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Dead Man's Land: Being the Voyage to Zimbambangwe of certain and uncertain, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 39. The Sudden Attack |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY NINE. THE SUDDEN ATTACK "Mr Mark, sir!" This in Dunn Brown's most dreary tones, and before the boy could answer there came, in almost a piteous wail, "Mr Dean, sir!" "Hillo!" cried Mark, from where he and his cousin were seated cross-legged like tailors, in the shade of one of the walls, repairing damages, as they called it--that is to say, they were very untidily sewing, up thorn-made tears in the jackets laid across their knees. It was a delightfully still afternoon, with the air limpid and clear, while the sun threw down the shadows of wall and tree of a dense velvety black. The doctor and Sir James were away somewhere, exploring, alone; Mak and the pigmy had picked out a good sunshiny spot where they could sleep, while the rest of the party were not far away and busy clearing out an excavation that they had begun the previous day. All was so still that Dunn Brown's curiously intoned high-pitched calls sounded peculiarly shrill, and almost startled Dean in his clumsy manipulation of his needle, making him prick his hand. "Oh, there you are, gentlemen; I couldn't find you, nor anybody else." "Well, what's the matter?" said Mark. "The--blacks--sir," said the man looking down sadly at Mark's torn jacket. "Sewing," said Mark, noting the direction of the man's eyes. "Yes, sir--Dan--sews--best." "Well, I know that," cried Mark. "What about the blacks?" "Come again." "Bother the blacks!" cried Mark. "Look here, Dunn; I won't have it. We won't have it," he added; "eh, Dean?" "No," cried Dean, sucking his pricked finger and looking very ill-humoured. "A set of black beggarly cadgers! They are getting to think they have a right to be fed. Go and start them off, Dunn. Why didn't you do it before?" "I did, sir, yesterday. They've come again." "Send them about their business." "Rather afraid--" began the man. "Don't believe you, Dunn," said Mark. "You are not a coward." "No." "Well then, send them off." "Meddled with the ponies yesterday." "Hallo! I didn't hear of that." "No, sir. Big fellow began to pull the halter." "Oh, and what did you do?" "Knocked him down." "You never said so." "No.--Afraid--mean trouble." "And now here they are back again? Well, come along, Dean; let's see what they mean. Where's the doctor?" "Gone off with uncle." "Bother! Well, we must do the bossing." "Shall I whistle for the men?" said Dean. "Oh, no. They would think that we were afraid, and I don't want that. Come along, Dunn. Where are the beggars now?" "Close--Dan's store." "Oh, I say, that won't do," cried Mark, and the next minute the sight before him showed him plainly that it was quite time to interfere, for there in the sheltered store made of a kind of thatch spread over some roughly piled up stones, close to what Dan called his kitchen, were a party of the blacks--some fifteen or twenty, at a glance--helping themselves from a bag of mealies. "Come along, Dean," shouted the boy, and without a moment's hesitation he made a rush at the grinning black who was holding up the edge of the bag for his companions to clutch out its contents as hard as ever they could. "Come out of that, you thief!" cried Mark; and he charged right at the fellow, when to his great surprise the black turned upon him and held him tightly by the arms. "What!" cried Mark, wrenching himself away. "Here, Dean--Dunn! Help! We can't stand this. Ah, would you!" he continued, as the man, with lowering face, dashed at him fiercely with extended hands to seize him by the throat. This was too much for the English lad, and without any thought of what might be the consequences, he met the chief marauder with a straightforward blow from his left, which took effect upon the black's nose, staggering him for the moment with surprise, and making his companions stare. Dean had felt startled, but the effect of his cousin's blow made him give vent to a loud "Ha, ha!" for the black, who was quite unarmed, placed his hands to the prominent organ which had received Mark's blow, took them down again very much stained, stared at them and uttered a piteous yell. It was, to use the term of the old-fashioned singlestick players, "first blood," and the sight thereof had a disastrous effect. For, recovering himself, the black turned round and caught his spear from where he had leaned it against the side of the shed, while the others yelled in chorus and began to menace the boys with their spears. "Quick, Dean--guns!" cried Mark; and, then, "Bravo, Brown!" for the tall, thin, amateur foreloper snatched the spear from the first black, dashed before the menaced boys, and using the spear quarter-staff fashion, he made it whistle through the air as he struck to left and right, striking spear hafts, shoulders, and in two cases heads, as he drove their assailants back. Just then Sir James and the doctor came into sight round one of the ruined walls, rifles over their shoulders, and catching sight of what was going on, came running forward to render aid. "Hurrah!" cried Mark. "Give it to them, Dunn!" Brown needed no urging; but the blacks were recovering from the surprise of the sudden attack and were coming on again. "Fire, doctor!" shouted Dean excitedly. "Yes, fire, father!" cried Mark. "Never mind us." "No, no, my boy," panted his father, as he dashed up with presented rifle. "We must have no bloodshed." "But we must drive them back," cried the doctor sternly, as he made the locks of his rifle click. While these words were being spoken, the blacks, who had been startled by the appearance of the new-comers and drawn back for the moment, began to advance again, but only to receive another check caused by the clicking of first one and then the other rifle; but as nothing followed this they again, all moving as if by the same influence, took another step forward as if to get a little closer before hurling their spears. At that moment the shrill piercing note of Mark's whistle rang out, as he blew with all his might a loud and ear-ringing call, the appointed signal that he knew would bring help from all by whom it was heard. This checked the