Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-11

'for unless we come at them we cannot kill
them 1t was clever of them to take refuge
in this hole. l thought surely that they
would fight 1t out yOnder, beneath the fences
OF tho Great Place"
"Ahv' she answered "you forgot that
they had Hokosa on their side Did you
then. think to catch him sleeping? This re-
treat was Hokosa's counsel. l learned II
from the lips OF that wounded captain be-
fore they killed him. Now, 1t seems that
there are but two paths to follow and you
can choose between them. The one is to
send regiment day and halfs journey
across the cliff top to guard the further
mouth OF the valley and to wait till these
jackals starvc in their hole, for certainly
they can never come out.
1T has started six hours since" said
Hafela, and though the precipices are steep,
having the moon to travel by. 1t should reach
the river mouth of the valley before dawn
tomorrow, cutting Nodwengo of from the
plains, II indeed he should dare to venture
out upon thom, which, with so small force,
he will not do. Yet, this first plan of yours
must fail, Noma, seeing that before they
starve within, the generals OF Nodwengo will
be back upon us from the mountains, catch
ing us between the hammer and the anvil,
and know not how that fight would 60"
yet soon or late, 1t must be fought"
NAY" he answered "for my hope is that
should the impi return to find Nodwengo
dead, they will surrender and acknowledge
me as king, who am the first OF the blood
royal. But what is your second pan?"
By way Of answer she pointed to the cliff
above them. On the right hand side, fac
ing the archway, was a Nat ledge overhang-
Ing tho valley at a height Of about 100
feet.
IF you can come yonder," she said at
will be easy to storm this gate for there lie
rocks in plenty, and men cannot fight when
stones are dropping on their heads"
But now can come wonder to that
home of vulture, where never a man has
set foot? Look, the cliff above is sheer.
No rock rabbit could stand upon it,"
With her eye Mona measured the distance
from the brink of the precipice to the broad
ledge commanding the valley.
Sixty PAGES, not more" she said. "Well
yonder are oxen in plenty and out of their
hides ropes can be made, and out of ropes
ladder, down which men may pass; ten, or
even five, would be enough"
well thought of, Noma," said Hafela.
"Hokosa told us last night that to him had
passed the wisdom of the Messenger, but II
this be so, | think that to you has passed
the guile of Hokosa"
1T seems to mo that some of il abides
with him" answered Mona laughing.
Then the prince gave orders, and with
many workers of hides toiling at II, within
two hours the ladder was ready. the slaves
OF 1t set twenty inches apart. being formed
of knobbkerries, or the broken shafts OF
the top of the preclpice, that its end
rested upon the ledge, and down 1t came
several men, who swung upon Its giddy
length like spiders on web Reaching this
great shelf in safety and advancing to the
edge of it, these men started a boulder
which, although as 1t chanced 1t hurt no
one. fell in the midst OF a group OF de-
tenders and bounded away through them.
Now we must be going" said Hokosa,
looking up, FOR no man can fight against
rocks. and our spears cannot reach those
birds, Had the army been taught the use
OF the bow, as / counseled In past days we
might still have held the archway, but they
called 1t woman's weapon and would have
none of it,"
AS he spoke another stone fell, crushing
out the life OF man who stood next to him.
Then they retreated to the first wall, which
had been piled up during tho night where
1t was not possible to roll rocks upon them
from the cliffs above. This wall. and others
reared at intervals behind II, they set to
work to strengthen as much as they could,
making the most OF the time that was left
TO them before the enemy could clear the
way and march on to attack Presently they
were through, and sweeping down upon
them with roar, thinking to carry the wall
at a single rush. But in this they failed.
Indeed, It was only after an hours hard
nghting. and by the expedient of contlnu-
| ally attacking the work with fresh com
| panies, that at length they stormed IT,
When Hokosa saw that he could no longer
| hold tho place, but before the foe was upon
| him. he drew on his soldiers to the second
wall a quarter OF a mile or more away, and
| here the fight began agRin. And so II went
ON for hour after hour. as one by one tho
| fortihcatlons were carried by the weight Of
numbers. for the attackers fought Gssper-
I ately under the eye OF their prince, caring
1 nothing for the terrible loss they hufered