Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 April 1890 — ALLAN QUATEMAIN. BY H. RIDER HAGGARD. [ARTICLE]

ALLAN QUATEMAIN.

BY H. RIDER HAGGARD.

Chapter XX—CoNTiyru ed. i Opposite our right wing, and forming Sorais’a left wing, was a great army of dark, wild looking men, armed with sword and shield only, Which, I was Informed, was composed of Nasta’s twenty- fire thousand savage hillsmen. “My word, Good,” said I, when I saw them, “you will catch it to-mor-row when those gentlemen charger’ whereat Good not unnaturally looked rather anxious. All day we watched and waited, but nothing happened, and at last night fell, and a thousand watch-fires twinkled brightly on the slopes, to wane and die one by one like the stars they resembled, as the hours wore on and the silenoj gradually gathered more deeply over the opposing hosts. It was a very wearying night, for in additition to the endless things that had to be seen to, there was our gnawing suspense to reckon with. The fray which to-morrow would witness would be so vast, and the slaughter so awful, that stout indeed must the heart have been that, was not over "helmed at the prospeet. And when I thought of all that hung upon it, I own I felt ill, and it made me very sad to reflect that these mighty forces were gathered for destruction, simply to gratify, the jealous anger of a woman. This was the hidden power which was to send those dense masses of cavalry, flashing like human thunderbolts across the plain, and to roll together the fierce battalions as clouds when hurricane meets hurricane. It was a dreadful thought, and set one wondering about the responsibilities of the great ones of the earth. Deep into the night we sat, with pale faces and heavy hearts, and took counsel, whilst the sentries tramped up and down, down and up, and the armed and plumed generals came and went, grim and shadow-like. And so the time wore away, till everything was ready for the coming slaughter; and I lay down and thought and tried to get a little rest, but could not sleep for fear of the morrow—for who could say what the morrow would bring forth? Misery and death this was certain; beyond that we knew not, and I confess I was very much afraid. But, as I realised then, it is useless to question that eternal Sphiun, the future. From day to day she reads aloud the riddles of the yesterday, of which the puzzled worldlings of all ages have not answered one nor ever will, guess they never so wildly or cry they never so loud. —~—

And so at length I gave up wondering, being forced humbly to leave the issue in the balancing hands of Providence and the morrow. And at last up came the red sun, and the huge camps awoke with a clash and a roar, and gathered themselves together for battle. It was a beautful and awe-inspiring scene, and old Umslopogaas, leaning on his ax, contemplated it with grim delight. • ‘Never have I seen the like, Macumazahn. never!” he said. “The battles of my people are as the play of children to what this will he. Thinkest thou that they will fight it out?” “Ay,” I answered, sadly, “to the death. Content thyself, ‘Woodpecker, 1 for once shalt thou find thy fill.” Time went on, and still there was no sign of an attack. A force of cavalry crossed the brook, indeed, and rode slowly along our front, evidently taking stock of our position and numbers. With this we did not attempt to interfere, as our decision was to stand strictly on the defensive, and not to waste a single man. The men breakfas Led and stood to their arms, and the hours wore on. About midday, when the men wore eating their dinner, for we thought, they would fight better on full stomachs, a shout of “Sorais, Sorais,” arose like thunder from the enemy's extreme right, and taking the glasd I was able to clearly distinguish the • Lady of the Night” herself, surrounded by a glittering staff, and ridif r slowly down the lines of her battalk vs. And as she went on, that mighty, thundering shout rolled along before her like "he rolling of ten thousand chariots, or the roaring of the ocem when the gale turns suddenly and carries the noise of it to the listener’s ears, till the earth shook, and the air was full of the majesty of sound. Guessing that this was a prelude to the beginning of the battle we remained still and made ready. We had not long to wait Suddenly like florae from a cannon’s mouth, out shot two great tongue-like forces of cavalry, and came charging down the slope toward the little stream, slowly at first, but gathering speed as they ee/ac. Before they got to the streams orders reached me from Sir Henry, who evidently feared that the shock of such a charge, if allowed to fall unbiOken upon our infantry, would be too much fcr them, to send five thousand Fa»»e>a lo meet the force opposite to mo, at the mccient when began to m-unt the jdffest of the rise about four hunarad yards from our lines. This I did, remaining behind myself with the rest of u? mat . rsm',l H,o Dve thousand horsemen, drawn up m r. wedge-like form, and 1 fnubt say twat tL 3 general in command handled then* very ably. Starting at a hnna-gar,of, for the first three hun.drod yai*ds, ho rode straight at the tip cf the tongue-shaped mass of cavalry, wnich n-imtering, so far as ,1 could judge,, about eight thousand sabers, was advancing to meet us. Then he suddenly swerved to the right and put on the pace, and I saw the great wedge curl round, and before the foe could check himself and turn to meet it, strike him about half-way down his length, with acrashlng, rending sound, like the breaking up of vast sheets of Use. U sunk the great wedge, into hiß heart, and as it cut its way hundreds •of borsemea were thrown up ou either

