CHAPTER XIV "Those Were the Real Conquests"

odandsuddenlyabodyofape-menrushedoutwithclubsandstones,andmadeforthecenteroftheIndianline.Itwasavaliantmovebutafoolishone,forthegreatbandy-leggedcreatureswereslowoffoot,whiletheiropponentswereasactiveascats.Itwashorribletoseethefiercebruteswithfoamingmouthsandglaringeyes,rushingandgrasping,butforevermissingtheirelusiveenemies,whilearrowafterarrowburieditselfintheirhides.Onegreatfellowranpastmeroaringwithpain,withadozendartsstickingfromhischestandribs.InmercyIputabulletthroughhisskull,andhefellsprawlingamongthealoes.Butthiswastheonlyshotfired,fortheattackhadbeenonthecenteroftheline,andtheIndianstherehadneedednohelpofoursinrepulsingit.Ofalltheape-menwhohadrushedoutintotheopen,Idonotthinkthatonegotbacktocover. Butthematterwasmoredeadlywhenwecameamongthetrees.Foranhourormoreafterweenteredthewood,therewasadesperatestruggleinwhichforatimewehardlyheldourown.Springingoutfromamongthescrubtheape-menwithhugeclubsbrokeinupontheIndiansandoftenfelledthreeorfourofthembeforetheycouldbespeared.Theirfrightfulblowsshatteredeverythinguponwhichtheyfell.OneofthemknockedSummerlee'srifletomatchwoodandthenextwouldhavecrushedhisskullhadanIndiannotstabbedthebeasttotheheart.Otherape-meninthetreesaboveushurleddownstonesandlogsofwood,occasionallydroppingbodilyontoourranksandfightingfuriouslyuntiltheywerefelled.Onceouralliesbrokeunderthepressure,andhaditnotbeenfortheexecutiondonebyourriflestheywouldcertainlyhavetakentotheirheels.Buttheyweregallantlyralliedbytheiroldchiefandcameonwithsucharushthattheape-menbeganinturntogiveway.Summerleewasweaponless,butIwasemptyingmymagazineasquickasIcouldfire,andonthefurtherflankweheardthecontinuouscrackingofourcompanion'srifles. Theninamomentcamethepanicandthecollapse.Screamingandhowling,thegreatcreaturesrushedawayinalldirectionsthroughthebrushwood,whileouralliesyelledintheirsavagedelight,followingswiftlyaftertheirflyingenemies.Allthefeudsofcountlessgenerations,allthehatredsandcrueltiesoftheirnarrowhistory,allthememoriesofill-usageandpersecutionweretobepurgedthatday.Atlastmanwastobesupremeandtheman-beasttofindforeverhisallottedplace.Flyastheywouldthefugitivesweretooslowtoescapefromtheactivesavages,andfromeverysideinthetangledwoodsweheardtheexultantyells,thetwangingofbows,andthecrashandthudasape-menwerebroughtdownfromtheirhiding-placesinthetrees. Iwasfollowingtheothers,whenIfoundthatLordJohnandChallengerhadcomeacrosstojoinus. "It'sover,"saidLordJohn."Ithinkwecanleavethetidyinguptothem.Perhapsthelessweseeofitthebetterweshallsleep." Challenger'seyeswereshiningwiththelustofslaughter. "Wehavebeenprivileged,"hecried,struttingaboutlikeagamecock,"tobepresentatoneofthetypicaldecisivebattlesofhistory—thebattleswhichhavedeterminedthefateoftheworld.What,myfriends,istheconquestofonenationbyanother?Itismeaningless.Eachproducesthesameresult.Butthosefiercefights,wheninthedawnoftheagesthecave-dwellersheldtheirownagainstthetigerfolk,ortheelephantsfirstfoundthattheyhadamaster,thoseweretherealconquests—thevictoriesthatcount.Bythisstrangeturnoffatewehaveseenandhelpedtodecideevensuchacontest.Nowuponthisplateauthefuturemusteverbeforman." Itneededarobustfaithintheendtojustifysuchtragicmeans.Asweadvancedtogetherthroughthewoodswefoundtheape-menlyingthick,transfixedwithspearsorarrows.HereandtherealittlegroupofshatteredIndiansmarkedwhereoneoftheanthropoidshadturnedtobay,andsoldhislifedearly.Alwaysinfrontofusweheardtheyellingandroaringwhichshowedthedirectionofthepursuit.Theape-menhadbeendrivenbacktotheircity,theyhadmadealaststandthere,onceagaintheyhadbeenbroken,andnowwewereintimetoseethefinalfearfulsceneofall.Someeightyorahundredmales,thelastsurvivors,hadbeendrivenacrossthatsamelittleclearingwhichledtotheedgeofthecliff,thesceneofourownexploittwodaysbefore.AswearrivedtheIndians,asemicircleofspearmen,hadclosedinonthem,andinaminuteitwasover,Thirtyorfortydiedwheretheystood.Theothers,screamingandclawing,werethrustovertheprecipice,andwenthurtlingdown,astheirprisonershadofold,ontothesharpbamboossixhundredfeetbelow.ItwasasChallengerhadsaid,andthereignofmanwasassuredforeverinMapleWhiteLand.Themaleswereexterminated,ApeTownwasdestroyed,thefemalesandyoungweredrivenawaytoliveinbondage,andthelongrivalryofuntoldcenturieshadreacheditsbloodyend. Forusthevictorybroughtmuchadvantage.Onceagainwewereabletovisitourcampandgetatourstores.OncemorealsowewereabletocommunicatewithZambo,whohadbeenterrifiedbythespectaclefromafarofanavalancheofapesfallingfromtheedgeofthecliff. "Comeaway,Massas,comeaway!"hecried,hiseyesstartingfromhishead."Thedebbilgetyousureifyoustayupthere." "Itisthevoiceofsanity!"saidSummerleewithconviction."Wehavehadadventuresenoughandtheyareneithersuitabletoourcharacterorourposition.Iholdyoutoyourword,Challenger.Fromnowonwardsyoudevoteyourenergiestogettingusoutofthishorriblecountryandbackoncemoretocivilization."