The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-06 00:00:00

CHAPTER XXL
IN PRISON.

'lt the first few hours of her imprisonment Deborab
d 1 hothing but pace up and down her narrow cabin.
Ile- face was distorted by passion, and at such times
61Ie threw herself frantically against the door, os
6trOVO to escape by the window; but only to calm
(10w st again, and seat herself with her head resting
44 • illst the bulkhead, when a smile would come upon
11, face, robbing it of most of its hardness, as she
tim.,ght of Helston.
For, at such times, she dwelt not upon his rejection
of her advances, but upon the time when, antgy anti
(lets•rmined, he had completely turned the tables, and
takon possession of the ship.
\‘'ith all her desire for the mastery, she could not
help admiring the stern, brave man who had so coin-
Pl.tely set her and her plans at naught, and by
energetic action and a few words brought all the
women back to their proper position.
At times she stormed against him, and mentally
de'prmined that, could she escape, she would again
hold the sway; but the softer fits would regain pos-
session of her soul, and then she would tell herself
that he was still her master, in spite of all, and that
a word from him would make her his slave for life.
Then, as time wore on, she strove to win over to
her side those who came to her with her daily allow-
ari,e of provisions, but in vain. Those who were
eliostn as messengers were too much devoted to
I.le!ston ; and at last she was sinking into a quiet,
;Vat, etic state, when one day 'Thello made his
aplranco with her dinner.
She started as she saw the black's grinning white
teeth, and remembering his old banter, her soul was
ju arms, and she stood upon her defence.
"I hope you find yourself 'tickler well, Ma'am
furrows," said 'Thelle.t 4' I ask mass' Helston leab,
arid he say I may, so I bring you lubbly little dish
of savoury of my own composing, and hope we be
better friends for de future. Lor'-a-mussy ! Oh,
&rt., ! Ii ere —lrelp —murder ! "
[hello rushed out of the cabin in a state of wild
excit ment, with his savoury dish flying after him;
for hardly had he made known the object of his
Mission than Deborah, in a fit of passion, seized a
Plato. and smashed it over the sable curls of the
cook, who turned and fled, while the moment the
dish lad flown out after him, the door was clapped
to and fastened.

" Lor'-a-mossy, see what dat great big bull-alli-
gator woman hab done," cried 'Thello, as soon as
he.found that he was safe. _ _

TheWw—aa—a—chorus of laughter from the women
on the deck-

" Yes, you laugh you lubbly creatures," cried
rheiio; but you no laugh if you dinner serb like
dat ah. It worse than frow de tater at de head ob
de cook. Dat woman mad.as hatter."
Ilelston frowned as soon as he heard of the inci-
dent, and gave Mary Dance orders that no furthr
advances were to be made to the obstinate
'Woman: but the next day, taking into consideration
that Deborah had been a prisoner for three months,
he made up his mind to go and see her himself, and
try if he could not bring her to reason.
*So, taking half-a-dozen of the principal women
into his confidence, ho sent word by Mary Dance
that he was coming to see her, and about an hour
after had himself admitted into the cabin, which now
went by the name of the prison.
Deborah met him on the threshold, and, to his
surprise motioned him to the one chair in the room
11, however, he refused to take; and she on
her part declining, they remained standing during the
inter% iew.

"I have come, Deborah," Helston began, "to see
Ir you are willing to listen to reason."
"I don't understand you," she replied, coldly.
"Well, then, I will put it in another form," he
Said. I have several times:made advances to you
concerning peace."
"And I have declined to listen to them," said
Delo] ah.
" Yes," continued Helston•' "and now, feeling
Unwilling that you should remain a prisoner
longer_ "
" Yes, a prisoner," she exclaimed, bitterly.
" I have come to ask you whether you are dis-
Pe%d to take your place once more amongst the
w. men. For, my part, if you promise me due sub-
Mission, I will undertake that you shall in no way
be annoyed by those who have been the witnesses of
Your fall. Here is my hand, in token of future good-
will and friendship."
As he spoke, he frankly held out his hand, and the
Woman's sallow cheek flushed as she raised her own
to take it; but as she gazed eagerly in his eyes, the
new-born hope that had risen within her for a mo-
ment was crushed by his cold, calm gaze, and in an
access of fury she struck his hand from her, and
stood grinding her teeth.
"Submission !—yes, of course—to submit," she
cried, "and cringe 'before our lord and master—man
No! Never! I'd sooner die, pent up here in this
wretched crib."

