第34章

"Run for it!" I shouted, setting the example by starting up the cave as hard as my legs would carry me.I would have made for the open air if it had been possible, but there were men in the way, and, besides, I had caught sight of the forms of a crowd of people standing out clear against the skyline beyond the entrance to the cave.Up the cave I went, and after me came the others, and after them thundered the whole crowd of cannibals, mad with fury at the death of the woman.With a bound I cleared the prostrate form of Mahomed.As I flew over him I felt the heat from the red-hot pot, which was lying close by, strike upon my legs, and by its glow saw his handsfor he was not quite deadstill feebly moving.At the top of the cave was a little platform of rock three feet or so high by about eight deep, on which two large lamps were placed at night.Whether this platform had been left as a seat, or as a raised point afterwards to be cut away when it had served its purpose as a standing-place from which to carry on the excavations, I do not knowat least, I did not then.At any rate, we all three reached it, and, jumping on it, prepared to sell our lives as dearly as we could.For a few seconds the crowd that was pressing on our heels hung back when they saw us face round upon them.Job was on one side of the rock to the left, Leo in the centre, and I to the right.Behind us were the lamps.Leo bent forward and looked down the long lane of shadows, terminated in the fire and lighted lamps, through which the quiet forms of our would-be murderers flitted to and fro with the faint light glinting on their spears, for even their fury was silent as a bulldog's.The only other thing visible was the red-hot pot still glowing angrily in the gloom.There was a curious light in Leo's eyes, and his handsome face was set like a stone.In his right hand was his heavy hunting-knife.

He shifted its thong a little up his wrist, and then put his arm round me and gave me a good hug.

"Good-bye, old fellow," he said, "my dear friendmy more than father.We have no chance against those scoundrels; they will finish us in a few minutes, and eat us afterwards, I suppose.Good-bye.I led you into this.I hope you will forgive me.Good-bye, Job.""God's will be done," I said, setting my teeth, as Iprepared for the end.At that moment, with an exclamation, Job lifted his revolver and fired, and hit a mannot the man he had aimed at, by the way;anything that Job shot at was perfectly safe.

On they came with a rush, and I fired too as fast as Icould, and checked thembetween us, Job and I, besides the woman, killed or mortally wounded five men with our pistols before they were emptied.But we had no time to reload, and they still came on in a way that was almost splendid in its recklessness, seeing that they did not know but that we could go on firing forever.

A great fellow bounded up upon the platform, and Leo struck him dead with one blow of his powerful arm, sending the knife right through him.I did the same by another, but Job missed his stroke, and I saw a brawny Amahagger grip him by the middle and whirl him off the rock.The knife, not being secured by a thong, fell from Job's hand as he did so, and, by a most happy accident for him lit upon its handle on the rock, just as the body of the Amahagger, being undermost, hit upon its point and was transfixed upon it.What happened to Job after that I am sure I do not know, but my own impression is that he lay still upon the corpse of his deceased assailant, "playing possum," as the Americans say.As for myself, I was soon involved in a desperate encounter with two ruffians who, luckily for me, had left their spears behind them; and for the first time in my life the great physical power with which nature has endowed me stood me in good stead.I had hacked at the head of one man with my hunting-knife, which was almost as big and heavy as a short sword, with such vigor that the sharp steel had split his skull down to the eyes, and was held so fast by it that as he suddenly fell sideways the knife was twisted right out of my hand.