"Now, gentlemen, I am going to review my troops, and to give them their
final lesson in military tactics, with the double view of seeing that
they know what they have got to do, and of impressing them with a due
sense of the great advantage of even a slight knowledge of drill."
He then directed us to take command of our several companies (Makarooroo
being placed on this occasion over the king's band), and pointed out the
separate directions in which we were ultimately to post our troops, so
as to advance upon the spot on which the king stood when the signal
should be given. We had already taught the men the necessity of
attacking in a compact single line, and of forming up into this position
from what is termed Indian file, with which latter they were already
acquainted. Of course we could not hope to teach them the principles of
wheeling in the short time at our command. To overcome this difficulty,
we told each band to follow its leader, who should walk in front; to
advance when he advanced, to retire when he retired, and to turn this
way or that way, according to his movements.
At a signal we gave the word "Forward!" and the whole band defiled into
the woods before the king, and disappeared like a vision, to the
unutterable amazement of his majesty, who stood perfectly motionless,
with eyes and mouth open to their fullest extent.
Having marched together for some distance, each leader detached his men
and led them, as it were, to opposite directions of the compass, three
of the bands making a considerable detour, in order to get the spot
where the king stood in the centre of us. Then we halted and awaited
the next signal. In about ten minutes it was given--a loud whistle--and
we gave the word "Forward" again. I say "we," because the result proved
that we had done so. Being out of sight of the other bands, of course I
could not see how they acted.
On I rushed over brake and bush and morass, my men following me in a
very good line, considering the nature of the ground. I had divided
them into four lines, with an interval of about six yards between each.
And it was really wonderful how well they kept in that position. The
other companies had been ordered to act in the same way.
On bursting out of the woods I saw that we had outstripped the other
companies, so I held my men in check by running somewhat slower; and
they had been so deeply impressed with the fatal consequences of not
doing exactly as I did, that they stared at me with all their eyes, to
the no small risk of their lives; for one or two dashed against trees,
and others tumbled head over heels into holes, in their anxiety to keep
their eyes upon me.
In a few seconds I observed Peterkin spring out of the woods, followed
by his men, so I went on again at full speed. As we entered the
village, our ranks were sadly broken and confused by the huts; but on
gaining the open space where Jack stood, I was pleased to observe that
the negroes tried, of their own accord, to regain their original
formation, and succeeded so well that we came on in four tolerably
straight and compact lines. Each commander having been forewarned to
hold his men in check, or to push forward, so as to arrive at the
central point at the same moment, Jack, Peterkin, Makarooroo, and I ran
in upon the king together, and unitedly gave the word "Halt!" whereupon
we found ourselves in the centre of a solid square.
So deeply had the men been impressed with the necessity of obedience
that they had scarcely observed each other's approach. They now stood
rooted to the ground in every possible attitude of suddenly-arrested
motion, and all with their eyes and mouths wide open. In another moment
the result of their combined movement became evident to them, and they
uttered a yell of delighted surprise.
"Very good, very good indeed," said Jack; "and that concluding yell was
very effective--quite magnificent.--But you see," he added, turning to
me, "although such a yell is sufficiently appalling to us, it will no
doubt be a mere trifle to men who are used to it. What say you to
teaching them a British cheer?"
"Absurd," said I; "they will never learn to give it properly."
"I don't know that," rejoined Jack, in a doubtful manner.
"Try," said Peterkin.
"So I will.--Mak, tell them now that I'm going to continue the speech
which this little review interrupted."
"They's all ready for more, massa."
This was patent to the meanest capacity; for the negroes stood gazing at
their commander-in-chief with eyes and mouths and ears open, and
nostrils expanded, as if anxious to gulp in and swallow down his words
through every organ.
"There is a cry," said Jack, "which the white man gives when he enters
into battle--a terrible cry, which is quite different from that of the
black man, and which is so awful that it strikes terror into the heart
of the white man's enemies, and has even been known to make a whole army
fly almost without a shot being fired. We shall let you hear it."
Thereupon Jack and I and Peterkin gave utterance to a cheer of the most
vociferous description, which evidently filled the minds of the natives
with admiration.
"Now," resumed Jack, "I wish my black warriors to try that cheer--"
Some of the black warriors, supposing that the expression of this wish
was a direct invitation to them to begin, gave utterance to a terrific
howl.
