United States or Mexico ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"I see," said Mr Gregory, at last; "they're getting the lelah in a better place, so as to have another shot at us before the men charge."
Before they could reach the residency their pulses began to throb, for there were the sharp, quick reports of a revolver, fired six times in succession. Then a rifle spoke, and another followed by a desultory firing as if in reply. Then from behind came the loud, heavy report of a brass lelah, fired evidently from some boat on the river; then another, and another, with more desultory firing.
The firing from the lelah was kept up at intervals, but every shot went over them, whether fired point-blank or made to ricochet from the sands. There was tremendous bustle and excitement on board the prau, but no fresh attempts were made to land, and as the long, hot, weary hours crept on the question rose as to what would be the enemy's next move.
"No, not at the distance I shall fire from. Ah, that was better aimed," he said, as the brass lelah on board the prau was fired, to strike the sand in front of the natural stockade, and then fly right over the sailors' heads. "I'll lay a wager, Gregory, that our friends don't make such another shot as that to-day." Then followed a few minutes of painful inaction, which seemed drawn out to hours.
Just then it was observed by the men who held on by the sweeps, that a brass lelah was being thrust through a hole, and brought to bear upon them, when the result would have been death to several, and the sinking of the boat, if it was fired.
After a time the sergeant addressed his voice to the lonely place in Sioux, telling the women to come out and surrender to leave the bucks, etc. An old squaw rose sharply to her feet, slapped her breast, shouted "Lelah washatah," and gathering up a little girl and a bundle, she strode forward to the soldiers. Three other women followed, two of them in the same blanket.
Anybody, anywhere, with a truly reverential thought upward, and a controlling purpose to be right in his life, will find the door swinging wide. No other badges or tickets required. This would include that remarkable woman of India, Chundra Lelah, all those weary years before the simple story of Jesus brought its flood of light and peace, and all of her innumerable class.
"Don't you see the Injuns?" said the Swede, as he pointed to the rocks in front, where lay their dark forms. The still air gave no sound. The cathedral of nature, with its dark pine trunks starting from gray snow to support gray sky, was dead. Only human hearts raged, for the forms which held them lay like black bowlders. "Egah lelah washatah," yelled the sergeant.
He drew trigger again, and another man who had been about to fire the lelah sprang up and dropped the match.
The noise of the distant firing had reached them, making their breath come short as they started at each volley. Even by the very faintly-heard pattering of the small arms, broken occasionally by the loud report of boat-gun or lelah, they knew that quite a sharp fight must be raging.
Word Of The Day