the veryspot over the heart at which I had aimed without result. Of course, thesoft ball driven from a small-bore rifle with a light charge of powderwas far too weak to penetrate to the vitals. Probably it did not do muchmore 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 thatthe attendants who held the chains on either side of him were thrownover and forced to leave go of him, while the king and the priest uponhis back could only retain their seats by clinging to the chair and therope about his neck.
The result was satisfactory so far as the dispelling of magicalillusions went, but it left me in a worse position than before, sinceit now became evident that what had protected Jana from my bullets wasnothing more supernatural than my own lack of skill. Oh! never in mylife did I drink of such a cup of humiliation as it was my lot to drainto the dregs in this most unhappy hour. Almost did I hope that I mightbe killed at once.
And yet, and yet, how was it possible that with all my skill I shouldhave 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 wishedheartily he had not done, since his success only served to emphasizemy miserable failure. Fortunately, just then a diversion occurred whichfreed my unhappy self from further public attention. With a shout and aroar the great army of the Black Kendah woke into life.
The advance had begun.