THE PAGAN SPIRIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22107, 13 May 1935, Page 15

THE PAGAN SPIRIT

By H. C. MAYDON

(COPYRIGHT)

AN INTRIGUING STORY OF LOVE AND ROMANCE

CHAPTER XI. —(Continued) James, in his ultra-confidence, had trusted his half-trained army out of his sight, without his own magnetism of leadership, and the result wits wholesale desertion. About the seventh day of my illness Pedro came on a visit and found me alone. Joan was out on one of her foraging expeditions, and we had riot seen James for two days. I fancy that Pedro had come direct from a pow-wow with James. He was more cheerful, and there was a faint air of dignity about him. He was a queer soul, and the hardest character to place that I have ever mot. " Well, mister," he began, "I havo come to say good-bye." "Good-bye/ Pedro?" I replied. "What do you mean?" <' I am going. The Pas wishes me to go and look for the lost army, and to bring them back. There is no one else he can trust. Perhaps I shall find them. Perhaps I shall not come back." " But, Pedjro, how are you going to get out? Even our native scouts can't get far these days." "Ah, mister," he replied confidently, "I can get out all right. You forget that I was born in these parts. The niountains are my home. I can get out over the top where no man else can go. It is difficult, but I can do it." " But it is not of this I wish to speak.

" It is in case I fail to find the army, or to bring them back. It is in case things go badly here. You cannot stop here for ever. I knovr the Has. At the ■end he 'will put himself at the head o£ the last of his men, and try to out hi way out. But for you and the lady it,is different."

"Well, Pedro?" I asked curiously, and a little touched at his forethought for us. " What in your plan for us?"

" Listen, mister," he continued, "for you to go out the way I go is impossible, and there is no other known way ■except by the rift. But I am certain there is an underground way from the place of the temple, which you visited with me. I have never found it, and the entry may be blocked up, but you -will have plenty of time, and I beg of you to search for it before it is too late. If you find it, I know it will bring you out by Serpent mountain, and the place of my old home. From there you can see the underground passage which you know, and thus come out far up the Mareb valley, safe from the Debrocharis, and near the Eritrean boundary. I hope that you will be saved." " Thank you, Pedro," I answered, "I believe "that yours is good advice. But how do you know that if we find the passage it will bring us out near your old home?" " Because if there is a passage from the temple and the mine it must lead to the treasure chamber."

" Very well, Pedro, we will see. I will ask Miss Joan to start a search at once."

" Good, mister. You know the secret how to open the stone doors of the mine gallery, and of Serpents' Passage, for I have shown you. " " Also, do not forget, that all the treasure, my people's treasure, which is hidden in' a cave near where the rifles were hidden, I give to you. The Ras knows the place. He will not take it, but after him 1 wish you to take it." " Don't speak like that, Pedro," said I. " You'll have to show us the place yourself and share it with us if you will."

He shook his head. " No, mister. 1 am the last of my race. The dreams of mv forefathers were empty. I have eeen. My kismet is nearly written." The poor old man was quite mournful, but dignified with it all— We exchanged a few more commonplaces and then he made his adieus. I gave him a hearty handshake and wished him all the luck. As he went out I heard Joan shout to him, and for a few minutes they talked together. Then she rushed in alone.

"John 8.," she cried, " what is the matter with old Pedro? " " Hasn't he told you? " I asked.

" No," she replied. "He just said he was going on a journey and might be away some time, and wished to say good-bye. Where is he going? How can he be going on a journey? You know I can't understand half he says." So I told her everything. Joan was quite solemn about it. We both liked old Pedro and his queer ways. We both felt that James was sending him on a dangerous and hopeless mission, and yet that probably it was oiu' last chance. Joan quite agreed that it would be a good plan for her to search for the underground passage. She needed an occupation in these long, dreary days of uncertainty. She could take some of Sabah El Kheir's men to help her. James came down that evening and admitted that he had sent Pedro off to search for the missing army. James was very gloomy. He had no thought of danger, but was furious at the thought that his cherished army had deserted hint. He was. also tired of inaction and angry that the Debrocharis in the valley would not attack him. Th°v seemed content to sit below and to waifc to starve him out. I broached Pedro's plan of trying to find an underground exit from the crater, but James sniffed at the idea. "What's the use of that to me?" he burst out.: 114 1 don't want to escape. I want to smash the Hyena and all his men. I must hold this place to the end. I've got my hundred reserve rifles and ammunition here —it's men I want. Pve got a hundred riflemen left and twice as many .spearmen recruits. But what's the good of that? There's two thousand Debrocharis against me in the valley, and twice as many behind. No, if Pedro can only find that army and bring tbern in on the Debrocharis flank, I'll attack from above, and we 11 smash them in no time." t >t " But supposing Pedro can't? ' I asked. " Oh, well!, dash it, I'll make some other plan. Don't for God's sake, be always grousing." " Well, Joan and 1 are going to try and find our own way out," I replied hot I v.

" Yes, carry on by all means. There's no one will bo more pleased than I am if you can get away and leave me to stew in my own juice. Sorry, old man," he sn.id, relenting a little, " and you, too. Joan. I'd give anything for you two to escape and get back to England safely. But for me this is where my job lies, and 1 wouldn't get out of it if 1 could."

Things went moro amicably after this, and we spent quite a friendly evening together. Next day' my leg was better, but 1 was too weak to accompany Joan for her search at the temple. She took Fadla Mulla and a couple of men of the escort. She had a long and tiring lav, and returned rather disheartened and without a single clue. The same thing continued for the next three days. My leg grew steaddy better until- I could hobble about. We saw nothing of James and had no news from him. On the Evening of the fourth day after Pedro's going, James strode into hut's compound in a fever of im-

patience. Joan and I were seated enjoying a cup of coffee and discussing the details of her unsuccessful search.

