Little by little the soldiers drew him up and in the darkness they bound him fast there upon the lofty cross.  Then they descended and left him, and would have led Noma with them from the tree.  But this they could not do, for always she broke from them screaming, and fled back to its shadow.

Then, seeing that she was bewitched, Hafela commanded that they should bind a cloth about her mouth and leave her there till her senses returned to her in the sunlight—­for none of them dared to stop with her in the shadow of that tree, since the odours of it were poisonous to man.  Also they believed the place to be haunted by evil spirits.

CHAPTER XXII

THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS

The sun rose suddenly over the edge of the cliffs, and while it was yet deep shadow in the valley, its red light struck upon the white cross of perished wood that towered above the Tree of Doom and on the black shape of Hokosa crucified to it living.  The camp of the king saw and understood, and from every throat of the thousands of men, women and children gathered there, went up a roar of rage and horror.  The king lifted his hand, and silence fell upon the place; then he mounted on the wall and cried aloud:—­

“Do you yet live, Hokosa, or is it your body only that those traitors have fastened to the tree?”

Back came the answer through the clear still air:—­

“I live, O King!”

“Endure then a little while,” called Nodwengo, “and we will storm the tree and save you.”

“Nay,” answered Hokosa, “you cannot save me; yet before I die I shall see you saved.”

Then his words were lost in tumult, for the third day’s fighting began.  Desperately the regiments of Hafela rushing across the open space, hurled themselves upon the fortifications, which, during the night, had been strengthened by the building of two inner walls.  Nor was this all, for suddenly a cry told those in front that the regiment which Hafela had despatched across the mountains had travelled up the eastern neck of the valley, and were attacking the position in their rear.  Well was it for Nodwengo now that he had listened to the counsel of Hokosa, and, wearied as his soldiers were, had commanded that here also a great wall should be built.

For two hours the fight raged, and then on either side the foe fell back, not beaten indeed, though their dead were many, but to rest and take counsel.  But now a new trouble arose:  from all the camp of Nodwengo there went up a moan of pain to Heaven, for since the evening of yesterday the spring had given out, and they had found no water wherewith to wet their lips.  During the night they bore it; but now the sun beating down on the black rocks with fearful force scorched them to the marrow, till they began to wither like fallen leaves, and already wounded men and children died, while the warriors cut the throats of oxen and drank their blood.