"We shall see!" snarled the witch-doctor. "I, Cimbula, will drive away the foe."
"This very night I will show you that Cimbula is mighty in magic. See, already, the sun has set. Soon it will be dark. I will show you all that where Tahara fails, Cimbula wins."
The witch-doctor laid violent hands on the terrified Veena and wrenched her arms until she screamed with pain.
"You shall come with me!" he shouted. "The blood of a maiden is required to mix the strong magic I am brewing tonight."
Veena's screams were drowned by the chanting of Wabiti's Gorols and the shrill cries of Vanga's women.
"Cimbula, hal!" boomed the Gorols, and the ex-queen Vanga added: "Death to Tahara!"
"Come on, Dan, here's where the fun begins," cried Dick Oakwood.
By the light of pitch torches he reviewed his army, the Taharans under Raal; blond, stalwart fighters; and the Gorols, commanded by Kulki.
The Gorols were more numerous but though they were tough and wiry fellows, they were not equal to the Taharans in size or war-like powers. Dark-skinned and hairy, they resembled an army of giant apes as they slouched in the ranks, while the Taharans stood proudly upright and at their chief's signal, raised their stone weapons aloft and gave a mighty cheer.
Dick, with Dan beside him as his chief lieutenant, gave final instructions to his two troop leaders.
"You, Kulki, go first with your Gorols. Climb silently down the cliffs to the south of the Big Spring where the Arabs are camped. When you are all on the plain, light your torches, plant them in the ground among the brush and raise a great uproar of shouting the war cries. Do you understand?"
"Then when the Arabs rush to attack you, meet them with a shower of arrows and quietly climb part way up the cliffs. Leave the torches in the ground to deceive the Arabs and as they charge upon that spot, you can shoot at them from the cliffside with more arrows."
"Good! Make sure that every man knows what he is to do."
"You, Raal, take your brave Taharans down the cliff to the north of the Arab camp. Be quiet and give no alarm. Then when the Gorols raise the war cry and the Arabs rush to fight them off, follow with your Taharans and attack the enemy from the rear. Use bows and arrows first; then rush in with stone axes and flint knives. In a hand-to-hand fight, their long guns will be useless."