CHAPTER XXV.
The Ammi now continued their forward march with but little interruption.
“I fear this expedition will end in disaster,” said Gimbo; “our falling into the water is a bad sign.”
“I think so to,” added Pounder, recalling his duckings; “but before it ends I shall have a fight with the Apes, and smash some of their jaws.”
“What looks to me worst,” said another, “is, that when I was sharpening my flint this morning, the Fire-monster suddenly appeared to me, starting up out of the flint and immediately disappearing again.”
“I saw the same thing,” added another, “when Pounder struck me in the eye. Fire flew in all directions and then disappeared.”
One of the scouts now returned breathless announcing that they could see the Lali in the distance.
“Let me reconnoiter,” said Koree, who advanced rapidly to the farther edge of the swamp, from which, indeed, the Apes could be distinctly seen.
These were running up and down the trees, apparently gathering fruit, and chasing one another over the plains without any apparent purpose except sport. But men never knew the deep designs of Monkeys.
“Where is Sosee, I wonder?” asked Koree, who was too much interested in the object of his love to attend closely to the requirements of war. He did not observe that at that moment a great ape was stealthily approaching him from one side.
For the Apes had out their pickets as well as the men, owing to apprehensions of an attack; while others were scattered through the Swamp hunting food.
After a little waiting and looking he thought he descried Sosee in the distance walking with a handsome ape who was exceedingly attentive to her.
Jealousy now succeeded to prudence, and his rage would have at once carried him alone into the ranks of the enemy to capture her (and be captured instead), but, another incident prevented him from accomplishing this disaster.
“I will have her at once,” he said, “and scatter the brains of that monkey attendant over any one who opposes me.”
At this instant the ape who was watching him ran up and dealt him a powerful blow, knocking his resolution, his jealousy and his love out of him for a while.
Koree, recovering his senses, now transferred his rage to this new quarter, and, following it up with blows, soon brought to the ground his assailant.
This was witnessed by other scouts of the Lali who ran to the rescue of their companion, and also by some scoutsof the Ammi who closed on the combatants, so that an immediate fight was threatened between the pickets of the two forces.
THE BATTLE BEGINS.
THE BATTLE BEGINS.
This encounter, all unpremeditated, nearly defeated the schemes of both parties. It destroyed the hope of secrecy on the part of the Ammi, who thought to take the Lali by surprise; and destroyed the hope of ambush on the part of the Lali who meant to entrap the approaching enemy in the Swamp. Each party, moreover, being ignorant of the force by which it was attacked, and fearing that it might be larger than its own, shrank from fight.
As soon, therefore, as they got released from each other, they flew apart, as if they had been fighting to escape, and not to conquer. Both being afraid, and not daring to seem so, they affected to despise each other, and so, showing their teeth and grinning a defiance, they went in opposite directions, each hoping the other would take the encounter for a chance meeting of strange apes hunting for food, and not a skirmish between the advance guards of mighty hosts prepared for battle.
It was too late, however. Both powers were now apprised of each others’ designs, and both immediately put themselves in readiness for action.
Koree was much blamed by the Ammi for his rashness in precipitating this encounter.
“It was your love,” said Abroo, “which brought us here to fight, and it is your love which will now defeat us. O that love would take sense along with it when it goes either to woo a woman or fight a battle.”
“But it generally turns to foolishness before it accomplishes anything,” added Cocoanut-Scooper.
“And were there not a fool also on the other side it would never succeed at all,” said Oko.
“Koree’s case,” added a fourth, “makes more trouble for others than pleasure for himself.”
“For his falling in love once,” said Pounder, “I fell in the water twice.”
And so they went on reproaching poor Koree for having such a strong love that it would not let them rest, and such a foolish one that it would not let them fight.
Koree had nothing to say, but being himself most convinced of his own foolishness, was angry that others agreed with him, and so simply changed the subject.
“Be ready to fight at once,” he said, “as we may be attacked before we have time to decide whether we will fight or not. Between the lake and the Apes we have nothing left but to triumph.”
“It is either to be killed by the Apes or drowned in the water,” said Oko, “and I don’t like either.”
“We’ll kill some apes before we are killed ourselves,” answered Pounder; “at least, I will.”
“Their forces are more numerous than ours,” insisted Oko.
“That being so,” said Koree, who turned every objection into a new device, “we will fight them by stealth, creeping upon them by night, or enticing them into the woods.”
“Let us rather,” said Duco, “attack them openly, and all at once; though we are less numerous we are armed, and have more skill than they.”
“I think,” said Gimbo, “that the Apes will triumph; they walk on all fours, and people can fight better with four feet than with two; besides, it is not right to—”
“Be still,” said Koree, “or give us your help, instead of your fears.”
It was resolved at last, as they could neither retreat nor stand still, to go forward; and they determined to await an opportunity to make an assault.
And now dread Terror brooded over the hosts of men, causing hearts to flutter and visions of death to rush onthe soul. Night and Blood and Pain visited many in dreams, while to some Glory appeared, walking over a vanquished foe. As Koree slept he thought he saw Sosee coming to him in beauty with a branch of evergreen oak, and promise that he should rule over a new race, while she should sit by his side as queen to receive the admiration of all men.
The Apes also quaked, and the convulsions which had just thrown up the Alps were trifling compared with the tremors that shook the breasts of the embattled hosts that night. The morrow was to witness a conflict that would decide whether the human race was to remain on earth or go out of history in its infancy.