CHAPTER IX
AGAINST HEAVY ODDS
Worn out by a long day's march in the sun, Jim had wrapped himself inhis blanket at an early hour, and had fallen into a heavy sleep. It waswith a start, therefore, and with an involuntary clutch at the riflewhich lay beside him, that he suddenly raised himself into a sittingposition, to find Ali Kumar beside him.
"Treachery!" he whispered, as if dazed. "What news have you to give tome?"
The leader of the native followers repeated his words in low tones, andagain warned him to keep silent.
"I have watched the man of whom I speak for these two days past," hesaid. "And I have learnt that he is a traitor. Three times I have seenhim conversing with natives when supposed to be watching the camelswhich were out grazing. Creeping towards him like a snake, I hid in athorn-bush, and listened with all my ears, but they whispered to oneanother, so that I could not make out their words. This evening, afterour zareba was formed, I followed him again, and saw him meet two men,who, by their dress, were the chiefs of a neighbouring tribe. He pointedto the camels, and counted their number upon his fingers. Then I sawthem turn towards the entrance of this pass through which we are to goon the morrow."
"'We will meet you there,' cried one of the chiefs, 'and perhaps evenattack before you enter. But my men do not like the darkness to fightin, and besides, in the confusion and alarm, the beasts might be slainor scattered. But we shall see; Allah will help us in this enterprise,for are not the followers in the zareba servants of the infidel?'
"That, master, is what I overheard," continued Ali, "and returning tothe camp, I made plans to give you the warning; but there were many eyeswatching me, and so I waited until now."
"You did wisely," said Jim quietly, now sitting bolt upright, and fullyawake. "We'll get my comrade to join us, and then will decide what is tobe done, for this is a serious matter, and, unless we take instant stepsto protect ourselves, may lead to disaster."
Accordingly, he stretched out his hand and shook Tom gently, explainingto him as soon as he was awake the reason for his doing so.
"And now we have to decide what is to be done," he said. "If we sithere, and take no measures to protect ourselves, it is probable thatthis scoundrel who has betrayed us will induce the tribesmen to attackto-night. The moon is full, so that they would have every advantage, forour zareba lies bathed in the light, while they would be hidden in thecrevices of the rocks."
"I don't see that we can do much else than awake our followers and warnthe sentries to be alert," Tom whispered in reply. "If these fellows doattack us, we must lie down and answer their fire; but I fear that ourcamels will suffer heavily."
"Where are these men likely to come from?" asked Jim, suddenly, turningto Ali Kumar. "If they live in the highlands, and march upon us by wayof the pass, I think we ought to arrange a trap for them. If it werecarefully laid and proved successful, the lesson might be a warning tothem, and teach them to leave us alone."
"They will descend from the hills, master, of that I am sure; for thechiefs whom I observed in conversation with our follower were men fromthe highlands, without doubt."
"Then I propose that we divide our forces," said Jim, after a thoughtfulpause. "Will you, Tom, stay here, and defend the zareba with one half,while I take the other? Then, with Ali Kumar to help me, I shall creepup the pass, and select a spot where the road is narrow and difficult.There we shall lie down and wait for the tribesmen. If they come down inforce, and do not turn back when we call to them, we will empty ourrifles into their midst; and I think that if we are careful in choosingthe site, we ought to be able to do a large amount of execution. That, Itake it, is the only way to persuade those people to leave us alone."
"I'll willingly do as you say, Jim, old boy," Tom answered readily,wondering as he did so at the coolness and foresight shown by his youngcompanion. "Your plan sounds an excellent one, and the only suggestion Ihave to make is that you should shout loudly as you return, or you maybe drawing our fire upon you. You see, these native followers of oursare excitable fellows, and hearing the sound of people approaching, andbeing in fear of an attack, they would blaze recklessly into thedarkness."
"Then I'll be careful to call out your name, Tom, and you will be ableto explain to the men that all is well. Now I'll be off, as thesetribesmen may appear at any moment, though I fancy it is too early forthem yet. They will probably wait till the early morning, when we oughtto be in our deepest sleep, and should therefore fall easy victims. But,thanks to Ali Kumar, we have been warned, and if we do not takeadvantage of that fact, we shall have only ourselves to blame. Good-bye,and don't get fidgety if I do not return for some hours, for, as I havejust said, we shall probably have to wait a considerable time beforethey put in an appearance."
