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Then he turned and went down to the thicket where the maid had keen
killed。 The shell…fire still continued； but he remained； for far below he
could see the soldiers climbing up。 A shell burst twenty feet away。
Flattening himself into the earth； he heard the rush of the fragments
above his body。 A shower of hau blossoms rained upon him。 He
lifted his head to peer down the trail； and sighed。 He was very much
afraid。 Bullets from rifles would not have worried him； but this shell…
fire was abominable。 Each time a shell shrieked by he shivered and
crouched； but each time he lifted his head again to watch the trail。
At last the shells ceased。 This； he reasoned； was because the
soldiers were drawing near。 They crept along the trail in single file；
and he tried to count them until he lost track。 At any rate； there were a
hundred or so of themall come after Koolau the leper。 He felt a
fleeting prod of pride。 With war guns and rifles； police and soldiers；
they came for him； and he was only one man； a crippled wreck of a man
at that。 They offered a thousand dollars for him； dead or alive。 In all
his life he had never possessed that much money。 The thought was a
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bitter one。 Kapahei had been right。 He； Koolau； had done no wrong。
Because the haoles wanted labour with which to work the stolen land；
they had brought in the Chinese coolies； and with them had come the
sickness。 And now； because he had caught the sickness； he was worth a
thousand dollarsbut not to himself。 It was his worthless carcass；
rotten with disease or dead from a bursting shell； that was worth all that
money。
When the soldiers reached the knife…edged passage； he was prompted
to warn them。 But his gaze fell upon the body of the murdered maid；
and he kept silent。 When six had ventured on the knife…edge； he
opened fire。 Nor did he cease when the knife…edge was bare。 He
emptied his magazine； reloaded； and emptied it again。 He kept on
shooting。 All his wrongs were blazing in his brain； and he was in a fury
of vengeance。 All down the goat…trail the soldiers were firing； and
though they lay flat and sought to shelter themselves in the shallow
inequalities of the surface； they were exposed marks to him。 Bullets
whistled and thudded about him； and an occasional ricochet sang sharply
through the air。 One bullet ploughed a crease through his scalp； and a
second burned across his shoulder…blade without breaking the skin。
It was a massacre； in which one man did the killing。 The soldiers
began to retreat； helping along their wounded。 As Koolau picked them
off he became aware of the smell of burnt meat。 He glanced about him
at first； and then discovered that it was his own hands。 The heat of the
rifle was doing it。 The leprosy had destroyed most of the nerves in his
hands。 Though his flesh burned and he smelled it； there was no
sensation。
He lay in the thicket； smiling； until he remembered the war guns。
Without doubt they would open upon him again； and this time upon the
very thicket from which he had inflicted the danger。 Scarcely had he
changed his position to a nook behind a small shoulder of the wall where
he had noted that no shells fell； than the bombardment recommenced。
He counted the shells。 Sixty more were thrown into the gorge before
the war…guns ceased。 The tiny area was pitted with their explosions；
until it seemed impossible that any creature could have survived。 So
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THE HOUSE OF PRIDE
the soldiers thought； for； under the burning afternoon sun； they climbed
the goat…trail again。 And again the knife…edged passage was disputed；
and again they fell back to the beach。
For two days longer Koolau held the passage； though the soldiers
contented themselves with flinging shells into his retreat。 Then Pahau；
a leper boy； came to the top of the wall at the back of the gorge and
shouted down to him that Kiloliana； hunting goats that they might eat；
had been killed by a fall； and that the women were frightened and knew
not what to do。 Koolau called the boy down and left him with a spare
gun with which to guard the passage。 Koolau found his people
disheartened。 The majority of them were too helpless to forage food
for themselves under such forbidding circumstances； and all were
starving。 He selected two women and a man who were not too far gone
with the disease； and sent them back to the gorge to bring up food and
mats。 The rest he cheered and consoled until even the weakest took a
hand in building rough shelters for themselves。
But those he had dispatched for food did not return； and he started
back for the gorge。 As he came out on the brow of the wall； half a
dozen rifles cracked。 A bullet tore through the fleshy part of his
shoulder； and his cheek was cut by a sliver of rock where a second bullet
smashed against the cliff。 In the moment that this happened； and he
leaped back； he saw that the gorge was alive with soldiers。 His own
people had betrayed him。 The shell…fire had been too terrible； and they
had preferred the prison of Molokai。
Koolau dropped back and unslung one of his heavy cartridge…belts。
Lying among the rocks； he allowed the head and shoulders of the first
soldier to rise clearly