FIGHTING THE TRIBESMEN
Standing in the shadow cast by the cliff on his right, Jim looked out
upon the brightly lit plain, and watched the tribesmen coming to the
attack. There was no need for them to remain silent, for they already
knew that their design of capturing the zareba was known; and,
therefore, they marched forward, shouting loudly to one another, and
brandishing their weapons above their heads. A few, carried away by
their excitement, even fired their guns, as if already in sight of their
opponents, as indeed they were, if only they had known it. Nearing the
entrance of the gorge, they gathered together, and then, at a shout from
their leader, halted for a minute.
"We must slay the infidels this time," he called out. "Let each man
prepare now for the fight, and when I give the word, rush forward at his
fastest pace. In that way only can we hope to escape the shower of rocks
from above. Some I have already told off to climb the cliffs and pick
off the defenders, and they will carry out their commands at once. Are
you ready? Then, in Allah's name, forward!"
At his words a storm of cries and of fierce shouts burst from the
Somalis, and some three hundred of them came rushing towards the ravine,
eager to be the first to reach the farther end and come to close
quarters with the men who had given such a bitter blow to their pride.
Well might the little band of defenders tremble at the sight and at the
noise, for on the former occasion the tribesmen had advanced in
comparative silence, and their defeat and subsequent retreat had been
swift and but the matter of a few minutes. Now, however, it was a
different matter. Here were the enemy rushing upon them in numbers
sufficient to overpower them, indeed, to sweep over them and trample
them underfoot without feeling their presence. For the moment the
hopelessness of their case appealed to Jim, and he felt as though all
were lost, and that his hopes of saving his father from slavery, or
worse, were destined to be shattered at the very beginning. Then a
sudden determination to conquer came upon him, and he turned quietly to
Ali.
"Call gently to the men, and tell them to hold their fire and keep well
under cover until they hear me shout," he said. "I shall wait till the
enemy is within fifty yards, so that our volleys may have good effect.
Let them know also that they are to reload at once, and that if the
natives do not retire after the first volley, they are to open upon them
with the magazine, and continue firing till they fly. How thankful I am
that we took the precaution two days ago of showing them how to manage
their rifles."
Ali at once carried out his master's orders, first telling those who lay
behind the barricade of stones, and then going to inform the remainder
who had been posted upon the ledges. That done, he returned to Jim's
side, and stood there awaiting the attack, determined to help him as far
as in him lay, for the bravery of this young Englishman appealed to him.
Indeed, he was lost in wonderment to find this lad, who had had no
experience of this sort of life, and who had had no dealings with
natives, so calmly placing himself at the head of his followers, and
leading them against odds which would have appalled many a grown-up
man.
By now the tribesmen were within eighty yards from them, and, led by
their sheik, they came rushing pell-mell towards the entrance of the
ravine, expecting to find it open, and never dreaming that the enemy
whom they were bent on attacking already occupied it. All their thoughts
and all their energies were occupied in the race to reach the farther
end, each one striving to be there before his fellows, to strike one of
the few blows which they told themselves would be necessary to conquer
these impudent people.
"Death to the infidels!" shouted the sheik. "Fear not their bullets, but
rush upon them and slay them ere they can lift their weapons to do you
harm."
Crowded together in a surging mass, his followers advanced towards the
gorge, shouting defiance. A minute more and they were within the
distance which Jim had mentioned, looking as though nothing could stop
them, so great was their eagerness, and as though they would overrun the
wall of stones and scatter it to right and left in their impetuosity.