"And yet you offered submission—and your love
once," said elston, quietly.
" Coward ! " she hissed ; "have you come here to
insult me—to trample upon the wretched woman's
weakness that gained the better of me ? "
"No," said Helston, calmly, "I came to offer the
W9man to whom I could not give my love, the
friendship and esteem I would gladly make her
own..

"His friendship—his esteem!" hissed Deborah.
" I asis ed him once for bread, and he brings me a
stone—a portion of the esteem and friendship that
he shares out amongst the hundred or so degraded
cre.atures—the ladies of his harem ! "

FOUl:in—o-u-thed termagant ! " exclaimed
Relston, angrily; "how dare you utter such a
calumny ? Henceforth, Deborah Burrows, you re-
'Wan a close prisoner for the well-being of all here,
till time shall have brought certain repentance, and
You shall as a suppliant ask for pardon, for you'
also and cruel words."
He turned from her, as she stood there, malignant
rtrid revelling in the sang her words had possessed
and left the cabin. But he did not see what followed;
for, as the door closed, the whole aspect of the
woman changed: Her hands were stretched out to
him; she breathed his name with passionate adora
tion ; and, beating her breast, she sank grovelling on
the cabin floor, tearing down her hair, and pressing
her hands upon her white, compressed lips to keep
back the cry of agony that was struggling for utter-
ance.

"Oh, I love him—l love him !" she moaned at
last.

And as she said so she started up, thrust back
her hair, and listened lest her words should have
11, een overheard; and then, sinking back, she sat for
Liours, waiting for the calmness which would not
Come.

And then the days glided by, and became weeks,
end the weeks months, till there came the time ol
Peril which has been described—a time of horror,
._which Deborah witnessed from the cabin, too proud
• ery for help till she found that she was left alone
• the ship, when the strong desire for life asserted
itself, and she strove to escape.
`t'he tried the window for the hundredth time;
but the stout iron bars that had been placed across
raonths before by 'Thello, by Helston's orders, wei.-
still there, and the door was fast as ever.
What was she to do? Was there to be no escape?
uh. it was too horrible; and in her agony she
lihriflced aloud, till she sank upon the floor, trembling,
1.1.* d utterly exhausted.
• The cowards!" she cried. "To leave me here
• kerish while they make good their escape! Where
tielston's manliness now? Where is Laurent—
‘ue back—the women? Oh, Heaven, am Ito be
reserved for such an awful death as this!"
She ran to the window again, and saw the awful
l'ust cloud, the flaming lightning, heard the roar of
;Ile lava, and began to breathe with difficulty as the
.range, sulphurous, oppressive glow made its way
Into the cabin.
, The agony the woman passed through was mad-
n"euing, for she was alone. The cluster of sufferers
-4
thelcil knew acute anguish, but they had the
solace of being free, and there was company to cheer
th "I. Deborah, weakened mentally and bodily by
pr long confinement, was alone; and in her despair
Bile beat her head against the door, and cried to the
lean she had repelled to come to her aid.
„" Ile loves me—he must love me ! " she moaned.
have Imo bare my heart to him, and he cannot
me here to perish. For I must live live
tjt love him, and he will return it! Oh, Charles,
haries, do not leave me here to die!
Let her cries seemed to be repeated back to her
fr°4l the wooden sides and ceiling of the suffocating
I,shtle cabin; and above all came the awful, increas-
114g roar, and the lurid glare from the ever-flowing
,ta) teaching her that there was a terrible conflag-
'4Voll. at hand, but where she could not see.
Et was more than human brain could bear, and
b°,r the next half-hour she was in a state of insensi-
oility, from which she was aroused by a sense of
PP4esBion. at her chest.
-rose to her feet and staggered to the little
liviiidow, to which she held her flushed face, try-
411€c to drink in a freshening draught of air; but
vbs. atmosphere was scorching, tongues of flame
eere darting through it, the sky seemed' turned to
a:wing copper where the vast clouds did not 'float,
to the prisoned woman it appeared as if the end
ut all things was at hand.
t• ler mind was now confused; and when she tried
ftnard to make out what could be the cause of the
Cf;ul hours through which she was passing, her
paft began to reel, and she could only cling there,
and waiting for the end.
uddenly a cry aroused her, and she started from
thee window, to stand trembling and motionless in
raiddle of the room.
he/: opr she recognised the voice, and a smile crossed
:,,face and white lips as her breast rose and fell.
, Las horrible sense of confusion passed away, and
stood there erect and with her mind once more
• r•
, for she told herself that help was at hand,
at:3l that it was ha—the an she hated as passion-
at as she loved hha—whe had come at last to be
okl• in this mortal Miss el swil.

