THE PURSUIT
Deppingham sprang to his feet with a fierce oath on his lips. His
usually lustreless eyes were gleaming with something more than despair;
there was the wild light of unmistakable relief in them. It was as if a
horrid doubt had been scaled from the soul of Lady Deppingham's husband.
"We must follow!" shouted his lordship, preparing to lower himself into
the jagged opening. "We may be in time!"
"Stop, Deppingham!" cried Chase, leaping to his side. "Don't rush
blindly into a trap like that. Let's consider for a moment."
They had it back and forth for many minutes, the united efforts of the
three men being required to keep the half-frantic Englishman from
rushing alone into the passage. Reason at last prevailed.
"They've got an hour or more start of us," argued Chase. "Nothing will
be accomplished by rushing into an ambush. They'd kill us like rats.
Rasula is a sagacious scoundrel. He'll not take the entire
responsibility. There will be a council of all the head men. It will be
of no advantage to them to kill the heirs unless they are sure that _we_
won't live to tell the tale. They will go slow, now that they have the
chief obstacles to victory in their hands."
"If they will give her up to me, I will guarantee that Lady Agnes shall
relinquish all claim to the estate," announced the harassed husband.
"They won't do that, old man. Promises won't tempt them," protested
Chase. "We've got to do what we can to rescue them. I'm with you,
gentlemen, in the undertaking, first for humanity's sake; secondly,
because I am your friend; lastly, because I don't want my clients to
lose all chance of winning out in this controversy by acting like
confounded asses. It isn't what Sir John expects of me. Now, let's
consider the situation sensibly."
In the meantime, the anxious coterie in the château were waiting eagerly
for the return of the searchers. Night had fallen swiftly. The Princess
and Drusilla were walking restlessly back and forth, singularly quiet
and constrained. The latter sighed now and then in a manner that went
directly to the heart of her companion. Genevra recognised the futility
of imposing her sympathies in the face of this significant reserve.
Drusilla made one remark, half unconsciously, no doubt, that rasped in
the ears of the Princess for days. It was the cold, bitter, resigned
epitome of the young wife's thoughts.
"Robert has loved her for months." That was all.
Mr. and Mrs. Saunders, thankful that something had happened to divert
attention from their own conspicuous plight, were discoursing freely in
the centre of a group composed of the four Englishmen from the bank, all
of whom had deserted their posts of duty to hear the details of the
amazing disappearance.
"It's a plain out and out elopement," said Mrs. Saunders, fanning
herself vigorously.
"But, my dear," expostulated her husband, blushing vividly over the
first public use of the appellation, "where the devil could they elope
to?"
"I don't know, Tommy, but elopers never take that into consideration. Do
they, Mr. Bowles?"
Mr. Bowles readjusted the little red forage cap and said he'd be hanged
if he knew the eloping symptoms.
At last the four men appeared in the mouth of the cavern. The watchers
below fell into chilled silence when they discovered that the missing
ones were not with them. Stupefied with apprehension, they watched the
men descend the ladder and cross the bridge.
"They are dead!" fell from Brasilia Browne's lips. She swayed for an
instant and then sank to the ground, unconscious.
* * * * *
In the conference which followed the return of the searchers, it was
settled that three of the original party should undertake the further
prosecution of the hunt for the two heirs. Lord Deppingham found ready
volunteers in Chase and the faithful Selim. They prepared to go out in
the hills before the night was an hour older. Selim argued that the
abductors would not take their prisoners to the town of Aratat. He
understood them well enough to know that they fully appreciated the
danger of an uprising among those who were known to be openly opposed to
the high-handed operations of Rasula and his constituency. He convinced
Chase that the wily Rasula would carry his captives to the mines, where
he was in full power.
"You're right, Selim. If he's tried that game we'll beat him at it. Ten
to one, if he hasn't already chucked them into the sea, they're now
confined in one of the mills over there."
They were ready to start in a very short time. Selim carried a quantity
of food and a small supply of brandy. Each was heavily armed and
prepared for a stiff battle with the abductors. They were to go by way
of the upper gate, taking chances on leaving the park without discovery
by the sentinels.
"We seem constantly to be saying good-bye to each other." Thus spoke the
Princess to Chase as he stood at the top of the steps waiting for Selim.
The darkness hid the wan, despairing smile that gave the lie to her
sprightly words.
"And I'm always doing the unexpected thing--coming back. This time I may
vary the monotony by failing to return."