Clash! Bang! At Jim's order, a stream of flame spurted from the ambush,
and from the ledges to right and left, as the men opened fire, sending a
hail of bullets into the centre of the mass. At such a short range, and
with these modern rifles which threw bullets of the smallest calibre and
of the greatest penetrating force, every missile flew on till it was
stopped by the sheer weight of the mass before it. Not one, but many men
were struck down by the shower of lead, and falling headlong upon the
ground, lay there sprawling in all directions and in every attitude, a
trap for the feet of those who followed. But if the surprise of the
tribesmen had been great during their first attack, when they discovered
that the opening from the ravine had been closed, it was now more than
doubled. They were dumfounded at the trick played upon them, and as the
rifles flashed out vengefully, they came to an abrupt halt, as if by
mutual consent, and stood there, breathless, their weapons still held
above their heads, staring into the darkness beyond them, as if they
wished to penetrate into the depth of the gorge and learn what was
happening. For more than a minute they paused, while the defenders,
taking advantage of the breathing-space, opened the breeches of their
weapons. Shooting out the empty cartridges, they replaced them with
fresh ones, and closed the locks with a snap and bang which told, as
plainly as if they had mentioned the fact, that they, too, meant
business, and that nothing but the absolute defeat of their enemies
would satisfy them.
"They give back! They fly! Death to the dags!" shouted Ali Kumar
excitedly, at this moment, noticing that a few of the leaders had
suddenly turned, and were endeavouring to thrust their comrades aside
and find a means of escape. "See, master, you have already taught them
the lesson of which you spoke."
"Wait!" answered Jim sharply. "It is only those who have no stomach for
the fight who are returning. The majority will fight it out; of that I
am sure. Ah, here they come!"
As he spoke, the sheik, whose astonishment had at first been
overpowering, suddenly recovered his wits, and, rendered desperate by
the position in which he found himself, and fearful of losing credit
with his following, suddenly sprang to the front, and, turning towards
his men, shouted loud words of encouragement.
"Are you then afraid?" he cried. "Shall these few infidel dogs turn us
from our purpose? On! Let not the flash of their weapons terrify you
and rob you of your bravery. Forward! Death to the enemy!"
Swinging round until he faced the gorge once more, he levelled his gun
at it, and pulled the trigger. Then he tossed it to one side, knowing
that it would be useless in a hand-to-hand conflict, and drawing a long,
double-handed sword from his waist with the quickness of a flash, he
charged at the defenders.
Taking encouragement from his words and action, the tribesmen at once
sprang forward and joined him, following close on his heels, and setting
up a fierce shout which awoke the echoes, and almost deafened the
defenders. "Kill them!" they shouted. "Slay the infidels!"
Pressing forward at their fastest pace, they were soon within some
twenty yards of the barrier. But at that moment the rifles flashed out
again, and a storm of bullets was poured into their midst. Throwing out
the catch of their magazines, Jim's followers sent missile after missile
into their midst without cessation, and, pausing only to replenish them,
opened again, rising in their excitement from behind their shelter, so
as to obtain a better aim.
Three times did the tribesmen win their way to within a few paces of the
wall of stones, but on each occasion the rifles of the defenders beat
them back. Then they retired sulkily, and, taking up their posts behind
boulders and scraps of cover, which existed here and there, open a
stinging fusillade upon the ravine.
"Order the men to lie down behind the rocks!" cried Jim; "and tell them
that they are to reserve their shots until they are certain that they
can see one of the enemy. They are then to take careful aim, and pick
him off without wasting a cartridge. Let them show these tribesmen that
recklessness will not pay, and that the instant one rises from his
shelter he will be slain."
Obedient to the orders which were repeated to them by Ali Kumar, the
native followers lay down upon their ledges, and kept a careful watch
upon the tribesmen. But all the while each held his rifle to his
shoulder, and closely scrutinizing the moonlit plain beyond, endeavoured
to discover the whereabouts of lurking tribesmen. Then, taking careful
aim, and waiting till the man he covered rose to empty his weapon in the
direction of the ravine, he pressed his trigger gently and sent his
bullets home. Not once, but many times, did the defenders pick off one
of the enemy, and, when an hour had passed, quite twenty had paid the
penalty for their boldness.
"Their volleys seem to be getting heavier," remarked Jim, some twenty
minutes later, when a perfect storm of slugs whistled and shrieked
through the entrance of the ravine, striking against the rocks on either
side to glance off them and ricochet into space with a characteristic
note to which an old soldier would have been quite accustomed. Others
struck the hastily built wall of stones, and, smashing to pieces there,
sent a shower of fragments in all directions. Indeed, so heavy and
well-aimed was the tribesmen's fusillade, that a number of the small
garrison were wounded, but only to a slight extent, thanks to the nature
of the missiles used.
