by J. T. Edson
Increasing his speed, Bunduki hurled himself into the air in such a way that his body was almost horizontal. His left shoulder rammed into the centre of the man’s back. Struck by the full force of the blond giant’s two hundred and twenty pound frame, the Mun-Gatah was knocked from his feet. Nor did it end there. There was a sharp crack, followed by a scream of pain, as his spine snapped.
Going down with the stricken man, Bunduki rolled clear and started to rise. His right hand flashed across to close on the ivory hilt of the bowie knife, sliding it from its sheath. There was not a second to lose. Already the two warriors were converging upon him.
Alerted by Joar-Fane’s yell, the woman looked back at her. Finding that the girl was attempting to attack her, she let out an angry snort. Swiveling around swiftly, she stepped forward and, before Joar-Fane could bring the weapon down, lashed around her right arm. Caught at the side of the head by a powerful backhand blow, the little Telonga went spinning. The club flew from her hand and she measured her length, dazed and helpless, on the ground.
Still in the process of rising, Bunduki analyzed the situation with great rapidity. There was, he decided, one thing in his favor. The man to his left was much closer than the other warrior and showed no sign of slowing down. Therefore they could not launch a concerted attack.
Wanting to gain the acclaim that would accrue from avenging what he guessed had been a fatal assault on his leader, the first warrior had no intention of taking the sensible course of co-operating with his companion. Instead, he bounded onwards at an increased pace. Arriving within range, he launched a savage downwards chop with his sword at the side of the blond giant’s neck.
Thrusting himself erect, Bunduki held the bowie knife with its blade projecting in front of his thumb and forefinger. It was a grip that allowed him to utilize the weapon to the best advantage, permitting a cut, thrust, or backhand slash with equal facility.
Bringing the knife across, the blond giant let the flat of the blade meet and sweep aside the Mun-Gatah’s sword. Then, disengaging his weapon, he delivered a devastatingly effective counter attack. Hissing to the right, the knife—which had an edge as sharp as a barber s razor—passed under the man’s chin. The steel sliced inwards, laying open the Mun-Gatah’s throat to the bone with a force that twisted him aside. The sword fell from his fingers and they rose to clutch at the hideous, blood-spurting mortal wound. Collapsing to his knees, he fell forward on to his face.
Seeing the second of his party struck down by the big blond did not deter the last of the warriors. He continued to rush towards Bunduki and was so close that he felt sure he could make his attack before there would be any chance of evasion or reprisals.
Alert to the danger, the blond giant prepared to defend himself. He saw that the man was adopting almost identical tactics to those of the first assailant. Once again, the attack came in the form of a round-house swing. Except that this time it was travelling horizontally rather than at a downwards angle.
Pivoting to face his assailant, Bunduki bent his right knee and thrust his left leg backwards in a long stride. Doing so caused him to sink below the arc of the sword’s swing. Even as it went over his head, stirring his hair it passed so close, he turned the knuckles of his right hand uppermost. Out drove the bowie knife in an almost classic lunge. Carried onwards by his momentum, the man paid the price of failure. Spiking its clip point into his stomach, the bowie’s blade sank almost to its brass lugged guard.
While dealing with the third male Mun-Gatah, Bunduki did not forget the woman. Even as his knife was entering the man s body, he looked to find out what she was doing. Like her companions, she appeared to consider him a greater danger than the Telonga hunter. That was true. Due to the ‘putting away’, the People-Taker and his escort had only come into contact with the placid, unresisting male members of the Telonga nation. So she was discounting the Telonga hunter as a serious factor—as the two warriors had—and felt that he could be disposed of easily enough once the blond giant had been killed.
With the latter thought in mind, and ignoring the Telonga hunter and the motionless girl, the woman advanced across the clearing towards Bunduki. Judging from the way she held her sword she might prove as dangerous as either of the warriors, or possibly more so if she had taken a warning from the results of their rash behavior and was skilled with the weapon. Bunduki straightened his right leg and, driving himself erect, he swung the stricken man to the left in a way that ripped the bowie’s blade through flesh and freed it.