"!.s,' she gasped—and her -voice sounded wild
and strange—" he has come to be by my side to
save me, or else that we might die together."

CHAPTER MOM
102 LIIIIII-31113 DIAT2•

Hmorou knew his danger; but he did not hesitate.
There was that poor woman locked a prisoner in her
cabin, and he was bound to save her at the risk of
his life.

It was a race with the stream, which was running
round the hill; but he reached the sands, and was
speeding on, when a wild cry arrested his footsteps,
and looking back it was to see Grace Munroe run-
ning, chased by the lava, and with her hands. out-
stretched to him.

He uttered a hoarse cry, and fora few moments
his nerve seemed to leave him. Then recovering, as
from some horrible nightmare which held him back,
he sped towards her, clasped her hand, and together
they ran for the ship.
Not a moment was to be kid ; for the lava flood
was coming swiftly, and the fate of the ship was
sealed. But they made such speed that, as they
climbed panting to the dock, the lurid stream was
a couple of hundred yards away, gliding softly over
the sand in a flood about two feet deep, and widen-
ing ever as it came.
Holston gave a glance around, saw the direction
of the flood, and made up his mind which way to
retreat. Then snatching up an axe, he made for
the cabin.

Two strokes dashed off the lock; and, as Grace
stood gazing, the door fell back, and there stood
Deborah, white and haggard, but perfectly calm.
"I knew you would come and save me, w she said,
hoarsely.
With a cry of joy, she flung herself upon his
neck; but as she did so, and Heaton struggled to
loosen her hands, she caught sight of Grace stand-
ing Ranting and shivering, between fear and agony
of :nand.

"You hers!" said Deborah, bitterly. "I might
have thought so."
" Woman, are you mad Pi' exclaimed Heston.
" Here, quick, this way. Down this rope."
He led the way towards the other side of the ship,
making fast a rope to the torn bulwarks.
No," said Deborah. "Why should I escape P"
"!on madwoman!" roared Holston, "you will
destroy us all."
For as he spoke the flood of lava came stealthily
on, hissing over the sand, which it fused into a solid
mass as it flowed.
"Lotus die, then," said Deborah, bitterly. "What
is there to live for ?"

"Better days," said Holston. And he caught
Grace in his arms, twisted the rope round her, and
half threw her over the side. "Run," he shouted,
" straight on for the point, keeping towards the
sea."

- But Grace stood motionless watching the scene
enacted upon the deck; for at that moment Deborah
threw her arms round Holston, and clasped him
tightly.
" You are going to her," she said.
" Yes, and to take you too," he aria " Look—
there is not a moment to Is. sun, Grace, run,"
he cried, frantically.
The heat of the coming lava was now awful, and
the pit& upon the vend began to bubble and
seethe.

said Deborah. "I would rather stay and
die with you."
"Madwoman!" cried Holston again.
6, Yes, and no wonder," she said, bitterly.
"Enough to make me—shut in there."
Holston felt that words; were of no avail; and
seizing Deborah in turn, he tried to bear her to the
side farthest from the lava, but she wrestled against
it, and crippled his efforts with her tight embrace.
"Yes," she muttered, as ehe clung to him," hold
m& fast, and let me die in your arms—it will be
better thus. lam not afraid to die. Never be hers
—ner-r clasp her thus."
She seemed to hiss these words In his ear, as she
held him with all her strength; and, as be auggled
with her, the lava touched the ship's side. In a
moment it leaped into Same, and a wild, heart-
rending shriek burst from Grace, as, in that lurid
light, she stood with arms outstretched towards the
ship.
" Helske Charles !" she dubbed. Oh, Beam,
have mercy r,
(2b es isalimida