"I should think you could vary it more pleasantly by not going away,"
she said. "You will be careful?"
"The danger is here, not out there," he said meaningly.
"You mean--me? But, like all danger, I soon shall pass. In a few days, I
shall say good-bye forever and sail away."
"How much better it would be for you if this were the last good-bye--and
I should not come back."
"For me?"
"Yes. You could marry the Prince without having me on your conscience
forevermore."
"Mr. Chase!"
"It's easier to forget the dead than the living, they say."
"Don't be too sure of that."
"Ah, there's Selim! Good-bye! We'll have good news for you all, I hope,
before long. Keep your eyes on Neenah. She and Selim have arranged a set
of signals. Don't lie awake all night--and don't pray for me," he
scoffed, in reckless mood.
The three men stole out through the small gate in the upper end of the
park. Selim at once took the lead. They crept off into the black forest,
keeping clear of the mountain path until they were far from the walls.
It was hard going among the thickly grown, low-hanging trees. They were
without lights; the jungle was wrapped in the blackness of night; the
trail was unmade and arduous. For more than a mile they crept through
the unbroken vegetation of the tropics, finally making their way down to
the beaten path which led past the ruins of the bungalow and up to the
mountain road that provided a short cut around the volcano to the
highlands overlooking the mines district in the cradle-like valley
beyond.
Deppingham had not spoken since they left the park grounds. He came
second in the single file that they observed, striding silently and
obediently at the given twenty paces behind Selim. They kept to the
grassy roadside and moved swiftly and with as little noise as possible.
By this time, their eyes had grown accustomed to the darkness; they
could distinguish one another quite clearly. The starlight filtered down
through the leafy canopy above the road, increasing rather than
decreasing the density of the shadows through which they sped. None but
strong, determined, inspired men could have followed the pace set by the
lithe, surefooted Selim.
Mile after mile fell behind them, with no relaxation of energy or
purpose. Chase found time and opportunity to give his thoughts over to
Genevra. A mighty longing to clasp her in his arms and carry her to the
ends of the earth took possession of him: a longing to drag her far from
the conventions which bound her to a world he could not enter into. Down
in his heart, he knew that she loved him: it was not a play-day folly
with her. And yet he knew that the end would be as she had said. She
would be the wife of the man she did not love. Fate had given her to him
when the world was young; there was no escape. In story-books, perhaps,
but not in real life. And how he had come to love her!
They were coming to the ridge road and Selim fell back to explain the
need for caution. The ridge road crept along the brow of the deep canyon
that ran down to the sea. This was the road, in all likelihood, he
explained, that the abductors would have used in their flight from the
cavern. Two miles farther south it joined the wide highway that ran from
Aratat to the mines.
Selim crept on ahead to reconnoitre. He was back in ten minutes with the
information that a party of men had but lately passed along the road
toward the south. Their footprints in the soft, untraveled road were
fresh. The stub of a cigarette that had scarcely burned itself out
proved to him conclusively that the smoker, at least, was not far ahead
of them.
They broke away from the road and took a less exposed course through the
forest to their right, keeping well within earshot of the ridge, but
moving so carefully that there was slight danger of alarming the party
ahead. The fact that the abductors--there seemed to be no doubt as to
identity--had spent several hours longer than necessary in traversing
the distance between the cave and the point just passed, proving rather
conclusively that they were encumbered by living, not dead, burdens.
At last the sound of voices came to the ears of the pursuers. As they
crept closer and closer, they became aware of the fact that the party
had halted and were wrangling among themselves over some point in
dispute. With Selim in the lead, crawling like panthers through the
dense undergrowth, the trio came to the edge of the timber land. Before
them lay the dark, treeless valley; almost directly below them, not
fifty yards away, clustered the group of disputing islanders, a dozen
men in all, with half as many flaring torches.
They had halted in the roadway at the point where a sharp defile through
the rocks opened a way down into the valley. Like snakes the pursuers
wriggled their way to a point just above the small basin in which the
party was congregated.
A great throb of exultation leaped up from their hearts, In plain view,
at the side of the road, were the two persons for whom they were
searching.
"God, luck is with us," whispered Chase unconsciously.
Lady Agnes, dishevelled, her dress half stripped from her person, was
seated upon a great boulder, staring hopelessly, lifelessly at the crowd
of men in the roadway. Beside her stood a tall islander, watching her
and at the same time listening eagerly to the dispute that went on
between his fellows. She was not bound; her hands and feet and lips were
free. The glow from the torches held by gesticulating hands fell upon
her tired, frightened face. Deppingham groaned aloud as he looked down
upon the wretched, hopeless woman that he loved and had come out to die
for.
