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Butalas!eventheThree,mightythoughtheywere,couldnotlastforeveragainstanarmywhichseemedtohavenoend.
Inoneofthehottestscrimmages,whentheenemyhadbrokenaparticularlywideholethroughthefence,IsawLongArrow'sgreatfiguretoppleandcomedownwithaspearstickinginhisbroadchest.
Foranotherhalf-hourBumpoandtheDoctorfoughtonsidebyside.HowtheirstrengthheldoutsolongIcannottell,forneverasecondweretheygiventogettheirbreathorresttheirarms.
TheDoctor—thequiet,kindly,peaceable,littleDoctor!
—well,youwouldn'thaveknownhimifyouhadseenhimthatdaydealingoutwhacksyoucouldhearamileoff,wallopingandswattinginalldirections.
AsforBumpo,withstaringeye-ballsandgrimsetteeth,hewasaveritabledemon.
Nonedaredcomewithinyardsofthatwicked,wide-circlingdoor-post.
Butastone,skilfullythrown,struckhimatlastinthecentreoftheforehead.AnddownwentthesecondoftheThree.
JohnDolittle,thelastoftheTerribles,wasleftfightingalone.
JipandIrushedtohissideandtriedtotaketheplacesofthefallenones.
But,fartoolightandtoosmall,wemadebutapoorexchange.
Anotherlengthofthefencecrasheddown,andthroughthewidenedgaptheBag-jagderagspouredinonuslikeaflood.
"Tothecanoes!—Tothesea!"shoutedthePopsipetels."Flyforyourlives!—Allisover!—Thewarislost!"
ButtheDoctorandInevergotachancetoflyforourlives.
Weweresweptoffourfeetandknockeddownflatbythesheerweightofthemob.
Andoncedown,wewereunabletogetupagain.
Ithoughtwewouldsurelybetrampledtodeath.
Butatthatmoment,abovethedinandracketofthebattle,weheardthemostterrifyingnoisethateverassaultedhumanears:thesoundofmillionsandmillionsofparrotsallscreechingwithfurytogether.
Thearmy,whichinthenickoftimePolynesiahadbroughttoourrescue,darkenedthewholeskytothewestward.
Iaskedherafterwards,howmanybirdstherewere;andshesaidshedidn'tknowexactlybutthattheycertainlynumberedsomewherebetweensixtyandseventymillions.
InthatextraordinarilyshortspaceoftimeshehadbroughtthemfromthemainlandofSouthAmerica.
Ifyouhaveeverheardaparrotscreechwithangeryouwillknowthatitmakesatrulyfrightfulsound;andifyouhaveeverbeenbittenbyone,youwillknowthatitsbitecanbeanastyandapainfulthing.
TheBlackParrots(coal-blackallover,theywere—exceptforascarletbeakandastreakofredinwingandtail)onthewordofcommandfromPolynesiasettoworkupontheBag-jagderagswhowerenowpouringthroughthevillagelookingforplunder.
AndtheBlackParrots'methodoffightingwaspeculiar.
Thisiswhattheydid:ontheheadofeachBag-jagderagthreeorfourparrotssettledandtookagoodfoot-holdinhishairwiththeirclaws;thentheyleantdownoverthesidesofhisheadandbeganclippingsnipsoutofhisears,foralltheworldasthoughtheywerepunchingtickets.Thatisalltheydid.
Theyneverbitthemanywhereelseexcepttheears.Butitwonthewarforus.
Withhowlspitifultohear,theBag-jagderagsfelloveroneanotherintheirhastetogetoutofthataccursedvillage.
Itwasnousetheirtryingtopulltheparrotsofftheirheads;becauseforeachheadtherewerealwaysfourmoreparrotswaitingimpatientlytogeton.
Someoftheenemywerelucky;andwithonlyasniportwomanagedtogetoutsidethefence—wheretheparrotsimmediatelyleftthemalone.
Butwithmost,beforetheblackbirdshaddonewiththem,theearspresentedaverysingularappearance—liketheedgeofapostage-stamp.
Thistreatment,verypainfulatthetime,didnothoweverdothemanypermanentharmbeyondthechangeinlooks.
AnditlatergottobethetribalmarkoftheBag-jagderags.
Noreallysmartyoungladyofthistribewouldbeseenwalkingwithamanwhodidnothavescallopedears—forsuchwasaproofthathehadbeenintheGreatWar.
Andthat(thoughitisnotgenerallyknowntoscientists)ishowthispeoplecametobecalledbytheotherIndiannations,theRagged-EaredBag-jagderags.
AssoonasthevillagewasclearedoftheenemytheDoctorturnedhisattentiontothewounded.
Inspiteofthelengthandfiercenessofthestruggle,thereweresurprisinglyfewseriousinjuries.PoorLongArrowwastheworstoff.
However,aftertheDoctorhadwashedhiswoundandgothimtobed,heopenedhiseyesandsaidhealreadyfeltbetter.Bumpowasonlybadlystunned.
Withthispartofthebusinessover,theDoctorcalledtoPolynesiatohavetheBlackParrotsdrivetheenemyrightbackintotheirowncountryandtowaitthere,guardingthemallnight.
Polynesiagavetheshortwordofcommand;andlikeonebirdthosemillionsofparrotsopenedtheirredbeaksandletoutoncemoretheirterrifyingbattle-scream.
TheBag-jagderagsdidn'twaittobebittenasecondtime,butfledhelter-skelteroverthemountainsfromwhichtheyhadcome;whilstPolynesiaandhervictoriousarmyfollowedwatchfullybehindlikeagreat,threatening,blackcloud.
TheDoctorpickeduphishighhatwhichhadbeenknockedoffinthefight,dusteditcarefullyandputiton.
"To-morrow,"hesaid,shakinghisfisttowardsthehills,"wewillarrangethetermsofpeace—andwewillarrangethem—intheCityofBag-jagderag."
HiswordsweregreetedwithcheersoftriumphfromtheadmiringPopsipetels.Thewarwasover.
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