The Sign of the Spider

by Bertram Mitford

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  TWO PERILS.

  "Just what I feared," said Hazon calmly, but with ever so faint a glanceat his confederate. "Our people are in revolt."

  Both men rose to their feet, but leisurely, and turned to confront theapproaching tumult. And formidable enough this was. The Wangoni advancedin a compact mass, beating their shields with their spear-hafts, yellingin concert a shrill, harsh battle-song, into which they had managed toimport an indescribable note of defiance, announcing their intention ofreturning to "eat up" those they had so weakly spared the previous day.On either side of them came the Arab and Swahili element, in silence,however, but a silence which was no less ominous than their sullen andscowling looks, and the almost significant gestures wherewith theyhandled their rifles.

  "What do they want, Lutali?" said Hazon, turning to the Arab who, withHolmes, had just joined the pair. But Lutali shrugged his shoulders, andhis hawk-like features scarce moved. Then he said:

  "Who may think to strive against the hand of Allah and that of hisProphet? Yon foul dogs, even they--so great is the mercy of Allah--eventhey might have been turned into good Moslemia, even as other such havebeen before them. Yet we--we have left them to wallow in the mire oftheir cannibal abominations. Our people are not satisfied, El Khanac,and they fear that ill may come of it."

  "A magnificent and comfortable hypocrisy that," said Laurence, inEnglish. "Such combination of soul-saving and slave-selling is unique."Then, in Swahili, "But what do they want, Lutali?"

  "They want to set right the error of yesterday."

  "But the Wangoni don't care a grain of rice for Allah and his Prophet,"he went on. "Why, then, are _they_ dissatisfied?"

  "They are instruments in the hands of those who do. It is so written.Allah is great. Who may call in question his decrees?" replied the Arab,in the same level monotone. "Let the people do their will, which is alsothe will of Allah."

  During this conversation the whole party had halted, and now stood in agreat semicircle around the white leaders. Then Mashumbwe spoke, and hiswords, though fairly courteous, managed to cover an extremely defianttone.

  "Our people are dissatisfied, father," he said, addressing Hazon. "Theydesire to return home."

  "Wherefore?" asked Hazon shortly.

  "_Au!_ they came forth to 'eat up' other tribes, not to spare such. Theyare dissatisfied."

  "They'd better have their own way," muttered Hazon, in English. "You aresacrificing all we have done and obtained this trip to an empty whim.How does that pan out, Stanninghame?"

  "I hate to go back on my word," was the reply; "still more to be bulliedinto it."

  "Well said!" declared Holmes warmly.

  The insurgents, reading the expression upon the countenances of thesetwo, broke forth into tumult once more. Groans and mutterings aroseamong the Arab contingent, while the Wangoni uttered wild laughingwhoops of defiance. Nothing would be easier than to slay the whiteleaders. A single volley would lay them low. The position was critical,perilous to a degree.

  "We go, then," cried Mashumbwe, waving his hand. "Fare ye well, ElKhanac; Afa, fare ye well!"

  But before his followers could form into marching rank, several menrushed from the forest, with every appearance of importance and alarm.Making straight to where stood their white leaders, they began hurriedlyto confer with the latter.

  "Your discontent was needless," cried Hazon, after a minute or two ofsuch conference, turning to his rebellious followers, the whole body ofwhom had now paused to learn what tidings these had brought. "Yourdiscontent comes a day too late. Those whom we spared have even now beeneaten up, and their village given over to the flames."

  The short, sharp gasp of amazement which greeted this announcement gaveplace to growls of renewed discontent. Some rival band of slave-huntershad fallen upon the village and taken that which they themselves had soweakly left. Such was their first thought.

  "The Ba-gcatya have found them," continued Hazon calmly.

  If there had been marvel before in the ejaculation now there was more.There was even a note of dismay. Forgetting their mutinous intentionsnow, all crowded around their white leaders, eager to learn fullparticulars. And in that moment Laurence, ever observant, was not slowto perceive, both in the looks and tones of the party, quite enough toconfirm all that Hazon had said as to the terror inspired by the veryname of the redoubtable Ba-gcatya. Even the savage and truculent Wangoniseemed for the moment overawed. It was striking, too, how, in the hourof impending peril, all turned to the white leaders, whom a momentbefore they had been entirely defying and more than half threatening.

