登陆注册
16243400000059

第59章 THE LAST STAND OF THE GRAYS(4)

In five minutes the fate of the battle was decided.Taken on both flanks,and dismayed by the awful slaughter inflicted upon them by the Grays and Buffaloes,Twala's regiments broke into flight,and soon the whole plain between us and Loo was scattered with groups of flying soldiers,making good their retreat.As for the forces that had so recently surrounded us and the Buffaloes,they melted away as though by magic,and presently we were left standing there like a rock from which the sea has retreated.

But what a sight it was!Around us the dead and dying lay in heaped-up masses,and of the gallant Grays there remained alive but ninety-five men.

More than two thousand nine hundred had fallen in this one regiment,most of them never to rise again.

"Men,"said Infadoos,calmly,as between the intervals of binding up a wound in his arm he surveyed what remained to him of his corps,"ye have kept up the reputation of your regiment,and this day's fighting will be spoken of by your children's children."Then he turned round and shook Sir Henry Curtis by the hand."Thou art a great man,Incubu,"he said,simply;"I have lived a long life among warriors,and known.many a brave one,yet have I never seen a man like thee."At this moment the Buffaloes began to march past our position on the road to Loo,and as they did so a message was brought to us from Ignosi requesting Infadoos,Sir Henry,and myself to join him.Accordingly,orders having been issued to the remaining ninety men of the Grays to employ themselves in collecting the wounded,we joined Ignosi,who informed us that he was pressing on to Loo to complete the victory by capturing Twala,if that should be possible.Before we had gone far we suddenly discovered the figure of Good sitting on an ant-heap about one hundred paces from us.Close beside him was the body of a Kukuana.

"He must be wounded,"said Sir Henry,anxiously.As he made the remark,an untoward thing happened.The dead body of the Kukuana soldier,or rather what had appeared to be his dead body,suddenly sprang up,knocked Good head over heels off the ant-heap,and began to spear him.We rushed forward in terror,and as we drew near we saw the brawny warrior making dig after dig at the prostrate Good,who at each prod jerked all his limbs into the air.Seeing us coming,the Kukuana gave one final most vicious dig,and with a shout of "Take that,wizard,"bolted off.Good did not move,and we concluded that our poor comrade was done for.Sadly we came towards him,and were indeed astonished to find him pale and faint indeed,but with a serene smile upon his face,and his eyeglass still fixed in his eye.

"Capital armor this,"he murmured,on catching sight of our faces bending over him."How sold he must have been,"and then he fainted.On examination we discovered that he had been seriously wounded in the leg by a tolla in the course of the pursuit,but that the chain-armor had prevented his last assailant's spear from doing anything more than bruise him badly.

It was a merciful escape.As nothing could be done for him at the moment,he was placed on one of the wicker shields used for the wounded,and carried along with us.

On arriving before the nearest gate of Loo we found one of our regiments watching it in obedience to orders received from Ignosi.The remaining regiments were in the same way watching the other exits to the town.The officer in command of this regiment coming up,saluted lgnosi as king,and informed him that Twala's army had taken refuge in the town,whither Twala himself had also escaped,but that he thought they were thoroughly demoralized,and.would surrender.Thereupon lgnosi,after taking counsel with us,sent forward heralds to each gate ordering the defenders to open,and promising on his royal word life and forgiveness to every soldier who laid down his arms.The message was not without its effect.Presently,amid the shouts and cheers of the Buffaloes,the bridge was dropped across the fosse,and the gates upon the farther side flung open.

Taking due precautions against treachery,we marched on into the town.All along the roadways stood dejected warriors,their heads drooping and their shields and spears at their feet,who,as Ignosi passed,saluted him as king.On we marched,straight to Twala's kraal.When we reached the great space,where a day or two previously we had seen the review and the witch-hunt,we found it deserted.No,not quite deserted,for there,on the farther side,in front of his hut,sat Twala himself,with but one attendant -Gagool.

It was a melancholy sight to see him seated there,his battle-axe and shield by his side,his chin upon his mailed breast,with but one old crone for companion,and,notwithstanding his cruelties and misdeeds,a pang of compassion shot through me as I saw him thus "fallen from his high estate."Not a soldier of all his armies,not a courtier out of the hundreds who had cringed round him,not even a solitary wife,remained to share his fate or halve the bitterness of his fall.Poor savage!he was learning the lesson that fate teaches to most who live long enough,that the eyes of mankind are blind to the discredited,and that he who is defenceless and fallen finds few friends and little mercy.Nor,indeed,in this case did he deserve any.

Filing through the kraal gate,we marched straight across the open space to where the ex-king sat.When within about fifty yards the regiment was halted,and,accompanied only by a small guard,we advanced towards him,Gagool reviling us bitterly as we came.As we drew near,Twala,for the first time,lifted up his plumed head,and fixed his one eye,which seemed to flash with suppressed fury almost as brightly as the great diadem bound round his forehead,upon his successful rival -Ignosi.

