The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-13 00:00:00

CHAPTER XXIV.
?HEIL WITHIN PERIL.

"On, for my sake, stay!"
They were Mary Dance's words to Laurent as she
wreathed her arms round him and restrained him
from following Helston and Grace; and even had
ID) persevered, he would have been too late, for so
rapid was the motion of the lava, that ere he could
have reached them he would have been cut off. _

Laurent was a prisoner on the island of the lava
sea.
The smoke from the burning trees, as has been
stated, shut out what followed; and before many
minutes had elapsed, huge volumes of ash cloud
swept down upon them followed by dense steam,
turning the little light that had existed into night;
and the black mingled pall increased moment by
moment, all the terrified group crouched upon the
earth struggling for breath, and panting with horror
and excitement.
Mary Dance was clinging now to Laurent, and, as
he drew her closer, and his lips sought hers, she
responded for a few moments freely to his caress,
and then drew back.
"Is it to be death P" she whispered to him.
"I cannot say," he replied. "It seems impossible
that we can exist for long."
"And is there no escape P" she said.
"We are surrounded by molten lava which would
turn us to ashes in a moment if we attempted to cross.
There is no escape.
Mary uttered a piteous sigh.
"It is very hard to die so young," she whispered.
"Give me your forgiveness first."
"My forgiveness, Mary ?" he cried, straining her
to his breast. "For what?"
"For doubting you—for being so cruel and
thinking ill of you—that you were wanton and
reckless."
"My darling," he said, calmly, as he drew her head
upon his shoulder—" tell me you love me, and let us
live in the present. Never mind the past."
"Love you!" she passionately whispered—" I
have always loved you, and the more I fought
against it the more I loved."
"I am satisfied," he cried.
And then, clasped in each other's arms, they stood
there, in the midst of that horror of thick darkness,
waiting for the end.
"Let us try to comfort some] of these poor crea-
tures," Mary whispered at last.
And together they,went from group to group,
feeling their way in the darkness, and whispering
a few words of consolation here and there, though,
for the most part, upon ears that were deaf, so
prostrated were all with the horrors of the situation.
The darkness increased, and, as time went on, there
was the fearful hissing and boiling of the sea where
the two floods joined, while the darkness was still
Intense.
But, even in that time of terror, there were ludi-
crous 'incidents, not the least of which were the con-
fessions made by those who believed themselves upon
the point of death.
For, during a lull in the fearful roar and shrieking
of fire and water, there rose up aloud, thick voice,
repeating again and again—.
"Oh, lor'—oh, lor'—oh lor, whatebber ohall
become ob me? What a wicked ole man dis chile
hab been I "
Then again—
"l wish I nebber see de ship; I wish I may die
'f I don't. Oh, lor' lor'—oh lor ! I such a wicked
ole man. Why de dabble did I go and make lub to
five, six oder women, when I got a wife at home?
Oh, lor', oh, lor', whatebber will become ob me ?"
'Thello reserved all his plaints till there were lulls
in the awful roar, and then he passed the time cry-
ing like a child, and lamenting the wickedness of
his past life.
"Oh, lor'," he cried once; "I 'member how I
hebber pay for quarter pound ob 'bacco. Oh, ,
I nebber meant to pay for it; and twice ober I help
myself to one of Mass Ralston cigar, and smoke
him affer de watch set, and nobody bout de deck.
I nebber see such wicked ole man in my life as dis
chile; and now I go to be burnt all up' to cinder
roast—roast—roast Oh, I can't stand him no
how ! "
But no one paid any heed to 'Thello's ravings, for
the perils of self occupied each mind; and by de-
grees the loud sobbings and wailings that had pre •
vailed gave way to a dull, apathetic state—the
women sitting huddled together, after wildly rush-
ing about in search of a: means of escape, only to
find that every step they took from the centre of the
hill only resulted in their bringing themselves more
within the influence of the scorching lava.
Nothing could be seen of Helston and Grace, and
the feeling grew momentarily more strong that they
must have perished in the lava flood, Mary sitting
down and sobbing violently for some time as she
realised what she felt to have been the fearful end
of poor Grace.
Than began "Thello's plaints again, as he went
on bemoaning his sins.
"I wish I nebber see no odor woman 't all, and
dey wouldn't take notioe of handsome colour genlum.
It berry hard on poor man, and make him wicked
when um wouldn't be. Oh, lor' oh, lor' ! I gib
ebberyting to be able to ran away. Bodder de
ship, I wish I nebber come."
Suddenly a wild shriek from one of the groups
of women aroused Laurent, and he hurried with
Mary to gee what was the new peril.
It was very dark, but by the lurid glare he saw
thirty or so hurriedly pressing away from something,
and for the moment I.e.us heart sank.
"What is it ?" gasped Mary.
"I fear the hill is being crumbled away by the
molten lava," he said in her ear; "if so, dear, it is
the beginning of the end."'
But upon pushing his way through the affrighted
crowd, it was to find that they were not alone upon
the hill, for from a clump of scorched undergrowth,
where it had taken refuge, a tremendous serpent,
larger than any they had seen, had crept out, and
was now gliding about in various directions, evi-
dently seeking for a means of escape.
Laurent drew back, and thrust Mary amongst her
companions; but though the serpent seemed to raise
its head up menacingly, it soon became evident that
the monster was in a state of abject fear, hurrying
towards the hot lava, and then darting back, its in-
tent bsing to escape from the fiery ring in which it
was confined; and it evidently looked upon those
present with anything but inimical eyes.
Laurent had a hatchet in his belt, the only weapon
of offence amongst the whole party; and he stood
upon his guard, feeling, though., all the time, how
Inadequate it would be if the monster struck at him.
In the midst of such a scene of terror, the new
peril seemed to add nothing to their position. In
fact, to Laurent it seemed welcome, relieving him,
as it did, from the terrible sense of depression con-
sequent upon watching, hour by hour, the scorching
lava, as, without doubt, it Fradually rose inch by
inch, and threatened the stability of their refuge.
The terrors of the women, however,thad their
effect upon him; and seeing at last that unless he
acted, and did something to rid them of their fear-
some companion, some of the poor creatures would
in their dread rush frantically into the lava, he
determ;ned to assume the offensive, and grasping his
axe, an,. without going near Mary, for fear she
should try to dissuade him from his self-imposed
task, he approached the serpent.
To attack such a monster in the midst of that ring
of fire was a task before which some of the myths of
classic lore look small; but Laurent approached the
gliding monster cautiously, and with a firm deter-
mination in his eye.
It was still very dark, and this enabled him to
_ _