"Stay! stop!" cried Jack, holding up his hand.
Every mouth was closed instantly.
"You must cheer by command. I will say `Hip, hip, hip!' three times; as
soon as I say the third `hip,' out with the cry. Now then. Hip, hip--"
"'Popotamus," whispered Peterkin.
"Hip, hurrah!" shouted Jack.
"Hurl! ho! sh! kee! how!" yelled the savages, each man giving his own
idea of our terror-inspiring British cheer.
"That will do," said Jack quietly; "it is quite evident that the war-cry
of the white man is not suited to the throat of the black. You will
utter your usual shout, my friends, when the signal is given; but
_remember_, not before that.
"And now I come to the greatest mystery of all." (Every ear was eagerly
attentive.) "The shot and bits of metal and little stones with which
King Jambai's warriors are accustomed to kill will not do on this great
and peculiar occasion. They will not answer the purpose--my purpose;
therefore I have provided a kind of bullet which every one must use
instead of his usual shot. No warriors ever used such bullets in the
fight before. They are very precious, because I have only enough of
them to give one to each man. But that will do. If the enemy does not
fly at the first discharge, then you may load with your own shot."
So saying, Jack, with the utmost gravity, took from the pouch that hung
at his side a handful of little balls of paper about the size of a
musket bullet, which he began to distribute among the savages. We had
observed Jack making several hundreds of these, the night previous to
this memorable day, out of one or two newspapers we had carried along
with us for wadding; but he would not at that time tell us what he was
going to do with them. The negroes received this novel species of
ammunition with deep interest and surprise. Never having seen printed
paper before, or, in all probability, paper of any kind, they were much
taken up with the mysterious characters imprinted thereon, and no doubt
regarded these as the cause of the supernatural power which the bullets
were supposed to possess.
"Remember," said Jack, "when these are discharged at the enemy, I do not
say that they will kill, but I do say that they will cause the enemy to
fly. Only, be assured that everything depends on your _obedience_. And
if one single stone, or nail, or hard substance is put in along with
these bullets, the chief part of my plans will be frustrated."
It was quite evident, from the expression of their sable countenances,
that the idea of the bullets not killing was anything but agreeable.
They were too deeply impressed, however, with Jack's power, and too far
committed in the enterprise, and generally too much overwhelmed with
mingled surprise and perplexity, to offer any objection.
"Now," said Jack in conclusion, "you may go and eat well. To-night,
when it grows dark, hold yourselves in readiness to go forth in _dead
silence_. Mind that: not a sound to be uttered until the signal, `Hip,
hip, hip!' is given."
"And," added Peterkin, in an undertone to Makarooroo, "tell them that
King Jambai expects that every man will do his duty."
This remark was received with a shout and a frightful display of white
teeth, accompanied by a tremendous flourish of guns, bows, and spears.
There was something quite awful, not to say picturesque, in this
displaying of teeth, which took place many times during the course of
the above proceedings. You looked upon a sea of black ebony balls, each
having two white dots with black centres near the top of it. Suddenly
the ebony balls were gashed across, and a sort of storm, as it were, of
deep red mingled with pure white swept over the dark cloud of heads
before you, and vanished as quickly as it had appeared, only to
reappear, however, at the next stroke of humour, or at some "touch of
that nature" which is said on very high authority, to "make the whole
world kin."
The proceedings eventually closed with a brief speech from the king, who
referred to Peterkin's remark about each man doing his duty, and said
that, "if each man did _not_ do his duty--" Here his majesty paused for
a minute, and wrought his countenance into horrible contortions,
indicative of the most excruciating agony, and wound up with an emphatic
repetition of that dire threat about the unnatural treatment of eyes,
heart, liver, and carcass, which had on the previous evening sounded so
awful in our ears, and had been treated with such profound indifference
by those whom it was specially designed to affect.
"I didn't know, Jack," observed Peterkin gravely, as we returned to our
hut, "that you were such an out-and-out humbug."
"You are severe, Peterkin. I scarcely deserve to be called a humbug for
acting to the best of my judgment in peculiar circumstances."
"Peculiar circumstances!" responded Peterkin. "Truly they have received
peculiar treatment!"
"That is as it should be," rejoined Jack; "at any rate, be they peculiar
or be they otherwise, our plans are settled and our mode of action
fixed, so we must e'en abide the issue."