"Yes, it is certainly becoming heavier, and I should not be surprised if
they made another rush before very long. Sing out to the men to be
prepared, Ali, and tell them that on this occasion I shall not give the
command to open fire until they are considerably closer, for they will
have had their warning, and will most likely come on in open order, in
which case we could not hope to inflict much loss, for the light is
uncertain, and makes accurate aiming difficult. But they are bound to
come together within a few yards of this, and that is the moment we must
select for blazing into them."
"The advice is good," was Ali's answer. "These men who have so rashly
attacked us are burning to avenge their defeat, and they will not rest
until they have slain us, or we have chastised them so severely that
they recognize the hopelessness of their cause. Therefore, if ten, if
twenty, fell to the earth, shot down by our bullets as they rush to the
attack, the remainder would not pause, would not hesitate for a moment,
but would come on at their fastest pace. It is a clever plan, therefore,
to wait until they are within easy range and packed close together, for,
seeing that our guns are silent when they had expected them to open
heavily upon them, they will, perchance, imagine that we have retired,
and have prepared another ambush for them. I should advise, master, that
you order the men at once to lie down, for they are now having little
success, as the tribesmen have been warned by the death of their
comrades, and are careful not to expose themselves."
"You can do as you suggest, Ali, and I feel sure that our silence will
make them wonder. Perhaps they will hold a council of war, and then come
on warily, imagining that we have retreated to our old barricade. Call
to our followers, and explain the situation to them. Then let them know
that they are on no account to make a sound until I give the signal by
firing my rifle."
Ali at once turned to the natives, who had so gallantly supported their
young English leader, and hastily communicated Jim's words to them. Then
all knelt, or lay at full length behind the cover each one had
selected, and remained there, eyes fixed upon the plain beyond and upon
the figures of the tribesmen which flitted hither and thither, now
rushing from one thorn-bush to another, and now creeping along some
shallow trench cunningly scooped from the sand with their hands, to
reach a site which seemed more favourable. It was evident that all had
taken the lesson to heart, and had felt the bullets of the defenders,
for up to a little while ago they had, in the manner of Eastern people,
recklessly and defiantly exposed themselves, standing fully erect to
discharge their weapons. But as many of these bold men had fallen, shot
through the head or chest, the remainder began to learn that the sight
of a shoulder or of a head peering from behind a boulder was the signal
for the instant snap of a rifle and the swish of a bullet close at hand.
And now their crafty sheik had had time to recover his self-possession,
and from his position in the centre of his men, sent messengers crawling
to right and left with instructions for the next attack.
"I fancy I can see something moving over there," said Jim, some ten
minutes later, as he stood behind the barricade, silently looking out
upon the plain. "Is it the moonlight which alters objects or are those
thorn-bushes getting slowly nearer to us? Look! There is a large one out
there in the very centre, and I declare that, five minutes ago, it was
twenty paces or more from the rock close beside which it now stands."
He stared anxiously over the sandy waste, and pointed with his finger to
indicate the bush to which he wished to draw Ali's attention, quite
forgetting that he himself, together with all the defenders, were
shrouded in the inky darkness with which the entrance of the ravine was
clad. But Ali's eyes were as sharp as a ferret's, and long residence
amongst the natives had given him powers of sight far more acute than
those usually possessed by more civilized people. A glance into the open
showed him the large bush, and instantly his attention became riveted
upon it.
"It moves!" he whispered breathlessly. "See, master, a moment ago it was
beside the rock of which you spoke, and now it stands in front of it, so
that I can scarcely see its outline. And--look! There are others to
right and left which are creeping forward. It is a ruse, a cunning plan
to get close to us before making the final rush. Each one of those
thorn-bushes conceals one or more of the tribesmen, all with their eyes
fixed upon the central bush, and all slowly, steadily, but insensibly,
drawing nearer. Soon they will have approached as close as they deem
possible, and then casting the cover aside, they will spring to their
feet, and come rushing upon us. What shall we do?"