approach the reabite at -first unheeded; but when
he w pretty close, it ceased its gliding motion
for a moment, and, *Jinx its head, uttered a loud
hiss. ...._ .
Even then it seemed as if this was the serpent's
way of expreseing its dread; for, paying no more
heed to the 'assailant, it glided hurriedly along,
going as close to the lava flood a it dared, and
then travelling onward in search of a means of
escape. .‘ - •
"The monster is as much alarmed as we are,"
thought Laurent, and for a few moments he hesi-
tated. "Why should I try t° deetroy its life F" he
I
muttered. "In a few momenta I may have to give
up my own."
He stop& watching the serpent; and then, as it
glided quickly on, he followed it through the gloom,
the frightened women_ shrieking, and fleeing to
another part at its approach
- .iit last, after making the circuit'of the place three
or pli.ilr times, the noise made by the women seemed.
r to irritate it, and it became more excited, raising its
head, darting it lieu and there, and hissing, angrily, ..
long, hank, hiss, *tory different to its -former
134res5i0n of fear. ,• .i ~, , i- , ,
r It turned nor, and seeing Laurent 'close behinel,
-,Fatihnred itself iißtogether, and then, launching
its anterior: part, Made a dash, at the young man,'
on. which he,avoidaby making a leap aside; when,
,instead of pursuing him once more, it continued its
course towards where the women were clustered
•tpgether, sending them shrieking away, and calling ,
pon Laurent to protect them.
t Jew minutes before, and he had felt disposed
400 eave the ,creature unmolested, seeing safety in
-,_ , ear; but now that it had shown a disposition to
Ibe4ome an assailant there "was nothing for it but to
'try and gain the mastery; and summoning his man-
hood to his aid, he determined to try and get a good
cut at the monster, so as to partially disable it before
it could touch him.
He hurried on then, when, to his horror, as the
women fled, he saw Mary Dance, dimly defined in
the gloom, standing alone; and as a lurid flash or
two from the volcano pierced the clouds, the serpent
turned suddenly, evidently saw her, and raised ita
head as it gathered itself together.
Seeing her danger, Mary turned and dad toward.'

the Boor-Ching lavi; and Lituvnt nisi to •nrow him-
self between the monster and its victim, when some-
thing seemed to strike him violently on the side,
driving him towards the lava; and the next instant,
as if some one had struck at him with a migllty
whip-lash, the coils of the serpent bad enveloped
him round and round, completely paralysing his
arm, as:the hatchet fell from his grasp.

(To bo oositileusd.)