But it did not move Gagool or Gagool's master,though I saw signs of pity among the guard behind and on the faces of the chiefs;and as for Good,he gave a sort of snort of indignation,anal made a motion as though to go to her.With all a woman's quickness,the doomed girl interpreted what was passing in his mind,and with a sudden movement flung herself before him,and clasped his "beautiful white legs"with her hands.
"Oh,white father from the stars!"she cried,"throw over me the mantle of thy protection;let me creep into the shadow of thy strength,that I may be saved.Oh,keep me from these cruel men and from the mercies of Gagool!""All right,my hearty,I'll look after you,"sang out Good,in nervous Saxon."Come,get up,there's a good girl,"and he stooped and caught her hand.
Twala turned and motioned to his son,who advanced with his spear lifted.
"Now's your time,"whispered Sir Henry to me;"what are you waiting for?""I am waiting for the eclipse,"I answered;"I have had my eye on the sun for the last half-hour,and I never saw it look healthier.""Well,you must risk it now or the girl will be killed.Twala is losing patience."Recognizing the force of the argument,having cast one more despairing look at the bright face of the sun,for never did the most ardent astronomer with a theory to prove await a celestial event with such anxiety,I stepped,with all the dignity I could command,between the prostrate girl and the advancing spear of Scragga.
"King,"I said;"this shall not be;we will not tolerate such a thing;let the girl go in safety."Twala rose from his seat in his wrath and astonishment,and from the chiefs and serried ranks of girls,who had slowly closed in upon us in anticipation of the tragedy,came a murmur of amazement.
"Shall not be,thou white dog,who yaps at the lion in his cave;shall not be!Art thou mad?Be careful lest this chicken's fate overtake thee and those with thee.How canst thou prevent it?Who art thou,that thou standest between me and my will?Withdraw,I say.Scragga,kill her.Ho,guards!seize these men."At his cry armed men came running swiftly from behind the hut,where they had evidently been placed beforehand.
Sir Henry,Good,and Umbopa ranged themselves alongside of me and lifted their rifles.
"Stop!"I shouted,boldly,though at the moment my heart was in my boots."Stop!we,the white men from the stars,say that it shall not be.Come but one pace nearer and we will put out the sun and plunge the land in darkness.Ye shall taste of our magic."My threat produced an effect;the men halted,and Scragga stood still before us,his spear lifted.
"Hear him!hear him!"piped Gagool;"hear the liar who says he will put out the sun like a lamp.Let him do it and the girl shall be spared.
Yes,let him do it,or die with the girl,he and those with him."I glanced up at the sun,and,to my intense joy and relief,saw that we had made no mistake.On the edge of its brilliant surface was a faint rim of shadow.
I lifted my hand solemnly towards the sky,an example which Sir Henry and Good followed,and quoted a line or two of the "Ingoldsby Legends"at it in the most impressive tones I could command:Sir Henry followed suit with a verse out of the Old Testament,while Good addressed the king of day in a volume of the most classical bad language that he could think of.
Slowly the dark rim crept on over the blazing surface,and as it did so I heard a deep gasp of fear rise from the multitude around.