  "The Ba-gcatya are in great force," went on Hazon, as calmly as thoughhe were merely announcing the proximity of one more well-nighdefenceless and slave-supplying village. "We shall have to fight, andthat hard, but not here. We must fight them in the open."

  A murmur of assent went up. Every head was craned forward, eager to hearmore. Briefly and concisely Hazon set forth his commands.

  Their then encampment was situate on the edge of the forest belt. Beyondthe latter the country stretched away in vast, well-nigh treelessplains. Now a peculiar feature of these plains was the frequentrecurrence of abrupt granite _kopjes_, at first glance not unlikemoorland tors. But more than one of them, when arrived at, wore theaspect of a complete Druidical ring--a circle of stones crowning therise, with a slight depression of ground within the centre. One of theseHazon, who had been over the ground before, resolved should serve themas a natural fortress, whence to resist the fierce and formidable foenow advancing against them.

  With surprising readiness the march began. Loads were shouldered andslaves yoked together extra firmly. Those who were too weak to keep upthe pace--treble that of the normal one--at which they were hurriedforward, were ruthlessly speared; but whether they were slain by theircaptors or by the pitiless Ba-gcatya mattered but little.

  The _kopje_ which Hazon had selected was situated about four miles fromthe forest belt. No better natural fortress could have been chosen; forit consisted of a complete circle of low rocks, of about two hundredyards' diameter, and commanded an open sweep of at least a mile on everyside. Laurence and Holmes were loud in their admiration and interest.

  "These are old craters, I reckon," said Hazon; "not volcanic, butmud-springs. This plain, you notice, is considerably below the level ofthe forest country. Depend upon it, the thing was once a big swamp, withgreat boiling, bubbling mud-holes."

  No time was it, however, for speculations of a scientific nature; andaccordingly the leaders proceeded to dispose their lines of defence.This was soon done, for the three white men and Lutali had arranged allthat during the march. The Wangoni were of no great use, save in pursuitof a defeated enemy. They could hardly have hit a haystack once in sixshots, nor did Hazon care to intrust with firearms such a turbulent andunruly crew. But the slavers were all fair marksmen--some indeed, amongthem Lutali, being not far short of dead shots. These were disposedaround the circle of rocks so as to form a ring of fire; and the rocksthemselves were heightened wherever necessary with some of the loads, orwith such piles of loose stones as could be collected in time. The partallotted to the Wangoni was that of a reserve force, in the event of theenemy carrying any given point, and thus necessitating hand-to-handconflict. The slaves, firmly secured, were placed in the center of thegreat circle.

  Hardly were these dispositions complete than a cry of astonishment, ofwarning arose. Far away over the forest country, somewhat to the rightand left of the route the party had been pursuing, several columns ofsmoke could be seen mounting to the heavens. There were other villages,then, besides the one spared, and now the Ba-gcatya, spreading over theland in their immense might, were firing all such and massacring theinhabitants. Many and various were the comments which arose as the partygazed intently upon the distant smoke columns.

  "If only as a change from knocking on the head these defenceless devils,it's quite a blessed relief to have some real fighting," quoth Holmes.

/>   "You'll get plenty of that, Holmes, within the next few hours," remarkedHazon dryly.

  It was near midday, and the heat was torrid and sweltering. The fiercevertical sun-rays seemed to pour down upon their unshaded position as instreams of molten fire. Even the quick, excited murmurs of the men grewlanguid. And, having seen to all being in complete readiness, asLaurence Stanninghame sat there at his post in the torrid heat, smokingthe pipe of meditation, did no thought of the home, such as it was, butwhich he would probably never see again, not rise up before him? If itdid, it was only to confirm him in the conviction that the presentposition of peril--whose chances he, at any rate, was in no dispositionto under-estimate--was the preferable of the two. Here freedom,activity, adventure; there galling bondage, stagnation, a ceasing tolive. Yes, that time indeed seemed very, very far away. He felt noshadow of inclination towards a recurrence thereof.

