The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-09-03

@S
7 ages had assailed the factory" at mid
| night. The house was completely sur
rounded, and the Desiegers, despite the
heavy fire poured upon them through
the loopEoles of the barred doors and
shutters, We're pressing close up to it
to set it on fire, when all at once, in a
| monentary lull Of the lideous uproar,
there was heard far away amid the
| dark thickets a faint tinkling sound,
growing ever louder and nearer. That
sound was as sweet to the ears of the
fainting garrison us Havelock's High
land war pipes to the hard-pressed de-
Tenders Of Lucknow, for it told them
that:the friendly chiefs followers dds
tinguished by the small brass bells at
their necks) were advancing against
the assailants, who knew better than
to await their approach.
Our hosts rapidly made all their
preparations, and, having posted their
native musketeers in various parts of
the building, placed two sentircls out
side, with orders to fire a signal shot
at the first sign Of the enemys ap-
proach, when thanks to the glorious
tropical moonlighD they would have
ample time to do, the brushwood hay
iEs been cut away to a considerable
distance on every side of the house.
All being TOW ready, our leaders sig
nlfcantly advised us to lie down and
sleep while we could. At such a crisis
the suggestion sounded like mockery;
but (as have had good cause to know
men can slumber even Oh the brink of
destruction. and scarcely had We laid
our heads upon our mail bags-which,
gallantly saved from the wreck by the
captain and purser, were now serving
US as pillows-when We were all fast
asleep.
=
Bang! -E.'
Clear. sharp and stunning came the
report of a heavy musket from with
out, instantly followed by second
shot, and then by confused ciamor
Of hoarse outcries.
Instantly we were all on our feet,
and ready for action; but think the
boldest among us-and our party con-
age might have matched the stoutest
paladin Of Froissart-was not wholly
free from that sudden tightening of
the heart which a man is wont to feel
when fairly driven to bay. and about
to struggle for life and death.
We sprang to the windows that over
looked the courtyard on the side facing
the river, naturally supposing that we
were attacked. And so we were-by
an enemy more terrible and cruel and
irresistible than the fiercest cannibal
in Central Africa.
The red glare of a watch fire kindled
by our vigilant sentinels, and the fitful
light Of the sinking moon, showed US
a strange and fearful sight. Half
dozen goblin figures were leaping wild
ly to and fro only few PAGES from
the house, and flourishigg blazing
torches. which they swept along the
ground like scythes ever and anon,
| while the flames of these firebrands
threw the contortions Of their gaunt
frames and grim faces into startling
and hideous relief against the inky
blackness of the background. through
which glimmered spectral]y the white
seething foam Of the unresting sea.
From the spot where this demon
dance was in progress down to fhe
farthest palisade the whole courtyard
seemed covered with sheet OF black
water, quivering, glistening and trem-
bling necessarily. We We're still gaz-
| ing blankly ut this bewildering spec
tacle, when the fatal truth was forced
upon us by the cries of the black torch
bearers, who shouted, or, rather
screamed
''The drivers! The drivers"'
Then the full horror Of this ghastly
dilemma burst upon us at once.
The terrible "driver ants" Of West
Africa, whose devouring jaws can in
one night turn the carcass Of an OK
into a clean-picked skeleton, We're upon
us in an army millions strong; and
should they succeed in forcing their
way into the house our only way Of
escape from being actually devoured
alive would be an instant flight down
to the beach, a night upon which, un-
sheltered from the drenching rain
which a mighty black cloud was fast
bringing up against US from the sea,
would be nothing short Of certain
death to the delicate women and fever
stricken invalids Of our company.
There was no time to lose. Barely
ten PAGES divided the advancing
swarms from the front of the house;
and should they once reach it all would
be over. Darting like lightning down
the little wooden stepladder that led
to the courtyard, each Of US seized a
firebrand, and we fell upon the invad-
ers like men who were fighting for
their lives, and for other lives dearer
thOn their own.
All that passed after that moment
was like the confused terror Of a
frightful dream. The ceaseless sweep
Of our flaming scythes, moving down
the destroyers by thousands, only to
be replaced by fresh thousands in an
other moment-the frantic yells and
wild gestures Of our black followers
the ftful and unearthly glare of the
freight amid the utter darkness-the
deepening gloom of the coming storm,
blotting out the cold splendor of the
moonlight-all were, indeed, like the
visionary horror of one of those ghastly
Nightmares in which one seems newt
ably doomed to struggle forever with
some hideous peril, and to struggle in
vain.
i More than once it seemed as if the
battle must 80 against us after all;
and our hearts sank as we saw the
bleeding arms and limbs of our native
helpers, upon which the greedy de-