[Illustration]
Meanwhile the Lali who had been worsted in the war, and whose defeat even
the gallant Oboo could not avert, determined on a change of tactics.
Recognizing their inferiority as combatants (being not so generally armed
or so skilled in the use of arms as the Ammi), they resolved to make up
in numbers what they lacked in skill; and so they sent out ambassadors
and summoned all the apes from the countries beyond, shrewdly using the
respite of the last few days from battle to collect allies.
Out into the forests and among the palm groves, therefore, they went,
calling to the inhabitants of the trees and vines to come down, and
sending their summons into the tangled thickets of the swamps. And the
apes left their cocoanuts and cinnamon branches, and came up out of their
fisheries, (abandoning their sports with parrots, and their fights with
owls,) and hurried to the country of the Lali and the seat of war.
The Apes were far more numerous than the men, the latter being only
one colony in the whole world, who were now all collected on one field
of battle, whereas the Apes, though differing from one another, (being
of many species besides the Man-apes,) were practically without limit
(taking in all the country and all the varieties of Apes,) so that it was
only a question of how wide a territory they should scour for allies, in
order to bring any number to battle.
These apes, moreover, could be easily united on almost any project, as
there were yet no conflicting interests to dissuade them; so that in a
short time an innumerable host was assembled at the seat of war—great,
small, tailless, speechless and everything from the big gorilla to the
common monkey.
To add to the good fortune of the Lali, there had come also, along with
the migrating cattle, several large herds of apes from the north. These,
which at another time would have met the hostility of the Lali, and
perhaps been slain as enemies, or as competitors for their food, were now
welcomed and enlisted as allies against the Ammi.
But the Apes, though countless, were not so closely confederated as the
Men. They did not live together in large numbers, and the few groups that
did exist were not accustomed to act long together. In fact the Apes
hardly knew one another, so that they were unconscious alike of their
power and their weakness.
The forces of the two armies were, therefore, woefully unequal. On one
side was a host as countless as the Myrmidons, composed, indeed, of
motley groups, which might prove unmanageable in war, but which had to
fight in order to cohere at all, and to fight soon. On the other side was
a small, but skilled and disciplined body, more homogeneous and capable
of keeping to a fixed purpose. It was obvious, therefore, that if the
Apes should make a sudden attack they would overwhelm and extirpate the
Ammi; for then, all the hosts would take part, and, being impulsive,
would fight vigorously before having time to fall to pieces as a body.
It became as important, therefore, for the Ammi to now have a delay of
hostilities as it was before for the Lali. This fact, however, was not
known to the Ammi themselves, who, on account of the distance between the
two forces, were not aware of the reinforcements of the Lali.
“Let us proceed at once against the enemy,” said Koree, innocently
inviting his own destruction. “They have retreated so far that it may
take some time to find them.”
“That’s right,” said Pounder, “we should begin early so that Night may
not again overtake us before victory.”
“Come then,” said Koree, “this day will decide——”
Here there was a great surprise. As they were about to march to battle,
and to their own destruction, Sosee burst in upon them, followed by a
strange ape, both nearly breathless from running.
Koree uttered a shout of joy, and ran to meet her. Others seeing her
pursued, seized the ape that followed her, and were about to slay him
when Sosee caused them to desist.
“He is a friend, and has helped me to come hither,” she said.
And then, without regarding the expressions of joy on the part of Koree
and others over her return, she called out loudly:
“Retreat! Hide in the woods!—and be quick!”
This was startling to the Ammi, who believed they were on the eve of
complete victory.
She informed them of the countless hosts that had joined the Lali, who
expected to move immediately on the Ammi and destroy them entirely.
“If you can retreat long enough to delay the battle,” she said, “you may
be saved. I heard the counsels of the Lali chiefs, and they agree that
if they do not fight at once their forces can not be held together, but,
being composed of different tribes of Apes, unused to discipline, will
break up in confusion.”
Sosee then told of her escape, which was undertaken as the only means of
saving the Ammi, and accomplished at the risk of her own life.
She had been guarded, she said, by Ilo, Oboo and another, and so
could not escape but by the greatest cunning and good fortune. Ilo,
however, being engaged this day in the council of war, could not watch
her closely, while Oboo, having become interested in some female apes
belonging to the new comers, had wandered off after them, so that she was
left practically alone. Being thus at liberty she persuaded the remaining
guard,—a simple ape who did not understand his business,—to accompany
her in a race, when she adroitly led him to the camp of the Ammi, and so
escaped.
[Illustration: SOSEE WARNS THE AMMI.]
On hearing her story, Koree, overjoyed at his good fortune and Sosee’s,
said:
“There is reason in what she says. Let us retreat.”
For Koree, having now received back Sosee, did not care what became of
the war, but was ready for peace at any price.
Pounder, however, objected.
“I’m not afraid of all the Apes between here and sunrise,” he said, “and
I am for fighting them. I’ll kill the big ones with the little ones.”
Others, however, more prudent, agreed with Koree, and it was decided to
follow the advice of Sosee.
So the whole force of the Ammi prepared to move back into the Swamp.
“Let us take everything with us,” said Oko. “We may need it when we get
away.”
“Delay for nothing,” said Sosee, “or you will not get yourselves away.”
Soon, therefore, they started on their retreat; when Sosee remarked:
“I must now go back to the Lali.”