out
half-an-hour with an air of sententious sincerity, then the leading
chief of the mountaineer deputation cracked the crown of the leading
chief of the Raturan deputation, and the two deputations spent the
remainder of that day in fighting. Reinforcements came up on both
sides. The skirmish became a pitched battle. Blood was shed lavishly,
heads were broken beyond repair, and women, coming to the help of the
men with the baskets of stones, were slain in considerable numbers, as
well as little children who had an inconvenient but not uncommon habit
of getting in the way of the combatants. At last the Raturans were
driven into the impregnable swamps that bordered part of their country;
their villages and crops were burned, and those of their women and
children who had not escaped to the swamps were carried into slavery,
while the aged of both sexes were slaughtered in cold blood.

It was a complete victory. We are inclined to think that the
Mountain-men called it a "glorious" victory. Judging from the world's
history they probably did, and the mountain women ever afterwards were
wont to tell their little ones of the prowess of their forefathers--of
the skulls battered in and other deeds of heroism done--in that just and
reasonable war!

As centuries rolled on, the old story came to be repeated again, and
over again, with slight variations to suit the varying ages. In
particular it came to be well understood, and asserted, that that
unconquerable desire of the Raturans to take possession of the
mountain-top was growing apace and had to be jealously watched and
curbed.

In one of the centuries--we are not sure which--the Raturan savages made
some advances into their swampy grounds and began to improve them. This
region lay very remote from the Mountain-men's villages, but, as it
approached the mountain base in a round-about manner, and as the
mountain-tops could be distinctly seen from the region, although
well-nigh impassable swamps still lay between the reclaimed lands and
the mountain base, these advances were regarded as another _casus
belli_, and another war was waged, with practically the same results--
damage to everybody concerned, and good to no one.

Thus was the game kept up until the chief Ongoloo began to strut his
little hour upon the stage of time.

There are always men, savage as well as civilised, in every region and
age, who march in advance of their fellows, either because of
intellectual