Копи царя Соломона
Before the Battle
"Yefrightennotmenwithsuchswellingwords,"hecriedout. "Showyourselvesasboldtomorrow,Oyewhodarkenthemoon. Bebold,fight,andbemerry,beforethecrowspickyourbonestilltheyarewhiterthanyourfaces. Farewell;perhapswemaymeetinthefight; flynottotheStars,butwaitforme,Ipray,whitemen." Withthisshaftofsarcasmheretired,andalmostimmediatelythesunsank.
Thatnightwasabusyone,forwearyaswewere,sofaraswaspossiblebythemoonlightallpreparationsforthemorrow’sfightwerecontinued,andmessengerswereconstantlycomingandgoingfromtheplacewherewesatincouncil. Atlast,aboutanhouraftermidnight,everythingthatcouldbedonewasdone,andthecamp,savefortheoccasionalchallengeofasentry,sankintosilence. SirHenryandI,accompaniedbyIgnosiandoneofthechiefs,descendedthehillandmadearoundofthepickets. Aswewent,suddenly,fromallsortsofunexpectedplaces,spearsgleamedoutinthemoonlight,onlytovanishagainwhenweutteredthepassword. Itwascleartousthatnoneweresleepingattheirposts. Thenwereturned,pickingourwaywarilythroughthousandsofsleepingwarriors,manyofwhomweretakingtheirlastearthlyrest.
Themoonlightflickeringalongtheirspears,playedupontheirfeaturesandmadethemghastly; thechillynightwindtossedtheirtallandhearse-likeplumes. Theretheylayinwildconfusion,witharmsoutstretchedandtwistedlimbs;theirstern,stalwartformslookingweirdandunhumaninthemoonlight.
