CHAPTER XX
THE BATTLE OF THE PASS
It was on the third morning after this incident of the map that
Sir Henry and I started. With the exception of a small guard,
all the great host had moved on the night before, leaving the
Frowning City very silent and empty. Indeed, it was found impossible
to leave any garrison with the exception of a personal guard
for Nyleptha, and about a thousand men who from sickness or one
cause or another were unable to proceed with the army; but as
Milosis was practically impregnable, and as our enemy was in
front of and not behind us, this did not so much matter.
Good and Umslopogaas had gone on with the army, but Nyleptha
accompanied Sir Henry and myself to the city gates, riding a
magnificent white horse called Daylight, which was supposed to
be the fleetest and most enduring animal in Zu-Vendis. Her face
bore traces of recent weeping, but there were no tears in her
eyes now, indeed she was bearing up bravely against what must
have been a bitter trail to her. At the gate she reined in her
horse and bade us farewell. On the previous day she had reviewed
and addressed the officers of the great army, speaking to them
such high, eloquent words, and expressing so complete a confidence
in their valour and in their ultimate victory, that she quite
carried their hearts away, and as she rode from rank to rank
they cheered her till the ground shook. And now today the same
mood seemed to be on her.
'Fare thee well, Macumazahn!' she said. 'Remember, I trust to
thy wits, which are as a needle to a spear-handle compared to
those of my people, to save us from Sorais. I know that thou
wilt do thy duty.'
I bowed and explained to her my horror of fighting, and my fear
lest I should lose my head, at which she laughed gently and turned
to Curtis.
'Fare thee well, my lord!' she said. 'Come back with victory,
and as a king, or on thy soldiers' spears.' {Endnote 19}
Sir Henry said nothing, but turned his horse to go; perhaps he
had a bit of a lump in his throat. One gets over it afterwards,
but these sort of partings are trying when one has only been
married a week.
'Here,' added Nyleptha, 'will I greet thee when ye return in
triumph. And now, my lords, once more, farewell!'
Then we rode on, but when we had gone a hundred and fifty yards
or so, we turned and perceived her still sitting on her horse
at the same spot, and looking out after us beneath her hand,
and that was the last we saw of her. About a mile farther on,
however, we heard galloping behind us, and looking round, saw
a mounted soldier coming towards us, leading Nyleptha's matchless
steed -- Daylight.
'The Queen sends the white stallion as a farewell gift to her
Lord Incubu, and bids me tell my lord that he is the fleetest
and most enduring horse in all the land,' said the soldier, bending
to his saddle-bow before us.
At first Sir Henry did not want to take the horse, saying that
he was too good for such rough work, but I persuaded him to do
so, thinking that Nyleptha would be hurt if he did not. Little
did I guess at the time what service that noble horse would render
in our sorest need. It is curious to look back and realize upon
what trivial and apparently coincidental circumstances great
events frequently turn as easily and naturally as a door on its
hinges.
Well, we took the horse, and a beauty he was, it was a perfect
pleasure to see him move, and Curtis having sent back his greetings
and thanks, we proceeded on our journey.
By midday we overtook the rear-guard of the great army of which
Sir Henry then formally took over the command. It was a heavy
responsibility, and it oppressed him very much, but the Queen's
injunctions on the point were such as did not admit of being
trifled with. He was beginning to find out that greatness has
its responsibilities as well as its glories.
Then we marched on without meeting with any opposition, almost
indeed without seeing anybody, for the populations of the towns
and villages along our route had for the most part fled, fearing
lest they should be caught between the two rival armies and ground
to powder like grain between the upper and the nether stones.
On the evening of the fourth day, for the progress of so great
a multitude was necessarily slow, we camped two miles this side
of the neck or ridge I have spoken of, and our outposts brought
us word that Sorais with all her power was rolling down upon
us, and had pitched her camp that night ten miles the farther
side of the neck.
Accordingly before dawn we sent forward fifteen hundred cavalry
to seize the position. Scarcely had they occupied it, however,
before they were attacked by about as many of Sorais' horsemen,
and a very smart little cavalry fight ensued, with a loss to
us of about thirty men killed. On the advance of our supports,
however, Sorais' force drew off, carrying their dead and wounded
with them.
The main body of the army reached the neck about dinner-time,
and I must say that Nyleptha's judgment had not failed her, it
was an admirable place to give battle in, especially to a superior
force.