Bobby Browne was standing near by. His hands were tightly bound behind
his back. His face was blood-covered and the upper part of his body was
almost bare, evidence of the struggle he had made against overwhelming
odds. He was staring at the ground, his head and shoulders drooping in
utter dejection.
The cause of the slow progress made by the attacking party was also
apparent after a moment's survey of the situation. Three of the treasure
chests were standing beside the road, affording seats for as many weary
carriers. It was all quite plain to Chase. Rasula and his men had
chanced upon the two white people during one of their trips to the cave
for the purpose of removing the chests. Moreover, it was reasonable to
assume that this lot of chests represented the last of those stored away
by Von Blitz. The others had been borne away by detachments of men who
left the cave before the discovery and capture of the heirs.
Rasula was haranguing the crowd of men in the road. The hidden listeners
could hear and understand every word he uttered.
"It is the only way," he was shouting angrily. "We cannot take them into
the town to-night--maybe not for two or three days. Some there are in
Aratat who would end their lives before sunrise. I say to you that we
cannot put them to death until we are sure that the others have no
chance to escape to England. I am a lawyer. I know what it would mean if
the story got to the ears of the government. We have them safely in our
hands. The others will soon die. Then--then there can be no mistake!
They must be taken to the mines and kept there until I have explained
everything to the people. Part of us shall conduct them to the lower
mill and the rest of us go on to the bank with these chests of gold." In
the end, after much grumbling and fierce quarreling, in which the
prisoners took little or no interest, the band was divided into two
parts. Rasula and six of the sturdiest men prepared to continue the
journey to Aratat, transporting the chests. Five sullen, resentful
fellows moved over beside the captives and threw themselves down upon
the grassy sward, lighting their cigarettes with all the philosophical
indifference of men who regard themselves as put upon by others at a
time when there is no alternative.
"We will wait here till day comes," growled one of them defiantly. "Why
should we risk our necks going down the pass to-night? It is one
o'clock. The sun will be here in three hours. Go on!"
"As you like, Abou Dal," said Rasula, shrugging his pinched shoulders.
"I shall come to the mill at six o'clock." Turning to the prisoners, he
bowed low and said, with a soft laugh: "Adios, my lady, and you, most
noble sir. May your dreams be pleasant ones. Dream that you are wedded
and have come into the wealth of Japat, but spare none of your dream to
the husband and wife, who are lying awake and weeping for the foolish
ones who would go searching for the forbidden fruit. Folly is a hard road
to travel and it leads to the graveyard of fools. Adios!"
Lady Agnes bent over and dropped her face into her hands. She was
trembling convulsively. Browne did not show the slightest sign that he
had heard the galling words.
At a single sharp command, the six men picked up the three chests and
moved off rapidly down the road Rasula striding ahead with the flaring
torch.
They were barely out of sight beyond the turn in the hill when
Deppingham moved as though impulse was driving him into immediate attack
upon the guards who were left behind with the unhappy prisoners. Chase
laid a restraining hand upon his arm.
"Wait! Plenty of time. Wait an hour. Don't spoil everything. We'll save
them sure," he breathed in the other's ear. Deppingham's groan was
almost loud enough to have been heard above the rustling leaves and the
collective maledictions of the disgusted islanders.
The minutes slipped by with excruciating slowness The wakeful eyes of
the three watchers missed nothing that took place in the little
grass-grown niche below them They could have sprung almost into the
centre of the group from the position they occupied. Utterly unconscious
of the surveillance, the islanders gradually sunk into a morose, stupid
silence. If the watchers hoped that they might go to sleep they were to
be disappointed Two of the men sat with their backs to the rocks, their
rifles across their knees. The others sprawled lazily upon the soft
grass. Two torches, stuck in the earth, threw a weird light over the
scene.
Bobby Browne was now lying with his shoulder against a fallen
tree-trunk, staring with unswerving gaze at the woman across the way.
She was looking off into the night, steadfastly refusing to glance in
his direction. For fully half an hour this almost speaking tableau
presented itself to the spectators above.
Then suddenly Lady Agnes arose to her feet and lifted her hands high
toward the black dome of heaven, Salammbo-like, and prayed aloud to her
God, the sneering islanders looking on in silent derision.