side of it, just as the earth is thrown 4ip by a plowshare, or more like still, as the foaming water curls over beneath the bows of a rushing ship, In, yet in, vainly does the tongue twist its ends round in agony, like an injured snake, and strive to protect its eenter; still further in, by Heaven! right through, and so, amid cheer after cheer from our watching thousands, back again upon the severed ends, beating them down, driving them? as a gale drives spray, till at last admidst the rushing of hundreds of riderless horses, the flashing of swords, and the victorious clamor of their pursuers, the great force crumples up like an empty glove, then turns and gallops pell-mell for safety to its own lines. I do not think it reached them more than two-thirds as strong as it went out ten minutes before. The lines which were now advancing to the attack, opened and swailowed them up, and my force returned, haying only suffered a loss of about five hundred men, not much, I thought, considering tae fierceness of the struggle. I could also see that the opposing bodies of cavalry on our left wing were drawing but how the fight went with them Ido not quite know. It is as much as l can do to describe what took place immediately around me. By this time the dense masses of the enemy’s left, composed almost entirely of Nasta’s swordsmen, were across the little stream, and with alternate yells of “Nasta” and “Sorais,” with dancing banners and gleaming swords, were swarming up toward us like ants. Again I received orders to try and check this movement, and also the main advance against the chest of our army, by means of cavalry charges, and this I did to the best of my ability, by continually sending squadrons of about a thousand sabers out against them. These squadrons did the enemy, much damage, and it was a glorious sight to see them flash down the hillside, and bury themselves like a living knife in the heart of the foe. But, also we lost many men, for after the experience of a couple of these charges, which had drawn a sort of bloody St. Andrew’s CTtJsa Tjf“ dead add—dying through the center of Nasta’s host, our foes no longer attempted to offer an unyielding front to their irresistible weight, but opened out to let the rush go through, throwing themselves on the ground and hamstringing hundreds of horses as they passed. And so, notwithstanding all that we could do, the enemy drew nearer, till at last he hurled himself upon Good’s force of seven thousand five hundred regulars, who were drawn up to receive them in three strong squares. About the same time, too, an awful and heart-rending groan told me that the main battle had closed in on the center and extreme left. I raised myself in my stirrups and looked down to my left; so far as the eye could see there was a long, dazzling shimmer of steel as the sun glanced upon falling sword and thrusting spear. To and fro swung the contending lines in that dread struggle, now giving way, now gaining a little in the mad yet ordered confusion of attack and defense, But it was as much as I could do to keep count of what was hoppening to our own wing; and as for the movement, the cavalry had fallen back under cover of Good’s three squares, I had a fair view of this.