Practically disemboweled and letting go of his sword, the dying man tottered in a half circle until he was facing the woman. She stared in horror at the intestines which were oozing from the gaping tear in his stomach and came to an involuntary halt. Then, as she watched him crumpling like a rag doll that had had its stuffing removed, her nerve failed her. Instead of continuing with her advance, she fled at an angle that would take her to the waiting zebras but would at the same time keep her well beyond the reach of the blond giant who had felled all of her companions.
Throwing a glance at Joar-Fane, Bunduki was relieved to see that she was moving and that there was no blood to suggest she had been stabbed. The hunter was hurrying towards her with his face showing mingled anxiety and pain. Feeling sure that the girl was not seriously hurt, the blond giant started to go towards the woman.
Having no desire for further killing, Bunduki did not want to catch and deal with Latica. Nor did he wish to be encumbered by a prisoner. He had something else in mind. Being an excellent horseman, he was hoping to gain possession of at least one of the zebras. He felt sure that he could ride it. In which case, it could prove very useful in his search for his adoptive cousin.
On reaching the animals, having seen that the blond giant was following her and misinterpreting his motives, the woman acted with panic-induced speed. Dropping her sword instead of sheathing it, she grabbed the reins of her ocha-gatah. Taking them over its head, she caught hold of the saddle horn and vaulted on to its back. Almost as soon as her rump hit the leather, she sent her mount bounding forward without as much as a glance at the dead companions she was leaving behind.
Deciding that the woman was too frightened to come back, Bunduki hurried towards the three remaining zebras. Although they appeared to have been made a little restless by her hurried departure, none of them showed any signs of bolting. Studying them as he was cleaning the blood from his knife and returning it to its sheath, he unconsciously matched Dawn’s summation regarding their physical conformation and possible relationship to wild zebras. One reminded him of the subspecies Equus Grevy, but the other two had the colors and striping of Equus Burchelli.
A glance across the clearing reassured Bunduki that Joar-Fane had not been seriously injured. The hunter was kneeling somewhat awkwardly, holding her in his arms and she, was behaving much as she had after the blond giant had saved her from the Mangani.
Pleased to find that the girl was unharmed and obviously on good terms with the man, Bunduki turned his attention to the zebras. Going to the banar-gatah, although he did not identify it by its Mun-Gatah name, he acted as he would if he had been approaching a strange horse. Speaking in a low, soothing voice and avoiding any sudden movements, he reached out slowly with his right hand. The banar-gatah snorted, tossed its head, then calmed and allowed him to stroke its sleek neck.
With friendly relations established, the blond giant examined the banar-gatah’s furnishings. The saddle had a low horn, double girths and wide, iron-bound wooden stirrups much like a Texas range rig. There was a throwing spear in two loops attached to the left side of its skirt, suggesting that its rider mounted on that flank. The bridle was made so that, by unbuckling the straps, the bit, snaffle and reins could be removed but the head-stall—from which a coiled tether-rope was dangling—would remain in place.
There was, Bunduki decided, something strange about the three animals’ equipment. It was not the fact that the Mun-Gatahs had stirrups. These had been invented in China about
400 B.C. and were in widespread use throughout the known world by 700 A.D. What puzzled him was the way in which the rigs had been manufactured. While the gear on the other two zebras suggested ownership by persons of a lower social standing, there was a similarity between them that was rare in handmade products. Obviously the Mun-Gatahs had very skilful craftsmen to produce such good quality work. Yet it almost seemed that they had been using modern machinery and techniques; but that was impossible.
Turning his attention to the white garment that was rolled and passed through two loops on the cantle of the saddle, Bunduki drew it out. It had the smooth, silky, shiny appearance of the wool, cotton, or acetate rayon fabrics known as ‘sharkskin’. Opening it out, he found it to be a kind of sleeveless over-tunic with a cowl for the head. Emblazoned on its front was a remarkably well drawn and colored illustration of a rearing, horse-like animal. After a moment’s study, he decided that it was supposed to be a quagga such as had been extinct for many years. He was fascinated, not only by the portrayal of a long deceased kind of creature but at the way the design was imprinted on the material. The latter exceeded anything he had seen produced by primitive people.
