From that moment the issue was no longer in doubt.Inch by inch,fighting with desperate gallantry,the attacking force was pressed hack down the hillside,till at last it retreated upon its reserves in something like confusion.At that moment,too,a messenger arrived to say that the left attack had been repulsed,and I was just beginning to congratulate myself that the affair was over for the present,when,to our horror,we perceived our men who had been engaged in the right defence being driven towards us across the plain,followed by swarms of the enemy,who had evidently succeeded at this point.
Ignosi,who was standing by me,took in the situation at a glance,and issued a rapid order.Instantly the reserve regiment round us (the Grays)extended itself.
Again Ignosi gave a word of command,which was taken up and repeated by the captains,and in another second,to my intense disgust,I found myself involved in a furious onslaught upon the advancing foe.Getting as much as I could behind Ignosi's huge frame,I made the best of a bad job,and toddled along to be killed,as though I liked it.In a minute or two -the time seemed all too short to me -we were plunging through the flying groups of our men,who at once began to re-form behind us,and then I am sure I do not know what happened.All I can remember is a dreadful rolling noise of the meeting of shields,and the sudden apparition of a huge ruffian,whose eyes seemed literally to be starting out of his head,****** straight at me with a bloody spear.But -I say it with pride --I rose to the occasion.It was an occasion before which most people would have collapsed once and for all.Seeing that if I stood where I was I must be done for,I -as the horrid apparition came,flung myself down in front of him -so cleverly that,being unable to stop himself,he took a header right over my prostrate form.Before he could rise again I had risen and settled the matter from behind with my revolver.
Shortly after this somebody knocked me down,and I remember no more of the charge.
When I came to I found myself back at the koppie,with Good bending over me with some water in a gourd.
"How do you feel,old fellow?"he asked,anxiously.
I got up and shook myself before answering.
"Pretty well,thank you,"I answered.
"Thank Heaven!when I saw them carry you in I felt quite sick;I thought you were done for."
"Not this time,my boy.I fancy I only got a rap on the head,which knocked me out of time.How has it ended?""They are repulsed at every point for the time.The loss is dreadfully heavy;we have lost quite two thousand killed and wounded,and they must have lost three.Look,there's a sight!"and he pointed to long lines of men advancing by fours.In the centre of,and being borne by,each group of four was a kind of hide tray,of which a Kukuana force always carried a quantity,with a loop for a handle at each corner.On these trays -and their number seemed endless -lay wounded men,who as they arrived were hastily examined by the medicine-men,of whom ten were attached to each regiment.If the wound was not of a fatal character,the sufferer was taken away and attended to as carefully as circumstances would allow.But if,on the other hand,the wounded man's condition was hopeless,what followed was very dreadful,though doubtless it was the truest mercy.One of the doctors,under pretence of carrying out an examination,swiftly opened an artery with a sharp knife,and in a minute or two the sufferer expired painlessly.There were many cases that day in which this was done.In fact,it was done in most cases when the wound was in the body,for the gash made by the entry of the enormously broad spears used by the Kukuanas generally rendered recovery hopeless.In most cases the sufferers were already tin,conscious,and in others the fatal "nick"of the artery was done so swiftly and painlessly that they did not seem to notice it.Still it was a ghastly sight,and one from which we were glad to escape;indeed,I never remember one which affected me more than seeing those gallant soldiers thus put out of pain by the red-handed medicine-men,except,indeed,on an occasion when,after an attack,I saw a force of Swazis burying their hopelessly wounded alive .
Hurrying from this dreadful scene to the farther side of the koppie,we found Sir Henry (who still held a bloody battle-axe in his hand),Ignosi,Infadoos,and one or two of the chiefs in deep consultation.
"Thank heavens,here you are,Quatermain!I can't make out what Ignosi wants to do.It seems that,though we have beaten off the attack,Twala is now receiving large reinforcements,and is showing a disposition to invest us,with a view of starving us out.""That's awkward."
"yes;especially as Infadoos says that the water supply has given out.""My lord,that is so,"said Infadoos;"the spring cannot supply the wants of so great a multitude,and is failing rapidly.Before night we shall all be thirsty.Listen,Macumazahn -Thou art wise,and hast doubtless seen many wars in the lands from whence thou camest -that is if,indeed,-they make wars in the stars.Now tell us,what shall we do?Twala has brought up many fresh men to take the place of those who have fallen.But Twala has learned a lesson;the hawk did not think to find the heron ready;but our beak has pierced his breast;he will not strike at us again.We,too,are wounded,and he will wait for us to die;he will wind himself round us like a snake round a buck,and fight the fight of sit down.""I hear you,"I said.