Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-20
ny WILLIAM ASHLEY ANDERSON

EDITORS NoTE.-In Article Mr.. Ander-
hon told Of the stirring, tumnltuous events,
many Of which he Witnessed, that led to the
.yerthrOw Of the weak young sm2stSr q vhfs y
Islam. His father, the Negus, or king, ruler
Of the northern province, has LED an army
ssainst the troops Of ths newly chosen ,. sm-
principally from tho province or kingdom Of
6hoa (anoient sheba), the empress troops are
therefore called Shoans.l
TIME SHOANs are not brawlers
and swashbucklers. They are
gentle in manner, soft spoken,
affectionate and rather inclined
coward peaceful settlements, unless
they become excited. The sight OF
blood, the sound of clashing arms, the
shock of an insult will arouse them to
swift, insensate fury. When blood or
honor cries for vengeance, they
shrek, they howl. they leap in the
air, they froth at the mouth, and
rush furiously upon their adversaries,
determined to tear them to pieces.
Imagine, then, 10000 of such men,
aroused to the point of desperation,
Minging themselves upon each other
fvith lances, scimitars. daggers.
The Fitaorari Apte Guirgious him
SELF. commander in chief, unable to
remain inactive with the clash of
hattie about him, though old and
Jane, leaped from his horse. flung his
rifle away and rushed into the torrent
i0f the enemy with drawn sword.
Ras Demissie. entangled in a strug-
Cling, painting mass of warriors, was
Knocked from his saddle by a blow
from a club in the hands Of a squire;
Hwice was he captured and recaptured.
Horsemen charged among men on
foot or FLASHED furiously with one an
other. Foot soldiers were involved
I'm struggling mobs, where rifles ex-
ploded like crackers, lances swished
= through the air, scimitars thudded
against rawhide shields, half-naked
men rolled over and over in the thick,
sweet-smelling meadow grass, stab
bing at each other. choking for
breath, mad to kill.
While Ras Omar was turning the
Shoans' right. and Dedjatch Tadela
smashing their center, Ras Gebri-
Gzaibyer, we'll equipped with mitrail-
1euses, hit upon the idea Of securing
the hill, embracing himself there, and
dominating the field. simultaneously
Ras Demissie Of the Shoan force, de-
spite the confusion in wlsch he found
himself. having twice narrowly es-
capped destruction. was struck by the
same possibility, and Immediately de-
tached men to take the hill. 1t was
taken and retaken three times before
the sun rose. and the dead about 1t
were piled in heaps.
L. IL
NOU must know that the sun rises
early, 80 that darkness quickly
gave way before the golden flood that
poured from the east. The pure, cool
dew which was distilling from the
fragrant mountain air when the sun
went down. now at its rising was
tinged with blood.
In the light of day the struggle be-
came fiercer. Each side knew that
defeat meant annihilation. Lungs
burned. muscles ached, but neither
wounds nor fatigue could force them
to stop. Horses, f1ecked in bloody
froth, heaved themselves up the gen.
tie slopes, whistling through their
parched threats, and lunged down
again into the nearest turmoil. Men
fought in isolated groups. And all
the while the drums roared and
throbbed.
On the eminence where his camp
was pitched the Negus Mikael leader
of the revolt against the Shoans
seated on his fretting horse, Roll
Them-Up, with a tiny reserve of six
or seven hundred men about him,
Eazed out across the field toward
koroma sch. The furrow on his brow
was smoothing out; his large, intelli-
gent eyes flashed, his mobile lips
parted so that his teeth glistened In
his beard. He saw himself already
Upon the throne of Menelik The
battle was his.
Ras Omar had successfully turned
the Shoan right flank in upon its
center; and the center was being
thrust determinedly back in confu-
Zion before the fierce attack of Ded-
jatch Tadela. The decision, then,
rested with the swords of Ras Gebri-
Christos, whose object it was to turn
the left flank guarded by Ligaba
Bayana. and here there was con-
fusion.
Suddenly, then, while his warriors
before them and victory seemed GER
tain, the attention of the Negus
Mikael was turned westward.
From this quarter host of horse
men was rushing upon him.
Uncertain, curious, not yet doubling
that Gebri-Christos had been any
thing but victorious, the Negus and
his body guard moved slowly forward
10 meet this advance They strained
their eyes to identify the leader.
Some one recognized Ras Gebri-
Christos. Immediately the Negus be-
lfeved that his lieutenant had been
defeated and was hard pressed.
With cry to his followers, he
charged straight to the support of
the overwhelmed Christos, his few hun.
dred warriors pressing valiantly be-
hind him, shouting encouragement
and loosening their arms They had
mot gone far. however, when q word
was shrieked in the uproar that sudden
~ stilled the shouts and brought the
dying horses to piunging halt.
"Treachery! Treachery!'
*.*
THE Negus was stunned. He looked
i about him as though he had sud-
denly been surrounded by assassins.
Some Of his men were galloping furi-
rusly away to the northward One
OF his rases pressed close to him and
urged him to fly.
1.-The north is open. You are safe.
There is no. horse in Shoa that can
pass the dust Of Roll Them-Up."