The road ran down a mile or more, through ground too broken to
admit of the handling of any considerable force, till it reached
the crest of a great green wave of land, that rolled down a gentle
slope to the banks of a little stream, and then rolled away again
up a still gentler slope to the plain beyond, the distance from
the crest of the land-wave down to the stream being a little
over half a mile, and from the stream up to the plain beyond
a trifle less. The length of this wave of land at its highest
point, which corresponded exactly with the width of the neck
of the land between the wooded hills, was about two miles and
a quarter, and it was protected on either side by dense, rocky,
bush-clad ground, that afforded a most valuable cover to the
flanks of the army and rendered it almost impossible for them
to be turned.
It was on the hither slope of this neck of land that Curtis encamped
his army in the same formation that he had, after consultation
with the various generals, Good, and myself, determined that
they should occupy in the great pitched battle which now appeared
to be imminent.
Our force of sixty thousand men was, roughly speaking, divided
as follows. In the centre was a dense body of twenty thousand
foot-soldiers, armed with spears, swords, and hippopotamus-hide
shields, breast and back plates. {Endnote 20} These formed the
chest of the army, and were supported by five thousand foot,
and three thousand horse in reserve. On either side of this
chest were stationed seven thousand horse arranged in deep, majestic
squadrons; and beyond and on either side but slightly in front
of them again were two bodies, each numbering about seven thousand
five hundred spearmen, forming the right and left wings of the
army, and each supported by a contingent of some fifteen hundred
cavalry. This makes in all sixty thousand men.
Curtis commanded in chief, I was in command of the seven thousand
horse between the chest and right wing, which was commanded by
Good, and the other battalions and squadrons were entrusted to
Zu-Vendis generals.
Scarcely had we taken up our positions before Sorais' vast army
began to swarm on the opposite slope about a mile in front of
us, till the whole place seemed alive with the multitude of her
spearpoints, and the ground shook with the tramp of her battalions.
It was evident that the spies had not exaggerated; we were outnumbered
by at least a third. At first we expected that Sorais was going
to attack us at once, as the clouds of cavalry which hung upon
her flanks executed some threatening demonstrations, but she
thought better of it, and there was no fight that day. As for
the formation of her great forces I cannot now describe it with
accuracy, and it would only serve to bewilder if I did, but I
may say, generally, that in its leading features it resembled
our own, only her reserve was much greater.
Opposite our right wing, and forming Sorais' 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-five
thousand savage hillsmen.
'My word, Good,' said I, when I saw them, 'you will catch it
tomorrow when those gentlemen charge!' 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, the silence gradually gathered more deeply
over the opposing hosts.
It was a very wearying night, for in addition to the endless
things that had to be attended to, there was our gnawing suspense
to reckon with. The fray which tomorrow would witness would
be so vast, and the slaughter so awful, that stout indeed must
the heart have been that was not overwhelmed at the prospect.
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 realized then, it is useless
to question that eternal Sphinx, the future. From day to day
she reads aloud the riddles of the yesterday, of which the puzzled
wordlings 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 beautiful and awe-inspiring scene, and old Umslopogaas,
leaning on his axe, 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 be. Thinkest thou that they will fight it out?'
'Ay,' I answered sadly, 'to the death. Content thyself, "Woodpecker",
for once shalt thou peck 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 breakfasted and stood to their arms, and the hours wore
on. About midday, when the men were 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 glass, I was able to clearly distinguish
the 'Lady of the Night' herself, surrounded by a glittering staff,
and riding slowly down the lines of her battalions. And as she
went, that mighty, thundering shout rolled along before her like
the rolling of ten thousand chariots, or the roaring of the ocean
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 flame from a cannon's
mouth, out shot two great tongue-like forces of cavalry, and
came charging down the slope towards the little stream, slowly
at first, but gathering speed as they came. Before they got
to the stream, orders reached me from Sir Henry, who evidently
feared that the shock of such a charge, if allowed to fall unbroken
upon our infantry, would be too much for them, to send five thousand
sabres to meet the force opposite to me, at the moment when it
began to mount the stiffest of the rise about four hundred yards
from our lines. This I did, remaining behind myself with the
rest of my men.
Off went the five thousand horsemen, drawn up in a wedge-like
form, and I must say that the general in command handled them
very ably. Starting at a hand gallop, for the first three hundred
yards he rode straight at the tip of the tongue-shaped mass of
cavalry which, numbering, so far as I could judge, about eight
thousand sabres, was advancing to charge 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 halfway down his length, with
a crashing rending sound, like that of the breaking-up of vast
sheets of ice. In sank the great wedge, into his heart, and
as it cut its way hundreds of horsemen were thrown up on either
side of it, just as the earth is thrown up by a ploughshare,
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 centre; still farther 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, amidst the rushing of hundreds
of riderless horses, the flashing of swords, and the victorious
clamour of their pursuers, the great force crumples up like an
empty glove, then turns and gallops pell-mell for safety back
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 swallowed them up, and my
force returned, having only suffered a loss of about five hundred
men -- not much, I thought, considering the fierceness of the
struggle. I could also see that the opposing bodies of cavalry
on our left wing were drawing back, but how the fight went with
them I do not quite know. It is as much as I 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 towards 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 sabres 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 cross of dead and
dying through the centre 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 heartshaking roar told me that the main battle had closed
in on the centre 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 defence. But it was as much as I could do to keep
count of what was happening to our own wing; and, as for the
moment 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 as yet Nasta's swordsmen had, notwithstanding
their desperate efforts, entirely failed to break Good's three
squares, though they had thinned their numbers by 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 honour, and the same may be said of our left battle.