With his curiosity aroused, the blond giant hung the garment over the banar-gatah’s saddle and picked up the woman’s sword. He found it both interesting and puzzling. While the metal of its blade could not compare with the Swedish high carbon tool steel from which his Smithsonian bowie had been created, it was a much better temper than he had expected. What was more, the design and finish of the weapon suggested a high standard of workmanship. So much so that it, like the garment and the zebras’ equipment, might have been produced by machines rather than hand. Yet nothing he had seen about the Mun-Gatahs had implied that they belonged to a race that was capable of designing, manufacturing or even operating a piece of sophisticated modern machinery. It was, of course, possible that they bought, looted or traded their weapons from a more advanced nation.
Once more, the urgency of Bunduki’s desire to find his adoptive cousin caused him to turn his thoughts from a puzzling aspect. His handling of the banar-gatah had so far been successful. Realizing that the same might not apply when he attempted to ride it, he decided to take precautions against losing them all. Dropping the sword and opening out the tether ropes of the two ocha-gatahs, he fastened them to stout branches of the bushes. With the spare animals secured and prevented from escaping, even if the other should throw him and bolt, he took its reins and led it into the clearing.
On his return, the blond giant found Joar-Fane and the man kneeling facing each other and talking. Suddenly, the girl gave a gasp and turned her head in his direction.
‘Bunduki!, Joar-Fane gasped. ‘At-Vee has met Dawn—’
‘Where is she? the blond giant demanded, striding forward.
‘I don’t know,’ At-Vee admitted, then explained the circumstances of his meeting with, and separation from, Dawn. ‘I heard the call of a “Hairy Woman”, then the sound of a rhinoceros attacking and a scream—’
‘Was it Dawn?’ Bunduki growled.
‘I don’t think so,’ At-Vee replied. ‘It sounded like a man. But she hasn’t come back, nor have I heard anything else until Joar-Fane called for help.’
‘Where did you hear the call of the “Hairy Woman”?’ Bunduki inquired. ‘Which direction, I mean.’
‘There,’ At-Vee answered, pointing to the west. ‘It was a long way off, but not in the jungle.’
Looking in the direction indicated by the hunter, Bunduki decided to try and make contact with his adoptive cousin by the same means which he had employed shortly after waking that morning. If she was in the vicinity, she ought to be able to identify his voice. Provided she could do so, she would respond and guide him to her. Without thinking to warn his companions, he threw back his head and thundered out the challenge roar of a bull Mangani,
Startled exclamations burst from Joar-Fane and At-Vee, but the effect of the awesome bellow was even more marked in the reactions of the zebras. Letting out snorts of alarm, they all began to rear. Before the banar-gatah could bolt, Bunduki sprang forward and caught hold of its reins. He brought its wildly pawing forelegs back to earth and hung on grimly, being determined not to lose such a valuable means of transport. While doing so, he also tried to listen for any answering call from Dawn. A bull Mangani replied from far off in the jungle, but the sound he was hoping to hear did not reach him.
Having brought the banar-gatah back under control and looked around to make sure that the two ocha-gatahs had neither torn free from the bushes nor injured themselves in their attempts to do so, the blond giant turned to Joar-Fane and At-Vee.
‘Did you hear anything?’ Bunduki asked.
‘Only the “Hairy Man” in the jungle,’ At-Vee answered, realizing what the big blond had been trying to do. ‘Dawn hasn’t answered.’
‘Perhaps she didn’t hear you, Bunduki,’ Joar-Fane suggested. ‘She might be too far away.’
‘She might,’ the blond giant agreed.
