Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-07-23
CHAPTER Ky

SiIa1 Az.
When the launch entered The denser
cloud and faded from her sight, Miss
Stansbury retired to the cabin. Over all
her thoughts of the unhallowed parting
from her mother the night before. and the
clean. valorous act of her lover now, hung
the defined terror lest Pelee should inter
vene. She heard Macready's step at the
door; the calm voice of an officer On the
bridge; the morning bells.
The pale winding sheet was unwrappcd
from the beauty of morning. Through
portfolio she saw the rose and gold on
the far, dim hills. Her eyes smarted from
WEAKNESS, but her mind, like an AUTO
matte thing, swept around the great or
cle-frOm the ship to the city, to the
house beyond the morne and back again.
She saw him in the launch, in the midst
of native groups on the shore, in the
plantation house, begging her mother to
listen. importuning Uncle Joey to take
her to Fort de France returning through
the streets with people following-the
crowded launch, and then the joy of emp
ty arms filled. But sometimes Pelee
would burst into the deepening channel of
thoughts, effacing the whole, and leaving
her, a shrieking dishevelled creature. in
the midst of a chaos which would not an
swer. She went on deck. Laird, the first
officer, invited her to ascend the bridge.
He was scrutinzing through the glass a
botch of smoke on the city front What
do you make of it, Miss Stansbury?" he
asked
The lenses brought to her nucleus of
rod II, tho hlopl ba MI Tho - G.;
Pierre was a gray doll settlement, set in
the shelter of little gray bis. She
| could see the riven and CASTE .ated crest
of Pelee, weaving his black ribbon. 1t
was all small, silent and unearthly.
THAT'S a fire on the Shore" she said
| Exactly" said Laird.
Shortly afterward the trumpetings of
the monster began. The harbor grew
| yellowish-black. The shore crawed deep
er into the shroud, and was lost alto
| gether. The water took on a foul look
as if the bed of the sea were churned with
| some beastly passion. The anchor chain
! drew taut, mySteriously strained, and
! banged a tattoo against the steel-bound
! eye. Blue Peter, dropping at the fore
mast, livened suddenly into a spasm of
| writing, like hooked lizard. The black,
| quivering columns of smoke from the fun
nels were famed down upon the deck.
| adding SCOT to the white smear from the
volcano. Lara felt Macready pulling at
| her arm.
''Ye mustn't go below, miss. Ye know
me ordhers."
| She rebelled with sudden vehemence
| declaring that she would smother down
! there.
You can do no good here, sure Don't
make it crool fur me?'
Make haste below, miss--squall COM
ing"' commanded Laird. Gentleness and
jollity were gone from the large red face
| She suffered herself to be drawn down
the ladder, crushed by the officers words
and the iron fingers of fear closing about
her heart \ hot, fetid breath charged
the air. The water danced, alive with the
| yeast of worlds. The disordered sky in
toned violence. Pelee had set the foun-
! dations to trembling.
| Lara drifted into the open polar region,
! Despair These men were all his friends
! She must not hinder them. They had much
| to do. Her part was self-effacement. In
! the darkening passageway she heard
! Laird shouting orders above, heard him
! command the native women to tumble be-
! low" and the sailors to seal the ways
| after Them heard the deep sea language
| and-"barometer" Constable"
There were running feet, bells
! below, cries from the native women, quick
oaths from the sailors. The ship rose and
| settled like a feather in a breeze.
! She was incapable of swift action.
Macready lifted her into the cabin and
| slammed the door, rushed to the ports and
screwed them tight with lightning fingers,
! led her to a chair and locked it in its
socket.
That's the DEERE he said breathless-
! ly. "Shud so much as a shpark from the
| mountain raise so much as bloosh upon
your cheek. sure I'd niver be able t face
| Mr.. Constable again, but go on sthokin'
| foriver an iver.''
Its very good of YOU she answered
duly.
| She sat very still. not daring to relax
the rigid tension of her face, her hands,
| or her brain. lest the scream of madness
/ break forth. From out the shoreward
! darkness thundered vibrations which rem
! dered soundless all that had passed be-
fore. Comets flashed by the port holes.
| The ship shuddered and fell to her star
board side.
Eight bells had just sounded when the
great thunder rocked over the gray-black
harbor. and the molten vitals of the mon
ster, wrapped in black cloud, filled the
heavens, gathered themselves, and plunged
down upon the city and the sea. As for
the de Stael, eight miles from shore and
twelve miles from the craters, she seemed
70 have fallen from a habitable planet
into the fire-mist of an unfinished world.
She heeled over like biscuit tin. di .,p ping
her bridge and gunwales. She was del
uged by blasts of steam and molten stone.
Her anchor chain gave way, and, burn
ing in a half-dozen places, she was sucked
in-shore.
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