Chapter XXXV. THE LITTLE ONES IN BULIKA
It was early in the morning when we set out, making, between the bluesky and the green grass, a gallant show on the wide plain. We wouldtravel all the morning, and rest the afternoon; then go on at night,rest the next day, and start again in the short twilight. The latterpart of our journey we would endeavour so to divide as to arrive at thecity with the first of the morning, and be already inside the gates whendiscovered.
It seemed as if all the inhabitants of the forest would migrate with us.A multitude of birds flew in front, imagining themselves, no doubt,the leading division; great companies of butterflies and other insectsplayed about our heads; and a crowd of four-footed creatures followedus. These last, when night came, left us almost all; but the birds andthe butterflies, the wasps and the dragon-flies, went with us to thevery gates of the city.
We halted and slept soundly through the afternoon: it was our first realmarch, but none were tired. In the night we went faster, because it wascold. Many fell asleep on the backs of their beasts, and woke in themorning quite fresh. None tumbled off. Some rode shaggy, shamblingbears, which yet made speed enough, going as fast as the elephants.Others were mounted on different kinds of deer, and would have beenracing all the way had I not prevented it. Those atop of the hay on theelephants, unable to see the animals below them, would keep talking tothem as long as they were awake. Once, when we had halted to feed, Iheard a little fellow, as he drew out the hay to give him, commune thuswith his "darling beast":
"Nosy dear, I am digging you out of the mountain, and shall soon getdown to you: be patient; I'm a coming! Very soon now you'll send up yournose to look for me, and then we'll kiss like good elephants, we will!"
The same night there burst out such a tumult of elephant-trumpeting,horse-neighing, and child-imitation, ringing far over the silent levels,that, uncertain how near the city might not be, I quickly stilled theuproar lest it should give warning of our approach.
Suddenly, one morning, the sun and the city rose, as it seemed,together. To the children the walls appeared only a great mass ofrock, but when I told them the inside was full of nests of stone, I sawapprehension and dislike at once invade their hearts: for the first timein their lives, I believe--many of them long little lives--they knewfear. The place looked to them bad: how were they to find mothers insuch a place? But they went on bravely, for they had confidence inLona--and in me too, little as I deserved it.
We rode through the sounding archway. Sure never had such a drumming ofhoofs, such a padding of paws and feet been heard on its old pavement!The horses started and looked scared at the echo of their own steps;some halted a moment, some plunged wildly and wheeled about; but theywere soon quieted, and went on. Some of the Little Ones shivered, andall were still as death. The three girls held closer the infants theycarried. All except the bears and butterflies manifested fear.
On the countenance of the woman lay a dark anxiety; nor was I myselfunaffected by the general dread, for the whole army was on my hands andon my conscience: I had brought it up to the danger whose shadow wasnow making itself felt! But I was supported by the thought of the comingkingdom of the Little Ones, with the bad giants its slaves, and theanimals its loving, obedient friends! Alas, I who dreamed thus, had notmyself learned to obey! Untrusting, unfaithful obstinacy had set me atthe head of that army of innocents! I was myself but a slave, like anyking in the world I had left who does or would do only what pleases him!But Lona rode beside me a child indeed, therefore a free woman--calm,silent, watchful, not a whit afraid!
We were nearly in the heart of the city before any of its inhabitantsbecame aware of our presence. But now windows began to open, and sleepyheads to look out. Every face wore at first a dull stare of wonderlessastonishment, which, as soon as the starers perceived the animals,changed to one of consternation. In spite of their fear, however, whenthey saw that their invaders were almost all children, the women camerunning into the streets, and the men followed. But for a time all ofthem kept close to the houses, leaving open the middle of the way, forthey durst not approach the animals.
At length a boy, who looked about five years old, and was full of theidea of his mother, spying in the crowd a woman whose face attractedhim, threw himself upon her from his antelope, and clung about her neck;nor was she slow to return his embrace and kisses. But the hand of a mancame over her shoulder, and seized him by the neck. Instantly a girl ranher sharp spear into the fellow's arm. He sent forth a savage howl, andimmediately stabbed by two or three more, fled yelling.
