Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-22

II was a dreadful determination, but we
had no choice.
What OF my wfe?" Ragnall asked |
hoarsely.
While the temple stands she must re-
main in the temple" replied iIarut. But |
when all is lost. II have fallen, do you. |
White Lord. 20 to the sanctuary with those |
who remain and take her apd the Ivory |
child and fee after the others, only
lay this charge on you under pain OF the
curse or Heaven, that you do not suffer the
Ivory child to fall into the hands OF the
Black kendah. First must you burn 1t
with fire or grind II to dust with stones.
Moreover. | give this command to all In
case the priests in charge OF II should fall
me, that they set flame to the brushwood
that is built up with the stacks OF corn,
so that, after all. those OF our enemies whoF
escape the spear may die of famine"
instantly and without murmurng for
never did I see more perfect discp than
that which prevailed among these poor
people, the orders given by Harut. who in
addition TO his office. as head-prlest was a
Kind OF president OF what was in fact a
republic, were put In the way Of execution.
company by company the men appointed
To escort the women and children departed
through the gateway Of the second court
each company turning in the gateway to
salute us who remained. by raising their
spears tll all were gone Then we, the
marshalcd ourselves as the Greeks may have
done In the Pass OF Thermopylae.
First stood I and my rinemen, TO whom
all the remaining ammunition was served
out; 1t amounted TO eight rounds per man.
Then, ranged across the court in four lines.
came the spearmeu armed with lances and
swords, under The immediate command Of
itarut. Behind these near the gate of the
second court 80 that at the last they might
attempt the rescue OF the prieStess, were
nifty picked men captained by Ragnal, who.
forgot to say, was wounded In two places.
though not badly having received a spear
thrust in the left shoulder and sword
cut on the left thigh during his desperate
defense of the intrenchment
BY the time that all was ready and every
man had been given to drink from the great
Jars OF water which stood along the walls
the massive wooden doors began to burn
through though this did not happen for
quite half an hour after the enemy had
begun to attempt TO fire them.
They fell at length beneath the battering
or poles, leaving only the mound of earth
and stones which we had piled up In the
gateway after the closing of the doors This
the Black Kendah, who had raked out the
burning embers set themselves to dig away
with hands and sticks and spears n task
that was made very difficult to them by
about score of our people. who stabbed
Mt them with their long lances or dashed
them down with stones, killing and dis
abling many. But always the dead and
wounded were dragged off, while others
| took their places so that at last the gate
| way was virtually cleared. Then | called
| back the spearmen. who passed into the
ranks behind us and made ready to play my
| part.
! had not long to wait with n rush and
| a roar great company of the Black Ken
| dab charged the gateway. Just as they be-
| gan to emerge into the court | gave the
| ord ga 11.,s
| tearing into them from a distance of a
| few yards. They fell in a heap; they fell
| like corn before the scythe, not a man won
| through Quickly we reloaded and waited
| for the next rush. In due course it came
| and the dreadful scene repeated itself. Now
! the gateway and the tunnel beyond were
| so ChOked with fallen men that the enemy
| must drag these out before they could
charge any more. 1t was done under the
| fire of myself, Hans and few picked shots
! somehow it was done
| Once more they charged, and once more
| were mown down. SO II went on till our
| last cartridge was spent for never did
| see more magnificent courage than was
| shown by those Black Kendah In the face
| of terrific loss. Then my people threw
| aside their useless rifles and. arming them
| selves with spears and swords. fell back e
| rest, leaving Ilarut and his company to TAX,
! their place. For half an hour or more rageC
that awful struggle, since the spot being 81
| narrow, charge as they would, the Blacl
| Kendah could not win through the spears
| of despairing warriors defending their live:
| and the sanctuary of their god Nor th'
encircling cliffs being sheer, could they
| get round any other way.
| At length the enemy drew back as though
defeated. giving us time to drag aside oul
dead and wounded and drink more water
| for the heat in the place was now over
| whelming. We hoped against hope that they
| had given up the attack. But this was fal
| from the case; they were but making new
| plan.
| Suddenly i'm the gateway there appeared
the huge bulk of the elephant Jana, rush
| ing forward at speed and being urged or
| by men who priCked it with spears behind
! 1t swept through the defenders as though
| they were but dry grass, battering thos'
in front of it with its great trunk. from
| which swung the iron balls that crushed
| all on whom they fell. and paying no more
| heed to the lance thrusts than It might
| have done to the bites of gnats. On ii came
| trumpeting and trampling, and after IL II
a flood flowed the Black Kendall. upor
whom our spearmen' flung themselves from
| either side
| At the time I. followed by Hans, wa:
| Just returning from speaking with Ragnal
| at the gate Of the second court little
| while before l had retired exhausted from
| the fierce and fearful fighting, whereon ht
| took my place and repelled several of thu
| Black Kendall charges, including the last
In this fray he received a further injury. a
| knock on the head from stick stone
! which stunned him for few minutes
| whereon some OF our people had carried hin
| off and set him on the ground with his bach
against one of the pillars of the SECOND
| gate
Being told that he was hurt I ran TO ses
| what was the matter. Finding TO my JOY
| that it was nothing very serious, ! wa.
| hurrying to the front again when I looked
| up and saw that devil Jana charging
straight toward me, the throng OF armed
men parting on each side Of him. a rougl
| water does before the leaping Prov of
| storm driven ship,
cnN,rIN,L,En ,rnN0ppnm