Chapter XIV: The Fight at the Barricade

But this giving way was only for a few minutes; after that, by a mighty effort, the chief pulled himself together, and was again his sturdy and composed self. When he went back among the others he seemed as grimly cool as before. It is possible that the moment of partial collapse had been in reality a bit of saving relaxation from the dreadful strain, and that he afterwards kept up the better on account of it.

By this time the figures on the hill-slopes were so dim and vague that there was no longer any use in trying to make sure of them; the watchers at the barricade gave it up, and merely sat about glumly, keeping their attention only on the open stretch at the foot of the hill. It now began to be decidedly uncertain whether the besiegers would attack that night or not. In fact, on some further consideration, Big-axe began to think that there was to be no immediate assault, and probably none till the next day. Then the assailants would be fresh, and would have all their plans fully settled, and they would also gain something by seeing clearly what they were about. As missile weapons of any mentionable range had not then been invented, the objection of a greater exposure by a daylight attack was of slight importance. The more Big-axe and his experienced fighters discussed the matter, the more inclined they were to believe that this guess was the right one, and that they should see and hear nothing more of Long-spear and his swarm till the next day.

Yet as this was merely a guess, the chief would not depend on it, and made the same preparations for a night attack as he had arranged before. He sent two active men down to the foot of the rock, where they were ordered to scout around, and report the first sign of danger; and he kept five men at the barricade. A rope made of the creeper stuff was dropped down, so that the scouts, if they had to make a dash of it home, could climb quickly up. A point about half-way along the path, where the rising face of the cliff was not quite so steep as in some other places, and where desperate and active men might slide down, was specially watched and guarded, and the old people and others who were not expected to fight were ordered to get under a part of the cut-out rock. This was not merely to give these helpless ones better protection, but also to leave more fighting-room for the warriors.

There was now another time of suspense, perhaps as trying as any thus far. The moon was not due for a considerable while, and then it might be clouded over; meanwhile, it would be almost absolutely dark. The chief had ordered all talk to cease, and this made the time seem to pass more slowly, and added to the nervous tension. Everybody was listening for boding sounds, and it is not surprising that a good many thought they heard them. This went on till the moon at last rose, and it became possible to make sure of something, and see rather than guess.

Still nothing that turned out to mean danger appeared, and off where the enemy were supposed to be could be heard at intervals minor noises, as if there had been no significant change or stir.

So the night at last wore through, and the gray of daylight came. As the eastern hill-slopes brightened out of the vapors, and the light struck under the trees, lumps that were not stones and stumps came out, and some began to move. The Fishers and the Islanders were still there.

Big-axe immediately took a look about the fort, and then ordered breakfast; there was no knowing what time there would be for it later. After the sun climbed higher, what were left of the night mists were burned up. Still later, and not very long, either, the tingle of the heat began to reach the rocky shelf.

The two scouts at the foot of the hill had been recalled, and everything was again in the old readiness.

“I wish they would begin, if they are going to,” said Hop-foot with a long breath. He spoke to Sure-dart. “This waiting is growing harder all the time,” he fretfully added.

“I think pretty soon we shall have the enjoyment of the change,” Sure-dart grimly answered.

He had never made a surer prophecy, nor one speedier of fulfilment. Hop-foot sniffed a little, and looked at his darts, but he had no more than done it when a little noise came from the barricade; and as the boys glanced that way they saw that the guard and everybody else there had jumped up, and that all were gazing across the open flat.

“Come on!” almost screamed Hop-foot. He began to skip toward the barricade.

But before he was half-way there, though the distance was short, the men on the top of the wall had wheeled and were bellowing down:

“They are coming! they are coming!”

Everybody was at once on the stir; the fighters took their places, and the others crept out of the way into the shelters. A few of the more sturdy of the women, and some of the old men and larger children, fell in behind the warriors, ready to give what help they could. Big-axe had delayed a moment, while he made sure of the disposition of the guard at the rear of the shelf, but now he walked quickly to the barricade, and climbed up. He seemed as cool as ever, and moved without any sign of hurry. He was closely followed by Bull-head. Old Stone-arm had been left to command what should perhaps be called the rear guard.

If Long-spear and his confederates had taken things leisurely before, they made up for it in speed and impetuosity now. As Sure-dart sprang upon the wall, and got the full range of the open below, he found that the whole savage swarm was spread out over it, and were coming on at a run. Just then they broke out in their wild, wolfish howls and unearthly yells.

Though they were not running at top speed, thus saving their wind for the assault itself, yet they came on so fast that it seemed hardly a moment before they were across the open and tearing up the path. They seemed to think that they must surely carry everything before them, and that this one dash would settle the whole matter. At least, it might be inferred so, for Sure-dart saw that they had massed in one long column, and had not sent any men around and to the top of the hill. Even the crafty Long-spear appeared to share the general, almost contemptuous, confidence, and was shouting and tearing along with the rest.

Up the path the head of the wave surged, and now four or five half-naked wild creatures--they could fairly be called that--were trying to spring up the face of the wall itself, using their spears like vaulting poles to help, and yelping like wolves. Those next behind shot up darts and stones, thus in a crude way covering the assault, and still others tried to make a defence of shields.

Big-axe had cautioned every one of the defenders to be careful, for they had not a single man to spare, and therefore they now threw forward their shields, and protected themselves from the first pelting of the darts and stones. As the shower subsided, they coolly lowered their shields, and bent down and thrust hard with their spears. Three of the climbers collapsed and tumbled backward, and a fourth would have gone, only he was supported by the arms of those behind. His head had lopped to one side, and the spear had fallen from his hand. Another jab from above sprawled him out; then those supporting him let him go, and he sank out of sight among them, probably landing on the bodies that had gone down before. For the moment the wall was cleared.