At last the attacks slackened, and Sorais' 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 sullenly rolled her tens of thousands
of sword and spearmen down upon our weakened squares and squadrons;
Sorais herself directing the movement, as fearless as a lioness
heading the main attack. On they came like an avalanche -- I saw
her golden helm gleaming in the van -- our counter charges of cavalry
entirely failing to check their forward sweep. Now they had
struck us, and our centre 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 have been utterly
destroyed. As for Good's three squares, they were swept backwards
like boats upon 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 towards Sorais' camp. 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
positions they had held for so many hours, cheered wildly, and
rashly followed them down the slope, whereon the swarms 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 annihilation. A few more minutes
and it was broken, its streaming colours sank, and I lost sight
of Good in the confused and hideous slaughter that ensued.
Presently, however, a cream-coloured 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 cavalry 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
round, and gave us a right warm welcome. Not an inch would they
yield; in vain did we hack and trample them down as we ploughed
a broad red furrow through their thousands; they seemed to re-arise
by hundreds, driving their terrible sharp swords into our horses,
or severing their hamstrings, and then hacking the troopers who
came to the ground with them almost into pieces. My horse was
speedily killed under me, but luckily I had a fresh one, my own
favourite, a coal-black mare Nyleptha had given me, being held
in reserve behind, and on this I afterwards 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 leader Good, and was fighting desperately for existence.
I stumbled against somebody, and glancing down, caught sight
of Good's eyeglass. 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 on the left side and breast with the sword, and though my
chain shirt saved my life, I felt that 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 sweetly.
'Near go that,' he shouted; 'but all's well that ends well.'
I assented, but I could not help feeling that it had not ended
well for me. 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 sabres which we had held in reserve, flash out
like arrows from their posts and fall upon the disordered flanks
of Sorais' 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 re-formed. Then
came another lull, during which I managed to get a 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, and
were approaching the stream, when suddenly I perceived an extraordinary
sight. Galloping wildly towards us, his arms tightly clasped
around his horse's 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 mustachios. In a minute he was tearing through
our ranks and narrowly escaped being cut down, till at last somebody
caught his horse's bridle, and he was brought to me just as a
momentary halt occurred in our advance to allow what remained
of our shattered squares to form into line.
'Ah, monsieur,' he 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, monsieur, you win; they fly, the laches. But listen,
monsieur -- I forget, it is no good; the Queen is to be murdered
tomorrow 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 ensconced beneath
a banner, and I heard it all.'
'What?' I said, horror-struck; 'what do you mean?'
'What I say, monsieur; that devil of a Nasta he went last night
to settle the affair with the Archbishop [Agon]. The guard will
leave open the little gate leading from the great stair and go
away, 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 staff-officer next
to me to take over the command, I snatched his bridle and galloped
as hard as I could for the spot, between a quarter and half a
mile off, where I saw the royal pennon flying, and where I knew
that I should find Curtis if he were still alive. On we tore,
our horses clearing 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 Nasta had sent to him
as a parting gift, I saw Sir Henry's form towering above the
generals who surrounded him.
Just 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 axe red
with blood, but looking quite fresh and uninjured.
'What's wrong, Quatermain?' he shouted.
'Everything. There is a plot to murder the Queen tomorrow 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' 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 cannot 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 half 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 sprang
into the empty saddle.
'Now farewell,' I said. 'Send a thousand horsemen with remounts
after us in an hour if possible. Stay, despatch a general to
the left wing to take over the command and explain my absence.'
'You will do your best to save her, Quatermain?' he said in a
broken voice.
'Ay, that I will. Go on; you are being left behind.'
He cast one glance at us, and accompanied by his staff galloped
off to join the advance, which by this time was fording the little
brook that now ran red with the blood of the fallen.
As for Umslopogaas and myself, we left that dreadful field as
arrows leave a bow, and in a few minutes had passed right out
of the sight of slaughter, the smell of blood, and the turmoil
and shouting, which only came to our ears as a faint, far-off
roaring like the sound of distant breakers.