For the first time since the tribesmen had attacked Ali showed some
symptoms of fear. His lips trembled involuntarily as he asked Jim the
question, and unconsciously he grasped the lad by the arm.
"What shall we do, Ali? Why? What else but watch them carefully, and
send our volleys swishing into them when they do rise for their attack?
I've been thinking the matter out, and I feel sure that the plan we have
agreed upon is a wise one. For ten minutes not a shot has been fired
from our side, and though they have certainly been listening with all
their ears, they have not heard a sound. But still they creep forward,
only half suspecting at present that we have withdrawn. Soon, however,
they will begin to think that, if we are still here, we are blind, for
we could not fail to have discovered the moving bushes. That will set
them wondering, and it will never cross their minds that we have chosen
to prepare another surprise for them. They will be quite sure that all
their trouble in creeping forward in this way has been useless, and they
will rise to their feet and advance towards the ravine, fully expecting
to find us gone. But we will teach them to be more sensible. Now is our
time to give them a blow from which they will never recover. Cheer up,
Ali! Things are not half so desperate as they seem."
Jim's words had the desired effect upon his native follower, for the
latter at once straightened himself, and, standing erect behind the
barricade, looked out upon the enemy with far more determination and
courage than he had shown before. As for Jim, though he leant there
apparently unmoved and unconcerned, he was far from feeling as sanguine
as he had expressed himself, for there was no doubt that he and his
little band of followers were in an extremely precarious situation, from
which they could not hope to escape without severe and desperate
fighting. Indeed, when he considered the odds, and remembered the fierce
shouts with which the enemy had previously attacked, he was bound to
confess to himself that the position was almost without hope. Could he
and these few men, well armed though they were, expect for the third
time to beat back a crew of fanatical tribesmen who were bent upon
slaying them, and who, taught to think that they were the only true
believers, considered that death earned in slaying an infidel was well
earned indeed? Against such men effectual resistance was difficult, and,
unless reinforcements were at hand, or great success attained at the
beginning, could not possibly be continued for very long.
"But we'll do it," said Jim doggedly, to himself. "I've come out to
this country for a certain purpose, and have done no harm to these
people. Indeed, I was prepared to be the best of friends with them. But
they have thought fit to attack me in the hope of obtaining loot, and
must just take the consequences."
With that his lips closed firmly together, and, lifting his rifle once
more, he felt softly at the lock to see that all was in readiness.
"Nothing but the magazine this time," he murmured. "We must sweep them
away, and mow them down before they can get within reach of us."
By now the line of moving bushes had drawn sensibly nearer, and as each
man of the garrison kept his eyes fixed upon them, he was able to
observe figures crawling behind them. To those of Jim's followers who
lay upon the ledges above, the whole plan was now quite evident, for
from their elevated position they could easily see over the tops of the
bushes, and could even count the number of the enemy. In such
circumstances the temptation to select some individual, to raise the
rifle ever so quietly to the shoulder, and gently to press the trigger
when certain of the aim, was great indeed. Breathlessly, with
fast-beating hearts, and hands glued to the stocks of their weapons,
they stared out from the darkness into the space lit up by the rays of
the moon, and longed for the order to fire, for to lie motionless,
without attempting to defend themselves when they knew that men were
there hungering for their lives, was a sore trial to all of them.
Impetuous and excitable by nature, they would, had they been alone, at
once have emptied their magazines, and then either fled down the ravine,
or died fighting where they were. But they had confidence in their young
leader, who had already shown his fitness to command them, and, in spite
of their longing to begin the engagement, remained in absolute silence.
"They have stopped!" whispered Jim some few minutes later, noticing that
the line of thorn-bushes had come to a halt. "Look! There is a man
creeping from the right-hand side towards the centre, and another is
following him. They are going to have a talk, and decide upon some
action."
"Others are coming from the left, master," added Ali, catching him by
the sleeve; "and now someone has risen from behind the bush which stands
in the middle. It is the sheik, for I know him by his great height. He
is pointing towards us, and talking to the others."
