And
I, watching here, will learn who dies--you or the god. Away with
them!"
CHAPTER XVI
THE GODS
With a roar the Pongo soldiers leapt on us. I think that Mavovo
managed to get his spear up and kill a man, for I saw one of them fall
backwards and lie still. But they were too quick for the rest of us.
In half a minute we were seized, the spears were wrenched from our
hands and we were thrown headlong into the canoe, all six of us, or
rather seven including the Kalubi. A number of the soldiers, including
Komba, who acted as steersman, also sprang into the canoe that was
instantly pushed out from beneath the bridge or platform on which the
Motombo sat and down the little creek into the still water of the
canal or estuary, or whatever it may be, that separates the wall of
rock which the cave pierces from the base of the mountain.
As we floated out of the mouth of the cave the toad-like Motombo, who
had wheeled round upon his stool, shouted an order to Komba.
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