The Fire-Gods Part 16

Crouch made a little eye-hole in the wall of the hut, whence he obtained a good view of the street. It was through this that he caught sight of Caesar and de Costa, the moment they entered the village.

It was Caesar himself who led the way. He strolled forward, with his rifle under his arm, and his black eyes shooting in all directions, as if he were doing no more than taking an afternoon walk in a neighbourhood where there was much to be observed. He was followed by four Arabs, in robes of flowing white; and the last of these conducted a negro, of the same tribe as the villagers, who wore an iron collar round his neck which was made fast to a chain. The rear of the party was brought up by de Costa, slinking forward like some mongrel cur, fever-stricken and afraid.

The party halted in the village street, some little distance from the hut where the three Englishmen were hiding, but not so far away as to make it impossible for Crouch to overhear the conversation that ensued.

The chained negro was brought forward by the Arab who had charge of him; and it was this man who acted as interpreter. Caesar spoke to him in Portuguese, and he translated. Crouch made a mental note of every word, for he had a far better knowledge of the Portuguese language than the interpreter himself.

"As you know," said Caesar, "it is my custom to state my business in a few words. I come here to give orders. I expect those orders to be obeyed."

He lifted his sombrero hat and mopped the perspiration from his forehead, for the afternoon was hot, and he walked up hill. The four Arabs stood around him--proud, arrogant, handsome men, upon whose features were stamped an unmitigated contempt for the simple savages who stood in awe before them. It was the headman of the village who answered, an old man, with a short, grey beard, who wore a helmet made of a monkey's skin, and surmounted by the green covert feathers of a parrot.

"The great Fire-G.o.d," said he, "has but to speak."

"Good," said Caesar. "You know who I am. You know my power. You know that to disobey me is death."

The old man bowed his head.

"I trade in ivory," said Caesar, "black ivory. You understand what I mean. Now, listen to my command. I desire twenty more slaves, of your youngest and most able-bodied men. They must be ready to return with me to Makanda before the setting of the sun."

At that the headman threw himself upon the ground.

"It is impossible!" he cried. "Only last moon the great Fire-G.o.d took away all the men of the village. No one remains but those who are old, and women and children. The Fire-G.o.d can see for himself."

"I do not choose to look," said Caesar. "As I have said, it is my business to give orders. There is sickness in my camp, and many of my people have died, and more are dying every day. I require others to take their places. If you have no more men, I will take women and children. But I will require two women, or three boys over twelve and under sixteen years of age, for every man. You can please yourself as to which you give me. It is all the same to me."

"It is impossible!" repeated the native.

"Impossible or not," said the Portuguese, "I give you till sunset. If these people are not ready then, the consequence is on your own head.

You know how I treated the villages on the other side of the mountain?

Your fate will be the same. I will attack by night; I will set fire to every hut; and I will take every one of you to be my slaves."

"Mercy!" cried the native. But Caesar turned upon his heel, and led the way from the village, followed by his Arabs, who smiled in heartless satisfaction.

Crouch gave time for Caesar to be well away from the village. Then he crawled out of the hut, and seizing his "blood-brother" by the hand, swore that he would save them all.

At first, he quite failed to gain their confidence. They were convinced in their minds that the Fire-G.o.ds were greater than all men, as the strength of the elephant exceeds that of other beasts of the forest.

But Crouch would not take that for answer. He commanded them to light a fire, and they obeyed. When the flames were burning brightly he executed a war-dance round and round the fire. His antics were extraordinary to see.

They may have thought him mad; but at all events he gained his object: he drew them round him in a ring. They stood open-mouthed and open-eyed, amazed at his contortions. They were children of the minute.

To all intents and purposes they had already forgotten the Portuguese and his threats.

Crouch sang, and never was there such singing. His voice was cracked and out of tune. It was all Max could do to prevent himself exploding into laughter. The words of Crouch's song had nothing to do with the matter; in point of fact they were concerned with "Nuts and May." For all that, he impressed the natives hugely. And when they had gathered closer he took the boot from his foot, and thrust his toes into the fire. And all the time he continued to sing of "Nuts and May," whilst the atmosphere was tainted with the pungent smell of burning cork.

The silence was so great that Edward Harden could hear the ticking of his watch. The villagers stood around, breathless and amazed. Then Crouch spoke to them; and the following was the argument he used.

He admitted that the slave-dealer was master over fire; hence he was called the "Fire-G.o.d." But he (Crouch) had proved to them that fire could not affect him. Near-by a pitcher of water was standing outside a hut, and into this he thrust his foot. There was a sizzling sound, and steam was given off. He made the natives place their hands into the water, to see for themselves that it was warm. He finished up by saying that, if they would put themselves under his command, he would show them how to face the Fire-G.o.d's anger.

With reluctance they agreed. In the s.p.a.ce of a few minutes it was impossible for Crouch to efface the result of two long years of persecution. The headman of the village, Crouch's "blood-brother," and one or two others, came forward on behalf of their relations, their children and their wives. Crouch turned to Harden.