blacks again, and one or two made an uneasy movement as if to retreat; but this was stopped by a fierce yell from their leader, the black who had received Mark's blow, and all began again to advance with dancing movements which at another time would have excited mirth, but which Mark read rightly as being the savages' self-exciting gestures prior to a rush. "Guns," whispered the boy to his cousin. "I'll stay." Dean hesitated for a moment, and then dashed off to fetch the weapons from the rough rack where they hung ready for use, leaving Mark with his eyes running from black to black with the intent of seizing an opportunity to snatch a spear if he could see a chance. "I'm afraid we must fire," said Sir James, in a low hoarse voice which was almost drowned by the fierce yellings of their enemy. "I'll fire first--over their heads. You follow." As Sir James spoke he raised his rifle, and drew trigger, there was a sharp pat from the top of the wall above the heads of the blacks, and the report raised a peal of echoes from the surrounding ruins. So startling were the sounds that the blacks stopped short. "Now!" cried Sir James, and the doctor fired in the direction of the highest pile, which sent back a roar, and the report seemed to have loosened one of the great needles of rock which had stood up for ages on the top of a loose ridge, and now came down, bringing with it quite an avalanche of stones, with such a thunderous crash that the blacks turned and fled, yelling with horror, while Mak and Pig, who were coming from where they had been sleeping in the sunshine, dropped upon their knees, the Pig following this up by creeping among the bushes that were left standing, and hiding his little head, ostrich-like, in the darkest part. "Bravo! Hooray!" cried Mark, snatching a rifle from his cousin as Dean rushed up with a piece over each shoulder. "Give them another, father!" "No, my boy; only a waste of powder. We will save this shot for their next visit, for I suppose we shall have another rush when they have got over their alarm." "Here, you two, come out," cried Mark, trotting up to where Mak and Pig had taken refuge amongst the stones and bushes. "Get up, Mak; you have got nothing to mind. You, Dean, lay hold of Pig's leg." Mak rose from his knees and began to grin, but made a rather poor display of mirth as he tried to explain that he knew the two "baas" did not mean to shoot him, but he thought all the stones were coming down; and then he joined merrily in Mark's laughter as they both looked on at the encounter Dean was having with the pigmy, who was still half buried amongst the bushes. Dean had given a haul at one leg which he grasped just above the ankle, but had to drop it directly, for it saluted him with a tremendous series of kicks. He fared no better when he managed to grasp the other, and then as he was driven back, every advance was greeted with a display of kicks, which enraged him at first, till he awoke to the fact that he was helping to create a perfect exhibition. Then, and then only, he joined in the hearty laugh. This effected that which violence had failed to bring about: the little pair of black legs that were sticking out from beneath the bushes ceased to kick as soon as the attack was given up, were drawn a little farther in, and then by slow degrees Pig turned himself so that he could look out at his assailant, found that the attack came from a friend and that there was nothing to fear, and soon after he was laughing merrily with the rest. "Run up to the top of the wall, Pig," cried Mark; and the little fellow scrambled up, and as soon as he reached the top called out to Mak that the blacks were running away, following up the announcement by capering in what was meant for a set of jeering, defiant gestures, ending by picking up loose fragments of stone and hurling them in the direction of the retreating party. "That will do!" shouted Mark; and as the little fellow turned he signed to him to come down, while the two lads made for where their elders were discussing what had taken place. "Well, boys, this is unfortunate," said Sir James, "for, as the doctor says, we wanted to keep on the best of terms with these people." "I could not help it, father; I was obliged to do something. You don't think I ought to have let them do as they liked with us?" "Most certainly not," said his father. "I think you both behaved very well; but it is unfortunate, all the same. One thing is evident--we have been too easy, and I am afraid they will take it for granted that we were afraid of them. The doctor would be most unwilling to make a move from here." "Oh, yes," said that gentleman. "I looked forward to our making endless discoveries here and in the neighbourhood, and I must say again that it would be a thousand pities to give up." "I agree with you," said Sir James, "and the boys don't want us to make a move." "Oh, no!" they exclaimed, in a breath. "Well, it is very unlucky, and we shall be driven to give them a severe lesson." "Well, you have, father," said Mark. "And it is very easy to drive them away, uncle." "Yes," put in the doctor, "once or twice; but I am afraid we have come to the end of friendly feeling, and this cannot be resumed. There must be no more coming into the camp, Sir James." "Certainly not. They must be taught to keep outside, without violence if we can manage it--if not, with." During the next few days the blacks kept aloof, and it almost seemed as if they had been too much alarmed by the falling stones to come near. "Yes," said the doctor, "they must have thought that we could start the old buildings to crumble about their ears, for they have been too much accustomed to the effects of rifles to be frightened by them so long as nobody falls. And I suppose if later on we are obliged to use small shot, those will only scare them for a time." "Yes, it's a most unfortunate business, and I almost think that we had better go farther afield," said Sir James. "And fare worse, father," said Mark. "Perhaps," said his father, smiling. "But there, we will hold out for the present, and see what time brings forth." "Perhaps it will be all for the best," said Mark. "If they had not been checked there's no knowing what they might have taken next." _ |
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