  Then, suddenly, with magical swiftness, the whole party was astir, andit needed a sharp, hurried command or two from Hazon and Lutali torestrain some from leaping on the rocks in order to obtain a better viewof what had caused the alarm.

  Between the _kopje_ and the forest belt the ground, save for anoccasional roll, was entirely visible. Now, swarming out into the open,came masses of moving figures--fleeing figures. Hazon and Laurence, whoeach possessed a powerful glass, were able to master the situation in atwinkling.

  Close on the rear of the fugitives pressed another multitude, to thenaked eye like myriad ants upon the far plain, but to those who scannedthem through the powerful glasses all detail was vividly distinct--thelines and lines of tufted shields, the gleam of spear blades, thestreaming feather and cow-hair adornments.

  And now the hum and roar of the wild onslaught and pursuit growsmomentarily louder, drawing nearer and nearer. A great cloud of dust iswhirling onward, and athwart it the gleam of steel, rising and falling,the distant death-scream, as the miserable fugitives fall ripped, hackedto fragments by their ferocious pursuers. And still the terrible wavepours on.

  "This is going to be a hard business," muttered Laurence between his setteeth. "How many do you size them up at, Hazon?"

  "Twenty thousand, rather more than less. That's just how Cetywayo'speople came on at Isandhlwana, only there they took us more by surprise.Well, we're not a lot of soldiers here anyway to scatter all over theveldt. If they take this position they'll have to rush it, and rush ithard. Well, do you believe in the Ba-gcatya now, Stanninghame?"

  Save a nod the other makes no answer, and now the attention of both menis upon the scene before them.

  Some few of the fugitives, in the desperation of their terror, aregradually outstripping their pursuers. Against these whole flights ofcasting spears are launched, amid roaring shouts of bass laughter.Finally the last one falls.

  And now the array of the enemy is but half a mile distant from theslaver's position. Far over the plain, in immense crescent formation,the barbarian host sweeps on, now in dead silence, not hesitating amoment, for the spoor left by the slavers is broad and easy. Now it canbe seen that these warriors are of splendid physique. Most of them arenearly naked save for their flowing war-adornments of hair orjackal-tails. Many are crowned with towering ostrich plumes, both blackand white; others wear balls of feathers surmounted by the scarlet tuftof the egret; some, again, have round their heads bands of the hide ofthe spotted cat; but all flaunt some wild and fantastic adornment. Andthe great hide shields, with their party-coloured facings and tuftedtops, are Zulu shields, and the broad stabbing spear is the Zulu_umkonto_, or assegai.

  There is a lurid fascination in gazing upon the awful splendour of thisfierce and formidable battle-rank, which set even LaurenceStanninghame's schooled nerves tingling. As for Holmes, he could hardlyremain still in his excitement. But in Hazon's piercing eyes there was aglow in which the lust of combat, despair of success, and the mostindomitable resolve were about equally intermingled. The countenance ofLutali betrayed no change whatever. The bulk of the slave-hunters werescowling and eager; but the miserable slaves, realizing that massacreawaited them, were moaning and trembling with fear. Under the slave-yokethey held their lives, at any rate, but should the enemy without win theday, why, then, they would taste the steel in common with their presentoppressors. The Ba-gcatya never spared.

  Now the battle-rank of the latter underwent a change. From each end ofthe great crescent "horns" shot out, extending farther and farther.Still the numbers of the main body seemed in no wise to diminish. Therock-crowned mound was encircled by a wall of living men.

  Then the silence was rent asunder, and that in most appalling fashion.From twenty thousand fierce throats in concert went up thewar-shout--horrible, terrifying--combining the frenzied roars of alegion of maniacs with the snarls and baying of hounds tearing downtheir prey. One there had heard it before, but not in such awful,soul-curdling volume as this.

  And then, with heads bent, shields thrust forward, broad spears instrong ready grip, the whole circle of the Ba-gcatya host came surgingup the slope.