Копи царя Соломона
The Last Stand of the Greys
TheGreys,who,inpassingdownthesideofthehillandontothetipofthetongue,hadformedintoacolumn,onreachingthespotwhereitbroadenedoutagain,reassumedtheirtriple-lineformation,andhalteddead.
Thenwe—thatis,theBuffaloes—moveddownthetipofthetongueandtookourstandinreserve,aboutonehundredyardsbehindthelastlineoftheGreys,andonslightlyhigherground. MeanwhilewehadleisuretoobserveTwala’sentireforce, whichevidentlyhadbeenreinforcedsincethemorningattack,andcouldnotnow,notwithstandingtheirlosses,numberlessthanfortythousand,movingswiftlyuptowardsus. Butastheydrewneartherootofthetonguetheyhesitated,havingdiscoveredthatonlyoneregimentcouldadvanceintothegorgeatatime, andthatthere,someseventyyardsfromthemouthofit,unassailableexceptinfront,onaccountofthehighwallsofboulder-strewngroundoneachside,stoodthefamousregimentofGreys,theprideandgloryoftheKukuanaarmy,readytoholdthewayagainsttheirpowerasthethreeRomansonceheldthebridgeagainstthousands.
Theyhesitated,andfinallystoppedtheiradvance; therewasnoeagernesstocrossspearswiththesethreegrimranksofwarriorswhostoodsofirmandready. Presently,however,atallgeneral,wearingthecustomaryhead-dressofnoddingostrichplumes,appeared,attendedbyagroupofchiefsandorderlies,being,Ithought,noneotherthanTwalahimself.
