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- Генри Хаггард
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- Копи царя Соломона
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- Стр. 112/166
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Ignosi
acknowledged
this
magnificent
act
of
homage
by
lifting
his
battle-axe
,
and
then
the
Greys
filed
off
in
a
triple-line
formation
,
each
line
containing
about
one
thousand
fighting
men
,
exclusive
of
officers
.
When
the
last
companies
had
advanced
some
five
hundred
yards
,
Ignosi
put
himself
at
the
head
of
the
Buffaloes
,
which
regiment
was
drawn
up
in
a
similar
three-fold
formation
,
and
gave
the
word
to
march
,
and
off
we
went
,
I
,
needless
to
say
,
uttering
the
most
heartfelt
prayers
that
I
might
emerge
from
that
entertainment
with
a
whole
skin
.
Many
a
queer
position
have
I
found
myself
in
,
but
never
before
in
one
quite
so
unpleasant
as
the
present
,
or
one
in
which
my
chance
of
coming
off
safe
was
smaller
.
By
the
time
that
we
reached
the
edge
of
the
plateau
the
Greys
were
already
half-way
down
the
slope
ending
in
the
tongue
of
grass
land
that
ran
up
into
the
bend
of
the
mountain
,
something
as
the
frog
of
a
horse
's
foot
runs
up
into
the
shoe
.
The
excitement
in
Twala
's
camp
on
the
plain
beyond
was
very
great
,
and
regiment
after
regiment
was
starting
forward
at
a
long
swinging
trot
in
order
to
reach
the
root
of
the
tongue
of
land
before
the
attacking
force
could
emerge
into
the
plain
of
Loo
.
This
tongue
,
which
was
some
four
hundred
yards
in
depth
,
even
at
its
root
or
widest
part
was
not
more
than
six
hundred
and
fifty
paces
across
,
while
at
its
tip
it
scarcely
measured
ninety
.
The
Greys
,
who
,
in
passing
down
the
side
of
the
hill
and
on
to
the
tip
of
the
tongue
,
had
formed
into
a
column
,
on
reaching
the
spot
where
it
broadened
out
again
,
reassumed
their
triple-line
formation
,
and
halted
dead
.
Then
we
--
that
is
,
the
Buffaloes
--
moved
down
the
tip
of
the
tongue
and
took
our
stand
in
reserve
,
about
one
hundred
yards
behind
the
last
line
of
the
Greys
,
and
on
slightly
higher
ground
.
Meanwhile
we
had
leisure
to
observe
Twala
's
entire
force
,
which
evidently
had
been
reinforced
since
the
morning
attack
,
and
could
not
now
,
notwithstanding
their
losses
,
number
less
than
forty
thousand
,
moving
swiftly
up
towards
us
.
But
as
they
drew
near
the
root
of
the
tongue
they
hesitated
,
having
discovered
that
only
one
regiment
could
advance
into
the
gorge
at
a
time
,
and
that
there
,
some
seventy
yards
from
the
mouth
of
it
,
unassailable
except
in
front
,
on
account
of
the
high
walls
of
boulder-strewn
ground
on
each
side
,
stood
the
famous
regiment
of
Greys
,
the
pride
and
glory
of
the
Kukuana
army
,
ready
to
hold
the
way
against
their
power
as
the
three
Romans
once
held
the
bridge
against
thousands
.
They
hesitated
,
and
finally
stopped
their
advance
;
there
was
no
eagerness
to
cross
spears
with
these
three
grim
ranks
of
warriors
who
stood
so
firm
and
ready
.
Presently
,
however
,
a
tall
general
,
wearing
the
customary
head-dress
of
nodding
ostrich
plumes
,
appeared
,
attended
by
a
group
of
chiefs
and
orderlies
,
being
,
I
thought
,
none
other
than
Twala
himself
.
He
gave
an
order
,
and
the
first
regiment
,
raising
a
shout
,
charged
up
towards
the
Greys
,
who
remained
perfectly
still
and
silent
till
the
attacking
troops
were
within
forty
yards
,
and
a
volley
of
tollas
,
or
throwing-knives
,
came
rattling
among
their
ranks
.
Then
suddenly
with
a
bound
and
a
roar
,
they
sprang
forward
with
uplifted
spears
,
and
the
regiment
met
in
deadly
strife
.
Next
second
the
roll
of
the
meeting
shields
came
to
our
ears
like
the
sound
of
thunder
,
and
the
plain
seemed
to
be
alive
with
flashes
of
light
reflected
from
the
shimmering
spears
.
To
and
fro
swung
the
surging
mass
of
struggling
,
stabbing
humanity
,
but
not
for
long
.
Suddenly
the
attacking
lines
began
to
grow
thinner
,
and
then
with
a
slow
,
long
heave
the
Greys
passed
over
them
,
just
as
a
great
wave
heaves
up
its
bulk
and
passes
over
a
sunken
ridge
.
It
was
done
;
that
regiment
was
completely
destroyed
,
but
the
Greys
had
but
two
lines
left
now
;
a
third
of
their
number
were
dead
.
Closing
up
shoulder
to
shoulder
,
once
more
they
halted
in
silence
and
awaited
attack
;
and
I
was
rejoiced
to
catch
sight
of
Sir
Henry
's
yellow
beard
as
he
moved
to
and
fro
arranging
the
ranks
.
So
he
was
yet
alive
!
Meanwhile
we
moved
on
to
the
ground
of
the
encounter
,
which
was
cumbered
by
about
four
thousand
prostrate
human
beings
,
dead
,
dying
,
and
wounded
,
and
literally
stained
red
with
blood
.
Ignosi
issued
an
order
,
which
was
rapidly
passed
down
the
ranks
,
to
the
effect
that
none
of
the
enemy
's
wounded
were
to
be
killed
,
and
so
far
as
we
could
see
this
command
was
scrupulously
carried
out
.
