It ceased at last and the silence grew complete, so much so that I could hear the teeth of some of our tall Amahagger chattering with fear, a sound that gave me little confidence and caused Umslopogaas to remark that the hearts of these big men had never grown; they remained “as those of babies.”  I told the captains to pass the word down the ranks that those who stood might live, but those who fled would certainly die.  Therefore if they wished to see their homes again they had better stand and fight like men.  Otherwise most of them would be killed and the rest eaten by Rezu.  This was done, and I observed that the message seemed to produce a steadying effect upon our ranks.

Suddenly all around us, from below, from above and on either side there broke a most awful roar which seemed to shape itself into the word, Rezu, and next minute also from above, below and either side, some ten thousand men poured forth upon our square.

In the moonlight they looked very terrible with their flowing white robes and great gleaming spears.  Hans and I fired some shots, though for all the effect they produced, we might as well have pelted a breaker with pebbles.  Then, as I thought that I should be more useful alive than dead, I retreated within the square, Umslopogaas, his Zulu, and Hans coming with me.

On the whole our Amahagger stood the attack better than I expected.  They beat back the first rush with considerable loss to the enemy, also the second after a longer struggle.  Then there was a pause during which we re-formed our ranks, dragging the wounded men into the square.

Scarcely had we done this when with another mighty shout of “Rezu!” the enemy attacked again—­that was about an hour after the battle had begun.  But now they had changed their tactics, for instead of trying to rush all sides of the square at once, they concentrated their efforts on the western front, that which faced towards the plain below.

On they came, and among them in the forefront of the battle, now and again I caught sight of a gigantic man, a huge creature who seemed to me to be seven feet high and big in proportion.  I could not see him clearly because of the uncertain moonlight, but I noted his fierce aspect, also that he had an enormous beard, black streaked with grey, that flowed down to his middle, and that his hair hung in masses upon his shoulders.

“Rezu himself!” I shouted to Umslopogaas.

“Aye, Macumazahn, Rezu himself without doubt, and I rejoice to see him for he will be a worthy foe to fight.  Look! he carries an axe as I do.  Now I must save my strength for when we come face to face I shall need it all.”

I thought that I would spare Umslopogaas this exertion and watched my opportunity to put a bullet through this giant.  But I could never get one.  Once when I had covered him an Amahagger rushed in front of my gun so that I could not shoot, and when a second chance came a little cloud floated over the face of the moon and made him invisible.  After that I had other things to which to attend, since, as I expected would happen, the western face of our square gave, and yelling like devils, the enemy began to pour in through the gap.