the ivory child-第64部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


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

Har？t。　〃But　when　all　is　lost；　if　I　have　fallen；　do　you；　White　Lord；　go

to　the　sanctuary　with　those　who　remain　and　take　her　and　the　Ivory

Child　and　flee　after　the　others。　Only　I　lay　this　charge　on　you　under

pain　of　the　curse　of　Heaven；　that　you　do　not　suffer　the　Ivory　Child　to

fall　into　the　hands　of　the　Black　Kendah。　First　must　you　burn　it　with

fire　or　grind　it　to　dust　with　stones。　Moreover；　I　give　this　command　to

all　in　case　of　the　priests　in　charge　of　it　should　fail　me；　that　they

set　flame　to　the　brushwood　that　is　built　up　with　the　stacks　of　corn；

so　that；　after　all；　those　of　our　enemies　who　escape　may　die　of

famine。〃



Instantly　and　without　murmuring；　for　never　did　I　see　more　perfect

discipline　than　that　which　prevailed　among　these　poor　people；　the

orders　given　by　Har？t；　who　in　addition　to　his　office　as　head　priest

was　a　kind　of　president　of　what　was　in　fact　a　republic；　were　put　in

the　way　of　execution。　Company　by　company　the　men　appointed　to　escort

the　women　and　children　departed　through　the　gateway　of　the　second

court；　each　company　turning　in　the　gateway　to　salute　us　who　remained；

by　raising　their　spears；　till　all　were　gone。　Then　we；　the　three

hundred　and　fifty　who　were　left；　marshalled　ourselves　as　the　Greeks

may　have　done　in　the　Pass　of　Thermopyl？。



First　stood　I　and　my　riflemen；　to　whom　all　the　remaining　ammunition

was　served　out；　it　amounted　to　eight　rounds　per　man。　Then；　ranged

across　the　court　in　four　lines；　came　the　spearmen　armed　with　lances

and　swords　under　the　immediate　command　of　Har？t。　Behind　these；　near

the　gate　of　the　second　court　so　that　at　the　last　they　might　attempt

the　rescue　of　the　priestess；　were　fifty　picked　men；　captained　by

Ragnall；　who；　I　forgot　to　say；　was　wounded　in　two　places；　though　not

badly；　having　received　a　spear　thrust　in　the　left　shoulder　and　a　sword

cut　to　the　left　thigh　during　his　desperate　defence　of　the

entrenchment。



By　the　time　that　all　was　ready　and　every　man　had　been　given　to　drink

from　the　great　jars　of　water　which　stood　along　the　walls；　the　massive

wooden　doors　began　to　burn　through；　though　this　did　not　happen　for

quite　half　an　hour　after　the　enemy　had　begun　to　attempt　to　fire　them。

They　fell　at　length　beneath　the　battering　of　poles；　leaving　only　the

mound　of　earth　and　stones　which　we　had　piled　up　in　the　gateway　after

the　closing　of　the　doors。　This　the　Black　Kendah；　who　had　raked　out　the

burning　embers；　set　themselves　to　dig　away　with　hands　and　sticks　and

spears；　a　task　that　was　made　very　difficult　to　them　by　about　a　score

of　our　people　who　stabbed　at　them　with　their　long　lances　or　dashed

them　down　with　stones；　killing　and　disabling　many。　But　always　the　dead

and　wounded　were　dragged　off　while　others　took　their　places；　so　that

at　last　the　gateway　was　practically　cleared。　Then　I　called　back　the

spearmen　who　passed　into　the　ranks　behind　us；　and　made　ready　to　play

my　part。



I　had　not　long　to　wait。　With　a　rush　and　a　roar　a　great　company　of　the

Black　Kendah　charged　the　gateway。　Just　as　they　began　to　emerge　into

the　court　I　gave　the　word　to　fire；　sending　fifty　Snider　bullets

tearing　into　them　from　a　distance　of　a　few　yards。　They　fell　in　a　heap；

they　fell　like　corn　before　the　scythe；　not　a　man　won　through。　Quickly

we　reloaded　and　waited　for　the　next　rush。　In　due　course　it　came　and

the　dreadful　scene　repeated　itself。　Now　the　gateway　and　the　tunnel

beyond　were　so　choked　with　fallen　men　that　the　enemy　must　drag　these

out　before　they　could　charge　any　more。　It　was　done　under　the　fire　of

myself；　Hans　and　a　few　picked　shotssomehow　it　was　done。



Once　more　they　charged；　and　once　more　were　mown　down。　So　it　went　on

till　our　last　cartridge　was　spent；　for　never　did　I　see　more

magnificent　courage　than　was　shown　by　those　Black　Kendah　in　the　face

of　terrific　loss。　Then　my　people　threw　aside　their　useless　rifles　and

arming　themselves　with　spears　and　swords　fell　back　to　rest；　leaving

Har？t　and　his　company　to　take　their　plac