The act, however, excited the admiration of the Kendah, for
I heard one of them call to the others:

"Look! He is not a monkey after all, but a man--more of a man than his
master."

The arrangements were soon made. Within a quarter of an hour of the
departure of the messengers Harut, after bowing thrice towards the Holy
Mountain, rose in his stirrups and shaking a long spear above his head,
shouted a single word:

"Charge!"

CHAPTER XI

ALLAN IS CAPTURED

The ride that followed was really quite exhilarating. The camels,
notwithstanding their long journey, seemed to have caught some of the
enthusiasm of the war-horse as described in the Book of Job; indeed I
had no idea that they could travel at such a rate. On we swung down the
slope, keeping excellent order, the forest of tall spears shining
and the little lancer-like pennons fluttering on the breeze in a very
gallant way. In silence we went save for the thudding of the hoofs of
the camels and an occasional squeal of anger as some rider drove his
lance handle into their ribs. Not until we actually joined battle did
a single man open his lips. Then, it is true, there went up one
simultaneous and mighty roar of:

"The Child! Death to Jana! The Child! The Child!"

But this happened a few minutes later.

As we drew near the enemy I saw that they had massed their footmen in
a dense body, six or eight lines thick. There they stood to receive the
impact of our charge, or rather they did not all stand, for the first
two ranks were kneeling with long spears stretched out in front of them.
I imagine that their appearance must have greatly resembled that of the
Greek phalanx, or that of the Swiss prepared to receive cavalry in the
Middle Ages. On either side of this formidable body, which by now must
have numbered four or five hundred men, and at a distance perhaps of
a quarter of a mile from them, were gathered the horsemen of the Black
Kendah, divided into two bodies of nearly equal strength, say about a
hundred horse in each body.

As we approached, our triangle curved a little, no doubt under the
direction of Harut. A minute or so later I saw the reason. It was that
we might strike the foot-soldiers not full in front but at an angle. It
was an admirable manoeuvre, for when presently we did strike, we caught
them swiftly on the flank and crumpled them up. My word! we went through
those fellows like a knife through butter; they had as much chance
against the r