Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-31
THE IVORY CHILD
BY II. RIDER HAGGARD
,nAte, Of oMar.e.n "KIn0 solo,non.s Mmes.. .she.


for US the very impetuosty OF the Black
kendah rush deprived IL of most of the
fruits of victory, since the two squadrons,
being unable to check their horses. ended
by charging into each other and becoming
mixed In ineXtricable confusion.
Then, do not know who gave the order.
wheeled our camels in and fell upon
them, struggling stationary mass, with
the result that many of them were speared,
or overthrown and trampled.
have said we, but that is not quite
correct. at any rate so far az Marut Hans,
l and about fifteen camelmen were con-
cerned. How IT happened | could not tell
in that dust and confusion, but we were cut
on from the main body and presently found
ourselves fighting desperately in group
at which Black Eendah horsemen were
charging again and again. We made the
best stand could. BY degrees the be-
wildered camels sank Lnoer the repeated
spear thrustS of the enemy, all except one,
oddly enough that ridden by Hans, which by
some strange chance was never touched.
The rest OF us were thrown or tumbled
off the camels and continued the fight from
behind their struggling bodies.
That is where | came in. Up TO this time
had not fired Il single shot. partly be-
cause | do not like missing which it Is so
easy to do from the back of swaying
camel and still more for the reason that |
nau not the SlgnteSt desire TO XIII any or
these savage men unless | were obliged to
do so in self-defense. Now. however, the
thing was different as | was fighting for
my life. Leaning against my camel, which
was dying and beating its head upon the
ground groaning horribly the while. /
emptied the five cartridges of the repeater
into those Black Kendan, pausing between
each shot to take aim. with the result that
presently FIVE rlderless horses were gallop-
ing about the weld
The effect was electrical, since our at
tackers had never seen anything of the
kind before, For n while they drew off
which gave me time to reload. Then they
came on again and | repeated the process
For "A second time they retreated and after
a consultation which lasted for minute
or more, made a third attack. once more
| saluted them to the best of my ability,
though on this occasion only three men and
n horse fell. The fifth shot was n clean
miss because they came on in such a scat
tered formation that / had to turn from side
to side to fire
Now at last the game was up for the
simple reason that | hao no more cartridges
save two in my double-barreled pistol. II
may be asked why. The answer is, want of
foresight. Too many cartridges in ones
pocket are apt to chafe on camel-back and
so is a belt full of them. In those days
also the engagements We're few in which a
man fred over fifteen. | had forty or fifty
more in a bag, which bag Savage with his
usual polteness had taken and hung upon
his saddle without saying word to me. At
the beginning of the action found this out,
but could not then get them from him as
he was separated from me. Hans always
careless in small matters, was really to
blame, as he ought to have seen that | had
the cartridges or at any rate to have car
ried them himself In short, it was one of
those accidents that will happen. There is
nothing more to be said.
After still longer consultation our enc
mics advanced on us for the fourth time.
but very slowly. Meanwhile | had been
taking stock of the position. The camel
corps, or what was left of it, oblivious of
our plight which the dust of conflict had
hidden from them was travelling on to the |
north, more or less victorious, That is to |
say, it had cut its way through the Black |
Kendall and was escaping unpursued, hud- |
lied up in mob with the baggage animals |
safe in its center.
The Black Kendah themselves were en- |
gagged in killing our wounded and succoring |
their own also in collecting the bodies of |
the dead. In short, quite unntentionally. |
we were deserted Probably. If anybody |
thought about us at all in the turmoil of |
desperate battle, they concluded that we |
we're among the slain.
Marut come up to me- unhurt, still smil- |
ing, and waving bloody spear
Lord Macumazana," he said. "the end |
II AT hanu. Ine Cnlld mas saved the CtherS, |
or most of them, but us 1t has abandoned |
Now what will you do? Kill yourself. or |
4 that does not please you srHer me TO kill |
you? Or shoot on until you must sur |
II have nothing to shoot with any more" |
answered. But If wa su render what |
will happen to us?"
I'VE shall be taken to Simba's town and |
here sacrificed TO the devil jana I have |
not time to tell you how. Therefore. I pro-
pose to kill myself"
Then | think you are foolish. Marut. |
since once we are dead, we are daa6 but |
while we are alive it is always possible |
hat we may escape from Jana. IL the |
worst comes to the worst l have a pistol |
with two bullets in it, one for you and one
Tor me-"
The wisdom Of the Child Ia In you" he
replied. Il shall surrender W IN you Macu-
and take my 'chance."
Then he turned and explained things TO |
lis followers. who spoke together tor a |
homent. In the end these took a strange |
md to my mind very heroic dss ision.
Waiting till the attacking Kendah were |
quite close to us. with the exception OF |
hree men. who either because they lacked |
courage or some other reason, stayed with
is, they advanced humbly as though to |
make submission number of the Black |
<endah dismounted and ran Up. suppose
o take them prisoners. The men waited till |
hese were all around them. Thkk with a |
yell OF 'The Child r. they slrang 70 ward. |
aking the enemy unawares and ighting