Eagerly did Jim and his followers watch the scene going on before them;
and as they looked, first one, and then all, of the leafy screens which
the tribesmen had carried before them with such craft and trouble were
tossed aside with disgust, and those who were hiding behind them rose to
their feet, giving vent to exclamations of annoyance and anger.
"Once more these dogs have made fools of us!" cried the sheik, shaking
his fist towards the gorge. "First they poured their bullets into us
from the farther end, and then, when we advanced for the second time,
expecting to find them there, they lay hiding like foxes close in front
of us. And now, when after infinite care and caution we have, as we
thought, come within such easy reach of them that a few moments would
have seen us triumphant, we discover that they are gone, that they have
melted into the air. It is hard to fight with such men, and were it not
for the losses we have suffered, I should counsel that we retire."
"And what then?" shouted one of his followers indignantly. "Do you ask
us to return to our wives and children and admit defeat? We cannot do
it. They would not receive us, but would drive us out with laughter and
jeers. Think for a moment. Our trouble may not be thrown away, for
seeing that victory was certain to fall to us, it may well be that these
insolent people have fled for their lives. Even now they may be
returning to the coast as quickly as their beasts will take them,
leaving their camels and their baggage to us. Be not down-hearted, for
whether they have fled or remain to fight, our numbers are great, and
make success certain in the end."
The man who had spoken strode some paces to the front, and turned as he
harangued his brethren. Then he went to the sheik and spoke quietly in
his ear.
"Abdullah Rishmar is right," cried the latter, after a few minutes.
"Rather than despair we should be filled with exultation, for it is
evident that the enemy has taken flight. We have discussed the matter,
and are still of opinion that the best plan will be to move forward, and
when we reach the farther end of the ravine, rush down upon the zareba.
Then if we find, as seems probable, that the infidel has fled, we will
return to our homes, and to-morrow, at the first streak of daylight, our
fleetest camels shall convey a band of fighting men in pursuit. We know
the lowlands well, and by nightfall should come up with those whom we
seek. Then punishment shall be meted out for their insolence. As for
those who are dead, does not Allah reward the true believer who falls in
taking part in such a cause?"
At the old man's words the tribesmen gave vent to a loud shout, and,
gathering together, ran swiftly towards the ravine.
"Another minute and we shall let them have it," said Jim quietly. "Call
gently to all the men to make ready."
Raising his rifle to his shoulder, he aimed for the centre of the mass
of struggling humanity, and pressed the trigger. An instant later a line
of flame flashed from behind the barricade and from the ledges on either
side. So rapidly did the men open and close the breeches of their
weapons, that the volley seemed to be an endless one. Here and there it
would stop for a few seconds, as the magazine was emptied, but within a
very short while it broke out again, spurting into the darkness, till
the opening of the ravine was almost as light as the plain outside. At
the first discharge the tribesmen had stood aghast, thunderstruck at the
audacity of their enemies. Then rage took hold of them, and they came
on, this time in silence, their eyes blazing with hate, and their minds
made up to kill their opponents, whatever happened. Surging forward, in
spite of their losses, they reached the rocky entrance of the gorge, and
became almost wedged. Then a few, breaking from their comrades, dashed
at the barricade, and at once joined in a fierce hand-to-hand contest
with Jim and the six men who stood beside him. To the last moment Jim
kept on firing, and then, when there was no cartridge left in his
weapon, he grasped it by the barrel, and leaping, in his excitement upon
the wall of stones, dashed it down upon the heads of the attackers.
Indeed, he seemed to be endowed with extraordinary strength, for he
swung his rifle as if it had been a roll of paper, and brought it down
with a force which could not be broken. Ali Kumar did his utmost to
support his young leader, while the five remaining men, tossing their
guns to one side, drew their swords and threw themselves upon the
tribesmen with a fury equal to their own.
And all the while the men who were stationed on the ledges above kept up
a terrible fire, sending their bullets swishing into the huddled masses
of the enemy. But in spite of all the efforts of the garrison, it
seemed at first as though the enemy would prove victorious, for nothing
seemed able to check them. In another place, indeed, they would have
been successful, without a doubt, but here their very numbers hampered
them, and prevented more than a few from closing with the defenders at
one moment. Had Jim and the natives who were with him given way, the
tide of tribesmen would have surged over the barricade, and not a man
would have lived to tell the tale. But they clung to their position with
desperate bravery, and finally drove their assailants back.