Nodding coolly to his companion, Jim rose to his feet, and silentlycrossed the zareba to the spot where the followers lay sleeping. One byone, those who were armed with rifles, and could be trusted to stand bytheir master in a position of danger, were aroused and cautioned to keepsilent. At length fifteen were collected, and with these and asufficient quantity of ammunition Jim stole out from the zareba, andtook the narrow and rough road which led to the pass. He left Tom busilyengaged in instructing the remainder. These were also armed with riflesnow, though they were less expert than their comrades. Still, at closerange they could be trusted to give a good account of themselves, and toaid in keeping the enemy at a distance. Then the sentries were broughtin closer to the wall of thorns, and ordered to lie down, so that theyshould be invisible to the enemy, for while they were standing the raysof the moon falling upon their tall figures threw long shadows, whichwould soon have drawn the fire of the tribesmen.
Thanks to the brightness of the night, Jim and his little party had nodifficulty in picking their way, for every boulder, and each nullah, orravine, stood clearly outlined. They were soon at the bottom of a gentleascent, which marked the beginning of the pass. But here the road wasbroad, and would have been difficult to defend.
"They would manage to slip round us," said Jim in Ali Kumar's ear,taking note of the surroundings. "I want to get to a part where the passnarrows to a few yards only. If we can find such a position, we shallpile boulders across the road, and post our men behind them. Then everyshot we fire will tell, for these Somalis who are about to attack uswill certainly come in force, and as they will not be expecting dangeruntil they reach the bottom of the gorge, they are likely to be marchingin close order. That will be our chance, and if it occurs, we will makethe most of it."
"I know of a position which will suit your wishes, master," answeredAli. "Often have I made my way by this road, so often indeed that Icould find the path during a darker night than this is. We must keep onfor another quarter of a mile, as you English people speak of distance,and then we shall find that the hill to the right and left of us closesin suddenly, as if about to obstruct our further progress. I think that,at some time, years ago perhaps, a river must have forced its way fromthe highlands through these hills on its way to the plains below and tothe sea. Whatever the cause, the crags are cleft in twain a little wayabove us, so that a road is possible. Half a mile farther on the landrecedes as suddenly as it runs together here, and by marching for anhour one finds one's self again in the midst of a sweeping plain, butthis time far higher than before."
"It sounds as if it would prove a likely place," said Jim, eagerly, "solet us push on, I am in a fever to get our men into their positions, forif these tribesmen happened to advance now instead of later on, ourplans would be ruined, and we ourselves should be in a very dangerousfix."
Striding ahead through the darkness, Jim encouraged his followers togreater exertions by the example which he set them. So rapidly did theywalk, that barely ten minutes had elapsed before he became aware thatthe gorge in which they were was narrowing. Soon he could see blackwalls of rock on either hand, and a moment or two later it seemed asthough the road itself had suddenly come to an end. Nothing but pitchblack darkness could be seen be
fore them, while the path at their feetwas buried in obscurity, the rays of the moon having been cut off by thesteep cliffs. But a careful search revealed the interesting fact thatthere was a broad cleft in the wall in front of them, through which theroad passed on its way to the highlands.
"The very place for us," whispered Jim, almost giving vent to a cry ofexultation, so great was his delight. "This gorge cannot be more thanfive yards in width, and will suit capitally. You say that it continuesfor another half-mile at the same width?"
"No, master, I said not at the same," answered Ali Kumar hastily. "Fromthis spot for twenty paces perhaps, it is as narrow, while the road islittered with big rocks and boulders, which are difficult to cross.Farther on, however, it widens gradually, and then, at the distance youmentioned, suddenly, till one finds one's self in the open again."
"If that is the case, these men who are coming to steal our beasts willcrowd together without meaning to do so," said Jim thoughtfully.
"That will be the case, master. They will descend the pass without greatcaution, for the traitor who was of our number will have told them thatour sentries are never posted more than a few yards from the zareba.Therefore they will have no need to observe much stealth till theyemerge lower down. They will walk together or separately, knowing thatthe difficulty of the path at this end of the gorge will impede theprogress of those who are in front, and allow all the stragglers to comeup with them. After that, no doubt, they will send scouts ahead, andfollow like ghosts, hoping to take us unawares."
