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.It now struck the Yellow Knives on the trail itself.Most of the Yellow Knives, of course, hemmed in by their fellows, on thefrong, and in the rear, and on the flanks by the drop and the wall, mustremain inactive.Then, into this trapped mass, its arrow screens no longer inposition, and many of them scattered and lost, sped hundreds of arrows.Thesewere fired by the men of our forth group, suddenly appearing at the top of theescarpment, that which had handled our descent ropes, that under the commandof Kahintokapa, of the Yellow-Kaiila Riders.In that contingent, it might bementioned, there served a blond youth, one who had taken the Kaiila name ofWayuhahaka, "One-Who-Possesses-Much," who had once been of the Waniyanpi.Many of the Yellow Knives and soldiers, rather than face this withering fire,lowered themselves from the trail, slipping and sliding, then, abrasively,down the side of the rock face.Some may have survived.In moments then ourgroups, that of Hci and Waiyeyeca, and that from the barricade itself, met,Yellow Knives and soldiers slain or forced from the trail.Cuwignaka, in joy, embraced the leader of the group come down from thebarricade.The name of the leader of that group was Canka.I looked over the edge of the trail.There were many bodies below.Some had caught on rocks.Others had fallen tolower segments of the trail.Some, even, had plunged bounding, and turning andstriking, from plane to plane, to the grass."Yellow Knives on kaiila approaching the lower barricade!" calledKahintokapa, from above.Ropes were thrown down to us.Our weapons and shields slung about us we thenPage 277ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlclimbed the ropes to the height of the escarpment.By the time theseYellow Knives had dismounted and cast aside the lower barricade, it tumblingdownward, breaking and shattering in its descent, and remounted, we were safe.Some of them rode about a bit on the trail but then, under sporadic arrowfire, they withdrew.There were many Yellow Knives left on the trail below.I had recognized one ofthem.It was he who had been the second of the war chiefs from the summercamp.No longer did he sing medicine.Kaiila warriors, laughing and joking, congratulated one another, exhibitinggrisly trophies.In the Barrens conflict is typically quarterless.page 431~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"Open your mouth," said Hci to Iwoso.She did so, expelling the wet stone into the palm of his hand.Chapter 47THE THIRD DAY OF WAR"I think they will be coming in the neighborhood of noon," said Cuignaka.It was now the third day in the siege of Council Rock.Yesterday afternoon we had seen Kinyanpi.Yesterday night we had lit a greatbush beacon which we had prepared.This beacon, whether used for the emissonof smoke in daylight hours, or its flame at night, could be seen for pasangsacross the prairie."The Yellow Knives, left to their own resorces," said Hci, "would havewithdrawn after the failure of the first day.It seems to me highly unlikelythat the discipline of the soldiers and beasts can long be maintained overthem.""Doubtless they now have the backing of the Kinyanpi," I said."Flightedscouts, at any rate, were observed yesterday.""More than Kinyanpi will be required to bring them again to the barricade,"said Hci."You expect, then," said Cuwignaka, "only one more major assault.""And it will be the most determined of all," said Hci, grimly."And who will be its leaders?" asked Cuwignaka."The beasts, of course," I said."Yes," said Hci."It is nearly noon," said Cuwignaka, looking upward."I hear drums," I said."Medicine drums," said Hci."Soldiers are leaving the camp," I said."Yes," said Hci."They are riding south," I said."Interesting," said Hci."There is a Kinyanpi rider," said Cuwignaka, pointing upward."Doubtless a scout," said Hci.page 432~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~"There is movement now, in the Yellow-Knife camp," I said."They are coming," said Hci."Who is their lead?" asked Cuwignaka."The beasts," I said."We do not know how long the day will last," said Hci."Feed and waterBloketu."She was roped to her post, just as she had been the first two days."Do you beg food and drink?" asked Cuwignaka."Yes, Master," she said.He fed her and watered her."Thank you for my food and drink, Master," she said.Page 278ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"I beg food and drink," said Iwoso, suddenly.Shall I give her food and water?" asked Cuwignaka.Iwoso looked at Hci.The decision would obviously be his [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]