"They are just bad giants!" said Lona, her eyes flashing as she droveher horse against one of unusual height who, having stirred up thelittle manhood in him, stood barring her way with a club. He dared notabide the shock, but slunk aside, and the next moment went down, struckby several stones. Another huge fellow, avoiding my charger, steppedsuddenly, with a speech whose rudeness alone was intelligible, betweenme and the boy who rode behind me. The boy told him to address the king;the giant struck his little horse on the head with a hammer, and hefell. Before the brute could strike again, however, one of the elephantsbehind laid him prostrate, and trampled on him so that he did notattempt to get up until hundreds of feet had walked over him, and thearmy was gone by.
But at sight of the women what a dismay clouded the face of Lona! Hardlyone of them was even pleasant to look upon! Were her darlings to findmothers among such as these?
Hardly had we halted in the central square, when two girls rode up inanxious haste, with the tidings that two of the boys had been hurriedaway by some women. We turned at once, and then first discovered thatthe woman we befriended had disappeared with her baby.
But at the same moment we descried a white leopardess come boundingtoward us down a narrow lane that led from the square to the palace. TheLittle Ones had not forgotten the fight of the two leopardesses in theforest: some of them looked terrified, and their ranks began to waver;but they remembered the order I had just given them, and stood fast.
We stopped to see the result; when suddenly a small boy, called Odu,remarkable for his speed and courage, who had heard me speak of thegoodness of the white leopardess, leaped from the back of his bear,which went shambling after him, and ran to meet her. The leopardess,to avoid knocking him down, pulled herself up so suddenly that she wentrolling over and over: when she recovered her feet she found the childon her back. Who could doubt the subjugation of a people which saw anurchin of the enemy bestride an animal of which they lived in dailyterror? Confident of the effect on the whole army, we rode on.
As we stopped at the house to which our guides led us, we heard ascream; I sprang down, and thundered at the door. My horse came andpushed me away with his nose, turned about, and had begun to batter thedoor with his heels, when up came little Odu on the leopardess, and atsight of her he stood still, trembling. But she too had heard the cry,and forgetting the child on her back, threw herself at the door; theboy was dashed against it, and fell senseless. Before I could reach him,Lona had him in her arms, and as soon as he came to himself, set him onthe back of his bear, which had still followed him.
When the leopardess threw herself the third time against the door, itgave way, and she darted in. We followed, but she had already vanished.We sprang up a stair, and went all over the house, to find no one.Darting down again, we spied a door under the stair, and got into alabyrinth of excavations. We had not gone far, however, when we met theleopardess with the child we sought across her back.
He told us that the woman he took for his mother threw him into a hole,saying she would give him to the leopardess. But the leopardess was agood one, and took him out.
Following in search of the other boy, we got into the next house moreeasily, but to find, alas, that we were too late: one of the savageshad just killed the little captive! It consoled Lona, however, to learnwhich he was, for she had been expecting him to grow a bad giant, fromwhich worst of fates death had saved him. The leopardess sprang uponhis murderer, took him by the thro
at, dragged him into the street, andfollowed Lona with him, like a cat with a great rat in her jaws.
"Let us leave the horrible place," said Lona; "there are no mothershere! This people is not worth delivering."
The leopardess dropped her burden, and charged into the crowd, thisway and that, wherever it was thickest. The slaves cried out and ran,tumbling over each other in heaps.
When we got back to the army, we found it as we had left it, standing inorder and ready.
But I was far from easy: the princess gave no sign, and what she mightbe plotting we did not know! Watch and ward must be kept the nightthrough!
The Little Ones were such hardy creatures that they could reposeanywhere: we told them to lie down with their animals where they were,and sleep till they were called. In one moment they were down, andin another lapt in the music of their sleep, a sound as of water overgrass, or a soft wind among leaves. Their animals slept more lightly,ever on the edge of waking. The bigger boys and girls walked softlyhither and thither among the dreaming multitude. All was still; thewhole wicked place appeared at rest.