groups of men swayed here and there, and just before the entrance of the
Palace was a wailing group, by which stood two priests with their yellow
robes and bare shoulders, speaking to them. From the walls the soldiers
paused from resisting the swarming herds without.

"The Dakoon is dead!" cried Tang-a-Dahit.

As if in response came the wailing death-cry of the women of the Palace
through the lattice windows, and it was taken up by the discomfited crowd
before the Palace door.

"The Lord of all the Earth, the great Dakoon, is dead."

Pango Dooni rode straight upon the group, who fled at his approach, and,
driving the priests indoors, he called aloud:

"The Dakoon is living. Fear not!"

For a moment there was no reply, and he waved his men into place before
the Palace, and was about to ride down upon the native army, but Cumner's
Son whispered to him, and an instant after the lad was riding alone upon
the dark legions. He reined in his horse not ten feet away from the
irregular columns.

"You know me," said he. "I am Cumner's Son. I rode into the hills at
the Governor's word to bring a strong man to rule you. Why do ye stand
here idle? My father, your friend, fights with a hundred men at
the Residency. Choose ye between Boonda Broke, the mongrel, and Pango
Dooni, the great hillsman. If ye choose Boonda Broke, then shall your
city be levelled to the sea, and ye shall lose your name as a people.