English
OnourwaybacktothevillagetheDoctorbegandiscussingnaturalhistorywithLongArrow.
Buttheirmostinterestingtalk,mainlyaboutplants,hadhardlybegunwhenanIndianrunnercamedashinguptouswithamessage.
LongArrowlistenedgravelytothebreathless,babbledwords,thenturnedtotheDoctorandsaidineagletongue,
"GreatWhiteMan,anevilthinghasbefallenthePopsipetels.
Ourneighborstothesouthward,thethievishBag-jagderags,whoforsolonghavecastenviouseyesonourstoresofripecorn,havegoneuponthewar-path;andevennowareadvancingtoattackus."
"Evilnewsindeed,"saidtheDoctor."Yetletusnotjudgeharshly.
Perhapsitisthattheyaredesperateforfood,havingtheirowncropsfrost-killedbeforeharvest.
ForaretheynotevennearerthecoldSouththanyou?"
"MakenoexcusesforanymanofthetribeoftheBag-jagderags,"saidLongArrowshakinghishead."Theyareanidleshiftlessrace.
Theydobutseeachancetogetcornwithoutthelaborofhusbandry.
Ifitwerenotthattheyareamuchbiggertribeandhopetodefeattheirneighborbysheerforceofnumbers,theywouldnothavedaredtomakeopenwaruponthebravePopsipetels."
Whenwereachedthevillagewefounditinagreatstateofexcitement.
Everywheremenwereseenputtingtheirbowsinorder,sharpeningspears,grindingbattle-axesandmakingarrowsbythehundred.
Womenwereraisingahighfenceofbamboopolesallroundthevillage.
Scoutsandmessengerskeptcomingandgoing,bringingnewsofthemovementsoftheenemy.
Whilehighupinthetreesandhillsaboutthevillagewecouldseelook-outswatchingthemountainstothesouthward.
LongArrowbroughtanotherIndian,shortbutenormouslybroad,andintroducedhimtotheDoctorasBigTeeth,thechiefwarriorofthePopsipetels.
TheDoctorvolunteeredtogoandseetheenemyandtrytoarguethematteroutpeacefullywiththeminsteadoffighting;forwar,hesaid,wasatbestastupidwastefulbusiness.Butthetwoshooktheirheads.Suchaplanwashopeless,theysaid.
Inthelastwarwhentheyhadsentamessengertodopeacefularguing,theenemyhadmerelyhithimwithanax.
WhiletheDoctorwasaskingBigTeethhowhemeanttodefendthevillageagainstattack,acryofalarmwasraisedbythelook-outs.
"They'recoming!—TheBag-jagderags-swarmingdownthemountainsinthousands!"
"Well,"saidtheDoctor,"it'sallintheday'swork,Isuppose.Idon'tbelieveinwar;butifthevillageisattackedwemusthelpdefendit."
Andhepickedupaclubfromthegroundandtriedtheheftofitagainstastone.
"This,"hesaid,"seemslikeaprettygoodtooltome."Andhewalkedtothebamboofenceandtookhisplaceamongtheotherwaitingfighters.
Thenweallgotholdofsomekindofweaponwithwhichtohelpourfriends,thegallantPopsipetels:Iborrowedabowandaquiverfullofarrows;Jipwascontenttorelyuponhisold,butstillstrongteeth;Chee-Cheetookabagofrocksandclimbedapalmwherehecouldthrowthemdownupontheenemies'heads;andBumpomarchedaftertheDoctortothefencearmedwithayoungtreeinonehandandadoor-postintheother.
Whentheenemydrewnearenoughtobeseenfromwherewestoodweallgaspedwithastonishment.
Thehillsideswereactuallycoveredwiththem—thousandsuponthousands.
Theymadeoursmallarmywithinthevillagelooklikeamerehandful.
"Saintsalive!"mutteredPolynesia,"ourlittlelotwillstandnochanceagainstthatswarm.Thiswillneverdo.I'mgoingofftogetsomehelp."
Whereshewasgoingandwhatkindofhelpshemeanttoget,Ihadnoidea.Shejustdisappearedfrommyside.
ButJip,whohadheardher,pokedhisnosebetweenthebamboobarsofthefencetogetabetterviewoftheenemyandsaid,
"Likelyenoughshe'sgoneaftertheBlackParrots.Let'shopeshefindsthemintime.
Justlookatthoseuglyruffiansclimbingdowntherocks—millionsof'em!
Thisfight'sgoingtokeepusallhopping."
AndJipwasright.Beforeaquarterofanhourhadgonebyourvillagewascompletelysurroundedbyonehugemobofyelling,ragingBag-jagderags.
Inowcomeagaintoapartinthestoryofourvoyageswherethingshappenedsoquickly,oneupontheother,thatlookingbackwardsIseethepictureonlyinaconfusedkindofway.
IknowthatifithadnotbeenfortheTerribleThree—astheycameafterwardstobefondlycalledinPopsipetelhistory—LongArrow,BumpoandtheDoctor,thewarwouldhavebeensoonoverandthewholeislandwouldhavebelongedtotheworthlessBag-jagderags.
ButtheEnglishman,theAfricanandtheIndianwerearegimentinthemselves;andbetweenthemtheymadethatvillageadangerousplaceforanymantotrytoenter.
Thebamboofencingwhichhadbeenhastilysetuparoundthetownwasnotaverystrongaffair;andrightfromthestartitgavewayinoneplaceafteranotherastheenemythrongedandcrowdedagainstit.
ThentheDoctor,LongArrowandBumpowouldhurrytotheweakspot,aterrifichand-to-handfightwouldtakeplaceandtheenemybethrownout.
Butalmostinstantlyacryofalarmwouldcomefromsomeotherpartofthevillage-wall;andtheThreewouldhavetorushoffanddothesamethingalloveragain.
ThePopsipetelswerethemselvesnomeanfighters;butthestrengthandweightofthosethreemenofdifferentlandsandcolors,standingclosetogether,swingingtheirenormouswar-clubs,wasreallyasightforthewonderandadmirationofanyone,
ManyweekslaterwhenIwaspassinganIndiancamp-fireatnightIheardthissongbeingsung.IthassincebecomeoneofthetraditionalfolksongsofthePopsipetels.
OhhearyetheSongoftheTerribleThree
Andthefightthattheyfoughtbytheedgeofthesea.
Downfromthemountains,therocksandthecrags,
Swarminglikewasps,cametheBag-jagderags.
Surroundingourvillage,ourwallstheybrokedown.
Oh,sadwastheplightofourmenandourtown!
ButHeavendeterminedourlandtosetfree
AndsentusthehelpoftheTerribleThree.
OnewasaBlack—hewasdarkasthenight;
OnewasaRed-skin,amountainofheight;
ButthechiefwasaWhiteMan,roundlikeabee;
AndallinarowstoodtheTerribleThree.
Shouldertoshoulder,theyhammeredandhit.
Likedemonsoffurytheykickedandtheybit.
Likeawallofdestructiontheystoodinarow,
Flatteningenemies,sixatablow.
Oh,strongwastheRed-skinfiercewastheBlack.
Bag-jagderagstrembledandtriedtoturnback.
But'twasoftheWhiteMantheyshouted,"Beware!
Hethrowsmeninhandfuls,straightupintheair!"
Longshalltheyfrightenbadchildrenatnight
WithtalesoftheRedandtheBlackandtheWhite.
AndlongshallwesingoftheTerribleThree
Andthefightthattheyfoughtbytheedgeofthesea.
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