"We shall have something to say to that, I think," Jim answered,indulging in a chuckle at the thought. "I've been busily making plans,Ali, and I have decided to act in this way. We have fifteen men with us,and our two selves. If more than a third of that number attempted tohold the bottom of the pass, it would lead to certain confusion, for thespace is very small. Now, it has occurred to me that the surprise wouldbe far greater if we were to separate a little. For instance, we willgive five of the natives orders to remain here, and let them set to workat once to pile a ridge of rocks across the path. Then we will climb thecliff on either side, and if we can find ledges big enough for thepurpose, we will send the remainder to them."
"It is a great plan, master," said Ali, salaaming to Jim in hisenthusiasm. "A truly clever one with which to entrap these people, andit shows that our leader is not only brave--as we clearly saw when hefirst mounted his horse--but wise and far-seeing also. We are fortunateindeed, for it sometimes happens that the lives of all in such anexpedition as this are sacrificed because of the want of discretion inthe one who commands it. Yes, it is a good plan, and it should provesuccessful. There are surely ledges above us to which active men such aswe have could climb, and from which they could pour a scathing fire intothe enemy. Perhaps, even, they might be posted farther up the gorge,with a pile of boulders at their feet. There is nothing that strikesfear into the hearts of those who are unaware of danger as the suddendescent of rocks upon their heads. They fly in terror to right and left,but cannot escape, and if they turn with the hope of retreat, itsometimes happens that the road is blocked by their comrades. Then,indeed, is the time when men become wild with fright, and suffer defeatat the hands of a few."
"Perhaps it may turn out in that way to-night," Jim said thoughtfully."I do not wish to harm a single one of these tribesmen, but if theyreally mean to attack us for the sake of the loot which they would get,then they must take the consequences. Of course, we might retreat, butif we shirk this danger and difficulty now, we shall never succeed inreaching the Mullah's country. We should be laughed at by everyone, andshould have cause to be ashamed of ourselves. No, I have decided to goon with my undertaking, whatever happens, and if these fellows interferewith us, they must look to themselves. I shall get you to warn them, andif after that they still come on, hoping to overpower us by numbers,then I shall blaze into the middle of them, and the severer the lessonthey are taught, the better it will be for us in the future, for theother tribes will hear of the conflict, and will take the warning toheart. And now let us place the men."
Anxious as he was to get all in readiness for the expected attack, Jimwould not allow his fears to hurry him unduly, for it was important toobtain the most advantageous position. To allot five of the followers tothe mouth of the ravine was an easy task, and very soon those who hadbeen selected were busily engaged in preparing a low breastwork whichwould give them shelter should the tribesmen possess firearms, as wasvery likely, and discharge them in that direction. Jim waited patientlybeside them, directing their operations, and was not satisfied till awall some four feet high was erected, with niches cunningly left nearthe base through which the muzzles of the rifles could be thrust. Then,accompanied by Ali Kumar alone, he scaled the steep cliff on the right,and set to work to look for a ledge which would do for his purpose.
"Here is one," he exclaimed at last, when after a very difficult pieceof climbing they had ascended some twenty yards or more. "This piece ofrock juts out from the face of the ravine, and will allow the men tofire down into it, while the edge will protect them."
"It is well chosen," agreed the native headman, creeping to the edge andlooking over. "Standing here, we are in deep shadow, but in an hour,when the moon has risen higher into the sky, the light will fall fullinto the gorge, and every object will be visible. Yes, master, it iswisely chosen, for how can the enemy return our fire when it comes fromthe darkness of the rocks?"
Bidding Ali call gently to five more of the men, Jim waited to see themtake up their appointed posts, and left them there with strict ordersthat they were not to make a sound, and were not to attempt to open fireuntil the word was given. Then he and his companion descended, and madetheir way up the face of the opposite cliff. It was even a harder climbthan the other had been, but after winning their way up for a distanceof a few yards only, they had the good fortune to strike upon a narrowledge which seemed to wind up the face of the rock. At the best of timesit offered but a precarious footing, but now, when it was attempted indarkness, it was a hazardous undertaking. But Jim made light of thedanger. Indeed, he gave no thought to it, for all his attention wasoccupied in the search for a favourable and commanding site. Thanks tothe soft sandals which he wore, he was able to obtain a firmer footingthan would have been possible had he been shod with boots, and takingadvantage of the feeling of security which this gave him, he clamberedsteadily upwards, Ali following closely behind him, and giving notice ofhis presence by his hard breathing. Suddenly the tiny ledge broadenedout, and on halting for a few seconds to rest, Jim became aware of thefact that the cliff had receded, leaving a small shelf, capable ofaccommodating thirty or more men.