Nasta’s wild swordsmen were now breaking in red waves against the sullen, rock-like squares. Time after time did they yell out their war-cries and hurl themselves furiously against the long, triple ridges of spear points, only to be rolled back as billows are when they meet the cliff. And so for four long hours the battle raged almost without a pause, and at the end of that time, if we had gained nothing we had lost nothing. Two attempts to turn our left flank by forcing a way through the wood by which it was protected had been defeated, and asyetNasta’s swordsmen had, notwithstanding their desperate efforts, entirely failed to break Good’s three squares, though they had thinned their numbers quite a third. As for the chest of the army where Sir Henry was with his staff and Umslopogaas, it had suffered dreadfully, but it had held its own with honor, and the same may be said of our left flank. At last the attack slacked, and Sorais’s army drew back, having, I began to think, had enough of it. On this point, however, I was soon undeceived, for splitting up her cavalry into comparatively small squadrons, she charged us furiously with them all along the line, and then once more rolled her tens of thousands of sword and spearmen down upon our weakened squares and squadrons; Sorais herself directing the movement, and fearless as a lioness heading the main attack. On they came like an avalanche —I saw her golden helmet gleaming in the van—our countercharges of cavalry entirely failing to check their onward sweep. Now they had struck us, and our center bent in like a bow beneath the weight of their rush—it parted, and had not the ten thousand men in reserve charged down to its support it must h&ve been destroyed. As for Good’s three squares, they were swept backward like boats noon an incoming tide, and the foremost one was burst into and lost half its remaining men. But the effort was too fierce and terrible to last. Suddenly the battle came, as it were, to a turning point, and for a minute or two stood still. Then it began to move toward Sorais’s chmp. Just then, too, Nasta’s fierce-and almost invincible Highlanders, either because they were disheartened by their losses, or by way of a ruse, fell back, and the remains of Good’s gallant squares, leaving the poaittonq.£hey had held for so many hoqra. cheered wildly, and rashly folloMlrthem down the elope, whereon I the swarmß Of swordsmen turned to envelop them, and once more flung themselves upon them with a yelL

Taken thus on every side, what remained of the first square was quickly destroyed, and I perceived that the second, in which I could see Good himself mounted on a large horse, was on the point of annlhflation. A few more minutes and it was broken, its streaming colors sunk, and I lost sight of Good in the confused and hideous slaughter that ensued. Presently, however, a cream-colored horse with a Snow-white mane and tail burst from the ruins of the square and came rushing past me riderless and with wide streaming reins, and in it I recognized the charger that Good had been riding. Then I hesitated no longer, but taking with me half my effective cayalry force, which now amounted to between four and five thousand men, I commended myself to God, and, without waiting for orders, I charged straight down upon Nasta’s swordsmen. Seeing me coming, and being warned by the thunder of my horses’ hoofs, the majority of them faced around and gave us a right warm welcome. Not an inch would they yield; in vain did we hack and trample them down as we plowed a broad red furrow through their thousands, they seemed to rearise by hundreds, driving thoir terrible sharp swords into our horses, or severing their hamstrings, and then hacking the troopers who came to the ground with them almost int* dieees. My horse was speedily ’kilted under me, but luckily I had a fresh one, my own favorite, a coalblack mars Nyleptha had given me being held in reserve behind, and on this I afterward mounted. Meanwhile I had to get along as best I could, for I was pretty well lost sight of by my men in the mad confusion of the moment. My voice, of course, could not be heard in the midst of the clanging of steel and the shrieks of rage and agony. Presently I found myself mixed up with the remnants of the square, which had formed round its loader. Good, and was fighting desperately for existence. I stumbled against somebody, and glancing down, caught sight of Good’s eye glass. He had been beaten to his-knee. Over him was a great fellow swinging a heavy sword. Somehow I managed to run the man through with the sime I had taken from the Masai, whose hand I had cut off; but as I did so, he dealt me a frightful blow in the left side and breast with the sword, and though my chain shirt saved my life I felt I was badly hurt. For a minute I fell on to my hands and knees among the dead and dying, and turned sick and faint. When I came to again I saw that Nasta’s spearmen, or rather those of them who remained, were retreating back across the stream, and that Good was there by me smiling beamingly. ‘ Near go, that,” he shouted, “Dut all’s well that ends well.” I assented, but I could not help feeling that it had not ended well for mo. I was sorely hurt.

