Allan and the Ice Gods by H. Rider Haggard

that we will not mix
    with the matter. If we mix, when you are killed, as you will be—for
    Henga is mightier than you—yes, he is the tiger, he is the bull of
    the woods, he is the roaring bear—then he will kill us also. Do what
    you will, but do it alone. We turn our backs on you, we put our hands
    before our eyes and see nothing.”
    Pag spat upon the ground and said in his low, growling voice that
    seemed to come out of his stomach:
    “I think that you will see something one night when the stars are
    shining. I think, Wini-wini, that one night you will meet that which
    will make you shudder yourself to pieces.”
    “It is the wolf-man,” exclaimed Wini-wini. “Protect me! Why should the
    wolf-man threaten me when we are gathered to talk?”
    Nobody answered, because if some were afraid of Pag, all, down to the
    most miserable slave-woman, despised Wini-wini.
    “Take no heed of his words, Brother,” said Moananga the Happy-faced.
    “I will go up with you to the cave-mouth when you challenge Henga, and
    so I think will many others to be witnesses of the challenge,
    according to the custom of our fathers. Let those stop behind who
    will. You will know what to think of them when you are chief and sit
    in the cave.”
    “It is well,” said Wi. “Let us go at once.”

CHAPTER V
THE AX THAT PAG MADE
    This matter being settled, there followed a jabber of argument as to
    the method of conveying the challenge of Wi to Henga the chief. Urk
    the Aged was consulted as to precedents and made a long speech in
    which he contradicted himself several times. Hou the Unstable sprang
    up at length and said that he was not afraid and would be the leader.
    Suddenly, however, he changed his mind, declaring he remembered that
    this office by right belonged to Wini-wini the Horn-Blower, who must
    sound three blasts at the mouth of the cave to summon the chief. To
    this all assented with a shout, perhaps because there was a sense of
    humour even in their primitive minds, and protest as he would, Wini-wini was thrust forward with his horn.
    Then the procession started, Wini-wini going first, followed close
    behind by Pag in the bleeding wolfskin, who, from time to time,
    pricked him in the back with his sharp flint knife to keep him
    straight. Next came Wi himself with his brother Moananga, and after
    these the elders and the rest of the people.
    At least, they started thus to cover the three hundred paces or so
    which lay between them and the cliff, but before they reached the
    cave, most of them lagged behind so that they were dotted in a long
    line reaching from the meeting place to its entrance.
    Indeed, here remained only Wini-wini, who could not escape from Pag,
    Wi, Moananga, and, at a little distance behind, Whaka the Bird-of-Ill-Omen, prophesying evil in a ceaseless stream of words. At his side,
    too, was Aaka, walking boldly and looking down at his withered shape
    with scorn. Of the remainder, the bravest, drawn by curiosity, kept
    within hearing, but the rest stayed at a distance or hid themselves.
    “Blow!” growled Pag to Wini-wini and, as he still hesitated, pricked
    him in the back with his knife.
    Then Wini-wini blew a quavering blast.
    “Blow again louder,” said Pag.
    Wini-wini set the horn to his lips, but before a sound came out of it,
    a large stone hurled from the cave struck him in the middle and down
    he went, writhing and gasping.
    “Now you have something to shake for,” said Pag, as he waddled to one
    side lest another stone should follow.
    None came, but out of the cave with a roar rushed a huge, hairy,
    black-browed fellow waving a great wooden club—Henga himself. He was
    a mighty, thick limbed man of about forty years of age, with a chest
    like a bull’s, a big head from which long black hair fell upon his
    shoulders, and a wide, thick-lipped mouth whence projected yellow
    tusk-like teeth. From his shoulders, in token of his rank, hung the
    hide of a cave tiger and round his neck was a collar made