‘Or they could have captured her and won’t let her reply,’ At-Vee offered. ‘I should never have let her
‘From what I know about Dawn, you couldn’t have stopped her once she’d made up her mind,’ Bunduki replied. ‘I’ll have to go and look for her.’
Even as the blond giant spoke, he glanced at the rapidly darkening sky. Any search that he commenced would be of short duration before the coming of night brought it to a halt. So he decided that he would have to leave it until daybreak. The decision did not come easily. While either of the possibilities mentioned by his companions could explain Dawn’s failure to respond to his call, there was another alternative. Much as he hated the thought, his adoptive cousin could be dead.
Chapter Thirteen – Let Me Make Her Talk, Lord Dryaka
Sitting astride the grar-gatah that had belonged to the eagle’s attendant, with her wrists secured by a set of rawhide hobbles—the metal swivel connecting link of which was fastened to the saddle horn—and ankles tied to the stirrups, Dawn Drummond-Clayton surveyed her surroundings with considerable misgivings.
Leading their .captive’s mount by its tether rope, Elidor rode along oozing pride and arrogance. She was delighted by the interest her party’s arrival was causing as they passed through the Mun-Gatahs’ hunting camp. Displaying an equal satisfaction, Mador and the second male warrior rode one on either side of their tawny-haired prisoner.
On returning to full consciousness the previous afternoon, Dawn had become aware that she was in a terrible predicament and had sought for a way out of it. Only Mador had been with her when she had regained the use of her faculties. However, although she had been ready to resist most strenuously if he had attempted to take advantage of her hands being bound behind her back, she had realized the futility of trying to attack him. So she had not attempted to. Instead, she had remained passive in the hope that she might lull him into a sense of over-confidence thus offering her an opportunity to escape. Before it could happen, Elidor and the second of the High Priest’s male adherents had returned. They had been leading the grar-gatah and, after changing Dawn’s bonds for the hobbles, the men had lifted her onto its saddle and fastened her there. With that done, they had led her back in the direction from which they had come.
At first, while awaiting whatever might be in store for her, Dawn had been puzzled by the absence of her original pair of pursuers. Noticing two patches of freshly spilled blood on the ground, she guessed what had happened but kept her thoughts to herself. That had been a wise decision. Wanting to avoid having their lies exposed by the girl when they reached the hunting camp, Elidor and Mador had removed the bodies and their victims’ mounts before she had recovered. Then the woman had gone and disposed of Charole’s third supporter while collecting the last member of her party.
Although Dawn had had no difficulty in sitting the grar-gatah, its gait being similar to that of an ordinary riding horse, she had contrived to hide the fact from her captors. By pretending
to have no knowledge of equestrian matters, she had managed to delay them and reduce the speed at which they were travelling. Night had found them on the plains and they made camp on the banks of a small stream.
While lifting Dawn from the saddle, the men’s hands had wandered over her private parts. However, neither had attempted to go any further than feeling her body. Despite her relief at not having been sexually assaulted, she had found the omission disturbing. To her way of thinking, it had suggested she might be being reserved for some other fate.
Dawn had heard and recognized Bunduki’s challenge roar, but had known that to try and answer would be inadvisable. If she had made the attempt, she would have been quickly, and, in all probability, painfully silenced. So she remained silent. She noticed how nervous the awesome bellow had made the zebras, even though it had been a long way off.
Knowing that Bunduki was searching for her had heartened Dawn. She had deduced that he might have been guided by a similar subconscious impulse to that which had brought her to the woodland. However, she had accepted that there was little likelihood of him finding her that night. Even if he should meet At-Vee and learn what had happened, he could not follow her tracks in the dark.
At sunrise, after having spent an uncomfortable night, Dawn had been given a meal of what she had guessed was the Mun-Gatahs’ equivalent of biltong. Then she was placed on the grar-gatah and the journey was resumed. She had continued with her delaying tactics and had contrived to watch their back trail without making her interest in it obvious to her captors. Unfortunately, she had seen nothing to even suggest that Bunduki was following her tracks.