Just then we saw the smaller bodies of cavalry stationed on our extreme right and left, and which were now reinforced by the three thousand sabers which we had held in reserve, flash out like arrows from their posts and fall upon the disordered flanks out Sorais’s forces, and that charge decided the issue of the battle. In another minute or two the enemy was in slow and sullen retreat'"across the little stream, where they once more reformed. Then came another lull, during which I managed to get my second horse, and received my orders to advance from Sir Henry, and then with one fierce, deep-throated roar, with a waving of banners and a wide flashing of steel, the remains of our army took the offensive and began to sweep down, slowly indeed, but irresistibly, from the positions they had so gallantly held all day.

At last it was our turn to attack. On we moved over the piled up masses of dead and dying, i and were, approaching the stream, when suddenTyTperceived an extraordinary^sight. Galloping wildly toward us, his arms tightly clasped around his horses neck, against which his blanched cheek was tightly pressed, was a man arrayed in the full costume of a Zu-Vendi general, but in whom, as he came nearer, I recognized none other than our lost Alphonse. It was impossible even then to mistake those curling black mustaches. In a minute he was tearing through our ranks and narrowly escaped being cut down, till at last somebody caught hisi horse’s bridle, and ho was brought to me just as a momentary halt oocurred in our advance to allow what remained of our shattered squares to form into line.

“Ah, monsier,” ha gasped out in a voice that was nearly inarticulate with fright, “grace to the sky, it is you! Ah, what I have endured! But you win, monsier—l forget, it is no good; the queen Is to bo murdered to-mor-row at the first light in the palace of Milosis; her guards will leave their posts and the priests are going to kill her. Ah, yes! they little thought it, but I was ensconsed beneath a banner and I heard it all.” “What?” I said, horror-struck; “what do you mean?” “What I say, monsier; that devil of 1 a Nasta, he went iasl night to settle the affair with the Archbishop [Agon]. The guard will leave open the little gate leading from the great stair, and Nasta and Agon’s priests will come in and kill her. Themselves, they would not kill her.”

“Come with me,” I said, and, shouting to the stall officer to take over the command, I snatched his bridle and galloped as hard as I could to the spot, between a quarter and a half a mile off, where I saw the royal pennon flying, and where I knew that I should find Curtis if he wdre still alive. On we tore, our horses cloaring. heaps of dead and dying men, and splashing through pools of blood, on past the long, broken lines of spearmen, to where, mounted on the white stallion

Nyleptha bad sent to him as a parting gift, I saw Sir Henry’s form towering above the generals who surrounded him. J ust as we reached him the advance began again. A bloody cloth was bound around his head, but I saw that his eye was as bright and keen as ever. Beside him was old Umslopogaas, his ax red with blood, but looking quite fresh and uninjured. . “What’s wrong, Quatermain?” he shouted. “Everything. There is a plot to murder the queen to-morrow at dawn. Alphonse here, who has just escaped from Sorais, has overheard it all,’’and I rapidly repeated to him what the Frenchman had told me. Curtis’s face turned deadly pale and his jaw dropped. ‘ ‘At dawn, ”he gasped, ‘ ‘and it is now sunset; it dawns before four, and we are nearly a hundred miles off—nine hours at the outside. What is to be done?” === An idea entered into my head. “Is that horse of yours fresh?” I said. “Yes; I have only just got on to him—when my last was killed, and he has been fed.” “So is mine. Get off him, and let Umslopogaas mount; he can ride well. We will be at Milosis before dawn, or if we are not—well, we can not help it. No, no; it is impossible for you to leave now. You would be seen, and it would turn the fate of the battle. It is not won yet. The soldiers would think you were making a bolt of it. Quick, now.” In a moment he was down, and at my bidding Umslopogaas sprung into the empty saddle.