同类推荐
  • 平濠记

    平濠记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 笠翁对韵

    笠翁对韵

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 紫柏尊者全集

    紫柏尊者全集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 婆薮槃豆传

    婆薮槃豆传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太古土兑经

    太古土兑经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 末世重生:最强女王

    末世重生:最强女王

    她中年去世,让所有人心痛。为他们日日夜夜操心的主,没了。哪知,她心中却没有他们的一点点地方。她不在乎他们。她看透人心,安详去世。只为了寻找在她钢铁般的心中那块柔软之处住着的人。
  • 网游之那一片羽毛

    网游之那一片羽毛

    没有盾牌,总觉得心里不踏实呢。云淡风轻总是这么说。没有你,总觉得心里不踏实啊。笑三笑总是这么说。对于云淡风轻来说,那面盾牌总是为自己挡住伤害。对于笑三笑来说,对于攻略组,对于笑傲九州来说。为他们挡住伤害的,就是云淡风轻,云淡风轻,就是他们的盾。
  • 清闲道人

    清闲道人

    清闲,清闲,世间之上,皆不如清闲。人清闲,剑也清闲,道已是清闲。
  • tfboys之爱的你们

    tfboys之爱的你们

    tfgirls接到命令和从小的玩伴tfboys完成一些意想不到的任务,女主们的友情,男女主们的爱情是否长存?敬请期待。
  • 绝版魔女拒恋狂妄恶魔

    绝版魔女拒恋狂妄恶魔

    她,因为他不爱她,而成为杀手。他,因为不能爱她,而放弃爱她。她遇见人生中的第一个闺蜜,一起闯天下。即使再有困难,她们都会互相帮助。“滚,要我原谅你,当着我的面,杀了她!”“。。。”“呵,还说爱我,你有什么资格!”灵儿,我当初真的有不得已的理由,你不能。。。原谅我吗?我等!——by皓这是你自找的...怨不了我...(虐文,未成年请在家长陪同下阅读)
  • 重生归来,校草太霸道

    重生归来,校草太霸道

    她爆笑重生归来,随身空间,过目不忘,逆你那个天,可是,谁能告诉她,这空间里面这个二货是谁?别告诉我这是空间灵兽,她可没有那么二的空间灵兽……逍遥日子过惯了,跑出来一个妖孽,“晴晴,咱俩妖孽配天才,绝配!”某晴“不要脸……”爆宠哦~
  • 你敢爱我么

    你敢爱我么

    青草校园,懵懂之年,一个美丽的错误,一句简单的誓言,一份沉重的感情。注定不一样的爱情。“我希望和我在一起过一辈子的人,不是因为社会、家庭不是因为任何外界的东西,只是因为爱....,只是因为两个人想在一起....,你敢不管任何外界的因素,只由着自己的心和想在一起的人在一起么...你敢直面自己内心的想法么,再问一次你敢爱我么”
  • 迷音之盒

    迷音之盒

    她,是一人之上万人之下的魔界君主;他,是魔界世代敌人,夜族族长之子。在家族斗争面前,他们是仇人;在迷音之盒的抢夺战面前,他们是对手;在爱恨情仇面前,他们是迷茫者。他说:“别以为自己是魔界君主就可以称霸四方,比你强的人多了去!”他说:“别以为自己是魔界君主就把所有重担都往自己身上揽!”他说:“南宫舞,你最好别装傻,即使你是南宫后代我还是想对你好!”他说:“南宫菲,你TM敢封印你姐我灭了你!”他说:“南宫舞,你要是敢忘记我,我一辈子,不!这辈子!下辈子!下下辈子都不会放过你!”他说了那么多,南宫舞终究还是忘记。街头再次相逢,只想拉着你的手不放。
  • 无量江湖

    无量江湖

    只要有一颗不甘于平凡之心,即使穷困潦倒,一无所有,也时时会听见命运的召唤,最终踏上旅途。本书讲述一群社会底层不甘平庸之辈,内怀英雄气节,大义凌然,经历人生种种困难坎坷,终而不屈,即便一次又一次陷入困境,也因凭借其钢铁般的意志,英雄之气节,奋发向上。谁也不能肯定自己的人生,一直都是目标清晰,没有迷茫的时候,当然书中的主人公也不能,他们只是怀着一颗拼命努力之心,在通过自己付出血汗的努力之下,练就一身本事,为了防止传说中的龙脉落入外敌之手,以致国家破碎,最终冲破‘近海之王’的阻碍,扬帆出海,与葡萄牙,西班牙,倭寇,海盗等人周旋争夺,最后发现所谓的龙脉.....
  • 老师是我的男人

    老师是我的男人

    几次的告白都不够用,再怎么表达也是用嘴说说而已。英国男孩爱上大自己十岁的日本男人,这也许是真爱。现实并没有戏剧中那么美好,但是克服挫折后的他们就能羽翼丰满。