The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-10 00:00:00

CHAPTER XXXI.
,CROSSING THE LAVA.

FOR a moment Helston felt a strange sensation of
hesitation, the danger was so awful ,• but masteringthis, he ran to the lava and stepped lightly on; to
find it bore him, though it yielded and bent, rind
threatened each moment to give way. But still it
bore him' and he stepped cautiously on, till he could
reach Laurent's hand, when the greater danger
began, for now the lava was called upon to •heari
double the weight.
, Deborah stood gazing at them, and uttered a
nearse scream, for as Helston put forth his strength
and drew his ffiend from the place where he had
fallen, the lava opened, and a puff ot sulphurous
stroke ascended into the air.
Then the crust bent and crackled beneath the
Weight imposed upon it, and all seemed over, for
Laurent in his strange fit began to resist, and fought
against him who had tried to save him.
,s_The women held their breath, and remained spell-
bound, while on the other shore Deborah Burl ow
threw herself on her face in the sand, and dared not
look.
She recovered on the instant, though; and as
tielston seized his friend round the waist, and
beggn to carry him to a place of safety, Deborah
rushed to help, stepping on to the lava without hesi-
tation' and saving Helston from a stumble, which
Might have proved fatal.
It seemed miraculous to the young doctor that
they should have escaped, and he stood, at list,
Irembling and giddy. while Laurent, who seemed in
11°wise troubled, took advantage of his being re
leased to go wandering away amongst the sands.
The crack that had been made by Laurent's fall
seemed to have completely closed at the end of an
hour. and then one of the most daring of the impri-
'3olled women took heart, and stepped boldly on to
the lava, walked half across in safety, and then tot-
tered, afraid to go farther, as she felt the crust betel
and give with her weights
She would have fallen but for Helston, who ran
lightly on over the heated surface, caught her hand,
:and led her the rest of the way in safety.
"There is no danger now," he said; 'only come
°lle at a time, and walk lightly across."
As the words left his lips, 'Thello came to the
edge.
" Dah," he exclaimed. "I show de lilly ladies
now cross de hot fire."
And, stepping on, he walked over, looking
;Proudly about for applause.
• The applause did not follow, and he stalked away.
Ilia example had its effect; for first one and then
another pent, grimy woman came across; and soon
after there was a competition as to who should come
first ; the result being that Helston, fearing danger,
Inn over himself,
"Let me go first, doctor."
"No, me--let me go,"
"Doctor, it is my turn."
.Th„ese were some of the speeches that saluted him;
~r
vT„,...Luere seemed to be a dread now among the
of being leftlast upon the little island within
an
.11,14_F°r1u in line, and go across as I order," said
s—liwn firmly. "There must be no pushing or
t
r‘liggling, lest we have a terrible accident."
,` What, don't you think the road will bear us ? "
cried the women who were about to step on, shrink-
-411g back.
`lt Will bear you, if there is no folly," said tlel-
'"lL cnsisihr.lo Now. amber am 14 on

No one moved, for his words and manner had
startled them, and they all shrank from taking the
lead.

"Mary Dance, go first," said Helston, firmly.
The girl stepped forward from the rear rank,
walked quietly to the edge of the lava river, and
walked over, followed at intervals by the,rest, as the
doctor gave them leave, till the last was across,
when Holston picked up the hatchet that had been
left and rejoined them. _ _

"Mary Dance," he said, "I place Deborah Bur-
rows in your charge. You must pick out six women
to help you, lest she should be violent. I shall look
to you for her safety, and for the safety of those
against whom she takes a dislike."
Mary Dance bowed her head, and in a quiet, re-
signed way took her place close behind Deborah,
who seemed passively watching all that was going
on; while the women crowded together, and, in
spite of the desolate prospect before them, chatted
together in the joy of their hearts at their rescue
from a horrible death; and, as if moved by the same
impulse, made for where the waves curled quietly
in and broke on the stretch of smooth, soft sand, the
sea having resumed its calmness, and the sun
shining forth from a sky of unclouded blue.
But for the transpt,rent steam that rose from the
lava, and the muddy-looking rivulets that trickled
here and there, it would not have been possible to
imagine that so terrible a flood of rain had fallen ;
but the cool, refreshing fee,ing in the atmospht re
was delicious to those whose skin and lips weie
cracked by the intense heat they had been c tiled
upon to bear.
" Ah," said 'Thello, looking in the direction of the
sea, where the greater part of the women had
walked straight in, scooping up the cool water and
throwing it over their fares, or dipping right in,
revelling in the delicious coolness as they cat loose
their hair, crusted with ashes and volcanic dust—
" Ah, I no wonder dey go have big wash, for I quite
'shamed of some of dem. '

might well be, for their aspect was de-
plorable; but now, almost without exception, they
revelled in the deliciously clear water, to emerge drip-
ping into the golden sunshine, which soon Wined
the water into vapour.
'Thello took no bath.

"No, sah," he said, "de skin of black geulum
not affect by ash and cinder. 'rhea) quite clean, I
t'ank you.
. _

He seemed in no hurry o attend to anything, for
he had picked out a suitable place, dusted the ashes
off with a bunch of seaweed, and then called Hel-
ston's attention to what he had done.

"Dere, sah!" he exclaimed. "I t'ink you find
no such useful pusson here as 'Thello. Dere is quite
fine galley, wid fire all hot ready. _Oat my part of
de business, sah. Now, sah, you supply me wid the
'visions, I cook um, and we get on comfor ble."
"You shall have a supply of some kindi" said
Helston.

And, as they were now out of danger, the next
thing to be done was to find provisions.
This he did by forming the women into bands.
One party he sent to obtain such shell-fish as they
could find amongst the rocks.
t Another was started to collect fruit.

Others, under the guidance of "Mello, to see if
they could discover dead animals half burnt by the
lava; while, for his part, he set himself to see to his
patients, finding Laurent ready to recognise him, and
evidently better.
Time and rest, he decided, must work his cure,
even as they must that of Deborah, who was calm
and gentle whenever he approached, but restless and
hard to manage when he was away.
" Laurent will soon be better, Mary," said Holston,
going to her side after his investigation.
"You say that to cheer me up, sir," said the girl,
sadly. "You might have told me the truth," sbe
added, in a tone of reproach.
"That is the truth, Mary," he said, quietly. "I
think you might have had confidence in me by
now."

"Oh, and I have!" cried the girl, impetuously,
as she caught his hand in hers, and would have
hissed it; but Deborah strode up, and fiercely
thrust her back.

"How dare you!" she cried, imperiously.
And then, with flashing eyes, she strode away.
'Poor creature ! " said Helston, "I wish i could
feel that her reason would return as rapidly as
Laurent's."

"But, tell me, sir-1 have not dared to ask you
before," cried Mary Dance—"where is Grace
Monroe £"

"I'd give ten years of my life to know," said
Helst.n, sadly.
And he told in simple words how they had parted.
"But could she not have wandered away into the
island ?" said Mary, who felt sick at heart.
"I fear not,' he said. "Poor girl! she misjudged
me; and it seems to be a necessity of our position,
here, that we should be constantly misjudging each
other."

"Mr. Helston," said Mary, with fervour, "what-
ever I may have felt in the past, I wi 1 never mis-
judge you again. Come what may, I will always be-
lieve in you, and trust you in everything."
"Thank you," said Helston, smiling. "Depend
upon it, Mary, I shall soon have to put you to the
proof."

(To be continued).