第84章 I FIND MY SON(3)

Oliver instantly translated this remark， which made us all laugh， including Maqueda herself， and very grateful we were to find the opportunity for a little innocent merriment upon that tragic night.

By this time the regiment was ready to start， and had formed up into companies. Before the march actually began， however， the officer of the Abati patrol， in whose charge Roderick had been brought to us， demanded his surrender that he might deliver his prisoner to the Commander-in-Chief， Prince Joshua. Of course， this was refused， whereon the man asked roughly：

"By whose order？"

As it happened， Maqueda， of whose presence he was not aware， heard him， and acting on some impulse， came forward， and unveiled.

"By mine，" she said. "Know that the Child of Kings rules the Abati， not the Prince Joshua， and that prisoners taken by her soldiers are hers， not his. Be gone back to your post！"

The captain stared， saluted， and went with his companions， not to the pass， indeed， as he had been ordered， but to Joshua. To him he reported the arrival of the Gentile's son， and the news he brought that the nation of the Fung， dismayed by the destruction of their god， were in full flight from the plains of Harmac， purposing to cross the great river and to return no more.

This glad tidings spread like wildfire； so fast， indeed， that almost before we had begun our march， we heard the shouts of exultation with which it was received by the terrified mob gathered in the great square. The cloud of terror was suddenly lifted from them. They went mad in their delight； they lit bonfires， they drank， they feasted， they embraced each other and boasted of their bravery that had caused the mighty nation of the Fung to flee away for ever.

Meanwhile， our advance had begun， nor in the midst of the general jubilation was any particular notice taken of us till we were in the middle of the square of Mur and within half a mile of the palace， when we saw by the moonlight that a large body of troops， two or three thousand of them， were drawn up in front of us， apparently to bar our way. Still we went on till a number of officers rode up， and addressing the commander of the regiment of Mountaineers， demanded to know why he had left his post， and whither he went.

"I go whither I am ordered，" he answered， "for there is one here greater than I."

"If you mean the Gentile Orme and his fellows， the command of the Prince Joshua is that you hand them over to us that they may make report to him of their doings this night."

"And the command of the Child of Kings is，" replied the captain of the Mountaineers， "that I take them with her back to the palace."

"It has no weight，" said the spokesman insolently， "not being endorsed by the Council. Surrender the Gentiles， hand over to us the person of the Child of Kings of whom you have taken possession， and return to your post till the pleasure of the Prince Joshua be known."

Then the wrath of Maqueda blazed up.

"Seize those men！" she said， and it was done instantly. "Now， cut the head from him who dared to demand the surrender of my person and of my officers， and give it to his companions to take back to the Prince Joshua as my answer to his message."

The man heard， and being a coward like all the Abati， flung himself upon his face before Maqueda， trying to kiss her robe and pleading for mercy.

"Dog！" she answered， "you were one of those who this very night dared to attack my chamber. Oh！ lie not， I knew your voice and heard your fellow-traitors call you by your name. Away with him！"

We tried to interfere， but she would not listen， even to Orme.

"Would you plead for your brother's murderer？" she asked， alluding to Quick. "I have spoken！"

So they dragged him off behind us， and presently we saw a melancholy procession returning whence they came， carrying something on a shield.

It reached the opposing ranks， whence there arose a murmur of wrath and fear.

"March on！" said Maqueda， "and gain the palace."

So the regiment formed into a square， and， setting Maqueda and ourselves in the centre of it， advanced again.

Then the fight began. Great numbers of the Abati surrounded us and， as they did not dare to make a direct attack， commenced shooting arrows， which killed and wounded a number of men. But the Highlanders also were archers， and carried stronger bows. The square was halted， the first ranks kneeling and the second standing behind them. Then， at a given word， the stiff bows which these hardy people used against the lion and the buffalo upon their hills were drawn to the ear and loosed again and again with terrible effect.

On that open place it was almost impossible to miss the mobs of the Abati who， having no experience of war， were fighting without order.

Nor could the light mail they wore withstand the rush of the heavy barbed arrows which pierced them through and through. In two minutes they began to give， in three they were flying back to their main body， those who were left of them， a huddled rout of men and horses. So the French must have fled before the terrible longbows of the English at Crécy and Poitiers， for， in fact， we were taking part in just such a medi？val battle.

Oliver， who was watching intently， went to Japhet and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and ran to seek the commander of the regiment. Presently the result of that whisper became apparent， for the sides of the hollow square wheeled outward and the rear moved up to strengthen the centre.

Now the Mountaineers were ranged in a double or triple line， behind which were only about a dozen soldiers， who marched round Maqueda， holding their shields aloft in order to protect her from stray arrows.

With these， too， came our four selves， a number of camp-followers and others， carrying on their shields those of the regiment who were too badly wounded to walk.