"We are in luck!" he cried joyfully. "This part of the cliff overhangsthe gorge below, and is some yards from the entrance. I can feelboulders everywhere, so that our fellows will not have to search far formissiles. Then, too, there is no danger of their dropping them on theircomrades, for they will be well out of range. Yes, it will suit verywell; let us call up the men."
Once more the process of giving directions to the natives was gonethrough, this time orders being issued that they were to rely upon rocksinstead of upon rifles. Then, satisfied that everything was inreadiness, Jim sat down upon a boulder at the entrance of the gorge, andwaited there with what patience he could command. It was exciting worksitting there in the darkness surrounded by precipitous walls, andwithout a sound to break the silence save the occasional jar of a rifleas it was struck against a piece of stone. All sorts of thoughts andfancies passed through his mind during the hours of waiting. He wonderedwhether his school-friends were thinking of him, what time it was in oldEngland at that moment, and whether the boys were even then engaged inbattling with the same tasks which he had so lately forsaken. Yes, itwas strange to reflect that barely a month ago he was a mere boy, actinga boy's part, and with scarcely a thought for the future. And now he wasthe recognized leader of a real expedition, about to invade the countryof the Mullah, as fierce a fanatic as had ever sprung to
power to be ascourge to his neighbours. It was strange indeed. It was almost beyondbelief that it was he, Jim Hubbard, sitting there upon that rock,listening to the beating of his own heart, and straining his ears forthe sounds which seemed as though they would never come. Supposing thistribe did not attack after all. Supposing Ali had made a huge blunder,and was the victim of too vivid imagination. Supposing----Hark! What wasthat? A stone falling from the cliff away above his head, or a footfallupon the road which led through the gorge?
At this sound, faint though it was, each man who lay there in ambushbecame alert, while Jim sprang to his feet and peered into theblackness.
"The enemy!" whispered a voice in his ear. "Did I not tell you rightly,master? After all, the sheiks have decided to attack during the hours ofdarkness."
It was Ali Kumar who had slipped up to Jim's side without making so muchas a sound. Then, together, they stood listening, bending their headstowards the gorge, as though that would help them.
Ah! There it was again. Was it a man walking, or was it the sound of avoice?
For some minutes there was silence, and then the mystery was cleared upto everyone's satisfaction, for down the rocky sides of the ravine camethe noise of men talking. Almost at the same moment a thin streak of themoon climbed up above the highest edge of the cliff, and shot rays ofbrilliant whiteness down upon the road.
One, two--why, the gorge was packed with figures clad in white andbearing every sort of arm. They might have been bound upon a friendlyvisit so far as precautions went, for they talked without restraint,but in low tones; while their leader, happening to strike his footagainst a boulder of unusual size, gave vent to a loud cry of pain, andstood there, with one hand upon the mass of rock, and the other chafinghis injured limb.
But however friendly their appearance, the object of their midnightwandering was quickly apparent, for, as he rubbed his damaged foot, thesheik called to his followers to gather about him, and proceeded toharangue them, Ali Kumar interpreting his words to Jim as he did so.
"Stand as near to me as the gorge will allow," said the leader of thetribesmen, "and I will tell you what course to take when we havedescended to the plain. There, as you well know, lies the zareba ofthese unbelieving dogs, and with them are many camels, and lootsufficient for us all. I command you to keep together until you arealmost upon them. Then you will divide, and while one half march so asto gain the farther side, the other will rest where they are, takingpains to preserve the greatest silence. When all are ready, I will firemy gun, and then let every man fall upon the dogs. Allah will strengthenour arms, and will give us the victory."
"Allah is great, and we are his chosen," murmured his audience. "Leadus, and we will slay these unbelievers."
"Let them come a few paces nearer, and then shout to them to returnhome," said Jim sternly, whispering the words in his companion's ear."Tell them that we had news of their intended attack, and that we willfire upon them if they come any nearer."