Bull-head began to laugh. “Oh, you disappoint us!” he roared down at them mockingly. “We are waiting for you, and you don’t come. Where is the brave Long-spear? Is he tired from the march, that he does not come forward? I should like to take his hand, seeing that he has come so far to visit us!”

This was in true savage style, and proved to hit the mark. Some of the crowd answered with furious howls, and several managed to clear room enough to shoot up their long spears. One of these grazed the ear of Bull-head, but the others kept on harmlessly in the air, and doubtless went off into space. The path curved rather sharply at this point.

“And you can’t throw your spears any better than you can climb!” broke out the taunting Bull-head again. “If you will wait, perhaps we will send down some of our little boys, who will teach you!”

But the last words were almost drowned in a fresh din of yelps and howls, and in the midst of them the headmost of the gang made a wild forward rush. The others pressed closely after, as if they meant to thrust the leaders by main force up the wall.

This time the defenders had to do their best, and the best seemed hardly likely to answer. Four of the desperate crew, helped by many hands, got a footing on the wall, and before they were fairly at balance shoved out fiercely with their spears. One Rock-man staggered, and went backward off the wall, and spears from below at the same time reached and pricked the legs of the other defenders. As the first assailants got their full balance, they dropped their spears, and whipped their stone axes from their belts, turning a little then so as to hold that end of the wall.

It was now that Big-axe did that which sent his name down the years in the legends of his people. Dropping shield and spear, and grasping his great axe with both hands, he plunged, as it almost seemed, headlong upon the triumphant four. The axe fell as if it had the force of modern machinery behind it! The man who faced the shock was smashed off his feet, and crushed in, as if he had been a cardboard toy! Then, before the others seemed able to stir, the great mass rose again, swept down, and a second man--this time struck a little at a slant--was swept to one side, and with crushed skull went headlong, as if he had been a clumsy diver, into the jam below.

The rest followed like the quick finish of some game. The great axe went with a _clack_ to the stones, as the chief dropped it, and before the two men who were still left could tell what to expect, or how to put themselves on a better defence, the great bulk of the chief was almost in their faces, and one man found his half-raised arm gripped, and himself held like a shield before his mate. One instant so, and then a tremendous shove sent him against the other man, and both staggered, and toppled over backwards, going with flying, pawing arms down upon the heads beneath.

It was all done so quickly that a few seconds would actually have covered the time. Friends and foes alike fairly gasped, and could not move till it was all over. Then Big-axe was picking up his great weapon, and again quietly covering himself with his shield, and Bull-head and the other defenders were getting the sense of what had happened, and beginning to roar and yell.

It will be guessed that this exploit and sudden turn in the tide of affairs sent the Fishers and their allies nearly wild with fury. They howled and fairly screamed, and as Big-axe stepped back to his place they broke forward once more in a wild and up-boiling human wave.

Sure-dart was standing a little back of the main line of the wall guard, and had not thus far had a chance to put in any work. As this new torrent crashed in, and sent its advance wave flying high, he saw his opportunity. He balanced one of the darts that had given him his name in one hand, and with the other drew his shield closer. Hardly a second later his work was ready for him.

The Rock-man immediately before him staggered back, thrust through the thigh with a spear, and as Sure-dart stepped to one side, the man stumbled and fell. His fall uncovered a short, monkey-built savage, with his reeking spear already drawn back for another thrust. This man, painted dull yellow across his hideous face, had his mop of hair piled on the top of his head, and skewered there by four or five little reed darts. He was one of the strangers from the unknown region, and of the people said to call themselves the Islanders.

The fellow saw Sure-dart just before him, and bent a little for another thrust.

He was quick, but Sure-dart was distinctly quicker. Like a tiny flash of lightning, the little ready dart flew, and though the man threw up his left arm (he had dropped his shield when he made his dash up the wall), the dart scratched across the wrist, and drove straight into one of his gleaming, wicked black eyes. A screech and two hands went to the spot, while the spear clattered down on the stones. It was followed by a shove from an eager savage behind him, and the man dropped helplessly forward on his knees. He was kicked this way and that for the next few seconds, as the fighters rushed past him, or fell back again, and at last dropped, or was knocked back over the wall.

Sure-dart was before this ready with another of his little deadly stings, and it took the next man--who had likewise left his shield behind him--in the right arm, and the pain of it made the arm fall. The ready axe of Bull-head finished this piece of work.

Sure-dart now glanced to the right, to see how things were going there, and was just in time to see the chief parry a spear-thrust with his shield and drive what seemed a death-blow down at a climbing savage.

Sure-dart had no more time for looking around; he stepped in with Bull-head to drive back three or four more scrambling and up-pushing fellows, and for the next few seconds was very busy.

But it had before this become evident that the fire of the rush was dying out, and that the pushing, jabbing, and scrambling up the wall was, in comparison with what it had been, almost languid. The tremendous fight of the defenders, together with the advantage of the wall, and the disadvantage to the assailants of the crowding together in the narrow path, was beginning to make itself felt. All at once there was a jabbering, and some directing cries, and not only the wall, but the space immediately below it, was clear.

Bull-head set up a roaring yell of triumph, and so nearly battle-mad was he that if his father had not just then clutched his arm he would have jumped down and rushed on the retreating throng. He stopped, however, as he felt the powerful grip, and in a moment seemed to get back his senses. The others, except Big-axe, were now also making a triumphant din, which was joined in by the anxious little company behind them. Big-axe merely smiled in a grim and satisfied way, and turned again to watch the further movements of the retreating swarm.

They had taken their dead and wounded with them, dragging the dead by the feet, with their heads trailing along the ground, and were falling back slowly down the path.