"Now for the magazines!" shouted Jim. "Fill them up, and open again!"
Though they could not understand a word, his men saw his meaning at a
glance, for he turned upon them, and flinging the lock of his rifle
open, began to slip cartridges into it. Then, waiting until they, too,
were ready, he brought his weapon to his shoulder, and once more the
line of fire spurted from behind the barricade. A minute later Jim
sprang over the breastwork, and rushed forward. But his intention was
not to throw himself upon the assailants, but to commit an act of
bravery; for suddenly one of the men posted upon the ledge upon his
right had risen to aim at the enemy, and overbalancing himself, had come
crashing to the ground, where he lay within a few paces of the wall of
stones, at the mercy of the enemy. With an agile leap Jim was beside him
almost as soon as he touched the ground, and catching him by the arm,
dragged him towards his friends. Then, tossing his weapon to Ali, who
looked on speechless with astonishment, he caught the native up in his
arms, and scrambled back amongst his comrades with him. The whole had
been the work of a few moments only, and was completed before the
tribesmen could take advantage of the opportunity so suddenly presented
to them. It proved, indeed, a turning-point in the conflict, for, filled
with exultation at their young leader's bravery, the defenders set up a
shout which set the rocks ringing, and then dashed forward to the
attack, Jim joining them. Filled with consternation as these men, who
seemed more than mortal, closed with them, the tribesmen turned about
with one accord, and bolted into the plain, leaving their opponents
proud masters of the scene.
"And now let us see who is hurt," said Jim breathlessly, sitting upon a
boulder to rest for a few moments after the fray. "Line the men up, Ali,
and tell me if any are killed."
"We have had great fortune," answered the native headman. "I have
already been amongst the following, and I find that two only are killed,
the one being Rigba Hamah, who fell from the cliff above, and the second
Ali Tumbi, who fell at the last assault. As for wounds, we all have one
or more to show, but they are nothing, and will be well in a week."
"Then I'll ask you to tie up my arm," said Jim quietly. "I fancy that a
slug has ploughed a big hole through it."
Leading his master into the light, Ali at once examined his wound, and
gave a cry of consternation when he saw the condition of the arm, for it
was red with blood, while a stream was gushing from a ragged hole close
above the elbow.
"How long is it since you received this?" he asked sharply. "It must
have been some time ago, for you have lost much blood. Look at the
condition of your clothing."
"A slug struck me as the tribesmen advanced for the last time," answered
Jim faintly. "I scarcely felt it in the excitement of the moment, but it
smarts now. Give me something to drink, for I feel dizzy."
Running across to the cliff, down the steep slope of which a tiny
stream trickled, Ali quickly procured a handful of water, and at once
poured it down Jim's throat.
"Ah, that's better; and now I feel less likely to make a fool of myself
and faint," said the latter gratefully. "Now tie it up for me like a
good fellow, and let us see what our next step is to be."
"We shall return to the zareba, master, and spend what is left of the
night in peace," replied Ali with assurance. "The tribesmen are
thoroughly beaten, and will not venture to advance again until we have
withdrawn. Then they will collect their dead and wounded, and when the
morning comes they will slink away into the plain and hide. This has
been an evil time for them, and they will remember it for many a day to
come."
"I think you are right," Jim agreed, "and I propose that you shout out
to them that we will not interfere with them if they like to send in for
the bodies. Tell them that we will retire to the pass below the ravine,
and that they are on no account to attempt to approach us, or we will
hunt them up to-morrow and burn their camp. When you have done that, we
shall get back to the zareba, leaving three of our men as sentries until
they can be relieved by those who have remained behind."
Accordingly, when Ali had seen to the comfort of his leader, he strode
out into the plain, and shouted to the tribesmen, giving them Jim's
message. Then the gallant band, who had fought so well in the gorge,
retired, and within an hour were with their friends again.