Striding to the barrier of stones, Ali called loudly to the sheik, whowas in the act of moving forward again.
"Halt where you are!" he cried. "My master bids me tell you that heis aware of your treacherous plans, and that he is prepared to punishyou for them. But he does not desire to shed blood, and therefore givesyou the choice of returning in peace to your homes. If you refuse, hewill open fire."
At the words the sheik and his following came to an abrupt stop, andstood there silently, dumfounded by the news. It seemed impossible thattheir intention should have been discovered by the leader of theexpedition, and still more unlikely that he had the power to do them anybut the smallest harm.
"Why, they are but thirty all told," cried the sheik, with a scoffinglaugh. "And yet they come here to meet us and to threaten us with deathshould we persist in our plan. It is ridiculous! It is a child's plot,made to frighten us. Do not listen, but press on, my men."
With a shout the tribesmen at once started forward, and, drawing theirweapons, rushed at the entrance of the gorge. But they had not countedon the fact that it was plunged in darkness, and obstructed withnumerous boulders. Running forward upon a pathway which was, just there,lit by the rays of the moon, they stumbled blindly against the rocks,and, one of them happening to fall, a dozen or more of his comrades hadtripped over him, and were grovelling on their faces before a minute hadpassed. But the remainder pushed on without a pause, and, closely packedtogether, and shrieking threats at the top of their voices, endeavouredto reach the spot where their unseen opponents were.
"Fire!" shouted Jim, seeing that the moment for action had at lengtharrived. "Empty your rifles into them."
"FIRE!" SHOUTED JIM. "EMPTY YOUR RIFLES INTO THEM."]
Leaning upon the breastwork of stones, he took steady aim with his ownweapon, directing it at the sheik, who was to be seen wedged in themiddle of his men, and frantically struggling to push them back so as toallow him to bring to his shoulder the gun which he bore in his hand.
Bang! The report set the rocks ringing on either hand, and was at oncefollowed by a volley from the breastwork and from the ledge to theright. Shooting out the empty cartridge, Jim looked eagerly to see whatsuccess he had had, and was astonished to find that the sheik stilloccupied the same position. But he was hit, and mortally, too, for amoment later he suddenly threw his hands into the air and fellbackwards. Another moment, and he was beneath the feet of the tribesmen,who trampled upon him without hesitation.
But now another feature was added to the scene. Struck by the volleyaimed at them, the attackers had drawn back in consternation, but,quickly recovering, they answered the shout of another leader, who atonce came forward to replace the sheik, and again dashed headlong forthe entrance of the gorge. As they did so, a series of loud andsickening thuds told that the men who had been posted above werecarrying out their orders. Indeed, a glance at the cliff overhead showedclearly what was happening; for the rays of the moon had now penetratedto the shelf, and each follower, as he rose to lift a boulder and castit over the ravine, stood clearly outlined against the dark rock behind.
Shouts and screams soon told that their efforts were not in vain, andjust as Jim was about to order another volley to be poured into thegorge, the enemy turned, and now fighting fiercely with one another toget away, fled from the scene as rapidly as the circumstances and theircrowded condition would admit.
"Let us hope that that will be enough for them," said Jim, leaning overthe barrier and staring along the ravine. "I can count twelve bodieslying amongst the boulders, and there are others beneath the rocksfarther on. I am glad now, Ali Kumar, that you advised that theseboulders should be thrown down upon their heads, for it was that thatcaused them to fly. What do you think will happen now?"
"They will retire into the plain beyond, and perhaps even farther,before they recover their courage," answered Ali thoughtfully. "Thenthey will look amongst themselves to discover who is dead. When theyfind that we have killed their sheik, and that they have suffered heavylosses, they will be mad with anger, for all will know of theirdisgrace. Before setting out this night, you may be sure that they helda feast, and called all their women folk to it, boasting that to capturethe camp was but a simple matter, for it contained few men, and wouldcertainly be taken by surprise; and now they will reflect that they havebeen beaten by a mere handful, and that their prey is about to escapethem, and even to laugh at them. I know these people well, master, for Iam one of them by birth; and I am sure that the succeeding sheik willharangue his followers, speaking as I have just told you. Little bylittle he will rouse their anger, and when he reminds them of the bootyto be obtained, I feel sure that they will again advance to the attack."
