Solassie was a jungle fighter. He fought well, but Samuel was a trained professional soldier. Though the colored man got in many good blows and twice pinned Samuel he managed to break his grip. Again and again he pounded the bigger man with right and left combinations. They fought back and forth through the crowd, everyone making way, as they came this way and that.
It went on for a good twenty minutes, then as they were fighting near one of Solassie's men he suddenly brought up his rifle and took Samuel hard, in the back of the head. Samuel staggered, tried to regain his feet, but Solassie did not come after him. Instead he charged at the young soldier and with two vicious blows knocked him to the ground!
"You fool!" he cried, "What have you done? He fought me honorably, as a man. You have struck him from behind! Now it cannot continue with honor. Now I will never know if I could defeat him."
"My life is yours, father!" the young man answered, "Do with it as you will. But he was hurting you. I couldn't let him hurt you!"
"What am I to do?" the big Somali moaned, "What am I to do?"
Samuel came over. "Well, it might not be my place," he put in, "but where I am the aggrieved party might I suggest you send him to do a tour of duty with The Republic Forces? They will train him to be a proper soldier, how and when it is right to use his weapon."
The big Somali turned on him. "You are right!" he snapped, "It is NOT your place, but it is a good suggestion. Now," he continued rubbing his face, "as you are in no condition to conclude this I guess we had better stop acting like a couple of stupid little boys."
"Yes!" Samuel agreed, "Excellent idea!" He staggered and the big Somali steadied him.
"Doctor!" he screamed, "Where in the blazes is that doctor?"
"Coming! Coming! a voice answered.
A gray headed man carrying a battered physician's bag came out of the crowd. "Sit down," he ordered, "let me have a look!"
Samuel obeyed. "Not too serious," the doctor commented, after a quick but thorough examination. "I've got to give some stitches though. 'Fraid I have to do it the old fashioned way."
"That's all right," Samuel assured, "can't use the modern ones anyway."
The doctor worked quickly. "There!" he finally announced, "All better!"
There was a sudden cry at the edge of the crowd and they began to scatter in all directions. As Samuel looked around he saw a she lion with a cub in its mouth walking slowly towards him. One of his men rushed up, rifle ready.
"NO!" Samuel cried. The lioness came right to Samuel's feet, laid the cub down in front of him and then fell over. The doctor quickly knealt down and examined the animal.
"She's dead!" he announced. "She's in pretty bad shape. I don' t know how she got this far!"
"Where in the hell did she come from?" Kosh questioned. "There haven't been any lions around here for decades!"
"I don't know," Samuel answered, "but I don't think it'll be too hard following her trail. Get some vehicles. Stay behind me! I'll walk it."
Soon everyone was headed into whatever was handy and was following Samuel through the woods as he used his almost forgotten tracking skills.
They finally emerged in a large clearing along a stretch of forgotten roadway. At the end of the roadway, nestled up into the trees, was a big cargo plane. One side door hung open, and several dead animals lay outside of it.
"Merciful Lords!" Samuel cried as he drew closer and could hear the bleats and shrieks of the animals inside. When he got to the door he found that when the plane hit the trees the bigger cages in the back had crushed the smaller ones in the front. Many animals were dead, but many were still alive.
"We've got to get the rear doors open!" he cried. "We'll never get them out through this side one. Some of you go for water. We're going to need lots of it. Some others with me. We've GOT to get those doors open!"
Several men including Solassie joined him, and they began to push their way into the plane freeing the cages inside so they could reach the rear door's controls.

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