CHAPTER XVIII.
The war being resolved upon, preparations now went on, and consumed so much time that many again lost interest. They grew impatient, first at the preparations, and then at the expected war itself, and so had to be repeatedly stirred up by new infusions of resolution. Koree superintended the preparations, whose chief work was to keep the minds of the people prepared; for our early ancestors could not hold a resolution as long as we. Their anger was soon cool, like their love, and their attention went rapidly from one subject to another.
“Hollow out some water-melons,” said Koree, “in which to carry our weapons.”
The Ammi had used melon rinds for vessels, when they wanted something larger than a cocoanut shell. These lasted, indeed, but a short time, but they were easily replaced.
“Water-melons are too heavy,” said one, “and will spoil before we reach the enemy. Let us use bark which can be tied at the ends and hung over our shoulders.”
Some, accordingly, took bark, but many preferred melons or gourds, which, however, they exchanged for bark before proceeding far. It takes experience to learn what is best for war or peace.
“Sharpen your clubs,” said Koree, “but only at one end. Let the other end be blunt, so as to serve for a staff in marching and a weapon in battle.”
They accordingly sharpened their clubs, which served as spears, and also aided them in digging for roots, clams and other provisions.
They also provided split bones and broken cocoanut shells, which were sharp, and so served both as weapons to cut and implements to dig.
Some thought of still other things which might be useful in war, and filled their bark knapsacks with so much that, when they were ready to start they were so hopelessly overloaded that they could scarcely move. But they gained experience on the way, and soon learned what to leave as well as what to take, thus acquiring early the soldier’s virtue of learning to throw away.
The greedy fellow Oko, already mentioned, wanted them to carry all their stores with them, and he tried to get others to help carry his.
“We helped you gather those stores,” said one, “and will not serve you again by carrying them after you have taken them from us.”
“I did not take them by force,” he answered.
“No,” replied the first, “because you would not fight; but you stole them, or persuaded us to give them to you.”
“I always gave you something in exchange.”
“True, but it was in each case something worth less.”
Oko was the first man that had learned to cheat, his avariciousness being distorted into dishonesty which easily deceived them, since men, though they early learned to resist force, were slow to withstand guile.
Being unable to get help in carrying his stores he concluded to stay at home to watch them, when the thought of getting greater stores from the Lali again changed his mind; and his voice was now for war.
The preparations thus went on, and all seemed propitious for a successful campaign, when suddenly a tremendous shock was felt. A mountain range in the distance rose to the sky, forming a ridge of the Alps. A roar such as has not since visited the earth reverberated through the country, shaking the air as violently as the first shock shook the earth. The world rocked to and fro like a vessel at sea, tumbling every man to the earth, and rolling him over the ground. It was impossible to stand, or even to lie still. The whole human race became sea sick, and all were, in addition, more frightened than sick. Down came the dug-outs with their contents over the heads of the Ammi, and men and provisions were rolled promiscuously over the ground. Fruits and nuts fell from the trees, and many trees fell with them. There seemed to be no safety for anything on the earth, or even for the earth itself. The land appeared to be going, and all looked for a general collapse.
THE CATASTROPHE.
THE CATASTROPHE.
To add to the disaster the Swamp overflowed, and its waters rushed over the settlement of the Ammi, overwhelming everything except the huts that stood on high ground. Several of the men, and many of the women and children, who had escaped being scared to death, were finally drowned; while reptiles and wild beasts again overran the region of the Ammi. All Alligator Swamp seemed emptied upon Cocoanut Hill, and the infant race looked to see their country, like Holland, sink out of sight.
The return of the waves was scarcely less disastrous than their advance. As the earth settled again, and the flood came down from the hills, it swept away much that the advance had left. The earth for a long time swayed back and forth, the waters rushing alternately in each direction. Many of the Ammi escaped only by running into the trees, some of whom even then were shaken down into the water. To add to the terror the sky became dark, the sun being entirely hid by the thick clouds of dust and smoke which issued from the crevices of the earth. Noises were repeatedly heard as of great explosions, and, following every rest from the rocking of the earth, was a shaking up by intermittent convulsions. The birds did not find even the air still enough for flight, but many fell to the ground (or water) killed by the concussion. None knew when the next burst would occur, but all looked for their death, uncertain only whether it would come by fire, water, or engulfment. Thunder seemed to come from both the earth and sky, and lightnings flashed out from the rents of the earth as well as of the clouds. The world at times appeared to be on fire, and it looked as if it would be burned up incase it should escape all the other means of destruction. The sun, the moon, and the stars seemed all to be destroyed, and no human being looked again for light except from the fire of the destruction of all things. Death was expected to follow this disaster, in which men and animals alike were to take part.
In the midst of this despair, however, hope arose with the stillness that came as sudden as had the commotion. The earth seemed again to stand. The thunderings became quiet; the waters rushed back to their places; light began to appear through the smoke, and in time the sun was seen to be in his place. The distant mountain ranges again appeared in sight, but much changed. Some peaks were gone, or lay in heaps about the ranges, while new ridges arose where the plain had before stretched. A new earth seemed to greet the sky; the old horizon was gone, and a new sky-line along the mountains added grandeur as well as novelty to the changed scene.
For a moment the impression prevailed that the earth was not permanent, but changeable like the sea, the forest, and the men. The globe was at this time passing through a crisis as decisive as that of the human race, preparing for our present physical geography as well as our present society; and we may be excused for turning aside, for a moment, from the convulsions of the human mind in its preparations for war, to the physical convulsions of Nature in preparing the earth itself for its future uses.