" Well, you two," James demanded, "found your bolt-hole yet? *'

" No, not yet, Jimmy," Joan answered.

" Well, you'd better look sharp about it. I've had about enough of this. No news of Pedro. The fool has either been scuppered or else the men won't follow him. I expect it's that. Anyhow, I'm going down to-morrow to thrash those Debrochari curs, who do nothing but sit below and wait for me to surrender."

" James, you won't be so mad as that? "

" Won't I? You wait and see. They haven't the guts of a louse. I'll take them by surprise at dawn, and you won't see 'em running for dust. Then Pedro and the army will join up and half the game is won." "James, you're mad. Why, it's what the enemy are waiting for." " Oh, shut up, you old grouser. Do you expect me to sit down, and vegetate forever? I'm not asking you to come, too. You can have the escort and hold oat here for ever if you like. But I'm dashed if 1 will. The. reserve rifles are being issued now. I'm off at dawn. You had better come and see the sport. 1 shan't bo back till I'vo whacked the Debrocharis and, i hope, joined up with Pedro." It was no good arguing with him. In some ways, perhaps, it was the best plan. We should know the worst, anyhow. But Joan was terribly anxious for her brother's safety. She and I had a long talk that evening, and decided to go up to the rift and see how fortune shaped. Sabnh El Kheir and his men would be required, anyhow, to guard the barricade. I shall never forget that night. Joan, Fadla Mulla and 1 crouched in a niche half-way up the rift and kept awake most of the night, sipping coffee. Below us, right and left, three hundred armed men were packed, trying to rest and ready for the morning raid. The moon was in its first quarter, and threw a feeble ray of light down the narrow r shaft of the rift. Here and there a spear or a rifle barrel glinted dully. Save for our own, no fires were allowed, but the hushed murmur of voices reached us from the shadows. Bats fluttered up and down the rift. There were the thousand tiny noises of the night. There was a chill in the air and a creepy sensation as if the spirits of the ancient holders of the fort lurked, anxious of the issue.

I spent those anxious, dragging hours thinking of the old ruins and passages, and who could have made use of them. Joan slept fitfully a yard away.

Suddenly, it seemed, a hand shook me roughly by the shoulder. James' voice woke me up. He thrust his hand into mine.

" Cheerio, old lad, good luck. I'm off. Look after Joan in case of accidents. ,No, don't disturb her; I hate a fuss." He bent dow© and kissed her lightly on the brow Then he hurried up the rift. The moon had disappeared. The rift was almost pite'i dark. Below and along the sandy root way of the rift I heard the dull tramp of men. When they had passed 1 aroused Joan, and we quickly followed to the barricade. James and his men had alreadj vanished across the ledge and down the slope. The east was hidden fronr us bv the stark walls of the crater, but now a slightly pearly tinge appeared in the sky, and slowly spread itself A chill dawn wind was rising. A planet still stared at us across the bowl of darkness, even as his twinkling, starr> sisters faded. Wisps of mist scudded across our vision like wraiths.

We stood just outside the barrier on the ledge, and stared into the darkness below us, which was already tinged with grey as the heavens brightened. Joan's hand stole into the slack of my arm and gripped it. So much depended on the next few minutes.

At our elbow stood Sabah El Kheir, zealous this time that we did not venture bej'ond his ken. Craning over the edge near us were his men, ears alert for the first sound of alarm from beh w.

Suddenly, from the lightening pit. and from' far below, came a yell. A chorus of shouts followed and the rattle of musketry.

"El fiamdu lillab! (Praise God!) " grunted Sabar El Kheir. " They were asleep. Wallahi, but how Pas Nimr will slaughter them."

He thrust my old field-glasses into my hands, which James had left behind.

The light was coming fast now. For the second time Joan and I stood side by side and stared down at a battleground. But although for a long time it was too dark and hazy to see distinctly, and the fight was taking place a thousand yards below us, it was soon evident that this time all 'was not well with James. . Tj'ie enemy's line, as marked by little groups of figures which showed up along the bare rocks and sandy ridge far below us, seemed to stretch for half a mile on both sides of the point of attack. The centre had given way before James' impetus. We could make out James' irten, a dense throng in the centre, who drove downwards, but the enemy's flanks held. There was no sign of rout. Then a rising cloud of dust and smoke blotted out the fight. Joan and I exchanged and re-ex-changed the field-glasses. It was fruitless. All that we could see eventually was that the enemy's flanks were joining hands behind James' force, cutting him off from the rift. I tried to suppress the dismay in my heart. " Oh, John 8., they are surrounding him," Joan gasped. " Can't we do anything to help? " " I'm afraid not, Joan, not yet," I stammered. God knows I was at my wit's end and badly in need of a comforting word myself. The escort around us were upset, too, and inclined to panic. They threw anxious glances in our direction.

Ten minutes later the haze lifted and we could judge the second stage in the fight. A few hundred yards beyond the enemy's line was a bare, flat-topped hill, little more than a mound. On this mound James' attack had grounded. We could see his men in a circle all round the top, firing steadily. All round the hill surged, rose and fell a sea of Debrocharis. We could thank our stars now that the enemy were badly armed with rifles. . , , A dozen times they tried to rush the hill with spear, and each tune we saw the charge stagger and reel back, leaving the hillside strewn with dots that either wriggled or lay still. Then they drew oft and from the neighbouring cover kept up an intermittent fire. That was the end of the second phase. James bad exchanged the frying-pan for the fire with a vengeance. )t " Oh, Jimmy, poor old Jimmy, wailed Joan. " John 8., we've got to do something." "Ail right, Joan," I temporised. " We'll make some plan before evening. Thev can't do him much harm before then. They can never rush him before dark " (To be continued daily)