"Can we defend this place?" said he.

Edward had already thought of that.

"Yes," said he. "They can only advance by two paths. Elsewhere the slope is too steep. There is an hour before sunset. If you make these people build a wall of the small boulders which lie everywhere about, we should be able to keep the rascals at bay."

"I'll do my best," said Crouch. And thereupon he set to work.

It took the natives some time to understand his meaning; but when he had shown them what he wanted done they worked with a will, the women carrying enormous stones, and even the little children lending aid.

The parapet of stone grew like the walls of Rome, until, at last, it formed a semi-circle around the village, joining the mountain-side at either end. Then the women and children were placed under cover, and ordered not to move. Edward posted himself at the head of the path which led from the west, and Max on the other side of the village. At the feet of each was a box of ammunition. As for Crouch, he hobbled here and there on the charred stump of his foot, giving instructions up to the last minute, when, in the dying light of day, Caesar and his Arabs were observed advancing up the valley.

CHAPTER XV--CHOLERA

As before, it was Caesar who led the way; and the stone wall warned him that danger was ahead. He guessed the truth in a flash. He knew well enough that the natives themselves would never have dared to offer him resistance.

He stopped dead upon the path, and pointed out the wall to the Arab who accompanied him. The man shaded his eyes with the palm of his hand, for the mists of evening were rising from the valley, and the light was bad.

After a while the Arab disappeared from view, and then returned with his comrades. They came up the path as men stalk game, creeping from boulder to boulder. It was impossible to see them from the village.

Flat upon the ground, they glided from place to place like snakes. And every minute the light was getting worse.

One man, more daring than his comrades, had gained the cover of a large rock about two hundred yards from the village.

His eyes were sharp as those of a vulture. He was descended from the sons of the desert. Peering round the angle of the rock behind which he was hiding, he caught sight of Edward Harden's helmet, moving behind the wall.

In a second, the b.u.t.t of his rifle was at his shoulder, and his left eye was closed. He took in a deep breath, and aimed. At that moment, there was a sharp crack from the wall, whence nothing of the Arab was visible but the upper part of his head. And Edward Harden's bullet drilled a hole in the centre of the man's forehead; so that his head just dropped like a broken toy, and he lay still and lifeless, with his loaded rifle in his hand. Son of a warlike race, that for centuries had oppressed the ignorant and the weak, he had gone to make his peace with G.o.d, the Giver of Life and Death.

Caesar, from some distance behind, with a pair of field-gla.s.ses to his eyes, had watched this tragedy of seconds; and he knew at once with whom he had to reckon. He drew a whistle from his pocket, and blew a long, shrill note, which was the signal to retreat. His three remaining Arabs came back to him, retiring even more cautiously than they had advanced.

Night fell, as a curtain is rung down upon a stage. The natives of the village, the old men and women and children, who had sat huddled and shivering under cover of the wall, came forth and marvelled that a Fire-G.o.d had been turned back by a single shot. Crouch's authority increased by leaps and bounds. The villagers, like children, desired to celebrate the occasion with inconsequent rejoicing. They set about beating large, wooden drums, but Grouch cast these away. They lit fires, but Crouch stamped them out.

Only the babies were allowed to rest that night; the little sea-captain kept the others working until long after midnight, when a new moon arose. He improved the defences. He had all the provisions and the water-jars carried to the hut which he had made his own headquarters, whilst the two Hardens stood as sentries on either side of the village.

At about two o'clock in the morning, Max, on the eastern side of the village, heard the noise of a loosened stone rolling down the mountain-side. That put him on his guard. And a moment after, another stone bounded into the valley.

At that, he sent back M'Wane to tell Crouch that some one was approaching, and remained at his post alone.

There is nothing more majestic in the whole range of Nature than moonlight in the mountains. The white mists drift in the valleys; and, here and there, the great, ragged peaks blot out the stars. Midnight is ever silent in the higher alt.i.tudes. The slightest sound--the hoot of an owl or the bubbling of a spring--is magnified by echo, and carried far upon the breeze.

Max, with his rifle at the ready, waited with his heart thumping against his ribs. He heard a noise, quite near to him, but so faint that he could never have heard it had not every sense been on the alert. He saw something white, moving like a ghost in the moonlight. Then, a loud shout was uplifted in the stillness. "Allah Akbar! Strike for G.o.d and the Prophet!"

Three white figures rushed in upon him from the darkness. He fired, and one went down. And then, reversing his rifle, he used it as a club, swinging the b.u.t.t around him in a kind of mad delight.

The two men who remained pressed him close. He saw knives flash in their hands. And then a third figure appeared, and a revolver spat like a cat. Caesar himself was there.

The Portuguese called back the two Arabs, spoke a few words which Max was not able to hear; and then all three abreast endeavoured to rush the wall. Max fired, but missed. He was attacked from three sides at once, and must have been overpowered had not Crouch hastened to his rescue.