"Then we had better prepare for them," said Jim sharply, "We have giventhem one surprise, and I propose that we arrange another, for that isthe only way in which we can attempt to make up for the great differencein numbers."
"But what can you do, master? You have made all the plans and selectedevery position that it is possible to think o
f, and now all that you cando is to remain as you are."
"I fancy that we can manage more if we try," answered Jim withdecision. "You see, if the fellows attack again, they will know exactlywhere our men are posted, and will certainly open a hot fire upon them,telling off so many of the tribesmen to keep it up and make itimpossible for them to show themselves, or hurl rocks down into theravine. At least, that is what I should do if I were their leader. Inthat case, the remainder would have an excellent chance of getting toclose quarters, which is what we want specially to avoid, for if thatwere to happen, numbers would certainly tell upon us."
"But you cannot think of retiring, master!" exclaimed Ali hastily. "Todo so would be to sacrifice all your following. Stay here, then, for toreach the zareba the tribesmen must pass through this gorge, there beingno other way round."
The native headman grasped Jim by the arm in his anxiety, and lookedinto his face, fearful lest he should decide to take a step which wouldend in their ruin.
"You may banish that from your mind," said Jim sharply. "I am not goingto retire for any man, but what I propose to do is to push on till nearthe other end of the ravine. There, we will make the same plans as wecarried out here, and when the enemy advances, will have anothersurprise in store for them. But, tell me, supposing we creep along, andbuild a barrier farther on, can the tribesmen climb the cliffs and treatus in turn to a shower of rocks?"
"You are safe from that, master. It is true that there are ledges at thefarther end, but they are narrow and short, and do not come far thisway. Were it otherwise, the sheik would already have sent his followersto occupy them, and by now we should have a storm of slugs and bulletspattering upon us. No, we have nothing in that way to fear, while asfor your ruse, it seems to your servant that it is as wise as that whichyou planned before. To find us at the other end, and come upon us longbefore they expected to do so, will, indeed, be a surprise, and, as yousay, that is the only way in which we can make up for our smallnumbers."
"Then we'll move ahead at once," exclaimed Jim. "Call to the men to comedown, and warn them that they are to keep perfectly silent. Tell themwhat we propose to do, and say that after the enemy have attacked us,they are to remain in their new positions till I shout. Then they are toretire to this post again at their fastest pace, and lie down as before.In that way we shall have an excellent chance of withdrawing, should thecontest prove too uneven for us."
Acting upon his orders, Ali soon had all the native followers gatheredat the bottom of the ravine, and a glance at their faces as they wereoutlined in the rays of the moon was sufficient to show that they wereto be relied upon, and that the success which had already attended themhad filled them with elation and determination to fight to the end.
"Good!" exclaimed Jim, surveying them critically; "they will do. Now letus get ahead, and, Ali, come with me in advance. It will be as well tomake sure that none are watching us."
Creeping along the rugged road which threaded the gorge, Jim and his mensoon reached the opposite end. Not a soul was met, and though they laydown for some minutes, not a sound could be heard. Then a scout was sentaway into the plain, and while he was gone, the remainder took up theirpositions much as before, for numerous rocky ledges were to be found.Half an hour later a barrier was erected across the ravine, and behindit lay Jim and five of his men.
"Hush!" exclaimed Jim suddenly. "I hear someone coming. Perhaps it isour scout."
A second later the bleat of a sheep was heard, and before long a duskyfigure rose up before the barrier.
"They are coming," said the man. "I went far out into the plain, andcame upon them talking and shouting. They were drinking the wine of thecountry, which is made by melting the fat which comes from the tails ofyoung sheep, and were crying upon their sheik to lead them forward. As Ileft them they were setting their faces this way, with the determinationto slay us all, for they are angry, and their bitterness is great attheir defeat."
"Then let them come," said Jim doggedly, when the words had beeninterpreted to him. "They have had their warning, and this time I willnot spare them as I did before."
Standing behind the wall of loose stones, he waited in silence for theenemy, and within a few minutes saw a large force of men streamingacross the moonlit plain on their way to the ravine. Very soon they wereclose at hand, and, gathering together, came walking forward without athought of guarding against surprise.